Defiance: INSIDE TRION: 7TH LEGION DLC

At first, we only helped Humans. Soon, though, we took all kinds. We kept marching, like a city with feet, toward Calgary and Winnipeg. Both were gone. Finally, as we neared Chicago, we found her signal. Funny – we probably would have stopped there, settled down … and missed Azumi. Left her holed up with the staff at VBI, transmitting into the dark, hoping that her father would come.

Now and again she’ll laugh about bushido, the code, the “samurai” nickname (something the troops first used, for all things, to mock my pride). But it stuck – not just for me or the others with roots in Japan. It’s a way of life that fits this world. It got us through the wastes, after all. It will carry us to the New Frontier.

– Yoshida Hiro, New Frontier Radio “Hiro’s March Retrospective”

The launch of 7th Legion is coming up fast. Prepare with our behind-the-scenes Q&A with Creative Lead Trick Dempsey, who walks us through the background and inspiration for the latest Defiance DLC.

How’d you choose the 7th Legion, and where did they come from?

The 7th Legion dates back to the Arkfall – to the disastrous period following the destruction of the Votan colony ships in orbit. As an event, the Arkfall is both incredibly important to Defiance and one that’s hard to imagine (together with our partners at Syfy, we’ve crunched the numbers on just how catastrophic the Arkfall was, and it’s pretty grim).

Envisioning the death of billions of people and the reshaping of a whole planet is still a little beyond comprehension. But it’s one that we want to publically explore, and the 7th Legion provides us with a window into that time – a look at one of the organizations that rose from the ashes of global catastrophe.

As far as where they came from: the group of frontiersmen who became the 7th Legion were camped in the Yukon when the arks exploded. They watched as the Votan ships fell to Earth, thinking all was lost, hoping for a last chance to see their families. Of course, it was a chance that would never come.

What did they do after Arkfall?

The entire group rallied around Yoshida Hiro and the code of bushido. At first, it was an easy way for members to relate to Hiro’s ancestry, but as they moved south and east, inland from the irradiated coast, survivors flocked to the group and legend of a new “7th Legion” spread.

What sets the Legion apart from other survivors?

It’s a group that’s distanced from other factions like the Earth Republic, the Votanis Collective, and Von Bach Industries. Sure, they’ll use VBI weapons and Votan tech like when it benefits them, but their culture and beliefs diverged after Arkfall. You’ll see that in their weapons and gear, their unique synergy set, in current/future plotlines, and so on.

Talking bigger picture, the Legion reminds us that this world is “post-post-apocalyptic”: enough years have passed since the Arkfall that factions are more worried about emerging alliances, identities, and politics than basic survival. And, you know, more so than any other faction, they embrace the “Cyberpunk Western” character of Defiance (one of my favorites!).

What’s next for the Legion?

They’ve come to Paradise, and Hiro himself is on the coast to recruit ark hunters to carry on their mission. His connection with the Earth Republic and VBI allows him to bring in new weapons and defenses augmented with some of the Legion’s mythic flair. Of course, he won’t trust just anyone with 7th tech. Ark hunters hoping to join the Legion will have to prove themselves worthy!