Bio
THE DETERMINED FATHER
For Ethan Mars, life hasn't been a walk in the park. Initially he lived a happy life as a promising architect with his wife and two sons, Jason and Shaun. One day in 2009, Jason wandered off at a mall and ran out in front of a car. In an attempt to save him Ethan was sent into a six month coma but it wasn't enough. Jason died and soon after, Ethan's wife divorced him. The trauma Ethan experienced left him blacking out frequently in subsequent years. In 2011, history repeated itself with Shaun going missing while Ethan had blacked out. He was presented with an opportunity to save Shaun by the mysterious Origami Killer who gave Ethan a set of trials to prove his willingness to save his son. Ethan's determination cannot be underestimated. It doesn't matter how impossible a task may seem, if it means saving his son then there are no lengths to which he will not go and no opponents he will not overcome.
Intro
"I'm no killer..." Ethan thought to himself. He had just refused to kill a drug dealer in exchange for information as to his son's whereabouts. "But what now? As much as I hate to admit it, I really could have used those details. I'll have to think on my feet." He got into his car, where there was an unusual GPS in place where Ethan hadn't put it. "Strange..." He tapped the screen. "Are you willing to fight to save your son? Follow the co-ordinates given and defeat all the people you encounter in combat. Should you lose any fight, you will fail the trial." It was by far the strangest trial Ethan had gotten but he didn't hesitate. Even as it took him far beyond Philadelphia, he didn't question it. He would do anything it took to save his son!
Rival Scene
The trials Ethan had gone through so far were like nothing he'd ever even thought possible. How on earth did the Origami Killer even have time to set all this up? The crystal arena seemed somewhat final. Ethan figured he couldn't have been too far from the end of this now. All of a sudden, a thick fog descended over his surroundings. Unnerved, he took a step back, hearing something sounding like scraping coming towards him. Out of the fog stepped a horrifying creature wielding an ungodly knife with a Pyramid where his head should have been. "Oh my God..." Ethan felt as though the air had been sucked from his lungs. He stumbled backwards. The beast groaned and continued to lumber towards him. There was no way in hell he would ever be capable of defeating this thing...was there? Ethan put his foot down. He had to try. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his gun. "I'll go through you if that's what it takes to save my son!" Pyramid Head roared and raised the Great Knife as Ethan prepared for his greatest trial yet.
Outro
Ethan didn't receive any clues as to where we was going next. So that whole escapade was as good as a time sink as far as he was concerned. "Come on Ethan, you don't have time to be mad now." He told himself. "I've just got to keep on the right trail. I'll find Shaun." As he drove down another street while looking at potential locations on a map, he wondered if it was a waste of time. "The Killer wouldn't waste my time like that, would he? No, there had to be some reason for all that. I did what was asked of me, there must be something to it." As he wondered that, his car began to glow blue and speed up massively. "I'm one step closer to finding my son and that's what matters. I'll find him and I'll find that sick creep too!"
Fight Intros
The Next Trial- Ethan is shown kneeling with a closed fist. He opens it to reveal an origami figure, then he stands up.
Jason?- Ethan rushes onto the stage, looking around frantically while calling for Jason. A red balloon floats by in the background.
Say Your Prayers!- Ethan swings a toy sword around and says "Say your prayers!" in a cliché pirate accent.
I Can Try, Right?- Ethan unconvincingly assumes a fighting stance.
Victory
Made It- Ethan celebrates his victory, throwing his hands in the air.
Victorious Bandit- Ethan raises his hands above his head with the toy sword in one.
The Escape- Ethan runs from the cops.
Origami Smash- Ethan crushes the origami figure in his hand.
Defeat
If using 'Made It'- Ethan kneels down and says "Shaun, forgive me."
If using 'Victorious Bandit'- Ethan falls forwards and blacks out.
If using 'The Escape'- Ethan walks forward with his hands up and his head down.
If using 'Origami Smash'- Ethan falls to his hands and knees with one hand clutching his stomach, with the elbows of his jacket and the knees of his pants torn.
Themes
Battle Themes
The Chase
The Bulldozer
High Tension
Countdown
Looking For Shaun
The Fight
Level 3 Theme
Painful Memories
Victory Themes
Ethan Mars' Theme
Redemption
Last Breath
Quotes
Upon Selection
"No problem, leave it to me."
"I can do it."
"I've gotta find my son."
Picking Up An Item
"This looks out of place with the rest of this stuff."
"I guess this is part of the trial."
"I don't know what to say."
