Ripper

""Hhehehehehehehe.... Could you entertain me lots more?""

Ripper (リッパー), later known as Freaks (フリークス), is a serial killer who roams Shin Yokozaki City. An Irregular Strange Red Drive-Union with a thirst for wanton destruction, Ripper is responsible for numerous tragedies that have struck the city; he is nearly always chased by Avenge.

Ripper's Drive is. He was revealed for BlazBlue Alternative: Dark War on January 13th, 2021.

Appearance
A young man with dark purple hair with messy green streaks. Ripper has an angular face with eyes that always appear shut. His right eye is his Crystal, which he keeps hidden under a medical eye patch. He is seen wearing a fuchsia hoodie lined with black fur along the hood, and there are numerous fluorescent green zips running across the hoodie both vertically and horizontally. He also wore black trousers with fuchsia strips on their sides, and fuchsia trainers. Ripper was always seen wearing a Brain Cat doll on a strap around his neck.

When back in control of his body as Freaks, his hair was messy, and black with white streaks. His Crystal was exposed, and he wore a black hoodie with a purple interior that was covered in sky blue tape. On his chest and hands were deep scars in the shapes of crosses, and over his wrists were broken handcuffs. Over Freaks' neck was a small black choker with a green barcode dangling from it. He wore simple brown shoes, each with a brown 'x' near the mouth.

Whenever Ripper uses his Drive, his fingers turn into large blades that can either be straight or curved.

Personality
Psychotic is the one word that can truly capture Ripper. He yearns for a constant sense of fun, which can only be achieved by him hunting down and causing mass murder wherever he goes. Ripper toys with his prey, mocking them with every breath, and will do anything to make them feel anguish before he finally kills them.

His confidence borders hubris; Ripper knows that few can take him on and survive, and he revels in the pure power that being a Strange Red grants him. Becoming a Drive-Union has done little for Ripper's sanity, as he was already a criminal wanted for numerous murders prior to his condition. When pushed into a corner or met with something he did not anticipate, Ripper loses his mocking facade, and shows bloodthirsty rage to anyone in his path. He is unpredictable, callous, cruel, and eager to kill for the sake of his entertainment.

Powers and Techniques
Owing to his Drive, Ripper is a ruthless and deadly combatant. allows him to turn his hands into sharp blades which are laced with seithr, making any wound they inflict impossible for mages to heal with magic. He is fast, being able to slice Mei Amanohokosaka's Shikigami Raven in the blink of an eye. His speed and Drive make for a deadly combination, and his vast experience in both hunting and fighting his prey make him much stronger than his appearance would suggest.

Speed and strength is not all that defines Ripper, however, as he is a cunning fighter who excels at aggravating his opponents into making the wrong move. Other than his Drive, Ripper also has numerous throwing knives and even smoke bombs to help him both fight at a distance and retreat when at a disadvantage.

After his 'death', Ripper's consciousness was trapped within his Brain Cat doll. After resurrecting himself using the seithr stored within Touya Kagari, he took the moniker of Freaks. As a result of this resurrection, he gained access to the New Testament Grimoire, which allowed him to use the XBlaze ability. Using XBlaze, Freaks was capable of draining the life-force of those nearby, incapacitating the likes of Mei, Kuon Glamred Stroheim and Elise von Klagen.

XBlaze Code: Embryo Character Report

 * Ripper

''A Union and SS-class fugitive wanted by the Mitsurugi Agency, Ripper was infected long before the Mitsurugi Agency. He is also immune to his crystal's soul intervention, which has turned a shade of crimson due to his habit of eating the crystals of other Unions, earning him the nickname "Strange Red." An unrepentant serial killer, he has been on the run from the law for over ten years.He has the ability to "smell" other Unions. Revealed to be the one who killed Yuki Himezuru's parents. Eventually defeated by Avenge.''

XBlaze Lost: Memories TIPS Entry

 * Ripper

''A Union and SS-class fugitive wanted by the Mitsurugi Agency. The Magic Guild wants him dead, and has outsourced his termination to a bounty hunter. Ripper was infected long before the Wadatsumi Incident and is considered an "irregular type". He has always loved to kill before his onset and maybe due to his abnormal personality, he has not been affected by the crystal. An unrepentant serial killer, he has been on the run from the law for over ten years. Both the Mitsurugi Agency and the Magic Guild have lost countless people trying to bring him down. In the events leading up to the Embryo incident, he kidnapped Hinata and tried to kill her, pushing Touya Kagari over the edge and forcing him to unleash the power of the Grimoire. Once that happened, Touya absorbed most of Ripper's powers. Though he managed to escape, he was eventually finished off by the bounty hunter Avenge. The Magic Guild later retrieved his body.''


 * Freaks

''A Union currently being hunted by Kuon and Elise. Considered wholly evil, he slaughtered the ruling members of the Magic Guild. Supposedly a result of Guild research, almost nothing is known about him.''

BlazBlue 10th Anniversary Official Site Profile
''A Union and SS-class fugitive wanted by the Mitsurugi Agency. He is an 'irregular' type, who became a Drive-Union before the Wadatsumi Incident.''
 * Ripper

BlazBlue Alternative: Dark War Official Site Profile
An extremely dangerous Drive-Union that is a wanted criminal. ''He enjoys murder. He can turn parts of his body into blades to attack.''

Trivia

 * In the BlazBlue 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Ripper placed 60th out of the 84 candidates. He scored one place lower than fellow XBlaze cast member Ringo Akagi, and one point above Karenjina Parsett. He had 38 votes.
 * Ripper is the only known Strange Red.