TV-Series
Description
Perfidus, known as Betrayus in the English version of the series, is the supreme ruler of the Netherworld and the lord of all its ghosts and monsters. In his original life he was a Pac-Worlder and the younger brother of President Spheros, the leader of Pac-World. He once attempted to conquer the world through force, but his rebellion failed, and as punishment he and his followers were stripped of their physical bodies and banished to the Netherworld for eternity. His desire to reclaim his lost body and finally conquer Pac-World makes him the central antagonist of the story and the recurring enemy of the young hero Pac-Man.
In personality, Perfidus is selfish, arrogant, quick to anger, and deeply egotistical. He carries himself with theatrical grandiosity and considers himself a fearsome overlord, but he is also immature and prone to childish tantrums when things do not go his way. Beneath his bluster he is cowardly at heart, and he generally avoids direct confrontation, preferring to command others from his throne while he schemes in safety. He is demanding, insulting, and abusive toward his underlings, and he tends to blame everyone else for the failure of his plans.
His primary motivation is to regain his corporeal form and seize control of Pac-World. To this end he constantly searches for the Repository, the hidden storage place that holds the bodies of the ghosts, believing that recovering his body is the key to returning to power. He also attacks other sources of strength, such as the Tree of Life, to stop Pac-Man from gaining the power-berries that allow him to fight effectively. He regularly spies on Pacopolis through slug cameras and sends waves of ghost minions to do his bidding, plotting revenge each time his schemes are foiled.
Within the story, Perfidus serves as the driving force behind most of the conflict. He is responsible for unleashing the ghost threat on Pac-World, and his past actions are tied to the disappearance of Pac-Man's parents and the downfall of the Yellow Pac-Worlders, leaving Pac-Man as the last of his kind. His role shifts between that of a genuine menace and a bumbling comic foil, as his overcomplicated and poorly thought-out plans repeatedly collapse in the face of Pac-Man and his friends.
His key relationships define much of his behavior. He is the younger brother of President Spheros, and the two are bitter rivals, with Perfidus resentful of his brother's position on the surface. He is the sworn enemy of Pac-Man, whose ability to eat ghosts makes him uniquely dangerous to Perfidus and his forces. He is also the master of the long-suffering servant Butt-ler, whom he constantly mistreats, and he commands the ghost minions who carry out his orders, earning little genuine loyalty from them.
In terms of development, Perfidus was once portrayed as a more serious warlord who led an army in open conflict, inspiring fear in his troops. Over time he becomes increasingly ineffectual and ridiculous, with his authority undercut by his own failures and by the disrespect of those around him. Nevertheless, he remains relentlessly ambitious, and his determination to obtain the Repository and rule Pac-World keeps him a persistent threat throughout the series.
As a ghost, Perfidus possesses the abilities common to the ghosts of the Netherworld, including flight, the production of slime used to coat objects and terrorize the living, and the capacity to possess the bodies of Pac-Worlders, which causes their eyes to glow red. He also holds authority over the creatures of the Netherworld and commands his armies through intimidation, though his personal combat abilities are rarely tested, as he usually relies on his minions, technology, and schemes to carry out his ambitions.
In personality, Perfidus is selfish, arrogant, quick to anger, and deeply egotistical. He carries himself with theatrical grandiosity and considers himself a fearsome overlord, but he is also immature and prone to childish tantrums when things do not go his way. Beneath his bluster he is cowardly at heart, and he generally avoids direct confrontation, preferring to command others from his throne while he schemes in safety. He is demanding, insulting, and abusive toward his underlings, and he tends to blame everyone else for the failure of his plans.
His primary motivation is to regain his corporeal form and seize control of Pac-World. To this end he constantly searches for the Repository, the hidden storage place that holds the bodies of the ghosts, believing that recovering his body is the key to returning to power. He also attacks other sources of strength, such as the Tree of Life, to stop Pac-Man from gaining the power-berries that allow him to fight effectively. He regularly spies on Pacopolis through slug cameras and sends waves of ghost minions to do his bidding, plotting revenge each time his schemes are foiled.
Within the story, Perfidus serves as the driving force behind most of the conflict. He is responsible for unleashing the ghost threat on Pac-World, and his past actions are tied to the disappearance of Pac-Man's parents and the downfall of the Yellow Pac-Worlders, leaving Pac-Man as the last of his kind. His role shifts between that of a genuine menace and a bumbling comic foil, as his overcomplicated and poorly thought-out plans repeatedly collapse in the face of Pac-Man and his friends.
His key relationships define much of his behavior. He is the younger brother of President Spheros, and the two are bitter rivals, with Perfidus resentful of his brother's position on the surface. He is the sworn enemy of Pac-Man, whose ability to eat ghosts makes him uniquely dangerous to Perfidus and his forces. He is also the master of the long-suffering servant Butt-ler, whom he constantly mistreats, and he commands the ghost minions who carry out his orders, earning little genuine loyalty from them.
In terms of development, Perfidus was once portrayed as a more serious warlord who led an army in open conflict, inspiring fear in his troops. Over time he becomes increasingly ineffectual and ridiculous, with his authority undercut by his own failures and by the disrespect of those around him. Nevertheless, he remains relentlessly ambitious, and his determination to obtain the Repository and rule Pac-World keeps him a persistent threat throughout the series.
As a ghost, Perfidus possesses the abilities common to the ghosts of the Netherworld, including flight, the production of slime used to coat objects and terrorize the living, and the capacity to possess the bodies of Pac-Worlders, which causes their eyes to glow red. He also holds authority over the creatures of the Netherworld and commands his armies through intimidation, though his personal combat abilities are rarely tested, as he usually relies on his minions, technology, and schemes to carry out his ambitions.