OVA
Description
Gwendal von Voltaire is a central figure in the story as the eldest son of the former Queen Cecilie and the current lord of the House of Voltaire. He holds the critical position of Commander of the Demon Army, making him responsible for the military defense of Shin Makoku. In practice, his role extends far beyond military matters; he is also the one who manages the vast majority of the kingdom's paperwork and effectively runs the day-to-day administration on behalf of the young Demon King, Yuuri.
On the surface, Gwendal presents a formidable and perpetually stern appearance. His dark hair, blue eyes, and imposing stature initially cause others, including Yuuri, to fear him or assume he is constantly angry and unapproachable. However, this intimidating exterior belies a surprisingly soft and sensitive interior. He has a well-hidden but genuine fondness for cute animals and objects, a trait that becomes apparent to those who know him well. This side of his personality is most famously expressed through his secret hobby: knitting. He often spends his free time creating knitted creatures, though the results rarely resemble the intended animal, such as a bear being mistaken for a black pig or a cat that looks like a raccoon. While he claims that knitting helps sharpen his concentration, it has been a stress-relieving activity for him since childhood. On one occasion, he gifts Yuuri a handmade orange kitten, which Yuuri mistakes for a raccoon, much to Gwendal's quiet but clear insistence that it is a cat.
Gwendal's motivations are deeply rooted in a sense of duty and a protective loyalty towards his kingdom and family. He takes his responsibilities as commander and lord with the utmost seriousness, often sacrificing his own comfort to ensure the smooth operation of the realm. Despite being the elder brother, he does not openly express affection towards his younger siblings, Conrad and Wolfram. He is described as not being good at expressing his feelings, rarely smiling even at family events. Nevertheless, his deep care for them becomes unmistakable during moments of great stress or danger, such as when he rushes to Yuuri's side in a desert, collapses from exhaustion, and shows concern for his brothers' safety. His protective nature also extends to Yuuri, whom he initially views as a somewhat troublesome charge but comes to respect. Gwendal once admitted that he despised humans in his youth, a common sentiment among Mazoku of his generation, but his experiences and the arrival of the human king Yuuri challenge and soften this prejudice.
Key relationships heavily influence Gwendal's actions and reveal his hidden vulnerabilities. His childhood friend, Anissina von Karbelnikoff, is a brilliant but eccentric inventor. She frequently uses Gwendal as an unwilling test subject for her often dangerous and bizarre experiments. This has left him terrified of her, and he is often seen sweating in panic or actively hiding from her to avoid being caught as her next guinea pig. Despite his fear, a deep, unspoken bond exists between them, and it was Anissina who taught him how to knit in the first place. Another significant figure in his past is Dan Hiri Weller, an old soldier whom Gwendal trained with and deeply despised for reasons he could not articulate as a youth. In a poignant turn of events, Dan Hiri eventually died of old age in a nameless village, and an older, wiser Gwendal buried him himself, later admitting that Dan Hiri was a "larger existence" within him than anyone else.
Throughout the story, Gwendal shows subtle but clear development. His rigid, duty-bound exterior is slowly chipped away by Yuuri's unconventional and compassionate approach to kingship. He moves from simply doing paperwork and providing military support to showing more direct care and respect for the young king, even sharing private, less formal moments. Gwendal demonstrates a sharp tactical mind and is a skilled fighter. In combat, he is capable of using earth magic, most notably to create powerful barriers for defense. His left eye also serves as a key to one of the four Forbidden Boxes, known as the End of the Earth, a detail that links him to the larger, more mystical conflicts of their world.
On the surface, Gwendal presents a formidable and perpetually stern appearance. His dark hair, blue eyes, and imposing stature initially cause others, including Yuuri, to fear him or assume he is constantly angry and unapproachable. However, this intimidating exterior belies a surprisingly soft and sensitive interior. He has a well-hidden but genuine fondness for cute animals and objects, a trait that becomes apparent to those who know him well. This side of his personality is most famously expressed through his secret hobby: knitting. He often spends his free time creating knitted creatures, though the results rarely resemble the intended animal, such as a bear being mistaken for a black pig or a cat that looks like a raccoon. While he claims that knitting helps sharpen his concentration, it has been a stress-relieving activity for him since childhood. On one occasion, he gifts Yuuri a handmade orange kitten, which Yuuri mistakes for a raccoon, much to Gwendal's quiet but clear insistence that it is a cat.
Gwendal's motivations are deeply rooted in a sense of duty and a protective loyalty towards his kingdom and family. He takes his responsibilities as commander and lord with the utmost seriousness, often sacrificing his own comfort to ensure the smooth operation of the realm. Despite being the elder brother, he does not openly express affection towards his younger siblings, Conrad and Wolfram. He is described as not being good at expressing his feelings, rarely smiling even at family events. Nevertheless, his deep care for them becomes unmistakable during moments of great stress or danger, such as when he rushes to Yuuri's side in a desert, collapses from exhaustion, and shows concern for his brothers' safety. His protective nature also extends to Yuuri, whom he initially views as a somewhat troublesome charge but comes to respect. Gwendal once admitted that he despised humans in his youth, a common sentiment among Mazoku of his generation, but his experiences and the arrival of the human king Yuuri challenge and soften this prejudice.
Key relationships heavily influence Gwendal's actions and reveal his hidden vulnerabilities. His childhood friend, Anissina von Karbelnikoff, is a brilliant but eccentric inventor. She frequently uses Gwendal as an unwilling test subject for her often dangerous and bizarre experiments. This has left him terrified of her, and he is often seen sweating in panic or actively hiding from her to avoid being caught as her next guinea pig. Despite his fear, a deep, unspoken bond exists between them, and it was Anissina who taught him how to knit in the first place. Another significant figure in his past is Dan Hiri Weller, an old soldier whom Gwendal trained with and deeply despised for reasons he could not articulate as a youth. In a poignant turn of events, Dan Hiri eventually died of old age in a nameless village, and an older, wiser Gwendal buried him himself, later admitting that Dan Hiri was a "larger existence" within him than anyone else.
Throughout the story, Gwendal shows subtle but clear development. His rigid, duty-bound exterior is slowly chipped away by Yuuri's unconventional and compassionate approach to kingship. He moves from simply doing paperwork and providing military support to showing more direct care and respect for the young king, even sharing private, less formal moments. Gwendal demonstrates a sharp tactical mind and is a skilled fighter. In combat, he is capable of using earth magic, most notably to create powerful barriers for defense. His left eye also serves as a key to one of the four Forbidden Boxes, known as the End of the Earth, a detail that links him to the larger, more mystical conflicts of their world.