Line #126 Characters/TheSalvationWar


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!Earth Humans
4	Humans who are still in their "first life" - that is, who haven't died yet and still live on Earth.
5
6	[[folder: Gordon Brown]]
7
8	The British Prime Minister. He gave Humanity's first reply to the message, inadvertently naming the demons, when he told the Lord's Herald to [[Series/BlackAdder "Sod off, Baldrick!"]]
9	* DudeNotFunny: Says an equivalent of this to George Bush after he comments on how [[spoiler:Sheffield]]'s only usage now was a tourist location.
10	[[/folder]]
11
12	[[folder: David Petraeus]]
13
14	U.S. Army General in charge of the United States military in Iraq during the initial invasion. Later commands US forces in Hell, promoted to General of the Armies, and then the commanding general of the Human Expeditionary Army.
15
16	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Pretty much his only flaw in the story is his handwriting, "an almost indecipherable scrawl." Then again, this is an age of "email and datalinks"...
17	* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: A bookish 57-year-old with a back problem, an old gunshot wound and a habit of Motrin-popping is ''Supreme Commander of Earth, Heaven, and Hell'', and earned it too.
18	* BadassBookworm: [[http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic.php?p=3330269#p3330269 Explicitly declared]] by the author. Also, from Chapter 32 of ''Armageddon'', when Petraeus and a scientist discuss the physiology of the daemons (almost a thousand of whom were in a POW camp):
19	-->"I still find it hard to believe that something that’s so different from us could be related to us. DNA shifts and mutation rates can’t explain that level of difference."
20	-->''Protect us from intelligent, well-read generals''. Surlethe sighed quietly to himself, life had been much easier in the old days when Generals knew how to destroy armies and nothing else. Then, they just accepted everything a scientist said. Put on a long white coat and they were as good as gold. This one had an annoying habit of arguing with scientists and, even more annoying, was very often right. He quickly realized that it was about to get worse.
21	* FourStarBadass: Was promoted to five-star General of the Army in ''Armageddon'' after the annihilation of Abigor's army in Iraq, then only three months after [[spoiler:Satan's death]] he's promoted to General of the Armies -- the only one in U.S. history after George Washington, and John J. Pershing.
22	** Considering that George Washington might be out there and still coherent -- and thus, still technically a General of the Armies of the United States as well -- Petraeus may either be given a seventh star in the future ''or'' have a beneficially literal reading of Washington's actual promotion order, and of the relevant law... (Specifically, the part about "past and present" grades ''as of 1976'', with no explicit mention of ''future'' rank and grades.)
23	* TheStrategist: His main role as an "operational" commander, even after becoming commanding general of the HEA with all the implicit administrative duties.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder: George W. Bush]]
27
28	President of the United States during the events of ''Armaggeddon???''
29
30	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Pulls a ''fast'' one on the baldricks while convincing them to surrender, with very little effort on his own part.
31	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Notable as the forum this story originated from does ''not'' have a high opinion of the man in real life.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder: Barack Obama]]
35
36	George W. Bush's successor as US president, whose term began during the opening of ''Pantheocide''.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder: Keisha Stevenson]]
40
41	Started the Salvation War as an African-American supply corps lieutenant who was thrown in the deep end by being put in charge of a tank platoon, since she was the only officer available when the original commander laid down and died. Learned her job fast and was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time on several occasions. Due to her competence and effectiveness, promoted very rapidly as the Army expanded and stabilized. Is now a Colonel in command of the Spearhead Battalion (ironically a name she'd originally dismissed as cliché), 3rd Armored Division, essentially the "go-to" unit that gets all the peculiar or unusual jobs General Petraeus needs done. She was given the nickname "Hooters" for being notably well-endowed, which tends to get inconvenient in an M1 Abrams.
42
43	* ButtMonkey: Considers herself this after her promotion, since it means she gets all the dangerous work.
44	* BuxomBeautyStandard: Her busty figure is often pointed out by others as part of why she's considered attractive, to the point she's been nicknamed "Hooters".
45	* CatchPhrase: She says "hokay" often enough for it to sound like this.
46	* CasualKink: Apparently into at least mild BDSM, as she had an ex-boyfriend who enjoyed being "trampled" by her.
47	* DCupDistress: Having huge breasts can be a problem when you have to move around in a cramped fighting vehicle all day; she catches her chest on the tank's cupola ring once in ''Pantheocide'', causing quite a bit of pain.
