Uka Uka

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Uka Uka is one of the main antagonists in the Crash Bandicoot series and a voodoo mask spirit who is the younger twin brother of Aku Aku, of whom he is the exact opposite. He is ultimately the driving force behind a massive evil plan, which he often uses to work with Doctor Neo Cortex and is frequently upset with Cortex for his failures. Uka Uka has a short temper, and is very impatient and he blames Cortex every time he fails.

History

Pre-series history

Several centuries before the events of the series, Uka Uka was locked away by Aku Aku in an underground prison due to his malevolent nature. Several millennia after his incarceration, Uka Uka recruited Doctor Cortex to fulfill his desire to enslave humanity, only to have Doctor Cortex lose the Crystals and the Gems, and have his space station destroyed.

Family

Uka Uka's family is seen or mentioned in many games like Crash: Mind Over Mutant, when Aku Aku said "Why should we help you? You're a jerk! Remember Mom's birthday? You sent her socks! Honestly, who sends socks to a magic mask wth no feet?" or whenever Uka Uka's brother appears.

Naughty Dog Era

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped

"And this time...This time the Great Uka Uka will make sure that you do it right!"

-Said in the Warped intro.

The rubble of the ruined space station from Crash Bandicoot 2 eventually crash-lands onto Earth, destroying the underground prison, and finally freeing Uka Uka. Upset with Cortex's failure to retrieve the Crystals and the Gems, Uka Uka recruits Doctor Nefarious Tropy, who has created the Time Twister, which will allow them to collect the Crystals and the Gems in their original places. And, since Cortex's failure also managed set him free, Uka Uka still felt a sense of gratitude and generosity for him. When Crash intervenes and destroys the Time Twister, Uka Uka is trapped inside a time prison with Doctor Cortex and N. Tropy, who have been turned into infants and are pulling and stretching him.

Traveller's Tales Era

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

"You five idiots need to come up with ONE good plan! OR ELSE!"

-Said in the Wrath of Cortex intro

In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Uka Uka scolds Cortex and the rest of the villains for their less-than-impressive evil productivity. Fed up with Cortex's incompetence, Uka Uka concludes that if global domination is to ever be achieved, Crash should be handled with personally. Deciding to use Cortex's new super-weapon to wipe out Crash Bandicoot, he frees the Elementals to act as the super-weapon's source of power and bring it to life. When Crash imprisons the Elementals, defeats the super-weapon, and brings it to their side, Uka Uka holds Cortex responsible and fires an energy blast at him out of anger, but in doing so causes their newly-built space station to overload, forcing Cortex and Uka Uka to evacuate. Their escape pod lands in the depths of Antarctica, stranding them both on a sheet of ice then Cortex was chased by a very, very mad Uka Uka.

Crash Twinsanity

" I don't know whether to kiss you! OR KILL YOU!"

Uka Uka in Twinsanity — Uka Uka in Crash Twinsanity

In Crash Twinsanity, Uka Uka is freed from being frozen in a wall of ice, but is enraged to see that Cortex has teamed up with Crash in order to defeat the Evil Twins, and transforms into an Ice Titan in order to fight both of them. When he is defeated, Uka Uka attempts to fly away, but Aku Aku stops him and tells him about the Evil Twins' plot to destroy the Earth. Opposed to the fact that someone else is trying to destroy the world ("Nooo! That's my job!"), Uka Uka temporarily teams up with his twin brother to fight the Twins, only for both of them to be soundly defeated by the Evil Twins' ability to control reality. When they team up, Aku Aku's voice plays saying, "The Aku Uka brothers, together again." suggesting that Uka Uka was once good (or Aku Aku was once bad). He protects Nina and Cortex for the rest of the game.

Radical Entertainment Era

Crash of the Titans

"Oh yes, I will kill him... FOREVER!!"

