Byrne

Template:Character Byrne (pronounced /ˈbɜːɹn/, burn)^{[citation needed]} is a character and antagonist in Spirit Tracks. He is a servant of Chancellor Cole, as well as the boss of the final floor of the Tower of Spirits. When Link, Princess Zelda, and Alfonzo are on their way to the Tower of Spirits, they are confronted by Byrne and the Chancellor. As a result, he captures Zelda's body after her spirit was separated from her body.^[1]

Biography

When Byrne was younger, he was an apprentice of Anjean, at the Tower of Spirits. He desired power, and wished that the good spirits would grant it to him. When he found that nothing he did granted the power he desired, he left. He decided to become even more powerful than the spirits, and the only being with that kind of strength was Malladus. Thus, he began working with Chancellor Cole to resurrect the ancient demon.

When Link first meets Byrne, he ambushes the hero alongside Cole and engages in a fight with Alfonzo while the chancellor extracts Zelda's spirit from her body. Upon Alfonzo's defeat, Byrne takes Zelda's body as he and Cole leave in the Demon Train.

Link does not run into Byrne again until much later in his quest, inside the Tower of Spirits after the obtaining the Fire Rail Map. Byrne confronts Link and Zelda, planning to defeat them and stop them from reforming all the Spirit Tracks.^[2] Anjean intervened, however, calling Byrne an unworthy apprentice and teleporting the children to the tower's first floor and turning to confront Byrne in battle, causing injuries for both of the two.^[3]^[4]

After Link returns from the Fire Realm, Byrne confronts him again on the final floor of the Tower of Spirits, fighting both him and Zelda on his own.^[5]^[6] Losing the fight, Byrne runs off to the roof of the tower, where Cole resurrects Malladus in Zelda's body. Byrne declares himself the one that freed the Demon King and demands he gives him power, but Malladus attacks Byrne, leaving him near-death.^[7]^[8] Anjean, Link, and Zelda carry him to the Spirit Train, where Zelda asks Anjean to look after him.

When Link and Zelda return after retrieving the Bow of Light from the Sand Temple, Byrne reveals that the only way to track down Malladus and Cole is to use the Compass of Light hidden beneath the altar atop the Tower of Spirits.^[9] Link and Zelda manage to take it, and they travel to the Dark Realm to confront the villains. Both Byrne and Anjean offer to go with Link and Zelda to defeat Cole and Malladus, but Zelda says that they can beat them on their own.

In the finale, Zelda is unable to reenter her body after Malladus has been forced out. When Malladus tries to take over her body again, however, Byrne comes to the rescue and uses his power to repel Malladus which gives Zelda the strength to reclaim her body.^[10] This victory is not without cost, however; as revenge, Malladus kills Byrne before taking over Cole's body instead.

After Malladus has been defeated, Anjean reveals that someday, Byrne will return in a new form, without any memories of the past.^[11]

Characteristics and Weaknesses

Byrne will jump from pillar to pillar, of which surround the arena, while he attacks Link with his clawed hand or with magical attacks such as a swipe of energy similar to the sword beam, or an orb of light. If Zelda grabs his arm, she will pull him off the pillar, and onto the floor, where he will be vulnerable for Link to attack. If Zelda is hit by the charged orb attack she will be stunned for awhile. If Zelda is hit by the clawed hand Link must hit the hand while it it attached to Zelda to free her. This combo is repeated throughout the battle, however Byrne will begin to adapt, and attack Zelda as well. Once Byrne begins to attack in the ground, he will charge up an attack, which Zelda must intercept to hold Byrne back while Link attacks him. Link can force Byrne to do the charged attack by repeatedly hitting with his sword and force Byrne to grow angry and charge at him.

Non-Canon Appearances

Non-Canon Information

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Byrne appears as a Trophy.

