Hadrian

"Surrender the Redstone Heart, now. Because, ha, I WILL trap you here, forever! I am 100% fine with that course of action!"

- Hadrian announcing his intentions while showing his complete lack of empathy.

Hadrian is a major antagonist in the Minecraft: Story Mode series, serving as the ultimate antagonist in the game Minecraft: Story Mode and the main antagonist of the Adventure Pass in the 8th (and last) episode, A Journey's End?. He is the evilest enemy that Jesse and the gang have ever come across, though not quite the most powerful and dangerous. He is also the unscrupulous and blasphemous leader of the Old Builders and is in charge of the Builder Games (otherwise known simply as the Games), which are played by the Competitors. He uses the Games to abuse the Competitors in his mines in the Nether after they lost.

He is voiced by, who also played Steele in Balto, Fuzzy Lumpkins in the PowerPuff Girls, Nessus in Disney's Hercules, Long John Silver in The Pagemaster, Ed in Disney's The Lion King, Dennis in Disney's Tarzan, Hernán Cortés in El Dorado, Razoul in Disney's Aladdin, Doctor Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM, and Budzo in Zambezia (also known as Adventures in Zambezia).

Background
Hadrian is the blasphemous leader of the Old Builders. Together with Mevia, Otto, and Harper, he built the Portal Network and invented the Games. They used to have competitors travel from all over to play in the Games.

However, in time Hadrian and Mevia grew more power hungry and sadistic. They started to make people fight against each other, just for sport. Losers in the Games were forced to work in the mines until they got another shot in the Games. Unknown to anyone, the Games was rigged, so nobody could win. Presumably, for that reason, Harper left.

Hadrian is known for making deals with numerous people, usually with other competitors about that if the deal was completed, the competitor would be able to go home. Presumably, that never happened, as Hadrian was always able to make sure it never happened.

A Journey's End?
When Harper and the New Order of the Stone arrived at the Games to retrieve the Portal Atlas, after disrupting a game of Spleef, Jesse presented the Redstone Heart (that Harper took when she left) Hadrian offered a deal: If Jesse won the Games, he and his friends would get the Atlas. But if they lost, Harper would have to go to the Mines too. Jesse agrees to the deal, and Harper shows him/her and Petra/Ivor to the Competitor's Village.

The next day, while the competitors are preparing for the next event, which is a dangerous race, Hadrian visits them and tries to interview Jesse. After the interview, he, along with the other Old Builders, commentate the race. Hadrian, along with Mevia, are clearly surprised and disappointed if Jesse wins.

When Jesse was at Hadrian's Palace, he found out that (presumably under Hadrian's orders) Axel and Olivia, two of Jesse's best friends, were kidnapped by Mevia from their homeworld to use to blackmail Jesse. Hadrian and Mevia also knew that Jesse had a best friend called Reuben, and as such, tried to kidnap him too, but, clearly not knowing his fate or even his species, Mevia kidnaps a Minecon Usher from Episode 1, who is coincidentally called "Reuben". Hadrian sadistically changes his deal with Jesse and says that if Jesse wins and leaves, his friends will be sent down into the Mines, but if Jesse loses, he/she can go to the Mines in their place. He then gets Slab the Immovable to drag Jesse out of his Palace.

Hadrian is next seen during the Finale, helping announce and commentate the final game, which is a game of Walls. Hadrian likely rigged the Game so Jesse would lose by giving him/her no resource (aside from dirt and gravel) to defend himself/herself. Much like Mevia, Hadrian is dumbfounded and outraged when, thanks to Jesse, the competitors refused to fight each other and decide to rebel, with Jesse in the lead. Hadrian will show more frustration if Jesse agreed to lose the Games and work in their mines, due to him breaking the deal. If Slab joins Jesse's side, Hadrian will express annoyance and tells Slab that he will pay for his betrayal.

He, Mevia, and Otto's head down and confront them. Due to them having stepped on the Victory Platform and technically won the Games, Otto tries to give Jesse the Atlas as promised, but Hadrian and Mevia trap him and all the competitors except for Em, Jesse, and (determinantly) Slab in obsidian. Em runs away, much to Mevia and Hadrian's delight. They both begin to fight Jesse (and determinantly Slab). Jesse knocks Hadrian down on the ground before he pretends to ask for forgiveness. Mevia eliminates Jesse off-guard, causing him/her to respawn.

While Hadrian and Mevia talk about how to punish the trapped competitors, with Hadrian having something "special" in mind for them thanks to Jesse's friends (Em and determinant Slab included), after he/she respawns, he/she returns with diamond weapons and Tim's Armour. They fight once more before Jesse manages to defeat Mevia. Hadrian and Jesse continue to fight. At one point, Jesse's friends taunt Hadrian and support Jesse from afar. Per Em's suggestion, Jesse breaks the obsidian bridge that he/she and Hadrian are standing on, and Hadrian falls and gets eliminated himself. Hadrian and Mevia both respawn and are beaten up by the Gladiators.

