title: Kryptos

text: Sanborn gave "The New York Times" another clue in November 2014: the letters "MZFPK", the 70th–74th letters in passage four, become "CLOCK" after decryption. The 74th letter is K in both the plaintext and ciphertext, meaning that it is possible for a character to encrypt to itself. This means it does not have the weakness, where a character could never be encrypted as itself, that was known to be inherent in the German Enigma machine.


title: Kryptos

text: Sanborn further stated that in order to solve passage 4, "You'd better delve into that particular clock," but added, "There are several really interesting clocks in Berlin." The particular clock in question is presumably the Berlin Clock, although the Alexanderplatz World Clock and Clock of Flowing Time are other candidates.


title: Kryptos

text: In an article published on January 29, 2020, by the "New York Times", Sanborn gave another clue: at positions 26–34, ciphertext "QQPRNGKSS" is the word "NORTHEAST".


title: Kryptos

text: In August 2020, Sanborn revealed that the four letters in positions 22–25, ciphertext "FLRV", in the plaintext are "EAST". Sanborn commented that he "released this layout to several people as early as April". The first person known to have shared this hint more widely was Sukhwant Singh.


title: Kryptos

text: There are some suggestions about the relationship between K4 and the Enigma machine. The initial German Patent of the Enigma machine is DE385682 (19 May 1922). The number 385682 closely resembles the coordinates ", LAYER 2" shown in the K2 plain text, and the scene depicted in the K3 plain text (Opening Tutankhamun's Tomb by Howard Carter) occurred in the same year 1922.


title: Kryptos

text: After producing "Kryptos" he went on to make several other sculptures with codes and other types of writing, including one entitled "Antipodes", which is at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., an "Untitled Kryptos Piece" that was sold to a private collector, and "Cyrillic Projector", which contains encrypted Russian Cyrillic text that included an extract from a classified KGB document.


title: Kryptos

text: The cipher on one side of "Antipodes" repeats the text from "Kryptos". Much of the cipher on "Antipodes" other side is duplicated on "Cyrillic Projector". The Russian portion of the cipher found on "Cyrillic Projector" and "Antipodes" was solved in 2003 by Frank Corr and Mike Bales independently from each other with translation from Russian plaintext provided by Elonka Dunin.


title: Kryptos

text: Some additional sculptures by Sanborn include Native American texts: "Rippowam" was installed at the University of Connecticut, in Stamford in 1999, while "Lux" was installed in 2001 at an old US Post Office building in Fort Myers, Florida. "Iacto" is located at the University of Iowa, between the Adler Journalism Building and Main Library.


title: Kryptos

text: "Indian Run" is located next to the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Beltsville, Maryland, and contains a bronze cylinder perforated with the text of the Iroquois Book of the Great Law.


title: Kryptos

text: The text is written in Onondaga and was transcribed from the ancient oral tradition of five Iroquois nations.


title: Kryptos

text: "A,A" was installed at the Plaza in front of the new library at the University of Houston, in Houston, Texas, in 2004, and "Radiance" was installed at the Department of Energy, Coast, and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge in 2008.


title: Kryptos

text: The dust jacket of the US version of Dan Brown's 2003 novel "The Da Vinci Code" contains two references to "Kryptos"—one on the back cover (coordinates printed light red on dark red, vertically next to the blurbs) is a reference to the coordinates mentioned in the plaintext of passage 2 (see above), except the degrees digit is off by one. When Brown and his publisher were asked about this, they both gave the same reply: "The discrepancy is intentional". The coordinates were part of the first clue of the second "Da Vinci Code" WebQuest, the first answer being "Kryptos". The other reference is hidden in the brown "tear" artwork—upside-down words which say "Only WW knows", which is another reference to the second message on "Kryptos".


title: Kryptos

text: A small version of "Kryptos" appears in the season 5 episode of "Alias" "S.O.S.". In it, Marshall Flinkman, in a small moment of comic relief, says he has cracked the code just by looking at it during a tour visit to the CIA office. The solution he describes sounds like the solution to the first two parts.


title: Kryptos

text: In the season 2 episode of "The King of Queens" "", a framed picture of "Kryptos" hangs on the wall by the door.


title: Kryptos

text: The progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me has a reference to "Kryptos" in their song "Obfuscation" from their 2009 album, "The Great Misdirect".


title: Kryptos

text: In the book "Muko and the Secret" four young pupils from the class of Naturals learn about the mysterious sculpture hidden in the school. The hints in the book suggest that this is the sculpture of "Kryptos".


title: Kryptos

text: "Kryptos" features in several of "M. L. Buchman"'s Miranda Chase series titles including: "Drone, Thunderbird, Ghostrider, "and" White Top."


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Baldur Benedikt von Schirach (9 May 1907 – 8 August 1974) was a German politician who is best known for his role as the Nazi Party national youth leader and head of the Hitler Youth from 1931 to 1940. He later served as "Gauleiter" and "Reichsstatthalter" ("Reich Governor") of Vienna. After World War II, he was convicted of crimes against humanity during the Nuremberg trials and sentenced to 20 years in prison.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was born in Berlin, the youngest of four children of theatre director, grand ducal chamberlain and retired captain of the cavalry Carl Baily Norris von Schirach (1873–1948) and his American wife Emma Middleton Lynah Tillou (1872–1944). A member of the noble Schirach family, of Sorbian West Slavic origins, three of his four grandparents were from the United States, chiefly from Pennsylvania. English was the first language he learned at home and he did not learn to speak German until the age of five. He had two sisters, Viktoria and the opera singer Rosalind von Schirach, and a brother, Karl Benedict von Schirach. His brother committed suicide in 1919 at the age of 19. He was confirmed at church at age 14 although he grew away from the church in favor of the Nazi youth movement.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: On 31 March 1932 Schirach married the 19-year-old Henriette Hoffmann, the daughter of Heinrich Hoffmann, Adolf Hitler's personal photographer and sometime friend. Schirach's family was vehemently opposed to this marriage, but Hitler insisted. Gregor Strasser dismissively described Schirach as "a young effeminate aristocrat" upon whom Hitler bestowed both Henriette and the Hitler Youth position. Through this relationship, Schirach became part of Hitler's inner circle. The young couple were welcome guests at Hitler's "Berghof". Henriette von Schirach gave birth to four children: Angelika Benedikta von Schirach (born 1933), lawyer Klaus von Schirach (born 1935), businessman Robert von Schirach (born 1938) and sinologist Richard von Schirach (born 1942). The lawyer and best-selling German crime writer Ferdinand von Schirach is the couple's grandson. They are also the grandparents of the philosopher and critic Ariadne von Schirach and of the novelist Benedict Wells.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was a published author, contributing to literature journals, and an influential patron of the arts.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach joined a "Wehrjugendgruppe" (paramilitary youth group) at the age of seventeen and became a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) on 9 May 1925 (membership number 17,251). On 20 July 1928, he joined the "Reichsleitung" (National Leadership) at the Munich Party headquarters as the leader of the National Socialist German Students' League ("Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund"; NSDStB) which he would head for the next two years. In 1929, he was selected as a "Reichsredner" (national speaker) and was active in Party propaganda activities. On 30 October 1931, he was named as "Reichsjugendführer" (National Youth Leader) of the Nazi Party. On 18 December 1931, Schirach joined the "Sturmabteilung" (SA) with the rank of SA-"Gruppenführer". On 16 June 1932, he was made "Reichsführer" of the Party's Hitler Youth organization. He became a member of the "Reichstag" as a representative of the Party electoral list at the 31 July 1932 election. He would continue to serve in that body until the end of the Nazi regime, from November 1933 as a deputy from electoral constituency 7, Breslau, and from March 1936 as a deputy from electoral constituency 6, Pomerania.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: After the Nazi seizure of power, Schirach was made "Reichsleiter" for Youth Education on 2 June 1933. "Reichsleiter" was the second highest political rank in the Nazi Party. He was named "Jugendführer" (Youth Leader) of the German Reich on 17 June 1933 with responsibility for all youth organizations in the nation. Also on that date, he was made a State Secretary in the Reich Interior Ministry, and he became a member of the Academy for German Law upon its formation in October 1933. On 1 December 1936, he was given the position of State Secretary to the Reich Government. Schirach was promoted to SA-"Obergruppenführer" on 9 November 1937.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach appeared frequently at rallies, such as the Nuremberg rally of 1934, when he appeared with Hitler in rousing the "Hitlerjugend" audience. The event was filmed for "Triumph of the Will", the propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl for the Nazi Party. Schirach set the militaristic tone of the youth organisation, which participated in military-style exercises, as well as practising use of military equipment, such as rifles. In July 1940, when a new play by Hans Baumann was staged there, Schirach insisted that 2,000 local Hitler Youth members be part of that performance.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: In November 1939, he was called up for military service in the army. After training, he served with the 4th (Machine Gun) Company of the "Großdeutschland" infantry regiment during the French Campaign as a dispatch runner in the rank of "Gefreiter". He was promoted to "Leutnant", served as a platoon leader and was decorated for bravery with the Iron Cross 2nd class, before being recalled to Germany.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: On 8 August 1940, Schirach succeeded Josef Bürckel as "Gauleiter" and "Reichsstatthalter" of the Reichsgau Vienna, powerful posts in which he remained until the end of the war. He also succeeded Bürckel as Reich Defense Commissioner of "Wehrkreis" (Military District) XVII, which, in addition to his own Reichsgau, included Reichsgau Upper Danube, Reichsgau Lower Danube and part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. At that time he was replaced as "Reichsjugendführer" by Artur Axmann, though he retained his position as "Reichsleiter" for Youth Education. Beginning in October 1940, Schirach was assigned to organise the evacuation of 2.5 million children from cities threatened by Allied bombing. On 16 November 1942, the jurisdiction of the Reich Defense Commissioners was changed from the Wehrkreis to the Gau level, and he retained control of civil defense measures over only Reichsgau Vienna.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was an anti-Semite, responsible for sending most of the Jews from Vienna to Nazi concentration camps. During his tenure, 65,000 Jews were deported. In a speech on 15 September 1942, he said that their deportation was a "contribution to European culture". In 1942, the German composer Richard Strauss moved with his son Franz and his Jewish daughter-in-law Alice and their children to Vienna so they could be afforded the protection of Schirach. However, 25 of her relatives were murdered in Nazi concentration camps.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: In 1944, Alice and Franz were abducted by the Viennese Gestapo and imprisoned for two nights. Strauss's personal appeal to Schirach saved them, allowing him to take them back to his estate at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where they remained under house arrest until the end of the war.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Later during the war, Schirach pleaded for a moderate treatment of the eastern European peoples and criticised the conditions in which Jews were being deported. He fell into disfavour with Hitler in 1943, but remained at his post in Vienna. On 25 September 1944, he became the commander of the Volkssturm units in his Gau.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was notoriously anxious about air raids. He had the cellars of the Hofburg Palace in the Vienna city centre refurbished and adapted as a bomb shelter, and the lower level of the extensive subterranean Vienna air defence coordination centre in the forests to the west of Vienna held personal facilities for him. The Viennese promptly dubbed this command and control centre the "Schirach-Bunker".


