Characters / Tactics Ogre Loslorien

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The Dark Knights Loslorien (Roslolian Dark Knights)

In General

• Black Knight: They're a sinister knightly order of Dark Knights.
• Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Templar Knights are given distinctive colors so the player is capable to tell from a glance what they specialize in: Red templars with a black cape are offensive magicians, Blue templars with a yellow cape are healers, Purple templars with a green cape are healers and with a red cape are physical fighters.
• Church Militant: The Dark Knights are just one of the 16 knightly orders of the Holy Lodissian Empire, who exist to enforce the will of the Lodissian church and empire.
• The Dreaded: They're an extension of Lodis, the expansionist empire of the setting, so they're rightly feared by all factions and seen by many as the true threat to the war in Valeria.
• Elite Army: Played With. While they're considered an elite army in Valeria, they don't have the actual numbers to conquer the continent by themselves, as they actually specialize in special operations and subterfuge.
• Elite Mooks: Templar Knights have better stats, equipment, and skills than their Valerian counterparts.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: All of the Loslorien commanders have their own unique and incredibly powerful weapons. The only way for the player to get them is to defeat them at CODA Episode 4 in the post-game, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward since that fight is the very last thing the player is supposed to do and is the toughest one in the game. The Super Famicom/PSX versions allow you to get 5 of the 8 commanders' weapons the first time you kill them... which still means only Oz's Glamrock and Ozma's Rose Whip/Bud get to see all that much use, given how late the other 3 are slain.
• Faceless Goons: Dark Knight Elite Mooks all wears a templar helmet that hides their faces. The only way to even tell apart a female or male knight is by their sound barks.
• Four-Star Badass: All of the Loslorien officers are incredibly powerful soldiers and gameplay-wise, some of the strongest bosses in the game.
• Kingmaker Scenario: They're taking advantage of the Succession Crisis in Valeria in order to install a puppet ruler who will be loyal to Lodis. This is why Tartaros is more focused on finding Princess Versalia than on helping Brantyn win the war, as they don't truly consider him to be a worthy candidate.
• Magic Knight: Knight Commanders are capable of both physical combat and can cast offensive magic.
• Master of All: In the original SNES/PSX version, Templar Knights could miss-and-match skills from all classes, such as having Cleric magic but wielding a two-handed Katana. They were Nerfed in the PSP/Reborn version where they have different archetypes with more restricted skills, such as a gun-wielding Templar being restricted to Fusiler skills with maybe some extras stats and skills, which makes them essentially an enemy skin for regular classes rather than a separate class. Their commanders are similarly versatile, if not to the same extreme. The playable version you get if you recruit Ozma has a wide weapon, magic, and skill pool comparable only to Denam and Catiua's "ultimate" classes in variety.
• Obviously Evil: Despite their official status as a Third-Party Peacekeeper, nobody in the isles believes them and are fully aware they're just trying to make Valeria into a vassal state for Lodis.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Their Knight Commanders have uniforms with red and black color motifs.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: It's harder to find a group within the Loslorein that don't dislike at least one other member. Barbas's brutish manner makes him unpopular across the board, Balxephon seems to hold at least Oz in contempt, and the three eventual traitors in particular hold no love for their fellow knights, or even each other. Only Volaq, Lanselot and the twins Oz and Ozma show any sort of concern for any of their fellows, though for the latter two it's more familial bonds than anything else.
• The Spymaster: The Dark Knights aren't actually an Elite Army, as they don't have the actual numbers to conquer the continent by themselves. They're instead a small and elite special forces group that specializes in espionage, subterfuge and other special operations.
  Warren: They are said to be the greatest of the sixteen orders, and the high priest's favorite besides. Yet (Sardian) uses them not in open battle, but in shadows and secrecy. They are his ears, and when there is need of it, his dagger. No knights in shining armor, these. In word and deed, they are as dark as their name.
• Third-Party Peacekeeper: "Officially" they're there as a peacekeeping force for the Valerian civil war, but it's pretty clear to everyone that they're there to make the Valerian Isles a vassal state to Lodis.
• Unique Enemy: The "Templar Knight" class for the Elite Mooks are exclusive to enemy Dark Knight NPCs and can never be recruited. The "Knight Commander" class for the boss characters was also unique in the SNES/PSX version, but made available to the player if they recruit Ozma.
• Wolfpack Boss: The final battle of CODA episode 4 (and thus the game's greatest and final challenge) is a boss fight against all of the Dark Knight commanders all at once.

The Dark Knight Lanselot

Lanselot Tartaros (Lans Tatare)

Voiced by: Sho Hayami (JP;Sega Saturn), Satoshi Mikami (JP;Reborn), Jason Kennet (EN;Reborn)

High champion of the Dark Knights Loslorien. He was sent to Valeria when a secret treaty was forged between the Holy Lodissian Empire and the Bakram leader Brantyn. The Dark Knights report directly to High Priest Sardian, and Lanselot is thought to be his top lieutenant.