Jesse then uses the Atlas to banish Mevia, along with Hadrian, to a world filled with either zombie-sized chickens or chicken-sized zombies. Mevia tries to crack a pun about their predicament, much to Hadrian's dismay. If Hadrian and Mevia are in the world of zombie-sized chickens, Hadrian will fire her. If Hadrian and Mevia are in the world of chicken-sized zombies, Hadrian would just be disappointed. It is unknown what has happened to Hadrian or Mevia following the events in the game Minecraft: Story Mode.

Meanwhile, due to some competitors surprisingly enjoying the Games, Otto (and determinately Harper) restarts the Old Builder Games and makes them fun again, while those who don't want to participate return home, undoing the damage Hadrian and Mevia caused.

Appearance
Hadrian is an old man with white hair, light brown skin, and black pupils. He wears black glasses, a long purple checked suit with white buttons, a bright golden inner-dress, and black gloves. Hadrian also has white buttons on his suit. He looks a lot like Colonel Sanders.

Personality
"Jesse: You really trusted Hadrian? That guy's like a creeper in a purple power suit. Em: HEY! You try being stuck here as long as I have! Then you can talk!"

- Jesse and Em after the former learns why she made a deal with Hadrian (determinant).

Hadrian is power-hungry, blasphemous, sadistic, immoral, and overall malicious in nature. He is a malignant, arrogant, unscrupulous, and sarcastic tyrant who is known to abuse competitors. He shares these traits with his right-hand, Mevia, with both being extremely rude, snarky, obnoxious, argumentative, heartless, and volatile. Both show no motives or reasons for their evil deeds aside from for their own selfish entertainment, as well as showing no redeeming traits or morals whatsoever.

Unlike Mevia, Hadrian has a tendency to make deals with others, and break those deals with no second thought, showing his completely deplorable and unpleasant nature. For instance, at first, he tells Jesse and Petra/Ivor that if they win the Builder Games, they get to keep the Old Builder's Portal Atlas, which Jesse and friends need to get back to their homeworld, before later changing the deal and telling Jesse that if he/she wins the games, his/her friends will have to stay behind and work in his quartz mines, and if he/she loses, Hadrian will let his/her friends go if Jesse stays behind in their place.

It is highly unlikely that Hadrian intended to keep his end of the bargain. As implied by Em and Harper, regardless of whether or not Jesse loses, Hadrian will very likely send Jesse and his/her friends all to the mines regardless, while claiming that was the original deal. As shown in his treatment of competitors who lose in the games, and his aforementioned deals, Hadrian likes to maximize productivity and had no qualms about enslaving people by sending them to work in his Quartz mines in the Nether. He even admits that he is fine with and has no problem with trapping people forever, showing a complete disregard and lack of sympathy for others.

Hadrian is also quite treacherous, hypocritical, sanctimonious, and manipulative, as if Jesse agrees to Hadrian's second deal, when he/she inevitably breaks it later, Hadrian gets enraged and yells at Jesse for breaking their deal, saying they had an "agreement" and Jesse "promised" him, despite his own aforementioned habit of breaking deals. As well as that, when first meeting Jesse, he accuses him/her of being a "sore loser" for lashing out because his/her friends were eliminated, or seemingly killed, despite Jesse not knowing that his/her friends would respawn. Later, when Jesse and the other competitors step on the winner's platform, Hadrian is enraged, due to not wanting anyone to win the games, being a sore loser himself. As well as that, he may even tell Jesse off for being rude, despite being at least equally, if not even ruder than he/she is.

Hadrian clearly and openly disfavored the New Order of the Stone from the other competitors, possibly because they were trying to get the Atlas from him, or because of their association with Harper. He (possibly to hold a bargaining tone with Jesse) pretends to be sympathetic, polite, civil, and somewhat friendly, while still condescending towards Jesse when meeting him/her in his palace. He was also somewhat impressed when he discovered that Jesse and his/her friends are famous heroes, but he still held them in very low esteem, as well as having no problem with maliciously messing with them.

Hadrian is greatly feared by the competitors and even the gladiators, as seen when he simply glares at the competitors causing them to cower and hide, as well as when even the usually confident and tough Gladiators aren't brave enough to fight him and Mevia, implying that they have seen them (Hadrian and Mevia) fight before. (However, the Gladiators overcame that fear and beat up Hadrian and Mevia after the latter was defeated by Jesse.) Slab implies that Hadrian is impatient and doesn't like being kept waiting. As implied by Sebastian, Hadrian and Mevia tend to abuse and take their anger out on the competitors trapped in their mines.

