There's nothing special about being courageous in times of need.
― Claude C. Kenny
Claude C. Kenny (クロード・C・ケニー, Kurōdo C. Kenī?, lit. Crawd C. Kenny) is the son of the famous Admiral Ronyx J. Kenny, a main character from the original Star Ocean. Although Claude has the ability and talent to be an officer, he lives in the shadow of his father. Generally a nice guy, Claude is passionate about what he thinks is right.
Claude is one of the two protagonists of Star Ocean: The Second Story, its enhanced port, Second Evolution, its remake, The Second Story R, and its sequel Blue Sphere, alongside Rena Lanford. His surname was originally translated as Kenni in The Second Story.
Entries[]
- Profile
- Birthplace: Earth
- Birthdate: January 23rd, S.D. 347
- A member of the federation's military who helped put an end to the Ten Wise Men's plans to destroy the universe in 360 S.D.
- Claude is the son of Admiral Ronyx J. Kenny and Ilia Kenny, a leading authority on symbology. Growing up under their influence, he often found himself to be the target of jealousy.
- After an accident transported him away, he met some friends who helped him conquer the Ten Wise Men and overcome the inferiority complex he had toward his father.
- Claude is currently seeing his duties with the military through at the federation.
Story[]
Background[]
In S.D. 343, Claude was born to renowned Pangalactic Federation officers Ronyx J. Kenny and Ilia Kenny (née Silvestri). Claude grew up on Earth and has always lived under the shadow of his father's celebrity and role-model status. Despite this, he too enrolled into the Federation Academy and majored in Basic Combat Arts.
In his youth, "years and years" prior to the events of Second Evolution, Claude had a dog with a big fluffy tail named Roddick. This was the first name that came to mind by his father when he saw the dog's tail which reminded him of his old friend. The canine Roddick was killed after getting hit by a car; Claude rushed Roddick to the vet but the dog was already dead.
Stranded on Expel[]
Did you hear? They're saying the guy who beat Allen was the actual Hero of Light!
― Bartender in Salva
Shortly after being commissioned as an Ensign for Federation army, Claude is stationed on the Calnus, his father's vessel, despite his misgivings. Claude, Ronyx and other crew members beam down to the surface of Milokeenia on a reconnaissance mission. Ronyx gives him a Phase Gun before the investigation team enters some odd ruins that they believe to have been destroyed by an internal explosion many years prior. Within the dome, Claude ignores his father's warnings about a strange device. When he gets closer, a portal is opened and teleports Claude to the planet Expel.
Landing within the Sacred Forest, Claude finds Rena Lanford threatened by a monster, whom Claude swiftly slays using his side arm. Due to the burst of light emitted from his phase gun, he is mistaken for the "Hero of Light" by Rena and the other inhabitants of Expel due to a local legend which tells of a hero dressed in alien raiments and a "Sword of Light" who would arrive on Expel during its time of need. Wearing his Earthling Federation uniform and wielding a 'sword of light' (his phase gun), many Expellians quickly grasp at the hope that he is the "Hero of Light". After clarifying the situation, he goes to investigate the mysterious Sorcery Globe in order to find clues which would help him to return to Earth.
Midway through the war between the Nedians and the God's Ten Wise Men, Claude and his party are part of an elite Nedian Defense Force strike team sent to neutralize the Ten Wise Men in their home base, the former Nedian city of Phynal. Upon their insertion into the tower, Gabriel, the leader of the Ten Wise Men, decides to test the strength of his new antimatter cannon on the Calnus which is currently in orbit around Energy Nede. The powerful energy beam breaks through the vessel's shields and breaks the ship apart, killing everyone on board, including Claude's father. Claude is immensely angered by what the leader of the Ten Wise Men did, and swears to kill Gabriel to avenge his father.
Return to Earth[]
Immediately after the crisis on Nede, Claude convinces Rena, Leon and Precis to study abroad on Earth as he must go back and continue his studies at the Military Academy. He finally moves out of his father's shadow, but he rarely talks to others about what happened when he was missing on Expel.
Rescue on Edifice[]
In S.D. 368, Opera and Ernest are still exploring uncharted, primitive planets when they end up stranded on the planet Edifice and they ask Precis for help. She contacts the whole party, including Claude and Rena, but they are unable to immediately respond to her distress signal as they are away on a mission. As soon as they finish, they head to Edifice, but Claude's personal ship is also pulled through the planet's atmosphere and crashes. Claude is immediately separated from Rena, and contracts a deadly disease.
The nearby Bunny village takes Claude in. For her part, Rena is able to meet with their old friends while they are on their way to the Leviabor Ruins. She tells them of Claude's predicament. In order to save him, everyone but Claude travels to the laboratory on Knott with a herb they found in the Submerged Combs. A scientist, Simone, is able to create an antidote with it. The party returns and administers the cure to Claude.
