Tropes pertaining to the characters in Hotspring Souls! and Slice of Souls!.
UNMARKED SPOILERS AHEAD!
open/close all folders
The Soulsborne Gang
The Good Hunter
The main protagonist of Hotspring Souls! and leader of the gang.
- Affectionate Nickname: The Doll refers to him as "Good Hunter" while everyone else just calls him "Hunter".
- Badass Longcoat: Which he somehow still wears even in the hotsprings.
- Berserk Button: DO NOT threaten his friends.
- Deadpan Snarker: Can be this at times, but not as much as Ciaran or Eileen.
- Determinator: Even though he's a worrywart who gets easily discouraged at times, he still manages to push through and face his problems.
- Falling into the Cockpit: He somehow already knows how to pilot Soulsborneon despite having no previous experience.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: Happens whenever he uses his latent Great One power.
- Heroic BSoD: The Hunter suffers through one when he thinks that Soulsborneon has been defeated by Manushandradorah and he and his friends are going to die in space.
- He also has a minor one in the first chapter of the sequel, after the stress of non-stop practicing for the band competition, along with Maria's bullying, takes a toll on his mental health.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Has low self-esteem and thinks he's a loser or a failure despite all of his previous accomplishments. The Doll can't help but poke a little fun at him for this.
- Hot-Blooded: Becomes this if he feels his friends are being threatened in any way. Even more so once he taps into his Great One power near the end of the story.
- The Leader: Artorias declares him the leader of the Soulsborne Gang after he defeats Manushandradorah.
- Mundane Made Awesome: In the sequel, he sometimes uses his powers to do chores or make certain tasks, like couples yoga with the Doll, much easier.
- Nervous Wreck: The Hunter has shades of this, being prone to anxiety and feeling that he's going to fail and make a fool of himself. Luckily the Doll is usually there to bring him back to his senses.
- Refusal of the Call: Initially refuses to pilot Soulsborneon. In the sequel, he also refuses to become the vocalist of the band Artorias, the Chosen Undead and Solaire are forming.
- Serrated Blade of Pain: His signature weapon is the Saw Cleaver, and it carries over to Soulsborneon.
- Spell Blade: He uses his Great One power to buff Soulsborneon's Soul Saw Cleaver and deals the finishing blow to Manushandradorah.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Is in a relationship with the Doll, who is a head and a half taller than him.
- Took a Level in Badass: When he activates his Great One powers.
The Plain Doll / Evetta
A life-sized doll who gained sentience and eventually became human. She's the Hunter's girlfriend.
- Artifact Title: Is still called "The Doll" despite the fact that she's technically no longer one.
- Become a Real Boy: Became human before the events of the story.
- Curtains Match the Window: Has pale blue-grey eyes and silver hair.
- First-Name Basis: The Hunter and Maria call her "Evetta", while everybody else calls her "Doll".
- Innocent Blue Eyes: In contrast to Maria.
- Meaningful Name: Crosses over with
The Danza - the Doll's English-language voice actress is Evetta Muradasilova. - Mystical White Hair: Has silver hair and possesses the ability to channel Blood Echoes into power, which she uses to power up Soulsborneon's weapon during the fight against Manushandradorah.
- Nice Girl: Is very kind, caring and supportive towards the Hunter and all their friends in general.
- Not So Above It All: Gives a rather creepy answer (Black Comedy one) during a game of Cards Against Humanity, which shocks and horrifies her boyfriend when he overhears it.
- Squishy Wizard: The Doll almost never openly participates in battle and is admittedly weak and inexperienced at fighting. However, she also knows Blacksky Eye and A Call Beyond, two very powerful Arcane spells that hit like a truck.
- Statuesque Stunner: Is a head and a half taller than the Hunter.
- Troll: Towards Maria sometimes, but always in a playful manner. It's a staple part of their sisterly dynamic.
Artorias "Arty" the Abysswalker
Arty unhelmed
The Hunter's best friend, former college roommate, and neighbor. He's a member of the Four Knights and a skilled swordsman.
- Amazon Chaser: Had a crush on Ciaran when he was still her apprentice, and ended up dating her after his relationship with Dusk didn't work out.
- Animal Motifs: The Wolf.
- BFS: His sword, the Greatsword of Artorias.
- Big Eater: Arty isn't picky about food and will gladly scarf anything delicious down, but he's especially fond of meat. He ate almost an entire deer all by himself!
