Crests of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th Armored Divisions

This page lists members of the various military factions within Erebonia, from the main Imperial Army, to the Provincial Armies lead by the Noble Alliance.

open/close all folders

Imperial Army

In General

Costume Evolution: The uniforms worn by the soldiers subtly changed once Cold Steel came around.

Armored Divisions

Lieutenant Colonel Mueller Vander

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mueller_vander__3rd.jpg

Mueller during the Sky games

^{Mueller's disguise in Azure}

^{Mueller as of the Cold Steel games}

Voiced by: Hiroshi Isobe (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

Rank: Major, Lieutenant Colonel (Cold Steel III)

A soldier in the Imperial Army of Erebonia and Olivier's childhood friend.

Ambiguously Absent Parent: His birth mother was never mentioned.
Back-to-Back Badasses: Has a moment of this with Major Neithardt in the Finale of Cold Steel II, against several Magic Knights. They even decide to have a contest to see who can take down the most.
Badass Cape: He wears a cape on his uniform, and is a deadly swordsman.
Baritone of Strength: He has a deep voice, befitting his combat prowess and serious demeanour.
Beleaguered Assistant: Courtesy of Olivier. Mueller is usually the one holding the bag for the former's nonsense.
BFS: He wields a greatsword, his family's signature weapon. It's still pretty realistic in size compared to Agate's sword, though.
Big Brother Mentor: In Cold Steel III, it's revealed that he has a younger brother named Kurt, who he encouraged to go to the Thors Branch Campus instead of dropping out altogether.
Big Damn Heroes: In Cold Steel IV, he and Zechs save Rean, Kurt, and their friends at Orchis Tower, defeating a Leviathan with their signature techniques.
Birds of a Feather: He strikes a friendship with Julia Schwarz and is showed relating with her thanks to their similar tasks.
Blade Spam: Blade Dancer, which combines this with spinning around the enemy at high speed.
Bodyguarding a Badass: As a member of the Vander family, he was tasked with guarding Olivert since his childhood. However, the games show that Olivier is perfectly able to defend himself.
Calling Parents by Their Name: Refers to Aurier by her first name when discussing her with his younger brother, which is understandable, as she's Mueller's step-mother.
Childhood Friends: He and Olivier first met when they were kids, and the bond they formed has continued long into adulthood.
The Comically Serious:
Olivier: Ha ha... Fret not over [Mueller's] dark demeanor. Without it, his presence wouldn't light up the room the way it does.
Mueller: Okay, you really need to shut up now.
Colonel Badass: Gets promoted to Lieutenant Colonel as of Cold Steel IV.
Cool Big Bro: To Kurt, who according to the latter is the one who took him seriously and taught him well.
Deadpan Snarker: Considering who his friend is, this comes as unsurprising.
Mueller: But I'm guessing you'd rather hug than talk.
Demoted to Extra: Mueller had it hard in the Cold Steel saga, barely showing up in the games despite it being set in his hometown, and by Cold Steel IV, he's not even a Support Party Member unlike Olivert, Schera, Towa, Elise, and Alfin who at least can use their Brave Orders during the final battle.
Duel Boss:
- At the start of SC Chapter 4, Joshua and Josette (Guest NPC) will have to fight him, but Josette will fall so quickly and deal so little damage that Joshua may as well be fighting alone.
- In The 3rd Star Door 1, Julia has to fight him one-on-one. Unlike before, Mueller can use Righteous Witness and the available items and Arts are more limited.
11th-Hour Ranger: In SC, he can be recruited during the final dungeon. He becomes a permanent member of the party much earlier in The 3rd.
Fantastic Fighting Style: His family's Vander style is one of the two most prominent fighting schools taught in Erebonia.
Handshake Substitute: He performs a fist bump with Neithardt when the two team up to fight against some Magic Knights during the Climax of Cold Steel II.
Hero Antagonist: At the beginning of SC Chapter 4, he works with Liberl's soldiers to try to apprehend the Capua Sky Bandits. Unfortunately, Joshua is both in an Enemy Mine with the bandits and playable during that segment.
Kubrick Stare: One of his expressions.
Lightning Bruiser: In The 3rd, he has the highest SPD and the second highest DEF, STR, and HP.
Limit Break: In SC and The 3rd, his S-Craft is Rightous Witness.
Majorly Awesome: He's a major and a Vander, a family with an awesome swordsmanship style in Erebonia along with the Arseid school. Of course he is awesome.
Military Brat: The Vander family has a legacy of service to Erebonia. His father is a general and the Imperial Army's head combat instructor, his uncle Zechs is a liutenant general who commands one of the armored divisions, and Mueller himself encouraged his younger brother Kurt to go enroll at Thors Military Academy's Branch Campus instead of withdrawing his application.
Not So Above It All: Not present much in any of the Sky games, but in Cold Steel II, he's surprisingly lighthearted, jokey and buddy-buddy with Major Neithardt.
Odd Friendship: Despite their personality differences, he and Olivier go way back, and they trust each other a great deal. Mueller just can't help but being rightfully annoyed by Olivier's antics.
One-Handed Zweihänder: He wields his BFS with one hand throughout most of his attacks and Crafts.
Officer and a Gentleman: He's fairly polite and professional to people who aren't Olivier.
Paper-Thin Disguise: During Azure, he present himself to the SSS as the music producer of Olivier in order to track him down in Crossbell.
Perpetual Frowner: Take a look at his picture - that's his default expression. Being Olivier's Beleaguered Assistant has really taken it's toll on him.
Olivier: My dear Mueller, fortune favors those who favor the people around them with a smile!
Mueller: *scowls* I AM SMILING!
Practically Different Generations: He's approximately 15 years older than his half-brother Kurt.
Put on a Bus: Aside from a flashback voiced event in Cold Steel III telling Olivert to take care of himself before the Courageous explodes, he is nowhere to be seen throughout the story.
Rank Up: He is a major when first introduced, and ends up promoted to lieutenant colonel by Cold Steel III
Red Baron: "The Young Lion of the Vanders."
Retcon: Azure portrayed Mueller with the same uniform◊ he had in Sky◊. However, the uniform changed as of Cold Steel I, despite it taking place simultaneously with Azure.
Ship Tease: He and Julia have been teased as a potential couple after they start bonding over their similar circumstances. At one point in Cold Steel IV, he wonders if she will take part in Operation Mille Mirage and when his brother Kurt make an off-handed comment about their relationship, he is kindly yet firmly prevented from saying any more.
- They are also seen together at the Imperial Wedding.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Fairly mild compared to most examples, as he only tends to speak roughly when addressing Olivier (which is somewhat justified).
Mueller: I'm here because I've had to follow your stupid ass all over goddamned creation.
or
Mueller: (after having to look for Olivier all over the place while the latter was participating in the tournament) You son of a bitch...
Stab the Sky: His S-Craft Righteous Witness involves him raising his sword above him.
Sword Plant: Part of his Victory Pose involves him stabbing his sword into the ground.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Very much so and definitely more stoic. His little half-brother Kurt takes after him.
Tractor Beam: Ragna Bind draws the targets towards him while inflicting Seal.
Unrealistic Black Hole: His S-Craft, Righteous Witness, ends with a black hole sucking in his enemies after he slashes them apart.
Vitriolic Best Buds: It's clear he has a strong bond with Olivier, no matter how much it looks like Mueller wants to strangle him.
Wham Episode: Cold Steel III reveals that he's no longer protecting Olivert and the royal family, as the Vander family is dismissed from being the royal family bodyguards.

