TV-Series
Description
Bernardo Dion is a character from the anime Garo: The Carved Seal of Flames, where he serves as a primary antagonist. He is a fallen Makai Knight who holds the title of Zex the Darkness Knight. Once a dedicated and principled member of the Makai Order, Bernardo's life took a tragic turn that transformed him into a dark enforcer for the series' main villain, Mendoza.
Bernardo has black eyes and long, wavy blue hair that reaches his waist, often tied back in a ponytail, and is typically seen wearing a coat. His past is deeply intertwined with that of Germán Luís and the Makai Priestess Anna. The three were childhood friends, and Bernardo trained alongside Germán to become a Makai Knight. However, Bernardo harbored a quiet envy towards Germán, resenting his friend’s carefree attitude and his romantic relationship with Anna, whom Bernardo also cared for. He would use their sparring matches as an outlet for his frustration, but the sacred laws of the Makai Order, which forbade knights from fighting to the death, prevented any real resolution.
The defining event that shattered Bernardo’s faith in humanity occurred during the witch hunts. When Germán and Anna were captured by human soldiers, Bernardo was forced to confront the Makai Order's most sacred law, which forbids knights from ever raising their swords against humans. In his anger and desperation to save his friends, he broke this law, cutting down several soldiers. He was mortally wounded in the act and lost his left hand. Left for dead, he was found by the sinister priest Mendoza, who offered him a new chance at life and revenge against the humans who had caused his and his friends' suffering. Eager to reclaim his life and settle his old rivalry with Germán in a real battle to the death, Bernardo accepted Mendoza's offer without hesitation.
Mendoza transformed Bernardo into a being akin to a Horror, granting him a prosthetic gauntlet that concealed a blade embedded in his left forearm. Now serving as the captain of the Black Knights, a force of Horror-possessed soldiers, Bernardo became a central figure in Mendoza's plot to take over the kingdom of Valiante. His primary motivation became the desire to finally have a serious, no-holds-barred duel with his former friend Germán, a fight that the laws of the Makai Order had previously denied him. He is a tragic figure, a man whose rigid sense of duty and deep-seated jealousy made him vulnerable to corruption, turning his protective instincts into a thirst for vengeance.
In his role as Zex the Darkness Knight, Bernardo dons a suit of formidable black armor. In battle, he wields a short sword and a targe, but when fully armored, these transform into a longsword and a large shield. He can also summon a black-armored Madō Horse as his steed. One of his most notable abilities is the power to combine his sword, shield, and horse into a single, massive drill-like weapon, making him an incredibly powerful foe capable of overwhelming other Makai Knights with ease. His fighting style and magical abilities, which include projecting concussive blasts of wind and telekinetically manipulating matter, seem to be closely tied to his dark armor.
Bernardo's development culminates in his long-awaited duel with Germán. When Germán, his son León, and Prince Alfonso make their way through Valiante's castle, Bernardo finally gets his fight. The battle ends with Bernardo fatally wounded. In his final moments, the corruption of his dark powers fades, and he returns to his original self, seemingly with no memory of the past seventeen years. He apologizes to his old friend and, in a final act of atonement, asks Germán to find an heir to carry on his Knight title before his body dissolves into nothing, his armor and legacy lost forever.
Bernardo has black eyes and long, wavy blue hair that reaches his waist, often tied back in a ponytail, and is typically seen wearing a coat. His past is deeply intertwined with that of Germán Luís and the Makai Priestess Anna. The three were childhood friends, and Bernardo trained alongside Germán to become a Makai Knight. However, Bernardo harbored a quiet envy towards Germán, resenting his friend’s carefree attitude and his romantic relationship with Anna, whom Bernardo also cared for. He would use their sparring matches as an outlet for his frustration, but the sacred laws of the Makai Order, which forbade knights from fighting to the death, prevented any real resolution.
The defining event that shattered Bernardo’s faith in humanity occurred during the witch hunts. When Germán and Anna were captured by human soldiers, Bernardo was forced to confront the Makai Order's most sacred law, which forbids knights from ever raising their swords against humans. In his anger and desperation to save his friends, he broke this law, cutting down several soldiers. He was mortally wounded in the act and lost his left hand. Left for dead, he was found by the sinister priest Mendoza, who offered him a new chance at life and revenge against the humans who had caused his and his friends' suffering. Eager to reclaim his life and settle his old rivalry with Germán in a real battle to the death, Bernardo accepted Mendoza's offer without hesitation.
Mendoza transformed Bernardo into a being akin to a Horror, granting him a prosthetic gauntlet that concealed a blade embedded in his left forearm. Now serving as the captain of the Black Knights, a force of Horror-possessed soldiers, Bernardo became a central figure in Mendoza's plot to take over the kingdom of Valiante. His primary motivation became the desire to finally have a serious, no-holds-barred duel with his former friend Germán, a fight that the laws of the Makai Order had previously denied him. He is a tragic figure, a man whose rigid sense of duty and deep-seated jealousy made him vulnerable to corruption, turning his protective instincts into a thirst for vengeance.
In his role as Zex the Darkness Knight, Bernardo dons a suit of formidable black armor. In battle, he wields a short sword and a targe, but when fully armored, these transform into a longsword and a large shield. He can also summon a black-armored Madō Horse as his steed. One of his most notable abilities is the power to combine his sword, shield, and horse into a single, massive drill-like weapon, making him an incredibly powerful foe capable of overwhelming other Makai Knights with ease. His fighting style and magical abilities, which include projecting concussive blasts of wind and telekinetically manipulating matter, seem to be closely tied to his dark armor.
Bernardo's development culminates in his long-awaited duel with Germán. When Germán, his son León, and Prince Alfonso make their way through Valiante's castle, Bernardo finally gets his fight. The battle ends with Bernardo fatally wounded. In his final moments, the corruption of his dark powers fades, and he returns to his original self, seemingly with no memory of the past seventeen years. He apologizes to his old friend and, in a final act of atonement, asks Germán to find an heir to carry on his Knight title before his body dissolves into nothing, his armor and legacy lost forever.