- "This is how you greet me after so long? No "Nice to meet you again", or "I'm sorry"... not even a "Hello". How rude."
- ―Volt Kraken, Mega Man X5
Volt Kraken (ボルト・クラーケン Boruto Kurāken), also known as Squid Adler,[3] was a retired giant squid/kraken-based Maverick Hunter before being infected by the Sigma Virus and turned into a Maverick during the events of Mega Man X5. He held an Energy Cart needed for the Enigma laser cannon.
Characteristics[]
Volt Kraken is a Reploid based on a giant squid and/or a kraken, which is a dangerous mythological squid monster. Indicative of this, his head is designed to resemble the mantle of a squid and he possesses multiple tentacles that extend from his back. His armor is blue and white in color.
Volt Kraken has a dry and melancholy personality, acting skeptical of the Maverick Hunters and their motives after losing trust in X and Zero. He is tired of fighting, but easily takes offense from the Hunters. Once he is infected by the Sigma Virus, he becomes a violent and crazed Maverick.
In the Japanese version, Kraken speaks in an effeminate manner. He occasionally ends his sentences with "wa yo" and "wa ne", both endings commonly used by women. This changes when the Sigma Virus takes over, as he then uses the very masculine pronoun "ore" to refer to himself and uses "omae" to refer to the Hunters, with "omae" being a rough, masculine way of saying "you".
His specific relationship with Launch Octopus beyond common Maverick Hunter affiliation varied between languages. In the Japanese version, he refers to Launch Octopus as his brother, implying that they were built in the same assembly line. The English version tones it down to simply indicate the two had been comrades within the Maverick Hunters.
History[]
Volt Kraken was once a Maverick Hunter in the 6th Naval Unit who served alongside his friend Launch Octopus. Kraken's Tri-Thunder weapon was developed to be used in research as a remote manipulator for experiments, but he can use it for combat purposes when it is overcharged.[4] During Sigma's first rebellion, he refused to have any part in it, unlike Octopus. When X helped combat Sigma's uprising, he was forced to destroy Octopus, leading to a grudge forming between Kraken and X.
Kraken later resigned as a Hunter due to his growing doubts and became a researcher with a peaceful life at an energy engineering facility, far from conflict. He acquired an Energy Cart during this time, which led the Hunters to come to him and ask for it during the Eurasia crisis to help fix the Enigma cannon. While Kraken reluctantly agreed to give it to them, the Sigma Virus immediately infected him and made him violent, swearing to avenge the death of Octopus. Kraken was killed in battle and put to rest.
Strategy[]
Volt Kraken attacks with electric bolts that crawl along the edges of the arena like lightning balls. Not only that, but Kraken can summon a block with either a safe or electrified edge; his bolts can crawl along these blocks too. As the fight presses on, he may cover the floor in electricity to force the player into relying on the walls or his block to avoid damage. When his health is low enough, he sends barrages of lightning from his tentacles. Goo Shaver and F-Splasher short circuit and stun him. The electric balls that Kraken releases can also be destroyed by Zero's C-Flasher.
Tri-Thunder (トライサンダー Torai Sandā)[5] | |
---|---|
Volt Kraken shoots three electric bolts up, forward, and down. Upon touching a surface, they slowly crawl along it as an electric sphere. | |
Damage: 3:4:5 | |
Tackle (体当たり Taiatari)[5] | |
Kraken chases the player to cause contact damage. Usually used after Ground Spark. He moves in short bursts, moving more times the lower his health is. | |
Damage: 3:4:5 | |
Ground Spark (グランドスパーク Gurando Supāku)[5] | |
Kraken punches the floor to leave it electrified for some time. Only used after losing a quarter of his health. | |
Damage: 3:4:5 | |
Horizontal Tri-Thunder (橫長トライサンダー Yokonaga Torai Sandā)[5] | |
Kraken moves to one side and extends his tentacles, shooting 6 electric bolts forwards. Only used after losing 75% of his health. | |
Damage: 3:4:5 | |
Vertical Tri-Thunder (縦長トライサンダー Tatenaga Torai Sandā)[5] | |
Kraken moves to the floor and extends his tentacles, shooting 6 electric bolts upwards. Only used after losing 75% of his health. | |
Damage: 3:4:5 |
Data[]
Stage[]
Dialogues[]
Energy Cartridge required[]
X: Volt Kraken! Will you do me a favor?
