History Sandbox / PunishingGrayRavenNonHumanFactions

* TheBattleDidntCount: Even though she's a BonusBoss of ''Lost Chapter'', when you drain her health, the following cutscene shows her simply blasting your construct into submission with a single attack.

[[folder:Roland (BPB-26)]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Lengquan Yeyue (Chinese) Creator/KojiYusa (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chpcl2euj0aexwo_aaaaah81nsg399.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Unknown Vanguard-type Transcendant]]

[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 19 Years
* Vital Fluid Type: AB
* Activation Date: May 2
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 70kg
* Height: 178cm
]
-> ''"This silly play about reclaiming earth and all from Babylonia, I'm actually sick of watching it. The main cast of this play, they struggle in all this deprivation and insanity -- It's rather amusing, but it's gone on for too long. Well then, let's see how much longer you can struggle for. After all, it's rare to see a different kind of performance. Just don't let my hopes down so easily, will ya?"''

Formerly an actor during the Golden Age, Roland's words and deeds may seem unpredictable, but his true nature is actually quite serious. As an Ascendant, he has worked around the world. After experiencing many twists and turns, his previous body was severely damaged, and its present form was rebuilt by a benefactor he met.\\
\\
Roland's frame is ''Flambeau''.

* CounterAttack: When he gets a successful Matrix dodge in, Roland can use his combo-ending move immediately from there.
* CoupDeGrace: Roland's unique FinishingMove has him stomp on a fallen enemy before giving them the business end of his shotgun.
* CostumeEvolution: His character design got revamped for his playable form, canonically due to receiving a new body from The Merciful One.
* FashionableAsymmetry: His left arm notably clashes with the rest of his body, with a differing pauldron, visible elbow joint and a hand with red fingertips.
* JerkassRealization: In the Hidden Story of ''Evernight Beat'', Roland tricks a group of scavengers into entering the corrupted Central Purification Filter 40 in order to feed their emotional responses to the incubating Hetero-Hive Mother. Before long, though, he becomes inwardly disgusted by how he's secretly watching them suffer [[spoiler:reminding him of what he himself went through in his Interlude]], [[ChangedMyMindKid motivating him to secretly help the survivors escape.]]
* MadArtist: He tends look at situations as if they were theatrical performances, even in the middle of a fight, where where considers activating his LimitBreak the "climax" of the show.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: He is the first chracter to ''not'' use ''Punishing'''s classic {{Match Three|Game}} combo mechanic; if anything his system is more like an expanded version of how boss characters are played in the Hidden Chapters. Rather than matching signal orbs, Roland must use a combo-ending special attack to charge a meter his orb-type moves run on, and the orb moves in turn fuel the gauge for his LimitBreak.
* PlayingWithFire: His elemental damage type is fire.
* PromotedToPlayable: While he had been playable in the past, the ''Evernight Beat'' update marks his arrival to the Gacha as a fully realized character.
* SuperMode: His LimitBreak temporarily supercharges all his orb moves and makes them usable all the time, giving him far more powerful fire-element attacks that also better resemble his attacks from when he was a boss.
* SwordAndGun: His unique weapon type is a WhipSword and HandCannon that are collectively known as "Durandal".
* TrumanShowPlot: His Interlude story reveals that [[spoiler:he initially thought he was participating in one as a cast member, secretly managing an android who was tricked into thinking he was human and the show that he is a part of are actually real events. However, Roland later finds out to his horror that '''he''' is actually [[TomatoInTheMirror the main character]] of the show, and was secretly being manipulated and trained by the crew to be the perfect actor on live television. Naturally, this gives Roland serious trust issues that carry over into his Ascendant existence.]]
* VillainousHarlequin: A secondary motif he has, to go with his MadArtist stage performer theme. His purchasable costume, "Fool's Fables" gives him jester-like apparel, while his unique Memory set depicts an {{expy}} of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]].

[[folder:Gabriel]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jiabailienormal01_975800.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"The value of a collection is defined by the collector. Outsider eyes and words matter not."'']]
[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here for Gabriel's true form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jiabailienormal02.png[[/labelnote]]]]

Another Ascendant who remains close to Luna's side, acting as her personal servant.

Not every inhabitant of Earth seeks the well-being of humanity. Some Constructs and machines have broken ties with humanity and strive for their own goals, even if that means getting rid of what remains of it.

[[folder:Alpha (α) '''(Spoilers)''']]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Xiao N [[labelnote:*]]小N [[/labelnote]] (Chinese) Creator/YuiIshikawa (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/450px_rolecharacterbigr3luxiyaaerfanormal01.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Crimson Abyss]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Crimson Weave'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character5.png[[/labelnote]]]]

[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 17
* Vital Fluid Type: A
* Activation Date: June 15
* Service Time: 6 Years
* Weight: 45kg
* Height: 165cm
]

-> ''"Die in the abyss."''

Lucia Alpha -- that is to say, the original owner of the construct Lucia's memories. Despite contracting the Punishing virus, she has managed to stay alive all this time as she is now part of the Ascendants. She wanders the planet, fighting the Corrupted by her lonesome. In terms of gameplay she is considered the ''Crimson Abyss'' and ''Crimson Weave'' frames for Lucia, but the story treats the two as separate characters.

