The Cast

Name: Shin KAZAMA
Nationality: Japanese

The main protagonist of the story.  Left on the doorsteps of the Wakaba Orphanage as a baby, growing up Shin established a close friendship with fellow orphan Satoru Kanzaki.  Despite his humble beginnings, Shin seemed destined for a bright future.  Dating Ryoko Tsugumo, the lovely daughter of Yamato Airlines President Zenzou Tsugumo, and graduating at the top of his class in his pilot training program in Paris, Shin was looking forward to returning to Japan and beginning a stellar career as a pilot with Yamato Airlines.  However, fuelled by jealousy and ambition, Kanzaki betrays Shin and tricks him into enlisting in the Asran Foreign Forces and becoming a mercenary pilot against his will.

Signature Aircraft: F-8E Crusader / F-5E Tiger II / Kfir  / J35F Draken  / F-18 Hornet  / F-20 Tigershark  / X-29

Name: Saki VASHTAR
Nationality: Asranian

A Lt. Colonel in the Asran military, Saki serves as the Area 88 base commander.  A member of the Asran royal family, Saki is also the eldest son or Prince Abdel Vashtar and Princess Soria (of Greece), and is caught right in the middle of the Asran civil war of succession.  Despite his father being the head of the Anti-Government Forces, Saki has remained loyal to his uncle, the rightful King Zak Vashtar – which puts him in direct conflict with his younger brother Rishal Vashtar.  The X-shaped scar on his forehead is a self-inflicted reminder of the shame of his conflicted loyalties.

Note: Saki’s name is derived from the work, “Thredni Vashtar” by Scottish novelist Saki.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / B-1A

Name: Mickey “Fireball” SIMON
Nationality: American

An Ex-United States Navy pilot, Mickey is Area 88’s “Number 2” pilot (after Shin). After graduating from the Annapolis Naval Academy, Mickey “Fireball” Simon served aboard the USS Enterprise’s with the VF-96 Fighting Falcons during the Vietnam War, where he first met his rival, Gary “Mack” Macburn.  After the war, Mickey returned home to the U.S. to an executive job in his father‘s large company and his beautiful girlfriend, Tracy.  Finding it difficult to adjust to civilian life, he decides to leave it all behind and join the Asran Foreign Forces as a mercenary pilot.  Mickey is Shin‘s closest friend and confidant at Area 88.

Signature Aircraft: F-100D Super Sabre / A-4E Skyhawk / Kfir / F-14A Tomcat

Name: Greg GATES
Nationality: Danish

A former Danish Air Force pilot, Greg is Area 88’s “Number 3” pilot (after Shin and Mickey).  After being dishonourably discharged from the Danish Air Force (along with Bugsy Malone), “Transporter” Greg operated a secret “air taxi” service, specialising in spiriting Eastern bloc defectors out from behind the Iron Curtain across the Baltic Sea to Europe.  However, after an extraction goes astray and he kills a Soviet agent, Greg and Bugsy are forced to join the Asran Foreign Forces as mercenary pilots since there is nowhere else to hide from Soviet retribution.  Unrivalled in ground-based attacks, Greg joined Area 88 alongside Bugsy Malone, Hoover “The Steel Ace” Kippenburg, “Iron Hand” Campbell, and Carlyle Benditz, and counts them among his closest friends at the base.

Signature Aircraft: A-4E Skyhawk / Kfir / OV-10 Bronco / A-10 Thunderbolt II

Name: Kim ABBA
Nationality: Rungarian

Having enlisted at the age of sixteen, Kim is, by far, the youngest pilot at Area 88. Despite his humble appearance, Kim is actually the third prince of Runga, a small country in the southern part of Africa.  As a member of the Runga royal family, Kim feels honour-bound to serve in uniform in order to test his mettle. He is assigned to Shin‘s command during the unit restructuring at the training base in Greece.  Despite his young age, Kim is an accomplished pilot who benefits from Shin’s intense training methods.  His favourite food is Strawberry jam.

Signature Aircraft: A-4E Skyhawk / AV-8A Harrier / F-20 Tigershark

Name: Sirène “Sera” BARNACK
Nationality: British (?)

Initially part of the Project 4 forces, Sirène, like her mythological namesake, tries to seduce Shin after he is shot down behind enemy lines.  However, following the death of her father – the leader of Project 4 air force, Sera switches allegiances and joins Area 88 instead.  A pilot of considerable skill, is a tremendous asset to the Area 88 mercenary forces.  Despite her initial attraction to Shin, Sera later becomes romantically linked to Mickey.  She also develops a platonic friendship with Kim Abba and takes on the “big sister” role.

Note: Sirène did not appear in the OVA, and in TV series her role was largely replaced by Kitori Parvanov.

Signature Aircraft: MiG-21 “Fishbed” / F-104G Starfighter / A-4E Skyhawk

Name: Nguyen VAN CHOM
Nationality: South Vietnamese

A Former South Vietnamese Air Force Lieutenant, Nguyen earned the nickname “The Man-Eating Tiger of the Gulf of Tonkin” during the Vietnam War – making him well-known to Mickey. With the scars to match his cruel personality,  Nguyen’s enjoyment of violence puts him at odds with Kim and Shin after he shoots an unarmed enemy pilot after he has ejected and is helplessly parachuting down.

Signature Aircraft: F-105 Thunderchief / Kfir

Name: Major ROUNDEL
Nationality: British

A Major in the Royal Asran Air Force, Roundel is a former British navy pilot known as the “Silver Fox of the Sky.”  Originally the headmaster of the Asran flight combat school at the training base in Greece, after the move to the Area 88 Mountain Base, Roundel becomes the main battle commander and the second in command overall after Saki.

Note: Roundel’s name is a play on words of the circular country identification mark made popular by the British Royal Air Force (RAF).

Signature Aircraft: Blackburn Buccaneer

Name: “Old Man” McCOY
Nationality: Unknown (assumed to be Scottish)

The miserly weapons merchant of Area 88.  One of the few characters to appear throughout the series, “Old Man” McCoy provides the mercenaries with everything they need – from “Toilet paper to Nuclear Warheads” – just so long as they’re able to pay his prices.  His frail appearance and stooping posture belie a razor sharp mind and a nose for making money.

Signature Aircraft: C-130

Name: Warren COLDMAN
Nationality: Unknown (not French!)

