Ignitus

## Gallery

   *Full image gallery of Ignitus can be viewed here.*

*“Ignitus is a Guardian Dragon Elder who was once a proud general-like figure, but is now grizzled and a little broken inside. He acts as a mentor to Spyro, guiding him and teaching him the ways of the world, while casting a careful eye on Spyro's well-being.”*
    —*The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning* website character description
**Ignitus** is a fire dragon who is the leader of the remaining Guardians. Throughout *The Legend of Spyro* trilogy, he serves as Spyro's mentor and father-figure, guiding him to the right path and teach him about the element of fire.

## Character Development

Ignitus was designed by Jared Pullen, lead concept artist of *The Legend of Spyro: 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, the original goal was to reveal Spyro's parentage in stages and throw up the notion that perhaps his father was either Ignitus or Malefor. The concept was to re-occur across *The Legend of Spyro* trilogy, but it never panned out. Jared stated that he had always personally maintained that Ignitus was indeed Spyro'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

### Original Design (2006-2007)

In his original Krome Studios design, Ignitus is a red dragon with dark red spots, light orange horns, and red-pink frills on his shoulders and behind his cheeks. He has dark red spines that grow from his head and trails down his back to the tip of his frilled tail. His wings are also dark red with light orange membranes and he has a scaley underbelly. A pair of frills grow from under his chin resembling a goatee. In the concept art, Ignitus has a visible clawmark on his left flank, which is absent in the final version of *A New Beginning*.

Ignitus's character design by Jared Pullen
### *Dawn of the Dragon* Design (2008)

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

Ignitus' character model by Jasp
## Personality

*“May the Ancestors look after you, may they look after us all.”*
    —Ignitus
As the leader of the remaining Guardians, Ignitus has unquestionable ability within range of attack power, second only to Terrador in military strategy. He is often calm and collected but has been known to break out into fits of fury, using his fire ability to great effect. He blames himself for everything that has happened to Spyro and Cynder and carries that guilt throughout the series. His faith in Spyro is utterly unwavering and he is a devout believer in the Ancestors, truly believing that Spyro is nature's way of balancing itself against evil.

While he is the most dedicated of the four Guardians, he is still haunted by failures of his past and seeks to redeem himself. Equally capable of warmth, rage, and long smoldering bouts of shame, resentment, and regret, he keeps his distance from the other three Guardians, Volteer, Cyril, and Terrador. 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. Ignitus is also seen as a father figure to Spyro.

## Abilities

Befitting for his role as leader of the Dragon Guardians, Ignitus has unquestionable ability within range of attack power, second only to Terrador in military strategy. He trained in the ancient ways, using his teeth, tail and physical strength to perform moves that can knock back multiple enemies. Ignitus is also known to be one of the few Dragons who can see premonitions in the Dragon Temple's Pool of Visions.

### Elemental Fire

As a master of the Fire element, Ignitus 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. Due to his age, performing a fury attack can leave him weakened and take him longer to recover his energy. In *Dawn of the Dragon*, Ignitus can provide protection from fire and other sources of heat by generating a blue barrier around himself and any others that are close to him. Although a storyboard panel reveals the intention was for Ignitus to generate shield made of flames from his fiery surroundings or from his own fire breath.

## Story

### History

During the ongoing war against the armies of the Dark Master, Ignitus was a general who led a company of war Dragons into battle. After a fierce struggle in which many Guardians lost their lives, Ignitus's forces were driven back until only four Guardians remained.

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

    When the Dark Armies attacked the Dragon Temple, Ignitus was one of the Guardians in charge of protecting the dragon eggs, including the egg of the purple dragon. Fearing for the purple dragon's safety and the ancient prophecies surrounding it, he rescued the purple dragon's egg and sent it down a stream, hoping for the best. When Ignitus returned to the temple, he found that the other Guardians had been overwhelmed by the Dark Armies, who proceeded to smash all the other dragon eggs in sight. He attempted to stop the theft of Cynder's egg, but ultimately failed in the effort. The slaughter of the eggs and Cynder's kidnapping would haunt Ignitus for years to come, causing him to feel that he was utterly responsible for failing the night of the raid.

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

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

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

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

Weeks later, Ignitus and the other Guardians were asleep when Cynder 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. Spyro, who had left the temple momentarily to stop Cynder from leaving, made his way back to the main body of the temple and witnessed Ignitus battling Apes alone. The Fire Guardian asked for Spyro's help when he was becoming overwhelmed, and when the Apes began to focus their attention on Spyro, Ignitus used his Fire fury to destroy most of the Apes before entering the temple. When Spyro defeated the last of them on the balcony (including the Assassin, who led the attack on the Temple), Ignitus returned and asked where Cynder was.

When Spyro told him Cynder had left, Ignitus gathered everyone around the Pool of Visions to search for her but to no avail. Ignitus then foresaw a vision of Spyro standing before a great tree, and Spyro told the Fire Guardian about his dreams and the Chronicler. With the Night of Eternal Darkness approaching, Ignitus feared the imminent dark times unfolding around him and the others and decided to take the next course of action. He tasked Volteer and Cyril to go to the mainlaind to learn what news they can, and sent Terrador to make haste to the Shattered Vale to warn of its inhabitants of the darknesss spreading in the Mountain of Malefor. Lastly, Ignitus sent Spyro on his journey to seek out The Chronicler whilst he stayed behind to search for Cynder and await Spyro's return.

### Between *The Eternal Night* and *Dawn of the Dragon*

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

### *The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon*

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

Ignitus was later present with the others when Malefor 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 Spyro when the young dragon worried about what was going to happen. When Cynder thought of a plan to stop the Destroyer's progress, Ignitus ordered everyone else to buy her and Spyro some time by any means necessary.

