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Sumner Sturgeon
In the second game, he, Ruri, and Moondoggie fight against the Azure group and corrupted members of the military, including some of Sumner's old friends, to prevent mass destruction.
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (JP), Sam Riegel (EN)
- The Ace: Explicitly referred to as the ace of the Sawyer Team.
- Ace Pilot: The star of New Wave (and then the Sawyer Team), after Ruri leaves. Even years later, he hasn't lost his touch and ranks among the best.
- Battle Couple: With Ruri in New Vision.
- Been There, Shaped History: He was the one who delivered the Nirvash to the Gekkostate.
- Black Sheep: Of the famous Sturgeon family, after he chose to quit officer academy and join New Wave, and then doubly so after he defected from the military.
- Broken Ace: Becomes this by New Vision. Compared to the Ace Pilot before who thought everything was new and shiny and amazing, the Legally Dead Retired Badass he's turned into admits that lifting is now just another way to keep himself fed, and he's beginning to forget how he used to feel back in the old days.
- Broken Pedestal: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, his favourite brother Torino becomes this after Sumner witnesses him shooting (and killing) the brother of one of Sumner's friends.
- The Cameo: Sumner and Ruri make a brief appearance in the anime. He also appears in the manga's epilogue, in a panel alongside Ruri, Moondoggie, and Gidget.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: His main goal, and part of why he keeps chasing after/sticking with Ruri despite her occasionally questionable treatment of him, as he hopes that being with her will help guide him.
- The Ditherer: His main problem: he doesn't really know what he wants to do.
- Everyone Went to School Together: He attended the same high school as Gillian and Steven. This being Sumner, he doesn't even remember them.
- Extreme Doormat: Starts off as one for his family in the Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl.
- Faking the Dead: Albeit not by choice. After defecting from the military, he's declared officially dead rather than a traitor so as to not shame the Sturgeon name, so he just rolls with it.
- Fanboy: It's somewhat of a Running Gag that he's an LFO fanboy, weirding some people out. He also idolizes B.B. as a teenager, with that respect showing itself even as an adult where he uses the same moniker in a lifting tournament once.
- Forgotten First Meeting: With... just about the entire cast barring Hooky. Shaun and Pez tried to mug him once (though they don't seem to remember him either), and he utterly fails to retain any info about Gillian and Steven's existences during the years they attend school together. And, of course, there's the entire mess with Ruri.
- Good Is Not Soft: He's a genuinely nice and compassionate guy, but when push comes to shove? He ends up killing a fair amount of former allies provided they tried to kill him first.
- Good-Looking Privates: One of the family servants notes how handsome he is in his military uniform.
- Grew a Spine: This is especially noticeable in the Japanese version, where he switches from boku to the more assertive ore by the end of New Wave.
- Heel–Face Turn: Mostly for Ruri, hence why he's somewhat bitter in New Vision, believing that she ditched him afterwards.
- I Have No Son!: His family pulls this on him after the events of New Wave. You don't get much more disowned than being declared Legally Dead so that the family can save face.
- Ignore the Fanservice: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, he never seems to acknowledge that he knows a very attractive older woman whom his (more hormonal) friends immediately fall for. According to her, it's because of his Single-Target Sexuality for B.B.
- Innocently Insensitive: God, it's almost painful to see how oblivious he is around Gillian.
- I Will Find You: His objective at the end of New Wave, after losing everything, is to find Ruri.
- Jade-Colored Glasses: A mild version in New Vision, in that he's still rather idealistic, but also a fair bit grumpier thanks to his experiences in New Wave.
- Jerkass Realization: He initially assumes his classmates are shallow jerks who only see him as a Sturgeon, before realizing that he was the shallow jerk for immediately dismissing them like that based on an ultimately false assumption.
- Legally Dead: After the events of New Wave. See Faking the Dead above.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Played with. At age fourteen, he's rich and he's mostly friendless, but it's somewhat self-imposed as he automatically assumes everyone only focuses on his family name. Once he realizes that he's wrong and lets himself become part of a social circle, he's much happier.
