Jean Descole

"My name is Descole. I am an artistic man of science, with rather lofty goals."

- Jean Descole introducing himself

Jean Descole is the main antagonist in the Professor Layton video game series, being featured in the games "Professor Layton and the Last Specter", "Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask", "Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy" and in the movie "Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva".

He wants to take control over the three legacies of the Azran Civilization for an unknown reason. To achieve this goal he stops at nothing. He not only compets with Professor Layton, but also with Leon Bronev and Targent, as the have the same goal. He has a butler called Raymond.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter
He wanted to find the Golden Garden, the first legacy of the Azran Civilization, in the town of Misthallery. To dig it up he designed robots which look like the specter of the town's legend and used them to search for the garden during some nights. His accomplice was Chief Jakes, who helped him just for his own personal glory. He also disguised himself as Doland Noble, the butler of the Triton family, to blackmail Mayor Clark Triton, a friend of Professor Layton, as he also needed his help.

When Professor Layton foiled his plan he combined the robots to one giant machine and tried to destroy Misthallery. After he was stopped by Layton he escaped and left the town.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
To raise the town of Ambrosia, the second legacy of the Azran, he needed two songs: the song of the stars, which he found on the Ambrosian seal, and the song of the sea, which was only known by Melina Whistler. However, as she had a terminal illness and wasn't able to sing he designed a machine, the so-called Detragan together with her father Oswald Whistler.

It was able to copy a dead people memories into the brain of a living one. To find the right person he designed a puzzle game and trapped some people (including Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke) in an opera house on a ship. They were told that they had to participate and that the winner would receive eternal live. The others, however, would have to give their lives. Despite that threat they were actually sent back to the coast in submarines.

When Professor Layton raised the kingdom instead of him, after Descoles tried to dig it up with another robot, he became angry and attacked him with his sword. In the fight he fell from his own robot.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
To get the Infinite Vault of Akbadain, the third legacy, he had to raise the Akbadain ruins first. To do that he needed two masks, the Mask of Chaos and the Mask of Order. He wrote a letter to Randall Ascot, the former best friend of Professor Layton, who was believed dead after he fell into a pit during an expedition in the ruins, but had actually just lost his memories. Through the letter he regained his memories and was persuaded to take revenge on his former friend Henry Ledore. Descole told him to use the Mask of Chaos to disguise himself and become the Masked Gentleman, who terrorised Henry's hometown Monte d'Or with terrifying miracles, which were actually tricks and illusions created by Descole. While he told Randall he would do it just to help him, he actually wanted Henry to bring the Mask of Order, as he believed that was the only way to save Monte d'Or.

This time he won against Layton and gained the Infinite Vault himself, but then Broneph Reinel took it away from him with his organisation TARGENT.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies
Descole reappears in "Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy" to solve the mystery of the Azran Civilization.

Personality
Descole is very cunning and manipulative and often uses other people to reach what he wants.

Appearance
He wears a suit, about which he wears a cape. His eyes are hidden behind a white mask and he's wearing a hat and a wig that hides his hair except one part at the occiput. His real face hasn't been shown until now.

Trivia

 * In the sixth game, Descole bears a resemblance to Jean-François from the game Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure, Vidocq from the game Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights and Colonel Muska from the movie Castle in the Sky: All four of them are male, power hungry, charismatic and well-dressed anime characters with glasses, who use guns and are (as well as female protagonists of their stories, who they kidnapp to achieve their goals) linked to ancient, advanced civilisations, whose legacies (in all three cases flying castles) they want to use to take over the world.
 * Like Jean-François, he has once piloted a robot himself and his name is Jean.
 * Like Vidocq, he wears a mask and is the enemy of an archeologist.
 * Like Colonel Muska, his legacy robots can fly and Descoles theme music resembles the theme music of Laputa.
 * Because of his appearance, his talent in organ music and the fact that he hides in an opera in The Eternal Diva, Descole seems to be based on The Phantom of the Opera.