Battler Ushiromiya

"It's useless, it's all useless!"

- Battler Ushiromiya, {{legend}}

Battler Ushiromiya (右代宮 戦人) is the protagonist of and a member of the wealthy Ushiromiya family. Battler's stubborn personality serves as the anti-magic counterpart to the wiles of the witch Beatrice. Battler plays a key role in determining the truth behind the Rokkenjima massacre.

Background
Battler was born to Kyrie Ushiromiya, who was Rudolf Ushiromiya's mistress at the time. Rudolf's wife, Asumu Ushiromiya gave birth to a child on the same day. However, Asumu's child was stillborn. Unbeknownst to either of them, Rudolf switched Asumu's and Kyrie's children, which made Battler legally Asumu's child and led to Kyrie believing she had given birth to a stillborn child. Asumu raised Battler believing him to be her own son. This would also lead Kyrie to harbor a strong dislike for Battler as she believed him to be Asumu's son instead of her own.

Growing up, Battler attended the yearly family conference on Rokkenjima and befriended his cousins, Jessica and George Ushiromiya, as well as the servant Sayo Yasuda, known then as Shannon. The four of them often played together, but he became the most closest to Shannon due to their mutual interest in mystery novels. The two of them became close enough that talking about mystery novels became an excuse for having secret meetings. At some point, Battler developed an interest in Shannon and, when he was twelve years old, he promised Shannon that, when he returns in the next family conference, he will take her away from Rokkenjima while riding a white horse. Shannon took this promise seriously.

Shortly afterwards, Asumu died and Rudolf immediately married Kyrie, who was once again pregnant with his child. Battler, in his grieving process, fought with his father and developed feelings of hatred towards him. Upon the birth of his younger sister, Ange Ushiromiya, Battler realized that Rudolf had been having an affair with Kyrie during his marriage with Asumu. Battler later left the Ushiromiya family and lived with his Asumu's parents for six years.

Though still on bad terms with his father, Battler would occasionally visit Ange on her birthdays. Eventually he grew to appreciate Kyrie, however he considers her more of an older sister than a mother figure. In 1983, Kyrie asked Battler to write letters to his cousins (including his youngest cousin Maria, whom he was not close with) which she would deliver at that year's family conference. While he did so, Shannon was hurt by the fact that Battler had not written her a letter. When Asumu's parents passed away, Battler returned to the Ushiromiya family.

Appearance
Battler appears as a young man with short, spiky, auburn hair parted to the side. He has brown eyes in his original sprite, however almost every iteration of his character afterwards has blue eyes. He wears a cream suit with the One-Winged Eagle. Underneath this suit, he wears a black vest with a red long sleeved shirt with a black tie.

In the anime, his casual clothing consists of a short-sleeved white shirt with a long-sleeved dark blue shirt underneath. In the manga, his casual clothing consists of a jacket, with a black shirt underneath with a metallic necklace. He also wears jeans with a chain on his left pocket. He also wears a typical Japanese highschool uniform. In Pachi-Slot Umineko no Naku Koro ni, he wears a white collared long sleeved shirt as casual attire as seen in a flashback with Ange Ushiromiya.

Personality
Although Battler is stubborn and hotheaded with the habit of flirting with young women, he is a very compassionate young man. However, he is also very emotional which is both his greatest strength and weakness, as while he refuses to acknowledge a witch to be the culprit, he also refuses to accept the fact the culprit is among the people he loves and mostly when he gets caught up in disproving Beatrice's magic, he forgets the most important question about the game: Why did Beatrice commit the murders?

Battler also has a perpetual fear of 'shaky' transportation, thinking he might fall out. He is also shown to be intuitive and intelligent in certain situations as he uses Kyrie's "flip the chessboard" mindset to predict his enemy's thoughts based on the situation at hand. Though he doesn't look like it, Battler also enjoys reading mystery novels, which explains his extensive knowledge on the subject.

