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* BigBad: [[spoiler:Revealed as this after going through with his plot to kill off the Van, claiming leadership of the Syndicate for himself and becoming Spike's obstacle blocking he and Julia from fleeing themselves]].
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* DragonInChief: Vicious is the most skilled of the Red Dragon's assassins and singlehandedly wipes out any problems the Van encounter. Unfortunately for them, on top of being a brilliant tactician he also [[spoiler:intends to kill them to take the Syndicate for himself]].
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* ResignationsNotAccepted: It's mentioned that a man tried to defect years ago, and The Van didn't just take issue with that-- they sent [[OneManArmy Vicious]] to ''wipe out his entire block''. It's implied they've done this
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* ResignationsNotAccepted: It's mentioned that a man tried to defect years ago, and The Van didn't just take issue with that-- they sent [[OneManArmy Vicious]] to ''wipe out his entire block''. It's implied they've done thisthis before.
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* ParentalSubsitute: Spike's actual parents are never referred to, but it's made very clear he thinks of Mao as his real paternal figure. [[spoiler: Obviously, it hits pretty hard when Vicious offs him]].
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* ParentalSubsitute: ParentalSubstitute: Spike's actual parents are never referred to, but it's made very clear he thinks of Mao as his real paternal figure. [[spoiler: Obviously, it hits pretty hard when Vicious offs him]].
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--> ''Did you need someone shot? Spike was there for you, and so was a nine-millimeter pistol. Someone need a solid kick to the face? Call Spike. Thirty people, and you need them dead in the next five minutes? Spike would do it in two and order a pizza with the money he rifled out of their wallets. Spike was a hitman for the Red Dragon, and he was among the best they’d ever had. Among the best they’d ever have.''
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--> ''Titan had broken other men. It had forged Vicious. Where other men melted, he cooled. Vicious had always been too cold.''
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--> ''Julia didn’t like to kill people. She hadn’t done it often during the war, and unless circumstances forced her hand, she didn’t do it for the syndicate. She was a driver more than a fighter, and she took pride in her driving skills. If you needed someone spectacularly offed, you asked Spike or Vicious. Vicious would even throw in a William Blake quote with no extra charge. You needed to get somewhere quickly, quietly, and below the eyes of the law? Well, that was Julia’s field.''
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Spike's mentor, a kindly and honorable captain in the Red Dragon
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Spike's mentor, a kindly and honorable captain in the Red DragonDragon.
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--> ''(Vicious) wasn’t like The Van; no, the elders were cowards. They were old traditionalists, pleading with the red dirt on Mars not to swallow them whole. They were like water snakes, running from a cormorant. It was only a matter of time before the bird closed in, and devoured them.''
Wang, Sou, and Ping Long are TheDividual leaders of the Red Dragon syndicate. They're not very pleasant individuals, to say the least.
Wang, Sou, and Ping Long are TheDividual leaders of the Red Dragon syndicate. They're not very pleasant individuals, to say the least.
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Wang, Sou, and Ping Long are TheDividual leaders of the Red Dragon
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The characters in [=SolidSocialistShiba=]'s ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TwoDragons''.
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The characters in [=SolidSocialistShiba=]'s AlternateUniverse-set ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TwoDragons''.
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The characters in [=SolidSocialistShiba=]'s ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TwoDragons''.
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Spike Spiegel]]
--> ''Did you need someone shot? Spike was there for you, and so was a nine-millimeter pistol. Someone need a solid kick to the face? Call Spike. Thirty people, and you need them dead in the next five minutes? Spike would do it in two and order a pizza with the money he rifled out of their wallets. Spike was a hitman for the Red Dragon, and he was among the best they’d ever had. Among the best they’d ever have.''
The AntiHero protagonist of the story and one of the best hitmen in the Red Dragon syndicate, Spike is defined by his skill in combat, carefree lifestyle, and genuine care for his blood brother Vicious and Vicious's lover Julia... the latter of which goes a bit too far.
* BadassInANiceSuit: As opposed to Vicious who wears a BadassLongcoat, Spike wears a suit and tie into combat. This backfires on him, however, when [[spoiler: leaving his tie behind in Vicious's room clues Vicious in to his affair with Julia]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Spike is a very chill guy for the most part, with an affable demeanor and a casual atmosphere. Hurt the people he cares about, however, and you're dead. [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs]] learn this the hard way.
* BrokenAce: Much as Spike is one of the best killers in the system, he's crippled by his FatalFlaw. The story makes it clear that Spike is, behind a facade, utterly ''miserable'' with life in the Red Dragon and ultimately said flaw [[spoiler: gets him killed]].
* CulturedBadass: {{Downplayed}}. Spike isn't cultured like Vicious, but it is revealed that he can quote ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' and knows the plot of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''.
* FatalFlaw: Spike's main flaw is that he earnestly believes he cannot leave the Red Dragon syndicate, coasting through life apathetically thanks to that belief. He's explicitly called out as stuck in the past and believes the syndicate is his home no matter how toxic it gets. By the time he [[spoiler: finally chooses to leave with Julia]], it's too late.
* HiddenDepths: Spike seems like a typical gunslinger on the surface, but behind the mask he's actually a deeply cultured and empathetic person, bordering on being something of a romantic. It just so happens that he's also a cynical hitman. He's also deeply, ''deeply'' clear about [[spoiler: caring for Julia's safety and consent while they have sex]].
