Knight Captain Julius is a boss in Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. He was a commanding knight who once led the kingdom's forces.
Lore
Background
Julius was the illegitimate son of the King of Land's End. Julius' mother passed away at his birth and when he was still a baby, he was taken then raised by his uncle the Dark Executioner Hoenir. During his youth, Julius trained in fierce competition with a nameless peer. After enduring a hard life, Julius left the Execution Grounds and became a knight to get back at the father who abandoned him. With his unparalled tenacity, Julius rose up the ranks and became the youngest Knight Captain, and one of the strongest warriors in the Kingdom of End.
As a Knight of the Bastion defending the Kingdom against the Blighted, Julius led his knights to take the Deathless Elixir, making their bodies immortal. With his Immortal Knights, Julius fought off the Crimson Blight's horde at the Twin Spires, paving the way for the White Priestess of the Fount Fretia to face and purify the Ancient Blighted Lord. After the victory, Julius wished to be recognized by the King, as his beloved son and heir who was lost. When the Rain of Death fell, mutated the people into deathless abominations, and triggered the terrible transformations of those who drank the Deathless Elixir, the Knight Captain went to the castle and sought the King's aid only to be disappointed, for he had witnessed the truth: that the King was obsessed with the pursuit of immortality and sacrificed many of Julius' comrades and the subjects they were supposed to save for that pursuit.
As his mind began to fade, the Knight Captain found himself in the throne room standing over the King. The Blight had allowed Julius' hate to take over, leading to him killing the king with his own hands. There in the throne room, Julius remained in his Blighted state, waiting to be put out of his misery.
Connections
King of Land's End
Julius is the illegitimate son of the King. He initially pursued knighthood to spite the father who abandoned him. He ultimately killed the King in the throne room after witnessing his obsession with immortality and his sacrifice of the kingdom's subjects.
Unnamed mother
She died giving birth to Julius. Her brother, Hoenir, took responsibility for raising the child after her passing.
Hoenir
Hoenir is the brother of Julius' mother. Following the death of Julius' mother at birth, Hoenir took him in and raised him within the Execution Grounds.
Dark Executioner
Julius and the nameless Dark Executioner were training partners and rivals during their youth.
Combat
Location
Julius is found at the Ruined Castle sitting on the King's throne.
Battle
During combat, Julius can do the following:
- Stabs forward. This is often followed up by a second identical stab.
- Dashes and executes a mid-ranged thrust at the end of the dash.
- When Julius is not attacking, he uses his spear to block strikes from in front of him.
Below ~73% HP, Julius briefly goes invulnerable and gains the following attacks:
- Charges up and quickly dashes roughly half the length of the screen. This attack has a big hitbox but can be avoided by positioning behind him.
- If the attack is parried with Headless Defender or Hidden Test Subject, the charge will be halted and Julius will briefly stagger. This will usually be the first attack he uses after entering this phase.
- Jumps into the air and lunges forwards, striking the ground. This attack often immediately follows a stab attack.
- Parrying this attack with a spirit also disrupts and stuns him.
- Swings his spear behind him, creating a whirl of fire around him. This attack will often be used if Lily is standing behind Julius after one of his prior attacks has finished; it is quick but delivers little damage.
Below ~38% HP, Julius becomes enraged and gains the following attacks:
- Charges up before firing a massive laser beam from his spear. The recoil of the beam will slowly push him backwards. This will usually be the first attack he uses after entering this phase. Julius avoids using this attack when cornered.
- His charged dash attacks have a much faster charging time but travel less distance.
- The fire whirl attack is faster and can be used facing forward.
On NG+, the following changes apply:
- The charged-up dash from the second phase is available starting from the first phase.
- In the second phase, a new move is introduced - another action that must be charged up - in which Julius raises his spear and makes a big sphere that slowly advances towards Lily.
- Transitions to phases happen faster, around 77% for phase two and 45% for phase three.
Spoils
Defeating him grants the Knight Captain Julius Spirit, a primary Spirit that uses far-reaching lance attacks.
Lily will also gain the Dash Action and the corresponding Action Piercing Spectral Lance, allowing her to break pustulant walls.
Hitting enemies with this Action will deal damage to them. Damage is based on distance traversed before the attack is released:
- Charge "Level" 1 deals 120% damage.
- "Level" 2 deals 200%.
- "Level" 3 deals 280%.
These scalings do not increase with the level of the Spirit.
Spirit
| Knight Captain Julius | ||
| Main Skill | ||
| Uses ∞ |
 |
Cooldown 0 |
| Unleashes a series of jabbing attacks with a lance that allows for maximum reach. Advancing thrust can be made by using this skill while moving sideways. | ||
| The King's bastard son. After enduring a hard life, his father's kindness elevated him through the knightly ranks. His tenacity is unparalled. | ||
On levels 1–5, Julius performs three spear thrusts.
On the ground, damage scaling is 110%, 120%, and 130%.
In the air, thrusts are weaker, hitting for 80%, 85%, or 90%.
At level 6, he gains the fourth attack in the chain: he backs down before lunging far forward and piercing foes.
If performed on the ground, Julius will rise slightly and crash his spear into the ground, delivering 160% damage. Scalings for the previous three hits remain unchanged.
In the air he will lunge only horizontally, dealing 130% damage. Scalings for the previous three hits remain unchanged.
It should be noted that range of grounded variant of this attack is limited by available space - Julius will stop at the ground or platform's edge.
Julius' Last Rites attack unleashes a beam of energy, similar to the attack in the third phase of his boss fight, causing damage ten times for 90% of the damage.
Dialogues
- UMBRAL KNIGHT
- UMBRAL KNIGHT
- — Before battle
The King of Land's End...
- JULIUS
- — After defeat
I'm sorry... I've only...
added to your burdens.
- JULIUS
- — Cutscene
As the kingdom approached oblivion, its subjects became deathless abominations.
My brethren fought on until madness consumed them—or the Rain did.
I managed to stave off the corruption of my mind and found myself in the throne room.
My blade held over the King I was meant to protect.
He shook and blubbered in exasperation.
"The Priestess and knights who gave their lives to the kingdom were disposable."
This was where the King's obsession with immortality had lead us.
The King's words, dripping with greed, were the palpable lament of his corrupt heart.
It was plain to me, as the blood pumping in that heart also flowed through my veins.
I, too, had not fought to protect the kingdom or its people, but my own interests.
I only wished for him to admit he had been wrong to abandon me.
Sure enough, as I held my sword over him, his eyes were fixed only on me.
I had been waiting for this. Waiting for our eyes to meet for the very first time.
- UMBRAL KNIGHT
- UMBRAL KNIGHT
- UMBRAL KNIGHT
- — After cutscene
...to kill one's own kin?