Raffles III

Raffles III is formal and authoritative, conducting himself according to the ceremonial expectations surrounding the emperor. His position requires him to consider threats to the Holy Sol faith as threats to the political stability of the empire itself.

He is capable of decisive action when presented with evidence of a major enemy. Once the White-Clad's activities become impossible to ignore, he summons the Fire Force leadership and uses imperial authority to define the organization as an enemy of the state.

His faith also strongly shapes his judgment. Raffles III's understanding of legitimacy rests partly on the religious system inherited from his predecessors, leaving him vulnerable when confronted with evidence that challenges the accepted history of the Holy Sol Temple.

Raffles III has no established Ignition Ability or notable personal combat power. His power is institutional.

As emperor, he possesses authority over the Tokyo Empire and can summon the captains of the Special Fire Force. His decisions can redirect the resources of the state, military and Fire Force toward threats deemed dangerous to the empire.

He also occupies a position of enormous religious significance because the imperial government and Holy Sol Temple are closely linked. Orders issued by him therefore carry both political and spiritual weight within the existing social system.

Raffles III first becomes important when he convenes the captains of the Special Fire Force. The meeting establishes the Evangelist and her followers as a threat requiring coordinated action rather than an internal problem belonging to any single brigade.

His position also illustrates one of the central institutional problems confronting Company 8: even the emperor does not possess the full history behind Amaterasu, the Holy Sol Temple and the foundation of the empire.

When the White-Clad openly demonstrate the power associated with the Evangelist and challenge the foundations of Holy Sol doctrine, Raffles III's confidence in the established religious order collapses. He comes to recognize the Evangelist's faction as possessing the divine authority he believed his own institutions represented.

During the Cataclysm, the public's perception of the emperor contributes to the appearance of a colossal Infernal Doppelgänger associated with Raffles, turning imperial and religious symbolism into a direct threat to Tokyo.

Raffles I is Raffles III's historical predecessor and the figure credited by imperial tradition with founding the Tokyo Empire and establishing its relationship with Amaterasu.

The Evangelist represents a direct challenge to Raffles III's political and religious authority. Her followers ultimately force him to confront the fact that the Holy Sol system he inherited conceals a history very different from the official doctrine.

Akitaru Ōbi, Leonard Burns, Gustav Honda, Souichirou Hague, Princess Hibana, Kayoko Huang and Benimaru Shinmon are among the Special Fire Force captains operating under the imperial system over which Raffles III presides.