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• The Ace: He's a great commander who knows how to use brute strength and subterfuge, a skilled politician who uses diplomacy and manipulation to get what he wants, and a formidable fighter who's skilled with both magic and blade.
• Accidental Hero: He might have gotten a much more nefarious plan by installing Catiua as a Puppet Queen for Valeria, but she is the rightful heir all along while other figures (Ronwey, Balbatos, Brantyn) tried to rule Valeria only to be bogged down by their darker sides, and considering Denam would be doomed if he ever got the throne regardless of how he united Valeria, Tartaros was unintentionally doing Valeria a service in his quest to open the Chaos Gate.
• Affably Evil: He's not that bad of a person. He demonstrates obsequiousness to Denam when they first meet, tries to keep Brantyn in line with the peace treaty with the Walister, and barely puts any effort into killing Denam.
• Ambiguous Situation: While his Evil Plan to make Valeria a vassal state to Lodis through Princess Versalia is obvious, it's unclear what his intentions were in regards to the chaos gate. He stole Brynhildr from Xenobia, making it seem like he intended to use them eventually, but he never did despite knowing their location and Barbas eventually threw a wrench at the plan by trying to open the chaos gate himself. Barbas and Martym aren't too worried over it, but In-Universe Catiua speculates he must have had his reasons. Given he survives the game, this is an intentional Sequel Hook.
• Bait-and-Switch: Some players might actually think that he is shaping up to be the true Big Bad and Final Boss - historically, he helped shape Denam, Caitua, and Vyce into the people they are today by raiding their village and torturing Denam's father. He is an extension of a foreign power who is portrayed as malign, helps out one of the other antagonists (Brantyn), and even opposes Denam. Yet he ends up being confronted much earlier at Barnicia, and once he feels the situation is lost he decides to leave Valeria and retreat back to Lodis. But then he gets betrayed by Barbas, Martym, and Andoras and they end up being the final antagonists of the game.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: He's one of the main antagonists of the game alongside Brantyn, as The Leader of the Dark Knights Loslorien who seek to conquer Valeria. Out of the two, he's The Heavy, being an antagonist force for the entire game and treated by the narrative as the biggest threat to Valeria and having a personal connection to Denam and Catiua. Ironically, he ends up surviving the game, by pulling a Screw This, I'm Outta Here when the situation seems lost in Chapter 4, leaving his rebellious Dark Knights to be the final antagonists in the game.
• The Chessmaster: He's a manipulator and a diplomat who makes several different deals with different power players in Valeria in order to achieve his objectives.
• Climax Boss: His boss fight in Barnicia is treated as the mid-chapter climax of chapter 4. Not only Denam gets to face him in combat but is also the climax of Catiua/Versalia conflict with Denam, which partly occurred due to Tartaros' manipulation.
• Consummate Liar: He never admits to anyone in Valeria that he's anything but a Third-Party Peacekeeper and keeps claiming he and Lodis don't want to turn the Valerian isles into a vassal state, despite his actions clearly pointing to the contrary. Even when he abandons Catiua, he still lies to her so as to try to keep some diplomatic connection to her when she inevitably takes the throne, but the player gets to hear his thoughts when he's internally debating whether or not to just kill her on the spot.
• Deadpan Snarker: He has a dry wit and often makes japes even at the most inopportune moments, usually at the expense of others.
  Tartaros: [to a irritated Brantyn who's forces are under siege]] You appear to be embattled, your excellency.
• Dirty Coward: The fact he flees from Denam twice at Phidoch and at Barnicia combined with his Screw This, I'm Outta Here to the conflict now that he no longers has the upper hand makes him come across as this. In-Universe both Brantyn and Barbas start to see him as one, which is what emboldens them to betray him. Brantyn even openly mocks him for it:
  Brantyn: Is it the largely uncontested loss of Phidoch and Barnicia that weighs upon your shoulders, or shame at your own inadequacy? Perhaps you should ride out and face our foes if you do not wish to become even more of a laughingstock!
• Evil Is Petty: He's not above stopping to gloat or needle others from time to time, directly or otherwise, and the tone and manner he takes when confronted about the Loslorein raid on Golyat is condescending at best, despite talking to three of its victims at the time.
• Eyepatch of Power: He's a deadly warrior who lost his eye in battle with Lanselot Hamilton some time ago, and now wears an eyepatch, which is a fitting look for a dark knight who values intimidation.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Ambicion, his unique legendary one-handed sword that was bestowed by God to humans during the Ogre Battle. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward.
• Fallen Hero: The protagonist of the Knight of Lodis prequel where he was a genuine Knight in Shining Armor and heroic young man trying to do the right thing. And then he lost Eleanor.
• Faux Affably Evil: He's a skilled enough liar and manipulator that his Affably Evil tone never slips up in the game, but he does abandon it when having a private Just Between You and Me chat with Lanselot Hamilton, not bothering to hide his disdain for the commonfolk. There's also a small and optional moment in the Barnicia fight, where if he's defeated while Princess Catiua still alive, we get to hear his thought process as he considers whether or not to just kill her on the spot.
  Tartaros: [thinking to himself] Perhaps I should kill her now. The turmoil would only make it easier to assail these wretched islands... And make ruling them a far more difficult proposition. No, we trust Catiua... for now.
• Foil: To the OTHER Lanselot, both being high-ranking knights in Valeria on secret missions for their countries. But while Hamilton cares for the well-being of the people in Valeria, Tartaros is dismissive of their suffering. Both also lost people dear to them, but while Hamilton never lost his ideals with his wife's death urging him to keep doing the right thing, Tartaros became bitter, angry, and spiteful towards God.
• Good Powers, Bad People: Despite being the leader of the dreaded Dark Knights and a major antagonist for most of the game, he focuses on Divine Magic and his signature weapon, taken from a fallen archangel, can only do Light based damage.
• The Heavy: He's one of the main antagonists for most of the game, being the commander of the Dark Knights in its interventionism campaign in Valeria and the mastermind of many of the events that helped shaped the main characters lives, such as the raid of Golyat, the capture and torture of Prancet and Lanselot and convincing Catiua's to pull a Face–Heel Turn. His boss fight is treated as a Climax Boss, and though he decides to leave Valeria right after, his men still end up usurping his Evil Plan and use Brynhildr to unlock the chaos gates.
• Hobbes Was Right: His life view is that all humans are selfish and weak and want to be ruled by "strong men of vision" such as him.
  Tartaros: All men are born with a terrible burden upon their hearts, this insatiable yearning for pleasure. They do not hesitate to take the lives of others if it will better their own. And yet, even these base creatures can know guilt. So what do they do? They turn it around. This is not my fault, man says. The world has failed me. Someone must bring order to this chaos! If the commons want to pursue their pleasure, let them do it in our service, under our rule!
  Hamilton: You call this "rule"? This trampling underfoot of all who disagree with you?
  Tartaros: We trample no one. All we do is reach beneath the suppurating flesh of this world and wrench out the source of its ailment.
  Hamilton: No. As the body strives to mend itself, so does the heart. These people you so despise may one day astonish you with their valor!
  Tartaros: You have far too much faith in the creature called "man," Knight. People are drawn to power, drawn toward safety. They will betray even their most beloved to obtain it.
• Graceful Loser: Despite being defeated by Denam, losing Catiua as a puppet and being betrayed and having his entire organization and Brynhildr was taken from him by Barbas, he still reacts with his total defeat with calm, and simply reassures Balxephon and Volaq that Lodis will have other chances to take Valeria.
• Hypocrite: When talking to Lanselot Hamilton about the panicking Bakram, he insults them by saying they're "not the soldiers we are Or the men". This is despite the fact that he himself panics and tries to run away both times Denam besieges the castle he's in.
• I Did What I Had to Do: If Hobyrim confronts him for the violent uprising and subsequent purge he led in Lodis, Tartaros will shrug it off as something that needed to be done.
  Tartaros: There was no other way. Lodis needs change. Move too slowly, and the commons would never recognize it for what it was. Our uprising showed them that change had come. But more importantly, it taught them where to kneel.
  Hobyrim: You wield an iron fist when a velvet glove would serve.
• Karma Houdini: Despite the misery and death he's left in his wake, he manages to survive the game and flee back to his homeland. Although he does so in total defeat, as his Dark Knights were completely routed save for two of his lieutenants, all his time and effort to turn Valeria into a vassal province was for naught and he lost Brynhildr and thus access to the Chaos Gates.
• Knight in Sour Armor: What he went through in The Knight of Lodis made him a very bitter man.
• Light Is Not Good: His elemental affinity is Light and he uses Holy magic, but make no mistake; his uses for it are generally to hurt you bad.
• Light 'em Up: Ironically enough, The Leader of the Dark Knights has Light as his elemental affinity, and his sword Ambicion and his unique finisher Apocalypse are both light oriented.
• Manipulative Bastard: He's a master manipulator, always trying to maintain a reasonable tone when talking to people, even when lying to their faces. He manipulates Brantyn and the Bakram into allowing him and his organization to do as they please, manages to convince Catiua to forsake her brother and the Walister by exploiting her emotional vulnerabilities, and keeps his own men in line by keeping secrets from them.
• Nay-Theist: Though he is the High Champion of a religious empire and personally defeated a Fallen Angel in his own game, he still believes it's foolish for people to rely on divine providence in order to obtain what can be achieved by their own will. This is probably as a result of having been massively screwed over by divinity in his game.
• Noodle Incident: He and Lanselot Hamilton met and fought each other in the past, but we never learn much about it other than Hamilton took out Tartaros eye in their battle.
• Not So Above It All: While he maintains a facade of an Affably Evil man who engages in Pragmatic Villainy, he gets a major Kick the Dog moment showing that he is quite capable of Evil Is Petty: Sentencing Hamilton Lanselot (the man who took his eye) to a Cold-Blooded Torture and pointless taunting him by letting him see Catiua.
• One-Man Army: In-Universe. He holds the rank of Death Templar who are said to have the strength of five hundred men, meaning they are not to be taken lightly. He lives up to this trope both in his battle at Barnicia, and in Denam's alternate time travel battle at the last CODA.
• One-Steve Limit: An intentional aversion, and the source of a minor bit of confusion in universe when the Golyat trio overhears the Xenobian Exiles mention a Lanselot among their number. Given his real name is Alphonse, Lanselot is a title or epithet Tartaros assumed at some point.
• Pragmatic Villainy: His true objective in Valeria is to conquer it for Lodis and pillage the treasures of Dorgalua's legacy, but he's skilled in Realpolitik so he knows it's better to maintain a facade of an Affably Evil Third-Party Peacekeeper and to install a Puppet Ruler that the people of Valeria can accept, rather than the chaos that would ensue by an actual full-scale military invasion on the isles.
• Rogue Protagonist: Rather, Knight of Lodis was a prequel about his Start of Darkness. The Canon ending, that is. You'll notice that when you fight him, he has the sword he got from Shaher.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
  • During his Climax Boss fight at Barnicia, if the player happens to kill Catiua, Tartaros will immediately retreat, as it's pointless to keep fighting the Valerians now that he no longer has a puppet princess.
  • When he realizes that the secrets of the Valerian royal family are WAY beyond his weight class (as he knows full well from past experience that Evil Is Not a Toy) he does the surprisingly logical thing and decides to get the hell out and flee back to Lodis. However, his subordinates had a different idea and thought they could control it. It ended badly for them while Tartaros and Balxephon managed to sneak back home.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Apocalypse, a light-based attack whose effect varies with the game. In the PSP version, it has a chance to instantly take one of your party's lives, without removing them from the battlefield. In Reborn, it instead temporarily lowers their level.
• Smug Snake: He's a very dangerous and intelligent man, and he's quite aware of it, which makes him look down on others. He gets a serving of Humble Pie when he shows up to Brantyn's throne room to give him a mocking farewell, only to end up betrayed by his own men. While he does manage to escape unharmed and return to Lodis, he has to do so empty-handed and with the tail between his legs instead of the tactical retreat with minimal losses he was hoping for.
• Unique Enemy: He has a unique class called "Death Templar", which is a Master of All that has high stats across the board and allows him to be equipped with any weapon, armor, or spell.
• We Used to Be Friends: He and Ozma used to respect each other, but their relationship becomes bitter after she defects upon finding out what he and Balxephon plotted in the shadows
  Tartaros: I always thought well of you, Ozma. Never resting on the laurels you were born to. A bold spirit, you had. Deep love for your homeland, and a true desire for reform... Pity.
  Ozma: As I respected you, high commander. It was through your effort that Lodis rose from its own rot and returned to strength. But I cannot see a future in the course you and Balxephon take - the way you deceive and rule others with fear. You bring change, but what follows? Press down upon the people for too long, and you will warp the land and invite destruction.

The Dark Knight Balxephon

Balxephon V. Rahms (Balzepho Van Rams)

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (JP;Sega Saturn), Kenyuu Horiuchi (JP;Reborn), Keythe Farley (EN;Reborn)

Second-in-command of the Dark Knights Loslorien, hailing from Gallius, seat of the Holy Lodissian Empire. He is the son of Stratarchis Vogras, who commanded five of the orders of knighthood in Lodis. Loslorien enjoys independence from the Senate thanks to the influence of Vogras. Balxephon is a firm believer in discipline and following orders.

