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Jun 26, 2025

Reworked Character #26: Heidern

POTENTIAL TRIGGER: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, child mistreatment, torture, and neglect.

Real name: Karlheinz Yoshinaga

Esper title: Avatar of Life Syphoning, Cutting, and Stealth

Alias: Hard-Boiled Assassin

Nickname: Heidi and Bechstein

Occupation: Founder and commander-in-chief of the Ikari Warriors, training instructor for the Regular Army, and Lieutenant General and tactical strategist of the P.F. Squad (formerly)

Retirement plans: To enjoy the rest of his days fishing and hunting

Special skills: Proficiency in cutting and self-taught martial arts, tactical administration and management, wilderness sports, and planning battles

Esper abilities: His go-to esper abilities are called the Cross Cutter and Storm Bringer. The Cross Cutter enables him to slice through the air in front of him, launching one or two boomerang-shaped projectiles towards his opponent. The light blue energy projectiles start off slowly before rapidly accelerating. The Storm Bringer allows him to stab his opponent with his fist, draining a significant amount of their mental and physical energy. This energy is absorbed into himself, resulting in fiery bursts of energy that indicate he's temporarily soul-draining his target. If he maintains this for longer than 1 minute, he can completely drain a person's soul, leaving the opponent devoid of both mental and physical energy.

After performing a somersault, he generates a thin, encircling aura shield of cutting energy. Anyone who dares to get too close to him is immediately cut by the shield, feeling as if they're being slashed by thousands of knives. When he activates his infrared x-ray vision, he can see through walls and perceive the heat signatures of people. He can easily merge with the darkness and stealthily emerge from them, but he cannot use the shadows cast by other people.

He can open the small, closed holes located slightly below the centre of his palms, revealing a seven-petaled flower-like structure. From this, he can extend cartilage, spike-covered pipes with a metallic bronze sheen and a blunt, tri-holed tip from which flame-coloured veins are released. He uses the pipes to pierce the hearts or brains of individuals, utilising the emitted veins to syphon their life energy, thereby healing his wounds, revitalising his physical strength, and preventing his own demise.

Hobbies: Watching documentaries about martial arts legends and philosophies, collecting metal figurines, recreational fishing, and game hunting

Likes: The diversity and camaraderie of the Ikari Warriors, photograph of his family, handwritten letters, and Leona

Dislikes: Immediate problems, excessive training, heavily relying on technology, and being known as a "cold-blooded killing machine"

Favourite food: Intestinal sausages

Favourite drink: Black beer

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 35 (in 2022), 41 (in 2028), 43 (in 2030), 45 (in 2032), 47 (in 2034), 54 (in 2041), 56 (in 2043), 57 (in 2044), and 60 (in 2047)

Blood type: B+

Weight: 198 lbs. (90 kg)

Design: He's a 6' 2" (187.96 cm) Japanese-German mesomorph with the same body build reminiscent of Heidern from the KOF games, but his physique is slightly more robust and rugged. He has sand-hued skin and a black mole near the centre of the left side of his neck. His greyish-brown hair is short and slicked back, featuring slight curls and a wine red sheen. He had heterochromatic eyes with dark golden pupils: the left eye was a powder blue, while the right eye was a light greenish-brown.

The right side of his face, from the top of his forehead to just below his jawline, is severely burned. Over time, the burn has healed, leaving behind a blotchy, light reddish scar with a very faint, bumpy texture. His right eye is missing, resulting in an empty, slightly puffy eye socket that's fully closed and has developed wrinkles due to the severity of the burn and healing process. Heidern lost his left eye during a surprise pirate attack on a solitary, peaceful Caribbean cruise. He managed to overcome the attackers through his tactical prowess and by showcasing his esper potential, which horrified them. Although the eye remains intact, the cornea was slashed open by a sword strike he failed to dodge in time. It has since been repaired with laser treatment, but the procedure accidentally resulted in blindness as evidenced by his severely damaged retina, leading to partial vision loss.

He has a slash scar that extends from the centre of his left shoulder down to near the bottom of his latissimus dorsi muscle. He also has a healed bullet wound below the right side of his diaphragm. Additionally, on the right side, he has a jagged scar that runs from his omohyoid muscle to the top of his left pectoral muscle.

