Though "Demon Hunter" is a rather poor manner in which to describe some of the following characters listed, it cannot be denied that most of the following fighters properly perform the function of demon hunting quite effectively, even if they lack the purpose of the pursuit. Many of them can often be found performing a number of other tasks, such as exorcising, treasure hunting, and some are readily available as mercenaries. Nonetheless, their power and ability should never be underestimated, a lesson that a number of demons didn't have the benefit of learning ahead of time.
Age: 17
Species: Human
Class: Samurai/Ninja
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Likes: Acts of nobility, a good fight, food, ego gratification, weaponry, explosives
Dislikes: The undead (especially vampires), dragons, the deaths of innocents, school and/or studying, overly aggressive women
Weapons: Katana, Daggers, .50 cal Nighthawk
Fighting Style: Anything-Goes Martial Arts, Hyoken School of the Dragon's Flame
Combat Abilities: Very high. Precision fighter with superior speed and battle reflexes, along with considerable strength and endurance. His pure physical abilities are complemented by powerful weapon and ki manipulation skills, allowing him to destroy larger or tougher opponents with a single blow.
Techniques:
Flash Fyre: Wide-area ki flame barrage
Dragon Fist: A ki-based fire punch that forms the shape of a dragon's head when utilized and attacks with devastating power. It is the prized technique of the masters of the Hyoken school, and has an advanced form called Dracos Omega. Only the grandmaster of the school can perform the advanced technique
Blazing Claw: A technique that forms fire-based ki-blades around the user that follow his movements and follow his attacks
Silver Blitzkrieg: A super-fast sword technique that utilizes ki-enhanced motion to power the striking force of a blade, while striking several times in all directions or focusing on one. Unlike the crimson blitzkrieg, which the technique is modeled after, Ranma's technique offers advanced mobility to move from target to target in the midst of the attack.
Forced to live on his own for a long while, Ranma has become the very greatest example of a wandering fighter. Able to care for himself without meeting any towns or settlements for months, and fully capable of dispatching those creatures in the wastes who would seek to prove otherwise, Ranma has wandered the East for years, honing his skills and helping those in need. He has become a very effective demon hunter, but up until recently, had gained very little in the way of reputation.
Age: 22
Species: Hybrid (Human/Blood Angel)
Class: Dark Paladin (Rank: Dread Knight)
Alignment: Lawful Evil (with Chaotic Neutral tendencies)
Likes: Violence, booze, gambling, cooking
Dislikes: Angels, peace, cowardice, weakness, elves, romance, women who aren't fighters, purity, love, royalty, being preached to about things he doesn't already believe, the 7 Dark Brotherhoods other than the Third, the 3 Divine Circles, all other religions that have not been already covered, being sober, classical music, the undead, resurrection, discipline, laws, having to pretend to respect people he does not.
Weapons: Darkrune, Twin 20 mm. Bolter Pistols
Darkrune: A large broadsword of reasonably functional design, Darkrune is a sword forged from the heartstone of the dark Ancient Kharak, who cursed the tribe of angels that slew him to be blood angels. Feeding on the blood of the slain, Darkrune normally drives its weilders mad with lust for the kill, but Rayden seems either immune to it, or strong enough to only give in partially to its dark influence. Darkrune itself is a fearsome weapon, capable of expending its energy in a number of ways to destroy the enemies of its master. This includes the dreaded venom strike, a technique which only Darkrune itself can unleash.
Twin Bolters: A pair of modified bolter pistols created from some of the more inquisitive races to take a liking to Earth Realm's technology, these weapons pack significantly more punch than the average handgun, enabling them to pierce harder types of armor. Using mithril clips, like with all projectile weapons, significantly increases piercing ability.
Shadow Break: A dark energy punch. High impact damage
Dark Crash: An energy-enhanced sword strike. Can be followed up with an uppercut-slash called shadow split, which also launches energy waves that strike the ground at random points.
Venom Strike: Darkrune's most feared technique, it is said to be able to cut through anything that isn't magically shielded, and neutralize regenerative abilities, such as those of werewolves
Clerical Magic (Kharak): Despite being mostly sealed by the same magics that bind Darkrune's power, Rayden still has access to some of the clerical spells granted to him for being the avatar of the Ancient of Destruction. Inevitably, these spells involve slightly differing blasts and bolts to blow up one's enemies, from the small but effective void bullet to the punishing rune beam. This magic also allows him to generate an electric field around his body at will, though with the concentration required, Rayden would just as soon put the energy into another good punch or kick.
