Develon (デビルン Debirun?, "Devilun") is an antagonist in the Bubble Bobble series, and a recurring playable character in the Puzzle Bobble games. He is a bat incarnate from the planet Diable who is Bub's self-appointed rival, and regularly attempts to sabotage his efforts whenever the two meet.
Biography[]
Appearance[]
Develon resembles a black Bubble Dragon with red spines and wings. He has purple limbs and sharp claws. Due to his appearance, he is believed by many to be a demon.
Personality[]
Develon is extremely competitive and hates to lose, often picking fights with Bub. He has aspirations of becoming ruler of the universe and is almost always plotting something to cause trouble, though he does not seem to be truly evil at heart, and Bub has been shown to be friendly towards him on several occasions. Despite his strong-willed personality, Develon is stated to be nothing more than a lonely coward who desires friends. Due to this, he has occasionally been willing to forsake his plans of conquest in favor of working with Bub and friends, at least as long as the situation is sufficiently appealing to him.
Develon's catchphrase is "Bayongah!" (「ばよんがー！」 Bayongā?), a nonsense word he exclaims in excitement, mirroring Bub's own catchphrase.
Abilities[]
Develon's trademark method of attacking is by breathing fire, which is usually depicted as being blue in color. He is able to use his wings to fly. He also possesses a degree of magical powers, such as the ability to teleport others to himself.
Despite his resemblance to one, Develon is not actually a Bubble Dragon, and is instead stated to be a bat incarnate. This is shown in several of his animations, which depict him transforming from a bat.
History[]
Puzzle Bobble 4[]
Develon declaring himself emperor of the universe after collecting the Rainbow Bubbles
Develon first appears in Puzzle Bobble 4 as a playable character. He is encountered on the planet Diable in the game's Player vs. Computer mode.
After Madame Luna steals the rainbow from Rainbow World and separates it into the Bubbles of Light, causing dawn to never fall across its various planets, Develon sets out to collect the bubbles, plotting to use the situation as an opportunity to seize power.
In Develon's ending in Player vs. Computer mode, he manages to collect the Rainbow Bubbles, declaring himself emperor of the universe. The console version of the game adds a second scene depicting Develon having grown to a giant size, laying waste to an unknown planet while the other characters flee.
Super Puzzle Bobble[]
Develon returns as a playable character in Super Puzzle Bobble. In his story mode, he challenges Bub to a fight. Bub was about to set out with Chack'n to defeat the Time Eaters, so Develon decides to tag along with him.
Bust-A-Move Millennium[]
Develon is a playable character in Bust-A-Move Millennium. In Story Mode, he is fought on Mt. Spiral.
Bust-A-Move DS[]
Develon is a playable character in Bust-A-Move DS. In the English version of the game, he is referred to as Dev.
Bust-A-Move Bash![]
Develon appears once again as a playable character in Bust-A-Move Bash!. He is one of two unlockable characters, alongside Drunk. He and Drunk share an ending.
Space Bust-A-Move[]
Develon holding Snown captive
Develon is the final boss and main antagonist of Space Bust-A-Move. He serves as the boss of two levels; Rainbow Land and Cosmo Castle. In his boss fight, he summons bubbles around him to defend himself, and can temporarily disable the arrow.
In the game's story, Develon has captured Snown, and is searching the universe for the Cosmo Bubbles, plotting to use their power to take over the universe. Snown manages to send a message out in a capsule which lands on Bub and Bob's homeworld, prompting the duo to set out in search of the bubbles in order to rescue Snown from his captivity.
Develon first encounters Bub and Bob above their home planet, arriving to test them on their abilities and retrieve the Cosmo Bubbles they have collected. However, the brothers prove more capable than expected, causing Develon to flee for the time being, lying in wait as the brothers travel the universe.
After traveling across the cosmos and collecting the Cosmo Bubbles, Bub and Bob arrive at Cosmo Castle, confronting Develon, who demands they hand over the bubbles. The brothers refuse, and Develon engages them in combat. The duo manage to wear him down, but Develon uses his magic to conjure a massive bubble of darkness, stating that he intends to use the Cosmo Bubbles to remove everyone's hopes and dreams so the galaxy can be at peace. As he prepares to finish off Bub and Bob, Snown suddenly flies upwards into the dark bubble, using the the Cosmo Bubbles and defeating Develon with a massive flash of light. Once Bub and Bob come to, Develon has disappeared, and Snown lies on the ground while beginning to fade out of existence, having exhausted the last of his power. He tells the brothers that as a reward for their aid in defeating Develon, he can grant them a single wish before he fades. Tearfully, Bub and Bob wish for Snown to live, reviving him, and the three celebrate as Develon's plans come to an end.
The English version of the game refers to Develon as Devilin.
Bubble Bobble Double[]
The main antagonist of Bubble Bobble Double is a giant mechanical version of Develon called Mecha Develon, who arrives on Rainbow Star from outer space and sends Bub and Bob into a mysterious dimension in an attempt to take over the planet.
The English version of the game spells his name as both Mecha Devilin and Mecha Devilun.
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble![]
Develon appears as a playable character in Puzzle Bobble Everybubble!, serving as the overarching antagonist of the game's story mode, working alongside Katze. While observing Rainbow Island from a secret base on the Rainbow Moon, upon seeing Drunk's prank which resulted in the Miniroons flooding the island with bubbles, he decides to try and conquer Rainbow Star while Bub and friends are focused on finding a solution to the issue. He threatens Katze into helping him, and orders him to use his powers on Drunk's remedy to make the Miniroons produce even more bubbles. However, Katze easily betrays him, divulging his plan to Bub and friends, who make their way to his fortress and confront him.
After Bub and friends make their way through his traps, Develon asks for their feedback on his defenses, which leads Bub and Bob to start talking to him in a much more friendly manner. However, Peb and Pab remind them about the Miniroons, and Develon surrenders, teleporting Katze to the moon and giving him a moon rock in order to make a cure. Develon is later seen admiring the rainbow created by Bub's bubbles alongside the others in the game's ending.
Develon also plays a major role in the post-game chapter of Puzzle Bobble Everybubble!, having come with Bub and Bob to the newly discovered Rainbow Colony, a space colony of unknown origin that they decide to use to create puzzles together. They end up drinking a potion created by Katze to make them forget the solutions to the puzzles so they can solve them themselves, but the drink ends up effecting Develon a bit too heavily, completely wiping his memory of having made peace with Bub and Bob. Eventually, after Bub and all his friends make their way through the puzzles, Develon reconciles with the duo and they all return to Rainbow Star together.
Etymology[]
Develon's name is a combination of "Bubblun" and "devil", referencing his nature as a dark doppelganger of Bub.
Trivia[]
- Develon's birthday is on June 6th.
