Echidna

"Aren't you a pipsqueak after all? You're 500 years too early!"

Unlimited: "So, I wonder what sort of fun things I should make you do when I win~?"

Echidna (エキドナ) is a freelance mercenary elf that hails from the forests of the south on the continent, presumably near the Calibara Forest. Despite being considered strong enough to win the Queen's Blade, she has no interest in doing so.

Appearance
Echidna wears a white, vest-like top with a snake-themed collar and a simple pattern on the back, the vest also has one red gem on each breast surrounded with a spiral pattern. The collar also has fur and she wears turtle shell shoulder plates with a red dot on the back of each. She wanders around with no underwear, only using her pet snake Keltan as a substitute. Her armor bears a snake motif. On her legs, she has white shin-guards with dull green thigh-highs underneath.

Unlimited
Echidna's outfit remains the same, with small changes, but she now has much darker skin and red eyes, and her sword has a different design.

Personality
She is perverted and sadistic in nature, Echidna is a wild elf who hails from the forests of the deep south. She is strong enough to win the Queen's Blade tournament, but has no interest in doing so. An expert in various types of deadly blades, she wanders the land as a soldier for hire. She has a tendency to invade a person of her likings' privacy, often groping and subjecting them to humiliation, although this behavior has only been seen primarily with females. Also, she is a two-faced elf, where her negative side seems to be cruel and rude, but her secret bright side makes her an elf with a heart of gold.

Abilities
She is able to get into the minds of others, and is an extremely strong warrior, and fights with a curved snake-themed sword and shield, and also her pet snake Keltan. When fighting with sword and dagger, her specialty attack is the Black Rose: parrying an enemy's attack with her sword, then attacking with her dagger in the other hand.

Parameters
Attack: 4

Defense: 5

Potential: 1

Technique: 5

Reach: 4

Agility: 5

Prior to QB
(From the Queen's Blade site)

Echidna is a mercenary elf with more than 500 years of experience in battles. She doesn't belong to the same forest tribe that Nowa is protecting, but to a rare tribe who are known as the Wild Elves, whose territory is a big, tropical forest by the south.

Having extraordinary self-confidence, superhuman agility, and very rare combat skills, Echidna is practically invincible. Once she led the infamous Fang Assassination Unit, but now she's only known as an extraordinary mercenary and a lone wolf. She's also Irma's teacher.

Usually she's cold and cruel, but she's actually hiding her "weak," pure and gentle side, and she might even cry in moments of crisis...

The reasons of her being hired to participate in the Queen's Blade are unknown. The only certainty is that she's a strong candidate to the victory, though she has no interest in the throne.

Prologue
(From her backcover)

The stone fort was built on top of a hill. After sleeping in the bed where a fur was spread all over luxuriously, I felt someone giving off a strong presence nearing and woke up.

Did the female leader of the bandits come to take her fortress back? Or has a challenger from the silly tournament come over? At any rate, seems like this’ll be fun for the first time in a long time? When I chant a short incantation, the magic snake coiled around my waist. I tie up my hair, put on my armor, and pick up my sword. When I prepare for battle, this feeling of happiness that gradually wells up is unbearable.

Even after 500 years have passed, the never ending thirst for battle arouses me.

Aaah, maybe today I can meet an opponent that satisfies me?

Sure enough, will Echidna’s “Undefeated Record” continue?

They won’t know that unless they fight.

Trivia

 * Echidna was not seen to forfeit or lose her fight in the Queen's Blade tournament.
 * Her name is also the name of an animal, the echidna, which is similar to the porcupine, or hedgehog.
 * She is the only character to wear an animal as underwear.
 * She may have been named after Echidna, the mother of Medusa, with whom she also shares traits, such as never seeming to grow old, and being exceptionally beautiful and provocative. This is furthered by her shield bearing a resemblance to Medusa.
 * She is voiced by Yuki Kaida (Japanese) and Trina Hilbe (English).
 * Her sexuality has been disputed by fans numerous times.

Gallery
For this character's gallery, visit: Echidna/Gallery