http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TrailsSeriesCrossbellGovernmentAndInfluentialGroups

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

Crossbell State is a self-governing state located in the center of West Zemuria. Originally a location with large deposits of Sepith ore due to its vicinity with Septium Veins, it was the ground for numerous conflicts over its resources until its foundation to prevent them. It's the host for numerous trade routes and businesses both thanks to this and being endorsed by the International Bank of Crossbell. Because of said bank, as well as some help from Liberl's Zeiss Central Factory, Crossbell is widely considered to be the most technologically advanced nation on the continent.

Crossbell is a special case regarding the whole political situation of West Zemuria, due to being founded roughly 70 years ago: It is a buffer state bordered by the two massive nations of Erebonia and Calvard, with both considering Crossbell to be their own. As a consequence, many people and agents from both countries attempted multiple times to take control of the country through covert operations or having senators representing them and influencing politics in some way. This is made worse due to the presence of powerful crime syndicates, from Revache & Co, the regional mafia group, to the local branch of Heiyue Trading led by Cao Lee.

Finally, the Crossbell Government as a whole is led by a Mayor, chosen for their neutrality towards both Erebonia and Calvard, and having the best interest of the country in their mind. Two Mayors were known at the time of the games: Henry MacDowell, the grandfather of SSS Member Elie MacDowell, followed by Dieter Crois, former president of the IBC.

The second arc in the Trails Series, consisting of Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, is set in Crossbell. It's also featured in Trails of Cold Steel III and IV, and plays a major role in Trails into Reverie.

Tropes applying to Crossbell itself:

City of Spies: The city's status as a buffer state between the Erebonian Empire and the Republic of Calvard has made it prime ground for each superpower's respective intelligence agencies to send their agents in to monitor the other, or the state itself, while trying to take the city for themselves. By the time of the Crossbell arc, more players are revealed to have their agents keeping an eye on the city for their own reasons, such as Ouroboros, the Septian Church, and even Liberl's R&A agency.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Word of God confirms that Hong Kong was the main inspiration for Crossbell, as can be seen from its status as a great metropolitan commercial hub that is hotly contested between two superpowers (China and the UK in real life, Erebonia and Calvard In-Universe) that is struggling to gain it's own autonomy. Its status as a melting pot for immigration, fashion, design sense, and culture also shows several influences from New York City in the early 20th century.
Hub City: The majority of the main events of Zero and Azure happen in Crossbell City itself, which acts as a main center of commerce and trade in West Zemuria.
Land of One City: The majority of the state is focused on the city-state of Crossbell City, with only a few minor outliers such as Mainz mining village and Armorica village.
Merchant City: Crossbell's strategic location, rich Septium deposits, and the presence of the IBC have made it the host of numerous businesses, making it one of the wealthiest financial hubs on the continent. Unfortunately, these same qualities have also made Erebonia and Calvard dead set on trying to take the state along with its resources and wealth for themselves.
Occupiers Out of Our Country: Or city-state. A major source of conflict in the Crossbell games and later deal with how numerous characters (from the protagonists in the SSS to several key antagonists and NPCs) have grown tired of Crossbell's status as a Puppet State to Erebonia and Calvard and hope for their home to become a proud independent state in its own right.
Puppet State: Erebonia and Calvard have fought each other over the region modern day Crossbell resides in for centuries before the series began and continue to do so in the present day, while asserting that the city is rightfully their respective property. Crossbell's charter was written by both superpowers, which is heavily biased in their favor, with diet members appointed by them working more to advance their respective nation's attempts to take control of the city (or lining their own pockets) than doing anything to help the citizens, and the state is required to give away 10 percent of its yearly revenue to both superpowers. The Crossbell saga deals with various characters' attempts to put an end to this state of affairs.
Town with a Dark Secret: On the surface, Crossbell is known as one of the main centers of commerce and technology in all of Zemuria, as well as the birthplace of Mishy. Underneath the glowing surface, however, lies a strong criminal underworld and steep corruption in the government and law enforcement thanks to the neighboring countries of Erebonia and Calvard trying to annex it for themselves. Then comes The Reveal that Crossbell was the birthplace of the D∴G Cult, with the Cult's founders (the Crois family) having built the city at the center of a giant Transmutation Circle for the sake of completing their goal of resurrecting the lost Sept-Terrion of Mirage.
Wretched Hive: Crossbell's unique political situation has given rise to a strong underworld presence focused on smuggling and a thriving black market, with several high-ranking criminal groups having connections to the city's government, as well as said political situation rendering their police force ineffective, giving it the In-Universe Nickname of 'The City of Sin'.

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Crossbell Government

Mayor Henry MacDowell

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/henry_macdowell__hajimari.jpg

Voiced by: Yasunori Masutani (Japanese), Todd Haberkorn (English)

Appearances: Zero | Azure | Reverie

Mayor of Crossbell and Elie's grandfather.

Blue Blood: Cold Steel IV confirms that he, and by extension his daughter and granddaughter are Imperial Nobility.
Cool Old Guy: He is nothing but supportive to the members of the SSS and Crossbell, who support him back.
Et Tu, Brute?: He was shocked when his secretary Ernest tried to assassinate him, having seen the young man as a trusted pupil and family friend who he entrusted with tutoring Elie when she was young. He was likewise shocked when Dieter, who he also saw as a promising successor as mayor, and another close family friend, ended up initiating an illegal takeover of Crossbell in his mad bid for independence.
Raised by Grandparents: Took care of Ellie himself after his daughter and son-in-law's divorce left them unable to look after her.
Reasonable Authority Figure: The mayor of Crossbell who is shown to care for his city's people and hopes to grant them independence, but is far more level headed on the issue than others.
Significant Birth Date: Official material reveals that he was born the same day Crossbell was founded, very fitting for the beloved mayor of the same city.
Trademark Favorite Food: He likes dishes and drinks made with Acerbic Tomatoes, which most people find too bitter.
Universally Beloved Leader: The people of Crossbell have nothing but praise for him, even when they complain about the other problems in their government and political situation very few of it is directed at him.

Ernest Reis

^SPOILERS

Voiced by: Yuugo Takahashi

Appearances: Zero | Azure

First Secretary of Mayor MacDowell.

