Iji/Characters

The characters from Daniel Remar's indie game Iji.

Iji Kataiser

 * Action Girl: She's a chick, and can easily rack up a body count in the triple digits.
 * Anti-Hero: Type I at first, Type IV on a killer run.
 * Apologetic Attacker: Until she kills enough enemies, she apologizes after each kill.
 * Artistic Age: She's supposed to be 20, but looks more like a teenager in the cutscenes.
 * Badass: In the backstory, a single 'Annihilator' mini-boss went berserk on a Tasen warship and killed nearly everyone, Tasen and Kamoto alike. Iji, however, can simply ignore them, or at the top of her combat prowess destroy them in a matter of seconds.
 * Badass Pacifist: Except when she's not.
 * The Berserker: Iji can easily become this if she kills enough enemies.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Despite starting out reluctant to kill clearly hostile aliens, she can end up with a body count in the hundreds.
 * Big Sister Instinct: She ends up protective of Dan..
 * Break the Cutie: So much.
 * Corrupt the Cutie: After getting a few kills too many.
 * Determinator: And how.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": All of the NPCs save Dan refer to her as the Human Anomaly. She never actually told them her name though.
 * The Hero: She is the last line of defense between humanity and total extinction.
 * Hollywood Cyborg
 * Hypocrite: On a killer path. She argues the alien leaders are immoral for killing everyone, while she's been doing just that.
 * Implacable Man: If you max out her health stat.
 * It Gets Easier: Kill a couple of aliens at the start of the game. Listen to Iji's reactions. Kill a hundred more aliens. Compare and contrast.
 * Kick Chick: Because she can't really punch while holding her gun, kicking is Iji's main close-combat method.
 * Last of Their Kind: While the number isn't easily discernible, there aren't that many humans left alive after the Alpha Strike.
 * Missing Mom: Word of God says that Ron had two wives, both of which left him. Neither get mentioned in the game.
 * Morph Weapon: The Nanogun.
 * One-Man Army: Actually an in-game rank.
 * Plucky Girl
 * Reluctant Warrior: At first.
 * Road Runner PC: Though there are still some enemies faster than her, she can still outrun most of them.
 * Sanity Slippage
 * Small Girl, Big Gun: For humans, Iji's quite tall at 6'3". However, since her gun was designed for Tasen, who are 7 feet tall at the shortest (and the Elites who would get to use her gun are closer to 9'), the gun is ridiculously oversized for her.
 * Swiss Army Weapon: The Nanogun, again.
 * Technical Pacifist: There are plenty of ways to kill enemies without getting them on your counter, including arranging friendly fire accidents (e.g. blocking missiles with your face while standing next to an enemy, so that you'll survive the explosion but he won't), letting another enemy do the dirty work, setting a mine, and (in 1.6) reflecting their shots back at them. Also, machine enemies don't count, nor do Assassins (who aren't killed, but driven away).
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: On a killer run, she intends to drive the invading aliens back off the Earth before they can destroy what little is left... by blowing everyone in her way straight to hell.
 * Wild Hair: She spent six months in a coma, so it's no wonder her hair looks a little messy.
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: If you do a killer run.
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: If you do a killer run.

Dan Kataiser

 * Author Avatar: He shares a name with the game's creator, although it's not certain if he was entirely based on him.
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: When using the Scrambler, Dan will take several opportunities to do this, including humming the boss theme song and saying that he got the best Scrambler quotes.
 * Exposition Fairy: Dan's Sector 1 conversations are essentially solely for this purpose.
 * Jerkass: Despite being helpful in some ways, he's not very popular due to some of the things he says.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold:.
 * Last of Their Kind: See the above entry on Iji.
 * Mission Control: He provides support to Iji from a comfy seat in a control room.
 * Non-Action Guy: He holes up in a control room and lets Iji do the grunt work. Iji even notes he wouldn't last five seconds against the aliens.
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.
 * Voice with an Internet Connection: It's the loudspeakers, but the idea is the same.
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.
 * Voice with an Internet Connection: It's the loudspeakers, but the idea is the same.
 * Voice with an Internet Connection: It's the loudspeakers, but the idea is the same.

Mia Kataiser

 * Dead Little Sister
 * Posthumous Character: She's already dead by the time Iji wakes up from her coma.
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.

Ron Kataiser

 * All There in the Script: His name is only mentioned once off-hand in an out-of-the-way logbook. His backstory isn't even in the game at all.
 * Disappeared Dad: He doesn't have one, but he serves this role to his children after he dies.
 * Forgotten Fallen Friend: Only his coworkers mention him, his children barely mention him.
 * Posthumous Character: He's already dead by the time Iji wakes up from her coma.
 * The Professor: He was a scientist working in a military research facility.
 * Theme Naming: All the Kataisers have three-letter first names.

