Gol Acheron is one of the two main antagonists of The Precursor Legacy (also making a cameo in Daxter). He was known as the sage of dark eco before an unhealthy amount of exposure allowed it to infect him, along with his sister Maia.[1] The Acherons together plotted to kidnap the other eco sages, take control of the animalistic race of the Lurkers, and flood the world with dark eco in order to reshape it to their liking. They lived in their citadel located on the far north side of the continent.[1]
History[]
Before The Precursor Legacy[]
Gol Acheron was regarded as the sage of dark eco, according to Samos Hagai the green eco sage. It is unknown where Gol and his sister Maia originated, or how long they studied dark eco, though at some point Samos did warn them about unhealthy exposure to the dangerous substance. At some point prior to Jak and Daxter's journey, Samos did have communication with them, noting that "nobody has spoken to him in ages"[1] before beginning their journey.
When Samos discovered Maia was studying dark eco he warned Maia against these actions, though neither she or Gol listened and disappeared over the next years. In actuality, the two were driven insane by dark eco, though their affectionate sibling relationship remained, and they planned to recreate the world by flooding it with dark eco from the Precursor silos scattered throughout the land.[1]
Soon after this, Gol kidnapped the Blue, Red and Yellow Sages in order to draw from their power and knowledge so that he can carry out his plans using a large Precursor robot.
The Precursor Legacy[]
During the events of the game, Gol Acheron seized control over the race known as Lurkers to search for Precursor artifacts so that he can rebuild and enhance the functional remains of a Precursor robot. Jak and Daxter first encountered him on Misty Island, where they were exploring against Samos' will. They overheard Gol and Maia giving orders to the Lurkers, revealing plans to ransack Sandover Village for the artifacts that the locals may possess.[1]
When Daxter was transformed into an ottsel by dark eco, Samos advised that he consult Gol, who may be able to transform him back into a human. Jak and Daxter began their journey north, discovering that the other sages were missing as they do so. Gol and Maia confronted Jak, Daxter, Samos and Keira at the Red Sage's hut, revealing their plans before disappearing again.
As Jak and Daxter prepared to journey to their citadel, Samos was kidnapped by Gol and Maia. Jak and Daxter infiltrated Gol and Maia's fortress as they assumed control of the Precursor robot and began to carry out their plan. Jak fought the robot, Gol and Maia within it, on top of a dark eco silo. As the robot was about to detonate the silo and flood the surrounding land with dark eco, four towers emitted colored eco beams, thus creating light eco in the center where they met, which Jak used to destroy the robot.
Gol and Maia were presumed dead as the robot's remains sunk into the silo. This remained somewhat ambiguous, as Samos stated that "the dark eco probably destroyed them."[1]
Daxter[]
Multiple characters resembling Gol appeared in the Daxter spin-off game, wherein Daxter had to fend off a certain number of Gols during a quicktime event-based minigame known as dream mode. The first level, "Matrix 1", involves Daxter dreaming himself to be "Neo" from the movie The Matrix, with Gol representing "Agent Smith". The second level, "Braveheart", depicts Daxter as "Sir William Wallace" and Gol as opposing warriors from the movie Braveheart.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Gol appears to be an elderly man, though his age is difficult to tell due to his strange appearance. His skin tone has been turned grayish-blue by his long exposure to dark eco. The appendages of cartilage that extend from his jaw, similar to those under his dominion, the Lurkers, were never explained. In addition, he also obtains large, glowing, yellow eyes, which is a trait also carried by all lurkers. He wears a glove on his right hand which has several tubes entering his skin, and a belt that dangles three spherical weights. Unlike Maia, Gol has a heavily distorted voice, and his breathing is labored, suggesting his exposure to dark eco could have been more severe or more prolonged.
Gol's appearance prior to his exposure to dark eco is not known, but he is at first unrecognizable to Samos Hagai, suggesting that the changes that he underwent were quite substantial.
Personality[]
Gol comes across as more calculated than his partner. Gol constantly disregards the advice of Samos, who is regarded as a wiser, more experienced sage, and thus comes across as somewhat rebellious. This is a quality which inevitably led to his own downfall prior to the game's events. Despite the obvious devastating effects of dark eco, he believes that the twisted world he envisions will be a beautiful one, because he "has seen the true powers of dark eco"
Abilities[]
Gol used his mastery of dark eco to fly and to teleport. Since Jak fought the robot and not the sage himself, it is unknown what his offensive capabilities may have been. However, since he and Maia were able to capture the other sages (and Maia mentions that the Red Sage, who is the strongest of the colored eco sages, gave up with little effort) some can conclude that his dark eco-based abilities were considerable.
Notes[]
- Gol is voiced by Twisted Sister frontman, Dee Snider. This is referenced in the final boss fight when Gol exclaims "We're not gonna take it!"[1]