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1%% Zero Context Examples are prohibited. Before un-commenting an entry, please provide context for how it's used in the work. %%
2
3'''SPOILERS BELOW.''' You have been warned.
4
5Please note that this page covers all of the media in the franchise, not just the games, as all of it is officially part of the universe.
6
7[[foldercontrol]]
8
9!Main Characters
10
11[[folder:Christoper "Maverick" Blair]]
12!Christopher "Maverick" Blair
13-> '''Played By:''' Creator/MarkHamill (''III'' onwards), Creator/FreddiePrinzeJr (film only)
14-> '''Voiced By:''' Ken Demarest III (''II''), Creator/MarkHamill (''Academy'')
15
16This list is alphabetical, but it's appropriate that Blair be its first entry, as he is the PlayerCharacter for most of the franchise's entries and one of its most central figures overall. Heroic, earnest and [[HelloInsertNameHere originally nameless]], although he received much more characterization in the later games.
17----
18
19* TheAce: The most famous ace in Confederation history, responsible for ultimately ending the Kilrathi war.
20* CallToAgriculture: Blair retired to become a farmer after ''Wing Commander III''. He wasn't much good at it, however, and couldn't turn down the call to return to active duty in the next game.
21* ColonelBadass: In ''Wing Commander III'' and ''Wing Commander IV''.
22* CustomUniform: In ''Wing Commander III'' and ''Wing Commander IV'', Blair has his last name on the name tag on his uniform, while all other pilots have their callsign on the name tag.
23* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: In ''Wing Commander 4'' when he joins the Border worlds.]]
24* DrowningMySorrows: in ''Wing Commander III'', after the death of [[spoiler:Vaquero]].
25* EnsignNewbie: In the first game, as well as in ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy''.
26* FourStarBadass: Upgraded from ColonelBadass to this in ''Prophecy'', where he even flies a mission on your wing [[spoiler:before getting captured by the Nephilim]].
27* GotVolunteered: Spirit of all people does this during a rescue mission briefing.
28* KnightInSourArmor: In the second game, he's fairly bitter about his career being ruined because no one believed him, but is still willing to take risks and defy orders to do the right thing.
29* IHaveManyNames: Bluehair, [[CanonName Blair]], "[[MyGreatestFailure The Coward of the K'tithrak Mang]]," "[[WorthyOpponent The Heart of the Tiger]]," "[[TheHero The Savior of the Confederation]]," "[[LampshadeHanging The guy from Star Wars]]"...
30* LeeroyJenkins: For someone whose callsign of "Maverick" is an IronicNickname, he's not always "by the book.:
31** In ''Wing Commander II'', he disobeys orders to rescue Stingray and to attack the Kilrathi starbase at the end.
32** From ''Wing Commander III'':
33*** After failing to defend the ''Behemoth'', Prince Thrakhath appears and taunts Blair with a video of the violent death of his LoveInterest, and challenges him to a personal duel. The player can choose to ignore the challenge and land before the ''Victory'' jumps out of the system that Confed is abandoning, or accept the challenge and become TrappedBehindEnemyLines, even if he succeeds in killing Thrakhath. (In the original release you could defeat Thrakhath and return to the ''Victory'' in time with a full missile salvo and a bit of luck, though you still have to fight him in the final mission. This was patched out in the Kilrathi Saga version, the ''Victory'' will immediately jump out if Thrakhath is killed, leaving Blair behind.)
34*** When TheMole flees the ''Victory'' to spill Confed's plans to the Kilrathi, Blair can go out and give chase, but this indirectly leads to Vaquero's death. (As per the {{novelization}}, this is the canon path.)
35* LegallyDead: In ''Prophecy'', Blair is lost when the Nephilim wormhole gate he's seeking to shut down collapses, leaving his fate uncertain. In the sequel ''Secret Ops'', background fiction for the game says that he was declared legally dead.
36* MilitaryMaverick: "Maverick" is an IronicNickname, as WordOfGod claims he got his call sign as a sarcastic reference to his by-the-book flying style. However, on occasion he has fit the trope in a non-ironic sense.
37* SecondLove: Angel is his first but [[spoiler: after her death]], he can take up with Flint or Rachel in ''Wing Commander 3.'' He, canonically, chooses to hook up with Rachel and they get married in the novels [[spoiler: but she leaves him before the events of ''Wing Commander 4'']]
38* ShutUpHannibal: In the fourth game, when Tolwyn accuses him of having defected to fight for the Border Worlds, he says, "I fight as I always have, on the side of peace and honor." Later in the same sequence, if you choose to tell the Assembly about Seether and the Genetic Enhancement program, Tolwyn will rant about how superior Seether is to Blair, only for Blair to cut him off with, "He is dead," resulting in Tolwyn being rather shaken for a moment.
39* TookALevelInJerkass: In ''Wing Commander I'', he came off as a NiceGuy in the relatively little dialogue he had, but in ''Wing Commander II'', he's significantly ruder and more abrasive. He has little patience for Stingray or Tolwyn, and even argues with Angel sometimes.
40* TragicMonster: Depending on when you defect from Confed, in ''Wing Commander IV''.
