Line #115 Characters/BuddyComplex


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!Main Characters
4
5	[[folder:Aoba]]
6	!!Aoba Watase
7	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoba_73.jpg]]
8	-->Voiced by: Creator/YoshitsuguMatsuoka
9	An OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who is one day launched 74 years into the future and finds himself in the center of a new global war. He later decides to become an official member of the Alliance Military as the pilot of the Luxon.
10	----
11	* CassandraTruth: The ''Cygnus'' crew don't believe he comes from the past.
12	* FallingIntoTheCockpit: After being thrown into the future, he first awakens in the Luxon's cockpit.
13	* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Hailing from 74 years in the past.
14	* IdiotHero: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] somewhat because he's gotten good as a pilot, but he just couldn't figure out [[spoiler:that the Hina he's fighting is NOT the Hina he knew from school until that Hina talked to him.]]
15	* InstantExpert: Invoked because the mech he pilots lets him share his knowledge with Dio, who is far more experienced than him. After the coupling is disengaged, he nearly falls out of the sky.
16	* MidseasonUpgrade: [[spoiler:To the Luxon Next]].
17	* NiceGuy: Honest, polite and always ready to lay out a helping hand.
18	* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: At least, that is how his story begins.
19
20	[[/folder]]
21
22	[[folder:Dio]]
23	!!Dio Junyou Weinberg
24	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dio_24.jpg]]
25	-->Voiced by: Creator/KoukiUchiyama
26	A young but very talented pilot working for the Alliance. He's entrusted with piloting the Bradyon, an experimental mecha that is not only stronger than your run-of-the-mill mech, but also allows him to form a psychic connection with a compatible pilot in a similar mech.
27	----
28	* AceCustom: He gets to pilot one of the two {{Super Prototype}}s the Alliance military is using.
29	* AcePilot: The best pilot in the ''Cygnus''. For the Buddy system to work, Aoba must assimilate his piloting skills.
30	* BigBrotherInstinct: To Fiona, obviously.
31	* ButNotTooForeign: His name and father's appearance hint at the possibility that Dio is biracial and has taken both his father's surname and his mother's maiden name.
32	* DarkAndTroubledPast: He fought in a battle to defend the civilian city where his mother and sister were. The Federation fleet there were completely overwhelmed, his mom died, and his sister was left crippled.
33	* {{Deuteragonist}}: He is stated to be the show's other protagonist after Aoba.
34	* GreenEyedMonster: He becomes [[HoYay visibly upset]] when a new coupler shows up and syncs very well with Aoba.
35	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Over time, he comes to respect Aoba.
36	* MidseasonUpgrade: [[spoiler:To the Bradyon Next]].
37	* TeenGenius: At piloting.
38	* {{Tsundere}}: Towards Aoba
39	* WellDoneSonGuy: He works hard at piloting in order to regain his father's respect, which he lost since his dad [[JerkAss partially blames him for the Zogilian's having overwhelmed his fleet and wiped out their home town.]]
40
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Hina]]
44	!!Hina Yumihara/Ryazan
45	[[quoteright:336:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hina_school.jpg]]
46	[[caption-width-right:336:Hina Yumihara]]
47	[[quoteright:336:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hina_6.jpg]]
48	[[caption-width-right:336:Hina Ryazan]]
49	-->Voiced by: Creator/SaoriHayami
50	A mecha pilot from the future who comes to the past in order to protect Aoba.
51	----
52	* ActionGirl: As expected of a trained soldier.
53	* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Thankfully averted thanks to a sudden epiphany on Aoba's part, but she came really close to being trapped in an eternal time paradox where she'd go back in time to save Aoba, lose her memories, become a pilot and meet him again only for the entire cycle to start over.]]
54	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler: Ends up like this before and during the battle in episodes 12 and 13.]]
55	* ConvenientlySeated: She gets the back row window seat.