- Blue Is Heroic: Arty is a righteous knight who's always wearing blue.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Drops Solaire and the Chosen Undead into the girl's side of the hotspring after seeing Ciaran in a skimpy bikini. This directly results in a huge Wrath of the Gods explosion that annihilates the men's side of the hotspring and the men themselves.
- Gentle Giant: Stands at nine feet tall but has a very friendly and gentle nature.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Is in a relationship with Ciaran, who is three feet shorter, and ironically, three years older than him.
- The Immodest Orgasm: Apparently sounds like he's being corrupted by the Abyss when he's about to climax.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Zoe, Ornstein's 13-year-old daughter. He and Ciaran used to babysit her.
- Interspecies Friendship: With Sif.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: He and Ciaran have a tendency to do this. If they're absent from a group outing, this trope is usually in play.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: Pulls this on the Hunter to convince him to be the vocalist of their band. The Hunter internally remarks that they work better when Sif is the one giving them.
- Shonen Hair: Has short, spiky dark brown hair in his unhelmed appearance. This is a deliberate Shout-Out to Guts's hairstyle since in the game, Artorias himself is an Expy of Guts.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Steak.
- Training from Hell: Underwent this when he was Ciaran's apprentice. Ciaran later admits she was trying to get him to just give up and quit, and was surprised he actually managed to pull through.
- Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Speaks in this manner, but can easily switch to colloquial English.
Lord's Blade Ciaran
Ciaran unhelmed
A member of the Four Knights and Artorias's girlfriend and former mentor.
- Action Girl: Ciaran is a skilled fighter with a strong military background, excellent wilderness survival skills, and a master of stealth. In combat, she can hold her own pretty well, especially when she briefly pilots Soulsborneon's right arm by herself after Artorias is injured and takes on a bear demon alongside Ornstein in the sequel.
- The Alcoholic: Teenage Ciaran would drink copious amounts of beer, gin, vodka, bourbon, etc. and at one point she goes into severe withdrawal that she drinks booze straight out of an inflatable swimming pool.
- Amazonian Beauty: Ciaran is more buff than some of the other male characters.
- Animal Motifs: The Hornet.
- Braids of Action: Ciaran keeps her long blonde hair in a neat braid so it doesn't fly all over the place when she's kicking ass.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Ciaran was abandoned and left to die in a vacant lot when she was an infant. A passerby found her in time and sent her to the hospital, and after no known relatives could be contacted, she was left in the care of the Painting Guardians at Ariamis Orphanage. Ciaran didn't get along well with the other orphans and eventually was left behind as they all got adopted. She turned to petty crime, booze, cigarettes and drugs to cope with her loneliness and abandonment issues.
- Deadpan Snarker: Best known for being this, as well as leaning on and sometimes outright breaking the fourth wall whenever she can.Ciaran: "It's almost as if we were ambiguously living in Japan."
- Delinquent: Ciaran used to be one during her teen years, but straightened out thanks to her dads.
- Dual Wielding: Uses her Gold and Silver Tracer Blades in battle.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Used to be one, at age fifteen.
- Held Back in School: Ciaran stopped attending school for a couple of years during her rebellious delinquent phase. Her dads make her start middle school at age 15, which Ciaran initially hates.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Is in a relationship with Artorias, who is nine feet tall and thus three feet taller than her. Ironically, Ciaran is three years his senior.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Zoe, Ornstein's 13-year-old daughter. She and Artorias used to babysit her.
- Interspecies Friendship: With Sif.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: She and Artorias have a tendency to do this. If they're absent from a group outing, this trope is usually in play.
- Ms. Fanservice: For guys like Artorias. Ciaran also wears the skimpiest bikini among the girls, and her everyday outfit is just a leather jacket over her sports bra, revealing her abs. It's likely Ciaran mostly dresses like this to intimidate, though.
- Smoking Is Cool: Used to be a chain smoker and pothead in her delinquent days.
- Training from Hell: Her dads put her through this to help her channel her rage and abandonment issues into a more productive outlet. Ciaran had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, run for miles, go through an obstacle course, and do various strength training and Crossfit exercises, all before going to school.
Solaire of Astora
Solaire unhelmed
A jolly, amiable Warrior of Sunlight. The most happy-go-lucky and optimistic of the gang, Solaire always looks on the positive side and does his best to help others out.
- Affectionate Nickname: Lady Maria likes to call him "Big Guy".
- Amicable Exes: It's mentioned that Solaire remained good friends with all his exes, and even managed to hook up and ex-girlfriend with an ex-boyfriend.
- Berserk Button: Much like the Hunter, DO NOT threaten Solaire's friends. Also, don't insult Maria to his face. Alfred learned this the hard way.
- Beware the Nice Ones: See above.
- Birds of a Feather: With Lady Maria.
- Cloudcuckoolander: He's a fun guy, but has a few eccentric tendencies and praises the sun no matter what the time of day is.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Reveals that he used to be a Lonely Rich Kid and he and his siblings suffered Parental Abandonment issues due to Gwyn never being around when they were growing up. Solaire ended up essentially raising Gwynevere and Gwyndolin on his own, but was forced to leave his home after having a falling out with Gwyn as a teenager.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Averted, he's completely unaffected by the girls' swimsuits, even though Marcus and Arty are. Played straight when he sees Maria in her bikini.
- Duet Bonding: Has an impromptu jazz piano and drums jam session with Maria at the music store when they first hang out. Things only get better from there.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has light blonde hair and has a kind, caring personality.
- The Heart: So much so that the Doll refers to him as the group's "giant living teddy bear".
- Hidden Depths: Turns out he's actually quite a talented jazz drummer.
- Just Friends: With Maria, even though everybody else thinks they're dating. Towards the end of Slice of Souls!, he admits to the Chosen Undead that he does have romantic feelings for her.
- Moment Killer: Interrupts the Chosen Undead and Rhea's Relationship Upgrade by inappropriately playing "Why Can't This Be Love?" on his boombox.
- Nice Guy: Easily the kindest and friendliest member of the gang.
- Shipper on Deck: For Rhea and the Chosen Undead. He literally falls to his knees and cries tears of joy when the two finally do hook up.
- Ship Tease: Gets quite a bit with Lady Maria.
- Shock and Awe: Uses lightning and sunlight note attacks.
- Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning: Solaire uses the yellow variety.
The Chosen Undead / Marcus
Marcus unhelmed
An Astora elite knight and second youngest member of the group.
- Accidental Pervert: He didn't really plan to peep on Rhea at the hotsprings and was only worried about her. And then he saw the swimsuit.
- Average Joe: Seems to be the most milquetoast among the gang.
- Big Damn Kiss: Has his with Rhea while watching a lights show in the sky after they defeat Manushandradorah.
- Cannot Spit It Out: He flat-out denies that he has any romantic feelings for Rhea when the other guys ask him about it in the hotsprings, even though it's painfully obvious that he does. He comes close to asking Rhea to be his girlfriend, but just when the two are about to have a Relationship Upgrade, Solaire ruins it by blasting Van Halen on his boombox.
- Determinator: Will do anything to keep his friends, and especially his precious Rhea from harm. Notably, in chapter 4 of Slice of Souls!, he absolutely refuses to give up in the fight against Seath, and in true Undertale fashion wins through the power of DETERMINATION.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Seeing Rhea in a swimsuit for the first time.
- Jack of All Trades: Marcus is adept in swordsmanship, sorcery, and miracles.
- Japanese Honorifics: Rhea calls him "Chosen Undead-kun", and later "Marcus-kun" when they become a couple.
- Meaningful Name: Is named after Epic Name Bro.
- Older Than They Look: He's 24 years old. Without the helmet, he looks 16 at most.
- Rescue Romance: The circumstances of how he and Rhea met, as told in their origin story.
- Shock and Awe: Like Solaire, he can cast the Lightning Spear miracle.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: With Rhea after their Relationship Upgrade; thankfully they tone it down after a while.
- Spell Blade: In chapter 4 of Slice of Souls!, the sword given to him by Sans functions very similarly to a sword buffed with Great Magic Weapon.
- The Un-Hug: Has to hug Seath the Scaleless towards the end of chapter 4 of the sequel. Even Seath finds it awkward.Papyrus: "IF YOU WANT THE BEST ENDING POSSIBLE, YOU HAVE TO HUG THE FINAL BOSS!"
Rhea of Thorolund
A cleric maiden from the Thorolund family and the youngest member of the group.
- Area of Effect: Can cast the Wrath of the Gods miracle and blast things if she needs to.
- Big Damn Kiss: Has hers with Marcus while watching a lights show in the sky after they defeat Manushandradorah.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Has had a huge crush on the Chosen Undead ever since he rescued her after she fell down a pit in the Tomb of the Giants during a school field trip.
- Catchphrase: She used to have one in high school, but has since stopped using it. Said catchphrase was apparently, "How unpleasant."
- Curtains Match the Window: Has light brown eyes to match her dark blonde / light brown hair.
- Damsel in Distress: Gets kidnapped by Seath the Scaleless in chapter 4 of Slice of Souls!.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: She's grown her hair out in the sequel.
- Healing Hands: Also knows healing miracles.
- Japanese Honorifics: The Chosen Undead calls her "Rhea-chan".
- Nice Girl: Rhea is innocent and acts kindly and sweet towards everybody. The other girls decide she's too nice and try to convince her to play Cards Against Humanity. It works. Marcus freaks out.
- Older Than They Look: She's 23 years old, but looks like she could be 14-15. Her innocent personality doesn't help either. It's no wonder everyone else treats her as the "baby" of the group.
- Rescue Romance: The circumstances of how she and Marcus met, as told in their origin story.
- Shrinking Violet: Is very shy, even when around her friends. She's also
Moe. - Sickeningly Sweethearts: With the Chosen Undead after their Relationship Upgrade; thankfully they tone it down after a while.
The Bearer of the Curse / Brendan
Brendan unhelmed
A former Forossa knight turned accountant, and the oldest member of the group. He's married to the Emerald Herald.
- Affectionate Nickname: The Emerald Herald used to call him "Bren" back when their relationship was still happy and stable. She starts calling him this again after they start to work on fixing their marriage.
- Animal Motifs: Downplayed, but he has a bit of bear imagery going on.
- Apologises a Lot: His default reaction every time his wife nags him. Oftentimes it only serves to annoy her even more.Shanalotte: "Stop saying that! Geez!"
- Beware the Nice Ones: He's surprisingly fierce and aggressive when he's piloting Soulsborneon along with the rest of his friends.
- Extreme Doormat: Even his own pet cat calls him out on not having a backbone.
- Henpecked Husband: Constantly has to deal with the Emerald Herald's nagging and most of the time can only reply to her with "Yes, dear". At one point he's made to sleep on the floor without any pillows or blankets. Not even Shalquoir sleeps on the floor!
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Is 6'4" and significantly taller than his wife.
- The Masochism Tango: His marriage to the Emerald Herald in a nutshell.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: He still stays with Shanalotte despite everything, screams her name when she's injured during the fight with Manushandradorah, and they start to act more like a couple after agreeing to work on fixing their marriage issues.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: One of the only times he sheds his Extreme Doormat tendencies (outside of piloting Soulsborneon) and acts assertive is when Solaire's atrocious speedo traumatizes him so much that he angrily rushes him to the souvenir store and forces him to buy a new swimsuit.
- Trademark Favorite Food: GREEN TEA KITKATS!
- Wedding Ring Removal: Played for Laughs when he offers the Rusted Iron Ring for Garl to use to propose to Astraea when the original gets swallowed by a hydra. The Slayer of Demons points out that he's giving away his wedding ring, and the Bearer of the Curse points out that he's giving away his former wedding ring. The rest of the guys are naturally shocked when they hear this. Then it turns out Brendan just said it wrong and he and Shanalotte are actually getting new rings since they're renewing their vows soon.Slayer of Demons: "Geez, for a second there I thought you were gonna pull a Firewatch on us!"
The Emerald Herald / Shanalotte
A rather gloomy, easily irritable Firekeeper. She's married to the Bearer of the Curse.
- Affectionate Nickname: The Bearer of the Curse used to call her "Shan" back when their relationship was still happy and stable. He starts calling her this again after they start to work on fixing their marriage.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Not much detail is given, but it seems Shanalotte's emotional problems were there long before the incident from early on in their marriage that caused her to become cold towards the Bearer of the Curse.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts acting a lot nicer towards her husband near the end of Slice of Souls!
- Fiery Redhead: Has long red hair and gets annoyed with her husband easily.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: It seems everything the Bearer if the Curse does sets her off, even if he's done nothing wrong.
- The Masochism Tango: Her marriage to the Bearer of the Curse in a nutshell.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Shanalotte is grateful that her husband stays with her despite everything, they show immense concern for each other when they get injured during the fight with Manushandradorah, and they start to act more like a couple after agreeing to work on fixing their marriage issues.
- Mood-Swinger: Seems to be this, based on the tantrum she threw in the kitchen which was so bad it caused Shalquoir to intervene. Turns out this is due in part to the fact that she still has a lot of emotional baggage from a time earlier in her marriage when she thought the Bearer of the Curse had betrayed and neglected her.
- Never My Fault: Has shades of this. Shanalotte often blames her husband when things go wrong. The fact that she's willing to admit she hasn't been treating him well towards the end of chapter 3 of the sequel signals the start of them mending their relationship.
- Redhead In Green: Shanalotte primarily dresses in green.
The Slayer of Demons / Lucian
Lucian unhelmed
A laid-back knight who likes to make bad jokes and play mecha simulators. He also takes shipping very seriously.
- The Alcoholic: Likes to drink a lot. He prefers sake.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: One of Garl's many criticisms about the Slayer is that he's unmotivated and has no drive, even though he has potential.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Garl Vinland, after the events of Hotspring Souls!
- Great Balls of Fire!: Operates the pyrotechnics during The Sunbros' performance at the music festival.
- Hidden Depths: Appears to be a slacker and a bum, but is actually quite the businessman and even starts his own part-time Ashen Estus Flask business with the Bearer of the Curse.
- Keet: Has shades of this. Lucian gets easily excited over the smallest of things, such as trying to pair Marcus and Rhea together.
- Manchild: He can be quite immature at times, especially around Garl. Most of the insults he throws at him wouldn't be out of place at a playground, and usually have something to do with either his long hair or his squid-themed appearance.
- The Peeping Tom: Lucian is the one to suggest that the guys peek on the girls in the hotsprings and specifically tries to get Marcus to do the same by tempting him with Rhea's new swimsuit. Garl calls him out on his perverted, "ungentlemanly" behavior.
- Perma-Stubble: He doesn't ever seem to shave his face.
- Playing with Fire: Is quite adept in Pyromancy. Too bad it isn't very effective on the hydra that swallowed Garl's engagement ring.
- Shipper on Deck: Like Solaire, for the Chosen Undead and Rhea of Thorolund. He later starts to ship Solaire and Maria as well and even starts a betting pool over it.
- Straight Man and Wise Guy: He has this sort of dynamic with his girlfriend the Maiden in Black, and acts as the Wise Guy of the pair. He also gains a similar dynamic with Garl in the sequel.
The Maiden in Black / Circe
A sorceress who specializes in Soul Arts and the Slayer of Demons' girlfriend.
- Barrier Warrior: She can conjure force fields and magic walls.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Apparently passes out from intoxication after only two beers.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Her overall appearance and preference for black clothing can make her seem evil at first glance. She's actually the complete opposite and is quite nice.
- Eye Scream: Has wax over her eyes, but unlike the game, she isn't completely blind. In fact, she treats it more like a minor vision problem such as astigmatism.
- Master of Illusion: The Maiden in Black's specialty, though she only uses her powers when absolutely necessary, such as "repairing" the gaping hole in the hotsprings made by Rhea and Astraea's Wrath of the Gods attack.
- Odd Friendship: With Astraea, seeing how their backgrounds, personalities and interests are all but complete opposites of each other. She was the one who helped Astraea out during a difficult period in her life— almost going through a forced marriage.
- Straight Man and Wise Guy: She has this sort of dynamic with her boyfriend the Slayer of Demons, and acts as the Straight Man.
- Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Like Artorias, she speaks in this manner, but can easily switch to colloquial English.
Garl Vinland
Garl unhelmed
A cleric knight and Maiden Astraea's boyfriend. The Slayer of Demons considers him his rival, though Garl thinks the Slayer is more of an immature nuisance than anything. He and Astraea run into the gang at the hotsprings and later become part of the group.
- Animal Motifs: The Giant Squid. The Slayer of Demons frequently makes squid-related puns around him.
- Childhood Friends: With Maiden Astraea, whom he's known since he was four years old.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Again, with Astraea.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With the Slayer of Demons in Slice of Souls!.
- Flirting Under Fire: He and Astraea engage in playful banter while defending the inn from the robot demon attack. Gehrman gets annoyed and tells them to focus.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Also 6'4" and significantly taller than Astraea.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: True to his appearance in the Demon's Souls strategy guide. The Slayer of Demons makes fun of him for this.
- Lost Wedding Ring: The engagement ring he plans to give Astraea is swallowed by a hydra at the lake. The Hunter, Artorias, and the Bearer of the Curse try to cheer him up by volunteering the Ring of Betrothal, the Wolf Ring, and the Rusted Iron Ring for him to use instead. Garl is not amused.
- The Rival: To the Slayer of Demons in Hotspring Souls!. They come to a truce at the end of the first story.
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: The last three chapters of Slice of Souls! has him planning to pop the question to Astraea, and the gang helps him out. He proposes to her at the lake near the hotsprings while riding a giant hydra.
