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This character sheet holds much more than the named main characters of Brütal Legend. Unique from other Real-Time Strategy games, and brawlers like Dynasty Warriors, each and every unit has a story behind it, and was designed to be as important to combat as they are charming. And so, you will find information on every unit in the game, divided by the faction they come from. Of course, most of the heroes reside in the Ironheade faction, while the villains are in the rest.

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Ironheade

    Ironheade as a whole 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Faction_Ironheade_001_4923.png

Ironheade is the heroic Heavy Metal faction of Brütal Legend. They embody Heavy Metal (and Heavy Mithril) from The '70s, and The '80s. The single player campaign is a Justified Tutorial for multiplayer, teaching players how Ironheade came to be as well as the other factions.


  • The Alcoholic: If they're not kicking ass, any member of Ironheade is enjoying booze.
  • Faction Calculus: Balanced. Ironheade can generally throw down with the other two factions well enough and do any strategy the player would like to try, but they don't particularly excel in any area.
  • Fragile Speedster: Ironheade has fast units that lack high health: Metal Beasts, Fire Barons, and Raptor Elks. To compensate, they have a mobile healer in the Thunderhogs.
  • Glass Cannon: Ironheade units tend to have low health, but deal a lot of damage.
  • Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Except for Lita and Ophelia (the latter, while she's still with you)
  • Heavy Mithril: Brought to life.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: A lot of leather jackets. Most of them black.
  • Horny Vikings: Your infantry, post-upgrade.
  • Medieval Stasis: They start off victim to this.
  • Mood Motif: Heavy Metal, in particular from The '70s, The '80s, and modern Power Metal. They also have a Nordic slant, and are themed around Fire. Their art is inspired by Frank Frazetta.
  • Music for Courage: By way of Battle Cry.
  • Nerf: More heavily nerfed than any other faction, due to advantages inherited from the story mode.
    • When the game was first released, Ironheade was the most powerful faction due to fire baron rushes. They were then nerfed heavily and became the weakest multiplayer faction. It also became apparent that Ironhead has the smallest number of units.
  • Playing with Fire: Main hero Eddie's guitar is centered around fire, flames accompany most heavy units, and one of Eddie's special attacks literally melts faces.
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: A group of liberated slaves, reclusive hermits and hidden tribes only united by a love of metal.
  • Welcome to Corneria: Eddie can "chat" with Ironheade forces in the campaign when they're not kicking ass, but rarely do they have over three lines at a given time.

Heroes

    Edward "Eddie" Riggs 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Eddie-Riggs-001_2513.png

Where I come from, this guitar makes noises. Here, it blows stuff up!
Voiced by: Jack Black

The world's greatest roadie. He finds himself transported to a mythical land of metal after an accident at a concert. Now he must find a way to help his new friends and find out some of the secrets surrounding this strange new land.


  • Acquired Situational Narcissism: Eddie becomes a Large Ham after he first gets his wings.
    "Silence, groundwalker!"
  • Almighty Janitor: Invoked of his own accord. Eddie takes Lars' little joke of a rebellion and creates something with it that's actually powerful enough to free the land from the forces of evil. Being a consummate roadie, though, he quietly solves problems and then leaves before anyone notices. This happens even at the end of the game... Except it's averted because everyone knows who won the war for them.
  • Amazon Chaser: When Ophelia accuses him of wanting to protect her, he admits that he enjoys watching her fight.
  • Anti-Anti-Christ: The reason Ophelia is afraid to explain who Succoria is. Lars, Lita, and Ophelia's parents know a prophecy that someone would come along to destroy or save them. Lita leans to the former, Lars is kinda on the fence, and Ophelia believes the latter. It turns out that someone is Eddie, and he's the child of humanity's greatest hero and nemesis together.
  • Attack! Attack! Attack!: "Everything in that general direction must die!"
  • Audible Sharpness: The Battle Cry solo creates a shockwave, justifiably invoking this trope.
  • Badass Driver: Driving the Deuce/Druid Plow. He even manages to drive it out of a collapsing lair set to the tune of "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce.
  • Battle Cry: A song that makes Lars' eponymous sword appear in a Battle Aura, bursting into a wave of Audible Sharpness.
  • The Beastmaster: The Call of the Wild solo summons animals as free units with a limited lifespan.
  • Big Good: While he'd rather let the other members of Ironheade take the spotlight, the final Legend suggests he was the real Big Good of the game, being instrumental in turning the tide against the Tainted Coil.
  • Big Word Shout: "DECAPITATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!" The second time is considerably bigger than the first time.
  • Blood Knight: Eddie really enjoys his time hacking down enemies with his Axe.
  • Born in the Wrong Century: Even discussed in the game's opening with another roadie. Eddie feels like he should have been born earlier to experience the rise of heavy metal. Little does he know that he's the spawn of a roadie and a demoness who both came from the age of heavy metal.
  • Call-Back: When Eddie plays the "Battle Cry" solo, a flaming sword appears over his head. He learned the solo off of Lars' blade.
  • The Call Has Bad Reception: Only Ophelia and Doviculus had a clue to his significance.
  • Calling Your Attacks: Either spoken or sung.
  • Chekhov's Skill: It's his roadie skills that unlock the secrets of the Age of Metal for all three factions.
  • Chick Magnet: Ophelia, Lita, and the Zaulia. Even some casual dialogue from the Razor Girls asking if he'd like to hook up.
  • Cool Car: The Deuce, AKA "Druid Plow."
  • Cue the Sun: The Light of Dawn solo.
    Eddie: "Oh mighty sun, burn the creatures of the night from this land while I enjoy coffee and bacon!"
  • Cursed with Awesome: The only effect becoming a demon has on him is giving him wings, and Acquired Situational Narcissism the first time he takes off.
  • Dual Wielding: Eddie has two axes: one he swings, and one he plays.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?:
    • Subverted. Lars ends up getting the credit for Eddie saving Ophelia early on, but as the story progresses, Eddie willingly lets Lars and Lita take credit for saving the world. Eddie's a roadie after all; it's not his job to be in the spotlight. However, even though Eddie doesn't want the glory, it's clear everyone else appreciates him and his actions.
    • Played straight with Kabbage Boy, who give Eddie absolutely no respect, though the feeling is mutual.
  • The Engineer: Combat Engineer, of course.
  • Fantastic Nuke: The solo "Bring it on Home" summons a lead zeppelin to fall from the sky to crash at your location. It's fantastically powerful, kind of a Wave-Motion Gun, but it has a long cooldown.
  • Game Face: He turns into a demon and gains wings during the second stage battle, and for every stage battle onwards.
  • Genius Bruiser: Always willing and capable in a fight, while being smart enough to use the secrets of metal.
  • Genre Savvy: Reconstructed. At first, his knowledge of Heavy Metal and skills as a roadie carry him far. But this backfires when he jumps to the conclusion that Ophelia is a traitor, causing Ophelia to be cast out of the army, and ultimately Ironheade. He comes out on top in the end, saving both Ironheade and Ophelia.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: In demon form, his eyes glow a bright yellow.
  • The Greatest Story Never Told: At the end, Lars and Lita Halford are hailed as the true heroes of the Rebellion, and Eddie seems to be reduced to a footnote in history. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
  • Hammerspace: In the Double Fine 10th Anniversary comic, he pulls a retro 1980's cell phone out of nowhere to take a call from several well-wishers, mostly rejected concept designs of characters from his own game and Psychonauts.
  • Heartbroken Badass: In one of the final battles, Eddie is finally shown to still love Ophelia and wants her back.
  • Heroic Lineage: His mother was a demon, and his father was a badass who tamed her.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: Subverted. He becomes a demon during stage battles and loves every minute of it, but he remains true to Ironheade and his friends to the very end.
  • Hero Unit: To Ironheade.
  • Hot-Blooded: Comes from listening to heavy metal his entire life. Eddie is frequently shouting at the top of his lungs, and loves the thrill of combat.
  • Human-Demon Hybrid: His mother is the demon emperor Succoria and his father is the human hero Riggnarok.
  • Humble Hero: He believes that roadies shouldn't take the spotlight away from the band. In the end, he lets others take the credit for his deeds as well and lets Lita become the new leader of the humans.
  • Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Lars may have inspired the rebellion and was given all the credit in the end, but Eddie's the one responsible for leading every battle and building up everything that Ironheade has ever done.
  • Hypocrite: Turns his distrust on Ophelia for refusing to explain the name Succoria, even when she says it's to protect him. Refuses to explain his part in a plan his teammates find their parts in insane, claims it's for their own protection.
  • I Call It "Vera": His guitar, which he calls Clementine. Which gains the ability to shoot lightning, summon fire and cast spells once he enters the Age of Metal.
  • I Choose to Stay: Immediately scoffs at the thought of trying to get back home when Lita suggests it.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: Though a bit more on the buff side. One interview lampshades this by having Jack Black wearing fake muscular arms. Plus, Eddie has longer hair and a more defined jaw.
  • Instant Expert: He got used to using the Separator like a bee gets used to buzzing, to the point of lampshading it. Justified because it's In the Blood.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: The 10th Anniversary Double Fine comic strip shows Eddie chatting with Raz and the company's Mascot, Two-Headed Baby.
  • Jack of All Trades: Seems to come with being the "best roadie in the business". He's an adept musician, namely with a guitar, a capable enough mechanic to build a indestructible car from some parts he finds laying around, a good enough repairman to make a guitar that was smashed look good as new the next day, can build extremely elaborate stage sets, and is even a Stealth Expert due to how often he needs to keep his idiot band from getting themselves killed without being noticed by the audience. This can surprise even himself at times, such as him Lampshading how quickly he gets used to wielding an axe despite lacking any prior experience.
  • The Last DJ: Not a fan of Kabbage Boy, saying that he can fix anything except for their music. Eddie is the world's greatest roadie not for the money or the prestige, but because he just loves traditional heavy metal.
  • Let's Get Dangerous!: Eddie is fond of telling these to Mangus.
    "Mangus, the Hour of Rock is upon us."
    "Hope you're in the mood... for Death! Which is waiting for us on the road, now let's HIT IT!"
  • Like a Duck Takes to Water: The moment he wakes up in the Heavy Mithril world, he adapts to it better than its own inhabitants. When he gets his hands on the Separator, he becomes an Instant Expert. With his skills as a roadie, he (re)invents automobiles, uncovers much of the Ancient World's lost power (as well as how to harness it via rocking), singlehandedly turns the human resistance from "just three guys (Lars, Lita and Ophelia)" into an expansive, organized and effective movement against three seperate opposing factions and ultimately wins the Forever War. With the reveal that his father was the original leader of the Human rebellion and his mother was the Queen of the Tainted Coil, it all falls into place.
  • Living Macguffin: The final legend says everything about him was the key to saving the Land of Metal.
  • MacGyvering: He designs a good deal of Ironheade's technology himself, and builds the Druid Plow by hand using ancient automobile parts he discovers in Ormagödden's temple. That last one is notable as he apparently didn't have any tools.
  • The Man Behind the Man: As is to be expected of a roadie, he's very good at making other people look good, including Lars, whom he helps get named king of the free people of Ironheade. Even their Double Team Attack consists of Lars standing heroically atop Eddie's shoulders to deliver powerful, blazing slashes with his sword.
  • Meaningful Name:
    • His name is a reference to Iron Maiden. His first name comes from Iron Maiden's Metal Band Mascot, Eddie the Head, while last name comes from Derek Riggs, the artist responsible for creating Eddie the Head.
    • And story-wise, his last name is a shortened form of Riggnarock.
  • Mr. Fixit: He can fix anything. Except Kabbage Boy's music.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: He is partially responsible for Ophelia's Face–Heel Turn as Drowned Ophelia and the creation of the Drowning Doom.
  • Nerf: Facemelter lost power (on infantry, but not cars) and Call of the Wild summons animals at the stage instead of anywhere.
  • The Only One: The final Legend paints Eddie as this.
  • Power Gives You Wings: As the hero unit in stage battles, he can summon demon wings to fly around.
  • The Reliable One: As a roadie. Even though Kabbage Boy hates Eddie's guts, the lead singer admits that Eddie can fix anything and build anything.
  • Showrunner: Without him, Ironheade would've consisted of Lars, Lita, and Ophelia sitting around getting wasted constantly instead of becoming the Badass Army that it is.
  • Smoking Is Cool: He's mainly seen lighting a cigarette.
  • Supporting Protagonist: As a Roadie, his job is to make his teammates function well. Subverted with the final Legend showing that he really is the true hero of the story, and in the end when his allies express how he was truly the reason they succeeded.
  • Tomato in the Mirror: Eddie didn't end up in the Age of Metal out of wish fulfillment or chance. He's the son of Succoria, the previous ruler of the Tainted Coil, and Riggnarok, her nemesis-turned-lover. His belt was purpose-built to transport its wearer (intended to be Succoria) back to the Age of Metal after gleaning the secrets of the Titans from, what the Demons assumed, would be a future they controlled.
  • Tough Spikes and Studs: He wears spiked arm bands and is very good at kicking demon ass.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Downplayed. When told that the Killmaster has a flock of giant spiders, Eddie appears stuned in shock. When told he'd have to invade the layer of the Metal Queen spider, he's reluctant to go and asks an NPC if he wants to talk him out of the deed. In the end, he does go through with slaying the giant spider regardless of his unease.
  • Winged Humanoid: But only during stage battles.