* HitmanWithAHeart: A ruthless assassin who also dearly loves his comrades, mentor, and the woman he's attached to.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: You ''have'' to be one to think Vicious is genuinely a friend, and while Spike's past experience initially blinds him, he slowly comes to understand the truth behind his "best friend."
* ItsAllMyFault: Spike feels guilty about the death of [[spoiler: Mao]], since the plan leading to it was his own work.
* OneManArmy: Spike isn't quite on the level of Vicious, but he's nonetheless an incredible combatant capable of taking down dozens of foes. [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs]] didn't even know what hit them.
* NominalHero: Spike is a hero because he's not nearly as bad as Vicious. That's essentially it for his heroic traits. He tries not to hurt innocent people, but he's a syndicate assassin and the story makes it clear that's his role.
* TragicHero: Spike is undone at the seams by his own FatalFlaw, and ultimately gets [[spoiler: manipulated and killed by Vicious]] because of it.
* WorthyOpponent: Tries to subvert this when he's [[spoiler: finally facing Vicious]], choosing to walk away with the knowledge that's what would hurt his enemy the most. Key word being ''tries'', as [[spoiler: Vicious quickly illuminates that he's behind the death of Mao, causing Spike to flip out on him]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Vicious]]
--> ''Titan had broken other men. It had forged Vicious. Where other men melted, he cooled. Vicious had always been too cold.''
Spike's blood brother and the most focused-on villain in the story, a manipulative schemer who always seeks a new challenge.
* AboveGoodAndEvil: Vicious's argument for his actions boils down to this; he doesn't value whether he is "good" or "evil" because he doesn't see a reason to bother with those concepts. Instead, he terms himself a "dragon," a person who rises above humanity and independently gains power.
* AdaptationalBadass: Vicious in the source material is a Grade-A badass without a doubt, but a lack of extensive fight scenes means he rarely gets to show it off, and when he does it's often to human levels. In ''Two Dragons'', he gets much more time to shine and fight, and he's showcased as capable of tearing enemies apart in borderline inhuman fashion.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Vicious wants ''everything'', and as Spike notes, he wants more so he can want even more than that. Vicious loves battle and gaining power, fittingly for a sociopath such as himself.
* BeyondRedemption: The story toys with the idea of redemption with Spike, even having Julia outright state her intent to try and drag Spike off a path of violence. With Vicious, any thought of redemption is pointedly and bluntly rejected very quickly.
* BloodKnight: Vicious loves to fight, and it is his defining trait. Vicious wants to challenge himself and stimulate his tactical mind.
* ChallengeSeeker: All Vicious wants in life is greater challenge, constantly searching for harder fights and more challenging plots.
* TheChessmaster: Vicious prides himself on his ability to scheme and plot, and even manages to singlehandedly orchestrate [[spoiler: the death of The Van, his own takeover, and even the death of his two "best friends."]]
* TheDreaded: People across the system fear Vicious, and it's [[ManipulativeBastard very easy]] to [[OneManArmy see why]].
* FalseFriend: Vicious respects Spike and even seems to have some limited respect for Julia, but he's incapable of genuine friendship due to his sociopathic personality.
* HeroKiller: Vicious scores a body count of "heroes." [[spoiler: His plotting leads to Mao Yenrai's death, his thugs kill Julia, and he himself scores a fatal wound on Spike]].
* ImplacableMan: Vicious is nigh-impossible to kill, befitting his nigh-inhuman nature.
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: The most impressed Vicious ever is with Julia is when she tries to shoot him. Though she was seconds too late, Vicious admits his pride for her having the guts to do it.
* ManipulativeBastard: Vicious is brilliant at playing on the human psyche, and has no moral compunctions with using those skills to manipulate other people into achieving his ends.
* OneManArmy: Twice over, Vicious fights much greater forces. Twice over, it's a MookHorrorShow for his enemies.
* PragmaticVillainy: What sets Vicious apart from The Van and their ilk is that he's simply interested in using people as tools, completely averting EvilIsPetty. While he has no care for anyone else, he also makes a point of not killing people who're still useful, and considers killing civilians a waste of his incredible talent. This is also why he keeps Julia around instead of killing her even as she grows bolder. [[spoiler: Vicious ''knows'' Julia and Spike are in love with one another, and as long as Julia is around, his WorthyOpponent will be there for her]].
* TheSociopath: Vicious just plain doesn't seem to feel empathy for any other human being. He kills with impunity and even states outright that he doesn't take other human beings into consideration, believing himself to be "a dragon."
* TheStoic: Vicious isn't much for words, being a cold, regimented genius. When he talks, though, [[WarriorPoet people listen]].
* StrawNihilist: Vicious believes that, due to the lack of a point to the universe, it's morally acceptable to kill other people, and that people should even pursue it to strengthen themselves.
* WarriorPoet: Vicious clearly has very deep, philosophical thoughts on the world, which he expresses through a variety of monologues. Unfortunately for everyone around him, the ''results'' of his philosophy often entail wholesale death.
* WickedCultured: Vicious is a voracious reader with a shelf full of books. He even drops a Hemingway quote as he kills a man.
* WorthyOpponent: Genuinely respects Spike and wants nothing more than to fight him, [[spoiler: even organizing the circumstances to provoke Spike into battle]].
* XanatosSpeedChess: Vicious rearranges his plans constantly. After [[spoiler: Julia cheats on him with Spike and they plan to leave]], Vicious wastes no time in arranging a plan that not only will destroy them, but even carries a darkly artistic edge to it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Julia]]
--> ''Julia didn’t like to kill people. She hadn’t done it often during the war, and unless circumstances forced her hand, she didn’t do it for the syndicate. She was a driver more than a fighter, and she took pride in her driving skills. If you needed someone spectacularly offed, you asked Spike or Vicious. Vicious would even throw in a William Blake quote with no extra charge. You needed to get somewhere quickly, quietly, and below the eyes of the law? Well, that was Julia’s field.''
