Front Mission 3/Characters

Kazuki Takemura

 * Age: 19
 * Nationality: OCU Japan
 * Occupation: Student of Yokosuka Technical Institute who serves as a test pilot for Kirishima Industries
 * Starting Wanzer: Zenislev
 * Specialities: Melee, Shotgun

The main character of the story, Kazuki is a university student with a brash and hot-headed but nevertheless kind nature. He has been living on his own since losing his mother at the age of 12. Kazuki feels a deep hatred for his father, Colonel Isao Takemura, a well-known JDF officer, who wasn't by his mother's side when she was dying. Overprotective of his stepsister Alisa, Kazuki has a strong sense of justice and always does what he believes is right.

Ryogo Kusama

 * Age: 19
 * Nationality: OCU Japan
 * Occupation: Student of Yokosuka Technical Institute who serves as a test pilot for Kirishima Industries
 * Starting Wanzer: Kyojun Mk107
 * Specialities: Machine Gun

Kazuki's friend from high school, Ryogo is the typical comic relief sidekick. Unlike Kazuki, Ryogo is pretty easygoing, although he does pull his weight in battle. Trying to charm almost every female character he meets, Ryogo is nevertheless a reliable friend and a talented Wanzer pilot, loyally standing by Kazuki in both scenarios.

Emir "Emma" Klamsky

 * Age: 22
 * Nationality: USN (Ravnui before moving to the USN)
 * Occupation: Director of the USN Scientific Research Laboratory, Alaska
 * Starting Wanzer: Drake M2C
 * Specialities: Missile

The accidental creator of MIDAS (Hinted at during the events of Front Mission 5), Emma is trying her best to find and disarm it before a disaster happen. She came to Japan with the FAI's Purple Haze squad and several other agents after hearing of the accident at JDF Yokosuka Base. Her parents were killed on Bal's orders while fleeing the Imaginary Number project when she was 12. A very serious and responsible person, as well as being extremely intelligent and resourceful, Emma is the creator of almost every battle plan in her scenario, most notably the USN's airborne attack on Taiwan. She develops feelings for Kazuki as the game progresses. Emma is playable in her own scenario and is an important character in Alisa's. (Note: Surname mislabeled as Kramskoi in Front Mission Platinum Expert Manual).

Alisa "Aliciana" Takemura

 * Age: 19
 * Nationality: OCU Japan (Ravnui before moving to Japan)
 * Occupation: Student at Teihoku University
 * Starting Wanzer: Meledyne M1
 * Specialities: Missiles

Kazuki's stepsister. Alisa was sent to Japan at the age of 9 and adopted by Kazuki's father Isao, a good friend of her parents. Very intelligent, she is already doing research despite still being in university. She was also recently nominated for the "Miss Teihoku" beauty contest. Before the accident at JDF Yokosuka Base occurred, she was transferred there to work on MIDAS In Emma's scenario, she is kidnapped multiple times when not tagging along with the party as an NPC, while being a playable character in her own scenario.

Dennis Vicarth

 * Age: 35
 * Nationality: USN
 * Occupation: FAI (Federal Agency of Intelligence) Agent
 * Starting Wanzer: Rekson M4F
 * Specialities: Rifle

An experienced and talented FAI agent, Dennis came to Japan with the FAI's Purple Haze unit and Emma to investigate the incident. Calm and rational, he was a USN Army officer before joining the FAI and is capable of almost everything, including aircraft and Wanzer piloting. Although he doesn't like showing it, he is very caring for his friends and people around him. Apparently Dennis has a friend or contact in almost every country the party visits. He is a playable character in Emma's story, and an enemy character in several missions in Alisa's story.

Liu Hei Fong

 * Age: 32
 * Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
 * Occupation: Lieutenant of DHZ Intelligence
 * Starting Wanzer: Shangdi 1
 * Specialties: Rifle [Alisa], Machinegun [Emma]

A mysterious agent working for the DHZ, Liu is the first product of the secret Real Numbers project headed by Bal Gorbovsky. He also came to Japan after hearing about the accident at JDF Yokosuka Base. Fiercely loyal to Bal, who is also Ravnui's ambassador to the DHZ, he seems to have a hidden agenda. Other DHZ agencies have strong rivalries with the Real Numbers, as well as with each other; interdepartmental cooperation, even on home soil, is grudging at best. He is an enemy character in Emma's story but a playable one in Alisa's scenario, where he helps Kazuki, Ryogo and Alisa to escape from Japan.

