Billy Lee Black

Billy Lee Black is a playable character in Xenogears.

Appearance and personality
Billy is a young man with blue eyes and gray hair. Due to being mistaken for a girl in the past, he keeps his hair short.

As an Etone, Billy is a highly religious man and at times takes offense to those who don't respect him such as Bart. He also is rather spiteful towards his father Jessie due to Jessie's long term absence from his life. However, he has a passion for helping others and personally operates an orphanage. He is of great help to the party in getting Fei medical assistance.

Story arc
Billy was born in Solaris, the eldest child of Jessie and Racquel. Billy's mother thought she was going to have a girl which she planned to name Ashley, and his middle name "Lee" is derived from that name. As a child, Billy grew attached to Sigurd when he stayed with Jessie and Racquel to be treated for his drive addiction. At 7 years old, Billy moved to the surface along with his parents. His younger sister Primera was born two years later. A year after that, his father disappeared. Stein, a former colleague of Jessie's now going under the assumed name Bishop Stone, arranged for Wels to attack Billy's home and his mother was killed. With his father still missing, Billy and his sister were essentially orphans. Through Stein's influence, Primera was entrusted to an Ethos facility and Billy, now 12 years old, studied in a Monastery to become an Etone. At times their life was so harsh that Billy considered prostituting himself.

After 3 years of training, at the age of 15, Billy officially became an Etone. He had become considerably skilled with firearms and used them as his main weapon in killing Wels. Billy established an orphanage and, in addition to caring for his younger sister, took in a variety of other orphans. Billy did not earn much as an Etone and ran the orphanage on his own without any other help. Eventually, Jessie returned, although his appearance and personality had greatly changed. Billy didn't really believe he was his father, although Primera reacted as if he was. While Billy permits contact with him, he still has suspicion and dislike for him. Jessie tells Billy he should leave the Ethos, but due to his faith and his admiration for Bishop Stone, Billy refuses.

Billy first appears in the game after Fei is gravely injured and in need of medical attention. Visiting the salvage vessel Thames, Billy is separated from Primera, who is saved from some ruffians by the party members. As thanks Billy agrees to bring Fei to the infirmary in the Ethos headquarters to receive treatment. He returns to the orphanage after this where the party heads to in order to thank him. Shortly afterwards Billy is asked by Bishop Stone to investigate a nearby transport ship that has been infested with Wels. As part of this mission he reveals that he pilots a Gear, Renmazuo.

Upon returning to the Ethos headquarters to check on Fei, the party discovers numerous members of the Ethos have been murdered. Revelations from Bishop Stone and Verlaine, a fellow Etone shatter Billy's faith. The Ethos is not a real religious organization, but rather a cover organization for Solaris. Its members committed unspeakable crimes including sexual molestation of children and refugees. And his mentor, Bishop Stone had actually been using him as part of an elaborate revenge scheme against his father. When he directly faces off against Bishop Stone in his Gear Alkanshel, Stone reveals one final thing to Billy, that the Wels he has been killing have actually been humans. However Jessie arrives; encouraging Billy he tells him that Billy has been vanquishing the pain of the Wels and that God exists within him. With his father's help, Billy is able to finish off Bishop Stone.

Billy remains as a party member for the rest of the game. Eventually he aligns with an Anima Relic, upgrading his Gear Renmazuo into an Omnigear.