48	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Has the distinction of being the first to kill an angel.
49	* GoodLookingPrivates: Enough so an ''angel'' describes her as "comely", and notes she's [[BuxomBeautyStandard very well-endowed]].
50	* TheLancer: She was the first human commander to kill an angel, which got her on General Petraeus' radar. Later, she handled Abigor's surrender and began a quick rise through the ranks.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder: The Targeteer]]
54
55	Government contractor who specializes in targeting nuclear weapons. ''Creepy''.
56
57	* AuthorAvatar: Subverted - was originally thought to be this by most, but has since revealed himself to be one Don Brennan, apparently a real-life historical figure in his own right.
58	* CreepyMonotone: Described as having a "curiously flat" voice.
59	* DissonantSerenity: at times, he comes off as a little ''too'' casual when talking about weapons of mass destruction.
60	* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Related to the above, one [[WildMassGuessing popular theory]] that [[IKnewIt may have panned out]] was that the Targeteer'''s''' were actually multiple individuals. Not that you can tell from the descriptions.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder: kitten]]
64
65	A [[NinjaZombiePirateRobot Gothic transgender medium]] who handles portal-generating duties for the HEA for the first two books. In the early days, the crude equipment available for opening portals caused her great pain to use but she carried on in order to make sure the special forces operating in hell were kept supplied. As a result, she became a heroine in Special Forces circles and anybody rude to her gets an immediate dose of attitude adjustment.
66
67	* BunnyEarsLawyer: They don't go anywhere without their boyfriend/Owner and wear a collar and leash, which the military has to account for when including them in study and operations. An example of an intense UsefulNotes/{{BDSM}} lifestyle.
68	* InsistentTerminology: Do ''not'' capitalize the "k."
69	* TheNothingAfterDeath: Before the war, she had visions of the [[CirclesOfHell the first circle]], which she describes as a ruined city where it constantly rains, and the souls of the dead are forced to eat rotten food and huddle around burning garbage skips for warmth. She considers herself lucky since other parts of Hell are worse. [[spoiler: when she visits after the war, she's confused to see it's not as terrible as she though; turns out the worst parts were caused by demonic mind-manipulation.]]
70	* UnhappyMedium: [[spoiler: Not anymore, she have a well-developing career as one of H.E.A. best sensitives, have a loving and understanding partner and is very respected and looked up to, the transition point was when she saw people in the First Ring with a H.E.A. Officer on her side. For her whole life she was certain Hell is where she'd come after death. The officer explained that she saw that she would come to Hell; what she didn't see was that she'd bring the whole US Army with her and save everyone there. She didn't come as victim, but as conqueror and saviour.]]
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder: Karl Rove]]
74
75	* ItsAllAboutMe: ''Oh yes''.
76	* {{Jerkass}}: His response to [[spoiler: Detroit being annihilated by a demon attack]] was joy at the fact that Michigan ''could swing Republican''. [[EveryoneHasStandards Bush appropriately chews him out.]]
77	* SkewedPriorities: Even during horrific events and revelations about how Hell works, the only thing he seems to care about is how to spin it into a political advantage.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	!Second-Life Humans
81	[[folder: In General]]"Dead" humans, living either in Heaven or Hell.
82
83	* AndIMustScream: The fate of humans in Hell, naturally. [[spoiler: Until the living humans start rescuing them]].
84	* BlessedWithSuck: Second-Life humans have a HealingFactor, BiologicalImmortality and don't need sustenance... which in Hell just means that you'll heal up from what the demons do to you, and they can torture you again and again.
85	* FinalDeath: Second-Lifers who die a second time are gone for good.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder: Julius Caesar]]
89
90	Former Emperor of Rome, who managed to avoid being tortured by making deals with "old gods."
91
92	* TheChessmaster: His solution to being so badly outnumbered that even modern weaponry won't be enough? [[spoiler: Convince the demonic veterans that his forces have the same advantage they've had in previous battles, and use them to wipe out the less experienced ZergRush.]] He adapts to the changing situation incredibly quickly and ends the series in a position of considerable strength.
93	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The first (unofficial) emperor of Rome. Death hasn't made him any less badass.
94	* LaResistance: He's leading one such group, albeit focused on evading the Baldricks rather than fighting them. Once it's clear that humanity is able to fight Hell and win, he joins up in the war.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder: Jade Kim]]
98
99	Former helicopter pilot for the United States military; killed in action and sent to Hell, where she formed the People's Liberation Front for Hell.