41* VitriolicBestBuds: With Maniac, eventually.
42* WorkingWithTheEx: Downplayed example in ''Wing Commander Prophecy.'' Rachel is a crew chief aboard TCS ''Midway'', the ship Blair is commanding. They don't have much interaction that the player gets to see.
43* YouAreInCommandNow: In ''Wing Commander IV'', Blair is given command of the ''Intrepid'' when Eisen departs for Earth. Subverted in the {{novelization}}, in that a Navy lieutenant is the one to actually give the exact commands to carry out Blair's orders, but is too junior to be made Captain himself. However, Blair was already the CAG by Wing Commander 3, and was shown to have some command-experience from ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'' so he wasn't quite as ill-prepared for command as is typical for this trope.
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Todd "Maniac" Marshall]]
47!Todd "Maniac" Marshall
48-> '''Played By:''' Creator/ThomasFWilson (''III'' onwards), Creator/MatthewLillard (film)
49-> '''Voiced By:''' Kirk Winterrowd (''II''), Creator/ThomasFWilson (''Academy'')
50
51One of the first wingmen you fly with in ''Wing Commander I''. He's Blair's rival from the Academy, scoring second in their graduating class, and is also something of a {{Foil}}, the [[RedOniBlueOni Red Oni]] to our Bluehair. Played by Creator/ThomasFWilson in the later games and animated show, and Creator/MatthewLillard in the movie.
52----
53
54* TheAce: He's almost as good as his BoisterousBruiser ego says he is (while serving up a [[LargeHam large slice of ham]], particularly when Tom Wilson steps into the role in ''Wing Commander III''). Maniac has the 14th highest kill score in the entire Kilrathi War, behind Blair's 11th Place spot. All the other pilots in the Top 20 are dead. However, he's next to useless when you fly with him, almost never follows orders and runs away at the earliest opportunity. He's quite the match when he challenges Blair to a duel in ''Wing Commander IV'', though.
55* BornLucky: How Maniac has managed to survive for so long, according to Blair. He goes on to tell Catscratch that "there's one on every ship, but only one".
56* BoisterousBruiser: Especially in ''Prophecy'' where he doubles as a SergeantRock with a [[LargeHam big slice of ham in his jaws at all times]].
57* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: Surprisingly, joins the Border Worlds against the Confederation. It's implied, albeit understated, that this is partially due to DudeWheresMyRespect.]]
58* DudeWheresMyRespect: Points out, repeatedly, his accomplishments rival everyone but Blair's but he's only a Major. This is due to his attitude, glory-seeking, and disobedience of orders which would have gotten him kicked out if not for his achievements.
59* GloryHound: Generally with realistic consequences.
60* GuileHero: one of his most fabled exploits was in coming across two Kilrathi destroyers whilst flying a [[FragileSpeedster dinky little patrol fighter]]. Through judicious taunts and dazzling flying alone, he was able to convince the two ships to ''[[RammingAlwaysWorks smash into each other]]'', with all hands lost. The ''Claw Marks'' manual that came with the first game says it's suspected he just managed it out of pure dumb luck, and was sleeping while autopilot was flying his fighter.
61* HiddenDepths:
62** He's genuinely rattled by [[spoiler: Vagabound's]] death, and surprisingly points out that certain actions that you can take in ''Wing Commander IV'' might not be entirely moral.
63** Similarly in ''Prophecy'' he is shown genuinely disturbed when several of his wingmen end up getting killed when they emulate his reckless style, and he voluntarily steps down from wing commander position.
64* HotBlooded: "Ramming speed!!"
65* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Flash for his hot dogging while flying the Excalibur, which is remarkable considering his own reputation for recklessness behind the flight stick.
66* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He starts out as a plain-old {{Jerkass}}, but does slowly warm up in the later games, particularly once the series went to live action and Tom Wilson took over the role. However, it isn't until in the second half of ''Prophecy'' where he really developed his character by forging a friendly relationship with the protagonist after the latter became a more than competent pilot.
67* LeeroyJenkins: He's uncontrollable in combat, and will charge a fully defended cruiser with all flak guns firing with ten bandits on his six and won't stop until either they or he is dead. The only time he obeys any orders other than "break and attack" is in the final missions of ''Wing Commander III'', when the stakes are at their highest. One of the game manuals suggests the best tactic when using him as a wingman is to use him like a ''hand grenade'': let him go and then roll in afterwards to clean up the mess.
68* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Maniac just can't seem to get and stay past Major. Mostly it's his own fault, though, thanks to his LeeroyJenkins behavior and general {{jerkass}}ishness.
69* MajorlyAwesome: Mostly subverted. Maniac holds the rank of Major, but his tendencies towards immature behavior and erratic flying have prevented him from advancing any further. Still, he ''is'' almost as good as his ego.
70* MilitaryMaverick: He's a Film/DirtyHarry-style {{Deconstruction}}, with similar fatality rates among his wingmen and dazzled worshipers. He's so irresponsible he never keeps any promotions past Major. [[spoiler: This contributes to his defecting to the Border Worlds.]]