Krotera



 * General Ripper
 * King Mook: Though he has some unique attacks, the Elites found in other sectors fight in mostly the same way.
 * Law of Chromatic Superiority: While ordinary Tasen Elites wear grey armour with yellow trim, Krotera's is yellow on red.
 * The Neidermeyer
 * Unexplained Accent: Krotera seems to speak in a slight German accent despite being, well, an alien. Of course, this suits him quite well.
 * "Wake-Up Call" Boss
 * "Wake-Up Call" Boss

Vateilika

 * Action Girl
 * Big Damn Heroes
 * The Dog Bites Back: If you get her on your side,.
 * Heel Face Turn: As long as you follow the truce, she becomes an ally to Iji.
 * Punch Clock Villain
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here
 * Stop Poking Me: If she's on your side by Sector 7, she'll make some comments on the backstory if you attempt to crack her.
 * Stop Poking Me: If she's on your side by Sector 7, she'll make some comments on the backstory if you attempt to crack her.

Yukabacera

 * Almighty Janitor: He uses the same sprite and rank as a regular Tasen mook, but he's equipped with a suite of personalized and cracked gear that make him the strongest Tasen in the game, and stronger than the vast majority of Komato to boot.
 * Badass Bookworm
 * Bonus Boss: He can be fought if you apply some careful tactics in Sector 6 to get up to his bunker.
 * Boss in Mook Clothing
 * Fun Personified
 * Mr. Exposition: Not in the game, but there's some secret pages on Remar's website allegedly written by him explaining much of the backstory.
 * Playful Hacker: Hacks logbooks largely for entertainment value. Also hacks weapons for the same reason.

The Diary Writer

 * Child Soldier: Wak Torma is only 15 starturns old.
 * Discount Lesbians
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 * Invisible to Gaydar: Many players thought she was supposed to be a guy from reading her diaries, since it's all just text logs with no voice for comparison.
 * No Name Given: Neither the diary writer nor her girlfriend have names. "PAIE" is just a callsign (now confirmed by Word of God: here).
 * Sympathetic POV
 * Sympathetic POV

Hel Sarie

 * Action Girl
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Until her death, Sarie was the leader of all Tasen, and certainly the most badass.
 * Deader Than Dead: She was completely disintegrated, along with her ship, by a Phantom Hammer. Ouch.
 * A Father to His Men: Well, mother.
 * One-Man Army
 * Posthumous Character

Asha



 * Arch Enemy
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: He doesn't quite fit the Kung Fu part, though like all Assassins he carries a sword, but certainly the "arrogant" part.
 * Beam Spam: During the second battle, he frequently shoots his Plasma Cannon in a circle.
 * Beyond the Impossible: In the second fight, he can dodge anything, even a nuke. He just chooses not to.
 * His method of rapid firing his lasers at the pace of his dual-wielding fellow assassins is to alternately teleport prep'd guns into his only hand.
 * Degraded Boss: In the first fight with him, he fights in the same way other assassins do later on. He has a unique style for the rematch.
 * Doppelganger Spin: Afterimages of him start to accumulate after a while during the second fight.
 * Dual Wield: The only Assassin who doesn't do this, due to having only one arm.
 * Evil Laugh: "A-HA-ha-ha-HA!"
 * Fake Ultimate Hero: Fake Ultimate Villain, actually.
 * Fragile Speedster: He is the quickest teleporter among the assassins, capable of dodging any attack, but he's not that much more durable.
 * Gender Blender Name: "Asha" is a girl's name in most parts of the world, and he's one of the most manly characters in the game. The creator didn't know that it was a real name when he came up with it.
 * Handicapped Badass: Despite telefragging his own arm off, he's still as competent in battle as other assassins.
 * Laser Blade
 * Law of Chromatic Superiority: Like Krotera, he's based on an ordinary enemy found later in the game, but differs slightly. In this case, he wears purple instead of black, and apparently isn't wearing a shirt.
 * Pride: Asha puts the "ass" in assassin. TWICE!
 * Small Name, Big Ego
 * Smug Snake
 * Story-Breaker Power: Asha's dodging ability would make him literally invincible in an area he'd mapped out if he weren't a pathological idiot.
 * Tele Frag: He lost his arm when he accidentally teleported partway into a wall.
 * Teleport Spam: His preferred method of locomotion.
 * Too Clever by Half
 * Too Dumb to Live.
 * Took a Level in Badass: The second fight with him, and he was already pretty badass to begin with.
 * Villains Never Lie:.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene
 * Weaksauce Weakness:.
 * Zero Effort Boss: His first encounter is... underwhelming if.
 * Villains Never Lie:.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene
 * Weaksauce Weakness:.
 * Zero Effort Boss: His first encounter is... underwhelming if.
 * Zero Effort Boss: His first encounter is... underwhelming if.