    When the plan failed, Ignitus took Spyro and Cynder to the Belt of Fire to confront Malefor. Upon arriving, he generated a barrier around them to protect him, Spyro, and Cynder 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 Ignitus. As he struggled to keep his barrier around them up, the Fire Guardian apologized to both Spyro and Cynder for everything that had happened to them by his failures. Ignitus, with the last ounce of his strength, threw Spyro and Cynder through the Belt of Fire safely to the other side, sacrificing himself; his death having a deep and almost devastating impact on Spyro. When Spyro and Cynder's battle with Malefor led them into the heart of the world, dragon spirits emerged from the world's crystal core and surround Malefor before dragging him into the core, imprisoning the evil dragon forever. Ignitus's spirit appeared briefly afterwards, lending Spyro his final words of wisdom and giving the young dragon the realization of his true destiny as the Purple Dragon.

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

## *The Legend of Spyro 3D*

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

Another plot synopsis and the leaked movie script has Ignitus give Spyro's egg over to a woodland full of Dragonflies to keep. Knowing that the Dragonflies creatures are peaceful and more importantly hard to find, Ignitus calls on an allegiance from their distant ancestry and the Dragonflies agreed to protect the egg and raise Spyro as their own.

## Relationships

### Spyro

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

Through Spyro's journey, Ignitus constantly congratulates him for his achievements despite his age and he never gave up hope that Spyro would return after disappearing during the Night of Eternal Darkness. According to Terrador, he made sure others didn't gave up hope either. When Ignitus realized he wouldn't survive helping Spyro and Cynder cross the Belt of Fire, 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 Spyro is dead and happily wondered where he might be after confirming that he may still be alive somewhere.

Ignitus apparently is aware of Spyro's feelings for Cynder. 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 Spyro and Cynder before his sacrifice was to "draw strength from each other and follow (their) heart, it will never fail (them)".

### Dragon Guardians

As their leader, Ignitus respects his fellow Dragon Guardians as friends and wanted Spyro to rescue them as soon as possible. He also seems to get along with Terrador better than Volteer and Cyril. Before taking Spyro and Cynder to the Burned Lands, he asked Terrador to lead the civilians to safety and showed full trust in his abilities; this alone aroused Terrador's suspicions that he knows Ignitus was planning something, since they've both known each other for a long time. At times Ignitus can be annoyed by Volteer's non-stop talking and Cyril's arrogance.

### Cynder

When Cynder was under Malefor's control, Ignitus 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 Cynder 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 Ignitus who strongly supported Cynder's re-inclusion into Dragonkind as he felt he had failed Cynder on levels the other Guardians could not imagine. His guilt, coupled with his understanding of failure prompted him to reach out to Cynder in this way.

### Sparx

Ignitus is shown to be in good terms with Sparx and shows close to no annoyance over the dragonfly 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 Cynder was defeated and released from Malefor. 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 Ignitus.
* Ignitus is the only red dragon to appear in *The Legend of Spyro* series.
* In the concept art of Ignitus by Krome Studios, there is a clawmark on Ignitus' left flank.
* In the Krome Studios adaptions of *The Legend of Spyro*, Ignitus walks with a limp.
* In one of the flashbacks of the isle-wars in *A New Beginning*, Ignitus can be seen standing by a young dragon who was his battle-squire and banner-bearer for his war battalion, Pyra.
* Ignitus, being the new Chronicler at the end of *Dawn of the Dragon*, would explain why he was narrating the prologue of *A New Beginning* and of *Dawn of the Dragon*. It is possible that he was reading the whole trilogy the entire time to the viewers after the events of *Dawn of the Dragon*.
* The original English voice of Ignitus 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 Spyro to go on to collect Ignitus's helmet, shield and lance in the Swamp level as a way to develop Spyro's friendship with Ignitus, introducing a clue into Dragon culture and Ignitus'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*, Ignitus appears in Fellmuth Arena instead of Cynder. Unlike her capture at the hands of the Shadow Wraiths, it's entirely unknown what happened to Ignitus, after he fought off the pirates, in this version of the game.
	+ In this version of *The Eternal Night*, Ignitus is the only one of the Guardians to appear.
* His name comes from Ignis, the meaning of fire in Latin.
* In a storyboard panel for *Dawn of the Dragon* for the Burned Lands introduction cutscene, Ignitus draws in or breathes out a shield made of fire that would protect him, Spyro and Cynder from the flames of the Belt of Fire. In the final game, a blue energy shield is simply generated from Ignitus.

## References

1. ↑ TLoS DragonGuardian Ignitus. (Date Posted - Apr. 3, 2016). *DeviantArt*.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Q/A with Jared Pullen, lead concept artist of TLoS*. (Date Posted - Aug. 27, 2015). *DeviantArt*.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *The Dragon's Vault Opened Once More*. (Date Posted - Mar. 31, 2011). *Blogger*.
4. ↑ *"I've been only sort of half-sleeping with one eye open for weeks now,"*. Sparx, *The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night*
5. ↑ *Spyro, Cynder and Sparx's age*. (Date Posted - Apr 23, 2015). *DeviantArt*.
6. ↑ *A new beginning...*. (Date Posted - Apr. 14, 2016). *DeviantArt*.
7. ↑ *Gary Oldman was the weapon of choice from the outset, and I couldn't imagine Ignitus without his patient and measured tones. Jeremy Irons was also a consideration :)*. (Date Posted - Apr. 7, 2016). *DeviantArt*

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