100
101	* LaResistance
102	* RapeAsDrama: Her treatment on arrival in Hell.
103	* NumberTwo: Becomes this for Julius Caesar.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder: Tucker [=McElroy=]]]
107
108	Former Corporal in the US Army's 10th Mountain Brigade, killed during the defense of Hit, Iraq. Forms part of the human resistance in Hell following his death.
109
110	* JerkassRealization: Goes through one after he finds out kitten is trans.
111	* SouthernFriedPrivate
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	!Forces of Hell
115	[[folder: In General]]
116	Denizens of Hell, also known as [[Series/{{Blackadder}} "Baldricks"]] to humans. Come in an enormous variety of shapes and powers.
117
118	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: [[spoiler: Subverted - Most of the rank and file are just following Satan's propaganda, and many of them aren't entirely wicked. Plenty of [[BadBoss their commanders]] are, however.]]
119	* BiologicalImmortality: As far as anyone knows, demons don't die of old age. They ''can'' be killed, oftentimes [[BadBoss by their bosses]] [[TheStarscream or underlings.]]
120	* ColdIron: The Baldricks really don't like iron, which is something humanity learns to exploit.
121	* TheLegionsOfHell: Their main military force, a total of [[NumberOfTheBeast 6,666]] such legions.
122	* MonstrousCannibalism: Demons as a whole don't balk at eating each other. It's a common way for higher-ups to [[ShootTheMessenger dispose of troublesome messengers]].
123	* UnskilledButStrong: The LegionsOfHell only use Bronze-age armaments and legion tactics, but demons are much stronger than humans, very hard to kill without employing some [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill overkill]], [[{{Determinator}} absolutely don't stop coming unless their dead]], and ''[[ZergRush there's thousands of them.]]'' While a battle against prepared human armies results in a CurbStompCushion at best, outside of the armor a demon will absolutely kill plenty of humans with ease, [[spoiler: as shown by random demon attacks against human civilians]].
124	* ShockAndAwe: They have organs similar to electric eels running down their backs, which let them fire electricity using copper tridents.
125	* WingedHumanoid: Quite a few demons have wings, though the only ones seen flying are Harpies (who also have flight sacks to provide lift).
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	[[folder: Satan]]
129
130	Lucifer. TheDevil[[note]]well, not really, according to the lore[[/note]]. Resident BigBad in Hell, who sends forces to Earth once Yahweh declared all of mankind damned.
131
132	* BadBoss: Kills at least one of his underlings in every one of his appearances, sometimes because they gave him bad news, sometimes because he's in a foul mood, sometimes because he felt like it.
133	* GargleBlaster: At one point he mixes an underling's entrails into his drink. The entrails dissolve.
134	* IncomingHam: His first proclamation after The Message pretty much sets the mood:
135	-->“I, Satan Mekratrig, Lord of Hell, Commander of the Legions of the Damned do hereby declare my dominion over the earth and all that it contains. Crawl to me, humans, knowing the eternity of torment that awaits you.”
136	* LargeAndInCharge
137	* MadeOfIron: [[spoiler: Took an anti-ship missile to the face and ''survived'', and in fact started regenerating immediately.]]
138	* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler: Killed by ''two'' anti-ship missiles to the face... the second of which was needed, because he had already been regenerating from the first!]]
139	* OnlyOneName: Averted, his full name is Satan Mekratrig.
140	* PurpleIsPowerful: His blood is purple, and he packs enough of a [[MindOverMatter telekinetic wallop]] to crush demons into paste.
141	* ShootTheMessenger: More like crush the messenger with telekinesis.
142	* StupidEvil: His act of [[KickTheDog sending Abigor and his family and troops on a suicide mission]] [[YouHaveFailedMe for his failure]] rather than just executing him on the spot ends up being a catastrophic tactical error: Abigor surrenders and becomes humanity's go-to guy for intel on Hell's inner workings.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder: Abigor]]
146
147	General of the first demonic army sent to invade Earth. Ran headlong into modern, mechanized human warfare and barely survived.
148
149	* AFatherToHisMen: Treats his soldiers notably better than many other demonic generals.
150	* AntiVillain: Coded as this even before [[spoiler:his HeelFaceTurn]].
151	* AttackAttackAttack: Pretty much Abigor's attitude regarding humans up until a battered flying messenger reports that [[spoiler:the bulk of his cavalry and harpies were wiped out on the first day]].
