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    {{for|Zarok as a character|the boss fights against him|Zarok Beast|Zarok Serpent}}
    {{about|Zarok's human form|his beast form|Zarok's Beast Transformation|his serpentine form|Zarok Serpent}}{{Infobox character
    {{Infobox character
    |name = Zarok {{BookOfGallowmereCategory|Boss}}
    |name = Zarok {{BookOfGallowmereCategory|Boss}}
    |image = [[File:ZarokPS4Remake.png|thumb]]
    |image = MediEvil2019-Zarok-BookOfGallowmere.png
    |aka = Zarok the Sorcerer<br>Zarok the Necromancer<br>The Mad Magician
    |titles = King Peregrin's Advisor <small>(1286)</small><br>Court Magician <small>(1286)</small>  
    |title = King Peregrin's Advisor <small>({{circa|1283}} - 1286)</small><br>Court Magician <small>({{c.|1283}} - 1286)</small>  
    |gender = Male
    |gender = Male
    |born = Early 13th century<br>[[Gallowmere]], Britain
    |birth = Early 13th century<br>[[Gallowmere]], Britain
    |death = 1386<br>Gallowmere, Britain
    |death = 1386 <small>(aged over 150)</small><br>Gallowmere, Britain
    |weapons = [[Trident]]
    |weapons = [[Trident]]
    |voice = Paul Darrow <small>(English)</small> <br> Norio Wakamoto <small>(Japanese)</small>
    |voice = Paul Darrow <small>(English)</small> <br> Norio Wakamoto <small>(Japanese)</small>
    |medievil =  [[Cemetery Hill (MediEvil)|Cemetery Hill]], [[Zarok's Lair (MediEvil)|Zarok's Lair]]
    |mresurrection = [[Cemetery Hill (Resurrection)|Cemetery Hill]], [[Hilltop Mausoleum]], <br>[[Zarok's Lair (Resurrection)|Zarok's Lair]]
    |designer=[[Jason Wilson]]
    |designer=[[Jason Wilson]]
    |subpages = {{Subpage|casting}} • {{Subpage|speech}}
    |appearances = {{Appearances
    |medievil1998=
    *[[Cemetery Hill]]
    *[[Zarok's Lair]]
    |resurrection=
    *[[Cemetery Hill (MediEvil: Resurrection)|Cemetery Hill]]
    *[[Hilltop Mausoleum]]
    *[[Zarok's Lair (MediEvil: Resurrection)|Zarok's Lair]]
    |medievil2019=
    *[[Cemetery Hill]]
    *[[Zarok's Lair]]
    }}
    }}
    {{Quote|Sir Daniel Fortesque, my old nemesis, so we meet again!|Zarok, ''[[MediEvil]]''}}
    }}
    '''Zarok''' (died 1386) was an evil sorcerer who tried to conquer the land of [[Gallowmere]]. His attempts were thwarted by his nemesis, the knight [[Sir Daniel Fortesque]].
    {{Quote|Sir Daniel Fortesque, my old nemesis, so we meet again!|Zarok, upon seeing Fortesque for the first time in 100 years.}}
    ==Story==
    '''Zarok''' (died 1386) was an evil sorcerer who tried to conquer the land of [[Gallowmere]]. Although he was declared dead after the [[Battle of Gallowmere]] in 1286, Zarok managed to survive. He went into hiding and would not re-emerge until 1386, a hundred years later. His second attempt at conquest was thwarted by his nemesis, the knight [[Sir Daniel Fortesque]].
    ===Background===
    ==History==
    Zarok was a smart but scrawny boy who came from a poor family in [[Gallowmere]]. His childhood days were spent with [[Mr Snuffy]], his canine companion. However, on the day of [[King Peregrin's Coronation]], Mr Snuffy was killed by a Royal Guardsman who thought the pup was going to attack the newly crowned king. This event changed Zarok's life forever and marked the beginning of his obsession with necromancy. Zarok left Gallowmere to take up an apprenticeship with an infamous dark sorcerer.{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}}
    ===Early life===
    Zarok was a smart but scrawny boy who came from a poor family in [[Gallowmere]]. His childhood days were spent with [[Mr Snuffy]], his canine companion. However, on the day of [[Coronation of King Peregrin|King Peregrin's coronation]], Mr Snuffy was killed by a Royal Guardsman who thought the pup was going to attack the newly crowned king. This event changed Zarok's life forever and marked the beginning of his obsession with necromancy. Zarok left Gallowmere to take up an apprenticeship with an [[Zarok's master|infamous dark sorcerer]].{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}}
    ===Return to Gallowmere===
    50 years later, Zarok returned to Gallowmere, causing the land's crops to fail in order to expose the incompetency of Peregrin's Court Magician [[Mazok the Muddled]]. Mazok's attempts to save the kingdom from the [[Famine in Gallowmere|famine]] failed, forcing the king to seek help from Zarok. Zarok was all too happy to oblige. Once the famine was dealt with, Zarok became the new Court Magician.{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}}


