Lord Exo
- *Laughs* I've wondered. What happens when someone learns the true scope of their existence? To tear down that wall of illusion. The realization of how fragile their reality truly is. Beyond the veil, I've waited. And tonight, the boundary between your world and mine... shatters.
- ―Lord Exo's opening monologue from the Nil Zone
Description
Lord Exo, or simply just EXO, is the overarching antagonist of the Tower Defense Simulator story. He was first shown in the Violent Night Event's game trailer, later making an appearance in the Hexscape Event as a minor character, and in the Null & Void Event as the main antagonist.
He is a primordial being, one that has existed since the Old World with his brother,[1] Two X. He and his brother were in constant conflict with each other in the Old World. Two X wanted to foster creation, but Lord Exo destroyed those who did not suit his vision. This led to a great war that destroyed much of the Old World, and only Lord Exo's domain, the Nil Zone, remained.
Lord Exo retained a physical body in the past, but it was destroyed so his soul could be sealed inside the God Cube. Two X is stated to be the cause of this, by sacrificing the souls of thousands of his most powerful soldiers,[3] each powerful enough to be worshipped as gods in the Overworld.
It has been stated that Lord Exo is empowered by stealing the energy of the souls he has under his corruption.[4]
Personality
From his initial portrayal in the Violent Night Event trailer, it can be gathered that Lord Exo is a calculating villain, observing events as they unfold from the terminal inside the God Cube. This is further corroborated by his taunting of the Scout within his nightmares.[5]
Lord Exo is shown to be a callous killer, as the ending cutscene of Blind Faith depicts him slaying the downed Rift Walker. The Narrator has also boasted about the millions of living beings that Lord Exo has slain during the time of the Old World.[6]
Lord Exo is also an apathetic individual, discarding those he views to be faulty or ineffective in achieving his goals or interests, such as in the ending cutscene of Blind Faith, where Lord Exo has no use for Narrator anymore, so he discards him from servitude. This can also be backed up by what the Narrator claims about Lord Exo in the Old World, stating that he destroyed those who did not meet his vision or interest.[7]
Abilities & Characteristics
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Mind Control: Lord Exo was likely the perpetrator that brainwashed the elves into turning against Santa Claus. However, his methods of achieving this are unknown, along with why he has never been shown to mind-control any other individuals past this event. |  |
| Telekinesis: On several occasions, Lord Exo has been shown to telekinetically lift people into the air. The first victim of this ability was in the Null & Void Event, where he lifted the Scout into the air during his nightmare in Outpost 16, and in Blind Faith, Lord Exo lifted the Dispatcher into the air to steal her away from the other agents. Notably, the Dispatcher was shown to be trapped in purple chains. This is likely a side-effect of Lord Exo's power being manifested through a physical body. |   |
| Possession: By forcing out the soul of a suitable vessel's body, Lord Exo can assume control to fully incarnate into his true form. He has been shown possessing two bodies, the first being the Rift Walker's, which was not suitable enough for him to control, and the second being Kronus', which was weak enough for him to take over. |  |
| Other | |
| Imprisonment within the God Cube: From what was revealed in the Null & Void Event, the God Cube serves as a prison to host Lord Exo's soul after his original body was destroyed ages ago. |  |
| Lord Exo's Sword: In the ending cutscene of Blind Faith, Lord Exo summoned a sword out of thin air to kill the Rift Walker. |  |
Story
Old World
Before the Old World had a recognizable form, Lord Exo and Two X, fearing the primordial Void, sealed it away in the deepest reaches of existence so that it could not interfere with them again.[8]
Now left alone the from Void, the brothers were left to oversee all of creation in the Old World.[1] Lord Exo's interest in seeing what a world would look like bathed in chaos leads him down a terrible path against the wishes of Two X, causing war to break out between the two. This lead to Lord Exo seeking out the Void Caster, the self-described "daughter" of the Void[9] to offer an alliance between the two parties, in defiance of their common enemy of Two X.[10] As Lord Exo's follower base grew, so did his army, given to him by the likes of the Void Caster.[11]
At the climax of the final between Lord Exo and Two X, Lord Exo's original body was entrapped and destroyed, and his soul was imprisoned within the God Cube by Two X through the sacrifice of thousands of his strongest warriors.[3]
In an unspecified time in the Old World, the Narrator became Lord Exo's servant, later being gifted Lefty and Righty by him.[12]
A Dark Tale
The God Cube mysteriously appeared in the forest outside Eclipsed Village. Its power beckoned The Umbra, and she touched it, absorbing a portion of its power. However, the God Cube was shattered in the process, and its fragments were scattered throughout space and time.[13]
Solar Eclipse
After The Umbra was defeated by the T.D.S. Organization, the Primordial Drakobloxxer was said to have been "taken" by Lord Exo.[14]
Violent Night
Lord Exo brainwashed Santa Claus's elves to turn them against him, but the brainwashed elves were then stopped by the T.D.S. Organization.
