As a remake of Ace Combat 2, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy has brought with it a slew of new faces in addition to returning ones. Here we cover the tropes they embody.
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USEA Allied Forces
Phoenix
- "Phoenix"
- 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron
- Callsign "Scarface One"
The Player Character, who has been chosen to lead 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing's 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron, "Scarface."
- The Ace: Phoenix already had a reputation as an ace, but the Ending Theme's lyrics take the cake—"Why do you still challenge me? / You can't win, it's not your destiny / Like a moth that flies into the flame / You won't return, you'll lose your name…"
- Ace Pilot: Phoenix was already known as a living legend before the Usean Rebellion, according to Ulrich Olsen. Considering the events of the first game, where he took on the Skully Islands Insurrection and splashed the first airborne fortress in the series, that's probably why.
- Animal Motifs: Thanks to his logo and title, birds.
- The Dreaded: Toward the end of the campaign, Phoenix becomes this to the rebels.
- How feared is he? The fact that the Rebel Forces resorted to nuking him in order to bring him down for good, along with the entirety of St. Ark, should be enough indication.
- Featureless Protagonist: All that's really known about Phoenix is that he's male, from the 3D model of him and his brief appearance in the Opening Narration Cutscene.
- Heroic Mime: Unlike in Ace Combat 2 where he spoke a single line, Phoenix is completely mute here. Lampshaded by Slash at one point—Slash: You don't talk much, do you? Is that what the ladies are into these days?
- Image Song: The Ending Theme, "Gravity
," doubles as both this due to its lyrics, and as an Award-Bait Song due to its style. - Leitmotif: "Fighter's Honor," which (like "ZERO" for Cipher and "Unsung War" for Razgriz Squadron), plays during the final level and incorporates the game's overall leitmotif. It also plays during the Attract Mode Cutscene.
- Red Baron: The Rebels come to fear "The Firebird" and his logo.Rebel Soldier: I know that insignia! It's the Allied Forces' Firebird!Rebel Officer: Ignore the rumors! Just take him down!
- Super Prototype: His signature aircraft, the XFA-27, is both the first original aircraft in the series as well as one of the most potent, able to fire four missiles at once.
- True Final Boss: He appears in both Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception and Ace Combat: Joint Assault as the final enemy pilot of Operation X and Ace of Aces. The former has him in his XFA-27 after a battle royale against every fictional aircraft (and Z.O.E), while the latter has him in a Eurofighter Typhoon as the final challenge after going through protagonists and major characters from previous games.
Ulrich "Keynote" Olsen
- Ulrich "Keynote" Olsen, aka "Pops"
- 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing
- Callsign "Keynote"
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Central USEA
- Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto (Japanese), Richard Epcar (English)"I've heard what you can do, Phoenix. I'm eager to see it."
The Operational Commander of the 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing. He commands the AWACS that oversees Scarface Squadron's operations. His military career dates back to before the founding of the USEA Allied Forces, when he was still serving his home country's air force.
- A Father to His Men: His profile says he can be very gentle to his family, but that equally applies to the pilots under his command.
- Taken literally in some cases, as his son is also serving with the USEA Air Force, albeit as part of a different squadron from Scarface.
- Colonel Badass: A full-bird Air Force colonel, he still puts his neck on the line out there in the field with Scarface Squadron as their AWACS handler in addition to being the squadron's commanding officer.
- Continue Your Mission, Dammit!: "The cargo's nearing the ground!" "Phoenix, watch the cargo's altitude!"
- Embarrassing Nickname: Slash was apparently the guy who gave Ulrich his nickname of Pops, and he doesn't like it.
- Mission Control: Serves as both AWACS operator and mission intel briefer for Scarface Squadron.
- Shout-Out: To Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War's Pops, Peter N. Beagle (aka Wolfgang Buchner), who filled a similar role in that game's plot.
John "Slash" Herbert
- John "Slash" Herbert
- 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron
- Callsign "Scarface Two"
- Age: 33
- Birthplace: Central USEA
- Voiced by: Shinshu Fuji (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)"You still got that bug up your butt, Pops? Hey, Phoenix! This is Slash. Always a pleasure!"