    50 years later, Zarok returned to Gallowmere, causing the land's crops to fail in order to expose the incompetency of Peregrin's Court Magician [[Mazok the Muddled]]. Mazok's attempts to save the kingdom from the [[Famine in Gallowmere|famine]] failed, forcing the king to seek help from Zarok. Zarok was all too happy to oblige. Once the famine was dealt with, Zarok became the new Court Magician.{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}}  
    [[File:MediEvil2019-ZarokSummonsDemons-Intro.png|thumb|left|Zarok begins to summon an army of demons.]]As part of his secret plot to take over the kingdom, Zarok would go on to kill the [[King Peregrin's Champion|king's champion]] by spooking the champion's horse with a toad, causing him to be thrown in a well where he drowned. Zarok then convinced the King to appoint none other than Sir Daniel Fortesque to be his new champion, as Zarok knew that Fortesque was incompetent and would doom the king's army during his planned invasion.{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}} At some point, Zarok summoned [[Shadow Demons]] from another dimension to help him build a vast castle on top of a faraway mountain.


    As part of his secret plot to take over the kingdom, Zarok would go on to kill the [[King Peregrin's Champion|king's champion]] by spooking the champion's horse with a toad, causing him to be thrown in a well where he drowned. Zarok then convinced the King to appoint none other than Sir Daniel Fortesque to be his new champion, as Zarok knew that Fortesque was incompetent and would doom the king's army during his planned invasion.{{Bookref|Fates-Arrow}} At some point, Zarok summoned [[Shadow Demons]] from another dimension to help him build a vast castle on top of a faraway mountain.
    ===War with Gallowmere===
    ===''[[MediEvil: Fate's Arrow]]''===
    A day before his planned assault on the land, Zarok informed the King and his Champion about the approaching horde of undead, making excuses about why he cannot stop them. As part of his plan to weaken the King's army, he made the [[Jabberwocky]] attack the castle. He was surprised when the Jabberwocky was defeated by Sir Dan. Later, Zarok discovered that it was indeed Sir Dan who repelled the Jabberwocky attack, but an undead version of him from the future. He ordered his henchmen, [[Boris]] and [[Merek]], to take this Dan to [[The Mystic Maidens]] to kill him.
    ====Fate's Arrow====
    A day before his planned assault on the land, Zarok informed the King and his Champion about the approaching horde of undead, making excuses about why he cannot stop them.
    ====The Jabberwocky====
    As part of his plan to weaken the King's army, Zarok made the [[Jabberwocky]] attack the castle. He was surprised when the Jabberwocky was defeated by Sir Daniel Fortesque. Later, Zarok discovered that it was indeed Sir Dan who repelled the Jabberwocky attack, but an undead version of him from the future. He ordered his henchmen, [[Boris]] and [[Merek]], to take this Dan to [[The Mystic Maidens]] to kill him.
    ====The Battle of Gallowmere====
    [[File:ZAROK453.png|thumb|Zarok commands his archers to fire their arrows.]] Under the cover of night, Zarok's dark army spilled forth from their corrupt haven. The army marched south across the Silver Mountains and through the Silver Woods. Zarok's army had eventually overtaken the [[Pools of the Ancient Dead|flood lands]]. This lead to the Battle of Gallowmere, in which Sir Daniel was killed. However, the history books said that he had defeated Zarok, just seconds before he died himself. Zarok survived the battle, however. He remained in hiding, preparing for a second invasion.  


    Some time after Dan's death, Zarok discovered a [[Zarok's spell book|book of Black Magic]] which would become associated with him.{{Bookref|MED2-Manual}} He also gained possession of the [[Shadow Artefact]], the key to the tomb where his Shadow Demons were imprisoned. However, the Artefact was stolen from him by [[The Town Mayor]] before he could free them.{{Gameref|MED2019-Bestiary|The Town Mayor}}
    Under the cover of night, Zarok's dark army spilled forth from their corrupt haven. The army marched south across the Silver Mountains and through the Silver Woods. Zarok's army had eventually overtaken the [[Pools of the Ancient Dead|flood lands]]. This lead to the [[Battle of Gallowmere]], in which Sir Daniel was killed. However, the history books said that he had defeated Zarok, just seconds before he died himself. Zarok survived the battle, however. He remained in hiding, preparing for a second invasion.


    ===''[[MediEvil]]''===
    Some time after Dan's death, Zarok discovered a [[Zarok's spell book|book of Black Magic]] which would become associated with him.{{Bookref|MED2-Manual}} He also gained possession of the [[Shadow Artefact]], the key to the tomb where his Shadow Demons were imprisoned. However, the Artefact was stolen from him by [[The Town Mayor]] before he could free them.{{Gameref|MED2019}}{{Gameref|MED2019-Bestiary}}
    [[File:ZarokOverlookingVillageIntroAV.png|thumb|left|Zarok casts the Evernight over Gallows Town.]] 100 years after the war, Zarok returned to [[Gallowmere]] once again. Using the powers of a spell book spell, Zarok stole the souls of the townspeople and resurrected the dead. While passing through Gallowmere's many locales, Zarok left behind him a green, slimy trail of magic. He was looking for the Shadow Artefact that was stolen from him.
     
