History Characters / DefianceMainCharacters

The main characters of the franchise ''Defiance'':

*** The game explains ''why'' he's frustrated with the idolization of the Defiant Few: [[spoiler:they activated a terraforming device to defeat the enemy forces, obliterating San Francisco and effectively committing a war crime]]. He's noticeably evasive when events surrounding the incident come up.

* {{Slimeball}}: When he's talking to Amanda, the slime practically oozes out of his pores. [[spoiler: bonus points for having a video camera secreted in her bedroom]].

* {{Slimeball}}: When he's talking to Amanda, the slime practically oozes out of his pores.

* BolivianArmyEnding: [[spoiler:At the end of Season 1, she and Datak are left at the mercy of E-Rep soldiers... after Datak killed their commanding officer.]]

* TheManBehindTheMan: After Datak [[spoiler:is imprisoned, Stahma becomes the real power behind Alak. She makes him fully aware of this, using him as a figurehead to run the Tarr business successfully.]]

* MsFanservice: Played with. In public she wears concealing robes but at home is a ''very'' different story.

* InLoveWithYourCarnage: She doesn't love Datak despite his cruelty, but ''because'' of it. She considers his cutthroat nature to be proof of his ambitiousness and willingness to do anything in order to succeed.
** [[spoiler:She takes control of the family business away from her son, specifically because she sees him as too merciful.]]

* NotSoStoic: [[spoiler:There are two thngs that break her facade: Kenya's threat to reveal their affair, and the fact that Datak will probably get executed by E-Rep.]]
** [[spoiler:She breaks her facade again when telling Alak that she is in charge of the family business now.]]

* BareYourMidriff: Her shirt is ''just'' a bit too short to get all the way down. Then there's the outfit she wears while performing a kind of 'roided up Tai Chi. Her outfit at the beginning of the second season avoids this.

* TheChosenOne: According to Daigo, who may or may not be batshit insane. Sukar has a similar belief (but for very different reasons) but he's not insane. The fact that she's gotten this treatment twice, once from someone she hates and once from someone she deeply respects, makes her rather uncomfortable. Both the treatment itself and the juxiposition of the two. [[spoiler: "Irzu" also considers her this.]]

%%[[folder:Niles Pottinger]]
%%!!Niles Pottinger
%%[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pottinger_niles_7052.jpg]]
%%->'''Played By:''' Jim Murray

%%The Earth Republic appointed Mayor of Defiance, Niles Pottinger is shrewd, calculating and charming. He's also power hungry. He does have a soft spot, though. Deep, deep down.
%%[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Jessica "Berlin" Rainer]]
%%!!Jessica "Berlin" Rainer
%%->'''Played By:''' Anna Hopkins

%%Jessica - who's gone by the nickname "Berlin" for most of her life - is a soldier in the Earth Republic who makes propaganda films. Although she wouldn't describe her work that way (as she's tell you in her direct, no-nonsense fashion). Berlin's a firm believer in the ideals of the Earth Republic, seeing the organization as a valuable force that protects and unites people.
%%[[/folder]]

* BareYourMidriff: Her shirt is ''just'' a bit too short to get all the way down. Then there's the outfit she wears while performing a kind of 'roided up Tai Chi.

* TheChosenOne: According to Daigo, who may or may not be batshit insane. Sukar has a similar belief (but for very different reasons) but he's not insane. The fact that she's gotten this treatment twice, once from someone she hates and once from someone she deeply respects, makes her rather uncomfortable. Both the treatment itself and the juxiposition of the two.

[[folder:Niles Pottinger]]
!!Niles Pottinger
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pottinger_niles_7052.jpg]]
->'''Played By:''' Jim Murray

The Earth Republic appointed Mayor of Defiance, Niles Pottinger is shrewd, calculating and charming. He's also power hungry. He does have a soft spot, though. Deep, deep down.
----
* {{Jerkass}}: Self-satisfied, callous and a basic smug asshole.
* SmugSnake: Pottinger isn't remotely as charming as he thinks he is.
* {{Slimeball}}: When he's talking to Amanda, the slime practically oozes out of his pores.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jessica "Berlin" Rainer]]
!!Jessica "Berlin" Rainer
->'''Played By:''' Anna Hopkins