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Vienna came under attack by the Red Army on 2 April 1945, and it was approaching the city centre by 9 April. On that day, Schirach broadcast a final call for citizens to fight "to the last man" and then departed his headquarters. He fled westward with the 6th Panzer Army towards the Tyrol where, on May 2, he discarded his uniform and went underground in the town of Schwaz. On 5 June, he finally surrendered to the American town commandant and was arrested by the 103rd Counterintelligence Corps.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was one of the major war criminals put on trial at Nuremberg by the International Military Tribunal. At the trial, Schirach was one of only a few defendants to denounce Hitler (including Albert Speer and Hans Frank).


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach along with Speer and Fritzsche were eventually communed by Lutheran Pastor Henry F. Gerecke and were administered the Eucharist.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach claimed he had not known about the extermination camps; however, the trial detailed his involvement in deportations of Jews and his speeches defending his actions. He was originally indicted for crimes against peace for his role in building up the Hitler Youth, but was acquitted on that charge. He was found guilty on 1 October 1946 of crimes against humanity for his role in the deportation of the Viennese Jews to certain death in German concentration camps located in German-occupied Poland. He was sentenced to 20 years in Spandau Prison, Berlin.


title: Baldur von Schirach

text: Schirach was released from prison on 30 September 1966, after serving his full sentence, and retired quietly to Southern Germany. In an interview shortly after his release, he expressed regret over having not done enough to prevent atrocities from being committed. He went to Munich to live with his son Robert's family. Later, in 1968, Schirach relocated with them to an estate in Trossingen. He published his memoirs, "Ich glaubte an Hitler" ("I believed in Hitler") in 1967 and was interviewed by British journalist David Frost. In the interview, he reflects on his imprisonment, meeting with Hitler, and the deportation of the Jews. He claimed to have no knowledge of the extermination, but admitted his guilt in regard to discriminatory education laws. While in prison, Schirach lost eyesight in the left eye through a detached retina at the hands of Russian prison guards. He also suffered from a pulmonary embolism and was diagnosed with thrombosis. On 8 August 1974, while staying at an inn in Kröv, Schirach died of coronary thrombosis. He was 67.


title: Gamera

text: Gamera is depicted as a giant, fire-breathing, prehistoric turtle monster, mutated by exposure to nuclear weapons. In the first film, Gamera is portrayed as aggressive and destructive, though he also saves a child. As the films progressed, Gamera took on a more benevolent role, becoming a protector of humanity, and especially children, from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters.


title: Gamera

text: To date, "Gamera, the Giant Monster" is the only film to be released theatrically in the United States; however, it was heavily localized and retitled "Gammera the Invincible". In the United States, Gamera attained prominence during the 1970s due to the burgeoning popularity of UHF television stations featuring Saturday afternoon matinée showcases such as "Creature Double Feature", and later in the 1990s when five "Gamera" films were featured on the television series "Mystery Science Theater 3000".


title: Gamera

text: The original idea for Gamera was developed by Yonejiro Saito, Masaichi Nagata, Hidemasa Nagata, and Noriaki Yuasa. The character was created as a property of the production company Daiei Film, and was intended to compete with the "Godzilla" film series (featuring the giant monster character of the same name), owned by rival studio Toho. Gamera has been described as being a rip-off of Godzilla.


title: Gamera

text: The name derives from the Japanese "kame" ("turtle"), and the suffix "-ra", a suffix shared by such other "kaiju" characters as Godzilla ("Gojira") and Mothra. Gamera's name was spelled "Gammera" in the title of "Gammera the Invincible", the re-titled American release of the first film in the franchise, "Gamera, the Giant Monster".


title: Gamera

text: Gamera's turtle-like design may have been inspired by the Black Tortoise, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations in East Asian mythology. The Black Tortoise is known as "Genbu" in Japanese, and is usually depicted as a turtle entwined together with a snake. Each of the Four Symbols are said to act as guardians over each of the four cardinal directions, with the dragon "Seiryu" in the east; the tiger "Byakko" in the west; the bird "Suzaku" in the south; and the tortoise "Genbu" in the north. In "Gamera, the Giant Monster", the first film in the franchise, Gamera is depicted as awakening in the Arctic, the northernmost region on Earth. "", the 11th film in the franchise, contains a scene featuring a book describing the Four Symbols, including "Genbu".


title: Gamera

text: Gamera resembles an enormous prehistoric turtle, and is capable of both bipedal movement and flight. He occasionally walks on all four legs in the first three films of the "Gamera" franchise. He can fly by means of "jets" which can be ignited out of his limb holes when he retracts his legs into his shell. The jets allow Gamera to rise into the air and spin, propelling him forward. In later films, he is shown to be able to fly with only his rear legs drawn inside his shell, allowing his front limbs more freedom. Gamera's shell is presented as being incredibly resilient and strong, and can deflect missiles and other projectiles. His plastron (lower shell) is more vulnerable than his carapace (upper shell), however, and he has been wounded in his plastron to the point of bleeding. He possesses a pronounced crest on his head, his mouth contains rows of teeth, and two tusks protrude upward from each side of his lower jaw.


title: Gamera

text: During the franchise's Shōwa period, Gamera is depicted as feeding on flammable substances, such as oil and fire. According to notes by frequent series director Noriaki Yuasa, Gamera's internal anatomy includes sacs which allow him to store oil, lava, coal, and uranium. In "Gamera, the Giant Monster" and "Gamera vs. Barugon", cold temperatures are shown to weaken Gamera. During the franchise's Heisei period, Gamera has retractable claws protruding from his elbows, and is shown to be able to shoot plasma fireballs from his mouth. Gamera has also been portrayed as being able to absorb mana from the Earth, to fire a plasma beam from his chest, and to regenerate lost limbs.


title: Gamera

text: The original 1965 film, "Gamera, the Giant Monster", depicts Gamera's origins as being a result of United States military fighters launching an attack on enemy bombers (presumably belonging to the Soviet Union), which causes the detonation of an atomic bomb on board one of the aircraft. The nuclear blast releases Gamera from a state of suspended animation in the ice. Meanwhile, a Japanese research team stumbles upon an Inuit tribe in possession of an ancient stone etching that depicts a giant turtle, which the tribe refers to as "Gamera".


title: Gamera

text: In the franchise's Heisei era, which began with the 1995 reboot film "", Gamera's in-universe origins were changed. In the Heisei films, Gamera is portrayed as an ancient, bio-engineered creature from Atlantis, created for the purpose of defending the people of Atlantis from Gyaos, a bat-like creature which breathes a destructive supersonic beam when on the attack. Human researchers find Gamera floating in the Pacific Ocean, encased in rock, and mistake him for an atoll. Within the rock, they discover a large monolith explaining Gamera's origins, along with dozens of magatama made from orichalcum, which allow for a psychic link between Gamera and humans. In "Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris", an undersea graveyard containing numerous Gamera-like fossils is shown, suggesting that Gamera was not the only one of his kind. One character in the film refers to these fossils as "beta versions" of Gamera, possibly failures in Atlantis' attempts to create the final version.


title: Gamera

text: The continuity of the franchise was rebooted a second time with the 2006 film "Gamera the Brave", the 12th entry in the series. The opening scene of the film, set in 1973, depicts the original Gamera sacrificing himself by means of self-destruction to save a coastal village from three Gyaos. 33 years later, a young boy named Toru Aizawa finds a glowing, heart-shaped rock near his home, with a small egg lying on top of it. A baby turtle hatches from the egg, and begins to grow in size at an alarming rate. The turtle, dubbed "Toto" by Toru, quickly forms a bond with the boy and develops the ability to breathe fire and fly. After consuming the glowing rock found with his egg, Toto fully transforms into the next incarnation of Gamera, gaining the power to defeat a lizard-like monster known as Zedus.


title: Gamera

text: The "Gamera" film series is broken into two different eras, each reflecting a characteristic style and corresponding to the same eras used to classify all "kaiju eiga" (monster movies) in Japan. The names of the two eras refer to the Japanese emperor during production: the Shōwa era and the Heisei era.


title: Gamera

text: The film series began in 1965 with "Gamera, the Giant Monster", directed by Noriaki Yuasa, which is the first and only entry in the entire series to be shot in black-and-white. In 1966, the film was released theatrically in the United States under the title "Gammera the Invincible". A total of seven "Gamera" films were produced between 1965 and 1971, with one being released in Japan each year. These films, several of which were also directed by Yuasa, became popular with child audiences. During this time, five of the seven films were picked up for television distribution in the United States by American International Television. Just as "Gamera, the Giant Monster" becoming "Gammera the Invincible", each film (except for "Gamera vs. Zigra") was dubbed into English and re-titled for American viewers—"Gamera vs. Barugon" became "War of the Monsters"; "Gamera vs. Gyaos" became "Return of the Giant Monsters"; "Gamera vs. Viras" became "Destroy All Planets"; "Gamera vs. Guiron" became "Attack of the Monsters"; and "Gamera vs. Jiger" became "Gamera vs. Monster X".


