TV-Series
Description
Holland is the leader of the rebel group Gekkostate and the captain of their airship, the Gekko. His full name is Holland Novak, and he is the charismatic figurehead of the group, known throughout the world as a legendary "ripper," an exceptionally skilled pilot of a Light Finding Operation (LFO) craft. He is the younger brother of Dewey Novak, the primary antagonist of the series.
Holland possesses a deeply conflicted and complex personality. To the outside world and to his young admirer Renton Thurston, he is depicted as a cool, daring, and heroic figure. However, his private persona aboard the Gekko is drastically different; he is often seen as lazy, irritable, and childish, prone to walking around the ship in his underwear and avoiding troublesome responsibilities. He is quick to anger and resorts to violence, particularly against Renton, which stems from his own deep-seated insecurities and emotional baggage. This dichotomy between his public legend and his private failings is a central aspect of his character, as he grapples with the heavy burdens of his past and the pressures of leadership.
Holland's motivations are rooted in a desire to escape from his past and atone for his sins. In his earlier life, he was a commander in the SOF, an elite military unit, where he participated in a massacre alongside the human-like Coralian Eureka. After this event, he learned a portion of the truth about the world and deserted the military, taking Eureka and his squad with him to form Gekkostate. He initially believes it is his destiny to protect Eureka and be her destined partner, a mission given to him by the sage Norb. This conviction fuels his animosity towards the young Renton when the boy forms a stronger and more natural bond with both Eureka and her special LFO, the Nirvash. His actions are driven by a need to protect the world he knows, partly as a way to preserve the place where he met his partner, Talho.
Within the story's narrative, Holland serves as a flawed mentor and a foil to the protagonist, Renton. As the leader of Gekkostate, he is responsible for guiding the crew and making tactical decisions, though his judgment is often clouded by his personal struggles. He acts as an initial obstacle for Renton, representing the cold, harsh reality of the world versus the romanticized ideal the young boy had imagined. Throughout the series, Holland's role evolves from an antagonistic figure of jealousy and authority to a supportive older brother and father figure, eventually putting his own life on the line to protect Renton and Eureka’s relationship.
Holland's key relationships define much of his character arc. His relationship with Talho, his second-in-command and lover, is complex and strained. Talho is often frustrated by his obsession with Eureka and his emotional immaturity, but she remains devoted to him, and their relationship eventually stabilizes and deepens. His relationship with Renton is initially hostile, born from jealousy, as Holland formerly dated Renton's older sister, Diane, and also resents that Eureka chose Renton over him. However, as Renton matures, Holland learns to overcome his jealousy and sees the boy as an equal and a comrade. His most antagonistic relationship is with his older brother, Dewey. Holland was the favored son, and Dewey’s jealousy of this favoritism contributed to his descent into villainy. Despite their hatred, Holland still mourns his brother at the end.
Holland undergoes significant character development, transforming from an immature, hot-tempered, and selfish individual into a responsible, selfless, and heroic leader. The middle portion of the series highlights his instinct to run from his responsibilities and his past, but he is forced to confront these issues repeatedly. A pivotal moment of growth is his reconciliation with Talho, symbolized by a ring he gives her, and his final acceptance that his role is to support Renton and Eureka, not to be the hero of their story. By the end of the series, he has shed his childish demeanor and acts as a courageous captain, leading a suicidal charge against his brother’s forces to ensure the future for the younger couple. After the conflict, he disbands Gekkostate and settles down with a pregnant Talho to run a mobile leaf shop.
Holland is notable for his exceptional combat and piloting abilities. He is widely considered one of the greatest LFO pilots in the world, possessing immense skill and experience from his time in the SOF. His signature maneuver is the "Cut Back Drop Turn," an advanced lifting technique that demonstrates his mastery of aerial combat. He is also highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare, capable of taking down multiple enemies with nothing but a machine gun. For much of the series, he pilots the Terminus typeR909, a powerful LFO, until it is destroyed in battle. He later pilots the deadly typeB303 "Devilfish," a top-secret aircraft that is as dangerous to its pilot as it is to the enemy.