Jessica - who's gone by the nickname "Berlin" for most of her life - is a soldier in the Earth Republic who makes propaganda films. Although she wouldn't describe her work that way (as she's tell you in her direct, no-nonsense fashion). Berlin's a firm believer in the ideals of the Earth Republic, seeing the organization as a valuable force that protects and unites people.
----
* TheDragon: For Pottinger.
[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Niles Pottinger]]
%%!!Niles Pottinger
%%[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pottinger_niles_7052.jpg]]
%%->'''Played By:''' Jim Murray

%%The Earth Republic appointed Mayor of Defiance, Niles Pottinger is shrewd, calculating and charming. He's also power hungry. He does have a soft spot, though. Deep, deep down.
%%[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Jessica "Berlin" Rainer]]
%%!!Jessica "Berlin" Rainer
%%->'''Played By:''' Anna Hopkins

%%Jessica - who's gone by the nickname "Berlin" for most of her life - is a soldier in the Earth Republic who makes propaganda films. Although she wouldn't describe her work that way (as she's tell you in her direct, no-nonsense fashion). Berlin's a firm believer in the ideals of the Earth Republic, seeing the organization as a valuable force that protects and unites people.
%%[[/folder]]

Christie McCawley is the only daughter of the town’s most influential citizen, Rafe McCawley. Christie never had the opportunity to meet her mother - who died shortly after Christie’s birth - and from an early age took on her mother’s role in the family, acting as caregiver for her father and brothers. Christie faces another challenge: An interspecies marriage to Alak Tarr, the Castithan son of two of Defiance's most influential (and notorious) citizens, Datak and Stahma Tarr.

[[folder:Niles Pottinger]]
!!Niles Pottinger
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pottinger_niles_7052.jpg]]
->'''Played By:''' Jim Murray

The Earth Republic appointed Mayor of Defiance, Niles Pottinger is shrewd, calculating and charming. He's also power hungry. He does have a soft spot, though. Deep, deep down.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jessica "Berlin" Rainer]]
!!Jessica "Berlin" Rainer
->'''Played By:''' Anna Hopkins

Jessica - who's gone by the nickname "Berlin" for most of her life - is a soldier in the Earth Republic who makes propaganda films. Although she wouldn't describe her work that way (as she's tell you in her direct, no-nonsense fashion). Berlin's a firm believer in the ideals of the Earth Republic, seeing the organization as a valuable force that protects and unites people.
[[/folder]]

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: Poisoned by Stahma in "Everything is Broken". Maybe.]]

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He genuinely loves his wife and son and states that everything he does as a crime boss is to make a better life for them.

* EvilAlbino: Pretty much goes with being a mafioso. He had a guy's hand broken in public because the guy had the gall to approach him directly rather than wait for his regular contact.
** That being said, he's not really an albino. Castithans are just naturally like that.

* {{Hypocrite}}:
** He only enforces the caste-based traditions because, in his position, that makes him top dog. The same traditions on their world had him at the bottom of the barrel.
** He also cheats on his wife with Kenya, but would be outraged if he [[spoiler:found out she was doing the same thing]]. It seems to be more of an overall Castithan cultural hypocrisy, since Castithans are mostly patriarchal. It's suggested in one episode that it's cultural tradition for a male Castithan to have sex with stand-in for their wife-to-be during their equivalent of a bachelor party.
*** On a deeper level the fact he has sex with a human at all is hypocritical given he detests humans as inferior and disgusting, refers to them as smelling bad and claims any Castithan who thinks otherwise has lost their sense of smell.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Having come from the lowest caste of the Castithan, he does his best to come off as this.

* [[RedOniBlueOni Red Oni]] to Stahma's Blue

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:Connor Lang saves his life...and Datak kills him so nobody knows he shamed his liro.]]
** Being ungrateful seems to be a recurring theme with Datak. Humans have saved his life at least three times but he still regards them as inferior and is more than willing to kill the very people who saved him.

* AffablyEvil: She cheerfully tells Christie a story which basically implies she murdered her fiance to be with Datak.

** See Datak's entry.

* OneOfUs[=/=]AscendedFanboy: Jesse Rath is a huge sci-fi and geek culture, of everything from Firefly and Doctor Who to Star Trek and comic books.