* AmazonianBeauty: Downplayed in that her musculature is more compact and lean, but her ''Crimson Weave'' frame has a pretty toned midsection.
* BadassBiker: Alpha tends to be associated with motorcycles, especially in her ''Unchained'' animated movie. It even becomes a gameplay mechanic for her ''Crimson Weave'' frame, as her ideal CUB unit is actulaly her motorcycle, which she can summon to ride on and ram her enemies.
* BadassNormal: Subverted. This only applies when she's compared to the other infected Constructs.
* BigBrotherInstinct: [[spoiler:Discovering that Luna isn't dead, rekindles her sisterly instinct. Luna is the only reason Alpha joined the Ascendants.]]
* BladeSpam: The form her LimitBreak takes -- Alpha slashes an enemy dozens of time in an instant, before dramatically sheathing her sword, which causes ''[[YouAreAlreadyDead more]]'' [[YouAreAlreadyDead damage, after]].
* BrokenAce: She is so good at fighting [[spoiler:that Babylonia need to create a clone of her with modified memories]]. Even then, she has improved on her own and vastly overpowers Lucia's [[MidSeasonUpgrade ''Plume'' frame]]. But she shouldered the loss of her sister, [[spoiler: team]] and therefore as a whole; faith in humanity. [[spoiler: Fortunately, she later found out that her sister is still alive.]]
* CoolShades: Her swimsuit coating, Seaside Sunbath, gave her a pair of glasses that form the word "COOL". [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/punishing-gray-raven/images/c/c8/Yellow_Coat_Alpha.png Literally]].
* CurbStompBattle: Everytime Lucia encounters Alpha, the latter always wins.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Lucia's hellish backstory is actually hers. It's arguably even worse, because after becoming a Construct, she befriended her squad, only to be betrayed by her Commandant, who also reported her dead. This made her develop misanthropy towards humans and eventually made her join the Ascendants.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Alpha becomes a major player in ''Wintry Shackles'', as she seeks out Winterhold in the hopes a device there can help her resist the influence of the Ascension Network, which is now actively trying to turn her into an Agent.
* DualWielding: Her ''Crimson Weave'' frame gives her two swords mimicking a samurai's ''daisho'', though exaggerated in length, so that one is more like a short sword and the other is an absurdly huge ''odachi''. She switches between them based on her StanceSystem.
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:Babylonia left her to die because of her infection.]]
* DifficultButAwesome: ''Crimson Weave'''s release was the most technically complex Frame at the time, having a multitude of different moves tied to button combinations and contexts, atop a StanceSystem. But in return, this gives players a large number of options to respond to any situation.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Against her will, [[spoiler:the Ascension Network forcibly transforms her into her ''Crimson Weave'' frame so as to become an Agent, making her even more powerful than when she was doing fine with her skills alone.]]
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Subverted, as she's not actively chased after. [[spoiler:Outside the Ascendants,]] she's technically very much unwanted. [[spoiler:Babylonia don't want the Corrupted Lucia to exist for obvious reasons like compromising humankind's safety]]. In the wild, she's just another prey for the other Corrupted machines and Constructs. [[spoiler:Following Luna's defection, she may have added the Ascendants to the list of her pursuers too.]]
* {{Expy}}: Her moves are likely to be inspired by [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Vergil]]. The moves become even more referential with her ''Crimson Weave'' frame.
* FamilyOfChoice: Her multiple dog-tags [[spoiler:and jealousy towards Lucia hints at her strong attachment of her previous team.]]
* FashionableAsymmetry: her ''Crimson Weave'' frame emphasizes her heterocrhomia, has a red arm that doesn't match her right, and only one pant leg.
* FightsLikeANormal: All of her abilities are a result of pure skill, compared to Lucia, who fights with increasingly advanced Construct frames. Moreover, while she can command the Punishing virus, she doesn't. [[spoiler:In ''Imprisoned Sight'' she was even offered a chance to upgrade her control over the virus to be on the level of Luna, Vonnegut and the Merciful One, and she still refuses.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The familiar pins on her red scarf are hints that she share a part of Lucia's (''Lotus'' frame) identity.
* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: Her swimsuit coating idle animation has her remove her hat and poke the stuffed rabbit decoration on the hat.
* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:She's violently jealous of Lucia's relationship with the rest of Gray Raven, especially since Alpha lost her own Gray Raven squad, after being betrayed by her old Commandant, Ravenge, no less.]]
* HADToBeSharp: One of the reasons why her skills are superior to Lucia may have been because of her experiences out [[WalkingTheEarth in the wild]]. In which she had to survive on limited resources at all time, as opposed to have the luxury of getting cool-downs and maintenances after each battle [[spoiler:like back then in Babylonia]].
* IHatePastMe: She often gets fed up with Lucia because she keeps seeing this ''idiot'' based on her old backup who's constantly espousing her loyalty to Babylonia and trust in humanity when they're the ones who threw Alpha aside.
* HopelessBossFight: [[spoiler:Alpha is the boss of the prologue, and players will be lucky if their fresh Lucia can drain even one of her 30 health bars, before getting defeated and being taken to the next cutscene, where Alpha seriously wounds Lucia.]]
** This extends to ''Panini'' anime, where she's a boss that Lucia can't beat in a video game.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: Her fighting style, contrasting the other Lucia. She always keeps her sword in a sheath mounted on a ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''-style articulating arm, only drawing whenever she needs to attack. Her ''Crimson Weave'' frame incorporates even more elaborate iaijutsu moves.
* IdenticalStranger: [[spoiler: Lucia's ''Lotus'' look is actually how Alpha looked like before she gets infected. But then the corruption process bleached her hair.]]
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Her Limit Break demonstrates that she can cut through ''anything'', including the empty spaces. Meanwhile the animated shorts show that her slashes will cut through anything no matter the distance.
* IneffectualLoner: Subverted. Effectively removed herself from the humankind following her infection, [[spoiler:until she discovers Luna is still alive.]]
* KatanasAreJustBetter: It serves her well.
* KindHeartedCatLover: During ''Spiral of Chronos'', Alpha adopts a stray cat, which makes an appearance in the ''Unchained'' animated movie. The care she shows it provides some humanizing moments for her.
* MasterSwordsman: There's no way to touch her once she draw her blade out of the scabbard.
* MeaningfulRename: "Alpha" means "no. 1" in Greek. [[spoiler:She's [[SuperPrototype the original Lucia]].]]
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Alpha's ''Crimson Weave'' frame actually divides her orbs between the two states of her StanceSystem, with her blue orbs appearing in one, while the red and yellow orbs appear in the other. To get the full use of her, players have to work towards her second stance, where the majority of her attacks are.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her outfit has a large cutout in the chest that exposes her cleavage and midriff, although her cleavage is obscured by her dog-tags.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:In ''Frozen Darkness'', she infected Rosetta's narwhal companion with the Punishing virus, which eventually leads to its death. Unfortunately, the narwhal's whale songs were what keeping the ARU's MechanicalAbomination, Amberia, asleep, who later wakes up in ''Firn Night''.]]
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: [[spoiler:She's only following the Ascendants because Luna is their leader. The moment Luna goes missing, she takes off again to go looking for her. Even her relationship with Punishing virus is ambivalent in the same way -- she was offered a chance to either gain further control of the Ascension Network or be removed from it completely, and she refused both, as she only desired its link to her sister, not the power. However, by ''Wintry Shackles'', the Ascension Network gets tired of this attitude and decides to forcibly increase its connection to Alpha, turning her into the ''Crimson Weave'' frame, though she continues to keep resisting and fighting its control. She also refuses to ally with Vonnegut, though the latter merely hopes she won't get in his way down the road.]]
* NotSoStoic: [[spoiler:She broke down in [[TearsOfJoy tears]] when she found out that Luna is still alive]].
** In the 1st anniversary short, she has a glimpse of shock when [[MidSeasonUpgrade Lucia]] still came back for the second and the third times.
* OneManArmy: Managed to survive all Corrupted machines and Constructs on her own through wandering, [[spoiler:after her abandonment]].
* PayEvilUntoEvil: [[spoiler:Gabriel finally gets his comeuppance for his actions at Alpha's hands during ''Imprisoned Sight''.]]
* RedRightHand: She has heterochromia that shows her Punishing infection.
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: [[spoiler:Attempted by the Ascension Network, which transforms Alpha into her ''Crimson Weave'' form while trying to make her an Agent, but Alpha manages to maintain control over herself, though she's still tied closer to the Network than before.]]
* SheathStrike: She parries Lucia's first strike with her sheath in the ''Different Routes'' animated short. Her ''Crimson Weave'' frame also incorporates sheath strikes for some of her basic combos.
* ShockAndAwe: Her ''Crimson Weave'' frame favors Lightning damage.
* SomethingAboutARose: Her "Azure Apocalypse" coating gives her a blue rose motif, both from a rose-themed eyepatch and the new graphics used in her Ultimate, which replaces her {{Diagonal Cut}}s with rose vines and flowers.
* SourOutsideSadInside: Her disenchantment towards the world is justified, considering she lost her only family in her childhood, [[spoiler:then her [[FamilyOfChoice team]] and abandoned by humanity]].
* StanceSystem: Her ''Crimson Weave'' frame uses the Signature Move button to switch Alpha to her odachi, which comes with a different moveset, and only allows her to use her LimitBreak from that state, which then switches her back to her basic stance. Mastering both is required to maximize her potential.
* TheStoic: She's rarely fazed by anything, especially in combat.
* SuperPrototype: [[spoiler:Lucia]] just can't catch a break in order to catch on her.
* SwordBeam: Her core passive skill, when activated, gives her a stock of projectiles she can unleash by swinging her sword. In her ''Crimson Weave'' frame, it's transferred to one of her moves, where hitting attack after a dodge lets her send a short burst of projectiles.
* {{Synchronization}}: [[spoiler:In ''Wintry Shackles'' she starts trading sensations with Lucia.]]
* TanLines: Her swimsuit coating, Seaside Sunbath, has her sporting these.
* TragicKeepsake: Her extra dog-tags originally belonged to Hiro, Murol and Xun -- [[spoiler:her former teammates of the first Gray Raven squad]].
* UsedToBeASweetKid: In Lucia's interlude, she's shown to be a kind and a very reliable sister in her childhood.
* VillainProtagonist: [[spoiler:She's one of the Ascendants. All of her story segments involve her doing missions for them and generally creating problems for Babylonia and Gray Raven squad down the road.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: She becomes a wanderer after [[spoiler:she was abandoned]].

[[folder:Luna (CDR-02) '''(Spoilers)''']]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Si Bai (Chinese) Creator/RieKugimiya (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lunanormal03.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Ascendant Attack-type construct]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 16
* Vital Fluid Type: AB
* Activation Date: October 26
* Service Time: Less than a year
* Weight: 39kg
* Height: 159cm
]

-> ''"Punishment will descent upon here."''

The complete combat form of the Ascendants' leader, who possesses the ability to direct and shape the Punishing virus into energy or objects to attack. Her body retains the essence of the girl when she first participated in becoming a construct, while all her equipment is formed by the virus. She has extraordinary defenses despite being insanely light. Perhaps due to her obsession with being thrown away, she notices when her body is stained with dirt.\\
\\
Luna's frame is ''Laurel''.