One of Phoenix's possible wingmen. He's flown with Ulrich when the two of them were rookies, and is an experienced combat pilot. After the mission at Anchorhead, Ulrich transferred both John and Kei Nagase to Scarface Squadron. As much as he loves the beach (and babes), he hates the sea breeze and never considered joining the Navy because of it.
- Adaptation Name Change: In Ace Combat 2, John's last name was Harvard.
- Butt-Monkey: Compared to Edge, he is the more clownish and unskilled of the two. His Butt Monkey-dom really starts to take off in subsequent games. In Ace Combat 04, he joins the Stonehenge Turret Network's defense squadron, code named "Shooting Starts" and is subsequently shot down by Yellow Squadron and taken prisoner. Later in Ace Combat 5 a character who shares his previous name of John Harvard is the commanding officer of the Arkbird and is then taken prisoner by the Belkans when they take over the spaceplane. Basically, post-Ace Combat 2, Slash keeps getting taken a prisoner of war.
- Girl Watching: Implied to be one of his favorite pastimes.
- Grease Monkey: Loves working on cars as a hobby, so much so that an empty hangar at Scarface's home base is his personal garage.
- Paper Tiger: He sees himself as one. During "Toy Box" or "Final Countdown," Slash admits that it was his dream to be an Ace Pilot, though he never stood a chance.
- Wingman: Serves as this.
Kei "Edge" Nagase
- Lieutenant Kei "Edge" Nagase
- 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron
- Callsign "Scarface Two"
- Age: 20
- Birthplace: Far Eastern USEA
- Voiced by: Hiromi Igarashi (Japanese), Alison Lees-Taylor (English)"I'll admit, your combat skills were quite ... admirable. But I am reserving my final assessment."
The other possible wingman for Phoenix. She's from where the Usean Rebellion first began, and hopes to put an end to the suffering her country's endured from the coup d'etat. She dreams of being a commercial pilot one day.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Her bio says she "can come off as cold and stinging as her codename." She starts to warm up from the very first mission, though. Olsen teases her about "showing her feminine side" during one of the missions.
- Legacy Character: There's other Kei Nagases in Ace Combat, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, and Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. The Nagase in Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is actually her, having retired to a much safer job... in theory. The Kei Nagase of Ace Combat 5 and 7 is her younger cousin.
- Turn in Your Badge: In the first mission(s) that allow wingmen, Edge introduces herself with a stern warning:Edge: However, if you show any signs of being unfit to uphold your duties ...Pops: Loosen up, Lieutenant Nagase.
- Wingman: Serves as this.
- Women Are Wiser: In contrast to Slash, Edge is no-nonsense and said to have an intuition that rivals veteran pilots.
Liam
- Captain Liam
- Captain of the carrier White Valley
- Commander of USEA Allied Forces 4th Fleet"Thanks, Scarface Squadron. We owe you our lives."
During Operation Alphaville, Scarface Squadron escorts an Allied Forces fleet through the Payton Channel. It turns out Ulrich knows the fleet commander, Captain Liam; an old flame of Liam's, Sophie, is married to Ulrich.
- Love Triangle: He still hasn't given up on Sophie, as Olsen says.Liam: Tell her I'll come give her husband a pounding if he starts acting up.
Rebel Forces
Albert "Pride" Wahlberg
- Albert "Pride" Wahlberg
- 16th Air Force 4th Fighter Wing, 3rd Squadron
- Callsign "Lancer One"
- Age: 28
- Birthplace: Western USEA
- Voiced by: Yuki Fujiwara (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English)"We knights are blessed by the heavens! You don't stand a chance against us!"
Commander of the 16th Air Force 4th Fighter Wing's 3rd Squadron, also known as "Lancer Squadron." He comes from a prestigious family, and his father is a Major General in the USEA Allied Forces. Despite that, he joined the rebellion out of a sense of justice and concern for the well-being of his home nation.
- Ace Pilot: He's a Steamroller through and through. For all the good it does him.
