| Van Aifread | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Appearance | Tales of Berseria |
| Race | •Human (former) •Daemon (current) |
| Occupation | Pirate Captain |
| Japanese Voice Actor | Yukitoshi Hori |
- This article is about the character in Tales of Berseria. For the recurring character, see Aifread.
Van Aifread (バン・アイフリード Ban Aifuriido?) is a minor antagonist in Tales of Berseria who serves a pivotal role in the backstories of Eizen and Zaveid. Having gone missing prior to the events of the story after a duel, his crew, led by the First Mate Eizen, search relentlessly for him and eventually cooperate with Velvet Crowe in her mission, which intertwines with their own goals. Aifread's mysterious disappearance is marked by a single clue: a pendulum found at the site of his duel.
History[]
Aifread was locked away in the prison island of Titania around two years after Velvet's arrival, Eizen's first lead in tracking his lost captain down. Rumor has it that he escaped, being the only successful one to ever do so, but in truth, he was taken by Melchior Mayvin, who thereafter used Aifread as bait by turning him into a daemon and manipulating him with illusions in order to keep him obedient. This was not an easy feat, however, as Aifread withstood Melchior's powers through a fierce determination that even allowed him to break free of Melchior's manipulation for seven days once.
In spite of Aifread's resolve, however, his mind is inevitably broken by the power of Melchior's illusions, and Innominat eventually rids of his will entirely by consuming it. Highly respected by his crew, the band of pirates never cease in their search for him, particularly Eizen, who meets his own agenda by joining Velvet and the orders while they use Aifread's ship, the Van Eltia, as their primary method of transportation. As Eizen gradually uncovers the truth surrounding Aifread's disappearance, he clashes with Zaveid, a pendulum-wielding Wind malak, on numerous occasions, the latter having been entrusted with an artifact belonging to Aifread known as Siegfried, a pistol with unnatural properties that Aifread retrieved from an unnamed, far-off continent.
Using an illusion of Aifread as a decoy, Melchior manages to use his magic to copy Siegfried's properties and later bestows it upon the daemonized Aifread himself, whom the group confronts and fights after hearing that Aifread attacked the Van Eltia's crew in Endgand. Overcoming the Siegfried-enhanced daemon that now only serves as a ghost of the true Aifread, Laphicet uses his powers to restore Aifread's humanity, though he passes away from his wounds shortly afterwards.
Appearance and Personality[]
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Artwork for Tales of Asteria.
As a human, Aifread has brown hair, orange eyes, and a small pointy beard under his chin. He has one scar across his forehead, one over his left eye, and another on the left side of his bottom lip. He wears a purple cloak and hat with a black and grey attire and a belt keeping a red scarf around his waist. As a daemon, Aifread's skin turns black, his eyes, red, and his hair, white. He gains a pair of long, purple horns, and his clothes are replaced by a skeletal body while his cloak turns into a demonic cape.
Aifread believes everyone should walk their own path without their flaws holding them down, rejecting the Abbey's ideals. Even after becoming a daemon, he still retains his indomitable willpower. However, Melchior uses an illusion to make him submit to the very people he stands against. Fortunately, he is also shown to have a photographic memory. When Eizen punches to the stomach, Aifread is able to recognize him and is free from the illusion. When this strike proves fatal, he does not hold it against his friend and dies at peace.
Fighting Style[]
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Cut-in image for Tales of Berseria.
While not fought as a human, Aifread is said to be extremely skilled, even for a human, able to evenly match a greater malak in a fight. As a daemon, Aifread uses his own malevolence as a weapon, able to instill it into his claws to exact damage. Each of his artes has a chance to reduce his enemies' stats, while retaining his brute strength from prior his transformation.