152	* EarnYourHappyEnding: A villain he may have been at the time, but it's hard not to feel bad for what happened to Abigor when he was still working under Satan: as shown above, he cared much more for his troops than the other demonic officers, and losing them all devastated him, and it was followed right afterwards by Satan sending him on a suicide mission for his failure along with the troops that remained ''and his family''. But once he surrenders and starts working with the humans, the invaluable information he provides is duly rewarded and his luck turns around hard: by Pantheocide, he is President of Hell, has a high approval rating for his benevolence among his subjects, and friends among the humans.
153	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Surrenders his "army" -- the first army's survivors, his mates and their kidlings -- to humanity after it was destroyed by them.]]
154	* TheGoodKing: [[spoiler: By the end of Armageddon???, having taking the throne from Satan and ruling Hell far more benevolently than his predecessor.]]
155	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When Abigor realizes he has no real proof that torturing humans in Hell is for the betterment of Demonkind.
156	-->''Abigor spoke very slowly as the words formed in his mind, breaking the mental blocks of millennia. “No, I don’t know any of this. I just believed it. And if my belief was false.” His great clawed hand waved over the pictures. “Then all of this, all of it, was for'' '''''nothing.'''''"
157	** This is not because a cannibalistic monster suddenly grew a conscience, but for [[ItGotWorse a worse reason]]: as Demons think much quicker than Humans, Abigor just realized for his kind ''there may be no Second Life at all'' and death means total oblivion. [[OhCrap Which Humans are just going to give them]].
158	* KnowWhenToFoldThem: [[spoiler: When he realizes the humans are giving him a chance to surrender rather than finishing him off, he takes it.]]
159	* MeaningfulName: According to the ''Ars Goetia'', Abigor is a demon who specializes in knowing the outcome of wars - and oh ''boy'' does the actual Abigor know how the war between mankind and Hell will turn out.
160	* PunchClockVillain: A proud general of Hell, who was all too willing to slaughter humanity and send them to eternal suffering... [[JustFollowingOrders because Satan ordered him to]] and like a good soldier he does as he's commanded. From the beginning, Abigor [[TokenGoodTeammate lacks the cruelty and sadism of his fellow demonic generals]], and any torture and evil he does is because it's what he knows.
161	* VillainousBreakdown: Seeing his army slaughtered broke him ''hard''. Becomes outright tragic when Satan's reaction [[spoiler:is to order him to commit an obvious suicide attack]].
162	* VillainousBSOD: When he realizes that torturing humans isn’t actually helping demons at all.
163	* WrongGenreSavvy: Besides mistaking tank attacks for human mage "bolts," his response to the failure of the first day was to extend his lines by thinning them, in hopes of flanking and enveloping the enemy... which not only missed the point but [[DidntThinkThisThrough also further impaired his ability to command and control the army]].
164	** On the other hand, in making the decision literally overnight to thin out his army with the intent to flank and envelop, he actually had in a few hours skipped several ''centuries'' of brutal lessons in warfare, "fighting in entirely new mental terrain" ([[WordOfGod Word of Author]]). The equivalent human phenomenon of battles enlarging past a general's ability to control the entirety of his army "was the big command shock of the late 18th and early-mid 19th century."
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder: Lugasharmanaska]]
168
169	A succubus who gets captured in Thailand and defects to the human side.
170
171	* AntiHero: Luga's self-serving, with a bloodthirsty streak and a bit of a rotten attitude. Regardless, she's on humanity's side, if only because they're way better than Deumos.
172	* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques: The FBI calls her to aid them interrogate a traitor.
173	* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of: like most succubi, Luga's in it for herself, and [[IFightForTheStrongestSide will join the side she thinks is going to win]]. Once she learns what humanity has to offer her as opposed to Satan and Deumos, she defects, all the while planning to double-cross humanity should the need arise. At the same time, she's willing to do a ''lot'' for the people she's allied to. [[spoiler: Despite the immense pain she goes through, she opens the portal used to kill Satan.]]
174	* KnowWhenToFoldThem: Surrenders herself immediately when she finds herself at gunpoint. This actually gets humanity's attention and they start considering that other demons might be convinced to surrender as well.
175	* LivingLieDetector: [[spoiler: Invoked as the tagline for her talk show after the war, "You Can't Lie To A Succubus". As she herself admits, this isn't ''actually'' true, but her [[LoveIsInTheAir pheromones]] and demonic powers can definitely get people to talk.]]
