Clockwerk

Lore & Background

Clockwerk was once a living owl, but his consuming envy of the Cooper Clan's legendary thieving skills drove him to replace his flesh with machinery—each gear and piston a monument to his spite. He believed that by becoming a machine, he could outlast and ultimately destroy every member of the Cooper family. Over centuries, he hunted and killed many Coopers, amassing a fortune and building a criminal empire from the shadows. His body is a marvel of ancient technology, housing weapons like lasers, missiles, and claws, all powered by his undying hatred. His most enduring legacy is the Clockwerk parts, which after his defeat in the first game were disassembled and scattered across the world by Interpol. In *Sly 2: Band of Thieves*, the Klaww Gang seeks to reassemble these parts to harness his power, leading to a new conflict. Even in death, Clockwerk's malevolence persists—his eyes, the repository of his hatred, are used by Dr. M in *Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves* to power his machine, and the games explicitly show that the Clockwerk eyes do corrupt their possessor.

In Their Own Story

The air in the ancient temple was cold and still, thick with the scent of rust and old blood. Sly crept forward, the Thievius Raccoonus clutched tight. Before him, a colossal owl of steel and rage stirred to life, joints groaning like a dirge. 'You are the last,' a voice like grinding gears echoed through the chamber. 'I have waited centuries for this.' Clockwerk's eyes burned red, his hatred a palpable force that pressed against Sly's fur. Sly felt the weight of his ancestors' failures—their bones scattered across time—but also their cunning, a spark passed down through blood. This was not just a heist; it was a reckoning. And as the mechanical beast lunged, gears shrieking, Sly knew only one of them would leave this place.

Reader's Guide

Clockwerk is the final boss of *Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus*, encountered in the level 'The Cold Heart of Hate'. He is a massive, flying mechanical owl that attacks with a variety of patterns. The fight takes place in a circular arena where Sly must avoid Clockwerk's laser sweeps, missile barrages, and swooping claw attacks. The key to defeating him is to use the arena's pillars for cover and wait for openings to attack his glowing weak points—his eyes and chest core. Clockwerk's attacks are telegraphed: a red laser sweep requires a well-timed jump, missiles can be dodged by moving laterally, and his swoop can be avoided by rolling. After each successful hit, he becomes temporarily stunned, allowing for a follow-up. The battle escalates as his health decreases, with faster attack patterns and additional hazards. This fight tests the player's mastery of Sly's movement and timing, serving as the ultimate challenge of the game's mechanics. Defeating Clockwerk requires patience, pattern recognition, and precise execution.

Did You Know?

• Clockwerk is the leader of the Fiendish Five, a group of criminals who stole pages from the Thievius Raccoonus.
• Clockwerk converted himself into a machine to gain immortality, driven by jealousy of the Cooper Clan.
• Clockwerk reveals that he killed Sly's father and stole the Thievius Raccoonus to prove the Cooper Clan was nothing without the book.
• After Clockwerk is defeated, one of his eyes flashes open, suggesting he may not be truly gone.
• Clockwerk's lair is located in a Russian volcano.