Wasp King

Hoaxe, better known as the Wasp King and sometimes referred to as The Usurper is the Main Antagonist of Bug Fables and illegitimate ruler of the Wasp Kingdom. He usurped the Wasp Kingdom, plotting to steal The Everlasting Sapling and use its power to conquer all of Bugaria.
== Appearance ==
As Hoaxe is a part of the wide family Conopidae, he resembles a wasp. He has a dark tan body with black in the torso and anchor regions, parts in very dark brown on his legs that resemble shorts. A much darker color that covers his shins, and orange padding on his shoulders and knees. He has black eyes, a dark brown mouthpart, and a tan and dark brown abdomen in a stripe pattern. 
Aesthetically, he wears the Ancient Crown, capable of controlling any wasp, having small holes on his crown for his antenna. He also wears a royal cape that points up by the end on fours; on his sprite, they point up from the red and fur sections, whereas his artwork shows it pointed upward only on the red sections. Underneath his cape, he wears cuffs in gold with red gems and has short, brown wings, with one of them tattered. He lacked all of these during his youth.
== History ==
===Background===
Hoaxe was an orphaned Wasp Mimic Fly, abandoned by his parents in the middle of the Dead Lands at a very young age. They did so because they were fleeing, and abandoning him would be the only way to keep him alive. Discord message Hoaxe: Origins Although he survives this ordeal, Hoaxe still has to spend most of his life fighting Dead Landers.Discord message That was until, one day, he is crushed by a falling crystal, almost dying until being saved by some wasps.
For the next couple of years, Hoaxe would become the janitor of the Wasp Kingdom Hive, often bullied by the other Wasps. Hoaxe, sick of the harassment, decided to research The Everlasting Sapling and the Ancient Crown, eventually becoming obsessed with finding it.
He encounters Yale on Metal Island, who sells him the Ancient Crown, which amplifies Hoaxe's innate magical abilities, granting him powerful pyrokinesis. When he returned to the Wasp Kingdom, his power was so great that all Wasps began to serve him. After insurrecting the place and throwing their queen into her bedroom, he uses his newly acquired position of authority to begin a search for the Everlasting Sapling.
===Chapter 4: Mysterious Lost Sands===
At the end of Chapter 4, he commands an attack on the Ant Kingdom City with his troops, and successfully steals one half of the Ancient Key from Leif. Before he can take the other three artifacts from Elizant II, Maki appears, forcing the Wasp King to retreat. 
===Chapter 5: The Far Wildlands===
After Maki and Team Snakemouth leave on their expedition to retrieve the stolen artifact, the Wasp King uses a drilling machine to sneak back into the Ant Kingdom. By the time they return, the Wasp King is already in the process of stealing the remaining three artifacts. Elizant II surrenders the artifacts to Hoaxe, and he makes his escape, heading for the Dead Lands.
===Chapter 7: The Everlasting Sapling===
Sacrificing many of his troops, the Wasp King advances through the Dead Lands. After losing a fight to Team Snakemouth, he rushes to unseal the Everlasting Sapling, only to find out that it has wilted. Desperate for power, the Wasp King eats the sapling's remaining leaf, transforming him into The Everlasting King. He uses a column of fire to destroy the rest of the sapling.
Despite utilizing all of the Ancient Artifacts and the life-giving power of the Everlasting Sapling, he is defeated by Team Snakemouth. At the conclusion of the battle, he metamorphoses into a small tree devoid of magic, and is implied to have died.
== Personality ==
As someone who was damaged during his youth, Hoaxe is a vain, hateful, violent, egotistical, manipulative, and overall vile individual obsessed with power. 
During his time as the dictator of the Wasp Kingdom, he is shown to jail individuals who either didn't follow his rule, or dare step into the Wasp Kingdom's turf. During this, he is shown to starve his prisoners, never allowing his subordinates to care for the other bugs. He also doesn't care for the lives of others, as it is implied that the troopers accompanying him died on their way in the Dead Lands.
