Mad Dog

(マッドドッグ, Maddo Doggu?, lit. Mad Dog)

Original

“It's almost likes saying goodbye to a lover. The bard had it right- Parting is such sweet sorrow!”

—Mad Dog encountering Sundown at the beginning of the chapter

**Mad Dog** is a character and party member from the Wild West chapter, The Wanderer. He is a professional bounty hunter and dogged rival to the Sundown Kid.

## Profile

### Appearance

Mad Dog is a well dressed man compared to Sundown. He wears a black overcoat with matching pants, and an orange shirt and red ascot underneath. He wears a rather dandy looking hat and a bullet belt around his body. He has short, black hair and a clean-shaven face.

### Personality

Mad Dog is the magniloquent speaking man to Sundown's quiet composure. He has a strong flair for the dramatic, seeking a proper conclusion in all things. A very persistent and single-minded man, he has been searching for Sundown ever since he heard of his bounty, always trying to get his head. In the end usually, he ends up getting beat, and Sundown continues his trek while Mad Dog demands to be finished off.

## History

### The Wild West: The Wanderer

It is known that Mad Dog has been hunting Sundown for quite a long time to the point that they have a firm rivalry. As a bounty hunter, his primary goal is to kill Sundown and claim his $5000 bounty

Mad Dog is first seen confronting Sundown as he wanders the desert. He challenges Sundown to a duel, but is easily bested. Demanding to be finished, the bounty hunter tries to give chase, but Sundown shoots the the ground beneath his horse, Goldie, causing her to buck Mad Dog off and flee. Mad Dog is left in the dust as Sundown speeds off.

Mad Dog later shows up in Success; having lost Goldie out in the desert, he traipses into the Crystal Saloon soon after Sundown chases out Pike. He reveals Sundown's identity as an outlaw to the townsfolk, before challenging him to a showdown out in the street. Though he relished the chance to finally end things with his rival, the showdown is cut short when both gunslingers are are forced to shoot two members of the Crazy Bunch instead. Seeing their skill, Annie requests them to team up and help drive the Crazy Bunch out of Success. Unable to turn down the request of a lady, Mad Dog agrees.

Throughout the night, Mad Dog accompanies Sundown as he searches the town to prepare traps for the Crazy Bunch's arrival. He contributes to the effort by creating traps of bottled fire as Sundown discovers the ingredients, and provides Sundown with appraisals and tips on the townspeople's working potential. As dawn emerges and the Crazy Bunch storms into Success, Sundown and Mad Dog exit the saloon to confront their quarry. Fighting together, both gunslingers take out the Crazy Bunch's leader, O. Dio, thus liberating Success.

After O. Dio flees Success, Mad Dog nonchalantly renounces his and Sundown's partnership, still determined to take his rival's bounty. Despite the pleas of the people, he and Sundown resume their showdown. The outcome of the fight depends on player choice: if Sundown chooses to fight Mad Dog, the bounty hunter loses the showdown, and is killed. If Sundown instead flees from battle, Mad Dog, unwilling to kill a man in cold blood, coolly retreats.

Should Mad Dog be spared, he will make a final appearance in the chapter's tail end, once again confronting Sundown in the desert. He has surprisingly tamed the equine form of O. Dio, having bonded with him through their kindred spirits. He again takes Sundown in a duel, but loses once more, and Sundown again shoots his horse out from under him. Rather than trail Sundown, Mad Dog instead decides to chase after O. Dio.

### Final Chapter: The Dominion of Hate

Mad Dog makes a brief reappearance in the final chapter, appearing in the preludes before the rematch of Sundown and O. Dio

If he was spared in The Wanderer, Mad Dog makes another appearance in Sundown's ending. In the Super Famicom version, he faces Sundown again and hops off his horse. In the remake, he and Sundown instead ride side by side across the desert, having apparently formed a strong friendship.

## Gameplay

### Strategy

Mad Dog is only playable in one battle: the fight against O. Dio. On the whole, Mad Dog's attacks are weaker than Sundown's, especially is Sundown is prioritized with equipment. Mad Dog does possess an AOE attack, where Sundown at the moment does not; his Texas Jitterbug can deal a decent amount of damage in a wide area and high damage to a single target.

### Stats

* **Physical Attack:** 24
* **Physical Defense:** 19
* **Special Attack:** 29
* **Special Defense:** 30
* **Speed:** 49
* **Accuracy:** 18
* **Evasion:** 18
* **Damage Resistances:** Projectile
* **Status Immunities:** None
* **Power:** 24 (0 per level)
* **Speed:** 37 (1-4 per level)
* **Vitality:** 19 (1-3 per level)
* **IQ:** 29 (3-4 per level)
* **Immunities:** None
* **Evades:** Ranged, Back

## Gallery

Mad Dog's portraitMad Dog and Sundown take down 2 Crazy Bunch members (SFC)Mad Dog tames O. Dio (SFC)Promo art depicting Wandering for the remakeLINE sticker for remakeLINE sticker for remake (wave 2)Artwork counting down 6 days to the release of remake, by Rina YoshiuraArtwork celebrating the release of the PlayStation/Steam versions
## Trivia

* Mad Dog is presumably based on The Man in Black from the Dollars Trilogy of movies
* If the Sundown Kid responds negatively to Billy before challenging the Crazy Bunch, Mad Dog does not follow Sundown outside, and instead attempts to beat a retreat. However, he changes his mind once the Sheriff joins the battle, deciding to stick around to claim Sundown's bounty.