176	* LoveIsInTheAir: As a succubus she can emit pheromones that make people around her sympathetic to her and agreeable to her wishes. Originally seen by humans as daemonic bimbos, it is slowly becoming apparent that the Succubae are much more dangerous than they appear.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder: Belial]]
180
181	Duke of Hell who specializes in unconventional tactics, clever planning, and actual research, all of which are used against humanity.
182
183	* TheBlacksmith: His realm is known for making high-quality weapons in Hell.
184	* DirtyCoward: Abigor calls him a sniveling failure, and while every demon grovels before Satan, Belial takes it to an art form. When Satan is killed and the battle in Hell ends, Belial flees to Heaven to strike up an alliance and save his own skin.
185	* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Palelabor
186	* EvilGenius: Ultimately subverted; he's certainly more innovative that the average demonic duke, but his attitude is still just as short-sighted and power-hungry as theirs.
187	* TheExile: He was banished from Satan's court ages ago after a humiliating defeat, though he was able to reclaim his spot due to his reputation as a weapon maker and no small amount of demonic boot-licking.
188	* SmugSnake
189	* SuperweaponSurprise: Dumping lava on Sheffield and Detroit.
190	* UnwittingPawn
191	* VillainousBSOD: [[spoiler:After Euryale betrays him]].
192	* WrongGenreSavvy: He thinks he's Satan's EvilGenius, but all his innovations really accomplish is getting him marked as a priority target by the infinitely more adaptable humans, and [[spoiler: giving Euryale an alibi for her own deeds during the war.]]
193	[[/folder]]
194
195	[[folder: Euryale]]
196
197	A Gorgon and originally the mate of Belial. Also, the source of all his better ideas although she goes to great lengths to let him think he comes up with them.
198
199	* TheChessmaster: Flawlessly plays Belial, and later [[spoiler: manages to convince the humans that she was one of Belial's victims too, and ends up running a profitable delivery service and making an alliance with the rapidly-rising Julius Caesar]].
200	* DragonWithAnAgenda: It's made very clear that she only serves Belial for her own purposes. [[spoiler: When Belial finally gets cornered by humanity, she betrays him.]]
201	* EvilGenius: The brain behind Belial's plans.
202	* GorgeousGorgon: Sort of. She's one of these by demon standards due to her succubus heritage.
203	* TheStarscream: She is actively insubordinate in front of Belial and flaunts it more so when he is of impaired judgement under alcohol. [[spoiler:She betrays Belial during the final act of ''Armageddon???'']].
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder: Beelzebub]]
207
208	A Great Duke of Hell and the commander of the army tasked with stopping the Human invasion of Hell.
209
210	* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:After losing most of his army against the Russians, he soon falls into this moments before an aircraft kills him]].
211	* FinalBoss: He and his army are the last line of defense between humanity and Hell, and he offers the toughest resistance they face during the Curbstomp War. After he goes down, Hell is humanity's oyster, and it's just a matter of hunting down Satan, who's fleeing for his life.
212	* RedBaron: known as the Lord of Flies due the great number of flying demons in his legions.
213	* TemptingFate: when his aide said that surrounding the Human army could make them fight harder, he asked if they could fight any harder of how they fought Abigor's army. During the battle against him, [[spoiler:the Russians used poison gas]].
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	!Forces of Heaven
217
218	[[folder: In General]]
219	Denizens of Heaven, referred to as "angels" by humans. Generally come in only one form, that of very tall and extremely beautiful humanoid figures.
220
221	* AlwaysLawfulGood: How they present themselves. [[spoiler: Like with the demons, it's subverted; many angels [[LightIsNotGood aren't exactly "good"]], and as a whole the moralities of angelkind are just as varied as humankind.]]
222	* AngelicAbomination: [[AvertedTrope Nope.]] These angels stick with the WingedHumanoid look, and while they might be stronger than humans, they aren't particularly unknowable or unstoppable.
223	* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: Unlike the demons, Heaven is far less direct with fighting humanity. Very few angels go to Earth, and instead the war is conducted through causing disasters, powerful agents like the Beasts and Uriel, [[spoiler:and [[TheMole moles]] to either sabotage the war effort or turn humanity's nations against each other.]] It's very apparent that Heaven has ''learned'' from Hell's defeat and have no intention to end up the same way.
224	* LargeAndInCharge: Like with demons, the higher-ranking an angel is, the bigger they are. [[spoiler: To the point that promoting an angel apparently causes it to grow in size.]]