Quotes
"Stop the match!"

- Hadrian stopping a game of Spleef for the first time.

"I'm not surprised that you're confused! (to Mevia) Tiny brains."

- Hadrian, clearly unsympathetic towards Jesse believing that his/her friends are dead.

"Well sport, now that you've come and interrupted our games, I'm sure our fans would LOVE to know how you got here! Spill!"

- Hadrian not-so-nicely asking Jesse how he/she ended up in their world.

"Are you being a wisenheimer with me? Is that really what's going on?! Wow. Say, can we get someone to kill this little moron, please? A few dozen times?!"

- Hadrian after Jesse answers his question with a vague response (determinant).

"To tell me champ, why do you think Harper brought you here? My bet's on pet! That'll be pretty cute, right?"

- Hadrian questioning and insulting Jesse.

"Hadrian: Here's the way MY offer works: You give me the Heart, you and your friends go back down to those portals, I never look at your insignificant faces again. Petra (determinant): Wait, without the Atlas? But how will we get home? Ivor (determinant): Uh, without the Atlas? But we need that to get home. Hadrian: Soooooooo not my problem. This is a one-time offer. You've caught me in a forgiving mood!"

- Hadrian offering a deal to the New Order of the Stone, clearly not caring that they need the Atlas to return home.

"What makes you think you can win when so many others have failed, huh?"

- Hadrian to Jesse in the Dormitory. (determinant)

"Oh, I'll get out of your face. But I'll be laughing at your face from my nice, cushy box while I watch you BURN! I promise you that, you little NOTHING."

- Hadrian to Jesse when he is trying to interview him/her. (determinant)

"Hadrian: Incentive, Jesse. Incentive. See, even if you win (and that's a mighty big if), they'll be working in the mines forever! Or, 'till they get their next best shot at competing which is still basically forever. Olivia: No! Jesse: Okay, so what's your deal? Hadrian: If you lose the next match and go work in my mines, then I'll let your friends go. All of them! You'll just have to stay behind in their place. I hear it's TERRIBLE working in those mines, but aren't your friends worth it? Hmm?"

- Hadrian sadistically changing his deal toward Jesse about his/her friends being able to travel back to their own world, despite the fact that Hadrian would never honor his part of the deal and send them all to his mines in the Nether anyway.

"Jesse: No way, Hadrian. I don't make deals with cheaters. Hadrian: Fine! Play it YOUR way! Which is to say I will crush you, and you won't win anyway. Slab, get this garbage out of my office! Slab: Sure thing, boss! (turns to Jesse) Come out, idiot!"

- Hadrian after Jesse rejects his new deal (determinant).

"We had a DEAL! And you BROKE IT, BUCKO!!!!!"

- Hadrian to Jesse in the Walls game if the latter accepted his deal.

"So help me! NONE of you will leave this place until you ELIMINATE EACH OTHER!!!"

- Hadrian to the competitors in the Walls game if Jesse rejected his deal.

"Your wish is my command, buckaroo."

- Hadrian if Jesse tells him to take the Redstone Heart himself.

"Mevia, come on! What kind of a rookie move was that?!"

- Hadrian to Mevia after she was eliminated, showing no sympathy.

"Tah-tah, for now, bucko."

- Hadrian insulting Jesse before attempting to give him his final blow.

"I will personally see to it that you and your friends will forever suffer!"

- Hadrian threatening Jesse and his/her friends. (determinant)

"Hadrian: Well, in a very unfortunate and unexpected twist, it appears we are in the land of chickens that are, indeed, the size of zombies! (notices one of the zombie-sized chickens flying closely to his head) Mevia: That's right, Hadrian, and it looks like we're just gonna—have to—wing it!) Hadrian: (looks un-amused at her pun) Mevia: Wings? You-you-you–chicken wings, you know? Hadrian: You're fired, Mevia. You're fired."

- Hadrian, if he and Mevia are trapped in the world of zombie-sized chickens.

"Hadrian: Well, in a very unfortunate and unexpected turn of events, it appears we are in the land of zombies that are, indeed, the size of chickens! Zombies that are the size of chickens. (notices one of the chicken-sized zombies attacking his leg and kicks it) Mevia: That's right, Hadrian, and it looks like they're dying to meet us! Hadrian: (stares at her) Mevia: Get it? Because they're—undead and they're de–oh. Never mind. Hadrian: Not your best work, Mevia."

- Hadrian, if he and Mevia are trapped in the world of chicken-sized zombies.

