Gabriel, Apostate of Hate

Gabriel is the main antagonist (and narrative main protagonist) of the video game ULTRAKILL. He is an archangel that carries out the will of the Council with ruthless efficiency. He is known as the "Will of God" and is the most powerful among all of the angels. He is at least a thousand years old (although should be as old as King Sisyphus).

Outside of ULTRAKILL, Gabriel is an extremely important figure in abrahamic religions, being an archangel (like in game) and being the messenger from God to the prophets.

Gabriel wears silver armor with golden parts throughout, with a golden cross painted on his helmet. He has blue wings of light, a spiky halo made also of light. Underneath his armor, he wears dark blue cloth, and some silver cloth attached to his belt. He is equipped with two swords sheathed to his left, the scabbards bearing the phrases "Justice is Splendor" and "Splendor is Justice". His helmet has 6 small ornamental indents near the bottom. Gabriel's voice is slightly distorted, having a noticeable echo to it.

The phrases "Justice is Splendor" and "Splendor is Justice" are in reference to the names of his swords, "Justice" and "Splendor". Justice is the blue sword, and Splendor is the gold sword.

When enraged, his appearance changes as the silver parts of his armor become blood red and his wings/halo yellow.

After he struck down King Minos, who had transformed the Lust layer of hell into a figurative utopia -- being granted the title "Judge of Hell" in the process -- and defeated King Sisyphus and destroying his insurrection, he sought to drive the Machines out of hell. After Gabriel was beaten by V1 -- one of the machines -- in Gluttony, the Council decided to cut the light of the Father from him. They told him that, unless he could prove his devotion and kill V1, he would have 24 hours left to live.

The Council, also known as the Heavenly Council or the Council of Heaven, is an authoritarian ruling body designed to rule Heaven with an iron fist in the wake of God's sudden disappearance. Some time before the events of ULTRAKILL, God suddenly disappeared without a trace. The causes for his sudden disappearance are still unknown.

Not much is known about Gabriel personality-wise, but what is known is that he becomes extremely pissed whenever he loses or is struggling in battle (as seen by his dialogue after his first defeat at the hands of V1). He also has a habit of being arrogant and often underestimating the power of his opponents.

Gabriel has a strong hatred for V1, a machine that ended up defeating him in the Gluttony layer of hell. He refers to V1 as "machine" and is currently waiting for V1 in Heresy. V1 lacks the ability to speak.

In ULTRAKILL, there are 9 layers of hell, based on the nine circles of hell described in Inferno:

• Layer 1, Limbo
• Layer 2, Lust
• Layer 3, Gluttony
• Layer 4, Greed
• Layer 5, Wrath
• Layer 6, Heresy
• Layer 7, Violence
• Layer 8, Fraud
• Layer 9, Treachery