Kakeru (Ape Escape)

Kakeru, known as Spike in the United States version and the original U.K. release of Ape Escape, is the fictional protagonist character of the Ape Escape, Ape Escape: On The Loose, Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed, Ape Escape Million Monkeys and Ape Escape 2001 (Japan only) video games.

Kakeru is also seen racing his best friend Hiroki (Jake in the U.S. versions, Buzz in the original U.K. Ape Escape), who is also a "rival" to Kakeru. He has an 11-year-old cousin, Hikaru (Jimmy), who appears in Ape Escape 2 and possible friends Satoru and Sayaka (Kei and Yumi), the protagonists of Ape Escape 3. He also has a crush on Haruka (Helga) in Ape Escape Pumped and Primed, and Ape Escape Million Monkeys. in Ape Escape Big Mission, Spike and Nataile has to rescue Professor, Aumi, Kei, Jimmy and Yumi from the Freaky Monkey Five using their tiny lab and stop Specter.

Appearance

Kakeru's hobbies are racing with Hiroki, visiting the town, and visiting his cousin, Hikaru. Kakeru's appearance changes from game to game. In Ape Escape and in Ape Escape 2001 he wears his trademark red striped shirt, blue shorts, and two red bands on his arms. In Ape Escape 2, he is basically the same, but he wears blue jeans instead of blue shorts. In Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed, if you are not wearing unlocked clothing, he is back to blue shorts, but his white stripe on his shirt is much thinner, he wears a blue visor, has black sleeves under his shirt, he lost the red wrist bands, and you can see his NATURAL black hair under his less arranged spiky red and yellow hair. In his, Hikaru's, and the professor's cameo in Ape Escape 3, he wears his Ape Escape 1 attire. In Ape Escape Million Monkeys he wears a red and white jacket, with more realistic jeans. His hair now looks more 'realistic', with the yellow hair that was previously a tuft now blending into his red hair. His appearance in the Ape Escape game coming out in 2007 or 2008 on the PlayStation 3 is currently under ProgresS. Kakeru stars as the protagonist in "Ape Escape On Air!" in both seasons. Kakeru returns in The New Ape Escape game, Ape Escape: Saru Saru for the PSP, which is coming soon in 2007. Kakeru wears his attire from Ape Escape 1, and redesigned to an Ape Escape 3 style of anime in the game.

He can withstand Specter's power of mind control and he has extraordinary use of the Stun club and SUPER Hoop. He also ends up wielding a variety of other gadgets and weapons, which he is quickly able to master the use of. Aside from that, being a video game protagonist, he possesses the ability to survive injuries that would realistically kill him, as well as possess the able to leap several feat in the air.

In Ape Escape Million Monkeys, he takes a more important role and is looked upon as a true hero. In Ape Escape On Air, he wears the original clothing from Ape Escape 1 in Season 1, he wears his Ape Escape Million Monkeys attire in Season 2 later on. He was embrassed by Pink Monkey in Episode 26 Season 2, when his clothes turned into a mini skirt and tube top, and forced to pose in front of the camera, in front of Haruka, Hiroki and Natsumi. In the last episodes of the anime series, Kakeru got onto a robot that looks like him with his friends, and used it to fight against Specter's robot. Specter was ultimately defeated, and Kakeru and his friends went on another vacation. At the end of the final episode of the series, Kakeru is wearing the same clothes as Haruka.

ja:カケル (サルゲッチュ)