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Barbarossa Rugner: Difference between revisions

17th Emperor of the Scarlet Moon Empire
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{{Character
{{Character
|name=Barbarosa Rugner
|name=Barbarossa Rugner
|jpname=バルバロッサ・ルーグナー
|jpname=バルバロッサ・ルーグナー
|roname=Barubarossa Rūgunā
|roname=Barubarossa Rūgunā
|img=Barbarosa Rugner (S1 character art)
|img=Barbarossa Rugner (S1 character art)
|caption=Kawano Junko
|caption=Kawano Junko
|gender=Male
|gender=Male
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|family=[[Claudia]] ''(wife)''<br>[[Geil Rugner|Geil]] ''(uncle)''<br>[[Kallnach Rugner|Kallnach]] ''(grandfather)''<br>[[Michelan Rugner|Michelan]] ''(father)''
|family=[[Claudia]] ''(wife)''<br>[[Geil Rugner|Geil]] ''(uncle)''<br>[[Kallnach Rugner|Kallnach]] ''(grandfather)''<br>[[Michelan Rugner|Michelan]] ''(father)''
|titles=Golden Emperor
|titles=Golden Emperor
|va=[[Banjō Ginga]]
|va=[[Banjō Ginga]]<br><small>(''[[Radio Genso Suikoden: Assemble! 108 Stars!]]'')</small>
:<small>(''[[Radio Genso Suikoden: Assemble! 108 Stars!]]'')</small>
|live = [[Kaji Naoto]]
|S1=yes
|appears=Suikoden
}}
}}
'''Barbarosa Rugner''' (バルバロッサ・ルーグナー, ''Barubarossa Rūgunā'') is a main antagonist in [[Suikoden]]. The 17th, and final, Emperor of the [[Scarlet Moon Empire]], Barbarosa Rugner's disinterest in the empire saw it fall in his reign.  
'''Barbarossa Rugner''' (バルバロッサ・ルーグナー, ''Barubarossa Rūgunā'') is a main antagonist in [[Suikoden]]. Barbarossa Rugner was the 17th Emperor of the [[Scarlet Moon Empire]], renowned as the "Golden Emperor" for his golden armor and early benevolent rule.


==History==
Rising to power after victory in the [[War of Succession]], his reign began with promise but later declined due to manipulation by the Court Magician [[Windy]], leading to widespread corruption.
{{quote| I will defend the last piece of my Empire to the bitter end. | Barbarosa Rugner}}


Successor of the [[Sovereign Rune]], Barbarosa became the 17th Emperor of the [[Scarlet Moon Empire]] after victory in the [[War of Succession]].
In the 1996 English language localization of Suikoden his name was rendered as Barbarosa (no second 's').


Barbarosa was actually born the sixth son of Emperor [[Michelan Rugner|Michelan]] and as such was considered to have held no chance of succeeding the throne. As such, little attention was paid to the young Barbarosa's tutelage, and he often played with commoner children and studied whatever he wished.
==History==
 
{{quote| I will defend the last piece of my Empire to the bitter end. | Barbarossa Rugner}}
But as the years passed, two of Barbarosa's elder brothers fell ill and died to different diseases and Michelan worried his other sons had grown weak and corrupt from their pampering. And so, Michelan came to name Barbarosa as Crown Prince of the Scarlet Moon Empire.
Barbarossa Rugner, the 17th Emperor of the Scarlet Moon Empire, was a figure of both triumph and tragedy, whose reign was marked by great victories and profound sorrow. Born the sixth son of Emperor [[Michelan Rugner|Michelan]], Barbarossa was initially overlooked in the line of succession, allowing him a childhood of relative freedom among commoners.
 
[[File:Barbarosa promises freedom.png|220px|thumb|left|Oh you know it, bro!]]In [[Solar calendar|SY]] 446, while on a pilgrimage to pray for good harvest in [[Kunan]], Emperor Michelan would pass from illness and taking advantage of the confusion, Barbarosa's uncle, [[Geil Rugner|Geil]], enacted the [[Trial of Disinheritance]] and took the throne for himself, sparking the [[War of Succession]].
 
