The character sheet for characters who first appeared in Front Mission 4.

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The European Community (EC)

The Durandal Armor Tactics Research Corps

Elsa Eliane

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elsa_eliance_4.jpg

Elsa enlisted in the EC French Army at the age of 18 and worked 3 years for them as a volunteer. At the age of 21, Elsa applied to become a wanzer pilot and succeeded after a year of intense training. Elsa reached the rank of Master Sergeant in the EC French Army before applying to the Durandal, as recommended by one of her superior officers. Although she had no actual combat experience at the time, Elsa is capable of piloting a wanzer with little difficulty.

The Ace: She appeared to be a very talented wanzer pilot, seeing that she could personally defeat Wagner and the Blauer Nebel in combat.
Consummate Professional: Quite well-trained as a soldier. When she first joined the Durandal, Zead even needed to explicitly tell her that she could forgo military formalities as the Durandal was not an army.
Elsa: Yes, sir, Commander!
Zead: Please do away with the formalities. We're a research institute, not an army.
Determinator: She was quite insistent on continuing the investigating, even when it was stopped by Glaeser. It paid off big time later in the story.
Eager Rookie: At the start of the story, Elsa had never seen combat. She soon rose to be one of Durandal's best pilots.
Gratuitous French: Sometimes sprinkled this into her lines. It helped that Karen Strassman (Elsa's voice actress) can speak fluent French.
Guns Akimbo: Her preferred and natural fighting progression was to use a machine gun in one hand and a shotgun in the other. This made her one of the game's best link attackers.
Happily Married: To Darril Traubel after the main events of 4.
The Hero: To the Durandal.
The Idealist: She's the only person who attempted to get through to Wagner and to understand his motives. At the end of the story, she reminisced on the importance of fighting for a better future, and for people to understand each other.
Meaningful Name: She gave her wanzer such a cutesy name as Verseau, French for "Aquarius".
My Country, Right or Wrong: Towards the EC.
Naïve Newcomer: When the Durandal first began the investigation, Elsa naively thought that Glaeser and the Blauer Nebel would happily cooperate with the Durandal, since they had the official sanction from the EC Central Assembly. It... didn't go as she expected.
Elsa: But we cannot (stop investigating)! We must investigate further! We neither know the reason for the attacks, nor if Zaftra is truly behind this!
Glaeser: That is work for the politicians and diplomats. Your job here is done. As leader of this investigation, I order you to return to your headquarters immediately. Dismissed!
Elsa: ...
Nice Girl: Throughout the story, Elsa was nothing short of polite to pretty much everyone around her, even to Wagner after they found out he was a Zaftran spy.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Zead's Blue, especially at the start of the story. Being less experienced, Elsa naturally got emotional in some situations, only for Zead to try to get her to calm down.
Sanity Slippage: It's subtle. But Elsa did show increasing signs of PTSD as she faced many life-and-death situations over the course of the story. Also see Shell-Shocked Veteran below.
Zead: Having a hard time sleeping, Elsa?
Elsa: Yes... So many things have happened since I joined the Durandal... Too many, and too fast.
Zead: True. I think you have seen more combat than your average soldier.
Elsa: I have seen people die... I myself was almost killed...
Shell-Shocked Veteran: During the campaign, she's occasionally shaken by the violence she's forced to inflict and/or witness. After the war, she has some difficulty adjusting to civilian life. She mentally cracked and couldn't stay on the Durandal. She ended up addicted to antidepressants. Thankfully, her meeting with Darril helped.
Ship Tease: Had this with several of the male characters, including Lieutenant Colonel Roemer, Wagner, and Darril. Darril was the one who ended up with her.
Sympathy for the Devil: She mourned Wagner as he died fighting at the Paris Assembly (Mission 28), as she knew Zaftrans like Wagner were just doing what they could to secure a better future for their homeland.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Sort of the Girly Girl to Latona's Tomboy. Elsa and Latona developed a friendship over the course of the story, and the two had this dynamic to a degree. Latona was tough and no-nonsense, in contrast to the more soft-spoken and polite Elsa.

Zead Elger

Zead was the commander of the Durandal and a former Lieutenant Colonel in the EC British Army. After leaving the Army, Zead was requested to join the Durandal by several prominent figures within the EC military. With a strong military background, Zead was eternally courteous to others and hard on himself. He did not, however, demand the same rigid discipline from his colleagues; he was patient enough to accept their individuality. Zead's subordinates regarded him as both a dependable leader and a kind father figure as a result.

Benevolent Boss: He didn't maintain much of a heavy hand in running his unit, unless a command decision was needed, he's happy to delegate to his subordinates.
Zead: I admire your tenacity, Elsa.
Elsa: Oh...?
Zead: What you said in there was right. As long as we are part of this investigation, it is our duty to see it to its end. It is our duty—and our right—to do so.
Colonel Badass: In the expanded universe, he was said to have been a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army prior to joining the Durandal.
Consummate Professional: Most of his early dialogues were just discussing work-related matters, though he did show a more human side as the story progressed, such as when he counseled the emotionally troubled Elsa.
Determinator: Much to Glaeser's annoyance, the leader of the Durandal wasn't inclined to give up on the investigation just because he wanted them to.
The Face: Zead was the main Durandal member for talking to people from outside the organization.
Feeling Their Age: Despite being only in his 40s.
Zead: I can't believe I'm so tired... Perhaps it is time I seriously considered retiring...
The Leader: To the Durandal.
Long-Range Fighter: A Missileer by default. It only got more powerful as he gets access to bigger launchers. He could also attack from an unlimited range so long as he has a sensor spotter and clear LOS.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer was named Squire, which refers to a knight apprentice in the Middle Ages.
Not So Above It All: He sternly punished Latona and Beck for defying orders and engaging Elsa (during the Tutorial), but later showed that he wasn't against making jokes, after all.
Frederick: All right, all right, I'm leaving. For today, at least. See you around, li'l miss secretary!
Elsa: Wait! I'm not a—
Zead (smiled): Come on, li'l miss secretary, we're leaving.
Elsa: Zead!!!
Old Soldier: And a skilled one at that. Zead formerly worked as a member of an anti-terrorist squad, and was the Durandal's official squad leader due to his combat experience.
Precision F-Strike: Zead yelled "Bloody hell!" when they were attacked by the unknown force at Sachsen-Anhalt (buildup to Mission 2), which felt completely out of the blue because Zead had been nothing short of perfectly professional up until that point.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Elsa's Red, especially at the start of the story. Being less experienced, Elsa naturally got emotional in some situations, only for Zead to try to get her to calm down.
Team Dad: Best shown when he counseled Elsa as she increasingly showed signs of PTSD over the course of the story. His callsign was "Father One", even.

Hermes Sturges

Hermes is the systems engineer and technology specialist for the Durandal. Growing up in a political environment with his father working for the USN government, Hermes is no stranger to computer technology. He's a genius in the areas of information analysis, communication systems, and computer security. Hermes graduated from an USN university at the age of 13 and was accepted in the Durandal shortly afterwards, specializing in computer hacking and data gathering. Hermes has no actual combat experience, but his connections with the Durandal have allowed him to gain experience piloting wanzers. He's always positive and jovial, but he can be childish when arguing with those of different opinions.

Black and Nerdy: He's the Durandal's resident tech expert. In fact, his primary reason for joining the Durandal seemed to be that he genuinely enjoyed tinkering with wanzers.
Elsa: Were you in the USN Army?
Hermes: Ah, no. I'm not the military type. But I do like wanzers. That's why I came here. You can fiddle with wanzers all you want, even if you're only a civilian.
Fish out of Water: Both as an USN citizen and as a electronic warfare specialist. He could and did hold his own in combat, but he's happier running Durandal's research and shiny toys than shooting it out on the battlefield.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer was named Charon, after the largest moon of Pluto.
Nerd Glasses: Wears these.
Nice Guy: He's usually the one who tried to keep the atmosphere friendly. For example, when Zead punished Latona and Beck for engaging Elsa against order (Tutorial), Hermes asked Zead to go easy on them.
Hermes: Hey, Zead. Maybe you could go a little easy on them this time?
The Smart Guy: Of the tech-savvy variety. Throughout the story, whenever someone wanted to get hacking- or analysis-related things done, they went to Hermes.
Support Party Member: He's by default a Mechanic-class pilot, which meant he's best at piloting a wanzer that carries Repair backpack to repair teammates' wanzers. This meant he was very crucial to the team and his wanzer must be kept alive at all cost.
Techno Wizard: He was pretty skilled with hacking. At one point, he even managed to hack into the German government's database to obtain data on rare metals consumption in Germany, and that data was crucial for leading them to further confirm their suspicion that Zaftra was behind the attack (buildup to Mission 11).
Teen Genius: He graduated from university at the age of 13.
Token Minority: The only character in 4 to be of African-American origin.