56	* FountainOfYouth: [[spoiler:When she was separated from Aoba while going into the future, she was turned into a much younger version of herself and lost all of her memories save for her name.]]
57	* GirlNextDoor: She and Bizon grew up next door.
58	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: [[spoiler:Hina actually started out her temporal adventures on the ''Confederation's'' side, before the time loop kicked her into Zogilia minus (another) eight to ten years and her memories.]]
59	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:She used to be a member of the Great Zogilian army. Meeting and getting to know Aoba, as well as [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal the way she was treated]] in the episodes preceding Episode 12, caused her to join him and Dio aboard the Cygnus.]]
60	* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[spoiler:Actually, she turns out to have been the original heroine of ''this'' Story.]]
61	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:When she was separated from Aoba when going into the future, she was de-aged and landed about a decade earlier in Zagreb, and could only remember her name.]]
62	* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:Ryazan is a name of a Russian oblast and its capital city]].
63	* MidseasonUpgrade: [[spoiler:To the Karura]].
64	* PurpleIsPowerful: She has purple eyes, as a hint that she's a time traveller from the future.
65	* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: For Aoba, [[NiceGuy of course]]. In contrast to [[AxCrazy Bizon]].
66	* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler:With Aoba. They met and fell in love in college during the original time loop, but ''Hina'' was sent to the future and wound up in what later became Aoba's role in the war. She got sent back in time during the final battle and met him again in high school, and the loop was initiated.]]
67	* TemporalParadox: [[spoiler:Was caught in one, but Aoba's last-minute realization pulls her out of it.]]
68	* {{Tritagonist}}: She's the heroine of the series, and the most prominent character after Aoba and Dio.
69
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	!Confederate Treaty of Liberty Alliance
73
74	[[folder:Captain Kuramitsu]]
75	!!Gengo Kuramitsu
76	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/captain_kuramitsu.jpg]]
77	-->Voiced by: Creator/ShowHayami
78	The captain of the Cygnus. He was overseeing the experiments with the Buddy Coupling system and sees Aoba's potential after finding out that Aoba has maximum compatibility with Dio.
79	----
80	* CoolOldGuy: A funny, relaxed old man and a capable leader.
81	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ready to let his subordinates handle a mission if the situation calls for it.
82	* ShootTheDog: He would've had [[spoiler:[[ColdSniper Lene]]]] take out [[spoiler:Aoba]], if the [[HeKnowsTooMuch latter]] decided to leave.
83
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Lene]]
87	!!Lene Kleinbeck
88	[[quoteright:329:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lene.jpg]]
89	-->Voiced by: Creator/AyumiFujimura
90	The Cygnus's executive officer.
91	----
92	* ColdSniper: Has a sniper rifle and under her captain's orders would have shot [[spoiler:Aoba]], if {{he\|KnowsTooMuch}} left.
93	* PragmaticHero: [[spoiler:She would have shot Aoba if he had left the ''Cygnus''. Although she takes no pleasure in shooting a civillian and is grateful for him saving their lives, the military would be taking a huge risk letting a civillian to his devices while knowing classified information. Fortunately, it doesn't come to that.]]
94	* NumberTwo: Second in command of the ''Cygnus''.
95
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Lee]]
99	!!Lee Conrad
100	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lee_buddy.jpg]]
101	-->Voiced by: Creator/TomokazuSugita
102	Head of the Cygnus's Valiancer team. Pilots the Beryl Commander.
103	----
104	* OfficialCouple: In the epilogue, he marries Elvira.
105	%%* TeamDad: To the ''Cygnus'' pilots.
106
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Jarl]]
110	!!Jarl Duran
111	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jarl.jpg]]
112	-->Voiced by: Creator/HiroyukiYoshino
113	A member of the Cygnus's Valiancer team. Pilots the Beryl Assault.
114	----
115	* AnimeHair: The front of his hair stands on end.
