Soldat Heckler

Soldat Heckler is the leader of the adventurer party “Stepped Leader,” a combat‑focused group famous for taking on monster extermination requests.

Within the adventurer community, he is regarded as a capable front‑line fighter and a somewhat notorious, rough‑mouthed veteran.

He initially clashes with Rudeus Greyrat due to their opposing personalities and values.

However, after Rudeus honestly admits that he “does not want to be hated by others,” Soldat’s attitude softens, and he becomes a surprisingly reliable senior figure.

When Rudeus begins searching for Zenith Greyrat in the northern regions and later heads toward Ranoa Magic University, Soldat looks after him in various ways for about two years.

Despite his rough surface, he ends up playing the role of an older brother‑like mentor.

He is voiced by Kosuke Toriumi in the anime adaptation.

Soldat has sharp, intimidating eyes and strongly defined, rugged facial features.

His overall look gives off a thuggish, delinquent impression, which often makes strangers wary of him at first glance.

Even when he is not actively trying to be hostile, his natural expression looks unfriendly.

This contributes to his reputation as a man who seems like trouble before he even opens his mouth.

Soldat is foul‑mouthed, hot‑tempered, and quick to pick fights when something irritates him.

He often pushes his own values onto others and does not bother to hide his displeasure when something rubs him the wrong way.

At the same time, he is deeply caring toward his companions and takes their worries seriously.

Beneath his rough exterior, he has an essentially good‑natured and straightforward personality.

He dislikes people who constantly read the room and try to please everyone, which is why he initially cannot stand Rudeus Greyrat despite recognizing his strength.

Rudeus’s habit of watching others’ reactions and avoiding conflict feels cowardly to him, and Soldat repeatedly picks fights to challenge that attitude.

Once Rudeus finally confesses that he “does not want to be hated,” Soldat understands that this is rooted in deep insecurity rather than simple cowardice.

From that point on, he begins watching over Rudeus, giving him advice, dragging him out socially, and supporting him in his own rough way for about two years.

According to the author, Soldat’s concept is similar to Paul Greyrat, but without Paul’s womanizing and self‑centered irresponsibility.

He cares about group atmosphere and appearances within his team, making him, in many respects, a superior leader compared to Paul.

Soldat is also capable of turning down offers that would flatter his ego if they conflict with his sense of loyalty.

For example, he declines an opportunity by saying, “I know I was the one who brought it up, but I’ll pass. Even someone like me has people who look up to him,” showing a strong awareness of his responsibilities as a leader.

Soldat is a powerful swordsman who has mastered Advanced Sword God Style and Intermediate Water God Style.

This combination gives him both overwhelming offensive techniques and solid defensive fundamentals.

Within the general adventurer population, he ranks as a top‑tier combatant.

He is capable of handling groups of powerful monsters such as packs of Snow Drakes without significant difficulty.

However, his strength is framed as “very strong by adventurer standards,” not as a world‑class or legendary level.

During the stray dragon subjugation, Soldat is unable to stand out, serving instead as a measuring stick to highlight the overwhelming power of Rudeus Greyrat, who defeats a dragon alone.

In practical terms, Soldat is a dependable vanguard who can anchor a party against most threats encountered on regular commissions.

But when it comes to extraordinary calamities and super‑class beings, he represents the upper bound of a “normal strong adventurer,” rather than the pinnacle of the world’s power scale.

Rudeus Greyrat

At first, Soldat finds Rudeus’s people‑pleasing and hesitance infuriating and frequently provokes him.

Despite this, he continues to associate with Rudeus, which hints that he sees potential and cannot fully dismiss him.

After Rudeus opens up about his fear of being hated, Soldat’s hostility turns into a rough sort of concern.

He starts looking after Rudeus during their time in the northern region and before Rudeus enters Ranoa Magic University, acting as a senior adventurer and guardian figure.

Party Members and Companions

Within “Stepped Leader,” Soldat is known as a leader who cares a great deal about the mood and cohesion of the group.

He values loyalty, reputation within the party, and how his actions affect his comrades.

He can be overbearing and domineering, but he does not abandon his allies and seriously addresses their problems.

This mix of roughness and reliability is why many of his comrades genuinely look up to him despite his bad mouth and bad attitude.