Firebrand
Aliases: The Red Arremer, The Red Blaze, The Crimson Flame, The Red Arremer Joker, Joker
Age: Unknown, but said to be thousands of years old
Occupation: General of Astaroth's Army (Namco x Capcom), Leader of the Demon's Blazon (Namco x Capcom)
First Appearance: Gargoyle’s Quest (May 2, 1990)
Themes:
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Feats:
Gargoyle’s Quest II
-Prior to the games’ events, he worked to become recognized as a true warrior by training in the Warriors’ Training Center every day
-Was sent on a quest by Makai’s king, Morock, to prove his worth by obtaining the Argob's Pot
-Killed Nagus, a naga-like monster with two faces
-Obtained the Spectre’s Fingernail from a dying Morock
-At Morock’s request, traveled to Gibea to meet with King Barr
-Upon learning of Barr’s disappearance, he began searching to uncover the secrets behind the Black Light
-Traveled through Arnon’s river of flames to reach Sidon and locate Samuel, a mage who could release Barr’s magic
-At Samuel’s request, ventured to the cave of Gaza to meet with Hecate, a fallen angel of the night
-Killed the Death Balloon in Hinom, allowing him to obtain the Night Drop
-After obtaining the Candle of Darkness from Hecate, he learned the source of the Black Light, was given a quest to find the Gremlin Stick to reawaken Barr’s magic, and was given Hecate’s wings
-Went to Desert Sittem to find the Gremlin Stick
-Killed the Sand Frog and obtained the Gremlin Stick after killing it
-Restored Barr’s magic with the Gremlin Stick and was granted his power as thanks, allowing him to jump higher
-Traveled to Breager’s palace to inform Makai’s king of the Black Light
-Discovered that the palace’s townspeople had been placed under a spell by Malgor, one of Breager’s subordinates who had disguised himself as the king
-Dispelled the spell over the townspeople by killing Malgor, who recognized Firebrand’s status as the Red Blaze before dying
-Defeated the twin guardians of Mt. Imaus and obtained the Candle of Poltergeist
-Used the Candle of Poltergeist to restore King Darkoan, who had been paralyzed from a loss of magic
-Obtained Darkoan’s power, allowing him to jump and fly higher
-Killed Dagon, a fearsome monster that was terrorizing the desert near Topete, and obtained his scales
-Killed Doppelgänger, who was trying to prevent him from exiting the labyrinth near Topete
-After traveling through the labyrinth, he met with Lethe, the oldest demon in Makai, who informed him of the reason for the Black Light’s appearance, Firebrand’s status as the legendary Red Blaze, and that the demon Goza was trying to revive Breager, the King of Destruction
-Was given the Candle of Lethe, a tool that would aid in Breager’s defeat
-Traveled to Loosekeep to obtain the powers of King Lucifer and Queen Verona
-After accomplishing the above, used the newly formed Candle of the Ghoul Realm to disperse the barrier around Breager’s palace and invaded it
-Killed Goza
-After Goza’s death, he was contacted by Demogorgon, the god of Makai, who awakened his full power and gave him the Mammon’s Hoof, Bereal’s Wings, and Atlas’ Armor
-Killed Breager and proved his status as the Red Blaze
-After Breager’s death, he was given the opportunity to travel to the human world and take it over
-After his quest was completed, he became a legendary warrior whose story was passed down from generation to generation
Gargoyle’s Quest
-Killed Zundo Druer, the guardian of the Makai portal, who was attempting to prevent Firebrand from returning to Makai
-Helped Barone Jark recover his Gremlin Stick
-Killed the Four Eyes, a group of monsters that were guarding the Gremlin Stick
-Killed Bellzemos, a demon who was holding King Darkoan captive
-Helped Darkoan regain his lost power by giving him the Candle of the Poltergeist
-Absorbed Darkoan’s power, making his wings and nails longer
-Killed Zakku Druzer, a snail-like, skeletal chariot racer that was guarding the Candle of Darkness
-Learned the legend of the Red Blaze from Majorita
-Passed Majorita’s test of worthiness, proving his status as the Red Blaze
-Defeated Lucifer, a lord of Makai who believed himself to be the Red Blaze, and obtained his ultimate treasure, Eternal Candle
-Upon obtaining the Eternal Candle, his full power was restored and he was granted Darkfire by his ancestor, the original Firebrand
-Defeated Breager and became a legendary hero
-Was offered the chance to travel to Earth and take it over
Demon’s Crest
-Defeated an army of demons who were attempting to claim six crests that fell out of the sky
-After obtaining five of the crests, he slayed Somulo, a demon dragon who held the Crest of Heaven
