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Part of Jago’s original costume in Killer Instinct was actually inspired by the Def Leppard singer, the character’s creator says

Posted on by angelo
Part of Jago’s original costume in Killer Instinct was actually inspired by the Def Leppard singer, the character’s creator says





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The Killer Instinct franchise is filled with nostalgia, and its diverse cast features a wide range of recognizable tropes that fans still know and love today. From Jason and the Argonauts’ skeleton to a cyborg and even a “not a mummy,” the inspiration for these character designs clearly comes from a wide range of awesome things found in pop culture.





One of the inspirations for Jago, the show’s main character, was recently revealed by the character’s original creator, and it’s an element that came from a rather unexpected place. According to Killer Instinct’s original character designer Kevin Bayliss, the idea for one of Jago’s signature elements actually came from seeing the lead singer of ’80s heavy metal band Def Leppard in action.









If you’re not following former Rare employee Kev Bayliss on Twitter, you definitely should be. The veteran game designer shares all sorts of incredible throwbacks to past titles like the Donkey Kong Country series, Killer Instinct, and more, complete with concept art and interesting tidbits about it all.


For those unaware, Bayliss was responsible for the redesign of Donkey Kong for Donkey Kong Country, he created Diddy Kong Racing, and he also created the characters for Killer Instinct in 1994. Bayliss took to Twitter yesterday to honor Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot’s birthday, and with the tweet shared an interesting fact about Jago.


“DID YOU KNOW? DEF LEPPARD singer JOE ELLIOT is celebrating his birthday today?” Bayliss began. “I couldn’t get enough of the band and their ROCKIN’ anthems when I was 18 – and that’s why JAGO has RIPPED trousers!”


“I was inspired by him for all the videos (In The Round in your face!) from that time. So Joe, YOU inspired me to create the JAGO PANTS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Bayliss concludes.


The original Jago had a look that was more like a ninja than the warrior monk he was meant to be. He wore a skin-tight blue jumpsuit, a blue mask, and a red belt, and of course, one of the standout features of this outfit is his ripped pants.


The tattered pants are definitely something that required some explanation, as at the time the best guess was that they were simply battle attire. However, it turns out that they were actually just Kev’s inspiration from one of his favorite bands.


This old school Jago costume will be making a comeback in Killer Instinct 2013 where it will serve as the official retro costume. And yes, the ripped pants were also included.