The Vision of Escaflowne/Characters

Hitomi Kanzaki

Voiced by Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese) and Kelly Sheridan (English)

The heroine and focus character of the series. Hitomi was just a normal high school student with a schoolgirl crush on her track team sempai Amano when a string of events leaves her stranded on Gaea. To add to her problems, her latent psychic abilities (manifesting before only as hunches and surprisingly accurate Tarot readings) begin to explode in power, frequently barraging her with disturbing images of what is to come.

Tropes that apply to Hitomi

• Action Survivor: Being on the track team sure comes in handy when you have to do things like, say, leaping six meters across a gaping chasm to save Van.
• But Your Wings Are Beautiful: Being from Earth instead of Gaea, the negative connotations of Van's wings are completely lost on her.
• Crash Into Hello: A dramatic variant, with Van.
• Deadpan Snarker: On rare occasion, usually self depreciating.
• Generic Cuteness: Has rather plain looks, which once or twice trouble her.
• Green Eyes
• Fainting Seer: A rare case where said character is the heroine.
• Hair Antennae: Symbolizes her sunny disposition (and is not present in The Movie version where she is an Emo Teen, except in a childhood flashback)
• Joshikousei
• Loving a Shadow: Hitomi's crush on Allen is based on the fact that he looks, acts, and even sounds like her beloved Amano-sempai.
• Magic Skirt: The animators were explicitly instructed to keep away from giving her any Panty Shots.
• Memento MacGuffin: Her pendant, given to her by her late grandmother.
• Morality Pet/Morality Chain: She eventually becomes this to Van.
• Ordinary High School Student
• Plucky Girl: So much so, she's nearly an Action Girl by the end.
• Power Strain Blackout: Her ability to see into the future, via Tarot Cards, often has this effect on her afterwards. It's eventually revealed that both the duration and the severity of her fainting spells is determined by her emotional state. Meaning, the greater her anxiety, the greater its toll on her following her vision; not to mention the part about her anxiety making those visions come true!
• Say My Name: "VAAAAAAN!"
• School Uniforms Are the New Black
• She Cleans Up Nicely: When Millerna dolls her up in a dress in Asturia.
• Shojo: Hitomi is very much a Shojo heroine, as much as Van is a Shonen hero.
• Shorttank
• Spanner in the Works: The only thing that puts the Destiny Prognostication Engine through more hell than the Escaflowne.
• What The Hell, Hero

Hitomi: I saw it -- you enjoyed fighting! I don't want you protecting me if this is what it does to you.

• Your Mind Makes It Real: Hitomi's visions are not set in stone -- it's her anxiety over them that makes them come true.

Van Slanzar de Fanel

Voiced by Tomokazu Seki (Japanese), Kirby Morrow (English) and Jose Gilberto Vilchis (Latin America)

The Hero, pilot of the Escaflowne and newly crowned king of the country of Fanelia. Van has the misfortune of having his kingdom burned to the ground on the day of his coronation, and is now forced on the run from the Zaibach Empire.

Tropes associated with Van:

