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Madruk
One of the Six Gods of Destruction, this entity attacked Legendra three hundred years ago. Astea and Hargalt defeated him, but they were only able to seal him away. Now, the seal is weakening, and he seeks to resume what he started centuries ago.
- Big Bad
- Big Red Devil: Madruk is an interesting case, in that he appears to be a Big Brown Devil.
- Body Horror: Madruk's One-Winged Angel form. As a Big Bad, he isn't exactly disturbed by it. To elaborate, the upper half of his humanoid form (including wings) ends up connected by fleshy...cable...things to the middle of a three-headed dragon's spine. Said dragon's body is a wingless, bloated, pulsating mass held together by blue-grey plates, with impossibly stunted limbs...
- Devour the Dragon: After you defeat Madruk the first time, he absorbs the essences/souls of his (already defeated) Quirky Miniboss Squad in order to go One-Winged Angel on you.
- Evil Laugh: Just as he goes One-Winged Angel.
- Full-Frontal Assault: From what we can see of him, Madruk wears only bracelets and anklets. Thankfully, Barbie Doll Anatomy is in full effect.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: His PS2 portrait is a spectacular example.
- God of Evil
- Large and in Charge: Big enough to occupy several squares on the battlefield map (when even generals only take up one square each).
- Load-Bearing Boss: After you defeat Madruk for good, Ruinlege, his prison mountain, erupts in a spectacular volcano.
- One-Winged Angel: Gets a particularly spectacular one after you defeat him the first time, complete with an FMV.
- Power Floats
- Red Eyes, Take Warning
- Satanic Archetype: Obviously.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: In the Ruinledge mountains just west of Fandaria.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Attempts one against your monarch, but they bounce back with a Heroic Resolve speech instead.
- Winged Humanoid
- Zerg Rush: Near the end of the game, he attempts this with Dragonmen to distract you from his awakening.
The Apostles of Darkness
Madruk's three top henchmen. Powerful enough to give the Dragon Force a hard fight.
- Co-Dragons: To Madruk.
- The Corrupter: Gaul is the one who manipulated Gyzzdark, Goldark's older brother, into imprisoning the latter in the Tower of Solitude, as well as into declaring war on Legendra.
- Elite Army/ Elite Mook: Scythe uses hovering...ghost women...things in the final battle, and they're the only troop type not mentioned in the game manual. Said troops seem to have a general advantage over all other types, except high-end ones like Harpies and Dragons.
- Evil Laugh: Gaul and Scythe, as they go One-Winged Angel.
- Game Face: Gaul & Scythe show pretty impressive ones when they assume their true forms at the final battle. Having their super deformed sprites transform before starting combat is a nice touch.
- Glowing Mechanical Eyes: Katmando has several.
- Horsemen of the Apocalypse: They are arguably this. Their appearance (and revelation) herald the awakening of Madruk. Things get pretty hectic pretty quickly once this goes down.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Gaul and Scythe in their true forms.
- Humongous Mecha: Katmando, which dwarfs all the other generals (at least until you face Madruk himself).
- Instant Awesome: Just Add Mecha!: Fairly standard fantasy setting, then there's Katamando, a giant space robot. The only foreshadowing we're given after Gaul and Scythe are outed is that there is a third Apostle of Darkness "sealed away among the stars". Katmando makes its appearance like a UFO from space, and crashes down onto the continent in an FMV cutscene.
- The Juggernaut/ No-Sell: Katmando, which can only be harmed once the heroes get their powerups via Ancient Artifact.
- Large and in Charge: Katmando is big enough to occupy several squares on the battlefield map (when even generals only take up one square each).
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast
- Of Corsets Sexy: Scythe, once she shows her Game Face in the Final Battle.
- One-Winged Angel: For Gaul and Scythe.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: Unlike some other examples, they are a very palpable threat, and it takes 7 out of 8 Dragon Force members (the last being the monarch you chose, who fights Madruk) to bring them down during the final battle.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Unless the player chose Fandaria, Gaul and Scythe both abandon Goldark's forces once the nation is on the brink of defeat.
- Shoulders of Doom: Gaul gets an impressive pair, styled as a pair of snarling tigers. Katmando plays with this, having a setup that resembles skeletal bat wings, only metallic.
- Smurfette Principle: Scythe is this among the main villains.
- Third Eye: When Gaul goes One-Winged Angel in the Final Battle, he sprouts a third eye in the centre of his forehead.
- Transforming Mecha: Katmando, whose "travel" form looks like an "8"-shaped UFO, but turns upside down and sprouts a head and combat appendages at the start of each battle.
- Winged Humanoid: Scythe becomes this once she reveals her Game Face during the Final Battle.
The Skull Children (Gasper, Helm, and Tzuvan)
Classes: Knight (Gasper), Fighter (Helm, Tzuvan)
A trio of men working for Madruk that seek to kill the player's monarch. If they die, Madruk will revive them.- Back from the Dead: Repeatedly.
- Evil Laugh: Gasper's trademark. Sadly, not voiced in the PS2 remake.
- Flash Step: Tzuvan learns Cross Flash.
- Goldfish Poop Gang/ Terrible Trio: They have sub-par stats, command only average numbers of troops, and exist only to provide a spare (but regular) source of exp. They're really only a threat if they happen to spawn behind the player's front lines, where castles are less likely to be stocked with generals.
- Playing with Fire: Helm learns Flame Cannon.
Paine and Agonni
Classes: Thief (both)
A pair of thieves that take the Skull Children's role should they be killed by forces not belonging to the player.If they die, Madruk will revive them.- Back from the Dead: Repeatedly. Even lampshaded in their defeat quotes.
- Flash Step: Both learn Cross Flash.
- Mage Killer: Both are Thief generals.
Ryskim
Class: ??????
A powerful Phantom and servant of Madruk. Has a feud with Vlad.- Arch-Enemy: To Vlad.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Quagmire.
- I Have Your Love Interest: Apparently, Ryskim is a fan of this trope.
- Our Liches Are Different
- Playing with Fire: Dante's Inferno.
- Power Floats: His combat sprite.
- Squishy Wizard: If you can survive his waves of Zombies, blasting him directly with spells is a perfectly viable way to defeat him.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: In Goldark's campaign, Ryskim does not reappear after his Quirky Miniboss Squad deserts (together with Gaul and Scythe). The other three pop up at the Cape Shrine to challenge Mikhal, Leon, and Junon, but Ryskim is nowhere to be seen.
Zado
Class: Dragon
One of the most powerful Dragonmen and servant of Madruk. Seeks to kill both Vangal for his desertion, and the members of the Dragon Force.- Arch-Enemy: To Vangal.
- Death from Above: Sky Driver. Also, how he makes his entrance.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Stone Pedestal.
- Nigh-Invulnerable/ Why Won't You Die?: Takes only 1 Hp of damage from Mook attacks, and drastically reduced damage from spells. If you can't beat him flat (i.e. slay him outright) in one sitting, he heals to full, and comes back for a second round. Thankfully, he doesn't get a fresh army, and a second defeat sends him packing.
- Optional Boss: You'll only face him if you find and recruit Vangal. Averted with Goldark, though; not only you get to play as him, but he will appear as one of the bosses of the Forest Shrine.
- Our Dragons Are Different
- Playing with Fire: Flame Cannon.