116	* SourSupporter: Despite his cynical side, he still helps out his teammates as best he can.
117
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Elvira]]
121	!!Elvira Hill
122	[[quoteright:336:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elvira_8.jpg]]
123	-->Voiced by: Creator/RinaSato
124	A scientist in charge of the Coupling System onboard the Cygnus.
125	----
126	* MsFanservice: She has a curvaceous figure, especially noticeable in her labcoat. She's also seen in a swimsuit in Episode 6.
127	* OfficialCouple: In the epilogue, she marries Lee.
128	* TheSmartGuy: She's the brains aboard the Cygnus, being the resident Coupling expert.
129
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Mayuka]]
133	!!Mayuka Nasu
134	[[quoteright:296:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mayuka_2.jpg]]
135	-->Voiced by: Creator/KanaHanazawa
136	One of the primary operators aboard the Cygnus, often seen with Anessa.
137	----
138	* BridgeBunny: Her main job is handling the radar and communications.
139	* EnergeticAndSoftSpokenDuo: She's somewhat withdrawn, while Anessa is quite outgoing.
140	* FlatCharacter: She has a crush on Aoba and is friends with Elvira and Anessa. That's all there is to know about her.
141	* HopelessSuitor: It's pretty clear that she never had a chance with Aoba.
142
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Anessa]]
146	!!Anessa Rossetti
147	[[quoteright:276:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anessa.jpg]]
148	-->Voiced by: Creator/MarinaInoue
149	The other primary operator aboard the Cygnus, often seen with Mayuka.
150	----
151	* BridgeBunny: As with Mayuka, she helps handle the radar and communications.
152	* EnergeticAndSoftSpokenDuo: Compare her cheerful demeanor with Mayuka's more demure nature.
153	* FlatCharacter: She has no distinguishing traits other than crushing on two of the most handsome pilots in the military.
154	* ShipTease: At first, it appeared like she had a crush on Dio. Then when Fromm came in, she was pretty much all over him. In the end, she might just be boy-crazy.
155
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Fromm]]
159	!!Fromm Vantarhei
160	[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fromm.jpg]]
161	-->Voiced by: Creator/YuukiKaji
162	A new Ensign aboard the Cygnus, he and Dio knew each other since their training days. He pilots the Beryl Explorer.
163	----
164	* AdaptationExpansion: His backstory is ''vastly'' expanded on in the mobile game: he was a war orphan in Zogilia, and was used by Dr. Hahn to perform coupling experiments along with the other children in his orphanage. Many of them died because of it, and he escaped to the Alliance, vowing to stop Hahn at all cost. This casts his decision to stop coupling with Aoba in order to save his coupling ability in a ''completely new'' light.
165	* EnsignNewbie
166	* NiceGuy: He gets along with everyone in the ''Cygnus'', even Dio.
167	* ShipTease: With Anessa.
168	----
169
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Other Cygnus crew members]]
173	!!Tusais Framboise
174	-->Voiced by: Creator/RyoheiKimura
175	----
176	!!Garcian Bass
177	-->Voiced by: Creator/ArthurLounsbery
178	----
179	!!Soeharto
180	-->Voiced by: Eiji Miyashita
181	----
182	!!Saburota Ogisaka
183	-->Voiced by: Creator/MinoruShiraishi
184	----
185	!!Don Naher
186	-->Voiced by: Nobuyuki Kobushi
187	----
188
189	[[/folder]]
190
191	!Great Repulic of Zogilia
192
193	[[folder:Alfried]]
194	!!Alfried Gallant
195	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alfried.jpg]]
196	-->Voiced by: Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa
197	The leader of the Zogilian fleet sent after Dio and company and the pilot of the Alsiel. He's charged with capturing at least one of the Alliance's new experimental mechs.
198	----
199	* AntiVillain: Among the Zogilian forces, he is THE ReasonableAuthorityFigure and looks out for those under his command as best as possible and respects the abilities of his enemies. In fact, [[spoiler:he is mortified at Bizon's decision to use the Gorgon on his own army.]]