• Action Boyfriend
• Awesome Moment of Crowning
• Badass: Especially in the movie.
• Berserk Button: A past poster boy. Do. Not. Hurt. Hitomi.
• Bishonen
• Blood From the Mouth: Once after a dragon-induced concussion, and once when somebody starts dismantling the Escaflowne, heart first, while he's still synchronized to it.
• Break the Cutie: Van probably goes through more physical and emotional torture than any other character in the series.
• Bring My Red Jacket
• Brown Eyes
• Cain and Abel: With Folken. They make up at the end. And then, Folken dies.
• Cannot Spit It Out: He comes very close to confessing to Hitomi in episode 19...and then he fucks it up. Luckily, he gets it right at the end of the series.
• Determinator: "I...I can still fight!"
• Half-Human Hybrid (Half Draconian on his mother's side)
• He Who Fights Monsters: As the series progresses, Van starts cracking from the strain of the Break the Cutie process and gradually goes from a borderline Martial Pacifist to an all-out Blood Knight. Thank God for the Power of Love, or he might have gone off the deep end.
• Hot-Blooded
• Kuudere
• Modest Royalty: Or to quote Hitomi, "He's a prince!?"
• Noble Fugitive
• Overdrawn At the Blood Bank: If this were the real world, there would have been no chance in hell of Van surviving episode 14, Draconian heritage notwithstanding.
• Parental Abandonment: Father is dead, while his mother disappeared in search of his missing brother.
• Peek-a-Bangs: Borderline. His hair isn't always there, like most examples, but it tends to entirely cover up one of his eyes -like in the picture- more often than not.
• Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Official sources list him as 165 cm and 51 kg (5'5" and 112 lbs, just about) -- in other words, absolutely tiny. He is introduced killing a dragon the size of a small building in single combat.
• Say My Name: "HITOMIIIII!"
• Screaming Warrior: The inevitable result of letting Tomokazu "THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!" Seki voice your Humongous Mecha pilot.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps
• Spanner in the Works: The Escaflowne's existence plays absolute hell on the Zaibach Empire's Destiny Prognostication Engine, which is why they're investing so much into capturing both it and it's pilot.
• Synchronization: Halfway through the series, Van applies Hitomi's dowsing technique to gain more control over the Escaflowne. Unfortunately for him, the link works both ways -- mentally and physically.
• Unstoppable Rage: Van just goes utterly apeshit on the Dragonslayers in the 14th episode.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: TV Van is not a case of this, despite the frequent Clothing Damage. Movie Van, on the other hand...
• Warrior Prince: You are not allowed to be King of Fanelia until you kick dragon ass in single combat. This is precisely what Van does in the first episode.
• Winged Humanoid

Allen Schezar

Voiced by Shinichiro Miki (Japanese) and Brian Drummond (English)

A member of the Knight Caeli that happens to bear an uncanny resamblance to Hitomi's crush, Amano. Allen is the sole, impeccable gentleman among a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits that guard one of Asturia's outposts. Despite his near perfect outward appearance and demeanor, he's hiding quite a number of abandonment issues just below the surface.

And yes, the Goliath's hero unit in StarCraft is named after him.

Tropes associated with Allen:

• Badass
  • Badass Crew: He is the Captain of one.
• Bishonen
• Big Brother Instinct: Allen has a thing for attaching himself to barely legal ingenues out of misplaced filial instinct.
• Blue Eyes
• Calling the Old Man Out: Allen wants to do this to Leon, his Disappeared Dad. Turns out Leon was Dead All Along.
• Casanova: He even has the bastard son to prove it though he doesn't seem to do it on purpose; he just has a tendency to fall for women he can never be with, even if they do reciprocate, which they usually do.
• Chekhov MIA: Both his father and little sister. His father Leon was Dead All Along, and his little sister Selena was forcibly turned into Dilandau.
• Chick Magnet
• Disappeared Dad: Turns out that he was Dead All Along.
  • He also is one to Prince Chid
• Failure Knight: For not protecting his mom and Selena, and later for what happened between him and Marlene.
• Giant Poofy Sleeves
• Hair of Gold
• Knight in Shining Armor
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy
• Loving a Shadow: He's not looking for love so much as for a Replacement Goldfish for his missing younger sister.
• May-December Romance: Both legs of his Love Triangle are only 15. Allen? He's 21.
• Officer and a Gentleman
• Out of Focus: In the movie he is downplayed to a secondary character and the Love Triangle between him, Van and Hitomi is nonexistent.
• Rapunzel Hair
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: His reason for leaving his post as a Knight Caeli and accompanying Van and Hitomi.

