TV-Series
Description
Giscard is a secondary antagonist in The Heroic Legend of Arslan, serving as the Supreme Commander of the Royal Lusitanian Army and the Grand Vizier of Lusitania. He holds the title of Duke and is the younger brother of King Innocentius VII. In practice, Giscard functions as the de facto ruler of Lusitania, as he is the one who possesses the intelligence, political acumen, and strategic foresight necessary to manage both military campaigns and state affairs.
Physically, Giscard is depicted with dark blonde shoulder-length hair, a dark blonde beard, and caramel-colored eyes. His face is characterized as stern and jagged, reflecting his serious and calculating nature.
Giscard is defined by his rationality and ambition. He is a serious and highly intelligent man who resents that he was not born the first son and therefore did not inherit the throne. He believes he is far more qualified to rule than his older brother, a sentiment that is widely shared by many ministers and generals who look to him as their true leader. Unlike most of his countrymen, he does not seem to hold a strong faith in the Lusitanian religion of Yaldabaoth, finding its fanaticism barbaric and counterproductive. This separation from religious zealotry makes him a pragmatic, if ruthless, politician who values results over piety.
Motivated by a desire for power and a genuine belief that he should be king, Giscard views his brother's incompetence as a threat to the stability of Lusitania. He is ambitious and is described as counting the days until his rightful reign. His invasion of Pars is partly driven by personal ambition, but also by a practical need to use the wealth of the conquered nation to lift Lusitania out of its status as a poor country.
Within the story, Giscard acts as a major stabilizing force for the Lusitanian occupation of the Parsian capital, Ecbatana. He is constantly cleaning up the messes created by his fanatical king and the aggressive religious leadership, particularly the archpriest Bodin. He prevents Bodin from massacring 10,000 Parsian civilians, recognizing it would spark a rebellion, and uses political maneuvering to drive a wedge between the church and state, temporarily removing Bodin from the capital. He also forms a crucial alliance with the masked Parsian prince Hilmes. Giscard provides Hilmes with an army of 30,000 Parsian soldiers to suppress Bodin, seeing the prince as a useful tool to control the conquered territory and manage threats that his own troops cannot handle.
Giscard's key relationships are defined by his frustration with his brother and his uneasy partnership with Hilmes. He considers King Innocentius VII to be a foolish, possessed fanatic who makes impossible demands, such as marrying the Parsian Queen Tahamine despite the danger. While Giscard remains publicly loyal, his private disdain is immense. His relationship with Bodin is adversarial, representing a fundamental conflict between state pragmatism and religious extremism. His partnership with Hilmes is based on mutual manipulation. Giscard believes he is using Hilmes, but when their campaign results in a disastrous defeat at the Keep of Saint-Emmanuel, Hilmes turns on the Lusitanian generals. In a private confrontation, Hilmes reveals that he knows Giscard desires the Lusitanian throne for himself. Recognizing Hilmes as a dangerous and useful ally, Giscard agrees to give Pars to Hilmes in exchange for Hilmes helping him become King of Lusitania.
Giscard demonstrates significant development as his ambitions become more explicit. Initially content to rule from behind the throne as the Grand Vizier, his frustration with his brother and the shifting political landscape lead him to openly conspire with Hilmes to seize the crown. This progression shows him moving from a calculating subordinate to an active, albeit dangerous, conspirator who is willing to betray his nation's ruler to achieve his goal.
His notable abilities lie in his political and strategic genius. He is recognized as the best strategist in Lusitania, a master of trickery who excels at military and governmental affairs. His intelligence is such that even the brilliant Parsian strategist Narsus acknowledges him as a formidable opponent. Giscard saw through Narsus's false intelligence about the size of the Parsian army, a rare instance of Narsus's tactics being predicted by an enemy. He is a capable commander and a devious schemer who ruthlessly manipulates the political system to destroy his opponents, wielding his power to keep the army and the state functioning despite the folly of his king and the zealotry of the clergy.
Physically, Giscard is depicted with dark blonde shoulder-length hair, a dark blonde beard, and caramel-colored eyes. His face is characterized as stern and jagged, reflecting his serious and calculating nature.
Giscard is defined by his rationality and ambition. He is a serious and highly intelligent man who resents that he was not born the first son and therefore did not inherit the throne. He believes he is far more qualified to rule than his older brother, a sentiment that is widely shared by many ministers and generals who look to him as their true leader. Unlike most of his countrymen, he does not seem to hold a strong faith in the Lusitanian religion of Yaldabaoth, finding its fanaticism barbaric and counterproductive. This separation from religious zealotry makes him a pragmatic, if ruthless, politician who values results over piety.
Motivated by a desire for power and a genuine belief that he should be king, Giscard views his brother's incompetence as a threat to the stability of Lusitania. He is ambitious and is described as counting the days until his rightful reign. His invasion of Pars is partly driven by personal ambition, but also by a practical need to use the wealth of the conquered nation to lift Lusitania out of its status as a poor country.
Within the story, Giscard acts as a major stabilizing force for the Lusitanian occupation of the Parsian capital, Ecbatana. He is constantly cleaning up the messes created by his fanatical king and the aggressive religious leadership, particularly the archpriest Bodin. He prevents Bodin from massacring 10,000 Parsian civilians, recognizing it would spark a rebellion, and uses political maneuvering to drive a wedge between the church and state, temporarily removing Bodin from the capital. He also forms a crucial alliance with the masked Parsian prince Hilmes. Giscard provides Hilmes with an army of 30,000 Parsian soldiers to suppress Bodin, seeing the prince as a useful tool to control the conquered territory and manage threats that his own troops cannot handle.
Giscard's key relationships are defined by his frustration with his brother and his uneasy partnership with Hilmes. He considers King Innocentius VII to be a foolish, possessed fanatic who makes impossible demands, such as marrying the Parsian Queen Tahamine despite the danger. While Giscard remains publicly loyal, his private disdain is immense. His relationship with Bodin is adversarial, representing a fundamental conflict between state pragmatism and religious extremism. His partnership with Hilmes is based on mutual manipulation. Giscard believes he is using Hilmes, but when their campaign results in a disastrous defeat at the Keep of Saint-Emmanuel, Hilmes turns on the Lusitanian generals. In a private confrontation, Hilmes reveals that he knows Giscard desires the Lusitanian throne for himself. Recognizing Hilmes as a dangerous and useful ally, Giscard agrees to give Pars to Hilmes in exchange for Hilmes helping him become King of Lusitania.
Giscard demonstrates significant development as his ambitions become more explicit. Initially content to rule from behind the throne as the Grand Vizier, his frustration with his brother and the shifting political landscape lead him to openly conspire with Hilmes to seize the crown. This progression shows him moving from a calculating subordinate to an active, albeit dangerous, conspirator who is willing to betray his nation's ruler to achieve his goal.
His notable abilities lie in his political and strategic genius. He is recognized as the best strategist in Lusitania, a master of trickery who excels at military and governmental affairs. His intelligence is such that even the brilliant Parsian strategist Narsus acknowledges him as a formidable opponent. Giscard saw through Narsus's false intelligence about the size of the Parsian army, a rare instance of Narsus's tactics being predicted by an enemy. He is a capable commander and a devious schemer who ruthlessly manipulates the political system to destroy his opponents, wielding his power to keep the army and the state functioning despite the folly of his king and the zealotry of the clergy.