-After being shot in the back and having the crests stolen from him, he killed Somulo again after the dragon was resurrected
-Defeated Arma, a general of the demon Phalanx, and obtained the Crest of Earth from him
-Defeated multiple Hippogriffs
-Defeated Belth, a massive skeleton
-Had a rematch with Arma and defeated him again, obtaining the Crest of Air in the process
-Defeated the eyeball monster Ovnunu and obtained the Crest of Fire’s Buster shard
-Defeated Flier and obtained the Crest of Fire’s Claw shard
-Defeated the massive flaming skull Flamelord and obtained the Crest of Fire’s Tornado shard
-Defeated Arma a third time and obtained the Crest of Time after a dying Arma sealed his power inside of it
-Defeated Crawler, a massive pile of sentient carrion, and obtained the Crest of Water
-Defeated Grewon and obtained the Crest of Fire’s Demon Fire shard
-Defeated the massive sea snail Holothurion
-Defeated an illusionary copy of Phalanx
-Defeated the real Phalanx, who had used the Crest of Infinity to obtain ultimate power
-Obtained the Crest of Infinity
-Killed the Dark Demon, a monster that lurked inside the human world who not even Phalanx could defeat
-After realizing his true power didn’t come from the crests, he disposed of them and ventured back to Makai in the hopes of finding a worthy opponent
Namco x Capcom
-Prior to the events of the game, he was promoted to the highest ranking general in Astaroth’s army and became leader of the Demon's Blazon, a group of Red Arremers that protect Makai from otherworldly threats
-Challenged the heroes of Namco and Capcom to a duel so he could prepare for his fight with Arthur
-Convinced a hive of Q-Bees to aid in his fight against the Namco and Capcom casts
-Aided a resurrected Astaroth in his fight against the heroes
-Learned that the demon Nebiroth had killed Astaroth, turned him into his puppet, and taken his place as king of Hell
-Defied Nebiroth’s orders and helped the Demon’s Blazon escape Hell before it was destroyed
-While in Belcrant, he challenged the heroes to see if they were worthy of stopping Ouma, a group that was merging realities to resurrect the dark god Kyuju Kyu
-Fought Arthur, but was killed
Marvel vs Capcom 3
-Defeated Galactus
-In his ending, became the ruler of Makai and sent a squad of demons to kill Arthur
Marvel vs Capcom Infinite
-Teamed up with Dormammu to fight Dr. Strange and Arthur, but was defeated
Strength:
-Can climb up stone walls by digging his claws into them
-Is able to harm high-ranking monsters and demons with his claw strikes
-Could engulf all of Makai in flames just by unleashing his full power
-Managed to overpower Somulo, a dragon said to be so powerful that no man or demon could stand a chance against him
-Punched a thick metal door hard enough that it dented and flew off its hinges
-Even when weakened, his headbutts can shatter enormous stone statues, walls, and blocks of ice
-Should be superior to other Red Arremers, who can fly while supporting Princess Prin Prin's weight
Crossovers:
-Can harm various characters from Namco and Capcom, including the likes of Arthur, Morrigan, and KOS-MOS
-Traded blows with Dr. Strange and Arthur
Agility:
-Can leap several feet through the air
-Can be boosted higher by absorbing powers from the kings of Makai
Speed:
-Massively Hypersonic+, as he can fly across continents in seconds even while critically wounded
Crossovers:
-Can keep up with various Namco and Capcom characters
-Kept up with Dr. Strange and Arthur
Durability:
-Multi-Continent Level by scaling to his strength
-Has survived hits from lesser demons
-Could shrug off blows from high ranking demon lords
-Can take hits from Doppelgänger, a clone of himself
-Survived attacks from Breager
-Survived being critically wounded during his battle against Somulo
-While still sustaining the above wounds, he survived being shot in the back by a burst of magic, falling from hundreds of feet, and crashing into the ocean
-Can headbutt through stone statues, walls, and blocks of ice without any pain
-Should be superior to the other Red Arremers, who can survive several hits from Arthur's lances, fire, holy shields, and magic energy blasts
-Arthur's lances are strong enough to destroy stone gargoyles
Crossovers:
-Can take hits from various Namco and Capcom characters
-Survived a mortal wound from Arthur long enough to explain his reasons for attacking the heroes
-Took hits from Dr. Strange and Arthur
Intelligence:
-Deduced that Malgor had disguised himself as Darkoan and placed a spell on the townspeople
