History Characters / TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelCrowArmbrust

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** [[Characters/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelReanSchwarzer Rean Schwarzer]]
** '''Crow Armbrust'''
* [[Characters/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelGiliathOsborne Giliath Osborne]]
* [[Characters/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelThorsMilitaryAcademy Thors Military Academy]]
* [[Characters/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelThorsBranchCampus Thors Branch Campus]]

'''Warning: spoilers relating to events/reveals that happen during the first two games shall be left unmarked.''' Certain spoilers relating to the third and fourth game however shall remain tagged.

!Crow Armbrust
[[quoteright:231: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crow_armbrust_sen1.png]]
[[caption-width-right:231:[[labelnote:Click here to see Crow as he appears in ''Cold Steel IV'' (SPOILERS)]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8a9e378f_90c1_4933_853c_2cec28c9f8fb.png]][[/labelnote]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TakahiroSakurai (Japanese), Scott Whyte (English)

A common-born second-year student at Thors and part of the group that served as the trial class for the Class VII project. Rean first meets Crow after the latter cons a 50 mira coin out of him and later on ends up befriending him. Thanks to their time spent together as part of the trial class, he's also close friends with Towa, Angelica, and George. He later temporarily joins Class VII himself because his slacking off left him in need of extra academic credits in order to graduate in time less he repeat a year. He rarely takes himself too seriously.

At the end of ''Cold Steel I'', it's revealed that Crow is none other than the terrorist known as "C", leader of the Imperial Liberation Front responsible for various incidents that take place during the story. He's also revealed to be the Awakener to the Divine Knight known as Ordine. His actions result in Trista and Thors being occupied by the Noble Alliance.

From there, Crow then serves as Rean's primary rival throughout ''Cold Steel II''. Though both are on opposing sides, Crow often helps to guide Rean onto walking the right path. After a series of trials, he is eventually defeated by Rean in combat and agrees to come back with him and Class VII to Thors. However, due to circumstance, the Vermillion Apocalypse awakens and both Rean and Crow are forced to take it down and succeed in doing so.

Unfortunately, due to injuries sustained during the fight, Crow dies soon afterwards. His body is later buried at a cemetery in Heimdallr.
----
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:# - F]]
* EleventhHourRanger: Him piloting Ordine is briefly playable for the final battle against the Vermillion Apocalypse in ''Cold Steel II''.
* AcePilot: When piloting Ordine, as his greater experience with his Divine Knight allowed him to utterly trounce Rean at the start.
* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: Frequently does this to Towa. He also did this once towards Rean.
* AllForNothing: Not long after his death in ''Cold Steel II'' is it revealed that Osborne was still alive, completely undoing the one purpose in life he thought he achieved as Rean angrily summarizes towards Osborne.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Towards Rean when it comes to piloting their Divine Knights. It took Rean three times just to beat him and that's with Rean having assistance with ARCUS links. [[spoiler:It's implied in ''Cold Steel IV'' however, where Rean defeats Crow and shares his life energy to not make him disappear from losing the battle, that he lost on purpose so Rean could have Ordine's fragment of the Great One.]]
* AmicableExes: [[spoiler:Implied to be this with Vita during ''Cold Steel IV''. Crow says they were in a type of relationship that "gave him relief", but he regretted starting it afterwards. They sometimes flirt with each other but at the end of the day it doesn't look like there is anything between them anymore.]]
* AnIcePerson: His Freezing Bullet Craft. His ARCUS' secondary element is also [[MakingASplash water]].
* ArchEnemy: Towards Osborne, whom Crow blames as being the one responsible for pushing his grandfather to die from depression after the annexation of Jurai.
* AsleepInClass: After he temporarily joins Class VII, the first thing he can be seen doing is sleeping his way through a lecture on the War of the Lions.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:He admits in ''Cold Steel IV'' that he needs to atone for his time as C, just like Sara for being a Jaeger. And he indeed spends the entire game doing it, since he makes references about "paying back the interest".]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Thanks to the contract that he has with Ordine, Crow is able to come back to life in ''Cold Steel III''. However, this is only temporary as it only applies so long as Ordine and his contract with him still exists. He's officially able to come back for real at the end of ''IV'' after the six remaining Divine Knights decide to use their powers on him, signified by how his pale tone of his hair changes back to its regular gray and the fact that he once again has a heartbeat.]]
* BackToSchool: [[spoiler:Played for laughs. Towa mentions that because Thors allows you to re-enroll if you drop out, Crow can technically come back to the branch campus to graduate. He adamantly refuses to have Rean and Towa as his teachers.]]
* BadassBoast: As C, just before facing Class VII in Sachsen Iron Mine
-->C: It was the height of Summer when we last crossed blades beneath Heimdallr. Do you think you can prevail now where before you fell short ? Tell me not with words but with steel!
* BadassFingersnap: At the end of "Cross Raven," after the bullets he fired surround the area, he does this and all of them hit the enemies at once.
* BadassLongcoat: Starts wearing one from ''Cold Steel II'' onward.
* BadassesWearBandanas: Wears a headband in the first ''Cold Steel'' two games. [[spoiler:Averted from ''III'' onwards. Celine lampshades this when she refers to Crow as the "bandana man" in ''Cold Steel IV'' at the Black Workshop.]]
* BecomingTheMask: Despite Crow's claims that his time at Thors was only for the sake of keeping up his cover and that the friendships he had were all based on nothing but lies, it's quite evident from the way he speaks that [[BlatantLies he's lying through his teeth]] as Rean and the others are able to note.
* BenevolentBoss: He really looks out for his subordinates of the ILF and thanks Rean for saving Scarlet's life despite her DeathSeeker mindset.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Despite being the resident jokester of Thors, everyone who knows him also know you will be able to count on him when the chips are down. Then he is revealed to be C and even more competent than everyone thought.
* BigBadFriend: He's <C>, the leader of the Imperial Liberation Front. He's also the FinalBoss of Cold Steel.
* BigBrotherMentor: To the entire class, but especially towards Rean. Even if they're on the opposing sides, Crow doesn't hesitate to offer words of advice to his junior even though helping is actually against his best interests.
* BlingBlingBang: [[spoiler:Uses a pair of gold pistols as Azure Siegfried.]]
* BlueIsHeroic: Inverted at first since his reveal as the pilot of the Azure Knight Ordine, and RedBaron title as the Azure Chevalier, was made when he was revealed to be the leader of the terrorist ILF and sided against Class VII throughout the CivilWar. Then he's resurrected as Azure Siegfried with an all blue outfit as the Gnome's BrainwashedAndCrazy EnigmaticMinion. [[spoiler:Finally plays this straight in the fourth game, where he also wears a blue shirt in his casual wear.]]
* BookEnds: The first time he becomes playable is when he teams up with Rean to take on a gigantic knight. The last time they fight together, they both take on the Vermillion Apocalypse, something even bigger than their Divine Knights.
* BrickJoke: He ''finally'' pays back Rean the 50 Mira he borrowed at the start of the term, right at the end of the term having 'forgotten' to return it several times previously.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Subverted twice in ''Cold Steel IV''. Just when Crow thinks he's about to die for good someone comes in to steal his death from him. The first is Rean who quite angrily tells Crow off and through Valimar decides to save his life. The second time is after the defeat of Ishmelga where he, along with Millium, believes his time has come but again they're saved by the intervention of Valimar and the other Divine Knights.]]
* CastingAShadow: His default Master Quartz Cypher, and ARCUS unit have time as their primary element, best shown by his Craft, Nightmare Trigger. [[spoiler:By ''Cold Steel IV'', he has Gungnir as his default primary Master Quartz which is still a time element.]]
* CharClone: Has white hair, wore a mask as C, and his infiltration of Thors to assassinate Osborne to avenge his grandfather was similar to Char's infiltration of Zeon to kill the Zabis. After revealing his identity, he serves as TheRival to Rean where his greater piloting experience allowed him to (initially) overpower him in battle and favored a double saber for close-combat similar to the Gelgoog. He also had a RedBaron title based on the color of his machine, the Azure Chevalier. Then resurrected as a masked EnigmaticMinion as Azure Siegfried. His dispensing advice to Rean also had influence of Quattro Bajeena with Kamille. Mostly a type 1, with bits of type 2.
