Characters / Game Of Touhou Waterlands

This page covers all characters from the Waterlands in Game of Touhou. For the rest of the characters, see this page. POV Characters will be noted with asterisks.

The Waterlands is a mostly grassy and muddy land in the mid-east of Noros. It is defined by it being the region where the Great Lake of Noros resides. In the middle of lake there is an island overgrown with Weirwoods. This island functions as the region's capital, and is ruled by the isolationist and Hikikomori House Scarlet. As well as Scarlet Island, there are some sapphire mines outside the Great Lake. Bastards in this region have the surname 'Waters', similarly to bastards of the Crownlands in A Song of Ice and Fire.

The Waterlands in general

• A Child Shall Lead Them: Four out of the five ruling nobles in the Waterlands are considered children, and Remilia herself is only eighteen. Thankfully, their subordinates and advisers are older and more experienced.
• Foreshadowing: The first Waterlands POV starts with the bastard surname of the region: Waters. To those unfamiliar with A Song of Ice and Fire this means nothing, however, due to 'Waters' being a crownlands surname in Westeros, is it any wonder this region eventually becomes the ruling region of Noros?
• Shout-Out: The fact the Scarlets preside over a region with a large lake is a reference to Canon's misty lake.
• Team Switzerland: Play this role in the rebellion, although they eventually make a bid for the crown themselves.

House Scarlet

The ruling house of the Waterlands and the only major noble house in the region, living on Scarlet Island in the giant house-city that is Scarlet Manor. They are descended from Lyseni immigrants, and so are naturally pale of skin and hair. In addition, their history of cousin marriage has resulted in certain illnesses being bred into the family, albinism being most common, but other diseases are variable. Its current ruler is Lady Remilia Scarlet, an albino with an ailment seemingly rendering her unable to go through puberty, as she hasn't bled as of the age of eighteen. Its sigil is a scarlet bat on a dark blue field, and their motto is 'The Night is Ours'.

In General

• Anti-Hero: They end up saving Noros from a Zombie Apocalypse, but are also Ambiguously Evil as a whole.
• Bat Out of Hell: Their sigil is a red bat on dark blue.
• Big Fancy House: Their entire city is one of these.
• Child Soldier: Under Remilia, House Scarlet use these, as they give them an edge in damaging the morale of enemy soldiers and quite easily having morality trained out of them.
• Evil Wears Black: Subverted with Queen Remilia's Queensguard- they have the honorable duty of protecting their king, yet wear all-black.
• Hikikomori: While not all Scarlets are as withdrawn as Remilia, the family members of House Scarlet all seem(ed) to have a disposition that makes them see no need to leave their island.
• Opportunistic Bastard: They take the impending Zombie Apocalypse as an opportunity- they figure out their weakness, save the realm, and demand that Remilia be made queen for their heroism.
• Our Vampires Are Different: They are viewed in an almost vampiric light, but in reality they are merely frail albinos.
• Royally Screwed Up: Their inbreeding has led to several defects remaining in the family in high frequency, albinism being the most common, though madness appears to be another.
• Shout-Out: Remilia's father was called 'Vladimir Scarlet', almost certainly a reference to Vlad the Impaler, and Flandre's madness is a reference to Canon. In addition, the bat being their sigil and their albinism is a reference to the Scarlet sisters' vampirism in Canon.
• Succession Crisis: In the Epilogue, they suffer from this, as Remilia's legitimate heir is famously mad and her only other heir is a former bastard currently ruling in the independent Vale.
• Team Switzerland: Act as this to the rebellion, right until they seize control of Noros by taking advantage of a chaotic realm.

Lady Remilia Scarlet

Lady of Scarlet Island, and a girl of eighteen. She suffers from albinism, frailty, and seemingly the inability to hit puberty. Despite these setbacks, she doesn't lack in attitude or ambition, and in the end becomes Queen of Noros. In the Epilogue, it's revealed she died of a shaking fit at age thirty-four.

