Lord Sigmund Phoenix

*"Aw, ductile pastries!"* - Sigmund's last words before getting beheaded by Lord Richard Koopa, The Feeble King (III)

## Lord Sigmund Phoenix

### Titles

Marquess of Moonview Plains (Formerly)
Duke of Summerset Plains
King's Claw (1475, 1477) (To John VI)

### Predecessor

Lord James Phoenix (Duke of Summerset Plains)
Lord Alfred De La Korde (King's Claw)

### Successor

Lord Richard Koopa (King's Claw)
Lord Blayne Phoenix (Duke of Summerset Plains)

## General Information

### Hair Color

Grey blonde
Golden blonde (Prologue)

## Family

### Children

Lord Blayne Phoenix
Sir Sigmund "Sigred" Phoenix
Sir John Phoenix
Lady Jane Phoenix

### Siblings

Sir Blayne Phoenix
Lord James Phoenix
Lady Joanna Phoenix
Sir Taylor Phoenix

### Other Notable Relatives

Lady Jane Phoenix (Niece)
King John Koopa V (Half-Cousin)

## In Videos

### Voice Actor

Mononerd

**Lord Sigmund Phoenix** was the head of House Phoenix during the late 15th century, as well as King John Koopa VI's King's Claw from the year 1475 to the year 1477. Sigmund is a major antagonist in the first three parts of the first *Wars of Frozen Flames* episode *The Feeble King*, being a bitter rival to Lord Richard Koopa. He is portrayed as a selfish, corrupt and disastrous politician, often gloating at those he sees beneath him, and using his position as King's Claw to enrich himself, his family and his allies at court.

Sigmund was infamous for fleeing the battlefield in The Nordskal Ridge Campaign, which resulted in hundreds of Koopa Troop soldiers, including his ally Lord Torrence Montageau, perishing in the battle. Sigmund was not punished for this, but instead rewarded by King John Koopa VI, eventually being granted the high position of King's Claw following the death of Lord Alfred De La Korde, an appointment that greatly angered Lord Richard Koopa, who many believed was more deserving of the position. When John VI passed out at the Loveday Feast and was left in a vegetative state, being unable to rule the realm, Lord Richard seized the King's Claw position for himself, and had Lord Sigmund imprisoned in the Black Tower for over a year while he ruled the realm. When John VI recovered, he instantly restored Lord Sigmund to the position and the two begun reversing everything Lord Richard had done during their absence. Lord Sigmund would not live much longer after this, however, as after escaping his arrest, Lord Richard raised an army against Lord Sigmund and the king. Sigmund himself was captured during the Battle of Whomp City and personally executed by Lord Richard, having his head cut off.

Sigmund was based on Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset.

## History

### Backstory

Sigmund was born as the youngest of Lord James Phoenix's kids, but against all odds became the head of the Phoenix House following his eldest surviving brother, also named James, going into captivity in order to free Sigmund, where he subsequently died. Since James only had a daughter and no sons, and due to females not being able to inherit land or titles at the time, Sigmund succeeded his brother as the new Lord of the Phoenix House while his niece, Lady Jane Phoenix, had to be separated from her mother after she had to remarry following her husband James' death. At an unknown point in his life, Sigmund was married off to Lady Maria Windwaker, a marriage that would go on to produce three sons and one daughter. The marriage appears to have been loveless, as Sigmund himself openly stated to have been unfaithful to Maria.

Sigmund led the Nordskal Ridge Campaign after replacing Lord Richard Koopa as lieutenant, as per Queen Cynder Von Bohnenrotte's request to King John Koopa VI, but he then fled the battlefield and left hundreds of Koopa Troop soldiers and Lord Torrence Montague at the mercy of the Bohnenkraut troops, causing them to perish in the battle. Despite deserting his men, Sigmund went unpunished, which infuriated King John Koopa VI's last surviving uncle, Prince Joseph Koopa, who then got imprisoned under Sigmund's orders and was later stated to have "disappeared under non-suspicious circumstances", but in reality was murdered to keep him quiet about certain important information he had to share with his nephew.

