- "Die!"
- —Dark (Street Fighter EX)
Doctrine Dark (ドクトリン・ダーク Dokutorin Dāku?), real name Holger (オルガー Orugā?)[1], also known as D. Dark, is a video game character from the Street Fighter EX series, first appearing in Street Fighter EX. He is a mentally scarred mercenary seeking revenge for his fallen comrades.
Biography
Appearance
Doctrine Dark wears a black oral Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask for respiratory breathing and sleep apnea prevention (due to Rolento severely crippling him on the chin with his baton), as well as a tactical-militia uniform that resembles S.W.A.T. gear, but also features a symbol of a sliced scorpion on the back of his black Tactical Multi-Threat Vest Level IIIA, he uses various weapons such as fiber wire, hidden blades and "EX-Plosive" devices. He has a short blonde hair parted at the fringe (known as "The Curtain Haircut"), and characteristically unsettling, permanently shell-shocked blue eyes to show his mental instability.
In Fighting EX Layer, Doctrine Dark's suit gets a mechanical upgrade, with much of his body now being covered in weathered blue armor with glowing orange highlights. His concealed knives are now cloaked in purple energy thanks to Garuda's influence.
Personality
Due to his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that reflects in his physical looks, he is quite serious and homicidal in battles and will not think beyond killing his opponent rather than simply defeat them. He has a single-minded desire to exact revenge on Rolento and Guile and does not seem to have any other desires beyond this.
Concept
While obviously inspired by the simultaneous rise of ultra violent and brutal fighting 1990s games like Mortal Kombat, specifically to characters like Scorpion, Baraka, Kabal, and Cyrax, in consideration with the 1970s themed roots of the Street Fighter EX cast, Doctrine Dark may also likely be inspired by the German American US Navy pilot and Vietnam War POW Dieter Dengler, whose arduous escape from a Pathet Lao prison camp is among the better known stories of the Vietnam War. Conversely, the Vietnam War is notorious for being a conflict with the highest PTSD and mental illness turnouts among veterans in the US Armed Forces; while not the most severe case, Dieter's last half of his escape had him hallucinate due to malnutrition and trauma, and was reported to have had violent night terrors upon recovering in rescue. 1990s US popular culture tended to depict the less fortunate or more unhinged afflicted veterans as prone to PTSD symptoms, and in the worst case, as serial killers, which is further reflected by Doctrine Dark.
His later appearances are similar to that of the character Garland Greene from the 1997 action movie Con Air, played by Steve Buscemi: Greene was infamous as a serial killer known in-story as "The Marietta Mangler", and was first depicted in a full-body restraint device with a respirator face mask due to his dangerous level as a convict.
Relationships
Other than his begrudged desire for Rolento and Guile's deaths, he has no other known interactions with other characters.
Rolento
The man responsible for his current condition. Both men and their units fought in a brutal melee with numerous casualties, and this is why Dark wants Rolento dead.
Guile
Believed to have been betrayed by his superior for not helping him during Rolento's onslaught, Dark has likewise marked Guile for death. His desire for vengeance however made him blind to the fact that Guile feels responsible for what happened to him, and was looking for ways to redeem him from the darkness.
Garuda
D. Dark is unknowingly being manipulated by Garuda's dark powers.
Story
Street Fighter EX series
Background
Holger was once a brave soldier with an exceptional sense for battle. Holger once served under the orders of Guile with his own special tactical reconnaissance unit. During his tour of duty, his own unit got into a bit of a scuffle with another rival unit, lead by Rolento. The minor scuffle escalated into a full-on battle, with both sides receiving heavy casualties. Holger was the only member of his unit to escape. However, he was severely injured emotionally and physically. Outfitted with a portable breathing apparatus, he eventually escaped from the hospital and went into hiding, only to re-emerge as the deranged psychotic killer Doctrine Dark. Dark holds Guile responsible for the massacre of his unit. He blames Guile for not training him well, whom he accuses of being more concerned with chasing after M. Bison to avenge Charlie than with the safety of his own men. For these reasons, he seeks to kill Guile as a result.
Endings
Street Fighter EX
"Resistance is futile. You guys won't do it again. I have lost my soul, as well as my tears and my smiles. Now you will bear witness to that hell? Where did they go...? You...?" Doctrine Dark, the man that was once known as Holger. Can his soul still be saved?
Street Fighter EX Plus α
A lone shout rules his mind. His strong desire for vengeance has burdened him with the fate of a warrior demon. His shout echoes like a requiem during the sorrowful night. The vengeful demon Doctrine Dark... Is there anyone who can save his soul?
Street Fighter EX2
Dark knew it. The surviving soldiers who were still on this world were just like the ones he saw within the nightmarish training camp of his youth. Just like him, they were tragic people who managed to survive by killing others.
His mind and body won't rest until the day when he's the only one remaining. Unfortunately, Dark already considers every other men besides himself to be his enemy.
