The Dark Army are the main antagonists of the manga/anime series Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. They were originally led by Hadlar in his attempt to conquer the Surface World. After his failure at the hand of the hero Avan, Vearn reforms it into a larger and more effective one with Hadlar as its Supreme Commander. Their new stronghold is the Sovereign Rock Castle, which can be moved and controlled like a robot. The army ostensibly helps Vearn to conquer the Surface World, but is in reality made for his own amusement and to cover his true goal: to blow up the Surface World entirely so that the Sun can shine over the Underworld.
Biography[]
Years prior to the events of the series, Hadlar led his Dark Army to conquer the Surface World. The army had terrorized kingdoms and caused wanton destructions on its wake. Eventually the hero Avan stood up and fought Hadlar, proved to be a huge obstacle on the Dark Lord's ambition. 15 years prior to the event of the series, Avan eventually killed Hadlar and freed the monsters from his control, among them Brass, who would later adopt Dai.
Unbeknownst to Avan however, Hadlar was revived by the Dark King Vearn, the God of the Underworld. Having prepared for millennia to blow up the Surface World so that the Sun could shine over his realm and watched the fights between Avan and Hadlar, Vearn decided to recruit Hadlar into his army as the Supreme Commander. The Dark Army was then reorganized into six legions:
- The Furfang Legion, led by Crocodine. They include monsters of Beasts, Birds, Plants and Bugs. After Crocodine's defeat at Romos, it is disbanded.
- The Undead Legion, led by Hyunckel. They include zombies and undeads, and based in the Underground Palace that Hadlar once lived in. When Flazzard flooded the palace with lava, the entire legion is killed, and Hyunckel sacrifices himself to save the heroes only to be saved by Crocodine.
- The Blizzblaze Legion, led by Flazzard. They include dancing flames, frostburns, Magmalices, Firn fiends and rockbombs.
- The Dragon Legion, led by Baran. They include green dragons, Hydras, ethereal serpents and other types of dragons. Additionally, they also include Baran's three personal apprentices, the Dragon Riders: Galdandy, Borahorn and Larhart.
- The Mystic Legion, led by Zaboera. They include mage-like monsters, madusas, muddy hands and Heyedras, as well as Zaboera's son, Zamza. Unlike the other legions, they aren't meant to fight but to do research to enhance the army's power.
- The Shadow Legion, led by Mystvearn. They include many shadow creatures like dark skeletons, shades, restless armors and miasmas.
One by one, the Dark Army's legions invade various kingdoms across the world, only to be defeated by Dai and his companions. The fates of its Commanders also vary: Crocodine and Hyunckel defect and join the heroes, Flazzard fails and is personally killed by Mystvearn, and Baran goes into hiding. Disappointed with the results, Vearn concludes that it's Hadlar's fault for knowing that Dai was a Dragon Knight but chose not to tell the army out of fear of losing his own position as the Supreme Commander. As such, Vearn tells Hadlar that he has one more chance, and if he fails again this time around, he will be executed for good.
With the Mystic Legion's research, Hadlar becomes a Superior Being, more powerful than ever before but losing his resurrective immortality that Vearn bestowed upon him in the process. After fighting Dai again in this form, he still fails to kill him but manages to beat him. Pleased with this result and Hadlar's new resolve, Vearn decides to lift his punishment and reinstate him as the Supreme Commander. However Hadlar tells him that he would only accept the position again once he killed Dai, so Vearn, seeing that the army has lost too many anyways, decide to put Mystvearn in the position instead for the time being.
Unbeknownst to Hadlar however, Vearn has secretly put a Black Core inside his Superior Being body as a precaution, and Hadlar's body has made it too unstable. The bomb would then blow up the Field of Death and kill Baran in the process.
| “ | The Dark Army was a fleeting dream of the last few decades. […] Armies come and go but I have been around for thousands of years! And for most of them, I alone, have protected King Vearn! | „ |
| ~ Mystvearn |
When the heroes invade Vearn's palace, they fight Hadlar, who eventually sacrifices himself to save Dai and Popp. Then while Dai and Leona go to personally confront Vearn, the rest of the heroes confront Mystvearn and Avan unveils the secret of his body. After returning the body to Vearn, Myst makes one last attempt to possess Hyunckel only to be obliterated by the latter, signifying the end of the Dark Army.
Members[]
- Vearn (founder and supreme leader; deceased)
- Killvearn (Vearn's right-hand man; deceased)
- Hadlar (former Supreme Commander; defected; deceased)
- Crocodine (former leader of the Furfang Legion; defected)
- Hyunckel (former leader of the Undead Legion; defected)
- Flazzard (former leader of the Blizzblaze Legion; deceased)
- Baran (former leader of the Dragon Legion; defected; deceased)
- Zaboera (former leader of the Mystic Legion; deceased)
- Mystvearn (former leader of the Shadow Legion; deceased)
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Dark Army on the Dragon Quest Wiki
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 Villains
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Dark Army Dragon Riders Hadlar Royal Guards Others | ||