| 1 | !!Games with their own pages |
| 2 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersSpyrosAdventure Spyro's Adventure]] |
| 3 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersGiants Giants]] |
| 4 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersSwapForce Swap Force]] |
| 5 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersTrapTeam Trap Team]] |
| 6 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersSuperChargers SuperChargers]] |
| 7 | * [[YMMV/SkylandersImaginators Imaginators]] |
| 8 | |
| 9 | !!The video game series overall |
| 10 | * AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Many people had doubts that this series would be a success, with ''Spyro'' fans in particular believing the franchise would automatically fail based on their dislike of attributes such as Spyro's redesign and the toys-to-life gimmick. Instead, the ''Skylanders'' series crossed the $3 billion mark in sales threshold with ease, with over 250 million toys sold since 2011. This makes it one of the top twenty highest-selling video game franchises of all time -- right up until Activision milked the series to death, causing each game to fall further in sales until the franchise was put into seemingly-permanent hiatus. |
| 11 | * AssPull: |
| 12 | ** The Oracle in ''Giants''. It was never mentioned at any point prior to after chapter 11 where we hear about it for the first time and when we needed it the most. For extra points, it never returns in the proceeding games aside from as a hat in ''Trap Team'' despite it having abilities that would be very helpful to the Skylanders and an easy way of meeting it. |
| 13 | ** After the Golden Arcade level in ''Imaginators'', [[spoiler:Kaos and Brain uses their combined Mind Magic to brainwash ''everyone'' in Skylandsβ¦ except for the dragons, who are immune to the brainwashing spell, and the game treats it like they are that βjust becauseβ. There was no establishment of anywhere before in the game and is only included because we needed some way to stop Kaos and Brainβs plot. Itβs even revealed later that Brain had tried this exact tactic before back in the time of the Ancients and that dragon magic was used to undo it. If thatβs the case, then Brain, βthe smartest being in the known universeβ would definitely have known that there still would be dragons around to undo the spell again.]] |
| 14 | * SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: |
| 15 | ** As composed largely by Music/LorneBalfe. It's actually on par with most animated films. Special mention goes to the first game's [[https://youtu.be/Ok-e5zWZehI theme]], which was also composed by Music/HansZimmer. |
| 16 | ** Another song that deserves a special mention is the [[https://youtu.be/6Ox8WEKWQHw Sky Schooner Docks]] theme. It is simply incredible. It's so great, it has been [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaJMaviqG3k&t=63s remixed in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4d6aMkOfs literally]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeXWTNYL77s all of]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjNIXloBIrc the other]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP9ockYUUdg&t=25s games]] as the magic elemental zone theme. |
| 17 | *** Strangely, all remixes of the Sky Schooner Docks theme are used for magic elemental areas, even though the level itself is themed around air. |
| 18 | ** ''[[https://youtu.be/t-D69wHMybo Bringing Order to Kaos]]'', the final chapter theme in ''Giants'' is a cinematic masterpiece that is both climactic and intense. |
| 19 | ** ''[[https://youtu.be/dEGVBl8BFTY Motherly Mayhem]]'', Kaos's Mom's boss theme from ''Swap Force'' is a booming orchestral piece backed by an ethereal choir. |
| 20 | ** The [[https://youtu.be/BNp4ycOot-o main theme]] for ''Superchargers'' is fast-paced, adventurous, and heroic-sounding, perfectly setting the tone for the game. |
| 21 | ** [[https://youtu.be/PZAoknH0ynI Hereβs a compilation of the best themes from across the series.]] |
| 22 | * BaseBreakingCharacter: |
| 23 | ** Sprocket for example has some people hating her just because she looks "too human", while others think she's a refreshing change of pace in adding some diversity to the teams. Some merely dislike her because they already have her and they have to wade through dozens of Sprockets to find what Skylanders are available in the stores next. |
| 24 | ** In terms of [=NPCs=], Mags is either a funny, likable, ally with some interesting lore behind her or is annoying and needs to shut up. |
| 25 | * BestBossEver: |
| 26 | ** Drill X from ''Giants'', one of the few bosses who have a health gauge... and announces every stance change [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROhZJ_AIFTY with a sing-a-long.]] |
| 27 | ** The first major boss of ''Swap Force'' against evil Glumshanks. It's a simple BullfightBoss, but it manages to be quite fun. Especially since [[DevelopersForesight playing as Stealth Elf or Stink Bomb and turning invisible means he can't see you]], making him quite fun to screw with. |
| 28 | ** Kaos's Mother from ''Swap Force'' as well. She just summons a bunch of {{Mook}}s to attack you... so it seems simple, right? Well, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou before you fight her, she speaks directly to the player]], ''not'' the Skylander. Essentially? She's using ''your own'' style of interacting with the world ''against you''. In order to bring her back to the field, you have to take the Skylander off the portal (A mechanic not used anywhere else) since she is attempting to make her way to ''you''. When she says "Prepare for a battle you will ''never forget''", she was ''not'' kidding! |
| 29 | ** All the Doom Raiders from ''Trap Team'' are a blast to fight, but special mention to Wolfgang and the Golden Queen. For the former, he will pull out all manner of music-themed attacks, from swinging his guitar to a power slide. For the Golden Queen, she starts out rather standard, then turns into a ''freaking'' [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever giant!]] After fighting you for a bit like that, you have outrun her as she charges towards you before you finally get to bring a structure down on her. |
| 30 | ** Kaos from ''Trap Team'' might be his best fight in the series. After using the Golden Queen's weapon to power himself up, he turns into a monstrous form that only gets more monstrous as the battle goes on. From summoning swords to element bullets(which you can use to heal with), shockwaves, [[CallBack DoomSharks]], and lasers that move all over the platform you are fighting on. All set to an ''awesome'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6HUHfC7usE music track]]. And the icing on the cake? Trapping Kaos himself at the end of the fight. |
| 31 | * BreatherBoss: |
| 32 | ** The Battle for the Enteral Fire Source in ''Spyro's Adventure''. For coming so late in the game, this fight was oddly easy. The elemental attack Kaos uses isn't too hard to dodge and while strong in their own right, the Fire Skylanders summoned (Eruptor, Flameslinger, and Sunburn) can be easily beaten with a Water Skylander, which most players will have due to Gill Grunt coming in the Starter Pack. Compared to the fight that comes before (The Eternal Undead Source) and the fight that comes afterward (Kaos himself) and even the levels that come before and after it, this battle is a well-needed refresher. |
