- "Even at the end, as the flames licked the roof beams of their homes… my family, my friends believed the king would save them." —Erhardt
Erhardt is a character in Octopath Traveler. He is a former knight of Hornburg who fought alongside Olberic. Erhardt betrayed the kingdom and slew King Alfred, long after losing his hometown and bearing a deep hatred towards the king for failing to save it and its people, including his friends and family. He is the second of two bosses in Chapter 3 of Olberic's story, and is the deuteragonist of his story.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Erhardt has long, wavy blonde hair and green eyes. He wears a knight uniform similar to Olberic's, with a black surcoat over a red shirt, white gloves, and gold-colored shoulder guards and bracers.
Personality[]
Erhardt is a skilled warrior and is aware of that fact, especially as Olberic's close friend and rival. He demonstrates a willingness to help those in need, and dedicates his sword to that cause after finding himself in Wellspring.
The trauma of losing his hometown as a teenager left Erhardt with a desire for revenge that would consume him for the next several years of his life. He feels that his life as a knight of Hornburg was a lie because of this, but cherishes those memories all the same.
Story[]
 |
(I don't think this is where I should be going at the moment...) The following section contains potential story spoilers! |
21 years prior to the start of Octopath Traveler, Erhardt's hometown of Grynd was burned to the ground. His people believed King Alfred would come to their aid, but he did not. Erhardt was filled with hatred and swore to make the king pay for his actions or lack thereof.
He was later picked up by Werner's band of sellswords, the Black Brotherhood, who sought the destruction of Hornburg. During this time he met Gaston and Gustav, acting as a friend and mentor to them and even giving his sword to Gaston. Werner had Erhardt appointed as a knight of the king's own guard and manipulated him into committing regicide.
Erhardt had hoped the death of the king would free him of his emotional turmoil, but it only filled him with emptiness. He expresses remorse for dedicating his life to vengeance, having realized that he valued the memories of his time as a knight more than those of his lost home. After the Black Brotherhood disbanded, Erhardt began wandering. He ended up in Wellspring and is viewed as a local hero for protecting the people from the lizardmen.
He would later attempt to fight the lizardmen in their lair and is close to being overwhelmed when Olberic appears, to his surprise. After they defeat the leaders of the horde, Erhardt confides in Olberic about his regrets. Olberic responds by challenging him to a duel, which Erhardt loses. He then tells Olberic about Werner and where to find him, and the two knights agree to repair their relationship.
Erhardt would later appear in Riverford to assist Olberic and the resistance against Werner.
Upon completing Olberic's story, Erhardt can be found in Wellspring. The Battle-tested Blade can be bought or stolen from him here.
Relationships[]
Olberic Eisenberg[]
Erhardt and Olberic were once very close friends, known across the realm as the "Twin Blades of Hornburg." However, for reasons unbeknownst to Olberic at the time, Erhardt betrayed their kingdom, ending their days as comrades-in-arms and leading to their separation.
Once finally reunited, Erhardt explains himself and his feelings. Olberic does not forgive Erhardt for his actions, but realizes that, like himself, Erhardt had felt lost and empty for the past eight years. The two agree to rebuild the friendship they once treasured.
The battle with Erhardt commences like a normal duel.
At 50% health, Erhardt will activate Blazing Stance. At 30% health, he will activate Blazing Stance, Improved, during which he will use Blazing Blade several times.
Erhardt is likely to inflict terror on Olberic for several rounds of combat following his activation of Blazing Stance, Improved. Having Olberic equip a Calming Stone before battle will offset this.
- Attack: Physical attack, single target.
- Cross Strike: Strong physical attack, single attack.
- Blazing Stance: Used at 50% health. Erhardt unlocks the ability to use Triple Strike and Blazing Blade.
- Triple Strike: Physical attack, single target. Hits three times.
- Blazing Blade: Physical attack, single target. Inflicts
Terror for 1-3 turns.
- Blazing Stance, Improved: Used at 30% health. Erhardt no longer uses regular attacks. Blazing Blade usage is prioritized.