A Red Dragon driver and Vicious's lover. Julia is secretly in love with Spike, and secretly fears Vicious.
* CrazyPrepared: Takes Annie's suggestion to heart and grabs a derringer to deal with Vicious. [[spoiler: It does kill Vicious-- just not by her hand]].
* DyingCurse: [[AmbiguousSituation Maybe]]. [[spoiler: The last thing she says to Spike is "you're gonna carry that weight"]]. However, it's left ambiguous how this is meant, whether it's a curse, a statement of fact, or just her reprising something Annie said to her.
* FatalFlaw: Julia genuinely wants to think Spike and Vicious have a heart and can be redeemed, meaning she doesn't look out for herself as she should, risking everything for a pair of killers. In the case of Spike, she's likely right to care about him. In the case of Vicious, even she eventually realizes he's beyond saving.
* FauxActionGirl: Julia scores one kill in the entire story. Otherwise, every time she takes up a gun she's immediately overshadowed by Spike or Vicious. [[spoiler: That said, her derringer is the only reason Spike manages to finally kill Vicious]].
* HiddenDepths: Despite seeming somewhat shallow on the surface, Julia proves deeply thoughtful and heartfelt in her actions. In addition, despite being passive, she's pent up ''years'' of disdain for Vicious, something she proves when [[spoiler: she asserts herself to Spike and sleeps with Spike ''on Vicious's bed'']].
* NervesOfSteel: It takes some strong courage to be at the side of the galaxy's most dangerous men, and Julia proves to more than have the stuff for it, even trying to shoot Vicious; she would've done it if Vicious hadn't been seconds too quick.
* TokenGoodTeammate: As opposed to Spike and Vicious, Julia genuinely doesn't like committing crimes and prefers to drive. She's visibly uncomfortable with Vicious's BloodKnight ways.
* TragicMistake: Had Julia just waited before [[spoiler: instigating her affair with Spike]], the two would've been leaving freely with little evidence of their absconding, though they'd no doubt [[spoiler: have been tracked by Vicious]]. Instead, she let the heat of the moment capture her emotions, even chiding herself for it later.
* SenselessSacrifice: Doesn't even score a kill in the fight before [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs gun her down]], and then Spike [[spoiler: wipes them all out in true OneManArmy fashion]].
* SympatheticAdulterer: Even though Julia [[spoiler: sleeps with Spike despite being in a relationship with Vicious]], it's hard to blame her since he's... well... [[TheSociopath Vicious]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: ZigZagged. On the one hand, she's a practical and even CrazyPrepared woman who catches on to Vicious long before Spike does. On the other, she has the massive FatalFlaw of genuinely wanting to help others to the point of self-sacrifice, and ultimately lets her passion override her good judgment. Wouldn't be a tragedy if not for a TragicMistake, after all.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mao Yenrai]]
Spike's mentor, a kindly and honorable captain in the Red Dragon
* GenreSavvy: He knows Vicious isn't to be trusted and is fully expecting a betrayal, to the point where he even dissuades Spike from coming along on a mission likely to end in said betrayal. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, it can't save his life]].
* KilledOffscreen: We never find out exactly what gave him his [[spoiler: fatal wounds]]. Whether they were given to him by [[spoiler: Vicious]] or [[spoiler: enemy bullets]] are left unclear, and his [[spoiler: death]] is announced to Spike and Julia by a doctor.
* TheMentor: Mao taught Spike and Vicious a lot about syndicate life, and Spike has a deep loyalty to him. [[spoiler: Vicious... doesn't share the sentiment, to say the least]].
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Mao is Spike's ParentalSubstitute who taught him all about the Red Dragon, having taken him from the streets to comfort. [[spoiler: This means that when Vicious arranges his death, it's hard for Spike to cope]].
* ParentalSubsitute: Spike's actual parents are never referred to, but it's made very clear he thinks of Mao as his real paternal figure. [[spoiler: Obviously, it hits pretty hard when Vicious offs him]].
* SacrificialLion: A noble crime boss who [[spoiler: dies to show that Vicious is playing for keeps]].
* TokenGoodTeammate: Helps others escape the Red Dragon despite the watchful eye of his bosses. He shares the role of TokenGoodTeammate with Julia.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Mao is the [[spoiler: first lead to die]], but hardly the last.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Van]]
--> ''(Vicious) wasn’t like The Van; no, the elders were cowards. They were old traditionalists, pleading with the red dirt on Mars not to swallow them whole. They were like water snakes, running from a cormorant. It was only a matter of time before the bird closed in, and devoured them.''
Wang, Sou, and Ping Long are TheDividual leaders of the Red Dragon syndicate. They're not very pleasant individuals, to say the least.
* AssholeVictim: Nobody's crying for them when [[spoiler: Vicious kills them]], seeing as they're cruel mob bosses with a penchant for murdering their former thugs and abusing the ones still employed by them.
* BadBoss: Murder entire blocks of people just for leaving the organization and treat their underlings like garbage. Spike even calls out that their attempt to make him a scapegoat isn't the first time they've tried to kill a subordinate over a screwed-up operation.
* DirtyCoward: The Van never get their hands dirty, leaving it up to their subordinates.