| 33 | ** Dreamcatcher in ''Trap Team''. She doesn't have so much health and only three attacks that are all easily avoidable. She shoots tornados across the arena one at a time that can be hit to shoot them back at her, she can summon small claws that disappear with one attack and sheep that don't hurt you, but jumps on the floor to make parts of it fall down, but they are also defeated with just one attack. The floor falling a short while after you step on it sound scary, but gives you time to get off (not to mention the lack of fall damage in this game except on higher difficulties). Finally, her forcefield is easily deactivated by destroying the beds behind that, you guessed it, are destroyed with one hit. Combine that with her always being open for attack without any other defenses and compared to the [[BulletHell other Doom Raider boss battles]], you might be able to beat her without taking damage. She also happens to be between Chef Pepper Jack, who is a brutal WakeUpCall boss and Dr. Krankcase, who will end up flooding the battlefield with hazards before he finally goes down. |
| 34 | * BreatherLevel: The Golden Arcade from ''Imaginators''. The only challenge is at the end of the level with the Doomlander, as well as the gauntlet of enemies on higher difficulties. Other than that, it is a mostly simple level with few enemies and lots of ways to get money, meaning that even on [[HarderThanHard Nightmare Mode]], the level is a breeze. This is after the MindScrew, enemy-heavy Fizzland, and before the very long and full of annoying puzzles and enemies Dragon Temple. |
| 35 | * BrokenBase: |
| 36 | ** While it hasn't caused large-scale drama in the fandom, there is quite a bit of debate over whether Toys For Bob or Vicarious Visions have done better for the franchise. Toys For Bob developed the original ''Skylanders'' game (''Spyro's Adventure'') and its sequel, ''Giants'', while Vicarious Visions developed ''Swap Force'' (as well as the 3DS version of ''Spyro's Adventure'' and the various iOS/Android games). Although ''Swap Force'' includes features such as new bonus modes and jumping, some fans dislike the story, lack of Heroic Challenges, or how some older Skylanders were nerfed. Others feel more neutral about it and think that Toys For Bob are better with the story and creative assets, but Vicarious Visions are better at technical aspects and game design. |
| 37 | ** A lot of fans also disagree with each other about which of the 3DS games is the best. Some like the pacing of ''Spyro's Adventure'' better than that of ''Giants'' or ''Swap Force'', which are more slow-paced. The former was developed by Vicarious Visions, while the latter two were developed by n-Space. At the least, it seems most people agree that ''Swap Force'' was better than ''Giants''. |
| 38 | ** If the series makes a comeback, should the Toys-to-Life gimmick remain? Those who are against it argue that it was the reason for the series' downfall due to it being oversaturated by Activision and other companies alike and that the series would have greater staying-power without it, plus the fact that it negates how much money you have to spend on just one game. Those who are for it argue that it was the reason why the series took off and became memorable to begin with and that removing it would take away a big part of the series' identity and turn it into a by-the-numbers BeatEmUp. And that it would also be a pretty big insult to people with large collections, since those same collections would then mean nothing. |
| 39 | ** A separate argument related to those that want the Toys-to-Life gimmick to be removed is how unlocking new characters would work. Some people are in favor of unlocking characters via progression in the game, such as completing certain goals or finding certain collectables (with Soul Gems generally being the most popular idea) while others want to see the series use things like microtransactions or a season pass for unlockables, pointing out that they are the modern version of the Toys-to-Life gimmick, but others have pointed out how easy that is to abuse. |
| 40 | * CheeseStrategy: The ''Giants'' level Glacier Gully features a giant ice bowl that the player needs to slide around in to progress. The player is ''supposed'' to build up momentum by sliding around the bowl so that they can get high enough to reach the peak. Or you can just play as any character with flight, with renders them unaffected to the slippery ice. |
| 41 | * CompleteMonster: [[TheManBehindTheMan The Darkness]] is the source of all evil in the franchise, with the ultimate goal of the total destruction of Skylands followed by domination of the universe. Having terrorized Skylands in the past before being driven off, The Darkness continued to influence and corrupt many evil beings over time. [[ItCanThink Revealing its intelligence]] in ''Superchargers'', The Darkness happily aids [[Characters/SkylandersKaos Kaos]] in powering the Sky-Eater before hijacking the scheme and persuading Kaos to destroy Skylands instead, eventually threatening him when [[EvenEvilHasStandards he shows reluctance]]. The Darkness's other, more personal crimes include wiping out Voodood's tribe, destroying Boom Jet's home village, and nearly corrupting Spyro into Dark Spyro. Fully comprehending morality and choosing to embrace evil, The Darkness proves to be a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow dark villain in an otherwise lighthearted setting]]. |
| 42 | * CriticalDissonance: Fans were really not looking forward to it, and many are making a big deal about how little respect they have for the game or hope in its ability to sell. Critics, meanwhile, are often very warm to the new game, taking it for the toyetic kids' game that it is, and quite like it. Some have even admitted that they went into the first game expecting the worst ''because'' of the negative fan reaction, only to be pleasantly surprised by what they played. |
| 43 | * DancingBear: Without the toy gimmick, it's just another {{Platformer}}[=/=]BeatEmUp. (A perfectly enjoyable {{Platformer}}[=/=]BeatEmUp, by all accounts, but nothing special.) |
| 44 | * DemonicSpiders: |
| 45 | ** Missile Mauler trolls in ''SWAP Force''. Unlike most ranged enemies, their regular attack fires a homing missile that ''redirects towards you once'' and deals a HUGE amount of damage (120-ish on Medium difficulty). They also tend to be positioned on elevated areas or on the far end of the arena, which means that they're going to fire that missile at least once. |
| 46 | ** Bark Demons in ''Giants'' can hit for massive damage with their melee attacks, but if you're out of range they can also hit you with a spammable attack that summons a tree at your location that also hurts a ton. Their large health pool doesn't help. |
| 47 | * EnsembleDarkhorse: |
| 48 | ** Boomer and Stealth Elf seem pretty popular. The latter is [[GratuitousNinja kind of obvious]], the former because of his gameplay, personality, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONOPELFanWo this commercial.]] Sonic Boom also has her fans, primarily due to her sympathetic backstory. |
| 49 | ** Wash Buckler from ''SWAP Force'' is slowly becoming this after [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMuSvU4pjVE his appearance in the extended trailer.]] |
| 50 | ** Spyro has become this because he's, well, Spyro. He's no more important than the other characters but has a major following. |
| 51 | ** Flashwing is also pretty popular, probably due to being voiced by Creator/TaraStrong. |
| 52 | ** Out of the villains in Trap Team, Wolfgang is probably one of the most popular, mostly due to his cool design, voice, and the fact that he is a werewolf [[ThePowerOfRock that uses rock and roll as a weapon.]] Another villain that's gained some popularity is Broccoli Guy, not only for his hilarious design and voice but also because he's incredibly useful in gameplay. |
| 53 | ** Pretty much every Female Skylander with a humanoid design (specifically Stealth Elf, Hex, Ninjini, Roller Brawl, Sprocket, etc.) tend to be among the most popular of the Skylanders, [[SelfFanservice especially among older fans.]] |
