LAUREL's TROPES
Blade on a Stick: Laurel wields a naginata called Kogeta no Tenshi (Burning Angel), a weapon that doubles as her primary blade and a symbol of authority, like a royal scepter. It blends traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern design, striking a perfect balance between tradition and innovation.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Let’s be clear: Laurel isn’t exactly warm and friendly. She’s cold, distant, and brutally pragmatic when the situation calls for it. Even so, she’s one of the few characters in the series with a strong moral compass. She keeps Medea’s more questionable impulses in check while fiercely protecting her people. Nice? Not even close. But good? Without a doubt.
Beware the Nice Ones: When it comes to keeping unruly heroes and villains in line, Laurel doesn’t bother with subtlety—she makes her authority crystal clear with sheer power. Being a dragon goddess tends to get the message across pretty quickly; no one’s eager to test her. But if anyone’s still feeling brave, she’s more than happy to prove her point, usually by unleashing her Watchdog: Medea.
Manipulative Bitch: A positive mentor take on this trope. Laurel knows that real growth and self-discovery come from facing challenges head-on. With what she claims are the best intentions, she takes it upon herself to push Medea toward self-improvement and Character Development, setting obstacles in her way like stepping stones. Much like a strict parent guiding their child, Laurel understands that some lessons can’t just be taught—they have to be lived. That’s why each trial comes with a hard dose of reality, forcing Medea to confront her flaws and grow stronger through resilience.
- Anthony’s perspective, however, casts a different light on Laurel’s actions. His words make Medea question whether Laurel truly cares for her—or if she simply sees her as a reliable watchdog to serve her own ends.
Big Fancy House: Talk about a prime piece of real estate! Laurel’s palace is the kind of place that could make Versailles look like a fixer-upper. It’s decked out with all the grandeur of traditional Japanese architecture, blending elegance and opulence in equal measure. And the location? Oh, just casually perched at the perfect vantage point overlooking the threshold between Hell’s first level and the Resting Fields—no big deal. When you’re a goddess, you don’t settle for a cozy little cottage; you build something that screams power and prestige. Go big or don’t bother
Big Good: She serves as one for The V7D as, initially Medea's but eventually their patron goddess.
Royal Blood: Averted. Unlike Anthony, who is of noble birth, she had a much more modest upbringing. Raised as an orphan within the sacred confines of the former Underworld Ruler's temple, she gained a deep appreciation for hard work and resilience from a young age.
Leitmotif: She has White Queen as her usual theme, but once she turns into dragon form and during the time of Asura, she gets The March of the Black Queen instead. Both are Queen songs.
Purple Is Powerful: She’s the goddess of the Underworld and the only one who stands on equal footing with Anthony. Her hair, along with her divine aura and the color of her magic, is a striking purple. It May also overlap with Supernatural Is Purple, as she rules the Underworld.
Dark Is Not Evil: She is one of the very few dragons who is never a Jerkass to mortals. (Because she's also a goddess of justice).
Action Fashionista: When she’s not buried in her divine responsibilities, she takes great pleasure in one of her favorite pastimes: weaving and design. With unmatched skill and an impeccable sense of style, she creates kimonos and other garments that reflect her artistic vision and personal flair.
Reasonable Authority Figure: She's like a strict teacher who pushes you to your limits but has your best interests at heart. You know she's serious when she lays down the rules, but underneath it all, you can't help but respect her for being fair and reasonable. That said, she’s not above delivering punishment that's a bit... excessive.
Brought Down to Badass: Upon reuniting (post-Warren) Laurel confesses to Medea that she's no longer as powerful as she used to be 4 years before. This is because she used 30% of her essence to incarnate as a human girl named Nicoletta. However, she's still shown to be capable at her 70% of power to be a menacing dragon and Lady of War overall.
Badass Bookworm: Overlapping with Genius Bruiser, Laurel is a skilled Lady of War right alongside being an accomplished scholar in multiple academic fields such as music theory, art, and philosophy.
Armless Biped: Her true form is a giant white wyvern dragon, however, subverted as her wings are essentially her forelimbs.
Can't Bathe Without a Weapon: Anthony once unintentionally caught her taking a bath... with Kogeta no Tenshi sitting by, ready to strike.
Night and Day Duo: With Anthony du Cronos.
The Baroness: Laurel is very much one, being the iron-fisted queen of the Underworld, a young, nice-looking lady with immunity to Anthony's charms (deeming them weak and foolish), and not a single instance of using her looks to get what she wants. Subverted in that she is, at her worst, a Neutral Hero Antagonist. She cares about her men and, unlike most of the dragon gods, isn't fearing becoming senile. While ominously ambitious, she readily lays her own plans aside to save the World from Oceanus.
Cowboy Cop: Once upon a time, Laurel was a wild child, a maverick fighting for a cause. Serving as the former Underworld Ruler's champion, she knew how to bend the rules with flair. While she's mostly kept it together these days, there are occasions when she throws caution to the wind and embraces her emotions. She's not exactly proud of these slip-ups, particularly when she sees Medea heading down the same path.
Mean Boss: Laurel can be tough on Medea, but she’s not cruel for the sake of it. She does have a softer side, like when she lightens Medea’s workload if she sees she's pushing herself too hard. That said, she’s not always great at balancing discipline with mercy. Even Anthony admits that letting Warren torment and mindrape Medea for four years just because she disobeyed her was an excessive punishment.
The Older Immortal: Despite both having ridiculously long lifespans, Laurel definitely has the upper hand when it comes to age, suggesting that Anthony is still adjusting to his divine form. During the Siege, it’s confirmed that Laurel’s got a solid 260 years on him.
Barrier Maiden: As the Queen of the Underworld, she’s put up a barrier around her realm, making sure the living can’t wander in and the dead can’t break free. Only those who’ve earned her divine favor or the Upper World god can pass through it unharmed.
Happily Adopted: She grew up to be a well-adjusted young dragon after she was raised by the priestesses of the former dragon god of the dead. Given how her real parents abandoned her shortly after her birth, Laurel lucked out with them.
Albinos are Freaks: Laurel is an albino dragon, though it is never strictly stated, it is heavily implied that her parents abandoned her in the temple of the Underworld Ruler due to this very reason.
Family Eye Resemblance: She has the same pink eyes as her human incarnation, Nicoletta, showing that they are related.
Four-Star Badass: She is a Dragon Goddess, and has the combat prowess, leadership skill, and reputation to match.
Fluffy Tamer: This gal was able to get the Mother of Hellhounds Ker'i to her side. Although she didn't tame her, Keri is more-or-less her familiar.
The High Queen: Of the Underworld. Who is equally dreaded and worshipped by mortals.
Have You Seen My Goddess?: A variation. She's not so much absent but more reluctant to give Medea clear answers once she joins The V7D, preferring to let her make her own decisions—aside from offering her a calm, placid smile, of course
Death Glare: Dishes these out to whoever annoys her. When she gets really angry, her sclerae turns dark purple.
Blinded by the Light: She has the power to make her eyes flare so brightly that they temporarily blind her enemies. Asura can achieve the same effect by making Bakuretsu no Tenshi glow.
Old Shame: In-Universe, the younger Laurel Nasuka was apparently a much different person — brash, cocky, prone to taking unnecessary risks — and she is very much not proud of the person she used to be.
Laurel: I don't want you to walk the same path I used to walk, Medea.
Unscrupulous Hero: Laurel is a very unforgiving goddess, having no qualms with using Black Magic and sending Medea to injure, cripple or (in very extreme cases) even kill mortals if it achieves her goals. Asura is also a tiny little bit Ax-Crazy when fighting and shows absolutely no mercy. That being said, she's staunchly opposed to all evil, worried about the survival of innocent people, and does her hardest to try and minimize civilian collateral damage. She may Pay Evil unto Evil, but she's the goddess of justice for the right reasons.
Older Than She Looks: She is the older of the two gods, but because gods age very slowly, she still has a youthful appearance.
Pet Monstrosity: She keeps Keri, a large canine Animalistic Abomination, as a familiar.
Patron Saint: For Medea.
Like Sisters: Because of the complex circumstances behind her conception and the fact that they saw themselves as entirely different people. Laurel and Nicoletta decide to think of one another in this way.
Naginatas Are Feminine: Being the more ladylike goddess, she wields a naginata, which also contrasts her with the trickster Anthony who uses knives.
God is Flawed: Laurel maintains her reputation as a benevolent goddess with genuine concern for humans, unlike Anthony. It could be argued that her schemes, though murky, are driven by noble intentions. Yet, it's crucial to bear in mind that she's a dragon, meaning her moral compass, though akin, doesn't precisely align with that of humans:
- Her initial interest in Medea was purely strategic, aimed at thwarting Warren Norrington's path to demonhood. While she eventually developed a somewhat fondness for the girl, it's undeniable that she initially saw Medea as a tool with an expiration date.
