Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Darksiders Dead

Go To

Main Character Index | The Horsemen of the Apocalypse | The Charred Council | The Forces of Heaven | The Forces of Hell | The Makers | The Kingdom of the Dead | The Seven Deadly Sins | Independents | Others

    open/close all folders 

Kingdom of the Dead

    The Dead King 

The Dead King

Voiced by: Phil Proctor

The Lord of Bones, the Dead King is the ruler of the Kingdom of the Dead, where all of the dead from the various kingdoms go.


  • Bad Boss: His response for Death returning the Dead Lords to him? Killing all of them immediately. Death questions if doing all this wasn't just to mess with him. Other comments from various characters make it clear that the only reason he got anyone to rally behind him to dispose of Argul is because the former king was just that goddamn out of his mind.
  • Blade Below the Shoulder: The Lich Spines, the personal weapons of the Lord of Bones that he used to dispose of Argul, are a pair of armblades that deal lightning damage and steal Wrath energy from foes.
  • I Gave My Word: Despite killing off the Dead Lords that Death worked hard to retrieve for him, he keeps his end of the bargain and sends him to someone who knows the way to the Well of Souls (who happens to be the ghost of the Crowfather).
  • Informed Attribute: Boasts that Death in the state he sees him in is "beneath him", and judging by Death's frustrated silence in response he's not wrong, but for the most part isn't seen fighting.
  • Old Master: He is noticeably aged compared to everyone else in the Dead Kingdom, with his very movements conveying his age as dust flakes off him and creaks come with every motion.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: He's only ever referred to as the Lord of Bones or the Dead King.
  • Psychopomp: His job, though he delegates to his Dead Lords as well.
  • Red Baron: The Lord of Bones.
  • Shoulders of Doom: Has two noticeable shoulder spikes made of bone, though one of them is broken off.
  • Soul Power: It's not made clear if it's a power inherent to himself or an ability he gained after he became the current Lord of Bones, but he has the ability to manipulate souls at a whim and destroy them, as his Dead Lords found out the hard way.
  • Super-Empowering: Splits up Death's soul, giving him the Soul Splitter ability.
  • You Have Failed Me: Threatens Death with destruction if he fails to bring his Dead Lords back to him in order to inflict this punishment on them himself.

    Chancellor 

Chancellor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f2cf3e48_d5ff_4808_bdf1_45d00eb0b333.jpeg

Voiced by: Barry Dennen

A very rude and abrasive figure, the Chancellor to the Dead King has great dislike for Death, and tries his hardest to make his path forward difficult.


  • Deadpan Snarker: Rivals Death in terms of wit.
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: Most his interaction with Death. Though as the Chancellor points out, he's already dead, hard to scare a dead guy.
  • Evil Chancellor: Though not actually evil, the Chancellor is very rude to Death, even trying to get him killed rather than have him go to his boss. In response, Death is extra surly towards him.
  • I Gave My Word: When Death returns from defeating Gnashor, after recovering from the shock that he actually did it, the Chancellor bitterly states that he can't deny him and lets him through.
  • In the Hood: Is never seen without his hood, which also covers one of his eyes.
  • Jerkass: The Chancellor runs Death through all those trials because he just doesn't like him.
  • Number Two: To the Dead King.
  • Obstructive Bureaucrat: For seemingly no reason other than to anger Death. Death outright calls him a "door stop."

    Draven 

Draven

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/draven_8.jpg

Voiced by: Troy Baker

The Master of Blades and a widely-known warrior from the Kingdom of Man. Won the right to live again after he murdered everything in the Gilded Arena, only to be betrayed by the Dead King and made his slave. Draven offers advanced move training.


