Aku Aku

Aku Aku is an ancient spirit that lives within a mask and guides Crash and his friends as they defeat forces of evil. He has appeared in every Crash Bandicoot game, and is one of the most famous characters of the series.

Pre-Crash Bandicoot
Hundred of years before the mutation of Crash Bandicoot, Aku Aku was a powerful witch doctor that lived in the Australian Islands. When he died, his spirit remained in the islands possessing a totem mask. Aku Aku act throught the mask and can rebuild it in case of a rupture. Aku Aku has an evil brother, named Uka Uka, who also turned his spirit into a mask. When Uka Uka planted the Uka tree, Aku Aku defeated him, and then locked him up in a magical cavern, from where he will never escape.

Crash Bandicoot
Aku Aku met the bandicoot Crash when he landed in the N.Sanity Island after been throwing away from doctor Neo Cortex's Castle. Crash wanted to save a female bandicoot named Tawna from the clutches of Cortex, and Aku Aku decided to help him, in order to avert the Cortex's plans and stop the pollution his factories spreaded across the islands. Then, Crash and Aku Aku make his way to the Native Village and goes inside the tribe leader Papu Papu's hut where the bandicoot defeats Papu Papu. Crash then makes his way to a second island where he goes in a temple and defeats another evolved mutant named Ripper Roo and crosses a river. He then makes his way to a volcanic cave mine and defeats Koala Kong and crosses to Cortex Island. Crash crosses the Cortex Power Station and defeats Pinstripe Potoroo. He makes his way through the castle and defeats Cortex's assistant Dr N. Brio who turns himself into a monster who destroys the castle. Crash barely escapes to Cortex's Airship where he has his showdown and defeats Cortex by reflecting his plasma gun. He then leaves the airship with Tawna who presumably go to N. Sanity Island.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Again, Aku Aku serves as a help to Crash Bandicoot when he is tricked by Cortex to gather the Power Crystals, in order to Cortex to power up his new Cortex Vortex. Crash also gathers the Gems, because the now rival of Cortex, Nitrus Brio, tells the marsupial the evil doctor's true plans and asks him to recover the Gems in order to destroy his new Vortex. So, Crash begins to gather the Crystals and the Gems with the help of his sister Coco and Aku Aku. He defeats the Brio's minions, who wants to stop Crash from gathering Crystals. He beats Ripper Roo, Komodo Brothers and Tiny Tiger. Later Cortex asks Crash to deliver the Crystals to his ally N.Gin, but the bandicoot beats him instead. Then, Cortex fill himself with anger, and tries to escape in a jet pack with the Crystals, but Crash races him throught the space and defeats him, and later, with the help of Coco and Brio, he destroys Cortex Vortex.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Then in Crash Bandicoot: Warped he began to play more of a role in the game series as he speaks to Crash and Coco about Uka Uka, and helps them along as they complete their mission to defeat Uka Uka and his henchmen. He is also the one to find out that his evil twin brother, Uka Uka has been released. He reappears in the final showdown battling Uka Uka while Crash battles Cortex.

Crash Team Racing
After that he was in Crash Team Racing giving Crash, Polar, Pura, and Coco helpful tips as they raced in a contest to save earth from Nitros Oxide who threatens to turn Earth into an enourmous concrete parking lot. Aku Aku also protects the good characters when they get the mask item with invincibility and enhanced speed.

Crash Bash
In Crash Bash he gathered Crash and Coco, and forced Dingodile and Tiny Tiger to fight for good in a contest created by him and Uka Uka that was suppose to end their conflict. In this game his team faced Uka Uka's team which included Cortex, N. Brio, Koala Kong, and Rilla Roo.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Then he appeared in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex helping Crash and Coco defeat Uka Uka and the Elementals. He once again was the one to find out the enemy when he discovered Uka Uka and Cortex released the Elementals and begs Uka Uka to stop this madness. Uka Uka and the Elementals refuse then they attack him barely allowing him to escape.

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
Later appeared in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure helping Crash defeat Dr. Neo Cortex. Aku Aku is the one who told Crash he must collect all the crystals to power the machine capable of stopping Cortex's Planetary Minimizer.

Crash Bandicoot: N.Tranced
Then in Crash Bandicoot: N.Tranced he helped Crash find a way to get to N.Tropy's base and ruin N.Trance's and N.Tropy's plan. When Cortex attempted to abduct him and hypnotize him Aku Aku was able to free him.

Crash Nitro Kart
After that he appeared in Crash Nitro Kart with basically the same role as he had in Crash Team Racing except he and the Bandicoots were up against Velo this time. He was seen discussing diets with Crunch right before he was abducted.

Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage
Aku Aku reappeared in the third handheld title, Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage when he and Coco noticed strange beasts walking around they called Crash. So Aku Aku and Crash set out when they met Spyro and teamed up to stop Cortex and Ripto.



Crash Twinsanity
Then in Crash Twinsanity he guided Crash through his journey and teamed up with Uka Uka in an unsuccessful effort to defeat The Evil Twins. In the beginning of the game he gave Crash helpful hints on the controls.

Crash of the Titans
Last he appeared in Crash of the Titans helping Crash save the Bandicoot's island from Uka Uka, Nina, Dr. Neo Cortex, and their monsters. In this game he is seen having the ability to jack enemies so Crash can control them.

Mind over mutant
He still helps to jack Titans but he is not visible on the Titan's face. He is also able to shrink the titans so it fits inside Crash's pocket.

Physical Description
Aku Aku is technically a mask although strangely he appears much more as a block of wood. He appears with four feathers on his head in all games up until Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex where he had seven feathers. He then had four feathers for the rest of the games until Crash of the Titans where he was remodeled with five feathers. He also has a green goatee until Crash of the Titans where it was not seen. In some games his face appears painted on but in most games his face appears more realistic. In all games except for Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot 2 his eyebrows never appear drawn on. His appearence in Crash: Boom, Bang is unchanged except for his angry expression.

In Crash of the Titans, Aku Aku, along with other characters recieved extreme makeovers cosmetically. Aku now appears more triangular and curved, with a more expressive face. Aku's design vaguely resembles a monkey.

Powers and Abilities

 * He has the ability to grant people one extra hit point if they break an Aku Aku Crate and two extra hit points if the person breaks two.
 * He has the power to grant temporary invicibility and break all the crates and enemies the player touches when 3 Aku Aku Crates are broken.
 * He can materialize in places when he has a large amount of energy.
 * He can also use his energy to form beams or explosions.
 * Aku Aku can also shapeshift to jack a titan.

Personality
Aku Aku is a happy, good hearted, and peaceful being but at the same time he knows when to take important matters (like saving the world) seriously. He is kind and has helped Crash, Coco, and Crunch throughout many of the games. He is also obediant to the rules of his superiors "The Ancients" who strangely have never been seen.

Appearances

 * Crash Bandicoot
 * Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
 * Crash Bandicoot: Warped
 * Crash Team Racing
 * Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
 * Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
 * Crash Bandicoot: N.Tranced
 * Crash Nitro Kart
 * Crash Bandicoot: Purple
 * Crash Twinsanity
 * Crash Tag Team Racing (cameo)
 * Crash Boom Bang!
 * Crash of the Titans
 * Crash: Mind over Mutant

Trivia

 * Aku Aku's voice in Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind Over Mutant ressembles Grim's voice from "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy".