Characters / Tactics Ogre Main Characters

Main Index | Main Characters | The Walister | The Galgastani | The Bakram | The Lodissians | The Xenobians | Others | Classes

In General

• Age Lift: Both Denam and Vyce were aged up from the SFC/PSX/Saturn version, where they were 16 years old to Catiua’s 19. Yasumi Matsuno admitted that he considered aging them up to 23 years (implicitly bringing Catiua along to keep her the elder sister) to appeal more to Western audiences but felt the theme of youthful rebellion was integral to the narrative and so comprised with having them at 18 in the PSP remake and Reborn.
• Bookends: The game starts with the trio launching a sneak attack on Lanselot at Golyat. Guess where the final coda scenario takes place at?
• Breaking the Fellowship: Happens to them by the end of the first chapter with Vyce leaving the group and Catiua doing likewise in the third chapter. Depending on the player's choices, the trio may never reunite on good terms ever again.
• Can't Drop the Hero: Denam obviously can't be ditched from the party because he's the hero of the story. However, once recruited permanently, Catiua and Vyce cannot be dropped from the party unless they're killed in battle. That's the sign that they're the overall main characters of the game.
• Childhood Friends: All of them were childhood friends prior to their hometown getting razed.
• Dynamic Character: Each one is given varying amounts of character development throughout the story, though only Vyce's diverges wildly upon reaching a certain point.
• Fighter, Mage, Thief: The very first battle foreshadows the trio's proficiencies with Vyce opting for straightforward violence (Fighter), Catiua providing magical support (Mage), and Denam tactically attacking from behind (Thief). Even their unique classes further emphasize these traits with the Warrior/Ranger class specializing in front-line combat, the Princess class offering spell versatility, and the Lord class enabling superior mobility in the original or skill flexibility in the remake.
• Freudian Trio: All three main characters fit each position quite well with the stoic Denam being the Superego, the insightful yet emotional Catiua representing the Ego, and the brash Vyce filling the role of the Id.
• Knight, Knave, and Squire: Denam is the idealistic Knight, Vyce is the cynical Knave, and Catiua is the reluctant Squire.
• Nice Mean And In Between: Though both Denam and Catiua alternate between nice and in between, the former is more likely to be the nicer one on account of him winning over people with his kindness and charisma. Meanwhile, Vyce is the mean one among the trio, only mellowing out at the end of the Law route.
• Physical, Mystical, Technological: This applies to their classes in the PSP remake with Denam having access to a wide variety of physical skills, Catiua gaining a large arsenal of spells, and Vyce being able to wield two-handed fusils.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Differs greatly between the three of them.
  • When it comes to the Pavel siblings, Denam is calm and stoic compared to the more emotional Catiua. Even the colors of their necklaces reflect this.
  • Denam and Vyce have a similar dynamic to the aforementioned pairing. However, the Chaos route version switches things up with Vyce displaying cold sadism and cunning to contrast him from Denam's more heated defiance and desperation.
  • Catiua generally has to keep Vyce's brashness in check, though the tables turn in the Law route version of Chapter 4 after the former bitterly defects to the Dark Knights.
• So Long, and Thanks for All the Gear: Any equipment Catiua or Vyce carry as Guests is lost upon their plot-related desertions of Denam — ends of Chapter 2 & 1, respectively. This is subverted when you use the World Tarot, as they deploy as Guests in the story battles but you don’t lose them or their gear afterwards (unless they are killed and the spoils seized).
• Token Trio: This trope counts when the player learns only one of them is a genuine Walister.
• Two Guys and a Girl: The Golyat trio is comprised of two guys (Denam and Vyce) and one girl (Catiua).

Denam

Denam Pavel/Morne (Denim Powell/Mown)

^{Click here to see Denam as he appears in Chapter 4.}

"There is blood on my hands, how long till it lies on my heart?"

Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (JP;Sega Saturn), Tomoaki Maeno (JP;Reborn), Max Mittelman (EN;Reborn)

The Hero Protagonist of the story, his hometown was ransacked by the Dark Knights a year prior to the game's beginning. Since then, he and his sister Catiua along with his Best Friend Vyce had been living as partisan fighters in order to free their people and eventually strike back at their oppressors. After encountering a group of mercenaries led by Lanselot Hamilton and using their help to liberate Duke Ronwey, Denam steadily becomes embroiled in the power struggle consuming Valeria. His father also happens to be the brother of Brantyn, one of the three factional leaders Denam opposes.