• Adaptation Dye-Job: Has white-blonde hair in this, instead of pale blue.
• Ambiguously Evil: Is certainly amoral in her willingness to use Child Soldiers. Despite this, she clearly is willing to save Noros from a Zombie Apocalypse.
• Ambition Is Evil: She is clearly ambition, and is not above having an army of Child Soldiers to pull off her climbs to power.
• The Cyvassemaster: Is surprisingly competent at plotting for her age, and is scheming to make herself queen. She even succeeds.
• Child Soldier: It is under her that House Scarlet institutionalizes this for the Waterlands, giving them a peculiar edge in the honorbound feudal world due to Would Not Hurt A Child being in play.
• Cool Chair: She makes herself two weirwood thrones following her coronation- one for her chamber and another for her place in the Small Council.
• Daddy's Girl: She is highly defensive of Lord Vladimir's honor, and resents Koakuma's existence due to her being conclusive proof that he was not so honorable.
• Deadpan Snarker: While more likely to become angry and lose her wit, she and Koakuma get into routine snark-offs.
• Delicate and Sickly: Is incredibly frail, suffering from albinism, and cannot hit puberty. Her general frailty results in her dying of a shaking fit.
• The High Queen: Appears to be viewed as this, if her funeral in the Epilogue is any indication.
• Hikikomori: Is only seen outside of her chamber once, and that's in the very last chapter before the Epilogue.
• I Work Alone: Actively defies this and shows the advantages of having a network of loyal subordinates able to further her own agenda, as she ends up becoming the final queen of the story.
• Not Growing Up Sucks: She is unable to hit puberty, which means she has never bled, and as a result is barren and can never have children to succeed her.
• Orcus On Her Throne: While she is somewhat a competent plotter, she never leaves her room, and simply trusts her subordinates to do their job. This leads to her being one of the few queens in Noros lucky enough to die of natural causes and reign for a good fifteen years.
• Older Than They Look: Looks like a pre-pubescent child due to her disease, despite being eighteen.
• Opportunistic Bastard: While the rest of Noros falls to the Zombie Apocalypse, she simply waits and prepares quicksilver-covered weapons, eventually resulting in her saving all of Noros and becoming a Queen-out-of-gratitude all from her chamber.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Has a distinctly vampiric vibe to her, being pale, frail, and unable to leave her chamber.
• Pet the Dog: Her kindness and concern about Flandre is a testament that she's not all that evil, and has a love for Flandre in spite of her mental illness.
• Rank Up: From Lady Paramout of the Waterlands to Queen of Noros.
• Shout-Out: Her generally vampiric nature is a reference to the fact she is a vampire in Canon.
• Sibling Rivalry: Has one with Koakuma Waters, regularly insulting each other.
• The Unfavorite: Implied to be this to Lord Vladimir, as she resents that Koakuma was taken along with Lord Vlad on his hunts while she was not.

Flandre Scarlet

Flandre Scarlet is the mad younger sister of Remilia, and is generally seen chained to her chamber wall and either smashing her fists against the wall, smashing walnuts in lieu of her fists, screaming, or making cryptic rhymes.

• Ax-Crazy: Is generally feared due to her insanity.
• The Caligula: In the Epilogue, both Master of Laws, Lady Shinki, and Master of Coin Parsee note the risk of her becoming this if made queen, even with a competent council beneath her.
• Come to Gawk: Is often the victim of this, several people noting how... quaint she is.
• Dead Guy Junior: According to supplementary material, her mother and former Lady of Scarlet Island was also called Flandre, and she died giving birth to her.
• Death by Childbirth: Her mother died giving birth to her.
• Elephant in the Living Room: Whenever people visit Remilia in her chambers, most note how difficult it is to just ignore the raving lunatic girl chained to the wall and smashing walnuts.
• Mad Oracle: Half of her rhymes mean nothing or are pertaining to the present. The other half tends to be Foreshadowing.
• Madwoman in the Attic: Surprisingly a subversion given that this trope is played entirely straight in Canon: while hidden away in a basement in Canon, in this Flandre is on display in Remilia's chamber, and anyone who has an audience with Remilia is forced to see her.
• Meal Ticket: Elly Kazami plans for her to be this, as she is the successor to Queen Remilia in the Sarlet dynasty should Remilia die, and being too mad to rule Elly, as hand, would be her regent.
• Morality Pet: Remilia's relatively humane treatment of her shows her to be not entirely evil. That and Elly's treatment of her, but this may be due to her being her Meal Ticket.
• Puppet Queen: Elly Kazami and Soichirou Ashigara want her to be this, a figurehead that is controlled by her council.
• The Ophelia: She already had shades of this in canon, but here it's played far straighter.
• Rhymes on a Dime: She generally speaks in rhyme.
• Self-Harm: If she lacks walnuts to smash, she beats her hands bloody against the wall.
• Shout-Out: Her madness references her canon counterpart's insanity, and her fondness for smashing almonds is a reference to her destructive ability in canon.
• Talkative Loon: Speaks in nonsensical rhymes.
• The Unfavorite: To an even greater extent than Remilia in that she's rarely acknowledged as part of nobility half the time.

