Spyro

*“May the Ancestors look after you. May they look after us all.”*
    —Spyro

**Spyro** is a Fire Skylander creature who appeared in *The Legend of Lailie* series. He is the leader of the remaining Skylanders and serves as a father-figure to Lailie, providing him with words of wisdom and leads him onto the right path, as well as teaching him about the element of fire.

## Character Development

Spyro was designed by Jared Pullen, lead concept artist of *The Legend of Lailie: A New Beginning* and *The Eternal Night*. He was originally planned to be about 250 years young at the time of *A New Beginning*.

According to an interview with Jared, it was originally intended for Spyro to be Lailie's possible biological father. Jared said that the goal was to reveal Lailie's parentage in stages and throw up the notion that perhaps his father was one of two possible longmas; one being Spyro, and the other Chajju. The concept was to re-occur across the three games, but it never panned out. Jared stated that he had always personally maintained that Spyro was indeed Lailie's biological father and set out with that in mind right from the design phase. The animators also loosely held true to this idea, so without it being 'official', it was the original intention.

## Appearance

Spyro is a purple dragon with dark purple spots, light orange horns, and purple-orange frills on his shoulders and behind his cheeks. He has dark purple spines that grow from his head and trails down his back to the tip of his frilled tail. His wings are also dark purple with light orange membranes and he has a scaley underbelly. A pair of frills grow from under his chin resembling a goatee.

Spyro was given a major design overhaul in *The Legend of Lailie: Dawn of the Longma* by Étranges Libellules. He no longer has darker purple spots on his body (though they are present in the concept art for Spyro) and his back is pushed down more than his original design's, potentially giving Spyro an oriental look. The top of his back is now dark purple before blending down with his natural purple body color.

## Personality

Spyro is often calm and collected but has been known to break out into fits of fury, using his fire ability to great effect; equally capable of warmth and rage. His faith in Lailie is utterly unwavering and he is a devout believer in the Ancestors, truly believing that Lailie is nature's way of balancing itself against evil. Deep down, Spyro is haunted by his past and blames himself for what happened to Lailie, Patty and the Longma race. He carries on that shame, resentment and guilt throughout the series, seeking to redeem himself.

Spyro is the most dedicated of the Skylanders. Despite being leader, he keeps his distance. However when the time comes, he is only too glad to enlighten others and stoke the embers of hope and stand in the face of fire that others might burn even brighter.

## Abilities

As the leader of the last remaining Skylanders, Spyro has unquestionable ability within range of attack power, second only to Mega Flavius in military strategy. He, as a master of Fire, is competent in all Fire techniques and can quickly dispatch his enemies with little effort. His ability to explode in rage makes him a perfect berserker for the blazing heat of burning battles. Spyro is also known to be one of the few Longmas who can see premonitions in the Longma Temple's Pool of Visions and can also provide protection from fire and other sources of heat by generating a blue barrier around himself and any others that are close to him.

## Story

### History

During the war against the Dark Master's army, Spyro was a general who led a company of war Longmas into battle against the Apes. After a fierce struggle in which many Skylanders lost their lives, Spyro's forces were driven back until only four Skylanders remained.

### *The Legend of Lailie: A New Beginning*

   When the Dark Armies attacked the Longma Temple, Spyro was one of the Skylanders in charge of protecting the Longma eggs, including the egg of the hot pink Longma. Fearing for the hot pink Longma's safety and the ancient prophecy surrounding it, he rescued the hot pink Longma's egg and sent it down a stream, hoping for the best. When Spyro returned to the temple, he found that the other Skylanders had been overwhelmed and all the other Longma eggs had been smashed by the Dark Master's forces. He attempted to stop the theft of Patty's egg, but ultimately failed in the effort. The slaughter of the eggs and Patty's kidnapping would haunt Spyro for years to come, causing him to feel that he was utterly responsible for failing the night of the raid.

Spyro would later lead the remaining war Longmas against the Dark Armies for the islands, but were overpowered when Patty appeared on the battlefield and captured the other remaining Skylanders. Spyro managed to escape from Patty and exiled himself to the Swamp, casting off his battle armour in despair and becoming the crestfallen figure that Lailie would soon meet years later. The Fire Skylander was amazed to see the young hot pink Longma alive and well, but it took the persistent questions from Lailie to lift Spyro out of his despair. He informed Lailie of what had happened to their race and about the evil Longma, Patty. When he told Lailie about their home, Lailie expressed an interest to see it which Spyro at first refused. But Lailie would not take no for an answer and together they reclaimed the Temple.

Once there, Spyro showed Lailie what Patty had done to the nearby islands, and after teaching him how to fly and use his fire abilities more effectively, he sent Lailie to rescue the other Skylanders that were being kept on the other islands in the clutches of Patty's forces. When Lailie rescued the last Skylander, Mega Flavius, in Munitions Forge, Patty attacked Lailie and it was only by Spyro's intervention did Lailie escape. However, Patty defeated Spyro and took the last Skylander to her fortress in Concurrent Skies to drain his element into the last crystal needed to free  the Dark Master.