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• A Commander Is You: The order Denam leads is initially a cross between the Balanced and Generalist Factions with more experienced figures joining them in later chapters. They also have elements of the Guerrilla Faction during certain moments.
• Action Survivor: Denam was this at first during the attack on his hometown.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: His in-game sprite has blond hair whereas his portrait (especially in the PSP remake) depicts it as either dark brown or auburn. Reborn finally corrected most of his portraits to being more blond.
• The Atoner: As of Chapter 3 in the Lawful route, Denam begins to truly repent for his role in Balmamusa.
• Berserk Button: Despite his stoicism, Denam is not above getting angry when something triggers him.
  • He quickly loses composure when Oz admits to torturing his father in the remake.
  • He personally finds necromancy abhorrent and rarely forgives those who persistently practice it, though that doesn't stop players from making him use the necromancer class in the remake.
• Category Traitor: Is seen as this by some Walisters for willingly aiding innocent Galgastani during the Chaos route's version of Chapter 3. He also becomes this for the Bakram once his true heritage is revealed with one enemy officer condemning him for fighting against his own people.
• Character Development: While Denam always matures into his role as a resistance leader, each route explores how different his emotional growth becomes.
  • The Law route has Denam take on more questionable actions and tactics if it means helping him end the war much sooner, turning him into The Spock with shades of The Atoner.
  • The Neutral route demonstrates Denam's willingness to balance his idealistic outlook with a sense of pragmatism for the greater good, enabling him to fulfill the role of The Kirk.
  • The Chaos route sees Denam preserve his ideals by doing the right thing even if it poses many risks for him, paving the way for his status as The McCoy.
• Cutscene Incompetence: In one possible ending, Denam is instantly killed by a handgun.
• Deadpan Snarker: Denam has his moments amidst all the gore. In the original translation, one dialogue he has with Barbas in Barnicia particularly stands out.
  Barbas: Challenging me from the front gate, you've got some pretty big ones for being a mere child!
  Denam: That's the same thing your dead friend^note Oz, who he killed in Phidoch at the end of Chapter 3. said.
• Easily Forgiven: Downplayed in the Law route in that while Vyce does reconcile with Denam once Duke Ronway and Leonar are out of the picture (and is fully recruited late in Chapter 3), he never fully forgives Denam for his part in the massacre at Balmamusa until the game ends.
• Embarrassing First Name: In the original game, Denam shares his old name with a type of fabric (intentional by the writer). Some fans either hate the old name or the current one. Reborn pronounces the current name in a way that sounds similar to the first one.
• Fallen Hero: Subverted; Denam obtains this title in the remake's Chaos route, although it's not used in the same definition.
• The Fettered: Played straight in the Chaos route when Denam rejects the Duke's offer to rejoin him. Otherwise, accepting it causes this trope to be subverted.
• The Hero: His supporters refer to him as the Hero of Golyat. In contrast, he's labeled a butcher by those who vilify him.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Denam can be given this treatment by disobeying the Duke's orders near the end of the first chapter. Then there's the ending where he's assassinated if his Chaos Frame with all three Valerian ethnicities (a reputation-based system, affected among other ways by the player's decisions and how many people of certain nationalities were killed) is too low.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: During certain event scenes, he always draw out a sword regardless of what weapon he has equipped.
• Heroic BSoD: Near the start of the final chapter, Denam is given the standard Heroic BSoD upon hearing about his true heritage, made worse when Olivya confronts him with more revelations even though his father just died. Fortunately, he quickly snaps out of it to further uphold his beliefs.
• I Did What I Had to Do: In the Law route, Denam justifies his involvement in the slaughter of Balmamusa to unite the Walister under the Duke's banner.
  • He admits that he has blood on his hands later; but mostly uses that as a means to bring people together; "I certainly cannot condemn you."
• I Owe You My Life: The reason why Denam puts aside his differences with Vyce in the Law route. He manages to return the favor later on after liberating Almorica Castle from Xaebos.
• Ideal Hero: Starts off as this trope and can continue to fulfill it by pursuing the Chaos route all the way through.
• Idealist vs. Pragmatist: He and Vyce switch roles depending on the route being followed by the player. Against other characters in later chapters, Denam fits the Idealist position more.
• Improbable Age: Noted by many NPCs as looking scarcely old enough to shave.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Denam literally becomes one in the beginning of the fourth chapter due to his change in wardrobe.
  • In the original game, it also provides him with enhanced stat growth upon leveling up.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: In contrast to his priestly father, Denam is a revolutionary who is willing to engage in bloodshed for a better future. It's up to the player's choices on whether or not he goes even further.
• Little Hero, Big War: He starts out as a minor figure who only encounters small parts of the big war, much like Ramza in Final Fantasy Tactics, but becomes a much greater hero by Chapter 4. Unlike Ramza, regardless of the route, Denam is seen as a hero by many in the end, even if he doesn't believe in it himself.
• Magic Knight: The Lord class in the original game allows Denam to cast healing magic while kicking ass at the same time. The remake enables him to use almost all of the abilities already learned from other classes, including most magic spells.
• Master of All: The main reason why his Lord class in the remake is incredibly overpowered. Access to Dual Wield just like in the original, plus access to almost every single spell in the game and whatever command skills he has learned on other classes. Carries over into Reborn; cross-class skills in general have been removed (with a few more generic skills being available on multiple classes), but as Lord, Denam can use any ability belonging to any class he has previously been (as long as it works with the weapon he's using), allowing him to dual wield like a Ninja, tame dragons like a Beast Tamer, and inflict fear like a Terror Knight all at once. Or any other setup of skills that the player wishes to use.