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• Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear how much his actions regarding Hobyrim and Ozma are fueled by petty cruelty or just a desire for power. Did he exile Hobyrim as an attempt at Cruel Mercy? Did he take Ozma as his bride as a final insult to Hobyrim or just for the political alliance it might bring? Does he have genuine romantic feelings for Ozma or it's just an act to manipulate her?
• Arranged Marriage: Ozma was set to marry Balxephon's younger brother Hobyrim to unite their noble families, but after Balxephon got Hobyrim framed and exiled, the engagement passed on to him. It's ambiguous whether he actually wants Ozma as a bride, or just the alliance that it brings. He does at least pretends he loves her.
• Badass in Distress: In the Neutral route, he's captured by Duke Rowney and Leonar and needs to be rescued by Ozma.
• Becoming the Mask: His father had him join the Loslorien to monitor them and their ever-growing political power, only for Balxephon to grow unquestionably loyal to the organization.
• Black Sheep: By all accounts the rest of his family were decent people - we hear little about his mother, but his brother Hobyrim and his father at least were loyal citizens of Lodis that simply wanted what was best for her people without all the conquering and warmongering the political coup Balxephon helped incite brought with it. So naturally, he kills his father outright, has his mother poisoned, and pins the former on his brother, leading to his sibling's eyes being plucked out and his exile from Lodis.
• Blue Blood: He's from house Rahms, a high-ranking noble house in Lodis, famous for its military history, and his father was an influential figure said to control most of Lodis' knightly orders. Balxephon is also arrogant and pompous and looks down on commoners and people from outside Lodis, such as the Valerians.
• Climax Boss: In the Lawful route (on the PSP/Reborn), he’s part of Chapter 3’s final fight.
• Consummate Liar: Made very apparent in the Lawful route, where he lies to Hobyrim and Ozma constantly in his interactions. And if caught in a lie, he will just change to another lie.
• The Dragon: He's the second-in-commander of the Dark Knights and is personally loyal to Lanselot Tartaros.
• Evil Is Petty: He not only had his younger brother framed and exiled for his crime but also had him blinded. It's heavily implied he was trying to give Hobyrim a Fate Worse than Death for not supporting him rather than trying to be merciful.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Volcaetus, his unique fire spear. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward.
• Faux Affably Evil: He attempts to keep a cordial tone and seem reasonable, but he has an ill temper, and is not that hard to make him break his facade.
• Hate Sink: The Dark Knights as a whole are a fairly vile organization, but Balxephon's crimes go above and beyond even by their standards, from patricide to matricide, framing his brother for it and having him blinded and exiled and finally torturing and effectively enslaving fellow Dark Knight Ozma.
• I Did What I Had to Do: All of the butchery he does, including destroying his own family, he does to fulfill his own vision of Lodis. If confronted by Hobyrim or Denam about it, he will be utterly unapologetic about his actions.
  Balxephon: We cannot dwell upon our missteps along the path to domination. A bit of repentance, a touch of regret, perhaps. But do not shed a tear for the wretches - let their wounds weep for them. These things we do are necessary. The pruning of ill-formed branches, that our children might enjoy the fruits of our labors, yes? this is the heart of the conqueror! This is you!
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: If you fail to recruit Ozma on the Law Route but otherwise leave her alive, a scene that must be viewed through the Warren Report is eventually unlocked in which Balxephon flees back to Lodis with a wheelchair bound, insensible Ozma, whom he claims he will marry when they return home. Given she learned the truth about what he did to his brother Hobryim, her groom to be, it's implied she was tortured and drugged much the same as their enemies often are.
• In the Back: He kills his own father with a sword to the back after he turned away from him.
• Karma Houdini: In the original (As well as Neutral and Chaotic routes in the PSP version). It's especially bad in the remake if you miss the Ozma recruitment quest, as it's implied he drugged and tortured her, and intends to make her his wife back in Lodis. Regardless of route, he escapes alongside Tartaros and Volaq to Lodis, getting away with his crimes in Valeria and with everything he did to Hobyrim and their family.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: In the Lawful route, there's a small hope Ozma and maybe Volaq may try to bring him to justice back in Lodis. The CODA episode 4 boss fight also allows an opportunity for Hobyrim to get his revenge, if you bring him along for the final boss fight. The brothers will even acknowledge each other in the fight, despite the Time Travel shenanigans.
• Know When to Fold Them: Like most villains in this game and its spiritual successor, he teleports when he knows he is bested. Sadly the same cannot be said for Oz.
• Lack of Empathy: He has little empathy for commoners, callously ordering Volaq to Rape, Pillage, and Burn Golyat just because he was impatient.
• Matricide: He poisoned his own mother (after he had killed his own father and had his younger brother framed for it) just because she wouldn't lend her voice to his rebellion
• Military Brat: His family has a long history of military service, and he was raised to follow this tradition and be a knight and officer in service to Lodis.
• Older Sidekick: He's Tartaros Number Two and acts very submissive towards him, but is quite a few years his senior.
• Patricide: He killed his own father because he wouldn't support Loslorien and Sardian's rebellion against the Senate. And then he framed Hobyrim for it.
• Patriotic Fervor: He's a loyalist to Tartaros and High Priest Sardian's vision of Lodis, to the point he killed his own family to help make it come true.
• Playing with Fire: His elemental affinity is Fire. Both his unique weapon Volcaeutus and his aptly named unique finishing move Fiery Death deal fire elemental damage.
• Practically Different Generations: His younger brother Hobyrim is nearly a decade younger than him.
• Self-Made Orphan: Okay, he was already pretty old when he killed his father... it's also implied he was behind his mother's poisoning. The worst part? [He framed his own brother for his father's murder.
• Sibling Rivalry: Balxephon and Hobyrim ended up on different sides of the civil war in Lodis, making the brothers enemies ever since. Balxephon had Hobyrim blinded and exiled, but Hobyrim still pursues Balxephon to seek revenge for the murder of their parents.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Fiery Death, a two-hit fire-based attack with a chance to Hobble the target.
• Sycophantic Servant: He's Tartaros' Number Two and is constantly worshiping the ground he walks on. Notably, the other Knight Commanders are far less pompous to Tartaros than Balxephon is, despite the difference in rank being higher. In Balxephon's backstory, we actually learn his loyalty and devotion to Tartaros is so deep that he actually killed his own parents and exiled his brother just for Tartaros' sake.
• The Unfought: He was never fought in the original SNES/PSX version of the game. In the PSP/Reborn version, he can be fought as Dual Boss alongside Oz in the Lawful Route or in the CODA Episode 4.
• Villain Respect: If fought in Phidoch, he commends Denam for his accomplishments and growth since their encounter in Chapter 1 and even makes a We Can Rule Together offer. Denam doesn't appreciate it and refuses the offer on the spot.
  Balxephon: I like what I see, boy! You're determined, with a good eye and a steady sword hand. Not to mention the notches in your blade! To think you've killed your captain, your liege... and all those at Balmamusa. Why, I might even consider letting you minister here in Valeria. In our name, of course.
  Denam: Don't waste your breath telling me of the stains on my shield. I know them all too well. But know that I will not let Lodis take these isles. Her peoples will not abide you!
  Balxephon: And I see you are at peace with your own baser nature! Marvelous! One could hardly ask for more in a ruler. For who can deceive others who cannot deceive himself?
• With Us or Against Us: If you don't align yourself with his way of thinking, you're worthless to him. He's even capable of murdering his parents because they didn't support Sardian's regime in Lodis.

The Dark Knight Volaq

Volaq Windsalf (Volac Winzalf)

Voiced by: Masaru Hachinohe (JP;Sega Saturn), Kousuke Gotou (JP;Reborn), Chris Cox (EN;Reborn)

A Loslorien commander. Little is known of his past, or how he came to join the Dark Knights. His loyalty to Lodis is unquestionable, and he has earned a great deal of respect from those serving under him. A career soldier, he never lets personal matters interfere with his duties.

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• Blind Obedience: He obeys the orders of his superiors blindly, even when they're morally repugnant ones like putting Golyat to the torch. This trait also allows him to be easily manipulated by Tartaros, such as when Balxephon's deceit is revealed, Volaq gets easily placated by Tartaros's assurance that it will be dealt with when they get back to Lodis, something that Ozma finds to be a ridiculous excuse.
  Ozma: You would have us follow our orders without question in the name of unity?
  Volaq: It is our duty. There cannot be order without trust.
• Blow You Away: His elemental affinity is Air. Both his unique weapon Balmung and his unique finishing move deal wind elemental damage.
• Dual Boss: He's only ever fought as a dual boss, alongside Ozma during her recruitment sidequest and alongside Andoras in CODA episode 4.
• Everyone Has Standards: He's a Dark Knight Commander who has a Blind Obedience to his superiors, but when we see him at the raid of Golyat he's clearly shocked when Balxephon orders him to torch the place.
  Balxephon: Set fire to the place.
  Volaq: What did you say?
  Balxephon: I said set fire to the town! We'll be here till morning if we have to search every house. The Bakram will be arriving at midday. Best to burn the place to the ground if we're going to be finished by then.
  Volaq: But, that's...
  Balxephon: You begin to irritate me, Lord Windsalf. Take your men ahead to the rendezvous point! Now, go!
  [Volaq relunctantly complies]
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Balmung, his unique two-handed sword that was crafted by the talon of a Darkwyrm, and has a bonus against dragons. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward.
• Just Following Orders: He's a loyal and just man by nature, and isn't vile like many of his colleagues, but he will bloody his hands if ordered to. This is best illustrated in CODA episode 4, where we see how he acted during the raid of Golyat: While at first he showed reluctance to follow Balxephon's order to torch the village, he still followed through with it, and we see him order an innocent child to be executed.
• Kick the Dog: In CODA episode 4, it shows him taking part in the raid of Golyat, demonstrating that he's perfectly capable of killing innocent civilians, even children, as long he had orders to do it.
  [Andoras and a Dark Knight are debating on whether or not to spare a child]
  Dark Knight: Lord Windsalf, your orders?
  Volaq: [turning his head away] The high champion wants no witnesses.
• Lawful Stupid: During Ozma's recruitment sidequest, he's portrayed as naive for believing Balxephon will be charged for his lie regarding Hobyrim when they're back in Lodis and that Tartaros knew nothing of it. When Ozma points out this seems like an obvious attempt at stringing her along given how close Balxephon and Tartaros are, he just ignores her, annoyed she's not simply blindly believing her superior.
  Volaq: The high champion's orders are quite clear. He's to be charged for his crimes after his return to Lodis.
  Ozma: Do you not think the high champion knew of all this? He and Balxephon keep close counsel. I cannot believe he knew nothing of Hobyrim.
  Volaq: Speak no more, Ozma. Return with me to the high champion. For my sake, if not your own.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Despite his Undying Loyalty, he's actually unaware of Tartaros' plans involving the chaos gate and Brynhildr, and is surprised by it when Barbas and Martym tell it to him.
• Loyal to the Position: While he is unquestionably loyal, his loyalty is to Lodis and to the high champion of the Loslorien knights and not to Tartaros specifically, which is why he's kept Locked Out of the Loop of Tartaros' and Balxephon's shadier dealings, as they knew he'd likely object.
• Mysterious Past: His past is unknown, but his last name has been used in March of the Black Queen, belonging to both Highlanders Hikash and Rauny. This generates guessing if Volaq used to be a member of the Highland nobility that defected to the Loslorien. Nothing came out from it, however, except with how Volaq became a Token Good Teammate amongst the Losloriens since the Highlanders are known for their steadfast sense of honor.
• Optional Boss: He's only fought in the optional sidequest to recruit Ozma in the Lawful Route.
• Route Boss: He's a sidequest boss in the remake, accessible on the Lawful Route.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Crushing Blow, a two-hit wind-based attack that has a chance to Leaden.
• Threatening Mediator: His usual post is at Heim, serving as the mediator between the Dark Knights and Brantyn. And Volaq often has to remind and subtly threaten Brantyn that the Dark Knights will turn on him if he doesn't respect their rules.
• Token Good Teammate: Played With. In the SNES/PSX version this is played straight as Volaq never does anything malicious or personal towards anyone, is never shown slaughtering or harassing people, never fights the heroes, and is genuinely polite to them. His only real crime towards the player is serving The Empire. This gets Downplayed in the PSP/Reborn version where he's an antagonist for Ozma's recruitment mission and is even willing to drag her back by force. He also gets a major Kick the Dog moment in CODA episode 4 in which he somewhat reluctantly takes part in the sacking of Golyat. He's even show ordering the execution of an innocent child, despite Andoras' pleas for mercy, as their orders demand that no witnesses be left.
• Undying Loyalty: He serves Lodis with unmistakable fervor and is willing to compromise his morals and give his life if it means serving his nation.
• The Unfought: He was never fought in the original SNES/PSX version of the game. There actually wasn't even battle data for him! The PSP/Reborn version, he can be fought as an Optional Boss in the Lawful Route or in the CODA Episode 4.
• Unreliable Illustrator: He's primarily a two-handed sword user, but his PSP artwork features him with a spear.
• Villain Has a Point: While he's portrayed as naive for buying into Tartaros obvious excuse of having Balxephon tried back in Lodis, he does have a point that this is not a discussion the Dark Knights have the luxury to have in their current situation, far from home in a hostile foreign land at a time of crisis.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with two-handed swords.
• Worthy Opponent: He's impressed by Hobyrim's skill with a blade, and sincerely compliments him on being a Blind Weaponmaster.
  Volaq: So, this is Hobyrim. You're really something, you know. Most men would have surrendered their sword along with their sight.
  Hobyrim: A knight commander, is it? You have the air of rank about you.
  Volaq:' Does nothing escape you? I shall have to take blind swordsmen much more seriously. To watch you move, it is clear you are no common warrior. Let our steel sing, then. Your crimes against Lodis demand blood!