    Ophelia 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ophelia-001_2873.png

I hope my parents were wrong about this.
Voiced by: Jennifer Hale

She met Eddie only a few minutes after he was transported to the world of metal. After a few fights the two quickly became allies and friends. Eddie is immediately smitten by her Perky Goth sexiness. She is a good friend to Lars Halford, but his sister Lita doesn't trust her due to her parents.


  • Action Girl: She and Eddie fight off a horde of demons together only a few minutes into the game.
  • Already Done for You: You know that whole army-building thing? She's way ahead of you.
  • Broken Bird: While she leads the Drowning Doom.
  • Dark Action Girl: As commander of the Drowning Doom. Or rather, her evil doppelganger is.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Her parents were part of the Black Tear Rebellion, which spurs much distrust from Lita due to the resulting Fantastic Racism of Ophelia being a descendent of Black Tear-infused people.
  • Fastball Special: Her Double Team.
  • Goth Girls Know Magic: She's a Perky Goth who shows aptitude for the heavy metal magic.
  • Keeping Secrets Sucks: She figures out early on that Eddie is the child of Succoria. She refuses to explain this, which leads to Eddie coming to believe it's her, then things going From Bad to Worse.
  • Meaningful Name: The Ophelia, and she even drowns, to draw a parallelism.
  • Mistaken Identity: Ophelia refuses to explain who Succoria is after Doviculus is seen seeking her out via scent, as doing so would reveal Eddie as The Antichrist, as Lars, Lita, and her own parents warned. Eddie assumes it's her and it tears their relationship apart. It turns out Doviculus is smelling him, and Ophelia is protecting Eddie from the truth.
  • Not Quite Back to Normal: The last shot of the game is her shedding a single, black tear. The game leaves it open what this might mean.
  • Perky Goth: Right up until Eddie's misunderstanding of Doviculus' taunts causes him to break her heart, turning her into a full-on depressed goth.
  • Taking the Heat: Right down to the end, she never throws Eddie under the bus about his heritage or mentions the name on his t-shirt.
  • Tough Spikes and Studs: Like Eddie, she wears spiked arm bands. She is also good fighting demons, just like Eddie.

    Lars Halford 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lars-001_6585.png

Lars is the leader of Ironheade and Lita's brother. Despite being dead for half the game he gets most of the credit for overthrowing Doviculus.


  • Audible Sharpness: Every time his sword is drawn, the sound echoes. May be justified because it's a Tab Slab sword, and it's a world of Metal.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: Lars is, in-universe, a living version of this trope: so inspiring that the armies of man will follow him to the gates of Hell, but completely incapable of organizing the logistics of an army. That, of course, is why he needs a roadie.
  • Battle Cry: The song written on his sword.
  • Berserk Button: Lars is... a bit of a narcissist when it comes to his looks. So when Lyonwhite's soldiers hang a banner taunting Lars that depicts him as fat and balding, Lars vows to kill Lyonwhite himself.
  • Big Good: Treated as such, even by the true protagonist.
  • Cool Sword: It has the power to inspire people to flock to their banner. If only it was wielded by someone who actually had an idea of how to lead an army...
  • Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: He claims himself to be the King of the Humans in front of Doviculus... who responded by stabbing him in the chest.
  • Fake Ultimate Hero: Lars is a rare version, in that he is genuinely heroic, selfless and brave. He's really good at inspiring speeches...and that's it. This explains why his little rebellion consists of three whole people before someone with actual skill at logistics shows up and lends a hand. In the end, he seems to have bought into his own press, since it turns out a defiant speech and leading a heroic cause did not make him invincible...
  • Fearless Fool: Oh yeah. With tragic consequences.
  • Genre Blindness: His idea of a battle plan is "Victory" with no thought for tactics or caution. This leads to his death.
  • Heroic Lineage: According to this throwaway line of dialogue.
    Eddie: So, who died and made Lars king?
    Lita: OUR FATHER, YOU JERK!
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He is promptly impaled by Doviculus after he reveals himself to be Ironheade's leader.
  • In the Name of the Moon: "For the honor of Bladehenge, the freedom of its people, and the glory... OF ITS METAL!"
  • Last-Second Chance: Tries giving these to the Lionwhyte minions that he fights. Admittedly, it does work on the Bouncers.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Yes Lars, walk straight up to Emperor fuckin' Doviculus and mouth off to him. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Bare-chested clothing to show of his ripped figure.
  • Perma-Shave: Lampshaded by the Headbangers.
    Headbanger: "Do you think Lars shaves his chest?"
  • Plotline Death: He dies in a cutscene where he tries to intimidate Doviculus. And then, it was too late to bring him back from the dead.
  • Rousing Speech: His Double Team not only makes him powerful, but he will give a very long speech the entire time while being carried.
    Lars: Edward, I would like to address the troops...
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Even if he doesn't know how to organize, he's still totally willing to join his troops in the battles to come. Double Team with him, and he actually becomes powerful.
  • Shout-Out: If you double team with Lars, he will quote lines from Conan the Barbarian (1982).
    Lars: No one will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought and why we died...
  • Sophisticated as Hell:

    Lita Halford 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LitaHalford2_5891.jpg

Watch me stick this dummy in the crotch!
Voiced by: Kath Soucie

Lars Halford's sexy, but aloof younger sister. An utter Ice Queen who is critical of Lars and mistrusting of Ophelia. She harbors personal prejudices of Ophelia because her parents were Tear Drinkers in the Black Tear Rebellion.


  • Action Girl: She doesn't carry around that halberd for show.
  • All Love Is Unrequited: Implied with Eddie.
  • Character Development: At the start of the game, Lita distrusts pretty much everybody except for Lars. Following Lars' death, she slowly becomes more trusting towards the other members of Ironheade. Finally, during the game's ending, she admits that she was wrong to be so distrustful of others.
  • Commander Contrarian: If Ophelia has anything to do with it, expect Lita to run contrary to it.
  • The Complainer Is Always Wrong: She acts vindicated when the Drowning Doom are revealed to be led by Drowned Ophelia, but it turns out she and Eddie are to blame for her Face–Heel Turn.
    • Of course, considering Ironheade witnessed Doviculus accusing "Succoria" of having turned against him, then were explicitly told he'd just opened the Sea of Black Tears to pit humans against each other, all right after they killed Lionwhyte, she really should've thought this through.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Partially for Eddie, but more out of responsibility to Ironheade.
  • Dude, Not Funny!: An in-universe example happens during an optional conversation.
    Eddie: So who died and made Lars king?
    Lita: My father, you jerk.
    Eddie: Oh, sorry.
  • Fantastic Racism: Towards Ophelia because of her parents, making her a "Tear Drinker".
  • Heartbroken Badass: After Ophelia's apparent betrayal, Lita vows to Eddie that she will never cry. But when the two of them rendezvous with the rest of Ironheade and they see that the Killmaster was unable to save Lars, Lita breaks down in tears.
  • The High Queen: After Lars' death, Lita becomes queen of Bladehenge and the leader of Ironheade.
  • Heroic Lineage: She's Lars' sister, and based on a throwaway line their late father was a king.
  • Ice Queen: She's cold and distant during the first half of the game, and warms up a bit after the Time Skip.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: While she does adamantly give her objections constantly, her loyalty to Ironeheade is absolute.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: Lita dresses like, and somewhat resembles, female heavy metal vocalist Doro Pesch.
  • Of Corsets Sexy: It also ties together her warrior princess look.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Lita blames Ophelia solely for Lars' death, believing she was a mole for Doviculus.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Princess and later queen of Bladehenge, she fights on the front lines of every single battle the Ironheade army is in.
  • Supporting Leader: Replaces Lars in the end.
  • Tsundere: She starts acting like this after the Time Skip. Unfortunately for her, Eddie's still pining for Ophelia and it goes nowhere.
  • Tomboy Princess: Yep.
  • Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: Or as Eddie once calls her, "Bossy Bangs."

    Mangus 

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mangus-001_6720.png

Lars: Mangus, are you an Engineer?
Mangus: What's an Engineer?
Voiced by: Alex Fernandez

An ugly, lanky guy who becomes Eddie's right hand as Bladehenge develops. Eddie is a boss and mentor to him, teaching him his Roadie ways.