When off duty, Heidern wears an outfit identical to Heidern's from The King of Fighters 2001, but with a few differences. The brown on his shoulders is replaced with a gold-outlined Venetian red, and he has both breast and standard army cargo pants pockets. He wears silver-grey gloves, a Marian blue turtleneck sweater, and his military jacket features the Ikari Warriors insignia emblazoned on the back. Occasionally, Heidern dons a full-length double-breasted walnut brown trench coat, featuring a self-belt at the waist with a brass buckle and four silvery buttons on the right side.

When on duty, he wears an outfit identical to Heidern's from KOF XV, but with a couple of differences. His uniform lacks the pouches on his belt, his knee pads are luxor gold, and his boots have a metallic blue sheen with the same soles as his KOF XV artwork. His waist pack contains an emergency pineapple grenade, and his drop leg holster carries two combat knives. The belt buckle is brass, and he has a belt-secured holster for a Steyr M1912 pistol, while the pouch on his shoulder strap holds a single 9mm Steyr magazine.

He wears a lapis lazuli military beret, distinguished by a black band with pearlescent white piping. It features an embroidered emblem of the same lizard found on his KOF XV design, but it's set on a gold-rimmed batorange wedge-topped shield. He always wears a blindfold made from simple black cloth to cover his eyes and visually indicate his blindness. He wears a H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Centre Seconds watch on his right wrist, which was gifted to him on his 36th birthday by Leona, Ralf, and Clark in appreciation for being a good leader and father figure. He always carries a photograph of his family, which includes him, his beloved wife, and their young daughter.

Whenever he's instructing, he carries a brownish-black pointer with a silver-grey handle.

Character summary: He's a cold, cunning, hypervigilant, and well-connected leader who expertly assesses and neutralises high-priority threats. Highly strategic, especially when addressing major dangers, he has effectively utilised the Ikari Warriors and special forces units from the Regular Army to tackle these challenges. He's skilled at coordinating attacks and investigations against the enemy. Throughout his military career, he has managed a diverse range of personalities, including those within his own band of soldiers. In addition to the Ikari Warriors, he recruits operatives from other special forces units in the Regular Army to expedite operations. Although he's not appreciative of detrimental failures, he recognizes that nothing is perfect and that there are rare moments when accepting defeat is the only option. In such cases, he believes that this acceptance allows everyone to learn from their experiences and understand how they can improve for the future, ultimately becoming wiser.

Despite his tough exterior, he treats his recruits like a surrogate family. He often hides his emotions behind a veil of professionalism and stoicism, but he genuinely cares for his allies, followers, and family. Although he's a cold-blooded soldier, he's considerate and kind to his subordinates, earning their wholehearted loyalty. Furthermore, his exceptional ability to manage his team allows him to quickly identify each soldier's strengths and train them accordingly, enabling them to perform at their best. While he's a skilled and outstanding fighter, he dislikes unnecessary violence and prefers to resolve conflicts with minimal bloodshed.

He becomes vengeful and angry when confronted with those who have hurt him, his allies, his adopted daughter or his troops, often losing his composure. He has lost many people in his life but has learned to accept his losses and keep moving forward. He's not above visiting the graves of those he has lost, demonstrating that his loyalty extends beyond death and that he still cares for those who have passed. He dislikes dwelling on the past, especially painful memories, as they can distract him from his current responsibilities. He deeply misses his family, but whenever he reflects on the good memories they shared and looks at the last surviving photo he has of them, it brings him happiness and motivation.

Many consider him to be a true soldier due to his eerie calmness, penetrating silence, and calculated ruthlessness. He's highly proficient in combat and strategy, and well-known for his thousand-yard stare, which gives him an intimidating edge. He's an independent learner, willing to teach himself new skills to survive and keep up with the times. He does his best to keep up with modern trends and occasionally uses the terms that his Gen Z allies employ, striving to demonstrate his connection to and understanding of their generation. As a man of loyalty, he has a strong aversion to betrayal, especially from those he trusts, as it undermines the bonds of loyalty that he values. He's cautious about relying too heavily on technology, preferring traditional combat skills and tactics over gadgets that may fail in critical moments.

