High Card | Antagonists | Other Characters | High Card - ♢9 No Mercy
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Fourlandian Royal Family
Julius Forland
Julius Forland
Voiced by: Kenta Sasa
The king of Fourland and the father of Dylan, Louis, and Noah.
- Big Good: He's responsible for allowing High Card to be established. However, in Season 2, it's suspected that he knows more about the cards than anyone outside the Royal Family. But he insists to Captain Young that he's doing it for the sake of the realm and its people. He also refuses to postpone the coronation ceremony since he sees it as his responsibility as the king of Fourland.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He lost Dylan, his son and heir, who was assassinated by Nhat.
Dylan Fourland
Dylan Fourland
Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi
The son of Julius and the Crown Prince.
- Small Role, Big Impact: His assassination by Nhat shows that the mafia has no qualms on holding back to target the royal family if its needs to.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Dylan's hardly present in the first season before Nhat kills him.
Louis Forland
Louis Forland
Voiced by: Shinichirou Kamio
The son of Julius and the Second Prince. He's made the crown prince after Dylan was killed.
- The Dutiful Son: After his older brother's death, he's next line on the throne. As such, he does his duties as heir very well and is very loyal to his father.
Noah Forland
Noah Forland
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara
The son of Julius and the Third Prince.
- Admiring the Abomination: In the first episode, "One Shot", Noah seems intrigued by the Klondike's assault on the castle, unlike his brothers. This foreshadows how he was the one who revealed where the Cards were to the Klondikes.
- Big Bad Wannabe: He thinks he can usurp the throne by secretly supporting the Klondikes and attempting to murder Louis. He's nothing more than a cowardly brat. When Sugar eventually learns he's responsible for Greg's murder, she points her gun at Noah who cowers easily.
- The Evil Prince: He's been conspiring with Ban Klondkie to take the throne, having told him where the Cards were being kept in the palace as part of a deal so that they would kill Dylan. He was also the one who leaked that Owan was the one who was keeping the Cards Pinochle had collected so they could steal them and capture Theodore. Noah was also the one who leaked the Joker's location and had Greg assassinated.
- Royal Brat: While he acts like a good prince to his family and the public, his phone call with Ban Klondike shows he's really a spoiled manchild, throwing a tantrum and wreaking his room as he rants to Ban about how things aren't going as planned.
Shield Police
Greg Young
Greg Young
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa
A veteran Inspector (Detective Inspector) within the Shield City Police Department, and one of the few people outside High Card who is aware of its existence as well as the X-Playing Cards. Greg is an old friend of both Ban and Theodore.
- Badass Normal: Manages to take out Love-P, of all people, by simply shooting at a piece of debris in a way that it'll land on Love-P's head, knocking her out. He also manages to apprehend Burst, who disguises herself as TILT and attempts to infiltrate the royal palace.
- Friend on the Force: In the past, he was friends with Ban and Theodore making him an ally of High Card at that time. Unfortunately, their friendship deteriorated due to an old incident and Greg was ordered by the higher-ups to keep quiet about the cards, causing him to drift away from the two.
- He Knows Too Much: Turns out that he's been forced by his superiors in the SCPD and in the government not to divulge details on the cards for national security reasons. But that doesn't stop him from investigating about the cards and what the Royal Family is up to. Unfortunately, he was murdered by an assassin hired by Noah of the Royal Family.
- That One Case: It turns out he was in charge of investigating the case related to the deaths of Finn's family. But the higher-ups forced him to close it because it involved the Cards.
- We Used to Be Friends: He was friends with Ban and Theodore, making him the police ally for High Card. But after an old incident that ruined Ban and Theodore's friendship, Greg also stops hanging out with them after his superiors force him to keep any information about the cards a secret. At present, Greg is still courteous towards Ban but there was tension between them. Later on, Greg and the rest of the police force place all the High Card into custody despite they're still under the Royal Family's command.
Sugar Peace
Sugar Peace
Voiced by: Rie Takahashi
A rookie detective (Detective Constable) who works under Greg Young.
- By-the-Book Cop: Even though she learns the truth about High Card and Pinochle, she still believes that they're breaking the law despite getting orders from the Royal Family.
- Curiosity Is a Crapshoot: She wants to know the truth about the Pinochle after several cases related to them are mysteriously closed. Despite her close encounter with a Player from the Klondike mafia, she's still determined to know more about it.
- Flashed-Badge Hijack: Pulls this off without the badge by claiming "extraleagal use". She steals the car of Owen's bodyguards to chase Finn, who in turn has stolen her patrol car. One of the bodyguards even calls her out on it.
