History Characters / FranBow

'''WARNING:''' Unmarked spoilers ahead. It's strongly suggested you finish the game before reading any further.

* BigBad: From the moment the player starts the game they learn how Remor killed her parents and is actively trying to hunt down Fran. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Maybe.]]

* GreaterScopeVillain: Is stated to be working with Remor.

* MadArtist: Downplayed, as her crayon drawings are part of her therapy and are even confirmed to have helped Dr. Deern connect with her. Still, Adelaida draws to the point of excess and it's implied the only way to get her to stop drawing and go to sleep is to tie her down.

* SelfHarm: Not intentionally. Adelaida is obsessed with drawing, so the nurses have to tie her up to stop her from doing it. This leads to her fighting against the ropes and cutting her wrists in the process. She asks Fran to help find her something to stop the "red milk" from flowing, in exchange for a green crayon.

* DeadToBeginWith: Dr. Deern keeps telling Fran that Mr. Midnight is dead. When they dig up Fran's parents' graves, they even find a cat's skeleton in the third coffin. Given how...''weird'' the metaphysics of the plot gets, it can be Mr. Midnight, an alternate Mr. Midnight, a hallucination, or not him at all.

* FriendlySkeleton: A tall skeleton and one of the kindest and most helpful characters in the game.

* BackFromTheDead: In their backstory, they died shortly after having been sewn together, either from complications from an untried medical experiment, or accidentally killing one another while trying to kill Itward (whom they blamed for their predicament), or possibly both. Itward returned them to life to [[LastSecondChance give them a second chance]] to make peace with each other]], but they didn't seem to get the memo and are plotting revenge. It's likely that the two skeletons behind their mirror and the two ghosts wandering their home are theirs.

* BigDamnHeroes: Itward saves Fran from Aunt Grace and Doctor Oswald alongside Palontras. He also [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipes Dr. Deern's memory in order to keep him safe from [[BigBad Remor's]] influence.

* BigDamnHeroes: Itward saves Fran from Aunt Grace and Doctor Oswald alongside Palontras. He also [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipes Dr. Deern's memory in order to keep him safe from [[BigBad Remor's]] influence.]]

!Ithersta

* BadassAdorable: Fran is a pretty sweet and rather cute girl, and she goes through hell all through her journey, but continues onward through everything she faces [[spoiler: assuming any of it is real]].

* HeroicBSOD: Has a short, but pretty intense case of it [[spoiler: in Ithersta when, after being tormented with several visions including those of her killing her beloved cat, she breaks down crying and tells King Ziar that she's crazy. Thankfully, he helps her calm down pretty quickly]].

* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Remor shows Fran a vision of her killing her parents. Whether it's true or just him trying to manipulate her is debatable. Some players also believe that Remor possessed Fran to kill her parents, and so she's not really the murderer, but the vision itself is correct.]]

* DeadToBeginWith: [[spoiler:Dr. Deern keeps telling Fran that Mr. Midnight is dead. When they dig up Fran's parents' graves, they even find a cat's skeleton in the third coffin.]] Given how...''weird'' the metaphysics of the plot gets, it can be Mr. Midnight, an alternate Mr. Midnight, a hallucination, or not him at all.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Itward saves Fran from Aunt Grace and Doctor Oswald alongside Palontras. He also [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipes Dr. Deern's memory]] in order to keep him safe from [[BigBad Remor's]] influence.]]

** After Fran escapes from the asylum, [[spoiler:he's the only one bothering to look for her.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: While Remor is the main antagonist, [[spoiler:he never does anything to kill Fran. He seems more focused on getting her to the Fifth Reality than on killing her.]]
* TheAntichrist: [[spoiler:If being the child of Mother Mabuka says anything towards that.]]
* BigBad: From the moment the player starts the game they learn how Remor killed her parents and is actively trying to hunt down Fran. [[spoiler: [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Maybe.]]]]

* GodOfEvil: Seems to play this trope straight [[spoiler: until Mother Mabuka is added to the equation]].
* HeroesActVillainsHinder: His role throughout most of the game. [[spoiler: Especially compared to Dr. Oswald.]]