The Dark Knight Martym

Martym Noumous (Martym Nowmas)

Voiced by: Fuminori Komatsu (JP), Sean Kenin (EN)

A Loslorien commander from Gallius, seat of the Holy Lodissian Empire. He is known for his cunning swordplay. He will stop at nothing to achieve victory, living by the motto, "It always comes to blood." Though his words lack grace, he wields a blade with great finesse. He was one of the Dark Knights who attacked Golyat.

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• Ax-Crazy: Like his partner-in-crime, Martym is borderline insane. When you rescue Lindl in Grimsby, you catch him just about to "pass divine judgment" on the gunslinger.
• Didn't Think This Through: Barbas and Martym don't actually know what Tartaros was planning with the chaos gates, and just assume they will gain it's powers when they open the seal and are confused when this doesn't happen.
  Martym: Is that all? I had expected something... more.
  Barbas: ...Indeed.
• The Dragon: While technically he and Barbas are an Evil Duo, Martym lets Barbas take the lead. Catiua even takes notice of this, and refers to him as "Barbas' creature".
• Dual Boss: Alongside Barbas at the Hanging Gardens.
• Dub-Induced Plotline Change: In the Japanese script Martym speaks in a very crass dialect, unbefitting of his rank. But this is absent from his speech in the English script, although his Warrens Report entry mention does make reference to his sloppy speech, making this an Informed Attribute.
• Evil Duo: He and Barbas often work together, though they do so more out of an alliance of convenience rather than a Villainous Friendship, as their banter makes clear they don't really like each other.
  Martym: I tire of keeping up with your headstrong lust for battle.
  Barbas: You're luck if you can hang onto my coattails, you simpering pansy.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Nifrit Sword, his unique one-handed sword made of jade imbued with the essence of befouled water and has a chance to inflict poison when hit. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward. He'll drop it during the last battle with him in the original releases during the main story... when there is only a single battle in the game remaining after the fact to use it with.
• Hero Killer: In the Neutral route, he manages to kill Gildas during the invasion of Rhime. Downplayed however — if Lawful or Chaotic were played and Gildas was brought to Barbas’ fight at Barnicia, he states that he actually sent Martym fleeing rather than being the one who fled for his life; this suggests that the fight was closer than Martym would claim and that Gildas didn’t go down easily.
• Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Martym is definitely a smug opportunist asshole. But, during his mutiny, after seizing Brynhildr, he takes his time to literally kick a tied-up Balxephon twice. If you realize the kind of atrocities Balxephon is responsible of (especially to Hobyrim and Ozma (detailed in the Lawful route)), Martym looks like taking the trope in the most literal manner.
• Light Is Not Good: He has offensive holy magic and (possibly sarcastically) believes that Philaha tells him to kill people.
• Making a Splash: His elemental affinity is Water, with his unique weapon the Nifrit Sword and his unique finisher both being water elemental.
• Pre-Final Boss: A Dual Boss with Barbas is the last thing Denam faces before fighting the Final Boss.
• Recurring Boss: He can be fought twice in Chapter 4, first in the mission to save Lindl and later at the Hanging Gardens alongside Barbas.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Venomous Strike, a Water-based blast that always inflicts poisons.
• Smug Snake: One thing Martym is known for is being a smug know-it-all who may have some power, but nowhere as big as he thought he has. Compounding this, starting from the PSP version, he's given a face that's constantly sporting a smug shit-eating grin.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: In the second version of the game. Not that he wasn't an enormous Jerkass in the original version already.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with one-handed swords.

The Dark Knight Barbas

Barbas Dahd Geuse (Barbas Dud Goose)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (JP), Jason Charles Miller (EN)

A Loslorien commander hailing from Bomouth on the borderlands of Lodis. He is a giant of a man, and the most bloodthirsty of the seven Loslorien commanders. He was put on trial for beating a superior to death, but was saved from execution by Lanselot Tartaros. He was also among the Dark Knights who attacked Golyat a year ago.