- Friend on the Force: Despite her misgivings with High Card, she becomes their ally in the end as seen in the credits where she passes information to them about another Player.
- Inspector Javert: While it's understandable that she wants to know the truth about what the Royal Family is up to and the purpose of the X-Playing Cards, her attitude towards High Card made her into a self-righteous busybody, claiming that the police should be the one in handling the X-Playing Cards. However, at the end of the show, it seems she becomes High Card's police ally instead where she provides information about the rogue Players, presumably accepting the fact that they're more skilled in dealing the Cards after seeing San Galgano's rampage.
- Lawful Stupid: She insists that she wants the truth behind the X-Playing Cards and the parties involved to be released to the public despite that there's a good reason the Royal Family keeps info about the X-Playing Cards a secret given how dangerous it is for an ordinary person to hold a Card.
- Locked Out of the Loop: While she wants to investigate the Pinochle, she doesn't know that her boss is personally connected to them and the Klondike mafia. Though Greg advises her to stay away from them given that he knows how dangerous it is to get involved in the world of X-Playing Cards.
- Naïve Newcomer: Being new on the job makes a lot of her coworkers doubt her ability as a detective. It doesn't help that her curiosity about the Pinochle got her entangled in their feud with the Klondike family which nearly got her killed if weren't for Finn's timing.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Carrying the Cards with her while interrogating Burst instead of hiding it somewhere else is a bad idea. When Zenon and TILT ambushed the base, Burst used this opportunity to knock Sugar out and get the Cards.
Other Players
Lucky Lunchman
Lucky Lunchman
Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba
A card sharp blessed with incredible luck thanks to the 10 of Diamonds, "Unlucky Poky", which granted him preternatural luck and thus prevented him from being harmed. After being threatened to give up his Card, he is killed after losing his luck along with the Card.
- Good Luck Charm: The 10 of Diamonds power ("Unlucky Poky") makes it so its wielder will always have good luck, and anyone trying to harm them will meet with a wide range of bad luck, from losing all their money at poker to falling out a window.
- Ironic Name: "Unlucky Poky"note doesn't sound like the name for a Good Luck Charm.
- Your Head A-Splode: His head is turned into marbles by Bobby Ball.
Chelsea Hammond
Chelsea Hammond
I have a good eye for men.
Voiced by: Yurika Kubo
A "Callgram" influencer in search of her "soulmate". She later gets a job at the Crazy 8 pub.
Her Card is the 2 of Diamonds, "Love Connection", which allows her to lock two hands together so they can't be separated.
- Implied Love Interest: To Chris, as the one person who sees through his cheerful persona.
- Personality Powers: She is a woman obsessed with finding her soulmate and never letting him go; "Love Connection" allows her to join two hands that can't be separated by anyone but her.
- Pretty Freeloader: She has no home, she lives by crashing on the couches of friends or spending the nights at hotels, which helps her meet more people all the time.
- Required Secondary Powers: As with all players, using her Card gives Chelsea enhanced physical abilities and resistance. This allows her to easily jump over a highway sound barrier wall in the season final while dragging Finn. She's also able to walk off a bad cut to her thigh, while a similar injury on a regular person would make them bleed out.
Jason Daltrey
Jason Daltrey
A professor at the University of Cribbage where Vijay studies, specializing in aeronautical science, and is an advisor in the industry. He first appears in Volume 2 of the Drama CD, where the High Card team tries (and fails) to take his Card. They later succeed after the opening act of Episode 13.
His Card is the Jack of Hearts, "Sky Dancer", which allows him to fly through the air.
- Celibate Eccentric Genius: Is described as eccentric by Vijay.
Chad Schmidt
Chad Schmidt
Click to see him as an gorilla-man.
Click to see him as a bat-man.
Click to see him as a wolf-man.
A Player who has been running around Hopkins National Park.
His Card is the 6 of Hearts, "The Zoo", which gives his body the properties of various animals of his choosing.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: He was mistaken for a cryptid similar to Bigfoot or a yeti while running around the park.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: This is how he meets his end at the hands of the Black Knight.
- No Name Given: His name isn't said at all in the show, with it being only known because of High Card's official website.
- Our Werebeasts Are Different: His Card basically turns him into a beast-man of his choosing, changing from a gorilla-man to a bat-man to a wolf-man in quick succession.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Is killed in the Season 2 premiere, not long after he's introduced.
Danny Wesley
Danny Wesley
Voiced by: Kensho Ono
A Player who has been acting as a superhero in Magic Rose, Silphium's capital, named Sonic Move.
His Card is the Queen of Hearts, "Sonic Move", which grants him Super-Speed.
