History Characters / MechWarrior

The leader of Damocles Commando Team 1, who's served alongside Dominic "Gunner" Paine. Also the player character, who has to deal with it when the mission goes bad and rally what's left of the Damocles Commando to complete it and escape. In ''Pirate's Moon'', he leads the same lance in the Eridani Light Horse for what was supposed to be some light protection until they encounter said pirates.

Damocles Commando 1-2, Sinclair's lancemate even from before the game, and met up with at the end of Operation 1. He starts with a ''Shadow Cat Prime'' there. He's the last lancemate you get in Pirate's Moon, having stolen a pirate Atlas.
* StealthPun/AccidentalPun: "I bring the ''Paine''."
** Accidental nothing. Dominic is repeatedly shown to have the greatest sense of humor on the lance, which he applies most often to annoying your other lancemates.

The third lance mate who was once Damocles Commando 3-4 and met up with at the end of Operation 2, where she initially pilots a Bushwhacker just like you did. She's the first lancemate you meet in Pirate's Moon. Tends to be somewhat dour and usually the least-appreciative of Dominic's joking. During Pirate's Moon, she established a relationship with one of the locals before he was killed in action.

!!Alan Matilla
The last lancemate you get in ''[=MechWarrior=] 3'', he was the last man out of the [=DropShip=] ''Black Hammer'' before it crashed, and initially pilots a Sunder. He's the second lancemate you get in ''Pirate's Moon''. Alan is more optimistic and personable than Epona, with a generally sunny disposition.
* BaitAndSwitch: Picked up during a series of missions where you are moving to link up with Mechwarior Keith Andrew.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Casey makes it clear in one mission that if the Steiner forces start [[ShootTheMedicFirst shooting ambulances]], he's going to start [[SinkTheLifeboats shooting down their ejection pods]].

* UsefulNotes/AustralianAccent

PlayerCharacter of ''4: Vengeance''. Estranged from his family because of some deed in his past that caused his father to send him away, he joined the military and became a 'Mech pilot. He fought with distinction in the wars against the Clans as part of the 1st Davion Guards (his time on Port Arthur is mentioned, suggesting he may be one of the pilots from the first VideoGame/MechCommander; but Ian doesn't look like any of them). Ian mustered out and was on his way home, seeking a reconciliation, when his family was killed. The game opens on his father's last message to him.

Ian's cousin and titular Duke of Kentares under Steiner, youngish (probably about Ian's age), seen little and somewhat sinster of aspect. Ian refers to him as having been a bully all his life, and good at it. He defeats Peter Dresari in 'Mech combat, then lets Burke kill Peter after he ejects. He's faced in the last mission of the game, where he pilots a customized Daishi packing a huge number of Ultra [=AC-5s=] in the original. In the patched game after installing Black Knight or the compatible standalone patch, he's instead loaded out with a large number of pulse lasers and a single Clan PPC. The patch also changes it so his start position is more logical and you are not immediately under fire from him.

A formal and by-the-book MechWarrior, the man who'll probably fill your fourth slot most of the campaign, you meet him early in the game during the Lunar sequence but only briefly. He drops with Peter Dresari onto Kentares itself, but has to break away and manages to link up with you, while Peter is intercepted and killed. He is fought in Black Knight late in the game, alongside Ian.

A MechWarrior who was originally part of the Royal Guard when the planet fell to Steiner occupation, you rescued her among other [=PoWs=] on the way to be executed late in the desert sequence. Firey, and trained as an assault specialist, Terra prefers to go toe to toe. She speaks to you relatively little after she joins your lance compared to Casey or Jen, but is vocal enough on the comms.

A MechWarrior who was originally one of Joanna Dresari's bodyguards, he's fairly skilled but picked up late enough in the game it's likely your core pilots are more capable than he is. He wants to serve the Dresaris, and will abandon you to try to rescue Joanna if you don't attempt it yourself in the endgame. Conversely, if you try to rescue Joanna, he'll drop with you as a ''fifth'' member of your lance. In Black Knight, he's part of the anti-Ian resistance movement, likely in response to Ian abandoning his sister.

Ian Dresari's sister, she's met midway through the campaign. She wasn't in the palace when it was attacked, and it's revealed she and her father had a split over her father's sending Ian away. She's not a MechWarrior herself, and has served the resistance in support roles and as infantry a couple times. The choice about whether to rescue her or raid an armory late in the game determines the ending. The events of Black Knight emerge from the armory raid, as without your rescue Joanna dies.

* BreakoutCharacter: By far the most beloved character of the game among MechWarrior fans.

* CanonForeigner: These guys do not appear to officially exist outside the ''4: Black Knight'' expansion, although 'Mechs bearing their insignias can be fought at points during ''4: Mercenaries''' campaign, most noticeably during a mission on Wernke, where Specter Lance (see the ''4: Mercenaries'' folder) has to destroy a dropship guarded by such 'Mechs[[note]]Specter will note that they have "no discernible markings", suggesting either the insignias aren't actually there in-universe, or they ''are'' the Black Knight Legion and Specter has absolutely no idea who they are.[[/note]] before having to fight [[TheRival Burr's Black Cobras]].

* PlayerCharacter: The framing device is an aged Specter (post-Jihad) telling the tale of his exploits.

Specter's mission control.

* MissionControl: The two constant voices in all (non-Solaris) missions are [[PlayerCharacter Specter]] and Castle.

A fierce trueborn Jade Falcon Star Colonel whom Specter encounters on New Exford. Depending on how events play out, Specter can wind up taking her as a bondsman.

A rival mercenary unit who often show up to get in Specter's way.

