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Player Characters and the Player's Black Spirit

     In General 
  • Amnesiac Hero: The player made a bargain with the Black Spirit before the game began. Whatever it was, it left them in a small town in Balenos without their memories.
  • Blood Knight: Killing their way through hundreds and thousands of monsters is standard for any MMO character, but between humanizing the monsters and having many of the 20 Bear Asses quests whispered into your ear by the Obviously Evil Black Spirit, it's clear that the player character is supposed to come off this way.
    • Refusal of the Call: Though the game's "life skills" system is more than robust enough for a character to ignore the Black Spirit's urging and settle down to a quiet life on a farm somewhere.
  • Deal with the Devil: As mentioned above, progressing on the main story reveals that the player made a deal with the Black Spirit at some point in the past, apparently exchanging their memories for power from the Black Spirit.
  • Character Customization: Taken to Cast of Snowflakes level by the character creator. In addition to customization options, each class also has a different base appearance.
  • Limited Wardrobe: In contrast with the in-depth character customization, each class only has a handful of armor styles... plus a pool of premium costumes and some difficult-to-obtain craftable outfits.

     The Player's Black Spirit 

The Player's Black Spirit

  • Blue-and-Orange Morality: He asks you to murder anything in order to advance his goals, but wants to make you a hero as you finish the first half of the Calpheon questline makes him very hard to pinpoint his philosophy.
  • Fighting from the Inside: You finally get to fight him in-person as he obtains another Ancient artifact at the gates of the Mediah castle, instinctively leaves your body in order to grow in size. This, incidently, severs his deal of controlling you that let's you fight him without issues.
  • Evil Mentor: The Black Spirit's desire is to get stronger, through your efforts of becoming stronger yourself. There's no mistake that this becomes Black Spirit's role throughout the game.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As much as he has a distaste towards humans and those alike, he opts to recover your lost memories up to the day you woke up in the Forest of Seclusion as thanks for getting stronger along with him.
  • Obviously Evil: Dark Is Evil, Giggling Villain, Red Eyes, Take Warning and a Jerkass. All these traits give the Player Character a impression of him initially in the Forest of Seclusion. However, this premise becomes Subverted as you learn his true purpose in the ancient Valencia Castle.
  • The Symbiote: The Black Spirit embeds himself inside the player's head as a deal to make him stronger as you take the blood of your foes corrupted by the Black Stones naturally occuring throughout the world map.
  • Stupidity Is the Only Option: Technically there's nothing ``preventing`` the player from just ignoring its quests and doing their own thing, but traveling around helping the Black Spirit awaken long-hidden sources of dark power is the only way to advance the main plot.
    • On the part of Non Player Characters, everyone with some mystical awareness seems to notice that there's something sinisterly wrong with the player character, but no one seems interested in doing anything about it.

     Berserker 

Berserker

Gender: Male
Weapon: Dual-Axes / Ornamental Knot
Awakening Weapon: Iron Buster

  • Arm Cannon: His Awakening weapon is basically this. Enabling him to attack enemies at a much greater range.
  • The Big Guy: Has the largest natural health pool and strongest Grappling power than most classes.
  • Close-Range Combatant: Thanks to his massive size and dual axes, he can basically charge at anyone he doesn't like and take punishment without relying on Front Guards like shielded classes do.
  • Critical Hit Class: The Seizing Fear passive ability mandates him into one.
  • Our Giants Are Bigger: Berserker is the only class who is an actual Giant.

     Dark Knight 

Dark Knight

Gender: Female
Awakening Weapon: Vediant

  • Black Knight
  • BFS: Dark Knight's primary weapon is a Kriegsmesser blade, which effectively functions as one.
  • Casting a Shadow
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Dark Knight uses the same, if not similar powers to the Sorceress class, but is about morally the same as everybody else.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather
  • Magic Knight: While primarily a melee fighter, Dark Knight has a few spells she is able to weave in between her sword skills.
  • Our Elves Are Different: The Dark Knight is a Vedir elf, essentially an elf born under the power of the Moon. Many of the elves seen in Black Desert Online are Ganelle elves, born under the power of the Sun. The Ranger classes are Ganelle elves while the Archer ones are Luthraghon.
  • Proper Tights with a Skirt: Or rather proper tights without a skirt.