* OffWithHisHead: The three are [[spoiler: decapitated by Vicious in a single stroke of his blade, their heads toppling to the floor]].
* EvilOldFolks: The Van are elderly, infirm, and rotten to the core.
* KarmicDeath: One of the underlings they underestimated, tormented, and treated like garbage is the one to [[spoiler: kill them all with a single strike after chiding them for their failures]], and the minions they hide behind prove distracted and unable to aid them in the moment before their death. [[spoiler: All thanks to Vicious, for whom this was the plan all along]].
* ResignationsNotAccepted: It's mentioned that a man tried to defect years ago, and The Van didn't just take issue with that-- they sent [[OneManArmy Vicious]] to ''wipe out his entire block''. It's implied they've done this
* {{Sadist}}: The Van relish in the idea of making Vicious kill his best friend, not knowing that Vicious is TheSociopath who's playing on that exact desire.
* SmugSnake: The Van are arrogant beyond belief, thoroughly convinced that any and all danger is no threat to them despite their cowardly nature. They're more than willing to talk down to the people around them, presuming that nobody will talk back, and if they do? The Van will have them killed. The Van's sadistic, smug ways catch up with them when [[spoiler: their own desire to see Vicious kill his best friend gives Vicious the perfect shot at their heads]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Lin]]
A noble yet childish enforcer of the Red Dragon syndicate.
* BeingEvilSucks: Well, being evil sucks if you're not [[TheSociopath Vicious]]. Lin's portrayal is designed to analyze the NobleDemon archetype by showing that a truly good person struggles to adhere to a code of honor with a syndicate like the Red Dragon.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Lin is a gang enforcer who adores his brother Shin, and Shin reciprocates.
* FreudianExcuse: Lin heavily implies that something ''very'' bad happened to himself and Shin that ended up with them in the Red Dragon, but doesn't elaborate further. This is implied to have hugely affected his personality, leading to his childish and traditionalist nature.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite claiming he clings to "honor," Lin is desperate to appease The Van and obey their traditionalist codes, even when The Van prove to be [[DirtyCoward utterly cowardly]] and dishonorable themselves. Lin explains this by pointing out that he wants ''something'', ''anything'' to cling to in order to try and feel normal.
* {{Manchild}}: Lin is an adult, but still very childish in his devotion to tradition. Lin is noble and has a soft side, but he's very uptight and juvenile in many ways, acting more like a high school prefect than a gang enforcer. This goes double when he breaks down, admitting he just wants to feel at home.
* NobleDemon: {{Deconstructed}}. Lin maintains a code of honor because he feels it's the only way to leash himself to reality and morality after becoming a ruthless criminal, and sorrowfully rants about it when he's called on it.
* TragicVillain: Lin is one of the more smug and uptight members of the Red Dragon, but he's ultimately a childish young man who wanted a home anywhere he could find one, and when his only home was a crime syndicate, he tried to stick to a code in the hopes that he could maintain some pretense of morality, being slowly torn apart by the increasingly dishonorable and radical descent of Mars' crime syndicates. Then, when Vicious makes his play, [[spoiler: he's shot by ''his own brother'' in defense of Vicious' life, with his last contribution to the world being the death of the brother he deeply cared for]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Shin]]
Lin's brother and a fellow enforcer, Shin is more mature and revolutionary in comparison, yet no less effective.
* DeathByIrony: The man most loyal to Mao and Spike, who only sees Vicious as a means to ensure their leadership and genuinely loves his brother, [[spoiler: dies defending Vicious against that same brother]].
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Shin is a gang enforcer who deeply adores his brother Lin and is implied to have taken care of him all his life.
* HasAType: Spike alleges that Shin is into cowgirls due to his casual confession to liking Judy from ''Big Shots''.
* NobleDemon: Like his brother, Shin is honorable. The main difference is that Shin draws the line and genuinely wants a good ruler for the Red Dragon, rather than clinging to tradition.
* PragmaticVillainy: Shin is more than willing to practice pragmatism, not wanting unnecessary deaths and letting the established order fall by the wayside if it means more practical leadership.
* UndyingLoyalty: Shin is very loyal to Mao, and by proxy, to Spike. He is faithful and, while he works alongside anyone, is genuinely loyal to the more radical faction of the syndicate. [[spoiler: He gives his life and kills his own brother to defend Vicious]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Annie]]
A bartender that the Red Dragon sometimes associates with, typically Julia.
* BrutalHonesty: Bluntly calls Julia out on her more foolish traits and actions, but it's all out of care for her.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite being rough around the edges, Annie is an alright person who does her best to help Julia out of the bad situation she's trapped in.
* KilledOffscreen: Vicious [[spoiler: thinks about killing her, and Spike figures out he's done it]], but it's never depicted in the text.
* KnowledgeBroker: Annie knows a lot of things and is willing to help provide knowledge and arrange it; typically, it's for a price, but for Julia it seems to mostly be on the house since Annie is worried about her.
* GenreSavvy: Even if Vicious isn't a domestic abuser, Annie has him pegged as a murderous bastard from day one, and insists on Julia getting the hell out of the Red Dragon and away from him and Spike. [[spoiler: Had Julia listened quicker, she'd have survived]]...
* OnlySaneMan: The most levelheaded character in the story, who always gives good advice, even if it's blunt, and tries to help others. If everyone had taken her advice, they'd have survived.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Barring Spike, Vicious, and Julia, Annie seems like a simple conversation partner, yet her advice to Julia provokes much of Julia finally becoming proactive, and her [[spoiler: derringer]] is the single thing that [[spoiler: finally ends the threat of Vicious]] when it's paired alongside a well-timed MegatonPunch.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Matthew Fredrickson]]
A cowardly accountant for the Black Tortoise syndicate who ends up conscripted into fighting for them.
