The Killer Instinct franchise is one that is jam packed with nostalgia, and its varied cast features a wide array of recognizable tropes that fans still know and love today. From a Jason and the Argonauts skeleton to a cyborg and even a “not a mummy,” the inspiration for these character designs clearly come from a widespread pool of awesome things found in pop culture.
One of the inspirations for the main poster boy of the series, Jago, was recently revealed by the character’s original creator, and it’s an element that comes from a pretty unexpected place. According to the original character designer for Killer Instinct, Kevin Bayliss, the idea for one of Jago’s trademark features actually came from seeing the singer of 80’s heavy metal band Def Leppard in action.
If you’re not following former Rare employee Kev Bayliss on Twitter, you absolutely should. The veteran game designer shares all kinds of incredible looks back at past titles such as the Donkey Kong Country series, Killer Instinct, and much more, 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 also created the characters in 1994’s Killer Instinct. Bayliss took to Twitter yesterday to honor the birthday of Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot, and with the tweet shared an interesting fact about Jago.
“DID YOU KNOW? That DEF LEPPARD lead singer JOE ELLIOT has his birthday today?” Bayliss began. “I couldn’t get enough of the band & their ROCKIN’ anthems when I was about 18 – & THAT is why JAGO has RIPPED trousers!
“I based them on him from all the videos (In The Round in your face!) at the time. So Joe, YOU inspired me to create JAGO’s PANTS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Bayliss concluded.
The original Jago donned a look that more closely resembled a ninja than the warrior monk he was supposed to be. He wore a tight blue body suit, a blue facemask, and a red belt, and of course, one of the standout features of this outfit is his ripped pants.
The tattered trousers is certainly something that felt like it required some explanation as the best assumption back in the day had to have been it was simple battle wear. However, it turns out it was actually just Kev throwing in some inspo from one of his favorite bands.
This old school Jago costume would make its return in Killer Instinct 2013 where it acted as his official retro costume. And yes, the ripped pants were included there as well.
DID YOU KNOW? That DEF LEPPARD lead singer JOE ELLIOT has his birthday today? I couldn’t get enough of the band & their ROCKIN’ anthems when I was about 18 – & THAT is why JAGO has RIPPED trousers! I based them on him from all the videos (In The Round in your face!) at the time.… pic.twitter.com/XKDFhtL1oR
— Kev Bayliss – Diddy Kong’s Daddy (@Kev_Bayliss) August 1, 2024