* ADayInTheLimelight: She and her past becomes the focus of ''Fake Ascension''.
* DeathFromAbove: In her Annihilation State, she's given several "Annihilation Orbs" that fire off her floating spikes to drop down on enemies above for immense damage.
* EleventhHourRanger: In ''Fake Ascension'', she's the final member of your Connector squad, but she only unlocks after completing the chapter's main storyline, and only serves as extra firepower for the stat checks if you haven't unlocked some of the side-stories yet.
* ExoticEyeDesigns: She has clover-shaped pupils.
* GlassCannon: Her core passive means she'll constantly be either in her powered-up Annihilation State or triggering multiple 3-Ping-level skills to build it up, giving her immense firepower. The trade off is her comparatively tiny health pool, which makes her unable to make any mistakes in combat.
* ImageSong: 月 ("Moon") sung by Xia Tongzi.
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: ''Fake Ascension'''s story has the Commandant follow Luna through her memories [[spoiler:after getting trapped in her M.I.N.D. following Gabriel's betrayal]].
* PowerFloats: Similar to Rosetta, she's always airborne when fighting.
* PromotedToPlayable: One of the greatest examples. For ''Punishing'''s first anniversary, Luna's design got a visual overhaul as well as the ability to be recruited.
* PutOnABus: Following the chaos in the aftermath of ''Fake Ascension'', Luna goes missing, prompting Alpha to go search for her, while Babylonia wrings its collective hands at what became of the former Ascendant leader. [[spoiler:Her whereabouts are revealed in ''A New Divide'', where she had been held on the Moon while being drained of the Punishing Virus. After regaining her connection to the Ascension Network, she returns to Earth.]]
* SpontaneousWeaponCreation: Luna's weapons (and [[GorgeousGarmentGeneration clothing]]) are actually made from solidified Punishing Virus. Her ability to manipulate it so great she can actually cause spikes of pure virus to burst from the ground as one of her special attacks.
* StanceSystem: Doing 3-Ping skills will fill a meter that she can then activate to go into Annihilation State. During this, she gets a very powerful Dark-damage combo chain and a set of Annihilation Orbs that essentially equates to free instant damage as you fire them off.

[[folder:Roland (BPB-26)]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Lengquan Yeyue (Chinese) Creator/KojiYusa (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chpcl2euj0aexwo_aaaaah81nsg399.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Unknown Vanguard-type Transcendant]]

[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 19 Years
* Vital Fluid Type: AB
* Activation Date: May 2
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 70kg
* Height: 178cm
]
-> ''"This silly play about reclaiming earth and all from Babylonia, I'm actually sick of watching it. The main cast of this play, they struggle in all this deprivation and insanity -- It's rather amusing, but it's gone on for too long. Well then, let's see how much longer you can struggle for. After all, it's rare to see a different kind of performance. Just don't let my hopes down so easily, will ya?"''
\\
Formerly an actor during the Golden Age, Roland's words and deeds may seem unpredictable, but his true nature is actually quite serious. As an Ascendant, he has worked around the world. After experiencing many twists and turns, his previous body was severely damaged, and its present form was rebuilt by a benefactor he met.\\
\\
Roland's frame is ''Flambeau''.

* CounterAttack: When he gets a successful Matrix dodge in, Roland can use his combo-ending move immediately from there.
* CoupDeGrace: Roland's unique FinishingMove has him stomp on a fallen enemy before giving them the business end of his shotgun.
* CostumeEvolution: His character design got revamped for his playable form, canonically due to receiving a new body from The Merciful One.
* FashionableAsymmetry: His left arm notably clashes with the rest of his body, with a differing pauldron, visible elbow joint and a hand with red fingertips.
* JerkassRealization: In the Hidden Story of ''Evernight Beat'', Roland tricks a group of scavengers into entering the corrupted Central Purification Filter 40 in order to feed their emotional responses to the incubating Hetero-Hive Mother. Before long, though, he becomes inwardly disgusted by how he's secretly watching them suffer [[spoiler:reminding him of what he himself went through in his Interlude]], [[ChangedMyMindKid motivating him to secretly help the survivors escape.]]
* MadArtist: He tends look at situations as if they were theatrical performances, even in the middle of a fight, where where considers activating his LimitBreak the "climax" of the show.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: He is the first chracter to ''not'' use ''Punishing'''s classic {{Match Three|Game}} combo mechanic; if anything his system is more like an expanded version of how boss characters are played in the Hidden Chapters. Rather than matching signal orbs, Roland must use a combo-ending special attack to charge a meter his orb-type moves run on, and the orb moves in turn fuel the gauge for his LimitBreak.
* PlayingWithFire: His elemental damage type is fire.
* PromotedToPlayable: While he had been playable in the past, the ''Evernight Beat'' update marks his arrival to the Gacha as a fully realized character.
* SuperMode: His LimitBreak temporarily supercharges all his orb moves and makes them usable all the time, giving him far more powerful fire-element attacks that also better resemble his attacks from when he was a boss.
* SwordAndGun: His unique weapon type is a WhipSword and HandCannon that are collectively known as "Durandal".
* TrumanShowPlot: His Interlude story reveals that [[spoiler:he initially thought he was participating in one as a cast member, secretly managing an android who was tricked into thinking he was human and the show that he is a part of are actually real events. However, Roland later finds out to his horror that '''he''' is actually [[TomatoInTheMirror the main character]] of the show, and was secretly being manipulated and trained by the crew to be the perfect actor on live television. Naturally, this gives Roland serious trust issues that carry over into his Ascendant existence.]]
* VillainousHarlequin: A secondary motif he has, to go with his MadArtist stage performer theme. His purchasable costume, "Fool's Fables" gives him jester-like apparel, while his unique Memory set depicts an {{expy}} of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]].

[[folder:Gabriel]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jiabailienormal01_975800.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"The value of a collection is defined by the collector. Outsider eyes and words matter not."'']]
[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here for Gabriel's true form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jiabailienormal02.png[[/labelnote]]]]

Another Ascendant who remains close to Luna's side, acting as her personal servant.

* BadAssBookworm: Gabriel always has a copy of Friedrich Nietzsche's ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Good_and_Evil Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future]]'' in hand, only putting it away when it's time to fight.
* BodyguardBetrayal: [[spoiler:He betrays and turns on Luna, after believing she's grown too weak-willed following her reuniting with Alpha.]]
* BoomStick: His primary weapon is a staff from which one end can project an energy blade. Even when he switches to his more powerful form, it's still used for several of his attacks.
* DragonAscendant: [[spoiler:He takes over and essentially assumes leadership of the Ascendants in order to fully weaponise his new "pets", the Hetero-Creatures.]]
* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler:Believing that the Hetero-Creatures are the will of the Punishing Virus, he sides with them over the his original comrades, even attempting to feed them to the Polyphage.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: He presents himself as Luna's doting and loyal personal attendant, but he's certainly anything but a kindly old machine. All of his polite mannerisms only make his explanations and callous actions more notable.
* MeaningfulName: Gabriel is the name of one of the most famous angels in Abrahamic religions; similarly, Gabriel's true form in this game has six floating appendages that are draped in the rags of his coat, giving him the appearance of a seraphim, though in his case he's more of an AngelicAbomination.
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler:Alpha destroys him in ''Imprisoned Sight'', but his head gets stolen afterwards. While she suspects this may let him resurrect, she decides finding Luna is her greater priority.]]
* OpportunisticBastard: By ''Imprisoned Sight'' he has decided to become Vonnegut's underling. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the lack of loyalty runs both ways, as Vonnegut elects to allow Alpha to destroy him.]]
* StrawVulcan: Turns out to be one retroactively in his data logs in ''Evernight Beat''. Despite his almost fanatical worship of the Hetero-Creatures, his research eventually hit a wall, because he failed to recognize the importance of emotions in their evolution. As a machine, he only saw it as a matter of making them more "powerful", resulting in dangerous but undeveloped organisms. In fact letting them experience things like fear and desire was the necessary step to compel them to evolve.
* TurnsRed: Once he loses one third of his health, Gabriel reveals his true form and completely changes his moveset, with the ability to fly, FlashStep, and fire silhouettes of his body as a projectile.
* WeCanRuleTogether: When confronted during ''Kowloong Metropolis'', Gabriel reveals part of the Ascendants' goals is to find worthy individuals who can join them in creating a new world, and extends such an offer to Gray Raven squad, though he is flatly rejected, sparking his boss fight.

[[folder:Lamia]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lamiyanormal01_975702.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Wait, wait, wait! Are you a devil!? I'm here. Just lower your gun. I surrender!"'']]

An Ascendant that first appears in ''Kowloong Metropolis'', and a sharp contrast to the other forceful personalities that make up Luna's inner circle.

