Full reference of Dakota Cole's official design.
"Hey! Your mom would be fuckin' proud, man!" -Dakota's parting words to Ashe.
Dakota Cole is a human boy with incredible physical modifications that essentially make him superhuman in regards to strength and speed. He is one of the four Prime Defenders and is played by GrizzlyPlays, aka Grizzly.
Description
Appearance
Dakota Cole (Hero name D.C.) is a teenage boy with medium length (slightly past the ears) bright raspberry red hair, and he has bright yellowish-amber eyes. He is quite lithe in stature, below the baggy red flannel that goes down to his mid-thighs and white swoop-cut t-shirt underneath that he often wears. He additionally wears slim-fitted pale jeans with some tears and patches across them. His pants are tucked into his shoes, which are mid-calf, laced up red training boots. He carries on him a black bandana that he often wraps around his forehead, as well as uses for his hero disguise.
In S1, he tends to carry around a black skateboard with red wheels in his free time and when he is at school.
Dakota's official art.
In S2, his hands are more heavily calloused and there are additional scars all over his arms and body.
On Fauna, he temporarily has messier hair (especially towards the front, with his bangs falling past his nose) with the back being tied into a skinny ponytail that goes down to his mid-back. He still wears his signature headband. He wears a black popped-collar vest with golden trim along the edges and on the collars the trim is in a somewhat swirl pattern. The vest is threaded to cover his chest but opens up and out to expose his abdomen in a flipped V shape, and he had thick red cord around his waist which. loops on his hips like a bow. The rest of the cord feathers out at the ends past his knees, and he additionally wears black monk-style pants rolled up to the knees with the designs of two golden bears roaring on the thighs, and fire wrapped around them and down the legs. He also has silver bands with swirling cloud-like designs on the forearms, and the same red cord on his biceps, with his hands and feet being wrapped in red martial arts tape. His appearance returns to normal once returning to Prime.
As of S2 Episode 22: The Heart of a Hero, he has an additional scar on his chest, over his heart.
Hero Outfit
His superhero suit is a cropped red cargo jacket with "D.C." embroidered on it, with a black striped collar, a black stripe just above the hem, and a black and grey zipper with buttons on the shoulders. It's cut off, revealing his midriff. Black sleeves wrapped with four (two on either side) utility straps go into red cuffs around his wrists and then black fingerless gloves. He wears black cargo pants, which read "COLE STYLE" down the middle of one leg, which lead into a pair of boots which appear to be a mix between ninja wear and tech-style, with red wraps around the calves. Below the red wrappings, a purple galaxy pattern can be seen worked into the boots as an ode to Ms. Gilbert. There is also a lighter grey belt and strap that loops around the left side of his hip, and a pouch on the side of his left knee. Additionally, he wears the aforementioned black bandana, however now, he pulls it over his eyes to act as a mask, and his eyes glow a pure, bright white through the slits.
Personality
Official art of Dakota from episode 3.
Dakota is good-intentioned and caring, though stubborn and dim. He is the definition of putting all of the heart in someone while forgetting the brains. He doesn't know even basic math, he has a lot of trouble understanding things above a grade school reading level, and he does not catch onto meanings behind what people are saying very well, if at all. He has trouble "reading the room" so to speak, sometimes, and will occasionally blurt things out he probably should not. However, he is not socially inept -- he is quite charismatic, making friends easily, even if some are the wrong person to trust at times. He is fairly gullible, despite being suspicious of nearly many that he meets since Doug. His energy level is typically very high, to the point that when he is behaving calmly, William assumes something is wrong (correctly, often). Dakota is hyper and a lot to be around, Harlem Shade even referring to him as a "little red crackhead". He is easily excitable and seems to be easily overstimulated, as well. He talks loudly, even louder when excited. His base volume is essentially a yell.
When Dakota believes someone is a villain or there is a villain nearby, he often becomes unreasonable and jumps straight into wanting to fight them, sometimes running off to get a head start on kicking the lights out of them. He is violent, all things considered, and sometimes lacks control to not lash out. He also despises being lied to, particularly since Doug, as well, and will become threatening towards a person if he believes they are lying to him. When William was dishonest with him about having pages from Ashe's book, he became extremely upset with him. He is also argumentative and stubborn to a fault, always standing up for what he believes is right, being entirely unwavering in it, and cementing himself in a mindset. He doesn't back down from challenges and can't resist a fight. He is the hit first and William will ask questions later type. He refuses to run from any danger -- he has proven himself that he would readily die over doing so.
