When life had taught him that he was, ultimately, alone, the galaxy elected to prove Ruka wrong the day he met his partner, Corazon Ya-ir. Ruka found his eyes opened by the young, aspiring Jedi's optimism, kindness, and love, found that there was real beauty and faith in the Light, that it was something to be treasured and respected. When all else of Ruka rages and stumbles as he embraces the Dark, Corazon is his guiding thought, a glimmer reminding him how to stay steady and strong. When together, the two stand united, practicing Battle Meditation to make themselves a complimentary, balanced whole. When apart, though, their worry for one another and their separate missions can be taxing, and Ruka himself is more prone to the negative effects of the Dark Side's influence, displayed in everything from bouts of recklessness or doubt to reoccurring nightmares.

Ruka has spent the entirety of his young life entrapped, be it by the throes of caste-based urban poverty, the responsibility of raising two small siblings, or the Light-written tenants in which he had no place. He has been scoffed at, beat down, and chased by judgement at every turn, as if he was something disgusting or wicked.

But Ruka has also always had ambitions setting fire to his insides, and now, free and happy in the Dark Side's embrace and championing the Lotus as one of its warriors, he chases them. Disgusting? Powerful. Powerful enough to protect and serve. Wicked? Powerful. Powerful enough to enact real change. Ruka strives for every scrap of power he can, hoping to reach to new heights, to prove not only to the world but also to himself that he's worthy of the ones he loves most, that he's good enough to fly.

Ruka and authority have a rough relationship. He has an independent heart and manner, with a half-tamed temper, mellowing rebellious streak, and a rude tongue. He says what he means without much care for the reaction he gets, especially when it comes to the people he cares about. To Ruka, blood is most certainly thicker than water, and family is thicker than blood. While it's near impossible for him to give that kind of devotion to most people, once he does, he will place anyone he views as his family above any other ideal, power, or cause, and isn't afraid of breaking the rules to see them safe and happy.

This same devotion can make him a little blind, however, to hurting those he loves in getting himself hurt or unintentionally disrespecting them, and he can sometimes lash out at those closest to him when frustrated.

It's easy to assume when looking at him, not entirely incorrectly, that Ruka is uncultured and antisocial, a streetrat dressing up as a knight. But Ruka doesn't hate people, doesn't distrust them; he just doesn't count on them. He grew up on his own two feet, only able to rely on himself to take care of his family. Born in gutters and raised with stoops, mom-and-pop shops, and gang violence as his playground, Ruka is a street kid through and through, brimming with street smarts in a clever mind but lacking anything resembling formal education.

His completely self-reliant manner, rough appearance, and casual lack of politeness, forced or otherwise, make him oftentimes hard to approach and difficult to manage in more diplomatic situations. Anyone looking in, however, will find a young man brimming with burning passion, a fierce protectiveness, and most of all, a defining, bone-deep sense of responsibility.

There is no freedom like that the Dark grants, and Ruka revels in it, in the sensation of being unlimited. He immerses himself in its shadowy grasp both in and out of combat, but particularly thrives when in battle, where he fights with his whole self, body and blade. Drawing on the Force, he tends to use indulgent and brutal displays of Lightning and Telekinesis intermingled with augmented saber and sword combat, saving all his power for short, sprinting barrages meant to devastate rather than wearing down his opponents with smaller attacks. These heavy blows don't always work, however, and Ruka can find himself in desperate or exhausted situations where his only recourse is to try to flee, bear the brunt of attack, or distract until he can retaliate.

Life on the rough side has taught Ruka key lessons: to only fight when he has to, to fight smart, and to keep hitting until the person trying to hit him doesn't get back up again. Despite a flashfire temper and sometimes violent impulses, Ruka dislikes fighting. He dislikes being in pain or causing it, but knows the necessity of defending himself, and will strike back however he can if he is attacked or threatened. Stubborn and survivalist, he usually seeks to avoid any fights altogether, but will try to end them quickly once engaged and won't turn his back until he knows his opponent is down for the count. However, his youth and experience leave his control shaky at best, and when pushed too far, Ruka can be prone to starting a fight he is wholly unprepared for, or losing himself altogether in trying to get out of one.