By Dawn of the Golden Witch, Battler’s personality makes an exceptionally drastic change compared to his former cheerful self. Battler is shown to be very serious, discarding all signs of his once goofy habits and quirks, and becomes easily angered with anything that involves Beatrice such as how he became furious with Erika Furudo wearing the ring meant for Beatrice.

Legend of the Golden Witch
As the protagonist, most of the episode is told through Battler's point of view. In the beginning, he meets his cousins George and Maria (which is pretty much a first meeting between the two for when Battler and Maria last met, she had been three years old) at the airport. It had been six years since he has seen the rest of the Ushiromiya family and been to Rokkenjima after living with his mother's parents. He is very playful and jokes around with his cousins while at the mansion on Rokkenjima. He indulges in Maria's occult knowledge but is surprised when she suddenly takes on a creepy disposition and receives her wrath for not taking Beatrice seriously.

In the end, because he does not believe in Beatrice and does not admit that her and her magic is real, the door to the Golden Land is closed, costing everyone their paradise.

In the Tea Party, Battler thanks the readers for reading Umineko no Naku Koro ni and engages in a discussion with the cousins and servants about their brutal deaths and the mystery. Everyone seems to think that Beatrice was responsible for the murders, but Battler claims that she doesn't exist and that humans could have done them. The Golden Witch herself appears in response to Battler's insinuation, and after re-killing the cousins and servants, Beatrice challenges Battler to deny her.

Turn of the Golden Witch
Battler begins his debate with Beatrice in a realm known as the Meta-World. Meta-Battler observes the events on the island alongside Beatrice while his piece version exists on the island and acts like Battler ordinarily would. During the first half of the episode, Meta-Battler only appears in little interjections made by him and Beatrice when events turn dissatisfying in the world they are observing.

After the first twilight, Battler begins making theories to challenge Beatrice's claim that the murders were committed with magic, responding to her declarations made in red. However, Battler refuses to believe that any of the 18 people on the island could be the culprit, instead blaming it on a hidden 19th person. Battler is crushed by the weight of Beatrice's red truths and he eventually gives up.

On the gameboard, Battler is also crushed by Rosa's insistence that the servants were responsible for the murders, and Battler gives up in trying to find the culprit.

At 23:30 PM, Battler gets drunk in the dining hall when Genji comes to bring him to meet Beatrice and Kinzo. Faced with Beatrice's presence, Battler gives in completely to magic and learns the answers behind the murders. Battler is then stripped naked and humiliated by Beatrice, who guides him around like a dog. He's then torn apart by goat demons with the other survivors.

In the Tea Party, Battler regains his will to fight and saves Rosa from being tortured by Beatrice. He announces that the game is still on.

In the ????, Bernkastel's words of encouragement are what enable Battler to regain faith in himself. Even if Battler were to lose the game once more, Beatrice will continue endlessly with the objective of torturing him.

Banquet of the Golden Witch
The Battler on Rokkenjima spends much of this episode holed up in the Guest House, making only brief forays outside with armed family members to search for people who go missing.

In the meta-world, Battler becomes allies with the witch Virgilia in denying Beatrice's existence. However, Battler's disgust with Beatrice grows as she cackles at the sight of the newly-ascended EVA-Beatrice killing his family over and over again. Battler declares that Beatrice is unfit to be his opponent and would rather debate with Ronove.

Beatrice attempts to become a good witch and earn Battler's favor once more, and Battler comes to accept her after seeing how much she changed. The two are able to defeat EVA-Beatrice in a fierce debate, ending with Beatrice denying witches with red. Afterwards, Piece-Battler determines that Eva is the culprit and is murdered by her.

Meta-Battler and Beatrice are suddenly reunited in the Golden Land, where Battler is asked to sign a document recognizing Beato as a true witch. However, Battler comes to realize that Beatrice becoming a good witch was all an act.

Alliance of the Golden Witch
Much of this episode is told from the perspective of Battler's sister Ange, which leads to a reduced role for Battler himself. Meanwhile, the Battler on Rokkenjima barricades himself in the guesthouse with his cousins while reports of bizarre murders filter in.

