Raphael

Story

Raphael is the cold and ruthless head of the Sorel family, known for his superb fencing skills and profound knowledge of medical science. Despite his young age, he managed to survive numerous plots and political strife to establish the Sorel family as part of the ruling elite. Unfortunately, during the Evil Seed events, one of the nobles that Raphael supported went insane and made an attempt at the king's life. Raphael's enemies took advantage of this opportunity. They put the blame on him and attacked his house in Paris. After being betrayed by people around him, Raphael retreated to his birthplace, Rouen, to plan a counterattack.

When he came there, he received an unpleasant surprise. Nicola, his nephew, betrayed him, just like the others, and set up an ambush for Raphael. He manages to defeat the soldiers and escape. At the end of his rope and with pursuers still on his tail, Raphael ran into an alley to hide. He stumbled into a little redheaded girl on his way, and the commotion attracted guards. They asked the girl about a strange noble, and Raphael was prepared for this to be his end, to be betrayed one last time. To his surprise, the girl lied instead, misusing the pursuers. Even if her intention was to annoy them, Raphael was touched to tears and felt emotions he had long forgotten. After all that had happened, he was saved by a child who had no reason to help him. When he asked for her name, the girl introduced herself as Amy.

Robbed of his status and wealth, Raphael began living with Amy and working as a doctor. Curious about her, he asked if Amy had a family, and she replied that she had been alone for as long as she could remember. After remarking that it must've been tough, Amy only notes that at least she can't be betrayed if she's all alone. Despite Raphel being a wealthy nobleman and Amy being a poor orphan, they both grew up in a cruel world where they could only rely on themselves. Their conversation is cut short by bandits trying to extort Amy for protection. She tells Raphael to hide, but after bandits assaulted Amy, he could stand by no longer and struck them down. He immediately attended to Amy's wound and, after hearing her indifference to being beaten, promises to provide her savior with a better future.

The two move to Spain, where Raphael sharpens his swordsmanship under the tutelage of a Spanish master for the sake of protecting Amy. He wished for Amy to train as well, but he had to do it himself due to her temperament. The two led a nomadic lifestyle wandering through Spain and improving their skills considerably. Still, with the constant threat of enemies, Raphael decided that living like this would do more harm than good and took the risk of traveling back to France. Before he and Amy can find a sanctuary to call home, they are attacked by the assassins from the Bird of Passage. With Amy's quick thinking and Raphael's sword skills, they manage to make it out.

Focused on ensuring financial stability and a roof above their head, Raphael becomes a servant of the wealthy Lord Dumas while disguising his identity. He would eventually gain Lord's complete trust and affection, with Dumas going as far as promising Raphael his wealth after Lord Dumas passes away. However, he had one request, to send away Amy to an orphanage, something Raphael would never accept. Raphael poisons Dumas and gets his inheritance. They finally have everything, a house of their own, wealth, peace, and safety. However, Raphael is not satisfied and, seeking an ever-better future for Amy, plans to lay his hands on the Soul Edge...

Personality

Initially cold and calculating, Raphael managed the Sorel family with a tight grip, ensuring that they succeeded at any cost. However, after being betrayed and meeting Amy, his personality changed. Raphael had someone he could rely on for the first time in his life and someone he cherished more than himself. Despite that, there is still some callousness and cruelty in Raphael's heart, and he will not think twice before taking extreme measures to ensure a better future for his adoptive daughter.

Playstyle

Being a master of fencing, Raphael is a truly menacing duelist. His expertise lies in unleashing flurries of dangerous vertical attack and incredibly versatile preparation stance. Thanks to this stance, Raphael can throw out various attacks and either negate frame disadvantage on block or gain more plus frames for the further offense. With some of the best counter-hit tools, he is capable of dishing out very high damage and shutting down opponents who are careless with their attacks.

Specializing in vertical attacks, Raphael is naturally susceptible to sidestepping. While he has several viable horizontal attacks to lock down opponents, he still needs to understand the enemy to deploy them well. The execution requirement for an instant preparation stance will also make it challenging to achieve Raphael's full potential.

Appearance

Raphael is a man with pale skin, blue eyes, and short blonde hair. He wears a masquerade mask that resembles a pair of glasses, a white poet shirt, a brown leather vest, a white and blue jacket with golden accents, black leather gloves, a red cape with a black Sorel family crest, blue and red pants, and fencer thigh boots.