  • The Apprentice: To Eddie.
  • Bring My Brown Pants: Apparently wears a diaper when driving the tour bus to avoid having to make restroom stops.
  • The Ditz: Can sometimes misinterpret Eddie's instructions or forget them afterwards, prompting Eddie to repeat himself or shorten said instructions.
  • The Engineer: Yet he and Lars have no clue what an engineer is.
  • Lovable Coward: Afraid of everything, but he'll do his job, and he'll do it well.
  • The Pig-Pen: According to the Guardian of Metal, anyway. His comment when Mangus's Mt. Rockmore relief is highlighted?
    Guardian of Metal: Smells better than the original.
  • Remember the New Guy?: He is introduced right after you help Ophelia recruit Razor Girls to Ironheade, without any previous mention of him - remember, at the beginning of the game, that Lars said the pre-Ironheade army was just he, Lita and Ophelia? Also, despite him having those mutton chops, he doesn't seem like he was a Thunderhog before being an Engineer. Also, very unlikely that he was in the Crushing Pit.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Scared of the Fire Barons, absolutely refusing to get anywhere near their turf until Ironheade absolutely needs to go there. Once they join Ironheade, he loses this fear.

Units

    Headbangers 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/headbangers-001_9320.png
Voiced by: Eric Artell, Mark Derwin & Darryl Kurylo

Headbangers are Ironheade's main infantry unit who attack with their amazingly hard heads. They may not seem too smart but a big enough group of them can cause a lot of damage in a little time. They are the only unit in the game with a Double Team attack that stacks depending on how many of them are around. In other words, the more Headbangers you have, the larger their Mosh Pit attack is.

Tier 1 melee infantry.


  • Frazetta Man: A silly version of this trope.
  • Hard Head: They were forced to mine with nothing but their heads, and the rock walls lost. And Eddie names their army "Ironheade" after them. They're not particularly bright at first, but they are valuable allies.
    Lars: What do you do with a bunch of kids who don't know how to do anything but bang their heads all day?
    Eddie: (as Manly Tears form) You start a revolution, Lars.
  • Hidden Eyes: Covered by goggles, hats, bandannas, etc.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Despite seeming a little dim, they managed to make the Headsplitter, and one of them also created a lift for Eddie to make the Deuce a turret.
  • Only a Flesh Wound: "I don't care! I like being on fire!"
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: They're a hodgepodge of young miners who dig with their own goddamn heads. They're also one of the most practical units to use.
  • Surfer Dude: Dude, like totally the most metal example!
  • Use Your Head: They aren't called Headbangers for nothing.
  • When All You Have Is a Hammer…: They have nothing but the clothes on their backs, incredibly thick skulls, and powerful neck muscles. Why would they need anything else?

    Razor Girls 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Razor-Girl-001_5942.png
Voiced by: Nika Futterman, Rebecca Corry, Taylor M. Dooley & Cindy Marinangel

The Razor Girls were formerly sex slaves who were freed by Ophelia and joined Ironheade. They use guns made from razor fire boars for ranged attacks.

Tier 1 ranged infantry.


  • '80s Hair: When they're not shooting things, they're emptying a can of hairspray on themselves.
  • Action Girl: Comes with the territory of every single one of them hefting around a BFG as casually as can be.
  • BFG: Their guns are ripped from the engine-like carcass of a Razorfire Boar.
  • Full-Boar Action: Their guns, the carcasses of Razorfire Boars.
  • Glass Cannon: They hit hard, but are flimsier than Ironheade's other units.
  • Groupie Brigade: Their evil counterpart.
  • Not Hyperbole: They repeatedly insist that Drowned Ophelia isn't Ophelia. At first, you'd think they're saying That Manis Dead, but in reality they're actually saying Drowned Ophelia is a duplicate of the real Ophelia still being held in the Sea of Black Tears.
  • Plucky Girl: Very cheerful in the middle of battle.
  • Sex Slave: Before they were busted out of Lionwhyte's palace.
  • The Squadette: They're one of two female Ironheade units.
  • Valley Girl: To compliment the Headbangers' Surfer Dude voices.
  • Zerg Rush: A popular Ironheade tactic in multiplayer is to quickly build a large force of Razor Girls and rush the enemy.

    Kill Master/Thunderhog Bassists 

A mystic healer who resides at the peak of Thunderhorn Mountain. He and his clan of bassists join Ironheade to stick it to Lionwhyte. His clan's bass music has the ability to heal allies. Their bass strings are harvested from the webs of Metal Spiders, who spin threads of metal instead of silk. After Eddie delivers the strings, Kill Master modifies the motorcycle Eddie hastily delivered, strapping dozens of amps to play his healing music, or the paralyzing Stun Note.

Tier 1 healing vehicle.


  • All Bikers are Hells Angels: Actually no. They don't have any of the trappings of a biker gang other than love of their bikes. That's the other biker unit.
  • Badass Biker: A whole gang of them.
  • Combat Medic: They can passively regenerate the help of any nearby Ironheade unit.
  • I Call It "Vera": Eddie can borrow his bass guitar, called Rickenbastard.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: The Kill Master looks exactly like his voice actor, Lemmy Kilmister.
  • King Mook: If the player has no other Thunderhogs, Kill Master will be the one who spawns when you call one in.
  • Mean Boss: Kill Master is a harsh man to serve, which is why some of the bassists left to join Lionwhyte.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: That's the idea. Kill Master chose that name just to scare people off.
  • Old Soldier: Kill Master's been around the block for a while, and while he and the Thunderhogs have no real combat application, they are invaluable as Combat Medics.
  • Technical Pacifist: He and his clan took an oath not to hurt others. However...
    Eddie: Hey, Kill Master! How did you like your first battle?
    Kill Master: First battle with you, you mean. I've been around a while.
  • Waxing Lyrical: Lemmy quotes his own works on occasion.
  • Zerg Rush: Because multiple Thunderhogs don't stack their healing ability, one would think there would be no reason to have more than one at a time until you start Double Teaming and stunning opposing armies many times over.

    Headsplitter 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/headsplitter-001_4576.png

Reverse engineered from Lionwhyte's crossbow towers, they behave like mobile defense turrets. They attack slowly, but hit relatively hard and their arrows are unblockable. Double Team to make them fire rapid, exploding arrows.

Tier 2 ranged vehicle.


    The Baron/Fire Barons 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thebaron-001_3321.png

BURN THE OTHER GUYS!
Voiced by: Rob Halford, Matthew Russell Wood

A clan of pyromaniac bikers, they fling Molotov Cocktails at their enemies. After finding out about Ironheade's exploits, they save them from the Drowning Doom just in the nick of time. Their leader is simply known as The Baron. Initially a Game-Breaker, patched into a fast anti-infantry unit.

Tier 2 anti-infantry vehicle squad.


  • Big Damn Heroes: How they're introduced.
  • Camp Straight: The Baron. Just because he's patterned after a younger Rob Halford, though given that Rob is gay, this might be up in the air.
  • The Cavalry: Their first appearance is them riding to the rescue.
  • Cool Shades: The Baron sports a pair he never takes off.
  • The Dreaded: Much of Ironheade is terrified at the idea of running into them after the time-skip, convinced that the Barons would burn them alive if they found them. Their fears turn out to be unjustified as The Baron respects them for killing Lionwhyte.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: They're patterned after Rob Halford's looks in his glory days, hell yeah they've got this.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: Double Teaming creates a ring of fire that shrinks and severely burns infantry.
  • Inksuit Actor: The Baron for late-70s/early-80s Halford.
  • Kill It with Fire: They're named Fire Barons with a reason... their bikes leave a trail of flame which can "trap" smaller units.
  • Nerf: Initially a Game Breaker, they were quickly patched into a strictly anti-infantry unit for Competitive Balance.
  • Playing with Fire: Spamming molotovs, you say?
  • Ring of Fire: Double Teaming lets you draw one. It shrinks when completed, burning enemies.
  • Spell My Name with a "The": The leader of the Fire Barons is The Baron. No Name Given other than that, unless that is his name.
  • Top-Heavy Guy: The generic Barons, as opposed to The Baron who's more Lean and Mean.
  • Victory Is Boring: Post-campaign, the Baron seems to think so.
  • Zerg Rush: When the game was first released, spamming Fire Barons was a nearly unstoppable strategy. This resulted in a patch that severely nerfed them.

    Bouncers 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bouncer-001_3291.png
Voiced by: David Sobolov, Joey Camen, Darryl Kurylo & Rick D. Wasserman

Massive Top Heavy Guys whose brawn is matched only by their gentle nature. Originally in the service of Lionwhyte, their boss' poor treatment of them encouraged most of them to defect to Ironheade.

Tier 2 anti-vehicle infantry.


  • Awesome, but Impractical: Bouncers are huge anti-vehicle units that can punch other infantry clear across the battlefield, but are themselves slow-moving infantry. Their attacks are so slow that only stationary targets will reliably be hit. Compounding matters, many vehicles are both faster and anti-infantry, so they can attack while on the move and paste the Bouncers slowly chasing them.
  • Boss in Mook Clothing: A Bouncer with a headset, nicknamed "Mittens" by Eddie.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: After Lionwhyte fires them in a fit of petty spite, they no longer have a leader to follow. Lars insists Eddie to recruit the Bouncers instead of outright fighting them.
  • Dumb Muscle: They're not terribly bright, but damn do they hit hard.
  • Fastball Special: Inversion of the standard. Eddie carries a Bouncer and throws him to create a shockwave, not far from Eddie obviously.
  • Gentle Giant: Once they, as a group, make their Heel–Face Turn.
  • Giant Hands of Doom: Their fists are so large that Eddie once used them to climb a wall.
    Bouncer: (excitedly) I'm helping!
  • Good Old Fisticuffs: Their fighting style, obviously.
  • Ground Pound: When double teaming with Eddie.
  • Manchild: The innocent kind. Even Ophelia calls them "simple minded."
  • Middle-Management Mook: Mittens, overseer of the first mine that Eddy invades.
  • Top-Heavy Guy: Their legs are puny compared to the rest of them.

    Roadies 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roadies-001_3472.png
Voiced by: Jim Ward, J. Grant Albrecht, Craig Marker & Brooks McBeth

These Roadies are not just hard to notice, they become invisible in The Age of Metal.

Tier 3 anti-building stealth infantry.


  • Already Done for You: Ophelia used them to smuggle the Razor Girls. Eddie gives them actual weapons later.
  • Anti-Structure: Roadies specialize in sneaking up on and demolishing enemy structures.
  • Beneath Suspicion: Because no one notices the roadies, they literally become invisible.
  • Charles Atlas Superpower: Try carrying those amps on your back.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: The guy Eddie's talking to at the start of the game (still during the Kabbage Boy concert) uses one of the Roadie Unit models.
  • Invisibility Cloak: At a distance, they're literally invisible. The only hint that a player has of their presence from far away is their buildings suddenly catching on fire and exploding.
  • Make Some Noise: The Double Team. Eddie puts his guitar against the amp and lets out a feedback blast.
  • Stealthy Colossus: Despite being huge men carrying even huger amps, they're Ironheade's stealth units, to the point of being able to turn completely invisible. This is because they're roadies, and no one pays attention to the roadies.
  • Zerg Rush: And when they are pulled off, it stings so bad for the one on the receiving end.

