Hyoro Gari, also known as Skel Etal, is a student at the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights and a recurring acquaintance of the protagonist, Cid Kagenou. His name reflects his physical description, as Hyoro translates to weak and slim, while Gari means very thin, and his appearance matches this etymology; he is depicted as a plain-looking, tall, and slender young man who typically wears the standard academy uniform. As the second son of the Baron Etal family, he belongs to the lower ranks of nobility, which informs his position in the social hierarchy of the academy.

In terms of personality, Skel is a classic instigator and a notorious bad influence among his small circle of friends. He habitually drags Cid and his other friend, Po, into various schemes, whether the goal is to make quick money or find a girlfriend. He often acts on his impulsive ideas without first consulting those he involves, which makes him a recurring source of trouble and a catalyst for several events in the story. Despite his tendency to play the role of a leader or organizer in their trio, he is not particularly brave; when faced with real danger or serious situations, he quickly becomes timid and loses his nerve. His most defining and prominent flaw is a severe gambling addiction. He dreams of getting rich without effort but possesses an astonishingly poor sense of strategy, often placing reckless bets. This consistently results in substantial financial losses and mounting debts, making his pursuit of easy money a source of constant misfortune.

Skel's role in the narrative is primarily that of a mob friend, a background character who helps maintain the illusion of a normal school life for Cid. His actions frequently serve as the jumping-off point for comedic situations or minor plot developments. For instance, an early bet he orchestrates with Cid and Po, where the loser must confess to the princess Alexia Midgar, backfires spectacularly when Cid loses but the princess accepts, leading to a relationship that leaves Skel envious. His selfishness is shown when he enters Cid's name into a tournament without permission, for which he receives a punch in the gut as punishment. Despite his often selfish and irresponsible behavior, Skel has demonstrated genuine care for his friend, as seen when he cried in anguish after believing Cid was killed during a terrorist attack on the academy and later kept vigil by his bedside.

The consequences of Skel's actions push his character development in a dramatic and almost tragicomic direction. His gambling addiction escalates to the point of incurring crippling debts that he cannot repay. In the anime adaptation, this leads to a series of escalating ordeals. He is forced into grueling physical labor, such as working as a fisherman abroad, which darkens his skin due to sun exposure, a change later reversed by Shadow's magical abilities. Ultimately, his inability to settle his debts results in his enslavement; he is transported to the Lawless City to be sold. During the Red Moon incident, he manages to escape with the help of his friend Po. Seeking to lose his virginity, he goes to the White Tower district only to be attacked by ghouls transformed by the red moon's power, bringing his documented story arc to a darkly chaotic conclusion. The character is defined by his bad luck and poor judgment, which ensure that his desperate attempts to improve his situation only lead to further ruin.