• Meaningful Name: Both Denam and Vyce were purposely named after "denim" and "Levi's" (as in the jeans maker) to reflect them coming from the same social class and that blue jeans in the 20th century represented freedom.
• Morton's Fork: Poor Denam can't catch a break if Catiua dies. He gets crowned king and then either gets assassinated at his coronation, or Lodis returns with its entire army to conquer Valeria, a foe that King Tristan of Xenobia notes that Denam has almost no chance of defeating. The only happy ending he can get involves never becoming king at all.
• Must Make Amends: This becomes one of his primary motives in the Law route's version of Chapter 3, earning him an ally in the remorseful Jeunan.
• Nice Guy: It sometimes leads him to being a Dogged Nice Guy to Catiua and Vyce on the Neutral and Chaos routes.
• No Place for Me There: In the best ending, Denam leaves Valeria at the end because he's killed so many people in the process of stopping the war that he feels there's no place for him in the better Valeria his sister is creating. He instead goes to Xenobia at Lanselot's suggestion. Slightly subverted in Coda where he vows to come back and help rebuild his homeland someday.
• Not So Stoic: Although Denam may come across as stoic and calm to some people (particularly Deneb), he does have his moments of being emotional from time to time. Most notably when his father dies, where even in the first version of the game, there was a rare portrait of Denam crying for that one scene. Then in the remake, that portrait of him becomes even more detailed. It gets used again when Catiua kills herself in front of Denam.
• Orphan's Plot Trinket: Denam's blue necklace, given to him by his father. It was originally intended by Dorgalua to be given to his offspring if it was a boy, with Catiua's being given if it was a girl. In the original game, the necklace provided protection against status debuffs, though this effect has been diluted in the PSP remake and removed entirely in Reborn.
• Pragmatic Hero: He essentially becomes one in the Neutral route by putting aside his conflict with Duke Ronwey for the greater good. In the Law route, he has shades of this at the very least.
• The Stoic: This tends to be his default trait when facing enemies in battle.
• Tarot Motifs: Denam's ability to alter the course of Valeria's history with his decisions symbolizes the Wheel of Fortune's association with change for better or worse. Despite making impactful changes, he also shares its reversed trait of being hounded by misfortune no matter which path he's on. The tarot is also his favorite card among the deck.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives an absolutely scathing one to Nybeth when confronting him in his first Palace of the Dead encounter on the Neutral route, denouncing the man as a sad, lonely old coward and correctly assuming that their fight will end in the necromancer fleeing in the end.
• These Hands Have Killed: While killing Galgastani troops never seemed to bother Denam, he immediately invokes this trope right after standing by and supporting the slaughter of the civilians of Balmamusa or killing his own compatriots in an attempt to hold off the massacre.
  • This is also what triggers his decision of leaving Valeria and going to Xenobia at Lanselot's suggestion. His kill count led him to think his fame as a warrior would only harm Catiua's newly-installed peaceful reign.
• Think Nothing of It: Be fully assured that Denam's not in this for fame, fortune, or power. He only wants the war to end and that's it.
• Time Travel: The Chariot mechanic in the remake is heavily implied to be an ability of his, to the point that he can not only alter the course of any battle, but also access different timelines and, as shown in Coda, fix certain events. That said, it's use is of questionable canonicity (during standard play, it's presumably not specifically a power Denam has but more one the abstract player has, and the last two Codas, specifically the one where Denam and his army go back in time to stop the Dark Knights from razing Golyat, are likely non-canon).
• Underdogs Never Lose: No one expected a mere resistance fighter to ascend that high on the food chain, did they?
• Unwitting Pawn: Gets roped into revolting against the Duke by Leonar in the Law route, and is almost made a scapegoat for his troubles were it not for Vyce's timely intervention.
• Walking the Earth: In the ending where Catiua becomes Queen of Valeria, he goes to visit Xenobia where Lanselot originally came from.
• We Cannot Go On Without You: If he dies (or loses all his lives in the PSP remake), it's game over.
• What the Hell, Hero?: No matter which path he's on, Denam will never escape criticism or condemnation for his choices.
  • In the Law route, he gets plenty of heat for joining the slaughter at Balmamusa with Vyce and Arycelle being his worst detractors until the end of the second chapter.
  • In the Neutral route, he receives a verbal thrashing from select figures for compromising on his beliefs and relationships as a result. This also diminishes the loyalty of his newfound allies in the previous chapter with Arycelle leaving outright in the original game or threatening to do so in the remake.
  • In the Chaos route, much of the condemnation he receives is unjustified on account of him being framed. However, he is specifically called out by Xaebos for refusing to further stain himself with blood and letting others do the dirty work for him.
  • It's also invoked even by himself when Denam ends up killing members of the Order of Philaha in self-defense. Fortunately, this can be avoided by removing his equipment and sending him alone to the south gate.
  • Diego states that Denam is the cause of all the hungry war orphans hanging around Port Omish. He has no denying for those words.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: He starts out as a naïve idealist, but his views may vary depending on the choices he makes.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Denam proves himself to be a master tactician throughout the course of the game, and is a lot more responsible and level-headed than his sister.
• Young and in Charge: Though it initially starts off as a publicity stunt to draw in new recruits, Denam along with his friends are made official knights after rescuing the leader of the Resistance. Many NPCs comment on how Denam looks far too young to be in charge as well. He eventually comes to lead the Resistance after Ronwey (and anyone else with the reputation and rank to lead) ends up dead.