71* RightBehindMe: Maniac falls for this in ''Wing Commander III'' in a discussion with Flint, going off at first Flash and then Blair, not realizing Blair is right behind him.
72-->'''Maniac''': The Colonel is a spineless...\
73'''Blair''': I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, ''Major.''
74* SmallNameBigEgo: Exaggerated: Big Name, ''Bigger'' Ego.
75* SuicidalOverconfidence: He tends to get killed a lot for blindly charging at the enemy in the original game. Once he gets PlotArmor, this becomes a justified trope: he's ''just that good''. The problem, again, is that nobody else is.
76* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Maniac is loathed by everyone in-universe and out but the writers.
77* VitriolicBestBuds: With Blair, eventually.
78* WorthyOpponent: Maniac sees himself as this to Blair. To his credit, while he's obsessed with one-upping Blair, he absolutely insists that it must happen in a completely fair fight.
79** ''Wing Commander IV'' begins the first flight mission with him offering a chance to duel with simulated weapons, with Maniac even saying "I know you've always wanted to take a shot at me." If you take him up on it you'll get a short dogfight before being interrupted by real hostiles.
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Jeanette "Angel" Devereaux]]
83!Jeanette "Angel" Devereaux
84-> '''Played By:''' Yolanda Jilot (''III''), Saffron Burrows (film)
85-> '''Voiced By''' Denise Dee (''II'')
86
87Originally introduced as a studious, somewhat nerdy Francophone Belgian in the first game, Angel was promoted ahead of Blair, serving as his squadron commander when Blair is assigned to the ''Claw'' as per TheMovie. In between the second and third she serves under him in a different fashion. Played by Saffron Burrows in the movie, and Yolanda Jilot in ''Wing Commander III''.
88----
89
90* CharacterDeath: She dies as soon as she's introduced in ''Wing Commander III'', although the player doesn't learn of her death until much later, and this sets up the last mission as being one for revenge.
91* ColonelBadass: Her eventual rank.
92* DamselOutOfDistress: Jazz gets an elbow to the face for trying to hold her hostage at gunpoint during the events of ''Wing Commander II'' and its add-ons, and even stands up to the Kilrathi when captured in ''Wing Commander III''.
93* GratuitousFrench: Frequently in combat.
94* IAmVeryBritish: In the movie. In the movie her background is also changed from French to Irish, this is expanded in the follow-on novel, ''Pilgrim Stars.''
95* PromotedToLoveInterest: Starting in ''Wing Commander II'', she goes from just another pilot to Blair's lover.
96* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: in the second game.
97* RightInFrontOfMe: From the movie: "I'm Commander Devereaux, Lieutenant. Your wing commander."
98* ThatsAnOrder: She uses several versions of the trope phrase in the movie.
99[[/folder]]
100
101[[folder:Geoffrey Tolwyn]]
102!Geoffrey Tolwyn
103-> '''Played By:''' Creator/MalcolmMcDowell (''III'' onwards), Creator/DavidWarner (film)
104-> '''Voiced By:''' Marten Davies (''II''), Creator/MalcolmMcDowell (''Academy'')
105
106First introduced in ''Wing Commander II'' as a toxic combination of ObstructiveBureaucrat and InsaneAdmiral, Tolwyn appears to have something of a vendetta against Blair, believing wholeheartedly in the cowardist propaganda spread against him and resenting the need to take Blair aboard his flagship, the ''Concordia''. Then the third game rolled around...
107----
108
109* BigBad: All of the attacks to which Blair is responding in ''IV'' are ultimately arranged by Tolwyn as part of a plot to manipulate the Confederation and the Union of Border Worlds into a conflict.
110* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He hangs himself the night before he is to be executed]].
111* EvilutionaryBiologist: In ''Wing Commander IV'', he orders the creation of a bioweapon designed to weed out "weak genetic stock".
112* FallenHero: In his heyday, Tolwyn was undoubtedly one of the fleet's best pilots and commanders.
113* FourStarBadass: In episode 6 of ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'', he runs a blockade by playing chicken with a Kilrathi ship, and again in episode 8 he makes a [[WarriorPoet badass quote]] before climbing into a fighter himself.
114* GeneralRipper: He was a Space Marshall for all of five minutes, above even admiral, where some of his actions at the lower rank included genetic profiling and eradication of anyone who did not fit his mold through bioweapons.
115* HeWhoFightsMonsters: The near-destruction of humanity during the Kilrathi War led him to conclude that Humanity must evolve into a warrior race via the horrific culling of the weak and near-constant warfare.
116* InsaneAdmiral: While it was less pronounced in ''II'' and ''III'', ''IV'' shows him clearly into this territory.
117* JerkAss: So much that he makes you miss the days of being with Colonel Halcyon back in Tiger's Claw.
118* JerkassToOne: He has it in for Blair due to being convinced that he's guilty of destroying the Tiger's Claw. The only other pilot he's nearly this harsh towards is Spirit, when the latter is suspected of being a traitor.
119* KnightTemplar: Above all, he ultimately wants to save the human race. What [[InferredHolocaust he]] will [[EvilutionaryBiologist to]] do [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath so]] make him almost as great a threat to humanity as the Kilrathi were. Almost.