225	* MakeMeWannaShout: Angels can "trumpet", making a pure note of sound which is capable of downing fighter jets. It's described as being the sonic equivalent of a laser beam.
226	* ScrewYouElves: It's noted in ''Pantheocide'' that humans absolutely '''hate''' angels even more than they did the demons, because the angels betrayed humanity with The Message and [[AtLeastIAdmitIt at least the demons didn't pretend to be anything other than monsters.]] That many of the angels are shown to be arrogant assholes in their own right doesn't help matters.
227	* ShockAndAwe: Like the demons, they have some sort of electrical power; the stronger ones (and especially Yahweh himself) go further by creating full-on ''lightning storms.''
228	* WingedHumanoid: Naturally, with flight sacks that actually allow them to fly.
229	[[/folder]]
230
231	[[folder: Yahweh]]
232
233	Leader of Heaven, who decided to damn humanity to Hell for questioning his rule and status as "God".
234
235	* BeastOfTheApocalypse: Has them as his pets. [[spoiler: They're named [[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy and Wuffles]], respectively. ]]
236	* BelievingTheirOwnLies: He honestly seems to believe that he is the God and Creator of humanity even though the other angels know for a fact that he did not.
237	* CainAndAbel: He and Satan are brothers here. As the war continues to go badly for Heaven, the family resemblance [[VillainousBreakdown becomes more clear.]]
238	* TheCaligula: ''Maybe even worse than Satan in this regard'': at least Satan made a token effort at actually ruling, while Yahweh just sits on his throne all day basking in worship while Heaven collapses around him and everyone conspires against him, only very rarely making decrees that invariably work against him.
239	* DemiurgeArchetype: Toward the end of the first book, the Vatican decides that Yahweh is not the God of the New Testemant but rather an imposter using His trappings to manipulate humanity, and declares their intent to ''exocommunicate him'' from the church. The fact that angels and demons in this setting are essentially extradimensional aliens rather than anything divine supports this view.
240	** ''Pantheocide'' drives it home with the reveal that other pantheons existed, and that Yahweh drove them off to become humanity's only "God".
241	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Is legitimately grief-stricken when [[spoiler: [[FluffyTheTerrible Wuffles the Leopard Beast and Fluffy the Scarlet Beast]] are killed]], though according to Michael they did not return his affection. He also calls Michael "friend" at the climax, seemingly not realizing that an (apparently) obedient servant is not the same thing.
242	* GodEmperor: A more literal example, given that he's, well, {{God}}.
243	* GodIsEvil: The reason the Salvation War is taking place: he arbitrarily damned humanity to Hell.
244	* GodIsDead: [[spoiler:By the end of ''Pantheocide'' Chapter 76, and at the hands of his own angels, not humanity.]]
245	* {{Jerkass}}: Petty, vindictive, arrogant...'Yah-yah' is a ''dick''.
246	* LargeAndInCharge: Much larger than even the greatest of the angels, [[spoiler: until he dies, at which point he returns to being no bigger than them]].
247	* PhysicalGod: Nope: he's an incredibly powerful angel and not remotely as [[TheOmnipotent all-knowing or all-powerful]] as he presents himself.
248	* ShockAndAwe: His go-to means of attack.
249	* UnstoppableRage: Prone to tantrums when things don't go his way, sending lightning everywhere and tearing up his throne room.
250	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Stops making any attempt to be civil when it becomes clear that Michael seeks to usurp him, outright trying to kill him.]]
251	* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Utterly convinced of his own power after eons of blind worship.
252	[[/folder]]
253
254	[[folder: Uriel-lan-Yahweh]]
255
256	Yahweh's right-hand angel, so to speak. The single most powerful angel in Heaven, short of Yahweh himself, and able to wipe out entire cities with just an effort of his will. [[spoiler: Killed by the HEA forces over Los Angeles in Pantheocide.]]
257
258	* AngelicAbomination: A genuine example of this trope among angelkind.
259	* DarkIsEvil: Unlike other angels, Uriel has pitch-black skin.
260	* DeaderThanDead: Anything that dies by Uriel's will is not sent to Hell or Heaven afterward, and several times it's stated that he dosen't just kill them, [[CessationOfExistence he snuffs their souls out]]. Jury's still out on whether it's this or he simply sends them somewhere else, though.
261	* DespairEventHorizon: Crosses this before his death in Los Angeles: he realizes that even if he manages to escape, humanity has beaten him, and he'd never be able to bring himself to attack them again.