Despite suffering early losses, including the death of his beloved wife, [[Claudia]], Barbarosa's forces soon rallied from their base at [[Pannu Yakuta Castle]] and secured the throne following a final battle at [[Gregminster]]. Heralded as a patriotic hero, he become known as the Golden Emperor for both his golden armor and benevolent rule in his early reign. He would occasionally take lunch with [[Milich Oppenheimer]], where the two would reminisce about Claudia.


However, in [[Solar calendar|SY]] 449, he began to lose interest in his empire when he met the Court Magician, [[Windy]], who physically resembled his late wife. Using Barbarosa's love to her advantage, Windy used her magic to manipulate the empire and soon the nation lost faith in its government and its Emperor as corruption and malaise continued to grow.
However, the untimely deaths of his elder brothers and the corruption of the remaining heirs led Michelan to name Barbarossa as Crown Prince. Upon his father's death, Barbarossa ascended to the throne, inheriting the [[Sovereign Rune]] and the responsibility of ruling the empire.


[[File:Barbarosa nothing beside remains.png|220px|thumb|right|You can become the Republic's official gardener! Deal?]]The [[Toran Liberation Army]] under [[Odessa Silverberg]] rose up in opposition to the corrupt empire, while Barbarosa deigned not to fight, leaving the [[Gate Rune War]]'s battles largely in the hands of the Five Great Generals.
[[File:Barbarosa promises freedom.png|220px|thumb|left|Oh you know it, bro!]]
In year 446 of the [[solar calendar]], Barbarossa's reign was challenged when his uncle, [[Geil Rugner]], seized the throne during his absence, sparking the [[War of Succession]]. Despite early setbacks, including the death of his beloved wife, [[Claudia]], Barbarossa rallied his forces from [[Pannu Yakuta Castle]] and emerged victorious, reclaiming the throne and earning the title of the "Golden Emperor" for his golden armor and benevolent early rule.


Barbarosa even helped the Toran Liberation Army briefly, allowing [[Futch]] to escape [[Gregminster Palace]] with the [[Black Dragon Orchid]]. His motivation was likely not to pollute the [[Floating Garden]], a memory of his beloved Claudia, with violence.
However, his reign took a dark turn in the year 449 when he became enamored with [[Windy]], the Court Magician, who bore a striking resemblance to Claudia. Manipulated by Windy's magic and his own loneliness, Barbarossa allowed corruption to fester within the empire, leading to widespread discontent.


At the end of the war, as the Liberation Army marched into Gregminster Palace, Barbarosa made one last stand at defending his empire using the Rugner family treasure, the Sovereign Rune, for the first and only time, to transform into a three-headed [[Golden Hydra]].
This would eventually manifest as open rebellion by 453, with the rise of the [[Toran Liberation Army]] sparking what would become known as the [[Gate Rune War]]. During the war, he largely withdrew from governance, leaving the defense of the empire to the Five [[Great General]]s while he indulged in his grief and misplaced love.


He was still defeated and would admit that he had never been manipulated by Windy's [[Conqueror Rune]], but had followed her of his own will, seeing the same loneliness as himself, the feared Golden Emperor, in Windy, who hated the world after her family was destroyed. He had willingly broken his own heart and everything he had built as emperor due to his love, an earnest love not borne out of Windy's resemblance to his late wife.
[[File:Barbarosa nothing beside remains.png|220px|thumb|right|You can become the Republic's official gardener! Deal?]]
In the final days of the war, as the Liberation Army stormed [[Gregminster]], Barbarossa made a desperate last stand, using the Sovereign Rune to transform into a [[Golden Hydra]]. Defeated, he confessed that his actions were not the result of Windy's manipulation but his own choice, driven by a shared loneliness and his earnest love for her. In a final act of defiance and despair, Barbarossa leapt from the Floating Garden with Windy in his arms, vanishing into history.


Giving his farewells, he leapt from the [[Floating Garden]] of Gregminster along with Windy, whom he held in his arms. He has not been seen since, and is presumed dead although his body was never found. Despite this, a memorial was built in his honor.
Though his body was never found, a memorial was erected in his honor, commemorating the complex legacy of the Golden Emperor.


