Elder Tale's Characters
Log Horizon has a vast array of characters and many of them are at varying skill levels. They all occupy the world of Elder Tale, which is a classic fantasy MMORPG. Not only do they have distinct personalities and traits, these characters also fulfill different traditional RPG roles such as Warrior, Mage, Healer, etc. Before they were transported to the game world, the characters played these game through their computers. Now they must contend with using their real bodies inside the game.
Shiroe
Shiroe, the main character and master strategist, is the first person viewers are introduced to. Shiroe is a max level player at Lvl 90. He is an Enchanter, and knows a good deal about the game. His fighting style correlates to the way that he thinks and acts. As an Enchanter he stays in the back of the battlefield, aiding his party members and allies by using supportive magic. Shiroe takes this same approach in all different aspects of his life. Staying behind the scenes and pulling the strings for the advancement of his goals. This includes outwitting others and coming up with elaborate plans. His nick name is "Villian in Glasses", a fitting name for a stunning strategist.
Shiroe has aspirations to make the best of their situation of being stuck in the virtual world. In the beginning of the series, he sees that a lot of players are not having fun. He despises PKing (player killing), and thinks of it as a pathetic waste of time. Shiroe also looks out for younger players and lower levels. Besides his caring attitude, he's also a renowned well known player. A former leader of the Debauchery Tea Party, an elite party that defeated many high level raids.
Shiroe is going through a learning experience as the game progresses and they begin to live their lives in-game. He hopes that there will be some sort of purpose for them to live here. When problems arise, Shiroe is the go to guy. He approaches events analytically and wants to learn all about the world. His intelligence far surpasses anyone introduced in the game. His reputation precedes him as everyone knows of his cunning. In the real world he was a graduate student and had worked extensively with CAD software and schoolwork of that nature.
Shiroe has an incredible gift for looking many steps ahead in his many calculated ruses. During one of Shiroe’s first encounters against Player Killers, he displayed his innate skill. Shiroe and company came across a group who outnumbered them greatly. Without a moments notice he was coordinating with his party and making a plan to defeat them.
His goals are to make Akihabara a better place as he wants to end all player killing, as well as bring life and a purpose back to the players and the town. Shiroe was originally a withdrawn person in the non gaming world. Shiroe was a reserved guy until he got into the Elder Tale, becoming popular and a well known veteran.
When he did join the world, that all changed as he became a legend. People would come up to him for advice about everything, and he indulged them. He uses this to his advantage as he is an excellent leader, and can make people perform at their best. An example of this is his dealings with a hostile guild. Through a web of plans and schemes everything went according to plan because people trusted Shiroe. Every little thing he had instructed for them to do, they did. Which ended up making the hostile guild vanish, while in the meantime Shiroe maneuvered to gain power in the world.
A special instance of his caring attitude was when he brought down his level to quest with a group of newbie players, so that he could guide them and not take away the experience from them. This is a bold move to do as many players could seize on this as a weakness. Shiroe’s devious planning, game expertise, and optimistic attitude makes him a captivating protagonist.
Naotsugu
Considered Shiroe's right hand man, he is very powerful and a tank class, meaning he soaks up a lot of the damage in a fight and is a large armored warrior. Fearless in battle and brave, Nautsugu is first introduced as the strapping warrior. Of course he’d be playing the role of the tank. Taunting and bringing the enemies to him as Shiroe strategizes in the background. Nautsugu plays an integral role in Shiroes many plans and battles.
He’s an open person who says what’s on his mind, especially when it comes to females. Also known as “The Warrior of Panties”, he calls guys either one of two things, an “open pervert or closeted pervert.” Which gets him into a lot of trouble with some of his female companions like Akatsuki. This has resulted in some quite humorous situations. In a funny turn of events when girls hit on him he gets shy. Showing that sometimes he is just all talk.
Naotsugu’s goals are to advance Shiroe’s plans as they both have similar goals in game. As a brute force player he is usually seen taking a lot of damage and fighting multiple enemies at once. His incredible strength is not lost on him as he is also a large man in real life. He is a top level 90 tank. Naotsugu is always cracking jokes and isn't afraid to offend anyone. He's cheerful and doesn't let much get to him. As sometimes his friends call him out on his ways, he just laughs them off. Besides being an excellent warrior, he also succeeds in being a good teacher and helping newer players. For being such a strong adventurer, he is not over confident and knows that he doesn't need to boast. He is easily one of the strongest players as he has defeated many top level raid bosses from his stint in Debauchery Tea Party. If Shiroe is the brains then Naotsugo is the brawn to this dynamic duo. Making them a formidable force when put together.
Akatsuki
Originally introduced to viewers as a silent male ninja, Akatsuki is actually a young woman. Shiroe remembers her from the old days and helps her out. He gives her a rare appearance changing potion to make her look like her normal self. She is forever indebted to him and vows to serve him as his personal ninja. Akatsuki is a small girl is usually mistaken as a child, much to her dismay. She is honorable and that is demonstrated from her owing her loyalty to Shiroe. Akatsuki's class is an assassin and her sub class is a tracker, which makes her a master of stealth. An ideal ninja to serve Shiroe. She plays a major role in the groups battles and schemes.