Hexscape
The Children of Exo attempted to open a portal from Eclipsed Village to the Nil Zone to establish a connection to Lord Exo, but were foiled in their efforts by the T.D.S. Organization. Despite this, they still escape with a shard of the God Cube.
Null & Void
The Scout had recurring nightmares of Lord Exo taunting him from within the Nil Zone about how T.D.S. will be powerless to stop him from invading their world.
The Rift Walker and the Children of Exo battled inside the Nil Zone for the two halves of the God Cube, and with the Narrator's help, the Children of Exo were victorious. With the God Cube now merged, the cultists transferred Lord Exo's soul from within the cube into the Rift Walker's body. However, the Rift Walker was too powerful for Lord Exo to consume, so he took over Kronus's body instead to fully incarnate into his true form. Lord Exo kidnapped the Dispatcher and slew the Rift Walker, leading to Nil Zone rifts being created in other realms.
After his return, he was invited to the Narrator's premiere; seeing no more use for him, he declined it, making the Narrator leave him alone.
The Final Act
At the end of The Final Act Event, Lord Exo revoked his power from Lefty and Righty, killing them, much to the Narrator's dismay.
In an unknown location, most likely somewhere in the Nil Zone, Lord Exo placed The Umbra's[15] crown on Dispatcher's head, hoping for something to happen, but to his disappointment, the Dispatcher died. However, right after this happens, The Umbra[15] awoke inside the Dispatcher's body and began laughing. Lord Exo welcomed her back to life.
Gallery
Maps
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Lord Exo mentioned in Lay By. -
Lord Exo mentioned in Cyber City. -
Lord Exo in Pier Pressure. -
Lord Exo in Failed Gateway. -
Lord Exo in Bathroom Approach. -
Lord Exo in Nil Zone. -
Lord Exo in Banlands. -
Lord Exo in The Narratorium -
Lord Exo in The Narratorium -
Lord Exo in The Narratorium -
Lord Exo in Outskirts Commune
Thumbnails
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Lord Exo on the game thumbnail. -
Lord Exo on the game thumbnail.
Trailers
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Lord Exo in the game trailer.
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Lord Exo in the game trailer.
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Lord Exo in the game trailer.
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Lord Exo in the game trailer.
Cutscenes
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Lord Exo in the scrapped ending The Great Finale cutscene.
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Lord Exo in the opening Outpost 16 cutscene.
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Lord Exo in the middle and ending Blind Faith cutscenes.
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Lord Exo seen somewhere in the beginning cutscene.
Appearances
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Lord Exo's imprisoned form in the Violent Night Event. -
Lord Exo's imprisoned form in the Lunar Overture Event. -
Lord Exo's imprisoned form in The Classic Event. -
Lord Exo's imprisoned form in Outpost 16. -
Lord Exo possesses the Rift Walker. -
Lord Exo's incarnate form in Blind Faith.
Miscellaneous
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Cardboard cutout of Lord Exo sitting on a throne. -
Cardboard cutout of Lord Exo being trapped. -
Lord Exo that possesses the body of Rift Walker. -
Sword used by Lord Exo.
Trivia
- Originally, the Fallen were part of Lord Exo's army, having been mentioned to fight alongside the Champion Templars in the Old World.
- After v1.85.0, the lore of the Fallen was updated alongside the Champion Templars, leaving the status of their alliance with Lord Exo to become unclear.
- It is possible that Lord Exo and ??? are the same entity.
- Before v1.85.0, the Hidden Wave narrator would have made sense to be Lord Exo since the Fallen were mentioned to be directly allied with Lord Exo. But after the lore of the Fallen was updated in v1.85.0, it is possible this could no longer be the case.
- All of this only matters if the Hidden Wave is to be taken as canon, though.
- Before v1.85.0, the Hidden Wave narrator would have made sense to be Lord Exo since the Fallen were mentioned to be directly allied with Lord Exo. But after the lore of the Fallen was updated in v1.85.0, it is possible this could no longer be the case.
- Originally, the Champion Templars were part of Lord Exo's army. They were a group formed through Lord Exo's gladiatorial battles.[16]
- Due to the Champion Templar's new Logbook no longer including this and even saying they were part of Two X's army,[17] the old description is most likely no longer canon.
- While Lord Exo and 1x1x1x1 seem to be very similar in terms of appearance, they are not the same character, as stated by a QA tester.[18]
- Rather, Lord Exo is an adaptation of 1x1x1x1, as suggested by his backstory.
