Ashton Anchors

**Ashton Anchors** is a wandering swordsman from an unnamed village near Cross. The player first encounters Ashton in the Salva Drift, as both parties follow a rumor that dangerous dragons have taken residence in the mines. Ashton is perhaps the most visually noteworthy character in the game, as the two dragons from the Salva mines become magically attached to his back early in the game.

Ashton is
one of three "secret" characters included by the developers, along
with Opera Vectra and Ernest Raviede. Unlike other possible party members, the methods to acquire Ashton, Opera, and Ernest are especially opaque. Acquiring Ashton will permanently preclude Opera and Ernest from joining the party, while acquiring Opera and Ernest will preclude Ashton. Thus a player must choose Ashton or the other two, or none at all.

## Acquiring Ashton

See *Side Quests: Ashton Anchors: Exorcism*.

The
opportunity to acquire Ashton is triggered in a Private Action in Herlie by
speaking to two men by the docks. Listening to their conversation, one man
tells the other that dangerous dragons inhabit the mines of Salva, the same
mines where Claude and Rena battled Alan-Tax. The player can start this Private
Action any time following the return of the kidnapped children of Mars and
before the Lacour Tournament of Arms.

Venturing
to Salva and into the mines, the party finds Ashton already engaged in battle
with blue and red dragons. The party cheers for Ashton in encouragement, but
inadvertently distract the swordsman at a crucial moment. The dragons lunge at
Ashton when his back is turned, followed by a flash of light. When the characters regain their senses, the two dragons somehow magically fused to Ashton's back.
Ashton is furious that the party distracted him in the midst of battle, and
compels them to "take responsibility for what [they've] done" by
searching for a way to separate the serpents from his back. If the player
agrees to help him, Ashton joins the party.

Technically,
Ashton is not a "permanent" party member unless the player completes
the quest for a solution. Yet whether the party actually searches for a
solution is up to the player. A solution is not necessary to progress with the
story, and Ashton will not leave the party despite not finding a
"cure." The player's decision will not alter or exclude any of the
multiple possible endings.

## Character

Ashton
suffers from profound sadness or even depression, presumably sparked by his
unfortunate mishap with the dragons in the Salva mines. In a humorous
commentary on Ashton's misfortune with the dragons,  Ashton's luck stat is set to a very low 18,
which does not increase upon levelling up, making Ashton without a doubt the
least-lucky character in the game. (However, there is a bevy of items that
artificially raise Ashton's abysmal score when equipped, such as the Melufa).
Because Ashton's backstory was left incomplete, it is unclear if Ashton's bad
luck and depression began when he fused with the dragons, or if his merger was
merely another chapter in a long history of troubles.

Ashton is
the only playable character to wield two weapons, a pair of swords, starting
with Twin Swords. In addition, at level 64 Gyoro and Ururun may attack using
the Killer Move Dragon Breath, breathing a cloud of flames at the enemy.

### Gyoro and Ururun

The
dragons on Ashton's back are named Gyoro and Ururun by Rena Lanford, and have
personalities of their own, though they only infrequently speak to anyone but
Ashton. Their names reflect their distinct personalities and elemental types.
Gyoro, whose name means "fiery countenance" in Japanese, is red and
attacks with fire-elemental damage; Ururun, meaning "sad eyes," is
blue and attacks with ice-elemental damage. Outside of the game -- such as in
sequels -- Gyoro and Ururun are regarded as a single two-headed dragon, while
within Star Ocean 2 they are identified as two dragons.

From a
conversation between the dragons and the fell bird, Xine, it is implied that
Gyoro and Ururun had intentionally fused themselves to Ashton in order to
survive. It is not known if their survival was threatened by Ashton; but
because Xine remarked that Ashton is an uncharacteristically weak host for the
dragons to possess, it seems odd that Ashton could legitimately threaten their
lives. Despite Ashton's initial rejection of the serpents, he learns to love
them and often speaks to them in battle.

Xine hints
that Gyoro and Ururun are extremely ancient beings, perhaps on the order of
thousands of years like Xine himself. In Star Ocean 3, Maria Traydor mentions
that a two-headed dragon lives on the planet Expel. If this is Gyoro and
Ururun, then the dragons survive another 400 years after the events of Star
Ocean 2.

