Aku Aku
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| Aku Aku | |
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 Aku Aku in Crash of the Titans |
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| Game series | Crash Bandicoot |
| First game | Crash Bandicoot (1996) |
| Created by | Naughty Dog |
| Designed by | Charles Zembillas Joe Pearson Raine Anderson (2007)[1] |
| Voiced by (English) | Brendan O'Brien Mel Winkler (1998-2004)[2][3][4][5] Greg Eagles (2007-present) |
| Voiced by (Japanese) | Kenichi Ogata (1997-2004) |
Aku Aku (アク アク Aku Aku?) is a video game character in Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot series. He is the only character besides Crash to appear in every installment of the series.
As stated in the instruction manual of the first Crash Bandicoot game, Aku Aku is the ancient voodoo mask spirit of an old witch doctor, who looks over the Wumpa Islands as a kind of spirit guardian.[6] When he sensed Crash's and Coco's journey to ruin Doctor Neo Cortex's plan for world domination, he befriended them and scattered copies of himself to aid them. Copies of him are hidden in marked crates, and when broken, the mask will be released, and will protect Crash and Coco from one enemy attack. Collecting three in a row without getting hit will result in Crash and Coco becoming temporarily invincible from anything except deep water and bottomless pits.[7] Aku Aku will appear in Crash: Mind Over Mutant, also helping Crash jacking mutants.
Aku Aku is voiced by Mel Winkler in his speaking roles from 1998 to 2004,[2][3][4][5] with The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy star Greg Eagles taking over the role in Crash of the Titans. He is voiced by Kenichi Ogata in the Japanese dubs of the games.
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[edit] Characteristics
[edit] Personality
Aku Aku cares deeply for the Earth and all who inhabit it, protecting Crash whenever needed and acting as a father figure to the Bandicoots. He'll do anything the protect the planet, even locking his twin brother away in an underground temple. Overall, Aku Aku is a kind, benevolent, and empathetic spirit who loves the Earth, making his name an ironic one, seeing as "Aku" is Japanese for "evil" or "wickedness".
Aku Aku's personality is expanded in Crash of the Titans. While Aku Aku remains a stern individual for most of the time, he is capable of showing an occasional witty side, a trait displayed when he quickly compares the Mojo Temple to the Texas School Book Depository, along with his descriptions of the enemies in the game. [8]
[edit] Appearance
Aku Aku appears as a floating wooden mask with yellow, circular, pupil-less eyes (except in Crash Boom Bang! where he has pupils as that is his Japanese Model) , a red, pointed nose, large lips, a green goatee, and four (or more) multi-colored feathers perched on top of his head. Aku Aku's redesign in Crash of the Titans shows him having a larger, more humanoid/primate head, along with one extra feather on his head. His goatee is missing, having been replaced with green hair on the sides of his head.
[edit] Abilities
Similar to Sparx in the Spyro the Dragon series, Aku Aku's primary function is to protect Crash from harm. If Crash has one Aku Aku mask, it will protect him from one attack; if he has two, he'll resist two attacks. If Crash picks up three Aku Aku masks, he'll enter a state of temporary invincibility and will not be harmed from any enemy attacks, Nitro crates, and TNT crates. He will, however, be killed by either falling into bottomless pits, falling into water, or getting crushed in a chase level. In Crash Twinsanity, having three Aku Aku's will no longer protect Crash from explosions by TNT or Nitro crates, or destroy enemies by walking into them, as it did previous titles. Aku Aku also has many other abilities. In the first installment, he can be used as a source of light in levels which are too dark to navigate safely. In the Cortex boss fight in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, it is shown he and his twin brother Uka Uka are able to produce various forms of what is assumed to be witch doctor magic. In Crash of the Titans, Crash uses Aku Aku to cover the Titan's face and take control of the creature. Aku Aku can also be used by Crash as a shield and a skateboard. Whenever Aku Aku can sense a person, he can teleport a certain distance towards that person. In the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Aku Aku can transform into various vehicles for Crash to use.