Volt Kraken: This is how you greet me after so long? No "Nice to meet you again", or "I'm sorry"... not even a "Hello". How rude. You have not changed at all.
X: I'm sorry about Launch Octopus...
Volt Kraken: I wasn't referring to such an old story. You destroyed him because you are a Maverick Hunter... It's your duty... your mission... Well. I got fed up with the hunter jobs, that's why I quit, not because of Octopus.
X: Please... We have little time left... Give me the Energy Cartridge...
Volt Kraken: You are free to take such a worthless thing... But what a simpleton you are. Even if you get it, you can't change the fate of the Earth! Every Reploid has been infected by the Virus and become... Ma Ma Ma Mave...ve veR...
X: No! He has been infected, too!
Volt Kraken: Zero, I never expect you to come here... It must be an emergency...
Zero: You assumed right. You don't need me to explain any more, do you?
Volt Kraken: Always so pushy... You haven't changed at all... I made the right choice when I resigned as a Hunter... I don't want to be a rude jerk like you.
Zero: Oh, come on. I just have a hard time listening to you babble... You know what I want, don't you?
Volt Kraken: You're free to take such a worthless thing... But what a simpleton you are. Even if you get it, you can't change the fate of the Earth! Every Reploid has been infected by the Virus and become a... Ma Ma Ma Mave ve veR...
Energy Cartridge unrequired[]
Volt Kraken: Ghaaa ha ha ha ha! What made you come here, X?
X: Darn, he's already become a Maverick. So, I have lost another comrade... Have I lost everything...? I don't want to have to fight you.
Volt Kraken: HA HA HA HAAAAAAA! ANOTHER FISH HAS BEEN TRAPPED! I'M A MAVERICK HUNTER! I'LL RETIRE YOU.
Other appearances[]
- Volt Kraken appears in the X Challenge from Mega Man X Legacy Collection, where he is fought alongside Shield Sheldon.
- Volt Kraken appeared in cards from TEPPEN.
Other media[]
Rockman X5 (manhua)[]
Volt Kraken's backstory shows that prior to becoming a full member of the Maverick Hunters, he was friends with Zero during their training days and looked up to him for inspiration. Kraken was later stationed at Electric City, where he performed his duties without fail and had earned its denizens' respect. When the Maverick Wars broke out, Volt Kraken's commander was corrupt, and Kraken was eventually found by Sigma. Believing that the Maverick Hunters were merely pawns of power, Kraken deserted them and rounded up all of the hunters within Electric City.
X is later captured by one of Kraken's minions by taking a human hostage, and X is soon taken to a prison holding the other Maverick Hunters within Electric City. In the prison, X is severely tortured with the other hunters, but Kraken gives them to option to desert their allies and surrender to him. When one hunter speaks out against this, Kraken swiftly impales the Reploid and electrocutes him, but the hunter refuses to yield even if it means death. X soon taunts Kraken for picking only on the weaker hunters, and an amused Kraken releases X; wishing to personally torment him.
To his surprise, the human hostage, who secretly escaped, had informed the hunters, and Zero arrived in the jail. Rather than help X, Zero would bet that even in his damaged state, X would still be able to defeat Kraken's chiefs simultaneously. While Kraken sends his men against X, X is able to equip his armor and dispatches both with ease. A surprised Kraken then asks X is he is truly content wearing a fake mask of justice, but X responds that Kraken's original dream was to be a bringer of justice himself. Zero tells Kraken that X will soon show his former ally of the dream he had forgotten as well as to unlock his true power.