Hoaxe also partakes in corruption, manipulating individuals so that they will do his orders for monetary or personal gain. An example of this is promising to give Astotheles and his organization riches in exchange of causing the Honey Factory's lockdown,Bug Fables: The Art of Bugaria Page 61 though never actually pays him (although it is unknown if it was out of malice or his untimely death). A more extreme example is threatening to kill the Ant Kingdom's residents if Elizant doesn't give him the Ancient Artifacts, to which she complies.
He is also shown to be very arrogant and narcissistic, which is most prevalent in the first clash between him and Team Snakemouth. When he is cornered by them, he is shown to have a panicked and desperate side. By the time of the final battle, he is shown to have a God complex so bloated he neglects the side effects of The Everlasting Sapling, resulting in his downfall.
==Battle Information==
===Chapter 5: The Far Wildlands===
The first encounter with the Wasp King is during the invasion of Ant Kingdom City. He cannot be Spied on in this fight. Though he can take damage from attacks, the battle is unwinnable. After 3 turns, the Wasp King uses his Fire Column attack, instantly knocking out all party members.
===Chapter 7: The Everlasting Sapling===
The penultimate battle of Bug Fables is a rematch with the King in the Giant's Lair. Notably, while the King can be inflicted with turn-negating status effects, such as Numb, Freeze, or Sleep, he will immediately break out at the start of his next turn. Once the Wasp King reaches half of his maximum HP, he will begin attacking twice per turn until the end of the battle. 
==Attacks==
Axe Swipe: The Wasp King walks up to a party member and hits them with his axe, dealing 5 damage. During the battle in Anthill Palace, this attack is scripted to be used as the Wasp King's first and second attacks.
Axe Throw: The Wasp King throws his axe at a party member, dealing 6 damage, before it flies back to him at an arc.
Fire Column: The Wasp King raises his hand and causes a whirlwind of fire around the party, which deals 4 damage to every party member and causes Burn if not blocked. During the battle in Anthill Palace, this attack is scripted to be used as the Wasp King's third attack, and it deals 99 damage to the entire party (as it doesn't have the Flame Brooch), defeating it and ending the battle, even if Bubble Shield or Bubble Shield Lite is active.
Fireball: The Wasp King creates, then tosses one to three fireballs at the party, one at a time. Each fireball is independently aimed at a party member and deals 2 damage, causing Burn if not blocked.
Batted Fireball: The Wasp King creates a large fireball and tosses it upwards. When it comes back down, he bats it towards a party member with his axe, dealing 5 damage and causing Burn if not blocked.
Spicy Fries: The Wasp King uses the Spicy Fries item, healing himself by 4 HP and giving himself the ATK Up status effect for 2 turns.
Burly Chips: The Wasp King uses the Burly Chips item, healing himself by 5 HP and giving himself the DEF Up status effect for 2 turns.
==Trivia==
*The Wasp King's axe is named "Slayer", based on comments in his first encounter."Hm. You can still speak after bearing my Slayer." - The Wasp King to Zaryant, after striking her aside with his axe
*Hoaxe's name is a portmanteau of the words "hoax" and "axe", referring to both his false kingship/identity as a Wasp, and his weapon of choice, respectively.
*According to Mar, Hoaxe has a proboscis, though is hidden to prevent it from giving away his false identity as a Wasp.Discord Messages
*Hoaxe is a Wasp Mimic Fly, as is assumed with dialogue from a merchant on Metal Island, a species known for looking very similar to Wasps.
*According to Genow, the brainwashing powers of Wasp King's crown work on any kind of yellowjacket, affecting them through their antennae. The effects can be countered by magical artifacts or antennae sustaining damageReddit AMA comment regarding the brainwashing properties of Wasp King's crown..
*According to Genow, he has used Hoaxe as an example for any future antagonist he writes to be more involved in the story, stating that "[he] wished [he] had made the antagonist show up earlier in some way".YouTube interview regarding Hoaxe
*Hoaxe is one of two characters to have two entries in Bug Fables: The Art of Bugaria, the other being Janet.
==Gallery==
PC Computer - Bug Fables The Everlasting Sapling - Wasp King.png|Spritesheet
Hoaxe_Transparent-transformed.png|Artwork in Hoaxe: Origins
Dio Hoaxe.png|Hoaxe in the prototype comic
==References==
Category:Bosses
Category:Characters
Category:Enemies
Category:Flies