S’up people,
So it’s finally here, the end of the development stage of
character concepts.
Below are the last three characters I’ve been working on for
the ‘Urban Ninja’s’ first saga, ‘The Axiom’. Introducing “Trio”, an elite group
of highly trained and assembled mercenaries,
hired and developed by Victor Shaw, Trio set out to capture and apprehend the
Ninja one way or another, and will have him face the serious forces of Red
Ogre, Black Viper and The Gunslinger in an all out war across the city.
Completing all the characters at this stage feels like such an achievement for me. Starting from a simple concept of what kind of characters and foes I wanted to see the Ninja interact with I developed these final three characters from a ‘Tabula rasa’, [a blank slate]. As I wondered who and what the Ninja would be fighting against I thought about what it was that the character himself was fighting for. It was for a shift, a point where the fundamentals of his world had to change. This would be where he forces an effort for change and as he does, logically I saw all the points of the old ways (this old world) personifying in these characters against him. ‘Trio’ set out to be the fighters of the old world elected for battle against our protagonist, the first real obstacle in his way.
In the end the best way I could imagine this was with having
it portrayed through the classic ‘old skool’ kung-fu mythos of guns vs. blades,
as one deadly practice challenges the other.
I chose to develop these characters as assassins and experts
in marksmanship. Each character would have a trait that worked well as an
individual but could always relate to squad based fighting and gun fire/gun
kata tactics.
Everything about Trio says that “This is a unit! This is a
squad!” This was why one character couldn't be revealed without the others.
Each member has a similar design in their outfits and their style of
technology, but all relate to one another all the while having a way to show
their personalised uniqueness at the same time.
Not much can be said for their back stories, as mercenaries you seldom have one, let alone one known by many...! Their duty is to Shaw and the job, with pleasure taken in the capture and the kill...
Red Ogre
Encased inside a sub-sonic sound generator Ogre can manipulate and produce powerfully high and low dense sub-sonic frequencies, with the ability to level buildings or shatter solid objects with precision from distance.
Black Vipre is as cold as they come, with a conniving and warped style of combat. Practically a complete automaton Vipre is more machine than woman having her commands and settings programmed into her. A keen, gracious and deadly fighter she battles with two electro-stun bull whip blades, able to strike at any point. Although she never speaks the shrill and haunting static of her voice modulator often resembles sounds of childish laughter as she dismembers her victims.
Commander of the squad, The Gunslinger is a brutal and deadly marksmen, and a stone cold killer. Developed with cybernetic and human augmentations The Gunslinger (NAME: UNKNOWN/CLASSIFIED) commands the group and keeps them as a unit, always ready for the next job.
Still choosing to wear his sniper commander jacket The Gunslinger appears as a type of Neo-cowboy, and battles with dual wielding plasma pulse pistols and his high powered gunblade.
The Gunslinger realises a keen fighter in the Ninja and aims to crush that spirit before he brings him back to Shaw, The Gunslinger is a soldier and believes in fighting for the conglomerate.
***
I really hope to develop what these characters can do in a world of graphic novels, especially with the Urban Ninja's world. I'm working on colour theories next for the characters and will try and enter the world of concept painting and colour theory. As I do I'll include a new post & thread with the character cast for the first saga.
--Un313--