Latona Rodiona Vasilev

Latona was a senior member of the Durandal and a former Lieutenant in the Zaftran Army. As a Lieutenant, Latona had served in the border patrol division within the Zaftran Army before she decided to quit. After leaving the Zaftran Army, Latona applied to work for the Durandal and was accepted due to her military experience. Latona tended to be strict towards both herself and others whom she talks with, even towards her fellow Durandal members. Latona also held patriotic feelings towards the Republic of Zaftra, but she was not loyal to the point that she was blind to Zaftra's faults.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Girl: One of the more militarily experienced members of the team, she could also be a bit cocky when she won a fight. When the Durandal defeated Wagner at the Blauer Nebel base (Mission 7), for instance...
Latona: It seems like your unit was somewhat... lacking.
Wagner: ...
The Big Gal: The most aggressive member of the team, though not the physically largest.
Boyish Short Hair
Close-Range Combatant: By default, melee was her only option for weaponry. It paired very nicely with EMP, however.
Defector from Decadence: She sympathized with her homeland over the economic crisis which led them to their current sorry state, but offered no forgiveness for their blatant military aggression. If anything, she's the Durandal member most eager to stop their plan - so Zaftra could rebuild the right way.
Latona: Elsa, I cannot forgive Zaftra for what it has done. Especially because I am Zaftran. That is why I want to stop them with my own hands. You will help me do this, yes?
Defrosting Ice Queen: Latona didn't have a sunny mood for most of the game, both due to her more serious personality as well as her homeland of Zaftra falling behind in terms of economy. She got better as the story progressed.
Latona: I will be fine.
Sergei: You were strong ever since you were a child... Or should I say, you never let it show when you were hurt...
EMP: Latona was the series' first dedicated Jammer, a job class that specialized in using EMP backpacks to inflict status conditions on enemies.
Heroic BSoD: Briefly suffered a mild one when the Durandal escaped from Port Nikolaev (Mission 16), after learning that her uncle Sergei had been working as a gunrunner. She got better thanks to Bosch.
Meaningful Name: She nicknamed her wanzer Koroleva, which means "Queen" in Russian.
Mother Russia Makes You Strong: A former Zaftran Lieutenant who's tough and no-nonsense.
Ms. Exposition: Sometimes, mostly when it came to information related to Zaftra. Formerly being a member of the Zaftran Army, Latona naturally knew certain info that the rest of the team didn't know about.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Towards her homeland, the Republic of Zaftra. She was less than pleased when Frederick accused Zaftra of destroying the Polish resource base. But she wouldn't excuse Zaftra for the insane plan to start a war between EC and USN.
Platonic Life-Partners: Somewhat with Beck. It's quite telling that Latona was the first person to express concern that Beck joining the investigation might put his life in danger.
The Rival: Initially to Elsa. During the Tutorial, Latona tried to put her in her place to shut down possibility of favoritism, but lost. After that, however, she and Elsa quickly began to get along.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Sort of the Tomboy to Elsa's Girly Girl. Elsa and Latona developed a friendship over the course of the story, and the two had this dynamic to a degree, as Latona was tough and no-nonsense, in contrast to the more soft-spoken and polite Elsa.

Dieter Bosch

Dieter was a senior member of the Durandal and a former Lieutenant in the EC German Army. Dieter attended a military academy along with Rolf Wagner, whom Dieter befriended. During his time at the academy, Dieter was noted for having exceptional skills in reconnaissance and espionage. While his future looked bright in the German Army, Dieter was not prepared to accept the harsh realities that awaited a soldier's life and left the army. Upon quitting, he was scouted by a Durandal member and asked to join the organization.

The Ace: When it came to reconnaissance and espionage.
Army Scout: Bosch was the series' first (and so far only) character to be a dedicated Recon-class pilot. His wanzer was equipped with Sensor backpack that helped guide friendly missiles. Within the story, he was explicitly stated and shown to be skilled in reconnaissance and espionage.
Catchphrase: He had a habit of using "end of the line" to refer to defeat in combat.
Bosch (As he cornered Arrow Seven): You're not bad. But this is the end of the line.
Bosch (When his wanzer went down in battle): Looks like this is the end of the line for me.
Last-Name Basis: The only named Durandal member to be addressed by their surname.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer was nicknamed Nacht auge, German for "Night eye", fitting for a recon-class pilot.
Mr. Exposition: Mostly when it came to stuff related to Germany and the Blauer Nebel.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Played with. In his backstory, Bosch was unprepared to face the harsh realities of being a soldier and risking one's life for their country (Glaeser, in contrast, wholly embraced these). But he berated Wagner for being a traitor when he learnt that the latter was working for Zaftra^note, and still ended up risking his own life for the EC, anyway.
Bosch: Why...? Why would you betray your own country, Wagner...?
Nice Guy: He contrasted the more tough and confrontational Latona whenever the two interacted. Wagner at one point mocked him for being "too soft" to make it in the army.
The Smart Guy: Of the social-savvy variety. Best shown when he consoled Latona as she suffered a mild Heroic BSoD from learning that her uncle had been working as a gunrunner (Mission 16).
Latona: ...
Bosch: Your uncle is a good man.
Latona: ?
Bosch: When you were enlisted in the Zaftran Army, he never asked you to steal weapons for him, did he? He never got you involved. He was protecting you.
Latona: I... guess so...
We Used to Be Friends: The only member of Durandal who previously knew Wagner. This ended up being a key to uncover Wagner's true identity as a Zaftran deep cover spy.

Beck Canova

Beck was a member of the Durandal and a former professional soccer player. Beck played professional soccer for EC Italy until he suffered an injury that forced him to retire. He then took an interest in studying human engineering and physiology at an EC university. After he graduated, Beck dedicated himself to his medical research for the next few years. Over time, he took an interest in applying his research to wanzer technology. Beck was invited to conduct research with the Durandal and eventually became one of its members. Beck applied his research into improving the performances of the Durandal's custom-made wanzers.

Career-Ending Injury: Happened to him in his backstory. It resulted in him quitting soccer.
Plucky Comic Relief: He was rather laid-back, and spent more time planning his off-duty hours than worrying about World War III. It did provide a nice relaxing contrast to the rest of the Durandal, i.e., the no-nonsense Latona, the idealistic Elsa, the Old Soldier Zead, and the social-savvy Bosch.
Beck: Since we're here with wanzers, does that mean its ground defenses are the weaker of the two?
Telford: No, it means it's better to get shot at in wanzers than get shot down from the sky.
Death from Above: Beck was the series' first (and so far only) character to be a dedicated Comms-class pilot. This meant that he specialized in the use of Radio backpacks, which could be used to call in and guide air support... including extremely devastating air strikes.
Gratuitous Italian: Sometimes.
Beck (when he joined the team after the latter left Port Nikolaev): I'm here, too! Ciao, everyone!
Long-Range Fighter: By default, his choices of weaponry were rifles and missile launchers. Either way, when he wasn't calling in air support, he'd most likely be standing in the back, shooting enemies from afar.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer was nicknamed Prodezza, Italian for "Prowess".
Mellow Fellow: Easily the most laid-back member of the team.
Nice Guy: Throughout the entire story, there wasn't a single instance where Beck was mean to or mad at someone.
Platonic Life-Partners: Somewhat with Latona. It's quite telling that Latona was the first person to express concern that Beck joining the investigation might put his life in danger.
The Sixth Ranger: He never joined the investigation until halfway into the story. He's also literally the sixth playable character for the Durandal team.

Robert Murray

Robert served as the Durandal's VTOL pilot, having previously served in the RAF of EC Britain.

Ace Pilot: A very skilled VTOL pilot. At one point of the story, he even performed some mid-air acrobatics and evaded incoming missiles, which naturally saved the team's lives.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: Happened to him multiple times in the story.
Hermes: It looks like we made it across the German border without being detected.
Robert: Thanks to my flying, right?
Zead: My guess is the German surveillance system still hasn't fully recovered from the attack.
Robert: Of course. Thanks a lot, Zead... There goes my pride.
Mr. Exposition: After the rest of the team went through the Wassau tunnel, Robert stayed behind and kept himself updated on the latest news about the situation.
Support Party Member: In a weird way. He was never directly controllable in battle, but if the team had a wanzer equipped with a Radio backpack (that's by default Beck's wanzer), they could call in Robert for air support.

The Blauer Nebel, EC Germany

Niklas Glaeser

Glaeser was a Brigadier General in the EC German Army. Niklas was an old-fashioned soldier who believed in the notion that soldiers were emotionless machines expected to meet their objectives in any way possible. Niklas had a cold-hearted attitude and did not treat anyone in a kind manner, particularly those who failed to him. Niklas was displeased with the current state of EC military affairs, believing that many of the EC officers had no respect for the military. He helped the Zaftra orchestrate the war between the EC and the USN, hoping that doing so would force the EC to make major reforms to its military.