[edit] History
Aku Aku doesn't play an important role in the series until Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, in which he appears as a father figure of the bandicoots. In the same game, it is revealed that Aku Aku has an evil twin brother named Uka Uka, whom he constantly opposes and has the same strength and power (as evidenced in the final battle against Doctor Cortex, in which he holds off Uka Uka's attacks, and Uka Uka likewise holds off his.). In Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Aku Aku mentioned that he locked Uka Uka away in a temple prison many eons ago to protect the world from his malice. From this, it can be assumed that both Aku Aku and Uka Uka are quite old.[9]
In Crash Twinsanity, Aku Aku successfully convinces his twin brother to join him in an attempt to defeat the Evil Twins.[10] However, despite their vast power together, they are still no match for the reality-bending powers of the Evil Twins, and are both easily defeated.[11]
In Crash of the Titans, Aku Aku is briefly kidnapped by Doctor Neo Cortex, but is soon rescued by Crash. In-game, Aku Aku acts as Crash's source of power and his skateboard in certain sections. It is also revealed that Aku Aku is the older of the twins.
[edit] Other appearances
Aku Aku (along with Uka Uka) appears as a tutor for the player in the racing games Crash Team Racing and Crash Nitro Kart, giving general tips for the player after a trophy is won. The two masks also act as invincibility power-ups during the races, protecting the player from enemy attacks and wiping out anyone the player touches. Who protects the player depends on whether the character is good or evil, with Aku Aku protecting Crash, Coco, Polar, Pura and Crunch and Uka Uka protecting Cortex, N. Gin, Tiny and Dingodile.[3][5] Aku Aku does not serve this purpose in Crash Tag Team Racing, only having a cameo appearance in the "Tiki Turbo" track.
In Crash Bash, Aku Aku and Uka Uka attempt to decide whether good or evil is stronger. Uka Uka wishes to fight his brother, but Aku Aku states that they are not permitted to do so.[12] The two hold a contest, with Aku Aku summoning Crash and Coco to play for him, while Uka Uka summons Cortex, Doctor Nitrus Brio, Tiny Tiger, Dingodile, Koala Kong and Rilla Roo. To even out the sides, Uka Uka permits Aku Aku to choose two players, Tiny and Dingodile, from the evil side to play for the side of good. Aku Aku appears as the tutor in Crash Boom Bang!.
[edit] References
- ^ Crash of the Titans on IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
- ^ a b Naughty Dog (1998). Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Instruction Booklet (in English). Sony Computer Entertainment America.
- ^ a b c Naughty Dog (1999). Crash Team Racing Instruction Booklet (in English). Sony Computer Entertainment America.
- ^ a b Traveller's Tales (2001). Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Instruction Booklet (in English). Sony Computer Entertainment America.
- ^ a b c Vicarious Visions (2003). Crash Nitro Kart Instruction Booklet (in English). Sony Computer Entertainment America.
- ^ (1996) in Naughty Dog: Crash Bandicoot instruction manual (in English). Sony Computer Entertainment America, 22.
- ^ Aku Aku: It is I, Aku Aku! My duty is to protect you. You may summon me by breaking open these crates. Call me thrice, and I shall grant you special powers. (Crash Twinsanity)
- ^ Aku Aku: Crash. It's as I feared. Cortex and Uka Uka are stealing all the mojo from the temple. This is somehow related to the strange mutants we've been fighting. (Crash babbles) There's an enormous treasure of mojo contained within! It's like the Texas Mojo Repository in there! Hurry, Crash! (Crash of the Titans)
- ^ Aku Aku: After many eons, my evil twin, Uka Uka, has been freed from his underground prison. Long ago, I locked him there to protect the world from his malice. Now, free he's once again! He must be stopped! (Crash Bandicoot: Warped)
- ^ Aku Aku: Uka Uka! Wait! An evil greater than even yours threatens to destroy this world. / Uka Uka: NOOOOO!! That's my job! / Aku Aku: Divided, we are but two magical masks. Join me, and together we can defeat this infestation. / Uka Uka: I like a challenge. I accept. This should be fun! / Aku Aku: The Aku Uka Brothers, together again. (Crash Twinsanity)
- ^ Doctor Neo Cortex: Come! We must make preparations for... (A ding-dong is heard from a door that wasn't there before. A door bearing the Evil Twins insignia is seen just a few feet away. Cortex turns to Crash) It's probably for you. (The door opens to reveal the Evil Twins using Aku Aku and Uka Uka as ordinary Halloween masks.) / Evil Twins: Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Trick or treat! (The Evil Twins toss the motionless masks to the ground.) (Crash Twinsanity)
- ^ Uka Uka: We shall settle this argument. Prepare to fight! (Uka Uka begins an attack, but Aku Aku stops him) / Aku Aku: No, Uka Uka! The Ancients would not allow it! There can be no malice between us. (Crash Bash)
[edit] External links
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