"Nice."
"I'll take it."
"This will do."
"Let's see what this can do."
Getting a KO
"Give up, I am victorious!"
"Surrender, weakling!"
"I have no choice."
"I can do this, come on!"
"Easy does it."
"I can do this, stay calm."
"Did I just...murder someone?"
"I'm sorry, but I had no choice."
Respawning After KO
"Keep it together Ethan, come on!"
"God damn."
"What would Shaun say?"
"I'm not giving up, not yet."
"I can't stop my hands shaking!"
"I don't wanna die here, not like this."
"I can't take this much..."
Using Moves
"Move out of the way!" -Using Level 2.
"Move!" -Using Level 2.
"Jason? Jason?!" -Using Level 3.
Taunts
Time to Kill- Ethan begins playing with an R.C. Car for a few seconds.
Say Your Prayers!- Similar to the intro of the same name only Ethan faces the opponent.
Shaun!- Ethan repeatedly cries out for his son, in a similarly hilarious fashion to the famous glitch.
Costumes
Trial Clothes (Default)
Dad Ethan
Prison Jumpsuit
Rocket Animation
Ethan tries to free his chained wrists by slipping his hands through them but to no avail.
Moveset
Square- Ethan shakes a carton of orange juice rapidly, striking opponents repeatedly.
Square (Air)- Same as ground version.
Square Side- Ethan performs a three hit combo with a toy sword.
Square Side (Air)- Same as ground version.
Square Up- Ethan uppercuts either side of himself, similar to when he was lifting his sons in the prologue.
Square Up (Air)- Same as ground version.
Square Down- Ethan drops plates on opponents. The plates shatter on impact.
Square Down (If recovering from a grounding hit)- Ethan will kick out similar to when he has to kick the door of the car open in the 'Bear Trial'.
Square Down (Air)- Same as ground version.
Triangle- Ethan fires his pistol.
Triangle, Square- Ethan hits the opponent over the head with his pistol.
Triangle (Air)- Same as ground version.
Triangle Side- Ethan pushes a swing at opponents.
Triangle Side (Air)- Same as ground version.
Triangle Up- Ethan starts throwing random objects in an arc at opponents, ranging from electric guitars to books.
Triangle Up (Air)- Same as ground version.
Triangle Down- Ethan hacks at opponents with a meat cleaver.
Triangle Down (Air)- Ethan swings a saw in an arc.
Circle- Ethan takes a drink of whiskey. This move is slow but will grant Ethan five seconds of immunity to all knockback, unless he is using his Level 1.
Circle (Air)- Same as ground version.
Circle Side- Ethan throws a chair along the ground at opponents to trip them up.
Circle Side (Air)- Ethan stabs at opponents with a red hot poker. His next melee attack will earn double AP.
Circle Up- A wall of wires between two electric condensers appears. While it is not specifically for aerial attacks the wall is tall and it will shock any opponents who touch it.
Circle Up (Air)- Ethan tosses a toy dragonfly at opponents. It does a loop-de-loop before it disappears.
Circle Down- Ethan lights a candle which causes damaging shards of glass to appear on the ground.
Circle Down (Air)- Same as ground version but Ethan will fall to the ground along with the shards.
Grab Side- Ethan tackles an opponent to the ground.
Grab Up- Ethan jumps on one end of a see-saw, sending opponents flying into the air.
Grab Down- Ethan pulls back some barbed wire and releases it, letting it hit the opponent.
Level 1
The Helicopter- Ethan grabs Jason by his hands and spins him around, letting his legs hang in the air. Anyone caught in the spin radius will be KO'd.
Level 2
The Bear- Ethan drives a muscle car around the stage nicknamed 'The Bear'.
Level 3
Jason, Jason?!- A cutscene plays where Ethan is calling out for Jason as a crowd forms around him. The crowd remains on stage where the location of other fighters is marked by them holding red balloons. The people will fall away as Ethan runs through them. Ethan can KO foes just by running into them while the super is active.
Author's Note
Rivalry Connection: Ethan feels extreme guilt over the death of his first son Jason and the disappearance of his second son, Shaun. Pyramid Head is a physical manifestation of guilt who will seek out those feeling guilt and punish them.
In what may have been David Cage's only good game (aside from Fahrenheit) there were plenty of memes. Ethan was a character who really should have been in the first game, even if it subtracts from the serious nature of Heavy Rain, I don't care. I had a lot of fun coming up with his moveset, though that video by ObsidianFracture yonks back was a far better job than I ever could have done.