- Air Jousting: His favored tactic is having his entire squadron charge through enemy forces in a line abreast formation.
- Arrogant Fighter Pilot
- Blue Blood: Hails from a high-ranking Erusean military family and was being groomed to enter politics before joining the rebellion.Pride: The pride of the Wahlbergs will be felt in my next attack!
- Braggart Boss
- Continuity Nod: Lancer Squadron's Leitmotif is done in a style similar to songs from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War such as "Merlon" and "Glatisant." Recall that ACZ was strongly influenced by Arthurian Legend, and Albert's squadron strongly plays up their knightly heritage ...
- Expy: Their pride and disdain towards Phoenix as a lowly mercenary makes them an expy to Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan Wars Rot Squadron, while their knightly heritage is similar to Indigo Squadron.
- Leitmotif: "Skyburn."
- Meaningful Name: Lancer Squadron fights more like knightly Lancers than fighter pilots.
- Pride Before a Fall: His squadron is first among the ace squadrons fought by Phoenix, in the second mission no less.Pride: Lancer Squadron, take your pride with you into battle!
- This Cannot Be!: Albert just can't grasp the idea of being shot down by "mercenary dogs."
- Warm-Up Boss: The first squadron fought in the game, giving an idea of how the later dogfights will be.
Sergei "Eater" Brynner
- Sergei "Eater" Brynner
- 13th Air Force 8th Fighter Wing, 5th Squadron
- Callsign "Beast One"
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Unknown (Officially Gratobie, rumored to be Principality of Belka)
- Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese), Matthew Mercer (English)"You should have watched what you were doing. Now he's all mine!"
Commander of the USEA's infamous Beast Squadron; an apt name, considering they're widely known to be the most ferocious of the Allied Forces fighter squadrons. Although the squadron is fiercely loyal to Sergei, they've been criticized for their wild behavior many times, and have even been compared to savage pirates.
- Ace Pilot: His squadron prefers the Bushwhacker style; he and his squadron attack from all sides relentlessly and viciously.
- Blood Knight: Sergei likes fighting, but more than that, he loves winning fights and has no problem with playing dirty to do so.
- Call-Back: Sergei refers to Phoenix as a demon during "Toy Box." Another line makes it clear that this is in reference to the Demon Lord of the Round Table—Eater: It's been a while since I've seen a fight like this. Reminds me of Roundtable.
- During that mission's debriefing, Ulrich mentions rumors that Sergei's a former Belkan Air Force pilot who fought in the Belkan War.
- Continuity Nod: Beast Squadron's Leitmotif has much of the same sound as songs from Assault Horizon.
- Combat Pragmatist: Sergei loves fighting, but he loves winning even more. He'll do whatever it takes to stack the odds in his favor.
- Flunky Boss: For the rematch, Sergei recruits two F/A-18E pilots to provide electronic warfare support for his squadron. (They're probably meant to be EA-18G Growlers.)
- Leitmotif: "Gray Wolf."
- Nicknaming the Enemy: Sergei calls Phoenix "Flame-o."
- Recurring Boss: If Phoenix participates in Operation Alphaville, he'll wind up fighting Beast Squadron again.
- Run for the Border: As Olson notes, there is strong evidence that Brynner is a Belkan war criminal hiding from justice on Usea under falsified credentials.
- Sociopathic Soldier: The other enemy Aces are shown to at lease be decent people beyond their military affiliation. Byrnner is basically an irredeemable monster.Eater: Next chance I get, I'm cuttin' out your damn windpipe.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: Beast Squadron's first battle is when the missiles really start to fly.
- War Is GloriousEater: Ain't war grand? Whaddya say, flame-o?
Camilla "Catwalk" Almeida
- Camilla "Catwalk" Almeida
- 2nd Fleet Carrier Air Wing, 14th Squadron
- Callsign "Cocoon One"
- Age: 35
- Birthplace: Northern USEA
- Voiced by: Akiko Koike (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (English)"Come on, little birdy. Care to dance?"
