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Team Snakemouth

General

The protagonists of the game. A trio of adventurers who conquered Snakemouth Den and subsequently were dubbed Team Snakemouth by Queen Elizant II and the Explorers' Association. Tasked to find the Everlasting Sapling before the Wasp King does, the trio ventures throughout Bugaria to collect the artifacts that will show the way.

Badass Adorable: The whole group is made of cute little, bug-eyed ass-kickers. Even Chompy is this in her own Ugly Cute way.
Big, Thin, Short Trio: Kabbu, Leif, and Vi respectively.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Their designs are primarily one color. While Vi's yellow matches most bees, Kabbu's green and Leif's blue are less common among other bugs.
Fire-Forged Friends: Kabbu and Vi originally partnered up mostly because nobody else would team up with them, and even after Leif joins them, they spend a lot of the early chapters squabbling and having their different goals conflict. It's even lampshaded by the first chapter's title: "A Dysfunctional Trio". Over time, they truly learn to work together and by the final chapters are a true team. This even gets worked into the gameplay as they unlock dual and triple skills that feature multiple members working together for a very damaging attack.
Fighter, Mage, Thief: They naturally fall into this.
- Vi is the "thief" of Team Snakemouth, being obsessed with money and glory. In battle, she initially deals less damage than Kabbu and Leif, but has unique medals that can power up her skills to inflict status or hit more times.
- Kabbu is the fighter of Team Snakemouth, and is the most focused on being a good adventurer. In battle, he innately has more HP than Leif and Vi, and his horn pierces defenses of armored enemies. To top it off, his very first skill is a taunt.
- Leif is the mage of Team Snakemouth, and has a past that is shrouded in mystery. In battle, his ice magic can deal a lot of damage at the cost of consuming a lot of TP. Additionally, he can use certain medals to buff his teammates or debuff enemies.
Gender-Equal Ensemble: If the female Optional Party Member, Chompy, is recruited, the team then has two males and females.
Knighting: At the end of the game, they all were knighted by Queen Elizant II as her Royal Blades as an ultimate reward for their massive role in finding the Everlasting Sapling (its destruction aside), and defeating the Wasp King.
Nice Mean And In Between:
- Kabbu is Nice; he is an Ideal Hero, very kind and chivalrous, and is always willing to help without asking anything in return.
- Vi is Mean; she is a greedy bee who is mostly Only in It for the Money, always demanding a reward for every good deed Team Snakemouth makes. She is also very sassy and short-tempered, yet despite this, she genuinely cares for her friends.
- Leif is In-Between; he is stoic, calm and rational, yet is also a bit insensitive and blunt, and he does have a bit of mischievous side, and is as likely to agree with Vi's methods as he is with Kabbu's.
Physical, Mystical, Technological: Kabbu is the Physical, with skills involving his raw body strength, such as digging, charging, and using his horn. Leif is the Mystical, as the only magic user in Team Snakemouth, and all of his combat revolving around spells. Vi is the Technological, as her main weapon is a tool that is upgraded to be a Perpetual Motion Machine midway through Chapter 2, and she comes from the technologically-advanced Hive. This is even reflected in the Medals that grant bonuses unique to them: Kabbu gets physical skills like throwing rocks or having his body damage enemies, Leif gets buff and debuff spells, and Vi gets "upgrades" to her Beemerang and needles.
Red Baron: They get dubbed Team Snakemouth by Eetl after being the team to finally retrieve the artifact within Snakemouth Den. While initially it's just a team name, by Chapter 6 onward, they become known across Bugaria by the reputation that they've built up, and Leif even expresses regret that they didn't get a chance to pick something cooler.
Secret-Keeper: Together with Acolyte Aria, they keep the existence of Venus a secret from everybody.
True Companions: While they initially didn't get along, over the course of the game they grow very close to each other, and will always support and protect each other no matter what, which greatly contributes to their success. In Chapter 5, when they leave the Wild Swamplands with Maki, Vi even points out that their strong bond is the reason why they have become one of the most successful teams in the Association.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vi_artwork.png

It's folly to tell me I can't do something!

A former resident of the Bee Kingdom, who left to become an adventurer.

Action Girl: She's a female explorer that can hold her own against creeps and monsters. Justified by bees being matriarchal.
Acrophobic Bird: Despite being capable of flight, she very rarely does that, and refuses to carry her teammates over the gaps, since it's too much pressure on her. It took the Queen herself ordering her to do so when she finally decides to start carrying Kabbu around while Leif carries the rest, and even then she still complains that her body will get all sore after that.
All of the Other Reindeer: Vi resents the idea of being born a worker bee and being made to stay in that role for the entirety of her life which is one of the primary reasons why she ran away from the hive to pursue her dreams. One of the lore books discusses that some workers in recent times have rebelled against being a "social" type bug to become a "loner" type bug and wonders that if this, too, is evolution.
Battle Boomerang: Her weapon is a Precision-Guided Boomerang that she uses in combat as well as in the overworld. Besides serving as a potent weapon, she can also use it to catch items or hit switches from distance and, with an upgrade, can also spin mid-air to rotate wooden cranks.
Bratty Half-Pint: Though she is in her mid-teens, she still acts as a child and is very mouthy, snarky and immature, and is very sensitive to being called short or a kid.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Invoked through gameplay: She's always had the ability to help carry teammates over short gaps, but she's just too lazy and hates doing it. She eventually gets over this in Chapter 6 when she has no choice but to carry Kabbu over the Forsaken Lands, while Leif can carry others with his Ice Magic.
Color Motif: Her design is primarily yellow, fitting someone with a short temper who's motivated by greed and glory. However, despite her name, she doesn't have any strong associations with common purple motifs.
Colorful Theme Naming: Her full name is Violet, a type of purple, which is complimentary to her sister's name, Jaune, which is French for "yellow".
Composite Character: Of Yoshi Kid and Kooper, both mechanically and personality-wise. Like the former, she is gutsy, childlike, specializes in multiple hits, and can carry allies across gaps, and she can throw her Beemerang in a manner akin to the latter's field ability (with a hint of Koops once she gets the ability to hold it in place), and shares his love for adventure.
Dark and Troubled Past: Defied. Her reactions to other bees and the suggestion of returning to the Hive make it seem like she had bad experiences with them at home, citing herself as being an outcast and her dialogue implying she was bullied for wanting to be an explorer. In truth, the real reason is because of her feeling guilty about lashing out at them, especially Jaune, which was in response to comparatively minor (but still clearly hurtful) teasing.
Defector from Decadence: Vi left the Bee Kingdom, which values art and science more than exploration, to be an adventurer.
Everyone Has Standards: Vi is generally rude and greedy, but even she has her limits.
- She is disgusted by snobbish elitism, which made her hate Beette, a haughty bee who never misses the chance to brag about Bee Kingdom's cultural superiority.
- She also knows better than to mock those who despair, as shown when inspecting the "Seedling Slayer" who was upset over her inability to stop the Wasp invasion, and in Defiant Root, when Leif cracks an insensitive joke at the expense of the Far Grasslands border guard (who was Drowning Her Sorrows in the bar), she gets mad at him and joins Kabbu in scolding him.
- She is not a sociopath and is not devoid of empathy. When Team Snakemouth encounters the starving ant kid in the Wasp Kingdom's prison, she gets repulsed of an idea of leaving someone to starve, and when the team gives her food, she doesn't object and doesn't even request a reward. She also doesn't mind giving a beggar in the Termite Kingdom a berry, since she acknowledges that he seems to be unable to make profit on his own, given his state.
Greed: One of her major flaws.
Hidden Depths:
- Seems to know a lot about Rubber Prison despite being from the Bee Kingdom and it being an ant-run facility (before the wasps took it over). Was she taught about it as a young child, or was Vi such a miscreant back then that Queen Bianca or whoever raised her felt the need to threaten her with it?
- She's quite savvy when it comes to business and finance and expresses the idea that if she were to ever give up being an explorer, she would run a shop instead. Though given her obvious desire to make money, this probably isn't too surprising.
Item Caddy: Because her healing skills are considered "items," they get a boost from medals that improve item use, making her a candidate for the team's designated item-user. (It's also less MP-intensive than building her into a raw-damage powerhouse, for those who feel like it.)
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's sarcastic and has a short temper, and the initial impressions of her aren't flattering, as she seems to treat Kabbu as just a means to an end for exploring Snakemouth and considers abandoning him twice. However, she sticks with him and eventually Leif, coming to consider them as friends and caring for them, such as insisting Kabbu have fun and participate in the Golden Festival finale, and it seems as if his niceness rubs off on her later in the game. And as hostile as she is to those who rub her the wrong way, she's just as kind to those she gets off well with, such as Chubee.
Just a Kid: She isn't a kid^note, but seems to be considered immature and childlike by most other characters, much to her annoyance.
King Incognito: Defied. Even when Queen Bianca speaks to Vi in a motherly way, and when Kabbu and Leif (and likely other players) speculate about it, Vi makes it clear that the Queen just sees all bees as her children, and that's how it works in bee society. Ergo, Vi's not actually a princess or anything of the sort. Indeed, one of the lore books mentions that it is taboo in a social insect society to refer to the queen as their mother although she does call Queen Bianca "Mom" at least once.
Magikarp Power: Of the main trio, she starts out with the lowest damage output, often unable to do anything to enemies with defense. However, once the player has enough MP and TP leveled up to equip certain medals^note and has found Medals that power up her skills, she can quickly become the main damage dealer of the group thanks to her multi-hit attacks and her piercing attacks ignoring defense.
The Medic: Her Secret Stash skill is a heal that also cures poison, and she later learns the full party regeneration skill Shared Stash after reconciling with her sister. Because these skills are based on her using items from her personal supply, they do benefit from badges that boost item healing ^note, meaning that these skills can scale surprisingly well if players want to make Vi into a healer.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Twice.
- Her open greediness and desire to collect the Artifacts for fame and riches really sets off the Goddess, Venus. As a result, Venus puts Team Snakemouth through the wringer until they prove themselves by defeating her Guardian and showing their more noble aspects.
- Her breaking Kali's prized vase by accident leads to Kali hypnotizing Kabbu with her pheromones and sicking him on Vi and Leif.
The Napoleon: Her meager height is a very sore spot for her, and she's quick to flip out anytime someone calls attention to it.
Only in It for the Money: She's very open about asking for rewards upon completing quests, though she eventually softens on this by Chapter 7, prompting Kabbu and Leif to note how much she's grown.
Punny Name: Vi rhymes with bee. Her full name is Violet, but it's suggested (and confirmed by Word of God) that her name is pronounced in the French manner (vee-oh-lay), preserving the pun.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Upon first encountering the giant, bug-eating spider of Snakemouth Den, Vi originally flees and leaves Kabbu and its webbed-up prisoner (Leif) at its mercy, but comes back when Kabbu is close to dying from it.
Self-Made Woman: While she is greedy, some dialogue has her note how she earns her money through hard work adventuring, and she never tries to cut corners. She even remarks "when I want berries, I go make them" rather casually.
Shout-Out: One of her attacks, Needle Pincer, has her stab an enemy with twin needles. The way she holds those needles brings one certain Poison Bee Pokémon in mind.
Token Flyer: She's the only member of Team Snakemouth who possesses functional wings, allowing her to fly. However, she refuses to use this ability most of the time, even when it would benefit Team Snakemouth, as she doesn't want to get her body sore from carrying Kabbu around. It's only when Queen Elizant herself orders Vi to start carrying Kabbu around (with Leif using the hovering ice block to carry the rest) when she starts flying on team's accord.
The Unapologetic: Initially, she refuses to even consider apologizing to her sister Jaune^note for badmouthing her and her art skills, since she doesn't want to be the loser in the conflict, and believes that Jaune had it coming due to constantly teasing her before. However, when Leif and Kabbu point out that Vi is being really immature over such petty things, and that one day she may never be able to make amends with her sister, Vi, initially begrudgingly, but later genuinely, agrees to apologize and make amends.
Unreliable Expositor: It's unclear just how much truth there is to her claims that the Bee Kingdom is full of stuck-up jerks thanks to the fallout from her wanting to leave. Most bees welcome her back with open arms or are fairly neutral to her return upon the group needing to head there for an artifact and a few even congratulate her on achieving her dreams, but there are some bees^note that make it clear she didn't have a very pleasant experience growing up there, either.
Unsportsmanlike Gloating: After returning from Snakemouth Den with the artifact, she gleefully rubs it in Eetl's face, since he had been so opposed to her going. Kabbu and Leif even lampshade it.
Verbal Tic: She peppers the word "super" in her dialogue often.
Video Game Flight: In Chapter 6, she gains an ability to fly to carry the team around (or rather, she carries only Kabbu while Leif carries everyone else behind her). However, due to the fact that Kabbu is quite weighty, she can carry him only for short amount of time, meaning that she can carry him only over the small gaps, unless there is a wind current to support her.
Virtuous Bees: While she does have her flaws, at the end she is still a noble soul who is willing to protect Bugaria and her friends against any threat that would come.
Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: Any time Team Snakemouth does anything good, no matter how remotely mundane (like cutting down a bush or delivering a book into the library), Vi will almost definitely ask for a reward more often than not, which occasionally aggravates the notably kind Kabbu, to the point of giving her a Dope Slap.
Womanchild: Considering her bratty behavior and general immaturity, is it any wonder that a lot of bugs think she's younger than she actually is?

