Emil Castagnier

Emil Castagnier is the main protagonist of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, the fifth major release's sequel in the Tales series.
==Biography==
===Past===
Emil's parents were killed by Decus posing as Lloyd Irving, the main protagonist in the original Tales of Symphonia. He is portrayed as a coward, but promises to protect Marta Lualdi, the bearer of the Ratatosk Core by forming a contract with the Lord of Monsters, Ratatosk, thus making him the Knight of Ratatosk. He receives the strength to fight against monsters through this contract, making his voice deepen, his eyes turn red, and his attitude bolder. In the duration of this phase, Emil is more violent and blood-thirsty, which is why some call him a monster. This form is later on called "Ratatosk Mode". His goal is to help Marta hatch the Centurion Cores and ultimately avenge the death of his parents. Emil eventually falls in love with Marta. Depending on the choices the player makes, Emil may or may not end up with Marta in the end.
===Humble Beginning===
During the Blood Purge, Emil came across the bodies of his parents and was severely traumatized. Afterwards, he was forced to move in with his abusive uncle in Luin, where he is universally despised for his weak personality and for accusing town hero Lloyd of being the instigator of the Blood Purge and the murderer of his parents. He wants to avenge his parents, but due to his timid personality finds himself paralyzed with doubt and fear.
At the beginning of the game, Emil signs a magical contract with Tenebrae to become a Knight of Ratatosk and protect Marta. From that moment on, whenever he enters battle he taps into a second, empowered personality. With this newfound power, he joins Marta on her quest to retrieve the Centurion Cores and awaken Ratatosk so that he can finally track down Lloyd.
==Fighting Style==
Like many main characters, Emil is a strong, front-line swordsman who can hit fast and hard, similar to Lloyd, Zelos, and Kratos. Unlike them, he has an unrefined sword style as he tends to swing more wildly than the other swordsmen, and is a lot more brutal with his attacks in comparison. Most importantly with Emil are his skills which take advantage of the battle systems in the game. Emil is able to be more of an airborne fighter using the "Sky Combo" and "Sky Attack" skills. His blade is of a unique make, with the grip being shaped like a cane's head via the portion closest to the blade's starting point having an open space that allows more of a focus on reverse-gripping it.
==Trivia==
*Emil means "enthusiasm", indirectly referring to his character growth in the game. Early in development, Emil's name was "Soleil", which is French for "sun".
*Emil's mystic arte, Ain Soph Aur, is derived from Ein Sof, which, in Kaballah, is God prior to his self-manifestation in the production of any spiritual realm, and Ohr, a central Kabbalistic term in which light is used to describe divine attributes. In addition, Ain Soph Aur, or Ohr Ein Sof, is the Kabbalistic term for "Infinite Light".
Category:Tales Series Heroes
Category:Male
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Anime Heroes
Category:Warriors
Category:Fighters
Category:Successful
Category:Adventurers
Category:Dissociative