First appearing around the time of the mission to “break the Big Leg” and stop the Grand Slam, Warren becomes Shin‘s second-in-command and one of his most-trusted team members after the restructuring at the training base in Greece.  A good-looking guy, and a talented guitarist and singer, Warren has an interest in men’s fashion magazines.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-4E Skyhawk

Name: Ken SCHNITZ
Nationality: Unknown

Ken is assigned as Mickey‘s second-in-command during the unit restructuring at the training base in Greece.  As Warren‘s counter-part in the company, he and Warren are often seen together.  Self-described as “middle-aged”, when not in his flight suit, Ken is usually depicted wearing a soft-knit cap.  He is also one of the only people, other than Greg to fly an A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-10 Thunderbolt II

Name: Bam ASSAN
Nationality: Brasian

A Captain in the Brasian Air Force – a neighbouring country to Asran. After Brasia was occupied by Asranian forces (effectively Project 4), Bam was saved by Sera and Kim and decided to join Area 88. Although his experience in warfare was lacking, Bam is a skilled fighter pilot and begins racking up the kills after his enlistment. Prior to Shin‘s return, Bam was listed as one of Saki‘s “seven most trusted soldiers”. Although he is spotted taking off for the final sortie, it is not known if he survived the battle.

Signature Aircraft: F-5E (Brasian Air Force main fighter)

Name: Boris
Nationality: British

A former Major in the Royal Air Force, at Area 88 Boris had a reputation for being the only survivor to return from a sortie.  Haunted by the many deaths of his friends and wing-mates, he was a loner who slept with the lights on.  As the only other pilot besides Shin to fly an F-8E Crusader, only the two of them survived the direct assault on the low-altitude defensive barrier known as “The Fang”.  However, during the battle, Boris took a round in the chest, and finally found peace from his demons.

Signature Aircraft: F-8E Crusader

Name: Maurice
Nationality: Canadian (?)

Maurice was an “old-school” pilot who, despite having a very high success rate in ground attacks, was mocked by the other pilots for his refusal to upgrade from his ancient propeller plane, a T-6 Texan, to a more modern jet.  However, when a swarm of locusts grounds all of the jet fighters during a possible nuclear attack by the Anti-Government Forces, Maurice saves the day by being the only one capable of taking off and clearing the runway for the others.  However, tragically, he dies heroically in the effort.

Signature Aircraft: T-6 Texan

Name: Mario BANDINI
Nationality: Italian

A former member of the Italian Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Frecce Tricolori, Mario Bandini wanted to get real combat experience and joined Area 88 shortly after the Wolf Pack’s devastating attack on the base.  A brilliantly skilled pilot, Mario bests Shin and briefly replaces him as the Area 88 Ace.  However, aerobatics and combat are two entirely different things, and Mario’s needless risk-taking and ‘devil-may-care’ attitude ultimately cost him his life.

Signature Aircraft: F-100D / Kfir

Name: Carlyle BENDITZ
Nationality: British

The next-to-last (besides Greg) surviving member of the first class of Area 88 recruits that included Greg Gates, Bugsy Malone, Hoover Kippenburg, and “Iron Hand” Campbell, Carlyle Benditz was the only one lucky enough to survive long enough to be discharged from his 3-year contract.  Easily spotted with his large, blond “afro” style hairdo, after his discharge Carlyle drinks a glass of ’76 Steinberger wine in memory of Hoover Kippenburg, during his stopover in Paris.  However, mere moments after returning to Heathrow Airport in his hometown London, Carlyle’s luck runs out as he is stabbed and killed during a mugging incident.  The rest of the Area 88 crew remains ignorant of his ultimately unlucky death, believing him to be the luckiest man to come through Area 88.

Note: After Shin‘s discharge from Area 88, he stays at the same hotel in Paris, and discusses both Hoover and Benditz with the hotel owner.

Signature Aircraft: A-4 Skyhawk

Name: Hoover “The Steel Ace” KIPPENBURG
Nationality: West German

A former Major in the West German Air Force, Hoover Kippenburg was known as “The Steel Ace”.  A third-generation pilot, after his father and grandfather, Hoover joined Area 88 after he was dishonourably discharged following an unfortunate accident resulted in the deaths of several of his men during a NATO training exercise.  Cool under pressure and an efficient fighter, Hoover was also an aficionado of the German wine, Steinberger.  He is killed in an ill-fated attack on the Anti-Government Forces just before the appearance of the Desert Carrier.

After his death, he makes several appearances to both Shin and Saki as a ghostly figure.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir

Name: “Bugsy” MALONE
Nationality: Danish

After both he and Greg are dishonourably discharged from the Danish Air Force, Bugsy teams up to assist “Transporter” Greg with his secret “air taxi” service, specialising in spiriting Eastern bloc defectors out from behind the Iron Curtain across the Baltic Sea to Europe.  However, after an extraction goes astray and he kills a Soviet agent, Greg and Bugsy are forced to join the Asran Foreign Legion as a mercenary pilots since there is nowhere else to hide from retribution.  Rough around the edges, Bugsy usually appears alongside Greg and was one of the 9 pilots selected by Saki to fly the Kfirs after the devastating initial attack by the rival mercenary group, the Wolf Pack.  When Bugsy takes shrapnel to the eyes during the assault on the Desert Carrier, he asks Mickey to direct him blindly into a “kamikaze” style crash landing.  Losing Bugsy is hard on Greg and he initially holds Mickey responsible for his friend’s death.

Signature Aircraft: A-4E Skyhawk / Kfir / A-4E Skyhawk

Name: “Iron Hand” CAMPBELL
Nationality: Unknown

Nicknamed “Iron Hand” due to the fact that his right hand is a metal hook and his right foot is a metal prosthesis, Campbell appears early in the series and is one of the pilots dispatched to Area 85, along with Shin and Greg.  Ultimately, his prosthetics lead to his downfall as he is unable to eject after they are become stuck, trapping him in the cockpit during the assault on the Desert Carrier.  After Campbell collides with the carrier and dies, a distraught Greg vows to upgrade his firepower and sets his mind on ordering an A-10 Thunderbolt II from Old Man McCoy.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-4 Skyhawk

Name: “Phoenix” CHARLIE
Nationality: Unknown

Given his (self described) status as a previous “Number 1” pilot at Area 88, the un-killable, “Phoenix” Charlie is assumed to have wracked up enough cash to buy out his contract.  Regardless, one of the few to have made it out alive, Charlie returns to Area 88 after he is recruited by the mobster, Giuseppe Farina, at the behest of Satoru Kanzaki, to kill Shin.  As a pilot of superior skill, Charlie plans for Shin to bear the brunt of an “accident” and die in combat, However, Shin in his damaged Draken proves too much for Charlie in his F-4E Phantom II , and Charlie is the one to finally go meet his maker instead.  Just before his death, Charlie reveals that he was hired to kill Shin by a “Japanese guy.”

