Clove is the 25th Agent to join the VALORANT Protocol. Hailing from Scotland, they use their Radianite power to return from the dead, even from beyond the grave.
Scottish troublemaker Clove makes mischief for enemies in both the heat of combat and the cold of death. The young immortal keeps foes guessing, even from beyond the grave, their return to the living only ever a moment away.
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Lore[]
Background[]
As with most Agents, not much is known about Clove's backstory, other than the bits and pieces that we can scrap together from their Agent trailer and other Dev statements.
Clove likely took their Highers - a form of advanced certification in Scotland, which is taken during High School before University. They went to a state-run school, and did not go to University. That said, their mother is a librarian, and as such Clove grew up "absorbed by books" - they have a very deep knowledge base of all things they find interesting[1].
Clove had to move around a lot during their childhood, because of their parents' jobs[2]. The devs did not have a any one specific locality or neighborhood in mind for Clove - even their accent is just that of their voice actor, Isla Campbell[3]. We don't officially know where Isla Campbell is from: while they said she came from Portobello in a YouTube interview with Riot, they later stated that it was a lie[4].
In their trailer, 2 WORLDS, a younger self of Clove is visible. Judging from Clove's sentimental reaction to their helpless younger self, it is assumed that they have discovered their radiance and immortality at a young age. When Fade shows interest in Clove's radiant abilities and how their immortality came about, they seem to be purposefully avoiding the question.
Before the VALORANT Protocol[]
Before joining the VALORANT Protocol, Clove was discovered by Omen while he was AWOL, in search of a journal that belonged to Scions of Hourglass. He contacts Cypher, informing that he's discovered someone, namely Clove, who Brimstone would want to meet.
Joining the VALORANT Protocol[]
Clove joins the Protocol with little trouble while Omen disappears as soon as he know they are safe.
Personality[]
Deadlock's mail to Brimstone regarding Clove
Before their release, Deadlock and Fade have served to introduce the immortal Agent, with Deadlock describing them as "smart, intuitive, and certainly fearless." Bringing an aloof vibe to the team, Clove lifts the spirits of their fellow Agents in and out of the battlefield. They often tend to bring up relatively mundane things during the missions, and even if they are killed, they can come back to life thanks to their immortality. They look to bring a carefree, chill and joyful attitude to the team, making cheerful quips about both her team members and the random things happening around them at the time.
They are the dedicated Dungeon Master in the Protocol's TTRPG game days, and they don't forsake their DM experience from the battlefield, often narrating the lore of the different maps in rotation at the beginning of matches to set the mood. Despite their usually chipper attitude, Clove seems to be hiding some underlying hardship that they do not seem to be ready to open up about yet.
Abilities[]
The principal thematic to Clove's abilities is that of a 'beautiful death' - the goal was to have death seem appealing, not a hindrance to be avoided. This is reflected in their butterfly thematic, and in their ability visuals, which were inspired by organic decay of fruits and vegetables.[5]
The following are the official descriptions of Clove's abilities from the "CLOVE: DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING"[5] article:
- Ruse (E): Clove’s mind projects a view of the battlefield from above. Using their essence, they manifest vision-obscuring clouds that change the flow of battle, even in death.
- Meddle (Q): Clove focuses a fragment of immortality essence that, once thrown, deteriorates the life essence of those hit by the blast.
- Pick-Me-Up (C): Clove absorbs the life energy of a fallen enemy, granting them a moment of increased agility and health.
- Not Dead Yet (X): Clove defies death by activating their immortality essence. To stabilize their form, they must remove the life energy of an opponent.
From the description of their abilities, we can see that Clove's radiance relies on utilizing their "Immortality Essence". Using their essence, Clove can mend it to their will and manifest different forms of their radiance, exemplified with the range of their abilities.
Appearance[]
Clove has a uniquely antithetic motif through their design, contrasting the generally positive motif of pink colours and butterflies with demon-like imagery sparsely located throughout.
Clove has pink and purple colours dominating their outfit to provide a positive, light-hearted image. They also sport a variety of accessories including rings and small trinkets, some of which seem handmade.
In contrast, the headband with horns[6] Clove wears may imply a slightly darker side to their abilities, mimicking a devilish look. Although not present on their model, this horn theme is continued through their possessions, such as their phone. However, the cutely-drawn dark creature on their shorts and the butterflies on their black leggings may hint at an acceptance of this possible dark side.
Relationships[]
Omen found Clove in Edinburgh after he took a break from the VALORANT Protocol, following the return of his memories in the RECKONING cinematic. He found them alongside a journal owned by the Scions of Hourglass in Edinburgh, and brought them back to the Protocol to be recruited.
Clove's only voiceline to Sage is a particularly hostile one, calling their Omega counterpart their 'nemesis'. However, Clove's attitude towards Sage is largely neutral - the voiceline is just their way of being "witty"[7][8].