Catiua

Catiua Pavel (Kachua Powell)/Versalia Oberyth (Bersalia Overis)

^{Click here to see her in early Chapter 4.}

"Promise you'll never leave your sister."

Voiced by: Yumi Touma (JP;Sega Saturn), Lynn (JP;Reborn), Victoria Atkin (EN;Reborn)

Denam's sister and Team Mom of the Golyat trio, Catiua fights only to keep her brother safe from harm even if it means willing to break her normally pacifistic nature just to stay by his side in the war. Upon the death of their mother, Catiua took it upon herself to fill the void left behind and raise her only sibling. She is also a priestess, trained in the ways of the divine by her father.

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• Adaptation Dye-Job: Just like Denam, Catiua's in-game hair color is blonde for her sprites and either auburn or dark brown for her artwork. Reborn lightened it to a dirty blonde in most of her portraits.
• Back from the Dead: In the original game, Catiua's High Priest class is one of three playable classes capable of casting the rare Revivify spell.
• Badass Preacher: Catiua's exclusive starting class in the remake, Priest, is one of the few classes that can use offensive divine magic.
• Barrier Maiden: Her very existence is needed to open the Chaos Gate under the Hanging Gardens. Why? Because King Dorgalua thought she was dead; he tried to do an Orphean Rescue and locked the door to the Underworld with her as the key because that would be his way out and would prevent anything from getting out before then. That she wasn't dead worsened this plan for him infinitesimally.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: Partially subverted by Catiua who doesn't seem to care much about anything other than Denam and herself. She comes to grow out of this by the end.
• Big Sister Instinct: Arguably a Deconstruction as her protective and maternal nature towards Denam is often used to manipulate her and is shown to be genuinely disturbing and/or obsessive at times. It's also an obvious display of her being terrified at the idea of Denam leaving her.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Vyce chastises her for sweet-talking the Xenobians into helping them out. In the first localization of the game, he even shouts at Catiua, "What a bitch!!"
• Black Mage: Catiua's final class allows her to make full use of every elemental magic available (including the powerful draconic spells). This didn't change much in the remake, though the remake gives it spell restrictions to make her other unique classes more viable.
• Brother–Sister Incest: Heavily implied on Catiua's part in the first localization of the game, but made less-emotional and more passive-aggressive in the second localization. In general, her motivation for doing all that crazy stuff like betraying Denam and joining the Dark Knights is linked to her wanting to be with him.
• Bystander Syndrome: Upon learning her true lineage, Catiua does absolutely nothing to help her father and Lanselot Hamilton while the Dark Knights torture them. It's implied that her sudden Heel–Face Turn after being saved is to make up for that.
• Crutch Character: Beginning players will often find themselves relying on Catiua for additional healing (and exorcising in the remake) until reaching the end of the second chapter.
• Deadpan Snarker: Like Denam, she has her moments throwing shade at some of the foes they come across.
  Catiua: There are your headhunters, Denam. I know them by the dull light in their eyes.
  Xapan: Wa ha ha! A comely maid with a curdled tongue! I approve!
• Despair Event Horizon: Once she thinks that Denam has abandoned her in favor of pursuing revolution, she becomes desperate and ends up joining the Dark Knights. If you choose the wrong dialogue after fighting Tartaros at Barnicia, she will stab herself in front of Denam.
• Damsel in Distress: In the Chaos route, when Xapan kidnaps her at Rhime. This condition only lasts for a few missions, though.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: Due to her learning at a young age that she’s not Abuna Prancet’s biological daughter, she became obsessed with her connection to Denam as her brother while never considering that their closeness went beyond blood; she interpreted Prancet’s words as them both being adopted, never considering the other possibility and even proclaiming to Denam her interpretation of the truth.
• Driven to Suicide: Not everyone can handle the burden of being an important character in a Yasumi Matsuno game. Jokes aside, if you choose the wrong dialogue after the battle in Barnicia, Catiua will kill herself due to crossing a Despair Event Horizon and Denam's lack of wording ability.
• Evil Makeover: During her time with the Dark Knights, she dons a new black outfit, puts on a darker shade of lip color, and changes to a corrupted version of her original class.
• Face–Heel Turn: She joins the Dark Knights as soon as Lanselot Tartaros talks to her about her true past.
• Faux Action Girl: Some of the promo artworks depict Catiua holding a sword, but her in-game class forces her to wield cudgels instead. It doesn't mean she's incapable of kicking loads of ass with magic though.
  • With her Prestige Class, Princess, she is capable of wielding swords - and strong ones too, like Brynhildr.
• Guest-Star Party Member: She’s a permanent NPC for story battles throughout Chapters 1 and 2. She officially leaves at the very beginning of Chapter 3, albeit on Chaotic and Neutral this is right after sitting out the last Chapter 2 battles. In Chapter 4, she can be fully recruited after which she’s no longer got Plot Armour.
• Guide Dang It!: How to stop her from committing suicide, as well as keeping her out of the preceding battle against Lanselot Tartaros in Barnicia Castle^note It involves a dialogue choice with Mreuva at the Hagia Banhamuba. for fear of accidentally killing her.