title: Gamera

text: Despite several sources stating that a monster called Garasharp was to appear in the eighth entry in the "Gamera" series slated for a 1972 release, director Noriaki Yuasa stated that Garasharp was created specifically for the short film "Gamera vs. Garasharp" featured on the 1991 LD set, "Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan", and that a new two-headed monster was planned for the next film, which was canceled because Daiei Film went into bankruptcy in 1971 and the "Gamera" films were forced to cease production as a result.


title: Gamera

text: After Daiei was purchased by Tokuma Shoten in 1974, the new management wanted to produce another "Gamera" film, resulting in "" (also known as "Space Monster Gamera"), released in 1980. The filmmakers were forced to make the movie because of the contract for one more "Gamera" film that they owed to Daiei. Approximately one-third of "Gamera: Super Monster" is composed of stock footage from six of the previous seven films. Yuasa had Takahashi end the film by having Gamera be killed by sacrificing his life to save Earth.


title: Gamera

text: In 1985, the American distribution rights to the "Gamera" films were bought by producer Sandy Frank, who distributed five of the eight films with new English dubbing. In 1988 and 1989, Frank's versions of "Gamera, the Giant Monster" (simply re-titled "Gamera"), "Gamera vs. Barugon", "Gamera vs. Gyaos" (re-titled "Gamera vs. Gaos"), "Gamera vs. Guiron", and " Gamera vs. Zigra" were each used in episodes of the television program "Mystery Science Theater 3000", during the show's first season, which aired on KTMA-TV.


title: Gamera

text: In the 1995 series reboot, "", three Gyaos are discovered on a remote island. The Japanese government discovers that they are all female and decides that since they are the last of their kind, they should be captured and studied. Meanwhile, a search has been assembled for a moving atoll in the Pacific. They find it, along with small gems made of an unknown metal and a stone sticking up out of the center of it. They manage to take pictures and collect some of the strange gems, but the stone crumbles and the atoll takes off towards Japan at high speeds. It ends up that the atoll is actually an ancient monster, made by the Atlanteans, called Gamera. He attacks the Gyaos, killing two, but one escapes. The remaining Gyaos grows to Gamera-like proportions and the two battle. Gamera manages to defeat his foe and heads out to sea.


title: Gamera

text: In "", released in 1996, Earth is attacked by an alien force known as Legion. In "", released in 1999, Gamera has to face hordes of Gyaos and a new foe known as Iris. In "Gamera the Brave", released in 2006, Gamera battles Gyaos and Zedus. This was the 12th and most recent movie in the franchise.


title: Gamera

text: In March 2014, Anime News Network reported that a new "Gamera" production was planned, with no release date specified. On October 8, 2015, at the New York Comic Con, Kadokawa Daiei Studio's senior managing director Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and producer Shinichiro Inoue screened a full proof-of-concept film in honor of the franchise's 50th anniversary, the short was directed by Katsuhito Ishii. The proof-of-concept film featured a newly designed Gamera, a swarm of newly designed Gyaos and a new, as yet unnamed monster, all of which were created and rendered through the use of computer-generated imagery. It has been rumored since the film's release at New York Comic Con that it was never completed. However, the film's official website and an interview with the director both state that it was only a short proof of concept film.


title: Gamera

text: On November 16, 2022, Kadokawa announced plans for a new "Gamera" production, entitled "Gamera -Rebirth-", which will be released globally on Netflix. Shusuke Kaneko, director of the Heisei "Gamera" trilogy, had proposed an idea for a new film. However, Kadokawa had already proceeded with their new project by the time Kaneko presented his pitch. Regardless, Kaneko had expressed his support for the project. A figure of the new Gamera will be exhibited at Tamashii Nation 2022 between November 18 and 20, along with a newspaper featuring Gamera that will be distributed at the event.


title: Gamera

text: In 2003, Alpha Video released the American versions of four Shōwa films on pan and scan DVDs: "Gammera the Invincible", "Gamera vs. Barugon" (as "War of the Monsters"), "Gamera vs. Viras" (as "Destroy All Planets") and "Gamera vs. Guiron" (as "Attack of the Monsters").


title: Gamera

text: In 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights from Kadokawa Pictures for all eight of the Showa "Gamera" films in order to release the uncut Japanese versions on DVD for the first time ever in North America. These "Special Edition" DVDs were released in sequential order, starting with "Gamera, the Giant Monster" on May 18, 2010, followed by "Gamera vs. Barugon" and two double features: "Gamera vs. Gyaos" with "Gamera vs. Viras", and "Gamera vs. Guiron" with "Gamera vs. Jiger". On March 15, 2011, Shout! Factory released the last two films of the Showa series in a double feature of "Gamera vs. Zigra" with "". Shout! Factory later released "MST3K vs. Gamera", a special 21st volume of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" containing the episodes featuring all five "Gamera" movies from the show's third season.


title: Gamera

text: On April 29, 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released the eight Showa "Gamera" films (1965–1980) on Blu-ray in two volumes, "Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1" and "Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 2", featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles, and also the first 11 films (1965–1999) on DVD again as "The Gamera Legacy Collection: 1965 - 1999", also featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles. The Heisei trilogy was re-released on Blu-ray earlier from Mill Creek Entertainment on September 27, 2011, once again featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles.


title: Gamera

text: On August 17, 2020, Arrow Video released a Blu-ray box set titled "Gamera: The Complete Collection". The set features the original Japanese cuts for all 12 films, with English audio options; the Blu-ray debut of "Gammera the Invincible" and "War of the Monsters"; digital HD transfers and 4K restorations of the Heisei trilogy; case artwork by Matt Frank; audio commentaries by August Ragone, David Kalat, Steve Ryfle, and Ed Godziszewski; a full color hardcover reprint of Dark Horse Comics' four-issue comic book miniseries "Gamera the Guardian of the Universe"; the English-language printing debut of the comic book story "Gamera: The Last Hope" by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh; and an 80-page book featuring a retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias with illustrations by Jolyon Yates.


title: Gamera

text: Dark Horse Comics published a four-issue miniseries based on Gamera called "Gamera the Guardian of the Universe" in 1996. The miniseries features Gamera, Gyaos, Zigra, and Viras. The manga series "Dr. Slump", written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, depicts Gamera as appearing in the land of Penguin Village. In the manga series "Dragon Ball", also by Toriyama, a flying turtle which resembles a smaller version of Gamera is summoned by Master Roshi to carry him to Fire Mountain. There are references to Gamera in chapters of the manga series "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo", written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto, and "Kinnikuman", created by Yudetamago. These chapters appear in "Gamera: Super Monster", the eighth film in the franchise.


title: Gamera

text: The third season of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" contains five episodes which each feature a film from the "Gamera" franchise's Shōwa period: "Gamera, the Giant Monster", "Gamera vs. Barugon", "Gamera vs. Gyaos", "Gamera vs. Guiron", and "Gamera vs. Zigra". In a similar manner to events depicted in the manga series upon which it was based, the anime television series "Dragon Ball" features a creature known as Baby Gamera, a flying turtle resembling a miniature version of Gamera which transports Master Roshi to Fire Mountain. Gamera was parodied in the "South Park" episode "Mecha-Streisand", and was featured in the "Simpsons" episode "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo".


title: Gamera

text: Gamera appeared in several video games released in 1995, including "Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen" for the Game Boy, "Gamera: Gyaosu Gekimetsu Sakusen" for the Super Famicom, and "Gamera: The Time Adventure" for the Bandai Playdia. In 1997, "Gamera 2000" was released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation. In 2017, Gamera appeared in the video game "City Shrouded in Shadow", released for the PlayStation 4, alongside such characters as Legion, Godzilla, Ultraman, and Evangelion Unit-01.


title: Gamera

text: Many of the "Gamera" films were commercially successful in Japan, rivaling the "Godzilla" franchise at the box office during the 1960s. However, they were commonly regarded as being inferior to the "Godzilla" films, with criticism being aimed at the derivative and absurd nature of the series. Despite this, the 1995 reboot "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" was both a critical and financial success, remaining in the top 10 films in Japan for its first six weeks of release and grossing more than "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla", which was also playing in Japanese theaters at that time.


title: Gamera

text: Todd McCarthy, in his review of "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" for "Variety", wrote that "Despite its horrific countenance and plated shell, Gamera remains one of the most likable of all movie monsters". Brian Solomon of the website Bloody Disgusting ranked Gamera eighth on his list of "Most Kick-Ass Giant Monsters in Movie History". Gamera was also ranked eighth on Rick Mele of "Sharp"'s list of "Greatest Giant Monsters in Movie History". Chris Coffel of Film School Rejects wrote that "I would argue that the "Gamera" franchise is better than the "Godzilla" franchise", complimenting Gamera's turtle-like design and his affinity for children.


title: Gamera

text: The extinct Cretaceous sinemyidid turtle with long spines on its carapace, "Sinemys gamera", classified in 1993, was named after Gamera.


title: Gamera

text: The extinct Cretaceous baenid turtle "Gamerabaena sonsalla", classified in 2010, was named after Gamera.


title: Gamera

text: The University of Maryland Gamera I human-powered helicopter, along with its successor, was named after Gamera. Developed by University of Maryland engineering students in 2011 and 2012, respectively, the name was also chosen in reference to the university's mascot, the diamondback terrapin, as well as to flights undertaken by Japanese human-powered helicopters years prior.


