History Characters / AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar

[[folder:Wizard/Sorcerer Squadron]]

!!Osean Air Force, 8th Air Division, 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron 1st Flight "Wizard" and 2nd Flight "Sorcerer"

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/BeauBillingslea [EN], Kazuhiro Oguro [JP] (Sorcerer 1)

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sorcerer_squadron_over_area_b7r.png]]
[[caption-width-right:310:"Everything he touched fell apart. I thought I was watching magic."]]

->"The battle to realign the borders has moved to the meeting boardroom. Those lines will give birth to new conflict. Rising above countries and armies, our 'World With No Boundaries' will become one. For the ideal. For the people. It's time for a perfect world without restrictions or wars. V2 will erase the old one."
-> --'''Anthony "Bedivere" Palmer, Sorcerer 1'''
-> ''The Witness''

Wizard and Sorcerer were the two most experienced squadrons of the Osean Air Force, each with their own style: Wizard favored ambush tactics using regular planes as bait while stealth fighters attacked the target, Sorcerer attacked in two to pin down enemies while the rest of the squadron fire multiple missiles at it. They fought on all the fronts of the Belkan war, including the Round Table. They ended up more and more disillusioned with the conflict and joined A World With No Boundaries.

Their respective leaders, Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer, called "Lucan" and "Bedivere", were considered the best pilots of the whole Osean airforce. After the war, Bristow kept fighting for various terrorist groups until his arrest and imprisonment; Palmer managed to escape justice and now works as an insurance salesman in Osea.

Sorcerer is faced in the Mercenary path, Wizard in the Knight path.

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Palmer, though he is only a commander under both Kupchenko and Bristow.

* CombatPragmatist:
** Wizard Team's [=F-16XLs=] will deploy flares to try to spoof your missiles, compensating for the lower air-to-air performance of their planes as compared to the other planes faced.
** While Sorcerer's method of attacking in twos can be interpreted as MookChivalry, it also comes across as a calculating tactic to tie down their enemies, even at the cost of some of the squadron, to give the next pair of planes a clean shot with their opening XMAA salvo.

* GetOutOfJailFreeCard: In an interesting turn of events, Anthony Palmer gets this, but not Marcus Bristow, who ends up in prison. Palmer somehow avoids jail time and becomes an insurance salesman.

* KarmaHoudini: Anthony Palmer averts any legal or vigilante justice for his involvement in AWWNB and becomes an insurance agent.
* LongRangeFighter: Each pair of planes in Sorcerer squadron announces their entrance with a volley of [=XMAAs=].
* MacrossMissileMassacre: In addition to the opening salvo, planes in Sorcerer Squadron will often a full volley of 4 [=XMAAs=] or a pair of [=XMAAs=] and a pair of standard missiles.

* MookChivalry: Unlike the other ace squadrons, Sorcerer attacks in pairs, allowing Galm Team to never be outnumbered if they can take down each pair of planes fast enough.

* ScaryBlackMan: Anthony Palmer. Inverted, [[spoiler:in that it's Palmer who ends up scared]].
* TemptingFate: [[spoiler: ''"Don't even think about heading back."'']] Indeed, Palmer.
* WeaponOfChoice: When you fight alongside them in Mission 10, they use the F/A-18C. When you fight them as opponents however, Sorcerer uses the F-15 S/MTD Eagle, while Wizard has half his team use F-16XL's while the other half, include the flight leader Bristow, uses the YF-23A "Black Widow II" Stealth Fighter.

* WhatIsThisFeeling: Palmer almost says this word for word when fighting Cipher, as the young mercenary engenders a strange reaction from him. He soon realizes exactly what it is he is feeling: [[spoiler: ''fear'']].

[[folder:Gault Squadron]]

!!Belkan Air Force, 18th Air Division, 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gault"
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TakayukiSugo [JP]

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5th_tactical_fighter_squadron_gault.png]]

->"The table is surrounded by politicians who have never placed a foot on the battlefield. It's a disgusting squabble over who gets the largest piece of the pie, and that's why it needs to end. It is for that duty we raised the King. That's why we're fighting."
-> --'''Anton "Dr." Kupchenko, Gault 1'''
-> ''The Guardian''

Gault Squadron is an 8-man team made of pilots who also excelled in engineering and science. Their leader and ''de facto'' head of A World With No Boundaries, Anton Kupchenko, is both a 20-something-years veteran pilot and a certified engineer, having a hand in the development of all the Belkan superweapons, hence his nickname "Dr.". He was killed in battle by Cipher above the Round Table and buried in his native soil. Faced in the Soldier path.