Maiden Astraea
A cleric maiden and Rhea of Thorolund's older cousin. Also a literal saint. She and Garl run into the gang at the hotsprings and later become part of the group. Astraea is friends with the Maiden in Black and the Slayer of Demons, even if Garl and the Slayer don't get along.
- Area of Effect: Can also cast the Wrath of the Gods miracle, though her version is much more powerful than Rhea's. It comes in handy when she, Garl, the Old Hunters, Shalquoir and Sif have to defend the inn from the onslaught of robot demons.
- Childhood Friends: With Garl Vinland, whom she's known since she was four years old.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Again, with Garl.
- Flirting Under Fire: She and Garl engage in playful banter while defending the inn from the robot demon attack. Gehrman gets annoyed and tells them to focus.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has blonde hair and is a literal saint.
- Healing Hands: Can cast healing miracles.
- Gold and White Are Divine: Wears a white / beige blazer to signify her status as a cleric maiden and a literal saint.
- In the Hood: She wears a white shawl with a red stripe on it over her head.
- Odd Friendship: With the Maiden in Black, seeing how their backgrounds, personalities and interests are all but complete opposites of each other. She was the one who helped Astraea out during a difficult period in her life— almost going through a forced marriage.
- Not So Above It All: Astraea gets quite a kick out of playing Cards Against Humanity despite being a literal saint. Rhea is understandably horrifed. Garl even more so.
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: In the final chapter of the sequel, Garl proposes to her at the lake near the hotsprings while riding a giant hydra.
Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower
A skilled Huntress from the Cainhurst Clan who returns to the city after some time abroad. She's the person the Doll was modeled after, but prefers to be called her "older cousin".
- Birds of a Feather: With Solaire, much to her surprise.
- Brutal Honesty: One of the reasons Maria initially can't fit in with the rest of the gang is because she doesn't realize her comments toward some of them are offensive.
- Cool Big Sis: Towards the Doll. To a lesser extent, the Hunter, even though Maria would never admit it.
- Curtains Match the Window: Has pale blue eyes and silver hair.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Warms up to Solaire and the rest of the gang over the course of Slice of Souls!
- Duet Bonding: Has an impromptu jazz piano and drums jam session with Solaire at the music store when they first hang out. Things only get better from there.
- Fish out of Water: She initially has trouble trying to fit in with the gang, feeling like an outsider. Maria also feels this way regarding seeing her former colleagues from the Hunter's Workshop again, since they all somehow aged rapidly and turned into senior citizens while she was away at the Astral Clocktower.
- Flash Step: Knows the Art of Quickening, which can essentially allow her to teleport short distances.
- Icy Blue Eyes: In contrast to the Doll.
- Just Friends: With Solaire, even though everybody else thinks they're dating. Towards the end of Slice of Souls!, she admits to the Doll that she does have romantic feelings for him.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Her backstory. Maria grew up with a Friendless Background in Castle Cainhurst, neglected by her parents and relatives and only having the maids and butlers for company. At age sixteen, she ran away from her family and joined the Hunter's Workshop. Solaire reveals he had a very similar experience growing up, and this triggers the moment when the two of them really start to bond.
- Ms. Fanservice: Just like her in-game counterpart. Her regular outfit is a rather form-fitting leather racing jacket. And then, there's her swimsuit... Solaire bites the bait.
- Mystical White Hair: It's a Cainhurst thing.
- Playing with Fire: Maria has a tendency to make things around her spontaneously combust when she's either angry or stressed out. She's calmed down considerably thanks to hanging out with Solaire, though Gehrman still pushes her buttons enough that he gets burned. Twice.
- Ship Tease: She has quite a bit with Solaire. Maria even kisses him at the end of their "friendly hangout".
- Statuesque Stunner: That's where the Doll gets it from.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Maria initially seems cold and distant, and her rather blunt and straightforward manner of speaking sometimes offends people without her knowing. In the first chapter, she downright bullies the Hunter. It seems the only person Maria doesn't act cold towards is the Doll. She does have a soft spot which she gradually reveals, and over time becomes openly emotive and affectionate. Particularly towards Solaire, whom she hugs and even kisses by her own volition.
- Troll: Apparently trolling is a sign of affection later on in her and Solaire's friendship. Maria also trolls Gehrman about having "sessions" note with Solaire when he starts freaking out at seeing the two of them together.
