Dilandau Albatou serves as one of the primary antagonists in the anime The Vision of Escaflowne, acting as a persistent nemesis throughout the story. He holds the rank of captain and commands an elite unit of soldiers and Guymelef pilots known as the Dragon Slayers, which operates under the banner of the Zaibach Empire's Red Copper Army. Despite this affiliation, his true loyalty often appears to be to himself and his own desires.

Physically, Dilandau is a pale, slender, and androgynous figure of about fifteen years of age. He stands close to 175 centimeters tall and has silver-white hair paired with distinct garnet-red eyes. A defining feature that appears partway through the narrative is a sword scar he receives on his right cheek during a close-quarters fight with Van Fanel, the young king of Fanelia. This injury becomes a source of profound obsession for Dilandau, as he believes it has permanently marred his beautiful face. His preferred attire is a red uniform, a color that also marks his personal Guymelefs, which he pilots with considerable skill.

The personality of Dilandau Albatou is marked by volatility, sadism, and a breathtaking lack of self-control or compassion. He is an impulsive and capricious individual whose intelligence and absolute ruthlessness on the battlefield are often undermined by his own erratic behavior. He derives intense pleasure from battle, destruction, and particularly fire, displaying clear pyromaniac tendencies as he gleefully sets his surroundings ablaze. As a commander, he is known for physically abusing his subordinates, often striking them for perceived incompetence, while simultaneously defying his own superiors when orders do not align with his whims. Despite this harsh treatment, he is described as being emotionally dependent on his unit, the Dragon Slayers.

The character's role in the story is that of a relentless hunter. He is initially tasked by the Zaibach Empire with capturing the legendary Guymelef known as Escaflowne and its pilot, Van Fanel. He leads the initial attack that destroys Van's homeland of Fanelia and spends a significant portion of the series pursuing Van and his companions across the continent. After Van scars his face, this mission transforms into a deeply personal vendetta, driving Dilandau to obsess over killing Van to restore his own wounded pride and sense of invincibility. His primary rival is Van, but he also shares a long-standing antagonistic relationship with the knight Allen Schezar, which subconsciously stems from a much deeper connection.

Key relationships are central to understanding his character. His connection to his Dragon Slayers is paradoxical; he abuses them mercilessly, but their fanatical loyalty to him is absolute, even unto death. The beastman Jajuka serves as a crucial figure from his past, having been his caretaker and emotional anchor since childhood. The most significant relationship is the one he does not know he has: Dilandau is revealed to be the alter-ego of Celena Schezar, the long-lost younger sister of his rival, Allen. As a young child, Celena was kidnapped by the Zaibach Empire and subjected to fate-altering experiments that transformed her into a boy, creating the Dilandau persona and wiping her memories.

Throughout the series, Dilandau undergoes a dramatic psychological decline. His sanity begins to fracture further after his face is scarred, but the pivotal event is the death of his entire Dragon Slayer unit at the hands of Van. This loss causes him to slip into a catatonic, apathetic state, from which he only emerges on the battlefield to kill. As Dornkirk's fate-altering experiments begin to break down, Dilandau's mental state becomes increasingly unstable, causing him to involuntarily switch between his male persona and his original form as the naive, childlike Celena. In the final climax, after Jajuka sacrifices his life to protect him, the Dilandau personality finally recedes, and he permanently reverts to Celena, allowing her to be reunited with her brother Allen.

In terms of notable abilities, Dilandau is an exceptionally talented swordsman and a highly skilled Guymelef pilot. He pilots a series of advanced red Guymelefs, initially an Alseides model and later an Oreades. These machines are equipped with flight capabilities, a stealth cloak, a powerful flamethrower, and a liquid-metal weapon called a Crima Claw. His aptitude for piloting while engaging in sword combat makes him a formidable force on the battlefield, a reputation he earned at a remarkably young age by reportedly taking the life of an enemy general.