General Zechs Vander

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zechs_vander_sketch___concept_art_28sen29.jpg

Zechs as of the Cold Steel games

^{Zechs during Sky SC}

Voiced by: Keiji Hirai (Japanese, drama CD), Bin Shimada (Japanese, Cold Steel II onwards), Zach Aguilar (English, Cold Steel IV)

Appearances: SC | Cold Steel | Cold Steel II | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Rank: Lieutenant General, General (Cold Steel III)

The lieutenant general in charge of the 3rd Armored Division and known as "One-Eyed Zechs". He is the younger brother of Matteus Vander and the uncle of Mueller and Kurt.

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: One of his students was Aurelia Le Guin, who was willing to join in on the Civil War for a chance to become the strongest warrior in the land, which also means defeating her masters.
Zechs: *sigh* I raised a real tigress, didn't I?
Badass Army: Leads the Third Armored Division, though it shows more in Cold Steel II than in Sky SC where they arrive in steam tanks but don't do anything. Though their presence does make General Morgan worry.
Badass Cape: He is one of the strongest warriors in the Empire and wears a cape on his uniform like his nephew.
BFS: As a practitioner of the Vander style, he uses a greatsword, though we don't get to see it until Cold Steel IV.
Big Damn Heroes: In Cold Steel IV, he and Mueller save Rean, Kurt, and their friends at Orchis Tower, defeating a Leviathan with their signature techniques.
Calling Your Attacks: When he and Mueller destroy the Leviathan during Chapter 3 of Cold Steel IV, he calls out "Quintessence Blade" alongside Mueller's "Righteous Witness."
Early-Bird Cameo: Technically made his first appearance in SC, alongside Olivert revealing himself to be a prince of Erebonia.
Eyepatch of Power: It's where he got his nickname.
Fantastic Fighting Style: As his name would suggest, he uses Vander style swordsmanship.
Handicapped Badass: His lack of an eye does not stop him from being an effective swordsman and general.
Master Swordsman: A practitioner of the Vander style, and considered one of the 5 strongest warriors in Erebonia.
The Mentor: He taught Olivert about martial arts and warfare, and even now, Olivert refers to him as "Sensei" in the Japanese script. He was also one of Aurelia's teachers in the way of the sword.
Out of Focus: Among the 5 warriors named Erebonia's strongest, he is the only one who has yet to be featured in gameplay, despite being introduced long before the others.
Rank Up: Following the Civil War, Zechs was promoted from the rank of Lieutenant General to General by Cold Steel III.
Red Baron: He's called "One-Eyed Zechs" due to his eyepatch.
Tank Goodness: As the leader of an Armored Division, he has a bunch of tanks under his command.
The Worf Effect: In the tournament Episode of Reverie, he and Cassius lose to Arios and Victor, showing how well the latter two work as a team.

General Olaf Craig

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

Voiced by: Hiroshi Isobe (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English, Cold Steel IV)

Appearances: Cold Steel | Cold Steel II | Cold Steel III | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Rank: Lieutenant General, General (Cold Steel III)

The lieutenant general in charge of the 4th Armored Division and known as "Craig The Red". He is the father of Elliot and Fiona, both of whom he adores very much.

Badass Armfold: Leads his division while doing this pose. Outside the tank.
Badass Army: Leads the Fourth Armored Division, one of the best army divisions in Erebonia and it shows.
Cuddle Bug: And Elliot is his victim, much to the latter's frustation. He no longer does this to Elliot in Cold Steel IV though Olaf would really want to but Elliot tells him to stop it as Elliot doesn't want Olaf to suddenly hug him after they had just fought a battle with each other.
Dad the Veteran: The patriarch of the Craig family and a lieutenant general (later full general) in the army.
Dual Boss: With Neithardt in Cold Steel IV, and with Wallace in Reverie tournament Episode.
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 an Achtzehn tank during Elliot and Vita's Trial Door.
Fiery Redhead: In contrast to his son, Olaf is a very temperamental and hot-blooded man with red hair.
The Glomp: As soon as he sees his son, he tends to rush towards him and give him one big hug.
Humongous Mecha: In Cold Steel III, he pilots a Goliath Noa.
Jock Dad, Nerd Son: Dad wants to make his son into a soldier, while said son wants to be a musician. Olaf changes his mind later on.
Large and in Charge: He's already a big man leading an armored division, but Cold Steel III decides to reinforce this by having him use a Goliath, which is at least twice the size of all the other types of Panzer Soldat, to help combat the cryptids and Magic Knights running rampant.
Large Ham: Anytime he announces his attacks, he will be very hammy. That also includes hugging his son as well.
Manly Facial Hair: He has a noticeable red beard to emphasize his status as a grizzled veteran soldier.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Due to his loyalty to the military, he has no choice but to fight against his own son when Rean's party are trying to rescue Alfin and Tita, who are under the 4th Armored Division's custody.
"Not So Different" Remark: Rean notes that he and Craig aren't so different from one another when it comes to being overprotective of their family members in Cold Steel III.
Papa Wolf: In fact, he insists that his kids need at least a hundred soldiers just to escort them.
Playing with Fire: His Goliath Noa is equipped with flamethrowers in its arms.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: He leads the Fourth Armored Division, and kicks ass standing outside the tank, in a Goliath, and on foot with a lance.
Rank Up: Following the Civil War, Olaf was promoted from the rank of Lieutenant General to General by Cold Steel III.
Red Baron: "Craig The Red".
Secret-Keeper: Figured out that Rean is his former general's son. When the two have a private moment, Craig spills the beans on what he knows of Osborne and Rean's past.
Scars Are Forever: Even during his younger days, he's already had that scar on his eye.
Tank Goodness: Leads his armored division, alongside Neithardt.

