Jago (Killer Instinct)

Jago is a player character in the Killer Instinct fighting game series created by Rare. Introduced in the original Killer Instinct in 1994, he has appeared in every entry in the series to date. A monk who fights with the aid of a mysterious tiger spirit, Jago is one of the protagonists of the series, along with his sister Orchid.

Appearances

Jago is a Tibetan monk and a powerful warrior. Abandoned as a baby, he was found by the Monks of the Tiger, an order who worship an ancient deity known as the Tiger Spirit, and raised in their monastery as one of their pupils. Over the years, Jago matures into one of the Order's finest students until he is one day visited by the Tiger Spirit during meditation. The Tiger Spirit chooses him as its champion and grants him new power, ordering him to enter the first Killer Instinct tournament and destroy Ultratech. Though nearly overwhelmed by the Tiger Spirit's power, Jago follows orders and helps to bring down Ultratech, destroying Fulgore in the process.

However, in Killer Instinct 2, Jago is betrayed by the Tiger Spirit, who reveals itself to have been the demon Gargos all along, having used Jago to gain entrance to the physical world. Jago seeks revenge for Gargos' manipulation and defeats both him and Fulgore, who was revived with the sole purpose of killing Jago. In the aftermath, Jago discovers Orchid is his sister, the two having been separated when their parents were murdered shortly after Jago's birth.

In the third game, Jago is suffering a crisis of faith following the discovery that the Tiger Spirit was Gargos, and hopes to purge the last remnants of Gargos within him in battle. This crisis of faith is symbolized through his new costume, which consists of various materials cannibalized from the now abandoned Tiger Shrine, including tiles (arm guards), bits of broken statues (knee pads), drapery, and ropes from a chandelier (leg bindings and harness). At one point, the presence of Gargos' influence allows Jago to be possessed by Omen, transforming him into Shadow Jago. Jago's will proves to strong for him to be fully corrupted, and Omen is forced to abandon Jago's body, though his time spent in Jago's body gives him enough strength to manifest on the mortal plane.

Shadow Jago

The 2013 game also features a new version of the character called Shadow Jago. It is an altered version of Jago, who is under the possession of Omen, Gargos's herald. He possesses the same set of attacks but with very slight differences, most noticeably in visuals. He appears as a secret boss in the game's arcade mode, possessing both new moves and an Ultimate Combo. He is available as a playable character for those who purchased a 12-month Xbox Live membership during the launch of the Xbox One, but will be made available for purchase by all users at a later date.^[2]

Gameplay

Jago has several moves similar to those of Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken characters, including a fireball (which he calls "Endokuken(炎独拳)") and a spinning uppercut.

Reception

The character was well received. According to GamesRadar, "this sword-wielding warrior monk is basically the Ryu of KI: a poster boy with an accessible move set and a noble cause. Jago's specials will be instantly recognizable to any fighting game fan."^[3] Jago was ranked as the tenth top ninja in gaming by GameTrailers in 2007.^[4] Complex ranked him the ninth-swiftest ninja in video games in 2012,^[5] and WatchMojo.com ranked him as the sixth top playable game ninja in 2013.^[6]

References