Crunch Bandicoot

"This is the creature who keeps sabotaging your master plan? Hah! You gotta be kidding. I'll exterminate this field rat in no time."

- Crunch Bandicoot

Crunch Bandicoot is generally a supporting character in the Crash Bandicoot series and is a genetically altered cyborg bandicoot who was originally created by Doctor Neo Cortex to destroy Crash Bandicoot. He was at first one of the main antagonists in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, alongside Uka Uka, Cortex himself, and the Elementals, his main power source. After his final defeat by Crash in a space station, Crunch had a change of heart as he broke free from Cortex's control, and now tries to be a positive role model to children. He has since befriended Crash, Coco and Aku Aku, helping on their quest to save the world and living with them as a new member of the Bandicoot family, acting as an older sibling to both Crash and Coco.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Crunch was created by Doctor Neo Cortex in private as a super weapon that would be capable of harnessing frightening powers. Doctor N. Gin and Doctor Nefarious Tropy (who only had a slight understanding of the project) were the only other individuals who knew about the weapon. During a bad guy convention held by Uka Uka, Tropy and N. Gin reveal the weapon in desperation for one good plan to defeat Crash Bandicoot, who Uka Uka wants eliminated. Doctor Cortex formally announces the super weapon, but reveals that it is still missing a power source. Hearing the word "element", Uka Uka brings up the Elementals, a group of destructive masks that could create enough energy to bring the secret weapon to life. It is also presumed, due to him following Cortex's orders, that the super weapon, which is a live creature, had been successfully brainwashed by the Cortex Vortex. The weapon, who is revealed to be Crunch Bandicoot, attempts to defeat Crash with the aid of the Elemental masks, but when Crunch is defeated in Cortex's space station, he snaps out of Doctor Cortex's control. Although his first instinct is to introduce his fist to Cortex's face, Aku Aku informs Crunch of the space station's imminent destruction, and the group decides to flee back to Earth. Back on Earth, Crunch shows his gratitude toward Crash and the gang, and becomes part of the Bandicoot family.

Crunch plays a role in each of the game's boss fights. In the first four, he joins together with one of the Elemental masks to take on a new form and gain the mask's powers. In the fifth and final battle, he accompanies Cortex and all four of the masks, and will inadvertently help Crash by striking at Cortex in frustration. He also appears as an opponent in Ghost Town, where he races Crash on minecarts.

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
In N-Tranced, Crunch is abducted by N. Trance and is brainwashed alongside Coco and Fake Crash. Crash battles a brainwashed Crunch on a flying carpet over the skies of Saudi Arabia, with Crash firing shots of energy at Crunch whenever the latter is stunned by exploding Nitro crates. Upon snapping out of N. Trance's control, Crunch becomes a playable character in some of the Atlasphere levels. He shows up with the rest of the bandicoots at the end to take a group photo with N. Tropy upon the doctor's defeat and capture.

Crash Nitro Kart
Crunch is a playable character in Crash Nitro Kart, as he is abducted along with Crash and Coco. He is trying to lose weight and discusses some fitness tips with Aku Aku during a workout. When Velo refuses to let the bandicoots go back to earth, Crunch tells him they'll keep racing. Over the course of the game, Crunch is an enthusiastic but gracious competitor, even complimenting Norm's teamwork upon defeating him. After Crash lets the real Velo keep his empire, Crunch makes the former emperor hold up his end of the deal and sends the Bandicoots back to earth. In the end, he is shown sunbathing, relaxing with the other Bandicoots and Polar. He drives a blue, low-turning kart with average acceleration and great speed like Tiny, Zem and Dingodile. He is a member of Team Bandicoot with Crash, Coco and Fake Crash.

Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage
Crunch has a minor appearance in Ripto's Rampage, aiding Crash in the weightlifting minigames. Beating the final minigame of this variety, Weightlift in Tech Park, rewards the player with Crunch's Trading Card, holding the Highest value.

Crash Twinsanity
Crunch has a cameo in Crash's "birthday party", which is a gathering of past Crash villains. While Crunch is in the gathering, he (being an ally of Crash) actually believes that it is really Crash's birthday, donning a green paper birthday crown and holding a cake topped with a candle whilst looking surprised over the villains around him. Despite Crash being redesigned for the game, Crunch retains his design from The Wrath of Cortex, Strangely, he is also significantly shorter in this game.

Crash Tag Team Racing
Crunch appears as a playable character in Crash Tag Team Racing, in which he searches for Ebenezer Von Clutch's lost Power Gems alongside the other racers. His clashed weapon is the Hot Rivet Gun which acts like a mini-gun. Like other characters, he can be found in the park and gives Crash tasks to complete when spoken to.