- Love at First Sight: He became infatuated with Ruri since the first time he saw her... not that he knows that it was her.
- Love Martyr: For Ruri, to an extent. Her being Troubled, but Cute doesn't do wonders for their relationship and Sumner knows it, but he's devoted to her all the same.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: He has five older brothers. It probably says something about his family that he doesn't seem to be close with any of them but Torino.
- Military Brat: However, rather than staying in officer academy like his father wanted, he joined New Wave.
- Nice Guy: In New Wave, compared to his Sugar-and-Ice Personality in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl and the more beleaguered attitude he develops in New Vision.
- Not So Above It All: Claims he was never competing with Hooky—before insisting that he won that last 'tie', thank you very much.
- Oblivious to Love: To Gillian's.
- Only Sane Man: Between him, Ruri, and Moondoggie.Sumner: There are three of us here, but it doesn't matter. I'm still alone. I guess what I'm trying to say is why don't these two DO ANY OF THE WORK!?
- The Quiet One: Used to be this. It was part of what attracted Gillian to him.
- Retired Badass: The retirement was forced on him, what with being Legally Dead, but he amounts to this in the beginning of New Vision, with both Wes and Moondoggie bemoaning how all of his talent as an Ace Pilot is going to waste.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Without even realizing it! Utter lack of interest in anyone else aside, he was mildly obsessive over both B.B. and the girl he saw once by chance, as others note, but ends up with Ruri—except they're all the same person.
- Stepford Smiler: Develops into one in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl upon realizing how empty his life is, having everything decided for him by his family.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: As a teenager, due to believing his classmates only saw him as a Sturgeon. Around others and once he realized that wasn't the case for everyone, he's significantly warmer.
- Underestimating Badassery: Frequent in the beginning of New Vision. Unlike some of the other Ace Pilots on this page, Sumner falls off the radar, so most people assume he's your run-of-the-mill punk who pilots an LFO... without realizing that he used to be one of the military's best.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Moondoggie. Sumner's clearly exasperated with him half the time, but is good friends with him nevertheless.
Ruri
In New Vision, Ruri is able to meet Sumner again, and they (and Moondoggie) try to stop a military scheme that is driving their own pilots insane. After the conflict is over, she and Sumner remain together.
Ruri also made an appearance in the manga adaptation. Here, she is a spy for Gekko State in the military, and helps them fight Dewey's plans, as well as facilitate in Dominic's Heel–Face Turn.
Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (JP), Michelle Ruff (EN)
- Ace Pilot: As noted below, she was The Ace of New Wave until she left.
- Action Girl: She can hold her own both in an LFO and outside of one.
- Badass Adorable: A Genki Girl who's happy to brawl whether in an LFO or not.
- Battle Couple: With Sumner in New Vision.
- Big Eater: If the ramen-eating competition is any indication.
- Bluebird of Happiness: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, she's associated with this for Gillian's little sister (with the bluebird itself being her Animal Motif back then).
- Broken Ace: She was The Ace of New Wave before Sumner, but possesses a deep-rooted insecurity of being dependent on others.
- Broken Bird: Not immediately obvious, but she's got a fair amount of issues underneath her energetic personality.
- The Cameo: Briefly appears in the anime alongside Sumner.
- Canon Immigrant: Started as a main character in the prequel video games (that are prequels to the anime) and then became a main character in the manga, which is an adaptation of the anime (albeit one that goes in a completely different direction).
- Dark and Troubled Past: She's grown up on the streets and in poverty.
- Defector from Decadence: She left the military of her own volition once she realized how far the corruption ran.
- Does Not Like Men: Presumably due to growing up in the slums, she's not hugely fond of the male gender in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, citing them all to be idiots (or, to Gillian, perverts), though she doesn't outwardly express it much and seems to later abandon that mindset either way.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Flame's—that is, her old mentor's—betrayal sends her into a Heroic BSoD.
- Fiery Redhead: Her hair's a mix between red and brown (though considered red in the manga), and she's certainly got a loud personality to match.