Lieutenant Colonel Neithardt

See his section here.

General Matteus Vander

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

Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (Japanese), Edward Bosco (English)

Appearances: Reverie

Rank: General

The older brother of Zechs and father of Mueller and Kurt, he is the head of the Vander School of Swordsmanship, as well as the lead combat instructor for the Imperial Army. He was also the bodyguard to Emperor Eugent before being removed from his duties after the Civil War.

Action Dad: He is Kurt and Mueller's father as well as the one who taught them swordsmanship. Fittingly enough, he proves to be a very capable warrior who is much stronger than either of them.
Awesomeness Is a Force: During his duel with them, Rean and Kurt attempt to launch a two-pronged attack on him. Matteus' solution was to flare his Battle Aura to force them away to give him room and counterattack with Thunderous Smite, sending his second son flying over the cliff.
Badass Cape: He wears a prominent cape in battle like his brother and eldest son, though his is bright red in color, possibly to denote his rank as the family's head and their strongest member.
Badass Longcoat: He wears a white longcoat, and is an extremely powerful Master Swordsman.
Badass Teacher: He is the Imperial Army's chief combat instructor and one of the strongest warriors in all of Erebonia.
Baritone of Strength: His Japanese and English voice actors both give him a suitably deep voice befitting his status and combat prowess as one of the best swordsmen in the Empire.
Bathtub Bonding: During the end of Act 1 of Rean's route, he dispenses some advice to Rean about his doubts while also thanking him for watching over Kurt while the two were using Ymir's hot springs.
BFS: Like most Vander style practitioners, he wields a greatsword.
Blue Blood: The Vanders are a well respected noble house in Erebonia, and he is The Patriarch of the family, holding the rank of Viscount.
Covered in Scars: Numerous scars can be seen across his body when he comes to use the hot spring at the end of Act 1 of Rean's route.
Death from Above: His Thunderous Smite Craft has him leap into the air and charge his greatsword with lightning, before slamming down with a powerful downward swing.
Dual Boss: Inverted: his first battle involves the player using Rean and Kurt to fight against him.
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 his wife Aurier's on the third floor.
Face of a Thug: According to Kurt, Matteus was once shocked that the local children were scared of his imposing appearance.
Force and Finesse: The force to his wife Aurier's finesse as he fights with a a large BFS in contrast to her graceful use of an Eastern halberd.
Four-Star Badass: He is a Master Swordsman who holds the rank of a General in the Imperial Army and is the Army's Chief Combat instructor.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his stoic and aloof demeanour and challenging the Class to a fight in his first appearance, he is still a caring man deep down as shown by how proud he was of his second son's progress and dispensing some much needed advice to Rean at seeing him troubled. He was also apparently shocked and hurt when he learned the local children found him scary.
Law of Chromatic Superiority: His BFS and cape are both a deep crimson color to denote his status as the Vander family's patriarch and strongest member.
Master Swordsman: Not only is he the head of the Vander School, but he's considered one of the 5 strongest warriors in Erebonia.
The Mentor: Briefly does this towards Rean in Reverie and his advice to Rean ends up helping him out numerous times throughout his entire route, far more than the other characters who advised him.
Not So Stoic: A few cracks appear in his usually stone-faced demeanour, starting with him shown smiling at Kurt when his younger son proves his resolve and growth during their fight.
Old Soldier: He is heavily implied to be quite old (with his eldest son being in his 30s) yet he is still a very capable and deadly warrior.
One-Handed Zweihänder: Like many other characters in the series, including his oldest son and younger brother, he has no problem wielding his greatsword with one hand.
One-Man Army: Took out a bunch of Magic Knights with the help of Baron Schwarzer though it's implied he killed most of them by himself which he then writes off as a bit of light exercise.
The Patriarch: He is the head of the Vander family and it's school of swordsmanship.
Perpetual Frowner: Like his eldest son Mueller, his face is usually set in a stern frown. Kurt admits that the local children found him intimidating because of it.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: He holds the rank of a general, acts as the Imperial Army's Chief combat instructor and is The Patriarch of House Vander, as well as a Master Swordsman considered one of the most powerful warriors in the entire Empire.
Red Baron: He is known as the Thunder God.
Shock and Awe: Befitting his his title of ''Thunder God'', some of his attacks incorporate lightning into them, chiefly his Thunderous Smite craft where he charges his sword with a bolt of lightning.
Sink or Swim Mentor: His introduction consists of him attacking Class VII with Claire's backup, even going as far as throwing his son off a cliff, which he admits would likely leave him hospitalized for a few months had he not climbed back up on his own all to see if they're capable enough to assist in discovering the truth of Olivert and Schera's disappearance.
So Proud of You: Though he doesn't show it in front of his son, he privately tells Rean that he's proud of what his son has become.
The Stoic: He's described as "not speaking any more than he needs too," as well as having rather stone-faced expressions. This trait was clearly passed on to both of his sons.
Superdickery: At the start of Rean's chapter 1 in Reverie, he faces against Rean and Kurt and ends with Kurt getting flung over the cliff of the Eisengard Mountain Range. The game then pulls off a How We Got Here to explain that he's testing Class VII to see if they're capable of solving Olivert and Schera's mysterious disappearance.
Sword Beam: His Swift Storm craft has him launch several energy slashes at his enemies by swinging his greatsword.
Sword Plant: He briefly plants his BFS to the ground during his duel with Rean after tossing Kurt off the side of a cliff.
Tough Love: While he definitely does care for his son, he's shown to be rather harsh with him. He admits to Rean that he was aware of his younger son's issues but chose not to comfort him so he could figure out his path on his own, and during his fight against Class VII to test their strength, he had no problems tossing Kurt off the side of a cliff. He believed his son was strong enough not to die, though he admitted he'd likely end up hospitalized for a few months had he not climbed back up.
Unseen No More: He was mentioned in Cold Steel III and IV, but does not make a proper appearance until Reverie.
Warm-Up Boss: He is the first boss fought on Rean's route in Reverie.
Worthy Opponent: During his duel with Rean, he praises the latter's skill and potential, though noting he still has room to improve.