Clove and Phoenix both share the ability to come back from death, and are from Great Britain. Phoenix is a part of Clove's TTRPG group. Phoenix was very much "in mind" while the narrative team was writing Clove.[9]
Clove is aware of Lucia (Reyna's younger sister)'s condition[10], and has offered to sacrifice their own life energy in order to keep her alive; it is implied that Reyna may have rejected this offer. Clove also states that a "certain someone" told them that Reyna plays the guitar - while only speculation, a likely candidate for this 'someone' is Lucia herself, which could imply that Clove is close to her.
Yoru is part of Clove's TTRPG group. He also joined Clove during their urbex trip to an abandoned lighthouse[11].
Fade is part of Clove's TTRPG group, helping Clove out in their DM role[12]. Fade also asks Clove how they became immortal, implying an underlying motive. However, Clove seems to avoid the question.
Another member of Clove's TTRPG group, Clove is fond of Gekko's radivores and often shows interest in them through their in-game voicelines.
Cards[]
The VALORANT Clove card is a generic portrait of Clove.
The Metamorphosis card shows a view of the Edinburgh Central Library at night, with a bright glow emerging from inside the building. A large swarm of butterflies is flying into (or out of) one of the windows.
The Chrysalis card shows a large black butterfly emerging from a glowing circular cocoon. Several smaller white butterflies flutter around it.
Voicelines[]
You can find all of Clove's voicelines here, courtesy of Kingdom Archives.
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Clove had one of the shortest teaser campaigns, starting only 2 patches prior to their official release (not counting the Chrysalis playercard), similar to Gekko.
Clove's first real teasers came in Patch 8.03, with voicemails from Cypher and Fade. Chronologically, this was right after Omen left the Protocol, to dig into the Scions of Hourglass and his own past. Cypher reported that Omen had contacted the VP after an altercation with Hourglass in Edinburgh - apparently, he had met someone that "[the Protocol] would want to meet".
Around the same time, Fade received another vision from Nightmare, showing her a glimpse of the battle between Omen and Hourglass - they recalled seeing "bright lights starting around the dim room, silenced gunfire and hundreds of butterflies". This, along with the Chrysalis playercard, firmly established Clove's butterfly thematic.
"I've found something... and someone..."
On the first of March, the State of the Agents - March 2024 article was released. As had become custom of late, all teasers about the upcoming Agent were delivered in a video featuring one of the Devs. It spoke of the role that Clove would fill in the meta, hinted at their power to resurrect, and ended with an image teaser.
The image shows Omen in the Edinburgh Central Library (identifiable from the distinctive domed roof), in a heated gunfight. Clove is present, staying behind him for cover, barely visible under his towering frame. This was our first official look at Clove.
Typically, the images in the State of the Agents articles came with some descriptive file name, which gave us some extra context. That was was not the case this time - instead, VALORANT's social accounts posted the same image the next day[13], this time with a caption: "I've found something... and someone..."
Clove's next teasers came in Patch 8.04. The Range Email from Deadlock stated that the VP had safely received their new recruit-to-be. While still untrained, Deadlock was confident that they would be a valuable addition to the Protocol. The same patch also saw 4 new voicelines added to tease Clove.
"I keep picturing our newest little troublemaker giving Hourglass the slip, leaving behind an empty bodybag. Ah, priceless."
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— Cypher, Match Start
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"Can I just say how much I love the new recruit? I know I like anyone that doesn't break my stuff, but come on. Their sense of fashion? Inspirational!"
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— Killjoy, Match Start
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"Ay fam! Imagine when me and the new kid go on the same mission. Other team's gonna be stressin', with both of us coming back to life!"
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— Phoenix, Match Start
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"My friends, good news. The new recruit is now combat ready. Even if they weren't, their radiant power certainly helps!"
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— Sova, Match Start
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Among other things, these voicelines confirmed that Clove had the power to revive themselves, and that they were a radiant. These lines (and the email) exclusively referred to Clove as they/them, which was also our first hint that Clove was non-binary.
Social Media Campaign[]
The first teaser
Clove's social media campaign began on March 18th, with a short video[14] showing a record player on a desk, with a holographic indicator stating that the current playlist was 'future nostalgia for immortal creatures'. The post's caption had a link to the same playlist on Spotify.
The second post[15] came three days later, on March 21st. It showed their (very) cluttered desk, littered with several dice, bottles of nail polish, a tablet, various plushies, some notes, a keyboard with custom keycaps, a potted plant, and a can of the Spike Rush energy drink, along with other minor paraphernalia.
The tablet showed what look to be several photo albums, their names including 'urbex' (Urban Exploration), 'fashion', 'butterflies', and 'cat.' A monitor on the back wall showed a group chat with some Agents (Gekko, Yoru, Fade, Phoenix, and perhaps some others, aside from Clove themselves), discussing a team-bonding game night - they were apparently planning a session of Dungeons and Dragons, or another similar TTRPG. The window behind it showed some of Clove's recent web searches.