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• Ax-Crazy: His Blood Knight tendencies make him very unstable, and he's prone to disobey orders just for the chance to have a good fight.
• Bad Boss: When he ends up killing one of his men by accident, his reaction is to just yell at the others to dump his body elsewhere.
• Big Bad Slippage: He's not shown to be particularly important for most of the game and has little connection to the protagonists, with the only notable thing he does is lead the attack on Rhime and defeating Lanselot Hamilton in battle. Yet late into Chapter 4, by the time all the other Big Bad Duumvirate are either dead or no longer a real threat, he leads the Dark Knights to rebel and steals Brynhildr from Tartaros in order to open the chaos gate at the Hanging Gardens, making him the final villain for the very last stretch of the game and becomes the Pre-Final Boss.
• Big Bad Wannabe: While he successfully leads a rebellion against Tartaros and steals Brynhildr, it's made clear that he would have never succeeded at gaining power from the chaos gates, as he doesn't even know what Tartaros was planning to do with them. All he manages to do is to let free a Sealed Evil in a Can.
• Blood Knight: He's extremely bloodthirsty and enjoys trading blows with people who can give him a good fight. He disobeys orders and invades Rhime just for a chance to clash swords with Lanselot Hamilton and during the CODA episode 4, he actually welcomes the challenge Denam brings to the raid of Golyat, because he thinks killing helpless villagers is boring.
  Barbas: They put up more of a fight than I expected! Now this is battle! Hewing these burghers was about as challenging as chopping firewood.
• The Brute: He's a massive man and the most brutal and bloodthirsty of the Dark Knights and he's treated as raw muscle by Tartaros. He's even portrayed as the strongest of them, as he was the one able to defeat Lanselot Hamilton in single combat, something even Tartatos failed to do.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Vyce holds a personal grudge towards him because Barbas killed his father during the raid of Golyat. Barbas can barely remember the incident, and when he does just remembers cutting down some loud drunk, much to Vyce's anger.
• Didn't Think This Through: Barbas and Martym don't actually know what Tartaros was planning with the chaos gates, and just assume they will gain it's powers when they open the seal and are confused when this doesn't happen.
  Martym: Is that all? I had expected something... more.
  Barbas: ...Indeed.
• Dishing Out Dirt: His elemental affinity is Earth. His unique hammer the Sanscion and his finisher Angel of Death both deal earth elemental damage.
• Does Not Like Magic: He dislikes magic, regarding it as "cheap parlor tricks". He's also the only officer among the Dark Knights to lack spells entirely in all of his appearances.
• Dual Boss: Fought alongside Martym at the Hanging Gardens.
• Dumb Muscle: Downplayed. He's not comically dumb and has enough cunning to be a fearful commander and led a rebellion, but he has a fairly simplistic view of life and fails to understand Tartaros' goals in the big picture. Even In-Universe Tartaros and Ozma openly consider him a dull-witted brute whose only use is as raw muscle and even Catiua thinks he's a fool for not considering that Tartaros might have had a good reason not to open the chaos gate.
• Evil Duo: He and Martym often work together, though they do so more out of an alliance of convenience rather than an Villainous Friendship, as their banter makes clear they don't really like each other.
  Martym: I tire of keeping up with your headstrong lust for battle.
  Barbas: You're luck if you can hang onto my coattails, you simpering pansy.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Sanscion, his unique two-handed hammer that once belonged to a demon of the abyss. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward. In the original Super Famicom release one of the temple knights fought to bar your way from reaching him and Martym towards the end of the game will drop it, but by that point there are only 2 fights left to enjoy it with, similarly limiting its use.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Barbas was originally just some axe-crazy knight; however, he was later invited by Tartaros himself to serve as a Knight Commander. Near the end of the game, this buffoon actually wields the power to open up a chaos gate.
• Hated by All: He's actively disliked by all characters in the game, even his own colleagues regard him as a vile brute. Martym seems to be the only person to find his company tolerable, but even then it's clear that Martym also finds Barbas a lout and only allies with him out of convenience and respect for his strength.
• I Just Shot Marvin in the Face: Before the first battle with him, he tries showing off a Fusil, a brand new device that he claims is stronger than any magic (it's a fantasy gun). In the process of showing it off, he accidentally shoots a soldier standing in front of him, killing the soldier. He quickly tries to play it off by passing it to another soldier and claiming true knights fight with a sword anyway. (Or hammers).
• Large and in Charge: He's in charge of the remaining Dark Knights after he, Martym and Andoras rebel, seemingly for no other reason other than him being the largest and strongest.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Downplayed in that it's not the sole reason for his betrayal, but Tartaros starts treating Barbas more and more poorly as the game progresses, to the point Tartaros tells him to his face he's not happy to see he survived his battle with Denam in Barnicia. Unsurprisingly, Barbas turns on Tartaros soon after.
• Never My Fault: A slightly more justifiable example than some, given how arcane the weapons are to most people in the setting, but after letting a fusil discharge and fatally shoot one of his own men, he blames it on the gun rather then his own carelessness.
• "Not So Different" Remark: He claims that Denam seeks the thrill of battle just as much as he. This could be directed at the player, too.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: His interactions with Ozma make it clear he's misogynistic and thinks a "good beating" would serve her well.
  Barbas: Such pride for a woman. Nothing a good beating won't remedy!
• Pre-Final Boss: A Dual Boss with Martym is the last thing Denam faces before fighting the Final Boss.
• Recruiting the Criminal: He was set to be executed after killing his own superior, but Tartaros interfered and had him recruited into the Loslorien Knights instead, likely so as not to waste Barbas' strength. Notably, Barbas averts I Owe You My Life and feels no gratitude towards Tartaros for it.
• Recurring Boss: He’s fought twice in Chapter 4, first at Barnicia and later at the Hanging Gardens alongside Martym.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Angel of Death, an earth elemental attack that has a chance to petrify its targets.
• Sociopathic Soldier: He's an Ax-Crazy and Blood Knight commander who cares more about fighting than his orders. Even Tartaros can barely keep him under control.
• The Starscream: He's the most openly disloyal member of the Dark Knights, disobeying orders just so he can get into fights, and is often disrespecting his superiors, even calling High Priest Sardian an "imbecile". Even his backstory mentions he once beat his previous superior to death. At the end of the game, he even leads a rebellion against Tartaros so he can claim Dorgalua's legacy for himself.
• Stay in the Kitchen: His dialogue with Ozma makes it clear he doesn't respect female warriors.
  Barbas: The name of House Glacius may curry favor back home, but it means nothing here. You should have stayed at home and married some rich, old nobleman, if any would have you.
• Unreliable Illustrator: He's primarily a two-handed hammer user, but his PSP artwork features his dual-wielding swords. He also cuts down Vyce's father in CODA 4 with a sword despite otherwise wielding his hammer at the time.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with hammers.

The Dark Knight Oz

Oz Moh Glacius (Oz Mow Gracious)

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (JP), Nicolas Roye (EN)

A Loslorien commander from Gallius, seat of the Holy Lodissian Empire, and twin brother to Dame Ozma. He was an expert swordsman, receiving top honors from the Xanam Officer's Academy. He was assigned to the Dark Knights at the recommendation of the Gallius Guild of Magi. His sadistic nature was evident in his actions on the field of battle and in his questioning of prisoners.

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• Adaptation Expansion: Less so than his sister, but in the SFC&PSX versions, his reasons for going all out against Denam were because of his sister's death in the Lawful route. The PSP version just changes this to his love of fighting and killing.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: He's a high-ranking noble from Lodis and is utterly despicable. He even believes his bloodline makes him inherently superior to "commoners and rabble".
• The Bully: He enjoys picking on the weak and the defenseless.
• Cultural Posturing: He has a Lack of Empathy for anyone outside of Lodis because he sees their culture as inferior to his own, which is why he acts in such a sadistic manner to his enemies.
  Oz: The dwarf lectures the giant? Ha! You are more fool than I thought. Lodis is a land of kings! Think you we care about the scraps of some unruly rabble? What can you know, you who hasten toward your own destruction? Destroy yourselves as you like, but do not visit your ruin upon us!
