Kait Diaz

Kait Diaz
Biographical information
Homeland	Fort Umson, Tyrus
Date of birth	20 A.E.
Physical description and appearance
Species	Human Swarm Queen
Gender	Female
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Hazel-Green
Chronological and personal information
Rank(s)	Corporal Queen (Formerly)
Era(s)	Interwar Period Outsider Movement Swarm Invasion
Family	Gabriel Diaz - Father † Reyna Diaz - Mother † Oscar Diaz - Paternal Uncle † Torres - Maternal Grandfather † Myrrah - Maternal Grandmother † (Unnamed) - Maternal Great-grandfather †
Affiliation	COG COG Army Swarm (Formerly) Outsiders (Formerly)

"Well, 'Captain'... screw your order! This isn't about you, it's about me! I need to fix this."

—Cpl. Kait Diaz defying Cpt. James Dominic Fenix's orders to discover her connection with the Locust.

Corporal Kait Diaz, affectionately called Kaitie by her mother, is a former Outsider turned Gear in the COG Army and a member of Delta-One. The daughter of Sgt. Gabriel Diaz and Reyna Torres, Kait was raised in Fort Umson during the Outsider Movement without the benefits of COG technology due to her parents' deep seeded distrust towards the government, even after it was reestablished following the Locust War. Kait instead received extensive training on how to capably survive Sera's wilderness and live off the land. She became friends with James Dominic Fenix and Delmont Walker after they went AWOL from the COG Army following the protest massacre in Settlement 2 . Kait became involved in the Swarm Invasion after the Swarm ambushed her village and kidnapped her mother. The Swarm integrated Reyna into their Hive to transform her into their new Queen. Kait discovered she and her mother had a connection with the Swarm, as Reyna's mother was Queen Myrrah of the Locust Horde, who now possesses Reyna's body. Kait's fight in the Swarm Invasion has become personal to kill her own mother.

Biography

Early Life

Kait was born in 20 A.E. to former war-hero, Sgt. Gabriel Diaz of the Coalition of Ordered Governments army and Engineering Corps, and Reyna Torres, whom unknown to most was the daughter of Myrrah, Queen of the Locust Horde. Kait was also the niece of Oscar Diaz, but was unaware of his existence due to him being an irresponsible alcoholic. With her mother being Stranded, a survivor of the Hammer of Dawn strikes in the Locust War, and her father being disillusioned with the COG - both of them fled away together.

After the end of the war, the Coalition reorganized, and those refusing COG order were referred to as Outsiders. Gabriel and Reyna founded Fort Umson, a community for people like themselves who were against the COG. Kait was raised within Fort Umson, keeping her away from the COG's totalitarian regime.

Outsider Movement

Childhood in Fort Umson

At the age of four, Kait and Reyna were on a trade caravan when it was attacked by raiders. One of them grabbed Kait and threatened to kill her if Reyna didn't hand over the supplies. Reyna then threw her machete at the man and killed the surrounding raiders - saving herself, Kait, and the supplies. One month later, Kait got lost in the woods. There, she met a hermit named Salvador Pasco, who she thought was a wizard based off his long beard and appearance. For three days, Pasco took care of Kait while Gabriel and Reyna combed the woods for her. On the third day, Kait asked for tea, which resulted in smoke from the fire - which helped track Gabriel and Reyna to Kait. Upon finding her, Reyna almost killed Pasco. However, Gabriel intervened and spared Pasco as he saved their daughter. Gabriel and Reyna took Kait back and invited Pasco to live with them at Fort Umson. Pasco initially declined.

The next year, Pasco eventually arrived to Fort Umson with herbal tea from the mountain wildflowers and stayed two whole years, becoming good friends with the Diaz Family before moving out and creating his own village. At age seven, Kait's parents took her camping - which was also a test of her survival skills. Within the wilds, the three were surrounded by dangerous animals. Gabriel and Reyna taught Kait how to defend herself by either locating and killing the leader of the pack to scatter the others, use fire or guns to scare them away, or to use a knife and personally kill the animal. After three days of starvation, Kait refused to complain, impressing her parents. On the trip back to Fort Umson, her father located a broken-down truck. With Reyna and Kait's help, he managed to repair the truck while he told Kait about his time in the COG army's motor pool. At some point in her childhood, Kait learned of Ukkon, but in later years her memory of how and what she learned was elusive, possibly even deliberately sealed away.