* AintTooProudToBeg: She's quick to taunt when she's in a place of power, but quickly folds and begs for mercy once she's cornered and at gunpoint.
* ArtificialLimbs: Even before her subsequent transformation into a Contruct and Ascendant, Lamia was born with her legs shattered from her mother's experiment exploding.
* ChickenWalker: Her boss form in ''The Last Spark'' comes with digitigrade legs for her land form.
* DeathByChildbirth: Laibiya, Lamia's mother, went into labor when she was seriously injured by her experiment. She did not survive.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:''The Last Spark'' serves as Lamia's, as Atlantis is her birthplace, her home, her life's purpose, and ultimately [[YouCantGoHomeAgain some place she can never return to.]]]]
* TheDeterminator: Lamia's intense desire for survival at all costs [[spoiler:is tied to her ImpossibleTask given to her by her foster mother before she left, [[LiesToChildren "Your responsibility is to gather information. If the Punishing disaster is over and the world is at peace - although it's unlikely - but if it does happen, you must return and let us know."]]]] Considering the inhuman shape of her prototype structure technology and lack of inver-device, it's amazing that she managed to survive at all to become an Ascendant.
* DirtyCoward: Her battle capacity is low, so she either resorts to commanding Corrupted to attack for her, going invisible to attack, or just straight up running for her life.
* FaceOfAThug: Despite having a "monstrous" body, she's timid, dislikes crowds, and prefers hiding out of sight.
* AMistakeIsBorn: Laibiya was supposed to be on maternity leave on the mainland, but she applied a stay of leave as she did not want to stop her research. Her experiment backfiring and Lamia's crippled birth put the CrazySane staff of Atlantis in an uncomfortable position.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: After a number of chapters hanging back from the action, Lamia finally fights in ''The Last Spark''. In the process she becomes ''Punishing'''s first boss with three distinct phases, with a total of 100 bars of health, and a dangerous warrior when at sea.
* OnlySaneMan: When Atlantis starts its final experiment, [[spoiler:a series of terrifying mandates are put in place including forced starvation in stages, starting with the least useful departments first, such that the research team can last the longest with the most support and finish the experiment. Unbelievably, these mandates are willingly accepted by THE ENTIRE STAFF of Atlantis... except Lamia. As a child who has never left Atlantis, Lamia has no clue if this is how humans should react and is understandably scared out of her mind.]]
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: Her lower body is a giant mechanical assembly that can configure itself into a dolphin-like tail, letting her maneuver underwater effortlessly.
* RaisedByTheCommunity: Less raised and more like grown in a lab, but still, the scientists that make up the organism that is the Atlantis zero-point energy reactor took turns feeding and teaching the child. (It's as impersonal as it sounds.)
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: [[spoiler:With the Ascendants' disintegration as of ''Fake Ascension'', she cuts a deal Murray, helping Gray Raven infiltrate the Ascendant base in exchange for her safety away from Gabriel's "pet" Hetero-Creatures.]]
* {{Shapeshifting}}: She's got various illusory powers, including the ability to change her outer appearance. During ''Fake Ascension'' she tries to fool Gray Raven by pretending to be Murray, though they are able to [[SpottingTheThread notice the discrepancy]] almost immediately.
* SurroundedBySmartPeople: Atlantis is the crème de la crème of human research spirit with a noticeable lack of human empathy. Lamia is a handicapped child who should not be there. Having been called stupid her entire life has shaped Lamia's personality greatly.
* UnderwaterBossBattle: Lamia's boss fight in ''The Last Spark'' begins on platform surrounded by water; her second phase causes her to drag it below the waves, allowing her to swim freely around, and her last phase takes place within a spiraling vortex when the water gets pushed away from the platform.

[[folder:Vonnegut]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nugget.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"We must separate the sheep from the goats, as shepherds do, and bury the wicked in the shadow of history. Only then can the world endure the Long Winter and, one day, welcome the coming warmth of spring."'']]

Another Ascendant who appears in ''Imprisoned Sight'' following Luna's usurpation, he is one of the few Agents with the potential to control the entire network.

* AffablyEvil: He presents himself as a patient and modest man, who's happy to talk it out with his enemies, but only because of an immense confidence in his powers, and the presumption that anyone listening to him will obviously understand that humanity deserves to die so that new life will flourish on Earth.
* BarrierWarrior: Vonnegut's main method of attack and defense are invisible forcefields.
* BenevolentBoss: Is this to Cinderelik, who respects him a great deal. Saves her after she injects herself with a crystalized pyramid of Punishing Virus (which he gave her) to fight off Lucia and Strike Hawk. The same cannot be said of his attitude toward Gabriel.
* CoolMask: He has a golden mouth mask that mimics a skull.
* HiddenVillain: Kept a low profile up until Luna's usurpation, preferring her to develop the Ascended Network for him and distract Babylonia from the existence of similar high-level Ascendants, and finally makes his play in ''Imprisoned Sight'', feeling he can now benefit in being out in the open.
* HiveQueen: He is one of a few Ascendants with the power to control the whole network.
* ItAmusedMe: Despite Gabriel being one of his underlings, Alpha's strength of will, displayed in her answers to him, pleases Vonnegut so much he basically helps Alpha kill Gabriel by providing her the machine's location.
* MakeWayForTheNewVillains: ''Imprisoned Sight'' reveals the existence of more Agents to Babylonia. Despite humanity already having enough trouble dealing with Luna, Vonnegut blows her off as a mere "pioneer" for the Ascenion Network, whose new members are becoming more powerful as it develops.
* MindRape: He's capable of using the Punishing Virus to hack into Construct's visual and auditory components, forcing them experience immense pain and relive their worst memories and anxieties.
* MisanthropeSupreme: He considers humanity a devious, polluting presence that Earth must be saved from through the Ascendants.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: He is stated in-game to be named after famed science fiction author Creator/KurtVonnegut.
* SparingTheAces: Has stated multiple times that many of his actions are screening for viable Ascendant candidates. Every confrontation with him by Babylonia is a lopsided affair that has ended unfavorably, and very often doing exactly as he asks. Extremely apparent when he fights Lucia, Strike Hawk, [[spoiler:and Alpha]] at the same time while taking no apparent damage.
* WickedCultured: He's an eloquent and intelligent mastermind, who's able to reference things like the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Where Luna was motivated by revenge and personal safety, Vonnegut is driven by grand philosophies.

[[folder:The Merciful One]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20210520_185749_comkurogameharubilibili.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Regardless of whether they are good or bad, people always remember their 'unfinished business' when they are about to die ... so why not give them another chance?"'']]
[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here for her unhooded appearance]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20210812_184210.png[[/labelnote]]]]


The third Ascendant Agent equal in power to Luna and Vonnegut, she makes her first appearance in ''Labyrinth of Inscription''. As her name suggests, she converts would-be victims into Ascendants to save their lives, an altruism that runs contrary to the group's overall beliefs.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: She's very neutral about her motives for saving lives, as well as her interactions with others, saying that her conversions are as incidental to her as any other mundane errand she does. She's also very nomadic and has few ties -- She saves Roland and allows Lamia to accompany her for a while, tells them to get along when they meet, and leaves the next day.
* EffectiveKnockoff: The Merciful One purportedly has a knack for reproducing lost Earth artifacts of such high quality they actually make the originals look inferior by comparison.
* HiveQueen: The Merciful One is among the few Ascendants with the power to control the whole network.
* InTheHood: Her features are covered in a white cloak, making her true identity unknown.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: She claims to have no real name, and only adopts the title others are calling her by so people can address her by something. [[spoiler:In Babylonia, she's known as Ishmael, but it is unknown if this is any more real of a name for her.]]
* WildCard: Despite being an Ascendant, she doesn't have any true allegiance to their cause. Luna's group even considers her desire to save people by turning them into Ascendants contrary to their goal, hence the events of ''Grand Blue'', where they hunted down and killed Shome to warn her. [[spoiler:In fact, she's actually a high-ranking member of Babylonia's Control Court, a section of the World Government.]]

[[folder:Cinderelik]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huiyan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Why are you breaking into my greenhouse?"'']]

A subordinate of Vonnegut that first appears in ''Imprisoned Sight''.

* AngryGuardDog: Vonnegut has ordered her to protect a lab area. Stay within designated areas and she's polite to a fault. But go into a forbidden area, and she will attack, even if it's against hopeless matchups like Alpha or Gray Raven and Strike Hawk combined.
* CreepySouvenir: Cinderelik's one broken wing belonged to her friend, who she is hoping to revive and return the wing to.
* DubNameChange: Her Global version name is Cinderelik, while her name in the CN server is Huiyan.
* TheQuietOne: When she first meets Strike Hawk team, the impression she gives off is a quiet schoolgirl.
* EnemySummoner: Fights mainly by singing to summon Hetero-creatures
* SeeksAnothersResurrection: The "mother" she is protecting is the Hetero-Hive Mother, a giant spider-looking machine [[spoiler:that has her incomplete mother's personality data uploaded into it.]]
* EffectiveKnockoff: [[spoiler:Not yet an Ascendant according to herself, yet is able to stall Lucia and Strike Hawk quite effectively.]]