Big Bad Wannabe: Even more so than Joachim, as Ernest is the first boss in Azure. Even though he accesses the same form Joachim had as the Final Boss of Zero, he doesn't get even a fraction of the omnipotence the latter did, and he gets taken out by Lloyd, Noel, Arios, and Dudley.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Originally seemed like the affable aide to the mayor, who Elie remembers as a kind man and family friend who tutored her when she was younger. He later tries to assassinate his boss, and is later inducted into the D∴G Cult, albeit with some More than Mind Control influencing his ambitions to dangerous levels.
Bodyguard Betrayal: Acts as Mayor MacDowell's aide and bodyguard, later tries to assassinate him during an Arc-en-Ciel performance, granted it's later revealed that he was under the influence of Joachim and Gnosis at the time.
Evil Sounds Deep: Speaks in a low and mocking tone after revealing his true colors.
Foil: To Gilbert Stein. While they both initially appear as the affable aides to their bosses who later turn out to be villains, there is nothing humorous about Ernest and he is treated as a serious antagonist by protagonists during Zero. Furthermore, unlike Gilbert, Ernest's villainy is due to More than Mind Control from Joachim and Gnosis. Finally, Gilbert refuses to give up on his ambitions while Ernest willingly goes to prison to atone for his crimes.
I Have You Now, My Pretty:During his boss fight in the prologue of Azure he comments on being interested in making Elie his after he becomes mayor, with rather perverted tone. Lloyd was understandably not happy to hear that.
Limit Break: His S-Craft, both in his human and initial demon form, is Shadow Ritual.
More than Mind Control: His villainous actions throughout Zero and the beginning of Azure are largely due to Joachim's manipulation and Gnosis, which caused enough Sanity Slippage to make him a willing but clearly unhinged supporter of the D∴G Cult. When he is encountered near the end of Azure free from Gnosis' influence, he shows remorse for his actions and vows to apologize to Ellie and Mayor MacDowell after serving his sentence.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: As a result of taking Gnosis.
So Last Season: Transforms to a similar demon form as Joachim during the prologue of Azure. Several factors, such as him not taking as much Gnosis as Joachim which made him weaker overall, Lloyd being Taught by Experience from the last fight, and having more capable companions such as Arios and Dudley on hand, resulted in him going down much quicker than Joachim did.
Super-Power Meltdown: Suffers one during the prologue of Azure as a result of undergoing a similar Gnosis fueled demonic transformation as Joachim did. Thankfully, having not taken as large a dosage of Red Gnosis as Joachim had, along with Kevin's timely arrival allowed him to survive unlike his predecessor.
Taking You with Me: He attempts to use the same hand vines that Joachim used to grab the party. Fortunately, Lloyd sees it coming this time and warns everyone to dodge.
Villain Has a Point: In the prologue of Azure, he points out that Hartman calling him "deranged" is ironic coming from someone who's frequented child brothels.
Warmup Boss: He's the first boss of Azure.
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: As expected from using Gnosis.

Speaker Hartmann

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

Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto

Appearances: Zero | Azure

A Speaker for the Crossbell government representing the Imperial Faction.

Aristocrats Are Evil: A corrupt politician with ties to The Mafia and is stated to be of Erebonian nobility.
Asshole Victim: He spends the entire prologue of Azure terrified out of his mind as Ernest's hostage, and is later blasted unconscious by demonized Ernest when he tries to flee. Given he's not only a Corrupt Bureaucrat who had protected Revache from punishment for nearly a decade but also a known pedophile who frequented Paradise, it's hard not to enjoy it.
Big Fancy House: His personal estate is absolutely huge, reminiscent of an old castle that even dwarfs the estates of Mayor MacDowell and the Republican Representative. He used it to host the Schwarze Auction, and it gets turned into a state house used for housing important dignitaries or foreign VIPs after he's ousted from his position.
Blackmail: The D∴G Cult has proof that he used to frequent the Paradise Lodge's child brothel.
Blue Blood: Is stated to be Erebonian nobility.
Conspicuous Consumption: His estate is very large and heavily decorated to show off his own personal wealth, even including an indoor pond with waterfall. The SSS members are floored by how extravagant the interior is when they sneak in to infiltrate the Schwarze Auction.
Corrupt Bureaucrat: Closely tied to Revache. This allowed the D∴G Cult to get an in with them as well.
Never My Fault: While the prologue of Azure shows that he'd much rather stay in police custody than go along with Ernest's unhinged plan, when Ernest brings up the fact that he used to frequent the Paradise child brothel, Hartmann refuses to take any responsibility for his actions and insists that he's being set up.

International Bank of Crossbell

In General

Often referred to as the "IBC" for short, it is a banking organization located in Crossbell City that manages all of the finances of the country and has great influence worldwide with its stranglehold on the stock market. In terms of assets, it is the largest organization in Zemuria, beating even Erebonia's Reinford Company.

In addition to banking, it provides funding for the Epstein Foundation's Orbal Network Project and manages theme parks and other diversions.

Dieter Crois (Spoilers for Trails to Azure)

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

Dieter as head of the IBC

^{Dieter as president of Crossbell}

^SPOILERS

Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto (Japanese), Austin Lee Matthews (English)

Appearances: Zero | Azure | Reverie

The president of the IBC, an amiable man whose determination (and money) have transformed Crossbell into the pinnacle of modernization that it is today.