At age ten, her father was diagnosed with Rustlung. Kait was horrified by what her father had become and was haunted by dreams of killing him to end his pain. Reyna affirmed Kait that her thoughts were actually from a place of love, and asked to be euthanized as well if she were ever put in a similar position. Before her father's death, Reyna revealed the existence of Kait's uncle Oscar, Gabriel's brother, who was to come by Gabriel's dying request. Reyna explained that Oscar was disowned for being an irresponsible alcoholic. Unknown to them, Oscar had spent the past year recovering. Gabe died right before Oscar arrived to the village and caused Oscar to relapse. Reyna became Chief of Fort Umson and, despite her feelings towards him, allowed Oscar to stay. One year after Gabriel's death and Oscar's arrival, he earned the trust and respect from Reyna and was made Vice Chief to the village. Kait was taught how to shoot and fight from her uncle while she received an informal education on engineering and mechanics through salvaged books that her father had saved from the Locust War. Oscar would also take her riding on the Skiff in the salt flats outside of Halvo Bay. In time, Oscar became a father-figure to Kait.

Adolescence in Fort Umson

When Kait became a young adult, she was obligated to a tradition of the summer festival in Fort Umson of braiding the hair of the young women in the village over the left shoulder, indicating she is a woman and yet to be married - and the braid was then to be moved on the right shoulder the day she is married to signify her status. Kait was nervous about the ceremony in front of everyone. To quell her daughter and to create a special moment, Reyna performed Kait's braiding ceremony in private. Several days later, she was publicly braided and was no longer nervous, sharing the private moment with her mother. As Kait became a young adult, she was taken on scavenging missions by her Uncle Oscar, which involved raiding dilapidated power houses built by the Coalition. During which, she became familiar with the layout of certain structures built by the Coalition and understood a great deal of engineering and mechanics, also in part due to the knowledge passed down from her engineer father and all he ever wrote about the subject. She then joined her Uncle Oscar on missions raiding Settlements, walled COG cities built outside New Ephyra by DeeBees.

Settlement 2 Protest Massacre

In 41 A.E., a protest occurred in Settlement 2 by its civilians in response to the oppressive and totalitarian nature of the Coalition based in New Ephyra, especially considering it betrayed the beliefs of the original First Minister, Anya Stroud. The protesters became more agitated and were beginning a riot when the DeeBees were ordered to open fire on the unarmed protesters. This event further solidified the Outsider's beliefs about the new Coalition, and even prompted several civilians and soldiers to abandon the COG and join the Outsiders. Shortly after, Fort Umson was greeted by former Lieutenants James Dominic Fenix and Delmont Walker. James Dominic Fenix, or JD, was the son of war-heroes, Sgt. Marcus Fenix, and Lt. Anya Stroud. JD and Delmont "Del" Walker were childhood friends who joined the army, but Del convinced JD to leave the COG with him and become Outsiders following the protest massacre. While Reyna initially wanted to execute the two, Kait immediately defended them. Reyna agreed to take in JD and Del, but were Kait's responsibility. Over the next six months, the three became close friends.

Raid on Settlement 5

While the Outsiders usually went on routine raids of COG Settlements, the Outsider Movement became too heated as First Minister Mina Jinn threatened war against the Outsiders. Unknown to them at the time, First Minister Jinn's civilians and soldiers had been kidnapped and Jinn believed the Outsiders, especially Reyna Diaz's villagers, of taking them. Reyna ordered the halt of Settlement raids, but eventually Fort Umson ran out of power. In Bloom 42 A.E., on the 25th anniversary of Victory Day. Reyna ordered JD and Del to raid Settlement 5 while it was under construction, with the objective of stealing a Fabricator for Outsiders to replenish their power source. Kait volunteered to go with them, and Reyna agreed but sent Oscar with the three.

While scouting Settlement 5, Kait discovered a cocoon as the butterfly began to emerge from within. Kait then spotted and destroyed a Watcher that was tracking the four outside the Settlement. A Windflare started to occur upon the Settlement. While unable to enter the Settlement on time before the storm wall closed, Kait and the others survived the Windflare, breached the Settlement's perimeter wall, and successfully retrieved the fabricator. During the raid, the group was caught by another Watcher. The four were placed under arrest by Jinn, who revealed she was after them because of her missing people, not the stolen fabricator. The arrest was interrupted by an unknown party that sent a moving cart for the four to board. Kait and the rest of the group ended with a prolonged skirmish with the Settlement's DeeBee security force, but they managed to escape with the fabricator.

