"Her fervent loyalty to Odin often compels the eldest of Fate's three daughters to act with blatant disregard for the will of mortals.
Only one Battle Maiden remains awake to recruit Einherjar at a given time. While Lenneth tends to the duties of the Valkyrie, and Silmeria remains in custody of the Lord of the Undead, Hrist's spirit lies dormant within a mortal body in Midgard."
Hrist (Ahly in the Japanese version) is a major character in the Valkyrie Profile series, first appearing as an antagonist in Valkyrie Profile and later as an antagonist turned supporting character in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria.
Hrist is one of the three goddesses of fate, chooser of Einherjar, and goddess of the past. She is also the oldest of the three.
Personality[]
Hrist's personality is that of a ruthless warrior. She takes no prisoners and believes the ends justify the means. No matter what the task, she will complete it if it is Odin's will. However, despite her cruel personality, she is fiercely loyal to her Einherjar and her sisters and will defy even Odin to protect them.
Hrist relishes battle and destruction and, to that end, she enjoys making her opponents squirm. After her time with humans in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, she softens and eventually comes to respect them, even begging for their aid.
An interesting note is that as the eldest sister, Hrist exhibits many traits that are distinctive of first born children - she is highly intelligent, ambitious, and strives to please others. She is a perfectionist and is highly driven to please Odin.
Abilities[]
Hrist is the eldest of the Valkyries. Her primary weapon is the halberd. However, in Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, she fights wielding a sword, but this is because all three sisters use their swords to initiate Nibelung Valesti.
Although it's rumored that her unique ability has something to do with the manipulation of the astral plane, it is unknown what her true power is, since each unique power of each Valkyrie is revealed in the games focusing on the respective characters. In Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, Freya reveals that Lenneth's unique power is Spiritual Concentration, while in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, Silmeria revealed that her unique power is Object Reading.
As there has yet to be a Valkyrie Profile game where Hrist is the main character, her current unique power is currently unknown.
Background[]
Warning: Spoilers follow!
Valkyrie Profile[]
Even though Hrist's role in this game is quite minor compared to the one she has in the sequel, she's still an important part of the story that sheds some light on Brahms, Silmeria, and the Valkyrie's nature. And even though her scenes are very short, she's shown as a proud Aesir, extremely loyal to Odin, who cares about her sister Silmeria as much as she does in the second game.
She shows some control of the Astral Plane, being able to shoot balls of energy from her bare hands and using teleportation. She does not think highly of humans in general and regards them as "servants of the Gods", an attitude that is greatly changed during the events of second game.
Before the player meets her, there are some references made to Hrist. The first one is through Ending C, which can be obtained if one gets down to exactly 0 Evaluation. Freya shows up after a warning, kills your party, and mentions that Hrist will be placed in the Valkyrie's body. No further reference is made to her until you reach Dipan and Barbarossa mistakes Lenneth for Hrist, as he recalls how the dark Valkyrie and her Einherjar destroyed Dipan.
Hrist is first seen a little after that event, when Lenneth travels through time (with the same time machine in Dipan that Lezard would use after the Ragnarok). Lenneth travels back in time to the events of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. At that time, Hrist was carrying out Odin's orders to execute King Barbarossa and destroy Dipan for creating a rebellion against the gods. She is seen with three Einherjar: two of them share Mystina and Llewelyn's sprites, while the third is Arngrim himself. She is introduced as "Feather Helmed Swordswoman" in the name tag and then recognized as Hrist by Lenneth (Hrist also feels Lenneth's presence, but quickly discards the idea, as two Valkyries cannot be awake at the same time). She is seen later at Barbarossa's execution, in a scene similar to the sequel's.
The last time that the player encounters Hrist is at the Weeping Lily Meadow during Ending A, when she takes over the Valkyrie's body after Lenneth recovers her memories. She explains to Arngrim and Mystina that the three Valkyries share the same body and that there isn't really a "true" Valkyrie (she even goes as far as to say that the three of them are one). She explains to them that she, the eldest daughter, was going to take after Lenneth's tasks because the last one was no longer suitable for the task (most likely because her memories would interfere).