Clara and Mia Buhalmet are a pair of ConjoinedTwins, and are also witches with a deep grudge against Itward. They coerce Fran into helping them by holding Mr. Midnight hostage. They had also [[spoiler: been inmates in the Oswald Asylum as well, and were victims of Dr. Oswald's experimentation on twins]].

* BackFromTheDead: In their backstory, [[spoiler: they died shortly after having been sewn together, either from complications from an untried medical experiment, or accidentally killing one another while trying to kill Itward (whom they blamed for their predicament), or possibly both. Itward returned them to life to [[LastSecondChance give them a second chance]] to make peace with each other]], but they didn't seem to get the memo and are plotting revenge. It's likely that [[spoiler: the two skeletons behind their mirror and the two ghosts wandering their home are theirs]].
* ConjoinedTwins: Joined along the torso to make them a two-headed person. [[spoiler: They were born independent of each other, they were sewn together as [[MedicalHorror an experiment by Dr. Oswald]] to see what would happen, in his ongoing experimentation with twins]].

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Fran switches out the spell they gave her with one to "purify" them, which left them as ash and a pair of swiftly evicted spirits]]. Fran was horrified at what had happened, but doesn't waste time mourning them.

* TricksterTwins: They aspire to kill Itward, and have let at least one other girl be killed in their pursuit, and are willing to expend Fran in the same way if she messes up the spell they give her, but they don't tell her that. [[spoiler: They also mutually hate each other, and have mutually agreed that one or the other will probably be killed in getting their body back]].

* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler: Dr. Oswald shoots and almost kills Fran with a revolver when she starts strangling Aunt Grace. He also performed experiments on children, including the conjoined twins Clara and Mia.]]

* ImaginaryFriend: If he actually is dead, then the Mr. Midnight encountered may just be a delusion.
** Another option is that he is [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve a manifestation of Fran's memories of him and wish that he were alive, as the Ultrareality seems to respond to emotion at times.]]

* DemBones: He is a skeleton, after all.

* SelfHarm: Not intentionally. Adelaida is obsessed with drawing, so the nurses have to tie her up to stop her from doing it. This leads to her fighting against the ropes and cutting her wrists in the process. She ask Fran to help find her something to stop the "red milk" from flowing, in exchange for a green crayon.

* PetTheDog: When Fran faints from trying a dosage of Duotine, he immediately tells the nurse to never let Fran take them again.

* {{Expy}}: He has a lot of similarities with [[Film/TheSixthSense Cole Sear]] as a pale, slightly creepy brown-haired boy who claism to see supernatural things.

* AndIMustScream: When under the influence of Duotine, Fran sees her as a doll with a stitched-up mouth.

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: She's heavily implied to have [=ADHD=], always walking aimlessly through the halls and seemingly unable to sit still for more than a few seconds. Fran can get sleeping pills form her, which are most likely given to her to treat her symptoms.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: A pale blonde who is nothing but kind to Fran. Notably, she's the only inmate as Oswald who will give Fran an item without demanding anything in turn. Fran even says that she'll miss Annie once she leaves.

[[folder:Dr. Deern]]
[[quoteright:176:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_oov9u6orrg1w4nv5wo1_1280.png]]

Dr. Deern is Fran Bow's doctor at the Oswald Asylum.
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: When Fran is switching back and forth from the other realities, he reveals that he had an [[AbusiveParent abusive father]]. He had tried telling his mother, but apparently, his father started abusing her as well.
* PetTheDog: When Fran faints from trying a dosage of Duotine, he immediately tells the nurse to never let Fran take them again.
** After Fran escapes from the asylum, [[spoiler:he's the only one bothering to look for her.]]

!Ithersta

[[folder:Mother Mabuka]]
[[quoteright:168:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2016_04_11_at_91621_am.png]]

Mother Mabuka, widely feared ruler of the Fifth Realm, is "the end of light," a being of darkness representing and subsisting on anguish and despair.
-----
* EmotionEater: Misery in her case.
* GodOfEvil: She's one by virtue of representing anguish and despair. She's a lot less aggressive than Remor, however.
* TearsOfBlood: Has them on her mask.