Yun Lai Fa ("Moneymaker")

 * Age: 17
 * Nationality: OCU Singapore
 * Occupation: Spender (hacker for hire)
 * Starting Wanzer: Prov Paw 2
 * Specialities: Shotgun

A young spender with a spoiled and childish attitude, Yun achieved fame on the Internet as the most talented hacker ever. During Emma's team's infiltration into OCU-controlled Singapore, Dennis and Emma hired her to hack the OCU's military database to find out what happened to MIDAS. However, she screwed up and got captured by the OCU military. She was recruited by Dennis after the jailbreak. She got the team into trouble a few times afterwards and even tried to sell them out. Yun is playable only for Emma's scenario but she also helps a little in Alisa's story. There are two different ways to recruit Yun. If the player destroys the Cadenza (an armored vehicle) in Mission 11: Wilson Cliffs, Australia, before it escapes, Yun will be recruited in Singapore. If the Cadenza escapes, the player will have to wait until the Tian-Lei raid missions.

Miho Shinjo

 * Age: 23
 * Nationality: OCU Japan
 * Occupation: Police officer
 * Starting Wanzer: Kyokei Mk108
 * Specialities: Shotgun, Melee

A young, cute, but naive looking police officer from Yokosuka. Miho and Kazuki's team crossed paths in the beginning of the game where Miho was attacked by JDF Special Forces. Apparently she accidentally heard about MIDAS after heading to the incident and has been marked for erasure by the military. Kazuki decided to take her with them after realizing that her life is also in danger. Miho has a number of unsuspected, if not downright surprising, talents. She is only available as a playable character in Alisa's story, but can also be seen in a poster (and in a rather cute appearance) published by the Japanese Police during Emma's story. As the game progresses, it is revealed that Miho is actually an special forces operative sent to watch Kazuki and the rest of the team. Outside of a wanzer, she demonstrates hacking skill, stealth, and excellent spycraft. Initially, she joins the team with her Kyokei Mk108 police wanzer armed with shotgun and a baton (a weapon configuration similar to Kazuki's) but she can readily learn any other weapons set.

Jose Astrada

 * Age: 35
 * Nationality: OCU Philippines
 * Occupation: OCU Philippines Navy Sniper
 * Starting Wanzer: Pare Paw 1
 * Specialities: Rifle

Possibly the character with the most unfortunate background, Jose quit obeying orders after mistakenly killing his wife during a mission and was convicted for insubordination. Swearing never to take up arms again, he was forced to pilot a Wanzer one last time during the attack on OCU Taal Base (built on the site of the real-life Taal Volcano). Jose can be recruited in Emma's story if the player chooses the option of climbing the mountain. He will join the unit after the escape from Taal Base. However, he will be an enemy character if the player chooses to go inside the mountain. He is also an enemy character in Alisa's story. It should be noted that Jose and Li cannot be recruited together. (Note: Jose's name is a mistranslation of the original found in the Japanese version. According to a Japanese-language strategy guide, the Front Mission Platinum Expert Manual (ISBN 4-925075-65-9), 'Astrada' is actually Estrada.)

Pham Luis

 * Age: 17
 * Nationality: OCU Philippines (she lives in the PLF occupied zone)
 * Occupation: Anti-government guerrilla
 * Starting Wanzer: Zeros
 * Specialities: Melee

A spoiled, but kind of likeable daughter of one of the richest families of the Philippines, Pham joined to the PLF (Philippines Liberation Front), an organization sworn to separate the country from the OCU. Although her character is undesirable at the beginning, she gradually becomes more serious and responsible and decides to go with Kazuki's team after the incident at Taal Base ends. She gets into fights with Ryogo occasionally. She is only available in Alisa's story but can be seen as an enemy character in Emma's story if the players don't destroy the Cadenza in Stanley Mountains. Her character is reminiscent of Shoryu Asuka Langley from Evangelion, for both personality and appearance. Pham is mentioned in Emma's story as getting married to a member of OCU Singapore's royal family (since Singapore is not ruled by a monarchy, it is presumed that the 'royal family' meant the family of the prime minister or president).