120* LargeHam: He certainly has his moments of this, particularly in ''IV''.
121* MilitaryMaverick: He is described as tactically brilliant but untrustworthy, too intent on fighting his own war to make a truly effective tool of Confed.
122* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In ''IV'', albeit exclusive to the novelization; Tolwyn realizes that his master plan to genetically purify the entirety of the human race in preparation for war with its next enemy was in fact detrimental to his goal, and ironically would've only hastened humanity's destruction rather than position it to defend itself in the long run. Overcome with guilt, he hangs himself on the even of his execution.
123* NarrativeProfanityFilter: In the novel ''Fleet Action'', when the [[CatFolk Kilrathi]] Baron Jugaka demanded humanity's surrender, Admiral Tolwyn said, "Direct your inquiry to President Quinson. I'm sure he will tell you to go perform a certain impossible anatomical act." When the baron specified he wanted the fleet's surrender, Tolwyn "replied with what he assumed the President would have said."
124* ANaziByAnyOtherName: He seeks to weed out humans who are not fit to fight through horrendous means and seeks dominance over the Border Worlds and the Kilrathi. Yep, [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler that sounds familiar]].
125* RousingSpeech: He's given his share of these; but perhaps his most notable one is as the leader of the treacherous Black Lance in ''IV'', where he praises the renegade faction at length for its extreme tactics in safeguarding humanity.
126* TheSocialDarwinist: Becomes a Type 3 version of this in ''IV''.
127* VeteranInstructor: Tolwyn is assigned to provide final training for the eponymous academy's students, in ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'', due to his being ReassignedToAntarctica.
128* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Almost verbatim during the endgame of ''IV'' [[spoiler: when you choose the right dialogues.]]
129* WellIntentionedExtremist: in ''Wing Commander IV'', albeit zigzagged between the game and the novelization. The game makes it clear that Tolwyn crossed the MoralEventHorizon, but the novel has characters wondering (after his death, to boot) if the ends didn't justify the means.
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Lance Casey]]
133!Lance Casey
134-> '''Played By:''' Stephen Petrarca
135
136The new PlayerCharacter in ''Prophecy'' and an {{Expy}} to Blair, Casey is the son of a legendary ace from the Kilrathi war.
137----
138* TheAce: Casey eventually becomes every bit as good as his father was, perhaps even better.
139* DeadGuyJunior: The second coming of Iceman.
140* EnsignNewbie: How he starts in ''Prophecy.''
141* PassingTheTorch: Introduced as the protagonist of ''Prophecy'', which was a "Next Generation" type of continuation of the series now that Blair had been doing his thing so long that he was now a flag officer. Several characters from previous games serve as the experienced veterans in comparison to Casey and his EnsignNewbie wingmen.
142* RightBehindMe: He starts bad-mouthing Commodore Blair, who inevitably appears. After being made aware of Blair's presence, he goes into full "recruit greeting a senior officer" mode.
143-->'''Casey''': "I must have heard ''everything'' about Blair." (lists off Blair's famous achievements, then pauses when he sees his audience stand at attention) "[[OhCrap Except that he was onboard]] the ''Midway''..." (muttered)
144* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: was the "someone" in this case. [[AllThereInTheManual The strategy guide]] gives the impression of a [[AltarTheSpeed hastily-arranged wedding]], which was just as well--Iceman still died before Lance was born.
145[[/folder]]
146
147!Supporting Characters
148!!Introduced in Wing Commander 1 and its expansions:
149
150[[folder:Peter Halcyon]]
151!Peter Halcyon
152-> '''Voiced By:''' Creator/CamClarke
153
154Colonel Halcyon is the highest ranking officer seen aboard the Tiger's Claw in the first game and its expansions. It is unclear whether he is actually the captain of the carrier. He hands out assigns pilots to flight groups, gives mission briefings and oversees ceremonies for promotions and medals.
155----
156* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: If Halcyon gives you a dressing down, you know you've ''really'' fucked up. The first time you abort a mission by ejecting and survive, he gives you in his office a stern but polite talk about how while pilots are their most valuable resource, ships should not be wasted needlessly.
157* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Completely vanishes from the scene after ''I'' with no word on his fate after the Claw's destruction in ''II''. Expanded material however suggests he was no luckier than anyone else on board his beloved ship.
158[[/folder]]
159
160[[folder:Sam "Shotglass" Walker]]
161!Sam "Shotglass" Walker
162----
163* TheBartender: Shotglass mans the bar in the break room, and is actually quite good at it. He has plenty of advice to give to a novice pilot about different wingmen and combat situations.
164* PostInjuryDeskJob: A variation, bartending seems to be all he does nowadays. Shotglass is a former pilot who suffered an unspecified injury which grounded him permanently.
165[[/folder]]
166
167[[folder:James "Paladin" Taggart]]
168!James "Paladin" Taggart
169-> '''Played By:''' Creator/JohnRhysDavies (''III'' onwards), Creator/TchekyKaryo (film)
170
171----
172* CoolOldGuy: In the first game he's the oldest pilot in active duty, a friendly fellow and a skilled pilot.