Locations[]
| Location: Lizardmen's Den | |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Olberic, Chapter 3 |
| |
| Location: Wellspring | |
| Conditions: | Olberic, Chapter 4 Complete |
| |
Path Actions[]
Minimum Level: 45
Base Probability: 50% | Details: Wellspring |
|---|
| Boasting the title of Blazing Blade, he was once one of the strongest and most skilled knights of Hornburg. Though he has parted with the sword given him by the king, he considers the armor he wears a tried-and-true friend to him. |
| Information Gleaned: None |
Quotes
| Scrutinize Failure: | Begone, eyesore! |
Minimum Level: 45
Base Probability: 15| Summon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Strength: | 
| |
| Summonable: | 6 | |
| HP: | ||
| Cover Rate: | ||
| Stats: |    
|
   
|
| Skills: | Cross Strike  Triple Strike
| |
Quotes
| Guide Success: | Lead on, Sister. |
| Guide Release: | Call upon me at any time. |
| Allure Success: | I feel compelled to follow. |
| Allure Failure: | Begone, eyesore! |
| Allure Release: | Finally, I'm free. |
Minimum Level: 25
| Battle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Strength: |
| |
| HP: | 35,303 | |
| Shields: | 6 | |
| Weak: |   
| |
| Stats: | 535 500 212 163
|
435 400 244 165
|
| Leaf: |   1,000
| |
| EXP: | 150 | |
| JP: | 1,000 | |
| Drop: | Revitalizing Jam (20%) | |
| Skills: | Attack Cross Strike | |
Quotes
| Challenge Initiate: | Come at me, Olberic! |
| Provoke Initiate: | I see, this was just a training exercise. |
| Provoke Loss: | Begone, eyesore! |
| Possessions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Price | Steal Lvl |
| Battle-tested Blade
|
84,000
|
-- |
 Silver-filled Pouch
|
15,200
|
36 |
Quotes
| Purchase Talk: | Make good use of it. |
| Steal Talk: | Begone, eyesore! |
Quotes[]
- "The lizardmen have retreated, but there is no end to our problems." —Speaking to Erhardt in Wellspring
- "Lead on, Sister." —When Guided.
- "Call upon me at any time." —Parting Ways while Guided
- "I feel compelled to follow." —When Allured
- "Finally, I'm free." —Parting Ways while Allured
- "Come at me, Olberic!" —When Challenged
- "I see, this was just a training exercise." —When Provoked
- "Begone, eyesore!" —Failing a Path Action
- "I'm worse than you think, I am 'evil hunting evil'. Someday, I will be hunted as 'evil'. If 'he' still alive probably..." —Wrath at introducing scene (Champions of the Continent)
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
"Erhardt" is a name derived from the Germanic elements "era" and "hard," meaning "honor" and "bravery" respectively. This name symbolizes Erhardt's valor and courage as a knight, maintaining his nobility despite his betrayal of king and country.
Trivia[]
- During Erhardt's Chapter 3 boss fight, it is possible to Steal his Divine Blade if equipped with the Thief job, resulting in two or more Divine Blades obtained after the fight.
- Losing the Chapter 3 duel with Erhardt results in a game over, unlike other duels (which simply reduce Olberic to 1 HP). This implies that Erhardt himself was willing to kill Olberic in this fight, even though Olberic chose to spare him.
- According to travel banter, Erhardt is a heavy drinker, able to push Olberic to his tipping point. Alfyn and Cyrus are the only other people known to have accomplished this feat.
- Erhardt's Blazing Blade attack can inflict Terror, foreshadowing Werner's own Terror-inducing sword attacks.
- Erhardt's Chapter 3 battle is the only story battle that takes place to a protagonist's musical theme (in this case, "Olberic, the Warrior").
- Erhardt's motivations bear some resemblance to Mattias's, as both antagonists fell into dark paths after losing their respective homes and their loved ones to fire. Both men blamed authority figures for these tragedies, although Erhardt sought revenge against a human figure (the king) whereas Mattias lost faith in the gods.
- Because Erhardt's design was needed ASAP for Olberic's story, Erhardt's was one of the first NPC sprites completed for the game. Designer Shizuka Morimoto wishes that he had more time to touch up Erhardt's equipment, but even so he was happy to see Erhardt making waves in the game world.[1]
- Because few of Octopath Traveler's bosses have such composed stances, Erhardt's calm demeanor was designed to stand out.[2]