Marcus Armstrong

 * Age: 43
 * Nationality: USN
 * Occupation: USN Marine Corps Captain
 * Starting Wanzer: Grapple M1P
 * Specialities: Melee

A company commander in the USN Marine Corps, Marcus is a man of large stature and heart. During the USN's invasion of Taiwan, his unit was wiped out but he alone managed to survive. After informing Kazuki's team about the betrayal of the USN's DHZ ambassador (he was a double agent), he joined them in their quest to capture Lukav Minaev. He is married and a father of twin daughters. Marcus tries to help his fellow Wanzer pilots any way he can, both in and out of combat. He is only available in Emma's story and appears as an enemy character in Alisa's story.

Li Xiang Mei

 * Age: 43
 * Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
 * Occupation: Mercenary
 * Starting Wanzer: Getty
 * Specialities: Machine Gun

Li shares the same fate with Jose. Accidentally killing his son and wife during a mission, Li realized that the government he served has no love for his people and decided to run away. He and Kazuki's team met in a village under siege by the Imaginary Numbers. Li was desperately trying to protect the village while the team entered the fray. Li was a member of the Rapid Reaction Force, a top secret Changli Army (a far-future version of the People's Liberation Army) unit designed to handle the dirty work for the DHZ government. Apparently he was also indirectly responsible for the assassination of Chairman Jie's predecessor. Li is only available as a recruitable character in Emma's story and only if players choose to take the inside mountain route in Taal Base assault mission. It's rumoured that Square created Li with Bruce Lee's image in mind (this can also be seen in his Wanzer's victory pose whenever he destroys an enemy). The player cannot recruit both Jose and Li. If Jose is in the party when Li is encountered, Jose will remind Li that he has a duty to protect his village as a way to atone for killing his wife and son.

Linny Barilar

 * Age: 27
 * Nationality: OCU Indonesia
 * Occupation: Head Researcher, Barilar Corporation
 * Starting Wanzer: Foura M12A
 * Specialities: Missile

The heir of a Sulawesi-based agricultural business company, the Barilar Corporation, Linny is touring the world to prove the might of the corporation's newest creation: the Methane Wanzer, which uses manure as fuel. Linny first appears as an enemy character in Emma's story if the player misses the Cadenza vehicle in the Stanley Mountains mission. Later in the game, after he was almost killed by the Wulong mercenaries, he joins Kazuki's team to prove the Methane Wanzer's usefulness, although he never uses it again in battle. Linny has almost no dialogue, although when the player chooses to talk to him on one occasion, he is about to start off on a long-winding speech that Ryogo promptly cuts off. He is also Pham's cousin.

Lan Xiao Hua

 * Age: 34
 * Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
 * Occupation: Vice-commander of the elite DHZ Rapid Reaction Force
 * Starting Wanzer: Tieqi 4
 * Specialities: Flamethrower

Losing her husband and son during a Hua Lian attack, Lan joined the RRF with the sole purpose of revenge. She is known for her ruthlessness and deadly effectiveness in battle as well as her cold nature. She realizes the error of her and her government's ways only after she witnesses the military's and Imaginary Numbers' massacre of a Hua Lian camp, Kazuki's decision to disarm MIDAS, and hearing the military's decision to execute Kwang. She was nearly killed while trying to rescue an escaping child from the camp and arrested for insubordination afterwards. She escaped from Tian-Lei with Kwang and with the help of Kazuki and others. She appeared a few missions later with a helicopter to evacuate the civilians from Nanjing. She immediately joined the team afterwards as the only Flamethrower specialist in the game. She is an enemy character in Emma's story. (Note: In the Front Mission Platinum Expert Manual, her name is listed as Lan Shou Hua)

Mayer Edward

 * Age: 28
 * Nationality: OCU Australia
 * Occupation: CIU (Central Intelligence Unit) Agent
 * Starting Wanzer: Enyo Mk109
 * Specialities: Missile

The child of an Australian father and a Japanese mother, Mayer traveled to DHZ and found Kazuki's team in order to help them to quell the coup d'etat in Japan. A very cheerful and jolly person, Mayer can be serious when the time calls for it. A mysterious woman, Mayer likes to dress fancy and seems to have an interest in Liu. She only appears in Alisa's scenario.