Dakota has a monumental amount of empathy and love to give. If you have found yourself his ally, you have found the most loyal ally in the world. His sense of team and family cannot be broken or questioned in any way. You are stuck with him. He cares about people and animals deeply, desperately wanting to protect or save them, even at the expense of his own safety, well being or even life, at times. He does not think about consequences where helping someone is concerned or, frankly, ever. He is reckless, impulsive, and can be erratic. He is very protective and will readily take a hit meant for someone else. He is also brave (maybe too much), jumping towards things many would jump away from. He takes initiative and isn't afraid. Dakota additionally seems to lack general bitterness. He really does not seem to get jealous, from what can be seen of his behavior. Seeing Will interact with his parents in Episode 16: The Hall of Elements does not upset him like it does Vyncent; in fact, it seems to make him quite happy. That being said, he seems happy when other people are, and seems to value others' wellbeing and emotional states more than his own. He has a lot of trouble processing his own emotions and feelings and prefers not to, period, confirming about himself that he bottles up vulnerability and similar feelings when he tells Alan to do the same in S2 Episode 3: Dude, Where's Our Car?. It is easiest for him, in his own words, to write things that have happened to him/upset him down in order to help process them better. He does admit, however, in the next episode that he is in fact "fucked up".
In S2, post living in the woods, he becomes more erratic and prone to outbursts of anxiety, distress and going (literally) feral, in which state he cannot control himself/his actions and becomes unhinged and violent. He is also more prone to shutting down. Grizzly has also mentioned that he sometimes dissociates under stress. (Needs Citation; S2 JRolled) This does not change any of the other aspects of his personality, however.
Powers
Dakota's superpowers were essentially superhuman strength and speed. His signature moves are powerful kicks; he never throws a punch. He could run at a max 60 MPH and lift up to 5,000 lbs. (WIP)
As of S2 Episode 22: The Heart of a Hero, Dakota lost these powers and currently relies on his martial arts training, rather than superhuman abilities, in order to fight.
Background/History
Dakota grew up without any parents, as they died when he was young, and was raised by his aunt. He doesn't come off outwardly bothered by this, though he does retain a few memories of his parents (particularly his father, whom he mentions in S2 Episode 13: Maximum Security used to drive them up to brick walls when Dakota fell asleep in the car and stop there, then wake up Dakota abruptly and scare him into thinking they were driving into a brick wall).
Dakota underwent a procedure by a scientist/doctor that involved administration of a serum to his body which granted him unnatural strength and speed capabilities. Dakota does not seem bothered talking about the fact that he underwent this procedure, though he remained quiet about the nature of why for quite some time.
Dakota's superpowers allow him to live well -- without them, he would be almost entirely paralyzed and unable to move his body, and it's likely he would die. This is due to a time in his past when he had been running along rooftops (something he used to do a lot as a younger, powerless kid, apparently). One day, he had been joined in his run by a classmate from his school after she'd expressed interest to run alongside him. She slipped while running and fell from one of the roofs, causing her to fall from a deadly height. On an instinct due to his innate heroic nature, Dakota jumped after her in order to try and save her, putting her in front of him to try and break the fall. She died on impact, and Dakota, in his words, nearly did too, but was able to be saved by the administration of that aforementioned serum.