Commander of the 2nd Fleet's illustrious Cocoon Squadron. She's said to have the charisma of a queen, and commands respect from people both below and above her station. She defected from the USEA Allied Forces due to frustration over its mistreatment of its soldiers.
- Ace Pilot: She and her squadron are Pluggers.
- The Baroness: A rather unique fighter-pilot variant of this archetype.
- The Dead Have Names: Her squadron is the only one in which (some of) her wingmen's names are mentioned; among them, Bruno, Rodrigo, and Kaio.
- Dominatrix: She's got a streak of this in her. Just listen to how her all-male fighter squadron calls her "Lady" and "Queen" rather than using proper military protocol. Or listen to how she addresses Phoenix personally:Catwalk: I always liked taking the "dominant" role.
- "Get Back Here!" Boss: While Phoenix is dealing with the 2nd Fleet, Camilla's squadron pops up to harass him, and retreats once one or two of her wingmen are shot down. After the 2nd Fleet is sunk, the battle begins with Cocoon Squadron proper, only for Z.O.E to interrupt once another wingman is shot down. Camilla may opt to take advantage of the distraction, but will retreat again if another wingman goes down. After Z.O.E is chased off, only then does Camilla stick around for a fight to the death.
- Interservice Rivalry: Just as many Real Life naval aviators do, Catwalk considers Navy fighter pilots to be superior to those in the Air Force.Catwalk: We Navy pilots can't lose to measly land pilots.
- Leitmotif: "Locked," which plays in full once Z.O.E is chased off. It incorporates the game's general leitmotif as wellnote .
- A Mother to Her Men: Camilla regrets losing her squadron members (and her fleet) in battle.Catwalk: You sunk our ship. You'll pay for that with your life!
- Men Like Dogs, Women Like Cats: Averted. Her TAC Name may be Catwalk, but her bio claims she loves dogs and routinely trains shelter rescue dogs to become hunting hounds.
- Nicknaming the Enemy: Camilla calls Phoenix "little birdy."
- Uncertain Doom: Unlike the other bosses, her bio (unlocked after she's shot down) seems to imply she survived her encounter with Phoenix.
Edgar "Bird's Eye" Grint
- Captain Edgar "Bird's Eye" Grint
- 28th Air Force 1st Fighter Wing, 1st Squadron
- Callsign "Albireo One"
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Western USEA (Federal Republic of Erusea)
- Voiced by: Ikuya Sawaki (Japanese), T.J Storm (English)"Take some risks. No one ever won anything without risking something."
Squadron Leader of Albireo Squadron, the best squadron of all the USEA Allied Forces hailing from none other than the Federal Republic of Erusea. Phoenix fights Edgar and Albireo Squadron if he joins Operation Bellissima.
- Ace Pilot: Said to be the epitome of one. Edgar and his squadron prefer Sniper and Bushwhacker tactics.
- Black Dude Dies First: Grint is the only person of color among Legacy's quartet of Boss Aces, and is the only one of the four to 100% definitively die on screen. The rest receive more Uncertain Dooms.
- The Chessmaster: A charismatic anti-villain fighter pilot version.
- Chess Motifs: Edgar's squadron has formations based on chess piece names.Bird's Eye: Now then, Phoenix. What should my first move be? How about ... The Knight.
- Leitmotif: "On the Verge."
- Officer and a Gentleman: He's an ace pilot and quite mannerly in his dialogue.
- Retirony: Edgar originally planned on retiring before deciding to defect to the Rebels. According to his bio, he died when Phoenix shot him down. He had promised his wife they'd move to a village away from airbases after the war, too.
- Smart People Play Chess: Edgar plays a verbal game of chess with one of his wingmen on their way to intercept Phoenix as an establishing moment.Albireo Squadron Member: That's your third win in a row, sir. No one can match you.
- Worthy Opponent: It's an honor for him to fight Phoenix.
Z.O.E
- Z.O.E"A red aircraft? I've never seen a paint job like that before ..."—Ulrich "Pops" Olsen
Just as enigmatic as its original appearance in Ace Combat 2, the Z.O.E is a group of aircraft, all painted blood red, that harass Phoenix throughout the campaign. Unlike in AC2, the individual Z.O.E planes are not given ranks, and are all referred to by the same name.