Pierre Wells

 * Age: 52
 * Nationality: EC UK
 * Occupation: Butler and bodyguard of the Luis Family
 * Starting Wanzer: Yongsai 3
 * Specialities: Shotgun (He has missiles in one mission)

Pierre has been working for the Luis family for 20 years and is fiercely protective of Pham. He is so loyal that he agreed to join the PLF alongside with her. Not much is known about him except that he is talented at almost everything from cooking to Wanzer piloting. He is only available as an NPC in Alisa's story if Pham is added to the combat team in the Dagat Ahas and Taal Base missions.

Lukav Minaev
The first Imaginary Number. The game's main antagonist, who is serving with the USN military.

Aliciana "Alisa" Klamsky

 * See Alisa "Aliciana" Takemura.

Emir "Emma" Klamsky

 * See Emir "Emma" Klamsky.

Ivan Larzalev
Failed Imaginary Number who works with Hua Lian Rebels.

Serov Warren
Failed Imaginary Number, OCU Mechanical Engineer. Pilot of Genie Arm-experimental heavy weapons Wanzer.

Rosavia Gray
Imaginary Number Soldier, one of Lukav's lieutenants.

Jared Bogdanof
Imaginary Number Soldier, one of Lukav's lieutenants.

Norman Bates
Failed Imaginary Number and a convicted killer in the USN.

Griffith
The first Imaginary Number encountered in combat.

Others
There are also numerous unnamed Imaginary Numbers seen piloting Wanzers and other vehicles in certain battles. This discrepancy with their wholesale destruction upon the Imaginary Project's supposed termination is not explained. It is unlikely that Bal liberated many more test subjects, since the information from the Ravnui Laboratory indicates that they were destroyed en masse, and supporting evidence from the Ravnui Embassy in Da Han Zhong shows only a small, named list of escapees. Also, there is also a document stating that Bal was suspected of faking the termination of several Imaginary Numbers; it is unlikely he would have risked getting away with more than a handful of them.

Da Han Zhong Socialists
The current government and military power of the DHZ (China and Taiwan). They seek to rid the nation of Capitalist ideals with forces such as the Real Numbers, Imaginary Numbers, and Rapid Reaction Force. They are a major enemy in Emma's story, and uneasy allies in Alisa's story.

Chairman Jie Bo Liao
Leader of the DHZ. A ruthless man, he had Vice-Chairman Ming and his family killed for advocating democracy. He seems to survive in Emma's story, but is crushed under Lukav's wanzer in Alisa's.

Bal Gorbovsky
Ravnui's ambassador to the DHZ, and formerly a genetics scientist. He created the Real Numbers and Imaginary Numbers, of which Emma and Aliciana belong to. Although highly intelligent, Bal is also corrupt, and views the subjects of both projects as nothing more than tools to achieve his own personal agenda. He also personally tells Emma and Aliciana the truth about their creation by him, as well as the fact that he took measures to 'regain' his finest creations. It was under his orders that Emma's 'parents' were killed while trying to smuggle her out of the country, since they'd already gotten Aliciana taken in by a family friend. Although he tries to put his plan into action, he is subsequently betrayed and killed by Lukav in either story.

Jiu Lie Yin
Commander of the mobile fortress Tianlei and leader of the RRF. Fought and killed during the HL's attack on Tianlei during Emma's story. In Alisa's story he is tricked into thinking that Lan has turned traitor and escaped with Kwang, when really it was planned by Kazuki's party.

Wen Wei
General of the DHZ army who takes commands directly from Chairman Jie. In Emma's story he gives orders from the DHZ Headquarters. In Alisa's story he's stationed at the Navy base at Shanghai and allows Kuzuki's party to take refuge there.

Han Wan Dao
Commander of the Taiwanese branch of the Changli. He is fought twice and killed in Emma's story. In Alisa's story he harbors a deep hatred for Liu, and while he doesn't attack the party outright, Han refuses to help them and hopes that they are defeated by the USN.

Tsao Lin
Changli soldier who's only concern is being promoted. In Emma's story he attacks the party in the Nilong 1 wanzer as they pass the Wuhan Bridge.

Shui Xuan
Commander of the Wuhan Base. In Emma's story he tries to defend the base as the Hua Lian build bridges over the walls.

