< No More Heroes

No More Heroes/Characters


Here's the cast of misanthropes, miscreants, and general ne'er-do-wells (plus one adorable kitten) found in No More Heroes. For the characters introduced in the sequel, go here.


Main Characters

Travis Touchdown

Voiced by: Robin Atkin Downes

[[File:Travis NMH1 9496.png|frame|[1]

It's game time!

The Heroic Comedic Sociopath Anti-Hero (or possibly Villain Protagonist, depending on your point of view) of the game, who is out to go from loser Otaku to would-be Badass assassin. Begins the game as the 11th ranked assassin in the United Assassins Association. His life becomes significantly more complicated by becoming an assassin, including running into several levels of Squick and family he didn't even know he had.

  • Alliterative Name: It's an impossibly cool one too. Even Charlie MacDonald agrees.
  • Animal Motifs: Tigers. Several of his shirts have tigers on them, and his Cool Bike is named after them. The name is transliterated in Japanese as "Torabisu", and "tora" means tiger. Also, he can transform into a tiger for a short period of time in the second game. And his wrestling moves include the Tiger Suplex and Tiger Driver.
  • Anti-Hero: Borders on Villain Protagonist. This changes a bit in the sequel where towards the end of the game he swears to destroy the UAA because of how it destroyed the lives of his fellow assassins. He's only a type one Anti-Hero now.
  • Blood Knight: Travis apparently got started as an assassin because he bought a beam katana off the Internet.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: The first game's opening and ending sequences. He does it periodically throughout the second.
  • Byronic Hero: At first. Character Development at the end of the game and continuing into Desperate Struggle helped greatly.
  • Character Development: Hoo boy, does he get this in Desperate Struggle. While he did change a little bit in the first game, it's nothing near the growth he went through in the second. In the beginning, he's the same immature otaku that he had always been, but some of the battles throughout the game (namely Ryuji being heartlessly gunned down by Sylvia when he considered him an honorable man and a Worthy Opponent, his decision to leave Captain Vladimir's body unharmed by Sylvia's goons, and the outcome of his battle with Alice Twilight) completely alter his view on life, and by the end of the game, his goals have shifted from screwing Sylvia to being a hero in his own way.
  • Cheshire Cat Grin: Particularly whenever he enters a fight while in a good mood. The loading screen for the second game even shows a small picture of him sporting one.
  • Cool Bike: Travis' Schpeltiger.
  • Cool Shades
  • Cutscene Power to the Max: As awesome the stunts you can pull off when in control, it doesn't even compare to what Travis can do in cutscenes.
  • Crazy Prepared: He asked Naomi to make a fucking Humongous Mecha; that is some preparation. If there are any doubts, he says "I thought this might happen".
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite being a stereotypical loser, he's built up an impressive body count against other trained killers.
  • Determinator: Becomes a gameplay mechanic in the second game. If you run out of health, you can furiously shake the Wiimote and nunchuck to come back from the brink with a few units of health (the number of times you can do this before dying for real varies on the difficulty.)
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: The way he recharges his beam katana is quite... evocative.
  • Due to the Dead: He seems to practice this as seen in the events after his fights with Dr. Peace, Holly, Jeane, Ryuji, Margaret, Captain Vladimir, and Alice.
  • Dynamic Entry: His intro in the first stage of the first game. FUCKHEAD!
  • Even Evil Has Standards: It's worth noting that throughout both games, Travis never takes his weapon up against a civilian, killing only in UAA battles, events or assignments, or for revenge in the second game. In the first game he expresses disgust at those who do (Shinobu, Destroyman, and Bad Girl, the latter two being shown as being irredeemable psychopaths). He's also really iffy about Shinobu's crush on him in the second game because he doesn't want to feel like a Dirty Old Man.
  • Genre Savvy: Travis becomes increasingly so as the game goes on.
    • Idiot Ball: That said, man, is he stupid early on. Particularly in the battle against Destroyman.
  • Heel Face Turn: Of sorts--after his battle with Alice, Travis resolves to become a true hero, starting with his vow to end the mindless bloodshed of the UAA. In an interview given to Nintendo Power a few months before Desperate Struggle was released, Suda expressed how he loved to picture Travis as a wrestler, and uses the terms heel and face to describe his career.
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Luxord, what did they do to ya?
  • Jerkass: So much. By the end of Desperate Struggle though, he seems to have lost nearly all of his Jerkass traits as the result of his increasing unease with killing.
  • Laser Blade: Travis' Weapon of Choice.
  • Katanas Are Just Better: It doesn't matter how much his first three weapons look like fluorescent bulbs with a handle, they're called beam katanas. Played straight by his ultimate weapon, which really is a curved beam of light.
  • Made of Iron
  • Medium Awareness and No Fourth Wall: Travis' Genre Savvy reaches these levels by the end of the first game, and the opening sequence of the second show that he's keeping up with it.
  • My Greatest Failure: If only for a moment, but he felt bad for not letting Holly Summers die by his hand and instead resort to killing herself in front of him with a sweet smile on her face.
  • Nosebleed: When seduced by Silvia in Desperate Struggle, although it's hard to notice as she's simultaneously positioning his Beam Katana by his crotch and then proceeds to kiss it. Travis' nose erupts in a geyser of blood and his Beam Katana turns on. Ayup.
  • Official Couple: With Sylvia, more or less, as of the ending to Desperate Struggle. Although to be fair, they did have sex before Travis went on to fight Pizza Batt, Jr.
  • One-Man Army
  • Otaku
  • Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner: Par for the course for Travis to deliver this against rival assassins, but one that definitely takes the cake is against Jasper Batt Jr.'s final form.

