The Damned 33rd Infantry Battalion
As indicated in the source material, the Damned 33rd was one of the most highly decorated battalions in the United States Army.
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In General
- America Saves the Day: Played With, in that most of the military engagements with the Damned 33rd end up being one-sided, because of their superior firepower and their enemies being genre blind, but just like in the source material there's usually some twist that makes it a Pyrrhic Victory.
- Cool Planes: The 33rd start out with an AH6-J "Little Bird" callsign Bravo Six, and also the Dragon's Raiment, in this case Lt. Benson's UH-60 Black Hawk chopper that crashed in the video game.
- Good-Looking Privates: Just about all the soldiers end up pairing off with the females of the Helkeginia.
- Lampshade Hanging/Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The 33rd soldiers are very mystified by the world they're in, and pretty much every anime/manga trope is pointed out, lampshaded, and discussed.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: Though the Damned 33rd are portrayed in the video game as the villains, their backstories make them more out to be more Anti Villains than straight evil. Every one of the soldiers carries some form of guilt for what they did in Dubai.
Sgt. Crosby
1st Sergeant Robert 'Iceman' Crosby
- "Tangos moving, eyes wide!"
The senior NCO of the Damned 33rd, Sgt. Crosby was one of the last Zulu Squad soldiers that Walker and Adams encounter in the Bridge episode. Right before a grenade takes him out, a mysterious and beautiful woman transports him to Helkeginia so he can become a Hero.
- Combat Pragmatist: As Guiche and Count Wardes found out, the duel starts before the speech.
- Creepy Monotone: As befitting a Zulu Squad member, Crosby starts out talking in a cold, clipped manner; as in the video game. He gets better as he grows more personable with the people in the academy, though he tends to lapse back into it when sufficiently angered.
- Dark Is Not Evil: As a member of Zulu Squad he wears black SWAT style fatigues, orange and white armor, and a skull balaclava, but he is not a villain.
- Deadpan Snarker: Crosby spends a lot of time commenting on the idiosyncrasies of an anime fantasy universe.
- The Hero: The closest the fic has to one alongside Saito and Louise; even after 33rd is reinstated, he still maintains prominence and is often alongside Konrad.
- Hidden Depths: On the surface Crosby is the stereotypical senior NCO archetype, but as the story progresses he shows that he is as human as the rest, namely that he was married, lost his wife to a car accident and is estranged from his teen aged son. No wonder he connects so well with Saito.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He's usually very cool in battle, hence his callsign Iceman. But when Saito's bird Bravo Zero is shot down and he's presumed dead Crosby completely loses it, and it's not pretty.
Sgt. Lugo
Staff Sergeant John Lugo
- "Hey, all I gotta say is, whoever put me in this world I owe him a beer!"
Previously, the sniper from Delta team, sent alongside Walker and Adams. He joined forces with the Damned 33rd later on, after sorting out his differences with Crosby.
- Cunning Linguist: In addition to Gulf Arabic and Farsi, Lugo recognizes the language spoken by the inhabitants of Tristania as French (or something very similar to it), and can engage in conversations with this. He also is fluent in Russian as he can converse with Vasya and his companions.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With the rest of the Damned 33rd.
- Rescue Romance: With Siesta. He even plans to take her back home.
- The Heart: Like in the game Lugo tends to be the voice of reason within the 33rd.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Is this with Crosby initially and later with SSG Forbes, until the Gallian Intrigue arc, when he and Forbes earn each other's trust.
Col. Konrad
Colonel John Konrad
The commanding officer of the Damned 33rd, after he committed suicide over the guilt of his actions in Dubai, he ended up in Helkegina to get a second chance at a peaceful life.
- Be All My Sins Remembered: Konrad feels personally responsible for the losses incurred at Dunkerque, and for using the White Phosphorus ordnance on the Gallian army.
- Big Good: Alongside Princess Henrietta, he is the face of Tristainian military and the leader of the Damned 33rd.
- The Blacksmith: When Crosby and Louise find him, Konrad is working as a blacksmith in Tristainia. See Retired Badass.
- Four-Star Badass: Promoted by Princess Henrietta unto becoming the commander of the Tristanian armies.
- Retired Badass: When Crosby encounters him, Konrad is a blacksmith in Tristainia.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: Initially Konrad declines to get involved in the war with Albion, however the Reconquista burns down his shop, forcing his hand.
1st Lieutenant Timothy Bowles
Corporal Jebediah Tebby
- The Engineer: He keeps the "Little Bird" chopper running in spite of being in a medieval world of magic.
- Southern-Fried Private: Tebby is from Kentucky and isn't bashful about bragging about it.
1st Lieutenant James Gordon
- Nice Guy: Gordon instinctively protects the elf girl Tiffania, and not just because of her boobs.
- The Big Guy: As befitting a Heavy Trooper. He's often mistaken for a golem.
- You Bastard!: As a player of the video game you realize that the Heavy Trooper that you helped Walker kill in the Aquatic Colosseum was a real person trying to keep people alive.
Robert 'The Radioman' Darden
- Lampshade Hanging: Like the rest of the 33rd, the Radioman likes to call out the enemies of Tristain and their general stupidity.
- The Gadfly: His schtick consists in musing his own views on the story while poking fun at the inhabitants of the setting via speakers that appear out of thin air. There's a reason he was called "The Jester of Albion" prior to reconvening with the rest of the 33rd.
- Troll: He also likes to make fun of the soldiers pairing up with the local girls, including Lugo's romancing Siesta, and Forbes's harem consisting of Tabitha and Illococoo.
Sgt. Forbes
Staff Sergeant Joshua Forbes
- "Won't be anyone left to evacuate..."
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Forbes carries a large burden of guilt over his actions in Dubai, especially during the Mutiny. With Tabitha's help, he gets better.