Signature Aircraft: F4-E Phantom II / F-16 (OVA version)

Name: JENSEN
Nationality: Unknown

One of the pilots dispatched to Area 85, along with Shin and Greg.  Jensen is hot-tempered and got in a fight with one of the Asran regular army helicopter pilots stationed there.  During the assault on the Desert Carrier, Jensen fell victim to anti-aircraft fire and attempted to ram his failing jet into the carrier to inflict maximum damage, but ultimately fell short.  His death was one of the main catalysts for the frantic nature of the assault by the remaining rage-filled Area 88 pilots.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-4 Skyhawk

Name: MALLORY
Nationality: Unknown

One of the pilots dispatched to Area 85, along with Shin and Greg.  Recognisable by the bags under his eyes.  While at the Area 85 base, Mallory was upset that the base personnel were untrained in the maintenance of jet planes.  Due to the lack of proper maintenance, Greg later reported back that Mallory’s Kfir stalled during landing and crashed, causing his death.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir

Name: RANDY
Nationality: Unknown

One of the original pilots at Area 88, Randy is easily identifiable by his bald head and ever-present sunglasses.  Randy was the pilot who set off the “gold rush” after intercepting a transmission from the Anti-Government Forces and misunderstanding that the “gold” on the transport plane Greg shot down was currency instead of merely the name of a high-ranking military adviser.  One of the better pilots at the base, Randy is among the the pilots that Saki selects to receive the emergency Kfirs. Old Man McCoy mentions that he can identify Randy’s A-4 Skyhawk as it has a retro-fitted fuel pump that makes a distinctive noise on landing.

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-4 Skyhawk

Name: Leroy HENDERSON
Nationality: Unknown

Usually shown wearing a fur cap, Leroy became a Captain alongside Shin, Mickey and Greg during the unit restructuring at the Greek Training Base.  Often seen in the company of his second-in-command, Riley.

Note: Leroy is actually a “Star System” guest appearance by Mosaku from Kaoru Shintani’s manga “Double Nickle.”

Signature Aircraft: A-4 Skyhwak / Kfir

Name: Riley O’CONNELL
Nationality: Unknown

Although shy, Riley can usually be spotted by his long waving hair and sunglasses.   Second-in-Command to Leroy, Riley became a Lieutenant alongside Warren, Ken and Gustaf during the unit restructuring at the Greek Training Base.  Often seen in the company of Leroy.

Note: Riley is actually a “Star System” guest appearance by Shogun from Kaoru Shintani’s manga “Double Nickle.”

Signature Aircraft: Kfir / A-4 Skyhwak

Name: BRICK
Nationality: Unknown

Identifiable by his tiger-stripe patterned flight suit, Brick also has a large scar across his face.  Brick was part of the assault on the Desert Carrier and the one who informed Shin of Jensen‘s death.  During the escape from the Area 88 Mountain Base his plane is struck by several missiles and he was killed.

Signature Aircraft: F-4E

Name: Eenie, Meanie Miney, and Moe
Nationality: Asranian

A set of four beautiful women who act as Saki‘s personal bodyguards and report his activities directly to the King.  They are assigned to Saki by King Zak following his return from medical treatment for his eyes in Switzerland.  Deadly skilled, despite their outwardly demure feminine appearance, they have also served as co-pilots aboard Saki‘s B-1A Lancer during the bombing run to drop “The Big Leg” into the oncoming path of the subterranean Grand Slam missile.  It is unknown what happens to them after the destruction of the Desert Carrier, however it is presumed that they returned to the service of King Zak as Eenie is seen to escort Prince Rishal to his meeting with his uncle.

Signature Aircraft: B-1A Lancer

Name: Satoru KANZAKI (FARINA)
Nationality: Japanese

Satoru Kanzaki grew up in the same orphanage as Shin. Originally playing the role of the supportive big brother, Kanzaki’s lust for power and wealth soon made him jealous of Shin. After tricking Shin into signing enlistment papers to join the Asran Foreign Forces and getting him out of the way, Kanzaki more or less usurped the life Shin was on track for. Quickly rising through the ranks of Yamato Airlines to become the company’s youngest-ever full Captain, Kanzaki’s hunger for power knows no bounds. Brokering a deal with Maxwell International to clandestinely buy up Yamato Airlines stock, Kanzaki succeeds in executing a hostile takeover of the company and installing himself in the president’s chair. He also engages with Mafia Don, Giuseppe Farina, to put out a contract hit on Shin to permanently keep him out of the way. However, when his corner-cutting policies result in a massive plane crash that destroys Yamato Airlines’ reputation and stock (not to mention several hundred lives), Kanzaki puts plans in place, with some assistance from the beautiful Gigliola Etti, to assassinate Farina and usurp his position in the mafia family. Emerging as Farina‘s “adopted son”, Kanzaki quickly puts “Project 4” into action – a plan to create a perpetual state of global warfare that benefits only the arms dealers. Of course that is but one step in Kanzaki’s plan to achieve, quite literally, world domination.

Signature Aircraft: B-474-200 / F-18

Name: Gary “Mack” MACBURN
Nationality: American

A former US Navy pilot and member of the “Blue Angles” demonstration team, Gary Macburn is one of the commanders of the Project 4 forces. Born in the slums of Harlem, New York, Gary dreamed of flying as a means to escape his own socio-economic prison. Joining the Navy as an enlisted man, Gary rose through the ranks on the basis of hard work alone – eventually earning an Officer’s commission and attending flight school. While serving in Vietnam, Macburn became an acquaintance and rival of Mickey “Fireball” Simon and an accomplished pilot in his own right. Following the war, Macburn’s skills earned him a spot in the prestigious Blue Angles and it was during that period that he met and married his beautiful wife, Jennifer. However, the loneliness and anxiety that comes from being the wife of a pilot touring across the country and performing dangerous stunts every day took their toll, turning Jennifer to hard drugs. The damage done to her health was so severe that Jennifer died giving birth to their daughter, Miriam, leaving Gary alone with a sick infant to care for and medical bills piling up. Unable to continue with the nomadic lifestyle of the Blue Angles, Gary is left with little choice but to sign up with Project 4 as a mercenary pilot in order to cover his daughter’s medical expenses. There he is reunited – across the battlefield – with his key rival, Mickey. After Sera’s father dies, Gary becomes the main Project 4 Air Force commander and a large thorn in the side of the Area 88 team.

Signature Aircraft: MiG-21 (updated with Western avionics technology)

Name: Giuseppe FARINA
Nationality: Italian

The head of the Mafia Farina Family, Giuseppe Farina lives in a refurbished medieval castle in Italy.  Confined to a wheelchair, he relies heavily on his personal assistant, the lovely Gigliola Etti.  After he is approached by Kanzaki, Farina arranges for “Phoenix” Charlie to return to Area 88 with a mission to assassinate Shin.  However, this also shifts Farina’s focus to the Asran Civil War – the perfect testing grounds for his newly developed land-based Desert Aircraft Carrier.  Using the carrier and several attack wings of remote-controlled F-18 Hornet fighter jets, Farina become a destabilising force in the region – on neither side of the war.  However, as a weapons merchant, Farina soon establishes contact with the Anti-Government Forces and makes a sales pitch to Prince Rishal Vashtar on behalf of his father.  In the end though, the massive assault by Area 88 proves to be too much for the Desert Carrier to handle, and it is destroyed in an underground explosion of its nuclear reactor.  Amidst the confusion, Kanzaki seizes and opportunity and, with the help of Gigliola, his secret lover, assassinates Farina and usurps his spot as his “adopted son” while covering his tracks by telling the other members of the crime family that Farina had perished in the explosion.  Following Farina’s death, Kanzaki discovers the secret plans for “Project 4” in a Swiss bank vault – a comprehensive plan developed by Farina and Van Veen to create a carefully balanced, but unprecedented level of global instability through continued military conflicts.  A Project which would benefit only the arms merchant industrialists.

