Jax Matsuo

Jax Matsuo, a character in the Bloodbound series, is one of the Clanless vampires and the leader of the Clanless. He is also one of your love interests. In Book 1, Chapter 16, he is selected as the new member of the Council taking Adam Vega's place, making all "Clanless" vampires now of Clan Matsuo. He is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 3.

Appearance
Jax has short black hair, brown eyes and light beige skin. His eyes turn red and have sharp canines when he is in vampire state. He is wearing a maroon leather jacket over a black tank top. His Katana is seen hanging behind his back.

Personality
Jax is a cynical individual with a strong sense of justice and loyalty. This can be attributed for having lived as a Clanless vampire for approximately fifty years, and as such, having to hide from the Clans and survive without their support or resources. He has never been one to simply walk away if he sees someone being treated unfairly, crediting his grandfather and then later his stepfather for instilling this passion in him.

He feels that when he was a human, he was young and reckless and made the wrong decisions. Being Turned made him become a better person, even though he went through a period of time like "younger" Vampires when he had a wild side, did unspeakable things, and acted on his urges. Since then, he has tried to do better.

Background
Born in the 1950s or 1960s, Jax was raised mainly by his grandparents as his mother and stepfather were activists who were often in jail due to their activities. His father was absent, and his mother met his stepfather during the student protests of the 1960s; they both were sent to prison for the first time because they set a white supremacist's bar on fire. When his parents were around, his mom did her best raising him but he was a troubled kid. His stepfather was the one who taught him decency, honor, and justice. He mentions that when he was 15 years old, he was forced by his stepfather to join the student council; there he shared his first kiss with a girl named Emma Nielsen, who was also a part of the student council.

Jax attributes his sense of justice to his grandfather. During World War II, his grandparents were taken to a Japanese internment camp in California. His grandfather rallied the people to get better conditions and helped the community as much as he could. Later, his grandmother ran a clandestine restaurant from her kitchen, feeding neighbors and strangers alike, and he helped her.

In the 1970s, Jax moved to New York to attend college, as per his stepfather’s wishes and met Margot, a mysterious woman, who flirted with him in a nightclub he frequently visited. When Margot invited Jax back to her place, they passed a Homeless Man (later revealed as Takeshi Watanabe) begging for money. Margot treated the man with distaste while Jax gave him cash. It turned out that Margot was a vampire, who fed on Jax and left him for dead. Takeshi saw this and took pity on him, and Turned him to save his life. He could not bear to tell his family that he had been Turned. To them, he just "vanished" one night in 1974, never to be seen again.

When Jax was transformed into a vampire, he and Takeshi wanted to right the injustices of the Clan system. However, when their informant was killed and later Takeshi disappeared (presumed dead as well), their plans went astray. Years passed until he found a purpose again: to help Clanless vampires survive. He founded the Shadow Den approximately 10 years ago with the hope to keep them safe and get them branded eventually.

Book 1

 * Chapter 3: The Library
 * Chapter 4: The Rebel
 * Chapter 6: The Senator
 * Chapter 10: The Massacre
 * Chapter 11: The Den
 * Chapter 12: The Tribunal
 * Chapter 13: The Dungeon
 * Chapter 14: The Cabin
 * Chapter 15: The Showdown
 * Chapter 16: The Dawn

Bloodbound: Dark Solstice

 * Chapter 1: 'Twas The Night Before Solstice
 * Chapter 2: He Knows When You're Awake
 * Chapter 3: Silent Night, Unholy Night
 * Chapter 4: And To All An Endless Night

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: The Calm
 * Chapter 2: The Bloodkeeper
 * Chapter 3: The Collector
 * Chapter 4: The Collected
 * Chapter 5: The Summons
 * Chapter 6: The Ambush
 * Chapter 7: The Psychic
 * Chapter 8: The Crypts
 * Chapter 9: The Slaughter
 * Chapter 10: The Plan
 * Chapter 11: The Legend
 * Chapter 12: The Island
 * Chapter 13: The Compound
 * Chapter 14: The First
 * Chapter 15: The Devastation
 * Chapter 16: The End

Book 3

 * Chapter 1: The Hunger
 * Chapter 2: The Unchained
 * Chapter 3: The Mission
 * Chapter 4: The Return
 * Chapter 5: The First
 * Chapter 6: The Legend
 * Chapter 7: The Bacchanalia
 * Chapter 8: The Truth
 * Chapter 9: The Five
 * Chapter 10: The Test
 * Chapter 11: The Mentor
 * Chapter 12: The Nemesis
 * Chapter 13: The Ally
 * Chapter 14: The Revelation
 * Chapter 15: The Loss
 * Chapter 16: The Beginning (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)