Xia Zhuwen
Changli Sergeant stationed at Huangshan. In Emma's story he doubts the instincts of the Wulong and falls for the trap of decoy wanzers.

Ambassador Clay
The USN's ambassador to Taiwan, but is really a DHZ spy. In Emma's story he sets up a trap to destroy USN squads Bravo (Marcus'), Charlie, and Cool Face (Kazuki's party lead by Dennis); the plan only partially works as all of Charlie and most of Bravo are defeated. He dies when the embassy explodes during the battle with Cool Face. In Alisa's story he aids Liu by giving details about the USN's plans, and helps buy time by sending back false information to the USN.

Hua Lian Rebels
A rebel group of guerrilla fighters trying to free the DHZ. Though they promote an end to Socialism, many citizens believe the HL leaders are only looking to profit. They are allies in Emma's story, and major enemies in Alisa's. The presence of Rekson M4Fs and Grapple M1s in their arsenal may imply that they are bankrolled by the USN.

Kwang
Vice-Chairman Ming's lost son. In Emma's story, Kazuki's group informs him of his past and convince him to lead the Hua Lian; though his presence strengthens the rebels, they are in the end defeated and Kwang goes missing. In Alisa's story he is already the rebel's leader, and is saved by Lan during a rampage by the Imaginary numbers. With the help of Kazuki and Lan he returns to a normal life for a time, but later sends an E-mail stating that he'll return to the Hua Lian to not only lead them, but reform their methods.

Huang Mo Shun
Founder of the Hua Lian Rebels. In many ways, Huang uses Kwang simply to further his own agenda. In Emma's story, after putting innocent civilians at risk he marches the rebels to Shanghai where they are swiftly defeated.

Luo Chen
Second in command of the Hua Lain. In Emma's story she assists the party with most major battle plans. Ryogo takes a liking to her and can even send her a surprise E-mail, even though she never tells him her address.

Yue Yu Jiang
An older soldier and leader of the Hua Lian's Guilin branch. In Emma's story he assists the party and even sends them a wallpaper of himself destroying an enemy wanzer with Chi. In Alisa's story he fights the party at Suichuan and is killed point blank by Lan and the RRF.

Zhuwen So Young
Leader of the Hua Lian's underground operations. In Emma's story the party first meets him in a shop at Guangzhou, then are tasked with escorting him to Guilin. In Alisa's story, as Kazuki's party rides a train to Hengshan, Zhuwen attacks them by blasting holes in the rail bridge. He is killed just moments before reinforcements arrive; however the Wulong also show up to assist Kazuki.

Tang Wuo Ben
Member of the Hua Lian and brother to Ling. In Emma's story he's tasked with guarding a transport train when he's attacked by the Changli Army in Yizhang. Kazuki's party arrives too late and finds his wanzer already destroyed. In Alisa's story Kazuki's party arrives in Yizhang to find the RRF destroying the transport. With their mission complete the RRF leave, and soon Wuo Ben's squad arrives on the scene to find out what happened. Assuming Kazuki's party is responsible, Wuo Ben attacks them but is defeated and killed.

Hoa Ling Chao
Member of the Hua Lian and Wuo Ben's sister. In Emma's story the party helps her in Guangzhou from a group of drunk men. Later, they try and assist her in saving her brother, but fail. In Alisa's story she sends an E-mail to Alisa telling her that they killed Ling's brother and demands that the party stay out of DHZ affairs.

Zhou Liang Hua
A former Changli soldier who left to join the Hua Lian. Liang Hua is often at odds with Huang because she still holds on to the selfless idea of helping the innocent. In Emma's story she helps in evacuating towns people caught in the cross-fire between the HL and DHZ; In Alisa's story she tries to protect Ivan, and while she fights in battle, killing her is not required.

Hatta Mirza
In Emma's story Hatta is a member of the Sumatra guerrillas. If the Cadenza was destroyed in Australia he helps the party to Singapore and introduces them to Yun. If the Cadenza escaped he's seen only briefly as he tries to give the party the black box to a destroyed transport, but also sends Yun E-mails. In one message, Mirza sought the party's help in decoding a special map for a rebel operation in Sumatra. In Alisa's story Hatta instead joins the Taiwanese branch of the Hua Lian. He shoots down Pham's transport as it flies over Xueshan, however the party is able to escape in their wanzers and defeat him.