==Genso Suikoden Card Stories TCG==
==Genso Suikoden Card Stories TCG==
{{CS head}}
{{CS head}}
{{CS list|CS2-268|[[Barbarosa (CS card CS2-268)|Barbarosa]]|{{Mastermind}}|[[CS2 Booster Pack Vol.3]]}}
{{CS list|CS2-268|[[Barbarossa (CS card CS2-268)|Barbarossa]]|{{Mastermind}}|[[CS2 Booster Pack Vol.3]]}}
{{CS foot}}
{{CS foot}}


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===Artwork===
===Artwork===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Barbarosa Rugner (S1 character art).png|[[Suikoden]] artwork by [[Kawano Junko]]
File:Barbarossa Rugner (S1 character art).png|[[Suikoden]] artwork by [[Kawano Junko]]
</gallery>
</gallery>


===In-Game===
===In-Game===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Barbarosa (S1 PS1 portrait).png|[[Suikoden]] Sony PlayStation portrait
File:Barbarossa (S1 PS1 portrait).png|[[Suikoden]] Sony PlayStation portrait
File:Barbarosa (S1 SAT portrait).png|[[Suikoden]] Sega Saturn portrait
File:Barbarossa (S1 SAT portrait).png|[[Suikoden]] Sega Saturn portrait
File:Barbarosa (S1 HDR portrait).png|[[Suikoden I&II HD Remaster]] portrait by [[Kawano Junko]]
File:Barbarossa (S1 HDR portrait).png|[[Suikoden I&II HD Remaster]] portrait by [[Kawano Junko]]
</gallery>
 
===Live performance===
<gallery>
File:Barbarossa Rugner (TS cast photo).jpg|[[Suikoden -Gate Rune Wars Arc- The Stage]], performed by [[Kaji Naoto]]
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
* Barbarosa was, along with Windy, confirmed as dead following the events of [[Suikoden]]. Since then, however, Konami has decided to downgrade their status to 'Missing in Action', hence the lack of a date of death.
* Barbarossa was, along with Windy, confirmed as dead following the events of [[Suikoden]]. Since then, however, Konami has decided to downgrade their status to 'Missing in Action', hence the lack of a date of death.
* Presumably named after Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, Operation Barbarossa (in German, Unternehmen Barbarossa) was also the code name for the invasion of USSR by the 3rd Reich, during WW2.
* Presumably named after Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, Operation Barbarossa (in German, Unternehmen Barbarossa) was also the code name for the invasion of USSR by the 3rd Reich, during WW2.
* "Barbarossa" also translates into Italian as "red beard", although the character himself doesn't even have a beard.
* "Barbarossa" also translates into Italian as "red beard", although the character himself doesn't even have a beard.
* Barbarosa commissioned the [[Golden Goddess statue]] that is seen in [[Gregminster]] in the likeness of his late wife, Claudia.
* Barbarossa commissioned the [[Golden Goddess statue]] that is seen in [[Gregminster]] in the likeness of his late wife, Claudia.


==Other languages and releases==
==Other languages and releases==
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{{Other Names row|French|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|French|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|German|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|German|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|Italian|Hohenstaufen Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|Italian|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|Spanish|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names row|Spanish|Barbarossa Rugner}}
{{Other Names footer}}
{{Other Names footer}}

Latest revision as of 12:49, 10 October 2025

Barbarossa Rugner
バルバロッサ・ルーグナー Barubarossa Rūgunā
Artwork by Kawano Junko
Physical Information
Race
Human
Gender
Male
Birth Date
SY 406
Age
52 (S1)
Biographical Information
From
Gregminster
Family
Claudia (wife)
Geil (uncle)
Kallnach (grandfather)
Michelan (father)
Meta Information
Japanese Voice
Banjō Ginga
(Radio Genso Suikoden: Assemble! 108 Stars!)
Live Performer
Kaji Naoto
Appearances

Barbarossa Rugner (バルバロッサ・ルーグナー, Barubarossa Rūgunā) is a main antagonist in Suikoden. Barbarossa Rugner was the 17th Emperor of the Scarlet Moon Empire, renowned as the "Golden Emperor" for his golden armor and early benevolent rule.

Rising to power after victory in the War of Succession, his reign began with promise but later declined due to manipulation by the Court Magician Windy, leading to widespread corruption.