Your Character
Jax is one of your love interests. He is first seen at the end of Book 1, Chapter 3, watching you and Lily from your apartment or at the club if you went out with Lily. In Chapter 4, after you hand the Baron a summons from Adrian, he rescues you from being thrown into the Bloody Cellars. You can allow him to feed on you to heal the wound he got by saving you. Jax also gives you his contact information just in case and you two can openly flirt with each other. In Chapter 6, he offers to listen to your woes and if you decide to take him up on it, he'll save your purse from a pickpocket. In Chapter 10, when you and Lily need somewhere to hide when a possible Clan war is brewing, he allows you both to crash at the Shadow Den. He offers to cook for you in his room, and if you take the premium scene, you may become intimate with him as well. He admits that he has wanted you ever since he first saw you.

In Chapter 11, you can choose to have a threesome with him and Lily, but if you do or don't, he is saddened when you leave to help Adrian at the Tribunal. You persuade him to help you free Adrian from the Bloody Cellars but after you retrieve Adrian's serum from Raines Corporation, Jax tells you this is where you two depart. He would like you to stay with him and your answer determines his mood, but you leave with Adrian and Kamilah nevertheless. In Chapter 15, he and the Clanless (as well as any prisoners you may have freed from the Bloody Cellars) come to your aid at Adrian's old homestead. He tells you that his people were watching Vega and saw him drive the semi-truck out of the city. They followed him and thus found you. He helps you in your fight and comes back with you to the next Council meeting, where Adrian has him voted in to take Vega's place. You all celebrate at Adrian's office, and you can decide to go with Jax back to the Shadow Den to give them the news. If you do, you can also become intimate with him again.

In Book 2, you visit him in the Shadow Den to see how much has changed and improved. When you inform him and your friends that Gaius has returned, he accompanies you all to retrieve the Amulet of Nero from the collector in Las Vegas. Despite your best efforts, Gaius gets the vial and drinks the blood from the First Vampire, regaining his strength and powers. This causes Jax to go with you and Adrian to Paris to find a way to stop Gaius by finding the Tree of Life. In Chapter 8, after you retrieve the Book of Blood, you can choose to be intimate with Jax or have a threesome with him and Adrian. Afterwards, a battle against The Order of the Dawn ensues which shows him how awful vampires in Europe are treated compared to the ones in New York. After retrieving the Eye of Bathory and later a stake from the Tree of Life, he and your friends fly back to New York to face Gaius. Before the battle, you have another opportunity to become intimate with him and choosing him as your closest love interest in Chapter 16 shapes later events.

In Book 3, if he is your love interest who Turned you, he says that he will promise to help you in anyway with your transition. In Chapter 3, he trains you how to move your body and fight. He stated after you were stabbed by Gaius with his sword, he hesitates to use it again to fight as it was the weapon that killed you. You tell him that it means so much to him, that he treasured it, and that you do not blame him or the sword for what it did to you. You encourage him to use the sword to fight for the Clan, the Council, and for his friends and the future. In the premium scene, you have a choice to continue training with him where he gifts you the sword as your new weapon. In Chapter 13's premium scene, if he is your love interest, you can comfort him after Takeshi's death at the wake. Jax tells you that after Gaius killed you in front of him, he lost a part of himself. This shows you that you are like the glue that keeps the group together.

Lily Spencer
Jax and Lily like the same obscure Dracula movie and are shown to bond immediately over said movie to talking about "who is the better captain in Star Trek of the USS Enterprise". Your Character can have a threesome with both of them in Book 1, Chapter 11, or, in alternative, one of them can watch Your Character having sex with the other. Lily and Jax trust each other so much that they are willing to confide each other of their secrets. Jax wanted to make Lily his number two but she was not ready for it. It was not until Gaius attacked Clan Matsuo, she revealed to Your Character it was time for her to act and became the best leader within her best ability.

Adrian Raines
Despite their initial wariness towards one another due to Adrian being a Clan vampire and Jax a Clanless and possible competitiveness over the romantic affections of Your Character, they are courteous when they meet in Book 1, Chapter 13, and shake hands to a "long and fruitful relationship". Later, they are shown bonding over Adrian's car. If Your Character romances Jax, he is shown to feel jealous of her relationship to Adrian during this same chapter. In Book 1, Chapter 15, he saves Adrian, Kamilah, and the MC from Vega and the ferals. In Book 1, Chapter 16, he later welcomes Jax to the Council.

