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Villain Overview

My name is Descole. I am an artistic man of science, with rather lofty goals.
~ Jean Descole introducing himself.
I am Jean Descole, a broken husk of a man. Let the world burn for all I care!
~ Jean Descole to Aurora.

Jean Descole, also known as Professor Desmond Sycamore, is the secondary antagonist of the prequel trilogy of the Professor Layton video game series, being featured as the primary antagonist in both the game Professor Layton and the Last Specter and the film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, which was released shortly after. He returns as the driving force behind the Masked Gentleman, the main antagonist of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask and later redeems himself by joining Layton after fighting him in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.

He wants to take control over the three legacies of the Azran Civilization to prevent them from falling into Targent's hands. To achieve this goal he stops at nothing. He has a butler called Raymond.

He was voiced by Atsuro Watabe in the Japanese dubbed version, Walter Rego in the English dubbed version of the games, and Jonathan Keeble in the English dubbed version of the movie.

Biography[]

Backstory[]

Good-bye, brother

Hershel Bronev, saying good-bye to his little brother, Theodore.

Be happy, brother. This is the start of your new life... your life as Hershel Layton.
~ Hershel saying goodbye to his younger brother.

Descole was born under the name Hershel Bronev, as the son of Leon Bronev and the older brother of Professor Layton, who was called Theodore Bronev at the time. Their parents were kidnapped by the criminal organisation Targent, and leaving the brothers as orphans. When Roland and Lucille Layton wanted to adopt Hershel, he gave his name to his brother, so he wouldn't be left alone.

A while later, another family was found, and they adopted the remaining child, giving him the name Desmond Sycamore. Researching the Azran Civilisation, the reason for their parent's loss, he eventually became a famous archeologist. He spent most of his life under his new name, and eventually got married and had a daughter. However, when Targent encountered him again to take use of his knowledge, they killed his wife and daughter, making him desperate for revenge, turning him into Jean Descole.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter[]

Descole and layton specter 1

Jean Descole in Professor Layton and the Last Specter.

Descole wanted to find the Golden Garden, the first legacy of the Azran Civilization, in the town of Misthallery. To dig it up he designed robots which look like the specter of the town's legend and used them to search for the garden during some nights.

His accomplice was Chief Jakes, who helped him just for his own personal glory. He also disguised himself as Doland Noble, the butler of the Triton family, to blackmail Mayor Clark Triton, a friend of Professor Layton, as he also needed his help.

When Professor Layton foiled his plan, he combined the robots to one giant machine and tried to destroy Misthallery. After he was stopped by Layton he escaped and left the town.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva[]

You must sing if you want to save your friends

Descole telling Melina to sing if she wants to save everyone.

To raise the town of Ambrosia, the second legacy of the Azran, Descole needed two songs, the song of the stars, which he found on the Ambrosian seal, and the song of the sea, which was only known by Melina Whistler. However, as she had a terminal illness and wasn't able to sing he designed a machine, the so-called Detragan together with her father Oswald Whistler.

It was able to copy a dead people memories into the brain of a living one. To find the right person he designed a puzzle game and trapped some people (including Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke) in an opera house on a ship. They were told that they had to participate and that the winner would receive eternal live. However, the others would have to give their lives. Despite that threat they were actually sent back to the coast in submarines.

When Professor Layton raised the kingdom instead of him, after Descoles tried to dig it up with another robot, he became angry and attacked him with his sword. In the fight he fell from his own robot.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask[]

To get the Infinite Vault of Akbadain, the third legacy, Descole had to raise the Akbadain ruins first. To do that he needed two masks, the Mask of Chaos and the Mask of Order. He wrote a letter to Randall Ascot, the former best friend of Professor Layton, who was believed dead after he fell into a pit during an expedition in the ruins, but had actually just lost his memories. Through the letter he regained his memories and was persuaded to take revenge on his former friend Henry Ledore. Descole told him to use the Mask of Chaos to disguise himself and become the Masked Gentleman, who terrorised Henry's hometown Monte d'Or with terrifying miracles, which were actually tricks and illusions created by Descole. While he told Randall he would do it just to help him, he actually wanted Henry to bring the Mask of Order, as he believed that was the only way to save Monte d'Or.

This time he won against Layton and gained the Infinite Vault himself, but then Leon Bronev took it away from him with his organisation Targent.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy[]

Love being evil

Descole in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.