Colonel Dalton

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

Appearances: Reverie

Rank: Colonel

The Colonel in charge of the 23rd Armored Division, which was formed due to the large number of new recruits that joined during the Great War.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Acts nice to Class VII when they show up in Nord, but is later revealed to be holding the Courageous II and her crew hostage.
Laughing Mad: Upon learning that he and his men were meant to be sacrificial pawns in the EDF's plans, he can only let out a mad laugh while lamenting the hopelessness of the situation.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He was always meant to be a disposable pawn to the Ebon Defense Force, since they rigged the autonomous tanks, Soldats, and airships to attack the 23rd Armored Division.
We Can Rule Together: When he's confronted by Olivert and Class VII, he offers Olivert to assist him, claiming the Debaucherous Prince has proven himself a worthy leader that the Empire needs. Unsurprisingly, Olivert refuses to assist the man who held him and his newly wed wife hostage and is asking him to assist them in their goal which was anathema to his beliefs.

Railway Military Police

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/train_military_police_28sen29_2.png

An elite division of Erebonia's Imperial Army under the supervision of Chancellor Osborne, their job is to patrol the country using the railways.

Dub Name Change: As seen with the logo, their name is translated in the Japanese as the "Train Militaly Police."
Leitmotif: "Iron Command" from Cold Steel I.

Major Claire Rieveldt

See Ironbloods.

Major Michael Irving

See Branch Campus Staff.

Captain Engels

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

Voiced by: Toshiki Iwasawa (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English, Cold Steel IV)

Appearances: Cold Steel | Cold Steel II | Cold Steel III | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Rank: First Lieutenant, Captain (Cold Steel III)

A high-ranking member of the RMP, introduced as a 1st Lieutenant and later promoted to Captain by the time of Cold Steel III.

The Gunslinger: Like most members of the RMP, he wields an orbal gun in battle.
Number Two: He frequently acts as Claire's right-hand man.
Only One Name: His full name is never so much as hinted at.
Rank Up: Following the Civil War, Engels was promoted from the rank of First Lieutenant to Captain by Cold Steel III.
The Stoic: Much like his superior officer Claire was during the first half of the Cold Steel series, he tends to not show a whole lot of emotion on his face.

Intelligence Division

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/intelligence_agency_28sen29_0.png

An intelligence branch of Erebonia's Imperial Army founded by Chancellor Osborne.

Dub Name Change: The logo translates their name into English as the "Intelligence Agency."

Major Lechter Arundel

See Ironbloods.

Major Hubert

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

Hubert during Reverie

^{Hubert in Kuro II}

Appearances: Reverie | Daybreak | Kuro II

Rank: Major

A Major who acts as the head of Erebonia's Foreign Counterintelligence Division, he's been Lechter's colleague since the two first signed up.

Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Daybreak makes it a bit difficult to pinpoint exact which side he's really working for, the Imperial Intelligence Division or the CID. A side-quest in Kuro II has him outright refer to himself as a "quadruple agent."^note
Driven by Envy: When he attempts to ambush Lechter to try and hand him over to the CID, it's clear that his decision was partly inspired by some jealousy over Lechter being far more competent and well-connected than he was, despite the two being around the same age.

Provincial Army/Unified Regions Army

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nobility___crest_28sen_iii29.png

Unified Regions Army's logo

The Provincial Armies were four military divisions stationed in Erebonia's four regions, serving directly under the imperial nobility. After the fall of the Noble Alliance, the organization was succeeded by the Unified Regions Army, headed by former Noble Alliance commander Wallace Bardias.

Leitmotif: The Noble Alliances forces have "Gambling Strike" as their theme in Cold Steel II.

General Aurelia Le Guin

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

Principal Aurelia

^{General Aurelia}

Voiced by: Yuko Sumitomo (Japanese), Valerie Arem (English, games)

Appearances: Cold Steel II | Northern War | Cold Steel III | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Rank: General

The commander of the provincial garrison of the Cayenne family and a deadly warrior known as the "Golden Rakshasa." In Cold Steel III, after the annexation of North Ambria state, she retires from the military and takes up the position of principal at Thors Branch Campus.