Hrist also tells Arngrim that the battle of the Aesir against the Vanir was a battle she and Arngrim fought a long time ago against the Lord of the Undead, Brahms, who has kept her youngest sister Silmeria captive since. After the two Einherjar refuse to join her, she fires a blast of energy that is intercepted by Lenneth's spirit, which wasn't completely dormant. Instead of continuing her assult, she leaves and goes to Brahms Castle to confront the Lord of the Undead. Before Hrist can do battle with Brahms, she is interrupted by Mystina, Arngrim, and Lezard, who join forces with Brahms to recover the Valkyrie's body for Lenneth's spirit (which, after the blast of energy, was shattered and crystallized by Mystina). Brahms agrees with Hrist that their battle demands a conclusion, but he claims that Hrist is in an incomplete form, not in full control of her powers. The battle begins and the party defeats Hrist, who is put back to sleep.
Unlike other non-playable characters through most part of the main game, such as Brahms, Freya, or Lezard, Hrist doesn't join your party in the Seraphic Gate. However, she can be battled as Dark Valkyrie in the silver zone. The Dark Valkyrie has all of Hrist's voice clips, except her death sample, which can only be acquired during Ending A.
Her Purify Weird Soul is also Nibelung Valesti, but with a red pattern instead of blue.
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]
Hrist plays a larger role in this game. As Alicia leaves the Crell Monferaigne estate, Hrist appears and throws a spear at Alicia, barring their path. Hrist orders Silmeria to return to Valhalla immediately. Silmeria throws the spear, and causes an explosion. Hrist comes out of the explosion without a scratch, however, and tells Silmeria that she will hunt her down and that Dipan won't be spared. At the port of Solde, Hrist has destroyed all the boats leaving from there to Dipan in an attempt to prevent Silmeria from reaching the city and aiding them in their attempt to defy the gods. This attempt is futile, however, as Silmeria travels there via an underground path.
In Dipan, Hrist meets Alicia, Silmeria, Rufus, and Dylan in the basement of Dipan Castle. She once again asks Silmeria to hand herself over. Rufus and Dylan come to her aid, prompting Hrist to commend their bravery, telling them they will make fine Einherjar. She departs and Hrist is not seen for quite a while.
She then joins the group disguised as Leone, along with the mercenary Arngrim (who is unaware that his companion is in fact a Valkyrie), with the excuse that they were searching for the treasures surrounding the Dragon Orb. While she follows Alicia's group, she becomes more familiar with human suffering and with the party's reasons to oppose Odin. She also chats with Alicia on a regular basis. Nevertheless, Silmeria can see through her disguise, but chooses to remain silent to avoid a confrontation. Even as Leone, Hrist can't help but worry and care for her sister and even rushes to her when she blacks out. She unwillingly gives the party some hints about her true identity, hints that are only perceived by Lezard, who is free of all doubts when he spies on Leone when she's left behind to bury a dead man's corpse and catches her talking to the man's spirit and most likely sending it to Valhalla.
Within the Palace of the Venerated Dragon, the Dragon Orb is finally found. As Alicia reaches out for the Orb, Hrist throws a knife and grabs the Orb. In a flash of light, she drops her Leone disguise and reveals her true identity: the Valkyrie Hrist. She tells the others to stand back as she does not wish to kill Alicia. Arngrim, enraged by the lies, launches himself at Hrist, only to be impaled upon her poleaxe. She asks him to become an Einherjar and whisks herself, Arngrim, and the Orb to Asgard. However, Silmeria points out that Hrist spared Alicia's life, which might give them some hope.
