- "I'll show you some fun!"
- ― Butterfly Master
The Butterfly Master[1][2] (real name unknown) is a young human female with unknown origins. She is an integral part of the Papillon Project and lives inside its satellite in low-earth orbit. The satellite's Connection for Flight Interface (COFFIN) software provides oxygen and life support for the Butterfly Master and allows her to remotely control QFA-44 Carmillas as their "gamer".[a]
The Butterfly Master is one of the main antagonists of Ace Combat Infinity, having directly killed Slash and repeatedly harassed the United Nations Forces.
Biography
Nothing is known about the Butterfly Master prior to 2019. At some point, she was placed inside the Papillon satellite and hooked up to its life support systems powered by the COFFIN technology.
Sons of Troia insurgency
During Operation Gambit, the Butterfly Master controlled a QFA-44 at an extremely high altitude, too far for Omega or Reaper's radars to detect or for Goodfellow to identify. She also controlled some standard MQ-90s, using them to attack the UNF Pacific Fleet. During the attack, she hummed the theme song to Mappy, a 1983 arcade game by Namco. Her humming was mistaken for civilian radio noise by Omega. All of the MQ-90s were shot down by Omega, Reaper, and JASDF 309, and her QFA-44 retreated from the area shortly thereafter.[3]
A few months later, the Butterfly Master directly attacked Bone Arrow Squadron and Ridgeback Squadron during Operation Override, armed with a QFA-44 and multiple MQ-90Ls. She repeatedly taunted the pilots and continued humming the Mappy theme, but all of the pilots were still oblivious to the fact that it was the Butterfly Master humming. During the battle, she managed to strike one of Slash's wings with one MQ-90L's laser, forcing him to eject. She then used the enhanced targeting system on the MQ-90Ls to kill him in mid-air. Eventually, all of her drones were shot down, and Reaper destroyed her QFA-44.[1]
Operation Eternal Liberation
The Butterfly Master made a surprise appearance against Task Force 118 during Operation Battle Axe. Omega questioned the seemingly-increased maneuverability of her QFA-44 and MQ-90'ss, since The Round Table was known for having poor communications. As the battle progressed, Goodfellow reported that he was detecting large amounts of data being sent from the QFA-44 towards somewhere remote, indicating that it may be an unmanned aircraft. Reaper eventually shot her down again, causing her to complain about losing "a life". After questioning some prisoners, the United Nations Forces discovered the model of the aircraft they were up against, as well as the fact that its navigational data is handled by a low-orbit satellite network.[2]
Following this defeat, Kvasir contacted her and heard her humming once more, asking if something good happened. She reported that she found a decent opponent in Reaper. Kvasir assumed she must have been feeling cramped in the satellite, but the Butterfly Master reassured him, enjoying her front-row seat. At this point, she began to prey on the mercenary forces attempting to save Moscow from USEA Federation control.[4][5]
Personality
She seems to be very childlike, showing a very optimistic, laidback demeanor. She views combat as a source of entertainment, possibly because she is in a satellite observing it while her drones do the actual fighting. She laughs and giggles cheerfully, and she also tends to hum tunes from "Mappy" and "Sky Kid" as a way of identifying herself among the protagonists.
Gallery
Profile shot
Papillon Project logo, displayed on her QFA-44s and the satellite housing her
The Butterfly Master's Opto-Neuron-Synapse-Interface ports for her COFFIN system
The Butterfly Master's headphones
Butterfly Master livery in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Trivia
- The Butterfly Master appears during the following Special Raids: Moby Dick Pursuit IV, STONEHENGE RETURNS IV, Satellite Interception IV, and Excalibur Onslaught IV. She appears with one QFA-44 supported by various MQ-90Ls.
- In STONEHENGE RETURNS IV, the Butterfly Master reappears with a second QFA-44 with more UAVs in the last stage. Upon her second QFA-44's appearance, she says: "My Camilla's got lots of lives left."
- The Butterfly Master is familiar with multiple retro video game tracks:
- She hums the "Mappy" main theme during Operations Gambit and Override.
- She hums the "Mappy" bonus theme during Operation Battle Axe.
- She hums the "Sky Kid" theme during Moscow Battle.
- As the Grim Reaper is a personification of death, the butterfly is regarded as a symbol of life and death in some cultures. In Japanese culture, the butterfly is a personification of one's soul.
- Interestingly, "gamer" is pronounced as "Gaimar" in the English version of Ace Combat Infinity. This may be a reference to Geoffrey Gaimar, a well-known chronicler of medieval literature. Gaimar was best known for L'Estoire des Engles, in which he connected the Arthurian legend of King Arthur to that of the sword of Excalibur. Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is notable for its Arthurian references, especially to both King Arthur and Excalibur.
Footnotes
- ↑ Gamer (ゲーマー Gēmā)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mission 05: "Far Eastern Front", Ace Combat Infinity.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mission 07: "Area B7R", Ace Combat Infinity.
- ↑ Mission 01: "Lost Butterfly", Ace Combat Infinity.
- ↑ Mission 08: "Operation Bunker Shot", Ace Combat Infinity.
- ↑ Moscow Battle Mission Update. Ace Combat Infinity.