Rayden is a veteran demon hunter and veteran of the Death March, having fought against the demon armies all his life, both in Earth Realm and in all the others he's visited. Brought up as an experiment in Doppler's lab, Rayden always had to fight to survive, and was conditioned not to think. While he's learned many useful skills, that conditioning still plagues him, as he's prone to wandering around aimlessly looking for malevolent creatures to fight, and generally getting into trouble that would be easily avoided. Thus, he functions best when he's being told what to do, either by a mercenary commissions office or by a field commander. Rayden carries the weapon of Kharak's avatar, Darkrune, and gladly accepts the power of the dark blade, even though it's quite likely that the sword will eventually corrupt and subvert his mind. Because of his blood angel heritage, Rayden is sometimes mistaken for a full demon, and despised by those angels that manage to figure out what he is.
Age: 112
Species: Evon
Class: Wizard/Cleric (Rank: Avatar)
Alignment: True Neutral (with Lawful Good tendencies)
Likes: Money, adventure, gambling, women, fighting evil, human technology, magic, books
Dislikes: Authority, slavery, elves, discrimination (he is aware of the irony), outdated traditions and concepts
Weapons: Eye of Malakai, spell talismans
Fighting Style: Limited study in an inferior class of martial arts called Sahma (as unarmed combat against most demonic breeds is usually considered suicide, very few such schools exist outside Earth Realm)
Combat Abilities: Reasonably high, with an emphasis on tactical abilities. With ample time to prepare, Kaze is capable of anything from laying magical traps to summoning a small force of weak, expendable elemental soldiers. Psychic abilities also enable him to detect enemies, some traps, and even deceit. In close combat, however, Kaze remains average.
Techniques:
Talisman Magic: A school of magic in which spells are prepared ahead of time by binding them to runes drawn on slips of paper, which are then thrown at or slapped onto the target during combat. These spell talismans can be very potent, and do not drain the spellcaster or take excessive concentration and incantation. The disadvantage is that talismans are suited to fighting a few foes at short range, and are poor against many foes at longer range, where intense concentration is required to get the talismans to their targets.
Light Magic (Combat emphasis): Standard combat magic that utilizes light elemental properties, this school is most notable for projecting arrows and lances of force, as well as projecting extremely formidable protective barriers.
Clerical Magic (Malakai): Magic granted through worship to the ancient Malakai. This magic has much overlap with the light magic school, but its emphasis is undeniably combat-related. Many spells of this type actually cause damage based on how "evil" the target's soul is, and philosophical questions aside, they are indisputably powerful when used against the guilty, and nearly useless against the innocent and just. This magic is significantly enhanced by the Eye of Malakai.
Psychic Powers: Kaze is an accomplished psychic, and though he can't read minds, he can detect emotions, send messages telepathically, sense lies, and use telekinesis.
A miscreant priest turned avatar, Kaze's life was all set for him to be dragged kicking and screaming into a life of simple devotion, affluence, and peaceful luxury serving as one of the Order of Malakai's archbishops. That plan was severely derailed when Kaze surprised everybody and ended up becoming the fourth avatar of Malakai. Always having an appreciation for adventure, Kaze gladly seeks out danger and trouble, and to his credit, he usually does more good than harm when he finds it. He very much enjoys the darker sides of adventuring, however, and indulges in gambling, drinking, pointless violence, and lechery as much as the next wanderer (as long as that wanderer isn't Ranma). He gets along surprisingly well with Rayden, as both men are willing to put aside their conflicting religious views and bad-mouth the elves. Very prone to profiteering and manipulation, any business venture of Kaze's is likely to tread very close to the boundaries of law.
Age: 1,834
Species: Demon (unique)
Class: Living weapon (unique)
Alignment: True Neutral
Likes: Deference, good cooking, massages, luxuries, hot baths
Dislikes: Other women, getting excessively dirty, pointless violence (not violence in general, but specifically the pointless kind), artifacts more useful than her, poverty
Weapons: Her own body
Fighting Style: None. All of Gehenna's own combat skills are untrained and reliant on her abilities rather than any particular style or skill
Combat Abilities: Fair. Gehenna isn't particularly strong on her own, but she can turn segments of her body into a variety of blades and bludgeons, and in her weapon form she is all but invulnerable. Most of the time a spark of ingenuity can make up for a lack of brute force and combat skill. As she can absorb magical items and take their forms, as well as replicating their magical abilities, her main strength lies in assisting a wielder rather than fighting herself.