In Crash of the Titans, Uka Uka teaches Doctor Cortex a new process called "Mojo Mutations", which uses a magical substance known as Mojo to mutate any living creature into a loyal minion of Cortex. At the Temple of Zoom, Uka Uka leaves Doctor Cortex to destroy Crash and Aku Aku while he returns to the base with an enormous amount of stolen Mojo and Coco Bandicoot at tow. When Cortex fails to defeat Crash, Uka Uka becomes furious and announces that he is replacing Doctor Cortex, much to the shock of his minions. In a lab on the island's giant tree, Uka Uka expresses his relief with Nina Cortex's higher competence, but begins to sense Aku Aku's presence nearby and decides to stay in the lab and kill Crash Bandicoot himself. Uka Uka confronts Crash as the penultimate boss by using Doctor Cortex's Evolvo-Ray on himself, giving him a gargantuan body made from the tree's wood. When the Evolvo-Ray is destroyed, Uka Uka claims that he will have the last laugh, as Nina is about to launch the Doominator, threatening the existence of Wumpa Island. Uka Uka is absent in the Nintendo DS version of the game.

Crash: Mind over Mutant

"Stealing my mojo to power your NVs, that's low even for you... But why do you keep feeding me cakes?!"

In Crash: Mind over Mutant, Uka Uka somewhat returns Doctor Neo Cortex to his side after replacing him with Nina. However, he is then is subdued and placed in a mojo draining machine by Cortex and Doctor Nitrus Brio so he can be used as a source of the negative Mojo needed to control those using the mass-produced NV device, (Most likely as Cortex's act of revenge on Uka Uka for always treating him badly) being fed cake continuously during this time (Cortex tells him that by force feeding him cake, he will eventually grow to hate it, which in comic fashion, Cortex believes to be a sinister deed). He is eventually freed by Crash and Aku Aku, and promises to take the two to Cortex's new space station if his magical bones are returned to him. When this task is completed, Uka Uka keeps his promise and warps Crash and Aku Aku to Cortex's space station as an act of vengeance against Cortex. If he is talked to after being set free, he gives Crash a mini-game to complete. Like Coco and Crunch, Uka Uka can be attacked in order to hear funny comments. He is absent in the DS version of this game, too.

Spin-offs

Crash Team Racing

Uka Uka appears in Crash Team Racing as a tutor for the characters Cortex, N. Gin, Tiny, and Dingodile, giving them useful tips and tricks throughout the game. He also appears as a power-up during the races, protecting the characters (along with Ripper Roo, Papu Papu, Komodo Joe, Pinstripe Potoroo, Fake Crash, Doctor Nefarious Tropy, and Nitros Oxide) from all attacks and obstacles whilst giving them a speed boost. However, he cannot protect the characters from chasms and deep water. His weapon icon also appears for Penta Penguin, but when selected, activates Aku Aku instead in NTSC version.

Crash Bash

In Crash Bash, in order to resolve his constant fighting with Aku Aku, Uka Uka summons Cortex, Brio, Tiny, Dingodile, Koala Kong, and Rilla Roo as part of a contest between his players against Aku Aku's; Uka Uka is later forced to relinquish Tiny and Dingodile to Aku Aku's team to even out the number of players between them. In the mini game Melt panic he melts the ice with a red laser to knock players off or even attacks them outright.

Uka Uka's real plan is to gather the crystals and therefore gain their power. In the Evil ending, the evil player succeeds in doing so and Uka Uka causes a supernatural storm signalling his victory. Aku Aku tells Crash and Coco to flee as Uka Uka assumes control. In the Good ending, the good player has gotten the crystals for Aku Aku. Aku Aku seals them away and flushes Uka Uka out into the universe.

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure

Uka Uka oversees Doctor Cortex's plot to shrink the Earth in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure. In the intro of this game Cortex cowers in front of Uka Uka and mirrors the intro scene of Warped.

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced

Frustrated with Cortex's defeat in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, Uka Uka entrusts Doctor Nefarious Tropy, who recruits N. Trance: a robot with the ability to hypnotize almost anyone, with a plot to recruit the Bandicoots towards their side. When Trance and Tropy are defeated, Uka Uka promises the Bandicoots a real adversary in the future, however he does not ever live out that promise.

Crash Nitro Kart

Uka Uka reprises his role from Crash Team Racing in Crash Nitro Kart, giving useful advice and acting as a power-up for the characters Neo Cortex, N. Gin, Tiny Tiger and N. Tropy. His WOC model is used in the manual.

