Gaul

Template:Characterbox Gaul (ガウル Gauru in Japanese) is the Ape King and a loyal servant of the Dark Master and the primary antagonist of The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night . He is the one who led the raid on the Dragon Temple on the night of Spyro's birth and when he stole Cynder's egg. He also planned to revive the Dark Master from the Well of Souls so the Apes can get revenge on the Dragon race and to satisfy their lust for power in the impression they would be rewarded. Gaul's apes later re-captured Cynder and held her at the Mountain of Malefor until Spyro turned up and killed him by turning him to stone, then breaking it after Spyro became infused with the Dark Master's powers by passing through the beam that Malefor was coming out of. Gaul's apes became skeletons and were enemies in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.

Appearance

Gaul is a disgusting, hairy wart-covered enormous ape with one eye as a green shining jewel. Several scars run across his demented face, suggesting that Gaul is a seasoned fighter. He has a purple, horned helmet that looks very similar to a Viking's helmet. He wields a pair of scimitar swords and a long magic staff and he may have a hammer.

Attacks

Gaul attacks in various ways. Most of the time, he will chase you around the room; if you get too close to him, he will unleash a flurry of powerful slashes (three of these slashes will kill Spyro). If this doesn't work, Gaul leaps into the air and stabs down with both sword, sending out a shockwave of green energy. The various green fires around his throne room seem to enhance his shockwaves, so it's best if you destroy them to increase your chance of survival. His final stab is the strongest, but it will cause his blades to get stuck in the ground (Two small stabs will kill, and the final strong stab is a one-hit kill move). After recovering, Gaul would sometimes hurl a smoldering, green fireball in your direction (this is not a strong attack, but still must be avoided).

In the second stage of the fight, Gaul seems to be able to use his jewel eye as laser beam(it is useful for pushing Spyro off the edge). He also can transform into a tornado that sucks Spyro towards his flailing limbs. It is also seen that he can summon fireballs to fall from the sky and explode near the ground. In the middle of the cutscene, Gaul lost his swords, his helmet and his staff. He now wields his gauntlets, that have a long tapered point. He will chase Spyro around the platform, and if Spyro gets to close, he will swipe with his gauntlets; usually three attacks will kill Spyro. Gaul is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Trivia

• In the last cutscene of Spyro's battle with the Ape King, when the villain is turned to stone, it is seen that both hands go up in a surrender like manner. It is unknown if he was truly surrendering, or just trying to protect himself.
• Gaul could possibly be named after the city-state of Gaul, which is now present-day France.
• In The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, Gaul was briefly pictured in the beginning of Ignitus's tale, roaring his challenge to the dragons with a massive hammer slung over his shoulder.