Name: Gigliola ETTI
Nationality: Italian

Originally Giuseppe Farina‘s personal assistant, Gigliola (Juliola) Etti is a beautiful and powerful woman, who’s glamorous exterior is as dizzying as her intellect.  She is responsible for attempts on the life of Miss Taeko Yasuda during her investigation into Kanzaki‘s wrongdoings.  However, at some point she becomes infatuated with Satoru Kanzaki and begins a complicated love affair with a man who “is like a devil.”  At Kanzaki‘s behest, she assassinates Farina with a cup of poisoned wine and then helps install him as Farina‘s “adopted son and heir”, while covering up the murder by informing the Family that Farina went “down with the ship” on his Desert Carrier.  She is Kanzaki‘s trusted partner in crime, brokering the discussion with Abdel Vashtar that ultimately sees Kanzaki seize power in Asran through the Project 4 forces.

Note: Sharp-eyed readers may notice that the drawings of Gigliola stand out from the rest of the manga.  That’s because the artwork for Gigliola Etti was entirely handled by Kaoru Shintani’s wife, Kayono Saeki – a successful manga artist in her own right.  For this reason, Gigliola does not appear in the manga story during the period where Ms. Saeki was pregnant and unable to draw.

Name: UNKNOWN (Sera’s father)
Nationality: British (?)

Although he is never mentioned by name, Sera‘s father is a highly skilled pilot and the original battle commander of the Project 4 air force.  Sera‘s father led the initial attack on the Royal Asran Air Force base Area 92, as the Project 4 forces were establishing their beachhead – shooting down 12 planes himself.  His orders to his troops were to wait for the rendez-vous coordinates to be sent to them.  Out of the nearly 30 aircraft, 20 pilots attempted to follow him into battle, while seven pilots, more or less led by Gary Macburn, landed and awaited further orders.  After his daughter is taken captive and held at Area 88, he does a smash landing and takes Maj. Roundel hostage and demands her release.  After hearing how Shin and the others saved Sera by enabling her to escape aboard the T-38 Talon that he passed on the way in, and dying from a bullet wound, he decides to board his plane and fly a safe distance from the base before the small nuclear device aboard detonates.  Although he is killed in the process, his final thoughts are those of a father, caring for his child.

Signature Aircraft: MiG-21 (updated with Western avionics technology)

Name(s): Herbie Jones, Robert Mills, David Hall, George Scott, Michael Kemper, and Paul Brennan

The six pilots to survive (alongside Gary Macburn) the initial incursion in Asran were all trained at Project 4 bases in Alaska (Herbie, Paul, David), Nevada (Gary, Robert), Greenland (Michael) and Ireland (George).  Although they are skilled pilots, David was the first Project 4 member to be killed when he was shot down by Saki during the attack on the Area 88 Mountain Base.  Robert is shot down by Mickey after the desertion ploy failed.  Shin defeats Michael, a former European fencing champion, at his own game in a head-to-head attack.  It is unknown what becomes of Herbie, Paul and George.

Signature Aircraft: MiG-21 (updated with Western avionics technology)

Name(s): VAN VEEN
Nationality: Unknown (Dutch?)

Although his actual nationality is not know, Van Veen is said to be a resident of the UK. He, along with Giuseppe Farina, is the primary architect of Project 4. After Satoru Kanzaki lays out his plans to put Project 4 into action, Van Veen asks him if he is doing it of his own free will and if he can hate all human beings.

Name(s): Rover, Norman (plus Two)
Nationality: American, British, French, German, Canadian

Distinguishable by his bald head and cigar, the steel magnate Rover is one of the leading forces behind the Merchants of Death.  Worried about how much power Kanzaki seems to be amassing, he eventually sends assassins to take care of the issue.  However, the tables are quickly turned and he is killed by an explosive package sent by Kanzaki.  Although the thin man and the man with the sunglasses are never named, the man with the large glasses goes by the name Norman – and he is forbidden to drink alcohol by his doctor.

Name: Lt. Colonel Laurent BOSCH
Nationality: French

Originally a Lieutenant Colonel in the 18th Air Corps of the French l’Armée de l’Air, it is later revealed that Bosch has a long history as a mercenary pilot/soldier in the Mercenary Unit known as  MARK III. Bosch is a ruthless man who, by his own admission, was responsible for the death of his own brother during a MARK III operation. He meets Shin in Paris after his discharge from Area 88 and, seeing in him the kindred soul of a warrior without a war, recruits him into Mark III for an operation in the African nation of Bamballa. Plans change during the operation and Bosch decides to sacrifice Shin and his team by setting them up to take the fall for an assassination of President Nadat and his family during the military coupe. When Shin doesn’t fall for the trap, Bosch takes on the task of tracking down and killing the team himself.  An expert in guerilla tactics, Bosch is able to take down Map, Slash, the President and his wife before Shin is able to stop him by stabbing him in the chest before Error finishes him off with a shot from the sniper rifle.  With his dying breath, Bosch regrets not being able to die in the sky, to which Shin responds “you don’t deserve it.”

Signature Aircraft: Jaguar (French Air Force)

CODE Name: NIPPLE

A large middle-aged bald man with a moustache. His codename, Nipple (meaning “detonator”), is based on his skill in explosives and munitions.  The oldest of the Mark III mercenary team, Nipple spent 15 years in prison after blowing up his cheating wife and her lover in his Rolls-Royce. During the Having a past that he was put in prison for 15 years by blowing off a cheating wife and his opponent’s yakuza together with Rolls-Royce. He is assigned to keep the king’s son, Lode, safe. After developing an attachment to the boy, he sacrifices himself by jumping on a live grenade during the escape from Bamballa.

Signature Skill: Munitions Expert

CODE Name: MAP

A former rally car driver and the winner of the Monte Carlo Rally, Map gets his codename from his uncanny ability to read a map at a glance and navigate 50 kilometres over the topographical features via the shortest route. During the Bamballa mission, Shin assigns Map to plan their various escape routes – including back-up routes, providing appropriate land/air transportation and logistics, and securing vital supplies, such as water. During the escape, he is killed by Bosch with a stab wound through the heart.

Signature Skill: Navigation and Logistics

CODE Name: SLASH

As his codename suggests, Slash is a mast of the blade. Equally skilled at throwing knives as he is in identifying and striking at the multiple vital areas of the human body.  During the Bamballa mission, Slash and Shin team up to guard President Nadat. However, live by the blade, die by the blade. During the escape, Slash is killed by Bosch in a demonstration of a superior throwing knife technique and his body is boobytrapped with a grenade.

