Hero (Suikoden IV)

The hero (主人公, Shujinkou), known by several different names, is the protagonist of Suikoden IV. He is a washed-up orphan who rises to become the liberator of the Island Nations. He also appears in Suikoden Tactics as an obtainable character should the player upload Suikoden IV data.

Biography
He was discovered as a baby and brought up by Vincent Vingerhut as a caretaker and companion for his son, Snowe. He would grow to be a quiet, but brave young man whose gentle heart would allow him to sacrifice his own well-being for the benefit of others.

As an adolescent, he would join the Gaien Marine Knights alongside Snowe. There he excelled under the guidance of Commander Glen Cott and graduated along with his friends but tragedy would strike when his first post-graduation mission would lead to an attack by the pirate Brandeau. This would lead to him inheriting the Rune of Punishment after Glen died using the rune to repel a pirate attack on Razril.

Present at Glen's death, he was accused of the murder of his commander by Snowe and exiled from the island. He would eventually be picked up by a patrol ship from the Kingdom of Obel and he would learn more about the Rune of Punishment from Lino En Kuldes. Soon after, the Island Liberation War would break out, with the Kooluk Empire seizing Obel. Escaping the island with Lino and a few others, together they would begin to organise a force to retake the occupied Island Nations.

Recruiting the famed pirate Kika and the genius tactician Elenor Silverberg, the young knight would become the leader of the Island Liberation Navy, defeating Lino En Kuldes in a duel so as to establish his authority. Combining the power of the Rune of Punishment with the stratagems of Elenor, the force was able to swiftly liberate both Obel and Razril, giving the allied force enough momentum for a surprise, fast strike at the Kooluk stronghold of El-Eal Fortress.

Destroying the giant rune cannon as well as the Giant Tree, the leader and his forces were able to defeat Graham Cray's plans and put an end to the war. Following this, the Rune of Punishment shifted from its period of atonement to its period of forgiveness, ending the rune's curse and the damage caused to its bearer's life.

Name
The hero of Suikoden IV has no in-game name, but is occasionally referred to by different names in other publications and releases. In the 2004 novelisation, he is called Razlo (ラズロ, Razuro). More commonly rendered by fans as Lazlo, this is the most popular name used for him in fandom. In that publication, his name stems from his adopted home, Razril, the katakana for both names being similar.

In guide books, he is usually referred to as Hero IV (主人公IV) or some variant thereof, such as IV主人公 to distinguish himself as the protagonist of the fourth Suikoden title. All Genso Suikoden Card Stories cards featuring him also refer to him as 主人公IV.