Tarkus

"I respected that long-haired swordsman Bruford, but it turns out he was just a magician... On the other hand, I am an elite at slaughter! I create death and destruction by force! (ブラフォードは長髪を利用した奇策をつかう剣士尊敬してはいたがしょせん技士にすぎめ男…だがおれは殺戮のエリートを目指した！力で殺しまくり破壊し尽くすだけだッ！)"

- Tarkus,

Tarkus (タルカス) is a secondary antagonist featured in the first part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Phantom Blood.

Tarkus was a knight in 16th-century Britain who served alongside Bruford as a loyal retainer of Mary Stuart. The two knights were executed after being betrayed by Elizabeth I. After being resurrected as a zombie by Dio Brando, he becomes wholeheartedly loyal to his new master and fights Jonathan Joestar, eventually trapping him in a one-on-one Chain Neck Deathmatch.

Appearance
Tarkus is a towering and muscular zombie. He wears a set of heavy metal armor consisting of a chestplate, two shoulder pads, two legplates and a loincloth. On top of his medium-length hair, Tarkus wears a horned and crested metal helmet, which he removes during his Chain Neck Deathmatch with Jonathan.

Personality
"That messed up spirit. That evil insanity. You've sold even the depths of your soul to Dio, haven't you? (そのゆがんだ精神！掌握なる狂気！心の奥底まで魂をディオに売り渡したな！)"

- Jonathan to Tarkus, Tarkus was a powerful knight during the time he was alive, and loyal to his queen. However, unlike his partner Bruford, he lacks a sense of honor. Tarkus gets enraged easily and uses his anger for violence. Due to the corruption of Dio, he thinks of Bruford as a disgrace to the 77 Rings winners, having no qualms about destroying the armor of his former friend. Tarkus is a brutal and ruthless fighter and enjoys forcing his opponents to battle him to the death in the Chain Neck Deathmatch, even if it is against their own will.

Abilities
As a trained warrior and one of the only five knights to succeed in the trial of the 77 Rings, Tarkus possesses an incredible amount of physical strength and endurance. He was also a skilled swordsman, described as a hero who could cut rocks like butter with his sword. Even while alive as a human, his neck could withstand several attacks and break the axes of executioners before being cut. Tarkus also became an expert at the Chain Neck Deathmatch, besting and killing a total of forty-eight warriors.

Background
Born in the 16th century, Tarkus was a member of the and a retainer of Mary Stuart. After losing his relatives in previous wars, the young Tarkus was brought up as Mary Stuart's knight and trained his body for that sole purpose, eventually becoming attached to Mary. Alongside his fellow retainer Bruford, Tarkus passed the trial of the 77 Rings in 1563, becoming one of the only five in history to complete it.

Eventually, when Mary was imprisoned by her political rival Queen Elizabeth, Bruford and Tarkus fought the queen's army until she offered Mary's release in return for their surrender. However, on the day of their execution, Bruford and Tarkus learned from their executioner that Mary had already been killed. Tarkus was livid to hear that Elizabeth deceived them and cursed her in his dying breath; rumors say that his neck became so rigid from anger that several axes broke before he was beheaded. The story of Bruford and Tarkus was passed down and became famous in England.

Phantom Blood
After taking residence in Windknight's Lot following his transition into a vampire, Dio resurrects Bruford and Tarkus as his zombie enforcers to exploit their hatred against the world, pitting them against Jonathan, Will Anthonio Zeppeli, and Robert E. O. Speedwagon. While Bruford fights Jonathan, Tarkus prevents Zeppeli and Speedwagon from interfering in the fight. However, following Bruford's defeat, Tarkus desecrates his remains, calling him a mockery of the 77 Rings winners. Tarkus violently kicks the remains of Bruford's armor, turning its pieces into a dangerous hail of metal that wounds Zeppeli. Two bullies drag Poco into the graveyard to take revenge on him for his tall tales, only to run away upon catching sight of Tarkus; Tarkus nearly grabs Poco, but Jonathan saves him. Tarkus slices the ground with his sword, cutting through the cliff and isolating the heroes upon the knights' former training grounds. He then catches the two bullies and squeezes the blood out of them to drink it. Tarkus rushes to attack again, but Jonathan and Zeppeli use the Ripple to create a hang-glider from the nearby leaves. Though Tarkus jumps onto the glider, the group jumps from the glider as it plummets into a stone wall. Tarkus' durability allows him to survive the fall, convincing Zeppeli that the zombie is a loose end they cannot ignore.

Jonathan enters the building to find a place where Poco can hide safely, only to be caught in the Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon, where Tarkus engages Jonathan in a Chain Neck Deathmatch. Poco sneaks in and successfully unlocks the door, despite taking a kick from Tarkus. Zeppeli prepares to fight Tarkus, but the zombie leaps into the air. Tarkus wraps Zeppeli in his chain before pulling it tighter, tearing the Ripple master in half and snapping Jonathan's neck. Although Tarkus presumes the two dead, Zeppeli transfers all his remaining Ripple into Jonathan's body. Empowered and healed by the sudden surge of Ripple, Jonathan shatters his collar and slices through Tarkus' arm. Though Tarkus spits his fangs into Jonathan's eye, Jonathan easily kills Tarkus with a barrage of Ripple-infused punches.

Trivia

 * In the Anime’s French dub, Tarkus and Old Joseph Joestar share the same voice actor, Frédéric Souterelle.