Ja-Kal was born on the island of Yebu (present day Elphantine) hundreds of miles up the Nile, near Aswan, at the farthest reaches of Egypt. He is most at home in the wilderness, and happiest when roaming alone and free in the deserts, the mountains, or the marshes. He is always testing himself, constantly questioning whether he lives up to his ideal of what a man should be. His cool head in dangerous situations, and grasp of strategy and tactics, make him the best qualified of the Mummies to be in command. However, Ja-Kal doesn't have very good people skills. He angers quickly, is very demanding, and is sometimes insensitive to the feelings of the others. He is very uncomfortable with his duty as a teacher to young Rapses, despite his genuine affection for the boy.

Now that Ja-Kal is, well, dead, he feels sympathy for all the animals he hunted for the pleasure of the pharaoh. He has vowed never to harm another animal, directing his hunting skills against a new prey: Scarab!