| “ | Ah, you must be the dragon everyone is talking about. Well, dragon or not, I'm afraid there is a "small fee" to open the bridge. It will cost you 100 of your gems to cross. | „ |
| ~ Moneybags meeting Spyro for the first time. |
Moneybags is a greedy bear and a minor antagonist in the Spyro series. He first appears in Ripto's Rage, where he charges Spyro a "small fee" of gems in order to progress through the game. He charges these fees for anything, from learning to swim to opening a bridge, and they are usually outrageous. In Year of the Dragon, he is more villainous when it is revealed that he and The Sorceress made a deal to hold her enemies ransom so Spyro could pay a "small fee" for their release. Although still infatuated with gems, he seemed to have reformed in Shadow Legacy, having started a family and and opened shops.
He is voiced by Neil Ross.
History
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Moneybags owns a castle in Summer Forest, Autumn Plains and Winter Tundra which are all under the symbolic and peaceful blue and white banner of the realm of Avalar itself, until each had been usurped by the nasty wizard Ripto. He wishes to lay claim to the gems Spyro collects, and is seen at many plot-crucial points in the game. After Ripto's defeat, Elora forces Moneybags to reimburse Spyro by handing over all the gems he collected, to which he strongly objects.
Fees
Glimmer:
- 100 gems to open the bridge
Summer Forest Home:
- 500 gems to learn to swim
- 400 gems to unlock Aquaria Towers
Aquaria Towers:
- 100 gems to ride the shark submarine
Autumn Plains Home:
- 400 gems to unlock Zephyr
- 500 gems to learn to climb
- 400 gems to unlock the bridge to Shady Oasis
- 100 gems to unlock Icy Speedway
(He was also dealing weapons to both sides in the war between Breeze Harbor and Zephyr.)
Crystal Glacier:
- 200 gems to open the bridge
Magma Cone:
- 200 gems to activate the elevator
Winter Tundra Home:
- 1000 gems to learn to headbash
- 200 gems to unlock Canyon Speedway
(Ripto persuades Moneybags to sell him bombs)
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon
Moneybags returns with more evil intentions. He has worked out a deal with the Sorceress to hold her enemies (Shiela, Sgt. Byrd, Bentley and Agent 9) captive and ransom them to Spyro for outrageous fees. Following the Sorceress' first defeat, he plans to sell one of the dragon eggs in Avalar for some quick cash, only to be intercepted by an infuriated Spyro. After an exhausting chase, Moneybags resolves to retire as a haiku poet in Spooky Swamp.
Fees
Sunrise Spring Home: 300 gems to free Sheila
Cloud Spires: 200 gems to activate the bellows
Molten Crater: 300 gems to open the egg thieves' hideout (after being bribed by them)
Midday Garden Home: 700 gems to free Sgt. Byrd
Icy Peak: 500 gems to enter ice rink
Spooky Swamp: 500 gems to open door
Evening Lake Home: 1000 gems to free Bentley
Frozen Altars: 800 gems to play cat hockey
Charmed Ridge: 600 gems to raise the steps (the cat wizards never said they would lower them again)
Midnight Mountain Home: 1300 gems to free Agent 9
Desert Ruins: gems to get the password for the door (which is "gullible", as there really was no password. He was standing in front of the wall switch.)
Crystal Island: gems to open the bridge (he claims he's a magician as well)
Enter the Dragonfly
Unlike the previous two games, he only appears once in the Dragonfly Dojo. He makes Spyro pay him 200 gems to use his magic to help Spyro cross a chasm. Unlike previous games, he never reimburses Spyro. He has apparently gone through with his plan to become a haiku poet, and mentions that the shine of gems are an inspiration for his poetry.
Shadow Legacy
Moneybags is arguably redeemed in Shadow Legacy, and has started a family and is considerably friendlier. His wife and four sons share his obsession with gems. Instead of charging Spyro fees at various points in the game, he has opened a proper business and has his sons sell goods to Spyro.
Personality
Moneybags is shown to be very greedy, what with charging Spyro many fees. He is also shown to be in denial that his fees are expensive, often referring to them as "small fees" and always claiming that it's Spyro's own fault he can't pay the prices, accusing him of "squandering all his gems on knick-knacks and junk food" and "spending all his money on flirtatious fauns in Fracture Hills" while saying "Now don't go blaming me, I've given you nothing but bargains". He can also be rather smug and arrogant, as he insisted that Bentley and Sheila showed gratitude toward him for letting them out despite the fact that he was the one keeping them locked up in the first place. While he was still rather friendly and affable toward Spyro in his first appearance, he is shown to be far more unscrupulous in Year of The Dragon, as he at one point makes Spyro pay him to learn the password to open a tomb, but than says the password is "gullible" and admits that he was actually standing in front of the wall switch. He also shows a shocking lack of empathy when he tells Spyro not to worry about Sheila the kangaroo, as she will likely be executed next Thursday. If Spyro refuses to pay him to raise the steps in Charmed Ridge, Moneybags even insincerely says that whenever he thinks about the fairy princess being captured he gets sad, showing he does not care what happens to her.
By the later games, he seems to have turned over a new leaf, as he runs legitimate businesses instead of extorting Spyro.
Gallery
Trivia
- In the Skylanders franchise, there is a character named Auric that "bears" resemblance to Moneybags. Though Auric's relation with Moneybags remains unknown.
- Despite not being a "villain" per say, Moneybags is arguably the most hated Spyro character to date, rivalling Malefor.
- Moneybags was voiced by Milton James in Ripto's Rage Neil Ross in Year of the Dragon and Enter the Dragonfly, who also voiced Colonel Volgin in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. In A Hero's Tail, he was voiced by Jess Harnell, who voiced Spyro himself and Hunter and Red the game's villain in the same game. In the Reignited Trilogy, he is voiced by JB Blanc, who also voiced Ghadius in the Wii remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.
See also
 Villains
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Original The Legend of Spyro See Also | ||