| “ | This place is not corrupt so much as… open to interpretation. | „ |
| ~ Lucky Cho objecting to the last Spirit Monk calling the Imperial Arena corrupt. |
Lucky Cho is a minor villain in the video game Jade Empire. He is a thug working for the criminal organization called the Guild. He answers to Kai Lan the Serpent in the Imperial Arena. He appears as one of the enemies in the third chapter's Imperial Arena side quest.
He was voiced by Joey Camen.
Biography[]
Lucky Cho is a gruff enforcer of Kai Lan the Serpent, the retired champion of the Imperial Arena. They operate in the Arena for the Guild, a highly influential criminal organization. Lucky Cho carries out Kai Lan's will in rigging the fights as means to exploiting the betting done over the Arena fighters. Cho ensures that Qui the Promoter chooses the fighters and otherwise runs things in the way Kai Lan wants. Neither Kai Lan or Cho are bothered by the fact that their allegiance to the Guild is an open secret. According to the Black Whirlwind, Cho was in the Arena as a youngster when the Black Whirlwind and his brother Raging Ox were Arena fighters.
Lucky Cho is first seen when the last Spirit Monk enters the Imperial Arena for the first time. He's at the top of the stairs with an Arena fighter called Warrior Zhang. Zhang has lost a recent match and for that, Cho fires him. Refusing to listen to Zhang's attempts to defend himself, Cho punches him down the stairs. He then goes to speak in private with Qui about Zhang's "retirement".
The last Spirit Monk finds Cho chewing Qui out in the Guild's private quarters. Cho threatens to have Qui fired if he can't find a new satisfying fighter before sending him out and closing the door. If the last Spirit Monk decides to join the Arena, Lucky Cho appears after they have won Hapless Han, the unofficial champion of the Qualifying Division. He tells the new fighter that Kai Lan is impressed by their fast progress and that the Serpent will be watching their future matches closely. After the Pit of Pain is completed, Cho appears to deliver another message: Kai Lan is expecting the Spirit Monk to win the next match against an opponent chosen by him. Said opponent turns out to be a Toad Demon.
After the Toad Demon's defeat, Qui decides it's time for the Spirit Monk to face Crimson Khana, the champion of the Bronze Division. Lucky Cho demands to first have a meeting with the Spirit Monk who is at this point allowed entrance to the Guild's quarters where they speak with Cho along with another Guild agent, Sweet Poison Lyn. Kai Lan has decided Crimson Khana to be too troublesome due to her open critique regarding the Serpent's dishonorable management of the Arena. Cho proposes that Lyn slips into Khana's drink a slow-acting and deadly poison before the match, making the Spirit Monk's victory foolproof.
If Cho's offer is accepted, Crimson Khana dies in the ring, costing the Spirit Monk half of the prize winnings (or a quarter after a successful dialogue with Cho). This also means that Dr. An, the physician of the fighters, will no longer speak or trade anything with the Spirit Monk because she figures out they would benefit from poisoning Khana. However, this has the later benefit of Iron Soldier, the champion of the Silver Division, offering to throw his match with the Spirit Monk for a favor. If Cho's offer is turned down, Crimson Khana lives after she loses her match with the Spirit Monk. Teaching her winner the Eyes of the Dragon weapon style, she leaves the Arena. If she's told of Cho's assassination plot, she teaches her winner the Crimson Tears weapon style instead. Whether or not Cho's offer is accepted, his assassination plot cannot be exposed.
After the Spirit Monk enters the Silver Division by defeating an Elephant Demon brought in by the Serpent, Kai Lan calls them to a private meeting, intending to recruit the new fighter as his enforcer in exchange for helping them reach championship, like he did with Raging Ox. The Black Whirlwind interrupts the meeting and takes the Spirit Monk to the creature pens in order to dissuade his companion from allying with his archenemy. Before he can begin, Lucky Cho interrupts them, having followed them to teach Whirlwind a lesson for embarrassing Kai Lan. He then fights Whirlwind and the Spirit Monk with the Thousand Cuts martial style, only to be killed.
Lucky Cho's body is left in the creature pens from where it's found by the old stableman Three Reach. With everyone else but Kai Lan's men kept out, the Serpent comes to see his dead enforcer. Knowing who's responsible for Cho's death, Kai Lan includes the Spirit Monk on his wanted list. He orders the four fighters slated for the Spirit Monk’s next match to be replaced with Guild assassins armed with poison-coated blades. When he's informed that Lucky Cho's body can't be carried out due to the large crowd, Kai Lan gives the corpse for captive cannibals to feast upon. Cho's skeleton is left in the creature pens.
Quotes[]
| “ | Lucky Cho: That's why my men brought you to me. I wanted to finish this personally. Warrior Zhang: But I... Lucky Cho: Don't even try to make this better. You should have won that fight, Zhang, but you suddenly developed that blind spot, didn't you? Did the glint of silver get in your eye? Warrior Zhang: Cho, honestly, I... (*Cho punches Zhang down the stairs before Qui appears*) Qui the Promoter: You needed something, fortuitinate one? Lucky Cho: Yes. I need to speak with you in private. It seems Warrior Zhang has decided to... retire. |
„ |
| ~ Lucky Cho firing Warrior Zhang from the Imperial Arena. |
| “ | Lucky Cho: Intolerable. One more mistake, Qui, and I'll have you retired. Finding someone else is your problem. Qui the Promoter: But... Lucky Cho: Enough. Find a solution, and leave me alone. |
„ |
| ~ Lucky Cho threatening Qui the Promoter with "retirement" if there won't be a new prosperous fighter in the Arena. |
| “ | Qui, that will be enough. I bring you a message from my employer, Kai Lan the Serpent. He is impressed with how far you have come in such a short while. The Serpent wants you to know that he is watching your progress very closely. He is most interested to see how you fare in the Bronze Division. Qui, you may breathe again. That is all I had to say. | „ |
| ~ Lucky Cho delivering the first message from Kai Lan to the last Spirit Monk. |
| “ | Your sudden and polite silences are always appreciated, Qui. I'm sure you won't mind if I take a moment to pass a message to (the player's Arena alias). Kai Lan the Serpent has, as promised, been watching you intently. You have impressed him so far, and he is interested to see how you fare in your next match. The Serpent foresees your victory in the next match, and he has backed his prediction with silver. He sincerely hopes that his faith in your skills was not misplaced. That is all. If you will excuse me, I have some people who need to be spoken to. | „ |
| ~ Lucky Cho informing the last Spirit Monk that Kai Lan has personally invested in their next match. |
| “ | Lucky Cho: You didn't honestly think you were going to slip down here after that little display, did you, Whirlwind? The Black Whirlwind: Step back, Cho. For once in my life I've got something important to tell someone. Lucky Cho: You have nothing important to say, you lummox. You've embarrassed Kai Lan the Serpent, and I'm going to make sure you never get a chance to repeat your performance. |
„ |
| ~ Lucky Cho's last words upon his confrontation with the last Spirit Monk and the Black Whirlwind. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Since finishing the entire Imperial Arena side quest is optional, the player may never fight and kill Lucky Cho.