### The Feeble King

#### Part I

Lord Alfred De La Korde, John VI's King's Claw, was murdered by a group of peasants during an anarchist revolt after he had taken the blame for the King's actions. After hearing the news, Lord Richard Koopa arrived at the Koopa Castle to take the position, only to be informed by John and Cynder that they had already appointed Lord Sigmund as the new King's Claw. It's later stated that the reason why Sigmund was chosen for the position, and also why Cynder requested for Richard to be replaced by Sigmund as Chief Lieutenant, was because Blayne Phoenix, Sigmund's eldest son, was in a secret relationship with Queen Cynder, and he seduced her into convincing John to give Sigmund the title. It's implied that it is also because of Sigmund's son and the Queen's affair that he was not punished for deserting his troops and leaving them to die. Lord Sigmund threatens Lord Richard with death multiple times throughout the first part of "The Feeble King", often by mentioning what happened to Prince Jospeh Koopa.

#### Part II

Following John's VI mental breakdown and fall into vegetative state, Sigmund, as per Queen Cynder's orders, assumes the role of regent until the king recovers and hosts a cabinet meeting, Richard, who had learned about the meeting thanks to an anonymous letter, marches to the Koopa Castle and has his troops sieze and imprison Sigmund and declare himself regent. Sigmund's arrest causes Lord Symon Blackfoot to withdraw from the royal cabinet and Blayne to flee to Karhar City with his brothers, abandoning Cynder. One year later, after John makes a full recovery and regains consciousness, Cynder informs him of what Richard has done and tells him to restore Sigmund as the King's Claw, revert all of the decisions Richard has taken, and imprison him, which John agrees to. However Richard flees before being arrested.

#### Part III

Sigmund is freed from the Black Tower, displeasing Lord Berwick and Sir Torrence Python, and is announced by John VI that he is the official King's Claw again. This angers Berwick and Torrence as they see him as a traitor. Sigmund threatens to imprison Berwick along with Richard for speaking against the council's decision to imprison him, but both Python brothers decide to withdraw from the royal cabinet. Not long after this, Rodrick and Theodrick enter the meeting, informing the attendees that Lord Richard has escaped, much to the shock of everyone.

Some days later, during a Great Council Meeting, Lord Sigmund, along with King John VI and Queen Cynder, explains the situation regarding Lord Richard to the various ally Houses of the Kayenne Koopas, with Sigmund publicly declaring Lord Richard a traitor to the throne and letting everyone know that they holding two of Richard's sons, Tobias and Rickon, hostage. When Lady Jane Phoenix points out that Lord Richard will return to Bright Valley with an army after avoiding arrest, Sigmund tells her not to worry, as they too will fight back with their own army, even telling her and the rest of the attendees that John will also be fighting alongside them, much to the Feeble King's discomfort.

Sigmund, along with Blayne, Cynder, Rodrick and Theodrick, then helps training John for the upcoming battle, and in that moment they are greeted with Lord Gerald Garnet's presence, who claims to have switched his loyalty from Lord Richard to King John, and in order to prove so, has betrayed Lady Anna Koopa, Richard's daughter and Garnet's wife, and taken her hostage, offering her to Queen Cynder as a personal slave, an act which impresses Sigmund.

The following day, after a series of failed negotiation attempts, the Battle of Whomp City takes place. During all this time, Sigmund hides inside a cottage, trying to remain calm and hoping that his forces will take control of the battle, being completely unwilling to go out and help them, not even his own son. When informed of King John VI's capture by a knight, Sigmund decides to flee the battlefield, but doesn't manage to get far, as he is soon overpowered and disarmed by Sir Torrence Python, though not without fatally slicing Sir Edrick Greyford across the stomach first. Once restrained, Sigmund taunts Richard, letting him know that if he has him imprisoned again, the King will only release him once more, though Richard quickly lets Sigmund know that he is not going to let him off so easily this time, as he plans on executing him via decapitation for all of his selfish deeds against the realm. Sigmund begs Richard to spare him, but his pleas are ignored, with Richard telling him to say his finals words, and keep them "short and sweet", to which Sigmund replies with "ductile pastries", after which he is beheaded by Lord Richard's sword, putting an end to his life.