173* GeneralBadass: As a Brigadier General in ''III''. His role in seeing the final completion of the Temblor Bomb proves instrumental in securing humanity's survival against the Kilrathi.
174* GuileHero: In the second game he's officially retired to run a cargo hauler near the front lines, but is in reality working for military intelligence. This continues in the third game (minus the retirement coverup), and in the fourth game he has entered politics.
175* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: In the fourth game, he's willing to listen to Blair's testimony against Tolwyn, despite the latter's insistence on dismissing him as a traitor.
176* WhatTheHellHero: In ''IV'' when Blair appears before the Assembly to out Tolwyn as the real instigator of the war with the Border Worlds. Paladin reacts to Blair's many revelations about as well as you'd expect, and he ultimately presides over the tribunal that finds Tolwyn guilty of crimes against humanity.
177[[/folder]]
178
179[[folder:Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka]]
180!Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka
181-> '''Voiced By:''' Eiko Nagata
182
183----
184* GratuitousJapanese: [[spoiler:During her HeroicSacrifice, she says "I will be waiting for you in Heaven" in Japanese.]]
185* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:She rams her fighter into Heaven's Gate, destroying the station at the cost of her own life]].
186* UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics: In the first game, she refers to Maverick as "Maverick-san" or "Blair-san," and Halcyon as "Colonel-sama."
187* JapanesePoliteness: She's one of the friendliest and most approachable squadmates.
188* SpannerInTheWorks: A Terran traitor tries to paint her as one, blackmailing her with the life of her supposedly-dead fiancee to get her to cooperate.
189[[/folder]]
190
191[[folder:Chen "Bossman" Kien]]
192!Chen "Bossman" Kien
193----
194* TheAce: A decorated veteran who is always cool under pressure. Often shared this position alongside Iceman and Paladin.
195* HeroicSacrifice: He and Angel are ambushed by a vastly superior Kilrathi force while out on patrol; Bossman dies in the melee, but buys Angel enough time to escape back to the Tiger's Claw.
196* TemptingFate: He muses the possibility of vacationing on Firekka with his family after having spent time with the locals there. He doesn't live to see it happen.
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Joseph "Knight" Kumalo]]
200!Joseph "Knight" Kumalo
201----
202* BoringButPractical: He's not the best pilot, but one of the more reliable ones, hence why many of his fellow pilots like having him a a wingman.
203[[/folder]]
204
205[[folder:Michael "Iceman" Casey]]
206!Michael "Iceman" Casey
207----
208* TheAce: Pretty much everyone considers Iceman to be ''the'' pilot on board Tiger's Claw. His actual performance in the game reflects that, when ArtificialStupidity doesn't get in the way.
209* CanadaEh: He is stated to be from British Columbia, but does not display any stereotypically Canadian attributes.
210* ClintSquint: Always has his eyes narrowed to a slit, and very badass.
211* ConsummateProfessional: The only times we see or hear about Iceman losing his temper is when someone unnecessarily endangers a mission.
212* CruelAndUnusualDeath: In the novelizations, his remains were found completely cannibalized by the Kilrathi inside his ejection pod when recovered by the Confederation.
213* SociopathicSoldier: Type 4. Iceman was a mediocre combat pilot until his family fell victim to a Kilrathi raid. After that it seems he made it his life goal to kill as many Kilrathi as possible before he dies. Even Maniac finds his dedication scary.
214* TheStoic: Iceman always appears calm and collected, even in the middle of battle.
215[[/folder]]
216
217[[folder:Ian "Hunter" St. John]]
218!Ian "Hunter" St. John
219----
220* AwesomeAussie: Born in Brisbane, and a skilled pilot.
221* CigarChomper: Always biting down on one while off duty.
222* HeroicSacrifice: In the novelizations, he dies on the mission to uncover the Hakaga fleet being amassed by the Kilrathi to destroy Earth.
223[[/folder]]
224
225[[folder:Etienne "Doomsday" Montclair]]
226!Etienne "Doomsday" Montclair
227A pilot of Maori descent, he carries traditional facial tattoos of his people. He constantly gives dour and pessimistic opinions of things, yet is regardless a capable and loyal pilot.
228----
229* TheEeyore: Doomsday is, fitting for his name, probably the single most depressing person to talk to in any of the games. However, it seems he doesn't let this attitude get in the way of his piloting.
230* {{Irony}}: The pilot who's most convinced he'll end up dead sooner or later actually survives the war.
231[[/folder]]
232
233!!Introduced in Wing Commander 2 and its expansions:
234
235[[folder:Thrakhath bar Kiranka]]
236!Crown Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka
237-> '''Voiced By:''' Gilbert P. Austin (''II''), Creator/JohnRhysDavies (''III''), Kevin Schon (''Academy'')
238
239Crown Prince of the Kilrathi Empire and the favorite grandson of The Emperor. He and Blair tangle quite frequently over the course of the franchise, and it is he who bestows on Blair his Kilrathi warrior name, "The Heart of the Tiger."