| 54 | ** To single out Ninjini, she has the biggest fanbase out of the giants, hands down. Beyond the fact she is the only female giant, she was the first female magic Skylander, has an awesome backstory, and is super fun to play as. The devs seemed to pick up on this, as she appears in an episode of the [[WesternAnimation/SkylandersAcademy cartoon]], the only giant to get the honor of appearing. |
| 55 | ** Scratch, a core from ''Swap Force'', suddenly gained massive popularity when it was discovered that she was the sole old Skylander to not be nerfed in ''Imaginators'', drawing fans to her and leading many to discover just how much fun of a character she could be. |
| 56 | ** For a non Skylander example, Mesmeralda from ''Swap Force'' sees a fair bit of popularity in spite of only a villain for one level due to her really cool design, her fun boss fight and her catchy VillainSong. Many fans actually hoped she would appear in ''Trap Team'' if only so they could get to play as her. |
| 57 | * EpilepticTrees: Due to it being the sole element to lack a Doom Raider, many fans speculate on who the supposed Magic Element Doom Raider is, with the most popular guesses being Pain Yatta, due to his overall popularity as well as the fact he got a special preview trailer (something that was only given to Kaos and some of the other Doom Raiders), Mesmeralda, due to her popularity as a boss fight as well as fellow popular villain the Chompy Mage returning and Bombshell, who was believed to be a retired member for a time. |
| 58 | * GameBreaker: |
| 59 | ** ''Spyro's Adventure'' |
| 60 | *** From player vs. player matches, we have Terrafin and Ghost Roaster who are really good at dodging, Hex who can set up a super-powerful wall while she safely fires away from behind it, and Boomer whose ground pound attack hurts a lot of targets at once and stuns. |
| 61 | *** Drobot. Even though his LaserEyes attack is one of the [[ScratchDamage weakest attacks]] across all Skylanders, it alone still pushes him into this status on account of how fast it fires and that it travels a very long distance, meaning Drobot never has to worry about being close to his enemies and showing just how deadly DeathByAThousandCuts really is. Not only does he make plowing through storymode very easy, but it also makes him among the best Skylanders to use in the [=PvP=] sidemode. |
| 62 | ** ''Giants'' |
| 63 | *** Series 2 Hex's Wow Pow "Skull Buddy". It takes a while for it to charge up, but when it is, it can deal over ''400'' damage in a game where most attacks barely does ''50''. And it's doesn't do just one attack, the skull stays above Hex for a few seconds, making it valuable in both Story Mode and [=PvP=]. |
| 64 | ** ''Swap Force'' |
| 65 | *** For [=PvP=], we have Bumble Blast. His bees can be fired at a good rate, ''home in on the enemy'', and hit more than once. He also has honey and mines which make the opponent slow for some time and also makes them take more damage from bees. Then there's Jolly Bumble Blast, who is Bumble Blast wearing a Christmas hat that boosts his speed and armor by a '''huge''' amount. |
| 66 | *** Dune Bug in Story Mode. An early upgrade allows his Dune Balls to trap up to 5 small/medium enemies (bypasses shields and hits flying Rip-rotors), then he can roll them off the edge for a OneHitKill. As Skylands is a WorldInTheSky, he has ''many'' opportunities to do so, and if there isn't he can fire the ball at a wall to stun the trapped enemies. As such, the only Mooks Dune Bug usually has to worry about are [[GiantMook Geargolems]]. This ability is mostly useless in [[PlayerVersusPlayer PvP]], though. |
| 67 | ** ''Trap Team'' |
| 68 | *** Eon's Elites. Super powerful versions of fan-favorite characters from the first game, such as Spyro, Chop Chop, and Trigger Happy. Noticeable traits are triple stats and having their card values cap at 500 while Trap Team series characters only go up to 250. At max level, Trigger Happy has 1866 health! |
| 69 | *** Chef Pepper Jack. He's absurdly powerful, being able to rain down explosive peppers over a wide radius (each of which does 120 splash damage) at a mind-boggling pace (roughly 1.5-second cooldown, 5 per shot), precision kills enemies with his fire breath, AND rapidly move about the battlefield with his whisk charge. Additionally, upon completing his Wanted Poster, the mitigating factor of his summon time is tripled in length. He turns Arena Battles and Kaos Challenges into cakewalks at best and "Mash Primary Attack To Win" exercises at worst. |
| 70 | *** Broccoli Guy. This villain is not only easy to find, but also has a useful ability to create a magic healing circle. Additionally, as he is a Life Element villain, you wonβt need to buy another Trap since your game comes with one Life Trap. |
| 71 | *** Kaos himself, once trapped, though it's pretty clear this is intentional as a reward for clearing the game and managing to acquire a Kaos Trap. His basic attack has different effects based upon what elemental symbol appears, which hit a wide area for staggering amounts of damage. That is unless he pulls a Magic symbol which ''completely refills his summon meter'', making him the only villain in the game able to be played indefinitely. Add to that his Doom Sharks, which home in on enemies while packing a solid wallop (and can't heal enemies if they miss, unlike when you face them) and the ability to turn into his Awesome Giant Head from ''Spyro's Adventure'', and it's easy to see how he could solo the entire game. |
| 72 | ** ''Imaginators'' |
| 73 | *** The titular Imaginators are often flat out better than everyone else for multiple reasons, but mostly because they are either stupidly fast, or stupidly strong. Getting enough Senseis will have them eventually start reaching Eon Elite levels of HP. |
| 74 | ** From ''Spyro's Universe'', Tech Skylanders are really good for the Sky Defense minigame, where their machine gun LimitBreak can mow down multiple mooks with ease. |
| 75 | * GrowingTheBeard: Some people believe that in-between ''Giants'' and ''Swap Force'', the series started to take itself a little more seriously. Giants started adding a lot of well-known voice actors to the cast. (Just take a look at the Trivia page!) The toy designs became more detailed, and the games started gradually adding more to the gameplay, such as the ability to jump. Not to mention, the levels of ''Swap Force'' are not only [[SceneryPorn better looking]] than in Giants, they are much more full of secret areas, some of which are relatively well hidden. |
| 76 | ** Additionally, ''Swap Force'' began featuring more nuanced combat styles among the Skylanders themselves. While still in simplistic, kid-friendly forms, [[StanceSystem Stance Systems]], [[StatusBuff Status Buffers]], [[TheBeastmaster Beastmasters]] and more are present, rewarding players who take a more strategic approach to combat. |
| 77 | ** ''Trap Team'' furthers the growth artistically, featuring a slightly upgraded version of the graphics engine from ''Swap Force'', the return of several fan-favorite characters from ''Giants'', and the figurines continue to become even more beautiful and intricate. While ''Swap Force'' was certainly no slouch in the figurine department, the Trap Masters are gorgeously painted and modeled, with craftsmanship rivaling that of several hundred dollar collector's figures. |
| 78 | * HarsherInHindsight: |
| 79 | ** ''Trap Team'' features the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Secret Sewers of Supreme Stink]] level, where you encounter a race of fishfolk who locked themselves inside the sewers to stay clean and talk about the "great germ outbreak", and how they are safe from it by never leaving their sewers. Trap Team came out in 2014, and [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic 6 years later the fishfolk become much more sympathetic]]. |