"Come on, Prez! Unleash your anger, your hate, everything! I'll take it all and fucking kill you with it!"

  • Red Baron: The manual of the second game, and at least two opponents, call Travis "The Crownless King" in reference to the events of the first. Later on, Travis starts calling himself "the No More Hero".
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The theme of the second game.
  • Shout-Out: His character design is inspired by Johnny Knoxville.
  • Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes: He's somehow at both extremes at once. Thanks to deaths of the latter assassins in Desperate Struggle, he only falls under Type I now. All he has to do now is tone down his otakuness and the wrestler fanatic in him and he'd be a straight on hero. Don't think he'll ever getting around to taking down any of his memorabilia anytime soon though...
  • Sociopathic Hero: Travis skirts this line. Sometimes crosses over into Heroic Comedic Sociopath.
  • This Is Gonna Suck: "You've gotta be shittin' me!"
  • This Loser Is You: As incredibly skilled a warrior as he is, Travis remains a complete loser from beginning to end.
  • Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Face it; his character flaws were so exaggerated in the first game that it was hilarious.
  • Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Travis can't bring himself to perform a finishing blow on a woman, as seen in his fights against Shinobu and Holly. Though as his fights against Speed Buster, Bad Girl, and Jeane show, he gets over it. By Desperate Struggle, he's completely over it. The only female he spares is Kimmy Howell, and it's somewhat implied that her being a female had little to do with it.
  • Wouldn't Hurt a Child: In Desperate Struggle, he doesn't kill Kimmy Howell on account of her age.
  • Wrestler in All of Us: It helps that his beam katana keeps landing in mooks' chests after he does a wrestling move on them.
    • Suplex Finisher: Most of his wrestling moves are actually different suplex variations.

Sylvia Christel

Voiced by: Paula Tiso

[[File:Sylvia NMH1 bigger 6401.png|frame|[2]

Trust your Force... And head for the Garden of Madness.

The mysterious woman who is supporting Travis through his endeavors, using the cash he brings from part-time jobs and small hits to arrange his fights to progress in the UAA rankings. She toys with Travis' affections, offering to sleep with him if he should become #1 on the list. As it turns out, though, she's playing Travis for a fool. Then, in the second game, she does it again. And makes good on her promises.