    Rima/The Zaulia/Metal Beasts 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zaulia-001_5999.png
Search the prisoners for potential mates!
Voiced by: Lita Ford (Rima), Nika Futterman & Grey DeLisle

The Zaulia are a clan of Amazon women in King Diamond makeup who ride giant fire-breathing cats called Metal Beasts. Their leader is Rima.

Tier 3 anti-infantry infantry.


    Rock Crusher 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rockcrusher-001_732.png

Metal is just too epic for a battle to have only one base, so why not have another one? The Rock Crusher is a massive unit that bombards nearby enemies with fireworks, razes infantry with it's massive grinder, and constantly provides an attack buff for nearby friendly units. Double teaming with it, Eddie plays the Bladehenge Assault solo which traps enemies in an energy effigy of said landmark that explodes. The fact that it also plays your main base's current fanfare doesn't detract from it's awesomeness.

Tier 4 vehicle, 1 unit limit.


  • Cool Tank: A giant tank that serves as a portable stage? Yes please.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: The Bladehenge Assault summons an exploding landmark on top of your enemies.
  • Lightning Bruiser: When double teamed, its movement speed can match Eddie's car on flat ground.
  • Mighty Glacier: They have the slowest speed among the Ironheade vehicles, and are difficult to steer. But once you Double Team with one to drop that giant sword, they can easily decimate any structure... including the stage!
  • Near Victory Fanfare: It actually plays the music from your base, buffing your infantry.
  • Nerf: The Bladehenge Assault lost range and gained recovery time after the patch.
  • The Power of Rock: Literal example. The songs it plays act as a Theme Music Power-Up to nearby Ironheade units and provide an attack buff.
  • Status Buff: Battle Cry can buff the Rockcrusher and stack its buff with other units.
  • Sword Plant: A giant, weaponized one using the solo.
  • Tank Goodness: So good, you can only have one at a time.
  • Weaponized Landmark: The Double Team summons a second Bladehenge.

Drowning Doom

    Drowning Doom as a whole 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/faction_drowned_doom_001_5207.png

The second army is the Drowning Doom, embodying Turn of the Millennium Gothic Metal and Black Metal. They are composed of various forms of The Undead, featuring emo and goth zombies, musically gifted ghosts and even The Grim Reaper himself. They're the only army with no Status Buffs, yet they are also the only army that can inflict status ailments. The Drowning Doom are more about bringing the opponent down than building themselves up.

They were created for the sole purpose of weakening any rebellion that rises up. The Sea of Black Tears turns any who drink it against the rest of mankind, sparking a Civil War that kills any resistance.


  • Bad Moon Rising: The Encompassing Gloom solo makes the sky gloomy and the moon becomes a skull.
  • Cursed with Awesome: While drinking from the Sea of Black Tears robs you of your will to live and turns you into The Undead, this means that they are given a form of immortality and a variety of supernatural powers that makes them a genuine threat against the human resistance.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: The whole Black Tear Rebellion thing. Not to mention most of their units being in various stages of un-death.
  • Faction Calculus: Subversive. Not a single buffer to their name. Instead, they have all the debuffers.
  • Goth: Pretty much their whole motif.
  • Hostile Weather: Get a full army together, and their proximity has a completely different weather scheme.
  • Losing Your Head: Several Drowning Doom units will continue to fight post-decapitation.
  • Mood Motif: Themed around Death Metal and Black Metal, but with exaggeration towards the "depressing" songs, a satirical look at Goth subcultures. They tend to use lightning. Their art is inspired by the Polish artist Pazinski.
  • Our Zombies Are Different: Their appearance resembles that of the undead, but their "zombification" is caused by drinking the Black Tears, and their standard units can fight even when beheaded.
  • Revenant Zombie: It is never stated how much of their humanity is left when they partake of the Black Tears, but they are intelligent enough to talk and follow orders, Drowned Ophelia being the straightest example among them as their leader.
  • Status Effects: All of them. Attack down, defense down, speed down, mute (Silence blocks "magic:" guitar usage and issuing orders).
  • Swiss-Army Tears: Black Tears can do anything.
  • Transhuman Treachery: Those that drink from the Black Tears seem to have a hostility with their former-fellow humans. The whole reason why both times the Sea of Black Tears was opened by the Tainted Coil was specifically to divide the human rebellion, a plan pulled off flawlessly both times.
  • Turn of the Millennium: With the exception of King Diamond, all of their music is modern.
  • The Undead: What the Black Tears turn them into.
  • Weakened by the Light: Gameplay wise, the Light of Dawn solo can shut down all their debuffers. Every member of this army has really, really bad skin. Of course sunlight is bad for them!
  • Your Makeup Is Running: Intentionally evoked, back make-up running down their faces to simulate black tears.

Hero

    The Leader of the Drowning Doom *Spoiler Warning* 

Drowned Ophelia

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ophelia_7.png
After you tore out my heart and left me for dead, I'll admit I was a little down. But then I pulled myself together! Started making new friends...
Voiced by: Jennifer Hale

After Eddie and Doviculus's respective cases of Mistaken Identity, Eddie decides that Ophelia is not trustworthy for refusing to explain the name Succoria, and leaves her to tend to the now devastated Ironheade without her. Heartbroken, she wandered the land until The Sea of Black Tears compelled her to attempt suicide in its evil waters. The Sea snatched and drowned her, imprisoning her at the bottom and creating a Doppelgänger, which took everything learned from Eddie to use it against him.


  • Amazing Technicolor Population: Her skin is a pale blue. Justified in that she's more a person shaped collection of Black Tears instead of an actual person.
  • Broken Bird: Comes with the territory.
  • Calling Your Attacks: Silence!
  • Cool Car: A souped up hearse.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Quite the master at this, even compared to the other commanders.
  • Death from Above: The Weeping Heavens solo. Causes the stage to launch a bombardment of Faceless Eyes covered in black tears, wherever the solo is performed.
  • Doomy Dooms of Doom: Talks about Doom a lot, and uses a lot of metaphors for drowning.
  • The Dragon: Any time the humans look like they're gearing up to rebel, the Tainted Coil opens up the Sea of Black Tears. This effectively splits the human race into a civil war, as the lost and dispossessed drink of the Tears and grow powerful. Whoever is in charge of the Tear Drinkers becomes this trope to the Coil, unwittingly or otherwise.
  • Even the Girls Want Her: Try Double Teaming with a Bride, she loves it.
    Bride: (swooning) So commanding!
  • Evil Makeover: The Sea of Black Tears does that to a person.
  • Hero Unit: To the Drowning Doom.
  • Hot Witch: Magical abilities, an army of thralls and a Stripperiffic outfit? She has all the trappings of one.
  • Humanoid Abomination: An avatar of the Sea of Black Tears that takes a more twisted form of Ophelia. That and her concept art makes it very clear that she is something VERY powerful and VERY inhuman.
  • I Call It "Vera": The Six-Stringed Sorrow, her guitar. Works about the same as Eddie's minus a Relic Raiser spell, instead collapsing a relic bridge he raised.
  • Ice Queen: Comes with ones emotions being completely deadened.
  • Implied Death Threat: When she first reunites with Eddie, she mentions her new car and that it has a "special seat" in the back reserved for him. The car is a hearse and the "seat" is a coffin.
  • Leitmotif: "Betrayal" by Lita Ford.

Units

    Grave Diggers 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gravedigger-001_857.png
That song makes me want to kill myself. In a good way!
Voiced by: Johnny Hawkes, Matthew Mercer, Yuri Lowenthal & Craig Marker

A zombie dressed in Goth clothes. They are the only infantry to come in a squad of six (because large groups help them express their individuality). Before the patch, they had the lowest health of any infantry. After the patch, they got a little more. Their Double Team is very powerful, to the point of being a Game-Breaker.

Tier 1 melee infantry squad.


    Bride 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bride_head_7555.png
Voiced by: Grey DeLisle, Taylor M. Dooley

A female ghost in a wedding gown who died without finding a husband (or possibly a zombie with a wedding dress fetish). Depressing rain follows her wherever she goes, slowing enemy movement. It can stack, so if you get three together, opposing armies will hardly function, which is why you can only make three.

Tier 1 passive debuff / ranged infantry.


  • Action Girl: Somewhere between the two, brides can only attack if being attacked or the Hero Unit double teams with them.
  • Ambiguously Bi: Some of them make rather charged comments after Double Teaming with Drowned Ophelia.
    Bride: (swooning) So commanding!
  • Broken Bird: What might have led her to go to the Sea of Black Tears in the first place.
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: She seems to think the Stage Battles are weddings. She even complains about the fights as if they're minor spats between families instead of all-out war.
  • Dance Battler: Literally, her Double Team is a waltz.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: Visible through her bridal veil.
  • Losing Your Head: Like the Grave Diggers, they can survive decapitation.
  • Mysterious Veil: Their features are always obscured by their wedding veils.
  • The Pollyanna: Very cheerful for a member of the Drowned Doom, despite drinking the Black Tears and being dead.
  • Personal Raincloud: and she always carries a tattered umbrella, to boot.
  • Shock and Awe: Their dancing can call down lightning bolts.
  • Status Effects: Slowing enemies. Taken to the extreme in a Drowning Doom mirror match, it's possible for one player with three Brides to steal the other's three Brides, in which case one player will have six. The victim's side becomes practically frozen in place, to the point a flying Hero Unit can die before they ever hit the ground.
  • Wight in a Wedding Dress: Deliberately meant to evoke this.
  • Woman Scorned: Implied to be the case for some of them.

    Frightwig 
The severed head of a female Tear Drinker who washed her hair in the Sea of Black Tears, giving it supernatural beauty. After her death, her hair came to life on its own, severing the head to fight for the Drowning Doom.

Tier 1 ranged / possession infantry.


  • Fastball Special: Their double team causes them to latch on to and take control of a unit they hit. However, this ability doesn't work on the Tainted Coil's Hierarchy Units, nor the Bleeding Death.
  • Magic Hair: It was magically beautiful when the Tear Drinker lived. Now that she's dead, it's magically lethal.
  • Personal Space Invader: When thrown, they possess units to betray their team.
  • Prehensile Hair: Its hair behaves like spider legs, or can fling out like a tentacle for attacks.
  • Zerg Rush: Desperate players will spam them and throw them, stealing as many units as they can, which works until the other player spams infantry in response.

    Ratgut 

An undead Eurotrash guy whose Balloon Belly houses a family of plague infested rats. Or it's a horde of rats reanimating a lifeless corpse. It's intentionally vague.

Tier 2 anti-infantry infantry, limit 4 units.


