Quantum Masks

The Quantum Masks are a group of masks that first appeared in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, who are all siblings. Throughout the game, Crash and Coco can use their powers to avoid obstacles and cross specific areas. Whenever Crash or Coco use their powers, their outfits change to match the corresponding Quantum Mask.

Pre-series history
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Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
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Lani-Loli
"Alright! Two masks down, two to go! Feeling a little less panicked. I was at a 10 before, now I'm at a solid... let's say 9.78888. Oh yeah, these bandicoots are here to help."

- Lani-Loli Lani-Loli is the Quantum Mask of Phase and the tritagonist of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. With him, Crash and Coco can phase various objects, crates and obstacles in and out of existence. Objects that can be affected appear with ghostly blue wisps floating around them. Objects that are already phased out can be identified by an intangible blue replica in its place. He was the first mask recruited, in a cavern within N. Sanity Peak before he and Crash fled for their lives from a monster within the mountain.

Physical Appearance
Lani-Loli is an hourglass shaped, light-blue mask. He has two points at the bottom of him, and a wide fan-like crest on the top. There are two round parts on either side of the middle of his face, resembling ears. He has round pure white eyes with purple rims, small purple eyebrows and a mouth with purple lips and bright white teeth. The top half of him is solid, seeming to be made of a sky blue stone, while the bottom half is phased out at all times, being a translucent icy blue. The four prongs of his crest each have one or two arrows, each prong's arrows pointing in a different direction.

Personality
Lani-Loli displays a skittish and anxious personality, seeming to be in a constant state of panic throughout the game. He is almost always worrying about the other Quantum Masks and the fate of the multiverse, until both Dr. N. Tropies are defeated.

Akano
"Ban-di-coot. ...Hmm. Follow."

- Akano Akano is the Quantum Mask of Dark Matter. Using his power, Crash and Coco can spin violently after a jump to hover in the air and glide from platform to another. This spin can also be used to break Locked Crates and knock back certain colored projectiles. The spin lasts until the power is turned off again. While spinning, Crash and Coco move automatically, making the player have very little control while moving. Originally meant to be obtained after defeating N. Gin's robot drummer, Akano bounced away until Crash and Coco caught up with him in the next world.

Physical Appearance
Akano is formed from multiple dark purple rocks, held together by pure force. He is shaped a little like a beaker, with a thinner top widening out into a large chin at the bottom. He has a small mouth that is entirely white on the inside, and pure white eyes with thick eyebrows that extend outwards, curving down on either side of him, almost like handles. There is a strange glowing white glyph on his chin, and a similarly glowing triangular marking on his forehead. Small pieces of rock constantly float around him.

Personality
Akano is a brooding mask who exudes an intimidating aura, one that initially frightens Crash and Coco. He is monosyllabic and says very little in general. He is also much heavier than he appears, heavy enough to cause Crash to accidentally drop him on his own foot. Despite his intimidating demeanour, Akano is a good person at heart, if a little blunt. Even his bundle of nerves of a brother, Lani-Loli, is completely at ease around him. Akano seems to be very fond of food, especially nachos.

Kupuna-Wa
"Wah? What time is it? Oh goodness, I ought to know... Crash! Coco! C'mon, give old Kupuna-Wa a kiss, eh?"

- Kupuna-Wa Kupuna-Wa is the Quantum Mask of Time. With her, Crash and Coco can slow down time, which makes it easier to jump across fast-moving platforms and avoid fast enemies. After clearing their way through the bayou area, she is the third mask acquired by Crash and Coco.

Physical Appearance
Kupuna-Wa is a round mask, with main part of her face made of a pale beige material. Her lower jaw and eyelids are gold, as well as a golden headpiece around the top of her. The headpiece has turquoise markings on it that resemble the phases of the moon, and it also has the hands of a clock poking out at the top, resembling hair pins. Two hourglasses hang on either side of her face, resembling earrings. A gold line goes down between her eyes like a nose, and her eyes are pure turquoise. The inside of her mouth is whatever colour of what is behind her as there’s nothing behind it.

Personality
Kupuna-Wa's nature is reminiscent of a grandmotherly figure and exhibits a very carefree attitude. Given her complete knowledge of all time, her omniscience has made her comfortable with talking about dangerous future events with no concern of the impact such knowledge might have. She has a rather dark sense of humour, and likes playfully teasing Lani-Loli from time to time. Kupuna-Wa is the first female mask to appear in the Crash Bandicoot series.

Ika-Ika
"When's existence ever done anything for anyone, anyway?"

- Ika-Ika (pessimistic) "Oh, don't mind grumpy gus, he's always a downer."

- Ika-Ika (optimistic) Ika-Ika is the Quantum Mask of Gravity. Using his power, Crash and Coco can flip the direction of gravity to walk on the ceiling to solve puzzles and avoid certain hazards. Crash, Coco and Cortex discover him in his resting place during Prehistoric times.

Physical Appearance
Ika-Ika is shaped like a double-sided arrow, with one face being on either side, upside-down to each other. The upper, optimistic half is a more turquoise colour, with round, pure yellow eyes, markings resembling mountains, and long curly markings for a moustache that extends down into the other half. The other, pessimistic half fades into a blue colour, with the curls of the other half's moustache resembling puffed cheeks. This side is themed more like the ocean as a contrast to the other half's mountains. This half has a dark blue triangle attached to the tip of the point at the top of it. Ika-Ika flips over depending on which half is in charge at the given moment, with each side sharing the same mouth in the centre, yet still having their own unique voice.

Personality
Ika-Ika has a split personality, visibly demonstrated by opposing faces on his upper and lower halves; one side is refined and optimistic, while the other is gloomy and nihilistic. The two halves are aware of each other, and will often comment on what the other has said. Ika-Ika is the least developed of the four Quantum Masks, being discovered last and having the fewest cutscene appearances.

Notably, the only times both sides are active at the same time is when he gets a proper scare, such as when Lani-Loli screams at him when he’s sleeping.

Appearances

 * Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Trivia

 * The names of the Quantum Masks each refer to a Hawaiian term:
 * "Lani-Loli" derives from "lani", meaning "sky" or "royalty"; as well as "loli", meaning "change" or "transform".
 * "Akano" derives from "'akano", meaning "substance".
 * "Kupuna-Wa" derives from "kupunawahime", meaning "grandmother".
 * "Ika-Ika" derives from "ikaika", meaning "strength".
 * Kupuna-Wa can be seen in the PlayStation "It's Time To Play" commercial released months before the game's official reveal, though she is dark blue instead of gold.
 * Despite being male in the original English and in all other localisations, Lani-Loli is portrayed as female in the Portuguese dub.
 * The concept of elemental masks was previously used in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, with the Elementals, who also (ironically enough) appeared in the fourth installment, as cameos.

Quantum-Masken Máscaras Cuánticas Máscaras Quânticas