!Antagonists

[[folder:Remor]]
[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/remor.png]]

Remor is the BigBad of the game, (possibly) a giant Kamala and the one suspected of killing Fran's parents.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: While Remor is the main antagonist, [[spoiler:he never does anything to kill Fran. He seems more focused on getting her to the Fifth Reality than on killing her.]]
* TheAntichrist: [[spoiler:If being the child of Mother Mabuka says anything towards that.]]
* BigBad: From the moment the player starts the game they learn how Remor killed her parents and is actively trying to hunt down Fran. [[spoiler: [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Maybe.]]]]
* EmotionEater: His entire reason for hunting down and torturing Fran - he describes her suffering as a delicious feast, and seems to be a kind of Kamala, who are noted to be this trope by other characters.
* GodOfEvil: Seems to play this trope straight [[spoiler: until Mother Mabuka is added to the equation]].
* HeroesActVillainsHinder: His role throughout most of the game. [[spoiler: Especially compared to Dr. Oswald.]]
* JerkassGods: He's one of the most powerful characters in the game, along with Itward. He's also not very nice.
* SkullForAHead: His head is of a multi-horned goat skull.

[[folder:Clara and Mia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonlightgggg.png]]

Clara and Mia Buhalmet are a pair of ConjoinedTwins, and are also witches with a deep grudge against Itward. They coerce Fran into helping them by holding Mr. Midnight hostage. They had also [[spoiler: been inmates in the Oswald Asylum as well, and were victims of Dr. Oswald's experimentation on twins]].

* BackFromTheDead: In their backstory, [[spoiler: they died shortly after having been sewn together, either from complications from an untried medical experiment, or accidentally killing one another while trying to kill Itward (whom they blamed for their predicament), or possibly both. Itward returned them to life to [[LastSecondChance give them a second chance]] to make peace with each other]], but they didn't seem to get the memo and are plotting revenge. It's likely that [[spoiler: the two skeletons behind their mirror and the two ghosts wandering their home are theirs]].
* ConjoinedTwins: Joined along the torso to make them a two-headed person. [[spoiler: They were born independent of each other, they were sewn together as [[MedicalHorror an experiment by Dr. Oswald]] to see what would happen, in his ongoing experimentation with twins]].
* CuteWitch: It's clear that they try to invoke this, but they pretty much go the other way.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: {{Downplayed}}, in that one of their goals is to have separate bodies. Their long term plan is to kill Itward, though their magic somehow can't work properly as long as they're conjoined.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Fran switches out the spell they gave her with one to "purify" them, which left them as ash and a pair of swiftly evicted spirits]]. Fran was horrified at what had happened, but doesn't waste time mourning them.
* {{Lobotomy}}: Are seen in the Asylum in a padded room with scars on their foreheads. Notably, they're not conjoined.
* NumerologicalMotif: The Roman numeral for 2 (which is also the astrological symbol for Gemini) is dotted throughout their home.
* TricksterTwins: They aspire to kill Itward, and have let at least one other girl be killed in their pursuit, and are willing to expend Fran in the same way if she messes up the spell they give her, but they don't tell her that. [[spoiler: They also mutually hate each other, and have mutually agreed that one or the other will probably be killed in getting their body back]].
* TrueBlueFemininity: They wear a blue dress, and otherwise act seemingly quite feminine.
* UncannyVillage: Their home is a very girlish house on an island not much bigger than the house is. Of course their bedroom is decorated with eviscerated, bloody dolls, their living room has a putrefying corpse, and being familiar with these girls makes one know that they aren't sweet at all.

[[folder:Dr. Oswald]]
[[quoteright:186:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oswald.png]]

A paralyzed and sociopathic old man who is partially responsible for all of the trauma in Fran's life. His existence is a WalkingSpoiler.

* {{Egopolis}}: Oswald Asylum is implied to be named after Dr. Oswald.
* EvilOldFolks: Dr. Oswald may look like an old man who simply is unable to walk, but that dude is about as insane as the asylum he's running.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Is stated to be working with Remor.
* TheSociopath: Doesn't care about anything, but of what Fran Bow can do for him and his research. He's even willing to ''shoot a child'' and use what's left of her to further his experiments!
* WalkingSpoiler: It's not until the very end of the game that people even know that he's a real person.
* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler: Dr. Oswald shoots and almost kills Fran with a revolver when she starts strangling Aunt Grace. He also performed experiments on children, including the conjoined twins Clara and Mia.]]

