Death MK II

“	Destroy the core!	„
	~ Gradius II announcer

Death MK II (デスMk-II^?) is a recurring boss in the Gradius series.

Description[]

Death MK II is the boss of stage 4 of Gradius II. He also appeared in the Gradius III boss rush and was also a junk boss in Gradius Gaiden stage Requiem for Revengers, serving a major role in the boss rush as DeathDouble. This one started the "SURPRISE!" second part Death is well known for.

Attack patterns[]

*Note: All attack names are purely conjectural

"Missile Volley": Death MK II starts its attack by opening the hatch to fire missile volleys. Depending on the game, it can be straight or homing.
"Beam of Death": When the hatch is destroyed, Death MK II becomes faster and a giant laser charges then shoots out to prevent the core from being damaged. The player should be careful to not get caught by this sneaky attack.

In Gradius Gaiden as DeathDouble, the laser/missile roles are reversed. The lasers are the first phase then the missiles as the hatch is destroyed.

Trivia[]

The hatch is similar to the enemy Mother and Child, same as Death MK-I.
According to Toshiaki Takatori, the dev team for Gradius II did not have enough time to develop an original boss for the Volcano stage. Instead, they added Death as a basis with its new attack being the giant laser itself.

Gallery[]

See also[]

Gradius II: GOFER no Yabō
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages (arcade)	Artificial Sun • Alien • Crystal • Volcano • Revenge of Moai • High Speed Maze • Boss Rush • Gofer Ship Interior
Port-exclusive stages	Gradius II NES Stage 2 (NES) • Volcano - Crystal (NES) • Enemy Base (NES) • Gofer's Lair (NES) • Temple (PC-E)
Bosses	Phoenix • Big Eye • Giga (NES) • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Jumping Moai • Big Moai • Desert Core (PC Engine) • Big Core MK II • Zub Rush • Big Core • Golem • Tetran • Gaw • Intruder • Zelos Force (NES) • Covered Core • Demos • Crab • Gofer

Gradius III
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages	Desert • Bubble Zone • Volcanic Planet • High Speed Dimension • Moai Zone • Cell Planet • Prominence Planet • Plant Planet • Crystal Zone • Boss Rush • Mechanical Base
SNES exclusive stages	High Speed Zone • Fortress • Cell
Bosses	Goliath • Bubble Eye • Godrei • Big Core MK III • Dogas • Vaif • Twin Vaif (SNES) • Gregol • Wyvern • Vulture Dragon • Choking Weed • Lizard Core • Beacon (SNES) • Tetran • Covered Core • Big Core MK II • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Dellinger Core • Disrupt • Shadow Gear • Shadow Gear MK II (SNES) • Big Core • Golem • Bacterian

Core Warships
Big Cores	Big Core MK I (Old Big Core) • Big Core Custom • Big Core MK-I Rev.2 • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK II Kai • Big Core MK III • Big Core MK IV
Big Core variants	Beacon • Berserk Core • Big Core Duo • Big Core DX-01 • Big Core Orthos • Big Core Prometheus • Blaster Cannon Core • Boost Core • Bubble Core • Circle Core • Coreship • Crater Core • Crystal Core • Dellinger Core • Desert Core • Heaven's Gate • Juggler Core • Laser Core • Lizard Core • Mirrored Core • Neo Big Core • Parasite Core • Perla Meralda • Planet Core • Rexion Core • Rolling Core • Serpent Core • Shining Core • Super Big Core • Terra Core • Vanishing Core • Genocide Core • Odin Core
Core-style bosses	Abaddon Warship • Bolboros • Covered Core • Covered Core MK II • Dead End • Deltatry • Kraken • Mayhem Warship • Metal Slave • Misfit Warship • Queensrÿche • Riot Warship • Plate Core
Pseudo-Cores	Death • Death MK II (DeathDouble) • Death MK III • Beta Core • Nobil • Tri-Pod Core • Triple Core • Crash Bam
Tetran variants	Tetran (Zylom • Tetran Sweeper • Tetran Scavenger) • Covered Tetran • Crystal Core D-X02 • Laser Tetran • Tenny Rop
Parody Cores	Candy Core • Decoration Core • Decoration Core MK II • Viva Core