List of Tales of the Abyss characters
The role-playing game Tales of the Abyss features several fictional characters designed by Kōsuke Fujishima. The game primarily follows Luke fon Fabre, a teenager son of the Kimlasca King's sister who has suffered from amnesia ever since he was kidnapped. He encounters [|Tear Grants], a member of the Order of Lorelei who seeks the death of her brother, Luke's teacher [|Van Grants]. As Luke and Tear meet and return to Kimlasca, they meet several other characters including [|Jade Curtiss] from the Malkuth military forces, Fon Master [|Ion] from Daath and his guardian [|Anise Tatlin]. They are also joined by Kimlasca's [|Guy Cecil], Luke's servant, and [|Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear], Luke's fiancé. Another character who is briefly playable is [|Asch], a member from the Oracle Knights' God Generals who shares the party's goal of stopping an impending war.
Creation and design
The producer of Tales of the Abyss, Makoto Yoshizumi, commented the staff did not want a story where "the fated protagonist had a perfect life and a perfect upbringing, and he grew up to defeat the demon king." They wanted a story with a party that consisted of flawed characters. All of the characters were designed by Kōsuke Fujishima.Playable characters
Luke fon Fabre
Luke fon Fabre is 17 and is the only son of a noble family in the kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. After being kidnapped at ten years of age, Luke lost all of his childhood memories, and upon being returned home was confined to the safety of the Fon Fabre manor. His isolation from the rest of the world leads him to become a rather immature, selfish kind of person with next to no knowledge of the world. As the game progresses, Luke learns that he is actually an isofonically identical "replica" of Asch, the real Luke fon Fabre, and as such is also a perfect isofon of the Seventh Fonon itself. This event, along with the abandonment of his friends, prompts Luke to change himself for the better. Also along his journey, he falls in love with Tear.Tear Grants
Tear Grants, full name Mystearica Aura Fende, is 16 and is a Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei in the Intelligence Division and is the sister of the primary antagonist Van. In the game's beginning she tries killing but upon crossing blades with his student Luke, a hyperrresonance occurs sending the two of them to Malkuth territory. While initially she escorts Luke back to Kimlasca, she becomes a recurring character as her superior, Mohs, orders her to go to Akzeriuth where Luke is also headed. She is extremely disciplined and feels compelled to be a soldier at all times, though she is sometimes unable to repress her feminine side which is often expressed in her interest in cute things. She is also a descendant of Yulia and can sing Yulia's Fonic Hymns. In moving the Outer Land to the Qluiphoth, she absorbs miasma which causes her body to be weakened and near dead. However, she is saved by Ion. She eventually falls in love with Luke who requested her to watch over him, and confesses her feelings to him at the end of the game.Jade Curtiss
Jade Curtiss, formerly known as Dr. Jade Balfour, is a 35-year-old colonel of the Third Division of Malkuth's Imperial forces. Jade is sarcastic, pessimistic, honest and logical. He is the creator of fomicry, a field of science that focuses on the creation of "replicas"; this earns him the nickname "Jade the Necromancer" because of his former habit of extracting replica data from fallen soldiers on battlefields for experimental purposes. He is often tight-lipped when the subject of fomicry comes up. He is also very knowledgeable about fonic artes and has mastered the manipulation of all fonons but the Seventh, with which he has no proficiency. His younger sister and only living family member presumably is Nephry Osborne, the Governor of Keterburg. He is a close personal friend of Emperor Peony Upala Malkuth IX, and the former childhood friend of Dr. Saphir Ortion Gneiss, now Dist the Reaper who he has since come to despise.Anise Tatlin
Anise Tatlin, 13, is the guardian of Fon Master Ion, the highest official in the Order of Lorelei. She is a bright and cheerful little girl, but can sometimes show a darker side when provoked, and often hides her emotions when she is suffering. Because of her family's bad financial situation, she seeks to marry into money and as a running gag displays an interest in any possible way to obtain it. As a puppeteer, she can make her stuffed toy, Tokunaga grow to gigantic proportions and attack enemies. It is also revealed that she is spying for Mohs to pay off a debt that her parents owed him. This costs the life of Ion who dies from reading the Planet Score and greatly depresses her. Fujishima had no difficulties in designing the character after being told about her. However, her stuffed animal proved to be challenging to make.Guy Cecil
Guy Cecil is a swordsman in service to House Fabre. He is very loyal and brotherly towards Luke, and considers himself somewhat responsible for Luke's spoiled and selfish personality. Having more or less brought Luke up from a young age, he is usually the first person Luke turns to when in need of advice or guidance, and often ends up apologizing for Luke's shortcomings. It is revealed that due to repressed trauma, he is morbidly afraid of any physical contact with women. It is also later revealed that he is originally from Hod, and hence a citizen of the Malkuth Empire, that his real name is Gailardia Galan Gardios, and that Van Grants was his attendant as a child. Across the game, Guy stops seeking revenge for Hod's tragedy. He also moves back to Malkuth where he works under the orders of Emperor Peony and Jade. He specializes in Sigmund style swordsmanship, a school unique to Hod, and has a great interest in Fon Machines. Guy's clothing was based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies the designer used to watch while making the character.Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear
Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, born Meryl Oakland, is the princess of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear who fully believes that the function of nobility is to tend to the needs of their subjects. She is 18 and is loved by her people for her various public works projects. As Luke's fiancée, she scolds him for his spoiled attitude and his dismissal of his duties as a noble. As the game progresses, it is revealed that Natalia is not the birth princess of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear — the true princess was stillborn and was replaced with the midwife's daughter's newborn child. Natalia is initially branded a traitor to the kingdom through the machinations of Grand Maestro Mohs and is sentenced to death, but her people rally behind her. Eventually, her father realizes that even though they are not related by blood, Natalia is still his daughter. Natalia is dismayed to later learn that her biological father is Largo the Black Lion of the God-Generals. Upon finding out that Luke is in actuality a replica of Asch, she becomes conflicted about her affection towards him and appears to transfer most of them back to Asch. Natalia was difficult to draw as a result of the character designer having to show her adventurer side despite being a princess.Asch
One of the Six God-Generals, Asch, born Luke fon Fabre and nicknamed Asch the Bloody, is the original Luke fon Fabre. He was carefully designed to be distinguished as different person from Luke despite sharing the same faces. After being kidnapped by Van, he is replaced by a replica while he joins the Oracle Knights under the alias "Asch", which he himself defines as "the remnants of the Sacred Flame" in reference to his belief that he was stripped of his original identity. Because of this, he harbors an intense hatred for Luke.Asch assaults Luke several times throughout the game, but cooperates with Luke's party in the latter half of the storyline, during which the player has the opportunity to control him in Luke's stead. Asch mostly prefers working alone, though he does contract the help of a band of thieves known as the Dark Wings. He is extremely short tempered and verbally abusive, especially towards Luke, who he frequently refers to as "dreck". He also has romantic feelings for Natalia, though he never admits it.
Non-playable characters
Ion
The party of playable characters is accompanied by Fon Master Ion, also simply named Ion, the leader of the Order of Lorelei, a neutral theocracy trying to calm the power struggle between Malkuth and Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. Though he is not a playable character, he accompanies Luke's party for most of the game. He is calm in most situations, and can utilize Daathic fonic artes, break Daathic seals, and read the Score from fonstones, all of which can easily tire him out. However, Ion is somewhat of a playable character, as he is one of Luke's Mystic Artes during the first half of the game.Mieu
Mieu is a small blue mammalian called a cheagle. He joins Luke's group when the elder cheagle exiles him for setting fire to the forest where ligers live, which causes the ligers to hunt the cheagles for food. Since Luke saves Mieu's life in a prior battle, the elder orders him to serve Luke for the time of one year much to Luke's displeasure. Cheagles are considered sacred by the Order of Lorelei due to a pact formed with Yulia Jue, symbolized by the Sorcerer's Ring. The ring enables cheagles to communicate with others, as well as use the power of various fonons to gain new skills. Although Mieu is often mistreated by Luke who calls him "Thing" he appreciates his master and takes the name "Thing" with honor. Later in the game and anime, Luke, who has vowed to change for the better, begins to call him by his proper name.Antagonists
Van Grants
Van Grants, full name Vandesdelca Musto Fende, is the main antagonist of the game, Luke's teacher and Tear's older brother. He leads both the Six God-Generals and the Order of Lorelei's main army. He was originally the servant of House Gardios until the island of Hod was destroyed. When Van learns that Hod's destruction was in the Score, and that the prediction had been kept secret, he begins to hate the Score and decides that a world with the Score must be destroyed, especially since he learns that score ultimately predicts Auldrant's destruction.Van soon discovers that replicas are born outside the Score's control and decides to make a world created entirely from replicated people and landscape, at the sacrifice of the original world and population. Van's most powerful subordinates are the God-Generals although Asch leaves him when learning of his plans. Van is defeated by Luke's group in the end and falls to the Planet's Core where he obtains the Seventh Fonon. As he returns, he takes over the New Order of Lorelei. However, Van is once again defeated by Luke's group and dies. He is based on Oda Nobunaga.