    ===The Evernight===
    100 years after the war, Zarok returned to [[Gallowmere]] once again. Using the powers of a spell book spell, Zarok stole the souls of the townspeople and resurrected the dead. While passing through Gallowmere's many locales, Zarok left behind him a green, slimy trail of magic. He was looking for the Shadow Artefact that was stolen from him.


    Daniel first encountered Zarok at [[Cemetery Hill]]. Zarok tried to trap Dan in the necropolis by bringing two [[Boulder Gargoyles]] to life. Later in his quest, Daniel released Zarok's Shadow Demons due to needing an item located within the tomb to make further progress. The demons were killed however when Daniel released lava upon them in [[The Haunted Ruins]].
    Daniel first encountered Zarok at [[Cemetery Hill]]. Zarok tried to trap Dan in the necropolis by bringing two [[Boulder Gargoyles]] to life. Later in his quest, Daniel released Zarok's Shadow Demons due to needing an item located within the tomb to make further progress. The demons were killed however when Daniel released lava upon them in [[The Haunted Ruins]].


    [[File:Zarok%27s_death_ME2.png|thumb|Sir Dan defeats Zarok's Beast Transformation.]] Zarok awaited in his [[Zarok's Lair|lair]]. He sent [[Fazguls]] and later his champion [[Lord Kardok]] to kill Dan, but Daniel managed to outsmart them. In the end, Zarok decided to confront Dan himself and transformed into a [[Zarok's Beast Transformation|beast]]. Once defeated, Zarok accepted his death and cast a spell that caused his lair to collapse, which he hoped would bring Dan down with him. Zarok was crushed in the wreckage, his magic was undone.
    Zarok awaited in his [[Zarok's Lair|lair]]. He sent [[Fazguls]] and later his champion [[Lord Kardok]] to kill Dan, but Daniel managed to outsmart them. In the end, Zarok decided to confront Dan himself and transformed into a beast. Once defeated, Zarok accepted his death and cast a spell that caused his lair to collapse, which he hoped would bring Dan down with him. Zarok was crushed in the wreckage, his magic was undone.
    ===''[[MediEvil 2]]''===
    ==Legacy==
    [[File:ZarokME2.png|thumb|Zarok's Beast Transformation on display in the Museum.]]
    Five hundred years after his death, pages from [[Zarok's spell book]] resurfaced and were used by an evil sorcerer called [[Lord Palethorn]] to conquer [[London]]. Zarok himself was reduced to an exhibit in a [[The Museum|museum]] in [[Kensington]] where he was described only as a coward.
    Five hundred years later, a couple of pages from [[Zarok's spell book]] resurface and are used by an evil sorcerer called [[Lord Palethorn]] to conquer [[London]]. Zarok himself is reduced to an exhibit in a [[The Museum|museum]] in [[Kensington]] where he is described only as a coward.


    ==Characteristics==
    ==Characteristics==
    === Appearance ===
    === Appearance ===
    Zarok has pale grey/greenish skin and yellow eyes, and a somewhat feminine attire which consists of purple/red robes with gold highlights and a helmet with pointed "horns". He is rather thin, and he has two horns on each cheek. In ''MediEvil: Resurrection, ''his outfit has green gems, possibly to match his trident. His eyes are pale yellow/green and sometimes glow when he casts magic.
    Zarok had pale gray skin. He wore somewhat feminine attire which consisted of red robes with gold highlights and a hat with pointed horns. He was rather thin, and he had two horns growing out of each cheek as well as his chin.


    In the PS4 Remake, Zarok greatly resembles his concept art from the original ''MediEvil''. His outfit is more purple, the gems on it are now red and he has a horn on his chin, as well as thick eyebrows with three points.
    ===Personality===
    Zarok was a creepy, bitter and twisted soul. He was petty and vain yet intelligent, terrifying and evil yet charismatic, tough and dangerous yet at times campier than a Caravan park. He berated Dan and called him mocking nicknames. He also seemed to be held in high regard amongst his minions.
    ===Abilities===
    Using the power of his staff and spellbook, Zarok could resurrect the dead, animate the inanimate and steal the souls of living beings. He was also able to build his own boiler guards and city; [[The Time Device]] - using science.


    ===Personality===
    ==Gameplay==
    Zarok is a creepy, bitter and twisted soul. He is petty and vain yet intelligent, terrifying and evil yet charismatic, tough and dangerous yet at times campier than a Caravan park. He berates Daniel and calls him mocking nicknames. He also seems to be held in a very high regard amongst his minions. In ''MediEvil: Resurrection'', there is a running gag of him not being able to give an evil laugh.
    In his human form, Zarok only appears during cutscenes and is not featured in actual gameplay. See [[Zarok's Beast Transformation]] and [[Zarok Serpent]] for his transformations in the original ''MediEvil'' and ''MediEvil: Resurrection'' respectively.
    ===''MediEvil''===
    ====Book of Gallowmere entry====
    It is said that Zarok's preoccupation with necromancy stems from an obsession to resurrect his childhood puppy.