Bald of Evil: He happily arranged for German soldiers to be slaughtered.
The Big Bad: Arguably this in Elsa's story, as he commanded the Blauer Nebel and also played a huge part in manipulating EC politics in order to start the war.
Blood Knight: He said he experienced "true joy" when leading troops into battle.
The Evil Genius: Among the villains, he was the one who had spent the largest amount of time scheming and manipulating politics.
Four-Star Badass: A Brigadier General who outright orchestrated a war to force his home country to reform its military. He even fought the Durandal in a Svinet mobile weapon at Zaftran Terminal (Mission 24).
The Giant: Towered over most of the other characters.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Glaeser had a savage burn on the left side of his head. He was in truth a Well-Intentioned Extremist trying to orchestrate a war between two supernations.
Hired to Hunt Yourself: Glaeser was in charge of investigating the mysterious attacks across Europe. Until the Durandal learnt that he's backing the attacks in the first place.
Honor Before Reason: He was deeply resentful that EC military officers weren't that invested in building a strong military, and instead cared more about their own careers.
Glaeser: I train my men - harshly at times - so that they are always ready to repel any enemy that would threaten our country. Not many officers in the German Army think this way anymore. Most of them are concerned with furthering their careers than training their men. If it were not for them, this tragedy would never have happened.
In-Series Nickname: The novel revealed that he was nicknamed "Frankenstein" for his scarred face.
The Leader: The official leader of the investigation. He's also practically the leader of the Blauer Nebel, as Wagner followed his orders for the most part.
Manipulative Bastard: As hostility between EC and USN escalated, he managed to get multiple EC leaders to think what he wanted them to think - that EC needed a strong military.
Mighty Glacier: The Svinet mobile weapon, which Glaeser piloted in his battle against the Durandal (Mission 24), was this. It had exceptional durability and firepower, while having mediocre movement and non-existent evasion.
My Country, Right or Wrong: In a warped kind of way. Glaeser was working with Zaftra to execute a plan that involved slaughtering German soldiers and starting a war between EC and USN, benefiting Zaftra in the process. Meanwhile, he was doing this in order to (quoting his own words) "purged the army of dishonorable worms that wear the officer's ranks", which meant he believed doing so would ultimately benefit Germany.
Non-Action Big Bad: Wagner and Dranz were the only ones who actually fought the Durandal on-field. Well, until Glaeser jumped into his Svinet mobile weapon at Zaftran Terminal.
Not Quite Dead: After his defeat by the Durandal at Zaftran Terminal, he blew up the Svinet he was piloting... and then he was revealed to still be alive when he called Wagner and asked the latter to leave EC with him (buildup to Mission 27).
Rogue Soldier: Secretly in league with the Zaftran government to commit terrorist attacks across the EC and possibly trying to start a war that involve USN intervention.
Smug Snake: Seemed quite confident in his ability to command troops.
Glaeser: The time for atonement has come, Durandal! You are no match for my tactical genius!
Sociopathic Soldier: His idea of what the ideal soldier should be. It's somewhat ironic that Wagner ended up disobeying Glaeser's order and being much more than a "killing machine".
Glaeser: Soldiers are machines, trained to kill in the quickest and most efficient way possible. There is no room for conscience or compassion.
The Stoic: Was unexpressive for most of the story.
Training from Hell: He's said to like putting his subordinates through this.
Villain with Good Publicity: A renowned officer in the EC military. Most of the EC leaders preferred to listen to him instead of the Durandal. Things would have been really hard for the Durandal if not for the help of Prime Minister Noland.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Glaeser seemed to genuinely believe in the ideals of soldiers fighting for one's home country, and felt resentful about the stagnancy of EC military. He believed EC military needed reform... and went so far as to help provoke a war with the USN to force EC to consider it.
Glaeser (To the EC Central Assembly): I would like to propose a restructuring of the E.C.'s armies' command echelons and a reevaluation of their personnel, in order to prevent anything like this from happening again.

Rolf Wagner

Voiced by: Liam O'Brien

Rolf was a Major in the EC military and leader of the Blauer Nebel special forces unit based out of EC Germany. Rolf attended the same military academy as Dieter Bosch, where he was praised as the ideal soldier and graduated at the top of his class. Rolf was assigned to the regular army and served in numerous missions prior to his assignment as leader of the Blauer Nebel. Rolf's calm and collected demeanor made it difficult for others to identify how he truly feels or what he's thinking. He was in truth a Zaftran spy who had been stationed in Germany for years. Despite having spent years away from Zaftra, he still harbored deep loyalty towards his motherland.

The Ace: In his backstory, he's known to always have been an exceptional soldier. By the time 4 began, he was The Leader to the Blauer Nebel, one of the best special forces in the EC.
Benevolent Boss: Somewhat to the Blauer Nebel. For instance, when Dranz failed to stop the Durandal from going through the German border (Mission 6), Wagner calmly assured him that their mission was still going as planned. Throughout the story, there wasn't an single instance where Wagner yelled at his subordinates (in stark contrast to Ivanovna).
Consummate Professional: As a soldier, Wagner always followed his orders. He displayed little regard for civilian safety when he was (under Glaeser's command) about to engage the Durandal in Wassac (Mission 11). Later played with in that he was in truth also motivated by patriotic sentiment towards Zaftra.
Bosch: Wagner! What are you doing!? There are still civilians here!
Wagner: Collateral damage. You're too soft, Bosch. That is why you couldn't make it in the army.
Deep Cover Agent: Wagner managed to become the leader of one of the strongest special forces in the EC despite being a Zaftran spy.
The Dragon: To Glaeser. And ultimately to the Republic of Zaftra.
Dragon Their Feet: By the time his boss Glaeser got captured by the Durandal at Zaftran Terminal (Mission 24), Wagner was still inside EC.
Dragon with an Agenda: He defied Glaeser's order for him to flee EC and engaged the Durandal (buildup to Mission 27) - as unlike Glaeser, Wagner was driven also by patriotism towards Zaftra. It is ironic Glaeser's belief that being a soldier meant nothing but following orders was defied by his prime subordinate.
The Dreaded: The Durandal was somewhat averse to fighting Wagner, and for good reasons.
Elites Are More Glamorous: He's a commando with the Blauer Nebel, and he had access to the advanced gears that even the Durandal didn't have access to, such as the Gepard wanzer.
Emotion Suppression: For most of the game, he came across as quite cold and distant, being uninterested in anything other than following his orders and fulfilling his mission. He outright got angry when Elsa pointed out that he was acting out of patriotism towards Zaftra (buildup to Mission 28).
Evil Former Friend: To Bosch.
Guns Akimbo: His wanzer was typically equipped with two machine guns, making him very dangerous with the battle skill "Barrage", though he later went for a melee-gun hybrid build instead.
In-Series Nickname: The novel revealed he was nicknamed "Vampire" for his red irises.
Kill and Replace: The investigation by Durandal suggested that the Wagner they'd interacted with was from Zaftra: Bosch pointed out that Wagner's eyes were not the same after they went through officers' school together. This, when combined with later info, gave the team a solid theory that Zaftran intelligence arranged for the death of the actual Wagner.
Killed Off for Real: Wagner died fighting the Durandal in the Zaftrans' final showdown at the Paris Assembly (Mission 28).
The Leader: A strong leader to the Blauer Nebel. The first thing Wagner did when he met the Durandal was to establish that his unit would be leading the investigation.
Wagner (To Zead): Before you do so, let me make one thing clear: The Blauer Nebel will lead this investigation. You will be updated on our progress, but are advised to stay out of our way.
Light Is Not Good: Wagner himself mostly wore dark-colored clothing, but his wanzer was mainly white in color with dark grey lines.
Majorly Awesome: He's a major and he led the Blauer Nebel, while being a Deep Cover Agent for Zaftra at the same time, no less.
Mighty Glacier: The Gepard wanzers, which Wagner piloted, were this. It's explicitly stated (in accordance to its in-game stats) to have exceptional durability and power output, the latter of which allowed it to carry high-damage heavy weapons. Meanwhile, it wasn't very fast, and had non-existent evasion.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Heavily zigzagged. At first, Zead thought Wagner was emotionally burdened by his fellow Germans' death. Later, it was revealed that Wagner had been working for Zaftra, causing Bosch to berate him for being a traitor to Germany. As the story unfolded, the Durandal found increasing evidence that Wagner was in truth a Zaftran spy, meaning that he had been working for his home country. And then when the team faced Wagner in Paris (Mission 27), Wagner denied he harbored any patriotism towards Zaftra and insisted that he was just doing his job as a deep cover spy. And then when Zeman implored Wagner to help him take the Paris Assembly as a Zaftran countryman, Wagner agreed to go assist him and died fighting for Zaftra, so... yeah, Wagner cared deeply for his home country, after all. He's a complicated man.
Bosch: Wagner has lived as a German citizen for many years now... How can he still pledge loyalty to Zaftra?
One-Man Army: Apparently, Wagner alone bolstered Zeman's forces enough for them to attempt to take the Paris Assembly (Mission 28).
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Variation. After the fight at Sachsen-Anhalt (Mission 2), Elsa noted that Wagner's irises looked red when seen through the monitor. It turned out to be a crucial piece of info for figuring out that Wagner was a Zaftran spy.
Sadist: Somewhat. At the Iberian Megafloat Base, Wagner arranged for the Durandal to see the base getting wreaked by explosions just as they arrived (buildup to Mission 18), as if trying to flaunt to them that he was one-step ahead. Based on what Bosch said, Wagner seemed to have a habit of doing such things.
Ship Tease: Had some with Elsa.
Elsa: Roger! Follow me!
Wagner: Good girl...
The Stoic: For most of the game, it's hard to find an instance where Wagner was particularly emotional.
- Not So Stoic: When he realized that even after all these year being a deep cover spy, he still had feeling of patriotism towards Zaftra, his real homeland.
Wagner: But I am here now... why!? To help my... countrymen!? It can't be!
Elsa: It is because you do care about your homeland... and you want to protect it.
Wagner: No, you are wrong!
Elsa: What else would have compelled you to come here?
Wagner (Angrily fired a series of shots at Elsa): You're wrong!!!
Elsa: ...
Super Prototype: His Gepard wanzer and Ziege machine gun/claw hybrid weapons were invariably the toughest items on the battlefield not mounted on a mobile weapon.
Worthy Opponent: Came to regard Elsa as this. His engaging the Durandal at Paris (after the Durandal had secured the evidence they needed to prove Zaftra guilty) seemed to partly be driven by the desire to fight her (Mission 27).

