Dark Raven

The Dark Raven
General information
Japanese name	"傭兵" ("Yōhei") 黒い鳥 (Kuroi Tori) ルーキー ("Rūkī") 星のパイロット ("Hoshinopairotto")
Other names	"Mercenary" "Legendary Mercenary" "Star Pilot" "Rookie" "The Nameless Mercenary"
Classification	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation and military information
Affiliation	City Police The Resistance Fran and Rosary
Occupation	City Police Resistance AC pilot Mercenary AC pilot
Rank	Rookie (City Police) Soldier (Resistance)
Craft	Player choice
Real world information
Appearances	Armored Core V Armored Core V Official Setting Guide - The Fact Armored Core: Verdict Day Armored Core: Verdict Day Official Setting Documents Collection -the AFTER- The Forgotten Day
Voice actor	None

The Dark Raven is the player character of Armored Core V. He is one of the game's main protagonists, the others being his partners Fran and Rosary. Prior to his cameo in Armored Core: Verdict Day, he was known as just "The Mercenary" or "The Nameless Mercenary".

Information

Armored Core V

The Dark Raven initially began as a member of the City Police of Alloy Gate City, working under Don Tyrell. During his time as a City Police officer, the Dark Raven cornered Resistance leader Jack Batty during an abortive assault by the insurgency. One year later, the Dark Raven defected and began working with the resurgent Resistance, now led by Batty's daughter, Fran Curtis, in conjunction with Rosary, RD, and Leon.

Although the Dark Raven's skill allowed the Resistance to storm Tyrell's tower and capture the dictator, it was at this point that Tyrell's backers, known as The Corporation, stepped in and began tearing apart the City, killing Leon. Left without a cause, the Dark Raven worked with Rosary and Fran as a mercenary.

Armored Core: Verdict Day

Many years later, the pilot became the subject of a tale told by Reaper Squad member M right before her battle with the Lone Mercenary at ALG742-181:

M: Let me tell of you a story about a time long time ago, when the world faced destruction. God wanted to save mankind, and so he reached out to help. But there were some who did not accept God's offering. They intended to destroy the order that God sought to create for mankind. God was confused. Why did man not want to be saved? Fatman: Some people just don't like being told what to do. M: Perhaps that is true. But God wanted to rescue mankind, so he decided to root out the dissidents and slay them. They say it was called the "Dark Raven," a harbinger of death that left a trail of destruction. This is a true story. My ancestors saw it with their own eyes. They saw the coming of the first Dark Raven.

Unnamed AC

The AC the Dark Raven uses varies, but it is commonly depicted as a white and black U-10 AC, with unknown internals.

Midgame/Final version:

Head: UHD-10 Tristan

Core: UCR-10/L Agni

Arms: UAM-10/A/UAM-10 Severn

Legs: ULG-21/ULG-10/A Denali

Booster: Orkan BT200

Right arm: ULB-13/H/LB-66 Moonlight

Left arm: Tansy RF12

Right bay: URF-15 Valdosta/Aulnee LR230

Left bay: UPG-16/H/Lotus BR429

Gallery

Character profile in Armored Core V Official Setting Guide - The Fact

The Dark Raven (left) in the "No Future for Mercs" trailer for Armored Core: Verdict Day

The Dark Raven fighting Cesar Venide near a Tower.

The Dark Raven before fighting Exusia.

The Dark Raven before fighting Chief.

The Dark Raven's AC during Story Mission 04

The Dark Raven using a laser blade.

The Dark Raven in the City, switching his weapons.

The Dark Raven after using the LB-66 Moonlight.

Translation differences

"Dark Raven" in the Japanese script is "黒い鳥" which translates to "Black Bird."

Trivia

• The Dark Raven gets his moniker from his emblem "Blackbird," which he took from the wrecked remains of Vendetta/Vengeance. Originally, its emblem was the Red Eagle; however, upon the AC's destruction at the hands of the mercenary, the emblem was scorched black by the battle, to which Fran solemnly comments that everything the mercenary touches "turns to ash." His legacy is passed down to Fran's descendants, telling the story of a man who left a trail of destruction.
• Even though the Dark Raven's AC design in-game is up to player choice, it is depicted in both The FACT and -the AFTER- as a mid-weight KE-focused bipedal using a different setup of arm, core, and legs parts, along with a variety of different weaponry.