Clair Lasbard (クレア・ラーズバード, Kurea Rāzubādo?, lit. Clair Lasbird) is a major character in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. One of Queen Aquaria XXVII's Crimson Blades, Clair is a commander of the Shield Legion (the Aquarian runological corps). She is the childhood friend of Nel Zelpher and the daughter of Adray Lasbard, a former Crimson Blade himself.
Entries[]
- Dictionary
- Till the End of Time: Clair Lasbard
- Profile
- Birthplace: The Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria, Elicoor II
- Birthday: March 20th, 750 S.D.
- A woman active in the war between the Kingdom of Aquaria and its neighboring nation of Airyglyph. She also goes by the name of Crimson Blade and directly serves the queen.
- Nel constantly finds herself worried sick about Nel, who in the name of duty, always puts herself in grave danger.
- She is the daughter of Adray Lasbard. It is from him that she has inherited her Crimson Blade title.
Story[]
Background[]
On March 20th, S.D. 750, Clair was born to a unnamed woman and Adray Lasbard, who served as a Crimson Blade and leader of the Shield Legion in the the Kingdom of Aquaria. As Crimson Blade, Adray supported the kingdom's growth and prosperity alongside Nevelle Zelpher. Because of their fathers' close association, Clair met and befriended Nel Zelpher, Nevelle's daughter, during her childhood. Like their fathers before them, Nel and Clair became runologists and pledged themselves to serving Aquaria.
Adray's responsibilities as a Crimson Blade were later transferred to Clair, who also became the commander-in-chief of the Shield Legion, Aquaria's runological military corps. Clair started reporting to Queen Aquaria XXVII directly.
War with Airyglyph[]
Fayt and Cliff first meet Clair when Nel successfully brings them to Arias, a war-torn city where some members of the Queen's forces have set up base. Clair is revealed to be the commander of the Shield Legion, the military unit of the Kingdom of Aquaria charged with the defense of Arias and Aquios. Two sublegions also report up to Clair: the Demon Hunter Legion, which was previously charged with the defense of Arias, and the Chain Legion, charged with the defense of Peterny.
Clair is relieved to see Nel's safe return and wastes no time in trying to convince Fayt and Cliff to help them complete the Aquarian superweapon "the Thunder Arrow" to end their war with Airyglyph, albeit with persuasive tactics that are gentler and more patient than Nel. But Fayt is still uneasy about helping to create their weapon. The next day, Fayt and Cliff discover Nel's disappearance and Clair mentions that Nel singlehandedly went back to Kirlsa Training Facility to free her captured subordinates, Tynave and Farleen, from execution. Cliff and Fayt chase after her, rescue her and her subordinates, and luckily make it back to Arias after defeating Shelby and having a close encounter with Albel Nox.
If the party chooses to bring Adray Lasbard with them before the battle with Duke Vox, she will make some comments about how her father would never back down from fighting alongside Aquaria and how she asks that they take care of him.
Sometime during the war, a Glyphian double agent[1] infiltrates Clair's Shield Legion, posing as one of her subordinates. The double agent disappears after Nel returns with the stolen Copper Ore from the Bequerel Mountain Path. He leaks to Airyglyph top secret information exposing Aquaria's plans to use the Thunder Arrow during the planned battle for Arias, which Vox is leading. This leak emboldens Vox to assume command of both the Black Brigade (after imprisoning Albel Nox on treason charges) and Dragon Brigade. Vox decides to expedite the Glyphian offensive against Arias, forcing it to take place before Aquaria has the chance to complete the Thunder Arrow. Clair leads the troops during this battle.
During the Arias battle, Nel, Fayt, and Cliff engage Vox in direct battle. Before the battle concludes, the Vendeeni ambush the battle between Aquaria and Airyglyph, and Vox is killed by a stray Vendeeni laser, effectively ending the war between the two countries. Upon witnessing the Vendeeni, Fayt inadvertently activates his Destruction powers, destroying much of Aquaria and Airyglyph's troops.
Clair plays no material part of the story after the war ends, other than wishing Nel good luck on her missions.
Post-game[]
Clair appears in both of Adray's endings, in which Adray attempts to marry her off, much to her chagrin.
In Adray's solo ending, he tries to marry her off to any of her subordinates who can endure his physical training the longest. In Adray's ending with Fayt, he asks Fayt if he's romantically involved with Nel, assuming that the only reason Fayt decided to stay on Elicoor II was for Nel. When Fayt denies having a relationship with Nel, confirming his single status and calling Nel a "comrade," Adray asks if Fayt wants to marry Clair. Fayt, incredulous, tells Adray that he doesn't feel comfortable having a conversation without Clair's input "even if [he] said sure." Adray insists that Clair would not decline a marriage proposal from Fayt. Clair, having overheard the entire conversation, knocks on the door and asks to speak to Adray outside, after which Fayt overhears the sounds of Clair attacking her father for interfering in her private life. Fayt thinks to himself that despite liking Clair, if he married her, Adray would be his father-in-law, and he's not sure he'd be able to handle that.
Clair is also mentioned in Nel's paired ending with Fayt, where Tynave accidentally reveals how jealous Nel got when she saw Fayt talking with Clair (for over six hours, according the Adray's companion scene in the Urssa Cava Temple).
If Adray is Fayt's companion who appears in Urssa Cave Temple, Adray ropes Fayt into retrieving a gemstone ostensibly for Clair's birthday, which Adray later reveals was a cover story for his real intentions: for Fayt to give to Clair as part of a marriage proposal. Adray interprets Fayt's surprise as "being concerned about Nel" and claims that Clair is not worried about "women in Fayt's past." In a reference to Nel's paired ending with Fayt, Adray states that he saw Fayt and Clair talking together for over six hours, and Fayt responds that it was Clair who had wanted to see him, but they spend the time discussing work.
