TV-Series
Description
Filia ul Copt is a golden dragon and a central character in the anime series The Slayers Try, where she appears as an anime-original addition to the setting. She is a priestess of the highest rank in the temple of the Flarelord Vrabazard and the daughter of the high priest Bazardo ul Copt. About five hundred years old, she is still considered an adolescent by dragon standards. She comes from the lands beyond the region where the main characters live, and she spent her life in a sheltered environment, following the directives of the temple elders without much exposure to the wider world. When the Flarelord delivered a prophecy about the world facing destruction, Filia was entrusted with the mission of preventing it. She first sought the aid of Luna Inverse, but Luna declined and referred her to her younger sister, Lina Inverse, which is how Filia came to travel with Lina's group.
In personality, Filia projects a calm and dignified bearing, but beneath that surface she is highly temperamental, stubborn, and quick to anger. She holds strong religious convictions and was raised to believe that the golden dragons are the superior race, giving her an initially narrow and biased outlook. She is devoted to what she considers justice and to the decrees of her faith, and she can be self-righteous and condescending when she believes her view is the correct one. At the same time, she is genuinely compassionate and capable of deep care for others. Her temper often gets the better of her, and when she is provoked her dragon tail becomes visible and she tends to reach for the large spiked mace she keeps concealed on a strap beneath her clothing.
Her main motivation at the start of the story is to fulfill her sacred duty by assembling a team strong enough to stop the resurrection of the entity known as Dark Star Dugradigdu. She acts as the one who brings the group together and guides them toward this goal. As the journey proceeds, her motivations shift significantly. She discovers that the golden dragons committed brutal acts of violence during the Kouma War, including the slaughter of the ancient dragons, and that the history she was taught concealed these crimes. This revelation shakes the foundation of her faith and forces her to question the righteousness of her own people and the temple elders she once obeyed without question.
Her relationships are central to her arc. She grows particularly close to Lina Inverse, and despite their frequent irritation with one another, they become good friends. Filia often disapproves of how easily Lina and the others abandon their responsibilities for the sake of food or profit. Her most fraught relationship is with Xelloss, a mazoku who is said to have exterminated most of the golden dragons long ago. Because of this history and the ancient enmity between dragons and mazoku, Filia despises him openly, frequently insults him by calling him raw garbage, and threatens him with her mace. Their constant conflict is a recurring dynamic throughout the series. She also forms a meaningful connection with Valgarv, a renegade dragon associated with the mazoku lord Gaav. Despite her initial hostility, she comes to sympathize with him as she learns the truth about her people's past, and her desire to atone for the golden dragons' crimes becomes focused on helping him.
Over the course of the story, Filia undergoes considerable development. She moves from blind devotion to her temple's teachings to a more independent and honest understanding of the world. Confronted with the dark history of her own race, she chooses personal integrity over loyalty to her clan's deception. Near the end of the series, she gives up her position as priestess, and by the time the conflict with Dark Star has concluded, she finds that she is the last remaining follower of the Flarelord, as the rest of her clan has been destroyed. In the aftermath, Valgarv is reborn as a pure ancient dragon, and Filia becomes his caretaker, raising him in his new form. She later settles into a quiet life running an antique shop with Jillas, a former subordinate of Valgarv.
In terms of abilities, Filia has two forms. Her natural form is that of a golden dragon, in which she can fly and unleash a focused blast of energy through her dragon breath. She can also take the appearance of a young human woman through transformation magic, though this form is not entirely complete, as her dragon tail with its pink bow remains visible. Maintaining the human form requires concentration, and losing focus causes parts of her true form to reappear. Even in human form, she retains her dragon strength and magical abilities, including holy spells and the power to teleport herself and others over long distances. She is a capable combatant who combines magic with physical force, wielding her heavy mace with considerable effectiveness in battle.
In personality, Filia projects a calm and dignified bearing, but beneath that surface she is highly temperamental, stubborn, and quick to anger. She holds strong religious convictions and was raised to believe that the golden dragons are the superior race, giving her an initially narrow and biased outlook. She is devoted to what she considers justice and to the decrees of her faith, and she can be self-righteous and condescending when she believes her view is the correct one. At the same time, she is genuinely compassionate and capable of deep care for others. Her temper often gets the better of her, and when she is provoked her dragon tail becomes visible and she tends to reach for the large spiked mace she keeps concealed on a strap beneath her clothing.
Her main motivation at the start of the story is to fulfill her sacred duty by assembling a team strong enough to stop the resurrection of the entity known as Dark Star Dugradigdu. She acts as the one who brings the group together and guides them toward this goal. As the journey proceeds, her motivations shift significantly. She discovers that the golden dragons committed brutal acts of violence during the Kouma War, including the slaughter of the ancient dragons, and that the history she was taught concealed these crimes. This revelation shakes the foundation of her faith and forces her to question the righteousness of her own people and the temple elders she once obeyed without question.
Her relationships are central to her arc. She grows particularly close to Lina Inverse, and despite their frequent irritation with one another, they become good friends. Filia often disapproves of how easily Lina and the others abandon their responsibilities for the sake of food or profit. Her most fraught relationship is with Xelloss, a mazoku who is said to have exterminated most of the golden dragons long ago. Because of this history and the ancient enmity between dragons and mazoku, Filia despises him openly, frequently insults him by calling him raw garbage, and threatens him with her mace. Their constant conflict is a recurring dynamic throughout the series. She also forms a meaningful connection with Valgarv, a renegade dragon associated with the mazoku lord Gaav. Despite her initial hostility, she comes to sympathize with him as she learns the truth about her people's past, and her desire to atone for the golden dragons' crimes becomes focused on helping him.
Over the course of the story, Filia undergoes considerable development. She moves from blind devotion to her temple's teachings to a more independent and honest understanding of the world. Confronted with the dark history of her own race, she chooses personal integrity over loyalty to her clan's deception. Near the end of the series, she gives up her position as priestess, and by the time the conflict with Dark Star has concluded, she finds that she is the last remaining follower of the Flarelord, as the rest of her clan has been destroyed. In the aftermath, Valgarv is reborn as a pure ancient dragon, and Filia becomes his caretaker, raising him in his new form. She later settles into a quiet life running an antique shop with Jillas, a former subordinate of Valgarv.
In terms of abilities, Filia has two forms. Her natural form is that of a golden dragon, in which she can fly and unleash a focused blast of energy through her dragon breath. She can also take the appearance of a young human woman through transformation magic, though this form is not entirely complete, as her dragon tail with its pink bow remains visible. Maintaining the human form requires concentration, and losing focus causes parts of her true form to reappear. Even in human form, she retains her dragon strength and magical abilities, including holy spells and the power to teleport herself and others over long distances. She is a capable combatant who combines magic with physical force, wielding her heavy mace with considerable effectiveness in battle.