200	* MeaningfulName: Alfried ''Gallant''. Indeed, Alfried is overall a brave and chivalrous individual.
201	* RankUp: Negotiates a peace treaty with the Alliance in the finale, implying he has attained a position in the post-war government.
202	* RedOniBlueOni: The Blue Oni to Margaret's Red Oni. A military expert, Alfried believes that war is a series of ebbs and flows that can change at a moment's notice, and if anything bad happens, you can always regroup and use it to only get stronger. He also believes that if you do something extremely stupid and can die because of it, you deserved it, though he took exception to this when he saved Margaret.
203	* TheStrategist: A pretty competent one, as shown in Episode 5, throughout the series he borders on being TheChessmaster when it comes to strategy or manipulating other officers to give him more of a edge in most cases, although he does seem to get stuck behind more then one GeneralFailure and has to try to work around their mess to combat the superior Coupler technology.
204
205	[[/folder]]
206
207	[[folder:Bizon]]
208	!!Bizon Gerafil
209	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bizon.jpg]]
210	-->Voiced by: Creator/TakahiroSakurai
211	A Zogilian mecha pilot from the future who attacks Aoba in the past, he serves under Alfried in his own time. He pilots the Nebiros.
212	----
213	* AcePilot: He's one of the top pilots under Alfried's command.
214	* AdaptationalHeroism: In the mobile game, as well as ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', he teams up with the protagonists to [[spoiler:[[FutureMeScaresMe stop Evgeni, his older self]].]]
215	* ATeamFiring: Deploys practically the entire arsenal of his mech in episode 1, and ''still'' fails to hit a kid on a bicycle. [[spoiler:Justified because this would generate a time paradox, and hence, prevent the chain of events that led him to the past in the first place.]]
216	** Also justified in that Zogilian Valiancers have safety protocols in place that prevent them from targeting unarmed civilians.
217	* AxCrazy: Starts off pretty level-headed, but starts getting worse after [[spoiler:he sees Hina visibly trying to protect Aoba from him. Then it gets even worse when he becomes a Coupler with a new mech. Part of it may be due to the experimental technology Dr. Hahn was utilizing in it.]]
218	* ChildhoodFriendRomance: He has known Hina ever since they were children. He is madly in love with her, but she only sees him as a brother figure.
219	* CrazyJealousGuy: Towards Hina. It leads to an obsession over killing Aoba.
220	* EntitledToHaveYou: He started off decent enough, but after he starts clueing in to how repeatedly Hina keeps running into Aoba, he begins displaying serious shades of this attitude toward her, referring to her as "''my'' Hina" because he's known her for a long time and they're on the same side.
221	* ForcefulKiss: Gives Hina one late in the series when he realizes he may be losing her to Aoba. She snaps at him to stop and shoves him away.
222	* HopelessSuitor: Even with Aoba out of the picture, Hina would never see Bizon as anything more than a brother figure.
223	* LiterallyLovingThyNeighbor: He first met Hina when she and her father moved in next door to his house.
224	* MidseasonUpgrade: [[spoiler:To the Nergal]].
225	* NotGoodWithRejection: That's putting it mildly.
226	* SanitySlippage: He starts off as a pretty nice person, but gradually becomes more and more obsessed with Hina, to the point of considering her "his". It's implied that the painful training that Hahn put him through to couple with Hina was the final straw.
227	* TakingYouWithMe: In the first episode, after all his other attempts fail, tries to take Hina down with his mecha's self destruct system.
228	* VillainousBreakdown: Has one upon finding out that [[spoiler:he's an incompatible coupler with Hina]] and that [[spoiler:Aoba is way better at syncing up with her.]]