title: Gamera

text: In July 2011, Washington State University veterinarians successfully fixed a prosthetic caster onto an African spurred tortoise named Gamera (after the giant turtle), who was a single amputee.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Noah Lindsey Beery (August 10, 1913 – November 1, 1994) was an American actor often specializing in warm, friendly character roles similar to many portrayed by his Oscar-winning uncle, Wallace Beery. Unlike his more famous uncle, however, Beery Jr. seldom broke away from playing supporting roles. Active as an actor in films or television for well over half a century, he was best known for playing James Garner's character's father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, in the NBC television series "The Rockford Files" (1974–1980). His father, Noah Nicholas Beery (known professionally as Noah Beery or Noah Beery Sr.) enjoyed a similarly lengthy film career as an extremely prominent supporting actor in major films, although the elder Beery was also frequently a leading man during the silent film era.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery was born in New York City, New York, where his father was working as a stage actor. He was given his nickname "Pidge" by George M. Cohan's sister Josie.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: The family moved to California in 1915 when his father began acting in motion pictures. After attending school in Los Angeles, they moved to a ranch in the San Fernando Valley, a style of living he would maintain for the rest of his life.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: At the age of seven, he appeared with his father in "The Mark of Zorro" and like his father, who immediately began billing himself as "Noah Beery Sr.", he went on to become a respected character actor. His paternal uncle, Oscar-winning actor Wallace Beery, became the world's highest-paid actor by 1932. Although neither Beery Jr. nor his father ever approached that level, both had long and memorable acting careers. The three acting Beerys physically closely resembled each other, but Noah Beery Jr. lacked the powerful voice his father and uncle possessed, which is ironic since both older Beerys made major careers in silent movies.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery appeared in dozens of films, including a large early role as John Wayne's action partner in "The Trail Beyond" (1934; Wayne was 27 years old and Beery was 21), "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939) with Cary Grant, "20 Mule Team" (1940) with his uncle Wallace Beery, and "Red River" (1948), again with John Wayne as well as Montgomery Clift.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery's early television work included a weekly stint as Joey the Clown in "Circus Boy" with Micky Dolenz in the mid-1950s. In 1960, Beery replaced Burt Reynolds as the co-starring sidekick on "Riverboat", an NBC Western series starring Darren McGavin.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: He appeared once on the religion anthology series "Crossroads" and on Walter Brennan's ABC sitcom, "The Real McCoys". He guest-starred three times on the long-running NBC Western series "The Virginian" in the 1960s, and twice during the same era on "Wagon Train". In 1965, he made two guest appearances on "Perry Mason" (murderer Tony Claus in "The Case of the Golden Venom", nine months later he played as defendant Lucas Tolliver in "The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner").


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery portrayed the buckskin-clad recurring sidekick character "Buffalo Baker" in the 17-episode 1967 television series "Hondo" starring Ralph Taeger, a role played by Ward Bond in the original 3D John Wayne film. In 1970 Beery appeared as Will Baxter on the TV western "The Virginian." But Beery remains best known for his role as Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, the amiable but occasionally cantankerous father of Jim Rockford, James Garner's character on "The Rockford Files" (1974–1980).


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery Jr.'s first wife until 1966 was Maxine Jones, the only child of Western star Buck Jones. His second wife from 1968 until his death was Lisa Thorman. He had two daughters, Muffett and Melissa; a son, actor Bucklind Beery; and three step-children, Page, Sean, and Lorena Slattery.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: On February 8, 1960, he received a star located at 7047 Hollywood Blvd. on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry.


title: Noah Beery Jr.

text: Beery died on November 1, 1994, in Tehachapi, California of a cerebral thrombosis, aged 81. He was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.


title: Moondog

text: Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999), known professionally as Moondog, was an American composer, musician, performer, music theoretician, poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his prolific work widely drew inspiration from jazz, classical, Native American music which he had become familiar with as a child, and Latin American music. His strongly rhythmic, contrapuntal pieces and arrangements later influenced composers of minimal music, in particular American composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass.


title: Moondog

text: Due to an accident, Moondog was blind from the age of 16. He lived in New York City from the late 1940s until 1972, during which time he was often found on Sixth Avenue, between 52nd and 55th Streets, busking, selling records and performing poetry. Regularly appearing in a cloak and a horned helmet, he was recognized as "the Viking of Sixth Avenue" by thousands of passersby and residents who were not aware of his musical career.


title: Moondog

text: Hardin was born in Marysville, Kansas, to Louis Thomas Hardin, an Episcopalian minister, and Norma Alves. Hardin started playing a set of drums that he made from a cardboard box at the age of five. His family relocated to Wyoming, where his father opened a trading post at Fort Bridger. At one point, his father took him to an Arapaho Sun Dance where he sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom made from buffalo skin. He also played drums for the high school band in Hurley, Missouri.


title: Moondog

text: On July 4, 1932, the 16-year-old Hardin found an object in a field which he did not realise was a dynamite cap. While he was handling it, the explosive detonated in his face and permanently blinded him. His older sister, Ruth, would read to him daily after the accident for many years. Here he had his first encounters with philosophy, science and myth that formed his character. One book in particular, "The First Violin", inspired him to pursue music. Up to that point he had been interested mainly in percussion instruments, but from then on, he became obsessed with the desire to become a composer.


title: Moondog

text: After learning the principles of music in several schools for blind young men across middle America, he taught himself the skills of ear training and composition. He studied with Burnet Tuthill at the Iowa School for the Blind.


title: Moondog

text: He then moved to Batesville, Arkansas, where he lived until 1942, when he obtained a scholarship to study in Memphis, Tennessee. Although he was largely self-taught in music, learning predominantly by ear, he learned some music theory from books in braille during his time in Memphis.


title: Moondog

text: In 1943, Hardin moved to New York, where he met classical musicians including Leonard Bernstein and Arturo Toscanini, as well as jazz performers such as Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman, whose upbeat tempos and often humorous compositions would influence Hardin's later work. One of his early street posts was near the 52nd Street nightclub strip, and he was known to jazz musicians. By 1947, Hardin had adopted the name "Moondog" in honor of a dog "who used to howl at the moon more than any dog I knew of."


title: Moondog

text: From the late 1940s until 1972, Moondog lived as a street musician and poet in New York City, playing in midtown Manhattan, eventually settling on the corner of 53rd or 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. He was rarely if ever homeless, and maintained an apartment in upper Manhattan and had a country retreat in Candor, New York, to which he moved full-time in 1972. He partially supported himself by selling copies of his poetry and his musical philosophy. In addition to his music and poetry, he was also known for the distinctive fanciful "Viking" cloak that he wore. Already bearded and long-haired, he added a Viking-style horned helmet to avoid the occasional comparisons of his appearance with that of Christ or a monk, as he had rejected Christianity in his late teens. He developed a lifelong interest in Nordic mythology, and maintained an altar to Thor in his country home in Candor.


title: Moondog

text: In 1949, he traveled to a Blackfoot Sun Dance in Idaho where he performed on percussion and flute, returning to the Native American music he first came in contact with as a child. It was this Native music, along with contemporary jazz and classical, mixed with the ambient sounds from his environment (city traffic, ocean waves, babies crying, etc.) that created the foundation of Moondog's music.


title: Moondog

text: In 1954, he won a case in the New York State Supreme Court against disc jockey Alan Freed, who had branded his radio show, "The Moondog Rock and Roll Matinee", around the name "Moondog", using "Moondog's Symphony" (the first record that Moondog ever cut) as his "calling card". Moondog believed he would not have won the case had it not been for the help of musicians such as Benny Goodman and Arturo Toscanini, who testified that he was a serious composer. Freed had to apologize and stop using the nickname "Moondog" on air, on the basis that Hardin was known by the name long before Freed began using it.


title: Moondog

text: Along with his passion for Nordic culture, Moondog had an idealised view of Germany ("The Holy Land with the Holy River" — the Rhine), where he settled in 1974.


title: Moondog

text: Moondog revisited the United States briefly in 1989, for a tribute at the New Music America Festival in Brooklyn, in which festival director Yale Evelev asked him to conduct the Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, stimulating a renewed interest in his music.


title: Moondog

text: Eventually, a young German student named Ilona Goebel (later known as Ilona Sommer) helped Moondog set up the primary holding company for his artistic endeavors and hosted him, first in Oer-Erkenschwick, and later on in Münster in Westphalia. Moondog lived with Sommer's family and they spent time together in Münster. During that period, Moondog created hundreds of compositions which were transferred from Braille to sheet music by Sommer. Moondog spent the remainder of his life in Germany.


title: Moondog

text: On 8 September 1999, he died in Münster from heart failure. He is buried at the Central Cemetery Münster. His tomb was designed by the artist Ernst Fuchs after the death mask.


title: Moondog

text: In the process of establishing himself as a composer, Moondog drew inspiration from a wide variety of styles of music. His first works were immediately inspired by the music of pow wow gatherings that he had attended as a child; as his career progressed, his music encompassed influences from bebop, swing, rumba, modernism and Renaissance music. It was characterized by what he called "snaketime" and described as "a slithery rhythm, in times that are not ordinary [...] I'm not gonna die in 4/4 time". Many of his works, triumphant and dramatic in tone, were highly contrapuntal, including many big band arrangements, and he also incorporated counterpoint techniques. In the 1950s, he also began to incorporate city sounds such as subway trains and foghorns into his work, inspired by his experiences busking.


title: Moondog

text: Moondog invented several musical instruments, some of which were played on studio albums or in live performances by him and his subsequent ensembles. They include the "oo", a small triangular-shaped harp, a larger harp which he named the "ooo-ya-tsu", and a triangular stringed instrument played with a bow that he called the "hüs" (after the Norwegian "hus", meaning "house"). His best known instrument is the Trimba, a triangular percussion instrument that the composer invented in the late 1940s. The original Trimba is still played today by Moondog's friend Stefan Lakatos, a Swedish percussionist, to whom Moondog also explained the methods for building such an instrument.


title: Moondog

text: Moondog's music from the 1940s and 1950s has been cited by American composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich as a major influence on their styles, saying they took Moondog's work "very seriously and understood and appreciated it much more than what we were exposed to at Juilliard". Moondog was also admired by Charlie Parker, whom he mutually admired and paid tribute to with the piece "Bird's Lament", Frank Zappa and Igor Stravinsky, and met on several occasions with Lenny Bruce, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.