Merle

Voiced by Ikue Ohtani (Japanese) and Jocelyne Loewen (English)

Van's closest, and clingiest friend. Has quite the love-hate relationship with Hitomi, thanks to Van's feelings for her

Tropes associated with Merle:

• Catgirl
• Clingy Jealous Girl
• Cute Little Fangs
• Dark-Skinned Redhead
• Genki Girl
• The Glomp
• If You Ever Do Anything To Hurt Him
• Like Brother and Sister: Van's stance on their relationship.
• Morality Pet: Shares this role with Hitomi to Van.
• Mouthy Kid
• Plucky Comic Relief
• Rose Haired Catgirl
• Team Pet or Token Non-Human: Border example.
• Token Mini-Moe
• Third Person Person: In the original at times.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: Ironically, it's her fear that Hitomi might seduce him that causes her to act the part of the Clingy Jealous Girl in the first place, only for him to fall for Hitomi without her intending for him to do so. She then accepts her fate as UCF and backs off.
• Vapor Wear: Merle doesn't wear underwear, a fact that is shown quite often.
• Victoria's Secret Compartment: She uses her cleavage to store several of Hitomi's belongings in episode 8.
• You Gotta Have Pink Hair

Princess Millerna Sarah Aston

Voiced by Mayumi Iizuka (Japanese) and Venus Terzo (English)

The youngest princess of Asturia who happens to be quite smitten with Allen, but betrothed to Dryden Fassa. Millerna is not quite comfortable being royalty, particularly since it she was forced to abandon her medical studies because of it.

Tropes associated with Millerna

• Everything's Better with Princesses
• Hair of Gold
• Lovable Alpha Bitch: She is introduced as a mild Alpha Bitch, but she mellows out soon.
• The Medic: And one that's not a White Magician Girl.
• Pimped-Out Dress
• Plucky Girl
• Princesses Prefer Pink
• Rebellious Princess: She'd rather be a medic and marry for love than a traditional princess.
• Shorttank
• Tsundere: More towards Dryden than towards Allen.
• Ugly Guys Hot Daughter: Along with her two older sisters, Eries and Marlene.

Dryden Fassa

Voiced by Jurota Kosugi (Japanese) and Michael Dobson (English)

Millerna's fiance. A brilliant and successful merchant with a frank, laid-back demeanor and a massive generosity streak.

Tropes associated with Dryden:

• Belligerent Sexual Tension: To a very mild degree, with Millerna.
• Bishonen: Normally a borderline case, due to facial hair and overall unkempt appearance. But on his Wedding Day (clean-shaven, no glasses, Nice Hat, etc.) he's a classic example.
• Brutal Honesty: Dude never sugarcoats his words.
• Guile Hero: Very kind-hearted and rich, but also very cynical and manipulative when needed. See how he completely owned Allen with words alone and how he dealt with the creators of Escaflowne and got them to fix it, thus saving Van's life.
• Insufferable Genius: He is quite aware of how awesome he is, and is quick to point it out.
• Intrepid Merchant
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Dryden gives Millerna back the wedding ring after their disastrous wedding, claiming that he's not worthy of her quite yet.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Abrasive, hedonistic, kinda selfish. Also generous, kindhearted and quick.thinking.
• Lennon Specs
• Mad Corrupt Corporate Executive's Handsome Son: Dryden's father makes an appearance before him in episodes 6 and 7, where he pays to have Hitomi kidnapped. Dryden thankfully doesn't take after him in any way.
• Perma-Stubble
• Rich Idiot With No Day Job: Dryden seems at first to be one of these. But is quite smarter than he looks.

Balgus

Voiced by Tessho Genda (Japanese) and Don Brown (English)

One of the "three master swordsmen of Gaea" and Van's retainer/surrogate father. Balgus dies while covering Van's escape from Fanelia, but he nonetheless shows himself to be a major influence on both Van and Allen in the past.

Tropes associated with Balgus:

• BFS
• Badass Grandpa: Balgus took out a Guymelef on foot.
• Cool Old Guy
• Mentor Occupational Hazard
• Parental Substitute: To Van.
• Posthumous Character: Most of what we learn about Balgus comes after his death.