  • Black Bra and Panties: The top half is usually on display.
  • But Not Too Foreign: You'd never know by looking at her, but she's half-Japanese.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: Literally—in Desperate Struggle, she actually changes hairstyles and outfits every time you see her just to give exposition.
  • Everything Sounds Sexier in French
  • Femme Fatale
  • Happily Married: Subverted with Henry, as the two have divorced since the events of the first game. In fact, Sylvia hooks up with Travis in the sequel. They finally make good on Sylvia's promise, and in the epilogue, she affectionately calls him "my No More Hero".
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Good news: she's Lulu. Bad news: she's Laughing Octopus and Jihl Nabaat.
  • Hot Mom: If the epilogue from the first game is to be believed, Sylvia has a daughter, also sharing a name with Travis' half-sister and cat. The identity of Jeane's father (most likely Travis or Henry) is unknown to this date.
  • Karma Houdini: For someone who sets up a bunch of hits, nothing bad happens to her and Travis ends up glad that she set up all those fights, even after he learns he's been cheated by her. It later turns out that she did give Travis what he wanted, which was a chance to get revenge for what happened to his parents, which he drunkenly said to Sylvia when he first met her. Subverted in the events after the sequel, where she is shown to be miserable and working at a strip club, being paid to recount the events of the game to a mystery client--Travis.
  • Male Gaze: Played almost to the point of satire during the "Phone Speak" segments in Desperate Struggle
  • Manipulative Bastard: She sets Travis up for money.
  • Painting the Fourth Wall: Her phone calls before the ranked battles actually begin are actually played through the Wii remote speaker.
  • Sensual Slavs: She's apparently half-Ukranian, though raised in France.
  • Split Personality: Sylvia tends to swing violently between personalities. In the second game, she starts off nice and sweet to Travis, seducing him back into the ranking battles, then she acts somewhat cold, then a few cutscenes afterward, she's violently screaming at him that she doesn't have time for a scrub of Travis' low rank at the time, and gunning down Travis' opponents when he doesn't finish them off quickly enough. Other times she'll be somewhat mean to him, but it's Played for Laughs, such as making Travis try to jump into her helicopter, reaching out to grab his hand, only to pull it away and saying "Oh yeah, there's no more seats." Other times she'll at least try to be nice, such as copping that she would prefer if Travis and Henry didn't kill each other.
  • Stripperific
  • Tsundere: Travis is sick of it by the second game. "How many personalities do you have?!"
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Anyone mind explaining what happened to Jeane, her daughter last featured in the epilogue to the first game?
  • Yandere: How much she cares is never quite established, but she does threaten to kill Travis if he makes her jealous.

Jeane (the kitten)

Travis' pet Scottish Fold kitten, who can be played with between missions. In the second game, she's grown up... and apparently eaten a bit too much.

  • All There in the Manual: Jeane's breed. Also, her name comes from being a replacement for the other Jeane, who dumped him.
  • Death by Newbery Medal: Toyed with. During the Speed Buster fight leadup it totally looks like the game is going to kill Travis' cute kitten to make it personal instead it happens to Ryu and Jean toddles back home without a scratch.
  • Cute Kitten: She's even cute after growing up and gaining about fifteen pounds too many.
  • Morality Pet: How bad can Travis be? He's got such cute widdle kitty!
  • One Steve Limit: Averted, see below.
  • Spanner in the Works: Jeane's random decision to follow along to the third ranked battle is what ends up keeping Travis alive for Speed Buster's initial volley. However, it also ends up in Thunder Ryu's death.


The Original Rankings

Helter Skelter

Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker

Hear the lullaby? Rest in peace, baby.

The 11th ranked assassin, he's a wanderer that was baited into a fight with Travis. Never actually fought in-game; he appeared in the trailer for Heroes, which eventually developed into this game.

Travis: "I couldn't tell if he was the shit or just plain ol' shit."

Death Metal

Voiced by: Grant Albrecht

Quite beautiful, wouldn't you say? Paid for with the lives of many. When you have the strength to take life for yourself... That is true wealth. I am free of desire. So long as I have this scenery to look upon. I need nothing more. Please, leave me be.