Necromancer: Unsurprisingly, though it is an ability she does not use often, preferring to leave it to her current Eye.
The Ace: She's sophisticated, cool, and artistically talented. She's wealthy, no, she's basically rich, has great artistic talent in many areas, is athletic both as herself and as Asura, and is leagues more powerful than any of The V7D.
Animate Dead: A basic power of every Underworld deity, however, she concedes that Medea's potential as a necromancer is superior to hers.
Creepy Good: Similarly to her champion. Her demeanour (particularly in combat) might come across as frightening, although she's fully on the side of good.
The Comically Serious: Not to the extent of Medea, since the Queen is far more expressive than her champion. But sometimes, usually around Anthony.
Cultured Badass: A fine classical pianist and painter who gets rid of plenty of evil ass.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Nicoletta laments how much well put togethere Laurel's life is compared to hers (including the fact that Whisper is nothing but a broken fragment of Kogeta no Tenshi), Laurel is a little horrified to hear her say it — even jokingly. Like a mature older sister, she refuses to let Nico's remarks slide; protesting that she is her own person, an amazing leader, a better friend, and unlike her, she actually gets to enjoy her life, insisting she not forget it.
Elegant Classical Musician: A very elegant and graceful goddess who taught Medea how to play the piano.
Good Wings, Evil Wings: Zigzagged comparing them with Laurel's dragon deity counterpart, Anthony.
- Anthony's got wings, and they're not your average pair. They're eagle-like, a sight to behold, which might make you think she's one of the angels. But hold your horses, her wings are black as coal, looking like they've been through some fiery goal. And if you look closely, there are bat-like spikes in the middle, making it clear that she's no heavenly disciple..
- On the other hand, Laurel's wings are dragon-like, fitting, she's a dragon, but these wings might be misleading people into thinking she's a demon. However, Laurel's wings are pure white, with some light purple, and they're perfect.
Girly Bruiser: Laurel is very feminine, collected, cultured, and soft-spoken. She likes to wear long, royal dresses and is interested in classical music, sculpting, and reading. She's also a balance of Lady of Black Magic and Lady of War with her necromancy and battle prowess.
Deadpan Snarker: She loves making sarcastic, thinly veiled comments behind a graceful smile about others.
Silk Hiding Steel: While considerably more feminine and graceful than Anthony, it's obvious that Laurel has a will of pure steel. And even though both gods see each other as equals, no one bossing over one another, it's almost obvious that Anthony trusts Laurel's experience and wits to solve a problem, so might as well be considered an unofficial top god.
Lady of War: Everything about her, in contrast to the other dragons, specially Anthony du Cronos, is presented as beautiful, calming, and elegant. When she first appears, her wings unfurl smoothly. When she flies, her wings move gracefully. Even her roar is beautiful, almost like singing rather than the rough roars of the other dragons. And as mentioned above, she's a badass queen. Only Anthony is her equal is and only slightly surpassed by Okeanus.
Badass Normal: Compared to Anthony and Medea. Laurel has no royal or illustrious ancestry, no mutant shape-shifting abilities, no manufactured magical vessel, and no physical alterations. She earned what she is as a result of her ability and hard work.
Horns of Villainy: Subverted. She is the only one of the two dragon gods to have actual horns in her true form. Not only is she the only undeniably good among them, she serves as the goddess of justice.
Broken Ace: Laurel was never able to help her former teacher (the dragon god before her) and only took his place to honour his memory. She was unable to convince her former eye from abandoning the path of righteousness. She also blames herself for the near-death of Medea and the loss of her arm. And despite her apparent big ego, she had a lot of self-loathing, feeling she must keep atoning for partaking in the same methods Warren forced Medea to do in order to gain more power (but she did it on purpose). The fact she considers Medea the one thing she did right as the necromancer is being honourably discarded, says a lot about how much Laurel hated about herself.
Laurel: You're not the only lone wolf looking for redemption, Medea.
Hidden Heart of Gold: A stoic keeper of death who took in a stray wolfstrosity as a puppy, has a Knight in Sour Armor champion who adores her, and even was willing to give her a chance to rest and the gift of life.
Everybody Hates Hades: I need to stop introducing her as "Ruler of Hell" because everyone assumes she's Norrington's Desire's Satan... no, that's Anthony du Cronos.
Walking the Earth: Her biggest desire, but her duty won't allow her.
