Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy/Characters

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As a remake of Ace Combat 2, Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy has brought with it a slew of new faces in addition to returning ones. Here we cover the tropes they embody.

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USEA Allied Forces

"Phoenix"

37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron

Callsign "Scarface One"

The Player Character, who has been chosen to lead 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing's 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron, "Scarface."

Tropes associated with Phoenix

• The Ace: Phoenix already had a reputation as an ace, but the Ending Theme's lyrics take the cake--

"Why do you still challenge me? / You can't win, it's not your destiny ..."

• Ace Pilot: Phoenix was already known as a talented pilot before the Usean Rebellion, according to Ulrich Olsen.
• The Dreaded: Toward the end of the campaign, Phoenix becomes this to the rebels.
• Featureless Protagonist: All that's really known about Phoenix is that he's male, from the 3D model of him and his brief appearance in the Opening Narration Cutscene.
• Heroic Mime: Unlike in Ace Combat 2 where he spoke a single line, Phoenix is completely mute here. Lampshaded by Slash at one point--

Slash: You don't talk much, do you? Is that what the ladies are into these days?

• Iconic Logo: The "firebird" logo used in Air Combat and Ace Combat 2 is now Phoenix's personal insignia, used on all of the aircraft he flies.
• Image Song: The Ending Theme, "Gravity," doubles as both this due to its lyrics, and as an Award Bait Song due to its style.
• Leitmotif: "Fighter's Honor," which (like "ZERO" for Cipher and "Unsung War" for Razgriz Squadron), plays during the final level and incorporates the game's overall leitmotif. It also plays during the Attract Mode Cutscene.
• Red Baron: The Rebels come to fear "The Firebird" and his Iconic Logo.

Rebel Soldier: I know that insignia! It's the Allied Forces' Firebird! Rebel Officer: Ignore the rumors! Just take him down!

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Ulrich "Pops" Olsen

37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing

Callsign "Keynote"

Age: 53

Birthplace: Central USEA

"I've heard what you can do, Phoenix. I'm eager to see it."

The Operational Commander of the 37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing. He commands the AWACS that oversees Scarface Squadron's operations. His military career dates back to before the founding of the USEA Allied Forces, when he was still serving his home country's air force.

Tropes associated with Ulrich Olsen

• A Father to His Men: His profile says he can be very gentle to his family, but that equally applies to the pilots under his command.
• Continue Your Mission, Dammit!: "The cargo's nearing the ground!" "Phoenix, watch the cargo's altitude!"
• Embarrassing TAC Name: Slash was apparently the guy who gave Ulrich what's now his TAC Name, and he doesn't like it.
• Mission Control

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John "Slash" Herbert

37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron

Callsign "Scarface Two"

Age: 33

Birthplace: Central USEA

"You still got that bug up your butt, Pops? Hey, Phoenix! This is Slash. Always a pleasure!"

One of Phoenix's possible wingmen. He's flown with Ulrich when the two of them were rookies, and is an experienced combat pilot. After the mission at Anchorhead, Ulrich transferred both John and Kei Nagase to Scarface Squadron. As much as he loves the beach (and babes), he hates the sea breeze and never considered joining the Navy because of it.

Tropes associated with John Herbert

• Adaptation Name Change: In Ace Combat 2, John's last name was Harvard.
• Girl Watching: Implied to be one of his favorite pastimes.
• Grease Monkey: Loves working on cars as a hobby, so much so that an empty hangar at Scarface's home base is his personal garage.
• Paper Tiger: He sees himself as one. During "Toy Box" or "Final Countdown," Slash admits that it was his dream to be an Ace Pilot, though he never stood a chance.
• Wing Man

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Lieutenant Kei "Edge" Nagase

37th Air Force 18th Fighter Wing, 9th Special Tactical Fighter Squadron

Callsign "Scarface Two"

Age: 20

Birthplace: Far Eastern USEA

"I'll admit, your combat skills were quite ... admirable. But I am reserving my final assessment."

The other possible wingman for Phoenix. She's from where the Usean Rebellion first began, and hopes to put an end to the suffering her country's endured from the coup d'etat. She dreams of being a commercial pilot one day.

Tropes associated with Kei Nagase

• Defrosting Ice Queen: Her bio says she "can come off as cold and stinging as her codename." She starts to warm up from the very first mission, though. Olsen teases her about "showing her feminine side" during one of the missions.
• Legacy Character: There's other Kei Nagases in Ace Combat, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
• Turn in Your Badge: In the first mission(s) that allow wingmen, Edge introduces herself with a stern warning:

Edge: However, if you show any signs of being unfit to uphold your duties ... Pops: Loosen up, Lieutenant Nagase.

• Wing Man
• Women Are Wiser: In contrast to Slash, Edge is no-nonsense and said to have an intuition that rivals veteran pilots.

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Captain Liam

Captain of the carrier White Valley

Commander of USEA Allied Forces 4th Fleet

"Thanks, Scarface Squadron. We owe you our lives."