240----
241* AxCrazy: A combination of this and BloodKnight. He is considered a bloodthirsty psychopath even by other Kilrathi.
242* {{Archenemy}}: To Colonel Blair.
243* BatmanGambit: He uses Angel's death as a bid to drive Blair into an UnstoppableRage. In the novel, it gets worse.
244* TheDragon: In both ''Venegance of the Kilrathi'' and ''Heart of the Tiger'', to the Emperor himself (who is never fought directly).
245* DragonInChief: He appears to lead a significant portion of TheEmpire's forces, possibly all of them by ''Wing Commander III''.
246* FinalSolution: Intends to implement one of these on the human race, even over the objections of other Kilrathi.
247* GeneralFailure: To the point that, in the ExpandedUniverse novels, it's stated that the only reason he hasn't been assassinated is because he's the Emperor's heir.
248** And not for lack of trying either. Thrakhath assigns those most likely to betray him to missions where they are most likely to die in battle.
249** Lampshaded by Khasra, who questions why he is still in command.
250** In ''Fleet Action'', it's mentioned in passing that he has been unable to conceive an heir of his own, implying that he may be sterile, in addition to merely being impotent on the battlefield.
251* TheUriahGambit: Threats to his position or authority tend to be assigned to missions that are believed to be one-way trips.
252* WorthyOpponent: Has this attitude to Colonel Blair, which is not really reciprocated.
253* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Was planning on disposing of the Mandarins around the time Blair destroys Ayer's Rock.
254[[/folder]]
255
256[[folder:Ralgha "Hobbes" nar Hhallas]]
257!Ralgha "Hobbes" nar Hhallas
258-> '''Voiced By:''' Richard Goodman (''II''), Creator/JohnSchuck (''III'')
259
260A defector from the Kilrathi empire, Ralgha ''nar'' Hhallas joins the Confederation and is even accepted into the Space Forces, eventually achieving the rank of Colonel. Of course, since he's a Cat, a lot of people mistrust him; as such it doesn't hurt him to be loyal to Blair despite his disgrace in the second game, but since the Kilrathi are a ProudWarriorRace, [[UndyingLoyalty Hobbes' trust means something]]. In the third game he gets an even bigger role.
261----
262* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: Inverted: The justification for Hobbes' FaceHeelTurn in ''Wing Commander III'' didn't make it into the original PC release, but did make it to the Playstation port and the novelization.
263* CrutchCharacter: Serves as this in ''Wing Commander III'': he's an excellent pilot but each mission you use him on means one less mission to improve on the RelationshipValues of the rest of the Squad. Lampshaded by Capt. Eisen if you pick Hobbes too often early on.
264* DeepCoverAgent: In ''Wing Commander III'', of the ManchurianAgent variety.
265* DefectorFromDecadence: He is presented as this in ''Wing Commander II''.
266* FantasticRacism: Suffers a great deal of this from his comrades. [[spoiler: It turns out to have been justified.]]
267* FaceHeelTurn: Has one halfway through ''III'' where he betrays the ''TCS Behemoth''
268* FakeDefector: In the second half of ''III'' it is revealed that he actually was a ManchurianAgent for the Kilrathi Empire.
269* MemoryGambit: ''Wing Commander III'' revealed that Hobbes' defection to the Confederation was a MemoryGambit.
270* NumberTwo: Very briefly serves as the First Officer aboard the ''Victory'', as none of the other pilots will fly on his wing. When Blair is assigned to command the ''Victory'''s wing, he insists that Hobbes be reinstated to the flight roster, and Rollins is promoted to replace him.
271* TokenHeroicOrc: Even after his ManchurianAgent personality takes over, he is driven by honor to leave a message explaining himself to Colonel Blair.
272* TokenNonHuman: Not all alien races are allied with the Kilrathi, but Hobbes is the only one you fly alongside.
273* TragicMonster: What they were going for with the revelation he's a ManchurianAgent. YMMV whether they succeeded or not.
274* VitriolicBestBuds: He's this to Paladin in ''Wing Commander II''.
275* WorthyOpponent: After being outed, leaves behind a recording for Blair indicating his respect for him and regret that, in order to remain loyal to the Kilrathi, he must betray him.
276[[/folder]]
277
278!!Introduced in Wing Commander 3:
279
280[[folder:William Eisen]]
281!Captain William Eisen
282-> '''Played By:''' Jason Bernard
283
284Captain of TCS ''Victory''
285----
286* BigGood: Of the fourth game.
287* TheCaptain: Of ''Victory'' in ''3'', then of TCS ''Lexington'', BWS ''Intrepid'', and TCS ''St Helens'' in turn in ''4''.
288%%* CoolOldGuy:
289* AFatherToHisMen: Eisen tolerates no disrespect towards his crew from anyone.
290* OldSoldier: His naval career spans four decades and then some.
291* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The Captain smells a rat in Confed's operations against the Union of Border Worlds in ''4''. He starts digging and soon uncovers a conspiracy to start a war of genocide.