* BeingEvilSucks: Matthew doesn't ''want'' to be in the Black Tortoise syndicate in the first place, and certainly doesn't want to fight for them. All their violence ever attains him is misery. In the end, Matthew is just a cowardly pawn in a game of syndicates.
* CanonForeigner: The only onscreen, named character in ''Two Dragons'' who isn't from the original show at all
* DirtyCoward: ZigZagged with LovableCoward. Matthew is a very humanized character who just so happens to not be a fighter at all, not wanting to put himself in danger, and runs for his life at the first opportunity he gets, abandoning his comrades.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Matthew has a girlfriend he genuinely loves and thinks about regularly.
* KarmicDeath: After abandoning his allies, Matthew [[spoiler: is hunted down and butchered by Vicious]], who expresses disgust with his cowardice.
* SacrificialLamb: Matthew is a DirtyCoward gangster who's established pretty much exclusively to [[spoiler: be slaughtered by Vicious]] to show the reader that even the low-level cannon fodder of the syndicates are human, and many don't want to be there.
* TragicVillain: Matthew is barely a villain. He's fine working for the syndicate and abandoning his comrades, but he's a small-time gangster with no interest in unnecessary killing, sentenced to a lifetime of misery by the gang he's strongarmed into working for. At the end of the day, Matthew just wanted to stay home and be a reclusive introvert.
[[/folder]]
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Spike Spiegel]]
--> ''Did you need someone shot? Spike was there for you, and so was a nine-millimeter pistol. Someone need a solid kick to the face? Call Spike. Thirty people, and you need them dead in the next five minutes? Spike would do it in two and order a pizza with the money he rifled out of their wallets. Spike was a hitman for the Red Dragon, and he was among the best they’d ever had. Among the best they’d ever have.''
The AntiHero protagonist of the story and one of the best hitmen in the Red Dragon syndicate, Spike is defined by his skill in combat, carefree lifestyle, and genuine care for his blood brother Vicious and Vicious's lover Julia... the latter of which goes a bit too far.
* BadassInANiceSuit: As opposed to Vicious who wears a BadassLongcoat, Spike wears a suit and tie into combat. This backfires on him, however, when [[spoiler: leaving his tie behind in Vicious's room clues Vicious in to his affair with Julia]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Spike is a very chill guy for the most part, with an affable demeanor and a casual atmosphere. Hurt the people he cares about, however, and you're dead. [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs]] learn this the hard way.
* BrokenAce: Much as Spike is one of the best killers in the system, he's crippled by his FatalFlaw. The story makes it clear that Spike is, behind a facade, utterly ''miserable'' with life in the Red Dragon and ultimately said flaw [[spoiler: gets him killed]].
* CulturedBadass: {{Downplayed}}. Spike isn't cultured like Vicious, but it is revealed that he can quote ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' and knows the plot of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''.
* FatalFlaw: Spike's main flaw is that he earnestly believes he cannot leave the Red Dragon syndicate, coasting through life apathetically thanks to that belief. He's explicitly called out as stuck in the past and believes the syndicate is his home no matter how toxic it gets. By the time he [[spoiler: finally chooses to leave with Julia]], it's too late.
* HiddenDepths: Spike seems like a typical gunslinger on the surface, but behind the mask he's actually a deeply cultured and empathetic person, bordering on being something of a romantic. It just so happens that he's also a cynical hitman. He's also deeply, ''deeply'' clear about [[spoiler: caring for Julia's safety and consent while they have sex]].
* HitmanWithAHeart: A ruthless assassin who also dearly loves his comrades, mentor, and the woman he's attached to.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: You ''have'' to be one to think Vicious is genuinely a friend, and while Spike's past experience initially blinds him, he slowly comes to understand the truth behind his "best friend."
* ItsAllMyFault: Spike feels guilty about the death of [[spoiler: Mao]], since the plan leading to it was his own work.
* OneManArmy: Spike isn't quite on the level of Vicious, but he's nonetheless an incredible combatant capable of taking down dozens of foes. [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs]] didn't even know what hit them.
* NominalHero: Spike is a hero because he's not nearly as bad as Vicious. That's essentially it for his heroic traits. He tries not to hurt innocent people, but he's a syndicate assassin and the story makes it clear that's his role.
* TragicHero: Spike is undone at the seams by his own FatalFlaw, and ultimately gets [[spoiler: manipulated and killed by Vicious]] because of it.
* WorthyOpponent: Tries to subvert this when he's [[spoiler: finally facing Vicious]], choosing to walk away with the knowledge that's what would hurt his enemy the most. Key word being ''tries'', as [[spoiler: Vicious quickly illuminates that he's behind the death of Mao, causing Spike to flip out on him]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Vicious]]
--> ''Titan had broken other men. It had forged Vicious. Where other men melted, he cooled. Vicious had always been too cold.''
Spike's blood brother and the most focused-on villain in the story, a manipulative schemer who always seeks a new challenge.
* AboveGoodAndEvil: Vicious's argument for his actions boils down to this; he doesn't value whether he is "good" or "evil" because he doesn't see a reason to bother with those concepts. Instead, he terms himself a "dragon," a person who rises above humanity and independently gains power.