- Gentle Giant: Aside of being muscular, he is also one of the tallest characters in the series. At the same time, he is very affable and goes out of his way to resolve the situation without unnecessary violence.
- Gratuitous Spanish: He tends to use Spanish words in his sentences.
- Heroic Build: One of the most muscular characters in the story, with his arms seemingly being as large as an average person's head. Rather appropriate for his superhero persona.
- Heroic Wannabe: Invoked. While psyched for superheroism, he accepts that it is mostly thanks to obtaining his Card that he could become a superhero, but he still insists on a selfless mindset as another requirement.
- Keet: A super enthusiastic self-styled superhero.
- Muscles Are Meaningless: Downplayed Trope. While Danny's muscular body is strong enough to enable him to lift and carry an adult effortlessly, he still needs some help from Chris to move a large chunk of rubble from a trapped civilian.
- Nice Guy: His main reason for using the Queen of Hearts is to help the people in his hometown.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Despite Danny saving Chris, Leo has Vijay restrain him and seize his card immediately afterwards.
- Sensual Spandex: His tight superhero costume emphasizes his muscular physique.
- Serious Business: He has embraced superheroism as a way of life and deeply respects those who seriously seek to become superheroes themselves.
- Super-Speed: His Card's main power.
- Vibrant Orange: His superhero costume is mostly orange and he is extremely enthusiastic about being a superhero.
Chloe Jones
Chloe Jones
Voiced by: Ayumi Mano
A troubled young girl who came across Chelsea and Wendy.
Her card is the King of Clubs, "Reaper's Hand", which kills anyone she touches.
- Patricide: She killed her abusive father by using her X-Card.
- Power Incontinence: She doesn't have full control of her card and is unable to take her glove out.
- These Hands Have Killed: Considering that she's just a little girl, she's horrified that she killed someone and fears that she might accidentally kill other people if she touches them.
- Touch of Death: Her card's power is to simply kill whoever she touches.
Civilians
Lindsey Betz
Lindsey Betz
Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa
The director of Sunfields, the private orphanage where Finn grew up.
- Friend to All Children: He likes taking care of children and in turn, the children love him.
- Gender-Blender Name: "Lindsey" isn't exactly a common name given to guys.
- Locked Out of the Loop: He doesn't know much about Finn's job aside from working as a car dealer.
- Parental Substitute: To the orphans, particularly Finn whom he tries to guide to be a responsible man.
- Secret-Keeper: In Season 2, it's revealed he knew what happened to Finn's parents. Instead of a car crash, his parents were killed during a fire, leaving Finn as an orphan. Finn deduces that the X-Playing Card has something to do with his parents' deaths and the Black Knight is the one who killed them.
Douglas Buttercup
Douglas Buttercup
Voiced by: Kenta Miyake
The owner of the Crazy 8 pub that's frequented by the High Card members after hours.
- The Bartender: He runs the pub and serves both food and drink.
Apple Link
Apple Link
Voiced by: Tetsuei Sumiya
A client of Old Maid, an up-and-coming tech entrepreneur and CEO of Mizerka.
- Ambiguously Gay: He's hinted to have a crush on Finn. He reacts very negatively to Chris after mistaking them for a couple, implying he is jealous of Chris for being with Finn. This makes more sense with the reveal that he's really Tilt, AKA Flann Oldman, Finn's older brother.
- Big Beautiful Man: Downplayed Trope. He has a slightly rounder physique than most of the other male characters but is still a Bishounen.
- Classy Cravat: Wears a cravat that neatly complements his suit.
- Nice Guy: The first episode of Season 2 reveals that, upon learning of the Sunfields orphanage burning down, he decided to finance Sunfields and even bought the property from the landlord. Later on, he even uses his free time to personally help plant new seeds around the land, not even making a fuss over getting his face dirty in the process.
- Nouveau Riche: Subverted. He recently became rich, but mostly thanks to actual business acumen. Furthermore, he is a polite, if a bit naive Humble Pie. Season 2 also shows that he is not afraid of doing fieldwork.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: A young businessman who usually wears a nice suit.
- Two Aliases, One Character: Apple's true identity as Tilt is revealed in "Sweet Home".
Michelle Redgrave
Michelle Redgrave
Voiced by: Yurie Kozakai
Chris' younger sister who's unaware of his job at High Card. She's suffering from a rare genetic disease that killed their mother and has been hospitalized at Shield City Hospital since she was a child.
- Delicate and Sickly: She suffers from a rare genetic disorder, keeping her confined to the hospital for a good part of her life.
- Oblivious Younger Sibling: She doesn't know what her brother is up to.