Due to his blindness, people often play silly, well-meaning pranks on him, such as suddenly giving him the silent treatment during a conversation, making him believe they have simply left, or hiding behind his back, causing him to wonder where they have gone. He also has a tendency to look in the wrong direction when speaking, and people kindly let him know when this happens. He’s a bit flirty, but in a casual, friendly manner that doesn’t convey romantic interest. He can be bluntly honest, often adding a touch of snarky humour to his remarks. He's a hardcore survivalist with a passion for recreation, finding that fishing and game hunting help him keep his senses sharp while providing a meaningful pastime.

He's a man of considerable emotional and academic intelligence, and his seemingly vast knowledge is often compared to that of a typical Tuatha Dé Danann descendant. This has led many to believe he might have ancestral ties to the lost civilization, but he dismisses such notions as nonsense and false. Additionally, he's extremely wise, having gained valuable knowledge and insight from his years of training and personal experiences outside the military. He's a cynical optimist who chooses to remain a partial enigma for his own safety and security, believing that much of his life is none of anyone's business. While he often appears devoid of sentimentality and is quite hardheaded in his decision-making, advice, and observations, he's also capable of presenting himself as friendly, approachable, and peaceful. He's not above accepting help from others and actively appreciates it, especially when it comes from trusted allies.

He's very humbled by compliments about anything relating to him and seems to be not fully accepting of them, although he greatly appreciates them and boosts his self-confidence. Outside his circle of friends, acquaintances, and family, he can be confrontational, haughty and/or demanding regarding the skills of those he encounters, and he doesn't hesitate to call out what he perceives as inferiority. However, he's quick to praise competence and effort in combat. When facing anyone he has encountered before in battle, he's respectful and acknowledges their determination to be strong. He comes across as paranoid and suspicious of his enemies and the Regular Army, constantly keeping tabs on them to ensure he's always one step ahead and knows what they're up to. Sometimes, this paranoia and suspicion extend to new Ikari Warriors mercenaries and Regular Army allies, prompting him to keep a very close eye on them with the help of Leona, Ralf, and Clark. However, this vigilance doesn't last long if he quickly discovers that they aren't the enemy.

Although people consider Clark to be his right-hand man, he prefers not to view him that way, seeing him instead as a professional and loyal friend. He trusts Clark with his most valuable secrets, particularly those regarding his suspicions about the Regular Army, knowing that he'll keep his mouth shut and never compromise his position. His mentorship has forged a strong and enigmatic connection with Ralf, often described as resembling a father-son bond. While he greatly cares for Ralf, it has been noted that he doesn't trust him enough with certain secrets, fearing that his impulsivity might lead to unprecedented trouble. He has willingly taught Ralf some Japanese and Clark a bit of German.

He shows fatherly kindness to Leona, willingly providing her with wise advice and emotional support when she needs it. He also does his absolute best to avoid getting fatally injured, fearing that if Leona were to think he was dead, she might go haywire and hurt everyone. He's overprotective of Leona, constantly ensuring her safety and often instructing Ralf and Clark to act as her vigilant bodyguards. He'll even go as far as to intimidate anyone who attempts to mess with her or efficiently eliminate anyone who harms her.

Backstory: Karlheinz Yoshinaga was born September 1, 1987 in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He comes from a long line of military commanders, militia soldiers, business strategists, and fighting champions. His mother, Melita, was a German assassin working for the Earth Federation, responsible for eliminating corrupt world leaders and politicians involved in the criminal underworld. His father, Shigetarō Yoshinaga, was a senior officer in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces and was raised by martial arts enthusiasts. Shigetarō's family desperately wanted him to carry on their legacy and raised him strictly as a martial arts professional. However, he viewed military service as his true calling and ran away from home at 18 to start a new life.