* AdaptationalBadass: Vicious in the source material is a Grade-A badass without a doubt, but a lack of extensive fight scenes means he rarely gets to show it off, and when he does it's often to human levels. In ''Two Dragons'', he gets much more time to shine and fight, and he's showcased as capable of tearing enemies apart in borderline inhuman fashion.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Vicious wants ''everything'', and as Spike notes, he wants more so he can want even more than that. Vicious loves battle and gaining power, fittingly for a sociopath such as himself.
* BeyondRedemption: The story toys with the idea of redemption with Spike, even having Julia outright state her intent to try and drag Spike off a path of violence. With Vicious, any thought of redemption is pointedly and bluntly rejected very quickly.
* BloodKnight: Vicious loves to fight, and it is his defining trait. Vicious wants to challenge himself and stimulate his tactical mind.
* ChallengeSeeker: All Vicious wants in life is greater challenge, constantly searching for harder fights and more challenging plots.
* TheChessmaster: Vicious prides himself on his ability to scheme and plot, and even manages to singlehandedly orchestrate [[spoiler: the death of The Van, his own takeover, and even the death of his two "best friends."]]
* TheDreaded: People across the system fear Vicious, and it's [[ManipulativeBastard very easy]] to [[OneManArmy see why]].
* FalseFriend: Vicious respects Spike and even seems to have some limited respect for Julia, but he's incapable of genuine friendship due to his sociopathic personality.
* HeroKiller: Vicious scores a body count of "heroes." [[spoiler: His plotting leads to Mao Yenrai's death, his thugs kill Julia, and he himself scores a fatal wound on Spike]].
* ImplacableMan: Vicious is nigh-impossible to kill, befitting his nigh-inhuman nature.
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: The most impressed Vicious ever is with Julia is when she tries to shoot him. Though she was seconds too late, Vicious admits his pride for her having the guts to do it.
* ManipulativeBastard: Vicious is brilliant at playing on the human psyche, and has no moral compunctions with using those skills to manipulate other people into achieving his ends.
* OneManArmy: Twice over, Vicious fights much greater forces. Twice over, it's a MookHorrorShow for his enemies.
* PragmaticVillainy: What sets Vicious apart from The Van and their ilk is that he's simply interested in using people as tools, completely averting EvilIsPetty. While he has no care for anyone else, he also makes a point of not killing people who're still useful, and considers killing civilians a waste of his incredible talent. This is also why he keeps Julia around instead of killing her even as she grows bolder. [[spoiler: Vicious ''knows'' Julia and Spike are in love with one another, and as long as Julia is around, his WorthyOpponent will be there for her]].
* TheSociopath: Vicious just plain doesn't seem to feel empathy for any other human being. He kills with impunity and even states outright that he doesn't take other human beings into consideration, believing himself to be "a dragon."
* TheStoic: Vicious isn't much for words, being a cold, regimented genius. When he talks, though, [[WarriorPoet people listen]].
* StrawNihilist: Vicious believes that, due to the lack of a point to the universe, it's morally acceptable to kill other people, and that people should even pursue it to strengthen themselves.
* WarriorPoet: Vicious clearly has very deep, philosophical thoughts on the world, which he expresses through a variety of monologues. Unfortunately for everyone around him, the ''results'' of his philosophy often entail wholesale death.
* WickedCultured: Vicious is a voracious reader with a shelf full of books. He even drops a Hemingway quote as he kills a man.
* WorthyOpponent: Genuinely respects Spike and wants nothing more than to fight him, [[spoiler: even organizing the circumstances to provoke Spike into battle]].
* XanatosSpeedChess: Vicious rearranges his plans constantly. After [[spoiler: Julia cheats on him with Spike and they plan to leave]], Vicious wastes no time in arranging a plan that not only will destroy them, but even carries a darkly artistic edge to it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Julia]]
--> ''Julia didn’t like to kill people. She hadn’t done it often during the war, and unless circumstances forced her hand, she didn’t do it for the syndicate. She was a driver more than a fighter, and she took pride in her driving skills. If you needed someone spectacularly offed, you asked Spike or Vicious. Vicious would even throw in a William Blake quote with no extra charge. You needed to get somewhere quickly, quietly, and below the eyes of the law? Well, that was Julia’s field.''
A Red Dragon driver and Vicious's lover. Julia is secretly in love with Spike, and secretly fears Vicious.
* CrazyPrepared: Takes Annie's suggestion to heart and grabs a derringer to deal with Vicious. [[spoiler: It does kill Vicious-- just not by her hand]].
* DyingCurse: [[AmbiguousSituation Maybe]]. [[spoiler: The last thing she says to Spike is "you're gonna carry that weight"]]. However, it's left ambiguous how this is meant, whether it's a curse, a statement of fact, or just her reprising something Annie said to her.
* FatalFlaw: Julia genuinely wants to think Spike and Vicious have a heart and can be redeemed, meaning she doesn't look out for herself as she should, risking everything for a pair of killers. In the case of Spike, she's likely right to care about him. In the case of Vicious, even she eventually realizes he's beyond saving.
* FauxActionGirl: Julia scores one kill in the entire story. Otherwise, every time she takes up a gun she's immediately overshadowed by Spike or Vicious. [[spoiler: That said, her derringer is the only reason Spike manages to finally kill Vicious]].
* HiddenDepths: Despite seeming somewhat shallow on the surface, Julia proves deeply thoughtful and heartfelt in her actions. In addition, despite being passive, she's pent up ''years'' of disdain for Vicious, something she proves when [[spoiler: she asserts herself to Spike and sleeps with Spike ''on Vicious's bed'']].