- A.I.-cronym: It's acronym Z.O.E. can be pronounced "Zoe" but stands for "Zone of Endless".
- Attack Drone: All implications point to the Z.O.E fighters being unmanned. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown outright confirms it, with its Final Boss being a pair of drones resulting from the same project, and their immediate predecessor bearing a Z.O.E. emblem.
- Badass Back: In its FALKEN incarnation, Z.O.E can fire its guns and missiles to the rear. You can just hear Pops calling BS on this from the tone in his voice when he sees it happening.
- Bait-and-Switch Boss: Z.O.E interrupts Cocoon Squadron's battle with Phoenix to duel him. While annoyed, Camilla may attempt sneak attacks while Phoenix is tangling with Z.O.E.
- Duel Boss: You can avert this if you can take a wingman with you, but not all Z.O.E encounters give you the privilege.
- Final Boss: At the beginning of the last mission, "Fighter's Honor," Z.O.E is fought one last time, now in the ADF-01 FALKEN, which has advanced ECM capabilities, can fire its guns and missiles backwards, and
- Leitmotif: Z.O.E gets two: "Zone of Endless" and "Intruder," and an additional one as a Superboss.
- Outside-Context Problem: In the final battle with Z.O.E, Ulrich notes that there's nothing like its last incarnation (ADF-01 FALKEN) in the Allied Forces' databases, and the rebels couldn't possibly have developed this aircraft on their own. The true nature and origins of Z.O.E are left a mystery. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War hints, and Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War all but outright states that it's a Belkan project without actually mentioning Z.O.E by making the origins of the ADF-01 FALKEN it flies crystal clear. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown reveals that they're early prototypes of a Belkan drone/Artificial Intelligence program that is used to convince Erusea that they can fight Osea and once again threaten the world in Ace Combat 7.
- Even the flavor text for the Zone of Endless medal before it's earned doesn't give any hints:Awarded to pilots who venture into unknown territory.
- Even the flavor text for the Zone of Endless medal before it's earned doesn't give any hints:
- Predecessor Villain: The twin final bosses of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Hugin and Munin and their ADF-11F RAVEN platforms are direct descendants of the Zone of Endless program and the ADF-01 FALKEN platform it used in its final fight during the Usean coup d'etat, and the Zone of Endless emblem can be very faintly seen on the immediate predecessor of the ADF-11 that forms the core of the ADF-11F RAVEN, the ADFX-10. Also, this makes them by extension, a predecessor of Nemo.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: The primary colors of the Z.O.E. planes are all red with black highlights and black-tinted cockpits (to obscure the fact that they are unmanned). They are also functionally the "villains" of both Ace Combat 2 and Assault Horizon Legacy.
- Red Is Violent: A squadron of all-red planes that appear out of nowhere and repeatedly try to kill Phoenix specifically.
- Recurring Boss: Zone of Endless is fought five times throughout the game, each time in more advanced aircraft, culminating in its final appearance in the ADF-01 FALKEN.
- Stealth Pun:Edge: I don't see any nationality markings. Could it be rogue?
- Try and Follow: Extra Mission 02. Oh, you thought trying to fly through Seals Bridge canyon on an Airstrike Impossible was hard enough? How about trying to chase Z.O.E's FALKEN through it at high speed?
- Wolfpack Boss: Was Z.O.E's FALKEN too easy for you, even on Ace? Never fear! Extra Mission 04 will put you up against a whole squadron of them. After you've cleared a beefed-up version of "Fighter's Honor," during which, you still have to face the FALKEN at the beginning, and after you destroy the missile, instead of flying out the top of Fortress Intolerance, you have to turn around and fly out the way you came in. Oh, and they'll have full access to the Tactical Laser System. Have fun!
- You Shall Not Pass!: Z.O.E's role in "Fighter's Honor." The opening cutscene for the mission shows the Z.O.E FALKEN descending into view in front of Fortress Intolerance, as if daring Phoenix to attack.