[[folder:Voodoo]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mumu20221030215134_8.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"We will use full strength if you prove yourself to be stronger than you look like. Then "Loki" will wreak havoc. You may not want to witness that."'']]

A subordinate of Vonnegut that appears in ''Inscription of Labyrinth'', she serves as an attack dog.

* ArcVillain: Of ''Inscription of Labryinth''. In this case, she accidentally takes this role, as all the traps and "games" she had set up was actually intended to test Roland for his potential worthiness to join Vonnegut's faction; the Commandant and Cerberus squad accidentally joined in partway through.
* AxeCrazy: Her Loki personality is an insane, childish berserker that seems to be treating the whole situation as a chance to throw everyone into a set of sadistic games. Voodoo considers it the more capable fighter, but struggles to contain its insanity and keep them on track.
* TheCracker: She's capable of hacking other Constructs, even mid-fight, usually to disable one immediately while concentrating on the others, though even this has its limits.
* SamusIsAGirl: While her character art makes it pretty evident, in story the narration mistakes her for a man, until a portion of her helmet is shattered, revealing part of her feminine face.
* ShoutOut: Voodoo's design takes huge cues from different bosses from ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' -- her winged form makes her resemble Raging Raven from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', while her canine form makes her look like Crying Wolf from the same game, or Blade Wolf from ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''.
* SplitPersonality: Voodoo's body contains both Voodoo, a calm and professional persona, and Loki, a psychopathic warrior. Voodoo constantly has to try and keep Loki suppressed, but it is implied Loki can easily break loose if she wanted.
* StanceSystem: As the boss fight continues, Voodoo reveals a canine form that is controlled by Loki, and then starts switching between it and her initial flying form.

[[folder:Huosha]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huosha.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"So... the next time you meet me, please reintroduce yourself to me, as the me then... definitely won't remember you anymore."'']]

Turned into an Ascendant by Vonnegut, Huosha seems to have the rare ability to turn others into Ascendants.

* ArcVillain: Of ''Surviving Glimmer'' and ''Voyage Among the Remains''.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:The ascendant that the former Gray Raven commandant Ravenge, and Alpha's superior, linked to and subsequently got mind polluted from is none other than Huosha, at Vonnegut's behest.]]
* HiddenInPlainSight: During ''Surviving Glimmer'', Huosha gets close to the amnesiac Noan to observe him by masquerading as an abandoned Construct needing protection.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: The companion to the above that shapes Huosha's outlook on life. "I also want to find a way to coexist with humans, but I can't do anything except hurt more people." Huosha is extremely possessive of Noan because of this. In the end, when Noan states his resolution to put hope in humanity and leave him, Huosha [[spoiler:impales himself on Noan's sword. [[DeathIsCheap It doesn't stick though, as Vonnegut orders Paper Crane to retrieve him]].]]
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:While Bianca impales him again at the end of ''Voyage Among the Remains'', a horde of Corrupted pop out and whisk the body away before she can take it back. The only thing that remains is his fallen hair ornament. This also means that another Ascendant was observing, as only they have the ability to control that many Corrupted.]]
* StrawNihilist: Huosha does not believe humanity can fight the Punishing Virus without ascending. And as most humans cannot ascend without first becoming constructs then risking dying or becoming horribly corrupted, finding happiness within the shared consciousness of the Red Tide as an alternative isn't so bad.
* SuperWheelchair: In his boss form, Huosha's wheelchair-like device, Paper Crane, becomes the head of a snake-like Hetero-Creature
* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Noan initially mistakes [[spoiler:Rosa]] as Huosha upon first meeting her in Babylonia. Further affirmed upon the [[spoiler:latter's death as Rosa steals Huosha's head ornament from Asimov and asks Noan about him.]]
* VillainousCrossdresser: Despite the effeminate appearance and manner of dress, Huosha is a male.

!!The Church of Machina

[[folder:In general]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d3kihdg3o4wynxysqw_1648203217611.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Pilgrims]]

Awakened Machines are those that become enlightened by the Sagemachina. While the Punishing Virus destroyed human society, the Awakened Machines quietly spread in the aftermath like a flame. Through the grafitti made with mechanical language, machines found the path to knowledge, and had wisdom nurtured and formed in their steel bodies. After breaking free of their innate shackles, they have started a pilgrimage that follows in the footsteps of Sagemachina.

* ArcVillain: They are one antagonist in ''Her Last Bow'', but become the central threat in ''The Ark Beyond''.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: For all their new found intelligence, as machines they're ultimately goal-oriented beings that value efficiency above all else. At one point, the "Paperclip Maximizer" thought experiment is brought up to describe how they are capable of immense cruelty if it gets results, and indeed, in one BadFuture, they possibly exterminate humanity just because they're a problem.
* ExactWords: In a chilling example of their "Garbage In, Garbage Out" mentality, at some point in the "Future War" timeline the Sagemachina asked them to protect humanity. The Church wound up interpreting that as "killing nearly all the humans, rounding up a roomful of survivors and tying them to life-support machines so they will live out their lives in AFateWorseThanDeath".
* {{Expy}}: Moreso than the Punishing Virus, the Church resembles the Machine Lifeforms of ''VideoGame/NierAutomata''. [[spoiler:Their initial plan even is to repair a spaceship so they can leave Earth.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:At the end of ''The Ark Beyond'', Nanami meets the Church, and tells them of her desire for humans and machines to coexist, before taking them with her to search for Ishmael's "treasure".]]
* InstantAIJustAddWater: Or grafitti, in this case. Somehow looking at the artwork left by the Sagemachina helped awaken sentience in machines that see it.
* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: While they are a formidable and growing military power, it's driven by an innate fear of being attacked by both humans and the Corrupted for just existing. It doesn't help that they basically only have had one century to develop their culture, so their gaps in knowledge comes off as BlueAndOrangeMorality that they're desperately trying to solve by finding out where the Sage Machina went.
* RobotReligion: Their organization has religious elements to it, mainly the veneration of their missing Sage. All of their members are trying to find out where their enlightening figure has gone. Arcana formed the church, claiming that gathering "faith" creates power.
* TarotMotifs: Their inner circle are given titles based on the Major Arcana, and are led by a "Mother" named Arcana.

[[folder:Haicma (MPA-01)]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Shi Yang (Chinese) Creator/RieTanaka (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Church of Machina Vanguard-type Transcendant]]

* Psychological Age: Unknown
* Vital Fluid Type: Unknown
* Activation Date: Unknown
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 50kg
* Height: 166cm

-> ''"The machines on Earth were creations discarded by humanity. They have always been seeking a purpose for their existence. They have always believed the Sagemachina would show them the way. I need to find her..."''

The Awakened Machines, having gathered together to form a church, comb Earth in search of their mechanical forefather. Haicma, however, unlike other machines, seems to have ulterior motives for seeking the Sagemachina.\\

Haicma's frame is ''Starveil''.

* AICronym: "Haicma" is a contraction of "Heuristic Artificial Intelligence Caretaking Machine-Alpha". [[spoiler:Nanami was the one who named her, far back in the past.]]
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''The Ark Beyond'' follows her trek around the world as she searches for the Sagemachina.
* DeadlyLunge: Her passive ability gives her a ChargedAttack that turns into a leaping strike that causes massive ice damage. The attack can only activate when the charge is full, but she also automatically dodges any attack made on her if she has any dodge meter.
* EmotionlessGirl: As a machine, Haicma delivers a flat tone of delivery and a logical mindset, though amusingly some of her optional dialogue shows she has "settings" that allows her to speak in different tones.
* TheFogOfAges: She remembers being tasked with finding the Sagemachina, but after decades of searching, most of the details of her mission, such as who tasked her, or why, is a blur to her.
* AnIcePerson: Her damage type is ice.
* SinisterScythe: Following Ayla and Chrome, Haicma also uses scythes.
* TheSlowWalk: Her passive ChargedAttack reduces her movement speed to a prowling saunter. Given that she can also use this move while her LimitBreak freezes them in place, what seems like a disadvantage winds up making her look like encroaching death.
* IWillFindYou: She's been searching for the Sagemachina for easily over a century. [[spoiler:She's seeking out Nanami, specifically, after the researchers that created them both asked Haicma to find and protect Nanami before dying during the Punishing Virus outbreak.]]

