V.IV Rusty

V.IV Rusty is a fictional character from the 2023 video game Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon developed by FromSoftware. He is voiced by Chris Hackney in English,^[1] and Yasuyuki Kase in Japanese. Rusty is introduced as the pilot of an Armored Core (a type of mecha) known as STEEL HAZE, and a member of the Vespers, a squad of elite augmented humans employed by the Arquebus Corporation to fight against a rival corporation known as the Balam Group and other threats for control of the planet. He is later revealed to be an undercover operative of the Rubicon Liberation Front, a revolutionary group made up of colonists who are trying to prevent the corporations from exploiting Rubicon's Coral, a highly valuable living substance. He ends up supporting the player as an ally if they attempt to save the Coral, and opposing them if they attempt to destroy it. Rusty became a fan-favorite character due to his kind demeanor towards the game's silent protagonist, C4-621, such as using the friendly nickname "Buddy", his piloting skill, and his central heroic role in the game's plot. He was cited by critics as an example of a positive male role model in gaming, and analyzed as the game's true hero rather than the player on account of the fact that he fights for his morals rather than credits.

V.IV Rusty
Armored Core character
First appearance	Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (2023)
Created by	Hidetaka Miyazaki
Voiced by	Chris Hackney Yasuyuki Kase
In-universe information
Occupation	Mecha pilot
Affiliation	Vespers Rubicon Liberation Front
Weapon	AC STEEL HAZE

Design and appearances

Rusty's physical appearance and real name are never revealed to the player, as he only speaks to C4-621 in audio messages marked by his Armored Core's muzzled wolf emblem, though he is most commonly depicted in fanart as a handsome younger man with a 5 o'clock shadow due to his "effortlessly cool" personality. He possesses a neural implant, marking him as an "augmented human". Such implants enable better control over Armored Cores, but may have deleterious side effects. His mecha, STEEL HAZE, has a blue color tone and is made from very lightweight parts, specializing in fast-paced machine gun attacks. Its Nachtreiher legs have backwards-facing joints resembling those of an animal.^[2]

Rusty is first seen in the mission "Operation Wallclimber", in which he backs up the player in a fight against a building-sized, Liberation Front-piloted tank. After the mission, he shares private details with the player, making it clear that he does not fully trust Arquebus and establishing himself as the player's ally. He later assists the player during a mission to fight a rogue "C-Weapon" known as the Ice Worm, firing a railgun from afar that is the only true method to weaken the Ice Worm enough to inflict damage. Eventually, as Arquebus comes close to taking over Rubicon and extracting the Coral, Rusty returns with an upgraded Armored Core, STEEL HAZE ORTUS, and an emblem depicting the wolf unmuzzled, his true allegiance to the RLF made plain. Rusty either allies with or opposes the player depending on their choices. Rusty's ultimate fate is left vague, the game hinting but not confirming that he perishes in battle.^[2]

Reception

Rusty has received universal praise from fans for his personality and actions, with Michael McWhertor of Polygon describing him as the true hero of the game rather than the player due to his overt rebellion against the actions of the evil corporations depicted therein.^[2] Hirun Cryer of GamesRadar+ stated that being the game's nicest character was not particularly hard given 621's mistreatment from virtually everyone else as a living weapon, remarking that players compared him to the character Blaidd the Half-Wolf from Elden Ring.^[3] Rusty has also been called highly attractive despite never being seen directly, with McWhertor describing him as the game's "most crush-worthy AC pilot".^[2] Gita Jackson of Aftermath stated that "it’s hard not to fall in love with Rusty" due to the combination of his personality and "sultry" voice acting.^[1]

Ashley Schofield, writing for TheGamer, also described Rusty as the game's real hero, noting that he is one of the few characters fighting purely based on personal ideology by the game's end. She calls Rusty's presumed death at the hands of either 621 themselves; Walter, 621's handler; or the AI ALLMIND in various routes of the game as an example that "no good deed goes unpunished".^[4]

The fan Beth Short illustrated a dating sim fan game based on Armored Core VI after watching her boyfriend play through the game, after making a fake screenshot of such a game featuring Rusty and receiving positive receiption on the Armored Core subreddit. The game is planned to feature numerous routes for various characters in the game.^[1]