A Lighter Shade of Black: Like Mariabell, Ian and Arios, Dieter also took advantage of the vile D∴G Cult who are some of the most irredeemable monsters in the series. However, Dieter was also a genuinely Affably Evil Well-Intentioned Extremist who had no role or awareness regarding the Cult's more sickening activities and acted out of genuine love for Crossbell. Arios, for his part, also personally took part in the operations against the Cult despite ultimately allying with the people whom the Cult's work was going to benefit. By contrast, Ian and Mariabell had the most involvement with the Cult's activities, with Mariabell being fully aware that they were the Crois family's brainchild, and Ian indirectly covering for Joachim by murdering Guy Bannings when he got too close to the conspiracy. However, even these two had no love for what the Cult actually did, as they made no real effort to protect the people there from getting what was coming to them.
Affably Evil: He puts on an amicable front to most characters, with him being downright chummy with the SSS for most of the Crossbell duology. It makes his true plans all the more shocking. His friendliness isn't even an act, as while the SSS rightly call him out on the hubris he's been operating under, he genuinely wanted what was best for Crossbell.
All for Nothing: His attempts to grant Crossbell independence only resulted in it being annexed by Erebonia.
Anti-Villain: All his villainous actions were done with the intention to make Crossbell a strong and independent country so that it would no longer have to bend over to Erebonia and Calvard, whose constant tug of war to take it for themselves have resulted in numerous tragedies in the city. He was also Affably Evil and genuinely respected Speaker MacDowell and the SSS despite them going against him, and was far more noble than his other conspirators such as his daughter.
Big Bad Wannabe: Ultimately, he is upstaged in Azure by Ian and Mariabell.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: His ancestors founded the D∴G Cult as part of a long-term plan to recreate Demiourgos. Everything he has done for Crossbell is measured against that goal.
The Bus Came Back: After not being seen since Azure, Reverie features his return.
Broken Pedestal: The SSS, Speaker MacDowell, and the people of Crossbell in general at first held nothing but praise for him due to his love of Crossbell, views on justice, and attempts to improve Crossbell's situation after becoming mayor. They all lose that respect for him when he shows his true colors by revealing the Azure-Zero project and illegally seizing power with the assistance of Ouroboros in his reckless bid to gain the City's independence which resulted in it getting annexed by Erebonia.
Climax Boss: He serves this role in Azure, while piloting the Aion Type-α.
Cool Car: Owns a custom-ordered bulletproof bright red limousine. He lends it to the SSS during the climax of Zero.
Democracy Is Flawed: He claims democracy is too slow to make real changes, which is true for Crossbell's legislative system due to the constant gridlock between the Imperial and Republican factions. However, he's also saying this because he knows that no one in the diet, including Henry MacDowell, would support his reckless actions in achieving independence, which is why he had them placed under house arrest.
Et Tu, Brute?: He has this reaction upon finding out he was being used by Ouroboros, Ian, and even Mariabell, his own daughter.
Evil All Along: Is introduced as an Honest Corporate Executive and Elie's Honorary Uncle, only to be revealed as one of the masterminds behind the Azure-Zero Project.
Evil Costume Switch: After he declares himself as president, he start wearing a white suit.
Evil Counterpart: He and his policies serve as this to Olivert and his Third Way movement. Similar to how Olivert created the Third Way as an alternative between the Reformist Faction and Noble Alliance, Dieter supported Crossbell's independence instead of accepting annexation by either Erebonia or Calvard. However, Olivert never resorted to violence or shady methods, while Dieter sided with Ouroboros to achieve his goals, and resorted to tactics like freezing bank assets, having the Red Constellation attack Crossbell in a False Flag Operation, and putting Crossbell's diet members under house arrest so he could enact policies with no opposition.
False Flag Operation: Dieter orchestrates the Red Constellation attack on Crossbell in order to pin it on Erebonia (who had worked with the Red Constellation shortly before) and gather public support for his bid to independence.
Fiction500: Owns and operates the largest bank in Zemuria, which in turn owns large chunks of prime real estate and created an internationally known resort and theme park. Financed the construction of the tallest building in Zemuria and a massive modernization program that made Crossbell the envy of the world. He later became the mayor of that same city. He also literally financed the creation of a "miracle" in the Azure Demiourgos.
For Great Justice: His main motivation is to follow his own sense of justice which involves trying to improve Crossbell into a strong independent nation that will not be cowed by foreign powers. Unfortunately, he proves to be absolutely ruthless in pursuit of his goals and not above using underhanded means just as bad, if not worse, than the people he opposes and is utterly ruthless to those he believe are against his vision of justice.
The Heavy: Serves as one for Azure's final chapter, as it's his unilateral declaration of independence (and the SSS and their allies consequently being rendered political prisoners, and eventually fugitives) that sets up the chapter's conflict, and the Crossbell Defense Force, Aions, and magical barriers that restrict the SSS' movements are set up under his authority. Once Ian and Mariabell upstage him as the true masterminds, they confine themselves to the Azure Tree, allowing the SSS to freely move about the rest of Crossbell State.
Heel Realization: After his arrest, the SSS can visit him in Orchis Tower. After being betrayed by his conspirators, he realizes he was too blinded by his sense of justice to recognize that he was being manipulated or that his actions were hypocritical.
Humongous Mecha: Since he has no fighting capabilities himself, he battles the party in the Aion Type-α at the top of Orchis Tower.
Honest Corporate Executive: Subverted. He initially seems like a clean president and everyone in the IBC considers him a benevolent boss. Turns out the IBC was funding the creation of the Sept-Terrion of Zero and had ties to the D∴G Cult. He still has control of the IBC even as a politician and is willing to use his corporate influence for his political agenda, since he freezes international assets in order to provoke Erebonia and Calvard.
Honorary Uncle: Is like an uncle to Elie, who refers to him as such.
Hypocrite: When he first meets the SSS, he gives a speech about how justice is necessary so that people can live without fear and form a functioning society rather than hiding in their homes to escape injustice. He starts a False Flag Operation by hiring the Red Constellation to attack Crossbell, turns Crossbell into a police state, and uses the Aions to cow other countries into submission. As a result, the citizens are terrified and isolated, and many societal functions are inhibited. He later realizes his methods were antithetical to his ideals.