* FriendlySkeleton

[[folder:Clara and Mia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonlightgggg.png]]

Clara and Mia Buhalmet are a pair of ConjoinedTwins, and are also witches with a deep grudge against Itward. They coerce Fran into helping them by holding Mr. Midnight hostage. They had also [[spoiler: been inmates in the Oswald Asylum as well, and were victims of Dr. Oswald's experimentation on twins]].

* BackFromTheDead: In their backstory, [[spoiler: they died shortly after having been sewn together, either from complications from an untried medical experiment, or accidentally killing one another while trying to kill Itward (whom they blamed for their predicament), or possibly both. Itward returned them to life to [[LastSecondChance give them a second chance]] to make peace with each other]], but they didn't seem to get the memo and are plotting revenge. It's likely that [[spoiler: the two skeletons behind their mirror and the two ghosts wandering their home are theirs]].
* ConjoinedTwins: Joined along the torso to make them a two-headed person. [[spoiler: They were born independent of each other, they were sewn together as [[MedicalHorror an experiment by Dr. Oswald]] to see what would happen, in his ongoing experimentation with twins]].
* CuteWitch: It's clear that they try to invoke this, but they pretty much go the other way.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: {{Downplayed}}, in that one of their goals is to have separate bodies. Their long term plan is to kill Itward, though their magic somehow can't work properly as long as they're conjoined.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Fran switches out the spell they gave her with one to "purify" them, which left them as ash and a pair of swiftly evicted spirits]]. Fran was horrified at what had happened, but doesn't waste time mourning them.
* {{Lobotomy}}: Are seen in the Asylum in a padded room with scars on their foreheads. Notably, they're not conjoined.
* NumerologicalMotif: The Roman numeral for 2 (which is also the astrological symbol for Gemini) is dotted throughout their home.
* TricksterTwins: They aspire to kill Itward, and have let at least one other girl be killed in their pursuit, and are willing to expend Fran in the same way if she messes up the spell they give her, but they don't tell her that. [[spoiler: They also mutually hate each other, and have mutually agreed that one or the other will probably be killed in getting their body back]].
* TrueBlueFemininity: They wear a blue dress, and otherwise act seemingly quite feminine.
* UncannyVillage: Their home is a very girlish house on an island not much bigger than the house is. Of course their bedroom is decorated with eviscerated, bloody dolls, their living room has a putrefying corpse, and being familiar with these girls makes one know that they aren't sweet at all.

[[folder:Mother Mabuka]]
[[quoteright:168:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2016_04_11_at_91621_am.png]]

Mother Mabuka, widely feared ruler of the Fifth Realm, is "the end of light," a being of darkness representing and subsisting on anguish and despair.

* EmotionEater: Misery in her case.
* GodOfEvil: She's one by virtue of representing anguish and despair. She's a lot less aggressive than Remor, however.
* TearsOfBlood: Has them on her mask.

[[folder:Dr. Deern]]
[[quoteright:176:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_oov9u6orrg1w4nv5wo1_1280.png]]

Dr. Deern is Fran Bow's doctor at the Oswald Asylum.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: When Fran is switching back and forth from the other realities, he reveals that he had an [[AbusiveParent abusive father]]. He had tried telling his mother, but apparently, his father started abusing her as well.
* PetTheDog: When Fran faints from trying a dosage of Duotine, he immediately tells the nurse to never let Fran take them again.
** After Fran escapes from the asylum, [[spoiler:he's the only one bothering to look for her.]]

[[folder:Clara and Mia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonlightgggg.png]]