In the 1996 English language localization of Suikoden his name was rendered as Barbarosa (no second 's').

History

I will defend the last piece of my Empire to the bitter end.

—  Barbarossa Rugner

Barbarossa Rugner, the 17th Emperor of the Scarlet Moon Empire, was a figure of both triumph and tragedy, whose reign was marked by great victories and profound sorrow. Born the sixth son of Emperor Michelan, Barbarossa was initially overlooked in the line of succession, allowing him a childhood of relative freedom among commoners.

However, the untimely deaths of his elder brothers and the corruption of the remaining heirs led Michelan to name Barbarossa as Crown Prince. Upon his father's death, Barbarossa ascended to the throne, inheriting the Sovereign Rune and the responsibility of ruling the empire.

Oh you know it, bro!

In year 446 of the solar calendar, Barbarossa's reign was challenged when his uncle, Geil Rugner, seized the throne during his absence, sparking the War of Succession. Despite early setbacks, including the death of his beloved wife, Claudia, Barbarossa rallied his forces from Pannu Yakuta Castle and emerged victorious, reclaiming the throne and earning the title of the "Golden Emperor" for his golden armor and benevolent early rule.

However, his reign took a dark turn in the year 449 when he became enamored with Windy, the Court Magician, who bore a striking resemblance to Claudia. Manipulated by Windy's magic and his own loneliness, Barbarossa allowed corruption to fester within the empire, leading to widespread discontent.

This would eventually manifest as open rebellion by 453, with the rise of the Toran Liberation Army sparking what would become known as the Gate Rune War. During the war, he largely withdrew from governance, leaving the defense of the empire to the Five Great Generals while he indulged in his grief and misplaced love.

You can become the Republic's official gardener! Deal?

In the final days of the war, as the Liberation Army stormed Gregminster, Barbarossa made a desperate last stand, using the Sovereign Rune to transform into a Golden Hydra. Defeated, he confessed that his actions were not the result of Windy's manipulation but his own choice, driven by a shared loneliness and his earnest love for her. In a final act of defiance and despair, Barbarossa leapt from the Floating Garden with Windy in his arms, vanishing into history.

Though his body was never found, a memorial was erected in his honor, commemorating the complex legacy of the Golden Emperor.

Genso Suikoden Card Stories TCG

Card # Name Type Release
CS2-268 Barbarossa Mastermind CS2 Booster Pack Vol.3


Gallery

Artwork

In-Game

Live performance

Trivia

  • Barbarossa was, along with Windy, confirmed as dead following the events of Suikoden. Since then, however, Konami has decided to downgrade their status to 'Missing in Action', hence the lack of a date of death.
  • Presumably named after Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, Operation Barbarossa (in German, Unternehmen Barbarossa) was also the code name for the invasion of USSR by the 3rd Reich, during WW2.
  • "Barbarossa" also translates into Italian as "red beard", although the character himself doesn't even have a beard.
  • Barbarossa commissioned the Golden Goddess statue that is seen in Gregminster in the likeness of his late wife, Claudia.

Other languages and releases

Japanese katakana バルバロッサ・ルーグナー
Japanese rōmaji Barubarossa Rūgunā
Chinese simplified (HDR) 巴巴罗萨・鲁格纳
Chinese traditional (HDR) 巴爾帕羅薩・魯格納
Chinese pinyin Bā'ěrpàluósà lǔgénà
English (S1) Barbarosa Rugner
English (HDR) Barbarossa Rugner
French Barbarossa Rugner
German Barbarossa Rugner
Italian Barbarossa Rugner
Spanish Barbarossa Rugner

References

  1. Genso Suikoden Short Story Collection 1 (ISBN 4-8402-1494-8), pages 149-76
  2. Genso Suikoden Encyclopaedia (ISBN 4-575-16297-3), pages 43, 218-9
  3. Genso Suikoden Genso Shinsho Vol.7 (ISBN 4-7753-0044-X), page 91
  4. Genso Suikoden 108 Stars Character Guide (ISBN 4-7753-0050-4), page 151
  5. Genso Suikoden Genso Shinsho Vol.14 (ISBN 4-7753-0217-5), pages 66-7
  6. Genso Suikoden Kiwami Encyclopedia, pages 29, 85
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