Kabbu

Sir Maki. Although you outrank me in spades, you shouldn't underestimate me.

A veteran fighter from the North who originally traveled to the Ant Kingdom to fulfill a promise.

Armor-Piercing Attack: His basic attack and a number of his other skills ignore one point of the enemy's defense. He can also flip over certain enemies and reduce their defense to zero entirely.
Artistic License – Biology: Despite the Word of God confirming that Kabbu's species is Phanaeus vindex, he lacks their trademark reddish coloration on the back of his head. Coincidentally, this makes him resemble other members of Phanaeus genus, most notably Phanaeus mexicanus or Phanaeus lunaris.^note
Ascended Fanboy: He's a very big fan of the stories of the Bug Rangers, a fictional superhero team (who bear a strong coincidental resemblance to Team Snakemouth), and over the course of the story, he's pretty much become a superhero on his own right alongside his teammates.
Beware the Nice Ones: Kabbu is easily the nicest of the team and the one most frequently to oppose violence between opposing teams (especially with Zasp and Mothiva) but even he has his limits. When Zasp and Mothiva try to hijack the Termite Colosseum so that they would be the ones to take on the Wasp King, Kabbu has finally had enough of their antics (especially since it's endangering the entire kingdom), outright calls Mothiva a witch, and gloats upon him and his team beating them. Even then, he's still notably the most experienced fighter on the team and just as capable in dishing out the pain to bad guys, as shown when he single-handedly slayed The Beast through sheer Heroic Resolve.
Big Fun: He's a big, chunky beetle, and he's also surprisingly playful. He gets excited about the festival Team Snakemouth attends, and he likes to suggest they do fun things like roll down sand dunes together.
The Big Guy: Kabbu is Team Snakemouth's muscle, being the most offense-focused party member in the team.
Brainwashed and Crazy: Is turned into Kali's thrall in a sidequest, which he is deeply ashamed of.
Cheated Angle: One of his eyes is always in shadow, even when he's seen directly from the front (such as in the stats screen). He clearly has both eyes, but you'll never see both at the same time.
Counter-Attack: With the Spiky Bod medal equipped, Kabbu can deal 1 damage against enemies with his horn when blocking against physical attacks. It can't deal health down to zero by itself but it is useful for chipping away at enemies regardless, especially when used with Taunt.
The Determinator: When the entire party is wiped out by the Beast's unavoidable 99 damage attack, Kabbu manages to survive through sheer willpower alone, and finally vanquishes the monster after getting a brief boost in strength. He also gains the ability to break through rocks in a similar vein.
Embarrassing Nickname: Cerise gives him a nickname "Uncle Iron Seed", since she mistakes him for a Fruity Bug that took characteristics of Iron Seeds from eating too many of them, as well as believing he is "old enough to be her uncle". Vi was especially amused by this nickname, much to Kabbu's chagrin.
Vi: PFFTHAHAHAHAHA! "UNCLE IRON SEED"?!
Kabbu: Oh, be quiet...
Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones:
- Though he's normally nice and compassionate to a fault, but when Mothiva with Zasp attempted to upstage them in the Termite Colosseum, which would've doomed all of Bugaria in process, even he got completely fed up with her behavior, calling her out on her stupidity and on how poorly thought-out her plan is and even outright calling Mothiva a witch, and joins Vi and Leif in gloating after defeating them. Downplayed, as, in the ending, he doesn't seem to hold any ill will against her.
- He absolutely abhors The Beast due to it killing his mentor and friend.
- Kabbu also heavily dislikes the Fortune Teller from the Golden Settlement, disliking the idea that the future is already predetermined and can be read from afar.
- While hate is too strong a word, Kabbu is notably exasperated by Tanjerin, though this is mostly down to Tanjerin, a fellow beetle, recklessly using his horn to try and lift a rock far bigger and heavier than he is.
Experienced Protagonist: Compared to Leif who was just a non-combatant scout on his ill-fated mission many years ago, and Vi who had only very recently left the Hive to become an explorer, Kabbu is this. At the beginning of the game, he refutes Maki's suggestion that he is unproven, having bested many hardships in the north^note and in their test against Maki for their Explorer Permit, he can give Vi combat tips showing his experience as a warrior. He is also knowledgeable about many of the areas that Team Snakemouth explore and Bugaria in general and has made a few friends across the kingdom during the course of his earlier travels as a result. Later in Chapter 5, Maki trusts Kabbu enough to have him serve as the group's guide through the highly dangerous Far Grasslands and the Wild Swamplands, which Kabbu had previously travelled through from the north, suffering wounds in the process.

Face of a Thug: Carries a rather intimidating appearance thanks to his masked look and his near constant, one eyed scowl, yet he's the nicest and friendliest of Team Snakemouth.
Fanboy: He is a huge fan of the Bug Rangers, to the point that he's left happily giggling when he manages to secure a rare plushie of the Green Ranger. Which makes it all the bigger deal when he willingly parts with it without asking for anything in return to cheer up a sad termite.
For Great Justice: One of Kabbu's biggest driving forces is the concept of justice and he is often more fired up than usual if the team takes on a mission that specifically asks for justice to be served in some way.
Friend to All Children: He's very kind to children, to the point that he's willing to give up his beloved Green Ranger plushie to a sulking child just to see her perk up. He also used to babysit Ann, one of the Ant Kingdom's residents, from time to time.
Furry Reminder:
- As revealed in Chapter 4, Kabbu is an exceptional digger, which stems from the fact that he is a beetle. He himself even lampshades this.
"You should know beetles are fantastic diggers!"
- In a somewhat darker instance of this, despite his friendly and kind nature, as a male beetle, he's incapable of resisting Kali's pheromones which she uses to make him attack Vi and Leif over a broken vase. Leif considers it a despicable trick on Kali's part to use chemistry this way.
Gentle Giant: Kabbu is the fighter to Team Snakemouth's Fighter, Mage, Thief motif and the nicest of the trio to the point where he acts as The Heart of Team Snakemouth, as stated below.
The Heart: Kabbu is a noble soul that adventures to help others, and does his best to respect everyone he comes across. Early on, he even learns a skill to revive his allies in battle by just giving a pep talk.
Hit Me, Dammit!: Kabbu's Taunt ability forces all enemies on the field to hit him instead for the turn. He can also equip the Deep Taunt medal to also decrease their defense in exchange for increasing their attack.
Hold Your Hippogriffs: Kabbu has a variety of exclamations for when he's surprised or alarmed, usually in relation to the queen or Venus in some way.
"By the holy jaws of the Queen, Vi! You left me to my fate! You are vile!"
Horn Attack: Kabbu's basic attack makes use of his horn. On the field he can use it to cut down bushes or push around rocks or ice blocks.
Humble Hero: Kabbu has a tendency to downplay his actions or state that he's just fulfilling their mission. He'll often try to turn down rewards too, much to Vi's frustration, though he sees helping fellow bugs as its own reward.
Hypocritical Humor: In one conversation, Kabbu tells Leif that he should watch his figure when the latter hopes for another eating contest. Leif immediately retorts that he's seen Kabbu snacking on Honey Drops in the middle of missions.
I Am Big Boned: The characters sometimes describe Kabbu as chubby, to which he always objects to. For example, when Vi expresses how she doesn't want to carry Kabbu around because he looks massive, he objects by claiming he is lighter than he appears, and in the conversation inside the refrigerator in the Giants' Lair, Leif states that his chub protects him from cold, and Kabbu insists that it's muscle.
Ideal Hero: Kabbu represents the best in heroism, being brave, kind, and having an almost pathological need to help everyone he can.
It's Personal: He has a burning hatred for the Beast of the Wild Swamplands because it killed his friends.
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": He's a huge fan of the Bug Rangers to the point of childlike excitement, and a superhero in his own right.
Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Kabbu's spy dialogue referring to Kali controlling him with "alluring pheromones" is basically this.
Lightning Bruiser: He is not only strong and sturdy, but he can also dash at maddening speeds.
Meaningful Name: Kabbu, short for Kabuto, a type of helmet worn by samurai. It's also a name associated with Japanese beetles.
My Greatest Failure: That fact that he couldn't save his mentor and friend's lives on his travels to Bugaria still clearly haunts him throughout the game. It's a major factor in why he's so protective of his current team.
Nice Guy: Kabbu is an incredibly kind-hearted, compassionate bug and the most noble of the main trio.
Not So Above It All: As much as he chides Vi for her immaturity, he's a huge Fanboy of the Bug Rangers and has his own moments of goofiness.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Due to being so cautious, kind, and level-headed, Vi and Leif immediately realize that something is very wrong when Kabbu is practically aggressive in his haste to get to the Wild Swamplands and from there, his mood is unusually low and morose even when his friends try to nudge him to give his usual advice and pep talks. When he panics over Maki getting separated from them and angrily breaks through a pile of rocks, Vi and Leif finally get him to admit why he's acting so weird: The Beast's murder of his best friend and mentor made things personal for him and he feels guilty that he was the only one who survived. Despite his team's support though, Kabbu's thoughts are still dark and tinged with anger and it culminates in him recklessly attacking the Beast in a fit of vengeful rage. He only snaps out of it when Vi and Leif nearly die due to his refusal to retreat.
Optional Boss: Kabbu himself ends up being an optional boss, fought during Kali's sidequest where she hypnotizes him into attacking Team Snakemouth after Vi accidentally breaks her vase. During the fight, he has far higher health than he does normally, and is constantly having his stats boosted by Kali's dancing.
Practical Taunt: The first move Kabbu possesses is Taunt, which allows him to taunt enemies into attacking him.
Rage Breaking Point: Kabbu ultimately has enough of Mothiva and her diva attitude during Chapter 6 when she shows up at the Colosseum to upstage Team Snakemouth and take the glory for herself, potentially ruining the plan to gain the Termite King's trust. He loudly berates her for being so selfish and ungrateful even after him and his team previously saving her and Zasp's lives.
Ramming Always Works: In Chapter 5, through the power of sheer rage and determination, he gains an ability to smash through the rocks.
Real Men Love Jesus: He's a devout worshiper of the harvest goddess Venus, and when he meets her at the climax of Chapter 2, he is utterly floored. Incidentally, she is quite pleased with his worship.
Reluctant Warrior: He hates violence and prefers to avoid it whenever he can, and would rather talk down his opponents by reasoning with them (The Beast being the sole exception). However, if there's no other alternative, he will fight back and mop the floor with anyone who dares to oppose him and his team.
Revenge Before Reason: Briefly slips into vengeful rage in Chapter 5, where he furiously attacks The Beast despite Leif, Vi, and Maki's warnings in order to avenge the deaths of his old friends. Thankfully, he snaps out of it when Leif and Vi come dangerously close to dying because of his recklessness.
Scarab Power: He is a rainbow scarab beetle, and he's physically the strongest member of Team Snakemouth.
Shout-Out: When confronting Cenn and Pisci; he tells them it's Time to Count up their sins.
Stepford Smiler: While Kabbu undoubtedly takes joy from things like the Golden Settlement's harvest festival and eating good food, and is always willing to help cheer others up, there are many signs throughout the game that in reality, he is deeply sad and full of self-doubt, and he absolutely panics when his friends get badly hurt. It comes to the forefront in Chapter 5 when Kabbu has no choice but to admit his feelings and that he wanted to bury his pain and overcome his regrets in a new life.
Stout Strength: He's a little on the rounder side, but still incredibly strong and unlike most explorers, he doesn't use any kind of weapon. Even Vi and Leif get surprised by his strength occasionally, notably when he smashes some blocking rocks through rage and determination.
Vi: W-were you always this strong?
Survivor Guilt: Throughout the game, he feels great shame in being the lone survivor while his mentor and his best friend died at the hands of the Beast, as he believed himself to be unworthy of being rescued, since he was a mere rookie at the time. This guilt fueled his irrational desire for vengeance against the Beast, as he wondered whether or not he could've defeated it if he stood and fought instead of running.
Tough Beetles: He is a rainbow scarab beetle and he's The Big Guy of the Team Snakemouth, possessing more HP than his teammates, and he's capable of launching huge boulders into the sky and can learn to demolish rock piles by ramming at them at full speed.
Tunnel King: In Chapter 4, he gains an ability to burrow underground (or rather, finally decides to use it when the situation requires to do that), and does so with surprising ease. Also, after gaining the Ant Compass, he can instantly revisit the Ant Mines.
Wheel o' Feet: He has this look when he gains the ability to smash through rocks in Chapter 5.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Terrified of heights, though it typically only comes up in comedic flavor text.
You Are Fat: Vi and Leif both poke fun at his weight, much to his annoyance.
You Didn't Ask: He can burrow under things, yet does not begin to do so until Chapter 4. His excuse is that Team Snakemouth never encountered a situation in which this skill was necessary until it was required to do so.
Leif: Say, how come you never brought this up?
Kabbu: We didn't really need it, did we?
You're Insane!: Says this to Mothiva when she recklessly attempts to upstage Team Snakemouth, which would've endangered all of Bugaria.
Kabbu: This is ridiculous! You realize you could be dooming us all!? What if the Termite King loses trust in the Queen!? What if you lose to the Wasp King without our help!? Have you gone completely, utterly insane!? Have you lost all intelligence!
Mothiva: Yikes. You're overthinking this WAY too much. The Ant Kingdom's way better in our hands than with you LOSERS.
Kabbu: We have SAVED YOUR LIFE BEFORE, you WITCH!
Mothiva: I said we'd NEVER speak of that again!

