Reaper (character)

Reaper is the name given to a dark individual in Equestria.

Reaper was formerly known as Resilience, a Pegasus. He had a wife and son, and lived with them in Ponyville. His childhood friend, a fellow Pegasus known as Lightbeam, became an enemy of Resilience after the two joined the opposing factions known as the Silent Watch and the Shadow Guard respectively.

Lightbeam was transformed into the sub-deity known as Angel and as a sign of fear for the Shadow Guard, he murdered Resilience and his family. Resilience was approached by Dark Watcher instead of having his soul transferred to the Spirit Realm, and she offered him a chance at revenge. Angered and bloodthirsty, he took the offer and became the shadowy killer known as Reaper.

Reaper was forced to wear a cloak to obscure his face and features after what happened to him. He lost all of his flesh and organs, leaving him with nothing but a skeleton for a body, and retained the ability to speak. He is still very agile, though he cannot fly by conventional means and relies on his shadowy abilities to get around swiftly. His face is always concealed, excluding the time when he showed his face to Lost Paladin and Marble Pie to show them the cost of victory.

Reaper possesses the skill to cast a large aura of Dark Magic around himself, an ability he calls "Death Blossom." This ability can be used to clear a room and pull the life essence out of those unlucky enough to be in range.

Reaper is immortal. His own soul has been fractured to such extents that even if his physical form is destroyed, it can reconstitute itself over time. However Reaper is forced to consume souls to retain a physical form, and failure to kill and absorb the essence of the recently deceased will cause his body to gradually weaken and eventually disperse into smoke entirely. If this happens, Reaper's amulet will remain and can be used to rebuild his body from scratch. A soul must be fed to the amulet which will subsequently glow and be encased in shadows, with Reaper himself reappearing seconds later.

While using his abilities to turn to shadows, Reaper cannot be touched and can pass through the smallest of gaps.

Reaper has been hunting Angel since his rebirth, and will stop at nothing to get vengeance for his wife and child. However he will aid his allies in the Shadow Guard on their quests and acted as an observer for Lost Paladin during his own missions in Equestria.

He is closest to Crimson Strafe as when she was a filly, Reaper acted as a guardian for her once she was orphaned by Silent Watch members. She has since come to see him as a father figure, with Reaper considering her his daughter. However, they never use these terms to identify each other.

When Fluttershy was a filly, she was saved by Reaper after a massacre between the Silent Watch and the Shadow Guard killed her parents. He took her to Junior Speedstars, and Reaper has watched Fluttershy to ensure she did well for herself. Since Fluttershy remembers Reaper and the bloodshed from the day, she is not afraid of Reaper at all. She actually admires him for his willingness to protect her. Once Fluttershy married Fielde, Reaper stopped watching her.

Reaper is a relentless killer and will not hesitate to sate his hunger for souls. He is also a ruthless murderer, and will often kill his targets in gruesome ways to encourage deep fear in others which, according to him, makes their souls "more useful."

Reaper's abilities (Shadowstep, Wraith Form, Shadow Blast and Death Blossom) all rely on the souls he collects. A poorly-timed Death Blossom could completely drain Reaper of all of his energy and leave him to disperse, or at least leave him vulnerable to attacks.