Holland possesses a deeply conflicted and complex personality. To the outside world and to his young admirer Renton Thurston, he is depicted as a cool, daring, and heroic figure. However, his private persona aboard the Gekko is drastically different; he is often seen as lazy, irritable, and childish, prone to walking around the ship in his underwear and avoiding troublesome responsibilities. He is quick to anger and resorts to violence, particularly against Renton, which stems from his own deep-seated insecurities and emotional baggage. This dichotomy between his public legend and his private failings is a central aspect of his character, as he grapples with the heavy burdens of his past and the pressures of leadership.
Holland's motivations are rooted in a desire to escape from his past and atone for his sins. In his earlier life, he was a commander in the SOF, an elite military unit, where he participated in a massacre alongside the human-like Coralian Eureka. After this event, he learned a portion of the truth about the world and deserted the military, taking Eureka and his squad with him to form Gekkostate. He initially believes it is his destiny to protect Eureka and be her destined partner, a mission given to him by the sage Norb. This conviction fuels his animosity towards the young Renton when the boy forms a stronger and more natural bond with both Eureka and her special LFO, the Nirvash. His actions are driven by a need to protect the world he knows, partly as a way to preserve the place where he met his partner, Talho.
Within the story's narrative, Holland serves as a flawed mentor and a foil to the protagonist, Renton. As the leader of Gekkostate, he is responsible for guiding the crew and making tactical decisions, though his judgment is often clouded by his personal struggles. He acts as an initial obstacle for Renton, representing the cold, harsh reality of the world versus the romanticized ideal the young boy had imagined. Throughout the series, Holland's role evolves from an antagonistic figure of jealousy and authority to a supportive older brother and father figure, eventually putting his own life on the line to protect Renton and Eureka’s relationship.
Holland's key relationships define much of his character arc. His relationship with Talho, his second-in-command and lover, is complex and strained. Talho is often frustrated by his obsession with Eureka and his emotional immaturity, but she remains devoted to him, and their relationship eventually stabilizes and deepens. His relationship with Renton is initially hostile, born from jealousy, as Holland formerly dated Renton's older sister, Diane, and also resents that Eureka chose Renton over him. However, as Renton matures, Holland learns to overcome his jealousy and sees the boy as an equal and a comrade. His most antagonistic relationship is with his older brother, Dewey. Holland was the favored son, and Dewey’s jealousy of this favoritism contributed to his descent into villainy. Despite their hatred, Holland still mourns his brother at the end.
Holland undergoes significant character development, transforming from an immature, hot-tempered, and selfish individual into a responsible, selfless, and heroic leader. The middle portion of the series highlights his instinct to run from his responsibilities and his past, but he is forced to confront these issues repeatedly. A pivotal moment of growth is his reconciliation with Talho, symbolized by a ring he gives her, and his final acceptance that his role is to support Renton and Eureka, not to be the hero of their story. By the end of the series, he has shed his childish demeanor and acts as a courageous captain, leading a suicidal charge against his brother’s forces to ensure the future for the younger couple. After the conflict, he disbands Gekkostate and settles down with a pregnant Talho to run a mobile leaf shop.
Holland is notable for his exceptional combat and piloting abilities. He is widely considered one of the greatest LFO pilots in the world, possessing immense skill and experience from his time in the SOF. His signature maneuver is the "Cut Back Drop Turn," an advanced lifting technique that demonstrates his mastery of aerial combat. He is also highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare, capable of taking down multiple enemies with nothing but a machine gun. For much of the series, he pilots the Terminus typeR909, a powerful LFO, until it is destroyed in battle. He later pilots the deadly typeB303 "Devilfish," a top-secret aircraft that is as dangerous to its pilot as it is to the enemy.