- When inviting the SSS over for dinner during the Intermission chapter of Azure, he decries the Red Contellation's cold execution of the ILF, claiming that no one, no matter how evil, deserves to die. He then later on hires the exact same jaeger corps to enact a False Flag Operation throughout Crossbell that left a sizable bodycount to expedite his goals, to say nothing of the hundreds, if not thousands of Imperial and Republican soldiers had been slaughtered by the Aions which were done with his approval.
Large Ham: Very much so. His first scene has him enthusiastically greeting the SSS and going on a long speech on justice. It only goes farther after he becomes mayor.
Leitmotif: He gets two in Azure:
- "Each Justice" upon declaring Crossbell's independence.
- "A Miracle is Shown" for his boss battle.
Light Is Not Good: Blond hair, dresses in bright red, then later on white, and while initially seeming friendly, shows a much more ruthless and underhanded side to him when trying to achieve his goals.
Locked Out of the Loop: It became apparent that his fellow conspirators had left him in the dark on several key details of their plan, such as the full extent of KeA's powers, when they cut him loose.
Mirror Character: To Giliath Osborne, since both run a populist platform by appealing to their people's dissatisfaction with the status quo and are willing to work with shady groups like Ouroboros to achieve their political goals.
The Mole: While Lloyd's route in Reverie shows him siding with Supreme Leader Rufus in "uniting" Zemuria under Crossbell whilst opposing the heroes, it turns out to be an act; he and Garcia are working under Ian's orders to infiltrate the Supreme Leader's regime to undermine him. When the final chapter roles around, he's revealed to have hired the Red Constellation to oppose the Supreme Leader and help the heroes out of a jam.
Morally Bankrupt Banker: Head of the largest bank in the continent. While at first seeming affable, when his true colors show he starts leveraging his economic ties to get his way, culminating in him ordering a freeze of Imperial and Republican assets held in the IBC along with a blockade of the railways which risked dealing a great blow to their(and other nations') economies to force them to recognize Crossbell's independence.
Pragmatic Villainy: He can only arrest rather than kill the SSS, since KeA will turn on the plan if the conspirators kill her friends.
President Evil: Combined with Mayor Pain when his true colors are revealed. He places all diet members and Speaker MacDowell under house arrest in Mishelam. This gives him complete control of the government and allows him to declare himself president of Crossbell. He then freezes all IBC assets to provoke Erebonia and Calvard into attacking him, and then has the Aions attack them back in order to cow the entire continent into submission.
Rousing Speech: He gives an epic one in Azure when he declares the Crossbell will no longer huddle in the shadow of Erebonia and Calvard but will be a strong and truly independent state.
Sharp-Dressed Man: He is always shown dressed in professional suits.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: At the climax of Azure, he seizes power in an illegal takeover of Crossbell's diet and unilaterally declares himself president of Crossbell, where he then orders a freeze of foreign IBC assets and blockading the Railways in an attempt to browbeat the rest of the continent to recognize Crossbell's independence. Then he reveals the Azure Zero project and the Aions and thing go From Bad to Worse...
Universally Beloved Leader: When he first became the new mayor, he received almost nothing but praise from everyone in Crossbell due to instilling several new reforms to improve the city and his strong pro-independence stance in the face of the Empire and the Republic's interference. It all went out the window when he showed how far he was willing to go to achieve his goals by turning the city into a police-state after illegally seizing power and then using the Aions and Red Constellation to massacre Imperial and Republic soldiers in droves that resulted in the city being occupied in retaliation.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His actions in Azure lead to Erebonia annexing Crossbell. As shown by Chancellor Osborne's speech at the climax of Trails of Cold Steel, had the October War not happened, Crossbell may well have been annexed even earlier than it was.
Unwitting Pawn: He was being manipulated by both Ouroboros and his own daughter Mariabell, and ultimately abandoned to be overthrown and arrested when they no longer needed him.
Villain Has a Point: His actions were all done for the sake of making Crossbell independent and free from the yokes of Erebonia and Calvard. Having seen the many problems caused by Erebonia and Calvard's policies and interference in the city's government and attempts to take control of the city first hand, the SSS do also agree on wanting their home to become independent and see why he did so. However, they greatly disagreed with how he tried to do it.
Villain in a White Suit: Starts wearing a fancy white suit after revealing his true colors and declaring himself President.
Villain with Good Publicity: He was very popular with the citizens of Crossbell because of his pro-independence stance when dealing with Erebonia and Calvard's tug of war. In Cold Steel III, Juna sums up this trope perfectly by calling him a tyrant mayor who was popular with the people.
Walking Spoiler: Much of his tropes concern the Azure endgame.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Despite how illegal, harmful to Crossbell, and just plain wrong they were, all of his actions were ultimately for justice, justice that he believed could only be obtained by making Crossbell a strong, independent state, free from the pressure Erebonia and Calvard had been subjecting it to for years. He uses KeA's powers and the Aions to force the rest of Zemuria to not only recognize Crossbell's independence, but cease military action. He was also unaware of some of the D∴G Cult's more inhumane acts, leaving the details to Mariabell.
White Sheep: Downplayed; he doesn't care much for the whole alchemy business, seeing it more as a means to an end in order to establish a free Crossbell state. He was out of the loop on the far more drastic real plan of rewriting Zemurian history altogether, which was Ian's and Mariabell's doing. The two even rebuke him as being too idealistic to actually be in charge of things.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: The Man Behind the Man finds his goal of a free state to be admirable, but ultimately considered his plans too soft.
You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!: The party acknowledges that he passed many reforms to Crossbell's laws and had potential as a politician, but he got impatient and ambitious, causing him to resort to more corrupt tactics to achieve his political goals.