| 80 | ** The first four games all ended with Eon saying βThe journey with your Skylanders and (special Skylanders of that game), is only just beginningβ. ''[=SuperChargers=]'' and ''Imaginators'' did not have Eon say it, and it was by those two games where sales started to dwindle, causing ''Imaginators'' to become a FranchiseKiller, so this can be interpreted as the adventure actually being over. |
| 81 | * HeartwarmingInHindsight: In an 2021 interview with Alex Ness, the writer for the Toys For Bob games, he revealed that Buzz is the father of Flynn. So a moment at the end of Trap Team, where Buzz gives Flynn a moment to shine during the grand opening of Skylander Academy can be seen as a way for Buzz to [[SoProudOfYou show his appreciation for his son and his accomplishments]]. |
| 82 | * HilariousInHindsight: |
| 83 | ** One of the Skylanders, Whirlwind, is part unicorn and can fire rainbow energy rays as her main weapon. The BigBad is named Kaos. ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' will be reminded of the season two premiere, with a villain named Discord and Elements of Harmony emitting rainbow energy. Also, as of ''Giants'' there is a character voiced by Creator/TaraStrong (which is not surprising, as she's all over the place, including MLP:[=FiM=]'s Twilight Sparkle.) |
| 84 | ** Also from ''Giants'' is the Secret Arkeyan Vault of Secrets level, which features a [[Film/PacificRim giant blue robot who needs a second pilot to perform properly wading through lots of water as it punches similarly scaled opponents.]] If the game hadn't preceded the film by at least a year, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a ripoff. |
| 85 | ** The ending of ''Spyro's Adventure'' has Kaos being warped into our world as a mere toy. Fast forward to ''Imaginators'' where there's actually a Kaos figurine, and it can be used in-game. |
| 86 | ** The first game had a troll character named Boomer. Had the series continued into 2019, they would have certainly made an βOK Boomerβ joke at his expense. |
| 87 | ** There's a villain who epitomizes LightIsNotGood, is capable of shapeshifting into an ally of the heroes, and has a soundtrack associated with jazz. Are we talking about Luminous or [[VideoGame/Persona5 Yaldabaoth]]? |
| 88 | ** Terrafin's grudge against Kaos seems to carry onto other worlds, as in ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'', Moxxie (voiced by Creator/RichardStevenHorvitz) finds himself getting knocked around by a demon shark in ''[[Recap/HelluvaBossS1E5TheHarvestMoonFestival The Harvest Moon Festival]]''. |
| 89 | ** Two for ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': |
| 90 | *** The process of evilization in ''Swap Force'' is quite similar to akumatization, with both having a [[PurpleIsTheNewBlack dark purple motif]] that involves corrupting innocent individuals into minions loyal to the BigBad and grants them dark powers. Hawk Moth even tells the akumas to "evilize" his victims. |
| 91 | *** In terms of voice actors, Bash's crush on Flashwing is this when you consider that Bash and Hawk Moth [[Creator/KeithSilverstein share the same voice actor]], and that Emilie's character design is based on Flashwing's voice actress Creator/TaraStrong. |
| 92 | ** Creator/PatrickSeitz voicing the Fire Giant Hot Head is more hilarious when you recall that he becomes the voice of [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia Endeavor]], a similarly massive pyrokinetic hero. |
| 93 | ** In ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'', Creator/KeithSilverstein voices [[Characters/GenshinImpactZhongli Zhongli]], the [[DishingOutDirt Geo]] [[PhysicalGod Archon]], who has an elemental skill that lets him summon a pillar of stone. Dino-Rang and Bash, who are also voiced by Creator/KeithSilverstein and of the [[DishingOutDirt Earth element]], can also summon pillars of stone. |
| 94 | ** The Golden Queen has an immense [[LovesOnlyGold love of gold]], [[MoneyFetish sees gold as more important than actually ruling]], has the ability to manipulate gold and even trap victims as golden statues, and [[MakeMyMonsterGrow assumes a gigantic form]] after being submerged in gold. Those traits sound a lot like [[Anime/OnePieceFilmGold Gild Tesoro]], who debuted 2 years after she did. Adding onto this, Gild Tesoro's English voice actor is Creator/KeithSilverstein, who voices Bash and Dino-Rang, both of which are part of the [[DishingOutDirt Earth element]] like the Golden Queen is. |
| 95 | ** [[spoiler: Kaos' fate in ''Imaginators'' of being shrunk and kept in a jar]] becomes this when you consider that one of the guest Skylanders is [[Characters/SuperMarioBrosBowser Bowser]], [[spoiler: who suffers a similar fate in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'']]. |
| 96 | ** One of the possible guest characters for ''[=SuperChargers=]'' was Princess Peach, who was cut because the proposed concept would have had her as a sword wielding WarriorPrincess, which Creator/{{Nintendo}} felt didn't fit her personality. Seems they've changed their minds, as ''VideoGame/PrincessPeachShowtime'' will let the princess wield a sword as Swordfighter Peach. |
| 97 | * {{Jossed}}: After ''Trap Team''βs Sunscraper Spire Adventure Pack was released, some fans speculated that Mags was Luminous in disguise all along. Evidence in the game itself, including the fact that Mags can still be seen in the Academy after clearing the level, and a piece of [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=y4ZCddZG9-I Luminousβ trap dialogue where he straight up mentions impersonating Mags]], debunks this HARD. |
| 98 | * JustHereForGodzilla: |
| 99 | ** If they didn't hate the game on concept for using him, there were fans who played the games just for Spyro and (to a lesser extent) Cynder. |
| 100 | ** Some are mostly just interested in being able to play as [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]] and Franchise/DonkeyKong here. |
| 101 | ** The same thing happened with ''Imaginators'', with people getting it just to play as [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Cortex]]. |
| 102 | ** Quite a few people became interested in the series after learning that Kaos was voiced by Creator/RichardStevenHorvitz |
| 103 | * MagnificentBastard: |
| 104 | ** ''Pirate Seas'' Level Pack (2011) & ''Giants'' (2012): Captain Dreadbeard is the leader of a gang of pirates that specialize in card games. Arriving to the island, he and his crew beats every civilian at Pirate Cards and are imprisoned as a result, leaving Dreadbeard to pillage the village of its treasure. Having his men challenge anyone who opposes him, he pretends to be the Skylanders final challenger, only to reveal that he was distracting them while he captures the mayor's daughter, escaping with both her and the riches. When the Skylanders corner and challenge him again, he takes his loss well and releases Jess while promising to return. Returning in ''Giants'', it's revealed he took over a carnival and is willing to give out an engine to anyone that beats him, a promise he lives up to when beaten at Skystones. He then joins Flynn's crew, offering the Skylanders a rematch anytime they want. |
| 105 | ** ''Trap Team'' (2014): |
| 106 | *** [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wolfgang]] is a member of the [[LegionOfDoom Doom Raiders]], and proves to be more cunning than his appearance and temper would suggest. Tasked by The Golden Queen to retrieve Kaos to power a time machine, he and Dr. Krankcase trap and capture him, with Wolfgang proceeding with his plan. Taking Kaos for himself, telling Krankcase that he's just preparing the machine, he takes over Time Town and proceeds to shoot down the Skylanders' ship when they arrive. Upon cornering him, he reveals his true plan to travel to the future and take it over, succeeding by the time the Skylanders arrive in the future, planning to hypnotize the rest of the population using his Big Bad Woofer. Taking his defeat and HeelFaceTurn well, Wolfgang proves to be one of the Skylanders' trickiest foes. |