Battle of the Fort Umson

After escaping from Settlement 5 with the help of an unknown benefactor, Kait and her squad returned to Fort Umson with the fabricator, just in time to hold off a heavy assault from the mechanized forces by Jinn, who accused Reyna and her people of abducting COG citizens and declared that the Outsiders were starting a war they could not hope to win. After a violent battle which left large parts of the village in flames, along with the archives and all the books that her father had, Kait guarded Del and JD as they attempted to fix the fabricator which had sustained damage during the battle.

Swarm Invasion

Ambush on Fort Umson

Shortly thereafter, the village was attacked by unknown creatures with Kait, JD and Del being spared only through the heroic actions of Reyna who barricaded in the generator room before being abducted along with all the other Outsiders, including Oscar. Before her abduction, Reyna was able to remove the hand of her attacker, which was later found by JD. Upon observing the hand, he harvested one of the crystal growths on the strange hand. Del suggested that JD knew someone who might have an answer to who abducted the Outsiders, and Kait demanded that they go see him.

Rescue of Fort Umson

Assault on the Stroud Estate

After a short horse ride, the group found themselves at JD's home and endured a tense first meeting with JD's father, Marcus Fenix. Shortly thereafter, COG forces assaulted the estate, and Kait assisted in defeating the initial wave of DeeBees before Marcus revealed some family heirlooms; JD and Del's COG armor, his own COG armor, and the armor of JD's mother, Anya Stroud, gifting it to Kait. The group then battled across the estate, enduring many waves of DeeBee assaults and a Windflare before finally escaping on two MULE bikes that Marcus had stored there. During their escape, Kait rode on the back of Del's bike, helping to bring down a Vulture gunship. This lead the COG to seemingly abandon its pursuit of the fugitives.

Mission to Fort Reval

Having been spurred into action by the strange crystal harvested at Fort Umson, Marcus lead the group towards an abandoned Osmium mine that had been used as a mass grave for the Locust bodies following the events of the Second Battle of Azura, which had encased the Locust bodies in strange, unbreakable crystal cocoons. The mine was located beyond the abandoned Fort Reval, an ancient fortress city that had existed during the Silver Age of Sera, and had been a popular tourist destination before the Locust War where the COG used it as a medical facility. During their investigation, the group was stalked by an unknown creature while encountering strange red pods, within one was the remains of a COG citizen. Soon after, Marcus was abducted by a Snatcher, and before they could rescue him, were attacked in force by the Swarm. Fighting off waves of Juvies, Drones and Pouncers, the group tracked the Snatcher through Fort Reval's stronghold and then through its catacombs, eventually reaching the abandoned osmium mine.

Battle of Osmium Mine Bravo

Kait and her friends battled their way to a massive ore transporter and utilized it to reach the bottom of the mine, having to employ numerous static defenses from an onboard Fabricator to combat the incoming Swarm. Once at the bottom, Kait and the others continued to search for Marcus, who was their only lead to what might be happening. Over the course of the prolonged battle within the mine, it was discovered that the Locust were not actually killed by the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon, but instead entered a hibernation sleep state and evolved into the Swarm. After many violent encounters with the Swarm, the group found Marcus' pod and released him, initially assuming that he was dead before he gasped back to life. Marcus told the group that while he was within the pod, he was connected to the Swarm's hive mind, and that while most of the Outsiders were dead, Kait's mother was still alive in another burial site. Kait immediately proposes the group assault the new Swarm nest. Kait, JD, Del and Marcus then escape from the mine on the destroyed transporter's cables. After escaping, she angrily lashed out at Marcus when he proposes a detour for backup instead, due to the much larger size of the second site. Refusing to wait, Kait, JD and Del charged off into the night, with Marcus reluctantly following.

Mission to the Tollen Dam

The group reached an old COG dam, built before the discovery of Imulsion, which seemed to be the only entrance to the new burial site. After several encounters with the Swarm and a Windflare, Kait and the team had to make several detours through the dam, engaging the Swarm while Kait and Del repaired the dam's subsystems. When the group braved a vicious Swarm assault and a much more severe Windflare, they discovered just how massive the second Swarm nest is, and Kait begrudgingly relents to Marcus' plan to call for backup, helping to shunt power to a large communication station in the nearby town of Speyer, which they then proceeded to. On the way, they encounter the massive Swarm commander, the Speaker, that attacked Fort Umson and had abducted Kait's mother. In the ensuing battle, the group fought a Swarmak, a horribly disfigured variant of the Brumak, and Swarm reinforcements. Finally defeating the massive creature and restraining the Swarm commander, Kait angrily declared to the Swarm's hive mind that she was coming to destroy their entire nest, before brutally executing the Swarm commander with a curb stomp. The group then proceeded on their way to Speyer.