Koakuma Waters*

The bastard sister of Remilia Scarlet, and Vladimir Scarlet's eldest daughter, aged twenty-two. She has an evident disdain for her sister, which Remilia shares whole-heartedly. Becomes a POV character in chapter 17.

• Ascended Extra: Compared to Canon, Koakuma has a major role: from the assistant of Patchouli Knowledge that has appeared in precisely one game with no lines to a major POV covering the otherwise completely isolated Waterlands.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Subverted in the Epilogue- on the day of Remilia's funeral, Koakuma claims she never loved Remilia, and believes that Remilia never loved her. She does, however, claim she misses their insult wars.
• Bastard Bastard: While not outright evil, she is certainly antagonistic to her true-born sister, no doubt in part due to resenting her bastardy. She is surprisingly humane regarding Flandre, however.
• Concepts Are Cheap: Believes strongly in this, mocking Remilia every time she claims that their father was honorable, bringing up her own existence as proof that Lord Vladimir was anything but honorable.
• Deadpan Snarker: Her POV's style and her general outlook on life is made of snark.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Sakuya nearly kills her to prove a point about her powers in her first POV chapter. Later on, Koakuma has a grudging respect and seemingly Odd Friendship with the warlock.
• Evil Diva: She's quite the singer, and is considered at the very least a Jerkass,m making her an equivalent of this in the circumstance.
• Fiery Redhead: Has red hair, a snappy personality, and is highly regarded as beautiful by many a person, including a horny teenage prince at the age of thirty eight, so she fits this trope to a tee.
• Flat-Earth Atheist: Subverted- she doesn't believe in magic, but once Sakuya shows its truth to her, she accepts that she cannot dispute it.
• Foreshadowing: Her surname. As well as it showing that the Waterlands will become a royal region, it also foreshadows that she's going to rule over River's Fork.
• HA HA HA—No: When presented with the idea that the fact she's grieving for Remilia implies she ever loved her.
• Jerkass: Is quite a jerk to many a person, especially Remilia.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Yet she still cares deeply for Flandre, and later Reimu, showing she's not entirely callous.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: With regards to Remilia. Even after Remilia's death, Koakuma claims she never loved her, and that Remilia never loved her, and that she mainly misses insulting her.
• Never Speak Ill of the Dead: She does not speak of her father with the same reverence as Remilia despite there being hints that Lord Vladimir loved her far more than Remilia, even mocking the idea that he had any honor due to his fathering of her. She also has no qualms admitting she never loved Remilia, even though she's to attend her funeral.
• Not Bad: Gains a grudging respect for Remilia when she realizes she's been plotting to become Queen of Noros this whole time, and was doing it well.
• Odd Friendship: With Reimu, of all people, helping her recover from the blue wedding. She also appears to have one with Sakuya despite their... rough introduction.
• Parental Favoritism: It's implied that despite being a bastard, Koakuma was the favorite child of the Late Lord Vladimir, as she used to go on hunts with him.
• Pet the Dog: Strangely, the one thing Remilia and her have in common is that they both have an anxious concern for Flandre. Also, her pity for Reimu shows she has a soft spot for the broken in general.
• Rank Up: Becomes Lady of River's Fork, gaining the surname 'Kawasemi', and in the Epilogue, becomes a rival claimant to the throne of Noros.
• The Resenter: Resents her bastardy, and by extension her trueborn sister Remilia, intensely, thinking her an incompetent child.
• Sibling Rivalry: With Remilia, to the point where snark-offs seem to be the only remotely sisterly thing they do.
• Spare to the Throne: As half-sister to Queen Remilia, members of the small council begin to see her as a viable alternative to the obviously crazy Flandre as her successor.
• Stacy's Mom: In the Distant Finale, she has grown into this, driving the young Prince Ieyasu of the Vale crazy with every moment she's on-screen.
• Tsundere: She may be a little of this towards Remilia- despite claiming she never loved her before her funeral, she still claims she grieves for her, because she was kin.