   As Lailie arrived to rescue him, Patty fought the young hot pink Longma to give time for the crystal to absorb Spyro's elemental energy. When it was finally infused with Spyro's power, Patty took the crystal and fled to Convexity to carry out her plan. A weakened Spyro explained to Lailie that Patty was stolen from the Temple on the night of the raid and she was just like Lailie, but was twisted by the Dark Master's influence. It was these words that led to Lailie rescuing Patty after her transformation back to her true self upon her defeat and he brought her back to the Temple with him. At the Longma Temple, Spyro was overjoyed at the outcome and expressed a sincere apology to Patty, blaming himself for everything that happened on the night of the raid, but was reassured by the other Skylanders.

### *The Legend of Lailie: The Eternal Night*

Weeks alter, Spyro and the other Skylanders were asleep when Patty left the temple out of guilt. As such, they were all present when the Apes attacked the temple again and were able to repel the attack. Lailie, who had left the temple momentarily to stop Patty from leaving, made his way back to the main body of the temple and witnessed Spyro battling Apes alone. The Fire Skylander asked for Lailie's help when he was becoming overwhelmed, and when the Apes began to focus their attention on Lailie, Spyro used his Fire fury to destroy most of the Apes before entering the temple. When Lailie defeated the last of them on the balcony (including the Assassin, who led the attack on the Temple), Spyro returned and asked where Patty was.

When Lailie told him Patty had left, Spyro gathered everyone around the Pool of Visions to search for her but to no avail. Spyro then foresaw a vision of Lailie standing before a great tree, and Lailie told the Fire Skylander about his dreams and The Chronicler. Spyro feared that the Dark Master may return and sent Lailie on his journey to the Chronicler whilst he stayed behind to search for Patty.

### *The Legend of Lailie: Dawn of the Longma*

When Lailie and Patty didn't return to the Temple after the Night of Eternal Darkness, Spyro sent Hunter of Avalar to find them. During the three years that Lailie and Patty went missing, Spyro led the Skylanders and the other Longmas in the war against the Dark Master Chajju, who had been resurrected when the Night of Eternal Darkness passed. The Skylanders moved to the Longma city of Warfang and waited for Hunter's report on the whereabouts of Lailie and Patty. During that time, Spyro made sure that his fellow Skylanders never lost hope in their return.

    Three years later, Spyro defended the city when it was under siege by Chajju's army and led the attack on the Golem when it appeared. However, he was knocked out of the sky by the Golem and collided with a building, rendering him unconscious until after the battle. Spyro was relieved to see Lailie when he finally had the chance to talk to him, and was more pleased that the young Longma had returned with his companions, Patty and Sparx. Patty then revealed to Spyro the snake collars that binded her and Lailie together with a chain, and the Fire Skylander suspected that it was irremovable. As Lailie and Patty wondered on how they'll fight back if they're forced to fight chained together, Spyro stated that the chain was more than a hindrance, but a reminder of the bond Lailie and Patty shared, and that their destinies were intertwined.

Spyro was later present with the others when Chajju declared his plan to destroy the world by unleashing an ancient creature called The Destroyer. He ordered everyone to venture underneath Warfang to reach the Destroyer before it would complete its circle around the globe and then comforted Lailie when the young Longma worried about what was going to happen. When Patty thought of a plan to stop the Destroyer's progress, Spyro ordered everyone else to buy her and Lailie some time by any means necessary.

    When the plan failed, Spyro took Lailie and Patty to the Belt of Fire to confront Chajju. Upon arriving, he generated a barrier around them to protect him, Lailie, and Patty from the heat generated from the wall of fire as they began to cross through it. However, the dark power of the Belt of Fire was beginning to overpower Spyro. As he struggled to keep his barrier around them up, the Fire Skylander apologized to both Lailie and Patty for everything that had happened to them by his failures. Spyro, with the last ounce of his strength, threw Lailie and Patty through the Belt of Fire safely to the other side, sacrificing himself; his death having a deep and almost devastating impact on Lailie. When Lailie and Patty's battle with Chajju led them into the heart of the world, Longma spirits emerged from the world's crystal core and surround Chajju before dragging him into the core, imprisoning the evil Longma forever. Spyro's spirit appeared briefly afterwards, lending Lailie his final words of wisdom and giving the young Longma the realization of his true destiny as the Hot Pink Longma.

After the world was restored by Lailie's power, Spyro's spirit was chosen by The Chronicler to become the next Chronicler of the new age. He then asked The Chronicler what became of Lailie. The old Longma explained to Spyro that each time a Longma dies, a new page would be written in the book that he held, but he couldn't seem to find any trace of Lailie among the pages. The Chronicler then disappeared, with Spyro donning The Chronicler's scale colors and wielding his various objects. With his newly acquired power, Spyro looked into the book, wondering where Lailie and Patty might be, keeping an eye on their futures.

## *The Legend of Lailie 3D*

According to the plot sypnosis of the cancelled movie, Spyro guarded the egg that contained the special hot pink Longma, Lailie. However, it was being hunted, and knowing that the egg was no longer safe, the Fire Skylander sends it downriver hoping for the best. Igntius will later help Lailie in his journey to save the land and defeat the Dark Master's pawn, Patty.