** This is coming back to bite him as Varus Soleptor has put a quarter million scrip bounty on his head.

* [[spoiler:BackFromTheDead: Nolan was killed by Black Jonah in "Everything is Broken", but was resurrected after Irisa's [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Irzu]].]]

* [[spoiler:DarkAndTroubledPast: He was involved in the Yosemite massacre, where over 200 Human and Votan civilians were killed.]]

* FakeAmerican: Grant Bowler is from New Zealand, though raised in Australia.

*** The game explains ''why'' he's frustrated with the idolization of the Defiant Few: [[spoiler: they activated a terraforming device to defeat the enemy forces, obliterating San Francisco and effectively committing a war crime]]. He's noticeably evasive when events surrounding the incident come up.

** "Past is Prologue" reveals that [[spoiler: he was involved in a massacre and did things during the Pale Wars that border on war-crimes]].

* [[spoiler:DealWithTheDevil: She agrees to become Irzu's "weapon" in order to revive Nolan. Her fate afterwards, as well as the future consequences, are unknown.]]

* FakeAmerican: Or American-accented Irathient, anyway. Stephanie Leonidas is British.

* [[spoiler:HumanWeapon]]: Well, Votan, but yes. The exact details are still unclear at the end of the first season, but at least one important person believes it.

* [[spoiler:MacGuffinGirl: The cult implanted the white Kaziri in her, which has bonded with her entire system. This is probably the origin of her visions.]]
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Mean is certainly stretching it, but there's certainly a distinctness between Irisa and Stephanie. In one behind the scenes interview, it's noted that she almost constantly worries about Kevin (the actor who plays the Sensoth in the show) because she keeps seeing the frown in the makeup and thus keeps thinking he's uphappy about something.

Joshua Nolan is a former lieutenant in the Earth Military Coalition who fought in the alien conflict.

Born prior to the Arks' arrival, he saw his comfortable life turned upside down when the war between the humans and Votans began. The conflict took its toll, and in the aftermath of Arkfall, he found himself a wanderer in a dangerous new world.

There he was joined by Irisa, a young Irathient he raised as his own, and who served as his lone companion in the lawless badlands.

An attractive Irathient woman, Irisa is Nolan's adopted daughter and tacit second in command. Smart, independent and feisty, Irisa still struggles with the weight of her unusual upbringing.

A drifter since birth, she only stays in Defiance due to the loyalty she feels for Nolan. Nolan has encouraged Irisa to leave behind her traumatic past. He rescued her at a young age, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Amanda Rosewater is the Mayor of Defiance.

Every day, she uses her political wits to give this struggling town a chance for survival. Born in New York in 2011, Amanda shouldered a great responsibility at an early age, serving as a stand-in parent for her sister when their mother and father died during the Pale Wars. Adrift in a post-war world, Amanda eventually heard of a town where humans and Votans were attempting to coexist.

She traveled to Defiance and accepted a job cleaning the mayor's office. Despite these humble beginnings, she so impressed then-Mayor Nicolette Riordon that, upon her retirement, Nicky appointed Amanda to finish out her term. Now, Amanda is determined to maintain peace in the community, an ambitious task in this deadly new world.

Datak Tarr is the primary figure in Defiance's underworld, running everything from gambling to weapons smuggling and organized crime.

True to his Castithan ways, Datak is always on the lookout for opportunities that allow him to get his hooks into people so he can later manipulate them to his own ends. Born into a lower caste on his homeworld, Datak was a survivor who found his way onto an Ark despite his low standing. There he met Stahma, who admired his instincts, and the two became husband and wife.

Once they arrived in Defiance, he used brute force and wits to establish a powerful business interest in the town. More than anything, Datak desires legitimacy and a better future for his family.

* [[spoiler:AintTooProudToBeg: He does beg for his life, but is desperately ashamed of it. He even kills the only witness - the man who literally saved his life from the situation he was begging for it in, five seconds previously - to keep this secret.]]

* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins: He is elected mayor of Defiance in the season 1 finale. Datak's victory is short-lived, however, as his E-Rep allies prove that they have no intention of sharing control of Defiance with him.]]