Kamilah Sayeed
Jax and Kamilah are somewhat antagonistic at first as she is a Clan vampire and him the leader of the Clanless. However, by Book 1, Chapter 13, they come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Later in Book 1, Chapter 15, she and him fights alongside each other against the ferals. In Book 1, Chapter 16, Jax later becomes a member to the Council and they are seen as colleagues. In Book 2, Chapter 15, Kamilah comforts Jax after a third portion of his clan perished under Gaius Augustine and the loss of the Shadow Den caused by Gaius and his lackeys. Jax later regains his confidence and promises to finish Gaius off even though he will die.

The Baron
The Baron and Jax have an agreement. The Clanless don't steal from the Baron and the Baron looks the other way when they sell the items they steal from the other Clans. In Book 1, Chapters 10 through 16, he finds out that it was Jax who rescued you from his dungeons, killing his men. His hatred is intensified by Kamilah's double-cross and Jax rescuing Adrian with you from his cellars. When Jax is voted into taking Vega's place on the Council, the Baron believes it will be the end of the world. Six months later, they still carry anger towards the other.

Lester Castellanos
Once Jax was made Clan leader, Lester states that Jax might be better than Vega. Lester always tells stories to Jax to "brighten his cynical mood", much to the latter's dismay.

Priya Lacroix
Priya is another Council member. Not much is known about his relationship with her but in Bloodbound: Dark Solstice, they despise each other, with Priya saying that Jax is still a baby. Both of them insult each other, itching to fight but Jax is able to remain calm. Deep inside, he is still bothered by her because of her irresponsibility with other people.

Lula Jacobs
Jax is shown to be paternal towards Lula in Book 1, Chapter 4. In Chapter 16's premium scene, she cheers along with Arnold Northman and the Clanless after they hear the news of the Jax becoming a Council Member and their Clanless becoming a Clan under him.

Arnold Northmun
There seems to be a respectful relationship between Jax and Arnold. In Book 1, Chapter 16, he congratulates Jax on being made a Clan leader.

Liv Denara
Jax rescued Liv from becoming a Feral after she was left for dead by a vampire stalker from Priya's Clan. She is very grateful for his help and is shown to care about him, calling him "Jaxxie". In Book 1, Chapter 15, she appears with Jax and the rest of the Clanless members to drive off the Ferals. In Chapter 16's premium scene, if you saved her, she cheers along with Arnold Northman and Lula Jacobs after they hear the news about Jax and the Council. After Rheya kills Liv in front of him, he vows vengeance against her.

Griff Sanderson
Griff is one of the most outspoken Clanless and is shown questioning Jax's authority in front of other Clanless. His hatred for the Clans is apparent when he wants to use you and Lily as "examples" to the Clans, and he tries unsuccessfully to kill Kamilah despite Jax's orders to stand down. If you choose to save Liv instead of Griff, he dies when the Ferals tear him apart. Jax is immediately devastated by the death of a good friend. If you save him instead of Liv, he appears to calm down and works alongside Jax to save and protect fellow Clan members. After Rheya kills Griff in front of him, he vows vengeance against her.

Takeshi Watanabe
Takeshi Watanabe is Jax's Maker. Although it went against The Five's creed to not Turn a human, Takeshi felt empathy for Jax as he laid dying before him from Margot's attack. In that moment, he Turned Jax and then decided to take the younger man under his wing and train him. However, when The Five realized where Takeshi had disappeared to, they sent for him and Takeshi faked his death to hide Jax's existence from them. For years, Jax mourned him. In Book 3, Chapter 9, when Jax discovers his Maker is still alive, he becomes furious for the years of lies.

You learn that Takeshi loves Jax like a son but he is also as stubborn and loves to fight. You can encourage Takeshi to talk to Jax and apologize to him, which Takeshi promises to do. Before they get the chance, Gaius breaks into his home. Takeshi grabs his katana and threatens Gaius to leave, telling the latter that your group is under his protection. Gaius tells him he can't and to stand aside, but Takeshi refuses. Jax screams at Takeshi to run but Takeshi ignores him. He uses the distraction and looks at Jax one last time, launching himself at Gaius and restraining him, buying the group enough time to run. Gaius decapitates him, and you have the premium choice to grab Takeshi's fallen katana. Jax wants to fight but is forced to run by Kamilah, Lily, and Adrian. He vows vengeance on Gaius. Takeshi's death devastated Jax.

When Your Character brings Gaius in the tow after she freed him from Rheya's control, he is furious and wants to attack him but is restrained by Akeyo Kwangi. His hatred towards Gaius intensifies due to the past pain he had experienced in Book 2 towards his Clan and his friends after he was made a Council leader. He begrudgingly accepts Gaius' help in finding the weapon that can kill Rheya. In the premium scene, if you choose to participate in Takeshi's wake, he realizes that Takeshi did care for him and made him a better person than before he was Turned. He thanks Your Character and is able to move on in peace.