The 10th ranked assassin, who awaits Travis in his opulent estate. He's apparently quite disgusted with his own lifestyle, and eagerly awaits his fight with Travis. He also sees himself as a bit of a rival to Travis, as he also uses a beam katana. Real name: Count Townsend.

Doctor Peace

Voiced by: Richard McGonagle

Listen to my song...

The 9th ranked assassin, a crooked cop with a long and sordid past, who apparently spent Travis' entry fee to have a nice dinner with his daughter and have center stage at the local baseball stadium to sing. He uses twin gold-plated revolvers. Real name: Pastel Brankino.

Shinobu

Voiced by: Kimberly Brooks

You will pay with your life! At last, I have my chance. I will now avenge my father!

The 8th ranked assassin, a cold-blooded schoolgirl living a double life. She's out to kill Travis just as he's out to kill her - she believes that he killed her father. He didn't. By far the most frequently cited to mess you up if you're not ready for her. Returns in the sequel as a self-proclaimed apprentice of Travis and to score some kills in his place. Real name: Scarlet Jacobs.

Destroyman

Voiced by: Josh Keaton

Ahahahaha! This is great! Is this guy an idiot or what? Is this a joke? You fell for the oldest trick in the book! Ahaha! Oh man! You are something. This is the best. Man, you really crack me up. I...I think this laughter's going to kill me. Seriously! I think I might really die from laughter! Ahaha...It hurts. Someone help! Oh God! Oh...oh shit. Ehehe, I thought I was gonna die there. For real.

The 7th ranked assassin, an actor in indie films that uses his character's superhero gimmick suit to hide deadly weapons. In really questionable places. He's initially taken by surprise by Travis, but is able to prepare thanks to quickly tossing Travis an Idiot Ball. Secret identity: John Harnet.

Holly Summers

Voiced by: Kim Mai Guest

A bud that will never blossom...farewell, my sweet seventh.

The 6th ranked assassin, a former model with a prosthetic leg. She takes full advantage of Travis' unwillingness to hurt a woman, setting up pit traps for him and using the rocket launcher in her fake leg on him when he slips up.

Holly: Do you like fighting? Do you like killing? Do you like fear? Do you accept death?

Letz Shake

Voiced by: Dee Bradley Baker

Oh Ja! I feel a good undulation. Your rumbling is excellent. I think I'm going to lose the bowel control!

The 5th ranked assassin, an immigrant from Singapore who made off with an experimental military earthquake generator. He awaits Travis quite far out of town. Turns out the earthquake generator survived the encounter and makes a return appearance in No More Heroes 2, as the 10th ranked assassin, and you actually get to fight him this time.

  • Bait and Switch Boss: The battle isn't going to be you against that hulking monstrosity. Nor is it going to be you against its wielder to stop said monstrosity. In fact, Travis doesn't have to fight at all, not even against the guy who bogarts the kill. At least, not until the end of the game.
  • Brain In An Earthquake Generator: Doctor Shake (likely his father).
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Real name is never revealed in the first game, though the brain in the jar is Dr. Shake, his father.
  • Funny Foreigner
  • Shout-Out: He appears to be wearing a Virtual Boy and Power Glove, his weapon is based on the Play Station 3 and Xbox 360 hardware and he even pulls a Michael Jackson pose.
  • Technology Porn: The preparation for the earthquake generator.

Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarskii

Voiced by: James Horan

Let's see what you're made of, country boy!

The 4th ranked assassin, an illusionist and escape artist that prefers using both death traps and Dual-Wielding Laser Blades (although smaller than the ones Travis uses). Also gives Travis an Idiot Ball before the fight, although Travis wises up much faster this time. Tends to be the most forgotten fight, for some reason.

Speed Buster

Voiced by: Mitzi McCall

Fuck you, ya little prick!

The 3rd ranked assassin, a seemingly senile elderly homeless woman who turns out to have a Wave Motion Gun in her shopping cart. She apparently has some history with Thunder Ryu.

Bad Girl

Voiced by: Kathryn Fiore

Pop quiz. Why am I such an angry bitch? Seriously, no matter how many I kill, it's all the same. They're all. Going. To pay. Yeah. With their fucking lives.