* ChoiceOfTwoWeapons: Compared to other characters, Crow has two distinctive weapons styles. His first is [[GunsAkimbo dual wielding a pair of pistols]], while the other is his [[DoubleWeapon Double]] [[BladeOnAStick Saber]]. He primarily uses the latter as C and even afterwards when his identity is revealed. [[spoiler:He uses both in ''Cold Steel IV'' and ''Origins''.]]
* TheChosenOne: Ends up becoming the chosen pilot for Ordine.
* ColdHam: Anytime he talks as C, he delivers his lines with gusto but with a lower pitch. Sara lampshades how hammy he sounds like in the first game.
* CombinationAttack: With Rean in their mechs by combining both Enlightened Domination and Deadly Cross: Union Slash - Deadly Domination.
* {{Chuunibyou}}: As C. His costume, which is mostly black, reeks of it and he has a flare for talking eloquently and dramatic speeches. Sara even lampshades it. [[spoiler:This is especially seen in ''Cold Steel IV'' where he shows embarrassment over his past as [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Siegfried]] yet actually defends his C persona and claiming he had ''aesthetic''.]]
* CoolMask: As "C" he wears a mask not unlike Zero from ''Anime/CodeGeass''. He even has a voice modulator that helps disguise what he actually sounds like. He loses it thanks to Claire breaking it with a bullet.
** [[spoiler:He also gets one during his stint as Azure Siegfried. His discarding it signifies that HesBack as Crow Armbrust at the climax of ''Cold Steel III''.]]
* CreepyCoolCrosses: His Deadly Cross and Cross Rebellion S-crafts have him firing a large X-shaped SwordBeam at his enemies at the end.
* CrazyPrepared: PlayedForLaughs in Chapter 6 of ''Cold Steel I''. When Class VII is asked to find a cat, he reveals he carries a chic cat toy with him at all times. Hey, you never know when you might need one, right?
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Is introduced as a perverted slacker with a love of gambling, earning a few jokes at his expense from his classmates old and new . Over time he proves himself as a capable fighter and reliable ally. And that's without taking account how as <C> he was capable of holding off Rean, Laura, and Fie at the same time below Heimdallr and overpower Rean regularly when they fought in their Divine Knights.
* DeathByDepower: [[spoiler:His ultimate fate at the end of the Rivalries as Ordine will cease to exist. However he chooses to die on his own terms by going along with Rean's HeroicSacrifice. Averted in the true end where he is saved by the Sacrament of Roselia and Franz.]]
* DeadlyGaze: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel III'' and ''IV'', his "Eye of Balor" craft has him gathering dark energy in his eye and damages his opponents by sending said dark energy to them.]]
* DeathDealer: His [[CardsOfPower Wild Card]] craft has him throwing cards that either [[StatusBuff buff his allies]] or inflict [[StandardStatusEffects status effects]] on enemies.
* DeathFromAbove: [[spoiler:How his second S-Craft, "Vorpal Slayer" ends after catching his double-bladed saber.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: By way of NoodleIncident, how he became friends with Towa and the others.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: He dies at the end of ''Cold Steel II'' on Rean's arms, saying his final words to Class VII and Vita.[[spoiler:He got better though.]]
* DisappearsIntoLight: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel IV'', he was nearly about to disappear as Ordine was absorbed into Valimar until Rean found a way to spare him and made him exist rather than fading away. He nearly does it again in the true ending of ''Cold Steel IV'' when the Great One's power is fading away but is saved by Roselia and Franz.]]
* DiseaseBleach: [[spoiler:After his resurrection, his hair goes from grey to white, though you'll be forgiven for not noticing before this is mentioned, given how the shade is similar to his normal hair.]]
* TheDragon: Though he's the BigBad of ''Cold Steel I'', he ultimate serves as Vita's right-hand man.
* DramaticUnmask: Happens to him twice throughout the series. The first time happens when Claire shoots his <C> mask and reveals himself to be the leader of the terrorist group. [[spoiler:The second time happens when he discards his Azure Siegfried mask and talking very roughly instead of talking politely, signifying that he's finally back as Crow Armbrust.]]
* DualBoss: With Vita towards the climax of ''Cold Steel II''.
* DualWielding: Uses a mismatched pair of pistols in combat.
* DuelBoss: With Rean a few times in ''Cold Steel II''. Twice in their Divine Knights, and once on foot. The FinalBoss fight of ''Cold Steel I'' also counts. [[spoiler:And there is another one as Azure Siegfried in Cold Steel III. The last time Rean and Crow fight is in ''Cold Steel IV'' with Crow fully prepared to die to give Rean more power to his Divine Knight. Rean's not having any of it and literally gives him life energy through Valimar and sending it towards Ordine, [[HoYay complete with a hug.]]]]
* DuelToTheDeath: [[spoiler:His final duel with Rean has him dueling with their mechs with the loser having to surrender their mech, and their lives if they're OnlyMostlyDead thanks to the power of their Divine Knights, to the winner. This trope however is averted thanks to Rean returning Ordine's powers back to its owner while begging for Crow to live.]]
* EasilyForgiven: Despite being the leader of the terrorists who did a lot of things throughout ''Cold Steel I'' which includes nearly starting a war with Calvard prematurely, his subordinates kidnapping Elise and Alfin, invading Garrelia Fortress and hijaking their railway guns, and putting Rean in a coma, he's easily forgiven for his crimes by Class VII. Though they do actively work against his plans in ''II'', and the "forgiveness" concerns their intention to welcome him back to Class VII instead of holding any kind of vendetta against him for his betrayal.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: In ''Cold Steel II'', after he's revealed himself as the leader of the ILF, and thus doesn't need to hide his identity anymore, he ditches his school uniform and armor as <C> for an all-black ensemble that includes a BadassLongcoat with it's sleeves rolled up, gloves, and a black headband.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Rean. Both are leaders who care about the people following them and both are Awakeners. Both even have the same primary Time Orbments yet differing secondary ones.