title: Moondog

text: Moondog inspired other musicians with several songs dedicated to him. These include "Moondog" on Pentangle's 1968 album "Sweet Child" and "Spear for Moondog" (parts I and II) by jazz organist Jimmy McGriff on his 1968 "Electric Funk" album. Glam rock musician Marc Bolan and T. Rex referenced him in the song "Rabbit Fighter" with the line "Moondog's just a prophet to the end…". The English pop group Prefab Sprout included the song "Moondog" on their album "" released in 1990. Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin covered his song "All Is Loneliness" on their 1967 self-titled album. The song was also covered by Antony and the Johnsons during their 2005 tour. Mr. Scruff's single "Get a Move On" from his album "Keep It Unreal" is structured around samples from "Bird's Lament". New York band The Insect Trust play a cover of Moondog's song "Be a Hobo" on their album "Hoboken Saturday Night". The track "Stamping Ground", with its preamble of Moondog reciting one of his epigrams, was featured on the sampler double album "Fill Your Head with Rock" (CBS, 1970). Canadian composer and producer Daniel Lanois included a track called "Moondog" on his album/video-documentary "Here Is What Is".


title: Moondog

text: Between 1970 and 1980, a blind bearded mystic called "Moondog" appeared as the title character in a four issue series of Underground comix written and illustrated by George Metzger.


title: Moondog

text: Since the early 1970s, a number of professional wrestlers have been named The Moondogs, taking inspiration from the artist.


title: Moondog

text: In 1952, he married Mary Suzuko Whiteing, a single mother of mixed American-Japanese heritage. She had grown up in Japan then came to New York with her mother that year. Suzuko and Hardin met on the streets of New York. According to his daughter, June, Mary was struck by his appearance and moved by his music; Moondog was stirred by the music of her voice. The June 4, 1952 issue of the New York Journal-American features a photograph of Moondog playing a flute on a rooftop while Mary looks on endearingly: the caption indicates it is a "skyline serenade" to a "June bride." The marriage lasted eight years.


title: Moondog

text: They had one daughter, June Hardin, born June 1, 1953. On the Prestige (1956) "Moondog" LP, Moondog's wife, Suzuko is credited in "Lullaby", singing to June, their six-week-old daughter. Hardin later fathered another daughter, Lisa Colins, out of wedlock.


title: Hijri year

text: The Hijri year () or era ( "at-taqwīm al-hijrī") is the era used in the Islamic lunar calendar. It begins its count from the Islamic New Year in which Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina). This event, known as the Hijrah, is commemorated in Islam for its role in the founding of the first Muslim community ("ummah").


title: Hijri year

text: In the West, this era is most commonly denoted as AH ( , 'in the year of the Hijra') in parallel with the Christian (AD), Common (CE) and Jewish eras (AM) and can similarly be placed before or after the date. In predominantly Muslim countries, it is also commonly abbreviated H ("Hijra") from its Arabic abbreviation "hāʾ" (). Years prior to AH 1 are reckoned in English as BH ("Before the Hijrah"), which should follow the date.


title: Hijri year

text: A year in the Islamic lunar calendar consists of twelve lunar months and has only 354 or 355 days in its year. Consequently its New Year's Day occurs ten days earlier each year relative to the Gregorian calendar. The year 2022 CE corresponds to the Islamic years AH 1443 – 1444; AH 1444 corresponds to 20222023 in the Common Era.


title: Hijri year

text: The Hijri era is calculated according to the Islamic lunar calendar, whose epoch (first year) is the year of Muhammad's Hijrah, and begins on the first day of the month of Muharram (equivalent to the Julian calendar date of April 19, 622 CE).


title: Hijri year

text: The date of the Hijrah itself did not form the Islamic New Year. Instead, the system continues the earlier ordering of the months, with the Hijrah occurring around the 8th day of Rabi al-Awwal, 66 days into the first year.


title: Hijri year

text: By the age of Muhammad, there was already an Arabian lunar calendar, with named months. Likewise, the years of its calendar used conventional names rather than numbers: for example, the year of the birth of Muhammad and of Ammar ibn Yasir (570 CE) was known as the "Year of the Elephant". The first year of the Hijra (622-23 CE) was named the "Permission to Travel" in this calendar.


title: Hijri year

text: 17 years after the Hijra, a complaint from Abu Musa Ashaari prompted the caliph Umar to abolish the practice of named years and to establish a new calendar era. Umar chose as epoch for the new Muslim calendar the hijrah, the emigration of Muhammad and 70 Muslims from Mecca to Medina. Tradition credits Othman with the successful proposal, simply continuing the order of the months that had already been established by Prophet Muhammad, beginning with Muharram, as there was no set order of months during the pre-Islamic era (Age of Ignorance - Jahiliya). Adoption of this calendar was then enforced by Umar.


title: Hijri year

text: Different "approximate" conversion formulas between the Gregorian (AD or CE) and Islamic calendars (AH) are possible:


title: Hijri year

text: Given that the Islamic New Year does not begin January 1 and that a Hijri calendar year is about 11 days shorter than a Gregorian calendar year, there is no direct correspondence between years of the two eras. A given Hijri year will usually fall in two successive Gregorian years. A CE year will always overlap two or occasionally three successive Hijri years. For example, the year 2008 CE maps to the last week of AH 1428, all of 1429, and the first few days of 1430. Similarly, the year 1976 CE corresponded with the last few days of AH 1395, all of 1396, and the first week of 1397.


title: Hijri year

text: The Hijri year has twelve months, whose precise lengths vary by sect of Islam. Each month of the Islamic calendar commences on the birth of the new lunar cycle. Traditionally this is based on actual observation of the moon's crescent () marking the end of the previous lunar cycle and hence the previous month, thereby beginning the new month. Consequently, each month can have 29 or 30 days depending on the visibility of the moon, astronomical positioning of the earth and weather conditions. However, certain sects and groups, most notably Bohras Muslims namely Alavis, Dawoodis and Sulaymanis and Shia Ismaili Muslims, use a tabular Islamic calendar in which odd-numbered months have thirty days (and also the twelfth month in a leap year) and even months have twenty nine.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Wolf warrior diplomacy () is a style of coercive diplomacy adopted by Chinese diplomats during the Xi Jinping administration. The term was coined from the Chinese action film "Wolf Warrior 2". This approach is in contrast to the prior Chinese diplomatic practices of Deng Xiaoping, which had emphasized the use of cooperative rhetoric and the avoidance of controversy.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Wolf warrior diplomacy is confrontational and combative, with its proponents loudly denouncing any perceived criticism of the Chinese government, its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and associated policies on social media and in interviews, as well as using physical violence against protestors and dissidents. As an attempt to gain "discourse power" in international politics, wolf warrior diplomacy forms one part of a new foreign policy strategy called Xi Jinping's "Major Country Diplomacy" () which has legitimized a more active role for China on the world stage, including engaging in an open ideological struggle with the Western world.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Although the phrase "wolf warrior diplomacy" was popularized as a description of this diplomatic approach during the COVID-19 pandemic, the appearance of similar diplomatic rhetoric began a few years prior. CCP general secretary Xi Jinping's foreign policy writ large, perceived anti-China hostility from the West among Chinese government officials, and shifts within the Chinese diplomatic bureaucracy have been cited as factors leading to its emergence.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: When Deng Xiaoping came to power following Mao Zedong's death in the late 1970s, he prescribed a foreign policy summed up with the Chinese idiom "tāoguāng-yǎnghuì" (), and emphasized the avoidance of controversy and the use of cooperative rhetoric. This idiom—which originally referred to biding one's time without revealing one's strength—encapsulated Deng's strategy to "observe calmly, secure our position, cope with affairs calmly, hide our capacities and bide our time, be good at maintaining a low profile, and never claim leadership."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In contrast, the Chinese government's wolf warrior diplomacy in the 21st century is characterized by the use of confrontational rhetoric by Chinese diplomats, coercive behavior, as well their increased willingness to rebuff criticism of the government and its policies, and court controversy in interviews and on social media. It is a departure from former Chinese foreign policy, which focused on working behind the scenes, avoiding controversy and favoring a rhetoric of international cooperation, exemplified by the maxim that China "must hide its strength" in international diplomacy. This change reflects a larger change in how the Chinese government and the CCP relate and interact with the larger world. Efforts aimed at incorporating the Chinese diaspora into China's foreign policy have also intensified. There is an emphasis placed on ethnic loyalty over national loyalty.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Wolf warrior diplomacy began to emerge in 2017, although components of it had already been incorporated into Chinese diplomacy before then. An assertive diplomatic push resembling wolf warrior diplomacy was also noted following the Great Recession. The emergence of wolf warrior diplomacy has been tied to Xi Jinping's political ambitions and foreign policy inclinations, especially his "Major Country Diplomacy" (), which has legitimized a more active role for China on the world stage, including engaging in open ideological struggle with the West. Wolf warrior diplomacy has been attributed to the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, as well as perceived "anti-China hostility" and fear of "ideological designs" from the West amongst Chinese government officials.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: One factor which may have helped bring about wolf warrior diplomacy was the addition of a public relations section to internal employee performance reports. This incentivized Chinese diplomats to be active on social media and give controversial interviews. Additionally, a younger cadre of diplomats that worked its way up the ranks of the Chinese diplomatic service and this generational shift is also seen as accounting for part of the change. Activity on social media was greatly increased and the tone of social media engagement became more direct and confrontational. CCP officials say wolf warrior diplomacy is a "necessary" response to Western diplomats' social media presences. More specifically, foreign vice-minister says he believes that foreign countries "are coming to our doorstep, interfering in our family affairs, constantly nagging at us, insulting and discrediting us, [so] we have no choice but to firmly defend our national interests and dignity."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: "Wolf warrior" began to see use as a buzzword during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Europe, leaders have expressed surprise at the Chinese using a diplomatic tone with them that they previously would only have used with small or weak countries, with the messaging shifting from a tone of collaboration to one of opposition.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Peter Martin has noted that although "many Chinese diplomats are aware that the response to wolf warrior diplomacy has been very negative and actually damaged China’s interests in a wide range of cases...those who have misgivings need to keep their thoughts to themselves for now, or they will face political repercussions." Martin noted the trend "as during previous periods of assertive diplomacy from China, the primary audience is domestic politicians. Therefore, the reaction of foreigners and outsiders is not a top motivator for Chinese diplomats".


