Uka Uka

"I have heard enough of your shallow wisdom. It is I who is the strongest and it is evil that will ultimately prevail!"

- Uka Uka

Uka Uka is a voodoo mask spirit, Aku Aku's twin brother, and the overarching antagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series. He is ultimately the driving force behind Neo Cortex's evil plans, though he is short-tempered and often blames him for their failures.

Pre-series history
Long before the events of the series, Uka Uka was a powerful and evil shaman who aspired to rule the world, but was opposed by his older brother, Aku Aku. Eventually, both abandoned their mortal bodies and their immortal souls came to inhabit tribal masks. After this, the brothers continued their war against each other, but Aku Aku ultimately succeeded in trapping Uka Uka within a lost temple, where he remained for several millennia.

Despite his long imprisonment, Uka Uka held on to his ambitions to dominate the planet. At some point, he somehow came in contact with the mad scientist, Doctor Neo Cortex, who also wished to enslave humanity. Seeing a potential pawn for his plans, Uka Uka recruited Cortex, offering him both instructions and resources to carry their shared goal, only to have Doctor Cortex lose the crystals and the gems, and have his space station destroyed.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped
The rubble of the ruined space station from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back eventually crash lands onto Earth, destroying the underground prison, and finally freeing Uka Uka. Upset with Cortex's failure to retrieve the crystals and the gems, Uka Uka recruits Nefarious Tropy, who has created the Time Twister, which will allow them to collect the crystals and gems from across time. And although frustrated with Cortex’s failures, Uka Uka still felt a small sense of generosity and gratitude towards Cortex because his second failure managed to set him free after eons of imprisonment. Throughout the game, Cortex and Uka Uka take turns taunting Crash and Coco Bandicoot from within the Time Twister, before Crash finally confronts the two for the final boss fight. Upon their defeat, the Time Twister collapses, making Uka Uka a prisoner of time along with Cortex and N. Tropy (who are now infants).

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Uka Uka scolds Cortex and the rest of the villains for their less-than-impressive evil productivity. Fed up with Cortex's incompetence, Uka Uka concludes that if global domination is to ever be achieved, Crash should be handled personally. Deciding to use Cortex's new super-weapon to wipe out Crash Bandicoot, he frees the Elementals to act as the super-weapon's source of power and bring it to life. He is next seen in the Hyperspace Temple meeting with his good twin Aku Aku, who had previously noticed strange environmental activity on earth. When asked what scheme he has, Uka Uka surprises him by revealing the Elementals, who in turn taunt Aku Aku. During the Warp Room conversations, Uka Uka seldom appears demanding an update and growing impatient.

When Crash imprisons the Elementals, defeats the super-weapon, and brings it to their side, Uka Uka holds Cortex responsible and fires an energy blast at him out of anger, but in doing so causes their newly built space station to overload, forcing Cortex and Uka Uka to evacuate. Their escape pod lands in the depths of Antarctica, stranding them both on a sheet of ice. Cortex is then chased by a very, very angry Uka Uka.

Crash Twinsanity
Some time after the events of Wrath of Cortex, a frozen Cortex and Uka Uka wash up on the shore somewhere on the Wumpa Islands. Though Cortex soon thaws and sets up a base on an iceberg, Uka Uka spends three more years trapped in ice in the nearby mountains.

He is later mistakenly freed by Crash and Cortex. Furious, he transforms into an ice titan in order to fight both of them. When he is defeated, Uka Uka attempts to fly away, but Aku Aku stops him and tells him about the Evil Twins' plot to destroy Earth. Distraught at the news that someone else is trying to destroy the world ("Nooo! That's my job!"), Uka Uka temporarily teams up with his twin brother to fight the Twins, only for both of them to be soundly defeated by the Evil Twins' ability to control reality.

Uka Uka appears in place of Aku Aku when the player controls Cortex or Nina.