Dominik Dranz

Dominik Dranz was a member of the Blauer Nebel and Wagner's main subordinate. Dranz, like the rest of the Blauer Nebel, were Deep Cover Agents secretly working for Zaftra. He served Wagner and the Blauer Nebel faithfully and died fighting the Durandal at the Iberian Megafloat Base.

Cold Sniper: Kind of. He was always seen to be using an Igel Horn wanzer equipped with a bazooka, which was classified as a Sniper-class weapon in this game (due to its nature of being a long-range powerful single-shot weapon).
Consummate Professional: Most of his lines were just reporting his work to Glaeser or Wagner.
Deep Cover Agent: Just like the rest of the Blauer Nebel.
The Dragon: To Wagner.
Elites Are More Glamorous: A commando with the Blauer Nebel, one of the best special forces in the EC. He used the Igel Horn wanzer, which was designed by Schnecke, one of the best wanzer manufacturers.
The Heavy: Second-in-command to Wagner. Players fought him three times in a custom Igel Horn wanzer, and it's a brutal bazooka unit that could outgun any other one wanzer on the field.
Kill and Replace: He presumably had replaced the actual Dominik Dranz at some point, like the rest of the Blauer Nebel.
Killed Off for Real: When the Durandal blew up his wanzer for the third time (Mission 18).
Light Is Not Good: Like Wagner, Dranz's his wanzer was mainly white in color but with dark grey lines.
The Stoic: Most of the time, he just reported to Wagner or Glaeser in a calm, professional manner.
- Not So Stoic: Whenever the Durandal blew up his wanzer.

EC Politicians

Lionel Noland

The Prime Minister of EC Britain. He was the one who involved the Durandal in the investigation - at the opening of the story, he spoke to the leaders of various EC member states about the attack by the mysterious special forces, and pointed out that an EC institute should be involved in the investigation, thus bringing in the Durandal.

Actual Pacifist: Even after USN fleets attacked Madeira Island (Mission 19), Noland still insisted that the EC should attempt peace talk with the USN.
Italian Premier: We must send more ships to the Atlantic! We must show them that we are not intimidated by their (the USN's) fleet!
Noland: That would worsen matters even more! Our first priority should be to talk to the (USN) government to resolve this situation peacefully. We are no longer in an age where guns are the only means of negotiating.
Big Good: To the Durandal. For starters, had Noland not used his influence as a major EC leader to bring in the Durandal, Glaeser would likely have been able to control the investigation all by himself - which meant the Republic of Zaftra might well end up never getting exposed.
Consummate Professional: For the entirety of the story, he had been nothing short of polite and professional, as befitting for a major EC leader.
Honor Before Reason: As Noland exposed Zaftra's manipulations to the EC leaders at the Paris Assembly, Zaftran forces were heading towards the building with the goal of slaughtering EC leaders. While the rest of the assembly ran for the underground shelter as they realized this, Noland stayed, insisting that he wanted to do something to show his trust in the Durandal (buildup to Mission 28). Lucky for him, the Durandal did come to save the day as he expected.
Noland: If I were to leave now, I would betray the Durandal again. Staying here is the only way to prove my faith in them. They will not fail, Miss Allison. I know it.
The Leader: To EC Britain.
Nerves of Steel: Well, he had the guts to not go to the underground shelter as Zaftran forces headed towards the Paris Assembly, with the intent to kill him and the other EC leaders (buildup to Mission 28).
Non-Action Guy: Never gone onto the battlefield, which was understandable as he's primarily a politician and helped the main team by using his influence at the higher level.
Only Sane Man: After the Iberian Megafloat Base disaster (Mission 18) ended with the USN launching an attack on Madeira Island, the EC Central Assembly came to support military action against the USN. Noland was one of the few EC leaders who's informed enough to know this was a bad idea.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Towards the Durandal. Throughout the story, he had been supportive of them and tried whatever he could legally do to help them find the true criminals behind the attack.
Ship Tease: Had some with Vice Minister Allison.

Cecil Allison

The Vice Prime Minster of EC Britain. She too was supportive of the Durandal, and in fact knew Zead Elger at the personal level. When Zead was still in the army, he once worked with Allison on an operation to rescue hostages taken by a group of terrorists. Glaeser wanted to take the terrorists alive to question them, while Zead and Allison put more importance on rescuing the hostages. They managed to pull through and saved the hostages, but the operation ended in the death of a bright young soldier. Allison seemed to have been treating this as her greatest failure ever since.

Actual Pacifist: She's also very eager to stop a potential war between the EC and the USN.
Big Good: Much like PM Noland. She usually helped to deal with political stuffs outside the Central Assembly and interacted with the Durandal at a more personal level. Examples included when the Durandal figured out that the mysterious special force would attack the Polish Resource Base next, she sent words to her counterpart in Poland so they could prepare their defense together with the Durandal (buildup to Mission 5).
The Lancer: To PM Noland.
My Greatest Failure: As revealed by Zead, even after years, Allison seemed to still be blaming herself for the death of the young soldier who died in the hostage rescue operation.
Nerves of Steel: She didn't seem particularly distressed when she decided to stick with Noland while Zaftran forces closed in on the Paris Assembly (buildup to Mission 28), even though it posed a very real threat to her life.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Like PM Noland, she was also this to the Durandal.
Ship Tease: Had some with PM Noland. Examples included Allison choosing to stand by Noland's side as Zaftran troops headed towards the Paris Assembly.
Allison: ... I trust the Durandal as well. I will stay here with you.
Noland: ... Thank you, Miss Allison. You are a good friend.
Allison: You're welcome, Prime Minister.

The United States of the New Continent (USN)

The 332nd Mobile Company, USN Army

Darril Traubel

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

Darril was a sergeant in the employ of the USN 332nd Mobile Company. Darril enlisted in the USN Army at the age of 18 and was recognized as a promising and talented soldier by others. Darril was also a firm believer of justice, but he also tended to disregard orders from his superiors due to his morals. An unfortunate incident with a superior officer resulted in a demotion from Captain to Sergeant. This incident effectively changed Darril into a disillusioned soldier and he seemed to have lost interest in fighting for the USN. When Darril was dispatched to Venezuela, he, Billy Renges and Phillip Chaeffer discovered and stole a cargo container containing $25 million of Governor Bruno Diaz's gold. The three then decided to desert the army and used the gold to live happy and stress-free lives.