Now recovered, Claude accompanies his friends on their journey to Leviabor where they confront a copy of Rival, while she extracts power from the ruins. As she is about to kill the party, the Kings of Aqua teleport the party to safety. Rival leaves for a space station orbiting the planet, and the party follows via the Ex Trochia elevator in order to stop her from perpetuating Edifice's cycle of destruction. After passing through Cosmo City, they infiltrate the Grand Knott. The party fights Rival, who tells them she is being controlled by Mother Edifice and that she was responsible for pulling their ships towards Edifice, hoping that they would stop her. The party destroys Mother Edifice, ending the planet's cycle of death.
Little is known about Claude's life from this point onwards. At some point, he got married and had at least one child. Claude's deeds—alongside those of Ronyx and Stephen—would cement the Kenny family as the most prestigious military family in the Federation. His fame as the "Hero of Light" even reached his eventual descendant, Emmerson T. Kenny, who lived during the 500s (S.D.).
Profile[]
I envy the birds. They can fly high in the sky as they want. However, even though they can fly through the sky, it doesn't mean that they necessarily feel good.
― Claude C. Kenny
Claude has the tendency to be brash, impetuous, and usually a little late, but altruistic. Back home on Earth, he was noted for his frizzy blond hair and impish gleam in his eye in addition to being late and causing ruckus. Claude's good looks and noble nature tend to draw the interest of his female party members, especially Rena (the interest is mutual, as Claude is known to carry a portrait of her that can retrieved on certain towns). Born to parents of great renown, Claude is often troubled by his life being molded more by others than himself. He greatly respects his father and is aware that being a Federation officer is a great accomplishment, but he longs to be his own man, and to be seen not just as Ronyx's son. He can sometimes be rather insecure and jealous of others, especially of Dias Flac.
Claude's favorite instrument is the Silver Trumpet. He also enjoys stargazing as seen in a PA in Marze, wherein he and Rena agree to stargaze together when they have a free night during their adventures. He enjoys all kinds of food, but has a certain taste for Steak in particular, and likes computer games as well.
As for his combat prowess, besides majoring in Basic Combat Arts at the Academy, Claude seems to have no practical experience in battle at the beginning of his journey. However, he seemingly picked up the Edarl Sword Style, which he puts to practical use after receiving a Longsword from Regis on Arlia. Claude mixes his swordsmanship with acrobatic martial arts, most likely inherited from his mother, Ilia.
Gameplay[]
Elder, I am familiar with this swordsman. He's a powerful fighter to have on our side.
― Celine Jules on Claude's prowess
Claude is one of two initial playable characters in The Second Story / Second Evolution. He is a sword user first and foremost, but is able to apply some martial arts in his fighting style. He mostly relies on the use of Special Arts to damage his enemies and has some affinity to the Fire and Earth elements. The player can choose to follow Claude's side of the story, or Rena's. The player can permanently recruit Leon D.S. Gehste, but not Dias Flac, in Claude's scenario.
In Star Ocean: Blue Sphere, he is also playable but as an optional party member, and the last to be recruited. He once again wields swords and retains most of his skills, and can use his Phase Gun ability as a battle move and as a Field Action.
In Star Ocean: Anamnesis, Claude had three variants: "Claude", "Uniform Claude" (an event unit featured in Beyond Cause and Effect), and "Blue Sphere Claude".
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
Other appearances[]
- Radiata Stories
- Claude's outfit from The Second Story makes an appearance in Radiata Stories, worn by Ganz Rothschild.
- Fantasy Earth Zero
- Claude's clothes and headband from Second Evolution were available during a collaboration, along with those of the rest of several others in the cast.
- Lord of Vermilion
- Claude appears as a recruitable character in the arcade card battle games Lord of Vermilion Arena and Lord of Vermilion Re:3 Dear Servant after its -Saviour of the 13 Swords- update alongside Precis F. Neumann and Gabriel Celesta, among others from series.
- Tales of the Rays
- Claude appears as a playable character alongside Rena, available during the collaboration with Star Ocean: Anamnesis. He has an alternate outfit, based on Cress Albane's armor, called "Warrior of Time Costume".
- Last Cloudia
- Claude appears as a playable character alongside Rena, available during the collaboration with Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
Trivia[]
- While Claude wears a tan colored jacket in The Second Story/Second Evolution, he wears a green colored jacket in Star Ocean EX, similar to the one he wears in Blue Sphere.
- For a long time, the identity of Claude's mother was unknown, but suspected to be Ilia Silvestri due to their habit of rating the party's performance and their handful shared martial art moves. Their relationship was confirmed with Ronyx's PA proposal in First Departure, the "Ilia Kenny" mention in Integrity and Faithlessness, and outright shown in Star Ocean: Anamnesis.
- Emmerson T. Kenny alludes to being a descendant of Claude in a victory quote, claiming to be of the bloodline of "The Hero of Light".
- Claude bears some resemblance to Cress Albane. Incidentally, Claude can wear an alternate costume of Cress' armor in his guest appearance in Tales of the Rays.
- Claude's victory pose in Tales of the Rays is loosely based on his official artwork seen in The Second Story.
- Claude has been referenced in another tri-Ace game, Radiata Stories, for the PlayStation 2, where the character Ganz Rothschild is seen wearing Claude's outfit.
- In The Second Story, Claude shares his English voice actor with Noel Chandler.
External links[]