292[[/folder]]
293
294[[folder:Winston "Vagabond" Chang]]
295!Winston "Vagabond" Chang
296-> '''Played By:''' Creator/FrancoisChau
297
298A pilot on the ''Victory''. Vagabond is an avid card player with a happy-go-lucky personality and a past he doesn’t like to talk about.
299----
300* BackForTheDead: The only wingman (other than Maniac, of course) from the roster of III to return for IV... [[spoiler: and is promptly killed off in the game's first act]]. Chau even got himself a PromotionToOpeningTitles out of the deal.
301* CharacterTic: Whenever he's not flying, Vagabond is never seen without his deck of cards, either playing poker or idly shuffling his deck when he doesn’t have someone to play with.
302* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was previously involved in some classified operations. At least one of them resulted in millions of civilian deaths as a result of a "demolitions test" gone wrong. When he finally opens up to Blair about it, Vagabond declares that he has a special place reserved for him in Hell.
303* HeroicSacrifice: In ''IV'', he protects Velina Sosa while raiding a Confederation comms station after having defected to the Border Worlds. He is fatally shot in the resulting firefight but buys Sosa enough time to escape with the intelligence they had sought.
304* MeaningfulName: Has bounced between dozens of assignments and specialties before landing on the ''Victory''. He returns in ''4'' saying, "Hey, a man can do okay as long as he doesn’t stay in one place too long."
305* StepfordSmiler: His cheerful persona hides the guilt he feels over his DarkAndTroubledPast.
306* UndyingLoyalty: To Captain Eisen.
307[[/folder]]
308
309[[folder:Rachel Coriolis]]
310!Rachel Coriolis
311-> '''Played By:''' Ginger Lynn
312
313Chief maintainer of TCS ''Victory'''s air group.
314----
315* DoubleEntendre: Most of her dialogue has shades of this, even when she's not explicitly flirting with Blair.
316* MsFanservice: She has a tendency to leave her coveralls unzipped, drawing a bit of MaleGaze. And her actress is porn star Ginger Lynn Allen.
317* WrenchWench: She's in charge of fixing up fighters and bombers aboard ''Victory'' and later again on ''Midway'' in ''Prophecy''.
318[[/folder]]
319
320[[folder:Ted "Radio" Rollins]]
321!Ted "Radio" Rollins
322-> '''Played By:''' Courtney Gains
323
324Communications officer and executive officer (or Comm Exec, as he puts it) of TCS ''Victory''
325----
326* CommunicationsOfficer: In this capacity, he detects unusually-coded transmissions originating from somewhere aboard the ''Victory''. At the time, Admiral Tolwyn is onboard and Blair logically assumes that they're his, but Rollins is familiar with admiralty codes and insists they're not. (He's right -- Hobbes is sending them to Thrakhath.)
327* NumberTwo: Executive officer of the ''Victory'', despite his relatively low rank (Lieutenant). This affords him the privilege of attending all mission briefings, though he mostly just observes them in silence.
328* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Rollins cares little for protocol, but he will twice salute Blair alongside Eisen before he departs, both times on his final mission (in alternate branching paths): either to destroy Kilrah, or in a futile attempt to defend Earth in humanity's last stand.
329* ProperlyParanoid: Rollins suspects -- rightly -- that Confed is doing much worse in the war than they're letting on and are lying about it to everyone.
330[[/folder]]
331
332!!Introduced in Wing Commander 4:
333
334[[folder:Jacob "Hawk" Manley]]
335!Jacob "Hawk" Manley
336-> '''Played By:''' Chris Mulkey
337
338* BloodKnight: Hawk believes that war requires getting your hands dirty. He wasn’t always this way; the death of his parents and family in a Kilrathi attack left him dead inside.
339* TheEndJustifiesTheMeans: Hawk believes foreign civilian casualties are acceptable to achieve victory. He reasons that winning will save more lives in the long run.
340* ShellShockedVeteran: Hawk lost everyone he ever loved to the Kilrathi, and utterly ''despises'' the cats. He barely accepts TeethClenchedTeamwork with them in ''4''. Having to do it again in ''Prophecy'' triggers a HeroicBSOD.
341[[/folder]]
342
343[[folder:Robert "Pliers" Sykes]]
344!Robert "Pliers" Sykes
345-> '''Played By:''' Creator/RichardRiehle
346
347Chief maintainer aboard BWS ''Intrepid''.
348----
349* CoolOldGuy: A cantankerous old mechanic with a heart of gold.
350* GadgeteerGenius: He can homebrew things like a cloaking device out of spare wire and whatever trash is handy, makes nonstandard mods to the fighters, and reverse-engineers captured Black Lance technology.
351* MrFixit: He can put a space fighter back together with duct tape and empty beer cans, if he needs to.
352[[/folder]]
353
354[[folder:Seether]]
355!"Seether"
356-> '''Played By:''' Robert Rusler
357
358A pilot whose official name is never established, he serves Admiral Tolwyn and is a member of the [=GenSelect=] program.
359----
360* ArtificialHuman: As part of the Genetic Enhancement Program, his base genome was modified with a genetic template composed of some of the finest pilots in the Confederation.