229	* WhiteHairBlackHeart
230	* {{Yandere}}: His obsessive love toward Hina and his insecurity and jealousy toward Aoba for getting Hina's interest leads to his obsession over killing Aoba, in the process he even hurts Hina and forces himself on her just so he can have her all for himself.
231	* YellowEyesOfSneakiness: His golden iris help denote his role as an antagonist.
232
233	----
234	[[/folder]]
235
236	[[folder:Tarjim]]
237	!!Tarjim Vasily
238	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tarjim.jpg]]
239	-->Voiced by: Creator/NobunagaShimazaki
240	A headstrong Zogilian soldier under Alfried's command.
241	----
242	* AnimeHair: Pointed, unkempt hair.
243	* BloodKnight: Aggressive, reckless and hotheaded; Tarjim always throws himself into a fight without question.
244	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his lack of patience, Tarjim follows orders and cares for his friends, even if he doesn't show it often.
245	* RedOniBlueOni: The aggressive and hotheaded red to Lasha's calm and gentle blue.
246
247	[[/folder]]
248
249	[[folder:Lasha]]
250	!!Lasha Hakkarainen
251	[[quoteright:324:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lasha.jpg]]
252	-->Voiced by: Creator/MutsumiTamura
253	A Zogilian soldier.
254	----
255	* AntiVillain: Rivalring Alfried as the most moral Zogilia soldier.
256	* NiceGuy: Seriously, there is not a mean bone in his body.
257	* RedOniBlueOni: The calm and gentle blue to Tarjim's aggressive and hotheaded red.
258
259	[[/folder]]
260
261	[[folder:Margaret]]
262	!!Margaret O'Keefe
263	[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/margaret.jpg]]
264	-->Voiced by: Creator/YumiUchiyama
265	A Zogilian secret service agent.
266	----
267	* AttackAttackAttack: Margaret's strategy for combat in Episode 9. Because it fails, she lost her job and almost her life.
268	* DirtyCoward: While she is quick to give orders, when her life is in danger she will panic.
269	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Is visibly disgusted by the acting commander callously gives orders that endangered the lives of the Zolgilian soldiers in episode 13. When [[spoiler:Evgeni goes the same thing, she helps counter the coup and takes the Adminburo down.]]
270	* GeneralFailure: When she got a chance to call the shots.
271	* HairTriggerTemper: It's ''very'' easy to get Margaret mad or suspicious. Don't even think about flying over her own ship.
272	* HeelFaceTurn: She finds her conscience when Evgeni Gedar ([[spoiler:actually an aged Bizon]]) plans to cause destruction on a planetary scale. She then goes out to help Alfried and the Alliance to stop him.
273	* KarmaHoudini: Granted, she gets screwed over by losing her position but upon helping the good guys stop [[spoiler:Evgeni]] from causing the end of the world. The epilogue implies she will have a position of power alongside Alfried in the post-war Zogilia. To be fair, she does own up to her mistakes and the show gives her a more sympathetic portrayal in the finale.
274	* NervesOfSteel: Inverted. For a secret service agent, she is ''very'' panicky.
275	* QuicklyDemotedWoman: In Episode 9, Margaret loses her position.
276	* RedOniBlueOni: The Red Oni to Alfried's Blue Oni. Because Margaret is a Political Officer, she wants to see the Alliance crushed at all costs, and finds any failure or mistakes to be unforgivable unless it was by somebody who was extremely loyal to the government. Despite this, Alfried was usually able to get his way, much to her annoyance. She eventually proved not to be a capable leader.
277	* ThePoliticalOfficer: Essentially served as this, given her wide authority over Alfreid and his forces, despite being outside of the chain of command.
278
279	[[/folder]]
280
281	[[folder:Nestor]]
282	!!Nestor Viktorovich Dorzhiev
283	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dorzhiev.jpg]]
284	-->Voiced by: Creator/HiroshiTsuchida
285	The Commander of Zogilia's Elite Guard.
286	----
287	* AceCustom: His Gwardia S has a torso that's mostly white, instead of black like the rest of the Elite Guard's Gwardias. It also comes with a shotgun.
