The Flame's origin

[Ducky]

So it miffed me slightly that we got no real explanation for the fight with the Flame, as the game did a pretty good job of establishing the stakes with every other fight. However, as I fought him, it occured to me he actually shares some similar moves with the Hand. That, combined with the hatred between him and the Rider, led me to believe that the Hand survived his fight with the Rider, but was critically injured, and was forced to take on cybernetic parts to survive. This was just an idea I had and I was curious to know what other people thought of it.

[Rac]

This is just my theory, but I believe The Flame may have been part of some kind of attack squad(?) hellbent on destroying you and your own kind. He states during the fight that he's getting revenge for what you did to him and possibly his comrades (at least I assume the names he mentions were people with him). I'm also pretty sure he was missing one of his mechanical arms before your second encounter with him, so he may have already been cybernetic.

Make what you will of it.

[type shit]

the Flame was originally a solider that served under the Hand who fought the rider, but ended up being majorly wounded in the fight due to his inexperience, but he recovered and was given a cyborg body to replace his lost or damaged limbs in exchange for his service protecting the Rider's ship in the case of his escape
also, based on art work of both the Rider and Flame, the Flame may have been an attempt by the humans to replicate the Rider's technology, such as the similarity in the gun, the white hair, the armour that lights up and even the shorts they both have
thats my interpretation anyway

[muzzL]

The Flame is The Chain, come back for revenge many years after the story.

Here is the evidence I found. I think this is accurate, but please forgive me if I have forgotten about something that one of the other guardians does.

The character is themed after Asura, the Hindu god with 3 heads and 4 arms. The Chain has 3 facemasks he switches between. The Flame at one point had 4 arms. He only has 3 during the fight but you can see the shoulder of the 4th one where it was ripped off.

How many of the guardians can you think of that get excited about the idea of hurting The Stranger? They all have reasons for fighting, but only one of them talks about doing things to The Stranger other than taking him back to his cell. Things like draining his blood (The Chain) and obliterating him (The Flame). Now you know The Chain had his reasons for being such a sadist towards The Stranger.

How many guardians do red melee "pie slice" attacks during the shooting phase of battles? Only one, The Chain with his rod, and The Flame after he rips his arm off to melee with it.

How many guardians suddenly throw their melee weapon at The Stranger? Only one, The Chain with his spinning rod boomerang, and The Flame, just before the last phase of the fight in a cutscene.

They share several attacks, including some that no other guardian has like the staggered fan of 3 rows of orange balls, and the shooting phase red pie slice that follows you around until just before it goes off. The Chain shoots multicolored bullets in a back and forth fan with his gun, The Flame does a better version with 2 guns at once.

They pretty much have the same raspy voice, though The Flame is an older version. It's raspy because he was always a smoker.