** Like Elie [=MacDowell=], he's the grandchild of a mayor whose city-state got taken over due to Erebonia's expansionist policies. Both lost family members due to these politics, with Crow's grandfather dying of despair after being betrayed by his allies and Elie's parents divorcing after her father was in despair over his inability to change Crossbell's corruption. While both oppose Osborne, Elie doesn't resort to the same extremes as Crow and the ILF.
* FalseFriend: Defied. As much as he insists that his time at Thors meant nothing to him, and that it was only for the sake of throwing the RMP off his trail, Rean and his friends don't really buy his lies for a second, especially with how Crow helps Rean during the second game, and seek to have him return to them [[spoiler:which finally succeeds by the ''Cold Steel IV''.]]
* FinalBoss: Of ''Cold Steel I'', piloting [[HumongousMecha Ordine.]]
* FakingTheDead: Not as Crow, but as "C" he fakes his death in the Sachsen Iron Mine to throw off his pursuers.
* FreezeFrameBonus: When he first tosses the coin at the beginning of ''Cold Steel I'', he actually doesn't catch the coin but lets it fall in his bag. It's not obvious at first unless players watch the scene in a video. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Players are still forced to answer]] either hand however.
* FriendToAllChildren: Regularly bets candy when playing Blade with the town kids, and to all appearances loses on purpose.
* FriendlyEnemy: Even as a member of the Noble Alliance, Crow still trades jokes and advice with the rest of Class VII. He's even the one responsible for Toval finding out where Rean was and thus partly responsible for saving the latter's life at the beginning of ''Cold Steel II''.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Crow grew up off a relatively normal kid with a love for card games and a penchant for gambling thanks his grandfather. However, after the latter was scapegoated for an incident he had no part and died of depression not long afterwards, Crow spends the next near decade seeking vengeance against Osborne whom he believes responsible. By age 19, he's become the leader of the Imperial Liberation Front, serves as the Awakener of Ordine, and has become so strong that Fie compares him to Sara in terms of overall strength despite her years of experience over him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G - N]]
* TheGambler: He likes all forms of gambling and is the go-to guy for information on the new card game Blade. One of his Crafts is called Wildcard and is essentially a weaponized gamble. He's also mentioned to have spent most of his time hanging out at a casino on a field mission the player wasn't present for.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel III'', once he regains his memories as Crow Armbrust, he immediately dives in to stop Rean from continuing his rampage any longer inside Ordine. Unfortunately, it fails.]]
* GunsAkimbo: His primary fighting style in ''Cold Steel I'' as a party member. Especially pronounced in his S-Craft. Uses a golden pair as Azure Siegried. [[spoiler:It's one of his two different stances in ''Cold Steel IV''.]]
* HamToHamCombat: With Rean in their divine knight battles.
* HandBehindHead: [[spoiler:When he speak to Towa for the first time after his BackFromTheDead, it's the only reaction he can manage.]]
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: At the end of ''Cold Steel I'', he reveals himself as a villain after being an ally for most of the game. Then in ''Cold Steel II'', he pulls a [[HeelFaceTurn Heel-Face Turn]], only to die soon afterward. [[spoiler:''Cold Steel III'' has him being revived as a villain (Azure Siegfried) for most of the game, only for him to regain his memories at the end and become a good guy again, this time for good. Basically, over the course of three games he goes Face -> Heel -> Face -> Heel -> Face.]]
* HeldBackInSchool: He joins Class VII to compensate for his lack of credits.
* HesBack: [[spoiler:After an entire game's worth of spending time brainwashed, Crow is finally able to break through the Azure Siegfried persona in order to stop Rean's rampage at the end of ''Cold Steel III''.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: Died thanks to a stab wound through the chest while creating an opening for Rean to save Prince Cedric.
* HumongousMecha: He's the chosen pilot of Ordine, the Azure Knight. He awakened the machine three years prior to the events of ''Cold Steel I'' under guidance from Vita.
* HomingProjectile: In "Cross Raven," all bullets he fire will find their way to surround the targets.
* IAmYourOpponent: The party comes face-to-face for the first time in his role as leader of the Imperial Liberation Front, C. All of the groups main members are there, but he declares that he will face them.
-->'''C''': Wielders of the longsword, the greatsword, the twin gun swords. Stand and face me. I shall be your opponent. ... Haha. Think of this as an entertaining way to kill some time.
* IdentityAmnesia: [[spoiler:As Azure Siegfried since his memories are sealed. He only starts remembering who he was after seeing Rean inside Valimar and the rest of his students and reminds him of Rean and Crow teaming up to take on Vermillion Apocalypse.]]
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: How he dies during the Finale of ''Cold Steel II'' when Testa-Rossa's tail stabs Ordine through the chest and he takes the same damage as it's Awakener.
* InexplicablyAwesome: His Dual Saber style. Other characters mentioned how archaic the weapon is and there is no known practitionner of it. And yet, he manage to be as strong as Sara with it.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel III'', he ends up working for the one guy who he tried to assassinate. Granted he had IdentityAmnesia but the trope is still played straight.]]
* LadyAndKnight: The Azure Knight to Vita's Azure Abyss.
* LargeHam: Crow does have some hammy moments especially when he's fighting Rean. As C however, he's more of a ColdHam.
* TheLancer: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel IV'', he's Rean's most frequent companion in combat who also serves as his foil.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: He dies from a chest wound, the same place where he shot Osborne. He even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]], claiming 'Karma's a bitch'. In addition, he defeats Rean at the end of the first game by using Divine Knight feedback to give him a concussion, ruining their last hope to keep Thors save from the Alliance. He's killed when he gets a fatal chest wound after Ordine's chest armor is pierced, thanks to Divine Knight feedback.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Trying to discuss the later games without spoiling the fact that he is the leader of the Imperial Liberation Front which is backed by the Noble Alliance, is the pilot of the Divine Knight Ordine, trumps Rean in their first and second Divine Knight duel, and ends up dead after giving Rean an opening to rescue the crown prince from the Vermillion Apocalypse is really hard.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Together with Rean, "Blue Destination" serves as one to him. Both "Decisive Collision" and "Remaining Glow" as well thanks to the shared melodies between all three.
