He is just a man between two giant wheels. That’s the pitch. But if you actually played Twisted Metal: Black back in 2001, you know it was never that simple. Axel isn't just a vehicle; he’s a walking, screaming embodiment of physical and mental agony. While the rest of the roster drives armored cars or modified ice cream trucks, Axel is strapped—literally bolted—into a machine that looks like a medieval torture device reimagined by a sadistic engineer.
Most people remember the game for Sweet Tooth’s fire-breathing head or the gritty, rain-slicked streets of Junkyard. But Axel? He’s the heart of the game’s darkness. David Jaffe and the team at Incognito Entertainment didn’t just want to make a sequel; they wanted to make a nightmare. They succeeded.
The Body Horror of Twisted Metal: Black Axel
Think about the physics here. It’s absurd. Axel’s arms and legs are stretched across a central axle, his hands gripping two handles that control the massive tires on either side of him. In earlier games, he looked almost like a superhero, a muscular guy in a cool contraption. In Black, he looks like a victim. He’s bare-chested, scarred, and perpetually suffering.
The sound design sells the misery. When you pick Axel on the character select screen, you don't hear a revving engine first. You hear the clank of chains and the groan of a man whose joints are being pulled out of their sockets. It’s visceral. This version of Axel shifted the series from "wacky car combat" to "psychological horror with wheels." Honestly, it’s a wonder he can even steer the thing without his collarbones snapping.
There’s a specific kind of weight to him in this game. He feels heavy. When you slam into a wall or take a direct hit from a homing missile, you aren't just worried about a health bar. You feel the impact on the human in the middle. That was the genius of the 2001 reboot. It made the violence feel personal.
Why Axel’s Story is the Darkest in the Game
Most characters in the Twisted Metal universe want something selfish. They want money, revenge, or to see the world burn. Axel’s motivation is fundamentally different, which makes his ending one of the few that actually sticks with you years later.
In this timeline, Axel has been trapped in those wheels for thirty years. His father put him there. It’s a literal and metaphorical cage designed to punish him for a perceived failure. He isn't just a contestant in Calypso’s tournament; he’s a prisoner seeking the key to his own shackles. He wants to be free of the machine that has become his skin.
The writing here is sharp. It avoids the campy tone of Twisted Metal 2 or 3. Instead, it leans into the grimness of the Blackfield Asylum setting. When Axel finally reaches Calypso, the wish isn’t for power. It’s for the strength to move on. But in the world of Twisted Metal, wishes are double-edged swords. Calypso doesn't just let him out. He gives Axel the "strength" to rip himself free. The ending cinematic shows Axel literally tearing his own arms off to escape the machinery. It’s a gruesome, pyrrhic victory that perfectly encapsulates the game's nihilistic tone. It's messed up, really.
Mastering the Two-Wheeled Tank
Playing as Axel requires a specific mindset. He’s a glass cannon, but without the "glass" part if you know how to use his Special Weapon. His signature move—the Shockwave—is arguably one of the best crowd-control tools in the game. You press the button, he spins his wheels, and a massive radial blast knocks everyone back.
- It’s perfect for the "Drive-In" level where space is tight.
- The damage is decent, but the knockback is the real prize.
- You can push enemies into environmental hazards, like the giant fan blades or off the rooftops in the "Skyscrapers" map.
The handling is where most players struggle. Because he has a wide turning radius, you have to master the handbrake turns. If you try to drive him like Spectre or Shadow, you’re going to get pinned against a wall and turned into paste. You have to play aggressively. You have to be the bully.
He has a high profile. That's his biggest weakness. You’re a massive target. In a game where Mr. Grimm can take you out with two well-placed scythes, being a giant billboard for damage is a liability. You have to use your "Turbo" sparingly to dodge incoming fire, rather than just for chasing down opponents.
The Legacy of the "Black" Design
Designers like Scott Campbell and the artists at Incognito took a huge risk with the aesthetic of Twisted Metal: Black. Before this, the series was colorful. It had a comic book vibe. The Axel of the 90s wore sunglasses. The Axel of 2001 wore a look of permanent, agonizing despair.
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This shift influenced the entire genre of vehicular combat. It proved that you could have a deep, character-driven narrative in a game that was essentially about blowing stuff up. Axel became the poster boy for this "mature" era of the franchise. Even in the 2012 PS3 reboot, they tried to capture this grit, but many fans feel it lacked the raw, unfiltered darkness of the Black iteration.
The "Black" version of the character also showcased the power of the PlayStation 2. The detail on his character model—the way his body reacts to the movement of the wheels—was a technical marvel for the time. It wasn't just a static sprite. It was a fully realized, animated nightmare.
How to Unlock the Secrets
If you’re revisiting the game today, maybe on a PS4 or PS5 through the classics catalog, you might find Axel isn't immediately available depending on the version or region you're playing. In the original North American release, he was a starting character. In some European versions, he was an unlockable.
To really get the most out of him, you have to dive into the "Black" difficulty. The AI in this game is notorious for being "cheaty." They have infinite ammo and perfect aim. Using Axel’s Shockwave to interrupt their firing patterns is the only way to survive the later stages like "Suburbs" or the final showdown with Minion.
Don't forget the secret areas. Axel is actually one of the best characters for finding the hidden Blackfield cubes. His height allows you to see over certain obstacles that low-profile cars like Kamikaze might miss. Using his jump (Up, Up, Left) followed by a mid-air Shockwave can sometimes trigger environmental switches that are tucked away in high corners.
Final Tactics for Survival
If you want to win the tournament with Axel, stop treating him like a car. Treat him like a mobile turret. Use the environment. Hide behind the breakable structures in the "Snowy Mountain" level and wait for the AI to engage each other. When they’re bunched up, charge in, pop the Shockwave, and then unload your Power Missiles.
- Always keep a "Shield" (Right, Right, Down, Down) ready.
- Focus on health pickups early; Axel’s health bar looks big but disappears fast under focused fire.
- Don't ignore the "Rear Fire" command. Since Axel is wide, people love to tail him. Dropping a gas can or a mine behind you while you’re in the middle of those big wheels is a great way to punish tailgaters.
Axel remains the most iconic representation of what Twisted Metal: Black was trying to do. He is a blend of tragedy, body horror, and high-octane violence. He isn't a hero, and he's barely a survivor. He's just a man trying to rip himself out of a world that wants to keep him in chains.
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Next Steps for Players:
Start a new campaign on Medium difficulty to re-familiarize yourself with the Shockwave timing. Once you can consistently hit three enemies at once with a single blast, move to Hard mode. Focus your upgrades on armor and missile capacity, as Axel’s natural speed is already sufficient for most encounters. For those interested in the lore, pay close attention to the loading screen text; it provides context for his father's motivations that the cinematics skip over.