Major Weapon Forms:
Thunder longspear, swift rapier, venom dagger, apocalypse bolt (crossbow ammo form), thunder maul, gloomshade great cleaver, soul reaver scythe, sonic scimitar, crystal lance, guardian katana, rusty old katana
A soul-devouring demonic weapon that Ranma's party picked up unwilling after being tricked into confronting her on behalf of Rakkyo, Ranma's old martial arts master/bane of his existence. Claims to want to live a life of peace and luxury free from war, yet she nonetheless displays plenty of violent and demonic tendencies when the situation calls for it. Absolutely terrified of Darkrune, and Rayden, mostly because the latter keeps threatening her with the former. Despite this fear and her own desire to live a luxurious life free of conflict, Gehenna ended up forming a magical pact with Rayden so that she could survive, and now functions as Ranma's primary weapon. Except when she doesn't feel like it.
Age: 20
Species: Metadragon
Class: Scholar
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Likes: Metal, books, technology, showing off his intellect, humanoid women, material wealth
Dislikes: Being compared to inferior forms of life (or inanimate objects), dragon hunters, demons, servitude, being in the midst of combat
Combat Abilities: Unremarkable. Though capable of harming creatures about the size of a human, this "harm" amounts to little more than cuts and abrasions
An exceedingly rare breed of dragon, K was found locked up on a convoy that was to take him to Dashtall's fortress in the north, but was waylaid when Ranma assaulted it. His special abilities seem to be limited to flight, and the useful capability to understand all forms of spoken communication. Not having anywhere to go and no way of protecting himself, the young dragon took up following Ranma on his travels, offering companionship, translations, and a fair store of knowledge about the creatures of the Nexus.
Age: 100
Species: Angel
Class: Paladin (Rank: Captain)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Likes: Justice, nobility, kindness, punishing evildoers
Dislikes: Blood angels, rudeness, the undead, evil, anything having to do or somehow associated with the Eight Dark Brotherhoods
Weapons: Silver blade (beta level enchantment)
Fighting Style: Non-descript sword style commonly practiced by all holy paladins
Combat Abilities: Relatively high, Chiima is gifted with a swift dexterity that belies his bulky muscle and a firm constitution inconsistent with typical angelic fragility. Additionally, he can, of course, fly, which lends him further advantages against traditional foes. His absolute faith is likewise strong enough to manifest in the form of several weak but reliable clerical spells. Unfortunately, Chiima is rather bull-headed and brash, meaning that he rarely makes the best use of his abilities without someone more rational around to command him.
Kaze's most loyal friend as he was growing up, Chiima really couldn't be more different from the miscreant cleric that he spent so much time training with when they were both acolytes; Kaze was rude, lazy, disobedient, obsessed with petty personal pleasures, and cared little for authority. Chiima was the very picture of an excellent paladin, throwing himself headlong into his training to become the very best he could be and never questioning an order or a commandment. Despite this, it seemed that Kaze netted the honor of being declared the Order of Malakai's fourth avatar. Chiima wasn't bitter, however, and in true honorable fashion, continues to direct all his negative energy toward Rayden, Kaze's other best friend, and coincidentally a racial enemy of the angels.
Age: Approx. 3,450
Species: High elf
Class: Cleric (Rank: Bishop)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Likes: Order, peace, obedience, politeness, magic
Dislikes: Disobedience, fighting, sin, demons of any type, evil, technology, suggestions that the elves aren't as great as the elves frequently insist they are
Weapons: Gold runic staff
Fighting Style: None. Saima is entirely reliant upon her magic and allies to defend herself
Combat Abilities: Though hard to establish before seeing it in action, Saima is actually a combat mage of tremendous skill, being able to call upon a number of vicious clerical magics and traditional attack magics that frankly leave Kaze green with envy. Unfortunately, centuries of civilian work as an administrator and disciplinarian has left her quite rusty, both in terms of direct magical power, and her ability to make optimal combat decisions (which is critical for any mage)
Techniques:
Clerical Magic (Malakai): Saima's mastery of Malakai's magical blessings is unmatched all across Earth realm, and she commands spells that can strike down the fiercest opponent in a swirling melee or bend the most stubborn mind forcefully to her own iron will
Light Magic: A school of magic famed for its powerful energy lances, Saima has mastered the coveted Severus family of spells, which include magic bolts that tear through all but the most impenetrable magic resistance
Kaze's disciplinarian and #1 drag through most of the young evon's life, Saima (so called because elves never allow any lesser species to refer to them by their first names) appears at first to be a stereotypical control freak nun with a merciless streak that probably comes from her apparent celibacy. And, well, that's precisely what she is. However, the elven bishop does boast considerable skill and wisdom, and takes her responsibilities as seriously as she takes everything else that ever happens. Like most elves, she's prone to vanity and prejudice, which has led to a deep rivalry between her and Kaze, whom she was assigned to teach by Archbishop Toren, and occasionally even Chiima, whom she constantly praised as being the most capable and reliable "non-elf" she'd ever had to care for.