Skirmish in Speyer

After a brief, mostly peaceful encounter with First Minister Jinn at the outskirts of Speyer, Kait and the group fought through both Swarm and DeeBee forces to the communications array, finally securing it and then tasked with using a Fabricator to defend it. After successfully holding off a massive Swarm counterattack, the backup that Marcus had called for arrived in the form of Damon Baird, Augustus Cole and Samantha Byrne, the former members of Delta Squad. During the reunion, Baird revealed that he was the one who originally saved Kait, JD and, Del during the raid on Settlement 5, as he is the CEO and creator of the DeeBees, and that he brought more than just ammunition. Baird reveals two large assault mechs, Jack Jnr. and Second Betty, along with air support from an old King Raven, piloted by his wife Samantha. Soon the group headed out with Kait and JD manning the mechs as they head back to the dam.

Assault on the Tollen Dam

Their trek back through the dam took the group through the abandoned city of Tollen, where Kait and JD had little trouble mowing down the Swarm hostiles in the much larger and more powerful mechs. They fought off several Swarmaks with little difficulty, eventually encountering an immense Swarm creature at the site of the main nest. After an intense fight which lead to the dismemberment of the huge creature, Kait, JD, Del and the former members of Delta Squad regrouped at the main entrance to the nest.

Soon after entering, Kait found her mother Reyna biologically entombed within Swarm biomass with no way of freeing her. She bitterly asked Marcus if he knew the whole time, from his temporary connection with the hive mind, and Marcus answered yes. Reyna was able to talk and told Kait that separating her from the Swarm would kill her, and she urged Kait to cut her loose. Kait agreed, and before she euthanized her mother, Reyna gave Kait her heirloom, an ornate medallion. Kait then cut her mother from the Swarm biomass and killed her.

Afterwards, Kait made her way out of the nest and tearfully embraced JD. Afterward, Kait showed the assembled soldiers the medallion that her mother had given her; it had belonged to Kait's grandmother, whom Kait had never known. Although on the front side, the medallion was ornate and decorative, on the back side, unbeknownst to the group, the medallion was shaped as the icon of the Locust Horde.

COG-Outsider Armistice

Aftermath of Settlement 2

In the following weeks after the destruction of Settlement 2, Kait tended to JD while he laid comatose in the hospital. Meanwhile, New Ephyra was fortifying in the wake of Settlement 2's destruction. First Minister Mina Jinn continually had meetings with Kait, encouraging her to join the COG Army as Corporal and help against the Swarm, but Kait rejected First Minister Jinn's many offers. Staying at Baird Estate and training for the Swarm, she was finally called for one last meeting, in which First Minister Jinn revealed that she wanted to bring in the Outsiders not only for their protection, but to help with the war against the Swarm - and believed Kait would be the best ambassador. While not wanting to work for the COG, Kait realized it was the only way to save the Outsiders.

After her meeting, Kait was met by former Colonel, Victor Hoffman, who revealed he knew her father during the Pendulum Wars and early Locust War. In New Ephyra's Government House park, Victor Hoffman found out about Kait when he was visiting the Diaz files in the Records Department, when he originally was in search of Gabriel Diaz to find out what had happened to him. Kait told him that her father was an Outsider and found Fort Umson with her mother, and that he died from Rustlung and her mother died from the Swarm, but Oscar was still alive. Victor Hoffman then admitted that while Gabriel did work in the motor pool, he originally had a much bigger part in the Coalition army during the Pendulum Wars. Kait and Hoffman departed, but agreed to see each other again and to share more stories about her father.

Recruiting Outsider Villages

Among the first villages Kait went to recruit was led by Salvador Pasco, who she hadn't seen in fifteen years but still considered a family friend. With Lt. Walker noticing the walls of the village were vacant, Kait was reminded of the tactic her mother taught Pasco - to build a tunnel behind the enemy so that when they think the wall isn't defended, the villagers would attack from behind. True to her memory, Kait spotted Pasco and four villagers. While initially hesitant to take in Gears, he allowed Kait and Lt. Walker to say their piece. Kait then revealed that the Locust had reemerged as the Swarm, have attacked Outsider villages and COG Settlements, and kidnapped people, including her mother, to transform them into soldiers for their army.