Relationships
William Wisp
William and Dakota are very close friends. Though Dakota's high energy severely contrasts William, this hardly stops them from being friends. In early episodes (while still attending Centurion High) when William was bullied, Dakota would stand up for or defend him readily, even going so far as to suggest taking revenge on Jimmy for being mean to him. He is quite protective of William, specifically, in this way. Dakota trusts Will's judgment and capabilities wholeheartedly, in a general sense. He has blatantly asked for and/or waited for Will's guidance/direction or recommendation on what to do in various situations and sings his praises. He especially finds Will's "ghost-powers" to be extremely cool, complimenting him and talking with awe about his powers to others (i.e. Chip in the JRWI What If: Otherworldly Summoning). Despite Will's heavy dislike for his own Wisp form, Dakota finds it impressive and has asked him about it more than once, trying to get Will to feel proud of it. William seems totally comfortable around Dakota (save for when his Wisp form is brought up), as he rarely, if ever, gets tripped up or uncomfortable while talking with him. He has also mentioned that he only ever cared about getting stronger was because he met Dakota (in Episode 1: The New Generation). On multiple occasions Dakota has tried to set William up on a date with Summer, all times of which Will has made moves to avoid. They often engage in friendly banter or bicker back and forth, but have a mutual understanding of each other and remain close nonetheless. William and Dakota have rarely gotten into actual fights -- though Dakota did become extremely upset with him after William lied about Ashe's pages, first trying to fight him, then storming off and crying. After returning from his 10 month absence, Dakota is welcomed with open arms by William especially, who was not upset with him at all, simply happy to have him back and not wanting to lose him again. William and Dakota also seemingly share a close enough of a bond to allow Dakota's soul to enter William's body. It's not clear whether this is just a power of William's he can do with anyone or is made possible due to the bond he and Dakota share. Regardless, they have this twice in Season 2. In the JRWI What If: Otherworldly Summoning, Dakota admits to Chip that he feels like a third wheel between Vyncent and William and is seemingly self-conscious about his role in the group at times, feeling left out. Despite this disconnect he clearly feels, he hasn't brought it up to either of them. He additionally remarks that he hasn't brought other issues he's had with both Will and Vyncent up to them, such as them almost "betraying" him, suggesting that while he feels very close to them, he has a lot of trouble voicing and talking out his feelings (something we have seen before, with him saying it's easier for him to write his feelings down in order to process them better).
Overall, it is clear that Dakota cares about William an immense deal. In S2 Episode 22, he was willing to give up his second heart that granted him his powers in order to stop William from decaying further in death. William has stated Dakota to be his personal hero because of this. As stated by Bizly and Charlie in the Just Rolled With It for S2 Episode 12: They've Been Watching, according to Charlie's character notes on William and Dakota's relationship, there is apparently no one that William respects more, superhero wise, than Dakota.
Vyncent Sol
Vyncent and Dakota are very good friends. Due to their differences, Vyncent and Dakota often clashed early in the campaign for a variety reasons, whether it be more one of The Greats' actions (such as Alphonz almost killing Wavelength to Dakota's horror), or due to Vyncent snapping at Dakota to grow up in stressful circumstances. However, they maintain fairly good communication as time goes on, and become very close. Dakota is not nearly as protective of Vyncent as William, and vice versa, but they often maintain a certain respect for one another. They do, however, often feed off of one another's chaos, as well -- and additionally drag William into it, at times. Dakota is oddly interested in Vyncent's love life in general (though he did briefly apply the same treatment to William as well) -- not in a jealous manner, but rather in rooting for his success and getting a girlfriend, previously. Vyncent is almost always unappreciative of this. However, he has also (a number of times) teased or asked Vyncent direct questions about his relationship with William. In the JRWI What If: Otherworldly Summoning, Dakota admits to Chip that he feels like a third wheel between Vyncent and William and is seemingly self-conscious about his role in the group at times, feeling left out. Despite this disconnect he clearly feels, he hasn't brought it up to either of them. He additionally remarks that he hasn't brought other issues he's had with both Will and Vyncent up to them, such as them almost "betraying" him, suggesting that while he feels very close to them, he has a lot of trouble voicing and talking out his feelings (something we have seen before, with him saying it's easier for him to write his feelings down in order to process them better).