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Just like Specter and his unit, they're mercenaries.
* TheRival: To Specter's unit. Depending on how events play, [[LetsGetDangerous this can come to a head]] on Wernke, where Specter fights Burr himself, who brings a lot of Mechwarriors with him, outnumbering and potentially outgunning Specter's lances for that mission.

There are many, many mercenaries Specter can recruit to his side.

!!Specter

* TheAce: Specter graduated at the top of his class in the pilot program on Outreach for larger mercenary outfits to "sponsor" smaller ones.

!!Specter's Mercs (Various)

* FieryRedhead: Blaze, a highly skilled potential secondary lance commander evokes it with her name, even.

* TheFaceless: Makes no on-screen appearances in ''Black Knight'' outside his 'Mech, so we don't know what's changed in the time since ''Vengeance'', where this was [[AvertedTrope averted]].

* HeroMustSurvive: An NPC variant; in every mission he appears as a combatant, "Peter Steiner-Davion must survive" is one of the mission objectives. {{Justified|Trope}}, because replacing Katherine with him as Archon was the reason you were hired in the first place, and it's not that big of a deal to begin with; he's enough of a {{badass}}, he's more likely to pull ''you'' out of hot water during a firefight, and his ''Fafnir'', being an assault 'mech, [[MightyGlacier can give and take a lot of punishment]].

* NorseByNorsewest: Castle hails from the Free Rasalhague Republic, which is basically Scandinavia [[RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE]], and it shows in her accent. Before the Clan Invasion, it was an entire former Draconis Combine march that eventually seceded with tacit approval from Luthien, but it was unfortunately right in the center of the Clan Invasion Corridor. The Clan Invasion reduced it to a scant handful of worlds, none of which are the original capital world of Rasalhague.

PlayerCharacter of ''4: Vengeance''. Estranged from his family because of some deed in his past that caused his father to send him away, he joined the military and became a 'Mech pilot. He fought with distinction in the wars against the Clans as part of the 1st Davion Guards (his time on Port Arthur is mentioned, suggesting he may be one of the pilots from the first MechCommander; but Ian doesn't look like any of them). Ian mustered out and was on his way home, seeking a reconciliation, when his family was killed. The game opens on his father's last message to him.

The leader of Damocles Commando Team 1, who's served alongside Dominic "Gunner" Paine. Also the player character, who has to deal with it when the mission goes bad and rally what's left of the Damocles Commando to complete it and escape.

* TheFaceless: None of the members of the Damocles Commando are ever shown, only heard.

The last lancemate you get in [=MW3=], he was the last man out of the [=DropShip=] ''Black Hammer'' before it crashed, and initially pilots a Sunder. He's the second lancemate you get in Pirate's Moon. Alan is more optimistic and personable than Epona, with a generally sunny disposition.

* CanonForeigner: These guys do not appear to officially exist outside the ''4: Black Knight'' expansion, although 'Mechs bearing their insignias can be fought at points during ''4: Mercenaries''' campaign, most noticeably during a mission on Wernke, where Specter Lance (see the ''4: Mercenaries'' folder) has to destroy a dropship guarded by such 'Mechs before having to fight [[TheRival Burr's Black Cobras]].

* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: [[spoiler: In ''Black Knight'', becoming a DiscOneFinalBoss due to actions taken by the game's BigBad. According to materials outside the game, he was smeared by Katherine Steiner's Loyalists and [[{{Misblamed}} may not have actually done anything to piss off the Black Knight Legion]], the latter of which are unknown to be canon in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' at large.]]

* HeroMustSurvive: An NPC variant; in every mission he appears as a combatant, "Peter Steiner-Davian must survive" is one of the mission objectives. {{Justified|Trope}}, because replacing Katherine with him as Archon was the reason you were hired in the first place, and it's not that big of a deal to begin with; he's enough of a {{badass}}, he's more likely to pull ''you'' out of hot water during a firefight, and his ''Fafnir'', being an assault 'mech, [[MightyGlacier can give and take a lot of punishment]].

Younger brother to Victor Steiner-Davion, and eventually the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth after the ouster of his power-mad sister Katherine.

Chief engineer for Omega Lance; before that point, he served the Duke of Kentares as his chief tech, and treats Ian with somewhat grandfatherly concern. He is a man of strong moral convictions, and is notably '''not''' supportive if you abandon your sister in the lategame, telling you he's setting up your 'Mechs one last time and then leaving your service. This may explain his fate in Black Knight.

A wisecracker in general, but the lancemate with the closest thing to a real friendship with Ian during Vengeance. The first permanent member of Omega Lance you meet, you run missions with him and your uncle early on. He's the first member of Omega Lance you have to face in Black Knight, where he pilots a Mauler in a "boss" encounter relatively early.

Your tactical officer during Vengeance, she plans missions, interfaces with the rest of the Resistance, and tells you what needs to be done in the short term while your character sets strategic goals. Despite this, you don't actually converse with her until the second mission, and don't hear her outside of mission opening and closing until the last mission in the Lunar series. She is notably the only character who supports abandoning your sister in the lategame of Vengeance.

Ian's cousin and titular Duke of Kentares under Steiner, youngish (probably about Ian's age), seen little and somewhat sinster of aspect. Ian refers to him as having been a bully all his life, and good at it. He defeats Peter Dresari in 'Mech combat, then lets Burke kill Peter after he ejects. He's faced in the last mission of the game, where he pilots a customized Daishi packing a huge number of Ultra [=AC-5s=] in the original. In the patched game after installing Black Knight or the compatible standalone patch, he's instead loaded out with a large number of pulse lasers and a single Clan PPC.