The third post[11] was released on March 22nd, showing Clove and Yoru visiting an abandoned lighthouse at night - the same one seen in the 'urbex' album from the previous post. The caption read "leave only footprints", a reference to the quote 'Take only memories, leave only footprints'. While not an exact match, it is speculated that the lighthouse in question is based on the Western Harbor Lighthouse.
The final post[16] was released on March 23rd. It asked the viewers to answer a quiz of sorts present in the comments, with the main post showing Clove's own result - "The courage to believe in your innerself". From this, we also learn that they are 'elbow muncher @eepyboi' on Twitter (or the equivalent of Twitter in the VALORANT Universe).
Notes[]
- Clove's working name in the files is 'Smonk'
- Clove is voiced by Isla Campbell.
- Clove is written in large part by Riot Cynprel, a former VALORANT Lore content creator who went on to work at Riot as a writer.
- Unlike most Agents, Clove was not released at the start of an Act - instead, there were delayed by one patch to line up with the final match of VCT Masters Madrid[17].
- Many early iterations of Clove's kit were much more powerful than the one we got - these included global smokes, flashes, and immense stalling utility that could all be cast freely post-death[5].
- As one of the image folders on their tablet is labeled "cat"[15] (singular, not something like 'cats'), it is possible that Clove has their own pet cat. This would make them the 4th Agent to have a pet, after Viper, Neon, and Fade (fifth, if Gekko's buddies are to be considered 'pets')
- Clove is the DM for their TTRPG group, but Fade helps them out. [18]
- Weeks before Clove was unveiled, the @riotgamesmusic account tweeted that they had been "binge listening to @magde_tv"[19]. While not technically a teaser, this did still hint that 2WORLDS, the song that played during Clove's trailer, would be made by Madge.
- Unlike most Agents before them, Clove had their gameplay trailer released[20] several hours before their official reveal.
- Like most Agents before them, Clove was excessively leaked prior to their official reveal.
- Clove's voiceline about taking Ibuprofen to counteract the enemy Fade's abilities were inspired by a migraine that Riot Cynprel had[21].
- Similar to Harbor, Clove had a mural of themselves painted in their home city of Edinburgh by local artists[22]. VALORANT's UK team also hosted a giveaway, gifting three random players who found the mural a special Clove-themed bundle[23].
- They are confirmed to be rather short soon after release[24], and the height chart has since then been updated to show their height relevant to other agents[25].
- As with every other Agent, Clove has their own Spotify playlist:
Sources[]
- Clove's Agent Page Go
- Clove's Agent Reveal Trailer Go
- Clove's Voicelines Go
- The State of the Agents - March 2024 Article Go
- The Clove: Death is Only The Beginning Article Go
References[]
- ↑ Discord QnA with Creative Director Riot KingKut Go
- ↑ "Clove moved around a bit with there parents jobs" - Discord QnA with Creative Director, Riot KingKutGo
- ↑ "Isla Campbell, who voiced the character would best able to answer that, the accent is theirs" - Discord QnA with Creative Director, Riot KingKut Go
- ↑ "I am not from there and I genuinely don’t know why I lied, I think I was in a silly goofy mood idk, felt like fibbin in my first large scale interview 🥰" - Isla Campbell on Twitter Go
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 CLOVE: DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING Article Go
- ↑ Cloves wears a headband with horns on it: not cat ears, or weird hair, or anything else of the sort - Discord QnA with Narrative Writer Riot Cynprel GoGo
- ↑ Clove gets along well with ally Sage - Discord QnA with Narrative Writer Riot Cynprel Go
- ↑ Clove's voiceline to enemy Sage is just them being witty - Discord QnA with Narrative Writer Riot Cynprel Go
- ↑ Discord QnA with Narrative Writer, Riot Cynprel Go
- ↑ 4.10 voicemail about requiring life energy to keep Reyna's sister aliveGo
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The third post of Clove's Social Media Campaign - Twitter Go
- ↑ Clove is the Dungeon Master of the TTRPG group, but "Fade helps out" - Discord QnA with Narrative Writer Riot Cynprel Go
- ↑ The image from the State of the Agents article - Twitter Go
- ↑ The first post of Clove's Social Media Campaign - Twitter Go
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The second post of Clove's Social Media Campaign - Twitter Go
- ↑ The final post of Clove's Social Media Campaign - Twitter Go
- ↑ Clove's release was delayed to March 24, and they would be revealed on the final day of Masters Madrid - Tweet Go
- ↑ Discord message from Cynprel Go
- ↑ "what’s everyone been listening to? i've been binge listening to @madge_tv if anyone cares" - Tweet Go
- ↑ Clove's Gameplay Trailer - Tweet Go
- ↑ Clove's Ibuprofen voiceline was inspired by a migraine - Tweet by Narrative Writer, Riot Cynprel Go
- ↑ The mural of Clove made in Edinburgh - @VALORANTukn Tweets Go Go [1]
- ↑ Details about the "Find Clove" giveaway - @VALORANTukn Tweet Go
- ↑ Confirmation that Clove is short - Discord QnA with Creative Lead Riot KingKut Go
- ↑ Agent height chart[2]