- Genki Girl: Though it occasionally veers into Obfuscating Stupidity.
- Heroic BSoD:
- As a teenager, she falls into a depressed mood for quite some time after being outed as a girl as B.B.
- Upon realizing Flame's true nature, though she quickly snaps out of it.
- Honey Trap: She's not above seducing her targets to win their trust before she double-crosses them.
- Important Haircut: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, where she cuts her hair as acceptance of her femininity with it now being too short to stuff her under cap.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Though she's lost the grumpiness from her teenage days (in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl), she's still prone to being flighty and inconsiderate. And like with Holland and Talho, said lack of consideration isn't exactly healthy for her love life.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Played straight in New Wave, as the one who forces Sumner out of his comfort zone. Subverted in New Vision, where it becomes clear that she's got her own problems.
- Master of Disguise: She's sure fond of it, in any case.
- The Mole: What she was originally in the manga, before making her true allegiance known
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Typically to hide her true motives.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Her disguises when she shows up before Sumner are half-hearted at best, and yet he still can't recognize her, even while actively thinking about her. Granted, this is probably more because of how Sumner is than anything.
- Passionate Sports Girl: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, she lives to lift. Her passion dies down when she no longer needs it to escape her life, but she still has a fondness for it.
- Selective Obliviousness: She completely refuses to believe that Flame could be a villain until she has unrefutable evidence that he tried to have her killed.
- Short Tank: The Tomboy Love Interest to Sumner with the outfit to match.
- Spirited Competitor: She shows signs of this when initially refusing to take on a job as a pizza delivery guy... until she hears that they've got a 5-minute speed record.
- Street Urchin: She grew up on the streets, and as she notes that she can't remember a time when she wasn't independent, it's likely she's been an orphan for a long time.
- Stripperiffic: Especially jarring in the manga, where where she first appears as a conservatively dressed scientist, then switches to her New Wave outfit.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: As a teenager in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, since girls weren't allowed to participate in the lifting tournament.
- Tank-Top Tomboy: In New Vision.
- The Tease: She can be flirty at times.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Gillian's Girly Girl.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: After embracing her femininity, she enjoys things like make-up and doesn't mind wearing mini skirts, but she's still a tomboy at heart, through and through.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: In New Vision.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Over the course of Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, she goes from a bitter punk to a Genki Girl.
- Troubled, but Cute: A female version, which puts a strain on her and Sumner's relationship, particularly in New Vision. As Sumner notes, most guys wouldn't even think of kissing a girl like her.
- Unsettling Gender-Reveal: To the man who tried to assault her in prison while she was sleeping: suffice to say the guy noticed the "boy" was lacking certain... parts.
- Was It All a Lie?: Gillian asks this after discovering that Ruri is a girl and (falsely) assuming that she's given up lifting, though she admits afterwards that she wasn't really talking to Ruri (but rather venting her feelings about Sumner, having seen some of him in Ruri).
Steven Bisson
One of Sumner's companions when he was a member of Sawyer Team. Between New Wave and New Vision, an experimental drug given to him by the military drives him insane, turning him into one of the main antagonists of the second game.
Voiced By: Masakazu Morita (JP), Liam O'Brien (EN, Uncredited)
- Abusive Parents: When Steven was about to announce his intentions to go against his family's wishes (regarding his fate post-graduation) during his valedictorian speech, his father's response was to rush up to him and strike him in front of the entire audience.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Steven, Ruri, Gillian, and Hooky all mourn him after his death, both because he was their friend and because it wasn't entirely his fault to begin with.
- Arranged Marriage: In one with Gillian, though they apparently break it off sometime between New Wave and New Vision.
- Big Bad: One of them in New Vision.
- Black Sheep: Presumably became this for his family after choosing not to go to officer academy and instead joining up with New Wave.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: For the most part, he hides it well and doesn't let it interfere in his friendship with Sumner, but Steven's definitely taken notice of Gillian's feelings for Sumner. It's hinted to contribute to his Sanity Slippage in New Vision.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Sumner's defection is implied to have been one of the nails in the coffin for Steven.