     Kunoichi/Ninja 

Kunoichi/Ninja

Gender: Female/Male
Weapon: Shortsword / Shuriken

     Lahn 

Lahn

Gender: Female
Awakening Weapon: Crimson Glaives

  • Dance Battler: Their fighting style is directly based on Chinese ribbon dancing, with the key difference being that the ribbon has a large blade on the end.
  • Epic Flail: Probably the best way to describe the Crescent Pendulum, their main weapon. It's a long cloth ribbon with an axe-like blade on one end, with the other end attached to the hilt of a jian (Chinese straight-sword). In a Lahn's hands, it's a storm of whirling doom.
  • Improbable Weapon User: See Epic Flail above. The Crescent Pendulum is halfway between a weapon and a dance prop.

     Maewha/Musa 

Maewha/Musa

Gender: Female/Male
Awakening Weapon: Kerispear (Maewha) / Crescent Blade (Musa)

  • Cultural Chop Suey: They're mostly inspired by Chinese youxia (folk heroes/knights errant), but take bits and pieces from lots of other Far Eastern warrior cultures, including Japanese samurai, Korean hwarang and wonhwa, and Malay pendekar.
  • Horse Archer: When mounted, their bow becomes their primary attack. They appear to use a Mongolian style of archery, adding to their general Cultural Chop Suey.
  • Life Drain: Their "Divider" skill does this.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Capable of large amounts of damage while being very fast with their "Pursuit" skill.
  • Wuxia: Their main inspiration - they're wuxia heroes in a Medieval European Fantasy setting, with a touch of extra flavour from other Far Eastern martial cultures. The Musa in particular wears classical Chinese armour and has a dao (sabre) as his initial weapon and a guandao (heavy glaive) as his Awakening Weapon.

     Ranger 

Ranger

Gender: Female
Weapon: Longbow / Dagger
Awakening Weapon: Kamasylvan Sword

     Sorceress 

Sorceress

Gender: Female
Awakening Weapon: Scythe

  • Black Magic: They use the same dark energy as the Black Spirit in their magic, creating hexes, curses, and devastating energy blasts.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: They're a protagonist class using Black Magic and a Sinister Scythe. BDO has significant Video Game Cruelty Potential, but a Sorceress is no more evil than anyone else you can play as.
  • Fragile Speedster: Sorceresses have pretty high damage, but have to rely primarily on evading attacks through their mobility to survive.
  • Full-Contact Magic: Unlike Witches and Wizards, who are conventional spellcasters, Sorceresses are basically magical martial artists who use dark energy to extend and empower their blows with their hands, feet, and (later on) scythes.
  • Kung-Fu Wizard: Again, they're magical martial artists. Sometimes, an arm-chop or kick is a way for them to launch a projectile. Sometimes, it's just an arm-chop or kick with a lot of destructive magic wrapped around it.
  • Squishy Wizard: They may be close/mid-ranged brawlers who use Full-Contact Magic, but they're still very lightly-armoured.

     Striker/Mystic 

Striker

Gender: Male/Female

  • Bare-Fisted Monk: Though with less emphasis on the "bare-fisted" part, as they use gauntlets to improve their attack power.