Trophy Information

#	Trophy		Appears in	Description	How to unlock
#			Appears in	Description	How to unlock
234		N/A	Spirit Tracks	A henchman for the evil Chancellor Cole, Byrne defeats Alfonzo and helps separate Zelda's spirit from her body. He isn't evil through and through, but he doesn't show his true colors until the Demon King, Malladus, is nearly resurrected...	Random
234	Byrne		Spirit Tracks		Random

Trivia

If Link plays any song on the Spirit Flute while battling Byrne, Byrne stops moving and closes his eyes, saying "That sound...," as if recognizing the Spirit Flute's sounds from when he was still Anjean's apprentice. In addition, the European version changes this line to "That sound...You gave the sacred instrument to a child, Anjean? Pathetic!." This implies that Byrne is oblivious to the fact that the Spirit Flute was given away to Tetra, which leads some fans to theorize that Byrne left the Tower of Spirits before Tetra and her crew arrived in New Hyrule.
Byrne is the only boss who is not fought in the Take 'Em All On! mini-game.
Byrne is the only known Lokomo without a vehicle and an area to protect.

Nomenclature

Byrne's name, like the other members of the Lokomo tribe, is a play on a word associated with trains. In his case, his name is a pun on "burn," as in the burning of coal, which powers trains. Byrne's name is also close in spelling to the old English word "bryne" which means "fire" or "flame."

Names in Other Regions
Language		Name	Meaning
	English^UK	Staven
	Japanese	ディーゴ (Dīgo)	"D-Five" (go is the Japanese word for "five"), which refers to the D51 steam locomotive type that is extremely popular in Japan.
	French^CA	Fraisil	Cinders
	French^EU	Traucmahr
	German	Delok	from "D-Lok", the shortened form of "Dampflokomotive" (steam locomotive)
	Italian	Tristalpin ninja oscuro
	Spanish^EU	Táligo
	Spanish^LA	Diego	Common Spanish name, transliterated from the Japanese name

Gallery

ST Byrne.png

Byrne as seen in game
AlfonzoByrne.png

Byrne fighting against Alfonzo
Byrne in the Tower of Spirits
Byrne reacting to the sound of the Spirit Flute

References

↑ Template:Cite web
↑ "So this is your handiwork, is it? Restoring the Spirit Tracks... Rebuilding this tower... You two were behind it all, weren't you? It didn't have to come to this, you know. If you'd just minded your own business..." — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "I always suspected this day would come. Indeed, I had a premonition the day you left the tower. No matter how many times I corrected your behavior, you never were very good at listening, were you? You were an unworthy apprentice. ... And now look at you. How can I face the spirits of good? The spirits sent us here to continue their work! That you would try to resurrect the Demon King... It's unfathomable to me." — Anjean (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "I have no wish to continue the work of the spirits. Why would I want to serve the spirits... When I can become as powerful as they are? That was the reason why I came to study with you... But the spirits never answered me. No matter how hard I worked, or how long, they never granted me any more powers. Tell me, Master... When you realize that your wish will never be granted, what do you do then? The answer was clear... Become even more powerful than the spirits themselves! And the only being more powerful is Malladus!" — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "I see you fixed the Spirit Tracks. My congratulations. And you almost did it in time to prevent all this. Unfortunately for you... Malladus has already begun the final stage of rebirth. His resurrection will soon be complete... And I can't let you cause any more harm." — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "I will become as powerful as the spirits. And anyone who gets in my way will be eliminated. No matter who it is." — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "Oh, Demon King Malladus... I am the one who has freed you from your prison! Grant me the power I have dreamed of!" — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "Nyee hee hee! Thank you for your help. But you are too gullible, my friend. Don't you know that he will never give you new power? After all... You were once the servant of those disgusting spirits. What a buffoon you are. Thank you for your help, indeed, you blind fool!" — Cole (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "The area where Malladus was resurrected... Below that altar is a hidden section of tracks. Somewhere down there is the Compass of Light. Only it can lead you to the Demon Train." — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ "You cannot give up now! Your body has the sacred power of the spirits! Now concentrate on reclaiming it! After all... Didn't you say you wanted to have words with me?" — Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named return