- Lonely at the Top: Suggested towards the end of New Vision, where his insanity has its reached its peak and he seems genuinely glad to see Sumner and co. (who are there to take him down) and invites them to enjoy the view with him.
- Military Brat: Same story as Sumner.
- Nice Guy: He comes across as this in New Wave (having lost his uptight attitude from Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl), making his Sanity Slippage all the more tragic in New Vision.
- Not Quite Dead: Every time you might think the guy's been killed, he turns out to be alive.
- Not So Above It All: As a teenager, he initially comes across as a rule-abiding Student Council President, but he still helps referee Sind and Lotte's lifting match, and for all of his insistence that ghosts don't exist, he's just as easily freaked out when they think they see one.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Degrades into this once he starts having a Villainous Breakdown.
- Rebellious Spirit: He becomes a downplayed one towards the end of Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl. It may or may not have been what contributed to his Sanity Slippage much later on.
- Sanity Slippage: In New Vision.
- Student Council President: During his high school years.
- Tragic Villain: In Ruri's words, he was ultimately another victim of CFS.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Hooky.
- We Used to Be Friends: His opinion of Sumner in New Vision, despite Sumner's belief that they still are friends.
- White Hair, Black Heart: Averted in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl and New Wave, but ultimately plays it straight as a Big Bad in New Vision.
- Yandere: Implied towards the end of New Vision, where he seems fixated on Gillian in particular (to the point of firing specifically at her when he attacks Sumner and co.).
Gillian Hamilton
One of Sumner's companions when he was a member of Sawyer Team, and Steven's fiancée. She works alongside Hooky in New Vision, where she hunts down the traitors Sumner and Ruri.
Voiced By: Chie Nakamura (JP), Julie Ann Taylor (EN, Uncredited)
- Anti-Villain: In New Vision. She doesn't do anything honestly antagonistic and mostly acts as a harmless Punch-Clock Villain (with a touch of It's Personal).
- Arranged Marriage: With Steven.
- Friendly Enemy: In New Vision, albeit with some prodding.
- Heel–Face Turn: In New Vision alongside Hooky.
- Her Heart Will Go On: A platonic version. Even after Gillian's sister dies, Ruri notes that Gillian keeps on lifting, "getting as high up to heaven as she can."
- Hidden Depths: The "Fair Lady" chapter reveals much about her mindset and personality when not revolving around her crush on Sumner. In-Universe, Ruri admits to herself that she might've been wrong about upper class girls like Gillian.
- Hopeless Suitor: Sumner didn't even realize she existed until they became teammates.
- Kill the Ones You Love: She's ultimately the one who pulls the trigger on Steven.
- Only Sane Man: During the ramen-eating competition, as the only one to question why they're doing this instead of, you know, capturing Sumner and Ruri like they're supposed to.
- Plucky Girl: Especially in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, where she continues to lift after her sister's death.
- Proper Tights with a Skirt: Invoked by her, disgusted at how revealing the female uniform for New Wave is.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: She was one for Sumner. As an adult, she keeps her feelings more subdued (partly because she's realized she doesn't really stand a chance).
- The Squadette: After Ruri leaves, she's the sole female member of New Wave/the Sawyer Team.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Nicknamed "Miss Iron-Skirt" by Hooky for a reason. She tends to be uptight and came across as outright cold in her first meeting with Ruri, but she's a caring person underneath.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Ruri's Tomboy.
- Unable to Cry: When Steven dies.
- What Does She See in Him?: Edie, her best friend (and a Childhood Friend of Sumner's) asks this regarding her feelings for Sumner.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Her father's shown to be frequently busy with work in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, though Gillian doesn't seem as affected by it as her little sister.
Hooky Zueff
One of Sumner's companions when he was a member of Sawyer Team. Initially possessing a crush on Ruri, he considers Sumner his rival until Sumner beats him in a fight. During the timeskip between New Wave and New Vision, he's promoted to second lieutenant.