* NervesOfSteel: It takes some strong courage to be at the side of the galaxy's most dangerous men, and Julia proves to more than have the stuff for it, even trying to shoot Vicious; she would've done it if Vicious hadn't been seconds too quick.
* TokenGoodTeammate: As opposed to Spike and Vicious, Julia genuinely doesn't like committing crimes and prefers to drive. She's visibly uncomfortable with Vicious's BloodKnight ways.
* TragicMistake: Had Julia just waited before [[spoiler: instigating her affair with Spike]], the two would've been leaving freely with little evidence of their absconding, though they'd no doubt [[spoiler: have been tracked by Vicious]]. Instead, she let the heat of the moment capture her emotions, even chiding herself for it later.
* SenselessSacrifice: Doesn't even score a kill in the fight before [[spoiler: Vicious's thugs gun her down]], and then Spike [[spoiler: wipes them all out in true OneManArmy fashion]].
* SympatheticAdulterer: Even though Julia [[spoiler: sleeps with Spike despite being in a relationship with Vicious]], it's hard to blame her since he's... well... [[TheSociopath Vicious]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: ZigZagged. On the one hand, she's a practical and even CrazyPrepared woman who catches on to Vicious long before Spike does. On the other, she has the massive FatalFlaw of genuinely wanting to help others to the point of self-sacrifice, and ultimately lets her passion override her good judgment. Wouldn't be a tragedy if not for a TragicMistake, after all.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mao Yenrai]]
Spike's mentor, a kindly and honorable captain in the Red Dragon
* GenreSavvy: He knows Vicious isn't to be trusted and is fully expecting a betrayal, to the point where he even dissuades Spike from coming along on a mission likely to end in said betrayal. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, it can't save his life]].
* KilledOffscreen: We never find out exactly what gave him his [[spoiler: fatal wounds]]. Whether they were given to him by [[spoiler: Vicious]] or [[spoiler: enemy bullets]] are left unclear, and his [[spoiler: death]] is announced to Spike and Julia by a doctor.
* TheMentor: Mao taught Spike and Vicious a lot about syndicate life, and Spike has a deep loyalty to him. [[spoiler: Vicious... doesn't share the sentiment, to say the least]].
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Mao is Spike's ParentalSubstitute who taught him all about the Red Dragon, having taken him from the streets to comfort. [[spoiler: This means that when Vicious arranges his death, it's hard for Spike to cope]].
* ParentalSubsitute: Spike's actual parents are never referred to, but it's made very clear he thinks of Mao as his real paternal figure. [[spoiler: Obviously, it hits pretty hard when Vicious offs him]].
* SacrificialLion: A noble crime boss who [[spoiler: dies to show that Vicious is playing for keeps]].
* TokenGoodTeammate: Helps others escape the Red Dragon despite the watchful eye of his bosses. He shares the role of TokenGoodTeammate with Julia.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Mao is the [[spoiler: first lead to die]], but hardly the last.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Van]]
--> ''(Vicious) wasn’t like The Van; no, the elders were cowards. They were old traditionalists, pleading with the red dirt on Mars not to swallow them whole. They were like water snakes, running from a cormorant. It was only a matter of time before the bird closed in, and devoured them.''
Wang, Sou, and Ping Long are TheDividual leaders of the Red Dragon syndicate. They're not very pleasant individuals, to say the least.
* AssholeVictim: Nobody's crying for them when [[spoiler: Vicious kills them]], seeing as they're cruel mob bosses with a penchant for murdering their former thugs and abusing the ones still employed by them.
* BadBoss: Murder entire blocks of people just for leaving the organization and treat their underlings like garbage. Spike even calls out that their attempt to make him a scapegoat isn't the first time they've tried to kill a subordinate over a screwed-up operation.
* DirtyCoward: The Van never get their hands dirty, leaving it up to their subordinates.
* OffWithHisHead: The three are [[spoiler: decapitated by Vicious in a single stroke of his blade, their heads toppling to the floor]].
* EvilOldFolks: The Van are elderly, infirm, and rotten to the core.
* KarmicDeath: One of the underlings they underestimated, tormented, and treated like garbage is the one to [[spoiler: kill them all with a single strike after chiding them for their failures]], and the minions they hide behind prove distracted and unable to aid them in the moment before their death. [[spoiler: All thanks to Vicious, for whom this was the plan all along]].
* ResignationsNotAccepted: It's mentioned that a man tried to defect years ago, and The Van didn't just take issue with that-- they sent [[OneManArmy Vicious]] to ''wipe out his entire block''. It's implied they've done this
* {{Sadist}}: The Van relish in the idea of making Vicious kill his best friend, not knowing that Vicious is TheSociopath who's playing on that exact desire.
* SmugSnake: The Van are arrogant beyond belief, thoroughly convinced that any and all danger is no threat to them despite their cowardly nature. They're more than willing to talk down to the people around them, presuming that nobody will talk back, and if they do? The Van will have them killed. The Van's sadistic, smug ways catch up with them when [[spoiler: their own desire to see Vicious kill his best friend gives Vicious the perfect shot at their heads]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Lin]]
A noble yet childish enforcer of the Red Dragon syndicate.
* BeingEvilSucks: Well, being evil sucks if you're not [[TheSociopath Vicious]]. Lin's portrayal is designed to analyze the NobleDemon archetype by showing that a truly good person struggles to adhere to a code of honor with a syndicate like the Red Dragon.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Lin is a gang enforcer who adores his brother Shin, and Shin reciprocates.
