ONA
Description
Prince Aleksander von Hohenberg, most often called Alek, is one of the two central protagonists of the anime Leviathan. He is a teenage prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, around sixteen years old, and the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek, Princess of Hohenberg. His full style is His Serene Highness, Prince of Hohenberg, although the title is complicated by the fact that his mother was not of royal birth, making his parents' marriage morganatic and leaving him in an awkward position as a royal who cannot normally inherit the throne. During his flight from the empire he learns that the pope had in fact approved his parents' marriage and declared him his father's heir, a secret he is forbidden to reveal to anyone.
The character's story begins quietly. Alek is first seen at a royal castle in Bohemia, a somewhat isolated young noble entertaining himself with a game of chess. His life changes abruptly when two trusted members of the court, Count Volger and Klopp, take him out of the castle in the middle of the night under the pretense of military training. He soon discovers the truth: his parents have been assassinated in Sarajevo, and he is being smuggled out of the empire in a mechanized walker for his own safety. Because he could become the official ruler of the kingdom once the aging emperor dies, he is regarded as both a political threat and a target.
In terms of personality, Alek is brave, headstrong, and at times defiant. He frequently resists Count Volger's careful instructions, insisting on acting according to his own judgment, whether that means speaking publicly in Lienz or leaving the safety of a hidden castle to bring supplies to the crashed British airship, an act that leads to his capture. He carries a heavy sense of personal guilt, believing that the war is essentially his fault and suspecting that his great-uncle the emperor may have arranged his parents' assassination to keep him from inheriting. Despite his youth, he repeatedly shows physical courage and resourcefulness, piloting the walker through hostile territory, defending himself with an antique sword, and even standing before his disabled walker with the Habsburg coat of arms visible as German zeppelins attack.
Alek's motivations evolve as the story progresses. At first he is focused on survival and on reaching neutral territory, while still feeling a strong sense of duty to Austria-Hungary despite his uncertain royal standing. His encounters with ordinary people and with the enemy he was raised to distrust gradually reshape his goals. His friendship with Deryn Sharp, a Scottish girl serving in disguise aboard the British airship Leviathan, exposes him to the Darwinist way of life, which relies on genetically engineered creatures rather than machines. His care for a newborn engineered loris named Bovril helps him appreciate the living creations of his supposed enemies, and his loyalties come to include the friends he makes on the other side of the conflict.
In the wider story, Alek's flight and Deryn's service aboard the Leviathan run on parallel courses until the airship crashes in the Swiss Alps. Alek and his companions help the stranded British crew, and he reveals his true identity to Deryn and Dr. Nora Barlow while keeping it secret from the rest of the crew, hoping to escape once the airship reaches the Ottoman Empire. He ends up remaining with them through later events in Constantinople, where he works alongside local revolutionaries against the Sultan and the German presence there, and in the journeys that follow. His knowledge of Clanker machinery and engineering proves useful, as when he suggests using parts of his walker to restore the damaged airship's engines.
Alek's key relationships shape his development. Count Volger serves as his stern military guardian and tutor, and their frequent arguments reflect Alek's stubborn independence. Klopp is the devoted attendant who looks after him throughout the ordeal. The most significant bond is with Deryn Sharp, which begins in suspicion and grows into friendship and eventually a romantic attachment, despite the fact that their nations are on opposite sides of the war. Through her, through Bovril, and through his own choices, Alek matures from a sheltered prince into a more self-aware young man who must reconcile his heritage with the person he has become. By the end of the series he faces a future very different from the one he was born into, shaped by the friendships he formed and the truths he was forced to accept.
The character's story begins quietly. Alek is first seen at a royal castle in Bohemia, a somewhat isolated young noble entertaining himself with a game of chess. His life changes abruptly when two trusted members of the court, Count Volger and Klopp, take him out of the castle in the middle of the night under the pretense of military training. He soon discovers the truth: his parents have been assassinated in Sarajevo, and he is being smuggled out of the empire in a mechanized walker for his own safety. Because he could become the official ruler of the kingdom once the aging emperor dies, he is regarded as both a political threat and a target.
In terms of personality, Alek is brave, headstrong, and at times defiant. He frequently resists Count Volger's careful instructions, insisting on acting according to his own judgment, whether that means speaking publicly in Lienz or leaving the safety of a hidden castle to bring supplies to the crashed British airship, an act that leads to his capture. He carries a heavy sense of personal guilt, believing that the war is essentially his fault and suspecting that his great-uncle the emperor may have arranged his parents' assassination to keep him from inheriting. Despite his youth, he repeatedly shows physical courage and resourcefulness, piloting the walker through hostile territory, defending himself with an antique sword, and even standing before his disabled walker with the Habsburg coat of arms visible as German zeppelins attack.
Alek's motivations evolve as the story progresses. At first he is focused on survival and on reaching neutral territory, while still feeling a strong sense of duty to Austria-Hungary despite his uncertain royal standing. His encounters with ordinary people and with the enemy he was raised to distrust gradually reshape his goals. His friendship with Deryn Sharp, a Scottish girl serving in disguise aboard the British airship Leviathan, exposes him to the Darwinist way of life, which relies on genetically engineered creatures rather than machines. His care for a newborn engineered loris named Bovril helps him appreciate the living creations of his supposed enemies, and his loyalties come to include the friends he makes on the other side of the conflict.
In the wider story, Alek's flight and Deryn's service aboard the Leviathan run on parallel courses until the airship crashes in the Swiss Alps. Alek and his companions help the stranded British crew, and he reveals his true identity to Deryn and Dr. Nora Barlow while keeping it secret from the rest of the crew, hoping to escape once the airship reaches the Ottoman Empire. He ends up remaining with them through later events in Constantinople, where he works alongside local revolutionaries against the Sultan and the German presence there, and in the journeys that follow. His knowledge of Clanker machinery and engineering proves useful, as when he suggests using parts of his walker to restore the damaged airship's engines.
Alek's key relationships shape his development. Count Volger serves as his stern military guardian and tutor, and their frequent arguments reflect Alek's stubborn independence. Klopp is the devoted attendant who looks after him throughout the ordeal. The most significant bond is with Deryn Sharp, which begins in suspicion and grows into friendship and eventually a romantic attachment, despite the fact that their nations are on opposite sides of the war. Through her, through Bovril, and through his own choices, Alek matures from a sheltered prince into a more self-aware young man who must reconcile his heritage with the person he has become. By the end of the series he faces a future very different from the one he was born into, shaped by the friendships he formed and the truths he was forced to accept.