Clara and Mia Buhalmet are a pair of ConjoinedTwins, and are also witches with a deep grudge against Itward. They coerce Fran into helping them by holding Mr. Midnight hostage. They had also [[spoiler: been inmates in the Oswald Asylum as well, and were victims of Dr. Oswald's experimentation on twins]].
-----
* BackFromTheDead: In their backstory, [[spoiler: they died shortly after having been sewn together, either from complications from an untried medical experiment, or accidentally killing one another while trying to kill Itward (whom they blamed for their predicament), or possibly both. Itward returned them to life to [[LastSecondChance give them a second chance]] to make peace with each other]], but they didn't seem to get the memo and are plotting revenge. It's likely that [[spoiler: the two skeletons behind their mirror and the two ghosts wandering their home are theirs]].
* ConjoinedTwins: Joined along the torso to make them a two-headed person. [[spoiler: They were born independent of each other, they were sewn together as [[MedicalHorror an experiment by Dr. Oswald]] to see what would happen, in his ongoing experimentation with twins]].
* CuteWitch: It's clear that they try to invoke this, but they pretty much go the other way.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: {{Downplayed}}, in that one of their goals is to have separate bodies. Their long term plan is to kill Itward, though their magic somehow can't work properly as long as they're conjoined.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Fran switches out the spell they gave her with one to "purify" them, which left them as ash and a pair of swiftly evicted spirits]]. Fran was horrified at what had happened, but doesn't waste time mourning them.
* {{Lobotomy}}: Are seen in the Asylum in a padded room with scars on their foreheads. Notably, they're not conjoined.
* NumerologicalMotif: The Roman numeral for 2 (which is also the astrological symbol for Gemini) is dotted throughout their home.
* TricksterTwins: They aspire to kill Itward, and have let at least one other girl be killed in their pursuit, and are willing to expend Fran in the same way if she messes up the spell they give her, but they don't tell her that. [[spoiler: They also mutually hate each other, and have mutually agreed that one or the other will probably be killed in getting their body back]].
* TrueBlueFemininity: They wear a blue dress, and otherwise act seemingly quite feminine.
* UncannyVillage: Their home is a very girlish house on an island not much bigger than the house is. Of course their bedroom is decorated with eviscerated, bloody dolls, their living room has a putrefying corpse, and being familiar with these girls makes one know that they aren't sweet at all.

[[folder:Itward]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/itwardddf.png]]

Itward is a tall skeleton with a top hat that is very sweet towards Fran. He helps her throughout her journey quite a bit near the end of the game.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Itward saves Fran from Aunt Grace and Doctor Oswald alongside Palontras. He also [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipes Dr. Deern's memory]] in order to keep him safe from [[BigBad Remor's]] influence.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: A tall skeleton who initially seems untrustworthy. It isn't long before he proves he's unambiguously good and heroic.
* DemBones: He is a skeleton, after all.
* FriendToAllChildren: He is implied to be friendly to all children that he encounters. According to the shadow puppet story, he wanted to help Clara and Mia get along and to accept themselves. He is also exceedingly kind to Fran and does everything he can to help her escape from danger.
* FriendlySkeleton
* ImaginaryFriend: The chapter where he first has a major role is even titled "My imaginary friend". Overlaps with NotSoImaginaryFriend if he is indeed real.
* LeanAndMean: Itward is one of the tallest characters in the game. If you mess with Fran, [[BerserkButton you will most certainly regret it]]. The mean side of him is mostly averted however, as he is generally very sweet towards Fran and Mr. Midnight.
* MonsterClown: When Fran is under the effects of Duotine in Itward's flying machine, he appears as a robotic clown with sharp teeth. If Fran attempts to talk to him, Itward will laugh creepily, but will otherwise not say anything.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: PlayedForLaughs. When Fran is exploring his flying machine, Itward mentions that there is a rabbit in a certain room that terrifies him, because it never moves and is always staring at him. Said rabbit turns out to be a stuffed bunny on a shelf. Subverted in that it was a ploy to trick Fran so that he and Mr. Midnight could prepare for Fran's birthday.

[[folder:Remor]]
[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/remor.png]]

Remor is the BigBad of the game, (possibly) a giant Kamala and the one suspected of killing Fran's parents.

* HeroicBSoD: Has a short, but pretty intense case of it [[spoiler: in Ithersta when, after being tormented with several visions including those of her killing her beloved cat, she breaks down crying and tells King Ziar that she's crazy. Thankfully, he helps her calm down pretty quickly]].

[[folder: Clara and Mia]]

[[folder: Itward]]

[[folder: Remor]]

* TheAntichrist [[spoiler:If being the child of Mother Mabuka says anything towards that.]]

[[folder: Mother Mabuka]]

[[folder: Dr. Oswald]]

[[/folder]]