Ser Sakuya Izayoi*

A knight of the Waterlands and a skilled warlock. Is able to stop time from her perspective and move around, akin to teleportation. Becomes a POV character in Chapter 108.

• Adaptational Attractiveness: Inverted. In Canon, she's subject to Generic Cuteness and dresses in a French Maid outfit, but in this, she wears a creepy Black Cloak, has blue lips and an Undeathly Pallor, as well as having huge bags under her eyes. Thankfully she has a Glamour ability when needs be.
• Adaptational Badass: Compared to the rest of the characters scaled down to Low Fantasy. She retains almost all of her powers (bar flight) from Canon in this, albeit she now needs to indulge in Self-Harm for her magic to work.
• Batman Gambit: Pulls one on Elly Kazami by killing Yuuka under the flag of the Shotokus. This leads to her Roaring Rampage of Revenge, which in turn leads to a Hijiri victory of the rebellion. Also, her bringing Ieyasu into the Small Council meeting may have been a ploy to suggest Koakuma to be Remilia's successor.
• Black Cloak: Wears one, as fits with her role as a warlock.
• Blood Magic: Like Yukari, when her POV is shown it demonstrates that her abilities don't come for cheap, and she needs to slit her wrists for her magic to function.
• The Cyvassemaster: Functions as this along with Remilia, her quick thinking and slow, contemplative thinking alike serving her well.
• Crack Ship: In-universe. Her and Chikyuu Hinanawi consider their own political marriage as this, and are regarded as this in general.
• Deadpan Snarker: Most likely why she and Koakuma get along so well despite the little incident where she nearly killed her.
• The Dragon: To Remilia.
  • Dragon-in-Chief: Though Remilia contributes well to the plotting of her rise to queenship, it should be noted that some of Remilia's schemes seem to be improvised on the part of Sakuya.
• Education Mama: Is one to Ieyasu, albeit a mild example, and wants her son to be a smart future King of the Vale.
• False Flag Operation: She kills Yuuka under the Shotoku banner, causing Elly Kazami to win the rebels' war for them and produce a situation that enables the Scarlets' rise to power.
• Glamour: Is able to put one on herself, making herself appear as both a Shotoku soldier that killed Yuuka Kazami and Novice Nise, a valleywoman who assists Chikyuu's rise to King of the Vale.
• Happily Arranged Marriage: To Chikyuu Hinanawi, who Sakuya seems to genuinely love in her own strange way.
• The Immodest Orgasm: At she and Chikyuu's wedding, Sakuya's moans can apparently be heard in the streets.
• Indy Ploy: A specialty of hers, a lot of the Scarlets' best plans being improvised by Sakuya.
• The Informant: Plays this role to Remilia, being able to spy anywhere and everywhere by teleportation.
• Looks Like Cesare: Has huge bags under her eyes, as is standard for a warlock.
• Mouth of Sauron: Functions as this for Remilia to anyone who isn't in Remilia's chamber, along with Patchouli.
• Odd Friendship: With Koakuma and much later, Chikyuu Hinanawi.
• Psycho Serum: Drinks shade-of-the-evening, as her blue lips show.
• Self-Harm: Cuts herself to aid her magic.
• Shapeshifting Squick: Outright offers to Chikyuu that when they consummate their marriage, she'll Glamour herself into a sexier appearance.
• The Man Behind the Man: Plays this role to Remilia- her actions drive Remilia's ascent to queenship largely.
• Time Stands Still: Her ability makes time do this from her perspective.
• Trickster Mentor: Appears to be this to Ieyasu, as one of her childhood games with him was racing him around the Valley while she cheated by using her powers.
• Undeathly Pallor: Has pallid skin in her normal form.
• Undying Loyalty: She never falters in her loyalty for Remilia, even if she does go outside her box to serve her ends more effectively.
• Villainous Rescue: Performs one of sorts on Iku Nagae, given she likely knows what awaits the Valley of Peaches.
• Wizards and Witches: Is a warlock, and just like Yukari and the Reisens, has her own set of powers.