• Blood Knight: Subverted. While he enjoys killing and causing pain in others, he points out that he's not like Barbas and doesn't enjoy fighting against people who can actually fight back.
• Blue Blood: He's from house Glacius, a high-ranking noble house in Galius, the capital of Lodis. The Glacius are famous for being patrons of the Lodissian Guild of Magi. Unlike his proud sister, he doesn't seem to care much for honoring his house, but he does see himself has superior due to his nobility, often referring to others as "rabble".
• Brother–Sister Team: Most of their scenes are together, and in the PSP and Reborn versions the two are fought as a Dual Boss as the Chaotic Chapter 3 climax.
• Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: Specializes in two-handed axes, has access to his own special move and comes equipped with an unique weapon: the Glamrock. And he's definitely the more sadistic and brutish Glacius sibling compared to Ozma.
• Casting a Shadow: His elemental affinity is Dark. He also specializes in Dark magic, and both his unique axe the Glamrock and finisher deal dark elemental damage.
• Climax Boss: He’s part of Chapter 3’s final fight in both the Lawful and Chaotic routes.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Treats this like a sport. And he has the gall to ask you how do you want him to torture you. Just check his dialogue with Denam at Boed Fortress in the Chaotic route:
  Oz: Your ears or your nose?
  Denam: What?
  Oz: Our meeting can be no coincidence. You must have a spy in Phidoch. How else would you know to come here? I should take you alive and have the names of your whisperers.
  Denam: I would never betray my men!
  Oz: No, I think not. You enjoy playing the martyr too much. So I ask you: Which shall I cut off first? Your ears or your nose?
  Denam: ...
  Oz: We'll see how tight-lipped and stoic you are under the knife, boy.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Subverted. While he likes fighting and inflicting pain in others, he's not a fan of receiving pain.
  Oz: Pain and agony are a rare dish. Better to serve than be served!
• Creepy Souvenir: He sometimes talks about ripping off and preserving the body parts of the victims as souvenirs, even taunting Denam about ripping off his eyes and gifting them to Catiua. Even Ozma is disturbed by this hobby.
  OZ: [to a pretty girl in Golyat] In Lodis, we possess the means to preserve a corpse as fresh as the day its soul departed... I'll just take your head back with me.
  Ozma: Would you stop, Oz? I swear, sometimes you make me right ill.
• Dual Boss: On the Chaotic route with his sister. In the Lawful route (in the PSP/Reborn), he shares this function with Balxephon.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite his overall Lack of Empathy and sadistic traits, he does love his sister and will be very distraught if he watches her die in their Dual Boss fight. Even then, however, he seems excited at the notion of hurting what he assumes to be a doppelganger of her in CODA 4.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Glamrock, his unique axe that was forged from the iron of a fallen star. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward. The original release makes it obtainable at the end of Chapter 3, so there's actually time and end game dungeons to use it with.
• Hate Sink: Oz has no sympathetic traits, and his Jerkass personality combined with his extreme sadism, vile acts and constant taunts make him the most hateable character amongst the Dark Knights. Even his own sister can get disgusted by his actions at times. The game even takes advantage of this by invoking Catharsis Factor during his boss fights by showing him enduring a Villainous Breakdown when he starts losing. He's notably the only Dark Knight that always gets killed in chapter 3.
• Hidden Depths: He's actually aware of how Balxephon killed his own father and framed his brother for the sake of Sardian's rebellion, implying he's far deeper into Tartaros' inner circle than his sister is.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Once he takes Cerya hostage, he's shown to be eager to "break" her defiant spirit by torturing her and perhaps more. If Cerya is rescued and fights him a Phidoch, he'll make similar taunts about wanting to "spare" her for this reason. In CODA episode 4, he also has this attitude toward a pretty girl in Golyat, and talks about having other Sex Slaves back in Lodis, making it clear this is a common thing for him.
  Oz: Now there's a woman with flint in her voice and fire in her eyes! 'Twould be a pity to scar such a lovely face. Perhaps I'll cut your feet off at the ankles instead. Wouldn't want you running off before the real fun begins!
  Cerya: You had your chance to kill me, but you let it pass. A fatal mistake!
  Oz: You do not quail. I like that in a woman. It's not too late, you know. Surrender now, and I will spare your life. House Glacius is an ancient and noble line. As our meanest servant, you would be worth ten commonfolk.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: On the Chaotic route, he realises the fight at Boed isn’t going his way and retreats. Subverted in every other encounter as his arrogance and bloodlust sees him perish to Denam.
• Lightning Bruiser: He uses the unique job "Knight Commander" the same as his twin sister, one that rivals the Lord and Princess in its power, versatility, and speed.
• Loves the Sound of Screaming: He became a Torture Technician because his sadistic personality makes him enjoy seeing people scream and beg.
• "Not So Different" Remark: In the Chaotic route, he remarks to Denam that they do have something in common, in that they are both devoted to their sisters. Denam doesn't appreciate the comparison, which seems to be what Oz was aiming for.
  Oz: We have something in common after all - a sister whom we would do anything to protect.
  Denam: Return her to me, and speak no more of what we have "in common"!
  Oz: If only you could hear yourself! "Return her to me! Return her to me!" Ha ha ha! Yes, I might beg as you do, in your place. I feel a lump in my throat just thinking of it.
• Recurring Boss: In the Chaotic route he’s fought twice in Chapter 3, first at Boed Fortress and later at Phidoch Castle alongside Ozma.
• Reminiscing About Your Victims: He enjoys telling his opponents creepy stories about the people he tortured and killed.
• Revenge: In the original versions, Oz specifies that he is avenging his sister. This aspect was removed in the PSP version as Ozma is still alive.
• Serial Rapist: Heavily implied. He has an I Have You Now, My Pretty attitude towards women and mentions having several female slaves back in Lodis, implying he uses them as Sex Slaves. In the Lawful route he'll even allow Cerya to be gang-raped by his men.
• Sibling Team: He's often working together with his twin sister Ozma even when doing tasks for the Dark Knights, and are even fought as a Dual Boss in some routes.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Dark Prisoner, dark explosion of power channeled from his axe.
• Soft-Spoken Sadist: Oz enumerates numerous ways to torture Denam while fighting him, never once raising his voice, and almost lost in the thought of what he is planning to do to him. Denam is, understandably, a little freaked out and calls him inhuman.
• Sore Loser: He usually reacts poorly upon being bested, reacting with disbelief over being beaten by "lowly rabble", begging or complaining that he doesn't like receiving pain.
  Oz: [after being beaten in Boed in the Chaotic route] Don't think you've won, boy!
  Denam: And yet it's you who runs. All talk, are you?
  Oz: I much prefer inflicting pain over receiving it [teleports away].
• Theme Twin Naming: He's called Oz while his twin sister is called Ozma.
• Torture Technician: If you fight him in the Chaos route, Oz will reveal that he has quite a knack for torturing people, be it by using white hot needles inserted under one's nails, cutting off your ears, and quite a few other ways to torture that he absolutely seems to relish in. He explicitly states that he loves it when someone is begging him to put them out of their misery.
• Twins Are Special: His twin sister is the closest person to him in the world, even though she's not a fan of his sadism.
• Unsexy Sadist: He really likes causing his enemies pain. "An eye or an ear?" is a frequent question that he poses to his victims. He does not enjoy suffering it himself, however, as he's quick to point out when wounded.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: In a narrative sense, Oz is the poster boy for showing off how dangerous the Dark Knights Loslorien are as he’s typically the first to be fought; in both Chaotic and Neutral he and his battalion are devastating at Boed Fortress, with emphasis on the latter route as he’s gunning for Cerya and its one of the earliest battles of Chapter 3. The exception is Lawful, where Ozma is faced first instead, and even then he’s the Climax Boss at Phidoch Castle.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with axes.
• What Is This Feeling?: If you bring Ozma along to CODA episode 4, Oz will actually show some excitement at the idea of being able to hurt and kill someone he loves.
  Oz: I wonder, will you cry with her voice? Oh, this could be more enjoyable than I imagined! And I imagine much...
• Villainous Valour: In case Balxephon gets brought to low health first in their Dual Boss on the Lawful route, Oz will insist for Balxephon to retreat while he buys him time.