### History

Ashton is
a partially-completed character. Despite having a robust number of private
interactions with Claude Kenni and Rena, Ashton's personal history prior to meeting
the party, and his motivation to face the dragons, are never stated. He also
displays a peculiar obsession with barrels of all shapes and sizes that is
never explained.

In a 1998
interview published in Star Ocean 2's official Japanese-language strategy
guide, the Lead Programmer and Writer, Yoshiharu Gotanda, stated that Ashton's
intended backstory was not included due to time constraints.

His hometown was
never added into the game, and its name is unknown, though the creators did
finish the location for the town on the World Map. To find the location, a
hidden pathway to the intended location running along Lasguss Mountain can be taken
by the player, leading to an empty desert and beachhead where Ashton's town was to be
placed. Because the hidden pathway runs along the same mountain as Xine's
perch, where one acquires Tears of the King, it is presumed that the player was
supposed to find the town either shortly before or shortly after acquiring the
tears.

### Artistic Themes

Ashton
embodies fate and ill fortune. A painting of Ashton, Portrait G, reads:
"The time for choosing has come. He stands up with light in both hands to
answer to his fate." The philosophical idea that Ashton is a swordsman
inexorably bound by a destructive fate is expressed through his terrible luck
in life. With a base luck score of 18, which will not change unless modified by
items, Ashton has the worst luck of any character or boss in the game. Ashton
believes in his own free will but is tragically forced into terrible outcomes
by the acts of others. When Ashton battles Gyoro and Ururun, the dragons
forcibly possess Ashton.

Ashton's
philosophical counterpart is Eleanor, an equally luckless girl who can only be
healed of her terminal illness through the free will of Ashton. While Ashton
was forcibly possessed by dragons through the malevolence of the dragons,
Ashton's benevolence to find the special herb Metox will save Eleanor.

Eleanor
and Ashton are emotionally opposite. Ashton is chronically depressed about his
luckless current life, while Eleanor has accepted death and hopes in a better
afterlife. In theatrical irony, only Ashton is able to exercise his free will
to save Eleanor. Together, Ashton and Eleanor explore the subtle nuances
between free will, determinism, and the will of the gods. If the player chooses
to exorcise Ashton's dragons, Ashton will exercise his own free will to allow
the dragons to remain; he accepts his fate much like Eleanor and grows stronger
as a person, able to face problems of tomorrow with new resolve.

Ashton's
personal growth in Star Ocean 2 allows him to challenge fate in Star Ocean: Blue Sphere. Ashton becomes a central protagonist, accompanying Precis Neumann on a
quest to rescue Opera and Ernest. The group also tries to find a cure for a
mysterious illness contracted by Claude, mirroring the story of Eleanor and
Ashton.

## Items

See *Items: Ashton Anchors*.

Ashton's
items, especially his weapons, explore the themes of determinism and free will
mentioned above. Indeed, the fact that Ashton's swords acquired late-game
greatly enhance his luck underscores the idea that a strong-willed person
can change their destiny. Ashton imbues his blades with Heraldry, in order to
enhance the weapon's power and artificially improve his luck.

Ashton is
able to wield dual swords, the only character able to do so. Additionally,
Ashton is able to equip a small variety of single swords, such as the useful
All-Purpose Knife and the Funny Slayer, though they appear as two swords in
battle.

There are
two unique accessories, the Salamander's Helmet and the Sacknoth Helmet,
special helms for Ashton's dragons. While the meaning of "salamander"
is a clear reference to dragons, the meaning of "Sacknoth" is
unknown.

## Trivia

* Ashton's ultimate Killer Move, tri-Ace, is named after the company behind Star Ocean 2.
* Ashton is essential in order for Precis to learn the Killer Move Holo-Holograph.

## References

1. ↑ "Star Ocean: Second Story - 1998 Developer Interview" in スターオーシャンセカンドストーリー公式ガイドブック : 基礎知識編. Trans. by "shmup." エニックス. 1998.