Age: 36
Species: Human
Class: Sorceress/Commando (Rank: General)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Likes: Power, order, obedience, formality, tea
Dislikes: Non-humans, disobedience, trickery, beer
Weapons: None, June relies entirely on her subordinates and her own formidle magic powers
Fighting Style: Though given advanced hand-to-hand training, it's doubtlessly fallen into disuse
Combat Abilities: On par with many demi-gods, General Kitinski is the most powerful magi-soldier ever produced by Israel. Capable of drawing and using nearly limitless quantities of mana with incomparable ease, she can devestate towns and castles within minutes, annihilating everything within. At close range or against an unseen foe she is vulnerable, however
Techniques:
Spell Programs (emphasis: Light): June specializes in the light element, which deals with force manipulation, shields, and disintegration, as well as flares and illusions at lower levels. June's spells tend to be of the higher level sort that deal with the annhiliation of large stretches of land and the relentless battering of opponents. She is ranked at level five for magic power among the magi soldiers, the highest power rating ever attained.
Like Colonel Molsk, General June Kitinski also fought alongside Ranma during the Death March, but unlike the ice sorceress, June developed a persisting grudge against the mercenary rather than a powerful attraction. Ruthless, haughty, powerhungry, and cold, June fits in fairly well among the higher ranks of the military, though she commands a great deal of personal power as well as her own army. Although she's obviously prejudiced against non-humans and holds a petty grudge against Ranma, for the most part she's able to professionally distance herself from her personal issues when dealing with these things. Although most find her unapproachable and frightening, Kaze Toren (with the aid of his psychic powers, no doubt) saw a lonely woman underneath the trappings of power and ceremony, and they maintain a relationship rather similar to Ranma and Karen's.
Age: 19
Species: Human
Class: Sorceress/Commando (Rank: Colonel)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Likes: Ranma, combat, training, reading, political and military theory, fish
Dislikes: Bigotry, unnecessary death, wasteful sacrifice, fire
Weapons: Although issued a standard 20mm. Boa with mithril-tipped rounds, she rarely uses it, relying almost entirely upon her magic powers
Fighting Style: Judo and some basic Karate
Combat Abilities: Very high. A brilliant tactical leader with very potent magic, and the know-how to use it effectively. Karen's ice magic can reduce an unprepared enemy force of hundreds into so many frozen blood puddles under the right conditions. Unfortunately for her, these conditions don't always occur, as a traditional mage of the same power level can usually counter her magic without difficulty.
Techniques:
Spell Programs (emphasis: Ice): A number of spells that can be activated at will for combat purposes, these spells range from Ice battle magic to defensive shields and healing to indirect scouting and trap placement. Karen specializes almost exclusively in battle magic.
Orphaned from the Death March and converted via cybernetic means into a sorceress, Karen was Ranma's childhood friend, his first crush, and his first, period (wink wink, nudge nudge). Although their relationship is something of an awkward friends-with-benefits arrangement, it's obvious that the military super-soldier would like a more substantive relationship. Unfortunately, between Ranma's wanderings and her military duties, it hardly seems possible. A brilliant leader and an even better combat soldier, Karen distinguished herself and quickly advanced through the ranks during the desperate times of the Death March, where human armies were usually torn apart and experienced leaders were scarce. There are rumors that there are other reasons that the young woman made Colonel at age 19 that had more to do with her beauty and her interactions with her superiors, but such rumors have no merit and have led to many men becoming life-size popsicles.
Age: 239
Species: Rakshasa
Class: Assassin/Commando (Rank: Leiutenant)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Likes: Women (Karen in particular), fine wine, down time, surprise attacks (his, not his enemy's)
Dislikes: Men (Ranma in particular), beer, being busy, people who can see through his shape-shifting (again, Ranma seems to catch more ire than normal)
Weapons: Pistol, Blackjack (magically envenomed knife), wrist shields with energy blades
Fighting Style: Shaolin Kung Fu, some Ninjitsu
Combat Abilities: High, with a suprise attack. Like all assassins, Emrey suffers substantially when he has to fight a battle on equal ground. That this doesn't bother Ranma's assassin-esque fighting style is just one more thing he holds against him.