  • Balloon Belly: He's a very tall and gangly fellow, ignoring the humongous stomach.
  • Berserk Button: Being called fat. Every now and then he yells "DON'T JUDGE ME!"
  • Big Eater: The rats are the eaters in this case, Ratgut just sucks them in when they're done.
  • Body Horror: His stomach inflates and deflates as the rats enter and leave.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: He barfs out the rats, which seek out and munch on infantry.
  • I Am Legion: Even the Tour Book doesn't know whether the rats or the Ratgut is in charge.
  • Mister Seahorse: Ratgut seems to view himself as this, disturbingly enough.
  • Papa Wolf: Very affectionate towards his rats. The rats' opinion on Ratgut is unknown.
  • Personal Space Invader: The rats will get everywhere, and whoever is standing in the way will get gibbed.
  • Swarm of Rats: Kind of his thing.

    Organist 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/organist-001_8898.png
Voiced by: Eric Artell, Rick D. Wasserman

A large car with a ghostly organ player who plays depressing music, reducing the opposing side's attack power. During a Double Team, the Hero Unit plays the organ while the player controls the Organist, who can float to any enemy unit and possess it with puppet strings.

Tier 2 passive debuff / possession vehicle, limit 3 units.


  • Evil Laugh: They're prone to belting these out once in a while.
  • Mind Control: Their Double Team allows them to inflict this via People Puppets and allows the player to directly control them. However, this leaves the Organist and by proxy Ophelia completely vulnerable.
  • Ominous Fog: Blue fog surrounding The Organist can visibly show you the area of it's effect.
  • Ominous Pipe Organ: The Doom attached one to a car.
  • People Puppets: The Organist can literally extend puppet strings to steal any unit.
  • Status Effects: Attack debuff to nearby enemies.
  • Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: You can spot the Organist driving the Dirge machine in gameplay and he's prominently featured during a cutscene. He fits the mold.
  • Useless Useful Spell: Their Double Team. It prevents your avatar from doing a more powerful Double Team, the vehicle is always nearby the possessee, and of course you can't Double Team with the possessee because you're already Double Teaming with the Organist in doing the possession. Their attack debuff, which stacks with other Doom debuffs, remains useful however.

    Lightning Rod 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lightning-rod-001_7718.png

A hot rod sporting an electric chair. Strapped to it is Sparky, a criminal with an electric personality who gets electric shocks and fire them at enemies. During a Double Team, he creates Chain Lightning that can zap a massive group of enemies all at once. The Drowning Doom equivalent of a Headsplitter.

Tier 3 ranged vehicle.


  • Chain Lightning : When double teaming, it can be charged up to jump through up to eight enemy units.
  • Cool Car: A blue hot rod with an electric chair that serves as a bolt-slinging turret.
  • Electric Torture: The car's turret is an undead criminal strapped to an electric chair. Given he's a zombie it doesn't really hurt him much and he's gleeful to spread the pain.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: Double Teaming allows charging, creating Chain Lightning that can zap a large group.
  • Large Ham: A stark contrast to most of the other Drowning Doom units, who are usually quite subdued and quiet, if speaking at all. Probably has something to do with having a constant electric current flowing through him.
  • Laughing Mad: Has more than his share of moments.
  • Let's Get Dangerous!: "Time to share the wealth!"
  • Psycho Electro: Oh yeah.
    Sparky: Come on, let's fry some of those guilty looking bastards!

    Brood 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brood-001_7859.png

An evil pram (baby stroller) that launches baby dolls that munch on infantry or severely damage cars.

Tier 3 anti-vehicle ranged vehicle.


    Reaper 

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reaper-001_3002.png
Voiced by Dave Boat, Dino Andrade & Andy Morris

A Grim Reaper sporting big headphones and the Drowning Doom crest, riding on an undead Reaper Steed. They are expensive and have low health. But they move very fast and their attacks are unblockable, making them good for guarding an area from HeroUnits, or attacking lone units of any kind. During their Double Team, you can ride with them, creating a scary aura that causes enemy infantry to flee in a panic, allowing other units to close in.

Tier 3 anti-infantry infantry.


  • The Dreaded: Simply being Double Teamed with it causes enemy infantry to flee in a panic.
  • Glass Cannon: He's hard to catch and instantly wreck most infantry he charges at. Stop him from running and he'll die in short order.
  • The Grim Reaper: Yep.
  • Headphones Equal Isolation: "Hey! Can you hear me through these headphones?"
  • Hellish Horse: The Reapers ride on Reaper Steeds. Undead horses with manes made up of blue-flame candles.
  • The Quiet One: Even compared to the rest of the Doom, Reapers are very quiet. If the player doesn't have captions on they might not hear them at all.
  • Sinister Scythe: And one that makes short work of infantry at that.

    Dirgible 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dirgible-001_4259.png
Voiced by Alex Fernandez

The ultimate Drowning Doom debuffer, it lowers defense. It's a dirigible with an unseen, mysterious dead guy inside who whispers and spreads his own crematory ashes across the battlefield. Around it, the land seemingly rots and decays. It doubles as a healing unit when it's urns are dropped on friendly units.

Tier 3 passive debuff / healing vehicle, limit 1 unit.


  • Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie: Weaponized. The guy's spreading his own ashes all over the battlefield.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Or rather, ash.
  • He Who Must Not Be Seen: The dead man inside talking is never seen.
  • Mighty Glacier: Unusual example for not actually attacking. He is reasonably durable nonetheless.
  • Punny Name: Its name is a combination of a dirigible and a dirge, a depressing song.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: This unit causes some hilarious reactions from opposing players. They act depressed. Even Doviculus.
    Eddie, Defense Down: Hey, guys? I think we should break up the army.
    Eddie, Defense Down: Man, I don't even like heavy metal anymore.
    Doviculus, Defense Down: Why did I ever think the demons could win!?
    Doviculus, Defense Down: It's your fault, Minions! You're the reason we're going to lose today!
  • Walking Wasteland: The land turns to dead desert clay around it.

    Treeback 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/treeback-001_2856.png
Voiced by: David Sobolov

A giant zombie with a tree on its back that houses murderous crows. The crows are anti-infantry, but when double teaming the giant rises from the ground and has powerful melee attacks.

Tier 4 anti-infantry range / general purpose melee infantry, limit 1 unit.


  • Body Horror: Why yes, there is a full-grown tree in the giant's back.
  • Creepy Crows: They amount to an instant-death zone for the other guys.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: What the double-team amounts to. Treeback has to be in melee range for it to work.
  • Mighty Glacier: Very slow, and hits very hard.
  • The Voiceless: He doesn't have a single line.
  • When Trees Attack: If it wasn't spelled out for the player that the tree was growing on him, it'd be easy to mistake the Treeback for an Ent.

Tainted Coil

    Tainted Coil as a whole 

The Tainted Coil are the villains of the story. A race of S&M covered demons themed around Industrial Metal, they enslaved humanity before the events of the single player campaign. They are led by the evil Emperor Doviculus. Gameplay wise, they resemble the Zerg, as specific demonic units have the power to grow monsters and vehicles anywhere on the battlefield.


  • Abusive Parents: Doviculus, and all the Hierarchy Units.
  • Abusive Precursors: To humanity, who they created in a failed attempt to clone the Titans. When the first humans proved to be just as diminutive and weak as the Coil, the demons promptly took out their frustrations by enslaving the newborn race.
  • Bad Habits: "Bless me, Father. For I must sin."
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Their worship of the Titans stemmed from this, as the early Coil were threatened with extinction before the Titans chose to save them in exchange for servitude.
  • Body Horror: What all the leather and bondage is hiding. There isn't enough leather in existence to hide it completely.
  • Bondage Is Bad: Started doing this to cover up their deformities and to emulate the Titans' perfect form. Of course, it seems some of them have started to really like it.
  • Brains and Bondage: Make no mistake, the Coil are not mindless beasts, though they do suffer from Medieval Stasis.
  • Double Standard: They hate Fletus's faction for not attempting to "hide" their ugliness like the Coil do.
  • Evil Is Visceral: Blood and gore factor heavily into their designs, wherever BDSM isn't the focus.
  • Expy: Of the Zerg.
  • Faction Calculus: Powerhouse, as they can throw their weight around with many suicide attacks.
  • Happiness in Slavery: Their instinctive desire to serve defines their culture and mentality. Everyone except the Emperor is beholden to someone higher on the command chain and they love it. Though they were basically pets and slave labor, the Coil loved their Titan masters before they Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence, and they attempted to clone the Titans just so they could have someone to serve and worship again.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: Every single one of them. Except the Tick Choppers that is.
  • Medieval Stasis: The Titans left all the secrets to their technology in the world itself, so that anyone who came after them would know the glory of Metal. Unfortunately, the Tainted Coil were too consumed by feelings of abandonment and betrayal to comprehend them. This singlehandedly stopped the Coil's technological development until Eddie came along.
  • Mood Motif: Industrial Metal. Their Body Horror is inspired from 15th Century Artist Hieronymus Bosch, in particular, The Garden of Earthly Delights.
  • No Cure for Evil: The only faction with no efficient means to heal their rank and file. The breeding units are the only ones with this boon.
  • Our Demons Are Different: They are the diminutive descendants of the First Ones, who were adopted by the Titans as pets and servants until they chose to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence.
  • Religion of Evil: All of their top hierarchy are religious figures who in turn worship Emperor Doviculous as their master. In the distant past, this religion was instead focused on the Titans.
  • Replacement Goldfish: Using a gigantic toenail, the Coil attempted to clone new Titans after their masters abandoned them, just so they could have someone to serve again. This resulted in the first humans.
  • Villainous Incest: The only way for the Tainted Coil to go up in technological tiers in multiplayer is for Doviculous to breed with certain units, then do the same with the offspring.
  • Why Couldn't You Be Different?: Towards humanity, who were intended to be clones of the Titans that the Coil could happily serve. Unfortunately, the first humans came out just as diminutive as the Coil, and the demons violently rejected them for not living up to the Titans' magnificence.
  • Zerg Rush: The undisputed king of swiftly rushing the enemy's side by virtue of being able to spawn units virtually anywhere.

Hero

    Emperor Doviculus 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Doviculus-001_783.png
"Give them your mercy UNTIL THEY CAN TAKE NO MORE!"
Voiced by: Tim Curry

The Big Bad of the entire Tainted Coil army.