During Operation Alphaville, Scarface Squadron escorts an Allied Forces fleet through the Payton Channel. It turns out Ulrich knows the fleet commander, Captain Liam; an old flame of Liam's, Sophie, is married to Ulrich.

Tropes associated with Captain Liam

• Love Triangle: He still hasn't given up on Sophie, as Olsen says.

Liam: Tell her I'll come give her husband a pounding if he starts acting up.

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Rebel Forces

Albert "Pride" Wahlberg

16th Air Force 4th Fighter Wing, 3rd Squadron

Callsign "Lancer One"

Age: 28

Birthplace: Western USEA

"We knights are blessed by the heavens! You don't stand a chance against us!"

Commander of the 16th Air Force 4th Fighter Wing's 3rd Squadron, also known as "Lancer Squadron." He comes from a prestigious family, and his father is a Major General in the USEA Allied Forces. Despite that, he joined the rebellion out of a sense of justice and concern for the well-being of his home nation.

Tropes associated with Albert Wahlberg

• Ace Pilot: He's a Steamroller through and through. For all the good it does him.
• Air Jousting: His favored tactic is having his entire squadron charge through enemy forces in a line abreast formation.
• Arrogant Fighter Pilot
• Blue Blood

Pride: The pride of the Wahlberg's will be felt in my next attack!

• Braggart Boss
• Continuity Nod: Lancer Squadron's Leitmotif is done in a style similar to songs from Ace Combat Zero such as "Merlon" and "Glatisant." Recall that ACZ was strongly influenced by Arthurian legend, and Albert's squadron strongly plays up their knightly heritage ...
• Leitmotif: "Skyburn."
• Pride Before a Fall: His squadron is first among the ace squadrons fought by Phoenix, in the second mission no less.

Pride: Lancer Squadron, take your pride with you into battle!

• This Cannot Be!: Albert just can't grasp the idea of being shot down by "mercenary dogs."
• Warmup Boss

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Sergei "Eater" Brynner

13th Air Force 8th Fighter Wing, 5th Squadron

Callsign "Beast One"

Age: 43

Birthplace: Unknown (Officially Gratobie, rumored to be Principality of Belka)

"You should have watched what you were doing. Now he's all mine!"

Commander of the USEA's infamous Beast Squadron; an apt name, considering they're widely known to be the most ferocious of the Allied Forces fighter squadrons. Although the squadron is fiercely loyal to Sergei, they've been criticized for their wild behavior many times, and have even been compared to savage pirates.

Tropes associated with Sergei Brynner

• Ace Pilot: His squadron prefers the Bushwhacker style; he and his squadron attack from all sides relentlessly and viciously.
• Blood Knight
• Call Back: Sergei refers to Phoenix as a demon during "Toy Box." Another line makes it clear that this is in reference to the Demon Lord of the Round Table--

Eater: It's been a while since I've seen a fight like this. Reminds me of Roundtable.

During that mission's debriefing, Ulrich mentions rumors that Sergei's a former Belkan Air Force pilot who fought in the Belkan War.

• Continuity Nod: Beast Squadron's Leitmotif has much of the same sound as songs from Assault Horizon.
• Combat Pragmatist: Sergei loves fighting, but he loves winning even more. He'll do whatever it takes to stack the odds in his favor.
• Flunky Boss: For the rematch, Sergei recruits two F/A-18E pilots to provide electronic warfare support for his squadron. (They're probably meant to be EA-18G Growlers.)
• Leitmotif: "Gray Wolf."
• Guttural Growler: Sergei and a few of his squadron members.
• Nicknaming the Enemy: Sergei calls Phoenix "Flame-o."
• Recurring Boss: If Phoenix participates in Operation Alphaville, he'll wind up fighting Beast Squadron again.
• Sociopathic Soldier

Eater: Next chance I get, I'm cuttin' out your damn windpipe.

• "Wake-Up Call" Boss: Beast Squadron's first battle is when the missiles really start to fly.
• War Is Glorious

Eater: Ain't war grand? Whaddya say, flame-o?

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Camilla "Catwalk" Almeida

2nd Fleet Carrier Air Wing, 14th Squadron

Callsign "Cocoon One"

Age: 35

Birthplace: Northern USEA

"Come on, little birdy. Care to dance?"

Commander of the 2nd Fleet's illustrious Cocoon Squadron. She's said to have the charisma of a queen, and commands respect from people both below and above her station. She defected from the USEA Allied Forces due to frustration over its mistreatment of its soldiers.

Tropes associated with Camilla Almeida

• Ace Pilot: She and her squadron are Pluggers.
• A Mother to Her Men: Camilla regrets losing her squadron members (and her fleet) in battle. Except for Kaio, that good-for-nothing pigeon.

Catwalk: You sunk our ship. You'll pay for that with your life!