Noble Female, Roguish Female: Laurel can be seen as the Noble Female to Anthony's Roguish Female.
The Stoic: Though it should be mentioned that, off the job, Laurel has a passionate, easygoing and even fun side, especially when it came to her friends Amy, Liath, and her favourite human, Medea.
Grey and Gray Morality: Laurel is an unscrupulous and unpredictable goddess of justice. Is she safe? Probably not. But she’s good. Meanwhile, Anthony, whose motives are portrayed in a sympathetic light as a love-driven god of madness—relatable? Maybe. But unquestionably evil.
Familiar: She refers to The Mother of Wolves Keri in this way, being bound in service to her by magic.
Trapped in Another World: Laurel's power and authority as the Queen of the Underworld come with a heavy price: the loss of her freedom. Tied to the laws and traditions of her domain, she's restricted to the Underworld, allowed to leave for only a few hours a week—no matter how much she might yearn for more.
Fusion Dance: Running out of options, Laurel decides to perform the merging ritual to save her favourite human's life and becoming Asura.
Animal Motifs: Wolves, although any kind of big dog respects her.
I Hate Past Me: She seems to be ashamed about her time as a young and inexperienced necromancer and actively tries to prevent Medea from making the same mistakes.
- After 4 years of dubious choices, she finally runs into her now-adult favourite human and offers to keep her company, assuring her that "she's not the only lone wolf longing for absolution."
Let's Get Dangerous!: When her eyes become glowing purple, it means Laurel is starting to get serious and has decided her opponent must go down.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Much like her girl. While she is on the job she is The Dreaded to mortals and gods alike, to her champion, friends and soul-chewing-hellhound she is a wine good ol' lady.
Literal Split Personality: Symbolically speaking, at least. She is the godly power of Asura while Medea is her mortal will.
Big Damn Heroes: After Medea absorbs an enormous amount of souls with her true form and is left completely exhausted and near-zombified, Laurel drags her to the Underworld and forces the merge with her to turn into Asura in order to heal her wounds and save her life.
The Chessmaster: Even when things don't go exactly as she had planned (like when Medea approaches Warren to learn), she still succeeds in her goals.
Friendship Denial: Does not pardon Anthony for the fall of the Southern Kingdom and the majority of his life's actions. She eventually comes to consider her as a "necessary" chaos and appears unnerved when she visits her in the Underworld.
The Chooser of The One: She chose Medea as her Champion.
Named Weapons: Kogeta no Tenshi ("Burnt/Scorched Angel")
This Is Something She's Got to Do Herself: Laurel pulls out this classic line when talking about Medea teaming up with Warren to unleash her full potential. She claims it would be too easy to step in and assist Medea once her powers are under control. Instead, she insists Medea needs to prove herself by tackling obstacles on her own. But Anthony wasn’t buying it. She straight-up called Laurel out, pointing out how hypocritical it is to promise support and protection to your protégé, only to abandon them when they’re struggling the most. And honestly? Medea didn’t have a single thing to say in Laurel’s defense.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Her hair is pink. A lighter shade of pink than Nicoletta's.
Statuesque Stunner: She is undoubtedly gorgeous, and she typically stands 7 feet tall (though she, just like Anthony, can change sizes) So, when she's chilling and shooting the breeze with Medea, she likes to dial it down a bit and take on a more human height, you know, to keep things comfortable and relatable.
Pointy Ears: Her pointed ears are human-like, which is a frequent feature among dragons who adopt human form.
Rapunzel Hair: Her beautiful pink hair is long. Truth in Television, as she's a noblewoman and long hair is a status symbol and mark of femininity for females of the in the Eastern Dragon Realm.
Fantastic Religious Weirdness: Considering her girl Medea is a Messianic Archetype. Laurel would be a dark version of the capital G-God.
- She represents a cold but overall fair, good and righteous darkness.
- While not the first, she's the oldest of the (current) gods and the one with more experience.
- Treats Anthony as an annoying little sibling, much like God treats Satan as a rebellious prodigal son.
- Anthony asked for her permission to test Medea's will.
- She, Asura and Medea are a trinity. Like Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Berserk Button: Mortals who try to go to her realm without permission. Legally, only Medea and her priests are the living mortals who can go to the Underworld.
Worthy Opponent: She was astonished at Awakened Anthony's newfound prowess. She couldn't believe how he held his ground against the Perfected Seraphim, even though he eventually got his ass handed to him (but hey, let's cut him some slack considering the epic beatdown he endured from Okeanus).