Among the current crop of fighting games, Under Night In-Birth has always stood out (at least personally) as the one with the most interesting cast. Sure, games can rarely stand up to Guilty Gear in terms of character diversity, but as a look at a brand new universe, the French-Bread title carries its own unique qualities that definitely set it apart in the genre.
That being said, there are still a lot of characters that have yet to appear in playable or even secondary roles. In order to address this, Arc System Works recently put out a special survey for participants of the current Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] location tests asking, among other things, which characters they would like to see join the main cast in the update.
As many of these background figures are relatively obscure, even to Under Night fans, we thought it would be fun to talk about their place in the story and possible gameplay mechanics they may bring to the table if they were to join the playable cast.
To note, much of the information provided below has been pulled from the Under Night wiki, which is a fantastic resource for folks looking to learn more about the story.
Since the location test poll is only available to those who took part, we’ve created our own poll for folks outside of Japan to take part in. Feel free to read the character descriptions below and then cast your vote for who you like best.
Adelheit
Many of the possible characters belong to the franchise’s Licht Kreis organization, which Orie currently belongs to and Waldstein left sometime before the events of Under Night In-Birth.
Adelheit is Licht Kreis’ current leader. An immortal who has been described as one of the most powerful figures throughout the story, she wears extravagant clothing befitting a person of her status. While little is known of her fighting abilities, her stature within the organization is definitely a testament to her strength.
There’s also some history between her and former Licht Kreis agent Waldstein, and as such she now only recruits women to the organization.
Enkidu
While the Licht Kreis and Hollow Blade seek to control the Hollow Night, a phenomenon that sees an alternate dimension manifest in the world and unleash all kinds of nasty stuff, an opposing team named Amnesia wants to free the anomaly from their control.
Like many of these background characters, Enkidu is a mysterious figure. Though he works for Amnesia, his personal goals are unknown due to his stoic nature. He previously made an appearance in Hilda’s story.
Enkidu is said to be rather old, which could possibly make him a strong opponent in the Under Night universe. The heavy chains attached to his wrist have led folks to believe he uses them in battle, though that remains to be seen.
Erika Wagner
Another member of the Licht Kreis, Erika Wagner retains a high position in the organization as the fourth Executor.
She’s said to be something of a problem child; past incidents have seen Erika kill one of Gordeau’s friends as well as comrades like the previous third Executor. She is currently being pursued by Amnesia’s Hilda and Chaos.
As far as powers go, Erika is regularly referred to as the Void Hunter due to her passion for hunting down the creatures spawned by Hollow Night and dispatching them. She apparently fights with a sword and shield, and can also control fire should the need arise.
Kaguya Seikaiguu, Lex Bartholomeus, and Mika Returna
Kaguya, Lex, and Mika serve as part of Orie’s execution team. They have yet to appear in the story due to staying at the Licht Kreis academy during the events of the game.
Kaguya is described as having the personality of a high-class lady. According to concept art, Kaguya appears to wield a pair of guns, a departure from the series’ normal blades. It’s been said that she can also cast spells.
Lex, however, is skilled in the art of information gathering and has been seen to possess a fair amount of knowledge concerning machinery. She is currently in the process of repairing an Automatic Nerve unit, a robot that was created to monitor the Hollow Night and fight Void.
Mika serves as the group’s brute force, and is apparently rather dim-witted. As you’ve probably noticed, Mika wields a pair of ridiculously huge gauntlets. These give her immense power in terms of general fighting, but likely slow her down somewhat when compared to smaller weapons. She is said to have super-human strength.
Kuon
The main antagonist of the series, Kuon belongs to the exclusive Re-Birth club, an unaffiliated group of immortals whose powers transcend even those that have been bestowed special abilities by the Hollow Night. Much like fellow Re-Birth Adelheit, Kuon is considered one of the strongest entities in the Under Night universe.
Kuon’s chivalry is what ultimately inspired Waldstein to leave Licht Kreis and join Night Blade, but he has since disappeared to work mysterious angles from behind the curtain. His sister, Linne, now leads the organization.
As for Kuon’s fighting style, very little is known. Concept art shows him donning a battle suit reminiscent of a Curse Commandment, a technique that adorns the body with various markings and allows the user to utilize Void powers.
Kuu
Kuu is Linne’s pet, a cross between a dragon and a Void.
Like most Void creatures, Kuu is equipped with a Curse Commandment, though it’s currently unknown what abilities this grants to the small animal.
It’s very likely Kuu was included as a joke choice and, if not, could very well be a very interesting addition to an already unique title.
Radiata and Reflecta
As I mentioned above, the Under Night In-Birth includes units called Automatic Nerves. Created to keep watch on the Hollow Night, these robot-like entities engage Voids who become too strong in order to maintain order. They also happen to wield Curse Commandments, allowing them to use the power of the Void themselves.
Currently, Vatista is the only playable Automatic Nerve in the game, but two others have been shown off by the developers. While similar to her, Radiata and Reflecta feature slightly different outfits. It’s been posited that they possess the same powers as Vatista, though that would obviously be shaken up should they join the main cast.
Tsukuyomi
A young woman currently accompanying Byakuya, Tsukuyomi’s history is filled with intrigue. Bearing a scar on her chest as a reminder of her past betrayal, she has taken part in the Hollow Night multiple times in an effort to find her friend and make amends. She also makes mention of a mysterious wish she hopes to fulfill with these efforts.
Tsukuyomi was once a very powerful figure in the Under Night universe, but is currently affected with Zero Vessel, an affliction that prevents her from using her abilities. Once known by different names, she is said to have done something terrible with her powers before losing them.
Uzuki
Uzuki serves Hilda as a member of Amnesia, and appeared in her story mode alongside Enkidu.
Little is known about the power Uzuki wields, but the nonchalant way in which she chastises Hilda could be a hint to her strength. It’s very possible her witch-like attire means she can wield spells, and she may even utilize her umbrella in some fashion during battle.
Due to her status in Amnesia and previous showings in the game, safe money would be on Uzuki making it into the playable cast eventually.
Zenith
The final member of Licht Kreis, Zenith serves as the second-in-command underneath Adelheit. She is very interested in both Amnesia and its leader, Hilda, and is the one who ordered Orie to begin gathering information on their activities.
Like many of the characters in this list, Zenith’s fighting abilities have yet to be shown in-game, but her status in the organization is likely a fair representation of how strong she is. She uses throwing knives.
Source: Arc System Works via Row, Under Night In-Birth Wiki
