|
This article is a stub. It is short and in need of fortification. Why not help out? |
|
— Idrissa to Deme shortly before entering combat together for the first time.
Idrissa is a supporting character of the Battlefield V singleplayer war story Tirailleur. A member of the Senegalese colonial forces under the command of the Free French Forces, he and his company fight to liberate southern France in the fall of 1944.[1]
Personality[]
Idrissa is the older, more level-headed, and battle hardened counterpart to the idealistic squadmate and protagonist Deme. The two joke with and reassure one another, sharing a close, brotherly bond, which is also strained by the former's caution and the latter's overconfidence and quest for glory, which Idrissa repeatedly challenges but inevitably goes along with. His love for Deme leads him to commit the ultimate sacrifice in trying to save him.
Outside of combat, Idrissa is married and has children, with his careful nature born out of a desire to return home to them safely. Despite this, he is shown to be courageous and tactically-minded, and his experience makes him the de facto leader of the Tirailleurs until Deme's zealous charisma drowns him out. Idrissa cares deeply for the men of his company, and is especially troubled by their increasingly numerous deaths as Deme pushes for the assault to continue. He has a humanitarian nature, shown when he forbids Deme from shooting a fleeing German soldier, and in his attempts to help another wounded German at the Flak battery, who instead scoffs at him and calls him inferior.
Biography[]
Idrissa warmly greets Deme on the quayside after they arrive in France, although an initially optimistic atmosphere is broken after the black soldiers are assigned menial construction tasks instead of fighting. Deme protests loudly, and although displeased himself the more realistic Idrissa resigns himself to the job quietly, remarking that "things are different here". The company is sent into battle next morning however at the request of the unit's Captain after the initial assault bogs down amidst massive casualties. Deme is shaken by the sight of wounded and the blood soaked halftracks they are to embark in but Idrissa comforts him, advising him not to "play the hero".
Idrissa reunites with Deme after the victory at Stützpunkt Geist, where he stops him from shooting a retreating German in the back. Idrissa is jubilant, but recommends fortifying their position instead of pushing on. Deme wins the company over with an impassioned speech, and despite Idrissa's warnings the assault continues.
In the aftermath of the battle at the Flak battery, Deme is glad to see that Idrissa survived telling him he "knew he'd make it". Idrissa is enraged however as the attack has cost countless Tirailleur lives just as he predicted. While attending to a wounded German, the latter taunts them that with so few numbers they will be annihilated by the coming counterattack. Idrissa has a minor breakdown, saying they are all going to die and fearing for his wife and children. Deme calms him, describing his unorthodox plan to bypass the German frontline and attack their headquarters in the hilltop Château Vieux. Despite considering the plan crazy, Idrissa is won over by Deme's promise of having "a story to tell their children".
Although initially successful, the attack turns into a disaster inside the château walls. Most of the remaining Tirailleurs are killed by the awaiting Germans, and Deme is concussed by an exploding shell. Idrissa drags his barely conscious friend to safety while they are pursued by a marauding Tiger tank. Cornered by the tank, Idrissa sees no other way out but to sacrifice himself to protect his friend. He climbs onto the hull, shooting the tank commander and tossing a hand grenade into the turret and holding the hatch shut. The catastrophic explosion tears the turret from the vehicle and mortally wounds Idrissa. Deme regains his senses and rushes over to his friend, who dies in his arms.
| |||||||||||||||||