Article by: The Coop
Pictured from: Darkstalkers 3
Created by: Capcom
First appearance: 1994
Bio
Born in England in 1940, Jon spent many years searching for a way to be rid of his werewolf self. Though he used martial arts to sharpen and strengthen his mind and body, the savagery of his hidden beast was something he wanted to leave behind. As if knowing what he wanted, at some point in his past, he was told by a mysterious woman that his curse would end the day he exceeded all his limits. With this in mind, Jon set out on a quest... a quest that would eventually bring him face-to-face with others like himself.
Continuing to train in martial arts, he searched for ways to push himself further. It wasn't long before his path led to other Darkstalkers, and one by one, Jon fought his way through them. Having defeated all who stood before him, the werewolf reached Pyron, a powerful alien creature made up of energy. A vicious battle ensued, and Jon came out the victor. With this triumph, Jon changed back into a human, and for a time, he believed that his curse had been lifted. But as curses have a habit of doing, this one wasn't to be gotten rid of so easily.
Some time after his battle with Pyron, Jon felt his body shaking. The animal that he thought had been tamed had only been subdued briefly. Once again, his blood burned as the curse returned, and it brought with it something dark... something primal.
Haunted by nightmares, Jon learned that somehow the beast he had tried to free himself from had taken on a life of its own with his very shadow. Jon had little time to mull over how or why this happened before a faint voice began to call him. It invited him from somewhere in the darkness. It was a call he couldn't refuse, as the answer to what was happening within him may have been at its source.
His new journey took him from the human world to the void of Majigen, a world created by the Dark Messiah Jedah Dohma, who sought to bring peace to Makai by uniting every soul there. Once again, he fought his way through the Darkstalkers, eventually reaching the shadow version of himself. Jon's mirror image taunted and belittled him for clinging to humanity, enraging the werewolf that it had been a part of not long ago. When words were over, a savage battle began, but it didn't take long before Jon stood victorious over the dark reflection of himself. He took a moment to ponder whether or not he should learn what his shadow-self knows. But in that moment of thought, the shadow beast wandered off, leaving Jon with a single remaining question...
Should he go after his shadow-self and learn what it knows, or should he return to the world of humanity, where a pair of children, eager to learn the ways of martial arts, await him?
Quote
"Know that what you see isn't everything in this world!"
Selected game appearances
Arcade
- Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors (1994)
- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge (1995)
- Vampire Hunter 2: Darkstalkers' Revenge (1997)
- Vampire Savior: Jedah's Damnation (1997)
Neo Geo Pocket Color
- SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash (1999)
- SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition (2000)
Dreamcast
- Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service (2000)
PlayStation 2
- Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection (2005)
References
- IGN: Darkstalkers 3
- Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors ending
- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge ending
- Vampire Savior: Jedah's Damnation ending
- GameFan Books - "Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors" guide
- GameFan Books - "Darkstalkers 3: Jedah's Damnation" guide
- Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors instruction manual
- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge instruction manual
- GameFAQs - "Darkstalkers 3"
- Wikipedia - "List of characters in the Darkstalkers series - Jon Talbain"