Voiced By: Wataru Takagi (JP), Derek Stephen Prince (EN, Uncredited)
- Anti-Villain: In New Vision, as he remains pretty friendly with Sumner and co. in spite of everything.
- Cannot Talk to Women: Steven and Gillian have nicknamed him the Bashful Womanizer for this reason.
- Friendly Enemy: In New Vision. He's happy to have a ramen-eating competition with the very people he's supposed to be arresting.
- Graceful Loser: In spite of how obsessed he is over Ruri, he backs down just as promised after losing to Sumner.
- He Will Not Cry, so I Cry for Him: A gender-flipped version—he cries when Gillian can't.
- Headbutting Heroes: He and Shaun don't get along very well, due to a rocky history together. The two end up in outright blows while in Bester, before Sumner and Wes intervene.
- Heel–Face Turn: In New Vision alongside Gillian.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: For all of his bluster, he's a fairly amiable guy once he warms up to you.
- Serial Romeo: He's quick to develop crushes in the military.
- Stalker with a Crush: Towards Ruri at first. He gets over it quickly.
- Unknown Rival: To Sumner, who initially isn't even aware that Hooky is competing him with him for Ruri.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Again, with Shaun.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Steven.
Shaun Banks
One of Sumner's companions when he was a member of Sawyer Team, as well as being one of the first members.
Voiced By: Mitsuaki Madono (JP), Dan Woren (EN, Uncredited)
- Everyone Has Standards: Chews out the vigilante corps in Bester for acting like bullies. And as Pez notes, Shaun couldn't stand copycats, making it highly unlikely he chose to use CFS of his own volition.
- Headbutting Heroes: With Hooky, as noted under his section.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Pez.
- Idiot Hero: He has shades of this during his teenage years, being fairly thick-headed and reckless compared to Pez, Ruri, and even Hooky.
- Jerkass: Most of the time, and especially at first.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: However, he does have his nice moments. He's a loyal friend (who lays off some of the obnoxiousness once he warms up to you), and he's seen to be pretty displeased over the new corruption in his hometown of Bester.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Ruri comes to think this way in Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl when she sees that even a bunch of punks like him and Pez have something they're working towards with all their effort.
- Odd Friendship: With Pez, who's his complete opposite in personality.
- Pet the Dog: In Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl, the first major sign of Shaun's heart of gold is him choosing to be a Secret-Keeper for Ruri/B.B. for no reason other than not wanting to ruin a potential friendship.
- Sanity Slippage: Thanks to using the CFS in New Vision.
- Secret-Keeper: Knew "B.B" was a girl, but chose not to use it against Ruri, citing to Pez that she would never let him be her friend if he did.
- Street Urchin: Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl reveals that he used to live on the streets with Pez.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Hooky.
- Those Two Guys: With Pez.
Pez Wells
One of Sumner's companions when he was a member of Sawyer Team, as well as being one of the first members alongside Shaun.
Voiced By: Yasuyuki Kase (JP), Erik Davies (EN, Uncredited)
- Anti-Villain: In New Vision—unsurprising, given that he was the Nice Guy of the Sawyer team, aside from Sumner.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Though someone who, up until then, had been a rather passive, kind person, his betrayal of Steven and dying words makes it clear why you should not mess with his best friend.
- Distressed Dude: He has to be rescued at one point in New Wave by Sumner, due to being trapped in a bandit-ridden mine with his LFO too damaged for combat.
- Dying Declaration of Hate: What his dying speech to Steven amounts to.
- Gadgeteer Genius: He manages to get an LFO up and running.
- Heel–Face Turn: Rather than blaming Sumner for killing Shaun, he blames Steven, believing that he pushed Shaun to using the CFS.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He helps Sumner and Ruri, despite knowing the consequences—that is, Steven kills him for it.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Shaun.
- Nice Guy: Especially when next to Shaun.
- Odd Friendship: With Shaun.
- Secret-Keeper: For B.B./Ruri.
- Street Urchin: Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl reveals that he used to live on the streets with Shaun.
- Those Two Guys: With Shaun.