Major goals of Akatsuki is to serve her "Lord" Shiroe and take part in restoring Akihabara. She can sometimes be shy as she doesn't like the attention given to her by other guild members. Some of them think she is so cute and can't leave her alone, which annoys her greatly. She is always kicking Naotsugo in the face because the two of them have a playful love-hate relationship. Anytime he says something weird she will be on him and letting him know she disapproves. One of the first times they met, he mistook her for a guy and asked her his classic line about open and closeted perverts. This has always stuck with her and that is why she still gives Naotsugo a hard time.
Akatsuki works well with the group as she is a vital asset, working in tandem with the group as she operates in the shadows. Being an assassin is hard work. She must pick up clues from Shiroe and the other guild members in battle. The element of surprise is always in her corner as she sneaks out and disposes of their enemies. Espionage and recon is what she is excellent at, while being a faithful classic ninja to Shiroe.
Another interesting aspect of Akatsuki's character is her need to role play as a ninja. She gets into character and this helps her defeat her enemies. The combination of her main class and sub class make her an important asset to the team. Many times people won't know where she is or that she even exists. Then when the time to strike is right she appears out of nowhere finishing up and cleaning house. An essential member of the group that is unexchangeable.
Nyanta
Meow. Nyanta is a character who is a gentleman through and through. Nyanta is first seen protecting a low level player in a far off city. He is mysterious and the viewers don't yet know who he is. It turns out that he was friends with Shiroe and part of the famous Debauchery Tea Party. Nyanta likes to get into the role of a cat person. Many times he will answer using a meow or starting a sentence with that sound. Aside from his odd role playing quirks, he has a very mature way about himself. Nyanta's age is never disclosed, but most people think of him as around his thirties or perhaps even older than that.
The young girl he first saves is smitten with him and thinks the world of him. He saved her from a top guild that was terrorizing the entire town. Her crush on him is taken in stride as he shows the girl who to live and survive against some cruel adventurers in the world. Nyanta is also an excellent warrior as he uses his dual wielded weapons to vanquish his enemies. His class, Swashbuckler, affords him the ability to do that. He also acts as a wise confidant to Shiroe, something every good leader needs. He supports him in everything he does and gives him the right advice whether or not he wants to hear it. One of the wisest characters there is, who can back up his smarts with his fighting abilities.
What really makes Nyanta important is what he does with his Chef sub-class. A recurring detail in the beginning of Log Horizion is that all the food tastes like stale crackers. Nyanta is one of the first people in game to figure out how to create food that tastes like what it is. This knowledge will prove to be vital in some of Shiroe's upcoming plans. These four members all contribute to being the focal point of the series and some of the most powerful adventurers in Elder Tale. They all fight together in unison and fulfill specific roles and depend on one another.
Marielle
Marielle is the leader of a small guild and she has a bubbly personality. She is upfront with everyone and wears her heart on her sleeve. Her guild is a small group of people, but they are passionate and play an integral role in Shiroe’s plans and life. They are an extension of his group and serve to help them in different functions. While Shiroe is not actually in their guild, she helps him as if he was one of their own. Marielle is flirty and always running up to Nautsugu and commenting on how big and strong she is. She definitely has a crush on both Shiroe and Nautsugu.
While at times Marielle can seem a bit dense, she knows how to get the job done and take direction. Marielle is a capable guild leader that has the respect of her small guild. She has a few male fans, who will do a lot for her. When they were tasked with capturing animals for food, one of her guild mates did everything he could do impress her. Marielle thought this was cute. During this same time period, Marielle also focused all her efforts on a grand plan they had been working on. Marielle is the type of person to put her all into something to get the best result. This shows through and she remains a funny and like-able person to everyone she meets.
Henrietta
Henrietta is the second in command of Marielle’s guild. She was working as an accountant in the real world and has a way with numbers. She is an intelligent woman and plays a vital role in their many plans.
What is interesting about her is that she has a strange attachment to Akatsuki who she thinks is super cute. She will go to great lengths to spend time with Akatsuki and dress her up as a little doll. She treats her like a child in the most innocent way and is intrigued with her. Even though Akatsuki is an elite ninja. Aside from her strange quirks and fascination with Akatsuki, Henrietta is also a master negotiator. Shiroe puts stock into her reliability and trusts her with some very big decisions.
Henrietta is Marielle's right hand woman and an excellent co-leader of the guild. Wherever Marielle's leadership lacks, she fills the gaps with her quick thinking and rigid organization. She is also an experienced player who knows a lot about the game world. Henrietta can sometimes be intimidating because of how she approaches problems in the same analytical way Shiroe does.
Tohya & Minori
Young newbies who look up to Shiroe. These two don't know a lot about the game and need all of the help they can get. Unfortunately without Shiroe's help, open season is declared on them and they begin to be manipulated by other powerful players. They're not entirely helpless as they have the guts to try and escape their captors.
Through Shiroe's instruction they strive to better themselves and become good players. Both of them are low level players who are no where near the status of the other high level players. This doesn't stop them from trying. Tohya is the boy, and he looks up to Shiroe like a big brother and tries to emulate him. Minori also looks up to him like a big brother and wants his support and foreseeably has a crush on him as well. They owe him all of their loyalty as they know that he will help advance them to become the players they want to be.
These are some of the most important Log Horizon's characters that are in the forefront of all of the action. Just as an MMORPG is either made or broken by who plays it, so is Log Horizon's Elder Tale. That is why these characters outlined here are important and compelling characters in the Elder Tale World. They wish to bring a purpose to the game and develop systems for the citizens of the game to enjoy themselves and progress in their lives.