-Discovered that Doppelgänger could reflect damage onto an attacker by shapeshifting and defeated him by only attacking his true form
Crossovers:
-Is knowledgeable on various types of monsters and demons, including the Q-Bees
Personality:
-Is an honorable, selfless, kind guardian for the people of Makai
-Devotes himself to serving the people first and does whatever he can to ensure that everyone in Makai is safe and happy
-Prefers to work alone, though he is willing to accept the help of others via the items they give him
-When not training or working, he’s often shown enjoying the company of other ghouls
-Enjoys fighting strong opponents and hopes to find someone who can show him the glory of a true battle
-Has no interest in using his power to rule over others, as seen when he disposed of the Six Crests after realizing he could use their powers to rule over Makai
Crossovers:
-Respects Whirlo from the Valkyrie series due to his reputation
-Is only dedicated to serving Astaroth, and should anyone else try to give him orders, he will refuse them
-This even extends to those who are Astaroth’s superiors, like Nebiroth
-Over the course of their fights, he and the heroes earned a mutual respect for each other, and he even made peace with Arthur before dying
Weapons and Equipment:
Claws:
-Used to scratch enemies and climb up walls
Wings:
-Used to hover, glide, and fly through the air at high speeds
-Can wrap them around himself to block attacks
Armor:
-Wears wrist and ankle guards made of metal
-In Namco x Capcom, he gains a chestplate that greatly boosts his defenses
Talisman of the Cyclone:
-Revives Firebrand’s damaged body, granting him an extra life
Spectre’s Fingernail:
Gargoyle’s Quest II:
-An artifact given to Firebrand by King Morock that symbolizes his worthiness as a warrior
-Makes Firebrand’s body lighter, allowing him to fly higher
Gargoyle’s Quest:
-Received by Barone Jark
-Possesses the same properties as the previous one
Dragon’s Armor:
Gargoyle’s Quest II:
-Armor given to him by a guard that was impressed by his willingness to cross the lake of fire
-Increases Firebrand’s vitality
Gargoyle’s Quest:
-Armor given to him by a guard who was impressed by his willingness to travel to Darkoan’s palace
-Increases his vitality
Night Drop:
-Obtained by defeating the Death Balloon
-A magic material that allows Firebrand to use Magic Buster, a stronger fireball that can destroy stone blocks
-Used to create the Candle of Darkness
Candle of Darkness:
Gargoyle’s Quest II:
-A candle made by Hecate that covers an entire area in darkness when lit
Gargoyle’s Quest:
-Obtained after defeating Zakku Druzer
-Grants him the Power of Claw, which he can use to create platforms on spike walls
-Lets him talk to creatures that only exist in the dark
Wings of a Fallen Angel:
-Originally belonged to Hecate, but were given to Firebrand to aid in his quest
-Allows Firebrand to fly even higher
Gremlin Stick:
Gargoyle’s Quest II:
-An artifact that was key to restoring Barr’s lost magic
-Lets Firebrand use Magic Tornado, which creates a small tornado in midair that he can use as a platform
Gargoyle’s Quest:
-Lets Firebrand use Block-Buster, which upgrades his fire to the point where it can destroy the hardest stone
Essence of the Ghoul Realm:
-An elixir that increases Firebrand’s vitality
Candle of Poltergeist:
-A candle that can be used to dispel paralysis and restore lost magic when lit-Used to help Darkoan regain his strength
Candle of Lethe:
-A candle that contains the magic of various demons, granting Firebrand more abilities
-After absorbing the power of Lucifer, it transformed into the Candle of the Ghoul Realm, giving it the ability to disperse the magic barrier around Breager’s palace
-Contains the following:
-Hippogriff’s Feather: Gives Firebrand feathers on his wings, allowing him to fly further
-Magic Claw: Lets Firebrand fire projectiles that can cover thorny walls, allowing him to scale them safely
Mammon’s Hoof:
-One of three items granted to him by Demogorgon
-Grants him an even higher jump
Bereal’s Wings:
-The second of three items given to him by Demogorgon
-Lets him fly for an unlimited amount of time
Atlas’ Armor:
-The final item given to him by Demogorgon
-Boosts his vitality
Wings of the Falcon:
-Increases the length Firebrand can fly
-Seems to grant the user a boost in jumping power, as a ghoul mentions that with the wings equipped, a single leap would bypass the defenses in Darkoan’s palace
Essence of the Soulstream:
-A rare concoction that fully heals its user
Armor of Guile:
-A suit of armor worn alongside the Dragon’s Armor
-Further boosts his stats
Eternal Candle:
-An artifact that originally belonged to Lucifer
