As a huge fan of the Twisted Metal series, I must say that Dollface is one of my favorite characters – her survivor story is truly inspiring and adds depth to her character that many others lack. Whether it’s her origin story as an adult or a child wearing the mask, her transformation from victim to avenger is captivating. The powerful Darkside truck she uses in the games only adds to her badassery!
I must admit, Paramount+’s “Twisted Metal” is a rollercoaster ride of humor and brutality, but as die-hard fans of the iconic video game franchise know, this show only scratches the surface of the source material’s depth. The games are teeming with inventive characters, each vying for their heart’s deepest desire from the mastermind organizer, Calypso.
Due to an abundance of characters, the “Twisted Metal” series offers a suitable avatar for every enthusiastic virtual demolition derby driver. However, which one is the cream of the crop? Here’s Looper’s top 10 ranking of the most outstanding “Twisted Metal” characters.
John Doe
John Doe, similar to Anthony Mackie’s portrayal in live-action, is an amnesiac who drives a unique-looking vehicle named Roadkill. Unlike the charismatic driver we see in the show, however, the playable version of John Doe is intentionally plain, lacking notable characteristics except for some enigmatic tattoos. The journey of uncovering his true identity as a covert agent within “Twisted Metal: Black” is an engaging ride when it comes to character development – and that’s before “Twisted Metal: Lost” starts suggesting that the FBI has numerous identical, disposable amnesiacs they continually send into the tournament.
Club Kid
In the lineup of “Twisted Metal III”, you’ll encounter characters like demons, tormented spirits, ruthless killers with blazing heads, and even the embodiment of death. Notably, there’s also Club Kid.
Club Kid drives a tiny Austin Mini with a smiley face paint job, which he also calls Club Kid. He’s a fully normal (club) kid who likes to party and whose most offensive trait is his tendency to wear the same tacky party clothes for ages. New players will fully expect him to be a joke character — then he casually unleashes his thoroughly nasty Vortex special attack, sucking his supernatural enemies’ heavily armed war mobiles into an exploding tornado. Whoops.
Minion
A Minion, in this context, is an extraordinary beast from the netherworld, known for causing chaos on the human realm by expertly maneuvering massive armored trucks and tanks in a highly destructive manner. This unique skill of wreckage creation is not something that any human has ever conceived before. Although it might appear ordinary for a supernatural being, the immense power and protective armor of his fleet of vehicles make him a fitting choice for this list.
In “Twisted Metal III,” we award extra points for the way Minion introduces himself, as it subtly conveys a hint of personality. This is achieved when he claims with utmost seriousness that his funny skull loincloth sets him apart as the most stylish character among all others in the game.
Rob Zombie
Indeed, you’re referring to Rob Zombie. His rock persona, steeped in the macabre, seems more fitting for “Twisted Metal 4” than several of the game’s characters. In fact, his own backstory includes a combat vehicle called Mr. Zombie, which resembles the Munster Koach from “The Munsters” and the car featured in Rob Zombie’s music video for “Dragula.
Experiencing a real-world character like Zombie in the “Twisted Metal” world feels oddly entertaining. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this one-time guest appearance is that “Twisted Metal 4” doesn’t attempt to fabricate a profound reason for his presence. Instead, it’s suggested that he was just cruising around when he stumbled upon some car combat weirdos and decided to jump in on the action.
Preacher
The preacher is known for his impulsive, zealous behavior, and he occasionally appears to be a ghost or the leader of a gang. Beyond his stern demeanor and distinctive appearance that come with his “former man of faith” persona, he earns bonus points for not using the expected hearse. Instead, he underlines his DIY evangelist character by driving Brimstone, an old, utilitarian coupe with a stained glass windshield and some improvised religious symbols.
Despite its beat-up appearance, his vehicle is quite fast and handles well, with a particularly visceral special attack that straps explosives to a cultist follower and hurls them at his opponent. We’ll also award some bonus points for the show’s Jason Mantzoukas, who somehow manages to deliver an even more deranged live-action version of the character than we get in the games.
Mr. Grimm
Mr. Grimm, also known as the Grim Reaper, consumes souls and intends to grant a wish for widespread death and devastation if he emerges victorious in the tournament. Due to his profession, he possesses a highly potent Death Spawn attack. Interestingly, he chooses a nimble but fragile motorcycle to navigate against heavily armored vehicles. After all, who could possibly defeat death?
In reality, Grimm isn’t any more difficult to defeat than other characters in the game. However, it’s quite surprising to see Death participating and even acting playfully in the tournament. Being a symbol of a natural force, Grimm is theoretically superior to all other competitors and can easily maintain his performance on autopilot while consuming souls and secretly expecting Calypso to carry out his tasks for him. This implies that he views his role much like a disengaged worker in the service industry, which surprisingly makes Death the most identifiable character within the “Twisted Metal” series.
Dollface
In the game “Twisted Metal”, many of the female characters are not very complex. However, Dollface stands out as she has a deeper backstory that is reminiscent of “The Man in the Iron Mask”. This adds layers to her character compared to most others in the series.
As a gamer, I’ve encountered Dollface in various games – sometimes it’s revealed she donned the mask as an adult following a petty boss’s anger over spilled coffee, while other times, she’s been rocking it since her childhood days. Regardless of her backstory, her transformation from victim to vengeful crusader is captivating. She wields the mighty Darkside truck to inflict pain upon her enemies in the most memorable way possible among the series characters. The intriguing ending of “Twisted Metal” Season 1 hints at a significant role for Dollface in shaping Season 2 events.
Calypso
In simpler terms, Calypso serves as the primary antagonist across the “Twisted Metal” video game series. Besides organizing the destructive car competitions, his unique trait is that he functions like a genie from a Monkey’s Paw-style story, often granting wishes in unexpected and ironic ways to the tournament victors.
The drawback with this character is that he can be quite inconsistent, even compared to the standards set in “Twisted Metal”. However, the show has already addressed this issue by choosing Anthony Carrigan to portray him, a decision that seems to be setting up what could be considered the ultimate interpretation of the character.
Sweet Tooth
Without a doubt, “Twisted Metal” is unique, and making an oversized, masked serial killer clown like Needles “Sweet Tooth” Kane its icon is quite a statement. This towering, absurd character, who dons a clown mask and flaming head, has such an over-the-top personality that it took the combined talents of pro wrestler Samoa Joe and comedian Will Arnett to bring him to life on the “Twisted Metal” live-action series in a way reminiscent of Darth Vader.
It’s an added advantage that Sweet Tooth’s signature car is also one of the superior vehicles in the game series. After all, there’s nothing quite like defeating your adversary with an unusual ice cream truck to add a dash of additional embarrassment.
Axel
Among all “Twisted Metal” characters, none embodies the franchise’s essence quite like Axel. Typically portrayed as a man who was mechanically fused with a pair of large wheels during his youth, making him essentially an axle, he doesn’t stumble clumsily towards Child Protective Services or an auto mechanic shop. Instead, he resolves the issue by participating in a tournament for armored vehicles and charges his wheel-and-body combination headlong toward the nearest truck equipped with fiery blades at top speed.
It’s quite intriguing that every time Axel breaks free, he somehow finds himself once more trapped beneath the wheels – it seems to be his choice. Essentially, he symbolizes the disregard for common sense in the Twisted Metal tournament at its core, and his vehicle, which unleashes shockwaves, is one of the franchise’s most distinctive visual icons.
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2024-09-22 21:00