The Oldie Old Hunters
Gehrman, the First Hunter
The First Hunter, and former leader of the Hunter's Workshop. Now reduced to a cranky, senile old man who forgets to take his medication.
- Badass Boast: Recites his trademark "Tonight, Gehrman joins the hunt!" when the bingo game turns into an all-out geriatric battle royale. The other senior citizens in the bingo hall aren't impressed.
- Cool Old Guy: Despite being old and senile, Gehrman still has mad fighting skills and hasn't lost his touch when it comes to wielding his Burial Blade. He leads the ground team consisting of himself, Eileen, Garl, Astraea, Shalquoir and Sif during the robot demon attack on the inn.
- Dirty Old Man: This aspect of him is much more pronounced in the sequel, with him trying to flirt with Maria and hilariously failing every single time.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Charges into the hotspring and tries to challenge the Hunter to a duel to the death... all because he wasn't invited to the trip and was left behind by the van.
- False Teeth Tomfoolery: He drops his dentures in the sukiyaki pot while having dinner. The gang is absolutely horrified, and Rhea nearly faints while the Hunter excuses himself to vomit in the bathroom.
- Flash Step: He can use the Art of Quickening to effectively teleport himself from point A to point B.
- Green-Eyed Monster: He becomes incredibly jealous of Solaire for always being with Maria and accuses him of "stealing" her from him, despite the fact that Solaire and Maria claim to be Just Friends. He specifically asks if Maria prefers Solaire over him because he's "young and fit and good looking with a nice body". Maria says yes, he does have a nice body, and then casually adds that Solaire has great pecs too, much to Gehrman's chagrin (and Solaire's embarrassment).
- Large Ham: It comes with being a senile old coot. He constantly screams everything he says, is hyperactive, impulsive, and just plain has no regard for everyone else around him. He even channels Tommy Wiseau at one point.Gehrman: "YOU ARE TEARING ME APART, MARIA!!!"
- The Nicknamer: He calls Solaire "Sunny Delight" and Alfred "Freddy Fancy-Hair" or just "Freddy".
- No Indoor Voice: Nearly all of his dialogue consists of him screaming at the top of his lungs.
- Noodle Incident: Him singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" while drunk at Eileen's 82nd birthday party. It was apparently so bad Eileen wanted to bleach her eyes and ears, then asked Djura to shoot her. Djura said he'd do it only if she stabbed him first.
- Rambling Old Man Monologue: Very prone to this.
- When I Was Your Age...: He uses this line verbatim when the gang is having dinner in the first story.
- Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Gehrman feels entitled to acts however the hell he wants, even if it involves inappropriate behavior, loud screaming, and randomly drawing his weapon in public places.
- Self-Proclaimed Love Interest: Towards Maria.
- Sinister Scythe: His signature weapon is the Burial Blade. He uses it in the bingo game turned geriatric battle royale against Old King Allant, and later against the robot demons that attack the inn.
Eileen the Crow
Eileen unmasked
The Hunter of Hunters and also a member of the Hunter's Workshop.
- Animal Motifs: The Crow.
- Blade Enthusiast: Eileen has a thing for knives and daggers, and is especially pleased with the decorative dagger Maria gave her for her birthday.
- Competition Freak: Eileen takes bingo very seriously, perhaps even more so than Gehrman. She's easily angered when the game isn't going in her favor, and loses her cool at even the most petty insult. Predictably, Eileen is the first of the senior citizens to completely lose it and draw her weapons, signaling the start of the geriatric battle royale. She does it again in the sequel, and this time, the bingo players / battle royale participants are Lords of Cinder.
- Cool Old Lady: She's 82 years old. And she's still capable of going toe to toe with people who are fifty years younger. Not to mention racking up a body count of over two hundred robot demons during the assault on the inn. Genuinely friendly towards the Soulsborne gang (when she isn't being snarky towards them) and is close with both the Hunter and the Doll. She's also one of the few Old Hunters who's still on friendly terms with Maria.
- Deadpan Snarker: She's almost as bad as Ciaran in that regard. Artorias notes how similar the two women are.(after Eileen has just made a snarky comment towards Gehrman)
Artorias: "I think I see thyself fifty years into the future, Ciaran!"
Ciaran: "... Shut up, Arty." - Dual Wielding: Her weapons of choice are the Blades of Mercy, two siderite daggers that can form into a short sword.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Eileen is easily irritable, and is prone to resorting to violence when angered enough. Especially when bingo is involved.