Signature Skill: Knife strikes

CODE Name: ERROR

Error’s codename is the result of him owning the shame his father held for him. With such feminine features, despite being a man, his father was embarrassed by the site of him and maintained that he was a mistake from birth. However, Error’s skill as a sniper and a sharp-shooter are unparalleled. He his able to shoot a target with a 3 cm diameter at a 100 yards… at night. Despite his reluctance, Shin makes use of Error’s feminine appearance and assigns him to guard President Nadat‘s wife and daughter. Mistakenly believing they are in the company of a woman, the pair take Error on a shopping trip for lady’ undergarments. Comfortable in his (her) company, Lydia begins to develop confusing feelings for Error. During the escape from Bamballa, Error takes a direct hand in Lydia‘s safety. The pair both survive the ordeal and develop a romantic relationship afterwards.

Signature Skill: Sniper/Marksman

Name: Colonel “Papa Wolf” KILVICK
Nationality: Unknown

Also known by his call-sign, “Papa Wolf”, Kilvick has a large moustache, with long, dark hair, circling a prominent bald spot. As the leader of the mercenary unit “Wolf Pack”, he and his crew are hired by the Anti-Government Forces to mount a sneak attack on AREA 88. Caught completely unaware, the base suffered an 80% damage rate during the attack, and is basically left without any tactical fighter aircraft.  Although Mickey mentions that he’s seen their signature tactic, known as the “Bloody Screw” before in Vietnam, it is uncertain wether or not they participated in that conflict. Despite their early victory, Saki leads a force using Kfirs on loan from the Israeli government and destroys the pack – even though Kilvic’s survival is unclear.

Signature Aircraft: MiG-27 Flogger

Name: The A.G.F. Pilots
Nationality: Asranian

Using the Vertical TakeOff and Landing (VTOL) features of the Soviet bloc Yak-38, a squadron of A.G.F. pilots are able to set up a secret “airbase” under the cover of the forest, right under the nose of Area 88’s mountain base. With a special set of sensors on the nose/wings, the Yak-38s are able to use a “Lark’s Nest” strategy – by landing vertically under the forest canopy some distance away and the flying at low altitude through the trees, they are able to keep the location of their “nest” hidden from the Area 88 forces. After Kim tracks the Yak-38s and then has his Harrier outfitted with a captured sensor array, he is able to locate the hidden base and bring in a larger airstrike to destroy it.

Signature Aircraft: Yak-38

Name: The Escape Killers
Nationality: Unknown (African)

Three black African mercenary pilots with a reputation for chasing down and executing deserters.  Sent to AREA 88 by the Asranian commanders to monitor the situation, Shin runs afoul of them during a moment of weakness. However, before Shin goes through with his plan to desert, a large gathering of his fellow pilots band together to oppose the trio they see as coming from “internal affairs”.  Despite their reputation, they do not demonstrate their combat skills, and are instead given a large airborne escort off the base.  It is note that the BAC Lightnings that they fly are quite old and out of date.

Signature Aircraft: BAC Lightning

Name: Ali
Nationality: Asranian

Ali was a helicopter pilot at the Asranian air base Area 85. When his childhood friend Kassei is killed in a helicopter crashes, Captain Hassam tells him he was a brave man who died protecting his country. During the final assault on the Asran capital, Ali remembers his time at Area 85, the sacrifice of his friend, and the impassioned speech made by Greg who tells the Asranian soldiers not to be as careless with their lives as the mercenaries, because they are the ones who will have to rebuild the country after the war. Those words stick with Ali, and he is one who starts a rebellion by the normal Asran forces against Project 4 – stating that Asranians should be the ones fighting for Asran, not taking orders from foreigners to fight against the foreign mercenaries who are trying to liberate their country.

Signature Aircraft: UH-1 “Iroquois”

Name: The Aircraft Carrier Captain
Nationality: American

Although his real name is unknown, the Captain of the Area 88 Aircraft carrier is a career U.S. Navy officer, used to command. Easily identified by this trademark chin beard and corn-cob pipe, he speaks with an accent. Supporting Saki with precise command, after the civil war concludes, the Captain (and much of the crew) elect to stay in Asran and join the Asran navy full-time.

Name: Zak VASHTAR
Nationality: Asranian

The rightful king of Asran. Worried that his first son and heir apparent Abdel’s modern and reformist thinking will bring in foreign capital and destroy the Kingdom of Asran, the late King Vashtar appoints his second son Zak as his successor on his deathbed. This rift in the line of succession causes a civil war to break out – pitting brother against brother. Unmarried and childless, Zak considers Saki to be the son he never had and defacto heir – which also causes a rift between Saki and his father and brother, Rishal.  After Project 4 successfully invades Asran, Zak’s regime is toppled and he is forced to flee to France in political exile.  However, once Project 4 is finally smashed during the final battle, Zak returns to form the new Republic of Asran, becoming the first Prime Minister in order to help guide the reconstruction efforts.

Name: Abdel VASHTAR
Nationality: Asranian

Passed over by his dying father in favour of his more conservative younger brother, Abdel Vashtar kicks off the Asran Civil war by becoming the head of the Anti-Government Forces.  Although he is joined by his younger son, Rishal, this drives a wedge between him and his eldest son, Saki – who remains loyal to King Zak. A reformer with modernist thinking, Abel wants to transform Asran into an economic powerhouse by injecting foreign capital into his oil-rich country – partly driven by a desire to see technology save his dying wife, the Princess Soria. Unable to stop the rare form of blood cancer that is killing her, he has the princess entombed in a cryogenic chamber, housed inside a temperature-controlled mausoleum in order to wait for technological advancements to find a cure.  After the civil war broke out, Abel was exiled to Sweden, but returned to establish a new regime after the capital was secured by the Project 4 forces. Unfortunately, driven to despair by the apparent destruction of Soria’s tomb by Zak loyalists, Abdel turns to drugs and becomes nothing more than a puppet ruler, with Kanzaki pulling the strings.

Name: Rishal VASHTAR
Nationality: Asranian

Abdel Vashtar‘s second son and Saki‘s younger brother. Rishal Vashtar’s appearance takes after his mother, Princess Soria – with long blond hair and deep, dark, pupils.  A gentle idealist, with the stated goal of creating a new, democratic Asran, at the outbreak of war, Rishal, sides with his father and the Anti-Government Forces. Betraying Saki‘s trust, Rishal leads the A.G.F. attack that wipes out the company under Saki‘s command – which causes Saki to carve an “X” into his forehead as a mark of his shame.  Sent by his father to assess the capabilities of Giuseppe Farina‘s Desert Carrier, Rishal becomes alarmed by the sheer destructive power and attempts to sabotage the launch of the Grand Slam underground missile.  Shot and left for dead as a traitor, Rishal is discovered by accident by McCoy and transferred to Area 88 for medical treatment.  There, he warns his brother about the impending attack on the base.  After the battle, King Zak has Rishal moved to a hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland to aid his recovery.  There he is approached by Gigliola Etti and eventually reunited with his father, Abdel, in Sweden.