In a desperate move to match X's strength, Kraken injects himself with the Sigma virus but is reminded of how he was taken advantage of by his former commander and how he killed him after learning of how he embezzled money behind the Hunters' backs. Understanding his mistakes, Kraken surrenders and rejoins the hunters. Kraken and Zero soon move to Shining Firefly's laboratory, but notice that the animals in the area had gone berserk. By the time they arrive, they find a mortally wounded Firefly, informs them that his experiment, Spike Rosered, had gone berserk and had killed his researchers.
Zero looks at the old surveillance of the lab for clues and learns that Rosered was infected by the Sigma Virus when Sigma arrived and bit into Rosered's head. Rosered would soon arrive and attack the pair, and Zero is quickly overwhelmed while Rosered bites into Zero's throat. Kraken attempts to attack Rosered with his tentacles, but Rosered's vines tear through Kraken's tentacles and he is soon slammed onto the floor. Before he is finished, Zero is able to regain consciousness and restrains Rosered while ordering Kraken to return to base and inform X.
Reluctantly, Kraken flees but is chased by Tidal Whale and is severely injured until X arrives, having been tipped off by Dynamo. After X defeats Tidal Whale, Kraken passes on information to X regarding Zero's capture before finally succumbing to his wounds.
Archie Comics[]
Volt Kraken appears in the Worlds Unite crossover event as part of Sigma-1's resurrected Maverick army. He joins Sting Chameleon in attacking the world of Viewtiful Joe, where Joe briefly mistook him for Dr. Cranken. He faces off against Axl before being defeated by a surprise attack from Sexy Silvia.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Sprites[]
Production Notes[]
Developer Comments
I decided from the start I was going to combine a squid with electricity. I fiddled comparatively with his movement in the game up until the very end. Previously, I wanted to invent a pretext for fighting with Octopuld, but when it came time to start thinking up the dialogue, it came to me in a flash: I'll make this guy XXX(?)! (grin) Thinking up the dialogue myself, I got a bit worried...well, no, I got sick of it, so I had Zero express my feelings at that point. (sweat)[6][7]
Designer Comments
Seeing as he's a squid, he'd have plenty of legs, but if we honestly gave him all ten, he'd end up all pulpy-looking. I therefore tried giving him arms, legs, and two tentacles (equivalent to squid arm tentacles) always out for normal attack, plus two more stored away. These two would serve as his shoulder armor. He has a section pointing down from his waist, which is supposed to give the impression of the remaining two tentacles bundled together.[6][7]
I tried to convey a real sense of speed while designing Kraken, especially around the lines of his back. -Haruki Suetsugu, Mega Man X Official Complete Works, 2009[2]
Trivia[]
- In the original American release, Volt Kraken was renamed "Squid Adler" in localization after Steven Adler, the former drummer of the rock band Guns N' Roses.[8]
- While he is stated as being based upon a squid in the original American release of the game, the original Japanese release and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 states that he is based upon the mythological sea monster Kraken (which is believed to be in reality a giant squid).
- According to the English translation of Mega Man Xtreme 2, Volt Catfish had the Tri-Thunder before Volt Kraken did. It should be noted, however, that Volt Catfish's weapon is referred to as "Triad Thunder" in the original Japanese version of Xtreme 2.
- Likely due to an error of translation, in the dialogue with Volt Kraken, X refers Launch Octopus as "Octopardo". This was fixed in Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2.
- Volt Kraken has a cameo appearance in the Rockman Zero manga.
References[]
- ↑ MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works. 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mega Man X Official Complete Works, UDON Entertainment Corp. 2009. pg.50. Retrieved on March 31, 2012.
- ↑ Mega Man X5 PlayStation release and Mega Man X Collection
- ↑ Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 Gallery
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Boss File: Volt Kraken, Compendium of Rockman X. p. 81.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rockman Elysium: Production notes about the cast of X5
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Capcom Community: X5 Developer/Designer Note translations
- ↑ Protodude's Rockman Corner: Alyson Court Talks Mega Man X5 Guns N' Roses References