Kernel

SPOILER WARNINGThis page might contain spoilers, so read at your own risk!

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> *"Ah, where are my manners? I am Kernel, the commander of Guardian Corps. ...Or what's left of it anyway." - Kernel introducing himself to Kai*
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**Kernel** is the commander of the Guardian Corps, assisting Kai on his mission to protect civilians against the Virus Army. He can be found within the Guardian Corps HQ, where he sends Kai to each of the eight Rebel Circuits' stages.

## Appearance

Kernel is a tall and broad robot with green and white-accented armor. Two white antenna stick out from his "ears", and he wears a hat that seems to also be part of his head. He has a small green crystal on his chest, and the emblem of the Guardian Corps is on his left shoulder.

## Personality

Kernel is described as a "pompous bot", often making quips during his mission briefing that can come off as selfish. Despite this, Kernel seems to be genuinely appreciative of Kai's assistance in fighting back the Virus Army and protecting the city.

## History

Kernel is first seen in near the end of the opening stage, being threatened by Cable right before the stage's boss, Wrecker Tank appears on the scene. Following the battle, Kernel gestures for Kai to follow him into the Guardian Corps HQ.

Inside, Kernel expresses his gratitude for Kai and introduces himself to him, filling him in on what has happened since the first conflict with the Virus Army. Following this, Kernel gives out missions to Kai to confront the eight Rebel Circuits, transferring him to their locations.

As the story progresses with every defecting Circuit defeated, Kernel begins to act strange, until Kai defeats all eight Circuits, where Kernel turns into a traitor and steals all of the circuits and escapes Guardian Corps HQ, prompting Kai to follow him to the Ark. From this point on, Pat will replace Kernel as the mission-giver.

In the final Ark stage, Kai encounters Kernel, who has received some slight modifications, including an eye above his forehead. Shortly after, the Ark begins to lift off from the ground, as Commander Circuit reveals himself, explaining his plans to leave the planet and leave the civilization behind so that he may resume his mission of building new worlds for the Circuits' masters. As Kai refuses to leave his friends behind, Commander Circuit unleashes Kernel on him, forcing Kai to fight him unwillingly.

The brainwashed Kernel's attacks range from jumping towards Kai, performing spin attacks, and causing ground shockwaves. Kernel can also dash towards Kai, and if successful, grabs him and throws him into the wall. When his health reaches halfway, the floor and ceiling will come closer slightly, as Kernel activates a barrier that makes him invincible for a short duration.

Following the fight, Kernel thanks Kai for defeating him, as the latter proposes he can be fixed, but Kernel acknowledges that it is too late for him to be repaired, and asks Kai to defeat Commander Circuit before exploding.

Following Commander Circuit's destruction, the Ark is put back in place by Nega. As Kai is joined by his friends, he contemplates whether or not he should tell them about his identity, as well as the truth about the Circuits and Kernel's fate.

## Trivia

* If the player dies and/or returns to a checkpoint after defeating him, Kernel will perform slightly new animations while sporting a purple color palette, showing that Commander Circuit revived the poor bot as a zombie for the sake of fighting Kai again.