• Hates Their Parent: Upon learning she had been secretly adopted by Prancet, Catiua fostered a resentment towards him for hiding this from her. This resentment soon turns into full-blown hatred when Tartaros breaks the news about her real heritage. According to official materials, she even refused to visit him in his deathbed outside of Heim. Denam can convince her that contrary to her belief, Prancet actually loved her too much in spite of their lacking a blood connection.
• Heel–Face Turn: If Denam successfully gets through to her at Barnicia, she rejoins his order and fully embraces her royal heritage.
• The Heretic: Becomes a Dark Priest during her short-lived stint with the Dark Knights. This class is the polar opposite of Catiua's Priest class, being able to cast a variety of dark-based and elemental spells while gaining debuff skills.
• Heroic Bastard: Catiua is the illegitimate daughter of King Dorgalua and the Queen's most trusted handmaiden, Mannaflora. Being the only surviving heir of Dorgalua, she is the only one who can unite the kingdom without any unfortunate repercussions.
• The High Queen: Becomes this at the end of the game if she is still alive.
• Holy Hand Grenade: In the PSP version of the game, Catiua is initially the only playable healer who can cast offensive holy magic in battle.
• Humanizing Tears: Does this after Denam succeeds in talking her out of her Face–Heel Turn, complete with running make-up and falling to her knees. She's been your haughty, possessive older sister for the whole game and she suddenly transforms into this vulnerable little girl who is sincerely regretful about what she has done while begging for forgiveness.
• I Have Nothing to Say to That: Invoked in the remake's Chaos route when Vyce accuses Catiua for standing by Denam regardless of his decision at Balmamusa. He also does this beforehand in Reborn by calling her out on the way she treated him in the past during his Face–Heel Turn.
• Idealist vs. Pragmatist: Has lighter shades of this with Denam in the Chaos route early on with her encouraging him to focus more on their self-preservation instead of aiding others for nothing.
• If I Can't Have You…: She does not take Denam's choice to keep fighting well at all. This has fatal results if the player chooses the wrong dialogue with her during a pivotal moment.
• It's All About Me: One of Catiua's most glaring flaws throughout the story. She simply does not like it when Denam focuses more on the war than her. By the time the third chapter rolls around, she gets fed up with him and leaves the party.
• The Medic: This is her primary role at first.
• Narrator: She becomes the narrator of the game's opening cinematic and certain event cutscenes in the Reborn remaster. In the PSP remake, these scenes were voiced by actors unrelated to the cast, and in the original releases, they weren't voiced at all.
• Neutral Female: Subverted from a gameplay perspective as Catiua is actively helpful in battles. It's played more straight in the story due to her initial distaste for violence and political intrigue.
• Orphan's Plot Trinket: Catiua's necklace is actually proof of her being the illegitimate daughter of King Dorgalua. The blue one was in the event that the baby was a boy. In all versions of the game, she will not part with it until recruited as a playable party member.
• Please, Don't Leave Me: Her greatest fear is being left completely alone.
• Plot Armour: During her time as a Guest, she’ll always flee if her HP drops below 10%. This is dropped in her later battlefield appearances, thus she can be killed either as an enemy at Barnicia, at her own hand if the wrong dialogue is chosen, or at any point afterwards.
• Promotion to Parent: Catiua pretty much raised Denam after their mother died. This causes problems for them later on as Denam takes up arms and makes his own decisions in spite of her disapproval.
• Psychological Projection: Fearing Denam might one day abandon her, she decides to leave his side first in the third chapter.
• Red Mage: Her Princess class retains the healing and offensive magic of her Priest class while adding in armor and proper melee weapons into the mix, causing her to function as a more versatile Rune Fencer with unique support and undead slaying options. In Reborn, the class is further augmented by its ability to use the Wisplight summon spell.
• Replacement Goldfish: Her adopted name, Catiua, is the same as Abuna Prancet's recently departed daughter. Abuna Brantyn suggested naming her Catiua when he asks Prancet to adopt the king's daughter.
• Rousing Speech: Delivers these a lot after reconciling with Denam and embracing her role as princess.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Catiua becomes this once she joins you permanently.
• Tarot Motifs: Catiua initially shares the High Priestess tarot's penchant for common sense and spirituality, but comes to represent its reversed form's association with secrets and inner turmoil once her familial bond with Denam breaks down. She also mirrors the reversed arcana's lack of intuition by letting herself be manipulated by Tartaros in the third chapter. Her first class in the original game is also called High Priest.
  • Meanwhile, her tendency to be emotionally overbearing towards Denam signifies her ties with the Empress arcana in its reversed state. Catiua's potential reconciliation with him has her later demonstrate the arcana's more positive qualities as ruler of Valeria.
• Tears of Remorse: After being convinced that Prancet did indeed love her, Catiua breaks down and tearfully apologizes to Denam for her selfishness.
• Technical Pacifist: She will always try to find workarounds, or methods that involve a lesser amount of spilled blood.
• Thicker Than Water: Catiua is a staunch believer of this trope and the acknowledgement that she had been taking the idea too far is a major part of her development as a character. Especially since it turns out she's adopted.
• Unwitting Pawn: Subverted in that Catiua knows she's being used by the Dark Knights upon joining them, but allows herself to be manipulated anyway to spite Denam.
• White Mage: The first one accessible to you, but only as a guest member. In the remake, you can bring her back to that class.