    ===Abilities===
    Let's just reflect for a moment: isn't that just tragic? All this poor, troubled soul has ever wanted is to command the forces of darkness, enslave mankind, and play ball one last time with dear old Mr Snuffy.
    Using the power of his staff and spellbook, Zarok can resurrect the dead, animate the inanimate and steal the souls of living beings. He was also able to build his own boiler guards and city; [[The Time Device]] - using science.


    ==In other media==
    {{Main|Cameos}}
    ===''[[Creatures]] ''===
    [[File:ZarokCreatures.png|Zarok in ''Creatures''.|thumb]]
    An image of Zarok appears in [[w:c:creatures:Creatures|''Creatures'']], an artificial life program created by [[Millennium Interactive]]. This is because the backgrounds for ''Creatures'' were rendered by [[Jason Riley]] who also rendered all the [[full motion video]]s for ''MediEvil''.
    ===''[[PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale]] ''===
    {{Q|Zarok, again? Could the evil wizard somehow have returned once more?|Narrator, ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale''}}
    [[File:ZarokMinionIcon.png|left|50px]] Zarok appears as a [[w:c:playstationallstars:Minion|minion]], a type of support character, in '''''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale'''''. He was made available for purchase on February 27, 2013 as part of the '''Super Minion Pack 2''', '''Minion Pack 5''' and as standalone DLC. Zarok is also mentioned several times in Sir Dan's arcade mode.
    <gallery spacing="small" bordercolor="transparent">
    SuperMinionPack2PSASBR.jpg|Super Minion Pack 2
    MinionPack5PSASBR.jpg|Minion Pack 5
    MediEvilZarokMinionPSASBR.jpg|MediEvil's Zarok Minion
    </gallery>
    ==Behind the scenes==
    ==Behind the scenes==
    ===Development===
    ===Development===
    ====''[[MediEvil]]''====
    ====''[[MediEvil]]''====
    [[File:zarok_small.jpg|thumb|Concept art of Zarok.]]
    Zarok was designed by Lead Artist [[Jason Wilson]]. Wilson imagined Zarok as both "thin and fey" and "an evil puppet."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jasonwilson-folio.blogspot.com/p/art-and-game-design-medievil.html|site=JASON WILSON - PORTFOLIO: Art and Game Design|title=MediEvil}}</ref>{{Siteref|MediEvil-Boards|13694|MediEvil developers - Q&A;|November 3, 2013}} Wilson also noted that the character ended up being "rather camp" which gave him "an endearing quality as a villain" and suited the "quirky fun nature" of the game.{{Siteref|atomic-city|artwork/Medievil_gallery/medievil_zarok_concept_design.htm|Zarok}}
    Zarok was designed by Lead Artist [[Jason Wilson]]. Wilson imagined Zarok as both "thin and fey" and "an evil puppet".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jasonwilson-folio.blogspot.com/p/art-and-game-design-medievil.html|site=JASON WILSON - PORTFOLIO: Art and Game Design|title=MediEvil}}</ref>{{Siteref|MediEvil-Boards|13694|Interview with Jason Wilson|November 3, 2013}} Wilson also noted that the character ended up being "rather camp" which gave him "an endearing quality as a villain" and suited the "quirky fun nature" of the game.{{Siteref|atomic-city|artwork/Medievil_gallery/medievil_zarok_concept_design.htm|Zarok}}
     
    ====''[[MediEvil 2]]''====
    ====''[[MediEvil 2]]''====
    An early iteration of ''MediEvil 2's'' plot involved Zarok being trapped in the Tower of London. Dan would have had to free him in order to form an uneasy alliance with him to recover his spell book from the clutches of an evil cult.{{Siteref|MediEvil-Boards|11632|Interview with Jason Wilson|February 10, 2012}} However, Zarok ended up not playing a major role in the final release.
    An early iteration of ''MediEvil 2's'' plot involved Zarok being trapped in the Tower of London. Dan would have had to free him in order to form an uneasy alliance with him to recover his spell book from the clutches of an evil cult.{{Siteref|MediEvil-Boards|11632|MediEvil developers - Q&A;|February 10, 2012}} However, Zarok ended up not playing a major role in the final release.
    ====''[[Fate's Arrow (2003)]]''====
    ====''[[Fate's Arrow]]''====
    Zarok would have been the main antagonist in the 2003 ''[[MediEvil 3]] [[Fate's Arrow (2003)|Fate's Arrow]]'' concept pitch, teaming up with [[Kiyante]], an evil sorceress with similar ambitions.
    Zarok would have been the main antagonist in the 2003 ''[[MediEvil 3: Fate's Arrow]]'' concept pitch, teaming up with [[Kiyante]], an evil sorceress with similar ambitions.