262	* TheDreaded: Probably the biggest threat humanity faces during the Salvation War, and he's treated with every bit the fear and respect as any other weapon of mass destruction.
263	* TheDragon: WordOfGod says that this is his function to Yahweh; [[spoiler: Michael has to arrange for his death in order to be able to overthrow Yahweh, because otherwise Uriel ''would'' have destroyed him.]]
264	* FauxAffablyEvil: Talks about bringing "peace" while rendering thousands of people DeaderThanDead for one thing. When he confronts a human in his first appearance, the human looks into his eyes and sees Uriel's true self: [[MaskOfSanity "something dark and chittering like a mad insect"]], despite Uriel's calm demeanor.
265	* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:He's killed by a beam of pure light, and his fallen body impaled on the spire of the Crystal Cathedral, in the City of Angels]]. Humans parade him after death on a heavy truck like a hunting trophy.
266	* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Never realized that it was a bad idea to trust Michael.]]
267	* WalkingWasteland: Leaves thousands dead in his wake.
268	[[/folder]]
269
270	[[folder: Michael-lan-Yahweh]]
271
272	Yahweh's head general, prosecutor of the heavenly war on Earth, and resident scheming bastard-in-chief (except for [[spoiler: Elhmas.]])
273
274	* AffablyEvil: He's perfectly charming, funny, and likeable, despite his arrogance, as well as having an extraordinary capacity to inspire loyalty.
275	* AntiVillain: While he wants to rule Heaven, he's primarily doing all this to save his race from what he sees as humanity's inevitable victory... and possible angelic extinction, had his scheming not borne fruit.
276	** Could also be seen as AntiHero of the type III/IV/V (he oscillates between all three, spending most time as type IV).
277	* BreakTheHaughty: His meeting with [[spoiler: Ehlmas]] at the end of ''Pantheocide'' is noted by the humans to have knocked some of the stuffing out of him (even if they don't know the exact cause).
278	* TheCreon: Of a sort. He spends most of the series scheming to depose Yahweh, and he's happy to rule, but he isn't remotely bothered by being ousted by Petraeus (noting to Raphael that it was about 50:50 odds), and is apparently genuine in that his sole desire is to run his nightclub in peace (while, it goes without saying, also having a good deal of influence on the actual ruler of Heaven).
279	* EvenEvilHasStandards: He is horrified by the concentration camp he helped build, [[spoiler: and regrets that his fellow soldiers had to die by nuclear fire. His final tirade against Yahweh is partly driven by Yahweh's ungrateful dismissal of their sacrifice]].
280	* KarmaHoudini: What becomes of him is ''the'' big plot-wrap-up readers have been waiting to see, as Michael-lan-[[spoiler:Michael]]'s intending to get away with it all.
281	** Turns out [[spoiler:he gets stripped of his position of ruler of the city by General Petraeus, then gets set up as a puppet ruler by TheManBehindTheMan, the [[FakingTheDead apparently dead]] [[MagnificentBastard Elhmas]]. A rather hollow victory.]]
282	*** Moreover, even though [[spoiler:Zacharael the mason]] is supposed to be "his man," making Michael TheManBehindTheMan, Petraeus is already aware that something's up and has final say on [[spoiler:Zacharael]]'s cabinet picks.
283	*** If [[spoiler:Zacharael]] is who [[AlmightyJanitor everyone thinks he is]], Michael planned for this as well, noting immediately afterwards that he reckoned it was about 50:50 the humans would depose him immediately.
284	* ManipulativeBastard: If you're talking to him, or even talking to someone who's talked to him, he's playing you.
285	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: His first reaction on actually seeing the conditions within the concentration camp that he helped create. May be subverted when he claims later on in his own thoughts that he doesn't feel any guilt whatsoever for the repercussions of his schemes, although this may be denial.
286	* NecessarilyEvil: does some absolutely horrible things that are, in the end, absolutely necessary. As one character tells [[spoiler: Lemuel]] in ''Pantheocide'', if Michael hadn't done what he did, all of Heaven would have been nuked/flattened.
287	* PetTheDog: gets a few of these moments.
288	** Raising both [[spoiler: Lemuel and Maion]] up a level or two in the angelic hierarchy to make their lives easier. Admittedly, this also has the effect of stopping the righteous rage of [[spoiler: Lemuel]].