Crash of the Titans
In Crash of the Titans, Uka Uka teaches Doctor Cortex a new process called "Mojo Mutation", which uses a magical substance known as mojo to mutate any living creature into a loyal minion of Cortex. At the Temple of Zoom, Uka Uka leaves Doctor Cortex to destroy Crash and Aku Aku while he returns to the base with an enormous amount of stolen mojo and Coco Bandicoot in tow. When Cortex fails to defeat Crash, Uka Uka asks Cortex how Crash had survived in battle and replaces him with Nina, much to the shock of his minions. In a lab on the island's giant tree, Uka Uka expresses his relief with Nina Cortex's higher competence, but begins to sense Aku Aku's presence nearby and decides to stay in the lab and kill Crash Bandicoot himself. Uka Uka confronts Crash as the penultimate boss by using Doctor Cortex's Evolvo-Ray on himself, giving him a gargantuan body made from the tree's wood. When the Evolvo-Ray is destroyed, Uka Uka claims that he will have the last laugh, as Nina is about to launch the Doominator, threatening the existence of Wumpa Island. Uka Uka is absent in the Nintendo DS version of the game.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant
In Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Uka Uka appears to have given Doctor Neo Cortex another chance after replacing him with Nina. However, using a Sludge, Cortex overthrows Uka Uka and places him in a mojo-draining machine to be used as the power source for the NV device. As an added insult to injury, Cortex's Grimly servants won't stop force-feeding him cake until he hates cake forever. Further, his magical voodoo bones were stolen by the Titan Heroes. He is eventually freed by Crash and Aku Aku, and decides to get revenge on Cortex by helping them thwart his plan. He promises to take the two to Cortex's new space station if his bones are returned to him. When this task is completed, Uka Uka keeps his promise and warps Crash and Aku Aku to the Space Head to stop Cortex. If he is talked to after being set free, he gives Crash a minigame to complete.

In the Nintendo DS version of the game, Uka Uka blocks Crash from moving on without defeating all enemies nearby, after which he will disappear.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Uka Uka makes a brief appearance in the opening cutscene, where he uses up all of his dark magic to open up a quantum rift in which ultimately drains most of his powers and leaves him significantly weakened. Cortex and N. Tropy leave his body, the latter stating that "he's served his purpose". He returns in the 106% ending when Cortex hears his evil laughter echoing throughout the Universe, before seeing the mask looming towards him with a wicked grin on his face.

Crash Team Racing
Uka Uka appears in Crash Team Racing as a tutor for the evil characters Cortex, N. Gin, Tiny, and Dingodile, giving them useful tips and tricks throughout the game. He also appears as a power-up during the races, protecting Ripper Roo, Papu Papu, (despite being a neutral character) Komodo Joe, Pinstripe Potoroo, Fake Crash, Doctor Nefarious Tropy, and Nitros Oxide from all attacks and obstacles whilst giving them a speed boost. However, he cannot protect the characters from chasms and deep water. His weapon icon also appears for Penta Penguin, but when selected, activates Aku Aku instead in NTSC version.

Crash Bash
In Crash Bash, in order to resolve his constant fighting with Aku Aku, Uka Uka summons Cortex, Brio, Tiny, Dingodile, Koala Kong, and Rilla Roo as part of a contest between his players and Aku Aku's; Uka Uka is later forced to relinquish Tiny and Dingodile to Aku Aku's team to even out the number of players between them. In the minigame, Melt Panic, he melts the ice with a red laser to knock players off or even attacks them outright.

Uka Uka's real plan is to gather the crystals and therefore gain their power. In the evil ending, the evil player succeeds in doing so and Uka Uka causes a supernatural storm that rages through the galaxy, signaling his victory. Aku Aku tells Crash and Coco to flee as Uka Uka assumes control. In the good ending, the good player has gotten the crystals for Aku Aku. Aku Aku seals them away and flushes Uka Uka out into the universe.

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
Uka Uka oversees Doctor Cortex's plot to shrink Earth in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure. In the intro of this game Cortex cowers in front of Uka Uka and mirrors the intro scene of Warped.

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
Frustrated with Cortex's defeat in Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, Uka Uka entrusts Doctor Nefarious Tropy, who recruits N. Trance: a cyborg with the ability to hypnotize almost anyone, with a plot to recruit the bandicoots towards their side. When Trance and Tropy are defeated, Uka Uka promises the bandicoots a real adversary in the future, however he does not ever live out that promise.

Crash Nitro Kart
Uka Uka reprises his role from Crash Team Racing in Crash Nitro Kart, giving Team Cortex useful advice and acting as a power-up for their members- Cortex, N. Gin, Tiny Tiger, and N. Tropy. His WOC model is used in the manual.

In the handheld version of Nitro Kart, he becomes a substitute for the Velo Mask, additionally protecting Nitrus Oxide, Velo, N. Trance, Dingodile, Krunk, Nash, Norm, Big Norm, Geary, and Spyro.

Crash Boom Bang!
Uka Uka has a cameo appearance in Crash Boom Bang!, as a purchasable power-up.

