Tarkus

Tarkus looms as a giant, thickly muscled zombie encased in heavy metal armor: a chestplate flanked by twin shoulder guards, plating over both legs, and a hanging loincloth. Crowning his medium-length hair sits a crested helmet fitted with horns.

In life Tarkus was a mighty knight devoted to his queen, yet unlike his comrade Bruford he carried no real sense of honor. His temper flares readily, and he pours that fury straight into violence. Dio's corruption twists him further, leading him to brand Bruford a disgrace to their order and to smash his old friend's armor without a shred of hesitation. Casting off human reason for undead savagery, he revels in dragging enemies into a Chain Neck Deathmatch and forcing them to fight to the end, willing or not.

Raised in the sixteenth century as part of the Tudor line, Tarkus was taken in as Mary Stuart's knight after losing his family to earlier wars and trained his body toward that single duty, growing devoted to her. Alongside Bruford he became one of only five in history to clear the grueling Challenge of the 77 Rings. When Mary was jailed by her rival Queen Elizabeth, the two knights battled the crown's forces until they surrendered in exchange for Mary's promised freedom, only to learn at their execution that she had already been killed. Enraged at the deception, Tarkus damned Elizabeth with his final breath, and legend holds that his neck stiffened with rage until several axes snapped against it before the blade finally took his head.

Centuries later, Dio takes up residence in Windknight's Lot and resurrects both knights as zombie enforcers to loose their hatred on the world. Summoned to destroy Jonathan, Zeppeli, and Speedwagon, Tarkus fights the latter two while Bruford duels Jonathan, then desecrates Bruford's remains after his defeat and gives chase, even crashing the group's Ripple-made glider. His raw power lets him lift and pulverize boulders with a single finger and rip bodies apart with his chain, and inside the Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon he ensnares Zeppeli, tearing him apart while snapping Jonathan's neck. With his last strength Zeppeli passes all his Ripple into Jonathan, who breaks free and ends Tarkus with a Ripple-charged double punch to the face.