The devil is the primary antagonist of cup‘s main campaign – after all, his name is in the game’s subtitle, “Don’t Deal With The Devil”. When Cuphead and Mugman lose their souls to the devil in a gamble, they beg him not to collect their spirits in exchange for something else. Eager to use his new minions, the devil entrusts them with retrieving the soul contracts of other debtors on Inkwell Isle. Thus begins the journey of the two cups as they jump from location to location, defeat the devil’s debtors and collect the souls of others to save their own.
The devil might be cup‘s last boss, but he is quite absent from most events in the game. Players only see the devil during cutscenes that intrigue him in his casino. Aside from that, the only time players encounter the devil in person is at the very end of the game. But while the main villain is in his lair, another villain takes a more active role to make sure Cuphead and Mugman don’t hold back their end of the deal with the devil.
He is Mr King Dice
King Dice is the manager of the Inkwell Hell Casino and the Devil’s right-hand man. He is a tall humanoid with a man’s body and a single die for a head. While King Dice is sharply dressed in purple and exudes the allure of an entertainer, his diabolical grin and sharp mustache betray his evil intentions. Through the intro sequence, players can see that it was he who brought the cups to the devil’s attention, leading the devil to barter with the brothers that cost them their souls.
When players first encounter King Dice in the game, he can guard the exit of one of his Die Houses. He explains to players that they must acquire all soul contracts on the current part of Inkwell Island before they can move on to the next area. King Dice does this three more times during the game before revealing himself as the penultimate boss of the main campaign.
A better class of criminals
Unlike the devil, who is content to stay in his casino, King Dice makes himself known to players throughout the game. After being established as the one who got Cuphead and Mugman in trouble with the devil, he constantly blocks the brothers’ progress on Inkwell Isle. Players looking to make a straight line to the devil can’t do it alone because King Dice’s large frame blocks the exit to his Die Houses. This forces them to defeat all available bosses first before moving on to the more difficult ones. King Dice also reports to the devil about the progress of the cups, telling his boss that Cuphead and Mugman could be a threat if they reach their goal of collecting all soul contracts.
Once Cuphead and Mugman have acquired all soul contracts, King Dice becomes enraged and tries to take them out. The fight with the boss of King Dice, like his nature, is a difficult gamble. Players must parry a pink die that will move them around a board. Landing on a numbered space forces players into a mini boss fight, while landing on a safe space gives them another chance to parry the pink die. As players approach the end of the board, they realize they can either fight against King Dice or start all over again. While players must fight at least 3 mini-bosses, they can eventually fight all 9 before taking on King Dice itself. Losing even one of the mini-bosses or King Dice resets the battle progress, making it one of the longest and most tedious battles in the game.
Compared to the Devil’s notable absence and uncomplicated boss fight, King Dice seems like a more worthy main antagonist for Cuphead and Mugman to face. King Dice constantly tries to thwart the cups during their journey. He keeps an eye on his opponents and is not afraid to take matters into his own hands. His aim to please the devil may not be as nefarious as his boss’s aim to steal souls, but it gives him a constant drive that motivates his evil deeds. Add in King Dice’s theme “Die House,” a song where he sings about his duties and abilities, and he just might be a better villain than the devil himself.
Cuphead: the delicious last course is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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