| 107 | *** [[GentlemanThief Nightshade]] is a master thief who follows The Darkness, and plots to steal the Dark Eye of Unvisibility from the Midnight Museum so he can steal everything in the Skylands. Evading the security and beating the Skylanders to the punch by the time they get there, he evades both the Skylanders and the security, and when cornered, fights the Skylanders head-on, using shadow clones and the Museum's pillars to gain the upper hand. When defeated and if captured, he takes his defeat in stride, and [[HazyFeelTurn happily lends his skills to help the Skylanders.]] In ''Ring of Heroes'', he swipes the [[MacGuffin Book of Dark Magic]] while the Skylanders are busy fighting Wolfgang and has them lured to his mansion. After being cornered and defeated, he gives the Book to the heroes, only to reveal that it was a fake, having already sent the real book away. He then uses the confusion to escape, wishing the Skylanders good luck on their quest. |
| 108 | ** ''Imaginators'' (2016): [[BrainMonster Brain]] is the self-proclaimed "[[LastOfHisKind last of the Ancients]]" who was sealed away for thousands of years. Coming into contact with Kaos, he happily assists him in harnessing Imagination Magic, using it to create progressively more powerful minions. Convincing Kaos into freeing him, he takes advantage of the Skylanders finding and freeing him, finding Kaos and using his vast powers to brainwash a chunk of Skylands to do their bidding, while also equipping the lair with an impenetrable force field. During the final battle, he finally gets fed up with Kaos' attitude and helps the Skylanders defeat him out of revenge. Knowing he's outnumbered, Brain successfully bargains to aid the Skylanders by showing them where trouble is happening, managing to become a professor for the Academy, and [[HeelFaceTurn ends up sincerely enjoying his new job]]. |
| 109 | * MemeticLoser: |
| 110 | ** A common joke in the fanbase is how [[MightyGlacier Crusher]] is the ''last'' Skylander you should ever use if you're a speedrunner. |
| 111 | ** The eight Skylanders in ''Spyro's Adventure'' who didn't get reposes in ''Giants'', titled "The Forgotten Eight". They actually became somewhat of a case of [[AscendedMeme Ascended Memetic Loser]] as, in the comics, there was a storyline where three of these Skylanders, Ghost Roaster, Boomer and Voodood, [[FaceHeelTurn briefly joined the villains]] all because they felt [[DudeWheresMyRespect they got no respect among the heroes]]. Luckily, some of these did come back in games following ''Giants''. ''Except'' for Sunburn, who ''never'' got another figure in any game following ''Spyro's Adventure'', making him the easiest target for the mockery. |
| 112 | * MemeticMutation: |
| 113 | ** Cyndertits! [[note]]A joke amongst ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'' fans, referring to Cynder's... er... breast-shaped "scale pattern".[[/note]] |
| 114 | ** For some, making fun of that one Skylander who the stores ''always'' have a ton of that you already have. |
| 115 | *** Water traps and Head Rush. Every time. |
| 116 | *** [[CreatorsPet Hex]]. |
| 117 | ** "Where am I?" "Oh...wait!"[[note]]During the opening cutscene of ''Giants'', Kaos wakes up in a toy store and confusedly asks where he is before abruptly remembering what happened. This became a greenscreen, which turned into a meme of putting him in a variety of strange places.[[/note]] |
| 118 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPGde6fJ7H4 "ARE YOU FUCKING--"]][[note]]An edit of ''Trap Team's'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbc7E9t9le8 "Trapping Kaos"]] trailer where Kaos channels ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss's'' Moxxie upon being trapped in his Skylanders toy. The joke is purely a play on Creator/RichardStevenHorvitz playing both characters.[[/note]] |
| 119 | * MoralEventHorizon: Any attempt at making The Darkness likable is thrown straight out the window when he manages to convince Kaos to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy Skylands]] instead of ruling it, even getting Glumshanks fired when he objects. He later takes it further by outright threatening Kaos to continue destroying everything when he [[EvenEvilHasStandards eventually reconsiders]]. |
| 120 | * {{Narm}}: One of the rewards for reaching a certain Portal Master rank in ''[=SuperChargers=]'' is to have the [=NPCs=] at Skylander Academy wear funny hats, which is translated into the cutscenes that uses textboxes. This means that at one point in the story, when they are [[spoiler:mourning Glumshanks after his sacrifice so they can escape from one of the Sky Eater's rifts, they will be wearing said goofy hats.]] |
| 121 | * PortingDisaster: |
| 122 | ** ''Spyro's Adventure'' received a hasty port to the PC. The options menu does not allow you to change any graphics settings and sound often completely cuts out at certain pre-rendered cutscenes. To make it worse, there was no subtitles feature for these scenes, so you end up with Eon simply mouthing at you or Kaos and Glumshanks mouthing at each other with the player having no idea what's going on. There were also random crashes at various places, such as the beach levels. This may be why none of the sequels had any versions released on PC. |
| 123 | ** The Wii versions of Swap Force and Trap Team count as well; Lower audio quality, uglier graphics, worse lighting, and quite glitchy. The latter's Wii version even has a GameBreakingBug, which is mentioned on the main page. |
| 124 | * ScrappyMechanic: |
| 125 | ** While the figures certainly cater towards the collector demographic and is the DancingBear, the MerchandiseDriven aspect has created a minor annoyance of a ScrappyMechanic - the fact that certain Skylanders are rarer than others, and that not all of the Skylanders are released at once.[[hottip:*:These are referred to as waves, and as an example of how bad this can get, ''SWAP Force'' wave 4 still hadn't launched as of March 2014, leaving the game bereft of nearly ΒΌ its cast.]] This can lead to certain Skylanders who the stores ''never'' seem to run out of[[hottip:*:Sprocket is a fairly common target for this, as is Zoo Lou]] and other figures that the stores ''never'' seem to carry. Not to mention, certain Skylanders never got a series 2 or series 3 rerelease, meaning that as stores carry fewer ''Spyro's Adventure'' packs, it becomes harder to find the non-commonplace Series 1 Skylanders, same with the battle packs. |
| 126 | ** Sunburn and Ghost Roaster deserve special mention, as their figures are only available in the Dragon's Peak and Darklight Crypt packs - which have been out of print for several years and, consequently, become much harder to find in a brick-and-mortar store. Furthermore, Darklight Crypt was fairly rare to begin with, leading to sightings of it in secondhand stores for almost '''$200'''. Fortunately, Ghost Roaster got a long-awaited re-release under the Eon's Elite line. However, Sunburn is still exclusive to his Adventure Pack. |
| 127 | ** As mentioned by [[WebVideo/TheIrateGamer Chris Bores]], certain Skylanders tend to be purchased immediately by collectors, who then sell them on eBay or Amazon for inflated prices. This makes certain figures a little rarer. |
| 128 | ** For some time, Ninjini was so rare that stores that carried Skylanders reported a ratio of one Ninjini figure out of ''forty'' other Giants being shipped. Like Spy Rise and Stink Bomb mentioned below, it was at one point not uncommon to find her online for four times her retail price. |
