Sheex is a major villain in the RPG video game Secret of Mana. He is the highest-ranking general of the Vandole Empire, second only to Emperor Vandole himself, albeit oddly enough the second least recurring and the least important plot-wise.
Characteristics[]
Original artworks depict him as a tall, stocky, rough-faced, middle-aged man with a stern expression, blue hair and beard, sporting a breast-plate and a longsword.
The remake makes him much younger and lankier, with boyish looks and indigo hair, but gives him strong demonic vibes, with pointed ears, red eyes, a spiky suit of armour and a red-bladed longsword, evidencing his deal with the Demon World of Mavolia.
He is a highly skilled fighter and master of ninja tricks, and an expert spy, infiltrating Tasnica and impersonating its chancellor well enough to fool everyone. He gained vast powers from his deal with Mavolia, becoming able to shape-shift and teleport himself or others.
He only fights transformed as a ninja then under his true form: a giant plant demon with huge speed and agility, as well as dangerous Wood spells. However, in Echoes of Mana he masters powerful Sword Techniques and Darkness-based attacks.
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Sheex's original artwork
Sheex is cold and aloof, but cruel, vicious and sadistic, greatly enjoying fooling or killing victims, though he does send bystanders out of harm.
He is fiercely loyal to his liege, but staunchly arrogant and vindictive, craving revenge against the heroes for besting him and proving, even in death, unable to process that "mere children" could surpass him.
Role in the Story[]
Sheex first appears when the heroes confront the Emperor in his castle of Northtown, but he wordlessly stands by the tyrant's side, leaving Geshtar deal with them.
Later, in Lemlian Castle, the capital of the Republic of Tasnica, the heroes seek out the Chancellor, who accuses them of being spies right away and orders them caught.
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Sheex looks more demonic in the remake.
However, their mentor the Tasnican General Gemma, who had been suspecting a spy for a while, intervenes in their favor and notices that the Chancellor casts no shadow.
Unmasked, the Dark Stalker laments that he was about to topple the Empire's greatest rival from within. He teleports Gemma and his guards away and prepares to kill both the heroes and the paralyzed Chancellor, only to be beaten and forced to flee.
The Dark Stalker's identity is only revealed in the Tree Palace. As Emperor Vandole prepares to deal with the heroes himself, Sheex steps in, demanding to fight them as a revenge for Tasnica.
Sheex as the Dark Stalker
He reveals both his true demonic form and the Empire's deal with Mavolia, but even in this state he cannot prevails and dies in disbelief. Still, he did buy enough time for his liege to unseal the Mana Fortress: the ancient flying warship of unmatched power that the Empire needs to take over the world of Fa'Diel.
Boss Battles[]
The Dark Stalker[]
The Dark Stalker is far and away the easiest boss of the game, barely the level of a powerful enemy. He travels as a shadow, throws shurikens and casts Ice Sabre on his sword (twin sabres in the remake) and Dispel Magic to break buff spells (not that the heroes need it), and the dangerous Acid Storm. Still, he can be felled by a single Lucent Beam spell of high enough level, and even with weapons alone he goes down laughably quickly.
Aegagropilon[]
Sheex's demonic form Aegagropilon
Aegagropilon on the other hand is considerably tougher, nightmarish if he can force the heroes to face him with weapons alone. Although even he poses little troubles to heroes at high-enough level.
The heroes need Dispel Magic at least at level 4 is needed to break his Wall spell that reflects back all their magic. Using Magic Absorb to deplete his power is advised after, for he spams the level 7 spells Sleep Flower and Burst, forcing the heroes to cure and heal often.
Even then, he stomps, jump high to trample the heroes, and vanishes his legs to bite or to roll at high speed, knocking out the heroes at contact and leaving them vulnerable. He is extremely fast and spry, and trying to keep up with him is pointless, so cast defensive spells against physical attacks and strike when he comes close. The heroes must spam their best spells to deal maximum damage. Moon Sabre is advised for it drains life-points with each strike, the higher the level of the spell, the more life-points it drains.
Echoes of Mana[]
Sheex is featured in this medley mobile game, in which two amnesiac heroes are tasked by the Mana Goddess to explores echoes from all continuities to restore the multiverse, collecting party members from all games, heroes and villains.
Sheex appears in Season Two, as the heroes are searching for their friend the scorpion girl Raxa, who has stroke a partnership with the Scorpion Army (a trio of bumbling, cartoonish world conqueror wannabes).
He scoffs at the prospect of them ruling the world, stating that it belongs to the Vandole Empire. He battles the heroes and flees when defeated, only to stumble upon the roots of Dema's Fake Mana Tree, spreading on this world to destroy it, that knock him out. After the hero destroys the roots, he takes his leave with a few insults.
As a boss, Sheex is fast, sturdy and powerful, but can be disposed of without much trouble with a strong enough team. He strikes with his longsword infused with purple-dark energy, and uses powerful spells like Acid Storm, or attacks like Cursed Slash, a slicing wave of dark energy weakening the party's power boosts, Dark purple lightning blasts on both sides or on him causing a spherical dark energy blast, Dark Stalker Rend (a barrage of dark energy waves). His mightiest move, Shadowing Surge, takes half of his life-bar to unleash a crippling, screen-covering onlsaught of dark purple lightning blasts and energy all around him.
Sheex is of the Water Element. He deals physical damage and can tank many attacks. He can buff himself with Water Boost and uses attacks he used as a boss, namely Cursed Slash, Shadow Surge and Dark Stalker Rend.
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 Villains
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Final Fantasy Adventure / Sword of Mana Secret of Mana Trials of Mana Legend of Mana Dawn of Mana Heroes of Mana Echoes of Mana Visions of Mana | ||