Ace Custom: Her Spiegel and later Spigel S have a unique blade and larger shield than the standard models, are painted gold, and have some extra decorative elements. It's also noted in a conversation between Rean and Valimar that Aurelia's Spiegel S has a custom orbal engine different from most normal models. Players get to fight against the latter in Cold Steel III, and it is one of the toughest boss fights of the game.
Ace Pilot: Took on both Randy and Rean at the same time in Cold Steel III with nothing but her Ace Custom against Randy in his Hector and Rean using Valimar. She's so good that it is without a doubt the hardest fight of the game that the game outright allows players to proceed if they lose the boss fight. In ''Reverie, she singlehandedly wrecks several scores of unmanned tanks and soldats without breaking a sweat.
Air-Vent Passageway: Is impressed by the fact that the vents can be used to traverse through the Naval Fortress but then starts complaining that it's too tight for her chest. Then starts wondering why they didn't just blow the wall away.
Amazonian Beauty: As seen when she wears a swimsuit in Cold Steel III, she's quite ripped. She's one of the few females in the series to have actual visible abs, sporting a prominent six-pack. Her in-game model stands at roughly the same height as Laura, making her one of the tallest women of the playable cast.
Ancestral Weapon: Her sword Arcadia was forged during the War of the Lions and has been passed down her family for generations.
Ascended Extra: She had a relatively minor role in Cold Steel II before rising in prominence in Cold Steel III.
A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: "Evil" is too strong of a word, but she was trained in swordsmanship by One-eyed Zechs and Viscount Arseid himself, but is now fighting against both of them in the Civil War just to prove her skills as a warrior.
Badass Boast: She declares to Zech that her goal is to become more famous than Lianne Sandlot, who is historically viewed as the strongest warrior in Erebonian history. Doubles as a Blasphemous Boast since Lianne is regarded as a saint.
- She ends up fulfilling that boast to a degree when she actually beats Arianrhod, Lianne Sandlot in current times, in battle. Though Arianrhod herself was holding back, it's made clear by her that Aurelia is actually stronger than she was when Arianrhod was still human.
Badass Cape: Wore one as part of the Provincial Army and sports a new one as part of her principals attire.
Badass Teacher: Becoming principal and art teacher at Leeves did not diminish her skills at all.
BFS: Like both of her teachers, she favors a large greatsword in battle, as seen in Cold Steel III. When she performs a Sword Plant with it in her victory quote, the pommel is shown to reach her shoulders. Her Spiegel carries a scaled-up version of her personal weapon.
Blood Knight: Her main goal in life is to challenge and overcome other great warriors.
Blue Blood: She's a Countess, putting her in a higher social rank than both of her teachers (as both Arseids and Vanders hold the rank of Viscount).
Brutal Honesty: She outright tells the new students of the Branch Campus on their first day of school that they, and their instructors, were sent there due to being considered misfits and undesirables by the government, even outright describing the school as a trash bin.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: A powerful warrior and general, she shows off personality quirks such as spending her own money to remodel the dorm baths and paying for the students to have clubs, to wondering why she just didn't smash a wall instead of them going through an Air-Vent Passageway. Rean even remarks that with the General he never knows what she is going to say or do that will surprise him.
Buxom Beauty Standard: Her chest is big, completely dwarfing those of every other girl at the Branch Campus, to the awe of Tita and the envy of Altina.
Clark Kent Outfit: She's ripped, but her outfit does a good job of hiding it.
Classy Cravat: Her Provincial Army uniform and outfits both have her wearing a purple and red cravats respectively, fitting as she is a countess who ends up doubling as an art teacher at the Branch Campus.
Color-Coded Characters: She is heavily associated with the color gold, despite the color not being present in her design. Her first name is latin for "the golden," and she is known as "The Golden Rakshasa," with a golden Ace Custom Spiegel and Battle Aura and her Brave Order is called Golden Aura.
Connected All Along: As revealed in Cold Steel IV, she and Elie are distant relatives, with Juna and Rean both noting the two's similarly gray hair.
Contralto of Strength: Has a suitably low voice to match her combat prowess and noble status.
Crutch Character: Discussed and defied by her. She declines going along with the Branch Campus on their first few Field Missions as she believes they need to get by on their own strengths without relying on her. Considering how Purposely Overpowered she was in Cold Steel III, she probably wasn't wrong.
Cultured Badass: As befitting of a noblewoman, she has a healthy respect for the arts and music, teaching them at the Branch campus and discusses Eastern poetry with Rean at one point.
D-Cup Distress: While taking an Air-Vent Passageway while sneaking through Juno Naval Fortress, she remarks that her large chest makes it hard to move within the vent, remarking that simply smashing the walls would have been easier.
Dare to Be Badass: Her speech towards the students of Thors II is that they better improve themselves to the point they can match the main branch or they can leave the academy.
- In Reverie, this is the speech she gives to Ash in his side episode in order for him to show his "atonement" for his thinking of getting pardoned by the empire and the emperor far too easily.
Death from Above: Her Prismatic Tetra Blade crafts has her jumping into the air and then land while stabbing the ground, with a shockwave that engulfs enemies. It's also how she ends her S-Craft.
Defeating the Undefeatable: Delivers one to Arianrhod. Played with in that Arianrhod herself was still holding back during said fight but admits that Aurelia is indeed stronger than she was when she was still a regular human.
The Dreaded: Becomes this for her students at the Branch Campus who are intimidated by her. When she decided to personally test them in combat, you could practically see them panicking.
Dual Boss: Both her and Victor link up to fight off against Rean, Sara, Fie, and Laura for a friendly match. It ends with the latter four on the floor while the former two are barely fazed. Inverted in her match against Rean and Randy where they are the dual.
- She would later team up with Aurier to fight the party in Reverie tournament Episode.
Duel Boss: Rean fights her twice in Cold Steel III on his own. Once at chapter 2 where she and Rean have a practice session, and the other where Rean has to use his Super Mode to even make her kneel down.
Even Evil Has Standards: Although it's less evil and more "they're on the other side" but she is clearly not happy at the sight of the Infernal Castle, questioning Duke Cayenne's sanity in the process.
Evil Knockoff: In Reverie, she has a Hollow copy that serves as a boss in the True Reverie Corridor, most notably during Musse and Nadia's Trial Door.
