"A knight of Crell Monferaigne, he was chosen to perform an assassination due to his skill. When it went public, he sacrificed himself rather than betray his country, but his compatriots regarded his sacrifice with contempt."—Description
Janus is an Archer Einherjar in Valkyrie Profile.
Background[]
Janus was once a royal knight of Crell Monferaigne, much to his father's pride. A skilled and respected warrior, he was often tasked with espionage and assassination missions due to his unwavering loyalty. One of these missions involved assassinating a nobleman of a neighbouring country who was driving up tariff rates on trade. However, the endeavour failed, whether by accident or because of a setup. Due to the delicate political situation this put the country in, the king was forced to disavow all knowledge of Janus' acts and present him as a deserter and a traitor.[1] He was stripped of his rank and exiled, much to the contempt of his fellow citizens.
Ten years after the fact, Janus returns to Crell Monferaigne out of concern for the king and learns that he has died and that a new king has taken his place. When he visits a tavern, he realizes that the citizens still despise him, enough to come to blows. When he leaves the tavern, he bumps into a little boy sitting on the steps. Afraid and apologetic, the child is surprised when Janus shows him kindness.
In spite of this, Janus remains utterly loyal to his kingdom. However, the people involved in the failed assassination are still in place and fear that he may expose them. One night, Janus accidentally intercepts a man trying to steal some documents. When he brings the documents back, the conspirators have him killed, stating that they could not have done it while the previous king was still alive. Lenneth recruits him, impressed by his unwavering sense of honour. As the little boy sits on the tavern steps once again, he hears the customers ridiculing Janus' endeavour and hangs his head in sadness, perhaps the only townsperson to mourn his death.
If Lenneth returns to Janus' house after recruiting him, he will retrieve the weapon he used for his assassination, the Raven Slayer.
Battle[]
Janus is an excellent Archer, second only to Lenneth herself. He can easily pin down enemies in the air to enable juggling, making him very useful for farming experience. In addition, one of his regular attacks, Diseased Needle, can poison the enemy. His PWS, Guilty Break, has one of the highest damage multipliers in the game.
Attacks[]
Elemental tolerance[]
| Darkness | 25% |
|---|---|
| Fire | 25% |
| Holy | 50% |
| Ice | 50% |
| Lightning | 0 |
| Poison | 100% |
Purify Weird Soul[]
Janus' PWS is Guilty Break.
Traits[]
- Loves Dad
- Loves Mom
- Brave
- Unlucky
- Sacrificing
- Tonguetied
- Reserved
Recruitment[]
Janus is one of the several Einherjar whose recruitment is randomized; he can be recruited in Crell Monferaigne as early as Chapter 2 and as late as Chapter 4.
Transfer[]
Janus' starting Hero Value is -62. As an Archer, he is ideal for meeting the Chapter 3 requirements, although he might not be available at that point. He can also meet the requirements for Chapter 4, 6 and 8, notably due to his Brave trait.
Quotes[]
- Battle start
- Huh, there's certainly no lack of decent foes.
- Enemies...
- I'll take you all on!
- This shouldn't take long.
- Performing Guilty Break
- For my honor! Finishing Strike — Guilty Break!
- Enemy killed by Guilty Break
- In war, only one can survive.
- Dead, I see.
- Who shall fall next?
- The gates of hell await thee.
- Enemy survives Guilty Break
- My power was not enough...
- A worthy foe indeed...
- Very well, I will strike again!
- Impossible!
- Counter
- Too bad!
- You misjudged me!
- Hit
- Curses!
- Death
- Damn...! Did I underestimate...
- Battle won
- My skills will be dulled by opponents like this!
- How long must we keep fighting the same battles...?
- They were an unworthy foe to begin with.
Etymology[]
Janus is the Roman god of beginnings and passageways. He is depicted with two heads, one looking towards the past, the other towards the future. This may symbolize the dualities in Janus' identity (knight and assassin, dutiful soldier and presumed coward), as well as the fact that he is both looking towards the past (his lost honour) and the future (his attempt at helping his country once again).
Trivia[]
- Janus is voiced by the same actor as Jun and Surt.
- Janus appears to be missing his left eye.
- Janus' weapon is clearly a crossbow, but this does not affect his ability to equip regular bows, as any other Archer.
- Janus may be encountered in his house in Crell Monferaigne, if you visit the city before recruiting him. The developers have stated that his silence is an expression of shock at having discovered that the king is dead.[2]
- Sending Janus up to Asgard may trigger a short scene during his first Sacred Phase where it is stated that his father is dead, although the circumstances and time of his death remain unclear.
- Also in Asgard, after about two Sacred Phases, Janus is approached by Loki, who asks him what is on his mind. He rebuffs Loki's overtures and gains Hero Points for the conversation.
- One of Janus' traits is 'Loves Mom', but the game never references her or provides any background information about her.
Gallery[]
