Among the main characters of the series “Tracks” is the leader of the special support squad, Lloyd Bannings (Trails from scratch) is the least impressive at first glance. Lacking any special powers and not afraid to get extremely emotional with his friends, Lloyd appears to be a sentimental cop with delusions of grandeur. However, behind the disconcerting words he speaks lies a power that even Nihon Falkom's mundane fantasy cannot stop, ultimately making Lloyd stronger than any other character.
There are several leading figures in the Paths series who are outstanding in one way or another. Estelle (Paths in the sky) is the daughter of one of the strongest people in Liberl and quickly rises through the ranks of the Bracers. Except that Rean Schwarzer (Traces of cold steel) and Van Arkride (Paths through the dawn) are experienced fighters, the first had a mechanism and supernatural abilities, and the second wears demonic armor. Then, we have Lloyd Bannings.
After graduating from the police academy, Lloyd begins working as a detective for the Crossbell Police Department, following in the footsteps of his older brother. He has short brown hair and always wears his SSS uniform. He is not the tallest in the group, and there are no secrets in his past. The young policeman has no special abilities, and although his detective skills are excellent, he is far from the brightest star of the police department. In the world of prominent personalities, Lloyd is found strangely enough.
Using just a pair of tonfas, he kicks the ass of mythological warriors and divine manifestations. Lloyd is never alone in these meetings, he is helped by other SSS members or one of his wonderful friends. But at any moment Lloyd could fall behind in the fight. Despite this, he always carries his weight and pushes his comrades forward. In addition, he himself went through difficult battles. IN Paths in dreamshe encounters a version of Ouroboro's strongest Enforcer, McBurn, who is surprised that Lloyd has nothing special and can still keep up with him.
Lloyd's strength is his heart. He is touched by his desire to do the right thing, and that is admirable. But this feeling manifests itself so strongly and so often that Lloyd often gives emotional speeches about the importance of friendship, love and hope. As he is surrounded by a group of soldiers, he says, “No matter how much you knock me down, I will never give up. You can break my legs and I will keep getting up.” He can't help but look deep into the man's eyes and tell him how much he cares for him, making everyone present feel awkward.
Really? Lloyd would be the first to die. However, he resists and moves forward. He firmly believes that hard work and trusting your friends can overcome any obstacle. So it's no surprise that he's obsessed with barrier metaphors. Whenever his group faces a new problem, he calls it a barrier. It's a solid motivational trope, but let's be honest: defying God is one hell of a barrier for a police detective.
However, it's funny and absurd that Lloyd's baseless power is reflected in a series that goes to great lengths to explain every change and detail in his world. (Want to know why the bakery in Crossbell bakes a certain type of bread? We'll bet there's several thousand words of dialogue going into every detail.) Over the course of four Cold Steel games, Falcom spent time (at least 200 hours of playtime if you take into account the average time spent playing How Long to Punch) to fully explain the origin of Rin's power.
However, by tying Lloyd's potential solely to his fighting spirit, Falcom made him the most powerful character in the series. The sky is the limit! Lloyd has a free pass to defeat anyone – simply because he wants to. Lloyd is the victim and beneficiary of his pure heart, which allows him to become as strong as the situation demands. And you know what my mom always said? You should always follow your heart.