Leif

Bailing would've been a good idea, really...

A stranger that Vi and Kabbu rescue from Snakemouth Den, who joins them for mutually beneficial reasons.

Afraid of Needles: Per Word of God, he's really afraid of needles. In-game, when Doctor H.B. tries to put him under to experiment on him, this results in Leif panicking and involuntarily creating a bubble shield to protect himself. It's implied to be a Trauma Button stemming from his nature as a failed science experiment.
Barrier Warrior: After Doctor H.B. attempts to experiment on him, he gains the secondary ability to generate protective shields around himself and others, both in and out of battle.
Big Eater: Despite his slender figure, he can eat a lot and frequently talks about food. He actually uses this to win the eating contest in the Golden Settlement.
Blue Is Calm: Has blue coloration, and possesses very stoic personality and calm demeanor, almost always speaking in monotone and not displaying any strong emotion.
Blue Means Cold: He's an ice magic-wielding moth who has blue as his primary body and wing color. As it turns out, his color has changed because of the cordyceps infused with ice magic crystals; back when he was alive, he was primarily red.
Cape Wings: What initially appears to be an All-Encompassing Mantle is actually his wings; he just adjusts them to drape over his body. He mentions having picked it up from his father, and Muze's father does the same, implying it runs in the family.
Clone Angst: Part of his Heroic BSoD is an identity crisis due to his not actually being Leif. His friends tell him that it doesn't matter; even if he isn't the actual Leif, he's the Leif that they know and care about, and that hasn't changed at all.
Curse of Babel: When he ends up in the presence of some artifact related to the Everlasting Sapling, or the Sapling itself, or the place that reminds him of his own past, he ends up involuntarily slipping into the Roach language. These reactions are induced by cordyceps fungus residing in his body.
Cuteness Proximity: He has a fondness for cute creatures, especially Seedlings, which shows up in some of his spy notes. He also has no problems with keeping a baby Mother Chomper, finding it too cute to leave in Professor Honeycomb's lab.
Dead All Along: The original Leif had long since been dead when Kabbu and Vi stumbled upon him. The current one is a form of fungi that has been possessing his corpse and inherited his memories. Naturally, the current Leif doesn't really take this well upon finding out about this. This◊ is what he looked like when he was alive, side-by-side with his current form.
Deadpan Snarker: Doesn't emote a whole lot, so his sarcasm falls into this.
Dead Person Impersonation: "Leif" is actually a sentient fungus who possessed Leif's long dead corpse and inherited his memories; his ice magic and understanding of Roach language come from the memories the fungus possessed of being an experiment. Oddly for this trope, Kabbu and Vi encourage the current Leif to continue living the old Leif's life, if only to uphold his legacy.
Disappeared Dad: According to Word of God, Leif did have a kid with Muse. However, due to being lost in Snakemouth Den for decades, he was most likely unaware of that and couldn't partake in their upbringing.
Expy: Of Vivian, at least mechanically. His basic attack has almost the exact same input style, he possesses two Skills that are functionally identical to Vivian’s Veil ability, and like Vivian herself his real power lies in his skill attacks, which can be utterly devastating if applied correctly. The biggest mechanical differences are in their field abilities and their elements, with Vivian being a fire mage and Leif utilizing ice. Their offensive attacks can inflict burning and freezing respectively.
Flawed Prototype: His cordyceps was supposed to be a prototype for Zommoth, the ultimate immortal guardian of the Upper Snakemouth's lab, but was regarded by the Upper Snakemouth scientists as a failure for displaying irrational behavior (implied to be developing an independent will) and, as such, got discarded and left to die in Snakemouth Den.
Friendly Zombie: Despite being an actual Zombie Bug controlled by the Cordyceps Fungus, there's still no mistaking that he's still one of the heroes.
Friend to All Living Things: He has an affinity for innocent and cute creatures. He actually takes a strong liking to the bed bug and the baby chomper.
Frozen Foe Platform: When Leif's ice magic is used on small enemies in the overworld, it temporarily freezes them inside an ice cube. This creates a usable platform, but only for the short time it takes until the enemy thaws out and breaks free.
Heroic BSoD: Goes through a brief one when he comes face to face with his (cordyceps) sibling, who has mutated into an undead monstrosity due to the experimentation of the Roaches, and immediately after learns the truth of his current existence from some Roach recordings. Thankfully, Kabbu and Vi are able to snap him out of it.
An Ice Person: His main ability is to use ice magic, freezing water droplets or enemies into ice cubes that can be used as platforms.
Ironic Name: Leif's name is an anagram of "life". He's basically a zombie bug.
Leitmotif: "The One Left Behind", which plays during the scenes that focus on his backstory.
No Mouth: His mouth is normally not displayed, only showing up when he speaks, eats or chooses an option.
Non-Action Guy: Subverted. When Vi and Kabbu first rescue him from the Spider, he confesses he doesn't have any combat ability because he was on a scouting mission. He's just as surprised that he has ice powers when he first uses them. Which is your first hint that Leif isn't what he seems.
Not Quite Flight: Once Vi starts using her flight ability and carry Kabbu over small gaps, Leif hovers behind her on the floating ice platform, carrying whoever follows Team Snakemouth at the moment with him.
Not So Above It All: While he's more rational than Vi, he is not above occasionally agreeing with her greedy and mischievous methods, such as considering pulling some pranks on sleeping technician on Golden Path, snitching Doctor H.B.'s medals, and agreeing with Vi on leaving Kabbu in the inn the next time they would plan on raiding the Bandits' Hideout to steal everything from their treasure room (since Kabbu insists on not stealing, as he believes that a thief who steals from thieves is still a thief).
Only Sane Man: He's the most level-headed and rational member of the Team Snakemouth (that is, unless his Big Eater tendencies or Cuteness Proximity kick in). He is able to quickly identify any Paper Thin Disguises, and doesn't panic from the threats that could be seen from miles away.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He normally always refers to himself with the Royal "We", so, in Upper Snakemouth, when the Heroic BSoD prompts him to drop the "we" and start to refer himself as "I", it truly comes as a shock.
Opposites Attract: Leif's wife Muse is described by him as loud, outgoing and confident while Leif appears to have always been stoic and deadpan, if the cordyceps that possessed his body is to be believed.
Pretending to Be One's Own Relative: A tragic use of this trope. Leif pretends to be a distant relative so that his descendants don't have to learn the truth about why he disappeared so long ago.
Prophet Eyes: Has completely white eyes with no visible pupils, has magic, and speaks the ancient Roach language. This is possibly related to the fact that he is effectively a fungus zombie of sorts, as other moths in the game lack this.
Red Mage: He's capable of both dealing damage and making things easier for his allies by debuffing and stunning his opponents.
The Resenter: He makes no secret his disdain for Elizant II and how he feels she pales in comparison to her mother. He moves past this once the Queen's true feelings come to light.
Royal "We": Despite not being royalty, Leif only addresses himself as "we". However, he briefly drops it during his Heroic BSoD, when realizing how literal he was being, as an amalgamation of the original Leif and a Cordyceps fungus. It's not made clear if the original Leif addressed himself this way or not.
Rip Van Winkle: He was asleep in Snakemouth Den for decades and woke up with magic afterwards, and his personal quest involves finding one of his descendants who is named after and looks very similar to his wife.
Support Party Member: He has a variety of medals that grant him new skills that can affect boost the stats of his allies or drop the stats of enemies, though many of them have to be won as prizes from the Termarcade in Chapter 6 onward.
The Stoic: He very rarely displays any emotions.
They Would Cut You Up: Noticing something unusual in Leif's behavior and state, Doctor H.B. considers putting him under and dissecting him for research. This causes Leif to panic and accidentally learn how to create the bubble shields.
Tomato in the Mirror: He is actually a Parasite Zombie. He died, was resurrected by a Cordyceps fungus, and inherited all of his original memories of what happened. Cue Heroic BSoD.
Tragic Ice Character: He's an ice magic-wielding moth who was left behind in Snakemouth Den for countless years, awakening in the present without any understanding as to how he survived until today, outlived his family and everyone he knew (except Rebecca, who simply doesn't remember him), and couldn't even bring himself to meet his descendants once he discovered that one of them is a dead-ringer for his late wife. Furthermore, it turns out he was actually Dead All Along, and "Leif" we see now is actually a sentient cordyceps fungus who was created by sociopathic roach scientists as a prototype to Zommoth, and was callously thrown out to die before it possessed the deceased Leif's corpse, inheriting his memories and personality into itself.

Secret Party Member (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

Chompy

A baby Chomper who serves as a fourth party member gained after beating the Mother Chomper and taking the seed to the lab in the Hive. Default name is Chompy.