Vyce

Vyce Bozeck (Vice Bozeg)

^{Click here to see him in the Law route}

^{Click here to see him in the Chaos route}

"I have no love of war. But I'd sooner die on my feet than on my knees."

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (JP;Sega Saturn), Noriaki Sugiyama (JP;Reborn), Jason Spisak (EN;Reborn)

The last of the Golyat trio, Vyce is Denam's closest friend. He is the more impulsive and head strong of the three, but also shows shades of being the most clever and politically minded.

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• Abusive Parents: His father was a drunkard who beat him constantly. In the Chaos route, Vyce used this as a Freudian Excuse to express his jealousy towards Denam. He got over it in the Law route, where Vyce would still fight to avenge his honor despite the abuse when confronting his murderer, the Dark Knight Barbas.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: In the Chaos route, his ploy to wipe out Ronwey and the Dark Knights fails when Oz and Ozma show up to save Lanselot Tartaros from Vyce and the soldiers Brantyn sent to aid him. He gets down on his knees and begs for his life, and is surprisingly granted it by Lanselot, though it doesn't do him much good in the long run.
• Alas, Poor Villain: His fate in the Chaotic route is framed as such, wherein the haughty bravado crumbles to reveal the terrified child beneath who desperately cries out for Denam — the one person left who cares about him — to save him from death.
• Annoying Arrows: As a boss in the original game's second chapter, Vyce briefly exchanges his sword for a great bow, enabling him to snipe at foes from a distance.
• Big Damn Heroes: In the Law route, where he helps Denam defeat Leonar.
• The Big Guy: You get that bit of information if you try to put him as a guest in the original version's training mode during Chapter 1.
  Vyce: I don't need any training. Look at my muscles!
• Blood-Splattered Warrior: His Law route design's key art features the hem of his clothing and the tip of his sword coated in blood. Despite how grisly it looks, it's still Vyce at his most heroic.
• Blue Is Heroic: Played straight on the Law route and subverted during the other two routes.
• Came Back Wrong: In the Chaos route, thanks to Nybeth who found his body.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: In the Chaos and Neutral routes, Vyce tries to do a massive cleanup on the main leaders of the Heim War by himself and fails.
• Climax Boss: Becomes one in the Chaos route, even having Xapan as The Dragon and pulling a You Have Failed Me on him.
• Combat Pragmatist: Due to Vyce being the more hardened of the trio, he is willing to fight dirty if it gives him the upper hand. This side of him is fleshed out more in the Chaos route where he entraps Denam time and again.
• Commander Contrarian:
  • During the first major route split in Chapter 1. When Leonar informs Denam of Duke Ronway's plan of murdering his own people as part of a False Flag Operation, Vyce will always do the opposite of what Denam decides. Agree to slaughter your own people in service of the war? Even Vyce has enough standards to abhor that! Shoot down the plan, even if it means standing against Duke Ronway? Well, Vyce was always a rather desperate sort...
  • He's also this during the Chapter 2 route split in the Neutral and Chaos storylines. If Denam buries the hatchet with Duke Ronway and agrees to work under him again, Vyce promptly deserts. If Denam doesn't reconcile with Duke Ronway, Vyce stays on.
• Contractual Boss Immunity: As a boss in the remake, Vyce is protected from most status ailments thanks to the Deathproof skill.
• Cutscene Power to the Max: He fatally wounds Ravness with a single crossbow shot. Typical crossbows available in Chapter 1 generally do not mortally wound much of anything in one shot, and Vyce wouldn't have enough time to be a master crossbowman to do so since he spends his time fist-fighting.
• Defiant to the End: In the Neutral route, Vyce knows that killing Duke Ronwey instead of accepting his plea for mercy would get him horribly killed by Ronwey's men. He does exactly that and, as he expected, he's immediately killed for it.
• Dual Wielding: He's one of a handful of non-Ninja types who happen to be adept at it, in his playable and non-playable classes.
• Duel Boss: In the Chaos route, where he locks Denam into the main hall of Almorica to fight him one-on-one.
• Evil Makeover: In the Chaos and Neutral routes, in addition to getting a sadistic look on his face, his hair also inexplicably becomes more evil. He is often referred to as "Sadistic Vyce" in this form. In the PSP version, his appearance changes even more drastically, making him look like some kind of beast or demon. This is inverted on the Law route in the PSP and Reborn version where he suddenly sticks his head up in a heroic way and his chin becomes more well-defined.
• Expy: In the second version of the game, he becomes this to Algus/Argath in the Chaos route. Ironically, Argath's nemesis Delita is an expy of Vyce himself, bringing it full circle.
