Daxter

This article is about the character. For the video game, see Daxter (game).

Daxter
Image of Daxter with his exterminator gear from Daxter.
Series	Jak and Daxter
First game	Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Voiced by	Max Casella and Richard McGonagle

Daxter is a fictional character and a protagonist of the Jak and Daxter series. First introduced in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Daxter is Jak's best friend, and was accidentally transformed into an ottsel (half otter, half weasel). Daxter is voiced by Max Casella and Richard McGonagle (as Dark Daxter). Daxter stars in his own game, named after himself. Daxter has received mixed reception, some calling him annoying, some calling him funny.

Development and characteristics

In an interview, Naughty Dog’s creative director said that "Daxter is the hero that you are afraid you are...Daxter is just a little bit concerned, a little bit afraid and he would rather take the easy way out".^[1] He also said they use Daxter as a "secret weapon" for when scenes start to get boring.^[1]

Daxter is Jak's sidekick and closest friend. After falling in a vat of Dark Eco, he is transformed into an ottsel (half otter, half weasel). Before Daxter's accident, he was an orange haired, buck-toothed coward that seemed to be the opposite to Jak's courageous and trouble making. Daxter often tries to persuade women using lousy pickup lines. Daxter later gets a love interest of his own in Jak II, Tess, a weapon-designing blonde for the underground. Though Daxter has been marked as a coward, he always exaggerates his stories to make him seem as the hero. In The Lost Frontier, Daxter is changed more by Dark Eco and has a transformation known as Dark Daxter, similar to Dark Jak. While as Dark Daxter, Daxter grows about a few inches Jak's height, can shoot Dark Eco blasts, and can spin around like a tornado. His personality also changes while in this form as he has the desire to smash and break things.

Appearances

Daxter first appears in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, where he and Jak take a boat to Misty Island, a place Samos the Sage warned them against visiting. Daxter accidentally falls into a vat of Dark Eco, and he is turned into an ottsel (half otter, half weasel). Daxter's accident leads the story's plot as he seeks help from the main antagonist, Gol, to turn him back to normal.^[2]

In Jak II, a gate opens that sends Jak, Daxter, Keira, and Samos into Haven City, a future version of their world. As they appear, guards take Jak away to jail. Two years later, Daxter finds Jak and helps him break out of jail. They begin a quest to find out where they have been sent to, and meet back up with Keira and Samos. Along the way, they take jobs from a slum lord, Krew, and Daxter meets his love interest, Tess, a weapon-designing blonde. After the events of the plot, Daxter takes over Krew's bar, and renames it the "Naughty Ottsel".^[3]

In Jak 3, Jak is thrown out of Haven City, into the wasteland, and Daxter follows him. Near the end of the plot, it is revealed that Daxter is same species as the Precursors, a group of ancient beings said to have created the world and the Eco in it. As they save the world, the precursors grant Daxter the thing he most wishes for; a pair of pants, and turn his girlfriend, Tess, into an Ottsel so they can be together.^[4]

Daxter takes place right after Jak and Daxter go through the warp gate, and are separated. An old man named Osmo offers Daxter a job exterminating Metal Bugs. Daxter accepts the job, and completes missions while also looking for Jak.^[5]

In The Lost Frontier, Daxter goes to the brink with Jak to help escort Keira in her quest to become a sage. Daxter is changed more by Dark Eco and gains a transformation known as Dark Daxter, similar to Dark Jak. While as Dark Daxter, Daxter grows about a few inches Jak's height, can shoot Dark Eco blasts, and can spin around like a tornado. His personality also changes while in this form as he has the desire to smash and break things.^[6]

Reception

Daxter has received mixed reception, some calling him annoying, some calling him funny. IGN described Daxter as "a comical, truly amazingly animated creature-character that brings a new sense of wonder and joy to videogames", calling him "imminently likeable."^[7] Daxter was listed as being the ninth-best video-game sidekick of all time by Gamespy.^[8] In an interview, Didier Malenfant, president of Ready At Dawn, stated "Daxter, to my mind, really has been the best character in the whole series"^[9] Daxter was listed by IGN as being the sixth-best PS2 sidekick, being described as being "funny as hell."^[10] Daxter won an award at the Game Developer's Conference for the best "Original Game Character of the Year" in 2002.^[11] Daxter was listed as one of the 15 most annoying video game characters by Cracked, stating "Daxter reminds us of that one friend who is always cracking jokes, but isn't any good at it."^[12] On GamesRadar's "Top 7 Lazy Character Cliches", they listed "The Animal With Attitude", showing Daxter as an example.^[13] Daxter was listed fifth on 1UP's "Top 5 Worst Videogame Sidekicks", stating he acted like a "terrible '80s stand-up comic"^[14]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Michael Lafferty (2005-04-14). "Video Game News - Naughty Dog’s creative director talks about Jak X: Combat Racing". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/news/04_14_05_03_03PM.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-04. 
2. ^ Naughty Dog. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 2. (December 4, 2001)
3. ^ Naughty Dog. Jak II. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 2. (October 14, 2003)
4. ^ Naughty Dog. Jak 3. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 2. (November 9, 2004)
5. ^ Ready at Dawn. Daxter. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation Portable. (March 14, 2006)
6. ^ High Impact Games. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2. (November 3, 2009)
7. ^ IGN Staff (May 16, 2001). "E³ 2001: Naughty Dog Debuts Jak and Daxter - PS2 News at IGN". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/094/094484p1.html. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
8. ^ Dave Kosak (01-04-04). "Top Ten Video Game Sidekicks". Gamespy. http://www.gamespy.com/articles/489/489774p2.html. Retrieved 01-20-10. 
9. ^ Ellie Gibson (15 March, 2006). "Daxter goes solo PSP Interview - Page 1". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/i_daxter_psp. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
10. ^ IGN Staff (March 28, 2006). "Top 10 Tuesday: Best Sidekicks". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/698/698916p1.html. Retrieved 04-20-10. 
11. ^ "Game Developers Choice Online Awards Archive 2nd Annual GDCA". http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_2nd.html. Retrieved 2010-12-08. 
12. ^ Tim Lovett (February 19, 2008). "The 15 Most Annoying Video Game Characters (From Otherwise Great Games)". Cracked. http://www.cracked.com/article_15902_15-most-annoying-video-game-characters-from-otherwise-great-games.html. Retrieved 12-30-09. 
13. ^ Charlie Barratt (Jul 21, 2008). "The Top 7... Lazy Character Clichés". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-top-7-lazy-character-clichs/a-2008072111311385086/p-6. Retrieved 01-05-10. 
14. ^ Bob Mackey. "Top 5 Worst Videogame Sidekicks from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3172040. Retrieved 02-25-10.