Mariabell Crois (Spoilers for Trails to Azure)

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

Bell, as an IBC executive

^{Bell's alchemist outfit}

^SPOILERS

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Dawn M. Bennett (English)

Appearances: Zero | Azure | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Dieter's daughter and an executive at the IBC. She and Elie grew up together and are close friends.

Ambiguously Absent Parent: Her mother is never seen nor mentioned.
Ambiguously Gay: She's even more flirtatious with Elie after her Face–Heel Turn, but Cold Steel IV specifically has her confessing to Elie that she loves her. The wording used is 愛してるよ、エリィ, which is an extreme declaration and unambiguously non-platonic.
- During one of the bath events in Cold Steel IV, Sharon makes a point to put Mariabell in the same group as Angelica and Shirley, in a conversation about people who are lecherous towards women.
Affectionate Nickname: Oftentimes referred to as "Bell," usually by Elie or Dieter. Likewise, the members of Ouroboros call her "Lady Bell."^note"Bell-jou" in Japanese.
Betrayal by Offspring: She throws her father under the bus without hesitation.
Big Bad: As the leader of the conspirators, she is this in Azure, and by extension, the Crossbell arc as a whole.
Big Bad Friend: She and Elie are Childhood Friends, making the reveal of the former's evil all the harder to take.
Big Damn Heroes: Dramatically saves the SSS at the end of Zero with Car Fu.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Despite initially appearing to be an ally of the Special Support Section, it's revealed in Azure that she's responsible for pretty much everything bad that happens over the course of the Crossbell arc, and that her only love is ultimately just power for its own sake.
Black Magician Girl: Ultimately revealed to be this.
Break Them by Talking: When the party manages to defeat her, she uses this on KeA to fuse her to the Tree and create the Azure Demiourgos.
The Chessmaster: Serves as both this, and as The Corruptor to KeA during the Crossbell duology, and succeeds at both with flying colors. Mariabell's the one who smuggles KeA into the Schwarze Auction to begin with, and spends the rest of Zero hanging back and allowing the D∴G Cult to plunge Crossbell into chaos that Dieter can later leverage to become mayor. She then starts to actively manipulate KeA in Azure, using her concern for the SSS, and her growing knowledge of her own true nature, to get her to willingly participate in the Azure Tree plan. The final confrontation really shows just how many ugly secrets Mariabell had to leverage in her favor, such as the fact that the SSS originally died in Zero before KeA changed the timeline to save them. Even after being overpowered, Mariabell drops one last Awful Truth about KeA's subsconscious ability to make herself Loved by All, which successfully makes her go berserk and fuse into the Azure Demiourgos. If the SSS hadn't held their own during the ensuing Final Boss battle, Mariabell would've won there and then.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: She betrays her father and Ian when she no longer needs them.
Clingy Jealous Girl: Clearly adores Elie and made it as soon as their first meeting that she did not like like Lloyd for being so close to her.
Cleavage Window: Her alchemist outfit has a hole that exposes a lot of her cleavage.
Dual Boss: She's this with Campanella in the final dungeon of Cold Steel IV.
Evil Knockoff: Played with in Reverie; she has a Hollow copy that serves as a boss in the True Reverie Corridor, most notably during Elie and Juna's Trial Door. However, Mariabell herself has been a straight-up villain since the final chapter of Azure.
Evil Puppeteer: An avid collector of Rosenberg Dolls, which she used during the boss fight against her. Fittingly, she manipulates pretty much everyone during the Crossbell arc.
Friendly Enemy: Her biggest, and perhaps only redeeming quality after The Reveal is that unlike the likes of Weissman or Joachim, her friendly disposition wasn't completely an act. Though her refusal to gravely harm or kill the SSS for most of Azure could be chalked up to needing KeA's cooperation, and she does place them all in mortal danger by the time of the final confrontation, once she loses, she departs on rather friendly terms and seems to have had a genuine soft spot for Elie in particular. She even stopped short of actually killing Ian Grimwood, indicating that she isn't as callously cruel as she likes to present herself as. Elie herself makes note of this contradiction is Cold Steel IV, where she says that it was good seeing Bell again, despite being fully aware that she's by no means a good person.
Flunky Boss: She'll summon lots of mooks in fight against her.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: She spend much of her time during her boss fight teleporting your party members around the map.
Go-Karting with Bowser: Mariabell can be a Pom! Pom! Party! opponent after completing an optional sidequest that involves her. She's unavailable to play against shortly before her big villain reveal, but you can duel her again in the endgame once the SSS loses their fugitive status. This is at a point where the SSS knows almost all of her nefarious plans and the fate of western Zemuria is at stake. Perhaps both heroes and villains need to blow some steam now and then.
Graceful Loser: Following her defeat and KeA's loss of power in Azure, she warns the party about the Tree disappearance triggering a structural collapse, reveals that she didn't truly kill Ian and he should recover with the proper treatment, and asks them to spare Dieter's life as he can still help them in rebuilding Crossbell. She then takes off without any further disturbance.
Hate at First Sight: Mariabell instantly develop an hatred for Lloyd when she meet him as a result of learning about his heart to heart rooftop-talk with Elie. While it's initially one-sided and played for laughs, it became reciprocal when Lloyd learns that Bell is the Big Bad of the Crossbell duology.
Improbable Age: She is 19 years old during Zero and Azure, and pretty much her father's Number Two in handling the largest bank in the continent, even managing several projects by herself simultaneously as well becoming the de-facto CEO after her father became mayor.
Insult Backfire: More than once, some of the members of Ouroboros have compared her to Weiss man, which she laughs off and treats as praise.
Irony: In the Traitor Shot trope below, she asks Bleublanc to help out in setting up the quest. Come Cold Steel IV, she ends up stealing Bleublanc's shtick and fights him and Vita.
Karma Houdini: Doesn't get any comeuppance for any of her actions as the Big Bad in Azure. Even separating KeA from the Sept-Terrion didn't really set her back that much and either she wins or loses, she's joining Ouroboros and won't have to deal with Erebonia invading Crossbell. Not to mention, she has the knowledge to recreate the entire thing anyway.
- Happens again at the end of the Erebonia arc. With most of her co-conspirators either dead, detained, or defected, Mariabell is one of the few agents (and the only Anguis actively involved in the Great Twilight Plan) to return to Ouroboros in one piece.
Leitmotif: Azure gives her two after outing herself as a villain: "Delusion of a Thousand Years" and "Dark Throne."
Let No Crisis Go to Waste: Given how she initially only has two Rosenberg Doll in her chamber during Zero and 3 for her boss fight in Azure, it's implied that when she and Arios put KeA in the trunk during the Schwarze Auction, she simply kept the doll for herself.
Limit Break: Her S-Craft is Crimson Zanber in Azure and Mercurius Zanber in Cold Steel IV and Reverie.
Magic Staff: She wields an alchemist staff during battle, and it's a sinister-looking one to boot!
Mean Boss: Implied; the IBC employees are terrified at the thought of incurring her wrath.
More Despicable Minion: Her father is an Anti-Villain who did everything he did because he wanted to make Crossbell a better place and was motivated by genuine love for the city. Mariabell? Not so much.
Near-Villain Victory: While all her co-conspirators in Azure are eventually defeated or outlive their usefulness, Mariabell continues to be a threat to the very end and manages to succeed in unleashing the power of the Azure Demiourgos even after the SSS overpower her in battle. If the ensuing battle hadn't turned out in SSS' favor, and Lloyd hadn't gotten through to KeA in the World of Zero, Mariabell would've ended up as the clear victor. And even then, Mariebell doesn't take her loss too hard and simply leaves for Ouroboros, leaving the SSS to clean up her mess while she lives to scheme for another day.
Neck Lift: She lifts Lloyd by the neck during their first meeting when Randy let's slip about his late night talk with Elie during the previous night. She does it again in Azure when he asks her if she's Phantom Thief B in disguise after recovering her stolen dolls.
Noblewoman's Laugh: "Ohohohohho! My, how absolutely splendid!"
Ojou: Daughter of the head of the largest bank in Zemuria and a capable officer in her own right, with the personality to match.
Pre-Final Boss: In Azure, the showdown with her is immediately followed by the battle against Azure Demiourgos, with no breaks in-between.
Power Gives You Wings: Is shown to have figured out how to give herself wings to fly through her alchemic research.
Red Baron : She gains the title of "The Wellspring Alchemist" upon becoming Ouroboros' new 3rd Anguis.
Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains / Evil Costume Switch: Compare her outfit as an ally and as a villain◊. In Cold Steel IV, she somehow manages to combine the sensible and villain parts of the trope.
Significant Anagram: During the Act II of Cold Steel IV, you are given a quest by a character named Rimabella. Yeah, it's her in disguise.
Spotting the Thread: As Rean points out in a sidequest in Cold Steel IV, Bleublanc might be good at disguising himself, but even he can't be changing his gender at will.
Teleport Spam: Her boss fight in Azure involves this. She can randomly teleport your characters to whatever positions she wants whenever it's her turn.
Traitor Shot: In a NG+ run, following the quest where you retrieve her dolls, you learn she was the one to set up the quest with Bleublanc's help.
Troll: She creates a ghost train attraction in Mishelam for the sole purpose of scaring Elie.
Walking Spoiler: Who would have thought that this lady is the Big Bad of the Crossbell arc and manages to get away unscathed?
We Will Meet Again: Before leaving for Ouroboros at the end of Azure, she says this to the party. They do in Cold Steel IV, though they still don't manage to settle things with her.
Xanatos Gambit: She had one regarding KeA's awakening at the Schwarze Auction, if everything was going as planned and she awakened in front of the crowd, she would propose to take care of her in behalf of IBC, if Heiyue tried to do something funny, Arios was ready to intervene. Ultimately, she awakened in front of the SSS, which was not expected, but still served her interests.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: She deals with Ian following his Heel–Face Turn. Eventually downplayed, when she reveals that she stopped short of actually killing him and that he'll survive with the proper medical treatment.

Revache & Co.

In General

Leitmotif: "Revache & Co." in Zero.

Marconi

Voiced by: Yasuhiko Kawazu

Appearances: Zero

The current head of Revache and Co., the group which controls Crossbell's criminal underworld.

