Summary: Some MUSSEings about two characters surrounding the ASHen Chevalier, and who they could really be.

Sen no Kiseki III is choke full of characters, and I’m really hyped to see how the story will unfold with so many interesting personalities clashing together. But from the dozens and dozens of characters the game will have, two of them really caught my eye : Musse and Ash. Not only design-wise (even though I really love their design and the weapons they use) but also the kind of mysterious aura they have around them. So, let’s take a look at them, shall we?

1. What we know of them

Well, not much.

Musse is from a rich noble family from Western Erebonia, went to St. Astraia before joining Thors II for an unknown reason after the Civil War.

Ash comes from Raquel (also in Western Erebonia), defended the city during the Civil War and then someone told him he should go to Thors 2.

They’re new characters, just like Kurt and Juna… but whereas Juna (as a Crossbell citizen) and Kurt (as a member of the Vander family) have ties to the overarching plot of the series, Ash and Musse don’t. It’s not the first time an important character is introduced in the series without warning (looking at you, Lechter), but that’s definitely the first time new playable characters are introduced in a ongoing arc without any sort of foreshadowing for their existence.

Of course, they could have been created to introduce the city of Raquel and Ordis, as well as Western Erebonia in general… But given the wide range of student characters introduced before, that doesn’t feel really that necessary. And towns like Trista and Celdic don’t have any playable characters linked to them.

Even so, Falcom felt the need to have those two characters in the third game, and thus the conclusion of the arc. To me, it clearly means they will have an important role to play beside narrative exposition.

Moreover, they also seemed to be always paired together in promo material, even so their backgrounds seem wildly different. Even their chara-design hints at some opposition (Musse outfit is totally blue, whereas Ash wears a red jacket under his uniform) but also some connection (Musse’s rifle has a red orb as part of its design, Ash has a blue one).

2. Hypothesis 1 : The Vampire Connection

To be more specific, Musse could be a vampire hunter working for the church, and Ash could be a vampire (maybe also working the church as a vampire hunter).

We know for a fact vampires will be relevant in the third game. And since Red Moon Rose talks about links between the Church and vampire hunters, and that the actual Roselia seems to have links with the Church too. It doesn’t seem too far fetched to guess there will be vampire(s) (and vampire hunters) in this game.

Also, if Rean Ogre Mode is indeed linked to vampirism (as some theories say so), then the section in the trailer where Ash and Musse appear (aside from the quick character introduction at the beginning) is JUST before it in the trailer. It might be a coincidence but I don’t really believe it. Whatever Musse and Ash are up to, there is a connection with Ogre Mode and Divergent Laws, I’m sure of it.

Now, let’s speak a bit more about Musse and Ash:

First of all, I reread Red Moon Roselia not so long ago and the first appearance of Rose strikes me as similar to someone: when Rose first appears, she is wearing a blue navy overcoat and beret, a skirt (of unspecified color) and her hair are shoulder length ; for the hair color, that’s quite close to Musse’s chara-design (well, technically, Altina also wears a beret but… whatever) .

Also, it a little bit more far-fetched and a bit meta but one of Musse’s Craft make her shoot knives, and Rose uses knives are part of her “vampire hunting kit” (also, that could be an obvious and totally unsubtle nod to Melty Blood, a game which features vampire among other things).

Speaking of Crafts, one of Ash’s S-Craft (I think?) has him having bloodstains appearing on his axe. And, to be honest, Ash himself, with his red eyes and condescending attitude, strikes me as a perfect candidate for a rival ‘vampire’/Ogre for Rean. That’s less evidence than Musse but I think if she is connected to vampires, he will be too. (And, well, maybe the person who told him to go to Thors II is part of the Church, who knows?)

3. Hypothesis 2 : Divine Knights

A bit more shaky theory could be that they are linked one way or another to the Divine Knights and the Great Power.

First, Musse promo material features her mainly in Ordis. Of all the town in Erebonia,  it’s that one town where there was a Divine Knight, used during the Civil War at that.

As for Ash… Well, just take a look at his name. Even Carbide kinda fits with the lexical field of ash.

I think those evidence are a bit less compelling than the vampire theory ones, but that would still mean those new characters have ties with Valimar and Ordine, even in a meta-way. Which is still an interesting thought to keep in mind.

Besides, Ordine still needs a new Awakener… and maybe Musse could fit the bill. ([crack theory]as for Ash, he could try to kill Rean and become Valimar’s new Awakener, maybe?[/crack theory])

(And let’s be honest, a Divine Knight with a rifle would be unbeatable and totally awesome so I’m all for Awakener Musse).

3. Hypothesis 1+2 : Vampire, Divine Knights and Sept-Terrions

Okay, I’m going way down the rabbit hole now but, but since we’re here, what if vampirism and Divine Knights were linked?

What if vampires hold a part of the Great Power? Maybe the Divine Knight symbolizes the courage (and fire), and the vampire the fortitude (and time)? Or maybe the vampires are the ones who design the Divine Knights, using some part of the Great Power? Or maybe the Divine Knights were conceived to fight against the vampires (since vampires are traditionally supposed to be weak to fire)?

And so maybe Ash and Musse are directly connected to the Sept-Terrion, one way or another?

Ash could be way older than he looks and even a previous Awakener of Valimar for example. It’s not like the whole « way older than they look » is unprecedented (and would be a boon of the fair-haired kind). If Arianrhod is indeed a vampire and an Awakener, it means others could be too.

As a final point to this last part, let’s just take a look a Musse’s name: Egret. There is an deity called Bennu in the Egyptian pantheon, it appears as a heron/egret and it is linked to the sun, creation and… rebirth. Hmmm…

Well, of course, in the end, Ash and Musse could be just some random Ironbloods… but that would be the most boring outcome ever, right?