Descole reappears to solve the mystery of the Azran Civilization once and for all. In his identity as Professor Desmond Sycamore, he writes a letter to the Professor to take use of him while travelling around the world in the airship Bostonius with the Azrans' ambassador Aurora, who was frozen in ice for one million years and discovered by Professor Sycamore.

In Targent's town, the Nest, he revealed his true nature after getting the key for the Azran legacy, and flew by jumping off the tower in the middle of the city. He was followed by the Professor and ended up in a sword fight with him. However, he was saved by his butler and travelled to the town Froenborg to enter the Azran's legacy. To stop Bronev, who also went there and took the key from him, he joined forces with the Professor and was even willing to sacrifice his life for humanity. Like the others, he was restored to life and disappeared between two rocks in the collapsing legacy of the Azran after the defeat of the Azran Dolls. He was able to escape to his airship and joined Raymond on a brand new journey when leaving Froenborg.

Jean Descole in the manga

Jean Descole in the manga.

Manga[]

As Don Paolo is the primary antagonist of the manga series, Professor Layton and the Cheerful Mystery, Descole has only minor appearances on the fourth and last book, without acting villainous.

Personality[]

Descole is very cunning, arrogant and especially manipulative, using other people to reach what he wants. While he seems like a complete ruthless enemy, he actually has the noble side, as his true goal was to stop the criminal organisation Targent. This side is also shown when he saved Luke from a booby trap in Azran Legacy and injured in process, which is ironic as he once tries to kill him in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva.

Appearance[]

Jean Descole wears a suit and over which he wears a cape. His eyes are hidden behind a white mask, and he's wears a hat and a wig that hides his hair.

Powers and Abilities[]

While being highly intelligent and inventive, Jean Descole is also skilled with martial arts and sword fighting. He is furthermore a talented archeologist and has the ability to disguise himself as everyone he wants.

Family[]

  • Leon Bronev (father)
  • Rachel Bronev (mother) †
  • Hershel Layton (younger brother)
  • Unnamed adoptive mother
  • Unnamed adoptive father
  • Unnamed wife †
  • Unnamed daughter †
  • Alfendi Layton (nephew)
  • Katrielle Layton (adoptive niece)

Quotes[]

Long ago, in a lawless age, a pack of bandits invaded a small village. A midst the chaos, a terrified young farm girl played her flute to drown out the madness. As the music spiraled high into the sky, a giant specter appeared above her. She begged the specter to destroy the bandits, and it swiftly obeyed. The town was saved; the specter vanished as quickly as it appeared. But the farm girl knew that in times of danger, she needed only to play the flute, and the specter would appear again.
~ Jean Descole reading the Specter book.
Layton! Ambrosia is mine and mine alone!
~ Jean Descole
Yes... It is as it sounds. Our father... is Leon Bronev.
~ Jean Descole

Trivia[]

  • Because of his appearance, his talent in organ music and the fact that he hides in an opera in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, Descole seems to be based on The Phantom of the Opera.
  • Descole's first name, Jean, isn't mentioned until Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, thus, it's not heard in Professor Layton and the the Last Specter, and nor is it heard in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.
  • In Professor Layton and the Last Specter, it is revealed that Descole has terrible handwriting.
  • The appearance of Raymond on the Bostonius in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is a near dead giveaway that Desmond Sycamore is Jean Descole. However, it is still a twist for Layton, Luke and Emmy as they had never met Raymond before then.

Navigation[]

           Professor Layton LogoVillains

The Family
Clive Dove | Dimitri Allen | Bostro | Lockjaw | Fisheye | Schmelmey & Shmarton | Splinters | Silky | Layman | Ward | Shmelmey | Shmarton | Goons

Targent
Leon Bronev | Swift | Emmeline "Emmy" Altava | Leonard Bloom | Gannet | Grouse | Plover

Jean Descole and his allies
Jean Descole | Raymond | Levin Jakes | Oswald Whistler | Masked Gentleman | Bram | Ghent & Nordic

Other
Don Paolo | Anthony "Anton" Herzen | Voice of the Azran | Olivia Aldente | Story Teller | High Inquisitor Darklaw | Kira | Justin Lawson | Diane Makepeace | Keelan Makepeace | Zach Carrière | Goldie Potsby-Mahn | Roscoe Strapping | Gloria Blaise | Chico Careta | Mike de Bonair | Ernest Greeves | Rufus Alderbaran

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