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyEnding: At the end of season 1, he and Stahma re left at the mercy of E-Rep soldiers... after Datak killed their commanding officer.]]

The wife of Datak Tarr, one of the most powerful men in Defiance, Stahma is beautiful and loyal, the perfect picture of a Castithan wife. Beneath the surface, however, lies a dark side that is ready to break from the traditional roles assigned her by her caste.

Having met Datak during her voyage on an Ark, Stahma aided him in his business during the Pale Wars. When the fighting ended, the two found themselves among a group of migrant settlers and eventually settled in Defiance. There, Stahma plays the part of the dutiful wife while secretly harboring her own ambitions.

The only son of Datak and Stahma. He is dating Christie [=McCawley=]. As of "The Bride Wore Black," he is married to Christie.

Rafe [=McCawley=] is Defiance's richest and most powerful human – a mine owner whose family has been in this territory for generations.

Raised by a tough-as-nails father, Rafe disobeyed his father's wishes and enlisted. After the Pale Wars, he took his wife and burgeoning family back to his home of St. Louis, now barely recognizable due to terraforming. He longs for the world as it was before the Votans arrived.

As one of the founders of Defiance, Rafe has amassed a considerable fortune in the mining business, and now seeks to exert his influence and champion the advancement of his family in the town’s political sphere.

Daughter of Rafe [=McCawley=]. She marries Alak Tarr in "the Bride Wore Black."

Garret Clancy's Deputy Lawkeeper.

The town doctor/scientist, who isn't afraid to tell off her patients.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/McCawley_Christie_5414.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Laselle_Tommy_2360.jpg]]

[[quoteright:349:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yewll_Meh_9065.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nolan_joshua_7793.jpg]]

->'''Played By''': Grant Bowler

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/irisa_4459.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rosewater_amanda_1508.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': JulieBenz

->'''Played By''': Mia Kirshner

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarr_datak_8062.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Tony Curran

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarr_stahma_7824.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarr_alak_3000.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mccawley_rafe_7347.jpg]]

->'''Played By''': Jaime Murray

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyEnding: At the end of Season 1, she and Datak are left at the mercy of E-Rep soldiers... after Datak killed their commanding officer.]]

* ManipulativeBitch: Extremely so. Whether dealing with the townsfolk, her son, her husband, [[spoiler: or her lover]], Stahma plays everyone around her with relative ease.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Compared to her husband, most people seem to think of her as merely a soft spoken if occasionally firm wife who's nothing but kind and timid. Only Nolan [[spoiler: and argueably Kenya]]knows otherwise and that's primarily because his GenreSavvy is near supernatural. Even her husband seems only partially aware of how manipulative she can be since most of her efforts where Datak are involved revolve around Datak. A good example being in "The Bride Wore Black" where she briefly gets flustered while trying to wrangle in a pissed off Datak.

->'''Played By''': Graham Greene

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: He gave the Irathients his mines in his will, Datak now has nothing to gain from killing him and then have Christie and Alak inherit them.]]

* OldShame: Before the Wars, his family owned a pet food company. Do not ask him to sing the jingle. He won't do it.
** He is utterly appalled to learn that the land his mines are located on, used to belong to Irathients who were butchered when they wouldn't sell up.

!!Christie [=McCawley=]

->'''Played By''': Nicole Muñoz

* ActionGirl: To a point, anyway. When she and Alak find a Hellbug coming at them, the scene cuts away. When it cuts back, Alak is still freaked out while Christie is holding it off with a torch. The Tarrs charitably rework this story as Alak doing the protecting so he can gain some points with Rafe, which Christie doesn't contradict.
** Also, she, along with Alak, takes part in the Battle of the Volge.

->'''Played By''': Dewshane Williams

* {{Jerkass}}

* ThePerfectCrime: [[spoiler:She paralyzes Nicolette, writes out a suicide note detailing Nicolette's crimes, then sticks her in a car being piped full of exhaust. As far as the town knows, she has no connection to Nicolette, so there's no reason to not allow her to perform the autopsy herself, at which point she will declare that everything is exactly as it seems, and get away scott free with murder]].

* WeUsedToBeFriends: [[spoiler:With Nicky.]]

