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Emperor Percival Tachyon is the main antagonist of Tools of Destruction, mentioned in Quest for Booty, A Crack in Time, and Into the Nexus. The self-declared crown prince of the cragmites, Tachyon is the leader of the Imperial Army, whose armaments he designed and built himself, that conquered much of the Polaris Galaxy and became its tyrannical dictator. Tachyon's goal was to wipe out the lombaxes from the galaxy and restore the cragmites.

Tachyon was raised by lombaxes after lombax trillium miners discovered his egg frozen on the Kreeli Comet, but sought revenge against them after learning his true origins. Using the space pirates to scavenge materials, he recruited the drophyds to his cause and built their nanotech combat suits for his army. After defeating and driving away the lombaxes, Tachyon sought the "Lombax Secret" and attempted to kill Ratchet, the last lombax in the universe. Ratchet, Clank, and his allies eventually defeated Tachyon and banished him to dimension A2-66.

History[]

Before Tools of Destruction[]

Repair the IRIS cutscene 3

The lombaxes digging up Tachyon's egg on Fastoon.

One day, we were approached by an inventor with incredible ideas; technology light years beyond what we were using. The inventor was someone... Someone your father warned me not to trust. Our kind had grown suspicious of him, but I was convinced this was the right thing to do—for the galaxy. I granted him full access to our technology. All of our secrets. Only when he was finished...

Percival Tachyon was discovered by lombax trillium miners on the Kreeli Comet and then raised on Fastoon. Though peaceful at first, when he learned of his true origins, he sought revenge against the lombaxes,[1] becoming insulted that they had ever taken pity on him.[2]

The Fall of the Lombaxes 1

Emperor Tachyon introducing his technology to the lombaxes

As a child, after buying the drophyds' loyalty with raritanium,[3] Tachyon built the space pirates to scavenge materials for their nanotech combat armor.[4] He then brought designs for new mech suits to the Center for Advanced Lombax Research, light-years ahead of other lombax technology, proposing them as a means to keep the still dangerous Polaris Galaxy safe. Alister Azimuth, elder councilman of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research,[5] entrusted Tachyon with all their secrets, against the advice of Kaden and other lombaxes who had grown weary of him. Tachyon used the lombax secrets to build his army and then attacked Fastoon,[6] forcing the lombaxes to use the Dimensionator to flee the dimension in the hopes that Tachyon would leave Polaris unscathed. Only Kaden, his infant son Ratchet,[7] and the exiled Alister Azimuth[6] stayed behind.

The Fall of the Lombaxes 2

Emperor Tachyon and the Imperial Army attacking Fastoon and the lombaxes

Instead of leaving Polaris alone, Tachyon conquered much of the galaxy. All planets not under his rule consolidated under Free Polaris, with Meridian City, Igliak as their capital, something Tachyon's army tried to conquer for years but could not defeat the forces of the free planets.[8] Tachyon's empire conquered the gelatonium capital, Cobalia, as well as most planets with gelatonium, putting the galaxy dependent on Tachyon's rationing of gelatonium.[9][10] He also conquered Stratus City, Kortog to seal off the Hall of Knowledge, declaring knowledge contraband[11] to prevent people from learning about the Great War.[12] For punishment, Tachyon took over Zordoom Prison, Viceron, and gave life sentences to anyone who opposed his empire,[13] while others were forced to participate in the Imperial Fight Festival on Mukow for the entertainment of his army.[14]

Angela Cross was a victim of Tachyon's vendetta against lombaxes but was rescued by Max Apogee, as the two fled the dimension using the Dimensionator that they relocated to Kerchu City.[15]

Tools of Destruction[]

Your Name's Percival? 2

Emperor Tachyon confronts Ratchet and Clank in Metropolis

Tachyon traveled to the Solana Galaxy and invaded Metropolis, Kerwan, in search of Ratchet. After his army ravaged the city, he cornered Ratchet, offering him a deal to surrender and die to Tachyon to spare the city. Ratchet escaped instead,[16] and the army combed the city for the Dimensionator before leaving.[4]

Captain Qwark surrendered to Tachyon,[17] thereafter becoming both a private in the army,[18] the announcer at the Imperial Fight Festival, and Tachyon's confidant. In this position, Qwark performed humiliating tasks for him, including boiling his lances[17] and cleaning his underwear drawer.[19] Tachyon attended the Imperial Fight Festival,[20] but failed to see through Ratchet's Mustachio Furioso disguise.

Infiltrate the Cragmite Base cutscene 1

Emperor Tachyon on Reepor taking the Dimensionator from Qwark.

