Background/History:
Although a prominent figure in Spike's life, we know almost nothing about Vicious, and that includes his last name. It is presumed he was born the same year as Spike (i.e. 2044), and we know joined the Red Dragon syndicate, and became a close friend of Spike's. He was also Julia's lover, and attempted to use her to kill Spike when Spike decided to break with the Red Dragons and go his own way. We also know from Gren that Vicious served in the military, fighting in the Titan campaign.One presumes this was Red Dragon business, as he was spying for the enemy and framed Gren for it.

With Spike's leaving of the Red Dragons, Vicious has grown in power and prestige, and as an executive commands a great deal of respect among the more common Red Dragon soldiers. He operates on his own quite often, and seems to answer to no one but the three syndicate Elders. However, Vicious desires far more, and intends to take control of the Red Dragons at some point. He succeeds in Episode 25 The Real Folk Blues Part 1, in a bloody showdown with the Elders. Vicious then decides to clean house, eliminate anyone who has turned their back on the Red Dragons or is of questionable loyalty. In the process, he indirectly causes the death of Annie and Julia, and forces Spike into a showdown. In Episode 26 The Real Folk Blues Part 2, Spike assaults the syndicate headquarters and manages to shoot and blast his way into a one-on-one confrontation with Vicious. After a short and brutal gun-on-sword fight, the two former friends, now deadly enemies, kill each other.

Personality/Motivation:
Vicious is cold, brutal, and uncaring. For example, he frames Gren for espionage for no real reason. Gren just happened to ask the wrong question at the right time, making it easy for Vicious to plant needed evidence on him. When Lin sacrifices himself to save Vicious, he doesn't bat an eye, but merely accepts it has his due. He kills without a second thought, and disposes of one syndicate Elder with the chilling comment, "You'll cry red tears...".

One wonders what Julia saw in Vicious and if Vicious ever actually loved Julia. One the other hand, it seems he had a strong friendship with Spike, and the two worked well together (based on scattered flashbacks of Spike's). Vicious seems to have taken Spike's leaving personally, although the fact Spike was trying to take Julia with him (and thus, away from Vicious) may have had something to do with it. He asks her the question of "Are you going to betray me?" and hands her a gun, with the intent that Julia will kill Spike when they meet in the graveyard. Julia, however, tears up the note from Spike, and stays where she is.

Aside from being utterly ruthless, Vicious is also hungry for power, which in his case is defined as control of the Red Dragon syndicate. He makes two attempts to wrest control of the syndicate from the Elders, and succeeds the second time around, purging the disloyal in a bloody pogrom. Crossing this man is not recommended.

Quote: "In this world there is nothing to believe in..."

Powers/Tactics:
In a world where most people arm themselves with automatic pistols and submachine guns, Vicious stands out by carrying a long-bladed katana with him nearly everywhere. He's frighteningly efficient with his weapon of choice, and can draw and strike with it in a blur. He discards the sheath when fighting, and will switch from a reversed grip to a forward grip (as well as a one-handed and two-handed grip) depending in such elements as available space and his enemy's position (A reverse grip means he's holding the sword backwards and makes long draw cuts, a forward grip is the more normal way of holding the sword.). No matter his stance or grip, Vicious's battle tactics are simple: get in the first blow and kill your opponent.

Vicious seems to be as fast as Spike in a fight, and about as skilled. He has some skill with guns (we see him with one in a flashback of the war on Titan), but definitely likes blades better. In addition to his sword, he also carries at least one throwing knife tucked up on sleeve. He might have more kenjutsu maneuvers, and a likely addition would be the Bind maneuver.

Appearance:
Vicious is about Spike's equal in height, which makes him roughly 6'2". He looks to have Spike's build, which is lean and muscular, and probably weighs about 180-190 pounds. His eyes are pale blue, and his long, shoulder-length hair is white or grayish. Vicious would be quite handsome if he didn't scowl all the time (His scowl, combined with the way his hair hangs into his face, and his choice of dark clothing, makes him look positively creepy and foreboding.).

Vicious normally dresses in dark clothing, and a black (or dark gray) shirt, vest, pants, and boots seems to be his preferred mode of dress. Over this he wears the standard coat of the Red Dragons, which is a heavy knee-length affair with braid and epaulets (Vicious wears a cut-away version). The coat as a distinctly military look to it.

As a final note, where ever Vicious goes, he is almost always accompanied by a large black bird sitting on one shoulder.