• Face–Heel Turn: In the Chaos and Neutral routes. In the Law route, he instead becomes a Hero Antagonist.
• Foreshadowing: An early conversation with Catiua has him declaring he'd sooner due on his feet than his knees; depending on the route, Vyce will either beg on his knees in vain for his life (Chaotic), die on his feet after taking out Ronway (Neutral), or defy Xaebos while bound yet ultimately survive (Lawful).
• For Want Of A Nail: Vyce's decisions - colored by Denam's, and by extension, the player's - determine a lot of what happens in the Chaos and Law routes. Given that he always turns against you, whatever outcome you intended to have happen (the False Flag Operation to slaughter Walister civilians in order to unite the Walister people as a whole, or avoiding just that due to the immorality of it), has a monkey wrench thrown in it due to Vyce's actions. In the Law route, he runs off to spread word about the operation to all of Valeria, and the Walister don't unite significantly enough to overcome the Galgastani. In the Chaos route, things go off without a hitch, and the Walister easily overcome the Galgastani.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Both for the same character! His scars represent good in the Law route but evil in the other two routes.
• The Gunslinger: His exclusive class gets access to guns in the remake.
• Foil: Mainly to Denam, though he contrasts in some ways to Leonar as well.
  • His allegiance from Chapter 2 onward will always be the opposite of Denam's, yet his personality will also mirror Denam's choice. If Denam chooses the Chaos route, opting for personal motives over the Duke's orders, Vyce will mirror it: siding with the Duke, but only because of his resentment of Denam. If Denam sides with the Duke, Vyce disobeys out of a sense of duty to his countrymen. Ever the converse but never the inverse, so to speak.
• Freudian Excuse: His envy towards Denam is why he acts the way he is during the Chaos route.
  • In the Law route, he defies the trope by not letting his bitterness consume him. Instead, he finds purpose by leading his own faction which in turn gives him the maturity and perspective he needs to cooperate with Denam. And despite his harsh upbringing by his own father no less, he still finds time to avenge his father's honor by fighting Barbas.
• Guest-Star Party Member: For the entirety of Chapter 1, save the last battle where he leaves Denam’s Order. He rejoins as a controllable unit midway through Chapter 3 on Lawful, at which point his Plot Armour expires.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: His unique Warrior class in the original game has a preference for swords.
• Idealist vs. Pragmatist: Vyce takes on the position of Idealist versus Denam and Leonar's Pragmatist in the Law route. In both encounters, he makes valid points that rivals or even deconstructs their more cynical outlooks.
• Kick the Dog: Gleefully indulges in this on the Chaos route, starting with his needless killing of Ravness in the remake.
• The Lancer: Acts as Denam's Foil while fighting for the Walister, though their relationship dynamic changes depending on the choices made by the player.
• Lower-Class Lout: Sometimes comes across as this at his worse. It doesn't help that he was raised by a father who exemplifies the trope even more.
• Man Scorned: Behaves this way towards Catiua on the Chaos route.
  Vyce: Quiet, Catiua! You've made a fool of me long enough. You remember that hare I snared in our leanest days, Catiua? You gave it to your brother to eat, without so much as a word of thanks. That hare was for you!
• Magic Knight: In the original game, Vyce's Warrior class has access to intermediate offensive spells, making him functionally similar to the Valkyrie class.
• Meaningful Name: Both Denam and Vyce were purposely named after "denim" and "Levi's" (as in the jeans maker) to reflect them coming from the same social class and that blue jeans in the 20th century represented freedom. Vyce's name is not as obvious as Denam's.
• Mutually Exclusive Party Members: After Chapter 1, he's only recruitable on the Lawful route. In all versions of the game, he can't fight alongside Cistina, Folcurt, Bayin, Cerya, Oelias, Dievold, and Cressida; in the original and PSX versions, he also can't be deployed together with Arycelle.
• Never My Fault: Sadistic Vyce is quick to pin the blame on other people. Right up until his death by hanging, he doesn't stop trying to finger Brantyn for his treachery of Ronwey and the Dark Knights. Even after being raised as a zombie by Nybeth, he goes from blaming Denam to begging for his help before dying again.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: In the Law route, he's quite interested in taking Denam down on his own through the course of Chapter 2, but chooses not to go through with it in the end.
• Power Fist: The remake has him start off as a fist wielder. Fits well with his Hot-Blooded personality early on.
• Ranger: His unique playable class in the remake, though he can use guns as well.
