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Andross

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“I've been waiting for you, Star Fox. With my mighty intellect, the universe shall soon be mine to command as I see fit. Opposing me is truly a death sentence... Just ask your father.”
—

Andross, sometimes known as Emperor Andross or Dr. Andross, is the main antagonist of the Star Fox series and the arch-nemesis of Fox McCloud. He is an evil mad scientist who is highly skilled in building technology, supernatural powers and battle tactics. His forces have tried to take over the Lylat System many times. Exiled to the distant penal planet of Venom for his destructive and dangerous experiments with bio-technology, the mad scientist Andross has recently resurfaced as the supreme commander of a seemingly unstoppable military force. Striking without warning, his invasion fleets have overrun the minimal defenses outposts of the many planets in the Lylat system and are even now attacking the most populous world in the system, Corneria. As a scientist on Corneria, Andross specialized in bio-technology and space warps. It's theorized that exposure to his own deadly experiments may have driven him mad. In the time since his exile, who knows how his continued experimental work may have affected him?

Biography

Chief Science Officer

Andross was born and raised on Corneria, fourth planet of the system, and his brilliance began to outshine other children, eventually growing up to be a brilliant Cornerian scientist with the purest of intentions. The research and results of Dr. Andross originally proved to be beneficial towards both Corneria and the Lylat System at large, earning him the title of a genius to be honored and respected. Over time, Dr. Andross had started to change his ways from good to ill, as he had been starting to focus all his time and energy researching bio-technology and space warps. His life's newfound efforts in researching unethical bio-technology and dangerous wormholes went in vain after they proved no use to the more peaceful citizens of Corneria, that left General Pepper of the Cornerian Army suspicious, often questioning the value of them. It was not long until both Andross and General Pepper came into a serious confrontation over the issue, and ordered all his work to be suspended. Not content with letting his work go to waste, Dr. Andross's mind became more and more twisted and his morals became demented, so he ignored his warnings and kept working on his dangerous experimentation in secret, with his wider growing lust for power bringing him to the point of insanity with a disregard for public safety.

First Class Offender

While being ordered to terminate his research, Andross continued on his work despite Pepper's demands, eventually with his experimentation causing a massive explosion that tragically destroyed a large portion of Corneria City, with his experiments also resulting in most of the Lylat System being reduced to a wasteland of near extinction. Infuriated, General Pepper placed Andross under arrest and tried him for treason as a first class offender, before having the maniacal scientist finally banished to the desolate planet Venom, in fear that he could potentially subvert the entire Lylat System if left to do his bidding. The General assumed that the traitorous ape would not survive.

Exile

Contrary to expectations, in exile and without any interference from General Pepper, Andross did not succumb to the disgraceful downfall and was able to get back on schedule, for he became a twisted shell of his former being and was driven by vengeful madness, going as far as exposing himself to his own lethal experimentation. Digging a maze of tunnels deep into the planet's crust, Andross soon built himself what he was denied back on Corneria, a palace of his own, where his thoughts and intentions shifted from protecting the Lylat System to destroying it and ruling a new galaxy under his new name as self proclaimed Emperor Andross. As the years progressed, Andross's evil ambition had served as a magnet to attract the scum of the Lylat System into his service, beginning to build armies of minions expected to willingly give their lives in the name of their master and the most powerful and intelligent of his followers had been promoted to positions of leadership in Venom's military machine, and each were given command of specialized war machines of great power. Andross dispatched these key lieutenants to seize strategic locations throughout the Lylat System. The machines they controlled came in a variety of shapes and sizes, and were always accompanied by fleets of support craft. With this new power founded by the forces of Venom, Andross created an empire.

