The gladiator, also known as a soldier, is an enemy in The Lost Frontier. It is one of the final results of Aeropa's Dark Warrior Program, and is the elite version of the Aeropan commando. It is part of Aeropa's legion of dark warriors, which also includes the ethereal sub-commander and dark armadillo.
History[]
Every dark warrior is a former Aeropan civilian[1] who underwent similar treatment to that of Jak when he was imprisoned in Haven City.[2] This time, however, they were successfully mutated into soldiers capable of being mass-produced, and are equipped with the same uniform and armor.
The gladiator was first utilized in the Aeropan's invasion of Far Drop during the mission "Fight off the Aeropan shock troops". They were used by the ethereal sub-commanders in a similar manner to the regular commandos, and could be seen stationed around them as well as in individual pairs.
They shortly thereafter reappeared inside the Aeropan barracks during the mission "Smash the barracks". Dark Daxter had to take care of them, as they acted more like stationed guards than soldiers.
Characteristics[]
The gladiator is fairly similar in appearance to the regular commando, but with scarlet clothing instead of purple, and two gold bands trimming its armor instead of one. Its clothing design is otherwise very similar; a vest over a gray undershirt, a metal helmet that covers the entire head, shoulder plate armor, metallic gloves, knee cap armor, and silver boots.
There are still yet a few aesthetic and utility differences however, including the addition of thigh armor, a mounted axe on the right arm, and a shield on the left arm. The axe is detachable, leaving an arm with no hand, while the shield appears to only be held. The shield can be retracted and expanded for mobility and defense, respectively.
Combat[]
When playing as Jak, the first attack a gladiator will use is a slam on the ground with its axe which will release a few harmful dark eco spheres along the ground. Its second attack is a three-strike combo, ending in one powerful spinning attack. You will notice it is impervious to gun fire due to its shield, which it will retract to attack—this is its vulnerable moment, on which you should capitalize. However, its shield is also able to be circumvented with the Lobber, melee attacks, or any other gun fire from behind.
As Dark Daxter, the first commando can only be destroyed by carrying fire with Daxter's frenzy attack. The others may be picked up and thrown around, which is a good tactic barring basic melee attacks. Instead of the ground slam attack it does when it combats Jak, it will use its detachable axe as a boomerang, throwing it towards Daxter and catching it as it returns. It can block Daxter's thrown blasts of dark eco with the shield, though Dark Daxter in turn can grab the shield and throw it away, rendering it defenseless and forcing it to go on the offense.