* LimitBreak: His S-Craft in the first game is "Cross Raven", whilst in ''Cold Steel II'' it's "Deadly Cross." When piloting Ordine, his finishing move is "Deadly End." [[spoiler:For ''Cold Steel III'', his S-Craft is "Cross Rebellion," with ''IV'' throwing in "Vorpal Slayer". Likewise, in the latter game, his union attack (when the team setup isn't "just him and Rean"), is "Rebellion Sword".]]
* LivingWithTheVillain: "C", leader of the Imperial Liberation Front terrorist group, is Crow, who's also living right across Rean's room.
* LonerTurnedFriend: According to Towa and George, Crow was a complete loner in his first year at Thors until he ran into Angelica, who was determined to break through his shell. With her fists. It worked.
* MakingASplash: His secondary orbment is Water. This foreshadows his eventual rivalry with Rean's fire.
* MagicGunman: His orbment line allows him to have decent EP pool. That and gaining consistently good ATS every time he levels up makes him capable of using arts aside from shooting enemies with his orbal gun.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: He says that it was just a scratch when Vermillion Apocalypse impales him ''in the heart''.
* MaskOfPower: [[spoiler:As Azure Siegfried. The mask brainwashes him into serving the Black Workshop.]]
* MiseryPoker: Before revealing his past to Rean, Crow believes his past is nothing compared to Rean's DarkAndTroubledPast. After revealing it, Rean is sadder about Crow's past than Crow himself.
* TheMusketeer: Has his dual pistols and double saber, though unlike Sara or Fie, he uses them separately in his attacks and Crafts.
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: Get impaled through the heart by the Vermillion Apocalypse and yet, manage to live long enough to see Rean's victory and tell his last words to Class VII and Vita. [[spoiler:Then he gets better, [[BrainwashedAndCrazy with some issues.]]]]
* TheNotLoveInterest: There are some hints that do happen in ''Cold Steel I'' where if players don't pick anybody for the motorcycle trip, he accompanies Rean. Although it's the sequels where things kick off in high gear for both Rean and Crow's HoYay relationship. Especially during the Pantagruel sequence where Crow cooks for Rean and reveals his DarkAndTroubledPast, enough for Rean to actually wonder if he should just stay with the Noble Alliance just so he can be with Crow again. ''Cold Steel III'' and ''Cold Steel IV'' only add fuel to this.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Like Vita, he doesn't give a damn about Cayenne's ambitions, he just want to clear the mess he started by shooting Osborne.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:O - Z]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: He hides all his cunning and scheming behind a playful and lazy persona.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Remember all those trials you had to go through with everyone else to get Valimar? Yeah. He did stuff just like that to get Ordine three years ago when he was 16 and he did it with only Vita to assist him!
* OldShame: [[spoiler:InUniverse example in regards to his time as the brainwashed Azure Siegfried. As far as Crow is concerned it never happened and that his C persona had more taste.]]
* OnlyAFleshWound: Except flesh is right at his chest, piercing his heart. It's a miracle he still managed to talk for a few minutes before he passes away.
* PaperThinDisguise: [[spoiler:As seen with his Azure Siegfried persona, no one who actually sees him are really fooled and know that it's Crow. Especially once he brings out Ordine. The disguise really only works because no one ''wants'' to believe he's back as an enemy.]]
* PetTheDog: Some of his actions as <C> take on this meaning in the context of TheReveal
** When Class VII has Gideon cornered and he's unable to shake them off, <C> intervenes right as Gideon starts to consider murdering Elise and Princess Alfin out of desperation, and promptly defuses the situation and has them released. While this proves instrumental in securing a getaway for the ILF, it also ensures that the ILF never crosses the line into actively hurting the family of one of his friends.
** During the invasion of Garrelia Fortress, Crow is actually fighting against the ILF and its archaisms throughout the mission along with the rest of Class VII. Once Class VII retakes the railway guns, however, Crow makes no effort to sabotage their victory or seize control of the guns, and instead V and S make a swift getaway that was clearly planned well in advance. This strongly implies that Crow never actually intended to go through with nuking Crossbell, likely because it would result in the death of one of his best friends.
** In ''II'', Crow tips off Toval to Rean's location which subsequently proves to be instrumental in saving his life, instead of taking the opportunity to finish him off when he was at his most vulnerable. [[spoiler:Not that it would kill Rean as shown by the Awakeners in ''III'' and ''IV'', including Crow himself.]]
* PreMortemOneLiner: When about to snipe Osborne:
-->''Go finish your speech in hell.''
* RecurringBoss: He ties for the record of the boss you fight in the most games along with Rean and Duvalie. See DuelBoss above.
* RedBaron: Being Ordine's Awakener has lead to others referring to him as "The Azure Chevalier."
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: In ''II'', where he's fatally wounded in a bid to release Prince Cedric from the Vermillion, and ends up bleeding out as a result. [[spoiler:He comes back as the Azure Siegfried in ''III'', and manages to survive for real in the GoldenEnding to ''IV'']]
* RequiredPartyMember: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel IV'', he's required in all of the Divine Knight fights when Rean fights another Awakener.]]
* RetGone: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel IV'', he was nearly about to be absorbed to Rean and Valimar until Rean found a way to spare him and made him exist rather than fading away. He nearly does it again in ''Cold Steel IV'' when the Great One's power is fading away but Valimar and the other knights sacrifice their lives.]]
* {{Roboteching}}: He can do this with bullets when performing Cross Raven, likely through Orbment-assisted Time manipulation.
* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler:Even after being brought back from death, he still had a massive scar from his fight with the Vermillion Apocalypse.]]
* SecretIdentityVocalShift: His helmet as C modulates his voice.