The Dark Knight Ozma

Ozma Moh Glacius (Ozma Mow Gracious)

Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki (JP), Elle Newlands (EN)

A Loslorien commander from Gallius, seat of the Holy Lodissian Empire. She was of House Glacius, patrons of the Gallius Guild of Magic, and twin sister to the Dark Knight Oz. She wielded both spell and blade with equal skill.

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• An Ice Person: In the PSP/Reborn version, her elemental affinity is Ice. Both her unique weapon the Rose Whip and her finisher Demon Rose deal elemental ice damage.
• Angsty Surviving Twin: She will react quite poorly if Oz is killed during their Dual Boss in Phidoch, to the point her dialogue sounds suicidal. Downplayed in the other routes, where he doesn't die in her presence, so while when you meet her again she's obviously hurt and wants revenge for his death, she isn't as devastated about it, likely because she had some time to process it.
• Arranged Marriage: As a member of house Glacius, she was set to marry a noble of house V. Rahms. At first this was Hobyrim, which was to be a Perfectly Arranged Marriage as they were in love, but after he was framed and exiled, she was engaged to his older brother Balxephon instead, and while she clearly doesn't love him, she's still willing to marry him simply out of duty to her house.
• Ascended Extra: In the original versions, her character amounted to being the only female officer amongst the Dark Knights Loslorien and possibly either a Chapter 3 final boss in Neutral or a Dual Boss in Chaotic. The PSP Version, however, adds a subplot wherein she has ties to Hobyrim and eventually can be Promoted to Playable.
• The Baroness: She's a villainous and patriotic Lady of War with an arrogant personality and a domineering attitude. She even wields whips as a weapon, which can inflict charm on her opponents.
• Blue Blood: She's from house Glacius, a high-ranking noble house in Galius, the capital of Lodis. The Glacius are famous for being patrons of the Lodissian Guild of Magi. Ozma is particularly proud of her noble roots and often mentions them, unlike her brother who doesn't pay them much heed.
• Charm Person: Her unique whip has a chance to inflict charm on hit, and her unique finishing move will always inflict charm on targets (as long as they're not immune to it, such as most bosses). This is true even when she's a party member.
• Climax Boss: In the Chaotic and Neutral routes, she’s part of Chapter 3’s final fight at Phidoch.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: She's said to often put a stop to Oz's sadism when it gets out of control.
• Dark Action Girl: She's a villainous female knight commander, and likely the strongest one in the game.
• Defector from Decadence: If recruited in the Lawful route, she defects from the Loslorien knights due to now believing that Lodis under Sardian's rule will fall into decadence. In the epilogue, she even comes back to Lodis with Hoberym, with the intention of bringing Tartaros & Balxephon to justice and opposing Sardian's regime.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: As an enemy, you see nothing but her haughty personality and a ruthless commander, but in the Lawful route where she's recruited, her more positive traits shine, and she demonstrates she's warm and caring for those close to her, and she even becomes more sympathetic with Denam and his cause, to the point she buries the hatchet with him in regards to her brother's death.
• Dual Boss: She can be fought three times as a dual boss:
  • At Phidoch Castle alongside Oz at the end of Chapter 3. Chaotic route only.
  • At Khysaro alongside Volaq in her recruitment sidequest. Lawful route only.
  • At Golyat alongside Oz in CODA episode 4.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Should you kill Oz before her, she will be devastated, so much that she fully doesn't expect to survive the battle and is preparing herself to join her brother in death.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: The Rose Whip, her unique whip that is filled with thorns like a rose. In the PSP version she would have it equipped if recruited, and in the original Super Famicom/PSX releases she drops it when killed at the end of Chapter 3, but Reborn makes her join with a common whip in an attempt to Nerf Ozma. She can still drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward.
• Fate Worse than Death: If her sidequest isn't completed in the Lawful route, she'll be dragged back to the Loslorien Knights by force. The next time we see her, she's in a seemingly catatonic and bound to a wheelchair, while Balxephon prepares to ship her back to Lodis, implying she's been tortured/brainwashed/drugged into that state so that she could still be his unwilling wife.
• Fiery Redhead: She's a redhead that has a passionate and intense personality.
• Good Feels Good: During the epilogue of the Lawful ending, she thanks Denam for allowing her to fight at his side, as she admits that it felt good to fight against tyranny, for once.
• Hair Flip: Her PSP/Reborn portrait has her flipping her long hair in a dramatic fashion, likely to give her an air of an arrogant Proud Beauty, which fits her haughty personality.
• Heel–Face Turn: In the Lawful route, it's possible to recruit her if completing her sidequest, where she had a change of heart upon finding out the truth about how Hobyrim was framed by Balxephon and how truly manipulative and devious Tartaros can be in his pursuit of power, convincing her she must stop them if she wants Lodis to become a better nation.
• High-Heel–Face Turn: The sole female Knight Commander among the Dark Knights, and sure enough, the only one able to be recruited, though only in the Lawful route do the circumstances arise where she feels the need to defect. In the Chaotic and Neutral routes, she never finds out about Hobyrim, so her loyalty to the Dark Knights never wavers.
• I Hate Past Me: Has some...interesting conversations with her past self in the final bonus battle. Before killing her.
• I Shall Taunt You: If faced as a boss in Philoch Castle, she will delight in taunting Denam about how Catiua came to them willingly and will also taunt Cerya about failing to save the rest of the Valerian Liberation Front.
• It's All About Me: While she does pull a genuine Heel–Face Turn, it comes from a place of self-centeredness. She's aware that she's doing morally dubious things for Lodis and the Loslorien Knights, yet her Sudden Principled Stand against them only comes because she realizes they did something horrible to her and someone she cared about (Hobyrim). But Hobyrim does convince her that the expansionist and authoritative policies of Lodis are making the world a worst place and her epilogue shows her admitting that she's proud to have assisted Denam and the Valerians in saving their country.
• Lady of War: She's a female knight commander with an air of elegance and feminity. She is also one of the more level-headed Dark Knight officers, acting with grace and Proper Lady manners even when taunting her opponents.
• Lightning Bruiser: She has an incredibly low Recovery Time stat, the lowest that a playable character can have, so even if she's wearing full armor and is decked with melee weapons, she will still likely move faster than anyone else in the party.
• Long Hair Is Feminine: She's the only female Knight Commander, and her feminity is highlighted by her long hair. She's even doing a Hair Flip with it in her portrait to call attention to it.
• Makes Us Even: In the Lawful route, both she and Denam are responsible for the dead of their loved ones (Ozma for having captured his father, Denam for Oz's death in Phidoch) but (if the player chooses the right dialogue option) they decide to bury the hatchet and not to perpetuate a Cycle of Revenge.
• Maybe Ever After: She and Hobyrim were engaged in a Perfectly Arranged Marriage before his exile, and while upon being reunited they clearly still have some strong feelings for each other, their interactions are not overtly romantic. But their epilogue involves them both returning to Lodis together, with the implication that maybe they'll also rekindle their relationship.
• Mutually Exclusive Party Members: She can only be recruited on the Lawful route of the PSP/Reborn version of the game. Thus she cannot fight alongside Cerya, Folcurt, Bayin, Cistina, Oelias, Dievold or Cressida.
• Out of Focus: In the Neutral and Chaotic route she dies in chapter 3 and much of her characterization and plotlines aren't explored. In the Lawful route, she has her own recruitment sidequest and becomes a major character in chapter 4.
• Patriotic Fervor: She loves Lodis and is very proud of her roots, with her death quote even being her dedicating her death to Lodis. This is also part of the reason why she can pull a Heel–Face Turn in the Lawful route, as she becomes convinced that High Priest Sardian and his Loslorien knights are twisting and corrupting the country she loves.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: She and Hobyrim were initially engaged for political reasons, as they both belong to noble houses in Gallus, but it's clear they were actually in love. Even after Hobyrim was framed for killing his father, she still didn't give up on him and even tried to free him by bribing the men giving his trial by sentencing him to serve Loslorien in penance, but Hobyrim refused to serve. Her engagement is then passed on to his older brother Balxephon, and even before she learns the truth about him, she doesn't seem to love and seems to be marrying simply out of duty to her house.
• Promoted to Playable: In the PSP/Reborn versions, it's possible to recruit her in the Lawful Route. Good luck finding out how to do that without a guide, though.
• Proper Lady: Despite her arrogance, she's one of the most pompous of the Dark Knights. Unlike her brother, she's proud of her noble roots and wants to act in a dignified manner to honor House Glacius.
• Redemption Earns Life: As of the PSP/Reborn ports, she can pull a Heel–Face Turn and survive on Lawful; the alternative on that route is being rendered catatonic not unlike Lanselot Hamilton was, or just perishing as on all other routes.
• Sibling Team: He's often working together with his twin sister Ozma even when doing tasks for the Dark Knights, and are even fought as a Dual Boss in some routes.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Demon Rose, a whip-based attack that always charms a target. It still remains available if you recruit her.
• Smug Smiler: Her PSP/Reborn portrait has her smiling in a smug and self-satisfied manner, fitting her arrogant personality. Notably, she does have another variation of her portrait where she's not smiling that way, for scenes where she's being more serious.
• The Smurfette Principle: She's the only female Knight Commander amongst the Loslorien Knights.
• Something about a Rose: She's the only female officer on her team and her weapon and unique finisher have a rose theme, with the latter appropriately inflicting charm on targets. Fittingly her rose whip is also covered in thorns, to illustrate the idea that despite her femininity, she's still very deadly.
• Spanner in the Works: In the Chaotic and Neutral route, she foils Ronwey's (Neutral ) / Vyce's (Chaotic) plans to take out Balxephon/Tartaros in chapter 3.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Prior to the PSP/Reborn she was depicted as perishing at Rhime in the Lawful route, which was changed to her retreating at critical health and surviving into Chapter 4.
• Theme Twin Naming: She's called Ozma while her twin brother is called Oz.
• Token Good Teammate: Subverted. She only truly becomes sympathetic once she defects from the Dark Knights in the Lawful route and ends up in a case of Took a Level in Kindness. But in the routes she remains in the Dark Knights she still keeps being their willing enforcer. This is emphasized if you bring Ozma to the CODA episode 4, Ozma will not be happy to see her evil old self.
• Took a Level in Kindness: She becomes more compassionate and less haughty once recruited, sympathizing more with the people that are suffering under Lodis' expansionism politics and regretting many of her past actions.
• Twins Are Special: His twin sister is the closest person to him in the world, even though she's not a fan of his sadism.
• Unreliable Illustrator: She's primarily a whip user, but her PSP artwork features her with a sword.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: In the Lawful route she’s the first Dark Knight Commander faced, and really demonstrates why they’re a force to be feared.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with whips. If recruited, she will also have decently high skill with one-handed swords.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: She's aware that her work as a Knight Commander involves doing things of questionable morality, but soothed her conscience believing she was doing it for the greater good. Once she finds out the truth about Hobyrim, Loslorien becomes a Broken Pedestal to her and she decides to defect and oppose them, for the good of Lodis.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Inverted. Everyone from her former faction will call her out on betraying Lodis. Even a random Bakram Sybil on the way to the Palace of the Dead will share her bemuzzlement. Ozma couldn't care less, as she considers that Lodis' knights betrayed her, and that she fights on the side of justice. In a roundabout way, she still fights for Lodis, just not for the faction in charge of meddling with Valeria.
• Whip of Dominance: Whips are her iconic weapon of Knight Commander Ozma, a Blue Blood Lady of War with a arrogant and domineering attitude. Notably her custom whip can inflict charm on those struck and her unique finishing move is a flurry of whips lashes that will always inflict charm on targets (as long as they're not immune to it, such as most bosses), making her whip a weapon that can literally dominate others.
• You Killed My Father: After Oz is killed, she will want revenge on Denam in every route. In the Lawful route, even after her recruitment sidequest is completed, she's still hesitant to join forces with Denam due to her resentment over her brother's death. It's only after Denam points out that she's also responsible for his father's death, but he won't hold her against her if it's for the greater good, that she comes around.

