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Dirk the Daring is the main protagonist of the Dragon's Lair video game and subsequent franchise. He is the valiant knight that rescues Princess Daphne from the clutches of the evil dragon Singe and Mordroc the Magician.

Appearance[]

Dirk has a well-built body, black hair, large nose, black eyes and a handsome face. He wears a red and gold breastplate over a grey shirt, a steel helmet and grey boots. He carries a longsword in a gold-colored scabbard.

Biography[]

A valiant knight of the kingdom, Dirk was entrusted with the rescue of Princess Daphne from the clutches of Mordroc and Singe because all other knights were killed. He is the highest ranking knight - a general. He is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and strong. He becomes heir to the throne upon saving Princess Daphne; following her rescue, Dirk and Daphne were married.

His abilities include walking, running, jumping, punching, kicking, headbutting and sword slashing.

Deaths[]

Throughout the Dragon's Lair trilogy, the player guides Dirk throughout a series of fights, traps, and other dangerous challenges via quick-time events. Successful timing allowed Dirk to progress a little further with each scene, but failure resulted in Dirk getting killed in various (and often comical) ways, or on rare occasions simply stopping him in his tracks. The player is given a limited number of lives when playing, and if all lives are lost, a scene plays where Dirk drops down from the top of the screen to scowl at the player, before suddenly withering away into a skeleton and crumbling into a pile of bones.

There are dozens of potential ways for Dirk to die throughout the series, some of which are repeats of others, often recycling animation with slight differences in backgrounds and characters.

The various ways Dirk can get killed are:

  • Being attacked and/or eaten alive by various monsters and animals
  • Falling down giant pits, cliffs, and holes
  • Getting strangled by vines, tentacles, serpents, or at the hands of other creatures
  • Getting stabbed, clubbed, decapitated, or otherwise defeated by various opponents
  • Crushed by traps and/or falling debris
  • Slamming into (or often through) solid walls
  • Burning via fire or lava
  • Drowning in water, tar, and other liquids
  • Choking/being poisoned by toxic gas
  • Electrocution
  • Disintegration
  • Being impaled by spikes and other sharp objects
  • Sinking into quicksand/mud pits
  • Getting sucked into whirlpools/vortexes
  • Being trapped in cages, coffins, and other tight places
  • Transformed into various creatures