Angstrom Darkwater

Angstrom Darkwater
Biographical information
Residence	Merdegraw
Membership	Space Pirates
Physical description
Species	Robot
Gender	Male
Behind the scenes
Portrayed by	Dave B. Mitchell

"I got a spot saved for ya on me crew, lombax! All ya have to do is die!"

― Captain Darkwater to Ratchet

Captain Angstrom Darkwater, referred to as "Jerkwater" by the Bartender on occasions, is one of the two main antagonists of Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty. He was a space pirate captain, and originally the direct superior of Romulus Slag and Rusty Pete before they mutinied him on planet Merdegraw. While visiting the Breegus Star Cluster by the edge of the Polaris Galaxy, he became a friend of the mysterious Zoni and their leader, Orvus, who gifted him with a Fulcrum Star if ever he wanted to contact them. Following this, he built the Obsidian Eye on Hoolefar Island, which was powered by the Fulcrum Star and could see through dimensions. Darkwater seemed to be a Buccaneer-type space pirate.

Biography

Past life and encounter with the Zoni

Darkwater was originally the captain of the space pirates years before Romulus Slag took over the role. He took part in many pillages and raids and stored all of his loot somewhere on his private sanctuary of Darkwater Cove. Darkwater became infamous to planet Merdegraw in particular—many stories and rumors of him spread throughout the Hoolefoid islands. It is implied that Darkwater may have once tried to kill the Bartender by poisoning his grog.

File:Captain Darkwater.jpg

Captain Darkwater placing his undead curse into effect

During a voyage to the Breegus Star Cluster, Darkwater encountered the Zoni. The "Zoni leader", possibly Orvus, gave Darkwater a Fulcrum Star, which he could use to keep in contact with the Zoni once he returned to Polaris. On Hoolefar Island, Darkwater built an Obsidian Eye to use the star and talk with the Zoni.

Darkwater knew that Slag would eventually betray him and steal the star, so that he took steps to defend it, even long after he had died. Using an ancient Terachnoid incantation (and a free coupon for a curse at the Hoolefar Magic Emporium), Darkwater cursed himself and his crew so that if anyone who disturbed his remains, he and his followers would be brought back from the dead to defend his loot. Just as he predicted, Slag mutinied against Darkwater, using the captain's own sword and killed any crew members who refused to join in. He left Darkwater's remains and ship to decay inside Morrow Caverns.

The Curse

"Darkwater! Ye got a lotta nerve possessin' me! This be my body now!"
"Watch yer tongue, ye mangy ol' body snatcher! Or I'll carve out yer gizzard and fry it fer me supper!"
"Ooh, tough talk fer a wee little phantasm!"
"Oh ho! I'm a phantasm on account o' you sticking this blade in me back, ye miserable cheat!"

― Captains Slag and Darkwater arguing while sharing a body

File:Darkwater Dead.png

Darkwater's head near his body

The dead bodies of Darkwater and his crew remained dormant for years inside Morrow Caverns until Ratchet's search for Clank brought him to Merdegraw. Rusty Pete, who was carrying the Slag's head, also came with Ratchet to guide him through the caverns. Inside, Ratchet found Darkwater's ship and a treasure map to the Fulcrum Star inside Darkwater's body. However, Pete revealed that he came with Ratchet only so that he could use Darkwater's body as a new body for Captain Slag. Pete placed Slag's head on Darkwater's headless body, disturbing the remains, and activating the curse. As ghostly green light filled the caverns, Darkwater and his crew were resurrected in the form of undead pirates. However, Captain Darkwater sometimes had Slag's personality and voice prompting Pete to suggest that they should go pillaging on Hoolefar Island, happy that at least Slag's personality was back. Ratchet managed to get back to the island and fought off the pirate attack, knowing it was only a matter of time before Captain Darkwater came back for another raid.

Defeat

File:Darkwater.JPG

Darkwater as a ghost

Ratchet later went to Darkwater's own island of Darkwater Cove in order to find the Fulcrum Star. When he entered the treasure room containing the Fulcrum Star, he fell through a trap door into Lythoin Caves. Darkwater-Slag appeared, taunted Ratchet, and left for a raid on Hoolefar Island with Talwyn prisoner. Ratchet caught up with the pirate fleet and fought his way to Slag-Darkwater. After a short battle, Darkwater with Slag's personality mentioned that it wasn't his Fulcrum Star they were fighting over. Not wanting to give up, Darkwater turned himself into a giant ghost. After a long fight, Ratchet and Talwyn defeated Slag-Darkwater. Slag's head was sent flying off, and Darkwater's body fell into the Azorean Sea, finally defeating Darkwater and stopping his plans.

Character details

Personality

Darkwater loved bolts. He often asked his crew to use melee weapons to conserve ammo, causing him to be regarded as a cheapskate by other pirates. The only thing he loved more was his Fulcrum Star, which he claimed he wouldn't sell for all of Meridian City's bolts.

Skills and abilities

In his life, Darkwater was a skilled fighter, enough that Slag chose to resort to cheaply stabbing him in the back while he was unaware instead of fighting him head on.

After coming back as an undead Darkwater was shown to be even more powerful than he was in life. When Slag was in control he displayed Darkwater's ability of flight, and also utilization of a large sword and a pistol. When Darkwater had control of his body, he could also project his ghost out as a massive specter around the body, this made him invulnerable to normal attacks and he only took damage from things "marked by death" (like pirate skulls), he also wielded giant versions of both his sword and the sword Slag used to kill him, which when utilized released waves of ghostly energy along the ground. As a giant specter he could also summon undead pirates from his body.

Darkwater seemed to like organ music, and was a proficient player of it. He even wrote his own piece, titled "Concerto of Doom." During the Darkwater boss battle, Darkwater will slam his sword onto the deck of the ship and when the sword hit the deck, a note of organ music would play. Darkwater's trials also showed that he was a skilled grog maker,

Trivia

File:Darkwater.png

Concept art of Slag's head on Darkwater's body

• A robotic parrot, similar in appearance to the Smuggler's parrot, was attached to Darkwater's right shoulder as if it were perched. Whenever Slag was in control of his body, the parrot turned behind Darkwater, but when Darkwater spoke and had control, it came back up.

File:Darkwater Drawing.jpg

Concept art of Darkwater

• Darkwater seemed to have the same fondness for grog as his fellow pirates. There was even a brewery on Darkwater Cove. When Ratchet pretends to be Darkwater and visits this brewery, he meets a space pirate bartender. The Bartender, who appears to have been a personal servant of Darkwater, shows an obvious dislike for his boss (referring to him as "Jerkwater"). The Bartender requires Ratchet to mix some grog in order to pass; if Ratchet mixes the grog incorrectly, the Bartender will drink it, spit it out, and make angry comments such as, "Are you trying to kill me‽ Again‽" or, "Poison tastes better than this! And I should know—I've been poisoned!" This suggests that Darkwater may have once tried to kill the Bartender by poisoning his grog.
• If you use the Shock Ravager/Lightning Ravager on Darkwater, it doesn't shock him. This could be due to the green light around his body.

Notes and references

This article uses content from the Ratchet & Clank wiki.