Federal Agency of Intelligence
The intelligence division of the USN. The FAI is further strengthened by their wanzer squad, Purple Haze. They are allies in Emma's story, and enemies in Alisa's. The squad's name is a reference to the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze".

Joe Parker
The leader of Purple Haze. In Emma's story the party first meets him onboard an USN Aircraft Carrier. If the Cadenza was destroyed he'll save the party from reinforcements of OCU troops, while if it escaped he helps the party finish off Serov. He helps in the raid on Taal base but doesn't survive. In Alisa's story he attacks the party three different times before being killed in Taipei. Joe's unconventional military appearance and qualification as a paratrooper strengthen the reference to Jimi Hendrix.

Cindy Peasants
The second in command of Purple Haze. In Emma's story she also helps the party against OCU troops in either Singapore or Thailand. She too is a part of the Taal Base attack, and is the last member of Purple Haze killed. In Alisa's story she is encountered at the Yokosuka JDF base, Taal Base, and Taipei, where she is finally defeated.

Gastor Marza
The third and final member of Purple Haze. In Emma's story he is met in the same locations and shares the same fate as Joe and Cindy. He is the first member of Purple Haze killed during the Taal Base raid. In Alisa's story he's fought at the JDF base, Taal Base, and Taipei.

Song Guan Lei
A FAI spy posing as a car mechanic in Buxi. In yet another strange connection between the two, Li is an old friend of Guan Lei, while Jose dated his late wife, Fon Ming. If Li joined during Emma’s story, he meets Guan Lei and his daughter Ran Fong at a Foshan tea house, and the two men go into the back alleyway to discuss information. If Jose joined, he meets Ran Fong at the tea house and they talk about her mother; however, his main interest is to speak to Guan Lei, so the two enter the nearby alley to find him. In either case, Guan Lei is shot and killed by DHZ agents and Li/Jose escapes with Ran Fong. The Wulong come to the DHZ’s aid, however Kazuki’s party arrives as well, starting a fight on both foot and in wanzers. In Alisa’s story, Rudolf takes Kazuki to a Spender named Wen in order to look for leads. Wen hacks into the FAI website and learns about Guan Lei; however, when Kazuki arrives at his office Guan Lei has already been attacked by the Imaginary Numbers and is near death.

Wulong Mercenaries
Also known as the "Army of Centipedes," the Wulong are a squad of well-trained mercenaries, nearly all of whom are former European Commonwealth military personnel. They have deployed to various trouble spots worldwide and are currently employed by the DHZ. The Wulong are enemies in Emma's story and allies in Alisa's. Their wanzers and uniforms sport a gray and lavender color scheme.

Rudolf Kaiser
A former EC major and the Wulong's leader, Rudolf co-founded the group with Hatari. Rudolf pilots the Schnecke wanzer Grille Sechs (Sechs being the translation for the number 6 in German) in the game. This is incorrectly translated in the game as Grezex in the North American version.

Rebecca Sydney
The Wulong's executive officer (XO), Rebecca is the group's sole female member as well as the only one without formal military experience. Despite (or because of) this, she fulfills a variety of other functions in addition to serving as XO, such as acting as a behind the lines operative. Rebecca pilots the Sender wanzer Uisk in the game. This is incorrectly translated in the game as Whisk in the North American version.

Hatari Khartoum
A former EC intelligence, officer, Hatari co-founded the Wulong with Rudolf. Hatari pilots the Schnecke wanzer Beine Drei (Drei being the translation for the number 3 in German). This is incorrectly translated in the game as Vinedrai in the North American version.

Greg Hargile
A former EC sergeant, Greg earned the nickname "the Black Wind" in Africa and is a melee specialist. Greg pilots the Schnecke wanzer Raupe Vier (Vier being the translation for the number 4 in German). This is incorrectly translated in the game as Lanze in the North American version.

Emilio Gusly
A former EC corporal, Emilio is rumored to be a consummate wanzer pilot. In combat, he flies into a rage when the odds turn against him. Emilio pilots the Sender wanzer Uisk, which is the successor model to the Zelt series seen in Front Mission 4.