Lyos

Lyos (Japanese: ライオス Romaji: raiosu) is the actual Knight of Aqualord, and appeared in the manga of the the same title that was written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka. He possesses power that was gifted unto him by the deceased Aqualord Ragradia and he is the sole wielder of the powerful sword named The Banisher. He fought Deep Sea Dolphin's servants alongside Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev and Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, among others.

Appearance
For someone who possesses the title Knight of the Aqualord, Lyos's stature couldn't be called impressive. Gourry towers over him and even Lina surpasses him in stature. It is due to his being vertically challenged that leads Lina to call him a "kid" on their first encounter. In spite of his compact size Lyos cuts an impressive figure, he's quite muscular and lean making him no slouch overall in terms of his stalwart endowments. He has blue eyes and long hair that sticks up in the front, reminiscent of a sea urchin. He keeps it tied back in a spiked and unruly ponytail. He dons a "naked" coat, or a long white duster that drapes down past his knees, boots, a headband, and a pair of green shorts. Earlier depictions of his shorts in the manga showed that, unlike in the image to the right, one pant leg was longer than the other. The left pant leg had a little slit up the front and the right one he kept rolled up. This changed later on. Also the right sleeve of his “naked” coat is torn up to his bicep. He tends to wear a cranky expression due to his highly defensive disposition most of the time.

Personality
Lyos bears an uncanny resemblance to Lina Inverse in personality, despite how often they bicker: he's very straightforward and tends to tell it like it is whether people want to hear what he has to say or even if they care. He tends to be overly confident in his own abilities due mostly to his title as Knight of the Aqualord. It’s a title he has no problem shouting at anyone who will listen, particularly anyone he believes is underestimating him. Unfortunately Lyos tends to come up short as both a swordsman and Knight of the Aqualord, something he realizes upon meeting Gourry who turns out to be the superior swordsman. He relies too much on his title and his sword and not enough on the inherent talent within himself, something that manifests much later. He also tends to be naïve about most matters, to him everything is either black or white. Lyos and Lina share a common disdain for specific nicknames. While she cannot stand being called “Dragon Spooker” or “flat chested” for Lyos he cannot tolerate being referred to as “kid.” Just as Lina appreciates her more grandiose titles such as “Bandit Slayer” or “Beautiful Genius Sorceress” Lyos prefers to be called by his “Knight of the Aqualord” title, which he is immensely proud of. He’s generally pessimistic and is normally the first to point out the flaws in a plan or to look at the impossibilities of a situation. This gradually changes as he spends time with Lina Inverse. Another trait he shares with Lina is his hair-trigger temper; he’s generally an irritable guy, but nothing will set him off faster than being insulted or someone insulting “Milady.”

History
Born and raised in the small mining town of Vei Shii, he was told that while his father was digging around in the Dragon Lord's Tunnel, a mining shaft, he was killed when the tunnel caved in. Lyos was supposedly born after his father’s death. The kids in the village used to tease him by calling him “Cursed Boy.” It was the claim of the villagers that Lyos’s father died because he enraged the god of the mine. It is implied that even his own mother scorned him, telling him not to cause the village any more strife. Lyos then became a bandit, robbing wealthy people who would come to try and purchase the mines. Then one day he bumped into “Milady,” also known as Soi Ren Hayze, a charismatic woman. The mine was originally property of the Hayze family and she came to resume digging in the mine. She treated Lyos kindly and took an interest in his skill and physical strength, she told him that she was infatuated with strength and that she found it beautiful. She requested Lyos’s help digging in the mine, but both he and the other diggers were reluctant at first (based on the fact that the other diggers did not want to mine with the “Cursed Boy”), but after making headway due to Lyos’s strength they warmed up to him. It’s in the Dragon Lord's Tunnel that Lyos finds “The Banisher.” He used the sword to fight off some beasts that appeared in the mine. Afterward Milady told Lyos the story of the Knight of the Aqualord. She said she was looking for the sword, but when Lyos found the sword, it chose him and no one else but the chosen one could wield it. She then told Lyos that he was not cursed, but he possessed the Power of the Aqua Lord, that he had been blessed with power from the Gods. One of the villagers was killed by the monster in the mine, unfortunately, causing the village to turn on Milady. Lyos stood up for her and chased the angry villagers away. She returned home to report to her father, but before leaving she told Lyos that he must become strong and one day they would meet again. Milady failed to arrive home safely and was officially declared missing. A message was then sent to the village saying that anything dug up from the mine belonged to the village including the sword. When the villagers attempted to accost the sword and insult Milady in the process Lyos retaliated until his mother intervened. She told him to give the sword to the villagers so they could sell it and apologize, that if he did not they would both be thrown out of the village and they would have no place to go. Instead, Lyos left the village taking the sword with him.