  • Abusive Parents: All of his units can be considered his children. He does not treat them too well. Although they're not exactly complaining.
  • Beat Still, My Heart: Doviculus is able to rip a heart out of his his chest, use it as a guitar pick, or use it in attacks. But it's not his heart, so he's cool. Drowned Ophelia, on the other hand.
  • Big Bad: He's the leader of the Tainted Coil, is responsible for Lionwhyte's domination of humanity and the Drowning Doom's resurgence as a faction, and the main target of the rebellion.
  • Body Horror: Still the matter with Doviculus' heart. Sometimes you can see him open up his own chest to pluck his heart out. He also stores his collapsable guitar in there when he's not rocking out.
  • Bond One-Liner: While in conversation with Lars, after being told he is humanity's king, Doviculous kills him with great ease, to which he notes;
    Doviculus: It seems I had less to worry about than I thought.
  • Calling Your Attacks: "Agony Boil!"
  • Cast from Hit Points: The "Martyrdom" solo, which buffs his units, but leaves him near death.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Very few of his Double Teams don't involve torturing or killing his own creatures, who are his children by the way.
  • Combat Pragmatist: This is Doviculus in general, being willing to use anything and anybody in any way, whether they like it or not, to his advantage. When Doviculus goes to Lionwhyte's Pleasure Tower tracking down Succoria's scent, Lars confronts Doviculus after hearing him talk about his target. As soon as Doviculus learns who he's talking to, he kills Lars without ceremony in the middle of their conversation.
  • Combat Sadomasochist: He tends to moan quite a bit in combat.
  • Cool Car: A horseless war chariot. It uses an engine but is steered with horse reins.
  • Cool Mask: Even if it's a glorified gimp mask, it's a cool looking one.
  • Crown-Shaped Head: Doviculus has four huge spikes protruding from his forehead which appear like an oversized imperial crown when he looks directly at the camera.
  • Depraved Bisexual: The only way he can get his army built up is to breed with one of the three units he can actually spawn on his stage. Of these, there's one female and two males. Doviculus doesn't care.
  • Evil Overlord: Of the Drowning Doom, and by extension humanity.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: He is voiced by Tim Curry, after all.
  • Expressive Mask: The mouth hole on Doviculus's hood is so tight, it moves like a pair of lips.
  • Extreme Omnisexual: Somewhat justified in that his units are all demons like he is.
  • Eyeless Face: We can only assume so, seeing as there never a time where he removes the mask.
  • Fantastic Racism: Like all of the Coil, towards Humans for being inferior clones of the Titans.
  • Father of a Thousand Young: He sired his entire army, and he continues to father more as the battle continues.
  • The Fighting Narcissist: The Emperor holds himself in high regard due to his status as ultimate master of the Coil. This comes to a head in a mirror match, where both Doviculuses will alternatively berate and compliment the other on their fighting. One of his combat barks:
    "For beauty!"
  • Friendly Enemies: To Succoria if his banter at the Pleasure Tower is any indication.
  • Go, Ye Heroes, Go and Die: Pulls this on his own infantry.
  • The Heartless: That heart he pulls out of his chest and mutilates for attacks? It's not his. However, the Martyrdom solo refers to Doviculus' heart as his own.
  • Hero Unit: To the Tainted Coil.
  • Knight of Cerebus: The game was lighthearted until he gets under the spotlight, being more of a threat than Lionwhyte and therefore treated much more seriously (though still occasionally Played for Laughs). Killing off Lars sets the tone for the rest of the game.
  • Large Ham: It's Tim Curry, what did you expect?
  • Make My Monster Grow: The final battle.
  • Medieval Stasis: So bad that Doviculus thinks cars are living things.
    "Can you hear me?! I AM YOUR MASTER!"
    "You will surrender to me, monstrosity!"
    "Tell me your secrets, automobile!"
  • The Minion Master: The only Hero Unit who is cruel to his army and refers to them as minions.
  • Mistaken Identity: He's on the hunt for Succoria. He bases this on the scent he picks up after the first battle. It turns out he's smelling Eddie.
  • Mook Maker: By way of massive reproduction.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Doviculus really isn't the kind of name that inspires one to stick around and see who it belongs to.
  • Never My Fault: Blames his own team for their failure while under the effect of a Dirgible.
  • The Nose Knows: He knows what Succoria's scent is, even when she's been missing for an age. Which is odd because he is also...
  • The Noseless: ... so how his sense of smell is so good is anyone's guess.
  • Off with His Head!: How Eddie ultimately kills him, in glorious slow-motion no less.
  • Only a Flesh Wound: "You think that hurt me?! I've had more limbs removed than that!"
  • Plaguemaster: A number of his solos revolve around disease and biological waste, such as the Curse poisoning victims with Doviculus' own blood.
  • Playing with Syringes: His Summon Flag is a syringe. In the single player, it can produce units.
  • Poisonous Person: His Agony Boil and and Curse solos inflict this on enemies.
  • The Pornomancer: In the multiplayer, a Tainted Coil player will have to make him this given that getting the Coil's best units involves him breeding.
  • Really Gets Around: He fathered his entire army.
  • Rock Me, Asmodeus!: A heavy metal Demon, not much else needs to be said.
  • Too Kinky to Torture: Some of his combat grunts are outright moans of pleasure. Demons are equal parts sadistic and masochistic after all.
  • Villains Never Lie: He's surprisingly up front for an Evil Overlord, though a good deal of it likely comes from being confident enough to not need to lie.
  • We Have Reserves: His army has suicide attacks, and he'll contemplate killing them if he maxes out the load.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: He has no problem blaming Ophelia's Start of Darkness on Eddie, and the worst part is he's right.
    Doviculus: "Oh please. That was nothing compared to what you did to her."

Units

    Battle Nun 
You see what comes from their unruly behavior, children?
Voiced by: April Steward, Courtenay Taylor, Megan Hollingshead & Julianna Buescher

A latex clad demonic nun with the power to give birth to demons in the middle of the battlefield. Battle Nuns are proficient melee units which heal and are strengthened by any non-breeding units near them. Battle Nuns spawned by Warfathers and Superior Warfathers are capable of creating more powerful infantry, and are called Superior Battle Nuns and Divine Battle Nuns respectively and this convention carries over to the Soul Kissers and Punishing Parties she creates.

Tier 1/2/3 melee infantry / hierarchy unit.


  • Sexy Slit Dress: One of her long slender legs is always exposed thanks to the cut of her outfit.
  • Unholy Matrimony: Rather literal in this case.
  • Zerg Rush: A singe Battle Nun can slip over to the enemy stage and endlessly make units if nobody's looking.

    Soul Kisser 
Basic melee infantry, these demons are covered in latex and their hands bound behind their backs. They silently attack with their hair, made of meshing metal shears.

Tier 1/2/3 melee / kamikaze infantry squad.


    Punishing Party 
We punish you, and punish you, and WHAT DO YOU GIVE US?!
Voiced by: Courtney Taylor, Cree Summer, Tara Platt & Kari Wahlgren

A complex squad composed of one demonic gimp called Pinboy, and four bird-faced dominatrices that pluck spears from his back to throw at enemies.

Tier 1/2/3 ranged infantry squad.


  • Bound and Gagged: Pinboy. Complete with a ball gag in his mouth.
  • Butt-Monkey: Pinboy, though he doesn't seem to mind.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: That both sides enjoy.
  • Dominatrix: The Punishing Party consists of four dominatrices and their submissive Pinboy.
  • Driven to Suicide: If the dominatrices all die, Pinboy will pull an arrow of of his back and off himself on the spot.
  • Happiness in Slavery: If they dominatrices die, Pinboy commits suicide.
  • Human Pincushion: The Pinboy is stabbed full of spears, which serve as ammo for Doviculus to throw during the Double Team.
  • Human Shield: The Pinboy serves as a shield for the Dominatrices.
  • Pet the Dog: Their tour book entry states that the Dominatrices really do love Pinboy. It's just that unlike the enemies they direct their hatred to, he likes their treatment of him.
  • Stripperiffic: The whole squad counts. Yes, even Pinboy.
  • Too Kinky to Torture: Pinboy actually enjoys being stabbed and whipped by his dominatrices.
  • Whip of Dominance: The Punishing Party's Dominatrices are seen using their tails to whip up their slave (referred to as "Pin Boy") during their introduction in the main game.
  • Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: The Dominatrices tend to berate Pinboy in this manner.

    Tick Choppers 
Imp like creatures who ride on Chopper-esque motorcycles. They fling metallic ticks, similar to the metal spiders, onto enemies, which suck blood (or motor oil) from their victims until they burst. They cannot be produced, instead they can only be summoned by a solo.

Special tier summoned ranged vehicle squad.


  • Badass Biker: Maybe not as badass as some of Ironheade's units, but they can still kick ass when used well.
  • Fragile Speedster: Fast and dangerous, but not very durable.
  • Our Demons Are Different: They are a very different race from the Tainted Coil according to Fletus.
  • Strong Flesh, Weak Steel: As opposed to some of the Coil's most durable units, the Tick Choppers are smaller than the metal bikes they ride on and don't have much in the way of survivability.

    Warfather 
Voiced by: Rick D. Wasserman, Lex Lang, & Robin Atkin Downes

Tainted Coil's tier 2 production unit, the Warfather shares the same double team as Battle Nuns and Overblessers: being impregnated by Doviculus' will and producing tier 2 units anywhere on the battlefield. Their regular attacks are demonic energy fired from their unholy book. Has a similar healing/buffing effect as Battle Nuns. Overblessers can create an upgraded version called Superior Warfathers, and this prefix is added to the Screamwagons, Pain Lifters and Skull Wagons he creates.

Tier 2/3 ranged infantry / hierarchy unit.


  • Abusive Parents: "What's that? Kill all the children? Shhh..."
  • Church Militant: Even more than the Battle Nuns who are subordinate to him.
  • Facial Horror: It's not made clear in game, but his face is a mess of flesh barely held in its confusing shape by a series of leather straps.
  • Mook Maker: Can make superior Battle Nuns, which in turn make superior infantry.
  • Sinister Minister: They look and play the part in the Tainted Coil.
  • Squishy Wizard: They're not very durable, but they cast magic from tomes and are required to summon the Coil's mid-tier units.
  • Tome of Eldritch Lore: The Tainted Book is an evil book from which he casts projectile magic and tells stories.

    Screamwagon/Screamin' Demon 

Can you help me? I was told that I was signing up for a spa day!
Voiced by: David Cross

A lone, unlucky Screamin' Demon is strapped to a car and tortured various ways. His screams of torment inspire different buffs depending on the torture.

Tier 2/3 active buff vehicle.


  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Comes in three fantastic flavors, all in a portable package! You can either have him stretched, burned, or covered in oil, with each torture method buffing nearby units in different ways.
  • Deadpan Snarker: It's easy to see why he was placed on the Wagon. He has absolutely no respect for the Emperor.
    Screamin' Demon: (as Doviculus issues an order) Screw you.
  • Iron Butt Monkey: He can withstand blazing hot oil, a torture rack, and being set on fire infinitely. Oh, but don't worry, enemy units can free him of his suffering.
  • Oh, Crap!: He can have this reaction when he notices Doviculus Double Teaming with the Scream Wagon, because it means he now has the Emperor's direct attention.
    Screamin' Demon: Oh no...
  • Skyward Scream: By virtue of only being able to look up due to his restraints.
  • Status Buff: Nearby friendly units are buffed by the wagon pouring blazing oil on him for increased defense, stretching him in a torture rack for increased attack, and setting his ass on fire speeds up production.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Really, a spa day provided by the Tainted Coil? The Screamin' Demon is especially dumb for this considering he's a Coil demon too. Of course, given his lack of BDSM trappings, notable distaste for being tortured and flippant attitude towards Doviculus, he may be a captured member of Fletus' faction. Doesn't excuse the spa day thing though.