Emperor Dornkirk

Voiced by Masato Yamanouchi (Japanese) and Richard Newman (English)

Emperor of the Zaibach empire. Through Atlantean technology and a Magitek device known as Destiny Prognostication Engine, Dornkirk seeks to create a future for Gaea free of war -- Even if it means burning down a city-state every now and then

Tropes that apply to Dornkirk

• Big Bad
• Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Confirmed by Word of God to be Sir Isaac Newton.
• Emperor Scientist
• My Death Is Just the Beginning
• Well-Intentioned Extremist

Dilandau Albatau/Celena Schezar

Voiced by Minami Takayama (Japanese) and Andrew Francis (English)

A complete and absolute psycho, Dilandau is the man put in charge of capturing Van and the Escaflowne. He his happy to oblige to this order -- provided he gets to blow a lot of shit up on the way.

Tropes that apply to Dilandau

• A Glass of Chianti: Has a taste for red wine...and drinks quite heavily.
• Allen, I Am Your Sister
• Ax Crazy
• Bishonen
• Blood Knight
• Break the Haughty: Oh boy was Dilandau ever shaken up after that one battle with Van.
• The Brute
• Char Clone: An Ax Crazy variant. He acts as The Rival to Van and even Allen to an extent, pilots custom red Guymelefs, and turns out to be Allen's little sister Celena.
• Cosmic Retcon: This is basically what Fate Alteration does: it turns you into a totally different person, physically and mentally.
• The Dragon: To Folken in the movie.
• Evil Albino
• Freak-Out: The Break the Haughty process somehow manages to make Dilandau even more fucked up. He spends several episodes freaking out in epic and continous ways.
• Gender Bender
• Hair-Trigger Temper
• Meaningful Name: The name "Dilandau" is a pretty clear nod to Durandal, the legendary sword tainted with a curse of insanity to prevent it from being wielded by the wrong hands.
• Mid Series Upgrade: Well, more like end-of-series upgrade, but. He upgrades to a Guymelef called the Oreides four episodes from the end of the series. It appears to be a souped-up, stylized Alseides with dual flamethrowers/even more liquid metal claws (his only remaining soldier Jajuka also receives one, albeit in rank-and-file blue). In an aversion to this trope, however, the Oreides doesn't appear to do him much good, due to his increasingly-unstable nature, at least against main characters. Van pretty much takes it apart during the final battle with Escaflowne.
• Minor Injury Overreaction: Dilandau has what has got to be the most epic freak out ever over the cheek scar Van gave him.
  • "It stings...It stings...It stings..."
    • "My cheek BURNS Van, just like the city! And all because YOU'RE in it!!!"
    • "My face. He cut my beautiful face!"
• Moral Myopia: Only Dilandau's allowed to fuck with Dilandau's Dragonslayers, understand?
• The Ophelia: Becomes a male version post Freak-Out. Then again, he is actually female...
• The Power of Friendship: The only thing keeping him sane. Yes, that is his sane mode. He might beat the shit outta the Dragonslayers, but if one of them is wronged by somebody else, the attacker will DIE. Just as a certain Master of Disguise.
• Psycho Supporter
• Psychotic Smirk: One of his default expressions.
• Pyromaniac: "BURN BURN BURN!"
• Quirky Miniboss Squad: His Dragonslayers.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning
• Scars Are Forever: Maybe they wouldn't be if he'd stop scratching at it.
• Slasher Smile: His other default expression.
• Sissy Villain
• The Sociopath
• Sociopathic Soldier: To an ungodly degree.
• Tyke Bomb: Dilandau is what you get when you kidnap innocent little girls, like Selena Schezar, and put them through Fate Alteration experiments.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Dilandau used to be a sweet little girl by the name of Selena Schezar.
• Villainous Breakdown: When all the Dragon Slayers are killed.
• White-Haired Pretty Boy