The Ace: Darril appeared to be a very capable wanzer pilot and military commander, seeing that he could personally defeated Ivanovna in battle and that Thammond thought Darril should be the one to pick Alianza pilots to assist the team.
The Alcoholic: After the main event of 4, he ended up wasting his gold away on alcohol.
Antihero: While Darril was motivated by the desire to flee with the gold for most of the story, he did help to prevent a Zaftran invasion of Venezuela.
Badass Normal: Darril was recruitable in 5, and it was implied to have canonically happened. This meant Darril, like Walter Feng, made it to the Barghest without being an S-Type user.
Big Damn Hero: After the La Alianza learnt (from Diaz) that Darril's trio had been hiding the gold they stole from him (buildup to Mission 25), the trio were disgraced and left. Not long later, however, Darril, Renges, and Chaeffer realized they had come to care for the La Alianza. They thus decided to return, just in time to help the La Alianza, who were getting pinned down by Vavilov's forces.
Blatant Lies: He had a habit of spewing these.
Darril: What are you talking about? I've always been a hardworking model soldier, you know.
Brilliant, but Lazy: He's highly talented as a wanzer pilot and tactician. It's a shame he preferred to use his talent to steal Diaz's gold instead. He got better - after the events of 4, he rejoined Walter Feng's squad and eventually made it into the Barghest (5).
The Captain: Used to be this before his demotion.
Catchphrase: Regularly addressed other people as "amigos".
Darril: Finders keepers! But don't tell anyone. All right, amigo?
Chekhov's Gunman: Darril first appeared in the PS1 remake of 1st, as one of the two soldiers seen to depart on an USN peacekeeping mission led by Kevin Greenfield. He later became a main protagonist in 4.
Chivalrous Pervert: Over the course of the story, he hit on pretty much every good-looking woman he met, except for Ines. He ultimately settled down with Elsa after the main event of the game, becoming Happily Married to her.
Elsa: Please, listen to me. Thousands of people's lives are at stake.
Darril: Thousand of people's lives, huh... You know, I like that French accent of yours...
Elsa: ...
Close-Range Combatant: By default, his choices of weaponry included shotguns and melee, meaning he'd most likely be fighting enemies heads-on. He's a Striker-class pilot in 5.
The Cynic: By the time of 4, Darril had become a cynic who showed a general disbelief in people acting for any reason other than self-interests. But he still had a sense of justice deep down.
Cynicism Catalyst: Happened in his backstory. Its effect on Darril was visible, though its details had never been elaborated upon much in the game.
Happily Married: To Elsa after the events of 4. If recruited to Walter's team in 5, he would yell about missing his wife during the Alaska arc (Mission 23 to 27).
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Renges. He also developed one such relationship with Luis over the course of the story.
The Idealist: He was once this in his backstory. Not anymore.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: At first, Darril came across as somewhat of a selfish and deceptive jerk. But he ultimately ended up willingly helping to prevent a Zaftran invasion of Venezuela. In the end, he even gave half of his gold to Luis, so that the latter could use the gold to rebuild Venezuela.
Darril: You got a problem?
Renges: No. I'm just wondering where you'd been hiding that gigantic soft side of yours.
Chaeffer: I always knew you had it in you!
Darril: I didn't need you to tell me that, Chaeffer.
Knight in Sour Armor: Darril once believed in justice, but had become a disillusioned slacker by the time 4 began. Nonetheless, as the story developed, he still risked his own life to protect and help Venezuelans.
The Lancer: From the La Alianza's perspective, he was supposedly this to Luis.
The Leader: To the 332nd Mobile Company, and later to the rebels he joined forces with.
Meaningful Name: Darril nicknamed his wanzer Infernal, perhaps reflecting part of his worldviews.
Military Maverick: He was said to have always had problems completely obeying his superiors. During the main event of 4, he outright deserted the USN for a chance to rob Venezuela's corrupt regime.
Noodle Incident: The incident that caused Darril's demotion was never elaborated upon much in the game, though its impact on Darril was very visible.
Only in It for the Money: His primary motive throughout much of the story was money. Well, until he began to genuinely cared about the La Alianza. After the La Alianza found out about his lies, he left... only to return to help in time, then he claimed that he was doing it just to earn the gold as "mercenaries".
Recurring Character: Darril had the unique honor of being playable in three main series games: He had fully playable appearances in 4 and 5. He was also briefly playable in a secret mission in 1st's USN scenario.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Somewhat the Blue to Luis's Red. Darril was the one who urged Luis to make the rational decision of fleeing while Calvo pulled his Heroic Sacrifice.
Rogue Soldier: Deserted his USN post in Venezuela to help the La Alianza, but initially wanted to go after the gold that was rumored to be stolen in the country.
Secret Character: In 5, Darril could be recruited into Walter's unit.^note
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Though his departure from Port Cumana seemed rather sweet, succeeding FM-related media showed that after fixing the mess with him going AWOL in the USN Army, Darril had a hard time readjusting to civilian life. He ended up blowing most of his cash on alcohol and struggled to find a reason to keep going. It was only when Elsa asked to meet him in-person that his life began to change for the better.
Ship Tease: Had some with Elsa. He actually ended up with her after the main event of 4.
Shotguns Are Just Better: By default, it's the only firearm he used, though with enough grinding, he could be respecc'ed into another class.
The Slacker: As shown in the very first scene he appeared:
Chaeffer: Hey, guys? Umm... shouldn't we be getting back to our patrol soon?
Darril: C'mon, we're assigned to rear defense. The hotheads who volunteered to be at the front can take care of Governor Diaz for us. Just relax.
True Companions: With Renges and Chaeffer. It's apparent that these three really treated each others like brothers, as Darril and Renges still allowed Chaeffer to tag along even after Chaeffer had screwed up majorly twice, i.e., first accidentally letting the state army know their location, then accidentally drawing the Zaftrans' attention at Port Cumana (buildup to Mission 8).

Billy Renges

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

Billy was a Corporal assigned to the USN 332nd Mobile Company. Born in a poor village in USN South American, Billy enlisted at the age of 18 to escape the harsh conditions of life in his village. Billy was Darril's best friend and the two had fought alongside each other for years. After Darril got demoted, Billy took on a skeptical view of military life. Billy had several connections to the black market and often made deals on behalf of other clients in the USN Army.

Antihero: Much like Darril. Renges wasn't against blackmailing Chang (i.e., threatening to tell Chang's wife about his many unsavory 'adventures') into helping them escape Venezuela.
Big Damn Hero: Came in with Darril and Chaeffer and saved the La Alianza, who were getting pinned down by Vavilov's forces (Mission 25).
Chekhov's Gunman: Renges appeared in the PS1 remake of 1st, as one of the two soldiers seen to depart on an USN peacekeeping mission led by Kevin Greenfield. He was later formally introduced in 4 as a major character.
Dark and Troubled Past: He grew up in a poor village in South America. That's apparently the main reason why he was so eager to make more money. It's notable that within the 332nd Mobile Company trio, Renges was the one most willing to protect the refugee village from the state army (buildup to Mission 10).
Renges: Well, it's not limited to here. I grew up in a village a lot like this. That's why I promised myself I'd find a way to live the easy life.
Friendly Sniper: Downplayed. Renges was a sniper. Although he wasn't that friendly (he did happily rob Governor Diaz), he was ultimately a decent person. He was also sympathetic to the rebels' cause, since he was raised in the troubled USN South America himself.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Darril.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: At first, he was motivated solely by money, but he came to genuinely care for the La Alianza over the course of the story.
Renges: Even if everyone in this country starves to death, it doesn't matter to us, right? We're leaving this place for good. Who cares, huh?
Darril: Renges.
Renges: What?
Darril: Sounds like you're more worried about them than I am.
Kick The Son Of A Bitch: He and Darril were the two who came up with the idea to take Diaz's gold, and Diaz was a corrupted jerk who kinda deserved it anyway.
Last-Name Basis: For some reason, even Darril addressed Renges by his last name.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer's name is Mundane - not quite as cynical as Darril.
Mr. Exposition: Within the 332nd Mobile Company trio. Being who he was, Renges tended to be more well-informed than Darril and Chaeffer and thus ended up playing this role. For instance, he was the person who identified what they found at the underground Zaftran base as air control records (after Mission 21).
Only in It for the Money: Well, until he started to sympathize with the La Alianza.
Rogue Soldier: Like Darrill, he deserts his USN post to get Diaz's gold, but later uses the oppportunity to help La Alianza.
The Slacker: Much like Darril.
Renges: Right. The USN Army doesn't pay us enough to be heroes. Just sit down, lay back, and take in the view.
The Smart Guy: Of the street-smart variety. He had been smuggling arms from the USN army and managed to get Chang to help them escape from Venezuela. That triggered the series of events that would lead the trio to end up meeting the La Alianza.
- Seeing that Renges could identify the data found in the underground Zaftran base as air control records (while the rest of the cast couldn't), he also had some tech-savvy smart in him as well.
True Companions: With Darril and Chaeffer. It's apparent that these three really treated each others like brothers, as Darril and Renges still allowed Chaeffer to tag along even after Chaeffer had screwed up majorly twice, i.e., first accidentally letting the state army know their location, then accidentally drawing the Zaftrans' attention at Port Cumana (buildup to Mission 8).