The 2nd ranked assassin, who is an overly made-up woman in a pink baby doll dress and carrying around a bloody baseball bat. While all of the assassins, including Travis, are obviously unhinged to some degree, Bad Girl is out-and-out psychotic. Easily the most unnerving of the opponents.

  • Abnormal Ammo: Cloned gimps. Really.
  • Affably Evil: Immediately subverted. When she offers Travis a beer before fighting him, you might think she'll turn out to be this. It doesn't last, however, as she soon reveals that she's an utter psycho.
  • Ax Crazy
  • Badass Normal: The "normal" part is contested as far as her mind goes, but she fights you with by far the most primitive weapon.
  • Batter Up: Her Weapon of Choice.
  • Blondes Are Evil: No way! She's such a cute dresser!
  • Complete Monster: Of course, YMMV whether she herself is one, but the trope itself becomes the subject of an in-universe discussion between her and Travis. When he first meets her, he's utterly repulsed by her and tries to pull Even Evil Has Standards... but it doesn't work. At all. She retorts that assassins really don't have standards and that they're all just insane, perverted, murderers at the end of the day, no matter how they might try to dress it up.
  • Cute and Psycho
  • Diabolus Ex Nihilo: Throughout the first No More Heroes, the assassins Travis faces at least have some explanation as to who they are. Death Metal has a mansion and a life of luxury, Dr. Peace has an estranged daughter, Harvey is a stage magician, Speed Buster is an old woman who hates men but seems to have an odd friendship with Thunder Ryu... with Bad Girl, you get nothing. There's no Freudian Excuse, no mention of friends or family... she doesn't even seem to have an occupation other than being a killer. Travis does not expect this and the fact that there is literally nothing else to her character beyond murder just disgusts him. He even drops his few shreds of chivalry for the fight with her.
  • Drunken Master: It's not so subtly implied that she's totally hammered during the fight, but she will kick your ass into next week with that bat.
  • Elegant Gothic Lolita: Her style of dress, though that just makes things worse. The style is technically Sweet Lolita.[3] Although, that makes the contrast between her psychotic nature and her cute clothing all the more apparent.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": With her, though, it's likely that she doesn't even care to have a name.
  • Fetish Fuel: Deliberately invoked to a disturbing degree.
  • For the Evulz: Judging by her monologue, this is what drives her.
  • Girl with Psycho Weapon
  • Gray Eyes: Would fit Type Five (she certainly is dangerous) but doesn't have the cold, professional demeanor that those types have. Instead, Bad Girl is gleefully psychotic.
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Damnit Cure Dream, you are drunk again?
  • Lady Drunk: A rather young example, yet the most unstable, batshit insane of them all.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Doesn't look like it, but HOLY CRAP.
  • Mini-Dress of Power
  • Nietzsche Wannabe: Arguably the most disturbing example in the franchise. Unlike the other assassins, there is nothing truly that could be considered "humane" about her. She kills people For the Evulz and doesn't even seem to take pleasure in that. What's more, she's Genre Savvy to know that she's a nihilistic killing machine and has more or less resigned herself to it.
  • Not So Different: During the prefight cut scene Travis says "You're no assassin, you're just a perverted killing maniac" Her response: "In essence, they're the same."
  • Panty Shot
  • Perfect Play AI: In battle, she'll usually just saunter towards Travis very slowly and go ballistic when he's actually within attack range. If the player tries to stay away, she'll resort to her gimps instead.
  • Pink Means Feminine
  • Playing Tennis With the Boss: You can hit her gimps back at her. Careful though, because she'll sometimes send them right back at you.
  • Playing with Fire: After she Turns Red.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Subverted. Why is she such an angry bitch? She doesn't need a reason. She just wants to make people "pay with their fucking lives" because she can.
  • Sexy Walk: Two variations of it, one with dragging the bat and less hip swaying and the other holding the bad like a cane; swinging her hips enough to bounce her skirt side to side.
  • Taking You with Me: She tries her damnedest to do this to Travis. He actually does concede to her, and he goes unconscious from her blows as she dies. Travis doesn't so much win this fight as much as he just loses last.
  • Tranquil Fury: Just look at how her mannerisms shift after Travis tries to pull Even Evil Has Standards on her. She goes from being openly unhinged, flitting from Faux Affably Evil to Ax Crazy at the drop of a hat, to much calmer and more collected. Travis quite clearly hits a nerve with her.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: And if you fall for it, it's a One Hit KO. On you, not by you. However, look at her hands when she does this. If she has one hand on her baseball bat? Stay away. If she has both of her hands on her face? Hack 'n' slash away!
  • You're Insane!
  • Zettai Ryouiki