- Lord Exo's appearances in the Lunar Overture Event and The Classic Event are non-canon.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Long ago, two brothers ruled over all creation." ― Narrator on Wave 2 (The Narratorium)
- ↑ "Before the battle alongside Lord Exo, Vindicators would often patrol the ranks of Void Caster's army to keep order and offer swift judgement upon those who step out of line." ― Vindicator's description in its Logbook
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Where Two X's army fought exhaustion, Lord Exo's never tired. If he didn't end the battle soon, all he wanted to protect would be lost. Looking to his strongest fighters, they willingly sacrificed themselves to create a prison." ― Narrator on Wave 15 (The Narratorium)
- ↑ "Their weapons were drawn—one siphoning the souls of the corrupted and the other was fueled by sacrifice. One takes, the other receives." ― Narrator on Wave 14 (The Narratorium)
- ↑ "EVERY UNKNOWING STEP SERVES MY PURPOSE. EACH PAWN PLAYS THEIR PART" ― Lord Exo's triumph dialogue (Nil Zone)
- ↑ "Meanwhile, Lord Exo created creatures as tall as buildings while wiping out thousands that didn't suit his vision.
Whoops! Sorry. that was supposed to be *millions*." ― Narrator on Wave 5 (The Narratorium) - ↑ "Meanwhile, Lord Exo created creatures as tall as buildings while wiping out thousands that didn't suit his vision. Oh, how I can hear them begging for mercy." ― Narrator on Wave 5 (The Narratorium)
- ↑ "Before there was anything to call the Old World, the Void was already waiting in the dark. It cannot be considered a place or a creature, but something else entirely. It is a quiet hunger that lurks beneath the notice of every being, the presence that can be felt when nothing is around. The pale flora that blooms in a place where nothing exists is where it finds its peace. It is of one mind, though it wears a thousand faces. One could call it an incurable infection.
The brothers feared it, and even Lord Exo and Two X, who feared so little, understood that there was no killing a thing without a body. For the first and final time, they drove it deep down into the foundations of the world, into a dark so total its song could never be heard again." ― Void Caster's description in its Logbook - ↑ "The child was not the Void. The child called it Mother. What she did know was that she was the Void Caster, the daughter of the Void." ― Void Caster's description in its Logbook
- ↑ "Once Lord Exo learned of her existence, he saw an opportunity. He did not trust her so much as he used her. When the war between him and Two X began, he unearthed the Void and offered a deal to the Void Caster. She would walk beside him as his prized General, and in return the flora of the Void would take root in every realm and bloom. She still intends to keep that promise." ― Void Caster's description in its Logbook
- ↑ "Before the battle alongside Lord Exo, Vindicators would often patrol the ranks of Void Caster's army to keep order and offer swift judgement upon those who step out of line." ― Vindicator's description in its Logbook
- ↑ "I've been beside Lord Exo long before you came into your worthless existence! (...) He even gave me my beloved hands. Isn't that right, Lefty and Righty?" ― Narrator on Wave 22 (Banlands)
- ↑ "Shattered pieces scattered around the universe and time has lead to an upbringing of super natural beings." ― God Cube Fragments UGC Accessory Description
- ↑ "This entity.. was likely taken by EXO sometime after we defeated the Umbra. But what is it doing here?" ― Dispatcher on Wave 17 (Containment)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 BethyVA is credited for voicing "Umbra" in the The Final Act cutscenes video by the developers. As The Umbra makes no appearances anywhere else, the only possible option is the laugh at the end of the second cutscene.
- ↑ "Dating back to ancient Robloxian times, the Templar were considered some of the strongest warriors, composed of the fiercest victors from Exo's gladiatorial battles." ― Champion Templar's description in its Logbook
- ↑ "They left their kingdom to join Two X, even if it meant fighting against the people they once swore to protect." ― Champion Templar's description in its Logbook
- ↑ https://discord.com/channels/587355301083349002/608819410383405056/1363614565409230949
| Story Pages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Characters | Two X • Lord Exo • Rift Walker • Narrator • Nerd Duck • Null Guardian • Patient Zero | ||
| Groups | T.D.S. Organization • Children of Exo • Fallen | ||
| Items | Serum Zero • God Cube | ||
| Realms | Meta | Overworld • Hex Realm • Frost Realm • Duck Realm | |
| Old World | |||
| Maps | Nightmare Carnival • Village of Despair • Eggy Island • Trick or Threat Town • Rotfield • Foggy Forest • Tower Outskirts • Totality Tower • D00M's Revenge • Cold Ambush • A Dark Tale • The Haunted Past • The Great Finale • Failed Gateway • The Nightmare Realm • Containment • Pls Donate • Outpost 32 • Bathroom Approach • Outpost 16 • Banlands • Blind Faith • The Narratorium • Backyard Beginnings • Competition Court • Victory Field • Sorrowful Remains | ||
| Story Missions | ||
|---|---|---|
| TDS: Boot Camp | Welcome Recruit • Boot Camp • Live Fire • Breach Protocol • Brute Force | |
| TDS: Origins | The Beginning • Ghost Town • Radio Silence • Off The Rails • Burning Bridges • A Growing Threat • Derailed • Rock Bottom • Surface Tension • The Final Approach • Lights Out • Aftermath | |
