Josephine

Josephine (ジョセフィーヌ, Josefīnu), birth name Yuma Valya (ユマ・ヴァルヤ, Uma Vuaruya), is a supporting character in Suikoden V. Josephine is a young narcissist looking to escape what she terms the barbarism of her homeland to embrace what she considers sophisticated culture.

History
Josephine is a narcissistic young lady who moved to Haud Village, the village where self-proclaimed artists gathered under the patronage of Salum Barows, in order to absorb the culture she so strove for. The name Josephine is a pseudonym. In actuality, she is Yuma Valya, younger sister of Shula Valya and a scion of the prominent Armesian Valya family.

Declaring her native culture to be backwards and barbaric, Josephine would leave Armes, eventually ending up in Haud where she fit right in, even as she continued to judge her neighbours and fellow artists. Her specialty was fashion and Josephine designed and stitched all her own outfits. In Haud, she got along with the equally haughty Cornelio, whereas Bastan was slightly unnerved by her.

Meeting Sialeeds early in the Sun Rune War, the narcissist would declare her a rival in the field of fashion and in order to learn and surpass her, would force her way into the Prince's company, becoming an inaugural member of the Imperial City Recapture Army. She would frequently submit designs for extravagant and impractical outfits for the Prince to wear, without success.

Later in the war, she would encounter her brother Shula once again when he too joined the Prince's army. Reproached heavily by her brother for the risks her flights of fancy posed, Josephine would run away crying. Locking herself in her room, she angrily demanded that the Prince not refer to her by her Yuma moniker and refused to discuss the matter further, returning to her regular, haughty personality.

Following the Sun Rune War, she would be hauled back home to Armes before promptly escaping and running away once again. This time, she appeared to head towards the northern continent, still searching of ever more sophisticated culture.

Name and Weapon
Joséphine is a French name, the feminine form of the name Joseph, which is taken from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "(YHWH) shall grow." It was originally a diminutive of the name Joséphe, but became more popular than its origin in the 19th century.

Josephine's weapon names are references to the medieval French tale La Noble Histoire de Lusignan by Jean d’Arras. Paléstine (erroneously transcribed as Oalatyne in Suikoden V), Mélior and Melusine were three sisters who were cursed to become monsters.

Music
Josephine's theme is an arrangement of the traditional "Theme of Narcissism". It is song 12 on disc 2 of the official Genso Suikoden V Original Soundtrack.

Trivia

 * You can see a slightly different recruitment scene for Josephine not only based on if you have Sialeeds or Sharmista in your party, but also if you go to recruit her in the brief window of time where Shula Valya is in your entourage.