Francois Winters
Francois Winters
Voiced by: Shouta Aoi
One of Leo's classmates at Rummy College who tries to befriend him.
- Camera Fiend: He carries around a film camera and tends to take pictures of Leo, often without asking.
- Poor Communication Kills: Due to being in a bad state because of a Klondike Player, Leo accuses him of pretending to get close to get his Card. This breaks off their friendship.
- Red Herring: Initially, he's suspected to be a Klondike Player due to how he keeps asking his schoolmates about Leo's personal life. Turns out that he's just an ordinary college student who just wants to be friends with Leo.
- Scholarship Student: He got into Rummy College via a bursary. Given how most of the other students are all part of the upper crust, he isn't well-liked.
Historical Characters
The First King
Ewan Fourland
Click here to see him at his deathbed.
Voiced by: Volcano Ota
The first king of what would become Fourland, he was a young boy chosen by a mage.
- All-Loving Hero: Even after losing his family he still prayed for peaceful times in Trapla. Even when the knights betrayed him due to San Galgano, he forgives them except for San Galgano.
- Anti-Magic: The King holds the Joker card, which has the power to seal all the other cards during the coronation.
- The Faceless: His only appearance so far omits his face, making him look almost like a mannequin. Averted come "Lala Valdenklein" where we finally see his face.
- Mythical Motifs: He shares some characteristics with King Arthur, both being the true kings of a land aided by a mage.
- Young and in Charge: He's described as being a boy when he took the throne.
The Mage
Lala Valdenklein
Voiced by: Akira Ishida
The mage who picked a boy to become the first king of Fourland and the one who created the X-Playing Cards. Finn first encounters him in Magic Rose before appearing to Finn again and explaining the true history of the X-Playing Cards.
- Anthropomorphic Personification: It's implied that Lala is the island of Trapla given physical form by King Ewan's wish for peace.
- Death Seeker: Lala wishes for a human to kill him, having asked Ewan Fourland, the first king, to do so. Since the Cards are connected to him, if Lala dies, the Cards will disappear.
- Greater-Scope Paragon: He's the one who created the X-Playing Cards, having done so to help the boy king repel the invading armies. The first episode also implies that he may be the "Lala" King Julius heard crying and was the one who scattered the Cards in the first episode.
- Mr. Exposition: He reveals to Finn the history of Fourland and the truth behind the X-Playing Cards.
- Mythical Motifs: He has similarities to Merlin, the mage who supported King Arthur.
- Mysterious Stranger: He helps Finn when he gets lost, yet cryptically reveals that the 52 knights were the ones who defeated the invaders, not the boy king. He then shows up in "Prisoners", stopping time except for Finn.
- Time Stands Still: They have the power to freeze time, having done so right as Chris is about to be impaled by San Galgano so they could talk to Finn.
- Took a Level in Cynic: He grows to despise the modern Players because most of them used their Cards for their greed and selfishness, going against what King Ewan originally intended. He believes it would be better if all the Cards disappeared so that no one would suffer.
- Walking Spoiler: These spoiler tags are here for a reason.
52 Knights
A band of knights gathered from Trapla's four lands and the source of the 52 X-Playing Cards.
- Blood Oath: Each of them took a blood oath as an act of loyalty to the boy king, the blood being used on the magic card the Mage gave them.
- Heroic Sacrifice: They all died fighting the invaders, yet their spirits lived on in the 52 Cards which the boy king used to repeal the invaders. Except not really. According to Lala, the knights were the ones who used the 52 Cards to drive back the invaders, not the boy king.
Other Characters
The Spades Player (SPOILERS)
Iris Moyes
The real Iris and former Player of the 8 of Spades. She was threatened by the Klondike Mafia into giving them her Card. She did so and fled to the outskirts of Silphium.
- Faking the Dead: "Prisoners" reveals that, after she gave her Card to the Klondikes, her records were tampered with to say she died in an explosion a year and a half prior to the series.
- The Voiceless: Unlike the identity assumed by Burst, this Iris doesn't have any lines in her brief appearance.
Jim Klondike
Jim Klondike
Voiced by: Takasato Uchino
Ban's father, he was a politician who was killed in a terrorist attack 25 years before the series.
- Plot-Triggering Death: His death also led to Ban's spiral to villainy which led to a prolonged conflict between him and Theodore.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He's been dead for decades, yet it was at one of his parties that allowed Theodore and Ban to meet.
- Un-person: According to Ban, since he used an X-Hand in an attempt to save his father, the Royal Family covered up the incident, which included Jim's life, his accomplishments, his fortune, and even his name.