    Skull Raker 
Voiced by: Steve Agee

A massive demon with the mind of an infant. Its head is a mace, chained to a tether on its neck.

Tier 2/3 medium range melee infantry.


  • Dumb Muscle: Somehow even dumber than the Bouncers.
  • Epic Flail: Its head is a huge mace on a chain.
  • Hard Head: Hard enough to use as an Epic Flail.
  • Informed Flaw: Surprisingly eloquent for someone with the "mind of an infant".
  • Mighty Glacier: Their attacks are very strong, but slow due to the Skull Raker having to swing his head around then throw it. Until you Double Team, and it can suddenly attack way faster.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: They have the minds of infants and a deep love of carnage.
  • Use Your Head: Their heads are chained to their bodies to they can hurl them at the enemy.

    Pain Lifter 
A slow but deadly, long range trebuchet that fires living bombs called Agony Balls, which burst, spreading poison.

Tier 2/3 anti-infantry ranged vehicle.


  • Abnormal Ammo: Agony Balls are pitiful creatures who are born spending every moment of their short lives in agony, waiting to be euthanized by being launched and self-destructed.
  • And I Must Scream: The Agony Balls spend every moment of their existence in pain until they self destruct.
  • Geo Effects: Find a high spot and launch Agony Balls very long distances to your heart's delight.
  • Herd-Hitting Attack: Comes with the territory of firing area of effect projectiles.

    Overblesser 
A demonic priest sporting garb The Pope would wear sits atop the same metal demon Eddie used to depart the Temple of Ormagöden. He has the power to breed a Superior Warfather, making even better units.

Tier 3 ranged infantry / hierarchy unit, limit 1 unit.


  • Christianity Is Catholic: Visibly has a lot of catholic imagery.
  • Church Militant: He's basically a Warfather, but more. More ornate, more health, more powerful.
  • Corrupt Church: Being what amounts to a Bishop in a Religion of Evil makes him a shining example.
  • Humongous Mecha: Except the Overblesser's altar is actually four one-legged demons strapped together carrying a central one and the demon on top around.
  • Mook Maker: Effectively the center of the Tainted Coil's endgame, as the Overblesser can create a much more powerful army very quickly through spawning superior Warfathers and superior Battle Nuns.
  • Sinister Minister: An evil BDSM Demon Bishop is the only way to get more sinister than Warfathers.

    Hate Cage 
Actually two different creatures. One is a massive pair of legs. Between them is a cage with a living lump of pure hate. It spits liquid hate on enemies, lowering defense.

Tier 3 ranged / melee infantry.


  • Angrish: The only vocalization the Caged Demon can make.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: While visually striking, their low Debuff radius, high cost, low damage, pitiful speed, and high population load mean that there are better Coil units out there.
  • Chicken Walker: The walker has enormous bird legs.
  • The Power of Hate: Drips pure liquid hate onto its enemies.
  • Trampled Underfoot: Doviculus particularly enjoys this about them while Double Teaming.
    Doviculus: "Ha ha ha! I love it up here!"

    Heart Cutter 
A massive, disturbing vehicle with an anti-vehicle attack. The car serves as a massive altar in which one of the Tainted Coil druids stands with his sword beside a giant, pulsing heart. When the druid stabs it, massive spikes rise up from the ground, impaling infantry or cars, causing severe damage to cars especially. During the Double Team, Doviculus allows his own heart to be stabbed. But he remarks "Don't worry. It's not my heart."

Tier 3 anti-vehicle ranged vehicle.


  • Beat Still, My Heart: Stab the giant heart to summon spikes. Or Doviculus's for bigger spikes.
  • Cool Car: A giant heart strapped to a sacrificial altar on wheels.
  • Mighty Glacier: They're not terribly fast and not well suited to fighting off infantry, but they're durable and turn vehicles to scrap.
  • Nerf: As the most powerful anti-vehicle in the game, their price increased from 250 to 300.
  • Spam Attack: The Double Team can be used infinitely. Any unit can be caught in it endlessly until death.

    Bleeding Death 
A combination of the final Tainted Coil unit and final attack, it is violently stuffed into an iron maiden and then launched anywhere on the battlefield, where it goes on a rampage, refusing to follow orders until it slowly bleeds to death.

Tier 4 uncontrollable melee infantry.


  • Attack! Attack! Attack!: Suffering too much pain to do anything else.
  • Ax-Crazy: As a result of the all-consuming pain it feels by its very nature, all it can think of is killing everything around it.
  • The Berserker: It's constantly losing health from the moment its created. The only thing that will cease its attacks is death.
  • Body Horror: This unit does not stick to neat, human-like dimensions like the Coil does. One example is having a gaping toothed mouth on the side of its body.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Is stuffed into a way-too-small iron maiden where it awaits being launched. Once released, it will attack endlessly until it bleeds to death.
  • Difficult, but Awesome: It takes a lot of setup to get one, being a Tier 3 unit and the Guitar Solo to summon it being quite long, but once you do it counters just about everything.
  • Eldritch Abomination: Serves as an example of what demons looked like before all the bondage happened.
  • Friend or Foe?: He doesn't count as an ally to the point that if he destroys a Merch Booth, the geyser will appear green and your opponent can claim it all over again. Yet there's no friendly fire. Of course, Doviculus will have to move quickly after performing the solo that calls it out since its Iron Maiden landing will kill him if he doesn't.
  • The Juggernaut: The only thing that can stop it is a Drowning Doom "Wall of Death".
  • Unstoppable Rage: Not even Doviculus can control it when it's set free.

Additional Characters

    Ormagöden 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ormagoden-001_6214.png

The Eternal Fire Beast, the Cremator of the Sky, and Destroyer of the Ancient World. It is a six legged monster Made of Iron, who although appears menacing and evil in the intro, is actually a Physical God of nature and Heavy Metal who shaped the world into what it is.


  • Ancient Astronauts: The in-game Creation Mythology says that he arrived at Earth one day "like an Angry Comet," technically making him this.
  • All Part of the Show: He is summoned in the middle of a rock show and goes on a rampage. The crowd loves it.
  • Awesomeness Is Volatile: So volatile that he's basically the sun in the World of Metal.
  • Benevolent Alien Invasion: Played With. While he was technically an alien invader when he first showed up, and while he is generally a force of good, the Creation Myth doesn't actually explain what his intentions were for coming here. It just describes him arriving and then immediately jumps to the First Ones' assasination plot.
  • Better to Die than Be Killed: Instead of burning out and drowning in mud like the First Ones planned, he let out a Metal Scream and exploded. His body turned into the Sun, his metal corpse exploded and enriched the earth with ore, his blood formed the oceans and drowned the First Ones, and his scream echoed the land eternally. His death made The Age of Metal possible.
  • Big Good: He's terrifying, but the one time he appears in person he's fully on Eddie's side. He also provides blessings for you freeing the Bound Serpents.
  • Blofeld Ploy: Ormagöden looks like he's just about to finish Eddie off during the game's opening sequence (the game even does a Bait-and-Switch, asking whether you want to see the gore or not while he has his sharp finger right over Eddie's unconscious body), then decides to kill the Boy Band he works for instead. It turns out that's because he's one of the world's Big Goods, whose death at the hands of treacherous monsters allowed the world to flourish, not the Big Bad he looks like, but you don't find that out until later.
  • Chrome Champion: YEP. As befitting a beast resembling the distillation of decades of album covers, Ormagöden's very skin is, well, metal. Behold his glorious molten hide! Witness his shiny and chrome glory!
  • Crystal Dragon Jesus: This terrifying creature actually made the world what it is.
  • The Dreaded: To the Tainted Coil, likely left over from their First One ancestors.
  • Dying Moment of Awesome: Rather than be extinguished by the demons, Ormagöden voluntarily detonated himself and created the world as we know it. His fire breath became the sun, his death scream became noise, his blood became the sea, and his steel flesh veined the earth with metal.
  • Elemental Embodiment: He provided the world with all four in the form of Metal (Earth), Noise (Air), Blood (Water), and Fire (Duh).
  • Heavy Mithril: You possibly won't find any better embodiment of the trope.
  • Living Macguffin: He's the reason Eddie appears in the Age of Metal.
  • Made of Explodium: He detonated rather than let his flame go out.
  • Made of Iron: Literally, to the point that loud clashing metal can be heard as he walks. Flame spewing pipes stick out of his back.
  • The Maker: Downplayed. While he is the progenitor of all of Earth's current biosphere, he didn't create the planet itself, nor it's original inhabitants. He isn't even native to Earth, having arrived here from space.
  • Metal Scream: The first Metal Scream according to lore, which was collected by the titans to create Heavy Metal. He uses it to make Kabbage Boy's heads fall off just from the awesomeness.
  • Mundane Made Awesome: Like you wouldn't rock out during that Kabbage Boy concert.
  • Mysterious Past: His origins are never revealed; even in the in-game Creation Myth he sorta just showed up one day.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Ormagöden, Armageddon... Get it?
  • Physical God: He's most certainly a god, and he's most certainly capable of interacting with the mortal world.
  • Pieces of God: Metal (iron ore), Noise (his scream), Blood (water), and Fire (the Sun).
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In retribution for Eddie almost dying due to Kabbage Boy's concert, Ormagöden slaughters the band minus the Bassist and then proceeds, presumably, to slaughter the audience.
  • Shout-Out: He looks a lot like Snaggletooth with a mastodontic body.
  • Smash to Black: Applied vigorously to the Kabbage Boy drummer.
  • The Power of the Sun: Specifically, he is the Sun.
  • Volcanic Veins: His flesh is etched with lines that glow red-hot. All three factions mimic this when upgraded.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: Dousing the fire from his body with mud nearly killed him.

    The Guardian of Metal 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guardian-metal-001_7196.png
Metal, noise, blood and fire, tell me what you most desire.

I want you to go FUCKIN' CRAZY out there! YOU HEAR ME?!
Voiced by: Ozzy Osbourne

A mysterious robed man with Cool Shades and a thick accent. He offers Eddie the secrets of the Titans in exchange for Fire Tributes, which are treated as currency.


  • All-Powerful Bystander: "I'm not really a fighter, I'm more of a... keeper of timeless secrets."
  • Ambiguously Human: Is he a human wizard? A miniature Titan? Some indeterminate third thing? How would a human know secrets of the Titans (who's ascension predates the creation of Humanity) otherwise?
  • Evil Laugh: The first time you enter the Forge of Metal, he'll belt out one of these before showing up, almost as if to alert you as to who's going to be voicing him.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: He looks just like modern Ozzy Osbourne.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: Comes with being an Ozzy parody.
  • Watch the Paint Job: It's not even his car, but man, does he get pissed at Eddie.
    Every time I see you, there's another fucking scratch on that beautiful car!

    Lionwhyte 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lionwhyte-001_5362.png
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH DEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAATH!
Voiced by: Rob Halford

A villainous human warlord who Doviculus appointed to rule over the enslaved humans. He enslaves his own people to please Doviculus while attempting to fashion humanity in his Camp, Hair Metal image. Voiced by Rob Halford.