• The Dead Have Names: Her squadron is the only one in which (some of) her wingmen's names are mentioned; among them, Bruno, Rodrigo, and Kaio.
• Dominatrix: She's got a streak of this in her. Just listen to how her all-male fighter squadron calls her "Lady" and "Queen" rather than using proper military protocol. Or listen to how she addresses Phoenix personally:

Catwalk: I always liked taking the "dominant" role.

• Get Back Here Boss: While Phoenix is dealing with the 2nd Fleet, Camilla's squadron pops up to harass him, and retreats once one or two of her wingmen are shot down. After the 2nd Fleet is sunk, the battle begins with Cocoon Squadron proper, only for Z.O.E to interrupt once another wingman is shot down. Camilla may opt to take advantage of the distraction, but will retreat again if another wingman goes down. After Z.O.E is chased off, only then does Camilla stick around for a fight to the death.
• Interservice Rivalry: Just as many Real Life naval aviators do, Catwalk considers Navy fighter pilots to be superior to those in the Air Force.

Catwalk: We Navy pilots can't lose to measly land pilots.

• Leitmotif: "Locked," which plays in full once Z.O.E is chased off. It incorporates the game's general leitmotif as well.
• Nicknaming the Enemy: Camilla calls Phoenix "little birdy."

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Captain Edgar "Bird's Eye" Grint

28th Air Force 1st Fighter Wing, 1st Squadron

Callsign "Albireo One"

Age: 49

Birthplace: Western USEA (Erusian Republic)

"Take some risks. No one ever won anything without risking something."

Squadron Leader of Albireo Squadron, the best squadron of all the USEA Allied Forces hailing from none other than the Republic of Erusia. Phoenix fights Edgar and Albireo Squadron if he joins Operation Bellissima.

Tropes associated with Edgar Grint

• Ace Pilot: Said to be the epitome of one. Edgar and his squadron prefer Sniper and Bushwhacker tactics.
• The Chessmaster: A charismatic anti-villain fighter pilot version.
• Chess Motifs: Edgar's squadron has formations based on chess piece names.

Bird's Eye: Now then, Phoenix. What should my first move be? How about ... The Knight.

• Leitmotif: "On the Verge."
• Officer and a Gentleman
• Retirony: Edgar originally planned on retiring before deciding to defect to the Rebels. According to his bio, he died when Phoenix shot him down. He had promised his wife they'd move to a village away from airbases after the war, too.
• Smart People Play Chess: Edgar plays a verbal game of chess with one of his wingmen on their way to intercept Phoenix as an establishing moment.

Albireo Squadron Member: That's your third win in a row, sir. No one can match you.

• Worthy Opponent: It's an honor for him to fight Phoenix.

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Z.O.E

"A red aircraft? I've never seen a paint job like that before ..." —Ulrich "Pops" Olsen

Just as enigmatic as its original appearance in Ace Combat 2, the Z.O.E is a group of aircraft, all painted blood red, that harass Phoenix throughout the campaign. Unlike in AC2, the individual Z.O.E planes are not given ranks, and are all referred to by the same name.

Tropes associated with Z.O.E

• Attack Drone: All implications point to the Z.O.E fighters being unmanned.
• Badass Back: In its FALKEN incarnation, Z.O.E can fire its guns and missiles to the rear. You can just hear Pops calling BS on this from the tone in his voice when he sees it happening.
• Bait and Switch Boss: Z.O.E interrupts Cocoon Squadron's battle with Phoenix to duel him. While annoyed, Camilla may attempt sneak attacks while Phoenix is tangling with Z.O.E.
• Duel Boss: You can avert this if you can take a wingman with you, but not all Z.O.E encounters give you the privilege.
• Final Boss
• Leitmotif: Z.O.E gets two: "Zone of Endless" and "Intruder," and an additional one as a Bonus Boss.
• Outside Context Villain: In the final battle with Z.O.E, Ulrich notes that there's nothing like its last incarnation (ADF-01 FALKEN) in the Allied Forces' databases, and the rebels couldn't possibly have developed this aircraft on their own. The true nature and origins of Z.O.E are left a mystery.
  • Even the flavor text for the Zone of Endless medal before it's earned doesn't give any hints:

Awarded to pilots who venture into unknown territory.

• Recurring Boss
• Try and Follow: Extra Mission 02. Oh, you thought trying to fly through Seals Bridge canyon on an Airstrike Impossible was hard enough? How about trying to chase Z.O.E's FALKEN through it at high speed?
• Wolfpack Bonus Boss: Was Z.O.E's FALKEN too easy for you, even on Ace? Never fear! Extra Mission 04 will put you up against a whole squadron of them. After you've cleared a beefed-up version of "Fighter's Honor." Oh, and they'll have full access to the Tactical Laser System. Have fun!
• You Shall Not Pass: Z.O.E's role in "Fighter's Honor." The opening cutscene for the mission shows the Z.O.E FALKEN descending into view in front of Fortress Intolerance, as if daring Phoenix to attack.

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