Shern

Rikard Shern is the secondary antagonist of Final Fantasy XVI. He is one of the sub-commanders for Edelia's empire. His true identity is Enkidu, the reincarnation of the evil demigod of the First Olion.

Shrouded in mystery, Shern is revealed to betray the empire and is introduced as a heartless, manipulative, and cunning man. He is shown to be neutral towards the objective of the Edelian empire and focuses on cruelty to exploit others for his own personal gain.

Personality
"I'm so disappointed in you. You missed the opportunity for me to actually like you, and now to me, you're nothing but a pile of shit."

—Shern

Shern is a rebellious and cold-blooded supremacist. As a selfish and egotistical human being, Shern is rarely moved by small talk. He adores pride and massive amounts of benevolence through his own appearance. Shern also adores toying with his enemies, giving them second chances in the strangest of situations. His serious personality is capable of fearing even the toughest leaders of the State Kingdoms of Olion due to his extreme social status and wealth. Shern is also shown to be extremely intelligent, cunning, and calculated. However, he uses his intelligence for the greater good of his own pride and greed.

Often known as the black sheep of Edelia, Shern also seems to take no alliance with the Empire; his power lies in his own network of the economy, social status, and wealth. Shern dislikes martyrs who fight for the peace and freedom of the Edelian Empire; he finds supernatural characteristics a massive riddle. Although Shern is massively persuasive, he shows the qualities of a powerful commander in charge. He serves as a noble tactician and right-hand man to Gistal Praan.

Shern's sarcastic tone never leaves his side. He is shown to be rather ruthless, overly humorous, and self-righteous man towards those who oppose him. This is shown towards the fact of him having more than one wife, as well as owning multiple shares of companies who furthermore expand his wealth and dumping it on the future of the Edelian Empire. His voice is rather condescending, along with his sluggish poise and attitude.

When Shern's intentions of backstabbing the entire Edelian Empire are revealed, Shern's thirst for power is unleashed in torment, benevolence, torture, and murder. While he supports no others in his wake, Shern supports the future of himself ruling Olion as a God with a power "unlike anyone has ever witnessed before." He furthermore wishes to tear down the foundation of the entire government of Olion in order to establish his own rule, even if it means destroying his own allies if capable of doing so.

Appearance
Shern is a slim middle-aged man who stands at 170 cm (5'10"). One of his most notable features is the eyepatch placed on his right eye, where a mystery lies.

Abilities
Shern's tactical abilities are revolutionary; he seemingly has won every single battle in a victory for the Edelian Empire when held responsible.

Story
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Quotes
"Yeah, I know, it's a little convoluted. Still, I was surprised when your friend showed up for me. He gave me the jeebies, but he gave me something else in return..."

"Ah, I've missed you so much since your dramatic exit and all. Now that and you and your friends are here, I can definitely get you to stay."

"It's so sad. You would have made a beautiful wife of mine."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I really get it. You're pissed off because I'm not stupid enough to let you just walk past my empire. But guess what - I will kill your friends, and I will destroy your home. And then I'll kill you; maybe let you live for a little bit to let the pain all soak in."

Attacking
"Die!"

"Too slow!"

"Show me your power, Goddess to be!"

"Now die!"

"I'll snap you!"

Recovery
"Damn it..."

"Piece of shit..."

"Shit..."