The Dark Knight Andoras

Andoras Gaffryn (Andoras Gafrun)

Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa (JP), Darin De Paul (EN)

A Loslorien commander from Niemaran, a small town in the borderlands of Lodis. He is of Bolmoccan descent. He is last born of the former Nildahme royal house, which once wielded great power throughout the Sea of Lhai region. The Holy Lodissian Empire saw the bountiful lands of the Kingdom of Nildahme as ripe for the taking. They staged an uprising among the enslaved mass from which the ruling house had fattened their purse, then sent in their armies. Fearing for his life, the King hastily abandoned all resistance, and yielded to the Lodissians. Since then, the Bolmoccans have endured lives of servitude. He prefers hand-to-hand combat to swordplay and is a masterful strategist.

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• Anti-Villain: In the grand scheme of things, Andoras isn't truly villainous at all, doing only what's required of him to slow down Denam on orders of his present superiors or co-conspirators, even helping a splinter faction of the Dark Knights largely out of spite for the host at large. He doesn't even have a particularly established reason to want to fight Denam or his army, sidestepping observations about his greater motivations with non-answers and ultimately having nothing but encouraging words concerning Valeria's fate when he dies.
• Ascended Extra: Was originally a mini boss with an optional story near the end of the game (You only saw it if you deployed Canopus with you). The remake gave him an extra fight before the Barnicia raid, with interactions that expand on his character. You also fight him as part of the Superboss squad in CODA 4.
• Bare-Fisted Monk: Stated to prefer fists over swords. He does equip fist-based weaponry though.
• Cynicism Catalyst: He's far more emotional when encountered in CODA episode 4 than in the present where he acts with a cynical composure. It's implied that taking part in the raid of Golyat is what soured him.
• The Dog Bites Back: Helps Martym and Barbas in their efforts to break the seal on the Hanging Gardens' Chaos Gate because of Lodis's subjugation of his people.
• Dual Boss: He fights alongside Volaq in CODA episode 4.
• Enigmatic Minion: From his very first boss battle, it's clear that he and Lodis aren't on the same page, as Denam quickly realizes that Andoras deliberately did not send a warning to the Dark Knights at Barnicia about Denam's approach. But in every confrontation, Andoras still refuses to elaborate on his motivations when asked directly about it. Judging by his dialogue and Warrens Report Entry, one can deduce that he wants to somehow use the power of Dorgalua's Legacy to either get revenge on Lodis and/or free his homeland.
• Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Trueno Scales, his unique fist weapon that's made out of the remains of a Magewyrm called Trueno. He can drop it if defeated at CODA Episode 4, but by that time that's basically a Bragging Rights Reward. He drops them when fought for the last time in Eden in the original relesae of the game, but at that point there are only 3 battles left in the game and you can't return to the world map to use it elsewhere, making it more or less still this trope.
• Exposed to the Elements: He was still shirtless even during the raid on Golyat, where it was cold enough for snow to begin falling. His battle at the Floating Gardens is also at their pinnacle and also likely deathly cold.
• Fallen Princess: Gender-Inverted version - he was the prince Of the Nidahme Family in Bolmocca, whose kingdom was taken by the Loslorien. The SFC version implies he does what he does to protect his people back home, but this only remains implied in the PSP and Reborn versions.
• Foil: Nildahime's fate described in the Warren Report mirrors what was happening in Valeria, with the oppressed Galgastani rising up against the Bakram Kingdom and driving the Bakram to submit to Lodis. The only reason the Lodissians failed for the time with Valeria was that Tartaros had other plans, which unintentionally stirred Denam to raise a third faction that snowballed out of control. Andoras also saw an opportunity with Tartaros's plan, but he acted far too late to accomplish anything.
• Forced into Evil: He considers joining the Dark Knights to have been a devil's bargain, as he's not comfortable with killing civilians or with toppling countries the same way his own homeland was toppled. The moment he sees a chance to betray them, he takes it, even if he has to side with someone like Barbas and Martym.
• Foreshadowing:
  • After fighting him prior to reaching Barnicia, Denam notes that the castle's alarm hasn't been raised, the second hint that he's none too pleased to serve Lodis, after Andoras says with certainty that Denam will capture the castle prior to the Dark Knight's flight.
  • He warns Denam to Make Valeria as strong as a rock - because had that happened to his homeland, they wouldn't have been taken over. The bad version of the Lord ending does indeed feature King Tristan talking about Lodis preparing for a full-scale invasion into Valeria.
• I Shall Taunt You: In the PSP/Reborn version, he taunts Denam quite a bit when you fight him, apparently so he can gauge Denam's character.
• It's All About Me: Both Canopus and Ozma accuse him of this, claiming he serves the Dark Knights only for his own benefit. While he doesn't care for Canopus' words, he does get bothered by Ozma's take on it.
  Ozma: You play the part of the tragic prince - and well! Closing your eyes when it suits your purposes, always a caustic word on your lips. It was never about your people, was it? It's about you.
  Andoras: The Nildahme were doomed from the start. Once the invasion had begun, there was nothing I could have done to stop it. Yet though my homeland has perished, I defend her people to this day!
  Ozma: A convenient stance, to be sure.
• It's Personal: He turned on the Dark Knights because of how they took over his country.
• Last of His Kind: He's the last (or at least the youngest) Bolmoccan royal, and basically the only relevant Bolmoccan in the story, even in Lodis itself.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Played With. His colleagues actually treat him with respect, but Lodis overall has treated his homeland, family, and people as second-class citizens, causing him to deeply resent them, which is why he ultimately betrays the Dark Knights.
• Motive Misidentification: He doesn't really care for what people think of him and never attempts to explain his motives to anyone even when questioned. When Canopus reaches the conclusion that he's Boomerang Bigot, Andoras just goes with it, if only so Canopus will shut up and keep fighting.
  Canopus: You mean to say your allegiance to Lodis is heartfelt?
  Andoras: You have me exact. I care nothing for my fatherland. I spare not a thought for my people. It is fortune who brought down our royal house, already decaying from within. Slavery is a fitting bounty for the people of Nildahme!
  Canopus: Rotten to the core, you! A fool I was to look on you and see Gilbald.
  Andoras: Then you should have no qualms about fighting me, eh?
• My God, What Have I Done?: When faced in CODA chapter 4, his dialogue has him obviously shaken by his part in the massacre of Golyat, and he's horrified at how helpless he is to even save a single innocent child from being executed.
  Andoras: Too late? Am I...too late? How could I let that child be slain... Has my oath to Loslorien stained me so deeply!?
• Pet the Dog: CODA chapter 4 shows that during the raid of Golyat he tried to save an innocent child from being executed by Volaq's men, to no avail.
• Recurring Boss: Fought twice in Chapter 4, first in defence of Barnicia and later at the Hanging Gardens.
• Shock and Awe: In the PSP/Reborn version his elemental affinity is Lightning. Both his claws the Trueno's Scales and unique finisher deal elemental lightning damage.
• Signature Move: He has a unique finishing move called Tempest Blade, a lightning storm that can also inflict weaken on the target.
• Token Good Teammate: Downplayed in the SNES/PSX where while he didn't do anything vile or immoral, he also barely had any screentime and Volaq fit this position better. But played straight in the PSP/Reborn version, which not only expands on his sympathetic backstory and motives but also gives him a Pet the Dog moment in CODA chapter 4, where it shows he tried to minimize the civilian casualties during the raid on Golyat and actually opposes Volaq's Kick the Dog moment of executing a child. And while he opposes the main protagonists during the entire game, he only does it so he can acquire Dorgalua's Legacy and use it's power to fight Lodis. His last words reveal he even sympathizes with Valeria's struggle and warns Denam that Lodis will invade Valeria in full force one day.
• Token Minority: The only African equivalent featured character in the entire game.
• Took A Level In Jerk Ass: In the PSP version, he taunts you quite a bit when you fight him.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: He's never seen with a shirt on. He's none the less equipped in heavy armor and just as bulky as any Dark Knight of his rank.
• Warrior Prince: He's the last-born prince of the Nidahme royal family, which became puppet rulers of Lodis once their lands were conquered. Since Bolmoccans are treated as second-class citizens in Lodis, it's implied that it's only due to his lineage that he could make it as a Knight Commander.
• Weapon Specialization: He has high skill with fist weapons.

Other Lodissians

Hobyrim Steelsong

Hobyrim Steelsong V. Rahms (Haborym)

Voiced by: Yasuo Muramatsu (JP;Sega Saturn), Hiroki Tochi (JP;Reborn), Gideon Emery (EN;Reborn)

A blind swordsman that aids Denam after being helped in a tight situation and states to have a personal beef with the Loslorien. He's actually a Lodissian swordmaster who once served with the Dark Knights Loslorien. He is the second son of Stratarchis Vogras, a Lodissian of great influence, and is brother to the Dark Knight Balxephon. He bears the title "Steelsong". Accused of patricide, his eyes were gouged out, and he was banished from Lodis. Hobyrim came to Valeria seeking vengeance against the true culprit, his brother Balxephon. The Dark Knight Ozma was formerly his betrothed.

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• Beard of Sorrow: He was clean shaven when he still had his eyes back in Lodis. His parents' deaths, his blindness, exile, and quest for vengeance against his own flesh and blood likely all contributed to his decision to stop shaving.
• Blind Weaponmaster: He may have been blinded, but he knows perfectly his way around and exactly where to swing his sword/s. To the point he was a Game-Breaker in the original.
• Blue Blood: He was the former patriarch of house Rahms, a high-ranking noble house in Lodis, famous for their military history.
• Cutscene Power to the Max: He is introduced felling two pursuers with one stroke, but he can scarcely repeat such a feat with a single foe in the following battle.
• Disability Superpower: He's blind, but is one of the most powerful units you can recruit. Lanselot even refers to him as the best swordsman in Lodis.
• Dual Wield: As Swordmasters could do this in the original. It was part of what made him a Game-Breaker as well. Averted in the PSP/Reborn version, since he's now wielding two-handed katanas (implying sheathed sword-fighting)
• The Exile: After he was framed for the death of his father, Balxephon had him blinded and then exiled from Lodis, though officially he's considered to have been executed.
• Frame-Up: After Balxephon killed their father, he tried to convince Hobyrim to join him. When Hobyrim refuses, Balxephon used him as a convenient scapegoat to pin the blame for their father's murder.
• Honor Before Reason: When Balxephon had him convicted of treason back in Lodis, his fiance Ozma bribed the judge and jurors to acquit him, if only he'd played ball and fought for his own innocence. But Hobyrim clung to his morals and refused to play along, and so he was blinded and exiled anyway.
• Maybe Ever After: He and Ozma were engaged in a Perfectly Arranged Marriage before his exile, and while upon being reunited they clearly still have some strong feelings for each other, their interactions are not overtly romantic. But their epilogue involves them both returning to Lodis together, with the implication that maybe they'll also rekindle their relationship.
• Military Brat: His family has a long history of military service, and he was raised to follow this tradition and be a knight and officer in service to Lodis.
• My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting: Hobyrim makes it abundantly clear to Denam (and if given the chance, to Ozma) that while his love for Lodis is no lesser for it, he loathes what High Priest Sardian has twisted it into and cannot abide its current state.
• Overrated and Underleveled: Averted - even if he was blind, he has the highest dexterity in the first version of the game (useful for the Petrify spell) and is still one of the best units ever. However, in the second version of the game it's possible for him to be dropped down a couple levels when you recruit him due to the way the leveling system works.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: He and Ozma were initially engaged for political reasons, as they both belong to noble houses in Gallus, but it's clear they were actually in love. Even after Hobyrim was framed for killing his father, she still didn't give up on him and even tried to free him by bribing the men giving his trial by sentencing him to serve Loslorien in penance, but Hobyrim refused to serve.
• Practically Different Generations: His older brother Balxephon is nearly a decade his senior and very much looks like it.
• Sibling Rivalry: Balxephon and Hobyrim ended up on different sides of the civil war in Lodis, making the brothers enemies ever since. Balxephon had Hobyrim blinded and exiled, but Hobyrim still pursues Balxephon to seek revenge for the murder of their parents.
• Token Heroic Orc: The one notable Lodissian character who always offers his sword to Valeria’s defence.
• You Killed My Father: He hunts Balxephon for killing theirs, and their mother, among a myriad of other crimes political and personal.
• Younger Than They Look: He's 31, according to the Warren Report. He does not look like he's in his 30s - he looks old enough to be Denam's father, though his portrait prior to having his eyes torn out makes him look markedly younger.

Stratarchis Vogras

Vogras V. Rahms (Volgras Van Rams)

Voiced by: Naoya Uchida (JP)

Balxephon and Hobyrim's father.

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• Blue Blood: He was the former patriarch of house Rahms, a high-ranking noble house in Lodis, famous for their military history. At his prime he was so influential he controlled most of Lodis' knightly orders.
• Old Soldier: He's clearly past his prime in his only scene, but still serves as one of Lodis' highest-ranking military officers.
• Posthumous Character: He's been long before the game begins, but shows up in a flashback explaining Hobyrim's backstory.

High Priest Sardian

High Priest Sardian (Pope Saldian)

The supreme ruler of the Lodis and Lodisism, the followers of Filarhh.

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• The Ghost: He makes no appearance in the game, but he's mentioned in conversations from time to time and is an important background figure as the ruler of the Holy Lodissian Empire.
• Greater-Scope Villain: He's the one who sent the Dark Knights Loslorien to the Valerian Isles in the first place.
• Sinister Minister: He's the religious leader of the Holy Lodissian Empire, who rose to power in a bloody rebellion that culled anyone who opposed his regime and filled the senate of Lodis with his bootlickers and scullions.

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