Techniques:
Psychic powers: Telepathy, including full-blown mind reading. Emrey picks up surface emotions and some visual imagery of thought without substantial effort. Actually reading thoughts requires substantial effort. More advanced and dangerous techniques allow the rakshasa to probe minds and even take them over to some extent.
Shape-shifting: As a rakshasa, Emrey can morph at will into any man-sized creature he can imagine, although he does not necessarily gain any abilities or strengths of that creature/individual.
Having joined Karen early on as a contract assassin for the IEF, the rakshasa's early career was quite successful... until someone figured out he wasn't a human master of disguise, but actually a non-human shapeshifter. Despite the fact that as a mercenary, he was under no obligation to disclose this information, he was accused of trying to infiltrate the IEF and would have been killed if Karen hadn't come to his defense, pointing out that Emrey had performed his services perfectly and had been given no secrets to betray to the enemy. Ever since then, the demon has been hopelessly infatuated with the gorgeous sorceress, despite the fact that he regularly seduces other women when he can (usually tricking them with his shape-shifting skills). Ranma is a constant thorn in his side, despite the fact that he hardly knows the man and vice versa; Ranma's impressive record of service, flawless field assassinations, ability in basic combat, and extremely enviable sexual relationship with Karen Molsk all grate at him constantly.
Age: 40
Species: Werewolf
Class: Gunner/Ranger (Rank: Sergeant)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Likes: Fresh meat, hunting, hard work, honesty, parties, rowdiness
Dislikes: The undead, cats, lying, insects, silver, jokes about his eyepatch
Weapons: Pistol, hunting knife, Yamako U-77 Sniper Rifle - A spectacular weapon made in Japan using its superior magitechnology, this huge rifle comes complete with a silencer, tripod, scope, disruption capacitor, venom link, and boost mode for extra kick. It's only design flaw is that it's too big for a normal human soldier to carry and operate it properly; Garron is not a normal soldier.
Fighting Style: None, uses instinctual hand-to-hand fighting borne from lycanthrope lineage
Combat Abilities: High at range. Very low in melee. Garron is unusually weak and flimsy for a werewolf, and can be overwhelmed in hand-to-hand by common lizardmen.
Techniques:
Regeneration: Like all lycanthropes, Garron benefits from supernatural regeneration that can even restore lost limbs and entire organs so long as he can survive long enough without those organs. It is unknown why this mechanism cannot fix his defective eye.
Shapeshifting: A lycanthrope has three forms - a human form, an animal form, and a hybrid form that combines the advantages of the other two along with a significant strength advantage. Although he reverts to a normal wolf during a full moon, and a human during a new moon, Garron otherwise spends all his time in hybrid form, despite working around humans.
Garron was a poor, mistreated werewolf who just wanted to be loved... eventually, he was beaten up enough so that he ditched that desire and only wanted to be able to hurt people so that they wouldn't pick on him for being short, weak, and cycloptic. When his pack joined a Death March hunt and was subsequently torn apart by a squad of American soldiers with a support gunship, Garron found that there was a way, and immediately sought out ways to acquire a firearm for himself. Soon he learned that in order to learn how to shoot and access the best guns, he'd have to use those skills and weapons in the service of the humans who made them. "Sure, as long as I get to shoot something."
Age: 42 & 73
Species: (Both) Juga
Class: (Both) Cyborg (Rank: Private)
Alignment: (Both) Lawful Neutral
Likes: Simulators, explosions, big guns, being behind human weapons instead of in front of them
Dislikes: People mocking their language, human food, politics, machine glitches
Weapons: Integrated heavy flamethrower & Hydraulic mithril claw
Fighting Style: None, juga exclusively utilize brute strength to fight
Combat Abilities: Moderate. Dermal implants and experimental graft plates make these two demons ridiculously tough, even among a species known for surviving obscene punishment. However, they are still little but armed brawlers and armor bulwarks.
Two demons that decided to enlist after their mercenary group was all but destroyed. Yun, the smart one, decided it would be best to permanently put themselves behind the humans' weapons to minimize the chances of being obliterated by those weapons. At first it seemed as if their enlistment would be refused, but Karen surprised the IEF authorities by offering to take the jugas into her personal guard.