Uriel

“

The duty I uphold -- it may call me to raise my sword against you. And if that day comes, I won't hesitate.
— Uriel to War

”

Uriel is a character featured in Darksiders and Darksiders II.

Overview

Uriel is an angel and the leader of the Hellguard after Abaddon's apparent death during the apocalypse and leads the remainder of Heaven's forces in the ongoing war with Hell on the destroyed Earth. A fearsome Angelic warrior, she apparently harbored unrequited romantic feelings towards her leader, Abaddon. Despite the passing of a century, Uriel and her forces searched the battlefield endlessly for War, in order to claim vengeance and see justice for the White City. Even though Heaven's forces were weakened during the Endwar, her forces remain strong, and have continued to wage war against Hell's legions, despite being cut off from the White City.

Biography

Early life

At some point in her youth, Uriel was trained by an angel named Ghauniel and was said to be his finest student.

The Abomination Vault

The Horseman War was sent to the White City to destroy a secret weapon developed by Abaddon that killed only demons, a Sacrament Bomb. War slaughtered all in his path until he arrived at the weapon's chamber, where a young still in training Uriel was stationed, under her instructor's assumption that it would be the safest post. War, noting that she was the youngest and most inexperienced angel he had ever seen, was amused by her determination. When she lunged towards him, he twisted his blade at the last moment and hit her with the flat of it, incapacitating her. He told the angel to challenge him again at later a date.

She later appeared amongst Abaddon's guards when they confronted Death and War, who had just fought an angelic assassin in the White City.

Darksiders Comic Book

Uriel went on to become Abaddon's top lieutenant and possibly something more intimate. When his proposal to strike at Hell was rejected by the other angels, she clasped his hand and assured him that there would always be at least one on his side. However, Abaddon soon asked Uriel to leave so that he could speak to Azrael and Ulthane alone.

Darksiders

Urielmid — The ever-zealous face of Uriel.

Uriel fought beside Abaddon during the apocalypse, saving him from several demon attackers while he was distracted. She also bore witness to his apparent death at the hand of the demonic general Straga, a death she came to blame on the Horseman War. She came to lead the Hellguard in Abaddon's place and waged a losing campaign against the forces of Hell for a century.

Uriel's encountered Death on Earth during this period and also searched for survivors of humanity, without success.

When War was returned to Earth, Uriel and her forces encountered the Horseman again as he was journeying to the kill the Chosen Tiamat. He evaded her forces and hijacked a beast to speed his passage. Uriel sensed him and ordered her forces to pursue and kill him, though they eventually lost him on the way to the Twilight Cathedral.

Uriel found the Horseman when War went to seek out Ulthane of the Black Hammer; unable to have War trialed in the White City for his alleged crimes, Uriel ordered her angels to kill him on the spot. Ulthane and the Horseman made a contest of who could kill more of the Hellguard forces. After the contest was over, Uriel challenged War and was defeated. She was carried off by Angel soldiers, unconscious.

Later, during War's search for the Armageddon Blade shards in The Dry Road, Uriel once again challenged War, invoking Nex Sacramentum. Uriel lost the battle, but was spared by War, despite The Watcher's protests. War then informed her that Abaddon was the Destroyer, shocking her. Shortly before the Armageddon Blade was reforged, Uriel commanded the Hellguard to attack the Destroyer. Abaddon defeated Uriel, but then was challenged and killed by an enraged War.

Uriel scene48 — Uriel, preparing to fight War.

After War killed Abaddon and obtained the Seventh Seal, the Watcher invoked his power over the Horseman and incapacitated War to take the Seal from him. Uriel attempted to intervene, but the Watcher pushed her away with its powers and promised her further pain. He then started to taunt War. Uriel grabbed the Armageddon Blade from Abaddon's corpse and stabbed War through the chest, fulfilling the Death Oath of Nex Sacramentum, and then attacked the Watcher, shattering the Seventh Seal. War was then revived by the breaking of the Seal and killed the Watcher himself. Uriel proclaimed that all debts were paid, and if duty called for War's death, she wouldn't hesitate. She then stated that War would be hunted by The White City, the Charred Council, and others. As the Horseman began to walk away, Uriel asked him if he would fight this war alone, to which he replied that he would not, as three meteors plummet towards Earth heralding the arrival of the other three Horsemen.

Darksiders II

Earth

“

I should kill you for what your brother did here. But you saved my life. Consider us even.
— Uriel to Death, after the Horseman arrives on earth and saves Uriel

”

Uriel met Death at some point during her century long campaign against the demons on Earth. He saved her and her angels from a swarm of undead and demons. In light of this, Uriel chose to stay her hand, though she said that she should kill him for what War had done, but Death saved her.

Death then asked her help in recovering the Rod of Arafel, which had been lost during the Endwar. Uriel told the Horseman that the Rod had been shattered into three pieces, and that the Destroyer was using it to fuel his demonic army. She told Death of the dangers that awaited him, but did not send her angels with him for fear of seeing yet more soldiers under her command die and gave the Horseman a Salvation cannon.

After Death and Uriel obtained the shards of the Rod of Arafel, Uriel told Death that even though the Rod could strike a blow for the Angels in their war with the Demons, there is still a risk of the Destroyer capturing the weapon again and told Death to return the Rod to Heaven. Uriel also told Death that she would kill War on sight, though Death told her that War was not responsible for the Apocalypse and was innocent. Uriel set Death on his way and told him that Earth was lost, the damage was irreversible.

The Demon Lord Belial

“

If the Third Kingdom is not yet extinguished... Perhapes there is meaning to our battles, beyond annihilation.
— Uriel, Speaking of the possible Human survivors.

”

Uriel appeared once again in search of rumors that some portion of humanity had survived the Apocalypse, where she met Death on the same search. Uriel told the Horseman that her angels had spotted remnants of humanity in the city. Death was sceptical that the human race was not extinct but Uriel swore that she was telling the truth. The Nephilim was intrigued by this information and decided to look into it while Uriel expressed that there may still be hope for the Third Kingdom. Death later returned to Uriel after killing the demon lord Belial and the Hunter.

Personality and Traits

“

The Hellguard worshiped their fallen lord and leader. And Uriel... some might say her admiration was less than professional. She will stop at nothing to punish the one responsible.
— Samael, speaking of Uriel and The Hellguard.

”

Uriel is determined, honorable and strong-willed if impatient. She is considered the Hellguard's greatest warrior behind Abaddon, whom she was highly loyal to and had romantic feelings for him. War referred to Uriel not only as Heaven's champion, but as the last of Heaven's honor. She deeply cares for her Hellguard brethren, as she refused to risk their safety to aid Death in helping him find The Rod of Arafel.

Her demeanor darkened after the premature apocalypse, becoming cynical and vengeful towards War, whom she blamed for Abaddon's fall and the Earth's destruction. She was sorely tempted to attack Death, simply because he was War's brother. Upon learning that Abaddon was the Destroyer, she became disillusioned with her previous beliefs, eventually spurning the fallen Abaddon and saving War from the Watcher.

As a young adult and a new recruit in the White City's military, Uriel was just as brave and determined, but was also more impatient, stubborn and reckless, as her very first encounter with War showed.

Trivia

Uriel is the only female angel to date to have appeared within the main games of the series.
The symbol on her forehead bears a striking resemblance to the symbols that Death, Absalom and Fury have on their arms.
Uriel is the first and only person in the first game to reference War's status as Nephilim, citing his smell as something "not of the White City or the Dark Kingdom, but something caught in between".