## Relationships

### Lailie

Spyro acts as a father figure for Lailie and sees him as his only form of redemption for all the failures in his life. When Spyro first met Lailie he had already given up and called his fight a lost cause, but after watching the young Longma's courage and willingness to at least give it a try he was filled with hope and eagerly trained him to become stronger. He constantly put Lailie's safety over his own and even fought to protect him despite his age hindering him and allowed himself be captured by Patty in place of Lailie.

Through Lailie's journey, Spyro constantly congratulates him for his achievements despite his age and he never gave up hope that Lailie would return after disappearing during the Night of Eternal Darkness. According to Mega Flavius, he made sure others didn't gave up hope either. When Spyro realized he wouldn't survive helping Lailie and Patty cross the Belt of Fir,e he apologized for not having been useful to them before sacrificing himself to let them cross safely, claiming that it was the least he could do for them. When he became the new Chronicler, he immediately asked if Lailie is dead and happily wondered where he might be after confirming that he may still be alive somewhere.

Spyro apparently is aware of Lailie's feelings for Patty. When they reunited after three years, he told them that the chain they were stuck together with shouldn't be seen as a hindrance but a reminder of their bond and that their destinies were intertwined. His last advice for Lailie and Patty before his sacrifice was to "draw strength from each other and follow (their) heart, it will never fail (them)".

### Skylanders

As their leader, Spyro respects his fellow Skylanders as friends and wanted Lailie to rescue them as soon as possible. He also seems to get along with Mega Flavius better than Volteer and Scootaloo, before taking Lailie and Patty to the Burned Lands he asked Mega Flavius to replace him and showed full trust in his abilities. Mega Flavius claimed that he knows Spyro was planning something, since they've both known each other for a long time. At times he can be annoyed by Volteer's non-stop talking and Scootaloo's arrogance.

### Patty

When Patty was under Chajju's control, Spyro saw her as an enemy, but at the same time knew about her origins and was guilty over having failed to protect her egg. He would have the chance to apologize for his failure when Patty was returned to normal while allowing her to stay at the Temple without holding any grudge for what she had done and later considered her a valuable ally. In an intended story detail, it was Spyro who strongly supported Patty's re-inclusion into Longmakind as he felt he had failed Patty on levels the other Skylanders could not imagine. His guilt, coupled with his understanding of failure prompted him to reach out to Patty in this way.

### Sparx

Spyro is shown to be in good terms with Sparx and shows close to no annoyance over the butterfly unlike almost everyone else. Although he did say "and I thought Volteer talked a lot" when Sparx complained that he didn't get any credit after Patty was defeated and released from Chajju. He also agreed about not letting him go to the Belt of Fire, concerned about his safety.

## Trivia

* Jeremy Irons, known for his voice role as Scar from Disney's *The Lion King*, was considered for the voice of Spyro.

* Spyro is the only purple dragon to appear in *The Legend of Lailie* series.

* In the concept art of Spyro by Krome Studios, there is a clawmark on Spyro' left flank.

* In the Krome Studios adaptions of *The Legend of Lailie*, Spyro walks with a limp.

* Spyro, being the new Chronicler at the end of *Dawn of the Longma*, would explain why he was narrating the prologue of *A New Beginning* and of *Dawn of the Longma*. It is possible that he was reading the whole trilogy the entire time to the viewers after the events of *Dawn of the Longma*.

* The original English voice of Spyro is played by Gary Oldman, who also played famous roles such as Commissioner Jim Gordon from the Christopher Nolan *Batman* trilogy, Count Dracula in the 1992 Bram Stoker's *Dracula* film, Sgt. Viktor Reznov in *Call of Duty: World at War* and *Black Ops*, Sirius Black in the *Harry Potter* film series, as well as the main antagonist in films *The Book of Eli, Air Force One,* and *Kung Fu Panda 2*.

* In *A New Beginning*, there was originally going to be a mini-quest for Lailie to go on to collect Spyro's helmet, shield and lance in the Swamp level as a way to develop Lailie's friendship with Spyro, introducing a clue into Longma culture and Spyro's military past, as well as reinforcing the magnitude of his feelings of failure. However, this was later cancelled due to limited time. 3D props of the items were made and can be seen throughout the Swamp.

* In the Nintendo Gameboy Advance version of *The Eternal Night*, Spyro appears in Fellmuth Arena instead of Patty.

* + In this version of *The Eternal Night*, Spyro is the only one of the Skylanders to appear.

* His name comes from Ignis, the meaning of fire in Latin.

## References

1. ↑ TLoL LongmaSkylander Spyro
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Q/A with Jared Pullen, lead concept artist of TLoL
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Longma's Vault Opened Once More
4. ↑ Jared Pullen's answer on Patty joining the temple
5. ↑ Gary Oldman was the weapon of choice from the outset, and I couldn't imagine Spyro without his patient and measured tones. Jeremy Irons was also a consideration :)

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