Boring, but Practical: Chompy's sole attack consists of a regular bite, which, while not much, is pretty helpful for finishing off weakened enough enemies, allowing the main trio to not waste turns doing so themselves.
Canon Name: You can name her whatever you wish, but Chompy is her default name.
Man-Eating Plant: Just like the rest of her brethren.
Optional Party Member: She can only be recruited after beating the Mother Chomper.
Out of Focus: Due to being an Optional Party Member, she has zero relevance or presence in the main story and whenever a character refers to Team Snakemouth collectively, they're usually referring to just Vi, Kabbu, and Leif.
Raised By Bugs: Thanks to imprinting on Team Snakemouth, Chompy is friendly towards bugkind.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: She's a tiny, friendly Chomper who seems to perpetually smile, and she can be customized with cute ribbons to boot! And like all things adorable, Leif is absolutely enamored with her.
Team Pet: Unlike the other three, she does not speak and instead acts more like a pet. Her bed in the player's home is even a pet bed.
Token Heroic Orc: She's the only friendly Chomper in the game.
Walking Spoiler: She can only be recruited after an optional sidequest, and the existence of a non-hostile Chomper is a minor twist.

Other members of the Explorers' Association

Artis

The accountant for the local Explorers' Association.

Dude Looks Like a Lady: You'd be forgiven for thinking he was a girl at first glance. Downplayed, since apart from his wings being pink there's nothing particularly feminine about him.
Hard Mode Perks: Gives you the medal for Hard Mode and bonus medals after defeating certain bosses while wearing it.
Non-Action Guy: He's not an active explorer, and instead rewards explorers truly willing to challenge themselves.

Eetl

Another worker at the Explorers' Association, in charge of granting permits to explorers.

Blue Is Heroic: Downplayed, since he's a Non-Action Guy rather than an active explorer, but his body is mostly blue and he's a really nice beetle who supports Team Snakemouth throughout the story.
Non-Action Guy: He's not a fighter so much as he is a quest-giver.
Ocular Gushers: First when he finds Vi and Kabbu survived Snakemouth Den, then much later during the victory celebration at the end of the game.
Out of Focus: Once chapter 1 ends, he stops being important.
Punny Name: He's a beetle named Eetl.
So Proud of You: In the ending, he expresses how proud he is of Team Snakemouth for saving Bugaria.

Amber

An ant who stores items for the Explorers.

Absurdly Dedicated Worker: Fighting with that heavy sack wouldn't be easy, but she still swears she'll guard every item you give her with her life. She's so dedicated to her job that she even follows Team Snakemouth into Giant's Lair on the off-chance that they need to make use of her services.
Damsel in Distress: Cenn and Pisci attempt to mug her during the "Explorer Check!" sidequest and she gets captured by the Wasps in Chapter 6.
Strong Ants: She's an ant who carries a massive sack on her back without any sign of discomfort.
Took a Shortcut: That large sack seemingly doesn't slow her down a bit, because she's always at every location before you are, though she sometimes requires some story progression before she'll start appearing.

Gen and Eri

A pair of twin ants that form Team Ant.

Always Identical Twins: Their only noticeable difference from generic guards is white armor, and the only difference between them is their scarves; Gen wears a blue scarf whereas Eri wears a green one.
Can't Catch Up: Even in the beginning, they're established as weaker than the other explorer teams, though they're not useless. Even if they make it to the final dungeon, they'll become too injured to continue to the final battle and stay behind in the Roach Village.
The Dividual: They are never seen apart and always show up together.
Faux Action Girls: Despite being explorers, they never manage to defeat bad guys on their own and are fairly easy to trick, to the point that an easily recognizable fake Explorer's Permit was able to fool them for a while in their side quest. With that being said, they still accompany Team Snakemouth to the incredibly dangerous Giant's Lair at the end of the game, and prevent Cenn and Pisci from escaping again after their real boss fight. While they're definitely on the weaker side, they're still an exploration team for a reason.
The Generic Guy: Their whole deal is that they're incredibly unremarkable appearance and personality-wise, which is even reflected in their names.
Identical Twin ID Tag: Gen wears a blue scarf, Eri wears a green one.
Punny Name: They are generic-looking ants named Gen and Eri.
Those Two Guys: They are always seen together in various places, and don't really do much besides providing support to the stronger exploration teams.
Trap Master: While they are below-average fighters themselves, they can be surprisingly resourceful when it comes to setting up traps.

Levi and Celia

A ladybug and an ant, who occasionally offer assistance to Team Snakemouth.

Back for the Finale: After sitting most of the mid-to-late game out, they return in the final chapter and help Team Snakemouth pursue the Wasp King into Giant's Lair.
Can't Catch Up: While certainly stronger than Gen and Eri, They decide to stay behind in Roach Village after being injured on the journey there
Badass in Distress: Both of them end up getting knocked unconscious by Monsieur Scarlet in their side quest, forcing Team Snakemouth to confront him on their own.
Defrosting Ice Queen: While not downright mean like Zasp and Mothiva, Celia is fairly cold towards Team Snakemouth during the first few chapters of the game, often being unable to understand why Levi has so much faith in them. After Team Snakemouth save her and Levi from Monsieur Scarlet in an optional side quest, she treats them a lot better, even apologizing for having underestimated them earlier.
Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Unlike most of the other bugs in the 0.1 demo, the original Levi (called Ladybug Knight) looked a lot different than he would in the final product. He's wearing a lot more armor for one, and also wears a tattered cape under his wings while his final design would settle for giving him cape-like wings.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Celia is always carrying around a huge shield.
Put on a Bus: After Team Snakemouth helps them defeat Monsieur Scarlet, they spend most of the rest of the game recovering from their wounds, only returning in Chapter 7 during the final assault for the Sapling.
Rugged Scar: Celia is missing her left antenna.
Serial Killer Baiting: In Levi's sidequest, he and Celia make themselves the targets for Monsieur Scarlet, an effeminate serial killing ant who pretends to be a helpless soul in need of rescue. To ensure Scarlet could be captured, Levi employs Team Snakemouth so that they would catch him off-guard in case anything goes wrong. Though, in the end, they were unable to catch him, they still managed to see his face and are now able to expose his methods to public, ensuring that he would no longer be able to prey on explorers like he did before.
Token Heroic Orc: Invoked but not actually present. After an incident caused most ladybugs to be banned from the Ant Kingdom, Levi is not only one of the few remaining ladybugs allowed in the kingdom, but is part of an adventure team as well, making him viewed as this. However the banning of ladybugs is viewed by many to have been an overreaction, and Queen Elizant reverses the decision in the Playable Epilogue.

Maki

A mantis knighted by the queen as her Royal Blade, and leader of Team Maki.

The Ace: He's one of the most powerful explorers around, so powerful in fact that the queen knighted him and made him a Royal Blade. As shown by his combat prowess as a party member and boss, he earned his stripes.
BFS: That sword of his is more than half his height, and it hits quite hard to boot.
Guest-Star Party Member: Of the first bit of chapter 5 and a brief bit of chapter 7. The player can't control him, but he deals 6 damage every turn which gives the team a massive damage buff whenever he's available.
I Work Alone: Despite the fact that he and Kina are officially part of the same team, Maki usually goes alone on his missions and leaves Kina behind to not put her in danger. Kina herself is not fond of him ditching her, believing they are more efficient together.
Knight Templar Big Brother: While it's never said if he or Kina is older, he is still overprotective of his sister and keeps her away from danger no matter what, in spite of the fact that Kina is a perfectly capable warrior on her own right.
Lightning Bruiser: He's very quick and agile, but also possesses massive health pool and high defenses, and is a very skilled swordfighter.
Master Swordsman: He's a very skilled swordfighter whose mastery of the blade is very frequently noted to be exceptional.
Meaningful Name: According to the developers, "Maki" is an ancient word for "courage" in an ancient bug tongue. It's fitting for a fearless warrior like him.
No Mouth: His mouth appears only when he speaks.
Papa Wolf: He's very protective of Yin, the caterpillar he adopted. And if she's defeated during Team Maki's boss fight, it'll anger him to the point of giving him a permanent attack buff.
Sibling Team: Him and Kina form Team Maki, one of the best exploration teams in the Explorers' Association. However, Maki often prefers to work alone to not endanger Kina, much to her own chagrin. They do work as a team during their Superboss fight, however, with Yin accompanying them.
Slaying Mantis: A heroic version of this trope, and a fierce combatant whose swordplay and strength make him a valuable ally during the rare moments he fights alongside the party.
Stern Teacher: He's considered to be harsh and cold to the newbies, and his idea of a test involves battling them, and he is more than willing to scold them if they royally screw up, but he still has a point, as exploring is a very dangerous job. Also, he respects those with spirit and resolve, and will allow them to enter the Association if they prove themselves worthy in his eyes.
Superboss: The entirety of Team Maki can be fought after beating the game. And as one would expect, they are fiendishly difficult. Maki in particular stands out thanks to not only his high damage output and massive health pool, but his bulky defense of 3 making the act of merely damaging him an uphill battle.
Trademark Favorite Food: MiteBurgers, according to his bestiary entry.
What the Hell, Hero?: Gives a scathing one to Kabbu after his desire of revenge against the Beast nearly gets himself and his team killed.
"Kabbu, what is wrong with you!? You endangered your team! AND the mission!"
The Worf Effect: He's just as powerless against the Wasp King and his fire magic as everyone else is during the second invasion, which is not helped by his leg injury.
World's Best Warrior: Maki is the most powerful explorer in all of Bugaria, hands down. Queen Elizant entrusts him with her most important missions, and he's an incredible fighter. The only reason why he isn't able to mop the floor with the Wasp King by himself is due to the King's insanely powerful fire magic.

Kina

Maki's overprotective sister, and the other half of Team Maki.

Action Girl: Even though she is not as strong and durable as Maki, she is still a very capable warrior on her own right, best emphasized during their boss fight.
Babysitter from Hell: In Chapter 5, Maki entrusted her with watching over Yin while he and Team Snakemouth cross Wild Swamplands. When Team Snakemouth meets them in the Defiant Root, they learn that Kina is definitely not thrilled about babysitting Yin, even outright threatening to kill her at one point.
Kina: Ugh. What am I supposed to do with you now?!
Yin: M-muh muh!
Kina: DON'T YOU "MUH MUH" ME! I SEE HOW YOU KEEP LOOKING AT MAKI! YOU BETTER NOT THINK OF DOING ANYTHING FUNNY OR I WILL END YOU!!
Yin: M-muh! Muh muuuuh!!
Badass Bystander: She's almost as powerful as Maki, which is made very clear during their boss fight. But she's sidelined during most of the story since Maki prefers to work alone and not potentially endanger her.
Berserk Button: Implying that Maki wants to be away from her or is in danger is a very easy way to piss her off. Even more so is actually hurting Maki.
Big Brother Attraction: Some of her dialogue about Maki can come off as very reminiscent of your typical Stalker with a Crush, or just a particularly obsessive example of Big Brother Worship.
Big Brother Instinct: While it's never said if she or Maki is older, Kina is a female example of this trope. She's incredibly protective of Maki and gets antsy when he briefly goes missing. And in Team Maki's boss fight, she gets a damage buff every time Maki takes a hit.
Clingy Jealous Girl: Of the platonic variety. She loves Maki deeply and doesn't like that Yin tends to hog Maki's attention.
Death Glare: Whenever she gets mad, she opens her eyes and throws a nasty, intimidating glare (well, nasty and intimidating from their point of view) at the offender. Check it here◊.
Eyes Always Shut: Her eyes are normally closed all the time, and open only when she's enraged.
Flechette Storm: Her preferred weapons are throwing darts, and in the boss battle they can inflict status ailments if not blocked.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Can be rude and selfish, and is particularly resentful of Yin for taking away the attention Maki normally gives her. But she's still a good-hearted bug at the end of the day, and warms up to Yin once she realizes that she loves her too.
Meaningful Name: According to the developers, "Kina" is a word for "shield" in ancient bug tongue, which fits her overly protective nature.
Ninja: Her fighting style involves tossing status-inducing needles and using a smoke bomb to confuse enemies while attacking them from above.
Sibling Team: Her and Maki form Team Maki, the best exploration team in the Explorers' Association. However, Kina is almost always left behind by Maki so that she would not be endangered (even though she can take care of herself anyway), much to her chagrin. They are fought together as a Superboss fight, with Yin as well.
Slaying Mantis: Another heroic example; while she is not as strong as Maki, she is still a very formidable warrior, and, as their Superboss fight shows, can be a very challenging opponent.
Superboss: She is fought along with the rest of Team Maki in the postgame as a fiendishly difficult postgame optional boss. Kina in particular possesses high health pool and quick attacks, which can even inflict status effects, and every time Maki gets hurt, she gains 1 point of charge, increasing her damage, and the charges can stack up to 3, making her attacks very damaging if the player is careless.
Trademark Favorite Food: Aphid Shake, according to her bestiary entry.