* FreudianExcuse: Lin heavily implies that something ''very'' bad happened to himself and Shin that ended up with them in the Red Dragon, but doesn't elaborate further. This is implied to have hugely affected his personality, leading to his childish and traditionalist nature.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite claiming he clings to "honor," Lin is desperate to appease The Van and obey their traditionalist codes, even when The Van prove to be [[DirtyCoward utterly cowardly]] and dishonorable themselves. Lin explains this by pointing out that he wants ''something'', ''anything'' to cling to in order to try and feel normal.
* {{Manchild}}: Lin is an adult, but still very childish in his devotion to tradition. Lin is noble and has a soft side, but he's very uptight and juvenile in many ways, acting more like a high school prefect than a gang enforcer. This goes double when he breaks down, admitting he just wants to feel at home.
* NobleDemon: {{Deconstructed}}. Lin maintains a code of honor because he feels it's the only way to leash himself to reality and morality after becoming a ruthless criminal, and sorrowfully rants about it when he's called on it.
* TragicVillain: Lin is one of the more smug and uptight members of the Red Dragon, but he's ultimately a childish young man who wanted a home anywhere he could find one, and when his only home was a crime syndicate, he tried to stick to a code in the hopes that he could maintain some pretense of morality, being slowly torn apart by the increasingly dishonorable and radical descent of Mars' crime syndicates. Then, when Vicious makes his play, [[spoiler: he's shot by ''his own brother'' in defense of Vicious' life, with his last contribution to the world being the death of the brother he deeply cared for]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Shin]]
Lin's brother and a fellow enforcer, Shin is more mature and revolutionary in comparison, yet no less effective.
* DeathByIrony: The man most loyal to Mao and Spike, who only sees Vicious as a means to ensure their leadership and genuinely loves his brother, [[spoiler: dies defending Vicious against that same brother]].
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Shin is a gang enforcer who deeply adores his brother Lin and is implied to have taken care of him all his life.
* HasAType: Spike alleges that Shin is into cowgirls due to his casual confession to liking Judy from ''Big Shots''.
* NobleDemon: Like his brother, Shin is honorable. The main difference is that Shin draws the line and genuinely wants a good ruler for the Red Dragon, rather than clinging to tradition.
* PragmaticVillainy: Shin is more than willing to practice pragmatism, not wanting unnecessary deaths and letting the established order fall by the wayside if it means more practical leadership.
* UndyingLoyalty: Shin is very loyal to Mao, and by proxy, to Spike. He is faithful and, while he works alongside anyone, is genuinely loyal to the more radical faction of the syndicate. [[spoiler: He gives his life and kills his own brother to defend Vicious]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Annie]]
A bartender that the Red Dragon sometimes associates with, typically Julia.
* BrutalHonesty: Bluntly calls Julia out on her more foolish traits and actions, but it's all out of care for her.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite being rough around the edges, Annie is an alright person who does her best to help Julia out of the bad situation she's trapped in.
* KilledOffscreen: Vicious [[spoiler: thinks about killing her, and Spike figures out he's done it]], but it's never depicted in the text.
* KnowledgeBroker: Annie knows a lot of things and is willing to help provide knowledge and arrange it; typically, it's for a price, but for Julia it seems to mostly be on the house since Annie is worried about her.
* GenreSavvy: Even if Vicious isn't a domestic abuser, Annie has him pegged as a murderous bastard from day one, and insists on Julia getting the hell out of the Red Dragon and away from him and Spike. [[spoiler: Had Julia listened quicker, she'd have survived]]...
* OnlySaneMan: The most levelheaded character in the story, who always gives good advice, even if it's blunt, and tries to help others. If everyone had taken her advice, they'd have survived.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Barring Spike, Vicious, and Julia, Annie seems like a simple conversation partner, yet her advice to Julia provokes much of Julia finally becoming proactive, and her [[spoiler: derringer]] is the single thing that [[spoiler: finally ends the threat of Vicious]] when it's paired alongside a well-timed MegatonPunch.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Matthew Fredrickson]]
A cowardly accountant for the Black Tortoise syndicate who ends up conscripted into fighting for them.
* BeingEvilSucks: Matthew doesn't ''want'' to be in the Black Tortoise syndicate in the first place, and certainly doesn't want to fight for them. All their violence ever attains him is misery. In the end, Matthew is just a cowardly pawn in a game of syndicates.
* CanonForeigner: The only onscreen, named character in ''Two Dragons'' who isn't from the original show at all
* DirtyCoward: ZigZagged with LovableCoward. Matthew is a very humanized character who just so happens to not be a fighter at all, not wanting to put himself in danger, and runs for his life at the first opportunity he gets, abandoning his comrades.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Matthew has a girlfriend he genuinely loves and thinks about regularly.
* KarmicDeath: After abandoning his allies, Matthew [[spoiler: is hunted down and butchered by Vicious]], who expresses disgust with his cowardice.
* SacrificialLamb: Matthew is a DirtyCoward gangster who's established pretty much exclusively to [[spoiler: be slaughtered by Vicious]] to show the reader that even the low-level cannon fodder of the syndicates are human, and many don't want to be there.
* TragicVillain: Matthew is barely a villain. He's fine working for the syndicate and abandoning his comrades, but he's a small-time gangster with no interest in unnecessary killing, sentenced to a lifetime of misery by the gang he's strongarmed into working for. At the end of the day, Matthew just wanted to stay home and be a reclusive introvert.
[[/folder]]
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