| 129 | ** The Mystery Gates and villains requiring unknown elemental traps in ''Trap Team''. You cannot access/trap them. Period. At least, not until the new elemental characters are released. Some might enjoy that they'll have more to do later, but others might get annoyed at these until then completely unknown villains showing up. Bound to be a moot point upon their release, however. |
| 130 | *** On the subject of ''Trap Team'', the fact that elemental gates must be opened by Trap Team members. It certainly encourages the collection of the new characters, but it seems a tad unfair when ''Swap Force'' allowed you to bypass the dual gates via co-op and can make the other Skylanders seem less needed. Also like with the Mystery elements, before 2015 (The game launched in ''October of 2014'', by the way) Magic gates were an impassible brick wall. |
| 131 | ** For some, the traps themselves can veer into this - The game is shipped with a board of all the trappable enemies, and if you are going for OneHundredPercentCompletion and [[GottaCatchEmAll to do that you need all the villains]], you are going to need ''quite'' a bit of traps. The traps aren't expensive, but they add up quickly. (It doesn't help that the only pack of multiple traps is a pack as expensive as a 3DS Game!) Not only that, but you are pretty much told to use up the two traps that came ''with'' the game on the first level so... better have gotten some extras if you want to trap them. [[note]]In actual gameplay though, having the first trap gains you access to that element's villains, and you can swap them out from the prison anytime you want. The only benefit a second trap and beyond confers is the ability to swap out a same-element villain on the fly, e.g. if you wanted to use Chompy Mage and Broccoli Guy on the same level.[[/note]] |
| 132 | *** Kaos being trappable only by a specific Kaos Trap, a much rarer trap that was often bought out by scalpers and collectors. The game also doesn't tell you that the Kaos Trap exists or is needed until after you defeat [[FinalBoss Kaos]], and the only hint it gives beforehand is that Kaos is listed by himself in the villain log. MoodWhiplash hits hard when a hectic and difficult boss is defeated, and the player is excited to finally play as Kaos after four games and many boss fights, only to learn that they can't, and unless they want to pay a secondhand store or wait for their store to carry one (which it often won't), they don't get to play as Kaos. |
| 133 | ** The backlash really comes from the fact that in ''Swap Force'' and ''Trap Team'', none of the old Skylanders can open any Gates like they used to. Buying pricier Skylanders for more zones is nothing new, but you could still unlock (''Swap Force'') Elemental Gates with Core Skylanders, and even Dual-Element Gates if you had two controllers. The Swap Force members were more expensive than normal Skylanders and you needed eight of them for 100% completion, but their swappable parts justify the higher price. The Trap Masters toys don't have special features like the aforementioned swapping or the light-up parts on Giants, and their only redeeming factor is their amount of detail. |
| 134 | ** If this weren't enough, 100% completion in ''Trap Team'' also requires a set of eleven Traps (ten elements plus Kaos) and four Location Pieces (Midnight Museum, Sunscraper Spire, Mirror of Mystery, and Nightmare Express), making it the most expensive Skylanders game to complete. Without all of these, you can't earn every star on your save file. Thankfully, Traps are cheaper than Skylanders, though Location Pieces are only sold in multi-packs. |
| 135 | *** Compounding the issue with the Location Pieces is that it's nigh impossible (as of mid-2016) to get Midnight Museum and Sunscraper Spire without paying out the nose, as they both go for around $70-140. The Skylanders and Traps bundled with them are available in single packs, but while the Skylanders are reasonably priced the Traps will still cost you an arm and a leg. |
| 136 | ** Perhaps the worst case of this has happened before ''Imaginators''' release when they announced that Creation Crystals, the toys used to hold your custom character's data, are permanently locked to the Battle Class that is first chosen and that the only way to get a certain Battle Class in a certain Element afterward would be to buy a whole new one. Literally no one was happy about this, most complaints stem from how obviously greedy it is and exists solely to suck money dry from people. This, and a few other problems with the creator, has soured a lot of the fanbase on the game's main selling point. |
| 137 | ** ''Imaginators'' having it so ''only'' Senseis and Imaginators can increase their stats on level up. Not necessarily because of the mechanic ''itself'', but because of the sheer amounts of PowerCreep it introduced rendering Skylanders from previous games borderline useless because they CantCatchUp. This is because the game is balanced for the higher stats Senseis and Imaginators can reach, ''not'' the lower stats normal Skylanders have. |
| 138 | * SelfFanservice: |
| 139 | ** Just check on Website/DeviantArt, you'd be surprised how much arts there are about Stealth Elf, often with ''very'' exaggerated curves when compared to the skinny action figure. |
| 140 | ** Hex got some of this too; whereas her actual dress is rather sober and covers everything but her face and fingers, you will probably easily find art of her in {{Stripperiffic}} goth attire, when she even wears something. And of course, don't expect her to have decayed skin or anything similar. They apparently forgot she was supposed to be an undead. |
| 141 | ** It didn't take long for Ninjini, Chill, and Sprocket to get fan-serviced either. As a [=DeviantArt=] member once reacted: |
| 142 | --> "God dammit....you just cant stop yourselves, can you? Gotta draw EVERY HUMANOID Skylander like she's some kind of god damn porn star!" |
| 143 | ** Ask Fright Rider, Flameslinger, Sunburn, Gill Grunt, Flashwing, Whirlwind, Tuff Luck, or Sonic Boom, and they'll all tell you that you don't even have to be female [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom or humanoid]] to have this issue. |
| 144 | * SelfImposedChallenge: |
| 145 | ** Nuzlocke style challenges where once a Skylander falls in battle, it can not be used again for the remainder of the playthrough. |
| 146 | ** Limiting yourself to a single type of Skylander such as only using a certain element or only using a certain category of characters, such as only Trap Masters or [=SuperChargers=] |
| 147 | ** Combining the above two. |
| 148 | ** Single Skylander runs, which are exactly what they sound like. Whether or not the player can use variants of a Skylander or have to stick to just one figure depends on the person. |
| 149 | * {{Sequelitis}}: ''Trap Team'' has much less content than ''Swap Force'', with half as many game modes, despite adding many more playable characters. Most of the general game design is worse, with a larger but emptier hub, bad PowerCreep, and less variety in level layouts and enemy attacks. It lacks things that were even in the series before ''SWAP Force'': ''PVP'' is one of the missing game modes, Heroic Challenges and Quests are removed completely and the Story Scrolls just have jokes from [[SmallNameBigEgo Flynn]] instead of adding background lore (stupidly, you can't re-read them now, either). There's also the fact that none of the old Skylanders can open Elemental Gates anymore, leaving a sour taste in some fans' mouths (see the ScrappyMechanic example below). |
| 150 | * {{Shipping}}: |