Mohs
Grand Maestro Mohs is the leader of the Maestros of the Order of Lorelei who is obsessed with fulfilling the Score. He attempts to start war between Kimlasca-Lanvaldear and Malkuth multiple times to fulfill the Score resulting in him being demoted. Nevertheless, he forces Ion to read the Seventh Fonstone at the cost of the Fon Master's life. He later uses Dist's power to make him Fon Master, at the cost of turning him into a hideous monster, and starts the "New Order of Lorelei", obsessed with keeping the Score. He eventually goes insane after finding that the score foretold Auldrant's destruction, and Luke's group is forced to kill him once and for all.Legretta
One of the Six God-Generals, Legretta the Quick is Tear's former instructor and formed a sisterly bond with her. She wields a pair of guns and is a brilliant strategist. She remains loyal to Van until the bitter end, and it later revealed to be in love with him. In Legretta's final letter to Tear stating her motivations, she signs the letter with her true name, Giselle Oslo, and asks that Tear follow her own ideals and be happy rather than trying to live up to Legretta's example.Arietta
One of the Six God-Generals, Arietta the Wild is a timid girl who was raised by ligers after losing her parents to the Hod war. She controls monsters and animals which aid her in battle and wishes to take revenge on Luke's party for killing the liger queen that raised her. She resents Anise for taking her place as Fon Master Guardian, unknowing that the original Ion whom she had fallen in love with had died and was replaced with the Ion that Anise was assigned to. It is revealed by Largo that Van deliberately refrained from informing her of the real Ion's death since it was believed that she would kill herself if she knew. She is killed during a duel with Anise after Ion sacrifices himself by using up too much of his strength while reading the Hidden Score. She is the first of the God-Generals to die causing Largo, who oversaw her duel with Anise, to swear to avenge her.Dist
One of the Six God-Generals, Dist the Reaper, formerly known as Saphir Ortion Gneiss, is a socially awkward Fon machine specialist. He is often found seated in a flying chair, and throws a fit when he feels ignored or is teased. Dist shared his childhood with Jade, and considers him both his rival and his closest friend. He prefers being called "Dist the Rose", and shows a bent for showmanship that goes largely unappreciated. In a contrast to the other God-Generals, he's very comical, though he's still a twisted individual that performs various experiments that disgust even Jade.Sync
One of the Six God-Generals, Sync the Gale is a martial artist as well as the strategist for the Six God-Generals' missions. Because he is a replica of the original Fon Master Ion, he wears a mask to conceal his identity. Sync resents his existence because he was considered a failed replica and considers himself an empty vessel for Van's will, blaming the Score for what he considers his pathetic existence. He can perform Daathic Fonic Artes, though he has only a fraction of the ability of even the replica Ion.Largo
Largo the Black Lion is the oldest member of the Six God-Generals and leader of the Oracle Knights' shock troops. Formerly known as Badaq Oakland, the Lion of the Desert, is Natalia's biological father. Before becoming a member of the Oracle Knights, he was a mercenary for hire who chiefly took jobs providing security to travelling merchants. Because of the Score, his wife Sylvia was encouraged to give birth despite her weak health and her daughter was taken to replace the stillborn Kimlascan princess. The loss of her child pitched Sylvia into a deep depression, leading her to commit suicide before Badaq could return to Baticul after being contracted for an escort job. Having lost both his wife and child, Largo wandered until he met Van. Agreeing with Van's plan to destroy the Score, he cast aside his old life as a mercenary and even abandoned his daughter.Reception
The cast of Tales of the Abyss has been well received by video game publications. Keza MacDonald from IGN stated that the majority of the characters were likeable. Richard Eisbeins from Kotaku praised the character development of Luke as well as the cast's characterization in general noting how viewers would be affected by the death of each antagonist. Game Informer would also list Tear and Jade on their list of the best characters in the series with the former praised on her fate and relationship with Luke while the latter on his characterization despite his tragic backstory. GameSpot's Ashton Raze referred to them as "an excellent cast of characters" centering more on Luke based on his traits that are both positive and negative. Additionally, Raze said that while the plot of the game becomes darker in contrast to its initial setup, the characters still remain appealing.GameSpy's Heidi Kemps said the cast was one of the "pros" of the game. However, he criticized the character models as they are "lacking in detail, with bland, monotone colors and a low polygon count". Aceinet from GameZone agreed with Kemps saying while in some parts they look well, in other time look "with choppy lines and bland textures". Despite noting some cliches within the cast such as Luke's mystery and fate, Eurogamer writer Dan Whitehead said that the main characters develop. Whitehead also praised the voice acting in the game. RPGFan's Christine Radler-Thomas shared the same opinions with Whitehead regarding the cast's development as well as their situation as most have no knowledge in regards to their situation. As Christian Nutt from GamesRadar criticized Luke due to how he annoys everybody, "when the first big plot twist hits, they take it out on him - too much". The reviewer found the cast as one of the best from Japanese role-playing games. In regards to the port's graphics Amanda L. Kondolojy from Cheat Code Central criticized them in a comparison to the ones from the PlayStation 2. Nevertheless, Kondolojy enjoyed the game's English voice acting. RPGamer's review by Alex Fuller of the cast was far more positive with Fuller saying "The exceedingly good handling of character development is easily Abyss' biggest storytelling strength" citing Luke's role as the main example. Like other reviewers, he praised the game's English actor citing Kirk Thornton's work as Jade. Nintendo Life noted how good was the characterization based on skits which served expand on them such as Guy's fear of women, Tear's love for anything "cute" among others.