After hearing about Kinzo's trial, Battler is called out in front of the mansion where he meets Beatrice in person on the gameboard, who asks him to remember his sin; Battler is unable to remember, and Beatrice leaves dejected. In the metaworld, Beatrice asks Battler to repeat several things in red, where it's revealed that Asumu is not his real mother.

Because Battler cannot prove his own parentage or identity, he falls into a state of despair, and Beatrice leaves the gameboard. She's eventually convinced to come back by Ange, who also brings Battler back by telling him that even if Asumu isn't his biological mother, she still acted like one to him. Renewed with energy, Battler challenges Beato to a final debate.

In the Tea Party, Battler does an investigation of the entire island and discovers that he is only one seemingly left alive. Meta-Battler then begins his debate with Beatrice, providing theories to every murder shown thus far. At the very end, Beatrice presents him with a final riddle: "who am I?" The Tea Party ends with Beatrice embracing Battler, who promises that he will definitely kill her.

End of the Golden Witch
At the end of he episode Battler is stabbed to death by the Red Truth. However, Meta creatures do not actually die; they just lose the concept of themselves in the sea of nothingness. Battler takes a hold of himself and, in that dimension out of time and space, he discovers the truth behind everything. Since the rule established by the first Game Master entails that whoever discovers the truth and the gold will succeed Beatrice, Battler is recognized by Lambdadelta, who becomes his guardian, as the Endless and Golden Sorcerer, BATTLER, and inherits from the dead Beatrice the world of the game board, making him it's new Territory Lord.

With assistance from Beatrice's furniture, he uses the standpoint that he himself is the mastermind behind the game's murders to battle Erika's theory that Natsuhi is the culprit.

Dawn of the Golden Witch
Battler grows increasingly obsessed with reviving Beatrice; his attempts were successful, but this Beatrice did not have the memories she had as a witch before she died, resulting in her being both childish and naïve.

Battler attempts to demonstrate his understanding of Beatrice's game and challenges Erika. He also partakes in a love trial held by Zepar and Furfur, with the victims of the love trial becoming murder victims.

On the gameboard, Battler and several others are found dead and locked inside of guestrooms.

His corpse was found in a guest room.

Furudo Erika didn't perform a proper investigation, so the details of the cause of death are unknown.

As part of Battler's game, he and the murder victims were actually playing dead, and Battler planned to escape from his room. However, Battler accidentally produces a Logic Error that Erika takes advantage of, and he becomes comatose as Erika attempts to marry him and become the Territory Lord.

Battler is saved when Beatrice fully reawakens and Kanon saves Battler from his logic error. Battler and Beatrice ultimately defeat Erika and win the game.

In the Tea Party, Battler and Beatrice are able to get married.

Requiem of the Golden Witch
Battler only appears at the very beginning of the episode, the Tea Party and in the epilogue.

In the prologue, Battler attends a funeral with Virgilia in the Chapel. Virgilia says a prayer and Battler places a book inside a coffin. The book is a tale he dedicated to the Beatrice he could not reach in time: "Dawn of the Golden Witch". This is the most beautiful tale he could weave and is a secret between them that no one will ever defile. After a few glances at the coffin, Battler leaves the Chapel with Virgilia.

In the Tea Party, Battler finally returns to Rokkenjima after six years. He feels twinges of jealousy upon learning of George's relationship with Shannon.

Trivia

 * Battler dislikes high places and vehicles, especially boats.
 * Battler is partially based off of Phoenix Wright from the Ace Attorney franchise, most clearly seen in Battler's Objection sprite.
 * Battler's suit is somewhat unusual as it does not button like a conventional suit. Instead, Battler's suit zips up.
 * The name "Battler" may be a reference to Superintendent Battle, a character created by mystery writer Agatha Christie.
 * Philip Butler from Rose Guns Days is an homage to Battler, though the two have no canonical relation to each other.