Name: Soria VASHTAR
Nationality: Greek/Asranian

Soria Vashtar is Abdel‘s wife and mother to both Saki and Rishal.  Originally from Greece, her ancestors are said to have descended from the Russian royal family.  A beautiful woman, with a pure heart, she is loved by all, but none more so than her husband, Abdel.  After giving birth to Rishal, Soria fell ill with an incurable form of blood cancer and her body was put into stasis in a cryogenic chamber built into a high-tech mausoleum.  Her presence in the Asranian captial kept Abdel from attacking during the Civil War.  However, after the Project 4 forces take control of the city, Kanzaki orders Gigliola to burn down the mausoleum as a way to cut Abdel‘s ties to the past – thereby making him much easier to control as a puppet ruler.  Unknown to Kanzaki, however, Gigliola is moved by the love story and instead has her cryogenic chamber transported to Switzerland in secret. There Soria is revived, but having lost her memory, takes on a new life as Gigliola‘s “sister.”

Name: Ryoko TSUGUMO
Nationality: Japanese

The daughter of Zenzou Tsugumo, young Ryoko fell in love at first sight with Shin Kazama when she met him at Chofu Airport during a trip to Oshima Island in her father’s personal air plane. Steadfast and loyal to Shin, despite his sudden and unexplained disappearance, Ryoko never lost hope. Ryoko also has a heart of gold, forming a very close bond with her father’s former chief secretary, Taeko Yasuda, and adopting “on the spot” a young orphan at the airport named Josephine Citron. She is also a shrewd businesswoman. Initially an executive with her father’s airline, she and Miss Yasuda later form both an exciting fashion clothing business in Paris. Although she does have a moment of weakness, and attempts suicide after receiving a sudden phone call from Shin as he was preparing to leave Paris with the Mark III mercenary unit, her steadfast resolve is quickly restored. Reunited, and then separated again with Shin in Japan, Ryoko shows how much she had grown. Instead of breaking down again, she vows to support Shin from the “Women’s Battle” and forms an economic group with a global presence, dedicated to exerting economic pressure on Project 4’s financial backers.

Name: Taeko YASUDA
Nationality: Japanese

Originally Yamato Airlines President Zenzou Tsugumo‘s chief secretary, Taeko Yasuda is a force to be reckoned with. Wise beyond her 28 years of age, Taeko is the one for first begins to suspect that Satoru Kanzaki is up to something nefarious. Although she is unable to stop it in time, after Kanzaki becomes president of Yamato Airlines, she resigns and begins a research campaign with the goal of bringing him down. Fiercely loyal to Ryoko, Taeko slowly sheds her role as a “chaperone” for the young Ryoko and becomes her staunchest ally – supporting her in her search for Shin, her adoption of Josephine, helping her to become a force in the Paris fashion circle, and then literally saving her life during Ryoko‘s suicide attempt. Despite a desire to get married, she is taken aback by Matsunosuke Sawa‘s sudden proposal in Switzerland and gives him a nice hard slap for his troubles. Despite being initially targeted for assassination by Gigliola, after she leaves Kanzaki behind, her first instinct is to reach out to the amazing Miss Yasuda for help. Despite their earlier trouble, Miss Yasuda and Gigliola Etti become friends, and Taeko helps Gigliola through both her pregnancy with Kanzaki‘s child, and the resuscitation of Soria from her cryogenic chamber.

Name: Josephine TSUGUMO (nee CITRON)
Nationality: French/Japanese

Known as “Josie”, she first appears as a 10-year-old orphan at the New Tokyo Airport. When Ryoko hears the story of how the dual-national, born to a French father and a Japanese mother – a union unpopular with either family – was being returned to France to face a future in an orphanage, she adopts Josie on the spot. Eventually formalized, Josie changes her name from Citron to Tsugumo, and becomes Ryoko‘s defacto younger sister. Good at lip-reading because of her hard-of-hearing mother, Josie is the one that tells Ryoko and Miss Yasuda that the unknown pilot flying alongside their airplane is mouthing the name “Ryoko” – which leads Ryoko to believe its Shin. The skill also comes in handy later when she foils an assassination attempt on Saki‘s life by “over hearing” the plans to kill him when he was in a hospital in Europe for an eye operation. Attending a private school, Josie is by Ryoko‘s bedside after her suicide attempt, and becomes very protective of her “older sister” – to the point of getting a little drunk and admonishing Shin to forget his life on the battlefield and concentrate on the life he has ahead of him with Ryoko.

Name: Zenzou TSUGUMO
Nationality: Japanese

Ryoko‘s father. Originally the president of Yamato Airlines until Kanzaki stages a hostile takeover and ousts him. During his recovery from a nervous breakdown, he happens to be admitted to the same hospital as Saki in Europe – which proves to be quite lucky as Sawa is able to borrow a sword from Zenzou’s collection and defend Saki during the assassination attempt. A former Kamikaze pilot during World War II, Zenzou’s bomb failed to explode and he survived the attack. Nursed back to health by a U.S. Navy chaplain, Zenzou realizes that he needs to do something with his life that was spared for a reason. After Shin re-purchases Yamato Airlines, Zenzou reluctantly agrees to once again become President. Although he tried to avoid the responsibility, preferring that Shin take on the role himself, once it’s clear that Shin means to return to the battlefield, he agrees to a temporary caretaker role. As a former military pilot himself, Zenzou understands all too well the demons that haunt Shin, but fundamentally he is a father who is looking out for his beloved daughter.

Name: Matsunosuke SAWA
Nationality: Japanese

An employee of the Yamato Airs Swiss Office. 26 years old, and easily recognizable by his bald head and sunglasses, Matsunosuke Sawa is a man of much passion – falling head over heels in love with Taeko Yasuda at their first meeting – despite being two years younger than her. He is also a master swordsman. After borrowing a sword from Zenzou Tsugumo‘s hospital room collection, Sawa single-handedly foils the assassination attempt on Saki‘s life during his stay at the Swiss hospital after recovering from his eye operation. Deeply impressed by his skills, Saki asks Sawa to take a short leave of absence from Yamato Airlines, to act as his personal bodyguard during his stay in Europe. Sawa agrees and accompanies Saki to his visits with Madame Vincent and to professor McGuyver, where Saki begins to understand the threat from Farina‘s mafia-backed troops.

Name: NAMIKAWA
Nationality: Japanese

A Captain at Yamato Airways. Namikawa opposed to Kanzaki‘s quick promotion to the rank of Captain and decides to put him to the test during is final flight as co-pilot.  Despite his misgivings, Namikawa promises to accept Kanzaki as an equal if he can successfully fly the B747-200 for the entire flight from Paris to Tokyo, without the use of the automatic pilot. The test almost ends in disaster as Kanzaki pilots the B747-200 into a thick bank of clouds over the Mediterranean and narrowly avoids a collision with Shin’s F-5E Tiger II during its inaugural test flight. Unbeknownst to Kanzaki, it is only through Shin‘s quick thinking and piloting skill that a tragedy is averted. However, the near-miss leaves Kanzaki shaken and ashamed.