    ===Portrayal===
    ===Portrayal===
    In English, Zarok was voiced by the late [[Paul Darrow]], famed for his role of Kerr Avon in ''Blake's 7''. According to Jason Wilson, Darrow was very enthusiastic about playing Zarok and was one of the reasons why Wilson wrote fictional biographies for the game's characters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GunnComics/status/1135627890148745216|site=Twitter|title=Jason Wilson|published=June 3, 2019|quote=I’ll never forget writing fictional character biographies for the MediEvil voice actors, mostly because of Paul Darrow. }}</ref> Darrow also liked to improvise his lines during recording.<ref>{{Cite web|quote=Paul was prone to improvising and we very much enjoyed tweaking and playing with the script during recording.|site=Twitter|title=Jason Wilson|published=June 29, 2019|url=https://twitter.com/GunnComics/status/1144921618587799552}}</ref>
    In English, Zarok was voiced by the late [[Paul Darrow]], famed for his role of Kerr Avon in ''Blake's 7''. According to Jason Wilson, Darrow was very enthusiastic about playing Zarok and was one of the reasons why Wilson wrote fictional biographies for the game's characters.{{TwitterRef|Wilson|1135627890148745216|June 3, 2019|quote=I’ll never forget writing fictional character biographies for the MediEvil voice actors, mostly because of Paul Darrow.}} Darrow also liked to improvise his lines during recording.{{TwitterRef|Wilson|1144921618587799552|June 29, 2019|quote=Paul was prone to improvising and we very much enjoyed tweaking and playing with the script during recording.}}


    In Japanese, he was voiced by Norio Wakamoto who is famous for his roles of Oskar von Reuenthal in ''Legend of the Galactic Heroes'', Barbatos Goetia in ''Tales of Destiny 2'', Charles zi Britannia in ''Code Geass'', Xemnas in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, Cell in ''Dragon Ball Z'', and Count Dracula in various ''Castlevania'' titles, and DIO from ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' drama CD's and many others.
    In Japanese, he was voiced by Norio Wakamoto who is famous for his roles of Oskar von Reuenthal in ''Legend of the Galactic Heroes'', Barbatos Goetia in ''Tales of Destiny 2'', Charles zi Britannia in ''Code Geass'', Xemnas in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, Cell in ''Dragon Ball Z'', and Count Dracula in various ''Castlevania'' titles, and DIO from ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' drama CD's and many others.{{citation needed}}
    ==Quotes==
    ===In other media===
    [[File:JapaneseZarok.png|200px|right]]
    {{Main|List of MediEvil references in other media}}
    ====''MediEvil''====
    ====1996 – ''[[creatures:Creatures|Creatures]] ''====
    *''(to his army) ''"Fire!"
    [[File:Creatures-Zarok-Cameo.png|thumb|right|Zarok in ''Creatures''.]] A portrait of Zarok appears in ''Creatures'', an artificial life program created by [[Millennium Interactive]]. This is because the backgrounds for ''Creatures'' were composited by [[Jason Riley]] who also rendered all the [[full motion video]]s for ''MediEvil''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artificial-lens.com/aaa-games/|title=Successful multi million selling AAA-games I have worked on.|site=Artificial Lens|retrieved=August 28, 2024|author=Riley, Jason}}</ref> Since the game predates the release of ''MediEvil'', this was actually Zarok's debut appearance in a video game.
    *''(to Dan) ''"So, even from the shackles of death my old enemy pursues me! You're too late Fortesque - already my army has risen from the grave! You will never leave this necropolis... Ha, ha, ha!"
     
    *"Sir Fortesque, my old nemesis, so we meet again! I see that a century spent as worm food has done nothing to diminish your naive obsession with the freedom of Gallowmere."
    ====2013 – ''[[wikipedia:PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale|PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale]] ''====
    *''(to his warriors)'' "Prepare to attack, my warriors, I want the dogs gnawing marrow from those bones within the hour...Aargh! What is that Fortesque, your lucky cup?"
    {{Q|Zarok, again? Could the evil wizard somehow have returned once more?|The narrator describes Sir Dan's thoughts.}}
    *(after being defeated) "Ughh. Curse you, Sir Knight. I am finally defeated. Yet if I am to fail, then all shall perish! You are doomed, Fortesque! You will never leave this domain! Ha, ha, ha!"
    [[File:PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale-Zarok.png|left]]
    ====''MediEvil: Resurrection''====
    Zarok appears as a minion, a type of support character, in ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale''. He was made available for purchase on February 27, 2013 as part of the '''Super Minion Pack 2''', '''Minion Pack 5''' and as standalone DLC. Zarok is also mentioned several times in Sir Dan's arcade mode.
    *''(to Dan) ''"Ohhh Nooo... YOU'RE back. Looking like something from a butcher's dustbin. And what's that SMELL? Eau dee-Composition? Well, you're too late, anyway - my army has already risen from the grave. Still, never mind, eh? Chalk it up as yet another of your inglorious failures... mwah HAH! ... HAH...! I really need to work on that mocking laugh."
    ====2023 – ''Clive 'N' Wrench''====
    *''(after being defeated)'' "CURSE you, Fortesque, curse you! Curse you THRICEFOLD! SO - it's come to THIS, I am finally DEFEATED. Painfully! Ignominiously! But particularly, painfully! But if I am to fail - then all shall perish with me! I didn't get to be the embodiment of evil without maintaining certain traditional standards! You are DOOMED Fortesque! You will NEVER leave this place! Mmwah-ha-HAH! Ha-HARRRRR! Oooh, yes! Now THAT was an evil laugh!"
    In the '''Middle Age Crisis''' level, one of the buildings in the town section is signposted as Koraz's Apothecary. Koraz is Zarok backwards.


