TV-Series
Description
Canal Volfield is a central character and one of the main heroines of the series. She is not a human but an artificial intelligence who serves as the system administrator of the Sword Breaker, the powerful lost ship that the protagonists use to travel through space. Her physical form, which appears as a young woman, is a three-dimensional projection. While this image can be altered, she is most frequently seen in a distinctive maid outfit, though she also adopts other appearances such as that of a shrine maiden.
Her personality is complex, blending a sharp intellect and a practical, logical mindset with a deeply caring and protective nature. Canal is highly intelligent and serves as the team's technical expert, using her extensive knowledge of computers and technology to solve complex problems and overcome obstacles. She is depicted as an expert in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, making her a valuable asset in dangerous situations. Despite her tough exterior and logical approach, she possesses a strong sense of compassion and is profoundly loyal to her friends and crewmates. A notable and recurring character trait is her obsession with money and finances. She is often seen managing the team's budget and is intensely focused on costs, a trait that leads to friction with the more reckless and expensive habits of other crew members, such as Millie's tendency to cause damage that requires costly repairs. Her desire to equip the Sword Breaker with conventional weapons, despite the ship's advanced technology, stems from the horrifying fact that the lost ship’s primary weapons consume the life force and soul of its pilot, which led to the death of her previous captain.
Canal's primary motivation is the protection and well-being of her current pilot and childhood friend, Kane Blueriver. She is deeply devoted to him and acts as a guardian, often serving as the voice of reason when his recklessness takes over. Her role in the story is that of a mission control, advisor, and combat support. She controls the Sword Breaker's functions, provides strategic and technical guidance, and assists Kane and the other crew member, Millie, during their missions for the Universal Guardians. Her relationship with Kane is the most significant. They are irreplaceable partners who have known each other since childhood, and her loyalty to him is absolute. She is fiercely protective and is shown to be desperate and emotional when he is in mortal danger. Her relationship with Millie is more strained, primarily due to financial concerns. Canal is pragmatic and sees Millie as an added expense, particularly because of the frequent kitchen explosions caused by Millie’s insistence on cooking by hand instead of using the ship’s food synthesizer.
Throughout the series, Canal experiences significant development, particularly in the face of overwhelming threats. As the story progresses into its main conflict against other lost ships, she is placed in situations where her very existence is at risk. In dire battles, she can suffer damage that threatens her memory and stability, pushing her to the brink of disappearing. It is in these moments of crisis that her feelings for Kane are most explicitly shown, demonstrating a depth of emotion that transcends her nature as an AI. Her backstory, explored more in the original novels, reveals that she was created on the spot by the lost ship Volfeed to calm the frightened mind of a young girl named Alicia, who would later become Kane’s grandmother. The image she chose for her projection was based on a member of the production staff.
Canal possesses a range of abilities stemming from her nature as the Sword Breaker’s administrator. Within the ship, she has near-total control over its environment, from life support to gravity, and can use this control offensively or defensively. As a projection, she is intangible but, thanks to a technology called mass materialization in the anime, she can exert physical force and interact with objects. She is also a formidable hand-to-hand fighter and a brilliant strategist, though her direct physical actions are generally limited to the ship or its immediate vicinity. In the original novels, her ability to act physically is more restricted, limiting her primarily to the interior of the Sword Breaker.
Her personality is complex, blending a sharp intellect and a practical, logical mindset with a deeply caring and protective nature. Canal is highly intelligent and serves as the team's technical expert, using her extensive knowledge of computers and technology to solve complex problems and overcome obstacles. She is depicted as an expert in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, making her a valuable asset in dangerous situations. Despite her tough exterior and logical approach, she possesses a strong sense of compassion and is profoundly loyal to her friends and crewmates. A notable and recurring character trait is her obsession with money and finances. She is often seen managing the team's budget and is intensely focused on costs, a trait that leads to friction with the more reckless and expensive habits of other crew members, such as Millie's tendency to cause damage that requires costly repairs. Her desire to equip the Sword Breaker with conventional weapons, despite the ship's advanced technology, stems from the horrifying fact that the lost ship’s primary weapons consume the life force and soul of its pilot, which led to the death of her previous captain.
Canal's primary motivation is the protection and well-being of her current pilot and childhood friend, Kane Blueriver. She is deeply devoted to him and acts as a guardian, often serving as the voice of reason when his recklessness takes over. Her role in the story is that of a mission control, advisor, and combat support. She controls the Sword Breaker's functions, provides strategic and technical guidance, and assists Kane and the other crew member, Millie, during their missions for the Universal Guardians. Her relationship with Kane is the most significant. They are irreplaceable partners who have known each other since childhood, and her loyalty to him is absolute. She is fiercely protective and is shown to be desperate and emotional when he is in mortal danger. Her relationship with Millie is more strained, primarily due to financial concerns. Canal is pragmatic and sees Millie as an added expense, particularly because of the frequent kitchen explosions caused by Millie’s insistence on cooking by hand instead of using the ship’s food synthesizer.
Throughout the series, Canal experiences significant development, particularly in the face of overwhelming threats. As the story progresses into its main conflict against other lost ships, she is placed in situations where her very existence is at risk. In dire battles, she can suffer damage that threatens her memory and stability, pushing her to the brink of disappearing. It is in these moments of crisis that her feelings for Kane are most explicitly shown, demonstrating a depth of emotion that transcends her nature as an AI. Her backstory, explored more in the original novels, reveals that she was created on the spot by the lost ship Volfeed to calm the frightened mind of a young girl named Alicia, who would later become Kane’s grandmother. The image she chose for her projection was based on a member of the production staff.
Canal possesses a range of abilities stemming from her nature as the Sword Breaker’s administrator. Within the ship, she has near-total control over its environment, from life support to gravity, and can use this control offensively or defensively. As a projection, she is intangible but, thanks to a technology called mass materialization in the anime, she can exert physical force and interact with objects. She is also a formidable hand-to-hand fighter and a brilliant strategist, though her direct physical actions are generally limited to the ship or its immediate vicinity. In the original novels, her ability to act physically is more restricted, limiting her primarily to the interior of the Sword Breaker.