At the start of Unicorn Overlord, you’re introduced to and control several units loyal to Queen Ilenia, Alain’s mother, before her castle is attacked and the prince is forced to flee. Renault is one of those characters and turns into another boss unit you can recruit to your army.
Renault, like Hodrick before him, was corrupted by Valmore’s dark magic and forced to serve under the Zenoiran Empire for 10 years in the opening of Unicorn Overlord. Prince Alain, having the power to undo the former general’s control, is able to free Renault—though he does not react in a way we have seen before. Instead of speaking to Alain, Hodrick, or Josef, the former knight leaves the scene once he recovers from his injuries, leaving you in a pickle if you want to recruit the queen’s former retainer.
Who is Laurent in Unicorn Overlord and how to recruit him
Not long after you rescue Scarlett and defeat Renault in The Priestess Abducted quest, you’ll open up more of the map to begin exploring—which also means more area to liberate from Zenoiran control. As you enter these Liberation missions, regardless of their location on the map, you’ll encounter a new character, a Great Knight named Laurent, who will fight alongside Alain’s army as a controllable unit.
As you complete more Liberation quests, you’ll get additional dialogue about Laurent, including a confrontation between the mysterious knight and Clive, which confirms that Laurent is Renault trying to hide his identity and make up for the last 10 years of his mind-controlled actions.
In total, you need to complete four Liberation quests after clearing The Priestess Abducted to get the final Laurent cutscene where Renault reveals himself to Alain and Josef, eventually swearing his loyalty to the prince. You do not have the option to refuse this offer or execute him. From that point on, he joins the Liberation Army and is a usable unit.