His parents raised him like a soldier and expected him to perform well in school, but they were kind enough to allow him some room to enjoy an innocent, happy childhood. Although he was treated like a man of war, his parents never yelled at him; however, Shigetarō would sometimes strike him upside the head if Karlheinz stepped out of line, sternly and menacingly correcting his insolence and academic mistakes. They were often cold and rarely provided him with parental warmth, wanting him to be fully independent. He was taught about politics, self-defence techniques, military studies, and basic survival skills, while his parents encouraged him to achieve high academic grades and continue fostering his autonomy. Whenever he did particularly well in school, they would treat him to ice cream and gift him expensive metal figurines of animals.

When he turned 17, his parents kicked him out of the house, deeming him a rebellious nuisance and forcing him to survive on his own. With nowhere else to go, he lived in the forest, teaching himself to be a proficient hunter and fisherman. However, he eventually became seriously ill after accidentally consuming raw meat and wandered the streets in search of a job, but he couldn't find anyone willing to hire him. He tried going back to his parents, begging them for help, but they completely ignored his pleas and left him to suffer on the streets, unable to afford the treatment he needed. While searching for a place to die in peace, he stumbled across a soldier from the Peregrine Falcons Squad. Noticing his condition, the soldier offered him a job with consistent pay, and Karlheinz readily accepted, officially joining the P.F. Squad.

During his time in the P.F. Squad, he became known as a military-oriented man, proving his worth by expertly coordinating an attack against an underground Mafia-run drug ring and independently teaching himself assassination techniques. He was regarded as a top-notch fighter by many, including Tequila and Donald Morden, who were impressed by his military strength and knowledge despite being a rookie.

During his second major mission, he and his assigned team were deployed to a Cambodian town to assist Commander Hart, who would eventually become Colonel and Marco's teacher, in suppressing a dangerous guerrilla rebel force. However, their intel proved to be outdated, and the rebel faction had already taken the town and captured Hart. As a result, their plane was shot down while approaching the area. After crawling out of the wreckage, he and his surviving teammates were forced to fight their way through the guerrilla army to reach their objective. Most of his teammates were gunned down or killed in explosions during the battle, and just before they could get close to the secret hideout, they were ambushed and captured. He prefers not to discuss this incident in detail, but he has stated that he and his teammates were tortured for classified information before reinforcements arrived and rescued him, ultimately helping him bring down the rebel forces and rescue Commander Hart. He endured severe torture, including having his eye pulled out and acid applied to his face to inflict more pain, while the rest of his team either died from the torture or were killed for not cooperating. The torture unintentionally awakened his esper abilities, and many considered him a late bloomer.

Once it was all over, he moved to Brazil out of deep paranoia and chose the codename Heidern to protect his identity. A month after turning 20, he met Alessandra, who worked various desk jobs for the Regular Army. It was love at first sight for her, but it took Heidern a few weeks to fully trust her and open up. As he grew more comfortable and trusting around Alessandra, they eventually became a couple, and a year later, they started a family and had their daughter, Clarice. For safety reasons and to protect Heidern's work, his wife and daughter adopted the nicknames Sandra and Clara. Despite his busy schedule, Heidern has always made time to spend quality moments with his family. One of his favourite memories with Clara is reading The Elric Saga and Heidi to her.

At the age of 28, Heidern was promoted to Brigadier General and chief police-enforced assassin for the P.F. Squad, a recognition of his outstanding military service and exceptional proficiency in martial arts and tactical strategy. The event took place at a top-secret base in Brazil, where Sandra, Clara, and the families of his comrades were permitted to join the ceremony, which they gladly attended. Fifty secret service officers were present to commemorate the promotions of Heidern and a few other Peregriners. However, an influential arms dealer named Rugal caught wind of Heidern's high standing. While Heidern was away, Rugal stormed the base, killing all fifty officers and the families who had attended the ceremony.

When Heidern hurried back to the base after he finished some important paperwork and the alarms sounded, he was spared by Rugal, who vaguely stated that Lord Earth Shaker wasn't ready to add him to his "collection". However, Rugal brutally slaughtered Clara in front of Heidern and his wife, leaving them horrified. Heidern attempted to fight back, but Rugal seemed to anticipate his move and tried to decapitate him. In a desperate act of love, Sandra willingly threw herself in front of Heidern, taking the fatal blow instead. Rugal mockingly deemed her sacrifice as "worthy compensation" before slipping out of the base, leaving Heidern stunned and devastated. Disgraced and alone, he resolved to make a real effort in the world by starting his own mercenary unit called the Ikari Warriors, with the assistance of the P.F. Squad.

