History Characters / WarframeTenno

* GlassCannon: Overlapping with SquishyWizard, the Operator is capable of an ''astronomical'' damage scale, but is only about as durable as, well, your average teenager without their Warframes.

* GoodIsNotSoft: They fight to defend the peace of the system, but that doesn't mean they'll pull any punches. They will electrocute, dismember, flash freeze, incinerate, poison, irradiate and use any other means of CruelAndUnusualDeath to lay waste to anyone they deem their enemy.

* MidSeasonUpgrade: For the default Warframes and before the later, stronger Umbra Warframes. The Prime Warframes have White/Black coloration that resemble angelic figures, fitting their old purpose as defenders of the Orokin.

* AllThereInTheScript: While the Operator is never referred to by name (and the player is thus free to {{Headcanon}} their own, or simply use their in-game alias), WordOfGod is that the internal name used for the Operator when script-writing is "Maya".

* OhCrap: Very few things faze them, but the Narmer Deacons are so terrifying they actually scream when Ballas summons them during his fight.
-->'''Drifter:''' No! No, dammit, NO!

* ImprobableInfantSurvival: In-gameplay, they can't be killed, simply returning to their Warframes once their HP hits zero. However, this induces the Transference Static debuff, which lowers your Warframe's maximum health until it reaches the point of just instantly killing you. In regular missions, it's suggested that Transference is a form of AstralProjection, and that your operator's real body is still on the Orbiter. This is played straight in operator-only quests, however, where it's clear that yes, your operator really is running into danger in person, but where dying just resets you to a checkpoint. This gets a bit of GameplayAndStoryIntegration post-"The New War"; [[spoiler:your Operator definitely died there. Your Operator definitely didn't die there. "Eternalism" means that every possiblity not only could happen, but did and ''does'' happen; we just choose the possibility where we ''didn't'' fail.]]

* CleavageWindow: The camera views her so closely that it is usually obscured.

* ReplacementGoldfish: [[spoiler:Instead of becoming the weapon to destroy the Tenno, the Lotus becomes this to Margulis for the abandoned Tenno. The Tenno themselves also become this to Natah/Lotus, due to the journey through the Void from the Tau system rendering her sterile and unable to have children of her own.]]

[[center: [-[[Characters/{{Warframe}} Main Character Index]] | '''Tenno''' ([[Characters/WarframeTennoWarframesAToM Warframes A-M]], [[Characters/WarframeTennoWarframesNToZ Warframes N-Z]]) | [[Characters/WarframeGrineer Grineer]] | [[Characters/WarframeCorpus Corpus]] | [[Characters/WarframeInfested Infested]] | [[Characters/WarframeSyndicates Syndicates]] | [[Characters/WarframeOrokin Orokin]] | [[Characters/WarframeColonies Colonies]] | [[Characters/WarframeSentients Sentients]] | [[Characters/WarframeOthers Others]]]]-]

* ADogNamedDog: Every type of Warframe should have an "Umbra" prototype along with their Prime-era and standard models, but the Excaliber Umbra is nicknamed "Umbra".

[[folder:Rell ('''Spoilers for Chains of Harrow''')]]
->''"HE SUFFERS WHILE YOU DREAM"''
-->-- '''[[CouldntFindAPen Message written in blood]] from Chains of Harrow'''

A Tenno cast out and separated from the rest by the Orokin due to his mental disorder. Notable for being the ''only'' Tenno NPC in the game so far.[[note]]Several of your classmates on the ''Zariman'' appeared and were named during flashbacks to the Void incident in "The New War", but only as ordinary children before they actually became Tenno.[[/note]]

!!Umbra Warframes ('''Spoilers''')

[[folder:General]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: They look colder and more threatening than normal Warframes, but they're simply more intelligent and capable of more self-directed action.
* ManOfKryptonite: Umbras are designed to take the Sentients head on with an addition of Umbra exclusive mods that makes them more effective on taking and delivering damage against the Tau-based Sentient entities.
* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: What the Tenno sees in them, and eventually Ballas. Their minds are heavily bent due to the infestation corroding their memories, leaving only their last moments alive be the only reason why they fight in the first place.
* PsychoPrototype: What the Orokin eventually deemed the Umbra Warframes to be. They were exceptionally powerful and purpose-designed to kill Sentients, but they were uncontrollable, forcing them to turn to the Tenno to control them.
* ThePsychoRangers: Downplayed, they are assumed to be stronger and (in the words of the developers) "darker" versions of the Prime counterparts, yet they are still usable to the players. The "darker" aspect comes from remembering their human selves and the torment the Orokin put them through rather than any inherent malice.
* SerialEscalation: Their existence alone proves to be such for the players, as versions of these are even stronger than their Primed variants.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Excalibur Umbra ('''Unmarked spoilers for The Sacrifice''')]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/excalibur_umbra_arsenal_1.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:]]
->''Ferocious and untamed, Umbra's fury is second only to his mastery of the blade.''
-->-- '''Excalibur Umbra's description'''

The third variation of Excalibur first introduced in the Chinese build of Warframe in 2015 as "Excalibur Umbra Prime", with stats identical to Excalibur Prime as the founder's pack frame to the version's release.