At the start of Chapter 4, Hrist is seen bowing before Odin in Valhalla. She expresses her concerns over Dipan and the Dragon Orb's removal from Midgard. Odin sends her to Dipan to destroy it, which she seems unwilling to do. In Dipan, the group finds Hrist in the castle ruins with Barbarossa under the guillotine. It's clear at this point of the game that Hrist has doubts of her own regarding Odin's doing and she's become little by little more attached to humans. Hrist tells them to prove their loyalty to the gods by defeating her, but they fail. Enraged, she proceeds to bring about their death, but they instead ingest Ghoul Powder. She sets off the guillotine and disappears with Arngrim. Within the castle, Queen Malabeth has committed suicide. Hrist appears and states she did not kill her. Arngrim is asked why he sides with her and he simply replies that he has no choice. Silmeria draws her sword and Hrist asks her "Do you seek the solace of battle?" and draws her own sword. A fierce battle ensues, ending with Alicia stabbing Hrist in the side. Just as it seems Hrist is done for, Walther and Gyne appear and cast the Sovereign's Rite. Hrist and Silmeria are caught in its power and begin to be reincarnated. In an attempt to stop this, Brahms emerges from Dylan, knocks out the mages, and tries to stop the spell to save Silmeria. Freya appears to take advantage of the situation and Silmeria tries to interpose herself between her and Brahms. However, Lezard intervenes, kidnaps Silmeria, and leaves Brahms to be crystallized by Freya. She feels the disturbance created by Lezard's spell, but is unable to determine what has happened and thus returns to Valhalla with Brahms as a trophy. The Rite remains incomplete and Hrist is sent back to her body.
Back in Valhalla, Hrist is safe. However, after Odin's demise at Lezard's hands, Freya instructs her to defeat Lezard at any cost. She tries to get her Einherjar to accompany her, but finds it impossible. She eventually finds Arngrim, but he refuses. He also explains her that the Einherjar, and the humans, are better off without Odin, so no one actually wants to help the Gods anymore. At this point, Hrist has begun to understand the resentment of humans towards Odin and the Gods and it's also clear that she shares a closer relationship with Arngrim than with the rest of the Einherjar.
At the Water Mirror, Hrist meets the party, who ask her to free Brahms in exchange for their assistance to help Silmeria. She tells them he has created an alternate dimension outside of Yggdrasil using Silmeria's soul as source of divine power and the Philosopher's stone for knowledge. Freya appears and attacks them for daring to bargain with gods. As she's about to finish the group off, Hrist uses the Dragon Orb against Freya, claiming she won't let the Gods kill her Einherjar anymore.
In Lezard's tower, a free Brahms questions her about her loyalty to Odin. Hrist is no longer sure about anything and, according to Brahms, she has begun to realize that gods do not belong to Worlds, nor Worlds belong to gods. She also encounters Lenneth with the party and makes a reference to the first game when she says that she felt Lenneth's wave of power in Dipan. After materializing Silmeria and battling Lezard, he casts the Sovereign's Rite and causes the Valkyries' souls to separate from their bodies. Hrist's and Silmeria's are placed in crystals, but Lenneth is kidnapped by Lezard in an attempt realize his dream and become one with her. Brahms tells Alicia, Arngrim, and Rufus that the only way to possibly defeat Lezard is the have one of them to fuse with all three Valkyrie souls. Lezard is confronted in a room and the crystal containing Lenneth is shattered, allowing Alicia to fuse with the souls of Hrist, Silmeria, and Lenneth, forming the true Valkyrie. The new being attacks Lezard and kills him, but not before he has a chance to stab her with Gungnir. Valkyrie's soul is then shown in the credits and, as it travels, it splits, so it's safe to assume that Hrist either reincarnated or found a new body.
Spoilers end here
Battle[]
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]
She is first playable in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria and sole representative of the Lancer class. She joins the party with the Saint's Halberd, Mithril Plate, Mithril Helm, Mithril Gauntlets, and valiant greaves. Hrist is the only character that uses spears and lances and all her attacks are unique. Since it was initially hers, Hrist is able to equip Hildr's Sword, a light sword, although it will not change her movelist.
