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The Cauldron Ghost (alternatively called the Smoke Monster, Cauldron Wizard, or Spirit of the Evil Magic Cauldron) is an astral enemy who appears in the original Dragon's Lair, which emerges from a bubbling cauldron inside the "Wizard's Chamber" (also called "Cauldron Room") to attack Dirk the Daring. The Ghost appears to work in tandem with the Acid Creature (which also overflows from the cauldron) to trap the knight inside the room. Dirk dissipates its integrity with a blow from his sword and then must escape before the Acid Creature's remains encompass the room.

Appearance & Identity[]

According to Superscope's Tele-Story Book, the ghostly apparition that emerges from the cauldron is "the spirit of the evil wizard" that owns The Castle, presumably being series antagonist Mordroc. Several home console ports and adaptations of the game would identify Mordroc as the castle’s wizard by name in their game manuals.

Although Mordroc neither appears nor is named in the original Dragon's Lair game, he exists as a behind-the-scenes, unseen figure: the intro narration declares "the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles."

The US Sega CD game manual refers to the entity as simply "the Smoke Monster that comes out of the kettle," further noting that "One quick slash will kill him."[1]

TV series[]

In the Dragon's Lair animated series episode "The Legend of the Giant's Name", Princess Daphne and Timothy successfully navigate several traps and obstacles of Cinge's castle to reach the dragon's lair, including the Cauldron Ghost.

Trivia[]

  • The Marvel Dragon's Lair storybook The Quest for the Stolen Fortune feature the Cauldron Room on pages 13-15 with the claim that Dirk defeated the Cauldron Ghost by shoving "the monster back into the pot." The Ghost appears on three pages of the Marvel coloring book Dirk the Daring Battles the Giddy Goons, introducing itself as "The Spirit of the Evil Magic Cauldron" and proclaiming Dirk as its prisoner, but the knight defeats it with a strike from his sword. A single illustration of the Cauldron Ghost appears on page 21 of the Marvel coloring/activity book Dirk the Daring Battles the Black Knight. In the Marvel coloring book Dirk the Daring Battles the Crypt Creeps, pages 11-13 illustrate Dirk encountering a creature who emerges from a cauldron, but it is actually an enormous rodent that chases the knight.
  • In Cardsmiths' Dragon's Lair trading cards Series One, "THE CAULDRON GHOST" features as card #16 with the description: "Boil bubble, toil and trouble... and this astral being is certainly going to be trouble for Dirk. Manifesting itself from the ooze in the cauldron. Dirk will have to dodge and slice his way out of its grasp."[2]

Gallery[]

Games[]

Coloring Books[]

References[]

  1. Dragon's Lair (1993) ReadySoft Sega CD USA game manual
  2. "THE CAULDRON GHOST" #16, Cardsmiths Dragons Lair Trading Cards Series 1
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