Field of Blades: Her S-Craft, Rakshasa Onslaught, ends with numerous blades erupting from the ground to impale her enemies.
Four-Star Badass: Previously the General of the Lamarre Provinvial Army who effectively took control of the Noble Alliance and all the Provincial Armies following Duke Cayenne's arrest. Also lead the war and annexation of North Ambria which by all accounts was a Curb-Stomp Battle thanks to her.
Friendly Rival: With Bardias, ever since they attended Thors together.
The Gadfly: Is shown to be this at times. Usually in regards to Rean and his love life.
The Gift: She mastered both Arseid and Vander styles when most characters in the series dedicate their efforts to simply mastering one style. In Cold Steel III, Victor reveals that she had mastered the Arseid style the same year she learned it, a feat that no other character in the setting is stated to have accomplished, further highlighting her talent.
Glory Seeker: She fights in the Civil War out of a desire to test her skills against other great warriors, such as her masters and to obtain renown to surpass Lianne Sandlot.
Goggles Do Something Unusual: Her vision is unusually keen, to the degree that she can see everything in excruciating detail. She sometimes finds herself getting annoyed by specks of dust floating in the air and thus commissioned special glasses to suppress her vision.
Gold-Colored Superiority: She is known as the Golden Rakshasa, with a gold colored Battle Aura, and Ace Custom and is also the strongest warrior affiliated with the Unified Regions Army and Branch Campus.
Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She is a countess and a graceful if bombastic Lady of War, and her Provincial Army uniforms and principal outfit both heavily feature purple.
Guest-Star Party Member: Is this in Cold Steel III at Juno Naval Fortress, and again during Cold Steel IV's final chapter.
Heel–Face Turn: Though she never actually faced off against Class VII herself, she was once an active member of the Noble Alliance and fought on the front lines as a general during the civil war. By Cold Steel III, however, she's now one of the strongest allies Class VII could ask for.
Hot Teacher: She becomes the principal of the Branch Campus in Cold Steel III and is a very attractive woman who is the bustiest woman on campus who gets a few bathing scenes in a towel to highlight her generous curves. Her swimsuit during swimming lessons is also a two-piece, which shows off her well-toned abs.
It's All About Me: Her stated motivation for supporting Duke Cayenne is that a massive war is the perfect environment for a tallented warrior to rise to prominence and that she wants to become more famous than Lianne Sandlot, the woman who helped end Erebonia's last civil war. The fact that this means she's effectively fighting on the wrong ideological side is of no importance. All that matters is that she can show off and become famous.
Knightly Sword and Shield: While she only over uses her BFS on foot, her Spiegel-S carries a shield in addition to a scaled up version of her sword.
Lady of War: Very graceful in her movements, and kicks lots of ass.
Leitmotif: As the Branch Campus's principle, Cold Steel III gives her "Education of Rakshasa" as her theme.
Lonely at the Top: After defeating her master, she finally understands from Victor's words that being at the pinnacle of swordsmanship left her wanting against other challengers who could be equal to her.
Master Swordsman: She's considered one of the top 5 warriors in Erebonia, and it's not hard to see why; in a world where mastery of one particular martial art can be difficult for the most gifted fighters, Aurelia mastered both the Arseid and the Vander schools of swordsmanship. In fact, Cold Steel III reveals that she actually mastered the Arseid style within the same year she learned it, and likely did the same with the Vander style afterwards. Both the Arseid and Vander Schools are held up as some of the most famous schools of swordsmanship in the Empire. All known practitioners of the individual styles are incredibly badass and she mastered both. Even Arianrhod commends her prowess, saying that Aurelia is better than she was in the past. Victor even admits that even in his prime he's likely to lose to her in a full on duel. Because of this and her other feats, she could very well be the greatest swordswoman in Erebonia.
Meaningful Name:
- "Aurelia" is Latin for "Golden" which denotes her title as Golden Rakshasa and she pilots a custom gold colored Soldat, emits a golden Battle Aura when excited and the color gold is noted as one of her likes. Fittingly enough, her primary element is space, which is gold in color and her Brave Order is called Golden Aura.
- Her last name Le Guin can also translate to "The Prig" which among other definitions can denote someone of great prideful attitude, zeal, or conduct which fit with her role, personality, and former status as an antagonist serving the Noble Alliance.
Military Brat: Cold Steel III reveals that her father was also stated to have been part of the Provincial Army. Specifically, he had been a veteran of the Hundred Days War before being injured in battle.
Ms. Fanservice: She is quite well-endowed, being the bustiest woman at the Branch Campus, with her S-Craft giving a slight close-up of her chest. She has several scenes clad in a towel while bathing, and unlike other females, she showed few compunctions in joining in on mixed bathing in Eryn. Her bathing suit during swimming lessons is also a two-piece, which gives a decent view of her well-toned abs.
Nerf:
- Zigzagged. She was nerfed in Cold Steel IV after her absurdly powerful moment in Cold Steel III by removing her 100% accuracy so she can actually miss enemies, reduced her critical chances, and her dodge rates. Most of her crafts also have lower damage ratings than before. Not to mention, she's only available for one dungeon and one boss fight two if the players go to the Golden Ending route. However, her S-Craft damage rating went from 4S to 5S.
- Her Military Might's buffs to her stats were lowered from Large in Cold Steel III to Medium in Cold Steel IV and Reverie. The latter game does add the Brandish status to it as well, however.
- Her Brave Order, Golden Aura, received a slight nerf in Reverie as it only restores 50 CP, in contrast to how it could restore 80 in the previous games.
Never Gets Drunk: In a three-way tie for highest alcoholic capacity among the women in the Erebonia Arc with Sharon and Edel (they ran out of liquor before the issue could be decided).
Oblivious to Love: She seems to be unaware of Wallace's feelings for her.
Odd Friendship: She and Mary Altheim are near-total opposites in terms of personality. Despite this, the two manage to strike enough of a friendship that in Reverie Mary confides to her about her relationship troubles with Makarov, with Aurelia responding by setting up an Operation: Jealousy to make Makarov finally man up and propose to her.
One-Handed Zweihänder: Like her teachers Victor and Zech, she is fully capable of wielding her BFS singlehandedly, though she uses both hands in her Crafts. She also does it in her Soldat by necessity, as the other hand is holding a shield.