"The stronger you are, the greater the pleasure I will get from defeating you..."
Street Fighter EX2 Plus
"Who am I...? What should I do..?"
His everyday battles were tearing up his mind, rejecting the mental world, even as he was trying to comprehend things inside his head.
Is the light of his passing day gone for good?
Street Fighter EX3
When he realizes that he will always live in cold and solitary darkness, Dark tries to think about his childhood. His mind remembers those lonely times when he was child crying out loud and then whispering, "Darkness... deep darkness... is covering the ceiling..." When Dark comes to, he noticed a pile of bodies around him. Insanely he laughs, "Ha ha ha ha ha! This is the power of darkness..."
Shadaloo C.R.I. profile
Born in the United States and of German heritage,[1] he was assigned to a special force with great expectations about his future. However, his unit was exterminated by an ambush from Rolento's enemy troops and he was the sole survivor. Filled with hatred for both Rolento and his former superior Guile, he has now become a killing machine burning with a desire for revenge, wanting to win by any means necessary.
Other appearances
Fighting EX Layer
Doctrine Dark in Fighting EX Layer.
Doctrine Dark appears as one of the playable characters in this game.
Doctrine Dark begins to lose his mind and became completely insane. He now possesses an insatiable desire for strength. He obsessively wants to beat powerful warriors in the shadows while he became Gougi's prisoner to take their lives. Unaware that he was under Garuda's control from his dark energy.
Gameplay
Fighting style
Doctrine Dark appears to utilize a very violent fighting style reliant on his utilized and portable concealed weaponry; he uses such things like metallic garrote wires, retractable wrist mounted daggers similar to the katar, and timed bombs.
Moveset
Dark's signature move is a wire that catches the opponent, and can either drag them in for a combo or electrify them. He also makes use of concealed blades and explosives.
His throw move, in Japanese uncensored versions, involve him graphically slitting his opponent's throat from behind in spectacular bloody fashion. This was toned down in other regions to simply him planting explosives.
In Fighting EX Layer, Dark retains all of his moves from the Street Fighter EX series. His wrist mounted daggers resembles the dual katar blades which are glowing in red as well as his wire is glowing in purple. The glowing weapons that Dark wields is due to Garuda's control by the use of dark energy.
Stage Themes
Trivia
- Guile's Summer Vacation alternate costume in Ultra Street Fighter IV resembles Doctrine Dark.
- Doctrine Dark's fighting style and outfit are similar to YuYu Hakusho character Karasu, as both are homicidal maniacs who use explosives and wear breathing masks.
- His fighting stance is very similar to the Tekken character Lee Chaolan.
- Doctrine Dark shows similarities to Mortal Kombat fame characters Scorpion, Kabal and Baraka.
- Dark's moveset is somewhat similar to Scorpion's (being able to pull their opponents in with his wire, in a similar fashion to how Scorpion uses his spear) but in Dark's CGI rendered ending in Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, it is revealed that his special unit's emblem is a scorpion.
- Both Dark and Kabal are covered by a gas mask, Kabal was burnt alive and Dark was hit by Rolento in his chin, due to this he can't breathe. Unlike Dark, however, Kabal is seen unmasked in some official artworks.
- The blades on Dark's arms are similar to Baraka's.
- Assuming Ibuki actually worked for Rolento, it is possible that would also make her Doctrine Dark's enemy via proxy.
- Doctrine Dark is the only character in the Street Fighter franchise to have a move that is so graphic, it had to be removed in other versions outside of Japan. (see the Moveset details in the Gameplay heading)
Gallery
Quotes
See also
- D. Dark's moves in Street Fighter EX plus α
- D. Dark's moves in Street Fighter EX2 Plus
- D. Dark's moves in Street Fighter EX3
References
| Street Fighter EX Characters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX | Original | Akuma · Allen · Blair · Chun-Li · C. Jack · Darun · D. Dark · Guile Hokuto · Kairi · Ken · Pullum · Ryu · Skullomania · Zangief | ||
| Plus | Bloody Hokuto · Cycloid-β · Cycloid-γ · Evil Ryu · Garuda · M. Bison | |||
| Plus α | Dhalsim · Sakura | |||
| EX2 | Original | Blanka · Hayate · Nanase · Shadowgeist · Sharon · Vega | ||
| Plus | Area · Sagat · V. Rosso | |||
| EX3 | Ace · Bison II | |||
| CPU Only | Shin-Bison · Cycloids · Zako | |||
| Fighting Layer Characters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Layer | Allen · Blair | |||
| Fighting EX Layer | Original | Darun · D. Dark · Garuda · Hayate · Jack · Kairi Sanane · Shadowgeist · Shirase · Skullomania | ||
| Downloadable | Area · Hokuto · Pullum · Sharon · Terry (Guest) · V. Rosso | |||