Powers & Abilities
Lyos wields a sacred sword known as The Banisher. Being that he is the one that the sword chose he is also the only one who can wield the sword properly. The sword has the ability to manipulate water. The blade can also transform into a dragon’s claw that opens up and dispels water while Lyos is unleashing its power. In the beginning Lyos seems to be incapable of using the sword to its fullest potential, but he eventually becomes worthy of brandishing The Banisher. On top of that Lyos possesses immense physical strength, though due to his reliability on the sword and not on his inner strength he has a difficult time competing with Gourry and comes up as a close second in terms of physical prowess. His strength is a remnant of the now deceased Aqualord Ragradia, whose power resides within Lyos - or at least a fraction of it does. Throughout the series it is this inherited gift that Lyos struggles with from one extreme to the next. In the beginning he is too “weak” to even manifest the Aqualord’s power and when it finally awakens he cannot control it and in a sense he looses his mind. His power is called forth due to Lina wielding the power of Airlord Valwin in order to prevent a mazoku attack from destroying a seaside smithing village and killing her friends. By confronting his own power with the help of Lina Inverse, he is not only able to come back to himself, but he is also able to harness and use the Aqualord’s might to its full extent.

Relationships

 * Lina Inverse: Their relationship resembles that of an argumentative brother and sister type. Lina tends to treat Lyos like a little brother, she’s kind and sympathetic to his plight some of the time, but she doesn’t coddle him and she can be somewhat stern with him when she thinks he needs it. She’s not above teasing him or manipulating him a bit in order to get what she wants. She manipulated him with food once just to get him to tell her about his past. She teases him by calling him a “kid,” something that annoys him every time. Lina irritates him without end, but by the end of the series she becomes a very important figure in his life - even more so than the mysterious woman from his past, as when he calls out for “Milady”, it is Lina's face that he sees.
 * Gourry Gabriev: Gourry is naturally pleasant to everyone including Lyos who thinks, like most people, that Gourry is a few cards short of a full playing deck. Gourry admires both Lyos’s strength and his sword, but it turns out that Gourry is the better swordsman and the stronger one. It is not because Lyos is not strong since Gourry compliments him on his strength, but because he relies too much on The Banisher and being The Knight of the Aqualord - though according to Gourry it is because he does not eat enough. Their relationship becomes somewhat competitive, particularly during the “Dragon Man” Tournament, when Gourry outstrips him in weight lifting, mountain climbing and eating. Overall they are generally friendly to one another. At least Gourry is.
 * Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune: Apart from being comrades Amelia and Lyos have very little interaction with one another. Amelia shows concern for Lyos and his struggles, but there is very little beyond that.
 * Shizuri: She reveals herself to be an enemy at first who kidnaps the crew using reality manipulation, but she ends up joining Lyos, Lina, Gourry and Amelia later on. For some reason she latches on to Lyos, and develops an attachment to him that is somewhat maternal and somewhat romantic/flirtatious despite how little relational development they have in the series. It appears that Lyos likes her, but if he is attracted to her he shows no sign of it. She strongly believes in Lyos, however.
 * Nanashi: He is a beastman who shows up later in the series and takes a keen interest in Lyos, or rather the power of the Aqualord inside of him. He takes Lyos away and trains him in the use of his Aqualord powers. Lyos was uncertain of him at first, but eventually develops a thirst for becoming stronger and controlling his power. In a short space of time the two become close as master and student. Long before his relation with Lyos, Nanashi was friends with the former Knight of Aqualord.

Appearances

 * Slayers: Knight of Aqualord: All volumes