Dark Star

Voiced by: Steve Blum

Welcome to my castle. I heartily receive you, my son.

The number one ranked assassin of the UAA, and Travis' ultimate target. Lives way out of town in a large castle, and awaits Travis' approach for a very special reason... to start messing with his mind before he kills him, of course. He's a guy that enjoys that sort of thing.


Other Assassins

Ermen Palmer

I'm afraid not. These fights don't work like that. It's time to die, Mr. First Rank!

Rank unknown, but another assassin out to climb the ranks of the UAA. Travis meets him in the ending.

  • Bait and Switch Boss: Don't worry, you won't have to run around Travis' apartment, trying to fend the guy off while getting your own beam katana.
  • Dangerously Genre Savvy: Rather than go through the kinds of hoop-jumping that Travis did, he just surprises Travis on the toilet.
    • Wrong Genre Savvy: Too bad he's not the hero, and that the game still had a Mind Screw or ten left to do. He's taken out in one shot by Henry for his troubles.
  • Expy: Ermen is an Expy of Garcian Smith (AKA Emir Parkreiner) from Killer7.
  • Laser Blade
  • Unknown Rival: He bursts into Travis's bathroom, also with a beam katana, out to take Travis' position. Travis has no idea who this guy is, and particularly why he won't respect the sanctity of the restroom.

Jeane (the person)

Voiced by: Kari Wahlgren

Go ahead. Draw, brother.

Travis' ex-girlfriend, who he hasn't seen in two years. Actually his half-sister, also an assassin, and the final opponent awaiting Travis at the end.

Henry Cooldown

Voiced by Quinton Flynn

You're a disgrace to yourself and all those you've killed...

A mysterious man with an Irish accent that first runs into Travis when the latter is the 6th ranked assassin and the one who actually kills Letz Shake. He promises to meet Travis again and go into more detail next time. It turns out that he's one walking Mind Screw - simultaneously Travis' long-lost twin and Sylvia's husband of ten years. Their battle is technically unresolved, but both brothers return in the sequel as playable characters.

Henry: It's not happening, brother. I can't be associated with that travesty. I mean I've got standards, for fuck's sake!


Civilians

Thunder Ryu

Voiced by: Paul Nakauchi

I have nothing left to teach you. Aim for the top! Remember... master your katana, and the power will be yours.

Former wrestler and Yakuza member who now runs a gym. There, Travis can train to become stronger, learn new moves, and get hit on by his mentor. He has a history with Speed Buster and is eventually killed in a duel with her, transforming into Travis' Spirit Advisor.

Doctor Naomi

Voiced by: Vanessa Marshall

A scientist in the warehouse area of Santa Destroy who specializes in beam katanas. She sells both the katanas and the upgrades for them to Travis.

Randall Lovikov

Voiced by: Fred Tatasciore

A drunk who hangs out in a bar down a side street, he'll offer to teach Travis extra moves if he can be presented with seven "Lovikov balls." Given that his training involves beating Travis up, he might be the fastest at putting someone through Training from Hell ever.

Bishop Sidaks

Voiced by: Matthew Mercer

The owner of the video place near Travis' apartment, and also he's Travis' only friend. He only generally appears if you're far from your bike, as he's the one who drops it off when you call. He'll also rent new wrestling videos to Travis to teach new moves.

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  3. ↑ a style that deliberately invokes the image of childish innocence
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