Francesco (Dante's Inferno)

Francesco is Beatrice's younger brother that was sent to Hell and an antagonist from the video game, Dante's Inferno.

Fighting the Crusades
Along with being Beatrice's brother, Francesco was Dante's best friend and went to fight the third crusade with him. Unlike most of the other volunteers who only fought for the reward of being absolved of all their sins, Francesco fought to reclaim the holy lands. He and Dante were ordered by Richard the Lionheart to watch over a large group of Saracen prisoners that he hoped to use in negotiations. Throughout the Crusades, Francesco continually argued with Dante about his increasingly sinful behavior. Later when Dante received "comforts" from a slave girl, his best friend held back her husband, who wanted to kill Dante. Their constant conflicting culminated in their arguments over what do with the slaves, Dante wanted to just slaughter them all, but Francesco wanted to just guard them as ordered so they could use them in some sort of truce, arguing that Saladin had spared Christian lives when he reclaimed the holy lands. Dante declared that Christian lives were not the same as that of the "heretics" and in a rage, slaughtered them all. When King Richard arrived and discovered what had happened, he demanded to know who was responsible. Francesco stepped forward to take the fall for Dante and was hanged.

Damnation
Francesco ended up damned to the Inferno, transformed into a twisted demon version of his human form with part of his face disfigured into a plant like form and numerous swords impaled in his back. He blamed Dante for his current state and eagerly awaited the chance to kill him and have his revenge. As Dante found his way to the end of the Circle of Violence, he was confronted by Francesco and was horrified at what he had become. Francesco attacked him, even summoning the spirits of other damned crusaders to attack his former friend. Dante succeeded in removing a sword that went through his friend's heart, finally bringing him down. As Francesco lay weakened, he asked why had God forsaken them when they had fought in his name. Dante told him that murder is only in the name of the murderer and Francesco begged him to save Beatrice, asking that the crusader use his soul wisely as Dante absolved him.

Powers
As a result of his descent into demonhood, Francesco possesses superhuman natural abilities and wields an enormous broadsword that he uses in combat, which he can charge with fire. He has a large shield that he can use to block attacks and can pull swords from his back to use as projectiles. Oddly, Francesco's only weakness is the large sword impaled through his chest, when it is pulled free, he will be defeated.

Trivia

 * Francesco's appearance, history, and goals are similar to that of the Barbarian King from God Of War II.


 * The plant like qualities of his face may be because he technically committed suicide by willingly going to his death due to confessing to Dante's crime, which he knew would be punished by execution. (In Dante's Inferno, when a soul commits suicide, they are sent to the Wood of Suicides in the Circle of Violence, where they become a tree)
 * Francesco's appearance in the animated movie is rather different from the one he had in the game. He is still slightly disfigured and plant like, but he looks much more like he did as a human with blond hair, no swords in his body, and a missing left eye.