| 151 | ** While the game doesn't provide any visible romance between the Skylanders themselves (due to their personalities and relationships never being explored except in the biographies and trailers), this hasn't stopped the fans from already imagining some shippings. Aside from the obvious Spyro/Cynder due to them being based on ''Legend of Spyro'', Flameslinger/Stealth Elf seems to have become quite popular (logically due to the fact both are from the same species). |
| 152 | ** Even lesbian ships have been imagined already, mainly with Stealth Elf/Hex. |
| 153 | ** As of ''Giants'', "[[PortmanteauCoupleName Bashwing]]" (Bash/Flashwing) has [[{{Pun}} taken wing]] due to Bash developing a crush on Flashwing in her {{backstory}}. |
| 154 | ** Spotlight and Blackout has seen a fair share of shipping fanarts as well. |
| 155 | ** Dr. Krankcase and Mags have a sizable fanbase, thanks to a line from Krankcase about the two having attended the same inventor's school. |
| 156 | ** Sunburn has gotten shipped with Whirlwind and Sonic Boom. |
| 157 | ** On the villains' side, there's been some shipping with Kaos and Glumshanks. |
| 158 | * SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: A full-on actual game version. Unlike previous games, Superchargers is VERY straightforward and offers little incentive to go back to earlier levels outside of the water/sky challenges and a few treasure chests. Its Wii/3DS version on the other hand takes the focus towards the racing minigame from the other consoles and instead has a full-on Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed style story mode. One can actually go from the last-gen version to the HD modern consoles and actually feel a little disappointed. |
| 159 | * SignatureScene: The final boss of ''Trap Team'', [[spoiler:Ultra Traptanium Kaos]], is one of the most frequently talked about things in the community, whether that be how good the fight is, or how [[MarathonBoss difficult and long it is]]. Then there's also the fact that after beating him, [[spoiler:you're able to trap and then play as Kaos for the first time in the series]]. |
| 160 | * SurpriseDifficulty: Sometimes the game's difficulty can catch players completely off-guard. |
| 161 | ** Perhaps due to its gacha aspect, the spin-off game Ring Of Heroes is especially bad about this, even after its 2020 rework. Going into a battle with a team of Skylanders with the same level or battle points as the enemies may not guarantee your victory. |
| 162 | * ThatOneAchievement: |
| 163 | ** In ''Giants'', only one of a character's "Quests" cannot be achieved in single player -- it requires winning 10 PVP matches, and you can't Gold-rank the figurine without it. Do you have friends to challenge? |
| 164 | ** In ''Swap Force'', one of the Portal Master achievements requires you to own at least one Sidekick... because you got it, right? Surely the toy stores haven't decided to stop carrying all the sidekicks... |
| 165 | *** Alleviated as of ''Trap Team'', which featured a re-release of all eight original sidekicks, along with eight new ones, as a core aspect of the toy line. |
| 166 | ** For collectors, there is that ''one'' figure that you can ''never find'' - it's always online for a much higher price than you're willing to pay for it.[[hottip:*: Stink Bomb and Spy Rise in 2013 for example - if you wanted to find one, be prepared to pay $60. Note that the standard figures retailed for $15.]] |
| 167 | * ThatOneBoss. While most bosses can be easily defeated with a large army of Skylanders, several will make sure to take a bunch down with them. |
| 168 | ** The fight for the Enteral Undead Source in ''Spyro's Adventure''. Undead Skylanders were absurdly powerful in the first game, with you needing to fight three clones, all of which would be rather high leveled and upgraded were they figures. In order, you fight Ghost Roaster, who can be invincible and stupidly fast with the same move, Chop Chop, who can only be hit while he is attacking as he will have his shield up when moving and Hex, who can hide behind her bone shield if you get too close and is long-ranged. In-between all of them, you have dodge lasers which can have extremely random patterns, and then you have to defeat ''all three'' characters at once. This fight was a major roadblock for many young players and even some older ones. |
| 169 | ** Kaos's fight in ''Spyro's Adventure'' is split into several phases. The first one isn't so bad. Kaos can only drop down on you and summon a Skylander clone. But when the Hydra shows up, that's when the problems start to appear. Now during Kaos's slam move, the Hydra(depending on which head is at the front) will summon the attack Kaos used in the source battle(The Doomsharks, homing exploding pods, lasers, and circling fireballs), some of which are very hard to dodge. He will also begin to summon the Skylander clones again, this time in groups of three for every single round(although he will wait for the Hydra's attack to finish and will only have two clones on the field at a time). However, Kaos will destroy the clones from the prior round and level up the new clones he sends in. Once you clear out all the clones, things only get worse, as now the hydra will start to combine its own moves. If you get Doomsharks with the lasers and you aren't a master at dodging or abusing the Doomsharks for health, you may as well count whatever Skylander you are using as dead. And the cherry on the cake? Kaos has a ton of health and tends not to linger on the battlefield for very long. Don't be surprised if the boss fight takes a while to beat. |
| 170 | *** Oh, and just to rub it in further in the Wii version, he heals himself right back to full HP after the last Skylander clones are outmatched. [[SarcasmMode Have fun with that!]] |
| 171 | ** Kaos strikes again as Robo-Kaos in ''Giants''. Let's start with the biggest problem. He has ''no health bar''. You don't know what blow from your Skylander will finish him. The chase sequence that starts the battle isn't too bad as long as you keep running. It's when you have to fight him head-on that things get tough. He can only be damaged by attacking the Iron Fist of Arkus or his head, which are only hittable during certain parts of the fight. However, he will try to slam the Fist down on the player when they attack it enough. He will also summon tough enemies to distract the player from hitting his weak points. In-between the fist/head being hittable, he will summon this capsule that will fire an insane amount of bullets at the player. Woe to any slower Skylander. You also have to destroy the capsule if you want to make Robo-Kaos attackable again. He will also start firing lasers from the fist and have the capsule stay on the field as the fight continues. And much like in the first game, it can drag on for quite a while. |
| 172 | ** But if you think those Kaos fights are tough, they have nothing on ''Trap Team'''s fight with him, who is the absolute king of this trope in ''Skylanders''. He has nigh-impossible to dodge attacks, an absolute mountain of health (and he can ''heal''), and does a crapton of damage. Combine these and you get a boss that shreds through armies of Skylanders like wet toilet paper and takes a half-hour to kill. And this is just on Hard... |
| 173 | ** Count Moneybone's fight in ''[=SuperChargers=]'' is surprisingly tough for how early it is in the game. To start, you are fighting him in the car. While the car can be mastered, it is still hard to avoid the Count's attacks and attack him. Adding onto this is that he can move the fight onto the walls and ceiling, disorienting players and forcing them to get used to the change in perspective. Compared to other vehicle boss fights such as [[spoiler: the Darkness]], this fight is oddly difficult and not in a fun way. |
| 174 | * ThatOneLevel: |