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Following a deterioration of China's international reputation, Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping called for improvements in the country's international communication at a May 2021 Party Politburo group study session. Several other events in 2021 were interpreted by "The Diplomat" as evidence "that leaders in Beijing are recalibrating China’s external messaging, signaling to the wolf warriors that a gradual softening of tone is in order," including the departure of Hu Xijin, editor of the CCP-owned tabloid "Global Times", an early adopter of wolf warrior rhetoric.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: The phrase is derived from the title of the patriotic Chinese action film "Wolf Warrior 2." The tagline of the film was "Whoever attacks China will be killed no matter how far the target is." () At the end of the film a cover of the Chinese passport is displayed along with some text, which reads "Citizens of the PRC: When you encounter danger in a foreign land, do not give up! Please remember, at your back stands a strong motherland."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Aside from China's leader Xi Jinping himself, both the Chinese foreign affairs system and the state media/propaganda system have prominent proponents of "wolf warrior" diplomacy or its style of communication. These include Zhao Lijian, Hua Chunying, Wang Wenbin, Liu Xiaoming, and Hu Xijin.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: When Papua New Guinea hosted the APEC Summit in 2018, four Chinese diplomats barged in uninvited on Rimbink Pato, Papua New Guinea's foreign minister, arguing for changes to the communiqué proclaiming "unfair trade practices" which they felt targeted China. The bilateral discussion was rebuffed as bilateral negotiations with an individual delegation would jeopardise the country's neutrality as host.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In November 2019, Ambassador Gui Congyou threatened Sweden during an interview with broadcaster Swedish PEN saying that "We treat our friends with fine wine, but for our enemies we got shotguns", over the decision to award Gui Minhai with the Tucholsky Prize. All eight major Swedish political parties condemned the Ambassador's threats. On 4 December, after the prize had been awarded, Ambassador Gui said that one could not both harm China's interests and benefit economically from China. When asked to clarify his remarks he said that China would impose trade restrictions on Sweden, these remarks were backed up by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing. The embassy has systematically worked to influence the reporting on China by Swedish journalists. In April 2021 it was revealed that the Chinese embassy threatened a journalist working for the newspaper "Expressen". Several political parties publicly expressed that they believe the ambassador should be declared persona non grata and deported on the basis that his actions violated the constitution of Sweden


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In late 2020, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian used his Twitter account to circulate a digitally-manipulated image of a child having their throat cut by an Australian soldier in response to the release of the Brereton Report. Global commentators called the tweet "a sharp escalation" in the dispute between China and Australia. Within hours, the image was found to have been created by Wuheqilin, a self-styled Chinese wolf warrior artist.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison describing Zhao's tweet as "truly repugnant" and stating that "the Chinese government should be utterly ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world's eyes." The next day, the Chinese foreign ministry rejected Australian demands for an apology. The incident was damaging to Australia–China relations. The effect of Zhao's tweet has been to unify Australian politicians across party lines in condemning the incident and China more generally. On the other hand, Zhao's tweet also garnered a strong wave of Chinese nationalism support in the country, with Wuheqilin's Sina Weibo account doubling in followers to 1.24 million. Security analyst Anthony Galloway later described the event as "a grey zone attack if ever there was one."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: The Ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, was summoned twice by the French foreign ministry, first in April 2020 over posts and tweets by the embassy defending Beijing's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and criticising the West's handling of it, then in March 2021 over "insults and threats" over new Western sanctions placed on China for its crackdown against the Uyghur minority. Previously as Ambassador to Canada, Shaye accused Canadian media of "Western egotism and white supremacy" and disparaged their work on the ground that they are in a lesser position to judge China's development compared to the Chinese people. He also regularly complained of the "biased" and "slanderous" character of their articles denouncing the persecution of Uyghurs.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In October 2020, a Taiwanese official was beaten by two Chinese embassy staffers in Fiji. The incident took place at a venue where Fijian and Taiwanese officials were celebrating Taiwan's national day. The Taiwanese official was later treated at a hospital for head injuries.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Chinese diplomats engaged in wolf warrior diplomacy during the 2020 Olympics with issue being taken with the way Chinese athletes were being depicted by the media and by the Taiwanese team being introduced as "Taiwan" instead of Chinese Taipei. The Chinese consulate in New York City complained that NBC had used an inaccurate map of China in their coverage because it didn't include Taiwan and the South China Sea.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In October 2022, a Hong Kong protester was dragged into the Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten by its staffers. Analysts say that the incident is consistent with China's hawkish rhetoric and aggressive foreign policy of recent years.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Wolf warrior diplomacy has often garnered a strong response and in some cases has provoked a backlash against China and specific diplomats. By 2020, "The Wall Street Journal" was reporting that the rise of wolf warrior diplomacy had left many politicians and businesspeople feeling targeted. An October 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 78% of people in Western nations have "not too much or no confidence" in China's leadership to do the right thing regarding world affairs. In December 2020, Nicolas Chapuis, an ambassador of the European Union to China, warned: "What happened during the last year [...] is a massive disruption or reduction in support in Europe, and elsewhere in the world, about China. And I'm telling that to all my Chinese friends, you need to seriously look at it."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: When the Chinese government threatened Miloš Vystrčil, the president of the Czech Senate, for addressing Taiwan's national legislature, Reporyje Mayor Pavel Novotny called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi a Chinese "wolf warrior diplomat".


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: The Taiwanese representative to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim, has been described as a "cat warrior" and has started using the term herself. Cat warrior diplomacy is seen as focusing on the soft power aspects of Taiwan's advanced economy, democracy, and respect for human rights as well as using Chinese aggression to highlight the differences between their two political systems.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: Wolf warrior diplomacy has been described as counterproductive by an IRSEM report in September 2021, introducing the "Bondaz effect" concept by using a case from March 2021 when Antoine Bondaz, a French researcher intervened against the pressure exerted by Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France, on Twitter to dissuade French senators from traveling to Taiwan. In response, he was described as a “small-time thug” by the embassy, prompting immediate condemnation from many researchers, journalists and politicians who expressed their support for Antoine Bondaz.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: The embassy published a press release on its website in which Antoine Bondaz was described as a “mad hyena” and an “ideological troll”. The "Global Times" internationalized the affair by publishing several articles in English supporting the ambassador and attacking again Antoine Bondaz. He denounced "an all-out, coordinated attack, mobilizing the means of the [Chinese] State to seek to discredit [him] and silence [him]."


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: In three days, Antoine Bondaz gained more than 3,000 followers on Twitter, gave numerous interviews to the press, radio and television. The affair weakened the embassy's partnerships and stirred up diplomatic tensions between China and France. It was part of a sequence from March 15 to 22, 2021 with "disastrous" consequences for China's public image in France and contributed increasing the awareness of political leaders and the French population on the practices of Chinese authorities.


title: Wolf warrior diplomacy

text: This case was presented by the IRSEM report as an example of wolf warrior diplomacy, demonstrating the perverse effect of this strategy of influence, the embassy having drawn attention to the work of Antoine Bondaz by wanting to discredit him.


Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's "" and was released for the Xbox on December 6, 2004, for Microsoft Windows on February 8, 2005, for OS X and Linux on July 21, 2015, for Android and iOS on December 18, 2020 and for Nintendo Switch on June 8, 2022. Like its predecessor, it is set in the "Star Wars" universe 4,000 years before the events of the film "" and is based on the d20 System developed by Wizards of the Coast.


title: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

text: The game uses the Odyssey Engine, which was originally used in "Knights of the Old Republic". Writing first began before the original "Knights of the Old Republic" was released, and development began in October 2003, after BioWare offered Obsidian their "Star Wars" license due to being confident in their previous work.


text: "Knights of the Old Republic II" starts five years after the events of the first game and follows the story of The Exile, a Jedi Knight who was exiled from the Jedi Order. During this time, the Jedi Order has been almost completely wiped out by the Sith. The game begins with the protagonist waking up from unconsciousness on an asteroid mining facility. After the player escapes with the help of their party members, they find the person who exiled them ten years ago, who sends the protagonist on a mission to seek out the remaining Jedi to fight against the Sith.


text: The game's critical reception upon its release was generally positive; praise was given to the story, characters, and writing, which were noted to be more grey than the original "Knights of the Old Republic". The game was included in the book "1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die". Particular praise was given to the character of Kreia, with GameSpy naming her the best video game character of 2005. However, the game received criticism for being too similar to its predecessor in terms of graphics and gameplay systems, as well as being launched in an incomplete state.


text: "Knights of the Old Republic II" is not a turn based game, but is a role-playing video game played from a third-person view that features pausable real-time combat. Combat and interactions with the environment and non-player characters in "Knights of the Old Republic II" are based on the d20 System as in "". The game starts with a character creation screen with several choices to make, and there is also an option of letting the game do it automatically. There are 30 new Force powers, which are manifestations of the Force, in "Knights of the Old Republic II". Like its predecessor, the game has several minigames, including swoop bike racing and a card game called Pazaak. The interface has been streamlined from the original game and party management has been made easier; for example, the player can switch between two selected weapon sets in the menu. As in the first game, the player can choose to align with either the light side or the dark side. Choosing dialogue options that are respectful and empathetic gives the protagonist light side points, while options that are egotistic and evil result in dark side points.


text: The combat of "Knights of the Old Republic II" is identical to its predecessor. Several new lightsaber forms were added to the game. Each of them is useful for a different situation. For example, one is best for enemies using blaster weapons, while another would be good for recovering from using Force powers. The player can use a variety of melee and ranged weapons, including swords and firearms. Fighting unarmed is also an option. A new addition to the game is "prestige classes", add-ons to the Jedi classes that were established in "Knights of the Old Republic". They allow the player character to practice in lightsaber combat or Force powers, depending on player choice.