361* BladeEnthusiast : One of his defining traits outside the cockpit is his love for a unique two-blade knife.
362* BloodKnight: He was literally bred for war, and gleefully participates in some of the most heinous atrocities of ''Wing Commander IV''
363* TheDragon: In ''The Price of Freedom'', to Admiral Tolwyn.
364* DuelBoss: He takes on Blair in the final showdown mano-a-mano to keep him from reaching Tolwyn and to finally prove he's the superior being to Blair. He fails in both endeavors.
365* MasterRace: Between genetically modified as the ultimate warrior and being brought up with the propaganda by the project, he believes himself and his fellow Genetic Enhancement Program members to be superior to un-modified humanity.
366* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: His record was blanked by Confed, and the only person who recognized him by his [[ExplosivePropulsion Mine shockwave riding trick]] couldn't remember his real name, so his callsign of "Seether" is the only identifier.
367* PuttingOnTheReich: His uniform is not subtle.
368* SmallNameBigEgo: For all his talk about being superior and his zero tolerance for failure, he falls rather quickly in battle (probably because he doesn't have the advantage of technology anymore).
369* SociopathicSoldier:
370* YouHaveFailedMe: Pulls this at the point of a combat knife [[spoiler:on Captain Paulsen.]]
371[[/folder]]
372
373!!Introduced in Prophecy and Secret Ops:
374
375!Expanded Universe
376[[folder:Jason "Bear" Bondarevski]]
377!Jason "Bear" Bondarevski
378Originally appearing in an ExpansionPack to ''Wing Commander II'', Bondarevski was adopted by author William Forstchen as the main character of his ExpandedUniverse novels. Bear, like Blair, eventually reaches flag rank and helps to strike a number of devastating blows against the Kilrathi war machine.
379----
380* AscendedExtra: He went from a character in a minor subplot in ''Wing Commander II'' to becoming a major character in the novels.
381* ArtificialLimbs: The ''Wing Commander IV'' {{novelization}} states he lost an arm during the conclusion of the Kilrathi War, which was replaced with a cybernetic substitute. As noted below, later he's offered an UnusualUserInterface, but declines.
382* RunningGag: His name. Many attempt to say it, most botch it badly.
383* UnusualUserInterface: In the novel ''False Colors'', he's offered the chance to have his cybernetic replacement arm (mentioned above) wired so he's directly connected to his fighter's controls. He declines the offer.
384[[/folder]]
385
386[[folder:Janet "Sparks" [=McCullough=]]]
387!Janet "Sparks" [=McCullough=]
388Introduced in the second game in the same role Rachel was later given in ''Wing Commander III'', she eventually transferred to the ExpandedUniverse novelizations along with Bondarevski.
389----
390* AscendedExtra: After only a brief showing in the games, she becomes significant character in the non-{{novelization}} novels.
391* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Her name is mentioned in dialog, but much of the time she was addressed by her nickname.
392* OfficialCouple: she and Bear.
393* ShipperOnDeck: For Blair and Angel.
394* WrenchWench: Her job aboard the carriers she serves upon is to maintain the spacecraft launching from their decks.
395[[/folder]]
396
397[[folder:Kevin "Lone Wolf" Tolwyn]]
398!Kevin "Lone Wolf" Tolwyn
399The nephew of the famous admiral, Tolwyn is a novel-only character (though they flirted with the idea of including him in one of the games). He starts out pretty much a SpoiledBrat, but after a bit of BreakTheHaughty (and surviving one of the toughest missions in the war) he matures into a capable and outstanding pilot.
400----
401* AcePilot: One of the better pilots in the stories he participates in, maturing into an all-around excellent servicemember.
402* GloryHound: He starts out as this in ''End Run'', until it's pointed out that his seeking to kill a fighter, in ''End Run'', left a wounded bomber open to an ambush, killing one of the bomber's crew members in the process.
403[[/folder]]
404
405[[folder:Jukaga nar Ki'ra]]
406!Baron Jukaga nar Ki'ra
407A Kilrathi character who is only in the Wing Commander novels, ''End Run'', ''Fleet Action'', and ''Action Stations''. But his role in these three books almost makes them a trilogy centered on him.
408----
409* CuriosityCausesConversion: Baron Jukaga's dedicated study of the humans makes him admire them, leading him to betray his own side and prevent an annihilation bombardment of Earth, saving humanity's homeworld at the cost of his own life.
410* [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim To Defeat Them, We Must Understand Them]]: In ''Action Stations'', a young Baron Jukaga is instructed to study the humans in order to learn from and understand them better in order to defeat them in the future. By the time of ''Fleet Action'', he has learned about humanity [[HumanityIsInfectious all too well]].
411[[/folder]]
412
413[[folder:Simon "[=McGoo=]" [=LeDuke=]]]
414!Simon "[=McGoo=]" [=LeDuke=]
415A character from the collectible card game.
416----
417* NerdGlasses: In the Wing Commander CollectibleCardGame, [[http://ccg.jetlag.us/main.php?g2_itemId=2602&g2_imageViewsIndex=1 his character card]] shows him wearing a pair of these.
418[[/folder]]
419

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