Zasp

A wasp that works for the Ant Kingdom, and half of Team Mothiva. Forms a minor rivalry with Team Snakemouth after they start to gain renown.

Berserk Button: He freaks out and his stats increase whenever Mothiva is hit.
Big Damn Heroes: He saves Leif from being killed by the Dune Scorpion and sets up a temporary shelter for him to rest in, even providing medication. He also stays to watch over Leif until he wakes up.
Big Eater: Subverted; while he brags that he can win the eating competition, he ultimately cannot eat that many leaves and ends up getting indigestion in the middle of the contest.
Dogged Nice Guy: When Mothiva is around, he always tries to make sure she stays pleased, and is willing to do anything to earn her favor.
Dual Boss: He's always fought together with Mothiva.
Everyone Can See It: Basically everyone around him knows that he's deeply infatuated with Mothiva, except Mothiva herself.
Immune to Mind Control: He's one of the few wasps who is not affected by the brainwashing properties of Wasp King's crown. Given that it affects yellowjackets through their intact antennae, it's possible that Zasp's bent, crooked antennae are the reason why he's immune.
Insect Gender-Bender: He has a visible stinger. In real life, only female wasps have stingers, since they are modified ovipositors.
Interspecies Romance: He is a wasp who's crazy in love with Mothiva, a silk moth.
In the Hood: When he gives Team Snakemouth the sidequest where they are required to return him his Mothiva doll, he wears a cloak with the hood to hide his identity.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: With a twist. While he's standoffish towards Team Snakemouth initially, after they save Team Mothiva from the Ahoneynation in Chapter 3, he completely changes his tune, and is genuinely kind towards Team Snakemouth and helps them out several times when Mothiva isn't around. But whenever she is, he's just as nasty to them as she is.
Love Makes You Evil: Downplayed, as even with Mothiva, he's not evil, just as a massive jerk, but his crush on her brings out the worst in him.
Love Martyr: Very clearly loves Mothiva, despite the fact that she frequently forces him into less than desirable situations. On some level he seems to be aware he's a victim of this trope, but still goes along with her plans regardless. He does seem to get a bit more snarky about it as the game goes on.
My Master, Right or Wrong: He is aware of the fact that what Mothiva does can be wrong and amoral, yet he carries out her will regardless.
Ninja: His fighting style is based on them, using throwing needles, Flash Stepping, and disappearing with smoke bombs.
Practical Taunt: During the boss battle, he can taunt a party member, angering them and making them unable to use skills, items and turn relay.
Punch-Clock Villain: Whenever he's with Mothiva, he can be just as antagonistic with Team Snakemouth as her. When not around her, however, he can be surprisingly cordially with the team.
Real Men Wear Pink: One sidequest requires you to return his Mothiva doll, though he tries to hide the fact that it's his. He also wears a pink accessory on his knee (But on which one? Depends on what direction he's facing).
Recurring Boss: He and Mothiva are fought twice over the course of the game: first time in the Golden Hills, second time in the Termite Colosseum.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Mostly averted: despite his coloration and rugged appearance Zasp is honorable and dependable, if a bit frigid. However, he's a lot more unpleasant when Mothiva's around to bring out the worst in him, and it leads to him pulling stunts like attacking Team Snakemouth in the Golden Hills and sabotaging their attempt to win the approval of the Termite royal family.
Rugged Scar: Has one over his eye.
Stalker with a Crush: He's obviously head over heels for Mothiva and will follow her wherever she goes. Downplayed, since Mothiva actually wants him to follow her, if only so she can make use of his fighting prowess.
"Mothiva, you'll always have your true fans...like me."
Token Heroic Orc: He left the Wasp Kingdom because he didn't like what was happening there. This ends up being foreshadowing that the Wasp Kingdom is actually dramatically different under the Wasp King than it was previously.
The Unapologetic: When meeting him again in Bee Kingdom Hive, he makes it clear to Team Snakemouth he does not regret attacking them earlier in the slightest.
"If you expect an apology, you won't get it."
Undying Loyalty: He is extremely devoted to Mothiva, willing to do anything she says.
Walking Spoiler: Was treated as such in the 0.1 demo, where any attempt at Spying in his boss fight resulted in Vi, Kabbu, and Leif scolding the player for trying to spoil his role in the final game.
Wicked Wasps: Downplayed. He's wicked only when Mothiva is around, but when she isn't, he can be fairly pleasant, albeit still gruff.
Wild Card: Depending on whenever Mothiva is around, he serves either as an ally to Team Snakemouth or their unnegotiable enemy.
What Does She See in Him?: Team Snakemouth is baffled as to why he's so in love with Mothiva given that she's not only insanely unlikable, but doesn't return his affections.

Mothiva

A theatrical moth that travels with Zasp, hoping to gain fame as both an actress and an adventurer.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She acts friendly and bubbly in front of a crowd, but Team Snakemouth and Zasp know her true colors.
Broken Pedestal: Initially, Team Snakemouth used to be her fans like the many, considering it an honor to speak to her. But the moment she reveals that she intends to hijack their mission, even resorting to violence to do so, they now feel nothing but disgust and resentment towards her. And that's even before she tries to potentially put the whole Bugaria in danger.
Clothing Appendage: Her fur resembles a tank top, short shorts, and long stockings—fitting for a pop star.
The Corrupter: To Zasp. He's actually not that bad a guy when he's away from her, but when she's around? All bets are off.
Dual Boss: She is always fought together with Zasp.
Even Evil Has Standards: She may be a total glory hound, but even she thinks the Wasp King is insane for wanting to take the Everlasting Sapling for himself and sacrificing his troops like cannon fodder.
Evil Is Petty: She attacked Team Snakemouth and tried to take their missions by force because they were overshadowing her own popularity, and the second time she did so happened during the peace negotiations with the Termite Kingdom, and had she won, it would result in the Termite Kingdom losing the trust in the Ant Kingdom, and, subsequently, all of Bugaria would've been doomed, a fact she willfully ignores just for the sake of fame and glory for herself.
The Friend Nobody Likes: While she is popular among the crowd, in the Explorers' Association, very few can stand her obnoxious behavior, with even Maki losing patience with her at times.
Glory Hound: She cares only about fame and glory, and would be willing to try to hijack it from other groups, even if it means beating them to the inch of death.
Grudging "Thank You": She begrudgingly thanks Team Snakemouth when they thank her for coming with them to the Giant's Lair before the final ceremony after defeating the Wasp King.
Hate Sink: Mothiva is shallow, vain, and rude to considerable extremes, and mainly exists to give the player someone to hate until the Wasp King shows up. And even after that, she's still a rude glory hound who at one point risks the safety of Bugaria as a whole for the sake of stroking her ego.
It's All About Me: Wants fame and stardom more than anything else.
Jerkass: While Zasp is capable of being noble when he's not around her, Mothiva is an incredibly arrogant, rude, shallow bitch who is disdainful towards just about everyone she meets, and perfectly willing to endanger Bugaria by trying to upstage Team Snakemouth when they try to earn the Termite Queen and King's favor in order to pursue the Wasp King.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Speculated in her overworld spy dialogue in the postgame; Kabbu thinks that if she were 'only'' in it for the fame, then she wouldn't have stood up to the Dead Landers. Leif wonders if Kabbu might be right, but figures that even if she did learn anything, she's too proud to admit it. Vi, meanwhile, isn't having any of it.
Kick Them While They Are Down: Mothiva's sole physical attack has her trip up, then brutally stomp on her victim several times. And it deals a pretty hefty amount of damage. Thankfully, at least the kicking part can be averted if you block in time.
Lack of Empathy: Should Zasp fall in battle first, Mothiva, instead of showing even the slightest hint of concern, simply reprimands him and tells him to get back on his feet before reviving him.
Leitmotif: She has two theme songs: "Bugaria's Latest Sensation!", which plays during her concert in the Golden Settlement, and "Mothiva's Grand Stand!", which plays whenever she appears to fight Team Snakemouth, overriding even the regular mid-boss theme in the rematch.
Moth Menace: Not in an "evil" sense, but in an "obnoxious bitch" sense both times she attacks Team Snakemouth.
Musical Assassin: She attacks by singing up damaging notes that fly at the team like bullets.
Nice Character, Mean Actor: An in-universe example, particularly after she and Zasp battle Team Snakemouth to try and usurp their fame.
Not Me This Time: When she and Zasp go run off during the trip to the Honey Factory, everyone gets locked in while the machines go haywire. It's posited that they might have caused it, but they didn't.
Pet the Dog: In the ending, after the Wasp King's defeat and before the celebration, when Kabbu thanks her for assisting them in Giants' Lair, she, after initially struggling with saying it, thanks them back, surprising Team Snakemouth.
The Prima Donna: She is both an actress and an explorer, and a condescending jerk either way.
Recurring Boss: She and Zasp are fought twice over the course of the game: first time in the Golden Hills, second time in the Termite Colosseum.
The Rival: Her team serves as this to Team Snakemouth.
Shadow Archetype: Mothiva represents everything Vi could've become without her positive traits. Like Vi, Mothiva is mainly motivated by fame and riches, however, while Vi at the end always chooses to do the right thing and genuinely cares about her friends, Mothiva is perfectly willing to display amoral behavior for the sake of glory and treats Zasp like a servant at best, showing concern for him only as long as he is willing to help her out.
Shoot the Medic First: It's advised to take her down first, since if Zasp is defeated before her, she will simply revive him. Though if you have TP to burn, you can exploit this by trapping her in a loop where she's constantly wasting her turn by reviving Zasp while you keep knocking Zasp back down and gradually wear away at her own health.
Smug Snake: Mothiva is convinced that she's god's gift to bug-kind and constantly belittles Team Snakemouth, only to get shown up by them at every turn.
The Sociopath: She's not an outright criminal, but still ticks off a lot of the criteria. She's obsessed with fame above everything else, is perfectly okay with attacking her fellow explorers to advance her career, and is incapable of seeing the bigger picture when a reckless bid for attention risks the safety of all Bugaria. And while she's capable of enthralling plenty of people by putting on a sugary-sweet, bubbly act, she's nothing more than a rude brat who cares little for others unless they're useful to her.
Sore Loser: Every time she loses to Team Snakemouth, she throws a fit and fires a barrage of insults at the team before leaving.
Team Prima Donna: She wants all attention for herself, acts rude and condescending to other explorers, and would be even willing to outright assault them if they end up overshadowing her in popularity.
Token Evil Teammate: She's this to the Explorers' Association as a whole, as while others genuinely seek to protect Bugaria and Ant Kingdom, Mothiva cares only about fame and glory, and would be willing to attack other explorer groups just to steal their fame.
Toxic Friend Influence: She brings out the worst in Zasp, who can be friendly to Team Snakemouth when she's not around.
Ungrateful Bitch: When Team Snakemouth saves her and Zasp from the Ahoneynation, she refuses to show them gratitude and insists them to never talk about it ever again.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: As Kabbu rightfully points out when she tries to hijack Team Snakemouth's mission by beating them in Termite Colosseum, her plan might endanger the whole Bugaria, because Queen Elizant II presented them as her best warriors, and if Mothiva beats them, it would prove her wrong in termites' eyes and completely ruin the negotiation, and even if by some miracle it wouldn't, she might still not turn out to be strong enough to defeat the Wasp King by herself. Mothiva simply shrugs it all off by stating that they are "overthinking it".
Villain with Good Publicity: Downplayed. She is very popular with the bug folk and is a celebrity actress/adventurer, and even has her own clothing line; while not full-on evil, she is an unscrupulous antagonist who is willing to beat up Team Snakemouth to get fame and is a Jerkass in general.