Learning about her Father

After meeting with Jinn, Kait met with Hoffman again who alluded to his plan to strike at the Swarm. Kait returned Gabriel's file to Hoffman, having realized that the discrepancies in the file meant there were things that had redacted or omitted from it. Hoffman admitted as much, though he told Kait he knew what they were and felt that it was a secret that needed to die. With Kait refusing to give up her search, Hoffman suggested that Richard Prescott was the right person for her to learn from. When Kait asked about Prescott being dead, Hoffman confirmed it but stated that that didn't mean there weren't still things Kait could learn from him. Kait asked if Hoffman was going to give her Prescott's file, but Hoffman just told her with a chuckle that if she ever found it, he would love to have a look at it too. When Kait pressed Hoffman for how she would learn from Prescott, Hoffman only told her to keep her eyes and ears open and to listen, watch and learn. He also told Kait that there was one name she should pay attention to when she came across it: Ukkon. Kait committed Ukkon's name to memory and thought that it sounded familiar, as if she had heard it before in childhood. However, Kait's memory of where she heard of Ukkon before was elusive, possibly even deliberately sealed away.

Discovering the Locust Origins

Mission to Mount Kadar Laboratory

Kait confronting Myrrah in the Hivemind.

Personality & Traits

Kait is a passionate and caring person who will do anything for her family and friends. Like JD Fenix, her actions don't always please Reyna. When JD and Del eventually reach Kait's village, she became quite attached to JD, despite her mother's wishes. Kait is a very strong willed woman that is very capable of defending herself, as well as not being afraid to voice her opinion. Kait also had a softer, more intellectual side; before the raid on Settlement 5 she waxed philosophically while a butterfly was born, as well as showing an intense love of books and knowledge in general.

Like her parents and uncle, Kait grew up hating the COG and what it had become. She had a great dislike for DeeBee's and frequently fought them when raiding COG settlements. Despite her misgivings about the COG, Kait became good friends with JD and Del despite their involvement in the Settlement 2 Protest Massacre and truly believed it wasn't their fault.

She is also a skilled fighter, having been trained by her ex-Gear uncle, Oscar Diaz. Kait was also a skilled engineer, being able to fix old COG machines with little effort.

Kait appears to have a large amount of patience, but when it comes to delays in rescuing her mother, she becomes very short tempered and defiant, although she never lost control and knew when her argument was no longer defensible. Kait also expressed an immense amount of sorrow and guilt when JD's father was also abducted by the Swarm; she regretted involving Marcus and felt responsible, though JD attempted to assuage the guilt. Kait also possessed an incredible amount of resolve, never once faltering from her goal of finding her mother or Marcus when they were abducted, and being able to carry through despite the intense combat that followed.

Kait also has an emotional side, being reduced to tears when those close to her were taken from her. When she found Reyna after her abduction, she was distraught about mercy killing her, but complied nonetheless. She would later experience this again when she inadvertently had control of a Warden during an attack on the Riftworm Village, who ended up killing Oscar and felt guilt for having played a role in her uncle's death.

Unlike her grandmother, Kait did not have any hatred of humanity, having been raised in an environment that was completely different to her. Even when Myrrah attempted to convince her to be one with the Swarm because she was her granddaughter through Reyna, Kait adamantly refused her offer, because Myrrah had harmed her family by taking away her mother and killing her uncle. Following the Kraken's death during the Battle of Old Ephyra, Kait tore the Locust necklace she had been wearing to signify she would side with humanity.

Appearance Gallery

Kait wearing attire for when she is scavenging in the Outer Wilds

Kait as an Outsider 42 A.E.

Kait wearing Anyas armor 42 A.E.

Kait during the mission to Azura 42 A.E.

Kait as a Corporal after joining the COG in 42 A.E.

Kait wearing winter armor while in Northern Tyrus 42 A.E.

Kait wearing desert armor while in Vasgar 42 A.E.

Behind the scenes

• Kait Diaz is voiced by Laura Bailey. Bailey has listed Kait as the #3 videogame character that has defined her career.
• The Gears of War official website provided a cosplay guide for Kait, located here.
• Kait alongside Marcus were added as purchasable guest character skins to Fornite during Chapter 3 Season 1 as part of the Delta-One cosmetic set.

Multiplayer

• Kait is a playable multiplayer character for the COG in Gears of War 4, and has seven unlockable character skins, excluding her Armored skin: Color Blast, Day of the Dead, Outer Wilds, Outsider, Ugly Gearsmas Armor, Vintage, and Zombie. Her Outer Wilds skin is only available in the Scavenger Gear Pack, her Ugly Gearsmas Armor skin is only available in the Gearsmas Gear Pack, and her Vintage skin is only available in the Vintage Kait Gear Pack players receive if they reached level 20 in the multiplayer beta.

Appearances

• Gears of War 4 (First appearance)
• Ascendance
• Bloodlines
• Gears 5