Her initial skills are Heat Up and Cure Condition and any skills Leone has learned. Hrist possess the highest AGL of any character and can dodge attacks better than any other characters as a result. She's also the strongest Valkyrie in the game. Although she is a great attacker with Gungnir and the skill Psychosoma at the Seraphic Gate, her attacks are slow and will miss if not timed properly.
Attacks[]
- Trial of Existence - Initial
- Sideswiper - Initial
- Endangerment - Initial
- Hurricane Bolt - Level 46
- Over Arc - Level 50
- Armor Break - Level 54
- Entrapment - Level 58
- Hurricane Raid -Level 62
- Downward Split - Level 66
- Furious Advance- Learned at the Seraphic Gate
Tolerances[]
- Holy +20%
- Darkness -20%
All other elements are neutral.
Soul Crush[]
VP2 - Hrist Soul Crush
Hrist uses Nibelung Valesti. Her Soul Crush finishes with purple light and she will say "It shall be engraved upon your very soul!" before its execution.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]
Hrist is a member of the Swordsman class, which grants a movement range of range of four panels and an attack range of one panel (including diagonal panels). Swordsmen use one-handed swords (light swords) as their weapon and have access to heavy equipment such as Helmets, Armor, Gauntlets, and Greaves. Hrist is capable of wearing Crowns because of her gender, but is unable to wear the Veleor Dress.
Despite being a head and pallet swap of Lenneth, Hrist stands out from the other swordsmen with a unique stat growth and by being excellent in both damage output and hit generation with her high-damaging, multi-hit attacks, a common trait of nearly all Seraphic Gate characters. Her Soul Crush is amongst the most powerful Soul Crushes in game and has the highest Attack Gauge Boost. Like Lenneth, Hrist can perform nearly all tasks assigned to her proficiently. Lenneth replaces Moment Slide with Gale Winds.
Attacks[]
Soul Crush[]
Hrist uses Nibelung Valesti, which is reminiscent of Nibelung Valesti Purify Weird Soul in Valkyrie Profile. Before each usage, she will say "It shall be engraved upon your soul!".
Sacrifice[]
Hrist cannot be sacrificed.
Recruitment[]
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]
Hrist will temporarily join the party at the Tower of Lezard Valeth in Chapter 6. Upon defeating Lezard Valeth for the first time, she will leave the party.
Hrist will permanently rejoin the party at Seraphic Gate after the boss Woden has been defeated.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]
Hrist does not appear in the story mode.
Hrist is recruited upon defeat at the seventh floor of the Seraphic Gate.
Boss[]
Valkyrie Profile[]
Hrist is fought as a minor boss if Ending A is triggered. In this battle, Brahms and Lezard Valeth will be present in the party alongside Arngrim and Mystina.
| Hrist | |
|---|---|
| HP | 12,000 |
| STR | ? |
| RDM | ? |
| INT | 0 |
| RST | ? |
| Weakness | - |
| Drop | - |
| EXP | - |
| Notes | Takes turn first |
Attacks[]
Quotes[]
Valkyrie Profile[]
- Performing Nibelung Valesti
- It shall be engraved upon your very soul! Divine Assault — Nibelung Valesti!
- Death
- This is impossible! You creatures are but slaves of the gods! Aaaaaaaaaaah—!!
Miscellaneous[]
- Hrist's Seraphic Gate counterpart in Valkyrie Profile is the Dark Valkyrie.
Etymology[]
Hrist in the JP version is known as Ahly, but has been officially conjugated as both Early and Arly. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Early means "near the beginning of a period of time... near the beginning of a course, process, or series" and "before the usual or expected time... soon... sooner than related forms", which may be referring to her back-story, which the game constantly alludes to.