Stratos and Delilah

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/team_slacker.png

Known as "Team Slacker", they're a pair that are in search of rare treasure and powerful beasts... but they tend to get sidetracked, requiring others like Team Snakemouth to finish their jobs. However, they are also referred by the Ant Queen as her scouting team and informants.

All-Powerful Bystander: They generally stay on the sidelines, with most of their contributions being the tips of advice they give to Team Snakemouth about certain areas they've scouted. However, as their boss battle shows, both of them are insanely powerful, managing to put up more of a fight against Team Snakemouth than even Team Maki. Even Leif lampshades this in his spy dialogue for Stratos.
Leif: What a shame that they didn't use this power to help us stop the Wasp King.
Artistic License – Biology: Stratos' placement of horns is anatomically incorrect: Hercules beetles have their longer horns on the back of their head, and their shorter jagged horns are placed in front, right above the face. Stratos, instead, got it backwards, with longer horn in front and shorter one behind.
BFG: Delilah uses bazooka as a weapon, which can fire tons of various bombs and other projectiles.
BFS: Stratos wields a massive sword, which he can swing with ease.
Blood Knight: Their idea of entertainment involves a good old no-holds-barred fight with very challenging opponents.
Brilliant, but Lazy: They're said to be skilled explorers in their own right, but prefer to simply lay back and let other explorers finish their jobs for them. Their Superboss fight shows how dangerous the pair can be if they really try.
Day in the Limelight: For a little bit. Most of the time they’re just sort of... chilling out near Bounty locations, not affecting the story at all, but in Chapter 4, they deliver a crucial piece of information about how to unlock the next dungeon.
Deliberate Under-Performance: As their Superboss fight proves, they can easily solve any problem with barely putting any effort. However, it results in them taking no joy from completing their missions, so they prefer to slack off instead and let others finish the job for them.
Face of a Thug: Stratos is huge and intimidating, and Delilah's dark coloration and mean-looking eyes give her a dangerous vibe as well. But they're both rather polite and fairly easy-going.
Flechette Storm: One of Delilah's attacks has her throw multiple Numbnail/Poison Darts at a team member.
Gentle Giant: In spite of his huge, intimidating look, Stratos is fairly kind and polite.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Stratos mostly focuses on melee attacks, while Delilah prefers to use ranged attacks.
Hidden Depths: They’re literally called Team Slacker, and they frame their actions as such, but in Chapter 4, they're revealed to be Queen Elizant’s most trusted scouts and informants. And then there is their Superboss fight proving that they are extremely powerful and capable underneath their lazy facade.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Stratos is massive while Delilah is pretty normal-sized. But she still looks tiny compared to him.
Life Drain: During their boss battle, Delilah, being a mosquito, can suck out fluids of a team member, which allows her to restore her own health.
Lightning Bruiser: They both are insanely strong, powerful and burly, but also very agile and quick.
More Dakka: Delilah's bazooka fires tons of various projectiles in extremely rapid succession, which makes her extremely formidable and dangerous opponent.
Notice This: Their primary function is to clue players into nearby bounties and give them clues on how to find them.
Stout Strength: Stratos is even bigger around the middle than Kabbu is, and is freakishly strong.
Superboss: One of the things added in the Version 1.1 Anniversary update is an optional battle against them after beating the game, and they are insanely difficult to defeat, with Stratos alone possessing 100 HP (more than Maki by 15 HP) and Delilah not falling far behind, having a wide array of very damaging and hard-to-block attacks that can inflict negative status effects, and possess very high defenses (Stratos having 3 defense points, as much as Maki, and Delilah having 2). Plus, they constantly revive each other and can even use Queen's Dinner, the best healing item, so that they can both restore 15 HP to each other and clear negative status effects, making their fight a race against time before they undo the damage done by the player.
Sword Beam: Stratos can fire shockwaves with his sword. Leif notes that it's not even magic; he does so via pure strength alone.
Tough Beetles: Stratos is a Hercules beetle, and he's extremely strong, capable of creating shockwave via pure strength alone, and very durable, possessing defense stat of 3, which is the highest of all enemies in game, and he's very, very quick.
Trademark Favorite Food: According to their respective bestiary entries, Stratos' favorite food is Plumpling Pie, while Delilah prefers Berry Juice (specifically, the kind Doppel makes).
Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Stratos's bestiary entry mentions that his wooden broadsword isn't anything special on its own, but his skill with it makes it cut like steel.

Residents of the Ant Kingdom

Chuck

An elderly Wood-boring Beetle that lives outside of town, on the path to Snakemouth Den.

Cool Old Guy: Chuck's a fairly sweet old guy who generously rewards Team Snakemouth every time they help him. He's also a hell of a card player. He's also the only Inn keeper who will let Team Snakemouth rest in his place for free.
Hidden Depths: Turns out he's so good at Spy Cards that he's one of the four champions you need to seek out to participate in the Metal Island tournaments.
Non-Standard Character Design: He differs a lot from the standard beetle template, lacking the Shadowed Face, Glowing Eyes of characters like Kabbu and Eetl while having a rather soft-looking exoskeleton.
Old Master: He is one of the four Spy Cards champions.
Trademark Favorite Food: The Hearty Breakfast, which you need to make for him as part of a sidequest.

Fry

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fry_9.png

A fly chef who works in the Ant Kingdom's commercial district.

Heroic Build: For a guy who doesn't do any fighting, he sure is buff.
Hot-Blooded: Nothing quite says "Hot blooded" like getting all fired up over cooking a mundane meal.
Irony: He's a fly who is also a master chef, while flies in real life are among the last bugs you'd ever want anywhere near your food.
Manly Man: He's buff, Hot-Blooded, and conducts himself like a shonen protagonist while cooking. You better believe that he's one of the manliest bugs around.
Non-Standard Character Design: Fry's an anomaly among bugkind in the sense that he has proper compound eyes, which most, if not all, other bugs in this game lack.
Punny Name: He's a fly cook named Fry.
Supreme Chef: While all three of Bugaria's chefs are skilled, only he alone can make the Queen's Dinner, which is the best item in the game (heals 15 HP and TP for the whole party and cures any status effects) and is canonically a meal fit for a goddess.

Madame Butterfly

A butterfly merchant who runs a shop in the Ant Kingdom's commercial district.

Hartman Hips: Her hips are quite wide for a butterfly.
His Name Really Is "Barkeep": "Madame" is not her honorific; it's her first name.
Pretty Butterflies: She's a gentle and beautiful butterfly who runs one of the cheapest shops in Bugaria.

Professor Neolith

A moth researcher and a friend of Kabbu, whose main pursuit is learning what led to the disappearance of the ancient Roach race.

Distressed Dude: You first meet him held up by two wasp soldiers and have to save him.
The Professor: He's knowledgeable about Bugarian history and the Artifacts, and is able to provide translations for the Roach language.
The Smart Guy: He's a researcher who helps point Team Snakemouth in the right direction during their hunt for the Artifacts.

Yin (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yin_caterpillar.png

^{Click here to see her all grown up:}

A defenseless caterpillar that doesn't say much. Maki took her in, though Kina isn't fond of competing with her for Maki's attention.

Butterfly of Transformation: After events of the game, she pupates and, when brought back into her birthplace and protected from the Leafbug hordes, hatches into a full-fledged moth.
Crippling Overspecialization: She's an excellent supporter and can boost Maki and Kina's stats, heal them, and get rid of any status affects they have. However, that's all she can do: she can't attack at all and will run away if she's the last teammate standing.
Healing Hands: After she pupates, she's a Support Party Member on Team Maki with her healing magic.
Heart Symbol: Once she pupates, the pink "V" mark on her forehead becomes a heart symbol.
Shoot the Medic First: The party's Spy dialogue tries to push the player to do this, since Yin makes the fight with Team Maki tougher thanks to all the healing and status buffs she gives Maki and Kina. However, it's better to ignore her since she'll forfeit if you defeat Maki and Kina first, and defeating her only serves to boost Maki's already formidable attack stat to horrifying levels.
Speech Impediment: After pupating, she stutters while talking. Justified, as she is still a child and has trouble speaking.
Superboss: She fights alongside Maki and Kina in the Playable Epilogue as a Support Party Member, healing them, providing them with attack and defense buffs, and clearing their negative status effects. And if she falls in battle, Maki gets a permanent attack buff for the rest of the battle.
Support Party Member: In the Playable Epilogue, she serves this role on Team Maki; if Kina and Maki are defeated before she is, she will even run away from the battle because she does not have any attacks.
Tagalong Kid: Accompanies Maki and Kina as Maki is protecting her, but doesn't contribute to the story as she is effectively an infant by Bugaria standards. She pupates in the Playable Epilogue and joins Team Maki for real afterwards.
Trademark Favorite Food: Sweet Shroom, according to her bestiary entry.
The Unintelligible: Her dialogue consists solely of "Muh!" She grows out of this once she pupates, but still has trouble speaking.

Janet

A completely unnotable ant without any distinct characteristics...or so it seems.

The Generic Guy: The point of the gag is that Janet has one of the most average designs conceivable and is completely devoid of any notable characteristics. Which makes her appearance in the Metal Island Spy Card Tournament quite a surprise.
Graceful Loser: When beaten in the card tournament on Metal Island, she just takes the loss in stride, congratulates Leif on a good game and says she'll try again later.
Hidden Depths: As it turns out, she is a very skilled Spy Card player, to the point she even managed to join the tournament of Metal Island.
The Nondescript: She is so unremarkable that some characters (like Kabbu and Spy Card Tournament announcer) tend to outright forget about her.
Secretly Wealthy: Beneath her generic appearance, she's actually rich enough to afford a trip to Metal Island and join their Spy Card Tournament, something that didn't go unnoticed by Vi in the post-Tournament overworld discussion.

Diana

A chubby miner ant in charge of opening entrances to the Ant Mines.

Big Fun: She's very chubby and equally friendly.
Cash Gate: The team is required to pay her a sum of berries to open the Ant Mine entrance in the location she's in.
Only One Who Likes Spam: She is the only character in the game that enjoys eating berries, the very same ones used as currency, which were described in the lore books as hard and very bitter in taste.
Vi: Those berries don't even taste good...
Leif: We don't think her taste would be the only weird thing here...
Overworked Sleep: Due to working hard, she's found sleeping more often than not to store up enough strength to be able to break the boulder at the end with ease.
Power-Up Food: After eating a sum of berries, she gets enough power to break the boulder earlier.
Stout Strength: She is chubby, and a very strong miner ant who is capable of breaking boulders by herself once she stores up enough strength.

Ali

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ali_4.png

A cicada who enjoys reading. Sometimes, he gets so absorbed into reading, he tends to forget to return the books to the library in time.

Bookworm: He's a very avid reader, to the point that he frequently requests Gen and Eri's help to get books from the Ant Library, and also gets absorbed into reading so much that he tends to forget to return his overdue books in time.
Nerd Glasses: Wears large, round glasses over his eyes, as befitting for a very avid and nerdy reader.

Bomby

A dapper child.

Abhorrent Admirer: Vi sees him as one, being annoyed when he flirts with her both before and after his sidequest.
Cheerful Child: He briefly slips into despair when he loses his hat, but he's otherwise incredibly excitable.
Meaningful Name: Bomby is short for Bombyliidae, the Beefly's scientific name.
Momma's Boy: In a sidequest where he loses his hat, he mentions that it's special because his mommy gave it to him.
Precocious Crush: Has one on Vi. Much to her chagrin.

Mun

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mun_9.png

A mantis living with Eophi. He accompanies you on a sidequest to retrieve Eophi's mask from bandits.