### Aftermath

Following Sigmund's death, his son Blayne Phoenix became the new Duke of Summerset Plains as well as the new Lord and head of the House of Phoenix. Blayne also took up Sigmund's position in the King John Koopa VI's Royal Cabinet, with Lord Richard Koopa regaining the role of King's Claw.

## Appearance and Character

### Appearance

Sigmund was a large dragon-koopa who by 1475 appeared to have started entering senior age. His appearance is consistent with other members of the Phoenix family, with the only difference being that his design features more washed out shades of maroon and orange: he had maroon red skin, a red head, and a pale yellow snout, which was slightly larger than that of an average dragon-koopa's (this being a prominent trait of the Phoenixes). His hair, which is a reddish brown color, appeared to be receding, leaving little on the top and most on the sides of his head. He also had a reddish brown beard, which had started going grey. He also had thick eyebrows of the same color. Sigmund wore a violet-red shell with brown spikes. He also wore a golden bracelet with red rubies on each arm, and two golden rings on each hand, one with a red jewel and one with a blue one. Overall Sigmund's image is that of en elderly and wealthy politician from the 15th century.

### Early design concepts

Sigmund's character design has undergone through three changes from his conception to the final release of *Wars of Frozen Flames*. In his first design ever made, Sigmund was a magikoopa with brownish grey skin and light red eyes who wore a dark red robe and hat, both of which had flame motifs.

The second revision drastically altered Sigmund's character design, making him a slender-dragon koopa with dark yellow skin, a pale yellow snout, dark green eyes, and a short brownish grey beard. He wore an orange spiked shell, and a reddish orange hat with a flame motif. A scepter was also given to Sigmund some time after the creation of this design. This character design also has an existing variant in which Sigmund doesn't wear his hat.

Sigmund's third character design was his last, giving him the large dragon-koopa appearance he has in the final series.

### Character

Sigmund was shown to be cowardly and lazy, as shown by him fleeing the battlefield of the Nordskal Ridge Campaign and leaving hundreds of Koopa Troop soldiers including Lord Torrence Montague to die, and then hiding in a barn and attempting to flee once more once all his troops were knocked out or killed during the Battle of Whomp City. When Lord Richard confronted him about the former situation, Sigmund excused himself by stating that his troops were going to die anyways, and when Richard told him that it was his duty to protect and guide his troops and that Lord Montague died on the battlefield because of him as no one was there to reinforce him, Sigmund stated that it was Lord Montague's own fault he got killed, showing that he never took take any responsibility for his actions.

He is described as nothing but a dishonourable coward and a "clotpole" by Lord Richard. It is shown that despite being King's Claw, Sigmund's political interests were limited to his own ones. Most of the decisions he took were for either his or his eldest son Blayne's benefit, without taking the people of the kingdom into account.

Sigmund strongly believed that he was above others, as shown by him constantly threatening Lord Richard with death when he pointed out how unfitting he was to be King's Claw, taunting him by laughing about how he is no longer John's heir due to Cynder giving birth to Prince Godwin, or even declaring himself as a prince of the blood when Lord Richard has him arrested and disposed for his crimes. Even during his final moments, Sigmund tried to taunt Richard by telling him him getting imprisoned would just be a minor inconvenience for him, as King John VI would just release him again, but immediately started begging for his life once Lord Richard made it explicitly clear that he was going to sentence him to death for all his deeds.

## Trivia

* Sigmund's last name underwent through four changes from the planning stages to the final release of *Wars of Frozen Flames*. He originally was just named "Duke Sigmund", probably indicating that his last name had not been chosen yet during the time of the character's conception. A second revision, which was accompanied by a new character design, referred to Sigmund as a lord for the first time, and had his last name be "De La Korde", probably hinting that he was originally a relative of Lord Alfred De La Korde. Sigmund's last name was then changed to "Bunsear" in a third revision, before the fourth and final one left his last name as "Phoenix".
* Originally, Sigmund was the one having an affair with Queen Cynder, as well as the true father of Prince Godwin. As time went on however, the idea was scrapped, having Sigmund's son Blayne be Cynder's lover instead.

* Sigmund has an unused sprite in which he has a shocked and/or scared expression on his face. It's speculated that this sprite was originally intended to be used during the Battle of Whomp City in part III of *The Feeble King*, most likely during Sigmund's execution.