Wizard and Sorcerer were the two most experienced squadrons of the Osean Air Force, each with their own style: Wizard favored ambush tactics using regular planes as bait while stealth fighters attacked the target, Sorcerer attacked in two to pin down enemies while the rest of the squadron fire multiple missiles at it. They fought on all the fronts of the Belkan war, including the Round Table. They ended up more and more disillusioned with the conflict and joined A World With No Boundaries. Their respective leaders, Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer, called "Lucan" and "Bedivere", were considered the best pilots of the whole Osean airforce before the arrival of [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar a certain Wardog Squadron]] and later [[VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown some convict called Trigger]]. After the war, Bristow kept fighting for various terrorist groups until his arrest and imprisonment; Palmer managed to escape justice and now works as an insurance salesman in Osea. Sorcerer is faced in the Mercenary path, Wizard in the Knight path.

->"Did you know there are three kinds of aces? [[BloodKnight Those who seek strength]], [[GlorySeeker those who live for pride]], and [[CombatPragmatist those who can read the tide of battle]]. Those are the three. And him... he was a true ace."\\

[[[[caption-width-right:310: "It signals peace...but to me, they are the sounds of death."]]

!!Cipher/Demon Lord of the Round Table, Galm 1

[[caption-width-right:310:Cipher's iconic F-15c Eagle]]

** There's also a few references to [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies Mobius One]]. In particular is the default paint scheme for the F-15C he's associated with, which, save for missing the ring of blue around the nose, is identical to the paint scheme of the F-15C from ''04''.

[[caption-width-right:310:''A Brother in Arms'']]

** This applies to all personalities of Cipher. Mercenary Cipher doesn't need a reason to fight, other than the pay or a chance to kill, while Pixy starts this way [[spoiler: but finds a cause to fight for]]. Knight Cipher took pride in what he did, while Pixy ends up [[spoiler: hating the pointlessness of war]]. Both Soldier Cipher and Pixy are willing to use any means to achieve victory.

[[caption-width-right:310:PJ's F-16c]]

* {{Retirony}}: After helping avert the launch of V2 at Avalon Dam and moments before Pixy sends him to the great junkyard in the sky, PJ says he has a girlfriend back at the base he plans to propose to, ecstatically mentioning that he even bought her flowers.

* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: At the hands of Pixy, right before the final mission.

* WeaponOfChoice: F-16C Fighting Falcon.

The "Conjointed Cormorants" of Gelb squadron were reputed for their extreme efficiency despite being a two-man team and spotless teamwork. The only survivor is Rainer Altman, "The Cormorant". With his squadron leader killed and Rainer himself shot down during the liberation of Ustio, Altman settled down in Directus after being saved by the local citizens, where he became a writer.

* AffablyEvil: If you could even call them evil. Schnee One has no regrets about being shot down, and he jovially recounts his story to Brett as he lives his new life as a plane pilot.

[[caption-width-right:310:Wizard Squadron]]

[[caption-width-right:310:Sorcerer Squadron]]

* DangerousDeserter: Inverted: they are Dangerous Deserter ''Killers''. That said, it's subverted after the war, in that ''they'' [[{{Hypocrite desert and flee the country}}]], becoming war criminals.

* DangerousDeserter: Inverted: they are Dangerous Deserter ''Killers''. That said, it's subverted after the war, in that ''they'' [[{{Hypocrite desert and flee the country}}}}, becoming war criminals.

* DangerousDeserter: Inverted: they are Dangerous Deserter ''Killers''. That said, it's subverted after the war, in that ''they'' [[{{Hypocrite desert and flee the country}}, becoming war criminals.

* PrideBeforeAFall: Rot Squadron in general and Detlef Fleischer in particular are extremely proud of their skills and their homeland. When they face Cipher, all but the flight lead are killed or end up missing in action and Fleischer's pride is shattered from the experience, enough that even a decade on he can't come to grips with the loss.

* TheAlliance

* MultinationalTeam: An Alliance of multiple nations, united for the sole purpose of destroying Belka in retribution for their attempts to conquer their neighbors.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: All the nations are collectively traumatized by what they did and the horrors of the Belkan nukes. This causes them to become pacifistic in the coming years, and sets up the events of Ace Combat 5.

* MissionControl

* PrideBeforeAFall: Rot Squadron in general and Detlef Fleischer in particular are extremely proud of their skills and their homeland, and when they face Cipher, all but the flight lead are killed or missing in action and Fleischer's pride is shattered.

* {{Hobos}}: Judging about his scraggly clothing and how he compares flying as living in the streets in his interview, it's implied he is now homeless or at least poor.
* MeaningfulName: "Grun" is German for "Green", and green is commonly associated with soldiers' uniforms and Grun is fought in the Soldier route. Also, in a meta sense, Grun is the most likely opponent for first-time or "green" players.
* WarmupBoss: Even with their use of flares, Grun Team and their F/A-18C Hornets aren't particularly threatening and unless the player goes out of their way to pursue the Knight or Mercenary paths, Grun will likely be the first ace team they face and are generally easier than either other team.