Meanwhile, Tachyon's army continued to scour the galaxy for the Dimensionator, in the hopes of bringing his people back. Though he had leads on the Apogee Space Station[21] and Rykan V,[22] he was unaware of Sargasso[23] and Kerchu City, Jasindu, where the Dimensionator was eventually found and recovered by space pirates. Captain Qwark eventually obtained the Dimensionator and planned to throw it into a black hole, but took a shuttle that was bound for Reepor,[24] where he was captured by Tachyon's forces.[25] Tachyon then used the Dimensionator to release an army of cragmites,[26] and with his newfound might, invaded Meridian City while imprisoning Qwark there.[27]

After Ratchet and Clank repelled the invasion, Tachyon returned to Fastoon, where he planned on releasing all of the remaining cragmites to colonize the lombax homeworld. Ratchet and Clank, along with their allies Talwyn Apogee, Cronk, and Zephyr, fought through Tachyon's armies to stop him. After a long battle, Tachyon told them to meet him in the Court of Azimuth.[28]

Find Tachyon cutscene 5

Tachyon being banished to dimension A2-66.

There, in "Find Tachyon", he told Ratchet of his past and used the Dimensionator to open a portal to the lombax dimension, offering Ratchet the chance to join his race and leave the battle. Ratchet declined, believing the universe would be unsafe if Tachyon was not defeated. During the battle, the Dimensionator began to malfunction, sending the group to a void in an unknown dimension. When Ratchet defeated Tachyon, he goaded that only he knew Ratchet's true name and purpose, and threatened that the cragmites would one day return,[7] before being banished to dimension A2-66.[29]

Subsequent appearances[]

Artemis Zogg and Emperor Tachyon confrontation

Tachyon stranded and in heated conflict with Zogg in dimension A2-66

Tachyon's defeat was considered one of Ratchet's great feats of heroism. In Quest for Booty, on Hoolefar Island, hoolefoids speculated that Ratchet defeated Tachyon with "both hands tied behind his back, a strained pectoral muscle, and a stubbed toe".[30] In A Crack in Time, the agorians mentioned it as one of Ratchet's past victories in the Agorian Battleplex,[31] and Lord Vorselon mocked Ratchet by speculating that his victory was luck.[32] In Into the Nexus, the Thugs-4-Less heard via rumors that Ratchet had beaten Tachyon with just "a few Mr. Zurkons",[33] suggesting that news had reached the Bogon Galaxy.

After Artemis Zogg had been banished and pulled into a dimensional rift by the Surinox Shard, he too was sent to dimension A2-66. Here, Zogg crash-landed on the same planet fragment that Emperor Tachyon had landed on, and the two argued over which planet fragment they deserved to rule over.[29]

Tachyon earned a place in a section of Igliak's Intergalactic Museum of History for the universe's greatest criminals and was considered one of the universe's most dangerous tyrants, alongside Dr. Nefarious. He had two statues in the museum, one at the Hall of Villainy and the other at the Lombax History Wing.[34]

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Tachyon is a small cragmite, much shorter than other adult cragmites. He has a large head, on which sits a crown with a large red jewel. Tachyon travels atop a giant walking throne, compensating for his short height while representing his status as emperor.

Personality[]

Tachyon is cruel, hateful, manipulative, and power-obsessed. In his pursuit of power, Tachyon won favor from and discarded allies once they had served their purpose, betraying the space pirates by building them[4] and the lombaxes after winning their trust.[6] Tachyon did seem to show some grace to his loyal forces, putting on a fight festival for their amusement,[14] but still had confidants such as Qwark perform humiliating tasks for him[17] and threatened torture of those who failed him.[20] Tachyon revels in his cruel nature, describing himself as the galaxy's "humble dictator".[35] In spite of it, it is implied that he was less evil than the other cragmites,[3] and he had a love for most of his pets.[36]

Tachyon's hatred and pursuit of power were mostly driven by his insecurity. His hatred of the lombaxes after learning of his past partly came from feeling insulted that they had pitied him,[2][7][a] He admitted early to Ratchet that his army, large walking throne, scepter, and crown were explicitly meant to show regality.[16] As well as issuing life sentences in Zordoom for those who opposed him and denying them bail or parole,[13] Tachyon also had anyone who mocked his name or height in prison executed.[38] His decision to come for Ratchet was also solely out of fear of history repeating itself in the form of a lombax beating him,[12] despite Ratchet being entirely unfamiliar with Tachyon and posing no threat prior to Tachyon coming after him. The drophyds were also highly protective of Tachyon, prioritizing his protection at the thought of a potential assassination attempt.[20]

Tachyon projected his hatred of the lombaxes onto the galaxy.[a] Lombaxes were described by Tachyon propaganda as "dreadful" creatures who posed a threat to security, were capable of "insidious mind tricks",[37] and responsible for "everything that's wrong with the universe".[39] The Smuggler's reverence for the lombaxes suggests that the galaxy at large did not buy the narrative.[12]

Abilities[]

Tachyon's main strength was as an inventor and a manipulator. When building his army, Tachyon brought designs that were far more technologically advanced than what other lombaxes used at the time,[6] and he was able to engineer the space pirates as a mere child.[4] Tachyon also manipulated the drophyds with raritanium[3] and won the cautious trust of the lombaxes and the trust of Alister Azimuth[6] in his pursuit.