Phillip Chaeffer

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

Phillip was a Private First Class assigned to the USN 332nd Mobile Company. Phillip enlisted in the USN Army at the age of 19, working in the infantry before becoming a wanzer pilot. The youngest member of Darril's squad, Phillip was treated as a younger brother by both Darril and Billy. Phillip tended to act carelessly or recklessly and attract unwanted attention to Darril's squad due to his lack of combat experience.

Big Damn Hero: Appeared alongside Darril and Renges when the La Alianza got pinned down by Vavilov's forces (Mission 25).
Butt-Monkey: Darril and Renges sometimes treated him as this. For instance, when the trio discovered the cargo box (which contained Diaz's gold) at the crash site, Darril and Renges backed down together to make Chaeffer open the box.
- Also, when Renges's wanzer went down during the post-ending secret mission of 1st's USN scenario (peacekeeping mission led by Kevin Greenfield)...
Renges: Chaeffer must've messed with my control settings... I'm gonna kick his butt when I get back to base!
Cannot Tell a Lie: Happened on a regular basis. It usually ended with Darril telling a blatant lie to cover it up or Renges cutting Chaeffer off before he could mess everything up.
Ivanovna (in disguise): Nice jumpsuits. What do you guys do?
Chaeffer: We're U—
Darril: UFOs!
Ivanovna: UFOs...?
Darril: Yeah. We... we're UFO hunters. There's been a lot of sightings around here lately. These jumpsuits are... our uniforms. Like 'em?
Chekhov's Skill: Chaeffer was the person most frequently seen tinkering with radio. It turned out to be vital to the plot much later in the story - after the 332nd Mobile Company trio left in disgrace (as Diaz revealed that they had been hiding the stolen gold), Chaeffer was tinkering with the radio... causing the trio to overhear that Ivanovna's forces would fight the La Alianza. Knowing that the La Alianza stood little chance against her and her forces, the trio grew worried. It ended with them deciding to go back and help (buildup to Mission 25).
Cloudcuckoolander: His mind seemed a little... out there sometimes. See Skewed Priorities below.
Renges: Weird...
Darril: Chaeffer's always been weird.
Cowardly Lion: He tended to make things more difficult for his friends due to his nerves. The most prominent example was when he emotionally broke and fired a rocket at Ivanovna's forces in Port Cumana, causing Ivanovna to interpret it as a hostile act and attack them, costing the trio a quick ride out of Venezuela (buildup to Mission 8). He eventually became strong enough to fight for the La Alianza.
Friend to All Children: He was quite happy to play with the kids in the refugee village, which contributed to the 332nd Mobile Company trio forming an attachment to the La Alianza.
The Heart: He ended up as this to Darril and Renges.
Renges: At times like this, I kinda envy Chaeffer.
Darril: Yeah, I know what you mean.
Last-Name Basis: Everyone addressed him by his last name.
The Load: Much of what Chaeffer did in the early parts of the story (up until the trio joined forces with the La Alianza) was to screw things up.
Meaningful Name: His wanzer was nicknamed Celestial, and he was the most idealistic of the 332nd Mobile Company trio.
New Meat: By the time the story of 4 began, Chaeffer was recently recruited to the USN Army. Darril and Renges picked on him sometimes.
Nice Guy: The most traditionally nice of the 332nd Mobile Company trio. For starters, Chaeffer was nice even to Ivanovna, and he was the person least comfortable with stealing Diaz's gold.
Rogue Soldier: Wasn't willing to go with Darril and Renges to desert their posts to steal the gold. He later does so at first with reluctance.
Skewed Priorities: As the trio walked out of 'The Carribean' bar, Chaeffer was concerned... that he forgot to ask Ivanovna's (then in disguise) name when, you know, the trio were being hunted down by a mysterious special force (buildup to Mission 9).
Support Party Member: Mechanic-class.
True Companions: With Darril and Renges.
Villainous Crush: Inverted. Chaeffer developed an unrequited crush on Ivanovna.
What Does She See in Him?: Darril and Renges were asking that question when Ivanovna (in disguise) went for Chaeffer. To be fair, Ivanovna was just trying to get information out of the trio.
Renges: Is it me, or is there something wrong with this picture...?
Darril: I was thinking the same thing. Some people have weird tastes...

La Alianza de Libertad Venezolana (The Venezuelan Freedom Alliance)

Luis Perez

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

Luis was the idealistic leader of La Alianza de Libertad Venezolana. Growing up in poor and dismal living conditions, Luis aspired to change Venezuela for the better as a child. At the age of 15, Luis joined La Alianze as a guerrilla soldier. By the age of 20, the leader of the La Alianza died and Luis was made the group's new leader. Luis opposed Governor Bruno Diaz's rule and wanted better treatment of Venezuelan from the USN Central Government.

The Ace: He's talented enough to be leading an entire liberation movement at the age of 20.
Alas, Poor Villain: He expressed pity for (the apparently dead) Ivanovna when they defeated her in Central Caracas (Mission 26), which made sense since she's arguably his Evil Counterpart.
The Apprentice: To Thammond.
Determinator
Good Counterpart: To Ivanovna. Both were very talented and passionate individuals leading an armed force to fight for a better future for their respective countries. While Luis acknowledged that war wasn't delightful and showed mercy towards his enemies, Ivanovna was zealous to the point she took joy in slaughtering non-Zaftrans for her cause. The natural result was that Luis managed to obtain crucial support from multiple non-Venezuelans, i.e., the 332nd Mobile Company trio and Maria, while Ivanovna's behavior drove away the non-Zaftran soldiers under her. Both factors contributed to Ivanovna's eventual downfall.
Guns Akimbo: His default weaponry was machine gun in one arm and shotgun in another. This made him very effective as a link attacker in the frontline.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Eventually developed one such relationship with Darril.
Hot-Blooded: He could be riled up rather easily. Fortunately, Darril, Ines, and Thammond would be there to get him to calm down. See Red Oni, Blue Oni below.
The Idealist: He genuinely believed in the cause to make Venezuela better. It's, however, a bit zigzagged, as Luis had expressed the view that he didn't believe the La Alianza would win "simply because they were the good guys".
Renges: Why don't you take him (Elmo) with us? He won't learn to fight unless he's shown how.
Luis: He is young. He thinks war is a game where the good guys always win. I cannot take him until he realizes that such thoughts are those of a child.
The Leader: To the La Alianza. The first time he appeared, he happily threw himself between the state army and some random refugees, because Diaz was trying to attack random refugees to maybe capture some of La Alianza's men in the process, causing Luis to feel responsible for the refugees' situations. He eventually became this to the entire Venezuela.
Luis: It's us he (Diaz) wants. So it's our responsibility to protect these villages.
Meaningful Name: His nickname for his wanzer was Tierra, Spanish for "Earth".
My Country, Right or Wrong: Towards Venezuela.
Luis: Maria, please. You must try to understand how we feel. We are tired of people from other countries doing as they please on our soil.
Nice Guy: He's this at heart. He even felt pity for Ivanovna, who, you know, had tried to slaughter him and his companions multiple times over the course of the story.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Somewhat the Red to Darril's, Ines's, and Thammond's Blue. Darril was there to urge Luis to make the rational decisions when Luis started yelling at the captured Diaz, and also when Calvo pulled his Heroic Sacrifice. Guess Thammond had worries about Luis for a reason...
True Companions: With the La Alianza, and later with the 332nd Mobile Company trio.

Ines Torres

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ines_3.png

Ines was Luis' girlfriend and a high-ranking member of La Alianza de Libertad Venezolana. Ines acted as the second-in-command of the La Alianza. She was more calm and controlled than Luis, which enabled her to double as the strategist of the guerrilla forces.

The Ace: As much as Luis. She's playing a major role in formulating military strategies for the La Alianza at the age of 20.
The Apprentice: To Thammond.
Gratuitous Spanish: Used this in some of her lines.
The Idealist: She believed in the cause to make Venezuela a better place as much as Luis did. E.g., she seemed to genuinely believe that having a cause to fight for would bolster their men enough to get through the state army.
Ines: Yes... but we will not lose. The State Army does not have a cause to fight for.
Insistent Terminology: She preferred to be called a "revolutionary" instead of "guerilla".
Renges: They (the La Alianza)'re a group of anti-government guerrillas.
Ines: Ah, such an unpleasant word. We prefer to call ourselves 'revolutionaries'.
Long-Range Fighter: By default, her choices of weaponry included grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and bazooka - all of which would want her to shoot at enemies while standing at the back.
Meaningful Name: Her nickname for her wanzer was Guardia, Spanish for "Guard".
My Country, Right or Wrong: Towards Venezuela.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Ines tended to be calmer than Luis, e.g., not spending time shouting at Diaz when they managed to capture him (buildup to Mission 15), though she had her moments.
The Smart Girl: Of the strategist variety. Ines's main job within the La Alianza was to gather info and help to formulate strategies.
True Companions: With the La Alianza. She also came to regard the 332nd Mobile Company trio to be this. She's the angriest person in the room when Diaz revealed that Darril was the person who stole the gold and had been using the La Alianza for his own purpose (buildup to Mission 25).