-Upon obtaining this, Firebrand receives the full power of his ancestor, the original Firebrand
-Grants Firebrand unlimited flight and lets him use Darkfire
Potions:
Mercury:
-Lets Firebrand escape from an enemy by teleporting him to the beginning of the level
Sulfer:
-Lets Firebrand flee from battle by teleporting him back to the world map
Herb:
-Restores five of Firebrand’s HP
Elixir:
-Resurrects Firebrand with five health points
Ginseng:
-Fully restores Firebrand’s health
Spells:
-Pieces of parchment that Firebrand can trade in to a store, allowing them to be inscribed with single-use spells
Shadow:
-Creates a barrier of shadows around Firebrand, protecting him from damage and harming weaker enemies
Hold:
-Paralyzes Firebrand’s enemies, freezing him in place
Imp:
-Summons an imp that flies around Firebrand and slams into nearby enemies
-The imp remains on screen as long as Firebrand keeps it paid
Shock:
-Creates a small earthquake that damages all earthbound enemies
-Useless against airborne targets
Death:
-Summons an incarnation of Death that instantly kills weaker enemies and causes heavy damage to bosses
Crests:
-Six crests that were said to have fallen from the heavens and onto Makai
-Grants the user control over the elements and aspects of reality
-Firebrand can switch between them on the fly
Crest of Fire:
-A red crest that gives its user control over fire, making them ruler of the flames
-Was originally broken into five parts before being repaired by Firebrand
-Has four abilities:
-Fire: A fireball that can be used to light torches
-Buster: A stronger fireball that can shatter stone, break brick, and destroy armor
-Tornado: Lets Firebrand create whirlwinds that he can use as platforms in midair
-Claw: Lets Firebrand climb spiked walls by coating them in a substance he can cling to
-Demon Fire: Allows the user to spit bolts of “the most powerful fire in the realm”
Crest of Earth:
-A yellow crest that grants its wielder great strength and control over the earth
Crest of Air:
-A violet crest that allows its user to control the winds and rule the skies
-When used by Arma, its power could create a massive tornado
Crest of Water:
-A blue crest that gives its user the ability to swim beneath the seas and rule over the ocean
Crest of Time:
-A green crest that grants its user the ability to go back in time
-Contains the power of Arma, one of Firebrand’s more frequent rivals
Crest of Heaven:
-A light blue crest that gives its wielded control over Heaven
-Can be used to fire energy balls that track their targets or stop mid-flight to fire out damaging shockwaves
-Never used by Firebrand
Crest of Infinity:
-A light blue crest that can only be formed when the six crests are united
-Is said to grant its wielder unimaginable power
-Can be used to transform into a more powerful state
The following is exclusive to Marvel vs Capcom 3:
Crystal Ball:
-Allows Firebrand to view events from afar
-Can likely be used to see the future
-Used in his noncanon ending
Powers:
Flight:
-Self-explanatory
-Was initially only able to hover off the ground for a few seconds, but as his power grew, he eventually gained the ability to fly indefinitely
Wall Crawling:
-Also called the Hell Climb
-Can scale up walls by digging his claws into them, even if the walls are made of stone
Pyrokinesis:
-Due to his expertise in fire breath magic, Firebrand can spit out balls of fire
-Can be upgraded further with equipment such as the Night Drop or Lethe’s Candle, or by regaining his full power
-Upon obtaining his full power, his pyrokinesis evolves to the point where he can use Darkfire, the strongest form of fire breath magic
-His flames are strong enough to hurt Phalanx, who’s completely unharmed while in lava
-In Marvel vs Capcom, he shows the ability to
Astral Projection:
-Firebrand releases his soul from his body, allowing him to scout nearby areas
-Freezes time upon activation
-While active, Firebrand’s soul is unable to be harmed
The following is exclusive to Namco x Capcom:
Extrasensory Perception:
-Could sense Astaroth’s presence via his magic
-Sensed that the Astaroth he was talking to was a fake
Moveset:
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[Start at 9:42]
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Devil’s Claw:
-Firebrand dropkicks an opponent, causing them to bounce against the ground
-Once this move is completed, Firebrand will be left in Flight Mode
Hell Spitfire:
-Also called Fireball
-Firebrand spits a slow moving fireball that travels across the stage
-Can be fired straight ahead, at an upward angle, or at a downward angle
