Crunch Bandicoot

Crunch Bandicoot is a large, muscular bandicoot in the Crash Bandicoot series. His first appearance was in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, as one of the main antagonists. After being defeated, Crunch changed his ways and joined the bandicoots, thus becoming a secondary protagonist in subsequent games. Crunch was originally designed by Sean Krankel and Craig Whittle.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crunch was created by Doctor Cortex in private as a superweapon that would be capable of frightening power. Doctor N. Gin and Doctor Nefarious Tropy (who only had a slight understanding of the project) were the only other individuals who knew about the weapon. During a bad guy convention held by Uka Uka, Tropy and N. Gin reveal the weapon in desperation for one good plan to defeat Crash Bandicoot, who Uka Uka wants eliminated. Doctor Cortex formally announces the superweapon, but reveals that it is still missing a power source. Hearing the word "element", Uka Uka brings up the Elementals, a group of destructive masks that could create enough energy to bring the secret weapon to life. The weapon, who is Crunch Bandicoot, attempts to defeat Crash with the aid of the Elemental masks, but when Crunch is defeated in Cortex's space station, he snaps out of Doctor Cortex's control. Although his first instinct is to introduce his fist to Cortex's face, Aku Aku informs Crunch of the space station's imminent destruction, and the group decides to flee back to Earth. There, Crunch shows his gratitude toward the Bandicoots, and becomes part of the Bandicoot family.

Crash Twinsanity
In Crash Twinsanity, Crunch has a cameo in Crash's "birthday party", which is a gathering of earlier villains in the series. While Crunch is in the gathering, he actually believes that it is really Crash's birthday, donning a green paper crown and holding a slice of cake.

Crash of the Titans
In Crash of the Titans, Crunch is ambushed by Doctor Cortex during the beginning of the first episode, leaving him frozen from the neck down. He stays this way until the end of the game, in which the Doominator's collapse is able to set Crunch free. Crunch does not appear in the DS version of the game. In the Game Boy Advance version, Crunch is taken prisoner by Tiny Tiger by order of Neo Cortex. He is freed upon Tiny's defeat.

Crash: Mind over Mutant
Crunch appears in Crash: Mind over Mutant, where he becomes addicted to the NV device alongside Coco to the point where he is unable to help Crash and Aku Aku when they are attacked by N. Gin's Ratnician army. He is later mutated by the bad Mojo transmitted by the NV and runs off, leaving a mutated Coco to fend off Crash. He is later found at the Junkyard, where Nitrus Brio commands Crunch to attack Crash. He is soon freed from the NV's control, but continues to be beaten up by Crash for a short time. He then decides to go back home and get some sleep

Other appearances
In Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, Crunch is abducted by N. Trance and is brainwashed alongside Coco and Fake Crash. Crash battles Crunch on a flying carpet over the skies of Saudi Arabia, with Crash firing shots of energy at Crunch whenever the latter is stunned by exploding Nitro Crates. Upon snapping out of N. Trance's control, Crunch becomes a playable character in some of the Atlasphere levels.

In the Crash Bandicoot racing games, Crunch is as a playable character, usually driving heavy vehicles high on speed. In Crash Tag Team Racing, Crunch has a Mr. T-type personality and often gives random morals.

Crunch aids Crash in the "Weighlift" segments of Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage.

Portrayals
Crunch is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Crash Nitro Kart. In Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash of the Titans, and Crash: Mind over Mutant, Crunch is voiced by Chris Williams, in the style of Mr. T.

In the Japanese dubs, he is voiced by Yūji Kishi in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Crash Nitro Kart, Masafumi Kimura in Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash of the Titans, and Crash: Mind over Mutant, and by Shinya Fukumatsu in Crash Boom Bang!.