Carl Thammond

Carl was a retired soldier turned schoolteacher living in Luis' village. Carl served in the 1st Huffman Conflict in the USN Volunteer Corps, earning several medals for his bravery and service. Though he opposed violence, Carl joined Darril's squad in order to ensure the safety of Luis and Ines. Out of all the La Alianza forces, Carl had the most combat experience and assists in formulating strategies alongside Ines.

The Ace: In his backstory, Thammond was said to have earned multiple medals for his service during the 1st Huffman Conflict.
Acrofatic: He seemed to have put on quite a bit of weight over the years. He's still capable of kicking asses, however.
Badass Teacher: Especially if he's also a skilled wanzer pilot and tactician who helped to save Venezuela from a Zaftran invasion.
Berserk Button: Soldiers. The first time he (as a school teacher at the refugee village) met Darril and Renges, he yelled at them and told them to leave. He got better.
Big Damn Hero: After the 332nd Mobile Company trio plus Luis and Ines had captured Diaz and fleed from Caracas, they were being followed by the state army. Things were looking bad as they were unable to lose the state army... and then Thammond showed up with a group of La Alianza fighters and an effective battle plan, pretty much saving the day (Mission 17).
Feeling Their Age: Here's one of his lines when his wanzer went down in battle:
Thammond: I guess I'm getting too old for this...
Friend to All Children: Makes sense as he chose to be a school teacher. E.g., Thammond got angry from his argument with Luis about the latter's request for him to join the battle, and then immediately lowered his voice when informed that the children heard him yelling (buildup to Mission 20).
Guns Akimbo: His default weaponry was to hold a machine gun in each arm. When used in conjunction with Darril and Luis, he could deal a ton of damage with linked attacks.
Living Is More than Surviving: Somewhat. At first, Thammond insisted that he taught Luis and Ines to fight just so they could keep themselves alive, but he later seemed to genuinely like fighting to prevent a Zaftran invasion of Venezuela.
Thammond: All right, amigos! Let's give 'em hell!
Chaeffer: Hey, Teach... Did you, uhh, hit your head or something?
Meaningful Name: He nicknamed his wanzer... Abominator, which was fitting as he was an Old Soldier sick and tired of wars.
The Mentor: To Luis and Ines in their backstory.
Old Soldier: He was in a volunteer army when he was younger, and his training was exceptional. He taught Luis and Ines everything they knew about warfare. At one point, he even berated Darril and co. for being too predictable with their evasion patterns (buildup to Mission 17).
Thammond: Is this how they train soldiers in the USN these days? Your evasion patterns are too predictable. You're lucky the state army has even less training than you.
Papa Wolf: To Luis and Ines, despite not being their biological father. At first, he was unwilling to participate in battle as he was sick of war, but jumped into a wanzer to save Luis and Ines from the state army that were pursuing them (Mission 17). He then tagged along in order to keep the two safe.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Luis's Red. For instance, Thammond was wary that Luis's fervor about his ideal might get him killed.
Darril: It looks like you don't think this was such a good idea after all.
Thammond: Hmph. That's not it at all. It's just that this kind of fervor can kill soliders in battle. I've seen it happen.
Retired Badass: The oldest of the playable characters in 4. He was still highly effective as a wanzer pilot.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: It's never explicitly stated in the game, but the fact that Thammond freaked out over seeing a soldier and was higly averse to battle could be indicative of PTSD, which wasn't implausible seeing that he had spent years in actual combat before the main event of 4.
The Sixth Ranger: Much like Beck, Thammond never joined the team until halfway through the story. He's also literally the sixth member of the main team.
Stout Strength
Team Dad: The most militarily experienced member of the team. Once he joined the team, he started to help formulate strategies together with Ines.
War Is Hell: He firmly believed in this. Here are his comments on the apparently dead Ivanovna:
Luis: I pity her (Ivanovna)...
Chaeffer: ...
Thammond: Don't. People like her are enraptured by war and its illusion of glory. It was inevitable.

USN Venezuela

Bruno Diaz

The governor of USN Venezuela, Diaz commanded the Venezuelan State Army to stage a coup d'etat in order to declare independence from USN, the reason being his outrage about the oppression USN had inflicted on Venezuelans. In truth, Diaz was working with the Zaftrans - Zaftrans wanted to gain a foothold on Venezuela, which was near the center of their Archenemy USN and rich in natural resources. They offered military assistance to Diaz, who wanted to keep himself in power so that he could make more money from corruption.

Asshole Victim: Diaz got kicked around a lot throughout the story, i.e., he got robbed by Darril and Renges, captured and interrogated by the La Alianza, and then almost killed by the Zaftrans when he was no longer useful for them. But seeing that Diaz was willing to slaughter random refugees to get at his enemies, it's hard to feel sorry for him.
Bad Boss: Played straight even with his own troops - when Darril and co. routed Diaz's wanzer troops and was about to flee with his gold (Mission 4), Diaz remorselessly told his men to send out infantry, despite knowing that it would mean certain death for the infantrymen in question. Ivanovna was at least somewhat benevolent towards her own troops...
The Big Bad: He was the character most eager to stop Darril and co. from escaping with the gold. It's later subverted as he's in truth just a puppet to the Zaftrans.
Big Fancy House: Living in one of these thanks to the wealth he had amassed over the years.
Corrupt Politician: Diaz seemed to have amassed a lot of wealth via abusing his power. In fact, his gold was what kicked start Darril's story. He even worked with the Zaftrans to keep himself in power, which constituted an act of treason towards both USN and Venezuela.
Dirty Coward: He was widely feared as a tyrant in Venezuela... and he was on his knees begging for mercy when the La Alianza captured him (buildup to Mission 15).
Diaz: A—all right, I'll do anything! Please don't kill me!!!
Renges: Pathetic... I can't believe this is the fearsome tyrant of Venezuela.
Distressed Dude: Once the La Alianza captured him.
The Dreaded: Diaz was quite ruthless to those who opposed him, e.g., sending the state army to randomly attack refugee villages to capture guerillas who fought him, earning himself a reputation as this. It only made it funnier when he was crying and begging for mercy as the La Alianza captured him.
Fat Bastard
Hostage MacGuffin: His role for much of the first half of the story. The La Alianza wanted to capture him and get him to withdraw the declaration of independence.
Human Shield: The La Alianza used him as this in the attempt to reach the Caracas TV station (Mission 26). It caused the state army soldiers to leave... but the Zaftrans were fully willing to attack and kill Diaz, as Diaz was no longer of use to them. Luckily for Diaz, Darril and co. put themselves between him and the Zaftrans.
Mr. Exposition: His role to the story after the La Alianza captured him - he provided some crucial info to the team, such as the fact that the mysterious troops were Zaftrans.
Non-Action Guy: The only antagonist who had never gone onto the battlefield. He apparently had no military experience.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: As the Zaftrans took control of Venezuela, they no longer needed Diaz. Then Ivanovna ordered her men to kill Diaz without a second thought (buildup to Mission 15).

The Zaftran Army

Anizka Ivanovna Aleksandrov

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

Anizka was born in the town of Velikiye Luki and grew up learning many things about the Republic of Zaftra from her parents, who worked for the Zaftran government. Anizka enlisted in the Zaftran Army at the age of 18 and quickly rose up the ranks, soon joining the Zaftran special forces. Zaftra's military heads took note of her accomplishments and identified Anizka as a genius on the battlefield. At the age of 20, Anizka was promoted to Captain and Major around the same time that her commander died. 2 years later, she was promoted to Colonel and was assigned to lead her special forces to Venezuela as part of a complex plan to initiate a war between the USN and the EC. Anizka was an extremist who supported the war and demonstrated very aggressive behavior on the battlefield, always fighting in the front lines and having no concern for any non-combatants caught in the crossfire.