Crash Boom Bang!

Uka Uka has a Cameo appearance in Crash Boom Bang! as a purchasable power-up.

Characteristics

Personality

Uka Uka is a psychopathic villain with an inflated ego, believing that he is superior to the point that he often refers to himself as "The Great Uka Uka" in earlier games, though Doctor Neo Cortex and Doctor Nefarious Tropy have also referred to him similarly. Despite this, he is capable of rare generosity, namely when he spares Cortex's life after Cortex inadvertently sets him free with the ruins of his space station. In contrast, he seems to respect Nefarious Tropy for his greater relative competence. Uka Uka largely looks down on his older brother Aku Aku, whom he sees as feeble. It is implied in Crash of the Titans that he has fallen into a "shame spiral" due to his constant losses and that an earlier depression led to him engaging in bulimia. It is also claimed that he is extremely self-conscious about his lack of a body.

While Uka Uka's self-perceived purpose is to conquer or destroy the world, he is willing to temporarily save it from other threats as he considers the act "his job". In most of his appearances, he seeks to accomplish this by obtaining power from the Power Crystals or Gems. After Crash inevitably thwarts his plans, Uka Uka blames Cortex for their failure and attempts to magically assault him, an example of his tendency to blame others for his own mistakes. He's also a bossy, grumpy, grouchy, arrogant and bad tempered mask.

Outward appearance

Despite being the grouchy brother of Aku Aku, Uka Uka differs greatly from him in terms of physical appearance. Uka Uka is generally larger than his twin brother, and his "skin" is of a black color in contrast to Aku Aku's brown. While Aku Aku possesses a green goatee, Uka Uka sports a large red beard, which becomes a brownish color in later games. This beard is obviously absent in Crash of the Titans, in which Uka Uka lacks the lower jaw needed to possess one. His nose is small and rectangular, as opposed to Aku Aku's long, pointed nose. Lastly, while Aku Aku has four to six feathers attached to his head, Uka Uka sports three bones; one is tied to his forehead, and two are seen dangling on ropes from both sides of his person (though they do not swing with his movements until Crash Twinsanity). Another notable feature is the yellow stripe located on his forehead. In Crash of the Titans, Uka Uka is shown to have undergone a drastic redesign, resembling a large red skull with pointed teeth, large eyebrows, white pupils, and an absent lower jaw. The bones upon his person have also doubled from three to six, with three bones hanging from large feather-like appendages on each of his sides.

Abilities

Uka Uka shares many of his brother's abilities, such as flight and the ability to protect his wearer. It is hinted in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped that he can possess his wearer, as shown by Cortex's reaction to Uka Uka being removed from his face; this is more emphasized in the Japanese version of the game, in which Doctor Cortex and Uka Uka's seiyuus speak their lines together while Cortex is wearing Uka Uka. It would make sense that Uka Uka is able to 'jack' and possess people skin to his brother Aku Aku's ability in Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind over Mutant (which could be evident from him taking control or "jacking" the Ice Titan from Crash Twinsanity). Uka Uka's main offensive ability is a small energy volt which he often uses to punish Doctor Cortex. He can also create an artificial body out of matter or energy through physical contact, as shown in Crash Twinsanity and Crash of the Titans, in which Uka Uka assembles bodies out of ice and Wumpa Island's tree respectively. However, this body shares any weakness its components did; for example, his ice-body is vulnerable to fire.

Portrayals

In the English version of the series, Uka Uka is voiced by Clancy Brown (who also voiced Doctor Neo Cortex, Mr. Krabs from the Nickelodeon series Spongebob Squarepants, Baron Praxis from Jak 2, and played Captain Byron Hadley in the movie The Shawshank Redemption) from Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped to Crash Nitro Kart. In the English version of Crash Twinsanity, he is voiced by Alex Fernandez, who also voiced Farmer Ernest in the same game. As of Crash of the Titans, he is voiced by John DiMaggio (who previously voiced Tiny Tiger in Crash Nitro Kart, as well as Doctor Drakken from the Disney Channel series Kim Possible, Bender from Futurama, and currently as Jake The Dog from the cartoon network series Adventure Time.) in the English version of the series.

Quotes