     Tamer 

Tamer

Gender: Female
Awakening Weapon: Celestial Bo

     Valkyrie 

Valkyrie

Gender: Female
Weapon: Longsword / Shield
Awakening Weapon: Lancia

  • Amazon Brigade: Valkyries stand out for specifically being an all-female military unit who serve as one of the most elite forces of the Republic of Calpheon.
  • Close-Range Combatant: Much shorter than Warrior's, but compensates with mobility and retains her shield in her Awakening.
  • Distaff Counterpart: To Warrior, though Valkyries focus more on defense and White Magic than mobility.
  • Fiery Redhead: Invoked. Red hair is a symbol of the Valkyries' ferocity, and if recruits don't have it naturally, they dye it.
  • Flash Step: Shield Chase and Death Line Chase push Valkyrie in a straight line, complete with Super Armor and Front Guard.
  • Jack of All Trades: Has the necessary abilities to be taken as a tank, a healer/support and a DPS class, all in one sitting, but struggles to compete other classes who specializes such roles.
  • Lightning Bruiser: A trait that Valkyrie takes advantage as a Harassment class in PvP modes like Node Wars. As they have incredible tactical mobility through their Shield Chase ability, which allows them to outmaneuver their enemy and often attack them from behind that deals more damage.
  • Minidress of Power: Their short dresses aren't for show. As shorter skirts free them from restrictive movement typical legplates would hinder other combatants and emphasize their Lightning Bruiser skillset.
  • Noble Profession: Valkyries are often hailed in Calpheon as nobles for war, benefitted with advanced education, a sizable ownership and a political position within Calpheon's church.
  • The Paladin: They're classic fantasy paladins, holy knights who fight with swords, shields, and divine magic in service of their strict warrior code and their god, Elion.
  • Retractable Weapon: A Valkyrie would normally draw her sword hidden behind her buckler on her right arm that triggers it to unfold into a functional shield.
  • Super-Soldier: Elion, Calpheon's patron god, blessed these women with great power and strength in order to circumvent their powerful foes that threatened the city.

     Warrior 

Warrior

Gender: Male
Weapon: Longsword / Shield
Awakening Weapon: Greatsword

  • Badass Normal: They're just tough, well-armoured mercenaries without the fancy magic most other classes use.
  • Charles Atlas Superpower: They're ordinary humans, but the main thing they bring to the table is their raw, brutal strength.
  • Expy: Post-Awakening, a Warrior is a monstrously strong Empowered Badass Normal with a BFS who is constantly accompanied by a malevolent-but-useful being of darkness. In other words, they're very much like Guts from Berserk, and their moveset is littered with references to his fighting style.
  • Spear Counterpart: Of the Valkyrie, though Warriors focus more on mobility than defense and White Magic.

     Witch/Wizard 

Witch/Wizard

Gender: Female/Male
Weapon: Staff / Dagger
Awakening Weapon: Orb

     Archer 

Archer

Gender: Male
Weapon: Crossbow / Ra'ghon
Awakening Weapon: Greatbow

  • Great Bow: As the name says, it's a large bow that's nearly as tall as he is (Taller if the player decides to turn that height slider all the way down) and shoots magically charged spears that could have very well been weapons on their own.
  • Energy Bow: Played with. Often times, he seems to be able to summon the spear arrow into his hand, which are anything but mundane. And most of the time, there is no quiver to indicate the need for physical arrows, with the exception of his Luanwulf outfit where there is one, but the arrows themselves are much smaller than the actual arrow he uses with his Greatbow. The spear itself appears to be solid however. Played completely straight with his crossbow, even in the trailer itself, he summons arrows of light using magic.
  • Our Elves Are Different: He's part of a clan of elves called the Luthraghon, which are purely male elves just as the Ganelle and Vedir are purely female.
  • Glass Cannon: One of the squishiest classes due to the way the class works but definitely one of the hardest hitters. Most classes that have low damage reducers would utilize evasion more. However, in the case of the Archer, he is unable to make that work efficiently in conjunction with his damage potential. As a result, most would rather go glass cannon with his build hoping that at least, they will take out any enemies before they even get within a few feet from him.
  • Elfeminate: His default look in before and after the reboot. But depending on the player's choice, this can more or less so, even taken to the eleventh degree