The Ace: Say what you want about her being crazy. She became a colonel at the age of 22.
Ax-Crazy: Actually played with a bit. Her behavior on the battlefield could make her come across as this, but she's still very capable of making cool-headed decisions when needed. Darril Lampshaded this by referring to her as "the crazy chick".
Bad Boss: Zigzagged. Ivanovna's quite forgiving of her troops when they lost. E.g., she didn't get mad when Vavilov reported back after getting trounced by Darril and co. at Port Cumana (Mission 8). She also had a moment of silence when she learnt that Vavilov had died fighting Darril and co. But at the same time, she also threw her underlings into fights that were completely unneeded. Played straight when she's dealing with the local Red Shirts under Diaz, as she didn't even pretend to care if they died.
Zaftran WAP: We received a call from Lieutenant Colonel Zeman a few minutes ago. The attack on the USN Fleet in Madeira has failed. He is asking for further orders.
Ivanovna: Hah! Tell him to go throw himself off a cliff - no, wait... Tell him to come back with his transports to the airport here.
The Big Bad: Played this role in Darril's story, as Ivanovna was the person in charge of the Zaftran forces operating in Venezuela.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Yes, she's extremely aggressive towards enemies on-field, and more than a little bit sadistic towards non-Zaftrans. Nonetheless, she's also incredibly effective at destroying enemy forces.
Catchphrase: Liked to refer to her enemies as "scums".
Cold Sniper: When she wasn't piloting one of her Spider Tanks, she's usually seen in a Vyzov armed with a rifle. When she did, she used the rifle to devastating effects.
Colonel Badass: She's good enough to become a Colonel in her early 20s.
Determinator: As Darril and co. found out at Cumana Terminal (Mission 29), not even almost dying could deter Ivanovna.
Darril: Oh, for heavensakes, doesn't she know when to quit?
Renges: Doesn't look like it.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Inflicted this on USN forces when the latter first advanced to Caracas (buildup to Mission 14).
The Dragon: Ultimately this to the Republic of Zaftra.
The Dreaded: Darril and co. (including the La Alianza) quickly came to fear her, and for good reasons.
Elites Are More Glamorous: She was a part of Zaftran Army special forces, and she had access to mobile weapons and other gears that, as pointed out by several characters, couldn't possibly be affordable for the Venezuelan State Army.
Evil Counterpart: To Luis. Both were highly talented and passionate individuals leading an armed force to fight for a better future for their respective countries. While Luis acknowledged that war wasn't delightful and showed mercy towards his enemies, Ivanovna was zealous to the point she took joy in slaughtering non-Zaftrans for her cause. The natural result? Luis managed to obtain crucial support from multiple non-Venezuelans, i.e., the 332nd Mobile Company trio and Maria, while Ivanovna's behavior drove away the non-Zaftran soldiers under her. Both factors contributed to Ivanovna's eventual defeat.
Evil Laugh: Did this as she got ready to pilot her Zhuk onto the battlefield for the first time (after Mission 8). Did it again when she piloted her Zhuk and slaughtered USN forces in Caracas (buildup to Mission 14).
Femme Fatale: Well, Ivanovna's preferred way of dealing with enemies was to blow them into pieces. But as shown when she disguised herself as an civilian to get close to Darril and co. (buildup to Mission 9), she rather effortlessly attracted and manipulated Chaeffer and (to a lesser extent) Darril. This meant Ivanovna could be a Femme Fatale if she tried.
Fiery Red Head
Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Ivanovna, without hesitation, ordered her men to kill Di az when Diaz had become useless to the Zaftrans (buildup to Mission 15).
Killed Off for Real: When Darril and co. blew up her Bogomol I at Cumana Terminal (Mission 29).
The Leader: To the Zaftran forces in Venezuela. It's notable that she went onto the battlefield frequently, and happily put herself at the front whenever she did (in contrast to, say, Glaeser). Guess there's a reason why her underlings respected her.
Mighty Glacier: Her Spider Tanks tended to be this. When she fought Darril and co. at Cumana City (Mission 9), her Zhuk mobile weapon had more than double the amount of HP of an entire wanzer combined, and its cannon was extremely devastating. Meanwhile, it was relatively slow and had non-existent evasion.
Mother Russia Makes You Strong: Firmly the tough and unyielding variety.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Towards the Republic of Zaftra. She's (relatively) nice towards her countrymen, and was eager to risk her own life to help Zaftra.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Ivanovna was a vindictive, merciless, blood-thirsty Zaftran colonel, delighted at slaughtering her enemies with her Zhuk mobile weapon. It's also notable that Ivanovna was the only Zaftran character to be referred to by their middle name. It's possible that her fellow Zaftrans explicitly chose to address her this way to refer to her brutality towards enemies.
Not Quite Dead: Darril and co. thought she died when they blew up her Zhuk during the battle in Central Caracas (Mission 26). She didn't.
One-Woman Army: Best shown when she routed entire platoons of USN wanzers during the fight in Caracas (buildup to Mission 14).
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Vavilov's Blue. Vavilov tended to act as the voice of reason with regards to Ivanovna's (at times unnecessarily risky) plans, though he always ended up going along with it anyway.
Sadist: Ivanovna... seemed to enjoy slaughtering her enemies a little too much.
Ivanovna (as she gunned down several USN wanzers): Come on, come on! Who wants to die first!?
Spider Tanks: Ivanovna was the series' poster girl for "tanks with legs", piloting the widely feared Zhuk and later the Super Prototype Bogomol I.
Villainous Breakdown: When her Zhuk got downed by Darril and co. during the battle in Central Caracas (Mission 26). It happened again when her Bogomol I sank in Cumana Harbor (Mission 29).
Warhawk: She wholeheartedly supported Zaftra's plan to start a war.

Maksim Troadiev Vavilov

Vavilov was a Major in the Zaftran Army, where he served in the Zaftran special forces and acted as Anizka's most trusted subordinate. Despite his loyalty to Anizka, Maksim was often subjected to her scolding and criticism even though he never disobeyed her. He died fighting the La Alianza forces, when the latter attempted to head towards Caracas and have the governor withdraw the declaration of indepandence.

Close-Range Combatant: He'd never been seen to use any weaponry outside melee and EMP.
The Dragon: To Ivanovna. And ultimately to the Republic of Zaftra.
Dual Wield: His wanzer was always equipped with two large rods. When he activated the battle skill "Double Strike", it's going to hurt.
Elites Are More Glamorous: He was a part of Zaftran Army special forces. He had access to many expensive gears that the La Alianza could only dream of having, such as the Vyzov wanzer.
EMP: Jammer-class.
Extreme Doormat: To Ivanovna. Throughout the entire story, Vavilov followed Ivanovna's orders without fail, even when he had doubts about some of her more questionable plans.
The Heavy: Players fight him three times.
Killed Off for Real: When Darril and co. blew up his wanzer for the third time in Caracas Highway (Mission 25).
Lightning Bruiser: Gameplay-wise, his wanzer had very all-rounded stats, i.e., it hit like a truck with its dual rods, was very evasive, had a decent amount of HP, and could sabotage enemies using EMP.
Majorly Awesome
Mother Russia Makes You Strong: A tough and unquestioningly loyal Zaftran major.
My Country, Right or Wrong: He was as willing to risk his own life for Zaftra as Ivanovna.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Ivanovna's Red. Vavilov tended to act as the voice of reason with regards to Ivanovna's (sometimes unnecessarily risky) plans, though he always ended up going along with it anyway.
Vavilov: If I may ask, sir... why all the subterfuge? We can take them out right now, while they are off their wanzers.
Ivanovna: It is no fun to kill them when they cannot fight back. Besides, I need moving targets to test my new toy.
Vavilov: Yes... sir.
Stout Strength
Undying Loyalty: Towards Ivanova. Vavilov's last word as he died fighting the La Alianza (Mission 25) was "C-Colonel!" It was also noteworthy that upon learning of Vavilov's death, Ivanovna's first response was a brief moment of silence, instead of (as many players would expect) vowing to kill Darril and co.

Characters / Front Mission 4

The European Community (EC)

The Durandal Armor Tactics Research Corps

Elsa Eliane

Zead Elger

Hermes Sturges

Latona Rodiona Vasilev

Dieter Bosch

Beck Canova

Robert Murray

The Blauer Nebel, EC Germany

Niklas Glaeser

Rolf Wagner

Dominik Dranz

EC Politicians

Lionel Noland

Cecil Allison

The United States of the New Continent (USN)

The 332nd Mobile Company, USN Army

Darril Traubel

Billy Renges

Phillip Chaeffer

La Alianza de Libertad Venezolana (The Venezuelan Freedom Alliance)

Luis Perez

Ines Torres

Carl Thammond

USN Venezuela

Bruno Diaz

The Zaftran Army

Anizka Ivanovna Aleksandrov

Maksim Troadiev Vavilov

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Characters / Front Mission 4

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The European Community (EC)

The Durandal Armor Tactics Research Corps

Elsa Eliane

Zead Elger

Hermes Sturges

Latona Rodiona Vasilev

Dieter Bosch

Beck Canova

Robert Murray

The Blauer Nebel, EC Germany

Niklas Glaeser

Rolf Wagner

Dominik Dranz

EC Politicians

Lionel Noland

Cecil Allison

The United States of the New Continent (USN)

The 332nd Mobile Company, USN Army

Darril Traubel

Billy Renges

Phillip Chaeffer

La Alianza de Libertad Venezolana (The Venezuelan Freedom Alliance)

Luis Perez

Ines Torres

Carl Thammond

USN Venezuela

Bruno Diaz

The Zaftran Army

Anizka Ivanovna Aleksandrov

Maksim Troadiev Vavilov

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