Boisterous Weakling: A downplayed example: he's willing to stand up to bandits much bigger and stronger than he is and ineffectively fight back against them, but he's smart enough to know that he's out of his depth and has Team Snakemouth back him up while recovering Eophi's stolen mask.
Funny Bruce Lee Noises: He makes these before and after the battle he fights in. They don't help him at all.
Guest-Star Party Member: Joins Team Snakemouth during his sidequest. Unfortunately, he is almost completely useless, as his sole attack deals only one point of damage, which is completely negated by any enemy who has defense stat of 1 or higher.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and Eophi live together and are very close to each other.
Lovable Coward: He is very meek when speaking to others and is afraid to brave the dangers by himself, requiring Team Snakemouth's help, yet in spite of this, he desperately tries to prove his strength to others and is willing to fight opponents much stronger than him (with...backup, of course).
Slaying Mantis: Comically averted. He deals ONE measly point of damage, making him useless against enemies with a defense stat of 1 or higher. Which, unfortunately for him, is most of the enemies you'll be fighting during his sidequest.
Visual Pun: He's an orchid mantis nymph who attacks with kicks and also makes Funny Bruce Lee Noises in the battle. In other words, he's a "kung fu mantis".

Eophi

A mantis living with Mun. At one point, his mask was stolen by bandits, which needs to be retrieved in Mun's sidequest.

Black Bead Eyes: Unlike most mantises, he has these which give him a very distinct appearance.
Cool Mask: He wears a leaf mask. It got stolen by bandits, but Mun and Team Snakemouth manages to retrieve it in a sidequest. He also reveals that he secretly made another mask, but didn't want Mun to know, since he wanted Mun to keep on fighting bandits and grow stronger, so he decided to give the second mask to Team Snakemouth as a reward, asking them not to tell Mun about this.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: He lives together with Mun, and they are very close to each other.
Non-Standard Character Design: Under his mask he looks very different from most other mantids, with small Black Bead Eyes and no ocelli. The only other mantis to share these traits is Eremi from the "It's Too Hot!" sidequest.

Muze's family (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/muzes_family.png

A family of moths living in the Ant Kingdom, who are Leif's descendants. The members of the family are Tod, Muze, and Grandpa. Muze is married to Hawk; his tropes can be found under his own folder below.

Cape Wings: Grandpa inherited the family quirk of Leif's bloodline of folding wings around the body like a mantle.
Cheerful Child: Tod is a young, excitable kid who never stays upset for long.
Cheery Pink: Muze's body is colored all kinds of shades of pink, and she's a kind-hearted bug who's quick to welcome Leif into her family.
Cool Old Guy: Grandpa is a warm, friendly old man who shows no hesitation in welcoming Leif and the rest of Team Snakemouth into the family's home.
Good Parents: Muze is a very kind and caring mother to Tod.
Hero Worship: Tod greatly adores explorers, even expressing his desire to become one when he grows up. Even more so with Leif, after discovering that he is their relative.
Multigenerational Household: Muze lives with her father and her son.
No Name Given: Muze's father is never referred by name in the game, and even the artbook refers to him simply as Grandpa.
Pink Means Feminine: Muze is pink, and she's a female moth. Averted, however, with her son Tod, who, despite having pink upper wing halves, is a boy.
Strong Family Resemblance: Muze heavily resembles Muse, Leif's late wife, while Grandpa looked very similar to Leif himself (his living form, at least) at young age.
This Cannot Be!: Muze and Grandpa briefly had this reaction when Leif revealed that he is their family member. Fortunately, after getting over the initial shock, they welcomed him into their family with open arms, allowing him and his friends to stay for dinner.

Alex

A one-eyed moth who used to be a sailor until an incident permanently changed his view on the seas.

Eye Scream: Lost an eye to a Water Strider. He held a grudge against the Water Striders (and, by extension, the seas) ever since.
Face of a Thug: Despite his dark fur coloration and a pretty mean appearance, combined with his perpetually angry face, he's actually quite a pleasant and hospitable guy who always wants to make sure no one suffers like he did by warning travelers on the dangers of the seas, and his vendetta against the Water Striders is also attributed to the fact that he doesn't want them to cause harm to anyone else.
Mass Monster-Slaughter Sidequest: For his sidequest, he requests Team Snakemouth to defeat 10 Water Striders. Unlike most examples of the trope, however, all Water Striders you defeated prior to taking his quest also count for completion, meaning that you can kill 10 Water Striders before taking his quest and then complete it as soon as you take it.
Revenge: He requests Team Snakemouth to take vengeance on Water Striders for taking out his eye and permanently ruining his enjoyment of the seas.

Leby and Dib

A pair of orphaned ladybugs living in the hut near the Explorers' Association.

Anger Born of Worry: After Dib is rescued at the end of her quest, Leby, after checking that he's okay, yells at him for running away into Snakemouth Den on his own.
A Birthday, Not a Break: Right before Leby's birthday, her young brother Dib runs off into the Snakemouth Den to get her a present and ends up being trapped there with dangerous monsters.
Calling the Old Man Out: After the rescue, Dib apologizes to his sister for running away, but then calls her out on her overprotective nature and how she never lets him help her out as well.
Dib: I'm sorry for running off. But I'm mad at you too! You give me most of the food, and then pretend you're not hungry!
Leby: ...
Dib: I-I'm not a kid. I can help you out too. We're a family.
Leby: Yes. You're right. I will depend on you a bit more from now on...
It's All My Fault: Dib heavily regrets getting his sister worried, and as such decides to not let her pay the reward, and instead pays Team Snakemouth for help by himself.
Just a Kid: Leby refuses to allow Dib to take care of her, seeing him just as a kid and believing he can't help her the same way she helps him. This culminates in Dib running away in hopes of trying to prove himself by finding something for her birthday.
Knight Templar Big Sister: Leby treats about Dib's safety more than about her own, to the point that she always gives him most of the food and then pretend to not be hungry just to make sure he's not worried, and refuses to let him help her out in need. This results in Dib running away in an effort to prove himself.
Parental Abandonment: It's heavily implied that their parents are gone, especially given that not only they are nowhere to be seen, but also Leby's particular line suggests that they are no longer alive.
I need you to be safe! You're all I have left...
Trademark Favorite Food: Leby's favorite food is Aphid Eggs. In Snakemouth Den, Dib even seeks out an Aphid Egg to give to her sister, knowing it's her favorite.

Madeleine and Seb

A rich cicada killer wasp lady and her cicada butler living near the Explorers' Association.

Carnivore Confusion: Seb is a cicada while Madeleine is a cicada killer wasp. Yet despite this, they greatly value each other's company, and Seb is very dedicated to his lady's happiness and enjoys serving her.
Distressed Dude: Seb's subject to two different quests where you have to find and save him after he wanders off and gets stuck in a dangerous place.
Eyes Always Shut: Seb, whose eyes never seem to open.
Guest-Star Party Member: In her second quest, Madeleine accompanies Team Snakemouth in the same way as Maki and Mun, and even assists them in battle using her leaf umbrella as a weapon. She deals 2 points of damage and hits twice, and can even jump up to slap flying enemies.
The Jeeves: Seb's as stereotypical as a prim, proper, and loyal butler can get, though it's his mistress who's looking out for his safety instead of the other way around.
Nice Girl: Madeleine is a kind girl who doesn't let her wealth get to her head: she's responsible for giving Dib and Leby a place to stay, and cares deeply for her butler's safety.
Parasol of Pain: Madeleine uses her umbrella as a weapon during her time as a Guest-Star Party Member in her second sidequest.
Parasol of Prettiness: Madeleine constantly carries a leaf umbrella to go with her fairly pretty looks. She also gives one of her older umbrellas to Team Snakemouth when they ask her after completing both of her quests and when they are in the middle of completing Eremi's quest.
Token Heroic Orc: Madeleine's one of few friendly wasps living in Bugaria. While it's mostly due to being a non-yellow jacket wasp and thus immune to the Wasp King's hypnosis, her friendly nature could also be a nod to the temperament of cicada killers in real life. Unlike social wasps, solitary wasps in general are quite placid and easy-going, usually not stinging unless someone goes out of their way to make them angry.
Uncle Pennybags: Gender-inverted with Madeleine. She's rich, yet not a snob: she's a kind and giving person who used her vast wealth to give Dib and Leby a house so Queen Elizant's overly harsh ladybug ban wouldn't leave them homeless.
Undying Loyalty: Seb's fiercly dedicated to Madeleine and is willing to do whatever he can to make her happy.

Shades

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/undergroundfolk_16.png

A mosquito in the underground tavern who will sell medals in exchange for crystal berries. He previously stole Professor Honeycomb's prototype beemerang and sold it to Vi.

Cool Shades: He wears shades, hence his name. Also crosses with Sinister Shades.
Expy: Of Dazzle from the second Paper Mario game, being a shady underground merchant who trades equippables for collectibles.
Friend in the Black Market: He sells rare medals in exchange for Crystal Berries. These medals can be surprisingly useful in Team Snakemouth's quest.
Honest John's Dealership: At one point before the events of the main game, he sold Vi the stolen A.D.B.P. without mentioning that it was stolen. And when Vi calls him out on this, he states she should've known this would happen, and then adds that he never gives refunds.
Mosquito Miscreants: While not outright evil, he's a shady mosquito who tends to sell stolen stuff to unsuspecting customers.
Obviously Evil: Just one look at him makes it clear that he's no moral paragon.
Punny Name: His name is Shades, and he wears shades. He is also shady.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: He's not a threat to Team Snakemouth, but his red and black coloration aren't just for show: he's still a shady black market dealer who rubs shoulders with other criminals.
Sinister Shades: Pun not intended, he wears shades to compliment his shady nature.
Slasher Smile: He's always grinning, and displaying a nasty set of fangs in the process.
Small Role, Big Impact: Being the reason Vi has her Beemerang.
Toothy Bird: A toothy mosquito.

Doppel

A ladybug bartender, (poorly) disguised as a beetle, in the underground tavern who runs the special quest board, in which the Team Snakemouth can take on the bounties, and also rewards the team for bringing the proof for each defeated bounty.

The Bartender: He runs the bar in the underground tavern and makes berry juice for customers.
Meaningful Name: Doppel is short for "doppelganger", referring to the fact that he tries to pass off as a beetle.
Obsessive-Compulsive Barkeeping: His idle animation depicts him constantly polishing the glass. Even after he leaves the bar and resides in the Ant Kingdom Inn with Bub and Rob right before the celebration, his sprite still depicts him polishing the glass.
Paper-Thin Disguise: His "beetle" disguise is merely him strapping the "horn" on his head and hiding his antennae. Leif clearly sees through this disguise, but Kabbu doesn't (or he might've been deliberately playing along for Doppel's sake).

The Ant Palace - Royalty and Staff

Queen Elizant II (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queen_elizant_ii.png

The current ruler, who set up the Explorers' Association to track down the Everlasting Sapling. Is known to act more stern than her predecessor, Elizant I.