Non-Player Characters

     Recurring Characters 

Edan

Voiced by: Jordan Reynolds

Orwen

Voiced by: Kara Kovacich Stewart

     Balenos Territory 

Captain Cliff

  • Foreshadowing: He's in the second settlement new players will encounter, and anyone standing in his tent will hear "Grand Chamberlain Jordine is not to be trusted" every few seconds long before they have any idea who Jordine even is.
  • The Mentor: Cliff saw Jordine's talent for leadership when the latter joined the Serendian military, and took him under his wing.
  • Reassigned to Antarctica: Cliff was Serendia's greatest commander, having won several victories against Calpheon, so why is he stationed fighting imps in the middle of Balenos? Jordine sent him far away from Heidel so he could scatter Cliff's officers and replace them with ones loyal to himself.

Princess Jarette Domongatt

  • Arranged Marriage: To Jordine Ducas.
  • Fiery Redhead
  • Sole Survivor: When Calpheon set fire to Hidel Castel, Cliff got her out, but the rest of her siblings died, leaving her the sole heir of Serendia.
  • Spoiled Brat: She'd really prefer to be back home, rather than out in the mud wrangling imps.

     Serendia Territory 

Grand Chamberlain Jordine Ducas

  • Arranged Marriage: To Jarrette Domongatt.
  • Conveniently an Orphan: After his parents were killed due to the war with Calpheon, Jordine vowed to exact revenge on the nation, no matter the cost.
  • Dark Messiah
  • Pure Is Not Good: It's mentioned that only one of pure spirit is a suitable host for the Dark Lord Belmorn. Jordine is... really mad.

Lord Crucio Domongatt

Voiced by: Paul Bellantoni

  • Defeat as Backstory: Crucio was the King of Heidel before losing the war with Calpheon.
  • The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Despite having the title of "Lord of Serendia", he's pretty much delegated all responsibility to Jordine as he's more concerned about the welfare of his last living heir Jarette than anything else.

     Calpheon 

Margaret

Brego Williar

  • My Greatest Failure: After the Third Valencian Expansion failed miserably, Brego transformed the Ceric Order into the Delphe Knights. He tries to maintain the traditions and values of the former organization.
  • Worthy Opponent: Even though Captain Cliff fought for Serendia, Brego respects his combat prowess.

Elgriffin

Voiced by: Tara Sands
  • Cute Bruiser: At first glance, Elgriffin may appear delicate, but Elgriffin is a force on the battlefield.
  • Hollywood Atheist: Elgriffin is quite vocal about her distaste in her fellow Knights for their belief in Elion.
  • Pay Evil unto Evil: Her response to the hostage situation is to kidnap the children of the Khurutos and exterminate them all.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Margaret's blue.
  • Unscrupulous Hero: Elgriffin is willing to to whatever is necessary to succeed. Even if that means wiping out the population of the Khurutos.

     Mediah 

Ahon Kirus

  • Dark Is Not Evil: Although she wears all black and has dark hair, she is thoughtful, considerate, and cares for the well being of Tarif.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She adopted Illezra when she was a baby and raised her to adulthood, making her unwittingly and unintentionally responsible for all the havoc Illezra has wrought.

Allan Serbin

  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Often acts like one. Justified, as he has spent centuries trapped in a painting confined to essentially one spot.
  • Older Than They Look: Allan still maintains a youthful appearance despite him being over 300 years old, and knew Cartian, the First Sorceress, when she was alive.

Illezra the Witch

  • Big Bad: Seems to be set up to be one, or at least part of a Big Bad Ensemble.
  • Establishing Character Moment: When you first meet her in-game, she is seen absorbing the power of Kzarka, Lord of Corruption for unknown purposes.
  • Light Is Not Good: Dresses in white robes, but is definitely not morally good. She is responsible for toppling the Kingdom of Mediah into what it is now.
  • Mysterious Past: Not much is currently known about her other than the fact that she was raised by Ahon Kirus, betrayed the village of Tarif, toppled the former Kingdom of Mediah, is currently seeking more power and knowledge, and has some form of history with the Player Character.
  • Next Tier Power-Up: She offers one of these to the Player Character, being the one to unlock Succession abilities through unlocking some of their memories after they acquire their Awakening weapon. For what reason she does this is currently unknown.
  • We Will Meet Again: The brief moments you meet and interact with her often has her saying this before leaving.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite being set up as a seeming initial Big Bad and future enemy, she has not appeared in Valencia and any zones that have come after.