One Woman Army: In Act 3 of Rean's route in Reverie, she makes her first appearance standing amongst the wreckage of several automated armored cars and Soldats which were all but explicitly stated to be her doing. At the end of the chapter, she then wrecks an entire squads worth of even more automated tanks and Soldats that were trying to sink the Courageous II in her Ace Custom Spiegel.
Platonic Life-Partners: Subverted; her most prominent bond is her comradery with her right-hand man Wallace, but Reverie creates some ambiguity as to whether or not she's actually attracted to him.
Power Limiter: A humorous one: Her eyesight is so superhumanly good she had special glasses made that make her eyesight actively worse so that she would not be annoyed by all the dust particles around.
Promoted to Playable: After being featured in cutscenes during Cold Steel II, she becomes a Guest-Star Party Member in Cold Steel III.
Purple Is Powerful: Her eyes are purple, as are her and her Provincial Army uniform and principal's attire, and she's one of the strongest characters in the Cold Steel saga.
Purposely Overpowered: In Cold Steel III, she has a base dodge of 40% with a 100% hit rate, her specialty is SS in slash and crush, a self buff that increases strength, artes, and speed (buff crafts are rare in Cold Steel III thanks to the new Brave Order mechanic and some of them have a Heroic RRoD condition attached to them), her Brave Order is to regain 80 CP and increase critical effects by 50%, her field attack instantly stuns enemies, and her S-Craft is at 4S. She's also only available for one dungeon.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: She holds the rank of general and was the commander of the Lamarre Provincial Army and later the Unified Regions Army before becoming principal of the Branch Campus. She's also a Master Swordsman who mastered two of Erebonia's most esteemed styles of swordsmanship when most characters in the series can only learn one, and is one of the strongest warriors in the entire Cold Steel saga which she proves by being able to beat Arianrhod in a fight (granted she had help and Arianrhod was holding back, but the point stands that she made the World's Best Warrior kneel and admit she was stronger than she herself had been as a human).
Reassigned to Antarctica: Initially why she is made the Principal of the Thors Military Branch Campus as she was an "undesirable" in the current reformist controlled regime. While she had managed to gain amnesty for her role in the Civil War by participating in the Northern War, she was still 'punished' by being sent to a position where she would be out of the way and irrelevant. She ends up taking to the role of guiding the youth of the Branch campus so it ended up becoming more of a unishment.
Red Baron: "The Golden Rakshasa."
Serious Business: With everything. As she says, 'The World is a Battlefield' and considering what a Blood Knight she is, she takes everything she does with a gusto.
Shipper on Deck: Played for Laughs as she does this with the women in Rean's life twice. Once while in the bath during Elise's visit to the Branch Campus, and again when talking with Musse on the train to Heimdallr.
- She purposely pushes Mary and Wallace together during Mary's episode in Reverie. It was later revealed to be a plan to strengthen Mary and Makarov's resolve for each other, but... she later admits to being legitimately interested in Wallace's potential romance with Mary.
Ship Tease: As said above, she legitimately tries to pair Wallace together with Mary, but also describes the former as one of the most loyal, dedicated, passionate, and loving men she's ever met.
Single-Stroke Battle: Engages in a friendly one against her master Victor in Cold Steel III. She wins by cutting the Radiant Blademaster's scarf.
Sink or Swim Mentor: To the Branch campus. She refuses to fight alongside them on their first field study, despite how the school already knows that Ouroboros and elite Jaegers are in the area. She states that if they can't survive this mission, they won't have much of a future anyways.
Spectacular Spinning: She spins her sword a few times whether it's her deflecting tank rockets or winding up her sword to unleash her S-Craft.
Spin to Deflect Stuff: She deflects several tank rounds with her Spiegel's sword (despite it having a perfectly good shield) near the end of Cold Steel II, presumably as a way of showing off.
Status Buff:
- Her Military Might Craft gives a buff to her STR, ATS, and SPD (large in Cold Steel III Medium in ''Cold Steel IV'' and ''Reverie''). It also grants her the Brandish buff (which increases the damage of her attacks and Crafts by an additional 20%) for a few turns in Reverie.
- Her Golden Aura Brave Order also increases the party's critical hit rate for a few turns.
Status Infliction Attack: Whereas most characters' Crafts usually inflict one or two ailments, her Prismatic Tetra Blade Craft stands out for having an equal chance to inflict four ailments at once (Petrify, Burn, Freeze, and Sleep). Her S-Craft can also lower all of the enemy's stats after doing damage.
Super-Reflexes: How insanely good are her reflexes? In Reverie, she shows it off by being the first of the five (Victor, Vandyck, Wallace, and Matteus) to hit the Wave-Motion Gun fired from Reverse Babel headed straight towards the Arseille II. Said laser can travel from Lake Elm all the way towards Juno Naval Fortress (which is located towards the westernmost point of the Empire) in seconds! For comparisons sake, KeA estimates that the distance between the Lake Elm Wetlands and Eryn Village is approximately 4,800 selge. Juno is way farther than that.
Surpassed the Teacher: Invoked, as she says to One-Eyed Zech, her goal is to surpass both her swordsmanship teachers Zechs and Victor to improve her status and reputation as a warrior. Come Cold Steel III, and she's actually surpassed Victor.
Sword Beam: Her Dynast Sunder Craft has her swing her BFS to launch a golden wave of energy with a huge line radius that nearly covers the field and has a chance to lower the enemy's STR and ATS stats. Her S-Craft also has her send out 3 before dashing ahead of them to deliver a few slashes at the enemy.
Sword Plant: Both her victory pose and her weakened pose have her stabbing the ground.
To Be a Master: Her life's goal, and she's well on her way to it. She's mastered at least two schools of swordsmanship, and has earned a nod of respect from the Steel Maiden. After that, she asks Rean if he can introduce her to Yun Ka-Fei or one of the Divine Blades so she can test herself against a master of the Eight Leaves One Blade style.
The Unfought: Surprisingly, given how much the game plays up her strength, Class VII never crosses blades with her in Cold Steel II, not even in a cutscene. Subverted in Cold Steel III where she's fought several times.
Warrior Poet: Teaches art and music classes at Thors, as well as having a gift for poetry...although she's still struggling to get the hang of Haiku.
Young and in Charge: A conversation in ''Cold Steel III' states that during the Hundred Days War, her father was injured in battle. Despite being around 18 at the time, she then proceeded to graduate early from Thors and go to the front, where she then took control of his troops.

