Editing Cortez

{{character infobox

|image=[[File:Cortez.png|200px]]<br>Artwork from ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''

|first_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[List of games by date#2004|2004]])

|latest_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]]) ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])

}}

'''Cortez''' is the holder of the fifth [[Crystal Stars|Crystal Star]], the [[Sapphire Star]], in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' and its [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|remake]]. He resides on the [[Black Skull]], a pirate-ship-like vessel, deep within [[Pirate's Grotto]] on [[Keelhaul Key]]. Cortez's name is presumably a reference to {{wp|Hernán Cortés}}, a Spanish conquistador most well-known for embarking upon an expedition that led to the downfall of the Aztec empire, as well as ''cortar'', which is a Spanish word that means "to cut" (referencing Cortez's various weapons). "Cortez" itself is also a common Spanish-Portuguese surname.

 

Cortez speaks in a Spanish accent, which in the remake is further elaborated on where he says more words and phrases in Spanish than he did in the original game.

According to [[Wonky]], Cortez often raided the ancient city that predated Rogueport, but was eventually betrayed by one of his crew. He sailed away with all his treasure not long before he died. Eventually, the [[Skull Gem]] which powers his ship was stolen by [[Flavio]]'s ancestor, causing him to be stuck in the Pirate's Grotto on Keelhaul Key, where his spirit guards his treasure.

Cortez tries to scare [[Mario]] and his [[partner]]s away (in the same vein as [[Tutankoopa]] in [[Paper Mario|the first game]]) when he thinks they are after his treasure; when his eerie messages fail, he drops the act in disgust and begins a battle. After his defeat, Cortez seemingly prepares to vanish, only to reveal that his state of undeath renders him effectively invincible. However, Mario is finally able to explain that he was not interested in Cortez's treasure, only in the Crystal Star. Somewhat bemused and asking why Mario "didn't just say so" in the first place, Cortez willingly hands over the artifact, offhandedly remarking that he never particularly cared for the Crystal Star anyhow.

When Four-Eyes revealed his true identity as [[Lord Crump]], Mario and Flavio return to Cortez, in order to request the use of his ship. Cortez was not particularly interested, spouting that he did not want the Black Skull to be used as a luxury liner. He also tells them that even if he wanted to lend them his ship, the ship is useless, as it will not operate, because of the loss of its power source, the Skull Gem. Flavio then reveals he has the gem, causing Cortez to be even more furious, and not wishing to help them even further. He eventually relents after Flavio reminded him that Mario defeated him once, and hints he will have Mario fight Cortez again for the ship. He also says that if Cortez does not help, he will throw the Skull Gem into the water where Cortez will never find it. Cortez relents, and proceeds to help Mario in battle against the [[X-Naut]] attack on Keelhaul Key. From then on, Cortez stays docked at [[Rogueport]], and would ferry Mario to Keelhaul Key and back whenever he wanted. Goombella's field [[tattle]] on Cortez is viewable after Mario returns to Rogueport from Keelhaul Key.

At the end of the game [[Goombella]] says [[Bobbery]], Cortez, and a few others went to sail the world.

 

===''Super Mario-kun''===

[[File:SMKun 34 Cortez.png|thumb|Cortez in ''Super Mario-kun'']]

Cortez appears in volume 34 of ''[[Super Mario-kun]]'', where he fights with Mario and his partners on their quest for the Crystal Stars. He is initially only able to speak in groans and exclamations. Before he deals what seems to be a finishing blow, Cortez carves a message in the stone wall behind them, thanking them for playing with him. Mario hears Cortez's voice as it is revealed that he was always lonely during his life as a pirate king, and he thanks the party before he seems to disappear as his soul is finally laid to rest. He reappears moments later as a gag. They take a commemorative photo before Cortez bids them farewell from Keelhaul Key. On the ship, Mario and the others realize in shock that many other creepy, undead spirits appear in their photo after its development.

 

Cortez reappears later in the same volume during a flashback when [[Bowser]] is telling the story of how he was chasing after Mario. After arriving at Keelhaul Key, Bowser makes his demands clear to Cortez, who engages Bowser in battle to protect his new friend. A punch sends Bowser flying, causing several objects stored in his shell to fall out, including a photograph of him and Mario fighting. Cortez picks up the photo, interpreting them as playing as he did with Mario earlier. He tells Bowser that Mario is headed to [[Poshley Sanctum]]. After the flashback, a panel shows Cortez apparently reading volumes of ''Super Mario-kun'', stating that Mario and Bowser seem to be good friends.

Once this first form is defeated, Cortez transforms into a serpentine state, trading his arms and weapons for an enlarged rib cage concealing a green gem. This form attacks with a headbutt, and can [[Charged|charge]] before throwing a bone at either character, dealing great damage in the process. Attacking the pile of bones will cause Cortez to lower his upper half, and doing so twice will cause him to open his rib cage, exposing the green gem. This gem lacks Cortez's usual 1 defense, and additionally takes 1 more damage than usual from all attacks.

After his second form is defeated, Cortez abandons a body and returns to a simple floating head. Although he is limited to a simple bite attack, he compensates by animating his weapons from the first state, effectively giving Mario and his partner five opponents to worry about. The weapons have different properties to their attacks and are immune to frontal attacks due to their pointed tips. Using a moderately strong attack that strikes all opponents, such as a [[Thunder Rage]] item and [[Vivian]]'s [[Fiery Jinx]], can disable the weapons simultaneously. This effect is temporary, for they reanimate themselves after two turns. [[Flurrie]]'s [[Gale Force]], if successful (though it will not affect Cortez himself), can blow the weapons out of the stage permanently. If Cortez falls to 10 HP or less, he can absorb souls of the [[audience]] to restore his [[Heart Point|HP]], similar to [[Hooktail]] and the [[Shadow Queen]]. The only difference is that Cortez can only absorb souls equal to half the current audience members, and the remainder will remain to support Mario; by contrast, the [[Shadow Queen]] will absorb the entire audience, and Hooktail scares away the uneaten members. With good planning, it is possible to defeat Cortez with a swift assault before he gets a chance to absorb the souls of the audience.

 

====Nintendo Switch====

{{:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) bestiary|transcludesection=Cortez's Weapons|align=horizontal|image=[[File:PMTTYDNS Tattle Log - Cortez.png|180px]]}}

 

 

|ChiS=科尔特斯

|ChiSR=Kēěrtèsī

|ChiSM=From the Japanese name

|ChiT=科爾特斯

|ChiTM=From the Japanese name

|DutM=From {{wp|Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer}}, a Dutch admiral from the 17th century

|Ita=Cortez

;Bone Pile

;Cortez Hook

 

;Cortez Rapier

 

;Cortez Sword

 

;Cortez Sabre