Recon

Five years had passed since Andross was banished from Corneria, and General Pepper was informed by Corneria's observation station that they noticed strange signs of bio-weaponry activity coming from Venom. Under direct order from the Cornerian Army, a band of mercenaries known as the Star Fox team were sent to investigate these sightings. The team consisted of three members: James McCloud, the founder and leader, Peppy Hare, his best friend, and Pigma Dengar, his other best friend. Upon their arrival however, the Arwing duo discovered too late that Andross's forces were lying in wait for them all along, as Pigma had turned his back on James and Peppy, leading his betrayed teammates into a deadly trap and set them up to be taken prisoners by Andross. Somehow, Peppy was barely able to escape from Venom on his own, and returned home to inform General Pepper and James’ son, Fox, about his father's fate, and to warn Pepper about the growing threat of Andross's new empire. The exact fate of James was never proven, but he was widely assumed to have been personally killed by Andross himself.

Notes

  • Andross' surname remains unknown. In instances such as Star Fox materials, the Nintendo Power Star Fox 64 strategy guide, and the opening prologue of Command, he is named "Dr. Andross", hinting he goes by his surname. His nephew and grandson, however, have different surnames (Oikonny and Bowman, respectively). It is further unknown if Andross is the maternal or paternal uncle or grandfather to Andrew and Dash.
    • Due to Adventures containing an English voice cast in all regions, he was also known as Andross in the Japanese version. In addition, the briefings in the load screens of the Japanese version of " Assault" also call him by that name. As he is otherwise usually known as "Andorf" in Japan, this may suggest that his full name includes both Andorf and Andross. Incidentally, both games were the only ones initially released in North America.
  • In virtually every Star Fox medium, the main threats usually had some tie to Andross (Star Fox, Star Fox 64, Zero and Star Fox 2 had Andross as the primary villain and final boss, Farewell, Beloved Falco had a Cornerian Military turncoat force lead by Captain Shears attempting to resurrect Andross, Adventures had the SharpClaws being manipulated by Andross, and Command had the implication that the Anglar species were a bioengineered race created by Andross). The only exception was Assault, where the main threat, the Aparoids, had absolutely no ties to Andross.
  • According to Takaya Imamura, he derived Andross's name from Andromeda, which is the closest galaxy to the Milky way and a character in Greek Mythology.
  • Though the name is censored in interviews, Imamura modeled Andross after his boss at the time, likely Hiroshi Ikeda, the head of Nintendo IRD.
  • His original Japanese name, Andorf, resembles a portmanteau of Android (in reference to his initial robotic-looking final boss appearance) and Adolf (as in Hitler). For this reason, it had to be changed in the west.
  • His revised English name, Andross, may instead be a reference to Sir Edmund Andros; Andros was the Governor of the Dominion of New England while it existed, which he ruled restrictively and cruelly.
  • The Japanese strategy guide for Star Fox 64 revealed in Pigma's bio that the latter character was directly subordinate to Andross at the Cornerian Defense Forces Science Insititute prior to his banishment, with it being heavily implied that this was ultimately a factor in Pigma's later treason against Corneria.
  • Andross is the only boss in Star Fox Adventures to have standard Star Fox gameplay, as his battle involves Fox chasing him in an Arwing. In all of the other boss fights, except MuscleFoot, Fox had to use Krystal's staff as his weapon with Zelda-esque gameplay. While Drakor does come close to the standard formula, it's only accomplished via a rail shooter via a hover platform as well as Krystal's staff.
  • Andross's having a profound, almost racist denouncement of canids in Star Fox Zero was a reference to a Japanese convention where primates (Andross's species) and dogs/foxes (such as General Pepper) were deemed mortal enemies (similar to the stereotypical relationship between dogs and cats in Western media). It is to be noted his slurs towards dogs was downplayed in the English version compared to the Japanese version.

Names in Other Languages

Language Name
Japanese アンドルフ (Andorufu) Andorf
(天才科学者 Genius Scientist)
Chinese 安德羅斯 (Traditional)
安德罗斯 (Simplified) (Āndéluósī)
Korean 안돌프 (Andolpeu)
Russian Андросс (Andross)

References

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