    ==Gallery==
    ==Gallery==
    {{See also|:Category:Zarok images|l1=Zarok images}}
    {{Main article|:Category:Images of Zarok|l1=Images of Zarok}}
    ===''MediEvil (1998)''===
    {{Empty section}}
    <gallery widths="150" spacing="small" orientation="portrait"  captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true" captionposition="below" captionsize="medium" bordersize="small">
    Posimag3.jpg|Render of Zarok, Daniel and the Shadow Demons.
    ZAROK435.png|Zarok overlooking the battlefield.
    Livelli_1.jpg|Zarok and Daniel in the Sleeping Village.
    Zarok.png|Zarok's in-game model.
    </gallery>
    ===''MediEvil: Resurrection''===
    <gallery widths="150" spacing="small" orientation="portrait"  captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true" captionposition="below" captionsize="medium" bordersize="small">
    Zarok_Resurrection.png
    Image2.jpg|Resurrection render.
    Thmb_Zarok_serpent_rollover.jpg|Zarok's serpent form.
    </gallery>
     
    ==Trivia==
    ==Trivia==
    *A hedge sculpture of Zarok appears in [[The Asylum Grounds]] level in ''[[MediEvil]]''.
    *Zarok makes a possible joke about the practice of sheep sodomising before the final battle when he says ''"Oooh... Oh not right now!"'' after he accidentally transforms himself into a sheep.
    *Zarok makes a possible joke about the practice of sheep sodomising in Scotland before the final battle of ''MediEvil'' when he says ''"Oooh... Oh not right now!"'' after he accidentally transforms himself into a sheep.
    ==In other languages==
     
    {{OtherLanguages
    {{Succession box
    |ar = ”زاروك”
    |before = [[Mazok the Muddled]]
    |arR = "zaruka"
    |title = Court Magician
    |bg = Зарок
    |years = {{c.|1283}} - 1286
    |bgR = Zarok
    |after = N/A
    |ja = ザロック
    |jaR = Zarokku
    |ru = Зарок
    |ruR = Zarok
    }}
    }}


    ==References==
    ==References==
    {{Reflist}}
    {{Reflist}}
    ==External links==
    ==Navigation==
    *{{Icon|Wikia}} [[w:c:villains:Zarok|Zarok]] at the Villains Wiki.
    {{TopNav
    [[es:Zarok]]
    |previous = [[Mazok the Muddled]]
    [[hu:Zarok]]
    |current = Court Magician
    [[it:Zarok]]
    |description = 1286
    |next = N/A
    }}
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    [[Category:Antagonists]]
    [[Category:Characters in MediEvil: The Game Prequel]]
    [[Category:Male Characters]]
    [[Category:Bosses]]
    [[Category:DLC]]
    [[Category:Bosses in MediEvil]]
    [[Category:PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale DLC]]
    [[Category:Bosses in MediEvil: Resurrection]]
    [[Category:Occult]]
    [[Category:Sorcerers]]

    Latest revision as of 02:41, 17 November 2024

    This article is about Zarok's human form. For his beast form, see Zarok's Beast Transformation. For his serpentine form, see Zarok Serpent.
    Zarok
    MediEvil2019-BookOfGallowmere-BossesIcon.png
    MediEvil2019-Zarok-BookOfGallowmere.png
    Biographical information
    Title(s) King Peregrin's Advisor (1286)
    Court Magician (1286)
    Gender Male
    Born Early 13th century
    Gallowmere, Britain
    Died 1386 (aged over 150)
    Gallowmere, Britain
    Weapon(s) Trident
    Behind the scenes information
    Designed by Jason Wilson
    Voiced by Paul Darrow (English)
    Norio Wakamoto (Japanese)
    Appears in

    "Sir Daniel Fortesque, my old nemesis, so we meet again!"
    ― Zarok, upon seeing Fortesque for the first time in 100 years.

    Zarok (died 1386) was an evil sorcerer who tried to conquer the land of Gallowmere. Although he was declared dead after the Battle of Gallowmere in 1286, Zarok managed to survive. He went into hiding and would not re-emerge until 1386, a hundred years later. His second attempt at conquest was thwarted by his nemesis, the knight Sir Daniel Fortesque.