text: The player can travel with up to two party members at a time, who gain experience points at the same rate as the player character. Equipment and perks for party characters can be selected for different statistical effects or abilities. Players can loot corpses and various environmental objects. The protagonist also has the ability to "influence" their party members; by doing things that impress them, the player increases their influence with them. Depending on the level of influence, party members may support the player character unconditionally or turn against the protagonist. The player can also exploit high influence by drawing party members to either the light side or the dark side, and some characters can even be trained to use the Force.


text: The game takes place five years after the events of "Knights of the Old Republic" and 4,000 years before "", in a time when the Jedi have been nearly exterminated by the Sith. The player's character, a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order, is referred to as "The Exile" or "Jedi Exile". Throughout the game, the Exile restores their connection to the Force while, with the help of playable companions, setting out to stop the Sith. The player makes choices that turn the Exile to either the light side or the dark side of the Force, and they travel to six planets to either help or hinder the Republic's efforts to bring peace and stability to the galaxy.


text: New playable locations in "Knights of the Old Republic II" include Telos, Onderon and its moon Dxun, Nar Shaddaa, Malachor V, the Peragus Mining Facility, and various starships such as the hijacked Republic cruiser "Harbinger", the Sith cruiser "Ravager", and Goto's yacht orbiting Nar Shaddaa. Two planets featured in the original game, Korriban and Dantooine, are revisited, both with ravaged buildings and intensified problems. The "Ebon Hawk", the main character's ship in the first game, is also the player's transportation in "Knights of the Old Republic II".


text: The Exile's backstory reveals that the character served under Revan during the Mandalorian Wars and ordered the activation of a devastating weapon in the climactic battle over Malachor V. The deaths that ensued created such a substantial "wound" in the Force that the character was forced to sever their connection to the Force to survive, and the Jedi Council ordered the character exiled from the Jedi Order. As the game progresses, the Jedi Exile rebuilds a connection to the Force and creates unusually strong Force Bonds with other characters and places, while unknowingly sapping Force powers.


text: Among the characters who join the Jedi Exile are Kreia, who acts as the Exile's mentor; pilot and former Sith assassin Atton Rand; technician and Mandalorian War veteran Bao-Dur and his droid remote; the criminal droid G0-T0; and the Sith apprentice Visas Marr. T3-M4 and Canderous Ordo (now identified as "Mandalore"), both featured in the first game, also join the Exile's team. Other characters join the Exile's party under certain conditions. HK-47, who appears in the first game, joins the quest if the Exile collects and uses the parts necessary to reactivate him. Depending on the player's alignment, the Exile will either be joined by the bounty hunter Mira (light side or neutral) or by her rival, a Wookiee bounty hunter known as Hanharr (dark side). Depending on the player's gender, the Exile will either be joined by Mical the Disciple (female Exile) or Brianna the Handmaiden (male Exile).


text: The game features three main antagonists: Darth Traya, a mysterious assailant who remains in the dark through most of the game; , an undead Sith Lord who once served under Exar Kun in the Great Sith War (as seen in "Tales of the Jedi"); and , a Sith Lord whose physical being was destroyed due to his immense affinity to the Force. These three Sith Lords are leaders of a loose affiliation of warriors and assassins leftover from Darth Malak's empire from the previous game. In between the events of that game and this one, the Sith have launched a largely successful genocide campaign against the Jedi Order. Another major antagonist is , a former member of the Jedi Council whose unethical efforts to thwart the Sith come into conflict with the Exile.


text: While hiding on the "Harbinger", a Republic cruiser, the Exile is sedated by an HK-50 assassin droid to be delivered to a crime syndicate called the Exchange, who have put out a bounty on live Jedi. The Exile is rescued by Kreia, with whom the Exile forms a Force Bond, and the droid T3-M4 on the "Ebon Hawk", and the three flee the "Harbinger" as it is hijacked by a squad of Sith assassins. However, their ship is damaged during the escape by the "Harbinger"s gunfire, and they eventually arrive at the Peragus Mining Facility. Teaming up with smuggler Atton Rand, the group escapes to the planet Telos IV. While hiding out on Telos, they encounter Atris, a surviving member of the Jedi Council who sentenced the protagonist to exile ten years prior. After settling a dispute regarding the Exile's past sentence, Atris forms an uneasy alliance with them, instructing them to seek out other surviving Jedi in order to rally against the Sith. The Exile then travels to four worlds to find reclusive Jedi Masters and either beg for their aid or kill them in revenge for being exiled, depending on player choice. As the Exile continues their journey, they are joined by several individuals in their quest.


text: After finding all the Masters, the Exile travels back to Dantooine and learns that the countless deaths at Malachor V resulted in the Exile unconsciously giving up their connection to the Force, which then became the teachings of the new Sith. If the player aided the Jedi Masters, they prepare to strip the Exile of their Force connection permanently, as the Masters fear that these teachings could result in the actual death of the Force, but Kreia reveals herself to be the former leader of the Sith and murders them all in retribution. If the player killed the Jedi Masters, Kreia attacks the Exile and leaves. Tracking Kreia to Telos, the Exile fights and defeats a corrupted Atris, from whom it is learned that Kreia plans to strengthen a massive "wound" in the Force made ten years prior. This "wound" had been created by the Exile during the Mandalorian Wars, when they activated a gravitational superweapon, the Mass Shadow Generator, in order to end the battle on the planet Malachor V, causing mass death and destruction. Before following her to Malachor V, where Kreia had since rejoined the Sith as Darth Traya, the Exile stops a Sith invasion of Telos, defeating one of Traya's former apprentices, the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus. On Malachor V, the Exile is separated from their companions and fights through hordes of monsters on the planet's surface and the inhabitants of a large Sith Academy who survived the cataclysm. On the final floor of the academy, the Exile kills the Sith Lord Darth Sion and confronts Darth Traya in the planet's core.


text: The Exile defeats the Sith Lord, but before Traya dies, she delivers a prophetic vision of the future pertaining to the player's companions and the worlds that were visited over the course of the story. Depending on the Exile's alignment, they either order the destruction of Malachor V, escaping before it is destroyed, and travel into the Unknown Regions in search of Revan (light side), or remain on Malachor V as the new Dark Lord of the Sith (dark side).


text: "Knights of the Old Republic II" was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's "Knights of the Old Republic", and it uses the same Odyssey Engine as the original game. BioWare suggested that Obsidian should be offered the "Knights of the Old Republic" license due to their familiarity with Obsidian's past work and the good relationship between the two developers, as well as due to finding LucasArts' development schedule for the sequel to be too tight. The game was released in PC and Xbox versions, but due to the Xbox version being released two months prior to the PC version, it has multiple unfixed bugs.


text: Development of the game began in October 2003. The overview of the game's story was originally drafted before the first "Knights of the Old Republic" was released, after which it saw many revisions and also some major redrafts. In preparation to write "Knights of the Old Republic II", lead designer Chris Avellone tried to learn as much about the "Star Wars" universe as possible. He read many books, guides, modules, and graphic novels, and the Obsidian team also relied on the first "Knights of the Old Republic" and the original "Star Wars" films for inspiration. Avellone said that Obsidian recognized one of the things that made "Knights of the Old Republic" great was the story and the companions, and that they tried to expand upon this by adding more depth to them.


text: "Knights of the Old Republic II" uses the same d20 System as the first "Knights of the Old Republic" with some changes, and the level cap has also been removed. For the most part, the team didn't want to redo any of the design elements from the first game, as they felt that there was no need to change anything that had already proved successful; instead, they opted to look for areas that could be improved and expanded upon them in a way that retained the base style of "Knights of the Old Republic". Obsidian put much work into the game's graphics, including the appearances of non-player characters. Other technological improvements include the lighting and weather effects, in addition to increasing the level sizes. "Knights of the Old Republic II"s lead artist was Aaron Meyers; he decided which people would join the art team after looking through "tons of applications, resumes, and demo reels", and he said that he was pleased with the number of people who wanted to work for Obsidian. Meyers also complained about the short deadline the development team had to deal with. Obsidian's COO, Chris Parker, said that the schedule set for the development team was "extremely aggressive", and that the team felt a lot of pressure because they were "making a sequel to the game of the year for 2003".


text: For the music, the development team felt that symphony orchestra would work best for "Knights of the Old Republic II". The musical score was composed by Mark Griskey, who developed music and themes for characters and places, including the Jedi's theme, Darth Sion's theme and Darth Nihilus's theme (which both have many similarities with the Emperor's theme from "Return of the Jedi"). He also created a theme for the main character, which is heard occasionally when the player experiences internal conflict. The ~55-minute score was recorded by the Sinfonia Orchestra in Seattle. The opening crawl utilizes the version of John Williams' main "Star Wars" theme that was re-recorded for the prequel trilogy.


text: When Obsidian was preparing to present "Knights of the Old Republic II" at E3 2004, they tried to fit as much information as they could, saying that it would need to be a duration of 30 minutes as it was the only E3 event it would be showcased at; however, due to the limited time frame, they would have to cut it down to a five- to ten-minute presentation. During this time, none of the levels Obsidian designed were ready to be shown, so they picked three levels and put them through a schedule to finish them on time. The demo was finished a few days before the event, and the game was presented in May 2004. The first trailer for "Knights of the Old Republic II" was later unveiled in July 2004, and the official website was launched in October.


text: When looking back at "Knights of the Old Republic II" in a 2013 interview, Avellone said that because of LucasArts forcing Obsidian to finish the game in a short time frame of 14 to 16 months, the game ended up being in an "unfinished" state. However, Avellone said that Obsidian was at fault for this due to not cutting out enough things; he noted that all minigames should have been removed, and also said that there were too many in-engine cutscenes. Obsidian's co-founder, Feargus Urquhart, said that the game was originally going to be released in 2005, but it was later moved up to December 2004 after E3; according to him, Obsidian had to choose between "get[ting] in trouble or get[ting] it done". Due to this, several cuts had to be made; one of the most major was the droid planet M4-78, which was entirely removed from the game after the 2004 E3 event when the team realized that they wouldn't be able to fit it into the schedule. M4-78's designer, Kevin Saunders, explained that he moved assets from that planet to Nar Shaddaa's yacht level in order to complete it on time, which was prior also likely to be cut from the game.