For the next few years, under his leadership, the operational capability of the Ikari Warriors reached world-class standards, resulting in numerous successful military operations. He trains his soldiers in the disciplines of stealth, espionage, firearms, explosives, and hand-to-hand combat, emphasizing swift, lethal efficiency. He teaches that stealth is an essential component of assassination, while hand-to-hand combat emphasizes patience and the exploitation of mistakes. He also highlights the importance of encouraging soldiers to transform their greatest strengths into effective weapons. Additionally, he developed his own fighting tournament that was exclusively accessible to the Ikari Warriors, people interested in joining his mercenary group, and eventually the Regular Army along with their special forces units. It serves both training purposes, allowing him and other appointed senior officers to assess and evaluate the fighting and strategic capabilities of each troop, and competitive enjoyment. He oversees the tournament and even participates in it when he's not preoccupied with tactical work and has some free time.

He openly welcomed Clark and Ralf into the Ikari Warriors, promising them decent pay and extra security measures to ensure their safety off duty. He quickly recognizes their potential as extraordinary soldiers during the early stages of their training as mercenaries, discovering their esper capabilities and learning about their life stories. They grew close to each other, becoming known as close friends off duty and professional acquaintances on duty. With Ralf's suggestion and encouragement, Heidern even participated in Andrew Town's fighting tournaments with them. However, he stopped attending after losing his eyesight and going blind shortly after their major confrontation with Ptolemaios' cult and paramilitary forces.

After several months of nightmares, he decided to investigate Rugal with the help of Clark's team. He uncovered the arms dealer's connection to the Serapion Fellowship, learning about their illegal activities in Latin America and heinous goals for the New World. Once he gathered enough intelligence on the Serapion Fellowship, he launched a large-scale ambush, which Ptolemaios somewhat anticipated and put up a decent fight. He served as the mission command for Ralf, Clark, Eikichi, Leland, Byron, and other mercenaries participating in the battle. He tasked Ralf and Clark with fighting their way through to track down Ptolemaios and put an end to the Serapion Fellowship while providing intel to their allies. Meanwhile, 2nd Lieutenant Cook, Byron, and a few other mercenaries focused on locating and assassinating Rugal, while Eikichi, Leland, and the remaining mercenaries were ordered to provide tactical and medical support. The entire operation proved successful, significantly pushing back against the Serapion Fellowship and resulting in Rugal's assassination for the death of Heidern's family as they caught him off guard during an important arms deal with Zoilo's paramilitary forces.

After he was blinded, he appointed Kawasaki as General, trusting him to effectively take his place. Kawasaki was one of the first mercenaries to join the Ikari Warriors after being disavowed by the U.S. military under mysterious circumstances. Heidern took Kawasaki in to provide him with a new purpose and to ensure that his leadership skills and taekwondo talent wouldn't go to waste. Unfortunately, Kawasaki's position as General was cut short by an unforeseen death. He wished to promote 2nd Lieutenant Cook, Eikichi, Leland or Byron to fill the role of General, but they were all dead, and he didn't want to burden any of his remaining best soldiers with the sudden promotion and expectations of army leadership. So, he began searching for potential candidates, hoping to find the right person to effectively lead the Ikari Warriors and compensate for his own diminished leadership due to his blindness.

During his search, Clark discovered intel on a rogue militia that has been terrorising the region of Brazil and is desperately hunting for a mysterious esper that they intend to use as a bioweapon, which he promptly shared with Heidern. It was also revealed that they're aiding the Serapion Fellowship by providing them with mercenaries, weaponry, and experimental drugs. Recognizing the seriousness of the threat, Heidern launched a targeted attack on the rogue militia, preventing them from harming more civilians and trying to find this esper before it's too late. Instead of simply commanding the mission, he joined the battle, even though Ralf, Clark, and his troops were worried about him sustaining injuries due to his lack of eyesight.