Major General Wallace Bardias

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

Voiced by: Takayuki Kondō (Japanese), Billy Kametz (English, Cold Steel games), Alan Lee (English, Northern War)

Appearances: Cold Steel II | Northern War | Cold Steel III | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

Rank: Brigadier General, Major General (Reverie)

The commander of the provincial garrison of the Hyarms family, he is descended from the Nord Highlanders.

Ace Custom: His Hector, and his later Hector Form-2, replaces the Shoulder Cannons with a shield, a spear, and extra thrusters, making his machine a Lightning Bruiser. They're also painted black to go along with his nickname.
Badass Longcoat: How he wears his uniform.
Blood Knight: Appears excited at the chance to fight a worthy opponent such as the 4th Armored Division and expresses disappointment that neither Craig the Red or Neithardt had a soldats to fight him one-on-one with.
Blue Blood: He's a Baron.
Blow You Away: His Crafts feature wind, fitting considering his Highlander heritage and Red Baron title.
But Not Too Foreign: Descended from one of the Highlanders who fought alongside Dreichels the Lionheart during the War of the Lions and was given a Noble title after deciding to remain in Erebonia afterwards.
Dual Boss: He teams up with Olaf during the tournament Episode in Reverie.
Duel Boss: Engages in a friendly duel with Rean after he fights off New Class VII in Cold Steel III.
Even Evil Has Standards: When the Infernal Castle appears, he's clearly not enthused and orders a ceasefire. And just like Aurelia, it's clearly "less evil" and more "they're on the other side".
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 Gaius' during Fie and Toval's Trial Door.
Four-Star Badass: Brigadier General of the Sutherland Provincial Army before becoming de-facto second in command of the Noble Alliance's military after Duke Cayenne's arrest. Becomes General of the Unified Region's Army after the timeskip.
Friendly Rival: With Aurelia, ever since their days in Thors.
Heel–Face Turn: Like his superior, Aurelia, he's on the heroes' side by the time of Cold Steel III.
Heroic Lineage: Descended from one of the Nord Highlanders who fought alongside Dreichels during the War of the Lions.
Immigrant Patriotism: His ancestors are, but he's born Erebonian.
Large and in Charge: He's tall thanks to his Nord bloodline, taller than any of his soldiers.
Number Two: He serves as this towards Aurelia.
Platonic Life-Partners: Subverted; he and Aurelia are close and they duel against each other a lot, but while they're not currently in a romantic relationship, Reverie is pretty clear that his feelings towards her are romantic in nature.
Operation: Jealousy: During Mary's Daydream in Reverie, he claims to be interested in undergoing an Arranged Marriage with her, but it was revealed to be part of a plan cooked up by him and Aurelia to get Makarov to finally step up and propose to her.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: He is a general and one of Erebonia's 5 strongest warriors, who managed to briefly hold off McBurn.
Rank Up: Gets promoted from Brigadier General to Major General between Cold Steel IV and Reverie.
Red Baron: "The Black Whirlwind."
Ship Tease: Spends the entirety of Mary's episode trying to win her over romantically, only to submit at the end where it's made clear that Mary is fully in love with Makarov. This was a ploy on his part, however, and when Mary asks if he's "taken a step forward" himself, Wallace ends up agreeing with her (with Aurelia looking at the both of them in confusion). He later challenges Aurelia to a duel on horseback, something neither of them have done since their time at Thors.
Spin to Deflect Stuff: He manages to deflect McBurn's flames with his spear. The other Ouroboros characters were naturally gobsmacked at this.
The Unfought: Like Aurelia, he is never fought and his only battles come in cutscenes and offscreen fights against the Imperial Army. Averted in Cold Steel III where he's fought as a quest against Class VII before a duel with Rean as well.

Imperial Defence Force

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/imperial_guard___crest_28sen_iii29.png

^Melgea

^SPOILERS

Appearances: Cold Steel III | Cold Steel IV | Reverie

A division of the Imperial Military created after the Civil War, they serve as a replacement for the Imperial Guardsmen in protecting Valflame Palace and the Imperial Family. They are also seen working under Governor General Rufus in Crossbell.

Brainwashed and Crazy: Pretty much every member you see in Cold Steel IV has been influenced by the curse of Erebonia.
Heel–Face Turn: In the final chapter of Reverie, Garcia convinces some of the Ebon Defense Force soldiers that the Supreme Leader's goals are hogwash, breaking Ilya's hold over them. Those soldiers then don their original IDF uniforms and help fight against the EDF.
Humongous Mecha:
- In Cold Steel IV, they are primarily seen piloting the newly developed Zauber Soldats, specifically the Sorge and the Melgea.
- The boss for Reverie prologue is the Asmodyne, a never-before-seen Zauber Soldat resembling the Leviathan (and in fact, was developed at the same time as it).
I've Come Too Far: The reason they're defying orders by continuing to occupy Crossbell in Reverie: deep down, they know what they're doing is wrong, but after everything they've done in preparation for war with Calvard, they feel like it's too late to stop until they've seen it through. It isn't until their trump card, Asmodyne, is defeated by the original four members of the Special Support Section, that they lose the will to fight.
Praetorian Guard: Their official mission is to defend the capital and Imperial Family in lieu of the Vander family's dismissal. Also act as this for Governor General Rufus.
State Sec: Function as this in Cold Steel IV. They have access to the new and improved Zauber Soldats, which no other part of the military has. They mostly act to enforce the Chancellor's will, allowing them to circumvent other military personnel. A good chunk of their appearances in the game consist of them trying to root out people who go against the regime and upcoming war with Calvard coming into conflict with Mille Mirage.

Characters / Trails Series Erebonia Military

Imperial Army

Armored Divisions

Railway Military Police

Intelligence Division

Provincial Army/Unified Regions Army

Imperial Defence Force

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Trails Series Erebonia Military

Edit Locked

Imperial Army

Armored Divisions

Railway Military Police

Intelligence Division

Provincial Army/Unified Regions Army

Imperial Defence Force

Previous

Index

Next