Skylanders: Imaginators
Uka Uka appears as an assist attack in Skylanders: Imaginators for Dr. Neo Cortex. He also appears as the guide to a Galaga-type minigame that's only accessible as Cortex.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
Uka Uka appears in On the Run! as one of the many bosses for Crash or Coco to defeat. He is also mentioned on Aku Aku's character profile as someone whom he hates.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Uka Uka appears back in his original design and serves the same role as he did in the original game, though unlike the original he is not hidden on the game over screen, except for Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Uka Uka returns to his role in the Nitro-Fueled remake of Crash Team Racing, where he gives the evil characters (Cortex, Dingodile, Tiny, N. Gin, Papu, Ripper Roo, Pinstripe, Komodo Joe, Fake Crash, N. Tropy, Komodo Moe, N. Brio, Nina, Koala Kong and Rilla Roo) instructions on what to do during the Adventure Mode and is also available as a power-up during races for said characters. Penta Penguin, King Chicken and the Iron Checkpoint Crate can randomly use Uka Uka as a mask alongside Aku Aku.

Prior to the Nitro Tour Grand Prix update, Uka Uka served as a substitute for the Velo Mask for Crash Nitro Kart antagonists, as he did in the handheld version of Crash Nitro Kart. Uka Uka also served as the mask for Nitros Oxide prior to the Back N. Time Grand Prix update. Additionally, he does not protect Gnasty Gnorc despite being an evil character, as Sparx is his power-up instead; due to originating from the Spyro universe.

Personality
Unlike even-tempered, friendly, and nice Aku Aku, Uka Uka is a bad-tempered, diabolical, and psychopathic villain with an inflated ego, believing that he is superior to the point that he often refers to himself as "The Great Uka Uka" in earlier games, though Doctor Neo Cortex and Doctor Nefarious Tropy have also referred to him similarly. Despite this, he is capable of rare generosity, namely when he spares Cortex's life after Cortex inadvertently sets him free from his temple prison by the ruins of the doctor's space station. In contrast, he seems to respect Nefarious Tropy for his greater relative competence. Uka Uka largely looks down on his older brother Aku Aku, whom he sees as feeble. It is implied in Crash of the Titans that he has fallen into a "shame spiral" due to his constant losses and that an earlier depression led to him engaging in bulimia. It is also claimed that he is extremely self-conscious about his lack of a body.

While Uka Uka's self-perceived purpose is to conquer or destroy the world, he is willing to temporarily save it from other threats as he considers the act "his job". In most of his appearances, he seeks to accomplish this by obtaining power from the crystals or gems. After Crash inevitably thwarts his plans, Uka Uka blames Cortex for their failure and attempts to magically assault him, an example of his tendency to blame others for his own mistakes.

Physical appearance
Despite being the brother of Aku Aku, Uka Uka differs greatly from him in terms of physical appearance. Uka Uka is generally larger than his twin brother, and the wood that makes up is face is a dark brown/black color in contrast to Aku Aku's light brown. Uka Uka usually sports a large ginger beard, which becomes brown in Wrath of Cortex and a dull blonde color in Twinsanity. He has a small rectangular nose, golden pupil-less eyes with dull green eyebags, light brown eyebrows, sharp teeth and three bones; one is tied above his forehead, and two are seen dangling on ropes from both sides of himself (though they do not swing with his movements until Crash Twinsanity). Another notable feature is the jagged stripe that goes across his forehead, which is yellow with red outlines.

In Crash of the Titans, Uka Uka is shown to have undergone a drastic redesign much like every other character. He now resembles a large dull red skull with pointed teeth, large eyebrows, white pupils, and an absent lower jaw. The bones upon his person have also doubled from three to six, with three bones hanging from large feather-like appendages on each of his sides.

He retains his original form in the N. Sane Trilogy.

Abilities
Uka Uka shares many of his brother's abilities, such as flight and the ability to protect his wearer. It is hinted in Crash Bandicoot: Warped that he can possess his wearer, as shown by Cortex's reaction to Uka Uka being removed from his face; this is more emphasized in the Japanese version of the game, in which Doctor Cortex and Uka Uka's seiyuus speak their lines together while Cortex is wearing Uka Uka. It would make sense that Uka Uka is able to "jack" and possess people akin to his brother Aku Aku's ability in Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind Over Mutant. Uka Uka's main offensive ability is a small energy volt which he often uses to punish Doctor Cortex. He can also create an artificial body out of matter or energy through physical contact, as shown in Crash Twinsanity and Crash of the Titans, in which Uka Uka assembles bodies out of ice and Wumpa Island's tree respectively.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped
“The Big Boss…..the rottenest thing in the universe even before Aku Aku locked him up. The years in prison made him even worse. Now he always has time for crime.”
 * Manual