-If fired down, it will create a trail of flames that spreads across the stage and can knock an opponent into the air
-Can be performed on the ground or in the air
Tornado:
-Firebrand slashes through the air, creating a small tornado
-Can increase its size and send it further by creating a second tornado, and he can set it on fire by using Hell Spitfire
Bon Voyage:
-Firebrand grabs his opponent, drags them across the floor, and throws them to the end of the stage; bouncing them against the wall
Demon Missile:
-Firebrand coats his body in fire as he rushes toward his opponent
-Has three variants: one where he charges into his opponent and bounces off, leaving in Flight Mode; one where he rushes forward and ends up behind them; and one where he jumps back before charging at them
Hover:
-Activates Flight Mode, which causes Firebrand to fly through the air for 2 seconds
Hell’s Elevator:
-Firebrand leaps through the air, either straight up, forward, or backwards, and activates Flight Mode
Hell Dash:
-Firebrand dashes straight down, back, or forward
Hyper Combos:
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[7:12 to 7:55]
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[13:38 to 13:36]
Dark Fire:
-Level 1 Hyper Combo
-Firebrand unleashes a stream of purple fire from his mouth, starting from the ground and dragging it higher as he moves his head up
-Causes the most damage when the opponent is next to or below Firebrand
Luminous Body:
-Level 2 Hyper Combo
-Firebrand’s body turns white, increasing his strength and speed by 25% for about 10 seconds
-While in this form, he’s much faster and can perform combos he normally can’t do
-Can be stacked with Chaos Tide, which will cause the Red Arremer to gain the same transformation and boosts
Chaos Tide:
-Firebrand's Level 3 Hyper Combo in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
-Firebrand summons a Red Arremer to assist him in battle, which lasts over nine seconds
-While active, Red Arremer will attack opponents with Hell Spitfire or Demon Missile
Red Blaze:
-Firebrand's Level 3 Hyper Combo in Marvel vs Capcom Infinite
-Firebrand lunges toward the opponent while surrounded by fire. If he hits them, they're sent into the air as he ascends past them, grabs them by the face, and descends toward the ground while coated in fire. As they land, Firebrand slams them into the ground, creating a massive explosion of flame that sends them into the air
Ground Gargoyle:
-Obtained while using the Crest of Earth
-Turns Firebrand’s skin yellow and removes his wings
-Enhances his strength to the point where he can break through boulders and statues with a shoulder tackle, as well as move heavy objects
Aerial Gargoyle:
-Obtained by using the Crest of Air
-Turns Firebrand’s skin blue and fuses his arms to his wings
-Boosts the power and speed of his flight, as well as letting him fly horizontally and vertically
-Can fire blades of wind sharp enough to sever vines
Tidal Gargoyle:
-Obtained by using the Crest of Water
-Turns Firebrand’s skin green, removes his wings, and makes his claws, feet, and ears webbed
-Increases Firebrand’s ability to swim and lets him breathe underwater
-Makes him stronger and faster while underwater at the cost of being slower and weaker on land
-While in this form, he fires bursts of water instead of fireballs
Legendary Gargoyle:
-Obtained with the Crest of Time
-Reverts Firebrand to his prime
-While in this form, his skin becomes hard as iron and the damage he takes is halved
-Lets him create Dark Flares, which are fireballs shaped like dragon skulls
Ultimate Gargoyle:
-Obtained with the Crest of Infinity
-Turns Firebrand into a purple version of the Legendary Gargoyle
-Has all of the abilities of Firebrand’s other transformations outside of lighting torches and increasing his strength underwater
The following is exclusive to Marvel vs Capcom:
Luminous Gargoyle:
-A super form that Firebrand can briefly take on
-Turns him white and provides a 25% increase to strength and speed
-Lasts about 10 seconds
Weaknesses:
-Somewhat full of himself
-Prefers using his own strength instead of relying on the crests, though he’s willing to put this aside when fighting threats to Makai
-The crests can be broken with enough force, and they can be stolen from him if he isn’t careful
-Will drown if he remains underwater for too long, though his Tidal and Ultimate forms prevent this
-Some transformations remove his wings or wall-crawling
-No longer has access to the crests
-Astral projection is only useful for scouting and has never been used in combat
"Ruggagh gigh grigaugh... Gyah gyah gyah!"
("Tell the people of your world... Fear the Red Blaze!")