[[folder:Hanying (MPK-12)]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Xie Ying (Chinese) Creator/AyaEndo (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hanying___zitherwoe_0.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Church of Machina Support-type Construct]]

* Psychological Age: Unknown
* Vital Fluid Type: Unknown
* Activation Date: July 24

* Weight: 53kg
* Height: 169cm

->''"Nice to meet you, commandant. I am Hanying. Pulao told me a lot about Babylonia and you, and I have wished to meet you ever since. Please take care of me from now on."''


Hanying is the crystallization of Kowloong's mechanical technology, and is infinitely close to human in appearance. She once lived aboard the Nighter and befriended Pulao and the other ship's inhabitants. Until recently she has lain dormant in the Church of the Machine, but has now finally awakened.\\

Hanying's frame is ''Zitherwoe''.

* AscendedExtra: Once a supporting character in Pulao's backstory, now a fully-fledged playable character.
* BecomeARealBoy: Hanying often expresses doubts over the authenticity of her feelings, and wonders if she has a "heart". Her friends, however, think she feels more than enough. Neville of the Machine Church notes that her self-destruction in the past to protect Yoyo can only be considered "self-sacrifice", which only living beings are capable of.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Hanying is the main protagonist of ''The Floating Reverie'', where she reawakens and tries to finish her unfulfilled promise from years ago, which requires her to rescue Pulao from TheRemnant of the anti-Kowloong faction "Cradle".
* CombatHandFan: Her weapon type.
* CombatMedic: As a Support-class character, she can heal her allies while also dishing out damage.
* CoolBigSis: She is considered one by Pulao, who treats her like an older sibling.
* FlawedPrototype: She was Villier's first attempt at creating a vessel to house Huaxu in, though her inability to fulfill her purpose, plus the fact she eventually developed her own ego, caused Villier to abandon her as a failure while he moved his focus to constructs. Despite that, Hanying is incredibly advanced as is, and still capable of combat.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: That outfit is extremely elegant-looking, yet she can fight in it all the same.
* LadyOfWar: She's one of the most elegant playable characters in the game next to Bianca.
* MsFanservice: Hanying is a graceful, curvaceous woman wearing a robe that is simultaneously low and high-cut, baring both her shoulders, back, cleavage, and her long legs. Throw in her elegant, dance-like attacks and you have a character who is easy on the eyes.
* ThePromise: Years ago, she promised a girl named Yoyo that she would help her find her parents. Years later, in ''The Floating Reverie'', she attempts to make good on that promise. [[spoiler:At the end of the story, Hanying reunites Pulao with her parents, but with her own missing memories, Pulao never realises the elderly couple are her parents. But the two thank Hanying for reuniting them, all the same.]]
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: In universe, Hanying was purpose built to be especially human-like, and many machines express both awe and confusion at how Hanying prefers living with other humans.
* SetBonus: She gives passive damage buffs to both Qu and Pulao if they're in the same party, incentivizing the player to use them together.

[[folder:Zero]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1_387.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Why are you showing such an expression? Did we do anything that upset you? Is our tribute of "love" not precious enough to suit your revelation?"'']]

The Awakened Machine with the title of "The Lovers", Zero is in charge of investigating and making deductions about the Sagemachina.

* BigBad: Of the Future War timeline, as she's the driving force behind the schism in the Church that creates a faction that will go on the destroy humanity.
* DrivenToSuicide: At the end of one simulated timeline, Zero takes the the Sagemachina's rejection of her poorly, and eventually reaches the conclusion that the Sage is instructing her to die, whereupon she impales herself, sparking a frenzy of suicides across the Church.
* PsychopathicManchild: Her future incarnation is a tragic example, as Nanami sadly notes isn't developed enough to have a deeper understanding of emotions. She tries to offer gifts to "create romance" and "express love", but can't tell whether Nanami is crying from joy or sadness at human suffering.
* {{Yandere}}: Her future incarnation in ''Her Last Bow'' has a warped "love" for the Sagemachina [[spoiler:Nanami]], believing slaughtering humans in their name is what they want. When [[spoiler:Nanami]] tries to stop her, she throws a fit, unable to understand what she did wrong, and blames Haicma and Spooner for "blinding [the Sage's] heart".

[[folder:Trailblazer]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marcher.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

The Awakened Machine with the title of "The Chariot". During ''The Ark Beyond'' he hatches a plan to attack Babylonia while it is in disarray to seize supplies and documents from them.

* BladeLock: As a boss he has a unique parry mechanic that leads to a cutscene where Nanami blocks one of his strikes before countering with her Signature Attack, though it can only be used once in the fight.
* ClimaxBoss: Of ''The Ark Beyond''. His fight ends the storyline, as Nanami protects Babylonia from his upcoming attack.
* EvilCounterpart: While "evil" is pushing it, Trailblazer is a visual mirror to Nanami in her ''Starfarer'' frame: Like how Nanami pilots a Mini Mecha, Trailblazer seems to have his "real" head and a set of more human-like arms embedded in the torso of his war machine, which has similar proportions to Nanami's POWER.
* NobleDemon: Trailblazer isn't actively malevolent. His mission to attack Babylonia is just that, and simply treats it as an opportunity for the Church to benefit over a weakened enemy. When he questions Haicma's doubts over the success of the mission, the latter realizes he's genuinely trying to calm her down rather than test her loyalty.
* PromotedToPlayable: A special event during ''Renaissant le Fantastique'' made him temporarily playable in his own set of stages.
* TurnsRed: Halfway through the fight, Marcher summons a MechaExpansionPack from Earth, giving him a new set of far more dangerous attacks and a set of {{Laser Blade}}s to replace his energy knuckle dusters.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: When describing the events leading up to the "Future War" timeline, Haicma suspects that the raid she and Trailblazer undertook started the chain of events that would eventually lead to humanity's demise, hence, in the present day, Nanami has to stop him.

!!Nanami and friends

[[folder:Nanami [=(MPL-00)=]]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Zhao Shuang(Chinese) Creator/MinamiTanaka (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/450px_r2yongyechaonormal01.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Unknown Armor-type construct]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Pulse'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_pulse_portrait_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Starfarer'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nanami___starfarer__28_new_version__29.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: Unknown
* Vital Fluid Type: Unknown
* Activation Date: Unknown
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 45kg
* Height: 145cm
]
Nanami is a mysterious mechanoid whose affiliation is unknown and unaccounted for and has a knack for making friends with other machines. Why she grew a human-like consciousness is also unknown. She is lively, and has a unique style of dialogue and taste. When she fights, it seems more like she is playing. She claims her favorite hobby is observing humans.\\
\\
Nanami's frame variations are ''Storm'', ''Pulse'', and ''Starfarer''.