Crash Bash
“He is the twisted brother spirit of Aku Aku. After eons of imprisonment, Uka Uka became free to encourage rotten deeds. If his team wins, his “goody-goody” brother, Aku Aku will be required to relinquish all power.”
 * Manual (NTSC-U)

“UKA UKA – Aku-Aku’s evil twin”
 * Manual (PAL)

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
“The evil twin mask of Aku Aku, Uka Uka is the controlling force behind Cortex’s obsession with conquering the world.”
 * Manual

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
“As much as we all want an Aku Aku in our lives, we wish we’d never met his evil twin brother. A psychopathic wooden mask with an ego complex, Uka Uka pretty much considers everyone an idiot. But, his countless attempts at taking over the world have failed miserably. So maybe he just needs a hug?”
 * Promo

Appearances

 * Crash Bandicoot: Warped
 * Crash Bandicoot: Kattobi! Spin World
 * Crash Team Racing
 * Crash Bash
 * Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
 * Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
 * Crash Bandicoot Blast
 * Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
 * Crash Nitro Kart
 * Crash Nitro Mini Golf (cameo)
 * Crash Twinsanity
 * Crash Boom Bang! (cameo)
 * Crash of the Titans (console and Game Boy Advance versions only)
 * Crash: Mind Over Mutant
 * Skylanders: Imaginators
 * Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
 * Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
 * Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
 * Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!

Portrayals
In the English version of the series, Uka Uka is voiced by Clancy Brown, who also voiced Doctor Neo Cortex, from Crash Bandicoot: Warped to Crash Nitro Kart. In the English version of Crash Twinsanity, he is voiced by Alex Fernandez, who also voiced Farmer Ernest in the same game. As of Crash of the Titans, he is voiced by John DiMaggio, who previously voiced Tiny in Crash Nitro Kart, in the English version of the series.

Quotes
"From deep inside my temple prison, I sent you simple instructions to follow. But you lost the Gems, you lost the Crystals, AND I HAVE LOST MY PATIENCE!!!!! There is now no other power source left on this planet..."

- Uka Uka

"Good luck, and drive fast!"

- Uka Uka

"There is nowhere to run or hide from THE MIGHTY UKA UKA!!!!!!"

- Uka Uka

"Imbeciles! FOOLS!! NINCOMPOOPS!!! CAN'T YOU IDIOTS DO ANYTHING RIGHT!?!?! According to this, your track record for spreading evil is PATHETIC!"

- Uka Uka

"That's it! No more underlings! Next time you will face a real adversary!"

- Uka Uka

"Try driving ON THE TRACK!!!"

- Uka Uka

"Free... AGAIN!!!"

- Uka Uka

"Who has released me from my icy tomb?! My My! Can it be? Crash and Cortex? I don't know whether to kiss you... OR KILL YOU!!!"

- Uka Uka

"Allow me to announce your replacement. Nina Cortex!"

- Uka Uka

"Stealing my mojo to power your NVs! That's low even for you... but why do you keep feeding me cake!?"

- Uka Uka

Gallery
See: Uka Uka/Gallery

Trivia

 * According to his character profile in Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, he loves crystals and ruling the world, and he hates Aku Aku and cake.
 * Uka Uka, when summoned in Twinsanity, utters the same chant Aku Aku does whenever he is summoned, even though in CTR he chants something different.
 * Uka Uka's name is "Aku Aku" backwards.
 * There is a glitch in Crash Twinsanity where if Crash runs through the wall to Uka's boss area with Cortex without smashing the wall, they can skip the boss fight.
 * When Aku Aku and Uka Uka team up in Crash Twinsanity, Aku Aku says "The Aku-Uka brothers, together again", suggesting that the two were not always at odds with each other.
 * Despite their falling out in Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Uka Uka and Dr. Cortex seem to have reconciled completely in Skylanders: Imaginators, joining forces with Crash, Aku Aku, and the Skylanders to save Skylands from Kaos and his Doomlanders.
 * In Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Uka Uka's bones were supposedly stolen by the Titan Heroes. However, outside the cutscenes, Uka Uka is shown to still have his bones when connected to the milking machine.
 * In Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Uka Uka's second speech is numbered as the third within the game's files.
 * In Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Uka Uka appears in all three games' game over menus, despite only being relevant to the third game's story.
 * In Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Uka Uka doesn't speak any words. He only screams in rage during the opening scene and laughs in the 106% ending.
 * During the ending cutscene of the third game in the N-Sane Trilogy when he is seen screaming due to baby Cortex and baby N. Tropy fight over him, the wooden mask can be seen behind his mouth and teeth, whereas in all earlier games the inside of his mouth has always been shown as pitch black.

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