Crash Boom Bang!
Crunch appears as a playable character in Crash Boom Bang!.

Crash of the Titans
In Crash of the Titans, Crunch is ambushed by Doctor Neo Cortex during the beginning of the first episode, leaving him frozen from the neck down. He stays this way until the end of the game, in which the Doominator's collapse is able to set Crunch free. Coco says that he smells like bacon then Crash, Coco and Crunch have a big hug and eat pancakes. Crunch does not appear in the DS version of the game. In the Game Boy Advance version, Crunch is taken prisoner by Tiny Tiger by order of Neo Cortex. He is freed upon Tiny's defeat. He also appears in the ending of the GBA version.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant
In Crash: Mind Over Mutant, he and Coco become addicted to the NV, a mind control device disguised as a virtual reality headset. They are so distacted that they are unable to help Crash and Aku Aku defend their home from N. Gin's Ratnician army. When they are later mutated by the negative Mojo transmitted by the NV, Crunch runs off, leaving a mutated Coco to fend off Crash.

Crunch is later found at the Junkyard, where Doctor Nitrus Brio commands him to attack Crash. He is soon freed from the NV's control, but continues to be beaten up by Crash for a short time. He then decides to go back home and get some sleep. From then on, he can be found offering mini-game rounds on top of the remains of the Doominator on Wumpa Island.

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
Crunch appears in this game as a playable racer. He is unlocked when 28 Mission points are acquired.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Crunch is an unlockable playable character in the game, sporting a look similar to his CNK appearance. As a pre-order bonus with the Nitros Oxide Edition, Crunch can be unlocked from the beginning with an exclusive Robot skin. He was originally purchased from the Pit Stop for 1500 Wumpa Coins, but as of the Post-Grand Prix update, he is unlocked immediately via the free Beenox Pack.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Crunch has a cameo in It's About Time, appearing on a screen in the background of the Flashback Tape level, "Outfit Durability Exam". His name can also be seen spelled out in fridge magnets on the refrigerator at the beginning of Rude Awakening.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
While Crunch himself doesn't physically appear in On the Run!, a Crunch-themed skin for Crash was added in Season 5: 25th Anniversary!.

Personality
In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crunch is first portrayed as being the over-confident type, constantly believing that he can eliminate Crash with ease. This behavior causes him to become arrogant later in the game, insisting that he doesn't even need the Elementals (his main power source) to defeat Crash, and becoming generally annoyed with Cortex. It is not until he is defeated that Crunch snaps out of Cortex's control and lives with the Bandicoots.

Because of his time with the Bandicoots, Crunch's personality has gradually changed after his liberation from Cortex's control. In Crash Nitro Kart, Crunch is shown to be an avid weightlifter. He is also interested in nutrition and, at one point in Crash Tag Team Racing, plans to sell the Crash gang out through future endorsements in hopes of becoming a famous and respected figure.

In Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash of the Titans, and Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Crunch displays a tough personality and mannerisms based on those the actor Mr. T. Despite his rather masculine demeanor, Crunch occasionally shows a soft side; in Crash Tag Team Racing, it is revealed that Crunch sleeps with a pink teddy bear aptly named 'Pinky Bear', and is unable to sleep without it. Crunch does not take kindly to rude behavior or bad manners. For example, in Crash of the Titans, he admonishes Crash for belching loudly. As a habit, Crunch gives Crash life advice, though it is usually unrelated to the topic at hand.

In Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Crunch's personality is reverted to more of a tough jock attitude with several abrasive traits similar to his personality in Crash Nitro Kart.

Outward appearance
In contrast to Crash and Coco's meager size and build, Crunch is generally depicted as a large, muscular, burgundy-colored bandicoot with a metallic arm, camouflage pants and large boots. While Crunch's metallic arm usually takes the form of an arm, it can also be turned into a laser cannon-like device, as shown in the boss fight against him in Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced. In the games prior to Crash of the Titans, Crunch's metallic arm only covered his right forearm and hand.

In Crash of the Titans, the cybernetics not only cover his entire arm, but take on a new, futuristic appearance. In addition, two scars can be seen above Crunch's chest. In Crash Tag Team Racing, Crunch is depicted with a metallic ear, a feature that was not carried over to Crash of the Titans. His head also resembles a wolf's head. In Mind Over Mutant, Crunch bears no resemblance to his previous forms, has a new metallic arm which seems to hold a lit furnace, and new scars; he has 2 scars on his right eye and 1 more on his left pec. In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex Crunch also wears spiked shoes, a trait not carried over to other games. He was also significantly larger in his first appearance, arguably standing as Cortex's largest mutant, while in all later titles he is only a few feet taller than Crash and Coco.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
“Cortex’s most radical weapon yet created, Crunch is a perfectly tuned Super-Bandicoot! A bionic brute, he has been genetically created for one reason and one reason alone: DESTROY CRASH BANDICOOT!”
 * Manual

