Tarkus
Tarkus (タルカス, Tarukasu) 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 the Joestar Group, eventually trapping Jonathan 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.
Color Schemes
Personality
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.[3] Tarkus also became an expert at the Chain Neck Deathmatch, besting and killing a total of forty-eight warriors.[4]
After being resurrected as a zombie, his brutality and power increases even more, making him capable of squashing people with his bare hands.[5] Tarkus initially demonstrates his strength by lifting a massive portion of the ground that Jonathan was standing on from beneath him, while only using a finger. He then shatters the giant boulder with the same finger.[6]
Later, he throws himself onto a stone wall in order to trap Jonathan in the Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon. Though Zeppeli states that Tarkus should be unable to move because his bones would have shattered from the collision, Tarkus manages to climb the building and still be in a state to fight Jonathan and Zeppeli afterwards.[7] A single kick from him is strong enough to shatter the bone of Jonathan's upper arm.[4]
Tarkus's signature method of execution in the Chain Neck Deathmatch. Jumping above his opponent, Tarkus manipulates his chain to strike from below, cornering the opponent from both sides. The chain wraps around the opponent; once Tarkus lands, he pulls on the chain with enough force to tear a human body in half.
History
Background
Born in the 16th century, Tarkus was a member of the Tudor dynasty 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.[8]
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.[3]
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.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Chapter 26: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 1
- Chapter 27: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 2
- Chapter 28: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 3
- Chapter 29: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 4
- Chapter 30: Sleep as a Hero
- Chapter 31: The Knights' Ruins
- Chapter 32: The Medieval Knights' Training Ground for Murder
- Chapter 33: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 1
- Chapter 34: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 2
- Chapter 35: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 3 (Death)
- Chapter 38: The Three from a Faraway Land, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
Anime Appearances- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 5: The Dark Knights
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 6: Pluck for Tomorrow
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 7: The Successor (Death)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 8: Bloody Battle! JoJo & Dio (Mentioned only)
Novel AppearancesQuotes
Quotes- “You coward! You make a mockery of the knights that have completed the 77 Rings! (このこしぬけが！「77の
輝輪 」の試練をのりこえた騎士の恥さらしよ)”—Tarkus to Bruford's remains, Chapter 30: Sleep as a Hero - “Don't make me laugh! I'll make mincemeat of you, bones and all! (笑わせるな！骨ごと
ひき肉 にしてやるわ)”—Tarkus, Chapter 30: Sleep as a Hero - “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, Chapter 31: The Knights' Ruins
- “Mmmfff… you skinbags stuffed with blood! I’ll kill every last one of you and wring out the last drop!”—Tarkus, Chapter 31: The Knights' Ruins
- “The Chain Neck Deathmatch! I’ve bested 48 at this game… You can call this sport my speciality.”—Tarkus, Chapter 33: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 1
- “I’m attacking from above and below at the same time! This is my Hell Heaven Snake Kill! I’ll strangle both of you at once!”—Tarkus, Chapter 34: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 2
Video Games
Phantom Blood (PS2 Game)
Tarkus appears as the enemy faced in Chapters 16 and 17. Tarkus's moveset is primarily made up of punches and kicks, although some of his attacks utilize long-range chains to inflict damage. Tarkus is playable with his helmet on in 77 Rings Knights Mode and during one fight in Extra Battle Mode; in these battles, he gains the ability to strike the ground with his giant sword.
or 
during damage
(LV0) (LV1) (LV2) (LV3)- 77 Rings Knights Mode: Living Corpses
Diamond Records (Android/iOS)
Tarkus (タルカス, Tarukasu) appears in Diamond Records as a playable character in both the Action Battle and Tactical Battle game modes. He has a few unlockable statues varying between the 'Fighting Spirit' and 'Solitary' types, ranging from 4 stars to 6 stars.
Tarkus's moveset in both game modes is comprised of various attacks inspired by the anime using his sword, chains, and brute strength. Despite being a zombie in the series, the game gives him the "vampire" tag, and he has the qualities of a vampire character. Playing as him will force any outdoor stages into their night time variants.
4-star
(Fighting Spirit)
Max LVL Stats: 10050 HP/3417 ATK/3618 DEF
Max LVL Tree Stats: 19950 HP/6567 ATK/6768 DEF
5-star
(Solitary)
Max LVL Stats: 11970 HP/5415 ATK/5700 DEF
Max LVL Tree Stats: 28770 HP/10215 ATK/10500 DEF
5-star
(Fighting Spirit)
Max LVL Stats: 11058 HP/6402 ATK/5529 DEF
Max LVL Tree Stats: 20658 HP/14802 ATK/10329 DEF
6-star
(Fighting Spirit)
Max LVL Stats: 16758 HP/9702 ATK/8379 DEF
Max LVL Tree Stats: 28458 HP/22302 ATK/20079 DEF
JoJo's Pitter-Patter Pop! (Android/iOS)
殺戮のエリート ver.
Cooldown: 60
Cooldown: 60
Cooldown: 55
Cooldown: 55
Cooldown: 50
Gallery
Chapter 30 Cover
Chapter 32 Cover
Chapter 34 Cover A
Chapter 34 Cover B
Chapter 35 Cover B
Tarkus and Bruford in the past
Tarkus and Bruford accept their fate
Tarkus and Bruford about to be executed
Tarkus and Bruford appear before Jonathan
Tarkus destroys Bruford's armor after his death
Tarkus in the Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon
Tarkus traps Jonathan in the Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon
Tarkus fights Jonathan
Tarkus is killed by Jonathan's Ripple
Tarkus alongside Bruford in the ending credits
Reference sheet: Head
Reference sheet: Body
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Phantom Blood 2013 Calendar (Inside Illustration)
Jigsaw puzzle
A Young Tarkus With Bruford (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Tarkus attacking (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Tarkus and Jonathan in the 2004 Phantom Blood movie pilot
Concept Art from the Phantom Blood movie
Tarkus' body perspective sheet from the Phantom Blood movie
Tarkus' head perspective sheet from the Phantom Blood movie
Tarkus in the Phantom Blood PS2 game
Tarkus's render
Resurrected with Bruford in the Phantom Blood PS2 game
Preparing to fight Jonathan in the Chain Neck Deathmatch
4-star statue, Diamond Records
5-star statue (Fighting Spirit), DR
6-star statue, DR
5-star statue (Solitary), DR
Tarkus' model in DR
Icon
Stand-up Icon
Idle
Event Card
Icon
Stand-up Icon
Idle
Laughing
Charging to Attack
Attacking
Normal Sticker
Shiny Sticker
Event Card
Tarkus figurine from the Super Figure Revolution series
Super Figure Revolution (Neo)
Super Figure Revolution (Bronze)
Chara Heroes; Part 1
Adventure Battle Card; Tarkus
Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon
Bruford & Tarkus
Crusade; Tarkus
Trivia
- In the Anime’s French dub, Tarkus and Old Joseph Joestar share the same voice actor, Frédéric Souterelle.
References
- ↑ Deduced from the date of death of Mary Stuart
- ↑ Either November 30th or December 1st, per Chapter 41
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 27: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 33: Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor, Part 1
- ↑ Chapter 31: The Knights' Ruins
- ↑ Chapter 26: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 1
- ↑ Chapter 32: The Medieval Knights' Training Ground for Murder
- ↑ Chapter 28: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 3