He eventually arrived howling into the fray in the global build's "The Sacrifice" Update in 2018, stats matching Excalibur Prime, alternate ability and passive, and introducing the exclusive Umbra polarity.
----
* ADogNamedDog: Every type of Warframe should have an "Umbra" prototype along with their Prime-era and standard models, but the Excaliber Umbra is nicknamed "Umbra".
* AnimalMotifs: Umbra's motif is feral beasts, specifically wolves. His ability ''Radiant Howl'' and his Agile animation set definitely give him a wolf-like vibe.
* AndIMustScream: Whoever Excalibur Umbra once was, Ballas programmed the Warframe to constantly relive his last living memory: becoming an Infested and murdering his own son at Ballas' behest. He knows it's going to happen because of Ballas' telepathy, but he can't do anything about it because his RestrainingBolt and the loss of his mouth.
* BackToBackBadasses: Excalibur Umbra's passive allows him to act on his own accord and fight along side the Operator.
* BadassAndChildDuo: An uncommon example where the child in question is also a dangerous combatant. He has this general mechanic with the Operator.
* ChekhovsSkill: His ability to act independently allows him to save his Operator's life. At the end of "The Sacrifice", he [[DivingSave pulls them out from under Sentient fire]].
* BlingOfWar: Like the Prime Warframes, Umbra is outfitted with all sorts of Orokin gold accents as a reminder of his nature as a SuperPrototype.
* BrokenFaceplate: Upon initially building Umbra, the Warframe goes berserk and shatters its own helmet, revealing a single human eye beneath surrounded by Infested tissue. Completing the quest grants this alternate helmet as an additional reward.
* CulturedBadass: In his life as a Dax warrior before becoming a Warframe, Umbra was a talented shawzin player and fond of the game of Komi, a boardgame akin to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game) Go]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite his shadowy theme and savage disposition, Umbra is just a broken man who is constantly forced to relive his single worst memory and live with the knowledge that he will never be able to take revenge against the person who ruined his life.
* GoodParents: Of what character Excalibur Umbra's memories were based from, it's clear his son Isaah thought highly of him and mentioned the fond memories of them playing Komi and Excalibur Umbra playing songs for his children's behalf. His son's death by his hands also haunted him ever since.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Umbra's original identity was aware that Ballas planned to defect to the Sentients after being made to execute Margulis, but was still gathering evidence against him. Ballas injected him with a culture of Infestation to keep him from talking, then punished him for his treason by forcing him to murder his son before turning him into a Warframe that can only relive this memory.
* ItCanThink: Excalibur Umbra displays its own "personality" - unlike other frames which simply stand there like an action figure when the Operator uses Transference, it will actively attack on its own.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: His signature nikana, the Skiajati, has the highest status chance and attack speed of all nikanas and has the unique ability to turn the user invisible after using a finisher, allowing him to quickly rack up stealth kills against unwary foes.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://youtu.be/6lyaUAPykgk Howling]] and [[https://youtu.be/uwlyhee5BVU Umbra]]. Also [[https://youtu.be/DXisy4eMIbE Smiles From Juran]] after Umbra is soothed and tamed by the Operator, and doubles as the quest's end theme.
* LightningBruiser: He has everything the original Excalibur has and more, with improved shields on top of exclusive Umbra mods and polarities.
* MakeMeWannaShout: His ''Radial Howl'' can stun enemies and remove built up resistances, such as the Sentient's resistances being removed and exposed for massive damage.
* MasterSwordsman: Described as such.
* MeaningfulName: On two levels. Firstly, "Umbra" can mean "Shadow" or "Dark," which fits with his much darker color scheme, backstory, and themes than the average Warframe. It can also be traced back to "Umbrage," meaning "offense or annoyance." Which fits Umbra's tendencies towards UnstoppableRage. His signature nikana, Skiajati, is derived from the Greek word for "shadow" and the Sanskrit word for "birth", referring to its ability to cloak the user with a finisher and the fact that it was grafted from his own flesh.
* MidSeasonUpgrade: He's one for the player. Excalibur is the poster child of the game and the vast majority of the playerbase started with him. Excalibur Umbra, meanwhile, is the only frame the player can obtain absolutely "free", complete with Orokin Reactor and Warframe slot (every other frame has to be manually constructed and have to have a Reactor installed), making him the most powerful warframe a player can get outside of Prime Access or excessive grinding. And even then, with his unique Umbral Mods, he is likely going to remain one of the most powerful frames in a player's arsenal until much, much later into the game.
* OffingTheOffspring: Excalibur Umbra was controlled by Ballas to kill his son Isaah to [[DespairEventHorizon destroy his will]] and turn him into a mindless warrior.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: While the Operator is able to see his last memories, his original identity is never given, only that he was once a Dax. The only name associated with him is his Warframe moniker, "Umbra". [[LossOfIdentity Which is exactly what Ballas did to Ordis]].
* PowerNullifier: ''Radial Howl'' can stun and remove the adapted resistances of Sentients.
* PrimalStance: His Agile animation set shows him acting more feral when idle, such as having his back and head hunched over and occasionally growling after a few seconds. His idle Agile animation without a weapon even has him howl before swiping his arm in the air like a claw.
* RebelRelaxation: He makes the pose while idle when his Noble animation set is equipped.
* RestrainingBolt: Has one that keeps him from killing his creator, at least until the Operator helped him overcome it.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Umbra's goal after becoming a Warframe is to make Ballas pay for everything that he did. He succeeds in defeating Ballas with the help of the Operator.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: Excalibur Umbra wears one that flows past his knees.
* SixthRanger: Of sorts. He would later join the Operator and Ordis in their quest to confront Ballas.
* SituationalSword: The Anti-Sentient passives on his Sacrificial mods give him the ability to deal bonus damage against them, but aren't as strong as the Primed mods without the set bonus.
* SwordBeam: Like the original Excalibur, Umbra can fire these en mass with his ''Exalted Umbra Blade''.
* SourOutsideSadInside: Outwardly, he appears as a feral berserker. But when the Operator transfers inside his mental landscape, we can see that rather than rage, he is broken with pain and grief.
* SuperPrototype: Even more so than Excalibur's Primed variant, since its passive allow him to act independently if using transference.
* TraumaCongaLine: As punishment for attempting to stop Ballas, the Dax that became Excalibur Umbra was infected with a strain of Intestation that sealed his mouth, before being forced to murder his own son (which he was made aware of before it happened, but unable to warn his son of it due to the aforementioned lack of a mouth), then turned into a Warframe that's forced to relive this memory over and over while being fitted with a RestrainingBolt that stopped him from taking revenge.
* WasOnceAMan: Umbra was actually a Dax soldier (the same caste as Teshin), who had his own family, before becoming a Warframe by Ballas's doing. During the flashback of his memories, the player can view a portrait of himself in his room when he was a proud Dax soldier.
* WeaponOfXSlaying: Umbra comes equipped with mods that bolster his damage output against Sentients.
* WipeThatSmileOffYourFace: The strain of Infestation he was infected with took away his mouth, leaving him unable to warn his son that he was about to be forced to kill him.
[[/folder]]