The Don: He's the leader of the Revache mafia.
Fat Bastard: A portly dude who's not only a crime lord, but also tries to blame the SSS for Joachim's actions in order to deflect blame from himself, all while claiming to be a victim.
The Ghost: He does not make a physical appearance Azure with his sole appearance consists of him shouting through a closed cell door.
Humiliation Conga: During the events of Zero, Hartmann ends up cutting ties with Revache after it emerges that a young girl (KeA) was found in an exhibit case during the Schwarze Auction, making the Heiyue situation even more untenable than it already was. In a desperate attempt to level the playing field, he takes some Gnosis from Joachim and distributes it amongst his men with the intent of selling it throughout the city, despite drug dealing previously being a no-go due to the consequences of being caught. The mistake he has made becomes apparent when Gnosis use within Revache makes the grunts increasingly reckless and insubordinate, ultimately causing an unprovoked and unsanctioned attack on Heiyue that attracts attention from the SSS. He then ends up captured and locked up by his Brainwashed and Crazy grunts, while the SSS find the necessary evidence to finally imprison him and his supporters resulting in him being locked away in prison.
Karma Houdini Warranty: After escaping justice for 8 years thanks to his ties to Speaker Hartmann, the SSS get the necessary evidence to finally have him imprisoned at the end of Zero after the Gnosis drug outbreak.
Non-Action Guy: He can't fight to save his life, so he leaves it to Garcia.
Not Me This Time: When Lloyd finds his late brother Guy's old police badge in Revache's hideout, he immediately interrogates Marconi for answers. After a bit of intimidation, Marconi admits that while he did take Guy's badge as a trophy, he and Revache weren't the ones responsible for his death (though not from lack of trying as he admits he did make some unsuccessful attempts at his life).
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Avoided legal punishment for his crimes for almost a decade thanks to having connections with several prominent members of Crossbell's diet, Speaker Hartmann chief among them. He loses said connections during Zero, first when rather than a Rosenberg Doll as initially assumed, KeA ended up as one of the products at the Schwarze Auction, implicating him in Human Trafficking which Hartmann wanted no association with as it was too great a crime for even his own status to protect him from. Then again at the end when the SSS gain the necessary evidence to imprison his other supporters as well via Joachim.

Garcia Rossi

Garcia in Zero

^{Garcia in Azure}

^{Garcia as of Reverie}

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese), Mick Wingert (English)

Appearances: Zero | Azure | Reverie

Marconi's right-hand man, formerly a member of the jaeger corps Zephyr and known as the Killing Bear.

A Father to His Men: After shaking off Gnosis' effects he curses Joachim for forcing the drug on his men and after the prison break out in Azure, refuses to leave his men behind.
Animal Motif: Is known as the Killing Bear, fitting for his large initimidating size and combat prowess.
Badass in a Nice Suit: As to be expected of a strong mafia enforcer and former mercenary, he's usually seen in a nice suit which he is more than capable of kicking ass while wearing.
Blood Knight: When his old mercenary blood gets going.
Brooklyn Rage: Befitting his status as a mob enforcer, he speaks with a slight Brooklyn accent in Reverie.
The Bus Came Back: Reappears in Reverie, opposing Lloyd and company again. Turns out he's faking it as he, Dieter, and Ian want to know what is going on and they pretend to take the fake Rufus' side.
The Dragon: To Marconi.
Dual Boss: In Reverie, he fights alongside Cao during Chapter 2 of Lloyd's route.
Even Evil Has Standards: He disagreed with Marconi's decision to work with Joachim to sell Gnosis pills. He also apparently vetoed Marconi's decision to take credit for Guy Banning's death.
Evil Knockoff: In Reverie, he has a Hollow copy that serves as a boss in the True Reverie Corridor, most notably when it fights alongside Rutger's on the fourth floor.
Fighting from the Inside: Against Joachim's influence, which is why the fight against him when he's using Gnosis is an Anticlimax Boss.
Good Old Fisticuffs: He fights with his fists and uses wrestling moves.
Graceful Loser: Takes his loss to the SSS after his second boss fight rather well, telling them to not lose against Joachim.
Guest-Star Party Member: Very briefly in Azure, he's playable during the prison break chapter.
Honor Before Reason: Following his and Lloyd's escape, he takes on the entire Defense Force in the Police Academy to rescue his underlings and Marconi.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: By far the most competent man in Revache.
Improvised Weapon: During the prison break chapter of Azure, he wields gloves that he fashioned out of tough linen sheets.
Jerkass Has a Point: Granted he's faking his allegiances but in Reverie, Garcia bluntly tells Lloyd that he can't stop them right now, not with Lloyd's current state as it is. Turns out he's right and Lloyd and the SSS do feel the weight and expectations of being Crossbell's heroes.
Large and in Charge: He's the second highest ranking member of Revache and he's built like a bear.
Leitmotif: He gets the aptly named "Killing Bear" in Zero.
Limit Break: His S-Craft in Zero/Azure is Killing Driver. In Reverie, it's Killing Combo.
Meteor Move: Both his S-Crafts.
The Mole: In Reverie, both he and Deiter were operating under Ian Grimwood's orders by acting as the Supreme Leader's lieutenants with the goal of undermining him when the time is right. In his case, he's been secretly deprogramming the soldiers brainwashed by Ilya.
Noble Top Enforcer: Shows far more redeeming qualities and virtues than his boss, being a Graceful Loser after losing, A Father to His Men and a sense of professionalism and personal responsibility. The SSS even admits to see him in a better light than his boss.
Number Two: As stated in Reverie, he used to be Rutger Claussell's right-hand man in Zephyr, but left the group some time before Rutger adopted Fie.
One-Man Army: He fought off the entire Defense Force in the Police Academy bare-handed.
Only Sane Man: Was the only member of Revache who objected to the use of Gnosis.
Power Fist: Wears a pair of studded gloves to give his punches more power.
Pre-Final Boss: In Zero, he's been brainwashed into serving as the last boss fought before settling things with Joachim.
Private Military Contractor: He used to be a member of Zephyr, Rutger's Number Two in fact, before joining Revache eight years to Azure.
Red Baron: The Killing Bear.
Skyward Scream: Does this in frustration at the end of Chapter 3 of Zero when the SSS escape with [KeA] after crashing the Schwarze Auction.
Stealth Mentor: In Reverie, he bluntly tells Lloyd that the way he is right now, he wouldn't even stand a chance to fight against the Supreme Leader. Lloyd ends up learning this lesson when he realizes that he's elevated himself and the SSS as "heroes" when in reality, they're just a bunch of guys who just want to fight for Crossbell's freedom.
Two First Names: Inverted, as his given name Garcia is more commonly used as a Hispanic surname in real life.
Undying Loyalty: To Revache.
Wham Line: Delivers one to Randy, when he reveals to everyone that he recognizes the former Red Reaper.
Worthy Opponent: By the end of Zero he seems to have developed some modicum of respect towards the SSS for being able to fend off Revache. His discussion with Lloyd while the two are in prison in Azure makes it apparent he also saw Guy as one as well for how much of The Determinator he was, which may have played part in him convincing Marconi against taking credit for the late detective's death.

