Haseo (SAO:ToD)

"...do you know Tri-Edge?"

- Haseo interrogating a PKer

Haseo is the main protagonist of the .hack//G.U. trilogy series, as well as the main character and protagonist of "Sword Art Online: The Terror of Death."

Originally a member of one of the many guilds seeking to clear Sword Art Online, he began to earn a reputation as a ruthless PKKer hunting down the mysterious "Tri-Edge."

Appearance
While his IRL appearance has yet to be revealed, the Avatar of Haseo has white hair with bangs covering the frames of his face and has red eyes, along with strange red facial markings over them.

When first introduced, he wears an intimidating set of armor called the "Hellscythe," which grants the wearer increased strength and speed at the cost of defense. The armor itself is spiky black and red-gradient tipped protrusions littered all over his armor. His torso and abdomen are covered by a tight, leathery purple piece with a red tattoo on it, similar to the markings on his face. There is also a strange decoration on the armor resembling a tail flicking out from behind his back.

After his defeat at the hands of "Tri-Edge," Haseo's appearance is reverted back to his lower level form. He wears the "Black Rogue" armor piece, which is more or less several straps of leather over his upper body while leaving his abdomen exposed, plus black pants with pouches on either leg and boots reaching up to his knees with red trims.

Personality
In "Enter the Grim Reaper" and throughout the beginning phases of the story detailing Haseo's present day journey in SAO, he is cold and ruthless, showing no regards for the unspoken rule to never allow anyone's HP to hit 0, evident by him hunting down PKers and ending their lives. He is also apathetic towards the plight of others, as he watched other players being killed by PKers and only attacked after they were killed. He is utterly driven by revenge, as well as merciless, showing no mercy towards anyone who stands in his way. He also holds no respect towards anyone, not even his former friend Kirito, who had been working to clear the game as a solo player. The mere mention of the name "Tri-Edge" is enough to set him off, becoming angry on the spot and is willing to use any means necessary to find him.

In the flashback segments following Haseo's defeat, he was once shown to be introverted, not getting close to any of the other players, and also first started out as a solo player, though he was eventually drawn in by Ovan's charisma, though also in part by Shino's caring nature. For a short time, he was kind-hearted and wanted to protect his "family," wishing to become strong enough to save them and thus join the front lines in clearing the game. He also showed the highest respect towards Ovan, who was as strong, if not more so, than the leader of the freshly-made Knights of the Blood Oath, Heathcliff. However, after Ovan's disappearance, and the death of Shino's Avatar, Haseo becomes devastated and depressed, which then leads to his vengeful and angry nature upon hearing the stories of the mysterious "Tri-Edge."

History
Ryou Misaki was a small-time gamer in his childhood, regularly playing online games in order to escape the harsh living environment around him, as his parents were constantly arguing. By the time they settled for a divorce, he was already in his second-year of middle school. He moved with his mother to Kyushu, though he didn't make many friends at school, simply content with hiding away in the background. He would, however, make his first friend in the form of Shino Nanao, the player behind the Avatar of Shino in the Death Game that would soon become Haseo's reality. She introduced Misaki to her own Game Club, and while he still remained aloof and cold towards others, he was slowly developing a soft-spot for Nanao.

On the day Sword Art Online was released and set for launch, Nanao had bought him a copy of the game so that they would be able to play together, hence leading to how he became involved in the Death Game.

Kazuto Kirigaya
Haseo's online friend whom he played with regularly during his time in middle school. The two never met face-to-face until Sword Art Online, but shared a mutual respect for one another due to their efforts in attempting to clear SAO. The two appear to be cordial at best, since Haseo never seemed to be bothered by Kirito's status as a 'Beater.' After the death of Shino's Avatar at the hands of "Tri-Edge" and Haseo earning his reputation as the Terror of Death, however, their relationship became hostile, with Kirito deeming him a threat and determined to try and stop him. Likewise, Haseo threatens Kirito to stay out of his way, lest he die as well.

