Cortese : pirate spectral et gardien de l'Étoile Saphir

Cortese: Spectral Pirate and Guardian of the Sapphire Star

1273 mots | Temps de lecture : 6 minute(s)

Cortese (known as Cortez in the original version) is the spectral pirate skeleton who serves as the boss of Chapter 5 in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, released on GameCube in 2004 and then on Nintendo Switch in 2024.

Nicknamed the King of Pirates, he jealously guards his treasure and the Sapphire Star in Pirate's Grotto, before becoming, once defeated, a valuable transportation ally for Mario.

Summary

Who is Cortese, the King of Pirates?

Cortese is an undead: the ghost of a pirate captain whose spirit refuses to leave this world, returned in the form of a spectral skeleton. In life as in death, he is said to have terrorized all the seas of the game.

This bloody past earned him the nickname the King of Pirates. Legend has it that he haunts his old lair and curses anyone who dares approach his gold, which eventually drove almost all sailors away from the region.

He is encountered in Chapter 5, on Keelhaul Key, a secluded tropical island rumored to be cursed. This is where Mario lands to get his hands on the fifth Star Gem.

Because Cortese holds the Sapphire Star, one of the seven Star Gems that the plumber must collect. Ironically: he unknowingly retrieved it while plundering a treasure, never realizing the value of the jewel he was guarding.

The Hidden Treasure of Pirate's Grotto

Cortese's loot lies at the very bottom of Pirate's Grotto, an underground labyrinth carved beneath Keelhaul Key, riddled with traps, dark waters, and hidden passages.

To make his way through, Mario must first obtain the Skull Gem, a relic that serves both as a key to open the grotto and as a pass to activate the pirate's ship.

This gem belongs to Flavio, the boastful merchant from Rougeport whose ship takes Mario to the island. His old pirate song even hides the clues needed to solve the grotto's riddle.

At the end of the journey, Mario eventually discovers Cortese's ghost ship and his pile of riches. The pirate immediately emerges to defend his treasure, triggering one of the longest and most memorable battles of the adventure.

A Spectral Battle in Three Forms

The confrontation against Cortese plays out in three successive forms, each with 20 HP: so he must be dealt 60 HP of damage in total before he finally collapses.

  • First form: a gigantic four-armed skeleton, each hand wielding a weapon and the torso connected to the ground, the most visually impressive phase.
  • Second form: a serpentine silhouette, a kind of snake-skeleton whose ribcage houses a vulnerable green gem; it is paradoxically his weakest form.
  • Third form: reduced to a floating head, he animates his weapons as autonomous adversaries and can drain the audience's HP to heal himself, his most dangerous form.

A cruel detail: as long as Mario doesn't break his will, the battle results in a stalemate, because the pirate's immortal spirit can never be completely destroyed. Only his surrender ends the battle.

The Arsenal: Sword, Scimitar, Rapier, and Hook

What makes Cortese so unique is his four-weapon arsenal, one for each of his skeletal hands: a sword, a scimitar, a rapier, and a rusty hook.

His multi-hit sword combos form the core of his offensive and can quickly chip away at Mario's HP, while his hook has the annoying habit of poisoning its target.

In his third form, these four blades actually detach from him and attack independently, forcing the player to manage multiple threats at once. A true pirate down to the bone.

From Feared Boss to Transportation Ally

Once defeated, Cortese understands that Mario was not coveting his gold but only the Sapphire Star. Being a good sport, he willingly hands it over, even admitting he never truly appreciated it.

Thanks to the Skull Gem, Flavio then strikes a pact with the pirate: Cortese agrees to lend Mario a hand and fight alongside him against the X-Nauts who arrive on the island.

After the chapter, his ship, the Black Skull, becomes a permanent transport. It shuttles between Rougeport and Keelhaul Key, allowing Mario to return to the island at will to unearth treasures and secrets.

A Hispanic Name, Emphasized on Switch

Cortese punctuates his lines with Spanish expressions, a delightful linguistic quirk that highlights his identity as a theatrical buccaneer and gives him a unique accent.

In the Nintendo Switch remake of 2024, these Hispanic turns of phrase have even been accentuated compared to the original, making the pirate's dialogues even more colorful than in 2004.

His name is no coincidence: it evokes both the conquistador Hernán Cortés and the Spanish verb "cortar" (to cut), a double nod ideal for a four-bladed swordsman.

Regarding releases, the original was released on GameCube on July 22, 2004 (Japan), then on November 12, 2004 in Europe, while the remake arrived worldwide on May 23, 2024.

Cortese in brief

Name (France) Cortese
Name (Original) Cortez
Role Chapter 5 boss, then ally
Game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004 / 2024 remake)
Location Pirate's Grotto, Keelhaul Key
Guarded Trophy Sapphire Star (5th Star Gem)
Combat Forms 3 forms of 20 HP (60 HP total)
Ship The Black Skull

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FAQ

  • In which game does Cortese appear?
    He is a boss in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, released on GameCube in 2004 (July 22 in Japan) and re-released on Nintendo Switch on May 23, 2024.
  • Which Star Gem does Cortese guard?
    He holds the Sapphire Star, the fifth of the seven Star Gems, hidden deep within Pirate's Grotto, on Keelhaul Key.
  • How many forms does Cortese have in battle?
    Three successive forms of 20 HP each: a four-armed skeleton, a serpentine form, then a floating head surrounded by his weapons.
  • Does Cortese become an ally to Mario?<
    Yes. Once defeated, he yields the Sapphire Star, helps Mario against the X-Nauts, and his ship then shuttles between Rougeport and Keelhaul Key.
  • Where does the name Cortese come from?
    It refers to the conquistador Hernán Cortés and the Spanish verb "cortar" (to cut), echoing his four weapons and Spanish expressions.
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