United Nation of Crossbell (Unmarked spoilers for Reverie)

In General

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

Emblem of the Ebon Defence Force

^Helmord

Appearances: Reverie

In March of S.1207, a group of terrorists, mostly consisting of former members of the Imperial Defense Force, invaded and took over Crossbell on the day of their re-independence, as well as defeating the Special Support Section. Their stated goal is to unify the entire continent of Zemuria under a single banner, with Crossbell at the center.

Brainwashed and Crazy: It's hinted that former members of the Imperial Defense Force have, at least in part, had their minds corrupted, much like what happened in Cold Steel IV.
Dark Is Evil: The mooks wear primarily black outfits, and the group as a whole are the main antagonists of Reverie.
Former Regime Personnel: A majority of the troops consist of former Imperial Defense Force and Imperial Army soldiers who took great offense at being discharged as part of the terms of the ceasefire after the Great War and seek to continue the original intended war and Operation Jormungandr.
Humongous Mecha: The primary weapon in their occupation is the new model Helmord Zauber Soldat, which is a general improvement to the Sorge and Melgea models.
The Quisling: While the Ebon Defense Force is mostly made up of former Imperial Defense Force soldiers, the one guarding the Arc En Ciel building is actually a Crossbellan.
Renegade Splinter Faction: Most of the EDF members consist of former IDF and Imperial Army soldiers who were incensed over the ceasefire declared at the end of the Great War and the ensuing reparations and demilitarization, who believe that they are continuing the will of the late Chancellor Osborne.

Supreme Leader

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

Voiced by: Daisuke Hirakawa (Japanese), D.C. Douglas (English)

Appearances: Reverie

Rufus Albarea, former Governor General of Crossbell during Erebonia's occupation, was sentenced to jail for his crimes during the World War, but has seemingly reappeared to become the city-state's new "Supreme Leader." The truth behind him is not something most people would expect.

Actually a Doombot: He turns out to be a robotic copy of the real Rufus Albarea. He is fully aware of this, and actually thinks he's more true to who Rufus should be than the original.
Ancestral Weapon: He wielded the Holy Sword of Ishnard that Rufus used at the end of Cold Steel IV when facing off the SSS during Act 1, but not in his subsequent boss fights where he instead used what his original court fencing sword. It's never clarified if it was the real one or a copy made by Elysium.
Badass Cape: His uniform as Supreme Leader includes a rather stylish red cape, and he proves to be just as deadly, if not moreso, as the actual Rufus.
Baritone of Strength: He's as strong as the real Rufus with an equally deep voice.
Blow You Away: He is fond of launching the Ixion Volt art during his boss battles.
Blunt "Yes": When he offers Rufus to take his place in the United Nation of Crossbell during Reverie's Final Chapter, this is his response to Rufus' counterpoint.
Rufus : Do you really think that I would find joy in serving as an AI's puppet ?
Supreme Leader Rufus : I do.
Climax Boss: The final confrontation with him marks the end of what most of the game had been building up to, but there's still the other Rean to worry about.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Chapter 1 of Lloyd's route ends with him defeating all 6 members of the SSS, as well as Rixia, all by himself.
The Dragon: Supreme Leader Rufus serve as the front face of the United Nation of Crossbell but is ultimately subservient to Ishmelga Rean. He's fine with this, as the achievement of uniting Zemuria will finally have him (in his mind) surpass Osborne and validating his existence.
Dual Boss: His final battle has him team up with the possessed Ilya.
Evil Can Not Comprehend Good: He's absolutely shocked when the real Rufus refuses his offer to take his place as the Supreme Leader and unify Zemuria as a way to finally surpass Osborne. Justified as he represents Rufus at his worst before his Character Development in Reverie allowed him to overcome his worst traits.
Foil: Aside from being a Shadow Archetype to the real Rufus, he's also one to Dieter Crois, as his plan to unify all of Zemuria under Crossbell and cow its neighbors into submission through scheming and military posturing is extremely similar to what Dieter himself attempted in Azure. And, like Dieter, he's merely a frontman to someone else's plans, although unlike Dieter, Supreme Leader Rufus has no will of his own and is completely subservient to Ishmelga Rean. This is driven home by the fact that Dieter himself seems to join up with him, only to be revealed as The Mole since he could sense that there was something bigger brewing behind the scenes, having learned his lesson from being outplayed in Azure.
Gutted Like a Fish: He meets his end when the real Rufus slashes him across the abdomen at the end of their Single-Stroke Battle. Being a simulacrum means there's no blood or organs spilling thankfully.
The Heavy: He starts the main conflict of Reverie by launching a takeover of Crossbell with the Ebon Defense Force just as they were about to regain independence but is later on revealed to be a servant acting in the interests of his master Ishmelga Rean.
Hopeless Boss Fight: The fight against him at the end of Act 1 on Lloyd's route is unwinnable, with the party only being able to bring down his HP to a certain extent before he one-shots them with his S-Craft.
Light Is Not Good: He wears mostly white, and represents Rufus' worst qualities.
Limit Break: His S-Craft is Agrios Calibur, the same move used by the real Rufus in Cold Steel III and Cold Steel IV.
Moveset Clone: Downplayed; while he may be a copy of Rufus, only a few of his crafts (Holy Sword of Ishnard, Soul Slicer, Chevalier's Call) resemble the real ones, and even then, they have different effects from the playable one's.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Simulacrum Rufus gives lofty speeches about how unifying Zemuria into a single nation will bring world peace, which the EDF grunts eat up, and he sounds convincing enough that many EDF soldiers still buy into his rhetoric even after the Simulacrum and Ilya are defeated. The real Rufus, who understands his past self's motives perfectly, explains to two grunts that the Simulacrum cares more about surpassing Osborne than serving the greater good of Zemuria. Learning of the Simulacrum's selfish motives causes those grunts to finally overcome their delusions and abandon the Simulacrum's cause.
One-Man Army: He completely trounces the entire SSS (plus Rixia) during the end of Chapter 1 of Lloyd's route.
Recurring Boss: He's fought three times throughout Reverie. He is first fought as a Hopeless Boss Fight at the end of Act 1 of Lloyd's route. Then, during the finale, he faces Rufus' team and, upon being beaten, engages in one last fight as a Dual Boss along with a Brainwashed and Crazy Ilya.
Single-Stroke Battle: Does this twice throughout the game; once with Lloyd where he wins with a single slash after Lloyd powers up and rushes at him. The second time happens with his real self where the real Rufus slashes him in his waist, revealing his robotic parts.
Unblockable Attack: His S-Craft, Agrios Calibur, has the same Status-Buff Dispel effect as it did when used by the real Rufus in Cold Steel III and Cold Steel IV'', which also undoes Craft Guard or Reflect before doing damage.
We Can Rule Together: More like You Can Rule In My Stead but he makes an offer to the original Rufus to take his place.
You Are Too Late: Tells the party this after he's defeated before the Retributive Tower shows itself.