* SecretIdentityChangeTrick: A villainous example. He volunteers to bring the miners to safety in Sachsen Iron Mine because it give him an opportunity to change and face the party as C with an alibi after the whole FakingTheDead.
* SempaiKohai: To Class VII, along with Angelica, Towa and George, as all four served in the trial class that became the basis for Class VII to begin with. He makes it a point however that the class should drop the sempai in the original script and Rean does so pretty quickly. This also marks the point where their friendship really kicks off. ** [[spoiler:''Cold Steel IV'' also has him refer to the New Class VII students as "Kohai" in the Japanese script.]]
* SeriousBusiness: Artistic performances. Seeing the normally laid-back Crow so serious about making the concert a hit is really funny. Unless you're Emma, Machias or Jusis at least. [[spoiler:Gets into it again in ''Cold Steel IV'' when the Class VII arrives in Crossbell for a mission and are in need of a distraction. Together with Elliot, he's able to create a performance worthy of Arc en Ciel in the span of a few days.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: He is rooting for George/Angelica. In ''Cold Steel II'', he's also supportive of the idea of Rean getting together with one of the original Class VII girls, with the exception of Millium thanks to her age. In the manga adaptation of the first game he even helps spur on Rean and Alisa to dance.
* SirSwearsALot: Probably the most foul-mouthed member of Class VII. Which is surprising that he is also the more formal "C" [[spoiler:and as Azure Siegfried.]]
* TheSlacker: He's sent to join Class VII on a temporary basis in order to earn extra credit because he's in danger of not graduating with the credits he's currently earned... and the first thing we see him do is slack off further. He somehow manages to earn enough to graduate on time regardless.
* SorryThatImDying: After Testa-Rossa stabs him through the heart, the first thing he did was apologize to Rean that he wouldn't be able to go back to the academy with them like he promised.
* StanceSystem: [[spoiler:He's able to change between his Saber Mode and Gunner Mode at will in ''Cold Steel IV''.]]
* SummonMagic: Much like Rean with Valimar, he can summon Ordine wherever he is at a moment's notice. [[spoiler:This also applies to being able to summon him in gameplay in ''Cold Steel IV'' much like Rean and his students too.]]
* SuperMode: [[spoiler:Gains one in ''Cold Steel IV'' with Patch 1.03 which gave him a craft called "Destiny Azure" that costs 100 CP but gives him buffs to Strength, Defense, and Speed for six turns, and the Insight status for three turns.]]
* ThatManIsDead: When Rean tries to appeal to him in the name of all of the good times and friendship they have together, he tells him that it was all fake. "...But at the end of the day, I'm C. That's the real deal. The Crow Armbrust you've known all this time... he isn't real. He never was." He's lying.
* ThinkingUpPortals: His Cross Rebellion S-Craft in the third game has him opening up a pair of portals before firing a[[MoreDakka rapid volley]] into them that redirects them at his enemies before firing cross shaped SwordBeam at them.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: One of his crafts in ''Cold Steel II'', "Blade Throw" is him throwing his double-bladed saber at his enemies before returning to him. [[spoiler:It's also how he starts his second S-Craft in ''Cold Steel IV'', "Vorpal Slayer".]]
* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:In the normal ending of ''Cold Steel IV'', he follows Rean, along with Millium, and dies together with them since his life is tied with Rean and the Great One.]]
* TragicBromance: With Rean. Despite only knowing each other for less than a year, the two end up becoming like brothers to each other even after Crow betrays him and Class VII. Then he ends up dying in the assault against the Vermillion Apocalypse during the finale of the second game. [[spoiler:Then he came back in ''Cold Steel III''.]]
* TragicVillain: Despite the fact that he became a terrorist, he explains to Rean that he still has a role to play by ending the war because of his actions of killing the Prime Minister. What makes him tragic is that after his death, Osborne shows up like it was nothing making his entire mission to defeat Osborne pointless and a waste of time. Rean lashes out at Osborne for this reason.
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: He also doubles as C, leader of the Imperial Liberation Front. [[spoiler:He also gains a third one in ''Cold Steel III'' as Azure Siegfried.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:In ''Cold Steel IV'', once he is back in the party again, he says he will work together with Class VII [[YouAreWorthHell "to hell and back"]]. And if you choose him for the fortune-telling in Mishelam, Beryl will say that his future is "gambling everything for his precious friends". It works that he isn't technically alive by then.]]
* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice While he has an excuse]], he goes from curb stomping the best of Class VII and needing Rean's SuperMode pushed to its maximum to be defeated in ''Cold Steel I & II'' to being matched by Rean in a DuelBoss in ''Cold Steel III''.]]
* WalkingTheEarth : Following Jurai's annexation and his grandfather's death, he wandered through Erebonia until he meet Cayenne.
* WalkingSpoiler: Thanks to his role, it's almost impossible to talk about Crow without mentioning his deeds throughout the story.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: While most of them ILF members are trying to take down Osborne because of some grudge, Crow does it for that and then some. He sees Osbourne as the one responsible for a number of Erebonia's problems and decides to put an end it. He also sees himself joining with the Noble Alliance as a means to restore peace to the Empire after his actions against had helped kick start a Civil War.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Subverted as its made clear that he isn't without redeeming qualities even at his most antagonistic and eventually becomes TheAtoner.
* YouFool: His link quote victory with Rean [[spoiler:while he's lost control of himself in ''Cold Steel IV'' has him saying this towards Rean.]]
* YouKilledMyFather: His grudge against Osborne is due to blaming the man for causing the ruin and death of his grandfather in his efforts to turn Jurai into region of the Empire.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: He sees himself as a champion for freedom, fighting against the system that conquered his homeland and the man who is responsible for Erebonia's expansionist ambitions. Although his conversation with Rean in ''II'' shows that he doesn't fully believe in the sentiment; he freely admits that his vendetta was more of a personal grudge than anything else, and he doesn't actually consider Osborne an evil man.
[[/folder]]