Folken Lacour de Fanel

Voiced by Joji Nakata (Japanese) and Paul Dobson (English)

Van's long-missing brother. After his dissappearence ten years ago, Van finds his brother -- only to find that he's serving as The Dragon in Emperor Dornkirk's plans

Tropes that apply to Folken

• Affably Evil
• Adaptational Villainy: In the movie Folken is a psychotic Big Bad, while in the original series he was more of an Anti-Villain or a Dragon with an Agenda to the actual Big Bad, Emperor Dornkirk (who is absent from the movie altogether). In fact, in the series he eventually has a Heel Face Turn.
• Aloof Big Brother
• Anti-Villain: Type III.
• Artificial Limbs
• The Atoner: After his Heel Face Turn
• Ax Crazy: In the movie.
• Badass Long Robe
• Big Bad: In the movie.
• Broken Pedestal: For Van.
• Cain and Abel
• The Dragon
  • Also The Evil Genius, since he's the Strategos (tactician and strategist) for the Zaibach army.
• Eighties Hair: Most evident in the movie.
• Equal Opportunity Evil: He employs cat people and even doppelgangers - a race even Dilandau despises - and treats them with the same high standard of respect and courtesy that he does for all of his men.
• Facial Markings
• Evil Wings: Folken's wings are revealed to be black when he finally shows them.
• Half-Human Hybrid: Half Draconian on his mother's side.
• Handicapped Badass
• Heel Face Turn
• Knight Templar Big Brother: Failing to pass the Dragon rite, Folken joined Dornkirk in hopes that he can create a world where his brother Van won't have to fight as king.
• Karmic Death: Stupid Dornkirk.
  • More deserved in The Movie, though.
• Nietzsche Wannabe: In the movie.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Look at how much concern he shows for the twin catgirls' safety when they undergo Luck Enhancement therapy and tell me his actions aren't those actions of a Benevolent Boss.
• Redemption Equals Death
• Reformed but Rejected: The leaders don't trust him after his Heel Face Turn. Neither does Van, until Folken saves *both* of them from a dragon.
• Self-Made Orphan: In the movie.
• The Spock
• That Man Is Dead: "Folken of Fanelia is dead. I died the day that dragon ripped this arm off, and it was Emperor Dornkirk who gave me life again."
• Well-Intentioned Extremist
• Winged Humanoid
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair
• Your Days Are Numbered: When Hitomi reveals that confronting Dornkirk will kill him, Folken tells her that the result of all of his Deadly Upgrades mean that he doesn't have much longer to live anyhow.

Jajuka

Voiced by Kouji Tsujitani (Japanese) and Scott McNeil(English)

A soldier in the Zaibach tropes, and a very special one. First, he's an anthropomorphic canine of sorts, having the looks of a dog (more seemingly, an Afghan hound. Second, he took care of little Selena Schezar in her early Zaibach days, and was a sort of Big Brother Mentor to her. Jajuka feels horrendously guilty because he was powerless to save Selena from the horrid treatment that turned her into Dilandau, and becomes Dilandau's follower in hopes that he'll be able to fix his error someday...

• Animal Motifs: He has the face and head of a dog, is also loyal and devoted as a well-trained one.
• Anti-Villain: Type II or IV.
• Chekhov's Gunman: We see him first during Dilandau/Selena's brief stunt as The Ophelia. Later, he reappears with a vengeance.
• Failure Knight
• Gentle Giant
• Half-Human Hybrid
• Heroic Sacrifice: Shields Dilandau in the middle of the final battle, and dies begging him to become Selena again. His death triggers Dilandau's last Villainous Breakdown... and switches him back to Selena, the gentle girl he used to be.
• Lions and Tigers and Humans, Oh My!
• Morality Pet: To Dilandau.. Brutally subverted in the movie.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: Sorta took Leon and Allen's place in Selena's life, until It Got Worse.