"These roles we play. I must admit I find it... wearying."

—Rasler Heios Nabradia

Rasler Heios Nabradia (ラスラ・ヘイオス・ナブラディア, Rasura Heiosu Naburadia^?) is a character from Final Fantasy XII. Prince of Nabradia, he defends his homeland with all his might.

Appearance and PersonalityEdit

Rasler is a young man with short, light blond hair and grey eyes. Rasler wears a white suit of armor with gold detailing, including a chest-plate, buckled boots and a detailed neck piece that leaves his jugular exposed. His suit also includes a royal blue drape at the waist with fleur-de-lis details and a tasseled finish, and he keeps his sword in a scabbard on his hip. Rasler's final design remained virtually unchanged from early concept artwork.

From what little is seen of Rasler, he appears a patriotic and passionate young man who would lay his life on the line for Nabradia, and seems to have an unwavering - though perhaps denial - sense of hope that the situation can be rectified even at the worst of stages.

StoryEdit

Reading the EnemyEdit

In the year 704 Old Valendia, the Kingdom of Nabradia and its neighboring kingdom, Dalmasca, sat in the middle of the political tension between the Archadian Empire of the North and the Rozarrian Empire of the South. Fearing impending conflict, Rasler's father and King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca arranged a marriage between their children in order to secure political allegiance and solidarity. The arrangement sparked some controversy in both kingdoms, spurning the Neo-Rozarria Faction, which Rasler was all too aware of before his marriage.

As told in the manga version of Final Fantasy XII, Rasler traveled to the Royal Palace of Rabanastre alongside his army's general, Sir Forz, where - to the surprise of all attending - he claimed he could not marry Princess Ashelia. Rasler knew of the Neo-Rozarria movement's intentions and hoped that in refusing the marriage, he would allow the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca and his own forces to seek out the underground faction before they had a chance to assassinate either Princess Ashe or her father. However, Princess Ashe thought Rasler had simply rejected her, and stormed away, furiously embarrassed, into the arms of Marchioness Argas.

The same night, Rasler and Forz reconvened in the palace courtyard to discuss the plans of their stay. Unbeknown to both of them, Ashe had overheard the entire conversation, and followed Forz into an area of the palace that was closed off due to heavy reconstruction works. Ashe had unwittingly followed Forz straight to the location of a Neo-Rozarria meeting, where she heard of their plans to assassinate King Raminas that night in his bed chambers. Ashe assumed Rasler was the head of the conspiracy due to Forz's actions.

Shocked from her revelation, she fell and knocked over some boxes, drawing the attention of the faction members. Before they could find her, Rasler grabbed Ashe and hid her behind a pillar until they retreated. Ashe jumped from his grip, disgusted at his duplicity, when she lost her footing and fell through a weak area of the ground. Rasler jumped after her down into the Garamsythe Waterway.

Upon landing, Ashe tended to Rasler's wound, after she learned that he was not a member of the rebellion. Since his wound still smarted, Ashe took Rasler's sword and lead them out of the Waterways back up to the Palace in time to intervene the faction's assassination attempt. The leader of the Neo-Rozarria movement was revealed to be Argas, much to Ashe's despair, but their plan was ultimately foiled by the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca, lead by captain Basch fon Ronsenburg.

When Ashe realized that Sir Forz was Rasler's spy placed within the faction and the Order knew of the plan the entire time, she is embarrassed to have been left in the dark. Rasler revealed that the passion and strength she had shown that night had just affirmed his love for her. The marriage ceremony was delayed slightly, but arranged nonetheless.

Final Fantasy XIIEdit

Despite their marriage being arranged for purely political reasons, the two truly came to love each other. Their ceremony was a grand occasion throughout the Royal City of Rabanastre; they proceeded from a lavish and celebratory parade in the city's streets to Rabanastre's cathedral, where they wed. Their marital bliss was short-lived, as the Archadian invasion had been realized and Rasler was forced to leave his new bride to stand alongside King Raminas in Dalmasca's strategy planning.

The council of war meeting was interrupted by Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg, bringing news of the destruction of Nabudis. Rasler immediately asked for news of his father, but Basch did not know. An adviser worried that with Nabudis fallen, it was only a matter of time before the Archadian forces reached Dalmasca's borders. Raminas ordered Basch to secure Nalbina Fortress with all haste, but Rasler insisted he go alongside Basch and the Order, for the sake of his homeland. After a short, emotional ceremony - in which Raminas implores Galtea to watch over Rasler - the Dalmascan forces marched eastwards.

During the battle Basch tried to escort Rasler to safety, but the young prince would not be moved as long as hope remained. When imperial troops slaughtered the high priests, the light of the city's paling was extinguished and, overcome with rage, Rasler charged the enemy. Seated high on his chocobo steed, he was an easy target for a lone Archadian archer who pierced his neck with a single arrow. Basch caught the prince as he fell and signaled a retreat, but Rasler died before he could reach Rabanastre, leaving the Midlight Shard heirless. His funeral, overseen by his weeping widow, is the last major incident to occur before the events of Final Fantasy XII take place.

The manga adaptation gives more details of Rasler promising Ashe to return to her safely before leaving with Basch and during the battle in Nalbina Fortress when he faced Judge Magister Bergan, after the imperial insulted his dead father to make him recklessly fight, distracting him from protecting the paling. After getting fatally shot by the arrow, Rasler slowly dies with his last thoughts on Ashe.

In death, Rasler's spirit guides his young wife on her journey to reclaim her throne and defeat the Archadian Empire, or so she initially believes. Whenever Ashe finds an ancient relic of the Dynast King, she also finds the spirit of Rasler, encouraging her to take the relic, and strike at the Archadian Empire.

After learning that the Occuria have chosen Ashe to be as their new Dynast King, Ashe realizes that the Rasler she is seeing is simply an illusion; the Rasler she knew and loved would never have wished for her to partake in base revenge. Atop the Pharos, she finally lashes out at the spirit, knowing it to be an Occurian illusion sent to manipulate her, and attempts to destroy the Sun-Cryst, against the Occuria's wishes.

Musical ThemesEdit

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"The Princess' Vision" from Final Fantasy XII
Trouble with the audio sample?

When Ashe witnesses a vision of Rasler's "ghost" the theme "The Princess' Vision" (王女の幻影, Ōjo no genei^?) plays.

Other appearancesEdit

Final Fantasy Trading Card GameEdit

Rasler appears in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game published by Square Enix in Japan.

GalleryEdit

Concept art of Rasler by Akihiko Yoshida.

Concept art of Rasler and Ashe's wedding by Akihiko Yoshida.

Artwork of Rasler.

The Newlyweds.

Rasler at this wedding.

King Raminas makes Lord Rasler the commander of Dalmascan Army.

Lord Rasler rallies the army.

Apparition of Rasler.

Rasler in the official manga.

TriviaEdit

• Rasler's sprite is unlocked in the Sky Pirate's Den after completing every character's License Board, including Espers, earning the player the title of Conqueror.
• Rasler may be named after Prince Ralse, a character from The Dream Oath of Final Fantasy VI who was the prince of the eastern lands. Similarly, Nabradia is in eastern Ivalice.
• Though he is not a playable character he is the first character to appear in the opening credits.