Asuna Yuuki
Haseo has met Asuna Yuuki briefly, during the first Boss Raid she participated in as Kirito's partner. They have not met each other since, though Asuna is aware of his reputation, and like other members of the KoB, she considers him a threat that must be dealt with.

Heathcliff
Haseo has never met Heathcliff personally, though they are aware of each other. The latter considers Haseo to be dangerous, but also recognizes his potential and tried to recruit him, though at every turn Haseo attacked his officers, stating that he was not interested and that he should stay out of his way.

Ovan
Haseo and Ovan share a strong bond, with the former holding a high degree of respect. Ovan was also the one who recruited him into Twilight Brigade, in spite of the fact that, with Haseo's addition, it was a three-man guild. At present, Haseo holds Ovan partially responsible for Shino's death, but still considers him one of the few friends he has in SAO. Ovan, meanwhile, recognizes a great deal of potential in Haseo, telling him to hone his abilities and seek out "Tri-Edge."

Shino Nanao
Haseo and Shino have been friends since he first entered high school, being the first and only person to befriend him, and also the one who welcomed him to their school's Game Club. Due to Nanao's kind nature, Haseo is naturally drawn to her, and is also one of the primary reasons why he played SAO with her, and his subsequent reason for joining the Twilight Brigade Guild.

"Tri-Edge"
Haseo holds nothing but absolute hate and rage towards "Tri-Edge," as the PKer was responsible for the death of Shino's Avatar and ending her life in reality. "Tri-Edge" also serves as the primary catalyst behind Haseo's current status as a 'Player Killer Killer,' and therefore can be considered the one who created the fearsome Terror of Death.

As the Terror of Death
As the fearsome PKK who killed a hundred Player Killers, Haseo, in spite of being ten levels below that of Kirito, is seen as one of the most powerful players of Sword Art Online. His skills are self-honed, and has a brutal and unrelenting fighting-style, taking full advantage of the game's lack of stamina mechanics. Due to his merciless nature, he has no qualms about ending another player's life, which otherwise gives him an advantage over other players, and even opponents who still adhere to the 'unspoken rule' of SAO. That said, his Hellscythe Armor, while giving him increased power and agility, lowers his defense, which makes his reckless fighting style a rather risky gamble.
 * Level: 66
 * HP: 11,543
 * Main Equipment:
 * Hellscythe Armor Set, Twin Fangs (Daggers), Zweihandler, Scythe (Axe-type Weapon)

Post "Tri-Edge" Encounter
After being defeated by "Tri-Edge," rather than his Avatar being destroyed, Haseo's level is decreased by nearly half, and the majority of his inventory has been corrupted, forcing him to dump almost all of his weapons. While this puts him at a disadvantage when he is forced to work again for both his level and equipment, his experience still remains, putting him on par with some of the more talented mid-level avatars such as Klein. However, due to the lower status, Haseo's reckless behavior puts him at a much more greater risk, especially since he tends to pick a fight with both enemies and players who are often at a much high level than him.
 * Level: 32
 * HP: 3,026
 * Main Equipment:
 * Black Rogue (Chest Piece), Fallen Grace (Twin Daggers), Broadsword

Trivia

 * Haseo's unique skill, "Twin Daggers," could be considered to be the knife equivalent to Kirito's "Dual Wielding," though instead of increasing attack strength for both left and right oriented attacks, "Twin Daggers" provides a 10% damage increase.
 * Quick-Weapon Change can be considered to be a pseudo-unique skill, in that in order to acquire it, you must have mastered at least four or more different types of weapons. Haseo has mastered four weapons; axes, knives, swords, and two-handed swords.
 * Due to his overwhelming strength, Haseo has often been mistakenly been called a 'beater,' despite not being a beta tester.
 * Haseo obtained the Hellscythe Armor by completing the "Grave Reaper" quest, which had him take on a boss that was ten levels above his own.
 * Due to the nature of the story, Haseo, alongside Ovan, Shino and Atoli, are the only four characters from .hack//G.U to appear in Sword Art Online: The Terror of Death.