Name: Hideto KAZAMA
Nationality: Japanese

A former Prime Minister of Japan. Hideto Kamaza was Satoru Kanzaki‘s father, and Shin Kazama‘s father-of-record on the Kazama family registry.  Born as the youngest child of poor farmers in Saitama during the Taisho era, he ran away and was somehow later adopted by a military office in Tokyo. Hideto graduated from the Army Nakano School and, during WWII, served as a military intelligence officer.  After the war, he disappeared for a while, but then emerged in political circles following Sato Eisaku’s shipbuilding fraud scandal.  After divorcing his unnamed first wife, Hideto married Satoru’s (unnamed) mother. However after the wedding, their relationship became cold and distant.  However, when the opportunity for a political union with the family of his chief rival, Kaionji Hachibei presented itself, Hideto divorce Satoru’s mother and married Kaionji‘s daughter, Shoko. Although not Shin‘s true father, Hideto agreed to become the father-of-registry for Shoko‘s baby – conceived out of wedlock with an unnamed Russia/Japanese lover.  Although this union provided Hideto with the political capital to become Prime Minister, he and Shoko are later killed by Satoru’s mother shortly before she committed suicide.

Name: Ms. KANZAKI (Satoru’s Mother)
Nationality: Japanese

Satoru Kanzaki‘s unnamed mother and ex-wife of Hideto Kazama. Satoru’s mother came from a well-to-do family and married rising political star, Hideto Kazama. However, after the wedding, the relationship became cold and distant. Later, Hideto decided to diver her and begin a political marriage of convenience with Shoko Hachibei, the pregnant but unwed daughter of his chief political rival, Kaionji Hachibei. After the divorce, she returned to her maiden name, Kanzaki. Although she tried to abduct and kill Shoko‘s newborn baby, Shin – even going so far as to wrap her stocking around his neck – she found she couldn’t do it, and left the baby at an orphanage instead. Distraught by anger and grief, Ms. Kanzaki eventually confronts Hideto and Shoko Kazama at their villa in Izu and then pushes them both off a cliff to their deaths using her car. With her revenge complete, Ms. Kanzaki then drives herself and her young son, Satoru off the same cliff in an attempted suicide. Although his mother dies in the attempt, young Satoru survives – albeit scared deeply be the whole event. Ironically, now an orphan, he is placed in the same orphanage that his mother abandoned Shin to several years earlier.

Name: Shozo KAZAMA (nee HACHIBEI)
Nationality: Japanese

Shin Kazama‘s mother. She is the daughter of Kaionji Hachibei and Hideto Kazama‘s third wife. After a relationship with an unnamed Japanese/Russian man, Shoko becomes pregnant. Seeking a solution to his daughter’s problem, Kaionji brokers a deal with his chief political rival, Hideto Kazama. If Kazama agrees to become the father-of-register for Shoko’s baby – thereby keeping her unwed pregnancy secret and avoiding a huge scandal, Kaionji will give up his aspirations to become Prime Minister and instead throw his support behind Kazama. Although the wedding goes through, Kazama’s ex-wife, and Satoru Kanzaki’s mother, cannot take the rejection and abducts the young baby Shin with the intent to murder him. Although Shin is instead sent to an orphanage, the disappearance and presumed death of her baby has a severe pyschological impact on the young lady. This is soon followed by a weakening of her physical condition. After several years of enduring this hardship, while resting at a villa in Izu, Shoko and her husband are murdered by Ms. Kanzaki when she runs down the pair with her car and forces them off a cliff and into the sea.

Name: Kaionji HACHIBEI
Nationality: Japanese

Despite his demeanour as a “kindly old grandpa”, Kaionji Hachibei is one of pillars of Japanese political and economic affairs. As the father of Shoko, Kaionji is also Shin Kazama‘s grandfather. Although he was an up-and-coming political star, tapped by many to one day become Prime Minister of Japan, Shoko‘s unwed pregnancy threatened to scuttle all his carefully laid plans in a scandal. As such, Kaionji brokers a deal with his chief political rival, Hideto Kazama. If Kazama agrees to become the father-of-register for Shoko’s baby – thereby keeping her unwed pregnancy secret and avoiding a huge scandal, Kaionji will give up his aspirations to become Prime Minister and instead throw his support behind Kazama. Ironically, Kaionji is one of the first people to meet Shin – at the airport – upon his return to Japan. Ignorant of their family connection, Kaionji takes a liking to the strange young man, but after his research shows Shin‘s true economic might, and his brewing battle with the powerful global economic backers of Project 4, Kaionji makes a cool and calculated move to remove Shin from Japan and thus insulate Japan from any of the economic risk suffered by potential collateral damage. Despite this, once Shin‘s parentage is uncovered, Kaionji uses his considerable power and influence to aid Ryoko and his granddaughter Misuzu‘s efforts to weaken Project 4 in the boardroom, if not the battlefield.

Name: Misuzu HACHIBEI
Nationality: Japanese

Kaionji Hachibei‘s granddaughter. When she is first introduced to Shin by her grandfather, she is attracted to him, however, after she witnesses the dramatic reunion between Shin and Ryoko at her Grandfather’s villa, she puts her interest in Shin aside. However, even after his family connection is revealed, she thinks of Shin more as a brother than a cousin. After Shin is forced to leave Japan by her grandfather, Misuzu convinces him to support Ryoko‘s efforts to put economic pressure on the Project 4 backers.

Name: FUJIDO
Nationality: Japanese

Fujido is an agent of the Cabinet Research Office – the Japanese version of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Fujido is loyal to Kaionji Hachibei and supports him in his activities – including the removal of Shin from Japan. Later, at Hachibei‘s request, he resigns his government job (and pension) and joins the freedom fighters in Asran attempting to regain control of their country away from Project 4.  Throwing himself a little too far in the role, he proclaims Glory for Allah, despite being raised in the Shinto religion in Japan.

Name: Major TZUKASA
Nationality: Japanese

A Major in the Ground Self Defense Forces Second Division – the Japanese equivalent of the Army. Tsukasa is loyal to Kaionji Hachibei and supports him in his activities – including the removal of Shin from Japan. Later, at Hachibei‘s request, he resigns his commission and joins the freedom fighters in Asran attempting to regain control of their country away from Project 4.

Name: Mr. & Mrs. SIMON
Nationality: American

The president of a large American company. After Mickey returns home from Vietnam, his father has high hopes for his eldest son to settle down with Tracy and take over the family business like his brother, Fred.


Name: Fred & Marge SIMON
Nationality: American
Mickey‘s younger brother Fred works as an executive in his father’s company.  When Mickey returned home from Vietnam, he was pleasantly surprised to hear that Fred and his wife Marge were expecting and hoping for a son.

