Editing Cortez

{{:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door bestiary|transcludesection=Cortez|image=[[File:Cortez.png|250px]]}}
{{quote|I'll turn [[Mario|your]] mustache into a bone-polisher, amigo!|Cortez|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}

'''Cortez''' is the holder of the fifth [[Crystal Stars|Crystal Star]], the [[Sapphire Star]], in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. During dialogues, he appropriately speaks in a Spanish accent. He resides on the [[Black Skull]], a pirate-ship-like vessel, deep within [[Pirate's Grotto]] on [[Keelhaul Key]]. Cortez's name is presumably a reference to {{wp|Hernán Cortés}}, a Spanish conquistador most well-known for embarking upon an expedition that led to the downfall of the Aztec empire. "Cortez" itself is also a common Spanish-Portuguese surname.

==History==
===Background===
According to [[Wonky]], Cortez often raided Rogueport, but was eventually betrayed by one of his crew. He sailed away with all his treasure not long before he died. Eventually, the [[Skull Gem]] which powers his ship was stolen by [[Flavio]]'s ancestor, causing him to be stuck in the Pirate's Grotto on Keelhaul Key, where his spirit guards his treasure.

According to [[Grifty]], Cortez is the one who defeated the Stalwart Koopa and caused him to be sealed in a magic [[black chest]]. Cortez then took possession of the Sapphire Star.

===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
Cortez tries to scare [[Mario]] and his [[partner]]s away (in the same vein as [[Tutankoopa]] in [[Paper Mario|the first game]]) when he thinks they are after his treasure; when his eerie messages fail, he drops the act in disgust and begins a battle. After his defeat, Cortez seemingly prepares to vanish, only to reveal that his state of unlife renders him effectively invincible. However, Mario is finally able to explain that he was not interested in Cortez's treasure, only in the Crystal Star. Somewhat bemused and asking why Mario "didn't just say so" in the first place, Cortez willingly hands over the artifact, offhandedly remarking that he never particularly cared for the Crystal Star anyhow.

When Four-Eyes revealed his true identity as [[Lord Crump]], Mario and Flavio return to Cortez, in order to request the use of his ship. Cortez was not particularly interested, spouting that he did not want the Black Skull to be used as a luxury liner. He also tells them that even if he wanted to lend them his ship, the ship is useless, as it will not operate, because of the loss of its power source, the Skull Gem. Flavio then reveals he has the gem, causing Cortez to be even more furious, and not wishing to help them even further. He eventually relents after Flavio reminded him that Mario defeated him once, and hints he will have Mario fight Cortez again for the ship. He also says that if Cortez doesn't help, he will throw the Skull Gem into the water where Cortez will never find it. Cortez relents, and proceeds to help Mario in battle against the [[X-Naut]] attack on Keelhaul Key. From then on, Cortez stays docked at [[Rogueport]], and would ferry Mario to Keelhaul Key and back whenever he wanted.

At the end of the game [[Goombella]] says [[Admiral Bobbery]], Cortez, and a few others went to sail the world.

====Field Tattle====
Outside of battle, [[Goombella]] can use [[Tattle]] on Cortez after Mario returns to [[Rogueport]] from [[Keelhaul Key]].
*"''That's Cortez, remember? The dread pirate ghost feared by all? Ring a bell? Boy, hard to imagine someone that scary would like us... But he's just a big sweetie! Plus, he's like our taxi service between Rogueport and Keelhaul Key! I love him!''"

===''Animal Crossing: New Horizons''===
Although Cortez does not appear, he is directly mentioned in ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing: New Horizons|Animal Crossing: New Horizons]]'' by Captain Gullivarrr, who was added in the update released on July 3, 2020. One of his possible wake up quotes is "Arrr! Have at ye, Cortez! Three swords AND a hook? Let's make this a fair duel..."

==Battle==
[[File:Cortez head.png|left|thumb|Cortez in his basic form. The [[Sapphire Star]] is visible on the right.]]
===First form===
In battle, Cortez has three forms. His first form appears as a massive skeleton with four arms and no legs, his spine emerging from a spiky pile of bones on the ground. Cortez wields a different bladed weapon in each hand - a bronze sword, a cutlass, a rapier, and a rusty hook that can cause [[Poison (status effect)|poison]]. Between his ensemble of weapons, Cortez can attack either one or both heroes every turn. 