Amidst a secret village engulfed in flames and chaos, he navigated through the horrors, battling his way past enemy troops. Once he found himself near the outskirts of the village, he was busy interrogating an enemy soldier about the esper they were hunting down when he heard the scream of a young girl and the sounds of a struggle. Prompted by the commotion, he abandoned the interrogation, beheaded the soldiers, and rushed to investigate. When he arrived, he found a blue-haired girl, covered in blood, terrified, and surrounded by dead soldiers. He almost mistook her for Clara as they shared a similar voice, and the last thing he had heard from his daughter was her terrified scream before Rugal killed her. However, he quickly realised it wasn't her when the girl demanded answers.

Approaching the situation with wisdom and a fatherly demeanour, he reassured her of the good intentions of the Ikari Warriors and encouraged her to share what she knew about the unfolding events. As she revealed everything and broke down in tears, he comforted her until the battle subsided, and she felt ready to share a bit about herself, including her name: Leona. Realising that she had nowhere else to go and was struggling with some form of suppressive amnesia, he decided to adopt her. When Ralf and Clark approached, Heidern introduced Leona to them and declared that she would be under his care before they returned to headquarters.

Ever since he took Leona under his wing, she has always reminded him of his deceased daughter, Clara. He adopted Leona, hoping that she could fill the void in his heart and lead a better life. Since then, he has superimposed the image of his late daughter onto Leona and raised her as a warrior with great care. Initially, he forbade Leona from participating in any training but became lenient due to her strong interest in the matter. He had contemplated giving her a formal rank as a way to protect her from some of the dangers on the battlefield. However, with no other candidates for General, he ultimately saw her as the best choice for the position and actively promoted her.

A couple of months after the end of the Great Morden War, when Ralf's significant victory over the Rebel Army in the United States occurred, the Regular Army was still in the process of rebuilding. During this time, rumours began to circulate that Heidern and Leona were approaching them with the intention of collaborating. Although these rumours remain unconfirmed, Heidern has mentioned that he expressed a desire to repay the Peregrine Falcons Squad as a gesture of gratitude, acknowledging them as his saviours who helped him grow into a formidable military leader. He also aimed to assist the Regular Army and their special forces units in developing more robust and reliable strategies, while offering adequate mercenary services instead of relying on random mercenary groups that waste valuable time and resources. As per Heidern's request, he received permission from the higher-ups in the Regular Army to utilise their special forces operatives and troops for operational purposes.

After Ralf's tremendous success and learning about his grief over not saving the child hostages trapped in a Rebel Army aircraft, he offered him some fatherly wisdom. He reassured Ralf that the collateral damage was unintentional and that he had done everything possible to protect the other innocent people of the United States from the terror of the Rebel Army. Following that exchange, they enjoyed a fancy dinner together with Clark and Leona.

As the Regular Army continued to rebuild, now with the aid of the Ikari Warriors, Heidern discovered a shortage of instructors. Viewing this as an opportunity, he decided to volunteer, driven by a desire to provide effective training classes and teach soldiers valuable skills in survival, strategy, combat, and martial arts. He was accepted into the role of training instructor and quickly proved himself to be superior to the other instructors due to his years of military experience and reputation as a well-known strategist, stirring up jealousy, praise, and intrigue among his coworkers. During this time, he met Marco and Fio, who were seeking training to clear their minds of the Great Morden War and improve their combat skills. Heidern was more than willing to provide them with the training they needed, teaching them the ways of a soldier and offering simple life advice.

When Leona's hallucinations and headaches worsened, Ralf and Clark feigned professional incompetence and requested a suspension from their duties. However, Heidern saw through the ruse, understanding that they were genuinely concerned about Leona's troubled state and wanted to help her recuperate. He also wished for his adopted daughter to get better, fearing that she might lose control over her powers and, in doing so, suffer the loss of the only real family he has left, which could lead to disillusionment and depression. He readily agreed to their request and even took the rest of the team off duty, giving them the opportunity to relax and focus on their well-being.

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