Powers and Abilities

 * Immortality: In Book 1, Chapter 2, Adrian confirms that he does not age. Thus we can assume the same can be said for Jax.
 * Super-Strength: In Book 1, Chapter 2, Adrian confirms that he is strong enough to lift a car. Thus we can assume the same can be said for Jax.
 * Healing Factor: Accelerated healing is an ability that vampires possess that allows them to heal from physical injuries at supernatural speeds. If a vampire uses their blood such as when Adrian was done feeding on Nicole, they can heal the bite mark as well. Thus we can assume the same can be said for Jax.
 * Heightened Senses: In Book 1, Chapter 6, Lily mentions how she can feel the slightest air currents, how she can even see the tiniest pores in Your Character's skin and can hear the water running through the pipes three stories up. Thus we can assume the same came be said for Jax.
 * Swordsmanship: Jax has been shown to be incredibly skilled with his Katana, he was able to swiftly kill a vampire by decapitating it.

Weaknesses

 * Sunlight: Sunlight is one of vampires' weaknesses. As Adrian stated, sunlight does hurt him and can prove fatal after more than thirty minutes of exposure. It's akin to hypersensitivity; overexposure causes, as Adrian describes it, an accelerated heat stroke. This same weakness can be assumed for Jax.
 * Decapitation: Dismembering or manually removing the head of a vampire will result in instant and permanent death.
 * Heart Extraction: Removing and subsequently destroying the heart of a vampire will also result in permanent death.
 * Unquenched Bloodlust: When Adrian first became a vampire, he felt the powerful thirst for blood which no amount of water can relieve. In the brief period where he resisted the urge, Adrian experienced severe discomfort whereby he eventually gave in to his instincts. It is unknown yet how long a vampire can remain thirsty or what the extent of pain is when this need is unmet. When vampires don't consume blood for extended periods of time, they tend to give in to their instincts and attack the nearest human nearby in order to suppress their thirst. Newly turned Vampires like Lily are the ones mostly affected by this problem.
 * A Feral's Bite: A bite from a feral vampire is infectious to regular vampires because it can turn them feral too. When he was a clanless vampire, Jax ran a higher risk of turning feral at any moment. But since becoming the leader of Clan Matsuo, this no longer a problem.

Trivia

 * The name Jax is of Greek origin and means "healer". It's a short variant of the name Jason.
 * The surname Matsuo is of Japanese origin and means "pine tree" or "man of harbor, port".
 * In Book 1, Chapter 2, Adrian mentions that garlic gives him a minor distaste, rather than kill him. This in turn means that it is not a real weakness for vampires as a whole and we can assume Jax has a similar distaste for it.
 * In Book 1, Chapter 4, he shows the player "how the other half lives" and explains how the Clanless keep themselves from becoming Feral by drinking the blood of someone they were emotionally close to before they turned.
 * In Book 2, Chapter 7's premium scene, there appears to be inconsistencies with Book 1's background information. Jax does not speak about his grandparents raising him, instead speaking about his mom and his stepdad.
 * On April 26, 2019, in the IG livestream, Andrew said that Jax is from the 70s.
 * It was confirmed in a flashback scene of Book 2, Chapter 5, that he was Turned in New York in the 1970s.
 * This appears to contradict his background story in Book 1, as the flashback shows a "homeless man" Turning him rather than a "vampire that wanted to usurp the Clan Leaders".
 * He is shown on the cover of Bloodbound, Book 2.
 * In Book 2, Chapter 4, to test the question of who is stronger (vampires or werewolves), Cal and Jax arm-wrestle. They appear evenly matched, and it is only when Lily blurts out Squirrel! and distracts Cal, Jax wins.
 * In a premium scene of Book 2, Chapter 6, it is revealed that he went to Columbia, used to be obsessed with Star Trek, and never left the United States before this chapter.
 * In Book 2, Chapter 8's premium scene, the player has the option to have Adrian and Jax focus on each other if you picked the threesome option. If chosen, he will make out with Adrian.
 * In Book 2, Chapter 15, it is shown that he kept an item from his past human life: a photo album that had black and white as well as sepia photos of his ancestors in traditional Japanese clothing and a picture of him younger with his mother and father.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 1's premium choice, it's confirmed that his Clan symbol is the Branched tree.
 * In Book 3, if he is your Love Interest, he states that Your Character (Bloodbound) is the first person he had ever Turned and that turning someone was a burden.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 13 premium choice, when the group plays "Never had I ever", it is stated that he once went to a UN gala and had sex with a government leader.
 * Also, it is stated that he likes UN gala cocktails.