289	** Setting up [[spoiler: Lemuel and Maion]] to make them both happy. Again, it conveniently helps him too.
290	* PyrrhicVictory: When the dust settles, Michael escapes justice for his crimes. However, [[spoiler:It costs him his most trusted friend, he doesn't end up in charge of Heaven (General of the Armies Petraeus summarily ousts him, appoints his replacement ''and'' holds final say over the replacement's deputies), he's OutGambitted in the eleventh hour by someone even cleverer than he is and he ends Pantheocide defeated and alone. He even loses his cherished nightclub, the only thing that he actually loves, Petraeus having exiled him to a countryside estate and monitoring the nightclub's new supervisor.]]
291	** This is Michael, Chessmaster extraordinaire, and natural inspirer of loyalty. He admits he half-expected to be ousted and doesn't really mind. Moreover, only one person in the entire series has worked out all of what he did and why, and he seems to be content with taking the backseat and keeping a weather eye on Michael. More than likely he'll be back in charge of his nightclub soon enough, albeit under very heavy watch indeed.
292	* TheStarscream: To Yahweh.
293	* StealthInsult: The absolute master of this when speaking to Yahweh.
294	* {{Troll}}: to Yahweh.
295	* UriahGambit: His favoured method of getting rid of threats, actual or potential. Usually, it works like a charm. [[spoiler: Except for on Ehlmas, who figures it out, winds up FakingTheDead, then shows up at the end to deliver an affable death-threat should Michael end up going the way of Yahweh.]]
296	* VillainProtagonist
297	* XanatosSpeedChess: Favours this approach, at one point explaining that it's best to adapt plans to fit circumstances, rather than try the reverse.
298	[[/folder]]
299
300	[[folder: Lemuel-lan-Michael]]
301
302	Head of the League of the Heavenly Court, which is essentially Heaven's equivalent of federal police.
303
304	* GoodCopBadCop: The Good Cop. The trope itself is referenced by Michael.
305	* DoggedNiceGuy
306	* TraumaCongaLine
307	* UnwittingPawn: ''Everything'' that happens to him is a result of Michael's plot to overthrow Yahweh.
308	[[/folder]]
309
310	[[folder: Maion]]
311
312	Young female angel that Michael got hooked on heroin, and now serves as a pawn in his greater schemes.
313
314	* BabiesEverAfter: Turns out to be pregnant. This is implied to be because [[spoiler: Michael, as ruler of Heaven in terms of powers if not actual power per se, being promptly deposed, has a much more liberal attitude to sex than Yahweh did]].
315	* BreakTheCutie: The trope barely does her justice.
316	* UnwittingPawn
317	[[/folder]]
318
319	[[folder: Elhmas]]
320
321	Yahweh's biological son (aka, [[spoiler: Jesus Himself, as well as Muhammad, and possibly Martin Luther]]). One of Michael's friends and appears to be a total stoner...or is he?
322
323	* EruditeStoner: More eloquent than most, even while baked.
324	* GuileHero: [[spoiler:Manages to completely upstage Michael himself, ruining his moment of triumph and turning him into a puppet, permanently demolishing his plans to become ruler of the Eternal City. And he did it all in a single scene.]]
325	* IAmNotMyFather: With regards to Yahweh.
326	* JesusWasWayCool: [[spoiler: Took on a human form as Jesus of Nazareth to spread the message of love, forgiveness, and all the other good stuff. Despite humanity misinterpreting several of his messages, he still is far better with them than his father is. Plus, the fact that he's a GuileHero who outsmarted [[TheChessmaster Michael]] adds to his cool factor.]]
327	* MagnificentBastard: Forget ObfuscatingStupidity, he [[spoiler: surpasses arch-schemer Michael in a single scene.]]
328	* ObfuscatingStupidity: OH. BOY. [[spoiler: Not nearly as stupid as he seems, but holy wow, whoever saw THAT coming?]] Also realized humanity's potential long before anyone else, even Michael.
329	* PunchClockVillain: Bleeds this from his ears; more of a Slap-Clock Villain if anything. Elhmas [[spoiler:has spent a good length of his existence among humanity trying to genuinely let mankind know peace and amity and is one of Michael's most loyal customers, but is still willing to follow the will of his father with disturbing competence. This turns out to be {{Foreshadowing}} the fact he's an absolute GuileHero who really was GoodAllAlong and manages to ride the coattails of Michael's coup right into the throne of Heaven.]]

Context Characters / TheSalvationWar