* AGodIAmNot: In the future simulations of ''Her Last Bow'', her reaction to [[spoiler:discovering a cult of Awakened Machines who worship her as the "Sagemachina" − the first and most advanced Awakened −]] is one of fear and discomfort, considering what this cult ended up doing (namely [[spoiler:driving humanity to extinction]]). She makes it clear that she is no God and never wanted any of this.
* BarrierWarrior: Her role as an armor-type is performed via dropping protecting domes around herself and her teammates.
* BenevolentAI: She is an Awakened Machine, but her greatest interest is to have fun and play with her friends. [[spoiler:When she realises that humanity and the planet is on the road to destruction, Nanami doesn't hesitate to find a way to stop Gestalt's predictions.]]
* ChainsawGood: Her weapon of choice.
* ADayInTheLimelight: While she has appeared in various side stories and minigames that appear in every chapter and event, it all culminates in ''Her Last Bow'', which centers on her specifically, while ''The Ark Beyond'' follows up and finishes that part of her storyline.
* FunWithAcronyms: The MiniMecha she pilots for her ''Starfarer'' frame is the "Paradigmatic Omnipotent Weapon-Edge Remake", which she shortens to "POWER".
* FutureBadass: [[spoiler:An alternate timeline Nanami from a future where she leads the Awakened Machines off the doomed Earth is capable of sending data to the game's timeline from where she is. At the climax of ''Voyage Among the Remains'', she embeds data that she calls "a gift called 'future'" into Chiko's body to be recovered after Bianca kills her.]]
* CreepyCrosses: For her ''Storm'' frame, she has cross motif decorations on her skirt as part of the ElegantGothicLolita design.
* GenkiGirl: Cheerful even when in battle. Her stage victory animation always involves her jumping for joy and throwing {{V Sign}}s
* GirlWithPsychoWeapon: She has a cheerful demeanor that is frighteningly paired with a chainsaw.
* IntriguedByHumanity: Nanami loves humanity because of all the awesome TV shows and movies they made. [[spoiler:This has a tendency to perplex AIs like Gestalt or Huaxu, who only have mathematical predictions of humanity's survival, while Nanami empathizes with humans and their legacy on a personal level.]]
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Her ''Starfarer'' frame fires off missiles for her blue skill, and switching her out lets her keep firing missiles from off screen for several more seconds as support.
* MentalTimeTravel: [[spoiler:''Her Last Bow'' follows Nanami as she experiences simulations of how the war will end in 10 years, none of which are in humanity's favor.]]
* MiniMecha: Her ''Starfarer'' frame puts her in the seat of a war robot equipped with a chainsaw, missiles and a PileBunker.
* PartsUnknown: Just because she is seen, doesn't mean she can be explained, as her profile data shows. By ''Fake Ascension'', [[spoiler:Gestalt]] outright says she is neither human, machine, construct, nor Corrupted. [[spoiler: ''Her Last Bow'' identifies her as the Machine Sage, the first to achieve true sentience on her own, without the need of the Punishing Virus.]]
* ThePowerOfLove:
** [[spoiler:Despite catching the virus at the end of her first interlude, she discovers her body has successfully purged it, which she concludes was because she managed to cling to the memories and love of her family, keeping her mind intact.]]
** In ''Her Last Bow'', she reaffirms her belief that HumansAreSpecial because their capacity for love is their source of limitless potential.
-->''"Where there is humankind, there is love. Love transcends time and space, and shows humankind where they should go in the infinite expanse that is the universe."''
* RollerBladeGood: Her Pulse frame has her feet altered to include disc-like wheels, letting her skate around on the battlefield, and even give a burning tackle for her LimitBreak.
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: [[spoiler:In ''Her Last Bow'', Nanami experiences a number of simulations from Gestalt showing her a number of {{Bad Future}}s. Seeing this, Nanami sets out to find a way to avert the predictions, first by seeking out The Merciful One.]]
* StarterMon: Nanami's B-ranked ''Storm'' variation is always the first Gacha reward you get while being walked through the system, and thus the first Armor type you receive in game.
* ShoutOut:
** She tends to coopt catchphrases from various series such as ''Series/KamenRider'' for her own use, starting with her introduction in the story:
-->"Indeed... [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Walking the path of heavens... The Construct who will rule everything...]] My name is... Nanami."
** Later ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' in the first file of her interaction story:
-->"Then bring Nanami with you and Nanami will [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam shining finger]] them all to death!"
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: Near the end of her ''Devour'' interlude, she gets [[spoiler:infected by the Punishing virus]], causing her to see everyone as rampaging machines.
* TomatoInTheMirror: In her interlude, she found out that she's a [[spoiler:machine ''after'' getting infected by the Punishing virus when she went out to save people from the infected machines.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:''Her Last Bow'' confirms that Nanami is actually the Machine Sage. The artwork she leaves around and the machine "friends" she has been making is accidentally turning her into a leader of a new faction of Awakened Machines, which Gestalt predicts could lead to the potential enslavement of mankind in 10 years.]]
* WildCard: She has no affiliation, and while she aids Gray Raven at times, she definitely is working on her own agendas. [[spoiler:As of ''Fake Ascension'', she's working with Gestalt, Babylonia's AI, and in ''Her Last Bow'' it turns out she is a potential leader of new superpower composed of sentient robots.]]

!!The Observers

[[folder:The Observers '''(Spoilers)''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/g359la0082f5hg3l2x_16658055506626.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Projections]]

Introduced in ''Spiral of Chronos'', the Observers are members of a higher-dimension civilization that has been tracking humanity to see whether they can grow and develop in spite of the Punishing Virus. Eventually they make their appearance, to test whether humans are capable of reaching higher levels of existence.

!!The Forsakens



[[folder:Watanabe [=(BPO-29)=]]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Sen Zhong Ren(Chinese) Creator/YoshimasaHosoya (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/450px_dubiannormal01.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Forsaken's Attack-type construct]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Astral'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_astral_portrait.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 26
* Vital Fluid Type: O
* Activation Date: April 12
* Service Time: 6 Years
* Weight: 76kg
* Height: 185cm
]
The leader of the Forsaken: constructs and humans who have gone AWOL and are considered a rabble of defectors and traitors. Watanabe carries complex experiences and opinions due to his emotional connection to others. He and his comrades, who have been forgotten by the world, now together protect an oasis, hoping to bring the hope of mankind in their own way.\\
\\
Watanabe's frame variations are ''Nightblade'', and ''Astral''.

* AcePilot: ''Fallen Star'' reveals that Watanabe's original role was as a Construct fighter pilot, and was considered probably the second best pilot in the world shortly before his defection to the Forsaken.
* AntiHero: Whatever his good intentions, he makes sure the Forsaken benefit first. Watanabe causes a mess that lasts two chapters because he'd rather [[spoiler:kidnap Liv to have her rescue the trapped minds of his men, since he refuses to trust Babylonia at first.]]
* BackStab: He can deal bonus damage by attacking enemies in the back.
* CharacterDevelopment: In his interlude, he began as a military careerist and a slight coward, hoping to avoid battle and find a job as a VIP bodyguard far away from battle. The death of his friend Bruce was what compelled him to take the war more seriously in his memory.
* CrissCrossAttack: ''Nightblade'''s fighting style.
* DefectorFromDecadence: What he sees himself and fellow Forsaken. He initially joined the Forsaken because he was dissenting against World Government on Babylonia, and believes that he can lead the Forsaken, and humanity by extension, down a more righteous path.
* DualWield: His weapon are a pair of Kukri-style blades.
* FlashStep: The dash of his Nightblade variation makes him immaterial for a moment, allowing him to dash through enemies and appear behind them, which also conveniently synergizes with some of his passives that have bonus BackStab damage.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Though the full picture is never depicted, there are fragments of story suggesting that Watanabe makes great contribution for peace and unity of human factions on Earth, ending the chaotic civil wars caused by strained resources and messy exodus of World Government to Babylonia. The story K-44 Line is one example, detailing Forsaken's and his attempt at resolving conflict between two factions of human army remnant.
* IOweYouMyLife: After Liv [[spoiler:succeeds in rescuing the consciousnesses of several Forsaken members from a memory container used by the Ascendants, Watanabe apologizes for his actions and offers his allegiance to Gray Raven squad, and them alone, allowing them free access to his territory.]]
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Watanabe orchestrates a plan to distract Gray Raven with the local Corrupted [[spoiler:by "gifting" the Commandant a local mint that attracts Vassago, a giant machine]], allowing him to [[spoiler:kidnap Liv in the confusion and evacuation]].
* ParentalSubstitute: His profile mentions that he secretly considers Liv as something of a surrogate daughter. He certainly shows particular affection towards Liv whenever he's with Gray Raven.
* ShoutOut: If you pay attention, he has an [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidV iDROID]] attached on the left side of his shoulder. In-game, the thing only presents when ''Nightblade'' received an upgraded costume.
* TragicKeepsake: His weapons are inspired by a "Ghurka knife" that was awarded to him and Bruce during their days as cadets, which Bruce then took with him, until he was killed, and the weapon subsequently passed onto Watanabe.
[[/folder]]

!!The Observers

[[folder:The Observers '''(Spoilers)''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/g359la0082f5hg3l2x_16658055506626.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Projections]]

Introduced in ''Spiral of Chronos'', the Observers are members of a higher-dimension civilization that has been tracking humanity to see whether they can grow and develop in spite of the Punishing Virus. Eventually they make their appearance, to test whether humans are capable of reaching higher levels of existence.

----

[[folder:Haicma (MPA-01)]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Shi Yang (Chinese) Creator/RieTanaka (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Church of Machina Vanguard-type Transcendant]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: Unknown
* Vital Fluid Type: Unknown
* Activation Date: Unknown
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 50kg
* Height: 166cm
]
-> ''"The machines on Earth were creations discarded by humanity. They have always been seeking a purpose for their existence. They have always believed the Sagemachina would show them the way. I need to find her..."''