Trivia

 * While the Wither Storm is the main antagonist of the videogame Minecraft: Story Mode, Hadrian is the overarching antagonist of the game, as he has moral agency, while the Wither Storm does not. Also, the fact that the Wither Storm is in the Season Pass containing 5 episodes, and Hadrian is in the Adventure Pass containing 3 episodes, really doesn't matter because the Adventure Pass was most likely a more important adventure for Jesse due to him/her traveling to many, many different places, while in the Season Pass, he/she only visits 2. In addition, the Wither Storm has more screen-time than Hadrian, and the latter only appears in the last episode of the game.
 * Hadrian is the last episodic antagonist to appear in Minecraft: Story Mode, the first three being Aiden, the White Pumpkin, and PAMA.
 * Also, the Wither Storm serves as the main antagonist, while Hadrian serves as the overarching antagonist, in the entire Season 1, as the Wither Storm was the main antagonist in the first 4 episodes).
 * Hadrian is quite physically strong, as shown when he simply kicks Jesse once (with his/her regular armor) and immediately takes out two hearts (or one fifth) of Jesse's health. In regular Minecraft, a simple punch takes out half a heart (or one-twentieth) of one's health, meaning that Hadrian's kick alone can do four times more damage than an average human's punch.
 * Hadrian is the evilest character in Minecraft: Story Mode, worse than Ivor, the Wither Storm(s), Soren the Architect, Aiden, the White Pumpkin, PAMA, Romeo, or the Warden, who are arguably the most dangerous villains in the game. Jesse can be a villain if he/she chooses, and can be very dangerous as well.
 * Jesse, while he/she, depending on the player's choices, can commit villainous acts, regardless of player choices, he/she truly cares for his/her friends. The worst Jesse can get is an Anti-Villain.
 * Ivor is not particularly evil and actually cares for the safety of others, though he did commit evil acts that still counted him as a villain.
 * The Wither Storm(s) show no signs of malicious personalities (or possibly any personality), aside from being cataclysmic, seemingly mindless monsters; however, they, too, also committed evil acts that still counted them as villains (although they may not have even known it).
 * Soren was a treacherous individual who betrayed Jesse and his/her gang to survive the Wither Storm attack, but his actions are not so bad compared to the likes of Hadrian.
 * Aiden was a fame-seeking brat and a sociopathic bully, although he can actually be redeemed and will show remorse for his actions if showed mercy. However, even if Jesse doesn't save him, Aiden still feels remorse for his actions.
 * The White Pumpkin was a serial killer, but in the end, she finally saw the error of her ways. As well as that, she genuinely loves and cares for her pet cat, Winslow.
 * PAMA was a computer that went rogue, but had good intentions and wanted to make everything useful and more efficient.
 * Romeo was shown to be truly evil and much worse than the Wither Storm(s) and wanted Jesse to be on his side and did horrendous, petty efforts to force people to be friends with him. He was shown to use his powers for his own sadistic pleasure. However, another Admin, named Fred, wrote that Romeo just wanted to keep him and Xara together, more than anything and Fred even considered him as a friend. Romeo even felt remorse after killing Fred, and eventually gets redeemed at the very end of Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two.
 * The Warden, like Hadrian, enjoys torture and giving out unethical orders. However, unlike Hadrian, who is a cheater, the Warden does have a slight redeeming quality of being honorable, as he promised Romeo he would keep Xara from escaping the Sunshine Institute, and would even kill himself in order to do it.
 * Hadrian, however, is a sadistic, power-hungry tyrant that keeps the competitors from dying and therefore are trapped as slaves forever, with absolutely no sympathy for them, even enjoying their suffering, while showing no redeeming traits whatsoever. He has no known motives for his evil aside from purely entertaining himself. While in these ways, he is similar to his right-hand woman, Mevia, she isn't as outwardly manipulative and dishonest as he is.
 * On top of that, he even kidnaps innocent people from their homeworlds (or orders Mevia to do so), and makes false promises to give his victims false hope. Therefore he is the worst villain in the Minecraft: Story Mode series. No matter what Jesse's choices are, Hadrian will always be irredeemably evil.
 * Hadrian might have known Soren, because he has a book named A Man Forever Voyaging, by Soren.
 * Hadrian may have been named after (and might refer to) the real-world Roman emperor of the same name called Hadrian, who was the 14th emperor of the Roman Empire and was known for building "Hadrian's Wall".
 * This is heavily implied since one of the Games that he runs is "The Walls", which might be a nod to this.
 * Despite his irredeemably evil qualities, Hadrian allows Slab to spend time in his office whenever he wants, although this is most likely for Hadrian's convenience.
 * The fact that Harper left the Old Builders and took the Redstone Heart while vowing to never return with it, as well as Harper's dread about Hadrian possessing the Heart implies that Hadrian may have been misusing its power before Harper left.
 * Hadrian is the second Pure Evil villain who voiced by Jim Cummings after Steele.