GamesRPGMetaphor: ReFantazioMetaphor ReFantazio’s Count Louis finally gives Atlus a Sephiroth-level villainWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGMetaphor: ReFantazioMetaphor ReFantazio’s Count Louis finally gives Atlus a Sephiroth-level villainWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)
Oh no! The King of the United Kingdom of Euchronia is dead! Despite wielding powerful royal magic, all it took was a knife in his sleep. Who could have done the dastardly deed? Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t interested in keeping it a mystery. It’s Count Louis Guiabern, a charismatic, accomplished, and revered army officer with flowing blonde locks. So front and center is Louis' act that it occurs in an anime cutscene before you even get to the title screen.
While a shadowy assassination, it’s essentially an open secret when the plot ofMetaphor: ReFantaziobegins. Count Louis is an ever-present threat, and though he doesn’t hide his sinister motives he’s so far above the player – in terms of strength, support from the people, and the fact he literally owns a flying airship – that he feels unreachable. A cult-like leader, his followers are fanatics – and when the king’s posthumous magic spell thrusts the seat of succession to a vote that reflects the choice within the populations' hearts in real-time, he’s an immediate front-runner.
While Atlus have had some great antagonists across its RPGs, few are such a constant presence in the narrative, many of the best ones not revealing themselves until you get quite close to the end of their stories. There’s a reason thatPersona 2has so many devotees – Joker (no, not the Persona 5 protagonist) is the closest it’s come before. Though even he, be it in his jester-like fit or the paper-bagged variant, is a figure of a mystery rather than a person with clear and stated goals in the way Louis is. To me, he’s a real contender for one of thebest game villainsof all time.
Count ‘em
(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)
“Given the cruelty of the world we’re introduced to in the hours that follow, it’s hard to fault him on the face of it.”
“Given the cruelty of the world we’re introduced to in the hours that follow, it’s hard to fault him on the face of it.”
He’s got the intimidation factor of Sephiroth fromFinal Fantasy 7combined with the cutting charisma of Griffith fromBerserk. Yet, more than purely riffing on icons that came before, the more you get to know Louis, the more you get to see he has his own unique motivations. You can’t help but bounce between “whatisthis guy’s damage?” and “maybeI could fix him?”
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(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)
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It’s genuinely intimidating how little Louis cares about those who know his true ideology, cooly spouting cruel rhetoric almost purely to see how those he’s speaking with will react. And it’s all the more chilling that many of the world’s inhabitants appreciate that candor, continuing to support him even as his ambitions become more naked. Count Louis isn’t just a perfect foil for Metaphor ReFantazio’s hero, but he also perfectly exists within the context of this scramble for power within Euchronia. Everyone in this world knows who he is, and everyone has an opinion about him. But what can you do when people are willing to embrace hatred?
Looking for something like Metaphor ReFantazio to play next? Check out our list of thebest Persona games. What’s next for Atlus? We continue to ponder the rumors surrounding the upcomingPersona 6. And no,you can’t romance Louis or indeed anyone in the game. Sorry to disappoint!
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”