Iosa Sakera



 * Bare-Fisted Monk: After her exoskeleton is destroyed, she fights entirely using her claws.
 * The Berserker
 * Dark Action Girl
 * The Dragon: Seems second in the hierarchy of the Komato fleet, is first seen at General Tor's side, and is far more willing to fight than Tor.
 * Evil Counterpart: Of Iji.
 * Freudian Excuse: Her world got whacked with an Alpha Strike, with her on it. She survived, and now she won't rest until every last trace of the Tasen are wiped from existence.
 * Humongous Mecha: She fights in her Annihilator exoskeleton for the first part of the battle.
 * Implacable Man
 * Mask Power: Every alien in the game wears some sort of mask, but Iosa gets bonus points for wearing what looks like a sock over her face.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Iosa is often called "the Invincible", and for good reason.
 * Nigh Invulnerable: To be more specific, it's a combination of a powerful Nanofield normally used on doors and a natural resistance to energy beams, which is the reason she can have a door-grade Nanofield without having her neurons fried.
 * Not So Different: Both Iji and Iosa lost their homeworlds to Tasen Alpha Strikes. Iji attempts to call her out on it at the beginning of their fight. Depending on how the player has been playing Iji, Iosa can throw that right back in her face.
 * Odd Name Out: She's the only alien in the game with a last name, at least one ever mentioned.
 * One-Man Army: Her kill count is over one thousand; so high, the number wrapped back to zero.
 * Puzzle Boss: She can be defeated through superior firepower, but it's easier just to use the laser traps in the room.
 * Unholy Matrimony: In one of the logbooks, Asha states that she and Tor are lovers.
 * Weaksauce Weakness:.
 * Weaksauce Weakness:.

Ansaksie

 * Action Girl
 * Actual Pacifist: As much as a warrior can get, anyway.
 * Distaff Counterpart: Of Asha. Word of God says she was made female to distinguish the two. Their outlooks are exact opposites though.
 * Enemy Mine:.
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Infinity+1 Sword: The Massacre weapon, which she is in possession of..
 * Laser Blade
 * Minored in Asskicking: See Actual Pacifist above. Her total kill count is 42 according to Word of God.
 * Reluctant Warrior
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Her advice to the rest of the assassins when Asha goes off his nut.
 * Teleport Spam

Tor


"Tor: !"
 * Bait and Switch Boss: It's the same guy, but when you first run into him, he's just a regular Komato, so the player might expect a simple shootout. Then he summons his mech.
 * Beam Spam: Know as "Death Hail" in the official guide.
 * BFG: Tor's own gun isn't that big. His exoskeleton's, on the other hand...
 * Big Bad
 * Disintegrator Ray: His Phantom Hammer.
 * Evil Sounds Deep: To the point of incomprehensibility.
 * Final Boss: He's the last opponent Iji faces.
 * Four-Star Badass: Being ranked General and being the opponent for the climactic battle of the game is a sure-fire qualification for the title.
 * General Ripper:.
 * Humongous Mecha: He towers over the already tall Iji on foot. His exoskeleton is bigger than a house.
 * Macross Missile Massacre
 * Marathon Boss
 * One-Hit Kill: The Phantom Hammer doesn't just kill you, it wipes out all your stats.
 * This Cannot Be!: Defeat him on maximum charge on Ultimortal, and you'll get this gem:
 * One-Hit Kill: The Phantom Hammer doesn't just kill you, it wipes out all your stats.
 * This Cannot Be!: Defeat him on maximum charge on Ultimortal, and you'll get this gem:
 * This Cannot Be!: Defeat him on maximum charge on Ultimortal, and you'll get this gem:
 * This Cannot Be!: Defeat him on maximum charge on Ultimortal, and you'll get this gem:


 * True Final Boss: On a New Game+, you can "maximum charge" his exoskeleton, making him even tougher.
 * Unholy Matrimony: See the above entry on Iosa.
 * Wave Motion Gun: He can use the Phantom Hammer as a handheld ray. Okay, with his mech, but still.

Kiron

 * Take Up My Sword: He is put in command of the Komato fleet if Tor bites it.
 * The Voice: We never see Kiron, we just hear him over Tor's intercom.
 * You Are in Command Now: If Iji kills Tor, he is the next in line for command of the fleet.