288	* ThisCannotBe: He does not take to getting driven away by a mass-production model like the Beryl (piloted by Dio), though he does concede that it makes sense now why Alfried's squad was having so much trouble.
289	* WeHardlyKnewYe: Despite his high-ranking position in Zogilia, he gets offed after two battles.
290
291	[[/folder]]
292
293	!Civilians
294	[[folder:Fiona]]
295	!!Fiona Junyou Weinberg
296	-->Voiced by: Creator/AoiYuuki
297	Dio's little sister, who was crippled in the Zogilian assault on her home town that took the life of her mother. She looks up to Dio and attempts to ease the tension in the relationship between her father and brother.
298	----
299	* BigBrotherWorship: Dio means the world to her, and she always tries to get him to reconcile with their father.
300	* DelicateAndSickly: Her attack on her home city left her paraplegic.
301
302	[[/folder]]
303
304	[[folder:Sadamichi]]
305	!!Sadamichi Junyou
306	-->Voiced by: Creator/HiroshiNaka
307	Dio's father, an apparently wealthy and important man. His relationship with Dio has soured after the death of his wife.
308	----
309	* InsaneTrollLogic: He blames his son for the death of his wife and crippling of his daughter because he was a member of the fleet that was defending their home town--one which was simply overwhelmed.
310	* {{Jerkass}}: Gives Dio the cold shoulder and blames him for his wife's death and Fiona's condition, even when Dio did everything he could to protect them.
311	* PapaWolf: While he's rather cold to Dio, he clearly cares for Fiona.
312
313	[[/folder]]
314
315	!WALKING SPOILERS
316	[[folder:Evgeni]]
317	!!Evgeni Gedar
318	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evgeni.jpg]]
319	-->Voiced by: Creator/TakahiroSakurai
320	Zogillia's administrative bureau director, he seems scarily familiar...
321	----
322	* BigBad: In the post credit scene for episode thirteen, we see that he is an old and very ill Bizon, who apparently has served as one of the highest ranking members of the Zogilian leadership this entire time, and is ''still'' hellbent on taking Aoba's life.
323	* EvilIsBigger: While most Valiancers are under 20 meters tall, his Karkinos is about ''70'', so it pretty much eclipses everyone else.
324	* EvilOldFolks: Bizon didn't die in episode 13; he ricochets into some point early in Zogilia's history where he could easily work his way up to a key position in the Zogilian leadership--all for the sake of eventually killing Aoba, when Dio and Aoba prevent him from going to the past and initiating a TemporalParadox.
325	* DieLaughing: Mortally wounded, Evgeni decides to use the Gorgon's reserves to destroy everything the Treaty held dear before dying in a blaze of laughter. It doesn't work.
326	* KilledOffForReal: At long last in the finale.
327	* MilitaryCoup: He takes over the Zogilian government right after Hina defects to the Alliance.
328	* OldSoldier: He's about ''90 years old'', but he still pilots his own Valiancer in order to fight the three heroes of the series.
329	* ThePowerOfHate: Coupled with a heaping dosage of {{Revenge}}, this is his modus operandi in the finale.
330	* PayEvilUntoEvil: He traps Dr. Hahn inside of the Gorgon, ensuring that he dies.
331	* SanitySlippage: It was bad enough back when he was Bizon, but then he spent ''seventy years'' in the past plotting his revenge against Aoba. And when that didn't work, he tries to pull a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum by wiping out all life on Earth.
332	* ThatManIsDead: He took on his new name to avoid suspicion since he gained power around the time his present-day self went MIA.
333	* WalkingSpoiler: He's an old Bizon revealed to have been the BigBad in order to get revenge on Aoba and Hina; there really isn't anything about him that isn't a spoiler.
334

Context Characters / BuddyComplex