Reid Astrea

Reid Astrea (レイド・アストレア) was the first Sword Saint and a key figure in the sealing of the Witch of Envy 400 years ago. Mentioned throughout the series, he formally debuted in Arc 6 as a secondary antagonist.

Throughout Arc 6, his soul acted as the overseer of the second trial of the Pleiades Watchtower and was a major obstacle preventing Subaru and his companions from conquering it, particularly toward Julius. He later achieved rebirth by taking over Roy Alphard's body, but the latter proved to be an unsuitable vessel and his soul shattered during his final duel with Julius, thus marking the end of the First Sword Saint.

Appearance
Reid had long red hair, sky blue eyes, and was mentioned to be a head taller than Subaru with a muscular body. He wore a crimson kimono which he only wore half of, leaving the right side uncovered, a white sarashi around his body, and a black eye patch over his left eye that has an ugly pattern.

Personality
Reid was shown to have a very frank and rather crude personality, as Subaru was easily able to imitate his method of speech, and tended to speak in short sentences, frequently ending them with you (オメエ omee). However, he had no interest in titles, stating that he was himself, and others were themselves. He was also lustful, mentioning that he would've had Emilia in bed if he was still alive.

Despite being somewhat frank and abstract, Reid was quite smart. He knew the powers of the Authorities to some extent, as he named himself Hauroy Rallior (ハウロイ・ラリオル) when he faced Lye Batenkaitos in Arc 6. In addition to this, he also had a great amount of knowledge regarding how to fight with the sword. Because of this, he had gained the alias as the "Heavenly Sword".

History
Reid Astrea was born a bit over 400 years ago, into the family of Sword Saints. Throughout the years, he trained relentlessly and soon achieved the very zenith of swordsmanship, being awarded the title of the Heavenly Sword. In the years predating the Great Calamity, Reid accomplished a lot of things, meeting people such as the Seven Witches of Sin, the Divine Dragon Volcanica, the Sage Flugel and others. After Satella, the Witch of Envy, suddenly went out of control and went on a rampage across the world, Reid met with Volcanica, Flugel and Shaula in the Lugnican city of Flanders, creating an alliance. The four heroes set their goals on defeating the rampaging Witch who mercilessly killed thousands and thousands of innocents and toppled one country after another. After realizing they were unable to kill her, Reid and the rest managed to defeat her and seal her away in the Sand Dunes at the very East of Lugnica. It is not known what Reid did after the Great Calamity but after an unspecified amount of time, the first Sword Saint succumbed to old age and died peacefully.

Abilities
Great Power: As a former Sword Saint and a key figure in the sealing of Satella, Reid had considerable power. He was easily able to defeat Julius and the Artificial Spirit Echidna and would've defeated Emilia if he didn't let his guard down due to his lust. Combined with his prideful and arrogant personality, he was able to overwrite Roy Alphard's Authority of Gluttony, effectively hijacking his body and achieving complete rebirth 400 years after his death; although in his fight against Julius his body began to "crack" because Roy's body couldn't contain Reid's soul.

Martial arts: Reid is capable of a technique where he channels the full power of his opponents attacks harmlessly out of his body. It is hinted at that he can channel it out of any part of his body but so far he has only done it out of his feet. This technique effectively makes him immune to attacks from clubs, hammers, punches, kicks or anything blunt.

Master Swordsman: Reid was known for having peak sword-mastery and the martial arts of his time. As a testament to his peerless skill Reid was called the "Heavenly Sword". To this day, he's one of the most powerful swordsmen that have ever lived as he reached the zenith of swordsmanship, being able to cut beings, objects and magic alike. He was even able to cut Subaru's Authority of Greed and Beatrice's Ul Shamak with mere chopsticks. His sheer sword skill is said to surpass that of the current Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea who's stated to be the most powerful character in the series.
 * An unnamed sword strike: Reid unleashes a torrential wave of light that engulfs anyone and anything caught in its line of fire, blowing them away. It can cut light, the atmosphere, space and even dimensions and concepts; it is the ultimate goal of sword skill. Despite being a sword strike, Reid is capable of performing this attack even with a pair of ordinary wooden chopsticks. Unlike in Reinhard's case, when Reid performs this technique it does not result in the destruction of the weapon he uses. While strong individuals like Julius have been able to survive this attack, it is generally capable of vaporizing human beings.
 * Vertical sword slash: During his final fight with Julius Juukulius, Reid finally decided to fight seriously and used an actual sword, rather than his chopsticks. By repeating a normal vertical sword slash, Reid unleashed a destructive torrential wave of light, scorching everything in its path. The attack was noted to be beyond understanding; a true testament of the first Sword Saint.

Equipment:
 * Dragon Sword Reid (龍剣レイド Ryuuken Reido): 400 years ago, Reid received a special sword which was quickly named Dragon Sword after Reid often went on rampages with it, killing numerous dragons with a single swing. The sword is said to be unbreakable and supposedly is able to cut any material, no matter the toughness or density. After Reid's death, the Sword was given to his offspring who inherited the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint. As a tribute to the achievements Reid had achieved with this legendary weapon, the Sword inherited his name.
 * A pair of chopsticks: In arc 6, Reid can be seen with a pair of chopsticks. In his hands, the chopsticks are extremely durable and are able to withstand repeated sword slashes without chipping or breaking despite being made of ordinary wood. Reid even cut Subaru's Authority of Greed with them.

Trivia

 * Despite being a former Sword Saint, Reid didn't have the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint.
 * The eyepatch is purely decorative. Both of Reid's eyes are in perfect condition.
 * After Reid, every member of the Astrea family was born with fiery red hair.
 * The author has stated Reid Astrea would easily be able to behead Regulus Corneas, Sekhmet, Beast of the End and Ram with her horn if he was to fight against them.
 * While not being directly stronger than his descendant Reinhard, Reid would give him a very tough time, perhaps being the single toughest opponent for the current Sword Saint, save for the Witch of Envy and the Sin Archbishop of Greed.
 * The author once mentioned there's a very high chance Reinhard would not be able to draw the Dragon Sword if he ever was to face off against the first generation's Sword Saint.