Dark Guld

Dark Guld (ダーク=ガルド Dāku Garudo) is the main antagonist of Golden Axe II. He is a giant known as the Lord of Darkness (闇の皇帝 Yami no Koutei, "Emperor of Darkness") that was defeated in battle and sealed off a long time ago, but is released three years after the events of Golden Axe.

In battle, he is capable of spawning skeletal warriors, as well as casting a spell that sends hundreds of rocks across the screen.

His appearance is similar to Death Adder. He is also seen on his throne, similar to Death Adder in the first game; there is, however, a twist to this when players approach the throne in the final battle, as shown below.

Golden Axe II
A few years after the defeat of Death Adder in Golden Axe, Dark Guld escapes from his imprisonment, and obtains the Golden Axe. Driven by revenge and seeking to bring the world into chaos, Guld uses his power to form a clan of demons and enslaved warriors to subjugate and destroy the land of Yuria, as well as many other countries. He rules from his castle atop a mountain range, proclaiming himself emperor.

Gilius Thunderhead, Ax Battler, and Tyris Flare go on a quest to stop him. After many battles, they finally enter his throne room. What they think is Dark Guld (the screen cuts him off from the shoulders up) is actually a headless golden knight, Death Armor, sitting in wait. After defeating him, the heroes enter Dark Guld's chamber, where he is finally defeated. The Golden Axe is recovered, and peace is restored.

Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic was a series of comic books centered around Sonic the Hedgehog, but also exploring other stories in games from the Sega franchise, including Golden Axe.

In the six-part Citadel of Dead Souls story, a necromancer named Sorcerer Blackspell removed what remained of Guld from his tomb and stitches torn limbs onto Guld's corpse. His intent was to resurrect Guld and have the demon lord command the sorcerer's armies. Blackspell obtains the Golden Axe and attempts to kill Tyris to resurrect Guld. Though Tyris escapes death, Guld is resurrected anyway, albeit with a limited lifespan sans a body. Guld resolves this issue by merging himself with Blackspell. Guld then captures Ax Battler and attempts to sacrifice him within a volcano in his former lair, finishing his resurrection. When the other heroes arrive, they use their replenished magic to save Ax Battler and cause the volcano to erupt, killing Dark Guld and Blackspell.