Actually Pretty Funny: She's usually stern to a fault, but late into her escort mission one of the conversations the party can have when examining their surroundings will get a chuckle out of her which she tries to stifle.
Affectionate Nickname:
- Rebecca, an elderly palace caretaker, affectionately calls her Ellie, due to remembering her from times when she was a child.
- Once she opens up to Team Snakemouth, Vi starts calling her Lisa. She takes it in stride.
Bait-and-Switch Tyrant: She is not as well liked as her mother due to not being as nice and personable and has strained her kingdom's relationships with its allies, and even Leif finds her off-putting. Between this, her appearance, white mask, stern and authoritative attitude, and even her castle's cold music, it seem like she will turn out to be the true villain. But she really is trying to do the best for her people, as flawed as she is.
Berserk Button: When King Hector takes a potshot at her mother and her obsession with the Sapling, she verbally tears him a new one.
Big Good: As is turns out, underneath her stern, authoritative exterior, Queen Elizant II is this for the entire game, as everything she does is to make sure her kingdom thrives happily for generations to the point where she wants to use the Everlasting Sapling to awaken her mother and give her immortality so that she can do so herself.
Cool Mask: Even when depicted in stained glass windows, she's always seen with a white mask covering her entire face. The only exceptions are during the meeting with the Termite king and queen, and when she opens up to Team Snakemouth.
Dark Is Not Evil: Dark purple dress and menacing demeanor aside, Elizant's intentions for the sapling are selfless, and she herself is shown to be a good person once she allows herself to open up to Team Snakemouth.
Defrosting Ice Queen: At the start of the game, Elizant comes off as frigid and rude. However, she lightens up considerably as the game goes on.
Disproportionate Retribution: She banned ladybugs from being able to live in the Ant Kingdom after a gang was caught raiding aphid farms. Thankfully, she acknowledges that this was an overreaction on her part and reverses the ban at the end of the game.
God Save Us from the Queen!: Initially set up to look like a shady, unscrupulous queen scheming to get her hands on the Eternal Sapling for nefarious purposes. Thankfully, that ends up not being the case.
Guest-Star Party Member: She joins Team Snakemouth for the first half of Chapter 6 and very briefly for Chapter 7. Like with Maki she's not a playable partner and doesn't even attack, but her Royal Decree will boost Team Snakemouth's stats.
Heroic BSoD: After the Wasp King steals the Artifacts, she is left utterly shattered by her failure to protect her kingdom and seriously considers abdicating the throne in shame.
Hidden Depths: For most of the game, she projects the image of a stern leader. However, she eventually admits that she has an inferiority complex about not being as good as her mother and is terrified of the thought of failing her people. At one point, when about to speak to the Termite Kingdom royalty, she continues with her Queenly facade but privately confesses to Team Snakemouth how nervous she really is.
The High Queen: Eventually becomes this when she opens up to her people, and wants nothing more than their safety and prosperity. To that end, she is willing to lead the charge against the powerful and tyrannical Wasp King, despite knowing how dangerous he is, to save her people.
Inadequate Inheritor: Part of why she wants the Everlasting Sapling is because she feels she's not worthy of being her beloved mother's successor.
Insect Queen: One of the many eusocial insect queen rulers featured in the game. In particular, she's a queen ant and rules the Ant Kingdom.
Large and in Charge: Given that she's a Queen Ant, who are naturally large in real life, she's the tallest ant in the kingdom.
Red Herring: It's very easy to assume that she'll be the main villain thanks to her shifty behavior, intimidating appearance, and bad attitude. But it's a smokescreen hiding the fact that the Wasp King is indeed the game's true villain, and the real plot twist concerning Elizant is that she truly is a good and selfless person hiding behind a stern facade. In fact, the box art for the physical Limited Run edition shows her front and center of the "antagonistic" forces (Wasp King on the left, Mothiva/Zasp on the right)
Royals Who Actually Do Something: She is incredibly skilled with dual swords, and is willing to defend her subjects. She also personally goes with Team Snakemouth to speak with The Termite Kingdom, despite it being on the other side of the dangerous Forsaken Lands, as well as the Giant's Lair which is even more dangerous than that.
Selfless Wish: The only reason she wants the Everlasting Sapling is because she wants to use it to give her mother immortality, so that she can rule Bugaria with a gentle and kind hand for generations.
Sour Outside, Sad Inside: For the first half of the game, Elizant is stern, frigid, and harsh, and has alienated a great many of her kingdom's allies. More than a few bugs openly despise her for her attitude, especially Leif thanks to him personally knowing her beloved mother. But it's revealed in Chapter 5 that under her cold exterior lies a sad bug with an inferiority complex who's trying too hard to be a strong ruler. Once she opens her heart to Team Snakemouth, she truly becomes the kind and fair ruler the Ant Kingdom needs and repairs relations with the people she pushed away.
Sucksessor: Many bugs dislike and/or resent her for replacing her more benevolent predecessor, Queen Elizant I, and not being as kind and noble as her mother was. After she drops the fabricated queenly façade, opinion begins to turn back in her favor.
Tough Leader Façade: Beneath her stern exterior, she desperately wishes to prove herself a worthy successor to her mother, and is painfully aware of how her intimidating nature has made most of her kingdom fear her. Also played literally as she wears an actual white mask and removes it whenever she reveals her true, nervous self.
Walking Spoiler: Her true motives for finding the Everlasting Sapling and her true character remain a mystery for much of the game, and the reveal that she really is a good person who just wants to help her mother is a major reveal.

Queen Elizant I

The founder and previous ruler of the Ant Kingdom, who was renowned as a peacemaker. Has since "retired".

Contrived Coincidence: Examining the town's statue of The First Settler recites the legend that the kingdom is where it is solely because one of her scouts got lost, and this patch of land is where they reunited. However, it's also noted that Elizant I was the type of bug to have found a way to honor her workers regardless of the circumstances.
The High Queen: She is said to have been a wonderful queen and is loved by everyone.
Immortality Seeker: Her greatest dream was finding the Everlasting Sapling so that her peaceful rule would last for years to come.
Never Say "Die": She's stated to be taking "a hard-earned rest". Subverted, because she's not actually dead, but is in a magically suspended sleep, though she doesn't wake up during the game and Elizant II decides to let her rest for good.
Not Hyperbole: Her "hard-earned rest" is not just a way to Never Say "Die"; she is actually asleep in a magic-induced stasis sleep.
Universally Beloved Leader: Everyone in Bugaria, whether around for her rule or otherwise, only ever has nice things to say about her.

Zaryant

Queen Elizant's gruff and no nonsense bodyguard.

Berserk Button: She'll get utterly pissed if, at the end of the first chapter, Vi rudely demands a reward from the Queen first instead of handing over the mask.
"PETULANT CHILD! HOW DARE YOU REFER TO THE QUEEN IN SUCH A MANNER!?"
Defrosting Ice Queen: She is initially very standoffish and rude towards Team Snakemouth, but gradually comes around to them as the game goes on.
Heroic Build: Is one of the tallest, beefiest ants around.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's gruff, aloof and has a sharp tongue, but she is genuinely loyal to her Queen and actually treats Team Snakemouth with respect once they earn it.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: She is always seen carrying a massive shield.
Minor Major Character: Even though she's the queen's bodyguard and one of her strongest soldiers, she barely has any presence in the story. For the most part she just hangs around the throne room, even when Elizant leaves the castle and travels to far more dangerous locales.
Red Herring: Zaryant's antagonistic behavior and intimidating design seem to set her up as a villain early on, specifically The Dragon to fellow Red Herring Elizant. But once the Wasp King establishes himself as the game's real villain, it becomes clear that she's simply overzealous in her duties as a bodyguard.
Secret-Keeper: Implied to be the only other person aware of Elizant I's stasis, as she's the only one not to not show any surprise when Elizant II drops The Reveal of why she wants the Sapling.
The Worf Effect: During the Wasp Kingdom's first invasion, the Wasp King swats her aside with a single strike.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: During Elizant's Heroic BSoD after the Wasp King steals the Artifacts, she is the first person to try and console the Queen.

Rebecca

An elderly maid who once served Elizant I, and continues to serve her daughter Elizant II.

An Arm and a Leg: She is missing one arm, though it is never said how exactly she lost it.
Eyes Always Shut: Her eyes are perpetually shut.
Forgotten First Meeting: Leif had met her back before he entered Snakemouth, but she doesn't remember him in the present due to her old age.
I Will Wait for You: She was aware of Elizant I's plan to go into stasis and wait for someone to find the Everlasting Sapling. The last thing the queen said to Rebecca was that she hoped to see her soon. Rebecca is understandably upset to hear that the Sapling is gone.
Miniature Senior Citizens: Leif says that she used to be taller in her youth.
No Badass to His Valet: Elizant II is a stern ruler who frequently intimidates her subjects. But Rebecca remembers when the queen was a kid and seems to still consider her one, calling her "Ellie" among other things.
Scatterbrained Senior: Her memories became foggy from age, resulting in her forgetting about Leif.

Ant Lieutenant

A lieutenant of the Ant Kingdom's military.

Guest-Star Party Member: Joins Team Snakemouth in the "Loose Ends" post-game quest to fight off waves of Mothflies. She attacks with her spear, which deals 2 points of damage, and can jump up to strike aerial enemies.
Jerkass Has a Point: While she was initially very vocal about her disapproving of Rebecca's desire to leave the castle and travel to the Ancient City, complete with bluntly pointing out her old age, her concerns are valid, as Rebecca is old and fragile, and the Ancient City is located in the dangerous Forsaken Lands, full of fierce and deadly monsters and lesser bugs. It's only when Team Snakemouth (who had already defeated the Wasp King by this point) agrees to protect her, she allows her to go, but only under condition that she will travel with them as well.
No Name Given: She's never named in the game. Everybody refers to her simply as "lieutenant".

Libren

One of the two ants working in the Royal Library within the palace. She is willing to reward adventurers that help document new discoveries across Bugaria.

Eyes Always Shut: Has this going on, while Brooke's are open and stuck in a near-permanent death glare.
Flat Character: While Brooke's status as a Bug Rangers fangirl gives her some depth, Libren's personality begins and ends at "friendly librarian."
Nice Girl: In contrast to Brooke, Libren is polite and cheery.
Punny Name: Libren is similar to library.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Libren is the calm, mild-mannered blue to Brooke's harsh, aggressive red. It's even reflected in their coloring.

Brooke

Libren's coworker in the Royal Library. Due to bandits ransacking a shipment of library books, she'll pay any adventurer that can help return them, as well as allow them to read retrieved lore whenever they please.

Berserk Button: Will yell at you to get lost should you try to return one of the "bad books".
Failed a Spot Check: One of the missing Lore Books is actually sitting right across the room from her. The player has no way of seeing it thanks to the way the camera angle is situated, but Brooke has no such excuse.
Hidden Depths: When, instead of the Lore Book, you show her the Green Ranger plushie, she reacts with awe and reveals that she is also a Bug Rangers fan and reads their comics.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's a lot harsher than Libren, but is more approachable than she lets on and generously rewards Team Snakemouth for helping return the stolen lore books.
Punny Name: Brooke sounds similar to book.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Brooke is the easy to anger, ill-tempered red to Libren's easy-going blue.
Scary Librarian: In contrast to Libren, Brooke is cold and cranky.

Reeves

A wasp constantly hanging out in the royal library. Has a fascination with horrible books, even willing to pay anyone that's willing to help build his collection.

Bile Fascination: In-universe example. He collects badly-written literature not even the library wants, and is willing to pay someone to seek them out.
Bookworm: He's a wasp who really enjoys reading, to the point that he's always hanging out in the library. He has a particular penchant for horrible books.
Cool Shades: He's always wearing a pair of stylish shades.
Everyone Has Standards: The third bad book he receives ends up being too bad even for him, to the point that he promises to destroy it later. The reason? It's mostly good, but the finale is an All Just a Dream ending, which is followed by a protagonist being crushed by a rock.
Humble Goal: As revealed in the artbook, he formed an exploration team with an ant seen in a library, with them even having to endure the fight with Maki. And their motivation? To be able to visit a library.
Punny Name: Reeves sounds similar to Reads, and he's an avid reader.
Token Heroic Orc: He's one of very few wasps seen living in the Ant Kingdom, and lacks his brethren's violent tendencies. He's just a nice, easy-going guy who likes to read. In actuality, the other wasps are generally about as nice as he is, but because he lived away from the Wasp Kingdom, he didn't get brainwashed into fanatical servitude by the Wasp King like they did.

Characters / Bug Fables – Ant Kingdom

Team Snakemouth

Chompy

Other members of the Explorers' Association

Residents of the Ant Kingdom

The Ant Palace - Royalty and Staff

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Characters / Bug Fables – Ant Kingdom

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Team Snakemouth

Chompy

Other members of the Explorers' Association

Residents of the Ant Kingdom

The Ant Palace - Royalty and Staff

Previous

Index

Next