To all appearances, Annie is a young television actress and the host of “Annie Of The Stars,” a TV variety show based on the myths, legends, and folklore of the titular character. The show has been on the air for years, mixing live-action and animation with multiple actresses playing the lead role.

At least… that’s what Annie wants you to believe! In truth, there has only ever been one Annie. Cursed by the Skull Heart to never grow up, Annie has been alive for centuries. Over that time, she’s made it her personal quest to stop the Skull Heart once and for all. To that end, she has acquired numerous skills and items, including her remote parasite, Sagan. Even performing on television works to further her goals as she hopes to educate the world about the dangers of the Skull Heart.

Fiercer than she looks, bravest in the cosmos, she is ANNIE OF THE STARS!

Ben Birdland has seen a lot in his time, including the worst of the Grand War. But nothing was worse than what he saw as a beat cop in New Meridian. When he ran afoul of his crooked unit he was given a violent early retirement, and his broken body was left to spend the rest of its days in an iron lung.

That would have been the end of Ben’s story if it hadn’t drawn the ears of the Anti-Skullgirl Labs. With little left to lose, he agreed to be rebuilt with their experimental procedures. Melded with the machinery that allows him to breathe and a powerful an array of pneumatic weaponry, he was reborn as “Big Band.”

Now a senior member of Lab 8, he’s become a father figure of sort to the younger ASG soldiers. A firm believer in their cause, he has stayed with the project through its controversies and still sees his place on the front lines against the Skullgirl. His technology may be dated, but he more than makes up for it with experience and fortissimo.

Known world-wide for felling the Gigan warrior Grendel and for his illustrious career in the ring, Beowulf had secured himself a spot in the history books as a champion. But a mediocre acting career after leaving the ring tarnished his legacy.

Now, as the Canopy Kingdom faces a new threat, Beowulf enters the ring once more, determined to relive the glory, and in doing so stumbles upon the truth about his past… Will Beowulf be able to overcome this new threat to the city and his legacy? Or is this his final taste of the spotlight?

Black Dahlia is the right hand assassin of Lorenzo Medici, head of the mighty Medici crime syndicate that rules New Meridian from the shadows. A former agent of the Anti-Skullgirl Labs, Black Dahlia was mortally wounded decades ago in a confrontation with a Skullgirl and rebuilt with experimental cybernetic technology. The experience left her with an unquenchable thirst for blood and fascination with the despair and suffering of others. She betrayed her peers to fight as a hired hitwoman for whomever could keep her paid (and entertained). After Medici Tower is destroyed by the Skullgirl, Lorenzo sends Black Dahlia off on a killing spree to stop Marie and retrieve the stolen Life Gem from Ms. Fortune. However, Dahlia finds herself jaded with her employer and drawn to the forbidden thrills only the Skull Heart can provide…

The biggest sensation in the Cirque des Cartes, Cerebella is a tumbling, soaring dynamo of star power: throughout the Canopy Kingdom, she’s admired for her enormous strength and alluring curves. Sadly, this acrobatic orphan only desires the attention of one man, mobster Vitale Medici, who took her in and became the closest thing to a father she’s ever known.

While inherently good, Cerebella serves the mafia as a leg-breaker when not performing in the circus. Cerebella is the only person capable of controlling her powerful Living Weapon hat, Vice-Versa, so Vitale is stingy with his affections to keep her fighting in his corner.

Double’s origins are a complete mystery. Seemingly without a will or motive of its own, this formless monster aids the Skullgirl.

Double is capable of transforming its nightmarish form into that of any person, but often appears as a smiling nun. It can frequently be found in the Grand Cathedral of the Divine Trinity, listening to confessions and attending to the catacombs beneath.

Eliza is the celebrity diva of New Meridian’s premiere nightclub, Bastet’s Den. Unbeknownst to the club’s patrons, however, she’s also been host to the skeletal Parasite Sekhmet for untold years. Widely known for her blood drive charities, in reality these serve to feed Sekhmet and maintain Eliza’s ageless beauty. Recently discovered and blackmailed by the Medici into pursuing the Skull Heart, Eliza’s ancient ambitions stir once more…

One of Brain Drain’s less-socially-acceptable hobbies is cloning, and often he forces the souls of dead warriors to inhabit these clones. Fukua is the result of a fortunate – or unfortunate – Lab Zero accident: a union of two souls. One, a once-proud warrior known for her brute strength in close combat; the other a silent assassin who specialized in ranged weapons for her kills. Together as one, Fukua possesses the best of both specialties… but relationships formed under intense circumstances often don’t last.

Filia was once just an average schoolgirl, but one day woke up without any memories and a second mouth on the back of her head. She was now playing host to a Parasite named Samson, an unruly mop of demonic hair with incredible power.

With no memories or anyone to turn to for help, if she ever hopes to piece together her past and survive the inevitable clash with the Skullgirl, Filia will need to trust this mysterious being.