    History

    Early life

    Zarok was a smart but scrawny boy who came from a poor family in Gallowmere. His childhood days were spent with Mr Snuffy, his canine companion. However, on the day of King Peregrin's coronation, Mr Snuffy was killed by a Royal Guardsman who thought the pup was going to attack the newly crowned king. This event changed Zarok's life forever and marked the beginning of his obsession with necromancy. Zarok left Gallowmere to take up an apprenticeship with an infamous dark sorcerer.[1]

    Return to Gallowmere

    50 years later, Zarok returned to Gallowmere, causing the land's crops to fail in order to expose the incompetency of Peregrin's Court Magician Mazok the Muddled. Mazok's attempts to save the kingdom from the famine failed, forcing the king to seek help from Zarok. Zarok was all too happy to oblige. Once the famine was dealt with, Zarok became the new Court Magician.[1]

    Zarok begins to summon an army of demons.

    As part of his secret plot to take over the kingdom, Zarok would go on to kill the king's champion by spooking the champion's horse with a toad, causing him to be thrown in a well where he drowned. Zarok then convinced the King to appoint none other than Sir Daniel Fortesque to be his new champion, as Zarok knew that Fortesque was incompetent and would doom the king's army during his planned invasion.[1] At some point, Zarok summoned Shadow Demons from another dimension to help him build a vast castle on top of a faraway mountain.

    War with Gallowmere

    A day before his planned assault on the land, Zarok informed the King and his Champion about the approaching horde of undead, making excuses about why he cannot stop them. As part of his plan to weaken the King's army, he made the Jabberwocky attack the castle. He was surprised when the Jabberwocky was defeated by Sir Dan. Later, Zarok discovered that it was indeed Sir Dan who repelled the Jabberwocky attack, but an undead version of him from the future. He ordered his henchmen, Boris and Merek, to take this Dan to The Mystic Maidens to kill him.

    Under the cover of night, Zarok's dark army spilled forth from their corrupt haven. The army marched south across the Silver Mountains and through the Silver Woods. Zarok's army had eventually overtaken the flood lands. This lead to the Battle of Gallowmere, in which Sir Daniel was killed. However, the history books said that he had defeated Zarok, just seconds before he died himself. Zarok survived the battle, however. He remained in hiding, preparing for a second invasion.

    Some time after Dan's death, Zarok discovered a book of Black Magic which would become associated with him.[2] He also gained possession of the Shadow Artefact, the key to the tomb where his Shadow Demons were imprisoned. However, the Artefact was stolen from him by The Town Mayor before he could free them.[3][3.1]

    The Evernight

    100 years after the war, Zarok returned to Gallowmere once again. Using the powers of a spell book spell, Zarok stole the souls of the townspeople and resurrected the dead. While passing through Gallowmere's many locales, Zarok left behind him a green, slimy trail of magic. He was looking for the Shadow Artefact that was stolen from him.

    Daniel first encountered Zarok at Cemetery Hill. Zarok tried to trap Dan in the necropolis by bringing two Boulder Gargoyles to life. Later in his quest, Daniel released Zarok's Shadow Demons due to needing an item located within the tomb to make further progress. The demons were killed however when Daniel released lava upon them in The Haunted Ruins.

    Zarok awaited in his lair. He sent Fazguls and later his champion Lord Kardok to kill Dan, but Daniel managed to outsmart them. In the end, Zarok decided to confront Dan himself and transformed into a beast. Once defeated, Zarok accepted his death and cast a spell that caused his lair to collapse, which he hoped would bring Dan down with him. Zarok was crushed in the wreckage, his magic was undone.

    Legacy

    Five hundred years after his death, pages from Zarok's spell book resurfaced and were used by an evil sorcerer called Lord Palethorn to conquer London. Zarok himself was reduced to an exhibit in a museum in Kensington where he was described only as a coward.

    Characteristics

    Appearance

    Zarok had pale gray skin. He wore somewhat feminine attire which consisted of red robes with gold highlights and a hat with pointed horns. He was rather thin, and he had two horns growing out of each cheek as well as his chin.

    Personality

    Zarok was a creepy, bitter and twisted soul. He was petty and vain yet intelligent, terrifying and evil yet charismatic, tough and dangerous yet at times campier than a Caravan park. He berated Dan and called him mocking nicknames. He also seemed to be held in high regard amongst his minions.

    Abilities

    Using the power of his staff and spellbook, Zarok could resurrect the dead, animate the inanimate and steal the souls of living beings. He was also able to build his own boiler guards and city; The Time Device - using science.

    Gameplay

    In his human form, Zarok only appears during cutscenes and is not featured in actual gameplay. See Zarok's Beast Transformation and Zarok Serpent for his transformations in the original MediEvil and MediEvil: Resurrection respectively.

    MediEvil

    Book of Gallowmere entry

    It is said that Zarok's preoccupation with necromancy stems from an obsession to resurrect his childhood puppy.