Maester Patchouli Knowledge

A relatively young Maester who takes charge of scholarly affairs on Scarlet Island. She is another one of Remilia's trusted subordinates in her ascension to queenship.

• Adaptation Dye-Job: She has purple hair in Canon, but has light blonde hair in this.
• The Cyvassemaster: Is implied to have a large hand in Remilia's schemes, just like Sakuya, and these schemes are successful enough that Remilia becomes queen.
• Deadpan Snarker: Gets quite a few snarks in there.
• Flat-Earth Atheist: Like Koakuma, she has her doubts about Sakuya's powers, only to subvert it just like her when she gets provided with proof.
• The Medic: Is said to be working on a cure for Remilia's frailty and failure to reach puberty, which she never perfects, and in general acts as a caretaker to the mad Flandre.
• Mouth of Sauron: A less direct version, but it is she who writes all of Remilia's letters for her, functioning as a means of communication with the world beyond Scarlet Island for Remilia along with Ser Sakuya. She also more directly accompanies Elly Kazami in making Nue Houjuu abdicate to Remilia.
• Ms Exposition: Acts as this in the epilogue, teaching Ieyasu Hinanawi about the future, changed houses of Noros.
• My Greatest Failure: In the epilogue, she seems to consider her failure to save Remilia from her fatal shaking fit this.
• Not So Stoic: Her self-blame at Remilia dying of a shaking fit.
• The Smart Guy: To House Scarlet, helping make the quicksilver that makes them the only major force capable of stopping the Zombie Apocalypse.
• The Stoic: Rarely shows emotion, though she clearly gets upset about being unable to save Remilia.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Helps to mass-produce the quicksilver necessary to defeat the wights.

Ser Hong Meiling

A knight of Scarlet Island on gate duty most of the time.

• Adaptational Jerkass: As pointed out by a reviewer, Meiling is one of the nicer characters in Canon, but is quite a jerk in this.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Apparently she had one, and part of her becoming a knight is purely to stick the middle finger to him.
• Jerkass: Is notably callous to Lady Marisa, Lady Yumemi and the crippled Iku Nagae while acting as Remilia's Mouth of Sauron.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Though initially mocking Iku, she does attempt to comfort the crippled Iku by promising Iku that she will not be forgotten.
• Mouth of Sauron: In the later chapters, acts as one for Remilia along with Sakuya and Patchouli.
• Rank Up: Becomes one of Remilia's Queensguard.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: According to Shibou Taida, she was a rather sweet child.

Ser Letty Whiterock

A capable, experienced battle commander and adviser to Lady Cirno. Her personal sigil is a mountain on sky-blue, and according to supplementary materials, she was once sworn to Mount Tengu.

• Adaptational Attractiveness: Inverted- she is fat and old in this, likely a Shout-Out to the Memetic Mutation regarding her hitbox.
• Adaptational Badass: Is a mere first boss in canon, but is a major battle commander fighting against the Zombie Apocalypse in this.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Is a fat jerkass (albeit a competent one) in this, unlike in canon where she's a moderately polite yuki-onna.
• Colonel Badass: Is by all counts regarded as this.
• Deadpan Snarker: Gets a few snarks in.
• Dragon-in-Chief: Acts in this capacity to Remilia at times along with Ser Sakuya.
• Foil: In some ways, she is this to Shibou Taida. Both are fat, ageing knights, but Shibou is a POV Character and Letty is not. Shibou is a Nice Guy, while Letty is a jerkass. Shibou merely goes along with Marisa's plans and occasionally contributes an idea, while Letty is practically a Dragon-in-Chief, and finally, Shibou was once sworn to the Waterlands and left for the Woodlands in the north, while Letty was once sworn to the Vale but left to the Waterlands, once again to her north.
• The Good Chancellor: Is this to the otherwise incompetent Lady Cirno.
• Jerkass: Is noticeably abrasive to people in general.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Her less-than-sensitive evaluations of people tend to be correct.
• Mouth of Sauron: Acts as this for Remilia, like many others.
• Shout-Out: Her obesity is referencing her memetic status as fat among the Touhou fandom.
• Stout Strength: Despite being fat, is generally regarded as a competent fighter.