* BadassNormal: The Drifter is a version of the Operator that never received Void abilities and is a normal human, or what passes for normal in Warframe. They are still more than capable of taking down Narmer Grineer/Corpus without breaking a sweat, and destroy at least two corrupted/enhanced Warframes with only the Stalker's help.

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: He never went into stasis like the other Tenno. He died while transferred into his Warframe, Harrow, allowing him to live on but requiring his Warframe to be chained in the depths of the Red Veil's temple to prevent from going berserk. Prolonged captivity did little good for his sanity, and the Man in the Wall didn't help much either, by the time you find him the entire complex is full of bizarre entities that are either fragments of Rell or ''actual ghosts''.

** More literally, if you refer to the Zariman in a different pronunciation, they are child survivors of the ship numbers "Ten Oh".

* WalkingSpoiler: It is flat out ''impossible'' to talk about the Drifter in detail without revealing that they are an AlternateUniverse version of [[PlayerCharacter the Operator]] who was never rescued from the Void and only escaped [[EldritchLocation Duviri]] when Ballas threw the Operator into the Void, [[TheBadGuyWins allowing the Sentients to win the New War]].

* ReplacementGoldfish: [[spoiler:Instead of becoming the weapon to destroy the Tenno, the Lotus becomes this to Margulis for the abandoned Tenno]].

* RequiredSecondaryAbility: Necramechs are capable of using Archguns with or without a gravimag installed.