I finally got around to checking out Spyro: Reignited Trilogy. I grew up with the classic Spyro the Dragon games, and they were some of my favorites next to the likes of Crash Bandicoot. It was great reliving the nostalgia while enjoying the new visuals and getting a feel for the updated controls and physics. It took me right back to my childhood. That being said, it also made me realize one thing about those games, and that’s that Spyro’s friend Hunter is a problem.

Hunter was introduced in Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage and was heavily present throughout the events of Spyro: Year of the Dragon, the third installment in the beloved franchise. He’s there to provide Spyro with a slew of quests and minigames in which he can earn an Orb or Dragon Egg (depending on the game) upon success. This is because he’s also on a quest of his own to find as many of these collectibles in the world as possible to help Spyro out in his adventures.

This may seem like a great thing. He’s helping save the magical realms by finding the mystical artifacts necessary for it while also providing the player with extra fun gameplay. He’s not really helping, though. Really think about it. 

He managed to come into possession of the Orbs and Dragon Eggs, but didn’t just hand them over to Spyro. Instead, he forces him into skateboarding challenges and races and other silly games in order to obtain the items Spyro needs on his journey. If Spyro can’t beat him in various competitions, he’ll just keep these vital artifacts for himself. He even says at one point “I was thinking of keeping it, but I guess you can have it” when handing over one of the Dragon Eggs. What’s his plan for them? That’s really weird.

Not only does he hope to keep these things for himself and hold them from his friend trying to save the world from evil, but there are several instances where he makes a situation worse. For starters, he doesn’t help in the initial attempt to stop Ripto from stealing the Orbs in the first place because he’s too scared. He also annoys and angers Spyro’s opponents in races and hockey matches by egging them on before the competition starts, making it that much more difficult for Spyro.

There are also a handful of side quests in which Hunter flies on a jetpack or glider or plane that he uses to blast enemies out of the sky. If he has these vehicles, why doesn’t he use them more? He could use them in battle against Ripto or the Sorceress, or use them to obtain Orbs and Dragon Eggs from difficult places, but never does. Characters like Sheila and Sgt. Byrd do much more to help the main hero out.

At the end of the third game, Hunter leaves Spyro to find the last of the Dragon Eggs so he could go off somewhere with his new love interest, Bianca. That couldn’t wait until all the Eggs were safe? Let’s not forget that he has a bow and arrow with him that he never uses. Surely, his archery skills could have been useful somewhere during these adventures.

I remember being a kid playing these classic PlayStation games and thinking how cool Hunter was of a character. He was one of my favorites from the franchise. Now that I’ve gotten the chance to replay them all as an adult, I see that Hunter is self-centered scum. It’s honestly quite disappointing. Hopefully, now that the series is making a comeback, he will be much more helpful and less of a two-faced jerk going forward.

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