===Second form===
Once this first form is defeated, Cortez transforms into a serpentine state, trading his arms and weapons for an enlarged rib cage concealing a green gem. This form attacks with a headbutt, and can [[Charged|charge]] before throwing a bone at either character, dealing great damage in the process. Attacking the pile of bones will cause Cortez to lower his upper half, and doing so twice will cause him to open his rib cage, exposing the green gem. This gem lacks Cortez's usual 1 defense, and additionally takes 1 more damage than usual from all attacks.

===Third form===
After his second form is defeated, Cortez abandons a body and returns to a simple floating head. Although he is limited to a simple bite attack, he compensates by animating his weapons from the first state, effectively giving Mario and his partner five opponents to worry about. The weapons have different properties to their attacks and are immune to frontal attacks due to their pointed tips. Using a moderately strong attack that strikes all opponents, such as a [[Thunder Rage]] item and [[Vivian]]'s [[Fiery Jinx]], can disable the weapons simultaneously. This effect is temporary, for they reanimate themselves after two turns. [[Flurrie]]'s [[Gale Force]], if successful (though it will not affect Cortez himself), can blow the weapons out of the stage permanently. If Cortez falls to 10 HP or less, he can absorb souls of the [[audience]] to restore his [[Heart Point|HP]], similar to [[Hooktail]] and the [[Shadow Queen]]. The only difference is that Cortez can only absorb souls equal to half the current audience members, and the remainder will remain to support Mario; by contrast, the [[Shadow Queen]] will absorb the entire audience, and Hooktail scares away the uneaten members. With good planning, it is possible to defeat Cortez with a swift assault before he gets a chance to absorb the souls of the audience.

==Weapon stats==
{{:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door bestiary|transcludesection=Cortez's Weapons|align=horizontal|image=[[File:Cortez.png|120px]]}}

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=コルテス
|JapR=Korutesu
|JapM=Cortez
|Fra=Cortese
|FraM=Similar to the English name
|Ger=Cortez
|Ita=Cortez
|Spa=Cortés
|SpaM=Same as in English and Japanese; a Spanish surname.
}}

;Bone Pile
{{foreign names
|Jap=ほねづか
|JapR=Honezuka
|JapM=Bone Pile
|Fra=Tados
|FraM=Clipping of "Tas d'os" (Pile of bones)
|Ger=Beinhaufen
|GerM=Leg Pile
|Ita=Elsa Vertebrale
|ItaM=Vertebral Hilt
|Spa=Montón de Huesos
|SpaM=Pile of Bones
}}

;Cortez Hook
{{foreign names
|Jap=コルテスクロウ
|JapR=Korutesu Kurō
|JapM=Cortez Claw
|Fra=Crochet
|FraM=Hook
|Ger=Enterhaken
|GerM=Grappling hook
|Ita=Uncino Cortez
|ItaM=Cortez Hook
|Spa=Garfio de Cortés
|SpaM=Cortez's Hook
}}

;Cortez Rapier
{{foreign names
|Jap=コルテスレイピア
|JapR=Korutesu Reipia
|JapM=Cortez Rapier
|Fra=Rapière
|FraM=Rapier
|Ger=Rapier
|Ita=Stiletto Cortez
|ItaM=Cortez {{wp|Stiletto}}
|Spa=Estoque de Cortés
|SpaM=Cortez's Rapier
}}

;Cortez Sword
{{foreign names
|Jap=コルテスソード
|JapR=Korutesu Sōdo
|JapM=Cortez Sword
|Fra=Épée
|FraM=Sword
|Ger=Schwert
|GerM=Sword
|Ita=Spada Cortez
|ItaM=Cortez Sword
|Spa=Espada de Cortés
|SpaM=Cortez's Sword
}}

;Cortez Sabre
{{foreign names
|Jap=コルテスサーベル
|JapR=Korutesu Sāberu
|JapM=Cortez Saber
|Fra=Sabre
|Ger=Säbel
|GerM=Sabre
|Ita=Sciabola Cortez
|ItaM=Cortez Sabre
|Spa=Sable de Cortés
|SpaM=Cortez's Sabre
}}

==Trivia==
*Despite having only 20 HP, Cortez's recovery move will recover up to 100 HP, depending on how many audience members are present.
*If Cortez's Rapier misses the character in front (due to a Lucky), the character in the back will automatically perform a [[Guard]].

{{PMTTYD}}
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Skeletons]]
[[Category:Allies]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door bosses]]
[[de:Cortez]]
[[it:Cortez]]