• Recurring Boss: On the Chaotic route he’s fought twice by the end of Chapter 2, first at Tynemouth Hill and again at Almorica Castle. He is fought a third time in the remake as a zombie in the full Chaotic route.
• The Rival: Towards Denam. He gets over it in the Law route.
• Rival Turned Evil: In the Chaotic and Neutral routes.
• Route Boss: Technically fought on all possible paths, however the Neutral branch off lacks any fight with him; notably in Chapter 4, the Cressida recruitment sidequest on Chaotic has him fought as an undead.
• Schrödinger's Gun: His entire personality changes to either Heroic or Sadistic; whichever is the opposite of the decision Denam make at the end of the first chapter.
• Second Place Is for Losers: Partially the reason why he turns on Denam in the Chaos route.
• Smug Snake: In the Chaotic route, Vyce proves himself indispensable to Ronwey and Brantyn, harboring aspirations for greater seats of power. The second one of his efforts fails in a way that he has no clear way out, however, he crumbles, reduced to begging and pleading for his life time and time again. Even his portrait is stuck in a state of constant shock and fear for the remainder of his screen time as a living man.
• Spell My Name With An S: Vice or Vyce? Your pick.
• The Strategist: While Vyce's acumen for strategy is hinted on in the first chapter, it shines through in the Lawful route where he comes up with a bold plan to defeat Balbatos and the Galgastan army. The Chaotic route has him overestimate this trait of his, leading to disastrous results for both him and the Walister Resistance.
• Taking You with Me: He kills Duke Ronwey in the Neutral route, knowing full well that he will be cut down as soon as he does so.
• Tarot Motifs: Vyce shares traits with the Hanged Man arcana. When upright, the Hanged Man symbolizes resentment or dissatisfaction to one's own circumstances, mirroring Vyce's discontent with the Galgastani subjugating the Walister as well as his complicated friendship to Denam. Reversed, the arcana can indicate recklessness. This happens when Vyce's negative emotions get the better of him in both the Chaotic and Neutral routes, forever sealing his fate. It also happens to be the name of his class as a zombie resurrected post execution by hanging.
• Troubled Sympathetic Bigot: Due to his upbringing and personality, Vyce starts off the most bigoted among the Golyat trio. He immediately distrusts the Xenobian exiles, readily mocks Canopus with slurs like bird-man, and stomps on Cistina's offer of cooperation at Rhime on account of her being Bakram. It's only in the Law route that he gradually lets go of his racial animosity.
• Unwitting Pawn: In the Chaos route, he tries to play Ronwey, Brantyn, and the Lodissians against each other to gain power, but ends up as the fall-guy for a plot gone wrong (by Brantyn, no less), getting hanged as a result.
• Villain Decay: Suffers this pretty badly in the Chaotic route. From the moment his assassination of the Dark Knights fails up until his second death at Denam's hands as a zombie, he is depicted as increasingly pathetic and pitiable with every scene, culminating in a third fight where he's barely stronger than the generic units he's fighting alongside. This is a far cry from both the powerful boss he was in Chapter 2 and character-wise in that chapter (where he was still driven with the loyalty with the Walister, albeit a bit unhinged, and could pull some valid points about Denam's squad), or other chapters (Lawful route Vyce is heroic. Neutral route Vyce is much more cutthroat and dangerous to the point of killing Ronwey in pure defiance.)
• Villain Has a Point:
  • At first downplayed while he's a guest in Chapter 1, making it more of a Jerkass Has a Point. Vyce is extremely defiant and rejecting against Cistina for trying to paint the Valerian Liberation Front's cause as a wholly Black-and-White Morality scenario. However, seeing that the Walister generally already had its own troubles separate from the Bakram and had to constantly deal with the Galgastani hounding them, Vyce does have a point that the Walister people need to take care of their own problems first rather than suddenly minding the Bakram front, which may lead to divided attention and destruction.
  • Played straight later in Chapter 2, in the encounter at Tynemouth Hill on Chaotic. Vyce is more open in calling out Catiua's selfishness, saying that she doesn't have the right to call moral high ground; if Denam would go along with the massacre at Balmamusa, Catiua would follow him anyway. That's exactly what would happen if Denam picked up the Lawful route. And regardless of the routes taken, Catiua will end up leaving Denam altogether and get along with the Dark Knights just because Denam pays more attention to the war as a whole than just her, once again validating the points Vyce made when he's at his most villainous.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He does this to Xapan in the Chaotic route; later in the same path, this happens to him after he is gambit to eliminate Lanselot Tartaros on behalf of Brantyn fails.