    Let's just reflect for a moment: isn't that just tragic? All this poor, troubled soul has ever wanted is to command the forces of darkness, enslave mankind, and play ball one last time with dear old Mr Snuffy.

    Behind the scenes

    Development

    MediEvil

    Zarok was designed by Lead Artist Jason Wilson. Wilson imagined Zarok as both "thin and fey" and "an evil puppet."[4][5] Wilson also noted that the character ended up being "rather camp" which gave him "an endearing quality as a villain" and suited the "quirky fun nature" of the game.[6]

    MediEvil 2

    An early iteration of MediEvil 2's plot involved Zarok being trapped in the Tower of London. Dan would have had to free him in order to form an uneasy alliance with him to recover his spell book from the clutches of an evil cult.[7] However, Zarok ended up not playing a major role in the final release.

    Fate's Arrow

    Zarok would have been the main antagonist in the 2003 MediEvil 3: Fate's Arrow concept pitch, teaming up with Kiyante, an evil sorceress with similar ambitions.

    Portrayal

    In English, Zarok was voiced by the late Paul Darrow, famed for his role of Kerr Avon in Blake's 7. According to Jason Wilson, Darrow was very enthusiastic about playing Zarok and was one of the reasons why Wilson wrote fictional biographies for the game's characters.[8] Darrow also liked to improvise his lines during recording.[9]

    In Japanese, he was voiced by Norio Wakamoto who is famous for his roles of Oskar von Reuenthal in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Barbatos Goetia in Tales of Destiny 2, Charles zi Britannia in Code Geass, Xemnas in the Kingdom Hearts series, Cell in Dragon Ball Z, and Count Dracula in various Castlevania titles, and DIO from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure drama CD's and many others.[citation needed]

    In other media

    Main article: List of MediEvil references in other media

    1996 – Creatures

    Zarok in Creatures.

    A portrait of Zarok appears in Creatures, an artificial life program created by Millennium Interactive. This is because the backgrounds for Creatures were composited by Jason Riley who also rendered all the full motion videos for MediEvil.[10] Since the game predates the release of MediEvil, this was actually Zarok's debut appearance in a video game.

    2013 – PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

    "Zarok, again? Could the evil wizard somehow have returned once more?"
    ― The narrator describes Sir Dan's thoughts.
    PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale-Zarok.png

    Zarok appears as a minion, a type of support character, in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. He was made available for purchase on February 27, 2013 as part of the Super Minion Pack 2, Minion Pack 5 and as standalone DLC. Zarok is also mentioned several times in Sir Dan's arcade mode.

    2023 – Clive 'N' Wrench

    In the Middle Age Crisis level, one of the buildings in the town section is signposted as Koraz's Apothecary. Koraz is Zarok backwards.

    Gallery

    Main article: Images of Zarok
    This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

    Trivia

    • Zarok makes a possible joke about the practice of sheep sodomising before the final battle when he says "Oooh... Oh not right now!" after he accidentally transforms himself into a sheep.

    In other languages

    Language Name
    Arabic ”زاروك”
    "zaruka"
    Bulgarian Зарок
    Zarok
    Japanese ザロック
    Zarokku
    Russian Зарок
    Zarok

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Game Prequel icon.png MediEvil: The Game Prequel. Written by Chris Sorrell. Art by Jason Wilson. Published by Titan Comics in 2019.
    2. ↑ MediEvil 2 MediEvil 2 manual. Written by Jim Sangster. Designed by Steve O'Neill. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America in May 2000. Download.
    3. ↑ MediEvil 2019 icon.png MediEvil. Developed by Other Ocean Emeryville. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on October 25, 2019.
      1. ↑ Book of Gallowmere in MediEvil 2019 icon.png MediEvil. Developed by Other Ocean Emeryville. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on October 25, 2019.
    4. ↑ MediEvil on JASON WILSON - PORTFOLIO: Art and Game Design.
    5. ↑ ProBoards MediEvil developers - Q&A; on MediEvil Boards. Published November 3, 2013.
    6. ↑ Zarok on atomic-city concept art and design of Jason Wilson (archived version). Published Unknown.
    7. ↑ ProBoards MediEvil developers - Q&A; on MediEvil Boards. Published February 10, 2012.
    8. ↑ Twitter "I’ll never forget writing fictional character biographies for the MediEvil voice actors, mostly because of Paul Darrow." — Jason Wilson (@GunnWriter) on X (formerly Twitter) (archived version at Internet Archive Wayback Machine). Published June 3, 2019.
    9. ↑ Twitter "Paul was prone to improvising and we very much enjoyed tweaking and playing with the script during recording." — Jason Wilson (@GunnWriter) on X (formerly Twitter) (archived version at Internet Archive Wayback Machine). Published June 29, 2019.
    10. ↑ Riley, Jason, Successful multi million selling AAA-games I have worked on. on Artificial Lens. Retrieved August 28, 2024.

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