  • Badass Army: If you talk to Draven again to get the Bloodless side quest, there's a dialogue option which reveals that shortly before his death, he was organizing an army that would've likely conquered Earth if he had gotten his way. Sadly, he never did.
  • Badass Boast: "Well, Horseman, I've beaten death once, and I can do it again."
  • Berserk Button: Just the mere mention of the word "Chancellor" is enough to sour his mood, no doubt due to his deep-rooted hatred for the man.
  • Big Ego, Hidden Depths: Despite a hostile first encounter, Draven ultimately shows respect towards Death, and vice versa. Quest reward-wise, Draven is comparatively the most generous person in the game by a fair margin. It's entirely possible that, given his reasons for being the Master of Blades, he is just hiding a Hidden Heart of Gold.
  • Continuity Nod: In the Forge Lands, Draven's buckler is picked up. He also appears on the door to the Well of Souls alongside Lilith, though the story behind this is unknown.
  • Devil's Job Offer: He was offered his life if he could survive the Gilded Arena... but then was betrayed and forced into a job.
  • Fate Worse than Death: What he considers his servitude under the Dead King, admitting he probably should have gone through the Well of Souls rather than try to bargain his way back to life.
  • Human Pincushion: Has a bunch of swords sticking through him.
  • Made a Slave: To the Eternal Throne.
  • Master Swordsman: He is the master trainer of combat moves in the game.
  • Mister Exposition: Concerning the Kingdom of the Dead.
  • The Undead: Like all residents of the Dead Plains, Draven is a nightmarish-looking ghoul, kept in that state by his current employer/tormentor, the Lord of Bones.
  • Pay Evil unto Evil: His response to having his second chance at life taken away? Either kill the Lord of Bones or take his crown.
  • Power Fist: The "Dark Avenger" bucklers were once his.
  • Shout-Out: His name may be referencing Eric Draven, the protagonist of The Crow. Incidentally, Michael Wincott (Death) plays the antagonist, Top Dollar.
  • Was Once a Man: Formerly a human.

    Gnashor 

Gnashor

The champion of the Gilded Arena, a monster who feasts on the souls of his victims to grow more powerful. However, those strong enough to best him are granted a boon for their efforts. The Chancellor challenges Death to slay him in order to obtain his audience with the Lord of Bones.
  • Dem Bones: He is a massive skeleton warrior that towers over Death. Even his smaller true form is still longer than Death is tall.
  • "Get Back Here!" Boss: When reduced to his Sand Worm form, Gnashor flips between hiding under the sand and quickly launching himself out to attack Death without giving him time to strike back. The only way to stop him at this point is to wait for him to pause and reveal himself long enough to use the Deathgrip and yank him out.
  • King Mook: Gnashor is effectively a more powerful version of the Ice Giant and Bone Giant Mini Bosses in his normal form, with the addition of his unique true form adding more variety.
  • Sand Worm: Gnashor's true form resembles the skeletal equivalent, being a skull and spine that can burrow through the sand of the arena with ease.
  • Skull for a Head: Fitting, given he's a skeleton, but his is noticeable for being colored gold. The Chancellor explicitly tells Death to bring said skull as proof of his victory.
  • Soul Eating: Draven states Gnashor does this to those who fall to him to grow even stronger.
  • Trial by Combat: Gnashor is the Lord of Bones' champion who may be challenged by any to have a wish granted. Of course, the Chancellor tends to use him as a method of getting rid of troublemakers easily. There are only two people known to have defeated Gnashor in combat to have their desires granted: Draven and Death.

    Argul 

Argul the Deposed King

Argul was the original ruler of Kingdom of the Dead before being dethroned by the Lord of Bones. Death is tasked by Thane with finishing off Argul.


  • The Caligula: Argul was described as too mad to be kept on the throne. His madness was so great that the entire Kingdom of the Dead rallied behind the Lord of Bones (who is quite a Bad Boss himself) to remove Argul from power. That said, he avoids having a 0% Approval Rating since he does still have loyal subjects, such as his dragon Frostbane, who kept guarding his empty tomb, and the Soul Arbiter, who took his crown and continued to defy the Lord of Bones for the "true king."
  • Carry a Big Stick: Wields a powerful mace of ice in combat.
  • Evil Is Deathly Cold: He is trapped inside an ice prison when Death confronts him and has the power to control ice to some extent.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He is big and slow at first, but faster than you think.
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: He carries a giant shield similar to the Undead Generals that can block Death's attacks head-on, and he will also use it for a powerful ramming move.
  • Properly Paranoid: Argul constantly ranted about the Four Horsemen, as a coming darkness that would spread across creation. Its likely he had foreseen the rise of Corruption (its source being Absalom, a Nephilim like the Horsemen) or he had foreseen his own undoing by Death's hand.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: He was locked up inside a frozen dungeon in the Dead Plains.
  • Spin Attack: He can unleash a powerful spinning move while also following after Death if he tries to get away.