* BlueIsHeroic: Inverted at first since his reveal as the pilot of the Azure Knight Ordine, and RedBaron title as the Azure Chevalier, was made when he was revealed to be the leader of the terrorist ILF and sided against Class VII throughout the CivilWar. Then he's resurrected as Azure Siegfried with an all blue outfit as the Gnome's BrainwashedAndCrazy EnigmaticMinion. Finally plays this straight in the fourth game, where he also wears a blue shirt in his casual wear.

A common-born second-year student at Thors and part of the group that served as the trial class for the Class VII project. Rean first meets Crow after the latter cons a 50 mira coin out of him and later on ends up befriending him. Thanks to their time spent together as part of the trial class, he's also close friends with Towa, Angelica, and George. He later joins Class VII himself temporarily because his slacking off left him in need of extra academic credits in order to graduate in time less he repeat a year. He rarely takes himself too seriously.

At the end of the first game, it's revealed that Crow is none other than the terrorist known as "C", leader of the Imperial Liberation Front responsible for various incidents that take place during the story. He's also revealed to be the Awakener to the Divine Knight known as Ordine. His actions result in Trista and Thors being occupied by the Noble Alliance.

From there, Crow then serves as Rean's primary rival throughout the second game. Though both are on opposing sides, Crow often helps to guide Rean onto walking the right path. After a series of trials, he is eventually defeated by Rean in combat and agrees to come back with him and Class VII to Thors. However, due to circumstance, the Vermillion Apocalypse awakens and both Rean and Crow are forced to take it down and succeed in doing so.