Ashe Winters
WIP
Tide
Though he often tries to cover it up, but regularly slips and calls him such, Dakota sees Tide as a father and mentor figure wholeheartedly. For the only one of the Prime Defenders without a father, this is clearly important to him. However, he also often clashes with Tide, who simply desires for him and the other Prime Defenders to focus solely on training and simultaneously living as normal lives 3 kids with superpowers can lead. This causes tension with Dakota, who wants to be seen as capable and an actual hero, and believes that Tide should not baby them or keep them out of the loop on things, even if he believes it is for their own benefit. Dakota actively wants to help and fight beside Tide, though it could not be clearer that Tide desires nothing less, primarily for Dakota and the others' safety. This is an issue that regularly arises between them. Regardless, when Tide is threatened by Doug and Cantrip in Episode 9: A Bro No More, he becomes enraged; the most angry he had been in the show to that point. When Tide is kidnapped, Dakota becomes inconsolable, volatile and unreasonable. He is solely preoccupied with getting him back and ensuring his safety, ready to throw himself into any danger necessary to make this happen. Seeing Tide in any danger throws Dakota into an unstable emotional state. On the other hand, seeing Dakota in line of any possible danger clearly stresses Tide, causing him to take on a more parental, strict role. Though Dakota and the rest of the Prime Defenders can't be reasoned with, he regularly tries to get them to slow their roll regardless -- particularly Dakota, whom Tide often places under the watch of William in hopes the more responsible and levelheaded of them can better reign him in when they are alone. Tide sees himself as the father figure of all 3 Prime Defenders and, as is evident in multiple scenes and interactions, wants little more for them than to get a chance at peace and being "normal" in ways that he never did. Additionally, he sees himself as the sole person responsible for them, and will take the blame for nearly anything they get themselves into, evident when he firmly intends on telling the Prime Force the truth about his being kidnapped by Mal and insisting that he had endangered Dakota, William, Vyncent (and Ashe) in his "carelessness."
Ms. Gilbert
parasocial (wip)
Dakota obviously idolizes Ms. Gilbert from the start of PD; he has tattoos of her (both temporary and not), he speaks extremely highly of her and is awestruck around her, he wears galaxy-themed socks as an homage to her. It's quite possible that Ms. G alone was one of Dakota's role models in become a hero, as he mentions that he was in the crowd after the Prime Force defeated Darkstar about 9 years ago, that it was the kickstart to his desire to become one, and Ms. G was the one to deliver that final blow (and became the most famous and beloved thereafter).
Though his extreme idolization of heroes seems to dull to a bit of a healthier outlook by S2 Episode 14: The Fall, as evident in how he talks about how heroes should've be over-idolized, there is no doubt that he still sees Ms. G and heroes like her (Harlem Shade, for example) as people to be revered in a sense, as she is an inspiration to him.
Trivia
- Dakota's favorite food is pizza (specifically pepperoni, as stated by Grizzly[1]).
- As a byproduct to having his powers, Dakota must eat a higher amount than is normally required for a person to maintain his high energy and abilities.
- Grizzly has said that, while not intended to be an autistic character, the way he plays Dakota takes inspiration from autistic family of his.[2]
- Due to his developed fear over his 10-month absence, bears are the only animal Dakota will willingly/intentionally harm.
- In S2 Episode 1: Dropouts, Grizzly confirms that Dakota's birthday is December 31s. He did this so Dakota remained a minor for as long as possible. Given that the current year in Prime Defenders is 2143, with Dakota being 17, this means his official birthday is December 31st, 2126.[3]
- In the non-canon episode Just Roll What If: Heroes to Zeroes, a magically-aged, approximately 40-year-old Dakota asks a similarly aged Vyncent to marry him once they arrive back to Prime, when William is left behind in the Riptide universe. They do get married.
- In S1, objects in Dakota's pockets included pizza crust, an hourglass, airpods, chapstick, and a cough drop.
- Dakota is known to have multiple tattoos of Ms. G's name on his body. Some are temporary, some are potentially permanent; it isn't always clear.
- He is capable of falling asleep standing up, as seen in Episode 1: The New Generation and henceforth.
- In his own words in S2 Episode 4: Atlas Shrugs, if he had to imagine his friends as animals, he sees Will as a "little sheep" and Vyncent as a mountain goat ("with knives as horns"), respectively.
- In the non-canon Just Roll What If: The Prime Defenders Were Super Villains, Evil Dakota is sent into space and destroys the moon. His alias in the pit fight in Episode 3: Dude, Where's Our Car?, "Moonkicker", is most definitely an homage to this.
- Dakota’s heart beats faster, stronger, and more than the average person, as mentioned in S2 Episode 14: The Fall.
- Dakota has around 2 million followers on Twitter, mentioned in S2 Episode 14: The Fall.