Crash Nitro Kart
“Originally created by Dr. Neo Cortex to destroy Crash, Crunch had a change of heart and joined the bandicoot family. His tremendous bulk gives him amazing momentum and speed, but he’s a bit slow to start.”
 * Manual

Crash Boom Bang!
"He was originally created by Cortex. He's one tough and powerful dude."
 * In-Game

Appearances

 * Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
 * Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
 * Crash Nitro Kart
 * Crash Nitro Mini Golf (cameo)
 * Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage
 * Crash Nitro Kart (mobile)
 * Crash Twinsanity (cameo)
 * Interactive Pachislot Crash Bandicoot
 * Crash Tag Team Racing
 * Crash Tag Team Racing: Drive-By
 * Crash Boom Bang!
 * Crash Bandicoot Party Games
 * Crash of the Titans
 * Crash: Mind Over Mutant
 * Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
 * Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
 * Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (cameo)
 * Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (cameo)

Crash Bandicoot
Crunch was created with one objective: eliminate Crash so Cortex could rule the world. After being freed from Cortex's mind control, Crunch became a member of the Bandicoot family and Crash's adoptive brother. He tends to call Crash "Li'l Brother" and acts like an older brother to him and Coco despite Crash technically being the oldest sibling of the three and Crunch being the youngest. In Crash of the Titans, they both constantly remind Aku Aku that he doesn't have a body to fight with, much to his annoyance. However, since Crunch wants to set up a good example, he hates bad manners, and is often annoyed with Crash's antics and his bad habits, like when he burps at the beginning of Titans. Sometimes, he also gets hypnotized/brainwashed, forcing him to fight against Crash, and this happened twice (in The Wrath of Cortex and N-Tranced), but Crash always saves him whenever this happens.

Aku Aku
After being freed, Aku Aku decided to take in Crunch as another of his children. In Crash Nitro Kart, they seem to discuss different opinions about suitable diets.

Coco Bandicoot
Initially, they started off well and worked together to help Crash whenever he needed their help. However, by Mind Over Mutant, Coco became annoyed with Crunch trying to boss her and Crash around.

Portrayals
Crunch is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in the English versions of Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Crash Nitro Kart. As of Crash Tag Team Racing, he is voiced by Chris Williams in the style of Mr T, in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled he's now voiced by Ike Amadi who portrays Crunch with a much lighter, less gruff voice and completely drops his Mr. T impersonation. In the French version of the series, he is voiced by Martial Le Minoux, who voices numerous other characters in the series. In the Japanese version of the series, he is voiced by Yūji Kishi in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Crash Nitro Kart, by Masafuma Kamura (who also voiced Tiny Tiger in Crash Nitro Kart) in Crash Tag Team Racing and by Shinya Fukumatsu in Crash Boom Bang!.

Quotes
"Finally, I get to wrap my fingers around your puny, orange neck."

- Crunch

"Time to earn your wings, kid!"

- Crunch

"Crash, Coco, Aku Aku... I'm grateful to all of you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be under the control of Doctor Cortex. Thank you for believing in me, guys..."

- Crunch

"See you at the finish line! Ha ha ha!"

- Crunch

"No pain, no gain!"

- Crunch

"Show Crunch what you can do, baby!"

- Crunch

"C'mon, it's pain time!"

- Crunch

"Dang, sucka. You're crazy!"

- Crunch

"My legs! I'm gonna be a quadraparalegal!"

- Crunch

"Hi, everybody! What the fudge happened out here? Give me a hug!"

- Crunch

"Yeah. I think I'm leaking brain juice. Gotta lay down for a while. Sleepy!"

- Crunch

Gallery
See: Crunch Bandicoot/Gallery

Trivia

 * In the Radical Entertainment-developed games, Crunch does various catchphrases and imitations of the real-life actor Mr. T. In fact, in Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash can even purchase a skin for him called Mr. Crunch.
 * Crunch's eye color has changed throughout the series. He had green eyes in The Wrath of Cortex and his cameo in Crash Twinsanity, blue in CNK, Nitro-Fueled and It's About Time, and red in the Radical Entertainment-developed games.
 * Crunch's canon height is 8ft, but only Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rage have ever depicted him as such. Oddly, he is always shown as smaller than Tiny (except for The Wrath of Cortex), despite Tiny being canonically smaller at 6ft.
 * Crunch's model from the Nitros Oxide edition trailer of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled appears to have a wider waist and slightly shorter legs. This was presumably an early version of his model from the one in the final game.

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