Count Louis from Metaphor ReFantazio finally gave Atlus a Sephiroth-level villain

Oh no! King Euchronius of the United Kingdom is dead! Even though he had powerful royal magic, all he needed was a knife in his sleep. Who could have committed a vile act? Metaphor: ReFantazio is not interested in keeping a secret. This is Count Louis Giabern, a charismatic, experienced and respected army officer with flowing blond locks. Louis’ actions are so central that they happen in the anime cutscene before you even get to the title screen.

Despite the fact that this is a murder mystery, in fact, it is not a secret to anyone, since the plot Metaphor: ReFantasio begins. Count Louis is a constant threat, and while he makes no secret of his sinister motives, he is so superior to the player – in terms of strength, human support, and the fact that he literally owns a flying airship – that he feels unreachable. . A cult leader, his followers are fanatics – and when the king’s posthumous magic spell puts the question of succession to a vote that reflects the choice in the hearts of the populace in real time, he immediately becomes the favorite.

While Atlus’ RPGs have had some great antagonists, few are as consistently present in the narrative, many of the best ones not being revealed until you’re near the end of their story. There’s a reason why Persona 2 he has so many fans – the Joker (no, not the protagonist of Persona 5) is the closest thing to him that has come before. Although even he, whether in a buffoonish fit or in the version with a paper bag, is a mystery figure, and not a person with clear and stated goals, like Louis. In my opinion, he is a real contender for the title of one of best villains in the game of all times.

Count them

Count Louis in Metaphor: ReFantazio in an anime cutscene with a dead man behind him

(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)

“Given the brutality of the world we were introduced to in the hours that followed, it’s hard to blame him on the surface.”

Louis is a welcome change. He feels intimidating, clearly outmatching the powers of your early game heroes. While you’re hot on his tail, while you both keep an eye on the race for the cross-country crown, he repeatedly demonstrates his strength. When your party first sees him, he arrives unannounced in the city in his large airship, dropping a huge human corpse on the steps of the cathedral (the name of the Hieronymus Bosch-inspired monstrous creatures that terrorize the land). This takes place right after you’ve completed a tutorial dungeon where you fight through an entire fortified battlement destroyed by another person, fight that creature in a boss fight at the end, and barely come out alive.

For Louis, killing people is child’s play. This is what he has become known for since they first appeared. This show of strength, simply shed in a place of mourning for the king, is a reminder to the people that their strength is one of the few things that can protect them. Even though it wasn’t Luis’s intention, at this point we’re just a fly to him, it’s equally a show of power for the player. You may be low level right now, but you’d better turn it on during the game if you hope to be able to match him late in the game.

He has Sephiroth’s intimidation factor. Final Fantasy 7 combined with Griffith’s keen charisma from Berserk. However, the more you learn about Louis, the more you will see that he has his own unique motivations. You can’t help but go back and forth between what is damage to this guy?” and “May be Could I fix it?

On tour

Count Louis in Metaphor : ReFantazio in the cutscene. His fist is pressed to his cheek and he looks worried. He says "But our nation would have you believe that such difficulties are caused by moral weakness, so that those who are punished punish even more. They die silently, like... livestock, denying their reality."

(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)

Your journey is constantly intertwined with Louis’s as you take part in a tour around the world. Your mission is to destroy him, as this is also a way to save the true heir, the prince, who has fallen into a magical sleep. Since rivals are protected by the king’s magic until a winner is chosen, cards must be played close to the chest if the party hopes to come up with the best course of action. This means that at one point you and the group are working in secret, which offers the opportunity to see Louis succeed beyond just butting heads at every turn. He is your antagonist, but he doesn’t know it. Or even cares. It’s rare to use gimmicks like this in an RPG story, but it’s a refreshing way to learn more about Louis just by being around him.

This also means that there are moments that allow him to charm you. Make no mistake, Euchronia under its previous leadership was far from paradise. A world made up of many tribes, and those with the most influence use it to keep the less fortunate races under control. Shortly before Louis kills the king, he expresses contempt for the ruler’s failures: “You dreamed of a utopia. You have seen tribes united into one. This dream died long ago. You should have done the same.” Given the brutality of the world we’re introduced to in the hours that follow, it’s hard to blame him on the surface – all the tribes of Euchronia truly deserve a chance to be equal. Louis may be a villain, but he’s just one of many. The very institutions that make up this world are rotten, and it is not difficult to sympathize with Louis’ disappointment.

Count Louis in Metaphor: ReFantazio, he tells the hero of the game "You can drink for the rest of the night. Enjoy the party."

(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)

Read our review

Metaphor: ReFantasio — (Image credit: Atlus, Sega)

We were not only impressed with Luis. In our Review of Metaphors ReFantazio we call it “an evolution of Atlus’ best RPGs” with “gorgeous art direction that makes you feel like you’re wandering through the pages of a fairytale book.”

In an effort to become closer to Louis, we are working through the ranks of those who dutifully serve him. Most of them are people themselves who have been mistreated and looked down upon by Euchronian society as it stands today, they are grateful to serve Louis because he is the only one who gave them a chance, looking beyond race, from which they occur. People of mixed race have it especially bad. Zorba, the game’s first boss, says the same thing – he was hoping to prove himself in the army before witnessing his comfortable generals simply using the “lesser tribes” as cannon fodder. It was only when Louis realized his strong affinity for magic that he gained even a modicum of respect.

The more you learn about Luis, the more you realize that your journeys mirror each other. You both strive to change and improve the world, and you both constantly make allies from different walks of life. Even the reasons why you do it have some similarities the more you peel back the layers. However, Louis also has a tendency to incite those around him. It is not enough that the tribes be equal, but that strength itself must be the only distinguishing feature. Atlus has played with antagonists who act as reflections of their protagonists before – just look at Persona 5 — but because your and Louis’ journey begins together and intertwines at every turn, it becomes an integral element from start to finish, something you’re always questioning and thinking about until the game’s epic ending arrives.

What’s truly frightening is how little Louis cares about those who know his true ideology, coldly spewing violent rhetoric almost solely to see how those he speaks to will react. What makes it all the more frightening is that many around the world appreciate this candor, continuing to support him even as his ambitions grow ever more naked. Count Louis is not only the perfect foil for the hero of Metaphor ReFantazio, but he also exists perfectly within the context of this power struggle in Euchronia. Everyone in this world knows who he is and everyone has an opinion about him. But what can you do when people are willing to accept hate?

Looking for something like Metaphor ReFantazio to play next? Check out our list best games about a person. What’s next for Atlus? We continue to reflect on the rumors surrounding the upcoming Persona 6. And no, you can’t romance Louis or anyone else in the game. Sorry to disappoint!