Ursus, aka the Kennelman, is the main antagonist of the 2024 platformer adventure game Stars in the Trash by Valhalla Cats. Ursus is the city's dog catcher who goes out of his way to capture any dogs or cats he can, stray or not, because he makes money from each pet captured. He has also drugged the local rats and uses them as his minions. He is determined to capture the protagonist, Moka the cat, after Moka runs away from home.
Biography[]
Ursus is first seen in Chapter 1 after Moka runs away from home. Ursus drives his truck recklessly fast around a bend near Moka's neighborhood, foreshadowing his aggressive personality.
Ursus is not seen in Chapter 2, although his rat minions are seen bullying a homeless dog called the Greyhound. Also, a billboard for the dog pound is seen. This billboard depicts Ursus having what looks like a wholesome interaction with some dogs and cats; however, the pets make his shadow on the wall look like a devil with horns and a pointed tail, further foreshadowing his evil nature.
Chapter 3, the Waste Ground, shows Ursus feeding a liquid drug called Glucorat to the rats and laughing wickedly. This shows that the rats are evil because of his influence.
In Chapter 4, the Gothic Quarter, Ursus pulls up his truck and captures the Greyhound, who looks too melancholy to resist. Moka sneaks away, but Ursus follows him and reaches under a car to try and grab him. When Moka stops hiding and goes out in plain sight, Ursus chases him with a net. The chase continues until Ursus grabs Moka in front of the Clock Tower, only for Moka to fight his way out of Ursus's grasp.
In Chapter 5, Ursus continues to follow Moka up the clock tower, still trying to grab Moka in his net. Moka temporarily defeats him by dropping a heavy bell on his head, which comedically knocks Ursus out.
In Chapter 6, Moka's housemate, Trasto the dog, roams the city, searching for his lost friend. Ursus is seen stalking Trasto. When Ursus sees Trasto together with Moka and Bati, Moka's love interest, Ursus releases the rats from his truck to attack them. However, the rats run past Trasto and only attack Moka and Bati. Moka is able to fight off the rats, but they unfortunately overcome Bati and kill her offscreen. While Moka and Trasto are mourning Bati's death, Ursus finally nabs Trasto and puts him in his truck. Moka follows Ursus's truck to the dog pound during the end of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7.
In Chapter 8, Ursus is shown sleeping in the dog pound, surrounded by bags of money which he earned from kidnapping multiple pets. Moka steals the key to Trasto's cage from Ursus, and the two of them escape the dog pound, but Ursus furiously chases them in his truck. Trasto and Moka jump over a cliff. Ursus drives his truck over the cliff, but it lands on its side, and in the process, Ursus gets covered in Glucorat.
Feeling fed up with Moka's interference, Ursus ambles towards him slowly, with evil glee. If Ursus catches the player in this segment, it's unclear what exactly he does, but it's implied that he kills or severely harms Moka. Moka uses a skill he learned from Bati to open the back of Ursus's truck, releasing the rats. Since Ursus is covered in Glucorat, the rats' favorite substance, they swarm him. Ursus's exact fate after that is unclear, but it is implied that the rats devour him.
Appearance[]
Ursus is a surly, muscular man with a lantern jaw. He has dark rings around his eyes, male pattern baldness with black hair, and gray five o' clock shadow. He wears a uniform including a yellow long-sleeved shirt and a red baseball cap and overalls.
Personality[]
Ursus goes beyond his duties as a normal dogcatcher to a sadistic and cruel degree. His love of money causes him to nab any dog or cat he can get his hands on for the dog pound, even if they're not strays. When he sets his sights on an animal he wants to capture, he first stalks them like a predator until he's ready to grab them. He will chase his targets unrelentingly until he gets his quarry.
Trivia[]
- Ursus has a subtle bear motif. His name is the genus that bears belong to, and he is known to hunt animals relentlessly, almost like a predator. The game's art book describes him as "big as a bear."
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