| 175 | ** Molekin Mountain in ''Giants''. It features some of the most dangerous enemies in the game, like Grenade Generals, Blaze Brewers and the newly introduced Slobbering Mutticus, and you also fight them in some pretty cramped areas with very little leg room. The second part of the level has you traversing through an obstacle course of either spears emerging from the ground in the default path or sawblades across moving platforms in the Tech Elemental Gate. And then it is topped off with an arena battle that combines the two together, though this means you can [[BossArenaIdiocy trick the enemies into the sawblades]] to defeat them easier. |
| 176 | ** Fantasm Forest in ''Swap Force''. It is one of the [[MarathonLevel longest levels]] in the game, as expected from it being among the last, and it ramps up in difficulty as you go along, with platform challenges around timed flamethrowers and flaming barrels appearing more and more. But what really solidifies it as one of the hardest levels are the [[DemonicSpiders new enemies]] you encounter. Chompy Boomblossoms (Chompies that rush towards you and explode when they come near), Missile Maulers (Shoot powerful missiles that will change directions to hit you the first time you dodge them), Undead Spell Punks (Summon skeletal Trolls and won't stop until you defeat the punk while also attacking with skulls), Evilized Screechers (Fly across the area with a fiery wave that must be either avoided or jumped over) and Tech Geargolems (Fire nuts and bolts like a machine gun that can deal heavy damage quickly), all of which are some of the strongest and trickiest enemies to maneuver. Even the optional Elemental Gates in this level are tough. The tech gate requires precise throwing of an orb that will warp you to the next area and the undead gate is a 2D stage around moving platforms and timed spike traps. Kaos decided to go all out on trying to evilize the last Elemental, and it shows. |
| 177 | * ThatOneSidequest: |
| 178 | ** Some of the Heroic Challenges can be a nightmare for certain characters. For example, Drobot's HC requires the player to kill 100 green Chompies while avoiding the purple ones (although you are forgiven if you kill just one). Thing is, there is quite a ton of purple Chompies in the dungeon, and they are also aggressive. Good luck trying to complete this challenge with characters with ranged weapons (you can accidentally shoot a purple off-screen), a wide-ranged attack (the purples will gang up on you), or a Giant (who automatically trample any Chompies that get close). |
| 179 | ** Any challenge marked "Warning! This can be tough!" has the potential to become this. Like Drobot's challenge above, these often require precision, destroying some targets while avoiding others; and some Skylanders are just no good at avoiding collateral damage. |
| 180 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: All of the Skylanders have backstories, personalities and motivations which are only AllThereInTheManual and are never mentioned or explored in the games. |
| 181 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: ''Trap Team'''s premise sounds incredible, the ability to capture and play as villains from the series. However, of the 48 villains, the vast majority of them aren't strong supervillains or Skylander nemeses, but instead [[{{Mooks}} minor enemies and foot soldiers]]. Also, of the 48 villains, all but 4 of them are brand new characters, so the player has no attachment or interest in them. |
| 182 | * UnexpectedCharacter: The reveal that [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]] and Franchise/DonkeyKong are playable characters in the Wii U version of ''Superchargers'' caught many fans of ''Skylanders'' and fans of the aforementioned [=IPs=] off guard. |
| 183 | * UglyCute: About half the Skylanders. Kaos and Glumshanks may also count. |
| 184 | * ViewerGenderConfusion: If you never read her bio, you might be forgiven for thinking Sonic Boom is male in the first game, despite the focus on using her eggs/hatchlings in combat. In ''Giants'' however, she's given a clearly feminine voice. |
| 185 | * VindicatedByHistory: When the games were new, many adults and teens hated them for either being too expensive, too toy-related or for "stealing" ''Spyro'''s thunder. The series' negative reception has died down as the target demographic grew and became more vocal of their nostalgia. |
| 186 | * VocalMinority: Many classic ''Spyro'' fans spend their time doing nothing but complain about the franchise, and bully supporters. While they claim that most classic fans despise ''Skylanders'', this isn't really the case, as many classic fans have either embraced it or [[FanonDiscontinuity choose to ignore it]] without fuss. But the haters are ''so'' vocal, supporters are hard to come by. |
| 187 | * TheWoobie: |
| 188 | ** Sonic Boom. She went to hell and back to find a safe place to have her eggs and some rotten wizard decides to put a curse on them so they ''always'' return to their eggs after a short period, meaning she'll never see her babies get to grow up. [[IronWoobie This didn't stop her from teaching them to kick butt]], however. |
| 189 | ** You have to feel a little bad for Night Shift as well. He got banned from boxing, his favorite sport, all because there was a change in rules which outlawed teleportation. It's implied that he has no control over his abilities. |
| 190 | ** Enigma. Because of one bumbling Mabu's mistake, he was driven from his homeland. Then he had to deliberately cut himself off from his world, forever, to stop baddies that were caused by said mistake. |
| 191 | |
| 192 | !!Creator/IDWPublishing comics |
| 193 | * CompleteMonster: [[DragonsAreDemonic Malefor]] is the self-crowned [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Undead Dragon King]] in the Underworld of Skylands and is one of the Skylanders' more sinister foes. [[TheCorrupter Corrupting]] many inhabitants of Skylands to do his bidding, Malefor would have his minions kidnap Cynder before she was hatched so he can corrupt her into one of his servants and have her spread fear, terror, and destruction throughout Skylands. When Spyro manages to free Cynder from his control, Malefor would then attempt to capture and torture Hex in an attempt to learn about the secrets of her powers and use them for his own ends, leading to Hex seemingly destroying him, though not before she is transformed into one of the undead. Seeking revenge for his defeat, Malefor forces Calliope to assist him in reviving him with the powers of Spyro, Cynder, and Hex, [[PowerParasite rendering them weak and helpless]], falsely promising her to help her find her family if she does while threatening to kill her if she dares to disobey him. Upon his revival, he traps Spyro, Cynder, Hex, and Wallop in the Cadaverous Crypts, [[CruelMercy only sparing them]] so they can watch as Malefor destroys everything and everyone they ever knew and love in revenge for his defeat, starting with the Skylanders Academy, which is full of [[WouldHurtAChild young students]], all the while absorbing the powers from the other Skylanders as well. An arrogant, malevolent dragon with no comedic aspects whatsoever, Malefor is easily one of the Skylands' most dangerous villains. |
| 194 | * JerkassWoobie: Ghost Roaster. While him [[spoiler: selling out his fellow Skylanders to Spellslamzer]] was a major jerk move, it becomes way more understandable when he explains that with all the new Skylanders showing up with brand new gimmicks and powers leave him and the other originals in the dust and despite everything he has done, he gets [[DudeWheresMyRespect no respect]] from anyone. InUniverse, Stormblade even points out he has a very good point and ''still'' sees him as a hero, which ends up turning him back to the side of the Skylanders. |
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