text: The Xbox version of "Knights of the Old Republic II" went gold on November 23, 2004; it was later released on December 6, 2004 in the United States, and the PC version was released on February 8, 2005. In Europe, the game was released simultaneously for both platforms on February 11. The game was later re-released in August 2012 on the digital distribution platform, Steam, and in January 2015 on GOG.com. On July 21, 2015, OS X and Linux versions were released along with new support for Steam Workshop and other Steamworks features, controller input, and modern widescreen resolutions up to 5K. Backward compatibility for the Xbox One was announced in April 2018. An iOS and Android version was released on December 18, 2020.


text: Along with several official patches, a notable fan-made mod called The Sith Lords Restored Content Modification or TSLRCM serves as an unofficial patch by fixing around 500 remaining bugs, along with restoring most of the content that was cut from the game. There were also methods found by the community for improving compatibility on modern PC operating systems.


text: According to The NPD Group, "Knights of the Old Republic II" sold 458,000 copies in North America during the month of December 2004. It entered their chart for the month at number 11, and at number 3 on the Xbox-only chart. After its North American release on Windows, it debuted at number 2 on the PC chart for the month of February. In the United Kingdom, the game debuted at the top of the weekly chart, beating Blizzard Entertainment's much-anticipated online game "World of Warcraft", which was released in the same week. Eurogamer reported that in the UK "Knights of the Old Republic II" sold much more in its first week than the first game, which the website speculates was helped by the former's simultaneous release on Windows and Xbox in PAL regions, as opposed to the latter's initial Xbox-only release. During 2005 alone, the Xbox version sold more than 60,000 copies in the region.


text: By early 2006, "Knights of the Old Republic II" had sold almost 1.5 million copies. Its sales in the United States alone reached 1.275 million by 2008.


text: "Knights of the Old Republic II" was met with positive reception upon its release; on Metacritic, it has an aggregate score of 85/100 and 86/100 on the PC and Xbox versions respectively, indicating "generally favorable reviews" according to the site. IGN said that there is a bulk of pressure involved with developing the sequel to a game from a different developer which won several "Game of the Year" awards, and that Obsidian delivered. The review also said that it will not disappoint fans of the original game and that it is mostly similar to it in terms of the model. "GamePro" praised both the first and second "Knights of the Old Republic" and said that the second game continues the series' tradition of not fixing what is not broken. GameSpot echoed this statement, also saying that both the good things and the shortcomings from the first game are present in "Knights of the Old Republic II".


text: GameSpy compared the game to "The Empire Strikes Back" from the original "Star Wars" film trilogy in that it is the best of the series in terms of story, and also said that the game has the best story in a video game since "". 1UP.com wrote that Obsidian surpassed the original "Knights of the Old Republic" in terms of the writing, saying that the plot is more consistent, the dialogue is edgier and the moral choices are more significant; "Computer Gaming World" agreed, writing, "your decision making, as you pursue a light or dark path, is more ambiguous, with more unexpected consequences". "Eurogamer" said that compared to the original game, "Knights of the Old Republic II"s plot is "far more grey". The review also said that planets are "better developed and paced". GameZone wrote that the game is a "Must Buy" for people who like well-written characters and story.


text: The combat was generally well-received, with some reviewers noting that it is mostly unchanged from the original "Knights of the Old Republic". GameSpot compared the combat from the first "Knights of the Old Republic" to the second, saying that it is not well-balanced in both; however, the reviewer wrote that it helps the combat remain spontaneous. GameZone said that the combat is not changed from the first "Knights of the Old Republic" to the second, but that this is a good thing since the combat in the original was enjoyable. IGN praised the game's AI, saying that it is easy to control the main character alone without controlling the party members. GameSpy's reviewer, on the other hand, said that he encountered problems with the combat AI that were not present in the original "Knights of the Old Republic".


text: GameSpot criticized "Knights of the Old Republic II"s graphics, calling them "lackluster". GameSpy's reviewer felt that the game's graphics were disappointing, calling them "a little dated" and "half-baked". The reviewer further criticized the graphics for looking the same as they were in the first game of the series, saying that they could only be considered "good" during the release of that game. GameZone said that the game looks exactly the same as the original "Knights of the Old Republic" and that it does not compare to the majority of mainstream games released at the time. GameSpy called the music in the game "excellent"; however, the reviewer noted that some of it is re-used from the first game of the series. The GameSpy reviewer also said that while the majority of the voice-acting is good, there are "a few more examples of bad voice-acting" than in the first "Knights of the Old Republic". GameZone said that the "top-notch" voice acting complements the game's very well-written dialogue, and also praised the game's sound effects.


text: The game was criticized for its glitches; several players reported having problems with pathfinding bugs. 1UP.com's reviewer condemned "Knights of the Old Republic II" for having the same bugs and technical issues as in the first game, saying that his party "still had a tendency to warp and skip around the map at times", and he also criticized the pathfinding in the game. GameSpy said that the game's bugs are "hard to forgive", and that these issues did not occur in the first "Knights of the Old Republic". In a different article, GameSpy said that the game is incomplete, and attributed this to its rushed deadline.


text: GameSpy called Kreia the best video game character of 2005, saying that she was "easily the most intriguing, complicated, enigmatic, well-designed and nuanced character in a video game this year". The game received runner-up placements in "GameSpot"s 2004 "Best Role-playing Game", "Best Voice Acting", "Best New Character" and "Best Game Based on a TV or Film Property" award categories across all platforms. In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book "1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die".


title: Clan Campbell

text: Clan Campbell ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.


title: Clan Campbell

text: In traditional genealogies of the Clan Campbell, the clan's origins are placed amongst the ancient Britons of Strathclyde; the earliest Campbell in written records is Gillespie who is recorded in 1263. Early grants to Gillespie and his relations were almost all in east-central Scotland, but the family's connection with Argyll came some generations before, when a Campbell married the heiress of the O'Duines and she brought with her the Lordship of Loch Awe. Because of this the early clan name was "Clan O' Duine" and this was later supplanted by the style "Clann Diarmaid". This name came from a fancied connection to "Diarmid the Boar", a great hero from early Celtic mythology.


title: Clan Campbell

text: The original seat of the Clan Campbell was either Innis Chonnell Castle on Loch Awe or Caisteal na Nigheann Ruaidh on Loch Avich. The clan's power soon spread throughout Argyll, though at first the Campbells were under the domination of the Lords of Lorne, chiefs of Clan MacDougall. The MacDougalls killed the Campbell chief Cailean Mór (Colin Campbell) in 1296. (See: Battle of Red Ford). All of the subsequent chiefs of Clan Campbell have taken "MacCailean Mór" as their Gaelic patronymic.


title: Clan Campbell

text: Between 1200 and 1500 the Campbells emerged as one of the most powerful families in Scotland, dominant in Argyll and capable of wielding a wider influence and authority from Edinburgh to the Hebrides and western Highlands.


title: Clan Campbell

text: The family of Colin Campbell went on to become firm supporters of King Robert the Bruce and benefited from his successes with grants of lands, titles and good marriages. During the Wars of Scottish Independence the Campbells fought for Scotland against the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. During the 14th century the Clan Campbell rapidly expanded its lands and power. This is partly explained by the loyalty of Sir Neil Campbell ("Niall mac Caile"), (d.1315), to the cause of Robert the Bruce – a loyalty which was rewarded with marriage to Bruce's sister Mary. The family was also closely associated with the Stewarts as well as the Bruces in the time of Cailean Mór. Sir Neil, as a staunch ally of "the Bruce" was rewarded with extensive lands that had been taken from the forfeited MacDougall, Lords of Lorne and other enemies of the Bruces in Argyll.


title: Clan Campbell

text: The Campbells gave support to the Crown throughout the 15th century. By the end of the 15th century the power of the Lords of the Isles (chiefs of Clan Donald) who were the Crown's most powerful rivals had been broken leaving the Campbells as the main power in the area. From this time onwards the Campbells acted as the main instrument of central authority in the area and this could be the real cause of the ancient enmity between the Campbells and the MacDonalds.


title: Clan Campbell

text: Descendants of Sir Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell ("Donnchadh") and his wife Lady Marjorie Stewart would be descendants of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland and Robert II Stewart, King of Scotland. Lady Marjorie Stewart, b. 1390 was the daughter of King Robert II's son, Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany. This would make all descendants of Sir Duncan Campbell and Lady Marjorie Stewart descendants of Robert I Bruce and most of the early Kings of Scotland.


title: Clan Campbell

text: The first Lord Campbell was created in 1445. It was from the 15th century that the Campbells came to take an increasingly prominent role. The personal reign of James I of Scotland, saw that king launch a great political assault on the Albany Stewarts and their allies in the west, however Duncan Campbell, 1st lord Campbell ("Donnchadh"), escaped the fate of his Albany kinsmen who were all either executed or exiled.


title: Clan Campbell

text: Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll ("Cailean") was en-nobled as the Earl of Argyll in 1457 and later became Baron of Lorn and was also granted lands in Knapdale, signs that the Argylls were one of the major forces in Scotland. In 1493 after the forfeiture of the MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, the Campbell lords may well have viewed themselves as natural successors to the Clan Donald in terms of leadership of the Gaels of the Hebrides and western Highlands. The Campbell lordship thus remained one of the most significant bastions of Gaelic learning and culture in late medieval and early modern Scotland.


title: Clan Campbell

text: In the Battle of Knockmary, 1490, men of the Clan Campbell and the Clan Drummond joined forces to defeat the Clan Murray. This also became known as the Massacre of Monzievaird. In 1499, Campbell of Inverliver defeated the Clan Calder at the Battle of Daltullich and Sir John Campbell, the younger son of the Earl of Argyll, received the estate of Calder and Cawdor Castle through his marriage to the heiress, Muriel Calder.


title: Clan Campbell

text: The Battle of Langside took place in 1568 where the chief of Clan Campbell, Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll, commanded the forces who fought for Mary, Queen of Scots.