    The Wailing Host 

The Wailing Host

A massive entity that has taken up residence in the City of the Dead, it has been feasting on the souls of humanity to empower itself and preventing them from reaching the Well of Souls. Death must slay it in order to both allow humanity to continue onward to the Well and reach the one who will guide him to his final destination.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: The largest boss in the second game and in the running for largest boss in the series aside from Straga in the first game, who is just as big.
  • Cthulhumanoid: It resembles (at least from the waist up) a giant muscled humanoid with a face of tentacles.
  • Flunky Boss: It can summon hosts of skeletons called the Host to fight for it, heavily implied to be souls of unsent humans.
  • Mask of Power: It wears one to protect its more vulnerable face. Death yanks it off during the fight.
  • Nothing Is Scarier: Almost nothing about this boss's backstory is revealed aside from it being a particularly powerful monster that has taken over the City of the Dead, forcing Death to slay it to free humanity.
  • Super-Strength: It's main method of killing Death is trying to crush him with powerful blows and sweeps of its arms.
  • Your Soul Is Mine!: It has done this to the collective souls of humanity, forcing Death to kill it to free them.

The Dead Lords

    Dead Lords as a group 
A group of three spirits/undead who serve as assistants to their liege lord, the Dead King, but have not been present for some time to the aforementioned Lord of Bones, Death is sent out to collect them one by one in the second game as a series of dungeons.
  • Killed Off for Real: By the Dead King for failing to return to him in a timely manner.
  • Psychopomp: Their jobs, though not all of them are actually doing it.
  • Reforged into a Minion: By using the Interdiction ability, Death is able to use the Dead Lords as his minions and perform tasks that he cannot.
  • Summoning Artifact: Of a sort, in that the Dead King passes on a skill known as "Interdiction" to Death to allow him to summon the Lords once he gains their allegiance.
  • You Have Failed Me: The reason for the Dead King destroying them.

    Phariseer 

Phariseer

Voiced by: Troy Baker

The Phariseer sealed himself in his tomb when the Corruption hit, refusing to return to the Dead King.


    Judicator 

Judicator

Voiced by: Steve Blum

The Judicator is the only one among them who is still trying to do his job. He requests Death find the last three lost souls within his tomb so that he might judge them and send them on their way to the next life.


  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He's perfectly willing to go with Death to the Dead King. He just needs to finish up his job where he is first.
  • Guilt by Association Gag: Very much Played for Drama. He is still loyal to the Lord of Bones, and the very reason why he is absent from the King's court is to find and judge a couple of lost souls. Despite this, he is killed along with the other two lords.

    Basileus 

Basileus

Voiced by: Fred Tatasciore

Basileus refuses to go with Death only because he doesn't find him worthy and forces him to go through the gauntlet of the Psychameron first.


  • Duel Boss: The boss fight at the end of the Psychameron has Death fighting both him and the giant spider demon Achidna. (She is similar to Silitha from the first game)
  • Dual Wielding: Wields dual swords.
  • Flash Step: He is capable of moving at insanely fast speed, almost looking like he is teleporting.
  • Hypocrite: He has the gall to chide Death for "forgetting his station" when he himself willfully disobeys his own King's orders.
  • Jerkass: He's pretty rude to Death when you first meet him. See Smug Super for further details.
  • Malevolent Masked Man: The only one of the three to wear a helmet, with horns for extra measure.
  • Smug Super: He refuses to go with Death because he doesn't feel that Death is "worthy" for him to come along, so he forces him to go through the punishment of the Psychameron to even see him.


Top