Cynder (Legend)
From Spyropedia
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Cynder is a dragon who appears in the Legend of Spyro series. She was once an antagonist in The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, but had become a protagonist in The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, and later evolving into a hero alongside Spyro in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.
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Personality
When she was under the influence of Malefor, also known as the Dark Master, she became a terrible and ruthless black dragon with a horrible personality, caring for nothing but the return of her master. After Spyro freed her from the Dark Master's power, however, she felt guilty about the pain and suffering that she caused everyone, especially Spyro. As time draws on, Cynder realises that Spyro does care about her and she began to care about him. Her guilt soon disappears as Spyro shows her that it wasn't her fault and she eventually adopts a more positive outlook, even going as far as to admit her love for Spyro. Throughout the games, however, Cynder remains hostile to one character in particular, Sparx. The hostility is mutual but over the course of the games they begin to show that they can stand to be around each other and act mature enough to know when their differences should be saved for another time.
Story
A New Beginning
Cynder is the primary antagonist in the first game of the series and it is quickly revealled that she has waged a war against the dragons, bringing them to their knees and forcing them into hiding. When Spyro meets Ignitus, the Fire Guardian tells Spyro that she has managed to capture the other three guardians, Volteer, Cyril and Terrador and that her forces have taken control of their home, the Dragon Temple.
After Spyro rescues the other Guardians and it is explained that Cynder is using the elder dragons to power crystals to release the Dark Master, she attacks Spyro who is saved by Ignitus who gets captured in the process. When Spyro journeys to her castle to rescue the fire Guardian they fight until Cynder flees to Convexity with the last powered crystal. It is then revealled by Ignitus that Cynder came from the same brood of eggs as Spyro and that she is in fact the same age as Spyro, having being stolen from the temple when she was in her egg and twisted by Malefor's dark influence.
Spyro arrives too late to stop Cynder from activating the portal and providing Malefor with a means of escape and Cynder then attacks Spyro, determined to end the 'persistant pest' once and for all. However, she is overwhelmed by the powers of the small purple dragon and her body is purged of Malefor's corruption, returning her to her true state.
As Spyro muses on the fact that what Ignitus had said was true, the portal begins to collapse, becoming unstable due to the battle between Spyro and Cynder. Dispite a difference of opinion between Spyro and Sparx, Spyro saves Cynder and carries her out of Convexity just before it collapses. She is then taken to the temple where the Guardians apologise for not being able to protect Cynder.
The Eternal Night
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night features Cynder as a protagonist struggling with her past. The game begins with Cynder running away from the temple, telling Spyro that she doesn't belong there because of what she had done in the past and that she needs to find her own place in the world. Spyro pleads with her to make her stay but she ignores him and quietly leaves.
At some point after that she is captured by scavengers and taken to a pirate air arena where she becomes their prized fighter, finding it amusing that the former queen of darkness is now under their control. When Spyro is captured and defeats the contestants in the arena Cynder is brought out to fight him, much to Spyro's dismay. Spyro refuses to fight her and Cynder tells him that they only have to pretend long enough for them to be able to escape. Before they can begin, however, the pirate ship is attacked by Gaul's forces and Cynder is captured once again.
She is taken to the Well of Souls where Gaul informs her that the Dark Master will either kill her or take her back for being a faithful servant. Meanwhile, it is revealled by The Chronicler that Gaul was the one that stole Cynder's egg from the temple and that Cynder is destined to join Malefor when he returns. Spyro refuses to believe it and sets out to the mountain of Malefor to rescue her.
When Spyro confronts Gaul, the ape king orders Cynder to attack Spyro which she does. Spyro believes her intentions to be true but she once again tells him that it is only a distraction. She tries to take Gaul's staff from him but Gaul catches her as she flies towards him and then throws her against a wall, rendering her unconscious.
She awakens after Spyro's fight with Gaul and is horrified to see that Spyro has been corrupted by Malefor. When he can not brake free of Malefor's influence, Cynder tackles Spyro out of the air and brings him to his senses just as the mountain begins to collapse, trapping them. With no way to escape, Spyro uses his powers to freeze himself, Sparx and Cynder in a crystal as the rubble buries them and Malefor returns.
Dawn of the Dragon
In The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, Cynder becomes a hero along side Spyro and is a playable character. She is playble by switching between Spyro and Cynder in Single player or via co-operative play with the second player taking control of Cynder. Due to the game being set three years after The Eternal Night, Spyro and Cynder have been given a new look to make them appear older. Although Krome Studies developed the previous two games, Étranges Libellules developed Dawn of the Dragon which explains the new renditions of Spyro and Cynder.
The game begins with Spyro and Cynder being broken free of their crystal in the catacombs of the Well of Souls by a group of grublins and a pair of magical necklaces in the shape of snakes are attached to them whilst they lie unconscious, linking the two dragons together and preventing them from being able to move freely of each other. They are then pinned by the chain to the floor and forced to fight waves of grublins until a large Golem arrives and frightens the grublins away.
