Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Back in February, I chronicled Klonoa: Door of Phantomile’s big baddie, Ghadius. Altogether, he’s a fine villain, flaunting a strong design, fun boss fight, and his role in the game’s narrative elevates it. But a strong argument can be made that his underling eclipses him, rising as Door’s most compelling, weightiest nemesis.
Joka, seen in 1997’s Klonoa: Door of Phantomile (Image: Bandai Namco)
Bumbling, ineffective enemies are charming. Capcom’s Ace Attorneys always beat whichever Payne they encounter in court. Ash Ketchum and his associates always thwart Jessie and James, blasting them off. None of those examples are their universe’s greatest threats, but they’re important nonetheless. And they’re part of a proud linage of misfits, something also true of this unassuming jester, right…?
Joka’s History
Klonoa and his partner, Huepow, meet the villainous duo atop Bell Hill, one of Phantomile’s landmarks. Ghadius leaves the intruders to his servant, who summons a monster to chase them off. Naturally, Klonoa defeats the beast, spurring Joka to flee and vow revenge. After a few similar humiliations, however, Joka wisens up. Seeking a magical amulet for Ghadius, the goon learns Klonoa’s grandfather has it by eavesdropping on our hero. Both parties sprint back to the elder’s hut, but Joka reaches it first, steals the valuable, and dramatically nukes the place. Later, Ghadius discovers Klonoa is still alive, infuriating him. Wanting to please his boss and settle his vendetta with Klonoa, Joka finally confronts the “cabbit” directly. Unsurprisingly, Klonoa emerges victorious and continues onward.
Joka’s concept art depicts him with scrawny limbs. They’re absent in the finished game and its 4koma comics. (Image: Bandai Namco)
Joka returns regularly in spin-offs. In Dream Champ Tournament, he races against Klonoa. The clown’s competitive streak persists into Beach Volleyball, and if he wins, he’ll unsuccessfully try multiplying his winnings. The jovial jerk works for a new villain, Garlen, in Heroes. Joka’s reach even extends beyond Klonoa, infecting Namco x Capcom, several of Bandai Namco’s puzzle games, and Namco Land. The blob appears in a few manga publications, and if an unused poster is any indication, he might’ve also been slated to crash Dream Traveler of Noctis Sol. In 2008, Door of Phantomile received a remake, which localizes Joka’s name as “Joker.” Bin Shimada and Dave Mallow portray the nuisance in Japanese and English, respectively (though if you’re like me, you’ll stick with the “Phantomilian” audio option). Finally, Joka’s debut has been retold once more through Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, which was released today.
So, what’re my thoughts on Joka?
Again, Ghadius is Door’s primary villain. He’s the stoic schemer whose machinations endanger Phantomile and whose irregular nature gives him insight into Klonoa’s. Nevertheless, he has little personal connection to Door’s core cast. It’s his mook who nurtures such grudges, developing a bitter loathing of our heroes — something that’s entirely mutual. That isn’t something someone might expect upon first opening Door.
Joka might lack the ability to brainstorm complicated, sinister schemes, but his unhinged unpredictability nicely complements his superiors. (Image: Bandai Namco)
Correspondingly, Joka’s design harmonizes with how Door initially frames him, painting him as some inept goof you can effortlessly swat away. He’s a small, round blob, soft anatomy that implies weakness. Joka’s sharp, red teeth and black eyes suggest he’s trying really hard to look scary, like how Bowser Jr. scribbles fangs on his bandana. Really, his bright veneer undercuts him, just making him look desperate for attention. Even Joka’s motif accentuates this vision of him, coming across as bouncy and a bit unnerving…but nothing too concerning.
But with every embarrassment Joka endures, his sanity slips. It secretly builds up to the game’s most poignant moment, where Joka murders Klonoa’s grandpa. Shockingly, there’s no misdirection, nor any last minute miracles — our hero fails, and his loss is treated solemnly. It’s a satisfying, subversive break from this lackey’s contemporaries. It’s the sort of accomplishment NiGHTS’ sinister jester, Reala, needed to score in Journey of Dreams (for someone who should act as this imposing envoy of dread, he’s just an ineffectual, chatty brat who never faces punishment for his failures). Plus, Joka’s victory is a crucial part of Klonoa’s coming-of-age story; seeing the kid suffer such a crushing defeat and then rise back up is inspiring.
Ayako Yamaguchi, who worked on Dream Champ Tournament’s audio, cites Joka as her favorite character. (Image: Bandai Namco)
Additionally, Joka surpasses Ghadius in another way: for my money, his boss fight is the more challenging one. Ghadius is a daunting, visually overwhelming foe who is also a large, lumbering target. Though both antagonists regularly summon grabbable ammo, their Moo grunts, for Klonoa to retaliate with, Joka actively tries protecting himself. The goon and his arena are constantly moving, meaning Joka’s elevation and size relative to Klonoa is never consistent. Plus, he always sways his damage-proof hands around. Even if you hit Joka with a Moo, he might deflect it. Oh, and Joka’s boss theme rips his gleeful guise off, conveying his bloodlust through deeper instrumentation and a choir.
And Joka is elevated further by another quirk: he transforms into a monstrous behemoth, rendering him impervious to damage. An eclipse triggers the mutation, which happens after a certain amount of time elapses or damage is dealt (notably, the preceding stage alternates between day and night as part of its gimmick, with enemies getting tougher during the latter). Beast Joka puts his new figure to good use, sporting a new, faster set of attacks. Restoring Joka to his normal, more vulnerable self requires circling the battlefield until every tile turns yellow, dodging his blades and baddies in the meantime. This isn’t a complicated process — walking or jumping on a stone changes its color, and once one turns yellow, it’ll stay yellow until Joka transforms again — but it can take a while, and being completely defenseless during it is anxiety-inducing.
Realizing Beast Joka was a “particularly difficult” task for Door of Phantomile’s programmers. Given the transformation’s complex theatrics, I can see why. (Image: Bandai Namco)
This performer nabbing such a drastic makeover, moreover, is a welcome, fitting touch. Klonoa’s narrative is an instrumental component of its identity, not a throwaway excuse to climb obstacle courses. Joka is the deranged soul who flips the game upside-down, terminating its saccharine sheen, and his wild, “edgy” metamorphosis honors that.
Ghadius is Door’s primary villain, and the demonic Nahatomb is canonically its greatest threat. But this little critter left a stronger impact on me and, most likely, Klonoa himself. Through his grandfather’s death, the dream traveler learned the feelings of loss, a memory he calls upon during his next big adventure, Lunatea’s Veil. And though Ghadius’ reign stopped after his death, Joka’s mischief continues across multiple games and continuities, which is great. Underneath Joka’s silly veneer is a foe worthy of his masters. He’s tenacious, unscrupulous, and yes, dangerous.
Congratulations, Joka! You can live with yourself!
Like Ridley, Joka endures as his series’ de facto main villain — and I hope he gets more opportunities to prove himself in the future. (Image: Bandai Namco)
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