  • The '80s: He represents the Glam Metal days of Heavy Metal, specifically the Glam Metal bands that tried to cash in on acts like KISS without caring about the music and what it meant to people.
  • '80s Hair: So ridiculous and over the top he can use it to fly.
  • Bad Boss: He made the Headbangers work in the mines only using their heads to dig! Lionwhyte forces Razor Girls be his concubines! He makes his minions wear glam outfits!
  • Camp Straight: Despite his Glam Metal appearance and camp mannerisms, he does keep Razor Girls as Sex Slaves.
  • Carry a Big Stick: His microphone stand is really a massive spiked club.
  • Les Collaborateurs: In exchange for ruling over humanity, he works for Doviculus.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: A lot of his character parodies this, up to referring to the rebellion as a "petty labor dispute."
  • The Dragon: To Doviculus. Or at least he sees himself as this.
  • Evil Brit: Smug, posh and very very evil.
  • Evil Counterpart: Lionwhyte's army is basically a glammed-up version of Ironheade. Justified in which the Ironheade soldiers are dissidents (except for the Glamhogs, who broke off from Kill Master instead of the other way around). The man himself is a mashup of Eddie's fighting prowess (literally, he's a Moveset Clone of Eddie) and Lars's vanity dialed up to eleven.
  • Faux Affably Evil: A slave driver, yet he fancies himself as the leader of a professional, profitable industry. He calls his slaves "employees," dismisses Ironheade's rebellion as a labor dispute, and insists he has humanity's interests at heart. Such talk just infuriates Lars in response.
  • Hair Metal: An Affectionate Parody of this rather than a Take That!.
  • Hair Wings: Every other Hero Unit has some form of wings on their back. Lionwhyte has a ton of hair so perfect it allows him to fly.
  • Hero Unit: A non-playable one. Tim Schafer would've loved to make the Hair Metal Militia a DLC faction though.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: General Lionwhyte dies because he tries to avoid being crushed by a giant falling mirror by shattering it with his voice, leading to him being impaled on the falling shards of glass instead.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Given a Gory Discretion Shot as large glass shards fall on him, apparently so messy that Ironheade can't find his body after.
  • It's All About Me: He works with the demons by mining buried metal and leather that the Titans left behind, and they in turn don't bother him and let him hold some measure of power. He acts like an enforcer just so he can live a decadent lifestyle.
  • Large Ham: It comes with the Glam Metal stylings.
  • Make Me Wanna Shout: General Lionwhyte never misses an opportunity to do this. He even possesses a sonic yell that can shatter glass. Creating his Karmic Death, naturally.
  • Magic Music: Like all Hero Units, only he needs no guitar.
  • Metal Scream: Has all the same basic powers as Eddie, but uses high pitched singing to perform them.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: "I know how to handle petty labor disputes!"
  • Never Found the Body: Some Razor Girls can bring up that Ironheade never found his body, expressing paranoia that he might have somehow survived.
  • Oh, Crap!: The look on Lionwhyte's face the moment before he is killed by broken glass.
  • Prehensile Hair: His hair is so long and full he's able to use it as a pair of wings to fly.
  • The Quisling: To humanity at large, by enslaving any human who isn't useful enough to enforce the Tainted Coil's will.
  • Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: It's never said outright, but there's a reason the Razor Girls fear him.
  • Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: Comes with being a Hair Metal parody.
  • Shout-Out: Spell My Name With An S aside, his name is one to White Lion.
  • Sissy Villain: Justified with being a glam metal fighter, though he does have an impressive set of abs.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: He seems to think he's one of the biggest players in the game due to his business relationship with the Tainted Coil. Doviculus himself only barely tolerates him, and he winds up being far less important in the grand scheme of things than he thinks he is.
  • Smug Snake: He never treats Ironheade seriously, and thinks he can win the Bouncers back over with new slimming Glitter Fist uniforms. He also has way too much confidence in his voice's power and didn't think to just dodge the falling mirror shards that presumably killed him.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He claims to be one, but has nothing to back it up.

    The Hunter 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The-Hunter-001_37.png
What a little puss.
Voiced by: Brian Posehn

A grumpy hunter who has hunted every animal in the land. He challenges Eddie to beat his hunting records, which awards Eddie the increasingly powerful Call of the Wild song, which summons the animals he defeats.


  • Badass Normal: He's hunted and killed several of the worlds most dangerous animals all by himself.
  • Egomaniac Hunter: He's always quick to brag about killing the incredibly dangerous wildlife. Similarly, he fucks off after you beat his last challenge to hunt bigger scarier prey with less "copycats" around.
  • Graceful Loser: After you beat his last challenge he'll give you a special Axe treatment and show you the closest thing he ever will to respect.
  • Head Hat: Makes himself one of these out of the laser panthers he killed.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: He looks like his voice actor, and acts like a Ted Nugent Expy.
  • Real Men Eat Meat: Often found munching on a slab of whatever he just killed. Once you beat his final hunting challenge, he's chowing down on a carrot seemingly just to fuck with you.
  • 20 Bear Asses: He gives these quests exclusively. Completing them powers up your Call of the Wild.

    Fletus 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fletus-001_7424.png
Oh can it. I know who you are, you're that guy who thinks he invented cars!
Nah, I didn't invent cars, I just showed them how to put them together, it's easy!
Oh, yeah. My people have been doing it for years... EXCEPT WE MADE THEM FAST!

Originally the leader of his own faction, but cut out due to time restrictions, he sits around with his car, The Squealer, awaiting challengers to race him. He hints several times that he has an entire army. He hints that his army is a race of demons different from the Tainted Coil, and their races are enemies. The Coil, who wrap themselves in bondage to mimic the Titans, decided that Fletus's race are too ugly to be allies.


  • Badass Driver: He's Eddie's main rival when it comes to racing after all.
  • Cool Car: The Squealer is a green Dodge Challenger that's way too small for Fletus. His body sticks out of the moon roof, along with the steering wheel and stick shift, a reference to Ed Roth's Rat Fink.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: Fletus dresses and talks like Brian Johnson from AC/DC. That his car is called Squealer is a further Shout-Out to the band.
  • Our Demons Are Different: Fletus explains to Eddie that his race is fundamentally different from the demons of the Tainted Coil, who are not his allies. The Tainted Coil dislike his race because they are too ugly. Furthermore, his race has had access to cars long before Eddie showed up.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: What race is unknown at this time...
  • Racing Minigame: His sidequest involves racing against him in a series of one-on-one muscle car races.
  • The Rival: To Eddie in road racing.
  • Scary Teeth: He has metallic tusks that resemble exhaust pipes.
  • Violent Glaswegian: Though you never see him actually fight.
  • Watch the Paint Job: "Do not touch my damn car!"
  • Winged Humanoid: They're never seen in-game, but concept art reveals that he has bat-like wings similar to Eddie's.

    Dadbat 
Get out of here before I bite your head off!
Voiced by: Ozzy Osbourne

A small, angry, neurotic vampire bat with a human head. He holds one sidequest for Eddie: clearing out his cave of monsters so his family can move back in.


    Kabbage Boy 
"I can fix anything... Except that."
—Eddie Riggs
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kabbage-Boy-001_5391.png

The band that Eddie works for in the intro, Kabbage Boy is a "Second Wave of American Tween Melodic Rap Metalcore" group that does "Heavy Metal", as they put it. They are killed by Ormagöden when Eddie accidentally summons him.


  • Bloody Hilarious: Ormagöden roars in their faces so loud that their heads fall off.
  • Cool Mask: Kind of, in their case. The vocalist wears a Phantom of the Opera mask for some reason.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: Being their roadie is a pretty thankless job for Eddie. Of course, he gives them no respect himself as well.
  • Genre Mashup: Parodied. They are part of the Second Wave of American Tween Melodic Rap Metalcore. Though musically they're more of a combination of a Pop Punk, with a heavy emphasis on pop, and Nu Metal group.
  • Impossibly Tacky Clothes: They wear stereotypical "cool kid" clothes turned up to eleven. The DJ wears three caps stacked on top of one another, and his pants sag low enough to show all of his underwear - like he had just taken a crap and had to rush out of the bathroom.
  • Jerkass: They treat Eddie like crap. In return, he's pretty surly around them. Though the bassist seems okay, if commercial nonetheless.
    Lead Guitarist: Yeah I'll try not to smash it (Eddie's recently fixed guitar)... so much this time.
    Bassist: Don't mess with that guy. He scares me.
  • Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: When Ormagöden shows up, the bassist (who, incidentally, seems to be the most alright out of all of the members) is the only one who has the good sense to make like a banana and split while the others get killed by the huge monster that just showed up.
  • Stylistic Suck: Their music is considered awful In-Universe by people who actually know what Heavy Metal is.
  • Take That!: To trendy modern metal groups.
  • Too Dumb to Live: The guitarist, when climbing on the stage just to show off. He nearly dies for his trouble, and winds up getting Eddie killed (and then he really dies, Eddie gets resurrected and the plot kicks off for real).
    • The Bassist, however, is not and thus is the only one that survives Ormagöden appearing in the real world.

    The First Ones 

The First Ones were the first creatures to inhabit the Brütal Land. They conspired to kill Ormagöden, using Aetulia as bait, only to drown when the mighty creature's blood flooded the world.


  • Hoist by His Own Petard: They were so offended that Ormagöden's fire forced them to behold how ugly they were that they conspired to kill him. They almost succeeded, but the Metal Beast took his own life rather than be extinguished, and the First Ones were wiped out by the torrent of his blood. So, technically, they got their wish and no longer had to see their own hideous visages anymore.
  • Mysterious Past: The Creation Myth doesn't explain where they came from. Even at its start, they're sorta just Already there.
  • Precursors: The First Ones were the first forms of life in the dark desert of the world's early days. When Ormagöden's death flooded the world, it drowned the First Ones, whatever remained of them washing ashore and became the Tainted Coil.

    Aetulia 

A figure from the History of Metal. Aetulia was a beautiful woman who lived deep underground and sang to Madronal, the teated tree of drinking. Her lovely and magic song nourished the tree and in turn the First Ones. She was eventually kidnapped by the First Ones, and her song was used to lure Ormagöden to his death. After he and the First Ones were wiped out, Aetulia was left alone in the dark, where she wept endlessly for her part in killing the Eternal Fire Beast until she finally turned to dust. Her tears, infused with both her power and eternal grief, would become the Sea of Black Tears.


  • Creation Myth: Aetulia is one of the key figures in the History of Metal.
  • Crying a River: Aetulia spent a long, but unknown amount of time alone in the dark weeping after her song was used to lure Ormagöden to his death. When she finally turned to dust, her tears had become the Sea of Black Tears.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Her part in Ormagöden's death left her to cry alone until she died.
  • Mysterious Past: The Creation Myth doesn't explain where she came from. She's sorta just there.

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