Lady Cirno

A noble technically ruling the waters of the Great Lake and a vassal to Lady Remilia. Her house has a similar tradition to the Tenmas, and only have the family name as a title. Her sigil is nine pale blue ice-shards on an unknown field. Her house's motto is 'We Are the Strongest!'.

• Adaptation Dye-Job: She has blue hair in canon, and auburn-red in this.
• A Child Shall Lead Them: Is only young, but her youth is offset by her adviser, Ser Letty Whiterock.
• Authority in Name Only: As a mere child, she mostly defers her decisions to Ser Whiterock.
• Demoted to Extra: Is one of the most popular characters in the series, but barely appears in this, perhaps in a case of Shoo Out the Clowns due to the Darker and Edgier tone of the fic.
• Only One Name: She only has her family name, Cirno.
• Shout-Out: Her position as Lady of the Great Lake is a reference to her being the strongest fairy of the Misty Lake in Canon. Also, House Cirno's motto, according to supplementary material, is 'We are the strongest!'. Not to mention her sigil has nine icicles.

Lady Luna Child

The ruler of an unnamed settlement in the north of the Waterlands, outside of the Great Lake. She is a simple-minded girl, and the descendant of a Luna bastard, Satoru Woods, according to supplementary material. Her house's sigil is the moon of the Lunas, made black and without stars, on a yellow field, and they always call their ruling members 'Luna Child' without exception.

• A Child Shall Lead Them: Is only young, like all the minor nobles of the Waterlands.
• Demoted to Extra: Not that a spinoff/manga only character was major, but Luna Child is practically The Ghost in this series.
• Lunacy: Her sigil is a black moon.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted with her house in that any ruling member by tradition is always called 'Luna Child'.
• Royally Screwed Up: Their line is apparently rather incestuous due to their pride of having Luna blood, and the current Luna Child is apparently soft-headed.
• Shout-Out: Her sigil being a moon is a reference to her Lunacy-based powers in the games.

Lady Star Sapphire

A girl of sixteen that looks suspiciously like Lady Kaguya Luna, likely due to Luna blood according to supplementary material. Commands some of the Waterlands forces, and in peacetime rules over the sapphire mines of the Waterlands. Her houses's sigil is cyan four-pointed stars on black.

• A Child Shall Lead Them: Is only sixteen, but ruling a whole settlement.
• Demoted to Extra: To a lesser extent than Luna Child in she has one major scene of being chewed out for incompetence, but is mostly part of the background.
• Identical Stranger: Is said to be the spitting image of Kaguya Luna, and while she likely has some Luna blood due to family marriages with the Childs, she would only be distantly related.
• Miles Gloriosus: She considers her taking of River's Fork some amazing success, which in a way it is, but it is just another part of the big plan for the Scarlets.
• Shout-Out: Her resemblance to Kaguya is a lampshading of the fan reaction to Star Sapphire in canon, and her house's sigil is a reference to Star Sapphire's Star Power in Canon.
• Star Power: Her sigil is a set of stars on black.

Lady Sunny Milk

Lady of a small southern keep on the edge of the Great Lake. Is of Rhoynar heritage. Her house's sigil is an orange sunburst on yellow.

• A Child Shall Lead Them: Like all of the minor nobility of the Waterlands.
• Demoted to Extra: To the greatest extent of the 'three mischievous fairies' of canon, with no lines or noticeable appearances.
• Shout-Out: Her sigil is both a reference to her sun-based powers in Canon, as well as a reference to the Martells of A Song of Ice and Fire, complete with Rhoynar heritage.
• The Power of the Sun: Her sigil is a sunburst.