- Oop North: Her distinct accent.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Arguably with Gehrman. She constantly yells at him and berates him in Hotspring Souls! and even seriously threatens to murder him at one point for his embarrassing behavior while Djura is equally embarrassed but is more understanding. At the bingo game, she turns on Gehrman when both oldtimers (along with Ingward, Old King Allant, Frampt and Kaathe) are close to winning the prized speedboat. Despite this, Eileen still puts up with Gehrman's antics and works together with him in defending the inn from the robot demons. She also agrees to share the speedboat, which she eventually wins, with him.
Retired Hunter Djura
Djura and JoorJoor
An Old Hunter belonging to the Powder Kegs faction. Djura has a soft spot for Beasts and rather than hunt them, he prefers to adopt them as pets instead. His two most frequently shown Beast companions are Poochie the Cathedral Giant and Djura Jr. "JoorJoor" the Beast Patient Monkey.
- Big Damn Heroes: He and Poochie arrive just in time to save Eileen from being smothered to death by the robot demons that ganged up on her.
- Bystander Syndrome: Not in a malevolent sense of course, but Djura doesn't really intervene whenever Gehrman and Eileen start fighting. He also doesn't do anything to stop the geriatric battle royale in the bingo hall and just hides under the table. And in the sequel, he doesn't feel that he should do something about the lake hydra swallowing Garl's engagement ring, even though he and Ludwig are partially responsible for bringing Garl to the lake in the first place. But when push comes to shove, Djura always ends up doing the right thing.
- Crazy Cat Lady: He keeps several Beasts as pets at home.
- Cool Old Guy: Just like the rest of the Old Hunters he continues to maintain his fighting skills despite his age. He doesn't yell at the top of his lungs like Gehrman or Eileen, and encourages the two to calm down and just try to have fun when things get heated during the bingo game. In the sequel, Djura is still this, but also shares the role with Ludwig.
- Interspecies Friendship: With Poochie and JoorJoor.
- Only Sane Man: Among the Old Hunters. Djura, despite having a few quirks of his own, is by far the most grounded. Gehrman is a hyperactive, senile old man who screams everything at the top of his lungs. Eileen is easily irritated and becomes violent when her buttons are pushed. Ludwig is generally a nice guy, but he's too nice and, as Djura puts it, "overly righteous" to the point he disregards common sense in favor of chivalry.
- Those Two Guys: Always seen with Eileen in the first story, and with Ludwig in the sequel.
Ludwig, the Holy Blade
An Old Hunter and Gehrman's apprentice. He's recently returned after years of therapy to reverse his Beasthood, and has started hanging out with his old friends from the Hunter's Workshop again.
- BFS: The Holy Moonlight Sword, his signature weapon.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Ludwig still has remnants of this despite having mellowed out considerably with age.
- Cool Old Guy: Like the rest of the Old Hunters, he continues to maintain his fighting skills despite his age. As of Slice of Souls!, he and Djura are the most calm and most "normal" (relatively) of the Old Hunters.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Ludwig was called the most idealistic, honorable and noble of the Hunters and has greying blonde hair. He's also very friendly towards the Soulsborne gang and eagerly offers his help when it's needed. When Garl loses his engagement ring in the lake near the hotsprings, Ludwig goes after the hydra that swallowed it all by himself to try and get it back.
- Honor Before Reason: Ludwig's main flaw is that he tries to please everybody and is obsessed with being chivalrous and doing the right thing, to the point that he completely disregards common sense in order to do good.
- Like Brother and Sister: Said to be like this with Maria in the past. Now, he's closer to being her grandfather than an older brother figure, but the two still get along quite well. Maria was especially happy to see Ludwig again during the Old Hunters Reunion, even though she initially didn't want to go.
- Master Swordsman: Was the best Sword Hunter the Workshop had ever seen. Even as a senior citizen and in spite of being a bit rusty due to the effects of undergoing and reversing Beasthood, he's still very effective with a sword. He goes after the lake hydra that swallowed Garl's engagement ring solo and manages the fight pretty well.
- Nice Guy: Too nice, in fact.
- Noodle Incident: According to Djura, he once tried to propose to Henriett with a Pthumeru Ihyll Chalice. Ludwig cuts him off before he can go into details.
- Spell Blade: His Holy Moonlight Sword, which becomes more powerful when touched by moonlight.
- Theme Music Power-Up: His boss fight music, "Ludwig, the Holy Blade", starts playing out of nowhere when Ludwig activates the Holy Moonlight Sword in his fight against the lake hydra.