     Kamasylvia 

Queen Brolina Ornette

The current ruler of Kamasylvia. She is the one who opened up its borders and allowed outsiders to visit the nation after many long years of isolation.

  • Big Good: Is this for Kamasylvia as its current Queen and a far better ruler than the previous Queen, Amelia Ornette.
  • Good Is Not Dumb: She is aware of Calpheon's intentions to potentially invade Kamasylvia despite being allied for a long time.
  • Good Is Not Soft: She was responsible for dethroning the previous ruler of Kamasylvia. She also eventually banishes Orwen from Kamasylvia as her venturing into O'dyllita to find her former nanny led to a border conflict between the two nations.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: Towards the end of O'dyllita Part Two, she confesses to the Player Character that this was the reasoning for some of her actions, such as not preventing the prejudice of the Ahib elves within Kamasylvia, whilst asking for forgiveness.
  • Light Is Good
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: As Kamasylvia's Queen and towards the Player Character in their role as Calpheon's envoy. She was also this during her time in O'dyllita, being known as the White Angel and doing her best to feed the slaves daily and grant them rights.
  • We Used to Be Friends: With Viorencia Odore, Queen of O'dyllita. It ends after Viorencia and the Ahibs killed Brolina's younger sister, Catherine Ornette. And then averted when the Player Character learns that both rulers faked this and that it was Amelia and her Einels that killed Catherine while disguised as Ahibs, putting up fronts for the good of their nations.

Queen Amelia Ornette

The former ruler of Kamasylvia.

  • 0% Approval Rating: Subverted. While most of Kamasylvia hated her, she did have some that genuinely followed her, such as the Einels, her elite guard. She also had some Kamasylvia elves mind-controlled into obedience.
  • By-the-Book Cop: Ironically, this trope is what does her in at the end as Amelia was a stickler for rules and protocol. After Brolina returned to Kamasylvia, she eventually invoked certain protocols which empty Kamasylvia of many of her loyal supporters. This allowed Brolina to finally stage a coup and end Amelia's life.
  • God Save Us from the Queen!: Her rule was awful for Kamasylvia to say the very least. A good chunk of the purpose of the Kamasylvia main questlines are to mend relations with the various forest spirits that used to be allied with the Kamasylvian elves before her rule.
  • Knight Templar: All of her despicable actions were to get vengeance on the Vedir/Ahib elves. And then it turns out she and the Einel, her elite guards, were allied with the Sephir Ahib elves and wanted to summon Hadum, the God of Despair, to the world.
  • Posthumous Character: Is dead by the time the Player Character arrives in Kamasylvia, but the ramifications of her horrible rule is still felt in the story.

Princess Catherine Ornette

The youngest of the Ornette sisters. She set out to restore the light of the Kamasylve Tree.

  • All-Loving Hero: Was this while alive and completely avoided the conflict brewing between the Ganelle and Ahib elves, wanting only to restore Kamasylve's Light. She also befriended Orwen, initially with the intention of sacrificing her as the last part needed to restore the Kamasylve, but was ultimately unable to go through with it.
  • Cruel to Be Kind: One of her last interactions with Orwen was to send her away from Kamasylvia to protect her from those wanting her blood to restore Kamasylve's Light.
  • Dead Person Conversation: In O'dyllita Part Two, the Player Character finally has the opportunity to talk with and interact with her as a musical spirit.
  • Posthumous Character: By the time the Player Character reaches Kamasylvia, she had been dead for some time.
  • Taking Up the Mantle: While she probably didn't intend to, the Player Character ultimately does this for her. They end up succeeding where she could not, using her as the final part needed to restore the light of the Kamasylve.

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