The Awakened Machines, having gathered together to form a church, comb Earth in search of their mechanical forefather. Haicma, however, unlike other machines, seems to have ulterior motives for seeking the Sagemachina.\\
\\
Haicma's frame is ''Starveil''.

* AICronym: "Haicma" is a contraction of "Heuristic Artificial Intelligence Caretaking Machine-Alpha". [[spoiler:Nanami was the one who named her, far back in the past.]]
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''The Ark Beyond'' follows her trek around the world as she searches for the Sagemachina.
* DeadlyLunge: Her passive ability gives her a ChargedAttack that turns into a leaping strike that causes massive ice damage. The attack can only activate when the charge is full, but she also automatically dodges any attack made on her if she has any dodge meter.
* EmotionlessGirl: As a machine, Haicma delivers a flat tone of delivery and a logical mindset, though amusingly some of her optional dialogue shows she has "settings" that allows her to speak in different tones.
* TheFogOfAges: She remembers being tasked with finding the Sagemachina, but after decades of searching, most of the details of her mission, such as who tasked her, or why, is a blur to her.
* AnIcePerson: Her damage type is ice.
* SinisterScythe: Following Ayla and Chrome, Haicma also uses scythes.
* TheSlowWalk: Her passive ChargedAttack reduces her movement speed to a prowling saunter. Given that she can also use this move while her LimitBreak freezes them in place, what seems like a disadvantage winds up making her look like encroaching death.
* IWillFindYou: She's been searching for the Sagemachina for easily over a century. [[spoiler:She's seeking out Nanami, specifically, after the researchers that created them both asked Haicma to find and protect Nanami before dying during the Punishing Virus outbreak.]]

[[folder:Nanami [=(MPL-00)=]]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Zhao Shuang(Chinese) Creator/MinamiTanaka (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/450px_r2yongyechaonormal01.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Unknown Armor-type construct]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Pulse'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_pulse_portrait_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Starfarer'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nanami___starfarer__28_new_version__29.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: Unknown
* Vital Fluid Type: Unknown
* Activation Date: Unknown
* Service Time: Unknown
* Weight: 45kg
* Height: 145cm
]
Nanami is a mysterious mechanoid whose affiliation is unknown and unaccounted for and has a knack for making friends with other machines. Why she grew a human-like consciousness is also unknown. She is lively, and has a unique style of dialogue and taste. When she fights, it seems more like she is playing. She claims her favorite hobby is observing humans.\\
\\
Nanami's frame variations are ''Storm'', ''Pulse'', and ''Starfarer''.

* AGodIAmNot: In the future simulations of ''Her Last Bow'', her reaction to [[spoiler:discovering a cult of Awakened Machines who worship her as the "Sagemachina" − the first and most advanced Awakened −]] is one of fear and discomfort, considering what this cult ended up doing (namely [[spoiler:driving humanity to extinction]]). She makes it clear that she is no God and never wanted any of this.
* BarrierWarrior: Her role as an armor-type is performed via dropping protecting domes around herself and her teammates.
* BenevolentAI: She is an Awakened Machine, but her greatest interest is to have fun and play with her friends. [[spoiler:When she realises that humanity and the planet is on the road to destruction, Nanami doesn't hesitate to find a way to stop Gestalt's predictions.]]
* ChainsawGood: Her weapon of choice.
* ADayInTheLimelight: While she has appeared in various side stories and minigames that appear in every chapter and event, it all culminates in ''Her Last Bow'', which centers on her specifically, while ''The Ark Beyond'' follows up and finishes that part of her storyline.
* FunWithAcronyms: The MiniMecha she pilots for her ''Starfarer'' frame is the "Paradigmatic Omnipotent Weapon-Edge Remake", which she shortens to "POWER".
* FutureBadass: [[spoiler:An alternate timeline Nanami from a future where she leads the Awakened Machines off the doomed Earth is capable of sending data to the game's timeline from where she is. At the climax of ''Voyage Among the Remains'', she embeds data that she calls "a gift called 'future'" into Chiko's body to be recovered after Bianca kills her.]]
* CreepyCrosses: For her ''Storm'' frame, she has cross motif decorations on her skirt as part of the ElegantGothicLolita design.
* GenkiGirl: Cheerful even when in battle. Her stage victory animation always involves her jumping for joy and throwing {{V Sign}}s
* GirlWithPsychoWeapon: She has a cheerful demeanor that is frighteningly paired with a chainsaw.
* IntriguedByHumanity: Nanami loves humanity because of all the awesome TV shows and movies they made. [[spoiler:This has a tendency to perplex AIs like Gestalt or Huaxu, who only have mathematical predictions of humanity's survival, while Nanami empathizes with humans and their legacy on a personal level.]]
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Her ''Starfarer'' frame fires off missiles for her blue skill, and switching her out lets her keep firing missiles from off screen for several more seconds as support.
* MentalTimeTravel: [[spoiler:''Her Last Bow'' follows Nanami as she experiences simulations of how the war will end in 10 years, none of which are in humanity's favor.]]
* MiniMecha: Her ''Starfarer'' frame puts her in the seat of a war robot equipped with a chainsaw, missiles and a PileBunker.
* PartsUnknown: Just because she is seen, doesn't mean she can be explained, as her profile data shows. By ''Fake Ascension'', [[spoiler:Gestalt]] outright says she is neither human, machine, construct, nor Corrupted. [[spoiler: ''Her Last Bow'' identifies her as the Machine Sage, the first to achieve true sentience on her own, without the need of the Punishing Virus.]]
* ThePowerOfLove:
** [[spoiler:Despite catching the virus at the end of her first interlude, she discovers her body has successfully purged it, which she concludes was because she managed to cling to the memories and love of her family, keeping her mind intact.]]
** In ''Her Last Bow'', she reaffirms her belief that HumansAreSpecial because their capacity for love is their source of limitless potential.
-->''"Where there is humankind, there is love. Love transcends time and space, and shows humankind where they should go in the infinite expanse that is the universe."''
* RollerBladeGood: Her Pulse frame has her feet altered to include disc-like wheels, letting her skate around on the battlefield, and even give a burning tackle for her LimitBreak.
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: [[spoiler:In ''Her Last Bow'', Nanami experiences a number of simulations from Gestalt showing her a number of {{Bad Future}}s. Seeing this, Nanami sets out to find a way to avert the predictions, first by seeking out The Merciful One.]]
* StarterMon: Nanami's B-ranked ''Storm'' variation is always the first Gacha reward you get while being walked through the system, and thus the first Armor type you receive in game.
* ShoutOut:
** She tends to coopt catchphrases from various series such as ''Series/KamenRider'' for her own use, starting with her introduction in the story:
-->"Indeed... [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Walking the path of heavens... The Construct who will rule everything...]] My name is... Nanami."
** Later ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' in the first file of her interaction story:
-->"Then bring Nanami with you and Nanami will [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam shining finger]] them all to death!"
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: Near the end of her ''Devour'' interlude, she gets [[spoiler:infected by the Punishing virus]], causing her to see everyone as rampaging machines.
* TomatoInTheMirror: In her interlude, she found out that she's a [[spoiler:machine ''after'' getting infected by the Punishing virus when she went out to save people from the infected machines.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:''Her Last Bow'' confirms that Nanami is actually the Machine Sage. The artwork she leaves around and the machine "friends" she has been making is accidentally turning her into a leader of a new faction of Awakened Machines, which Gestalt predicts could lead to the potential enslavement of mankind in 10 years.]]
* WildCard: She has no affiliation, and while she aids Gray Raven at times, she definitely is working on her own agendas. [[spoiler:As of ''Fake Ascension'', she's working with Gestalt, Babylonia's AI, and in ''Her Last Bow'' it turns out she is a potential leader of new superpower composed of sentient robots.]]

[[folder:Watanabe [=(BPO-29)=]]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Sen Zhong Ren(Chinese) Creator/YoshimasaHosoya (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/450px_dubiannormal01.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Forsaken's Attack-type construct]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see ''Astral'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/character_astral_portrait.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[floatboxright:
'''Profile'''
* Psychological Age: 26
* Vital Fluid Type: O
* Activation Date: April 12
* Service Time: 6 Years
* Weight: 76kg
* Height: 185cm
]
The leader of the Forsaken: constructs and humans who have gone AWOL and are considered a rabble of defectors and traitors. Watanabe carries complex experiences and opinions due to his emotional connection to others. He and his comrades, who have been forgotten by the world, now together protect an oasis, hoping to bring the hope of mankind in their own way.\\
\\
Watanabe's frame variations are ''Nightblade'', and ''Astral''.