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:He admits in the fourth game that he needs to atone for his time as C, just like Sara for being a Jaeger. ''Cold Steel IV'' works as an entire game of it, since he makes references about "paying back the interest".]]

* BadassFingersnap: At the end of his S-Craft Cross Raven, after the bullets he fired surround the area, he does this and all of them hit the enemies at once.

* BadassesWearBandanas: Wears a headband in the first two games. [[spoiler:Averted from the third game onwards. Celine lampshades this when she refers to Crow as the "bandana man" in ''Cold Steel IV'' at the Black Workshop.]]

* ChoiceOfTwoWeapons: Compared to other characters, Crow has two distinctive weapons styles. His first is [[GunsAkimbo dual wielding a pair of pistols]], while the other is his [[DoubleWeapon Double]] [[BladeOnAStick Saber]]. He primarily uses the latter as C and even afterwards when his identity is revealed.

* DiseaseBleach: [[spoiler:After his resurrection, his hair turns white though you'll be forgiven for not noticing before this is mentioned given how the shade is similar to his normal hair.]]
* TheDragon: Though he's the BigBad of ''Cold Steel I'', he assists Vita overall.

* FriendlyEnemy: Even as a member of the Noble Alliance, Crow still trades jokes and advice with the rest of Class VII. He's even the one responsible for Toval finding out where Rean was and thus partly responsible for saving the latter's life at the beginning of the second game.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: At the end of ''Cold Steel I'', he reveals himself as a villain after being an ally for most of the game. Then in ''Cold Steel II'', he pulls a [[HeelFaceTurn Heel-Face Turn]], only to die soon afterward. [[spoiler:''Cold Steel III'' has him being revived as a villain (Azure Siegfried) for most of the game, only for him to regain his memories at the end and become a good guy again. Basically, over the course of three games he goes Face -> Heel -> Face -> Heel -> Face.]]

* HomingProjectile: In his S-Craft, all bullets he fire will find their way to surround the targets.

* RedBaron: The Azure Chevalier.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: In ''II'', where he's fatally wounded in a bid to release Prince Cedric from the Vermillion, and ends up bleeding out as a result. [[spoiler:He comes back as the Azure Siegfried in III, and manages to survive for real in the GoldenEnding to ''IV'']]

* SempaiKohai: To Class VII, along with Angelica, Towa and George, as all four served in the trial class that became the basis for Class VII to begin with. He makes it a point however that the class should drop the sempai in the original script and Rean does so pretty quickly. This also marks the point where their friendship really kicks off.

* SempaiKohai: To Class VII, along with Angelica, Towa and George, as all four served in the trial class that became the basis for Class VII to begin with. He makes it a point however that the class should drop the sempai in the original dub and Rean does so pretty quickly. This also marks the point where their friendship really kicks off.

* SempaiKohai: To Class VII, along with Angelica, Towa and George, as all four served in the trial class that became the basis for Class VII to begin with.

* PaperThinDisguise: [[spoiler:As seen with his Azure Siegfried persona, no one who actually sees him are really fooled and know that it's Crow. Especially once he brings out Ordine.]]

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: [[spoiler:[[Heroic Sacrifice While he has an excuse]]]], he goes from curb stomping the best of Class VII and needing Rean's SuperMode pushed to its maximum to be defeated in ''Cold Steel I & II'' to being matched by Rean in a DuelBoss in ''Cold Steel III''.]]

** Like Elie MacDowell, he's the grandchild of a mayor whose city-state got taken over due to Erebonia's expansionist policies. Both lost family members due to these politics, with Crow's grandfather dying of despair after being betrayed by his allies and Elie's parents divorcing after her father was in despair over his inability to change Crossbell's corruption. While both oppose Osborne, Elie doesn't resort to the same extremes as Crow and the ILF.