Tachyon made use of his giant walking Tachyon throne[40] in combat. As with other adult cragmites, he was capable of atomizing himself to move around and warp short distances, and he could do so faster than other cragmites. He could also split his entire walking throne with him.[41]

Behind the scenes[]

Tachyon was designed as the Napoleon of the Polaris Galaxy, and required several weeks and fifty production sketches for his art to be finalized. He was originally going to have a small pet of an unknown species with him, as depicted in the concept.[42]

Tachyon's appearance is comparable to Ripto, one of the main villains of the Spyro the Dragon series. Both villains have a short size, large head, wield a scepter and a large red jewel, and retain a strong hatred for the species of the main protagonist.

Tachyon claims before his defeat in Tools of Destruction that only he knows Ratchet's true name.[7] This was a hint when originally, Insomniac Games writer TJ Fixman was going to reveal Ratchet's real name in A Crack in Time, but decided against it.[43]

Emperor Tachyon appears as a multiplayer skin in Full Frontal Assault.

Notes[]

Annotations[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tachyon's full reason for hating the lombax is unclear. Tachyon cites insult at the lombaxes pitying him as one reason,[2] but his anti-lombax propaganda[37] and referring to the lombaxes' "horrors committed by your race during the Great War"[26] suggest a hatred beyond this. The IRIS Supercomputer simply attributes this to Tachyon learning of his true past,[1] while Aphelion suggests she was unaware and simply thought he wished to steal lombax technology.[3]

Citations[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tools of Destruction script § "A Vision of Talwyn"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tools of Destruction script § "Enter the Court of Azimuth (gameplay)"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Tools of Destruction script § "Repair the Lombax Ship (gameplay)"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Tools of Destruction script § "IRIS Questions and Answers"
  5. A Crack in Time script § "The General and Kaden"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 A Crack in Time script § "The Fall of the Lombaxes"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Tools of Destruction script § "Find Tachyon (gameplay)"
  8. Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Igliak"
  9. Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Cobalia"
  10. Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Sargasso"
  11. Tools of Destruction script § "Explore the Hall of Knowledge (gameplay)"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Tools of Destruction script § "Make a Trade with the Smuggler (gameplay)"
  13. 13.0 13.1 Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Viceron"
  14. 14.0 14.1 Tools of Destruction menu § "Planet Mukow"
  15. A Crack in Time script § "Angela Cross"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Tools of Destruction script § "Your Name's Percival?"
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Tools of Destruction script § "Qwark's Heroic Tale"
  18. Tools of Destruction script § "Defeat the Imperial Forces (gameplay)"
  19. Tools of Destruction script § "Return to the Fight Festival (gameplay, cont.)"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Tools of Destruction script § "Find Qwark (gameplay)"
  21. Tools of Destruction script § "All That and Travel Too?"
  22. Tools of Destruction script § "Defeat the Imperial Forces (gameplay)"
  23. Tools of Destruction script § "Center for Advanced Lombax Research"
  24. Tools of Destruction script § "Defeat Captain Slag (gameplay)"
  25. Tools of Destruction script § "Secure the Area (gameplay)"
  26. 26.0 26.1 Tools of Destruction script § "Infiltrate the Cragmite Base (gameplay)"
  27. Tools of Destruction script § "Save Meridian City (gameplay)"
  28. Tools of Destruction script § "Enter the Court of Azimuth (gameplay)"
  29. 29.0 29.1 Ratchet & Clank: Issue 6: Bros Before Foes
  30. Quest for Booty script § "Repair the Wind Turbines (gameplay)"
  31. A Crack in Time script § "Announcer"
  32. A Crack in Time script § "Vanquish Lord Vorselon (gameplay)"
  33. Into the Nexus script § "Make your way to the relay station (gameplay)"
  34. Into the Nexus script § "Find the Dimensionator (gameplay)"
  35. Tools of Destruction script § "Escape Tachyon's Forces (gameplay)"
  36. The Art of Ratchet & Clank, p. 143
  37. 37.0 37.1 Tools of Destruction script § "Explore the Spaceport (gameplay)"
  38. Tools of Destruction script § "Grind the Rails to the Prison (gameplay)"
  39. Tools of Destruction script § "Arena dialogue"
  40. The Art of Ratchet & Clank, p. 144
  41. Tools of Destruction, "Find Tachyon"
  42. The Art of Ratchet & Clank, p. 142
  43. Kubak12, 2015

References[]

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