TV-Series
Description
Ashley Links is the primary antagonist of the series, serving as the director of the RUC, the ruling security organization that controls the city. He is a figure shrouded in mystery for much of the story, often seen wearing a mask that conceals his true intentions and his past. His calm and polite manner of speaking belies a ruthless and calculating nature, as he is willing to sacrifice anyone to achieve his goals.
His background is deeply tied to the cataclysmic event known as the Blast Fall, which occurred many years before the main story. Having survived for an exceptionally long time due to early Resemble technology, he has secretly accumulated vast knowledge, including the truth that humanity is not native to the planet and that the city's environment is artificially maintained by a super-computer named Eunomia. His primary motivation is a desperate and obsessive love for a woman named Illumina, whom he lost in the disaster. His entire plan is an attempt to be reunited with her, a goal that ultimately proves to be unattainable.
In the story, Ashley Links functions as the mastermind behind the RUC's oppressive control and the eventual threat to the city's stability. He uses his position to manipulate events from the shadows, aiming to seize control of the city's energy and water supplies to further his larger agenda. He is directly responsible for corrupting Rose Anderson, turning her into a Proceed operative for the RUC after her apparent death. His cruelty is most evident in his treatment of his own subordinates, as he murders Sylvia without hesitation when she questions him and later frames the surviving RUC girls for the crime.
His key relationships are defined by his obsession and his role as a dark mirror to the protagonist, Roy Revant. Both men were driven by the loss of a loved one, but whereas Roy eventually finds healing by forming a new family with Solty and Rose, Ashley clings to his impossible past. As Rose points out, Ashley had people who cared for him, such as Integra and Sylvia, but he threw those relationships away in his single-minded pursuit of Illumina. This makes him an Evil Counterpart to Roy, a version of what the hero could have become had he chosen vengeance over connection.
Ashley’s development is defined by the tragic revelation of his true nature. Initially appearing as a vague and mysterious villain, his actions are eventually revealed to stem not from simple malice but from profound grief. However, his refusal to move on or accept reality leads him down a path of destruction, culminating in a final confrontation where his plan is stopped. Despite his villainous actions, his death is treated with a degree of sympathy, as it becomes clear his efforts were for nothing and that Illumina was truly gone all along.
His notable abilities are tied to his advanced age and his use of Resemble technology. As one of the first recipients of this cybernetic enhancement, he has lived for centuries and possesses a deep, technical understanding of the city's core systems, including the master computer Eunomia. He demonstrates the ability to shut down or control other Resembles, showcasing his technological superiority and his deep connection to the very fabric of the society he seeks to dominate.
His background is deeply tied to the cataclysmic event known as the Blast Fall, which occurred many years before the main story. Having survived for an exceptionally long time due to early Resemble technology, he has secretly accumulated vast knowledge, including the truth that humanity is not native to the planet and that the city's environment is artificially maintained by a super-computer named Eunomia. His primary motivation is a desperate and obsessive love for a woman named Illumina, whom he lost in the disaster. His entire plan is an attempt to be reunited with her, a goal that ultimately proves to be unattainable.
In the story, Ashley Links functions as the mastermind behind the RUC's oppressive control and the eventual threat to the city's stability. He uses his position to manipulate events from the shadows, aiming to seize control of the city's energy and water supplies to further his larger agenda. He is directly responsible for corrupting Rose Anderson, turning her into a Proceed operative for the RUC after her apparent death. His cruelty is most evident in his treatment of his own subordinates, as he murders Sylvia without hesitation when she questions him and later frames the surviving RUC girls for the crime.
His key relationships are defined by his obsession and his role as a dark mirror to the protagonist, Roy Revant. Both men were driven by the loss of a loved one, but whereas Roy eventually finds healing by forming a new family with Solty and Rose, Ashley clings to his impossible past. As Rose points out, Ashley had people who cared for him, such as Integra and Sylvia, but he threw those relationships away in his single-minded pursuit of Illumina. This makes him an Evil Counterpart to Roy, a version of what the hero could have become had he chosen vengeance over connection.
Ashley’s development is defined by the tragic revelation of his true nature. Initially appearing as a vague and mysterious villain, his actions are eventually revealed to stem not from simple malice but from profound grief. However, his refusal to move on or accept reality leads him down a path of destruction, culminating in a final confrontation where his plan is stopped. Despite his villainous actions, his death is treated with a degree of sympathy, as it becomes clear his efforts were for nothing and that Illumina was truly gone all along.
His notable abilities are tied to his advanced age and his use of Resemble technology. As one of the first recipients of this cybernetic enhancement, he has lived for centuries and possesses a deep, technical understanding of the city's core systems, including the master computer Eunomia. He demonstrates the ability to shut down or control other Resembles, showcasing his technological superiority and his deep connection to the very fabric of the society he seeks to dominate.