Ahly's name was changed for the NA and PAL releases of Valkyrie Profile to Hrist, which comes from a name of an actual valkyrie in Norse Mythology. The name is related to Old Norse hrista (meaning "shake, quake") and therefore her name's meaning is "the quaking one".
Trivia[]
- Hrist shares the same voice actress as Leone, Natalia, and Reinhilde - Atsuko Tanaka.
- Hrist's costume changes in each game. She shares this trait with Lenneth.
- Hrist has been the object of ridicule in the Seraphic Gate for her lack of a leading role compared to her sisters Lenneth and Silmeria, which she is (very angrily) aware of. She even goes as far as attacking Wylfred in Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume to claim the title as her own.
- Since there are only three valkyries in the Valkyrie Profile series who are directly referred to as the goddesses of fate, they are sometimes associated with the Norns. Hrist would then be the equivalent of Urðr, the eldest Norn, who is associated with the past.
- In addition, the Valkyries share similarities with the main characters of the popular anime/manga Oh My Goddess!. Hrist is the counterpart of Urd, both are the one of the main characters of their respective series.
- Interestingly, Hrist's first Japanese voice actress, Kikuko Inoue, is the VA for Belldandy (Lenneth's counterpart) in the Oh My Goddess! anime.
- Hrist and Urd also share several similarities:
- Both are the eldest child of the three.
- Both view human with disrespect, but become more compassionate and trustful to them as the stories progress.
- Both are considered the most powerful among the sisters and have dark motif. Hrist dons dark colored armors and Urd has darker skin due to her heritage as half-Goddess-demon.
- While the three sisters in Oh My Goddess! and Valkyrie Profile share the same hair colors, each of them has different color than their counterparts, In Hrist's case, her hair is black while Urd's hair is silver.
Valkyrie Profile[]
- Hrist's sprite is a black and purple palette swap of Lenneth equipped with a sword.
- Hrist shares the same voice actress as Lyseria - Kikuko Inoue.
- Hrist actually has two versions of her costume. The unused version is used as her conversation portraits.
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]
- Hrist's AGL statistic is the highest in the game.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]
- Truthade Profile:
- There are no words. Our eldest daughter can only hope her day in the sun will someday come. Chin up, Hrist!
- Hrist's appearance is actually a head and palette swap of Lenneth. However, not all the sprites were properly edited and Lenneth's signature braid will appear on Hrist while throwing the spear in Nibelung Valesti.
- Hrist's (and Lenneth's) Gale Winds attack was inherited from Alicia of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, where the attack was known by the same name.
- Despite being female, Hrist is unable to equip the Veleor Dress. She shares this trait with Lenneth, Ailyth, and Freya.
- Hrist has a different statistic growth compared to the other swordsmen. She shares this trait with fellow swordsmen Lenneth and Wylfred.
- The costume Hrist wears is based on her unused costume in Valkyrie Profile.
- When using Nibelung Valesti in the Japanese version, her wings are dark purple, while in the localized version, they are the same color as Lenneth.
- When facing Hrist in the Seraphic Gate, she breaks the fourth wall by expressing her dissatisfaction at not being the protagonist of the game; "First Lenneth, then Silmeria..." referring to the first two Valkyrie Profile games...to which she then promptly takes out her frustration against Wylfred: "It's 'Valkyrie Profile', not 'Mortal Profile!' They went out of their way to slight me!"
- Hrist and Rosea bear an uncanny resemblance. It is speculated that Rosea was Hrist's mortal vessel during that time period.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Hrist's expressions (VP).jpg (192 KB)")
.jpg "Hrist's expressions (VPCOTP).jpg (39 KB)")
.jpg "Hrist art 1 (SOA).jpg (110 KB)")
.jpg "Arbiter Hrist art 1 (VA).jpg (226 KB)")
.jpg "Obsidian Arbiter Hrist art 1 (VA).jpg (1.35 MB)")