Marie Korbel was Hilgard Orphanage's most enthusiastic, self-appointed maid until she was driven by tragedy to make a wish on the Skull Heart and become the infamous Skullgirl. Marie tried to keep her murderous rampage focused on the Medici Mafia, but the Skull Heart pushed her to ever more severe acts of destruction.
Now the Skull Heart has been destroyed while Marie has been spared. She is a Skullgirl unchained, vowing to break the Skull Heart's cycle of destruction

A feline feral, Nadia Fortune is the last surviving member of the Fishbone Gang, a notorious band of otherwise Dagonian thieves. Their last mission ended in tragedy: a failed attempt to steal the mysterious Life Gem from Lorenzo Medici resulted in their grisly deaths. Before meeting her own doom, Ms. Fortune swallowed the Life Gem and managed to digest it. The Gem’s power permeated her entire body, making it truly undying… even after being cut into several pieces.

Now hiding in the shadows of Little Innsmouth, Ms. Fortune plots to avenge her fallen comrades.

Once a normal schoolgirl named Carol, Painwheel was kidnapped by Valentine and delivered to the Anti-Skullgirls Labs’ secretive Lab Zero. There she was implanted with the synthetic Buer Drive and Gae Bolga parasites and infused with experimental Skullgirl blood, transforming her into the monster she is today. Violent and unstable as a result of these experiments, as a precaution she’s mentally controlled by Lab Zero’s powerful psychic director, Brain Drain.

Fueled by rage, she draws her power from her pain and fury. Despite that, the soul of that scared young girl still lives on inside this monstrous body, desperately fighting off the onslaught of voices that would control her.

Few know the terrors of the Skullgirl as intimately as Parasoul does: seven years ago her own mother became the Skullgirl that nearly destroyed the world. This tragic past has made her fiercely protective of both her country and her family, and these two priorities frequently come into conflict.

Parasoul is now the crown princess of the Canopy Kingdom and leader of its elite military squad, the Black Egrets. Wielding the living umbrella, Krieg, she fights with grace, poise and cunning to defend her family honor and destroy the Skull Heart so no one can repeat her mother’s terrible mistake.

Once a war orphan slave named Patricia, Peacock’s body was gruesomely mutilated by slave traders that captured her. She was rescued by Dr. Avian’s Anti-Skullgirls Labs, and rebuilt with a reality-defying arsenal of biomechanical weaponry: the Argus System augmented her body, and the Avery Unit gave her access to unprecedented weaponry.

Alas, they couldn’t do anything for her mind: Peacock’s damaged psyche and abiding love of cartoons shaped her new “toys” into a terrifying gang of cronies, who she has no qualms using to paint the town red… with blood. Terrifying as she is, she may be the kingdom’s best bet against the Skullgirl.

Robo Fortune is the creation of Brain Drain, the psychic director of ASG Lab Zero, and stands as a testament to her maniacal creator’s unmatched pride and petulance. Built to demonstrate loyalty and cunning, Robo Fortune fails to deliver either to any measurable degree. Employing cutting-edge technology, she sets out to hunt down the Skullgirl, and to engage in easily avoidable conflicts.

Is the ASG Project’s latest creation the ultimate cybernetic soldier? Have Brain Drain’s mechanical machinations set the world on a treacherous path? Is Robo Fortune’s faulty programming more of a feature than a bug? Has science gone too far?!

Squigly is the last “surviving” member of the Contiello family, a long lineage of opera singers and among the Medicis’ most valued clients. Fourteen years ago, Squigly’s mother Selene obtained the Skull Heart, resulting in Lorenzo Medici ordering an attack on the Contiello family. Fraught with despair, Selene became the Skullgirl and revived her family as an undead army. What spared Squigly from becoming a mindless minion was the intervention of the Parasite Leviathan, the Contiello family’s friend and guardian.

The battle between the Skullgirl and Lorenzo threatened to spread across New Meridian if not for Squigly and the intervention of the ASG. With the Skullgirl’s defeat, the power that animated Squigly faded, putting her to rest. Lorenzo generously paid for the Contiellos’ funeral and has not had conflicts with the Medicis’ other clients since.

Fourteen years later, Bloody Marie’s emergence has stirred Squigly from her long slumber…

The youngest princess of the Canopy Kingdom, Umbrella is rarely seen outside the halls of the royal palace in Canopolis. She has grown up sheltered, with her only true friend being a family heirloom: the Living Weapon Hungern. Together, they fight evil and kick butt in the name of justice, just like Umbrella’s big sister: Parasoul! Or at least they would if Parasoul would let them out of the palace!

The rise of a new Skullgirl may just give Umbrella the adventure she wants. But, when she finds out the truths about herself and her family, will she wish she had stayed home?

Valentine is the only survivor of the Last Hope, a group of special Anti-Skullgirl Lab operatives. Before meeting their end at the hands of the Skullgirl, the Last Hope worked for the mysterious Lab Zero and performed duties ranging from reconnaissance and sabotage to advanced research.

Now Valentine dutifully serves the Skullgirl, carrying out her will from the shadows. She keeps to herself, so much of her true nature and personality are unknown.