!The [=McCawley Family

->'''Played By''': Music/StephanieLeonidas

[[folder:Rafe]]
!!Rafe [=McCawley=]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mccawley_rafe_7347.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Yeah, well, call me old-fashioned, but I believe in a fair fight."'']]
->'''Played By''': Graham Greene

Rafe [=McCawley=] is Defiance's richest and most powerful human – a mine owner whose family has been in this territory for generations.

Raised by a tough-as-nails father, Rafe disobeyed his father's wishes and enlisted. After the Pale Wars, he took his wife and burgeoning family back to his home of St. Louis, now barely recognizable due to terraforming. He longs for the world as it was before the Votans arrived.

As one of the founders of Defiance, Rafe has amassed a considerable fortune in the mining business, and now seeks to exert his influence and champion the advancement of his family in the town’s political sphere.

[[folder:Alak]]
!!Alak Tarr
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarr_alak_3000.jpg]]
->'''Played By:''' Jesse Rath

The only son of Datak and Stahma. He is dating Christie [=McCawley=]. As of "The Bride Wore Black," he is married to Christie.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: When one of his friends calls him the Castithan equivalent of a limp dick because he's marrying Christie, he proceeds to beat the shit out of said friend.
* CallingTheOldManOut: He does this to Datak when he attempts to call off the wedding.
* [[KlingonsLoveShakespeare Castithans Love Earth Music]]: He broadcasts oldies from the top of the arch.
* CharacterDevelopment: Initially, he was mostly a submissive (though snarky because of who his father was) pretty boy. The influence of Christie and Rafe - particularly when he's engaged - however, have made him more capable of standing up for himself, being his own man, and being a better man than his father. Which, while exactly what his father wants, isn't exactly how Datak would probably want it to happen.
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Though in this case, his father puts up with it since his son marrying the mine owner's daughter presents... opportunities. There's also the fringe benefit that Rafe will be far more annoyed with the relationship than he will.
* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: While certainly not squeaky clean (being willing to get in a knife fight with Luke [=McCawley=] when provoked), he's practically upstanding compared to his parents. He is even put off by Datak casually suggesting that they murder Rafe when he objected to Alak dating Christie. This is intentional on Datak's part; he does not want his son to be like him.
* {{Foil}}: To his own father. Alak is respectful of others because he considers them equals; his father is respectful of others in a mostly condescending way. Conversely, Alak is also respectful of the traditions of his home because he appreciates them... but he considers his home to be Earth; Datak is respectful of the traditions of his home (Cathi) but only because it gives him the power of caste over others.
* GoingNative: Much to Datak's chagrin, his son is in love with a human and is prefers their culture to his own.
* InterspeciesRomance: With Christie, a human.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Christie certainly sees him as such.
* [[MafiaPrincess Mafia Prince]]: The typically naive/non-villainous version, although Datak doesn't want him to follow in the family business.
* NonIdleRich: He's been shown working as a DJ at the top of the Gateway Arch, even devoting a song to Christie. He also provides useful radio reports, including the weather.
* OneOfUs[=/=]AscendedFanboy: Jesse Rath is a huge sci-fi and geek culture, of everything from Firefly and Doctor Who to Star Trek and comic books.
* ScyllaAndCharybdis:
** Because of Rafe's DangerouslyGenreSavvy above, Datak canceled the wedding and fully expects Alak to listen. This trope is in play because Alak genuinely loves Christie and wants to marry her, but he has rarely stood up to his father all his life. So now, he must choose between honoring his father verses the woman he genuinely loves. Rafe, seeing his genuine turmoil, helps him select Christie.
** After the above example, Datak declares Alak has shamed his liro, and gives him a task to redeem himself. When that goes south, Rafe has him beat up, and declares if Alak ever does anything to shame Christie, he'll be killed. So, to sum up: if Alak doesn't do what his gangster father wants (which often ends in death or at least loss of property), Datak will kill him. But if he ''does'' do what his father wants, it's quite likely Rafe will kill him for it.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:In his father's scheme to set up Nolan for killing his friend.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Doc Yewll]]
!!Doc Meh Yewll
[[quoteright:349:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yewll_Meh_9065.jpg]]
->'''Played By:''' Trenna Keating

The town doctor/scientist, who isn't afraid to tell off her patients.
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[[folder:Other Indogenes]]