A major reason why it took me so long to start writing SABRE even when Shining was first written over 10 years ago was due to characters. I had attempted to write multiple times, but I was having trouble with the characters in that I could not make then feel distinct. Not only were they clones of the cast of Shining, but I even had clones of the clones. As a result, I knew I could not do a good job at the time.
This changed when I started work on the proof of concept and figured how to make the rival interesting. From there, the individual characteristics, motivations, and ideologies started to form for my main cast. They have become distinguishable and also, in my opinion, relatable to various degrees.
Shining was focused primarily on David with a small focus on Jenny. This was intentional as I was writing David's story. However, one thing I liked about Digimon, one of the major influences for Neostriker, was how each member of the team developed in their own character arc. And so for SABRE, I wanted to try that as well.
With the release of The Vixen, my initial main cast is complete. While I do not intend that every story would focus on only these five characters, they do form the primary cast I wish to develop in the series.
The five main characters are as follows (descriptions are based off what is shown in the currently published stories):
George (Ryon): the primary protagonist. Orphaned at a young age, he tries to live up to the philosophy of his father conveyed through the many letters written before his death.
Sera: George's younger sister. She works in SABRE as an operator, often partnering with either her brother or Danny.
Danny: George's best friend and fellow Neostriker for SABRE. Can be impulsive and likes to joke around. He has a crush on Sera.
Sophia: She is a fellow student that George once rescued from a suicide attempt. The big sister of the group who cares deeply for everyone, she has recently joined SABRE.
Helene: Beautiful and tactically-minded. She started dating George after being betrayed by her ex-boyfriend. Initially having a negative bias towards SABRE, she has started to realize that she might have been mistaken after a personal encounter.
