Whirlwind (character)

Template:Youmay Template:Characterbox (Skylanders) Template:Q Whirlwind is a blue unicorn-dragon hybrid who is one of the playable Skylanders in the Skylanders series, first appearing in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. She has a winter counterpart called Polar Whirlwind. She also has a Series 3 counterpart called Horn Blast Whirlwind.

Character Development

Whirlwind was a Skylander influenced by ships from Star Control 2; her Tempest Cloud ability functions very much like the spinning blade discs of the game's Kohr-Ah Marauder ships. Originally, her primary attack was an attempt as a wind projectile but after many iterations, the wind project was deemed visually weak. After multiple meetings, one designer jokingly said "what if she shoots rainbows" to which Paul Reiche responded enthusiastically "Yes! Make them the deadliest rainbows ever." Whirlwind would go on to really set the bar for crazy Skylander abilities. The rainbow theme really let her upgrades shine with the Rainbow Singularity being a benchmark for over-the-top powers. The slow methodical approach of its harmless-seeming projectile conveys a disarming sense of calm before it explodes into rainbow death. The Dual Rainbow upgrade was to be named "Double Rainbow" after the Yosemitebear Mountain meme, but was changed due to a legal issue with an ice cream company of that name.

Background

Personality

Whirlwind is as brave as she is graceful. Her mood swings can be as changeable as the weather, but since becoming a Skylander, she has tried to keep her temper in check. She is strong-willed, wild and ferocious in the heat of battle. However, she doesn't keep a calm head when provoked. Deep down, Whirlwind is pure of heart, having held no grudge against the dragons and unicorns for shunning her and later on, protected the two species from attack.

Biography

Whirlwind is an air dragon with unicorn ancestry – two species that could not be more opposite in nature, which made her never quite fit in with either group. Other dragons were envious of her beauty and grace, while her unicorn brethren shunned her for her unusual appearance and ability to fly. But Whirlwind found peace within the dark and stormy clouds, where she learned to harness the tempest power within her. Despite her turbulent youth, she remained pure of heart and was the first to defend both dragons and unicorns when the trolls began hunting them, unleashing her ferocity in a brilliant and powerful rainbow that could be seen throughout many regions of Skylands. From that day forward, evil-doers would quake when dark clouds brewed, and run from the rainbow that followed the storm.

Story

History

Born of both unicorn and dragon descent, Whirlwind often felt like an oddball outsider. Unicorns were unimpressed with her wings and dragons disliked the horn on her head. Shunned and seeking solace, Whirlwind retreated to the cover of storm clouds, where she learned to harness her tempest power. When a troublesome troupe of trolls came searching for unicorn tails and dragon scales, Whirlwind burst from her cover and unleashed a blinding rainbow to send them fleeing. From that day on, unicorns and dragons saw her in a new light. Seeing her purity of heart, Master Eon made her a Skylander. Today, nothing makes a troll tremble like a small, stormy cloud moving speedily towards him.

It's also been stated that Whirlwind was the one who found Warnado and brought him to Master Eon, who made him a Skylander as soon as he stopped spinning. Years later, Whirlwind rescued the Frost Elves of Winter Keep from a curse of eternal midnight by enchanting a crystal horn called the Illuminator to grant eternal daylight to the elves. This not only helped break the curse, but also protected the Keep and gave the elves courage during their fight against potential attacks.

Abilities

As a result of spending time within dark storm clouds, Whirlwind gained the ability to shoot rainbow energy from her horn at her opponents; which can also heal her allies if she gained her Soul Gem ability. She can also launch tempest clouds at her enemies with a clap of her wings. Being part dragon, Whirlwind has the ability to fly.

Quotes

Battle Cries

• "Twists of Fury!"
• "Hmmm... Impressive!"- When checking stats
• "Bow to my beauty!"
• "The wind howls victory!"
• "Natural Power!"
• "Quite a gust!"-When checking stats
• "How majestic!"
• "I will adore this with pride!"
• "A name worthy of me!"
• "The wind whispers my name!"
• "I shall proceed!"
• "Throw caution to the wind!"- When opening an air elemental zone
• "Gale force!" - when leveling up
• "Felt the wind on my back!"
• "Skyward!"- When bouncing on a bounce pad
• "Away we go!"- When bouncing on a bounce pad

Character Trailers

• File:Skylanders Spyro's Adventure - Whirlwind (Twists of Fury)
• File:Meet the Skylanders Whirlwind (extended)
• File:Skylanders Spyro's Adventure - Whirlwind Preview Trailer (Twists of Fury)
• File:Skylanders Giants - Meet the Skylanders - Series 2 Whirlwind (Twists of Fury)
• File:Skylanders Swap Force - Meet the Skylanders - Horn Blast Whirlwind (Twists of Fury)

See also

• Polar Whirlwind

Gallery

Main article: Whirlwind (character)/Gallery

Trivia

• Whirlwind was originally called Stormee.
• Her early promotional title in her Toy Fair 2011 debut was called "Tempest Dragon."
• She is the third revealed female playable dragon in the Spyro series (the other two being Cynder and Ember, before the reveal of Flashwing in Giants).
  • Whirlwind is also the second female playable dragon in Spyro's Adventure (the first being Cynder).
• Like Cynder and Flashwing, Whirlwind has no visible teeth. Incidentally, they are all the only dragon Skylanders in the games who are female.
• When Whirlwind revealed that one of her attacks was called the Rainbow of Doom, Flynn laughed, which proved to be a mistake when Whirlwind lashed out at him. Afterwards Flynn was back on his feet after just a few weeks, implying that Whirlwind went easy on him than she normally would when angered.
• No longer a store-exclusive Skylander, Whirlwind is now available in a 3-Skylander Character Pack with Double Trouble and Drill Sergeant and is also available in a single pack, and as a Series 2 figure, a 3-Skylander Character Pack with Pop Fizz and S2 Trigger Happy.
• Her catchphrase is a play on "Fists of Fury!".
• She and Prism Break are the only two Skylanders in Spyro's Adventure who can break Purple Tzo Crystals.
  • In Giants, however, Whirlwind's ability to destroy the crystals is disabled.
• Whirlwind can also use her rainbow energy to heal her friends in battle.
• She bears a few similarities to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic character, Rainbow Dash.
• When shooting a rainbow once the Rainbow of Healing uprade is purchased and as a Series 2 figure, Whirlwind's unicorn horn is colored from yellow and pink.
• When she obtains the Wow-Pow ability, Whirlwind's horn begins glowing in colors of the rainbow.
• The Tempest Matrix upgrade resembles the Arkeyan Blasters from Spyro's Adventure.
• Whirlwind shares her name with a Marvel character.
• Her Series 3 counterpart, Hornblast Whirlwind, is wearing a gold helmet and a chestplate.
• Her ability to heal others but not heal herself is similar to Toon-up gags in Toontown Online.