Name: Tracy
Nationality: American
An old flame of Mickey‘s who had been waiting for him to return from Vietnam.  However, after Mickey left her behind to return to the battlefield, she finally moved on with her life and got married to someone else.  During the Area 88 restructuring in Greece, Mickey runs in to Tracy at the Acropolis while she is on her honeymoon. From her reaction, despite moving on, it’s clear she’s never stopped loving Mickey.

Name: Barulaum NADAT
Nationality: Bamballanese

The leader of the independence movement, Barulaum Nadat is the first president of Bamballa after its independence. Married to Lyla, he is the father to two children, daughter Lydia and son Lode. As President, he is the only one who knows the secret locations of Bamballa’s diamond and uranium mines.  During the staged coup, Shin and the Mark III forces are assigned to protect the President and his family. However, after Bosch betrays them, the President and his family flee with the Mark III team to neighbouring Runga (Kim‘s home nation). When he is killed during the escape, he gives Shin a Swiss Bank account card worth $80 billion.

Name: Lyla NADAT
Nationality: Bamballanese

A former leader of the independence movement, Lyla Nadat is the First Lady of Bamballa. Married to Barulaum, she is the mother to two children, daughter Lydia and son Lode. She enjoys shopping at the local department store. During the staged coup, Lyla flees with the Mark III team and the rest of her family to neighbouring Runga (Kim‘s home nation), however, she is killed by Bosch during the escape.

Name: Lydia NADAT
Nationality: Bamballanese

The daughter of President Barulaum Nadat of Bamballa, and his wife, Lyla. Lydia enjoys shopping with her mother, but wishes that the local department store would carry more foreign goods – like it was before Bamballa’s independence. On occasion she enjoys bathing in the river first thing in the morning. During the staged coup, Lydia and her family flee with the Mark III team to neighbouring Runga (Kim‘s home nation). However, despite not knowing he’s a man, Lydia begins to develop strong feelings for her assigned bodyguard, Error. One of the few survivors (along with her brother) of Bosch‘s assassination attempt, she travels to Switzerland with Shin and verifies that her father has handed over his Swiss Bank account card worth $80 billion. Deciding that the love she’s found with Error is enough, Lydia relinquishes her claim on the bank account – preferring to live a normal life.

Name: Lode NADAT
Nationality: Bamballanese

The son of President Barulaum Nadat of Bamballa, and his wife, Lyla. Lode is a talented young tennis player. As the son of the president, he is acutely aware that he could be the target of scandal, and acts accordingly. He develops a close bond with his assigned bodyguard, Nipple, and even confides in him that he is unsure wether or not independence was truly the right move for his young country. During the staged coup, Lode and her family flee with the Mark III team to neighbouring Runga (Kim‘s home nation). Although he comes under attack from Bosch, Nipple sacrifices himself by throwing himself on a grenade to save Lode. One of the few survivors (along with his sister) of the ordeal, he travels to Switzerland with Lydia and Shin and verifies that his father has handed over his Swiss Bank account card worth $80 billion.

Name: Go “Rocky” MUTSUKI
Nationality: Japanese

Photographer for the NP news service, based in London.  Rocky arrives at Area 88 with the intention to take some battlefield photos. One of his published photos confirms to both Ryoko and Kanzaki that Shin is alive – setting Ryoko off on a mission to find him, and Kanzaki on one to kill him.  After a helicopter carrying Rocky is shot down, he spends some time in the Asranian desert with a group of nomads.  Although he falls in love with the headman’s daughter, the war soon catches up to him and she is gunned down and killed by an A.G.F. forces tank. In a rage of fury, Rocky grabs a nearby jeep and enters into a game of “chicken” with the tank. Even though it seems likely that he died in the encounter, his still-working camera is later discovered, giving a hint as to his survival.  Later, after having returned to Japan it is revealed that Rocky, despite having lost an eye and one hand, is still alive. Now working for the Honichi Times newspaper, Rocky is on hand to document the crash of Yamato Airlines Flight 31.  Luckily, while covering the crash site from a helicopter, he is in the right place and right time to save Taeko Yasuda from drowning after Kanzaki and Gigliola orchestrate an attempt on her life to look like a simple car crash.

Note: A character named “Rocky” appears in several of Kaoru Shintani’s works – almost like a Osamu Tezuka style “Star System.”

Name: Shoichiro ITO
Nationality: Japanese

During the restructuring in Greece, Ito join as a new foreign recruit. Believing he was going to have a relatively safe job as a border security guard, he is shocked to learn that he’s expected to go to the front and fight to the death. He tries to escape and is sentenced to death by firing squad as a deserter. Shocked to hear of another Japanese member of the foreign forces, Shin confronts Ito just before his execution – struggling to understand why he would desert and forefit his life. However, he is even more shocked to learn that Ito prefers death to becoming a murderer. This is a sharp contrast to Shin, who has become the killer he felt he had to be in order to survive his ordeal at all costs. This makes Shin begin to question his decisions – and wonder if the blood on his hands can ever really be washed away.

Name: CAROLINE
Nationality: Emrodian

After her father, the Prince of Emroad suffers a heart attack, Shin and Mickey must rescue the young lady Caroline aboard her learjet – guiding her safely through enemy controlled territory. To thank her “shining knights”, Caroline – an honest to goodness Princess – offers to grant both Shin and Mickey a Knighthood. However, they decline, saying that Demons in camouflage are not fit to be knights.

Note: Caroline only appears in the Area 88 “extra” story – originally published as a one-off in Elementary School 6th Grade, March 1980 issue.

Name: Graham CARSON
Nationality: British

A Captain with MacGregor Airlines and an old school friend of Saki‘s. Graham Carson is happy to discover Saki‘s name one the passenger manifest on a flight from Paris to Tel Aviv. However things escalate quickly when he is informed that there is a bomb underneath his plane as part of a plot to assassinate Saki. As Carson keeps the DC-10 level and steady, Shin and Mickey are able to destroy the bombs at the wing roots by flying their Kfirs inverted and using single shots from their machine guns. After the danger has passed, Carson asks Saki how he can repay him for saving all their lives, to which Saki replies “Can you kill? I need pilots that can kill.”

Name: Madame VINCENT
Nationality: British

The official jeweller to the Asranian royal family, Madame Vincent is surprisingly well-connected across the spectrum of industry and a wealth of information in regards to global trends. A friend and ally of Saki, Madame Vincent presents him with a gift of the large gemstone known as the “Soul of the Warrior” – which Saki later passes on to Shin.

Note: Madame Vincent is a guest star from the series “Diamond Chaser Velvet” by Shintani’s wife, manga artist Kayono Saeki.

Name: Velvet VINCENT
Nationality: British

A young girl around 10 years old, she keeps two leopards named “Light” and “Shadow” as pets. Evidence suggests she has known Saki from a very young age, and she says she is looking forward to playing chess with him again.

Note: Velvet is a guest star from the series “Diamond Chaser Velvet” by Shintani’s wife, manga artist Kayono Saeki.