A proud and elegant squadron with the reputation of racking kills en masse and able to win even greatly outnumbered. Led by the "Blue Heron" Dimitri Heinreich, the descendant of a Belkan knight who could push any aircraft he piloted to its limits. He was wounded during his battle with Cipher and fell into a coma until the end of the war, where he took the helm of his family's company. Faced in the Knight path.

* HonorBeforeReason: Subverted, as Indigo One notes that being a modern knight means not being overly generous to one's enemies, as that could lead to death.

The "Conjointed Cormorants" of Gelb squadron were reputed for their extreme efficiency despite being a two-man team and spotless teamwork. The only survivor is Rainer Altman, "The Cormorant". With his squadron leader killed and him shot down during the liberation of Ustio, Altman settled down in Directus after being saved by the local citizens, where he became a writer.

* SecretAIMoves: Gelb Squadron is capable of firing missiles backwards, which is a real capability of the most recent fighter jets and heatseaking missiles, but cannot be done by the PlayerCharacter in their own Su-37 (nor are {{Mooks}} in the same plane able to do so).

A black-ops mercenary squadron whose main job, among other classified ops, was to pursue and kill defecting Belkan pilots to stop any ideas of desertion. While deemed important by the top brass, they were scorned by the Belkan rank and file who saw them as honorless killers. Their leader, Dominic Zubov, is a mercenary veteran of several wars, but was christened "Vulture" in the process. He fled after the war and is now hunted down as a war criminal. Faced in the Mercenary Path.

* CovertGroup: Subverted. Schwarze is well known to friend and foe as "those mercenaries working for Belka", but killing traitors and cowards was only their [[CovertGroupWithMundaneFront public mission]]. They had "other" duties as well that they carried out in secret of unknown parameters, but it's implied they were something like this.
* DangerousDeserter: Inverted: they are Dangerous Deserter ''Killers''. That said, it's subverted after the war, in that ''they'' desert and flee the country, becoming war criminals.
* FakingTheDead: Unfortunately, because of the falsification, then destruction, of records regarding the squadron, with exception of Zubov, it has thus far been impossible to confirm if any of them are dead or alive. Thus its possible that any number of the KIA members are actually faking their deaths. Considering that they are possibly war criminals, [[spoiler: and considering Lorenz Riedel's example]] this presents a definite risk to everyone else.

* CombatPragmatist: Fitting the Soldier Path. Most Aces come in by introducing themselves. These guys start the battle by firing missiles at you from beyond visual range, and then using an EA-6B Prowler to jam your radar.

* WeakButSkilled: Espada One flies a freaking [=J35J=] Draken, one of the ''starting'' planes. You probably have something much better, but he can often still kick your ass.

Gault squadron is an 8-man team made of pilots who also excelled in engineering and science. Their leader and ''de facto'' head of A World With No Boundaries, Anton Kupchenko, is both a 20-something-years veteran pilot and a certified engineer, having a hand in the development of all the Belkan superweapons, hence his nickname "Dr.". He was killed in battle by Cipher above the Round Table and buried in his native soil. Faced in the Soldier path.

* ContinuityNod: Lorenz Riedel, one of the surviving members, brings research on the Hraesvelgr to [[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation Estovakia]], which helps them build the Aigaion. Lorenz himself appears in Mission 7 when you face said weapon.

----

-->'''Voiced by:''' Hiroyuki Kinosha [JP] (Wizard 1)

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/WendeeLee [EN], Miki Watanabe [JP] (Espada Two)

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/BeauBillingslea [EN], Kazuhiro Oguro [JP] (Wizard 1)

Wizard and Sorcerer were the two most experienced squadrons of the Osean Air Force, each with their own style: Wizard favored ambush tactics using regular planes as bait while stealth fighters attacked the target, Sorcerer attacked in two to pin down enemies while the rest of the squadron fire multiple missiles at it. They fought on all the fronts of the Belkan war, including the Round Table. They ended up more and more disillusioned with the conflict and joined A World With No Boundaries. Their respective leaders, Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer, called "Lucan" and "Bedivere", were considered the best pilots of the whole Osean airforce before the arrival of [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar a certain Wardog Squadron]]. After the war, Bristow kept fighting for various terrorist groups until his arrest and imprisonment; Palmer managed to escape justice and now works as an insurance salesman in Osea. Sorcerer is faced in the Mercenary path, Wizard in the Knight path.

* HideTheEvidence: What Belka did regarding information about the missions Schwarze carried out, once Belka's loss became certain.

[[folder:The Allied Forces]]

[[folder:Crow Squadron]]

The other members of the Crow Squadron

[[folder:Others]]

Initially, two mercenary pilots who fly on behalf of Ustio. A third later transfers in from another mercenary unit after [[spoiler: Pixy's defection to A World with No Boundaries]].

* BattleCouple: With a TearJerker ending, resulting from RealityEnsues.
* DashingHispanic

* BattleCouple