Whether or not Clair has any feelings for Fayt or Adray is projecting onto these situations remains ambiguous.
Profile[]
Though minor in terms of plot, Clair remains a prominent character regarding Elicoor's conflict and the backstories of two party characters as Nel's childhood friend and colleague as well as Adray's daughter. She's first introduced as the commander of the Aquarian army defending the besieged Arias, her close bond with Nel and their contrasting demeanors immediately evident.
Clair's overall demeanor and communication style stands in stark opposition to Nel's: while Nel comes off as blunt, austere, and even ruthless (e.g., when she demanded that Fayt and Cliff help Aquaria defeat Airyglyph, threatening to kill them if they refused), Clair comes off as gentle, soft-spoken, and polite (e.g., when she diplomatically requested that Fayt and Cliff assist Aquaria, but emphasized they were free to decline without repercussion.) While this may seem to suggest that Nel is the more "ruthless" of the two, Clair, who has known Nel since she was a child, remarks that before Nevelle Zelpher was killed in action, Nel was a "kind and ordinary girl" who decided to "portray herself as being composed and coldhearted" after assuming the title of the Crimson Blade. Clair admits to worrying that Nel's "naivety" and "gentle nature" will eventually cost Nel her life one day, musing "perhaps Nel is too kind a person for the work" and Nel's personality is ill-suited to the times in which they live. This suggests that while Clair appears to be the softer-hearted Crimson Blade, she is indeed much more detached and "hard" than appearances would suggest, especially relative to Nel. This is further implied by the fact that Clair, despite being the younger of the two, is the commander of the Aquarian military and is seen giving orders to Nel. Other characters throughout Aquaria make note of her gentle demeanor but also her intelligence and competency as a commander, undercut only by Aquaria's lack of military power compared to Airyglyph.
Both Nel and Clair are said to be admired throughout the continent—as commanders and also for their beauty. Clair herself is also said to be something of a workaholic, much like Nel, which prevents her from settling down, and that she's also a poor cook compared to her friend. Shortly after the Vendeeni attack during the battle, Clair expresses outrage that the outcome of the battle is "unacceptable" and that she saw the war with Airyglyph as mostly a religious war of ideals. Her interactions with her father imply that she can be fierce when angered, particularly when someone interferes with her personal life.
The emphasis on Clair's lack of interest in marriage prospects, her violent reaction to Adray's attempts to secure her a husband or read through her diary, and her closeness with Nel has led to speculation that she might be a lesbian, and/or harbor romantic feelings for Nel — something Akira Kanda's non-canon manga adaptation emphasizes by playing up the ambiguity of Nel's own sexuality and the romantic undertones of the scenes in which they are together. All of this remains possible subtext, as both characters are implied to have some romantic interest in Fayt depending on the ending or Urssa Lava Temple companion achieved, making them possibly bisexual if nothing else. Nothing has been confirmed or denied. Anamnesis appears to depict both Nel and Clair as being interested solely in the Captain, likely for audience appeal.
Star Ocean: Anamnesis seems to alter her character somewhat compared to the third game, as well as expand upon it. She's shown to be a little more immature and upbeat as opposed to her original personality, possibly for the sake of fanservice/comedic moments, and her strained relationship with her father seems to go unmentioned in favor of her viewing him as a mentor and inspiration. She's said to be skilled in espionage in regards to her Maid variation, and mentions a belief in spirits for the Halloween event—one of the rare times her religious upbringing is noted.
Gameplay[]
Originally a non-playable character in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Clair makes her playable appearance in the spin-off game Star Ocean: Anamnesis. She currently has eight variants: "Clair", "Girly Clair", "Devil Clair", "Maid Clair", "Bride Clair", "Holiday Clair", "Empress Clair", and "Summer Clair".
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Clair's pedigree (that is, her percentage of royal blood attributable to Aquaria I from the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor) is 34%, same as Nel.
- Nel unknowingly encounters the Glyphian double agent who infiltrated Clair's Shield Legion (and later leaked the existence of the Thunder Arrow to Duke Vox) in an optional scene during Fayt and Cliff's first visit to Castle Aquaria. Nel notices the man near the throne room, eavesdropping on her conversation with Fayt and Cliff. The double agent apologizes and quickly walks off. Nel grows suspicious and later dispatches a Secret Legion subordinate (dressed as a typical girl) to watch over his house in Aquios, who the player can speak with. Despite being surveilled, the agent eventually vanishes after Nel returns with the Copper Ore to leak information to Airyglyph.
- If Magistrate Lasselle is spoken with prior to leaving Aquios for the battle in Arias, he mentions that the war council refused his idea to burn Arias down as a means of winning against Airyglyph by way of attrition, saying that their people have suffered too much already. Given Clair is Aquaria's only named general in the game, and the head of the Aquaria's army, it's very likely that Clair was among those who rejected the Magistrate's idea.
- Clair is described as a horrible cook, along with Tynave (and in contrast to Farleen, whose cooking is so good she could go professional).
- Clair is likely inspired by Kazumi Amano, the piloting partner of Noriko Takaya (who likely inspired Nel) from the 1988 science fiction/space opera anime Gunbuster. Kazumi, a long haired girl with a ribbon in her hair, befriends Noriko, a short, red haired girl whose father was a top-ranking commander who disappeared on an mission and is presumed killed in action. Noriko, having spent her entire life idolizing her father, enrolls in the same piloting program as Kazumi, and is chosen as Kazumi's piloting partner despite not having finished her training. Noriko helps defend Earth from large extraterrestrial space monsters that resemble Executioners.