Spyro and Cynder manage to break free of the floor but remain tethered together and try to repel the Golem. When they fail to defeat it, Hunter saves them and tells them that he had been sent to find them by Ignitus three years earlier, much to their disbelief. He begins to take them to the dragon city of Warfang but along the way they encounter an old hermit who Cynder does not recognise. The Hermit insists that he knows her, however, recognising her as the monsterous dragon from A New Beginning and that even though her body has changed her eyes remain the same. She appears visibly upset over that and Spyro reassures her and tells her not to listen.
When they arrive at Warfang Cynder assists in the defense of Warfang and then after Malefor declares his plan to end the world and lets loose the Destroyer, Cynder comes up with a plan to stop the immense Golem and destroys a dam holding back the water from a valley. With the Destroyer momentarily halted, Spyro and Cynder try to destory it only to find that it is unstoppable. They decide the only other course of action is to face Malefor himself.
Ignitus takes the two through the ring of fire, sacrificing himself in the process and Cynder has to bring Spyro back from his grief and away from the path of darkness that Malefor had taken. She comforts him in his despair and together they venture through the wastelands and finally make it to Malefor's lair. Cynder tells Spyro that she's scared but despite that they both venture on.
There Malefor begins the task of verbal corruption of Spyro and states that they have more similar qualities than just their colours. Spyro immediately begins to deny Malefor's words who releases them from the magical chain linking him to Cynder. Cynder tells Spyro to not listen to anything he says and it is then that Malefor claims that his influence over Cynder has not been extinguished and that he had caused her to lead Spyro to him and that she tricked Spyro into ressurecting Malefor. Cynder at first denies his words but gradually begins to become unsure, allowing Malefor to once again unlock the darkness within her and turn her to his cause.
She begins to attack Spyro who only shrinks away whilst Malefor continues to talk, explaining that there had been many purple dragons before them and that their purpose was to destroy the world and not save it. He goes on to say that during each age the purple dragon would call upon the golems of the deep and bring about The Great Cleansing. Spyro refuses to believe him and Cynder continues to attack relentlessly, demanding to know why he doesn't fight back to which he responds, "Because you've left me nothing to fight for." Upon hearing those words Cynder breaks free of Malefor's hold, enraging the Dark Master who then chains Cynder back to Spyro and declares that she will share the same fate.
During their battle, The Destroyer manages to throw itself back into the Volcano from whence it came, thus completing its cicuit and beginning the destruction of the world. Spyro, Cynder and Malefor continue to fight, however, and after the Dark Master is thrown down to the planet's heart, a giant purple crystal, by a joint attack by Spyro and Cynder he declares that he cannot be defeated. Several purple apparitions emerge from the purple crystal upon these words, and then proceed to drag Malefor into the planet's heart, much to his dismay and the awe of Spyro and Cynder.
With Malefor gone the chain around their necks disappears but Malefor's plan was still underway as the planet began to shake itself apart. With Ignitus' words in his head, Spyro asks Cynder to leave, not wanting to risk her death should he fail. She refuses to leave him and as Spyro uses his powers as a purple dragon to try prevent the world's end, Cynder admits that she loves him.
At the very end of the game it is shown that Spyro and Cynder did survive and they are seen happily flying above a meadow together, free of their chain.
Abilities
The effects of being corrupted by Malefor granted Cynder various different powers. She is known to wield Shadow, Poison, Fear and Wind. However, when she was in her adult form she was also shown to wield what appeared to be dark fire. Her exposure to Malefor has also granted her powers of darkness and she is able to use a similar attack to both Spyro and Malefor, unoffically dubbed 'The Convexity Breath'.
Trivia
- Cynder appears more black in her evil form. In her true form, she looks more like a dark purple.
- Cynder shares a similar name with Cinder (Dragonfly).
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| Classic series: | Spyro • Sparx • Hunter Sgt. Byrd • Agent 9 • Sheila • Bentley • Blink | |
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| Legend series: | Spyro • Cynder | |
| Skylanders: | Spyro (Dark) (Legendary) • Cynder • Zap • Chop Chop (Legendary) • Gill Grunt • Trigger Happy Prism Break • Ignitor • Stump Smash • Eruptor • Flameslinger • Stealth Elf Sonic Boom • Bash (Legendary) • Boomer • Drobot • Voodood • Ghost Roaster Whirlwind • Dino-rang • Zook • Wrecking Ball • Terrafin • Sunburn • Camo • Wham-Shell • Slam-Bam • Drill Sergeant • Lightning Rod • Warnado • Double Trouble • Hex | |
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| Classic series: | Gnasty Gnorc • Ripto • Sorceress Grendor • Red • Ineptune • The Sorcerer | |
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| Legend series: | Cynder • Skabb • Gaul • Malefor | |
| Skylanders series: | Kaos • Hektore | |