Dusken Dancer

A masked woman working for Supreme Leader Rufus, whose dance creates a black aura very similar in function to the Curse of Erebonia.

For more info on her true identity, see Ilya Platière.

The Emperor

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

^{Emperor Dogma}

Voiced by: Junichi Yanagita (Japanese), Mick Wingert (English)

Appearances: Reverie

A member of the Garden, serving as the Warden of the "Sword Garden." He is a cruel man who loves nothing more than to use the people under him as tools to kill for his own amusement. He considers Swin and Nadia to be the finest of his "creations."

In Reverie, he shows up to assist with the formation of the United Nation of Crossbell, but his true agenda lies elsewhere.

Ambiguous Start of Darkness: The end of the "3&9" series states there are rumors that the Emperor was once a king who wanted to become a Redeeming Replacement for his tyrannical father, but the citizens still overthrew him, resulting in him becoming a cruel Control Freak. However, these are just rumors and the "3&9" series was written by the Garden, so this might not be his actual backstory.
Arch-Enemy: He was the most personal foe Swin and Nadia had, as well as the last person they ever intended to kill.
Big Bad: He is the main antagonist of "3&9," a book series obtainable in Cold Steel IV.
Break Them by Talking: After his initial efforts to cow Nadia and Swin fail, and he's revealed to be a simulacrum and not the real Emperor, he starts losing his composure and resorts to shaming the two for their pasts as assassins and telling them they don't deserve any True Companions after everything they've done. The parallels to what Weissman did to Joshua are readily apparent, but unlike Weissman, the Emperor's words fall on deaf ears because Swin and Nadia's companions happen to be another former child assassin, a man who himself hired jaegers to go after Osborne just to get his attention (to say nothing of his role in the Great Twilight), and a doll who's still trying to figure out the nature of humanity and is as far from self-righteous as it gets. Renne is quick to make note of all this and laugh in his face.
Body Horror: He is twisted by his artifact into an monster dead set on finding Swin and Nadia.
Can't Catch Up: Swin and Nadia managed to kill the real one on their own. When they confront the simulacrum, Nadia reveals she has completed her analysis of his fighting style and as such, he is no match for their party. Fittingly, Nadia obtains a one-time only overpowered Brave Order to reflect this.
Dark Is Evil: His outfit is mostly black, and there is nothing remotely pleasant about him.
Dead All Along: It turns out that Swin and Nadia did kill him when they left the organization; the one who appears in the game is a simulacrum.
Dishing Out Dirt: He can control gravity and some of his crafts has him launch a volley of boulders at the party. He also favors earth arts like Gravion Hammer and is weak to wind arts.
Evil Knockoff: Played with in Reverie; he has a Hollow copy that serves as a boss in the True Reverie Corridor, most notably when it fights alongside Swin and Nadia's on the sixth floor. However, the Emperor has been a villain since his first mention.
Gravity Master: His artifact, the Monarch's Regalia, allows him either increase or decrease gravity within a certain vicinity.
The Heavy: While he was never the overall leader of the Garden, he's implied to be its most active member, with Kuro I revealing him the person responsible for scouting Olympia and Arioch.
Limit Break: His S-Craft is Geo Ragnarok.
Mechanical Abomination: He's a Simulacrum of the original Emperor and therefore a robot, but that doesn't stop the Regalia from transforming him into a monster.
One-Winged Angel: In C/ Rufus's Chapter 4 of Reverie, he has combined with his Regalia to become a monster known as "Emperor Dogma."
Posthumous Character: He was killed by Swin and Nadia sometime before the events of Cold Steel IV, the one appearing in Reverie is a simulacrum.
Pragmatic Villainy: In Reverie, he wants to force both Swin and Nadia to work for him again and is okay with breaking the Garden's rule of making defectors kill each other in order to earn mercy, since he figures that both are useful enough to keep alive. This indicates that he's not actually the real Emperor, who would have stuck to that rule.
Robotic Reveal: When he is confronted by Swin and Nadia in Reverie Chapter 3, Nadia correctly deduces he is a fake, something he didn't even know.
Tarot Motifs: Rather than being an actual emperor, his title refers to the major arcana tarot card of the same name.
Tomato in the Mirror: Averted. While he is briefly stunned when he learns he is not the real Emperor, he brushes it off by rationalizing that since his feelings are genuine and the real deal is dead, he is now the true Emperor.

Elysium

A technological singularity born from the interaction between the orbal net and the spirit veins. Elysium came into being as a result of the stimulation of the spirit veins during the Azure Tree and the Great Twilight, inadvertantly creating an AI linked to the orbal net.

Achilles' Heel: Elysium itself serves as the main source of power for Ishmelga Rean and Zoa Gilstein, as being cut off from it causes Zoa Gilstein to writhe as though it's experiencing a seizure, crippling it at a decisive point of the Final Battle.
Always Someone Better: Despite all its feats, Kuro II states that it is beat in term of raw power by the Genesis, as it is shown being able to do in 2 seconds a task that Lapis states would have taken a dozen to Elysium.
The Chooser of the One: Ishmelga Rean views himself as the Elysium's chosen one and thought that it chose him to prevent the tragedy that will happen in 3 years. Lapis disagrees, stating Ishmelga Rean is simply a possible future who wormed his way into Elysium and corrupted it.
Deus est Machina: Elysium is so far-ahead in technology that it has become able to predict the future and reproduce artifacts and Sept-Terrion, bringing it to a level similar to the ancient Zemurian civilization and Aidios herself.
Too Powerful to Live: An AI able to predict the future and who was able to recreate the Great One wasn't going to last.
The World Is Not Ready: In the end, Lapis conclude that mankind isn't ready for the changes Elysium would bring and deletes it.

Characters / Trails Series Crossbell Government And Influential Groups

Tropes applying to Crossbell itself:

Crossbell Government

International Bank of Crossbell

Revache & Co.

United Nation of Crossbell (Unmarked spoilers for Reverie)

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Characters / Trails Series Crossbell Government And Influential Groups

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Tropes applying to Crossbell itself:

Crossbell Government

International Bank of Crossbell

Revache & Co.

United Nation of Crossbell (Unmarked spoilers for Reverie)

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