List of Slayers characters

Main characters from the TV series

This is a list of major characters from the Japanese anime, manga and light novel series Slayers. The series of over 52 novels written by Hajime Kanzaka was serialized in Dragon Magazine, adapted into several manga titles, five televised anime series, two three-episode original video animations (OVAs), and five movies. Slayers follows the adventures of teenage sorceress Lina Inverse and her companions as they journey through their world.^[1][2] Using powerful magic and swordsmanship, they battle difficult overreaching wizards, demons seeking to destroy the world, dark lords, and the occasional hapless gang of bandits.

Major characters

Lina Inverse

Lina Inverse (リナ・インバース Rina Inbāsu) is the primary protagonist of the series and the central figure of the Slayers. Although still a teenager, she is a powerful sorceress with a great love of money, treasure, and food. In the anime and manga, she is known to comically overuse immensely destructive spells.

Her specialty is black magic, a destructive magic that calls upon the power of a demon or monster. Her signature spell, the Dragon Slave, comes from the power of the Demon King Shabranigdo, while the Ragna Blade and her most powerful spell the Giga Slave call upon the Lord of Nightmares. During the series, Lina and the Slayers face down and defeat many powerful demons, including a fragment of Shabranigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, and Darkstar.

Gourry has been Lina's constant companion since the opening of the series, and never leaves her for very long. Lina once risks the destruction of the world by casting the unpredictable Giga Slave in order to save Gourry's life. Although the two appear to be in love with each other, and even share a forgotten kiss at the end of Slayers NEXT, there is no romantic development between them.

Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Lisa Ortiz (TV series) & Cynthia Martinez (OVAs and films) (English)

Gourry Gabriev

Gourry Gabriev (ガウリイ・ガブリエフ Gaurī Gaburiefu) is a wandering swordsman who meets Lina at the beginning of the series, and accompanies her from then on as a self-appointed bodyguard. A characterization of Gourry from his manga profile is "as loyal as man's best friend, but not quite as smart".

Gourry is somewhat less than scholarly and appears to have memory deficiencies. However, his skills as a swordsman are unmatched throughout the franchise, especially when armed with his family's magic blade, the Sword of Light, also known as Gorun Nova. He has a high magic capacity and the potential to cast spells that rival Lina's power, but because of his faulty memory and disinterest, he cannot remember spells well enough to ever use them. His kindness, absolute loyalty to Lina, and consideration for others are his best traits.

Gourry eventually falls in love with Lina, which he expresses through his promise that he will guard her for the rest of his life. He is not as shy about his feelings as Lina is, and unlike her he won't violently deny it when asked. He doesn't act on them, though, and he seems content with merely watching out for Lina's well-being. They do share a kiss in the final episode of Slayers NEXT, the second series of the anime, though neither remembers it.

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese); Eric Stuart (TV series) & Christopher Patton (Slayers Premium) (English)

Zelgadis Greywords

Zelgadis Greywords (ゼルガディス・グレイワーズ Zerugadisu Gureiwāzu) is a sorcerer who begins as a retainer for his ancestor Rezo, an enemy of Lina. He is a chimera made of rock, golem, "brau" (English "blow") demon, and human.

Zelgadis specializes in Shamanistic magic, which pulls its power from the astral, or spiritual, plane. His elemental spells, including Stone Spiker and the mighty Ra-Tilt, are formidable. Since he is part blow demon, he is unable to cast black magic, as doing so would require him to call upon the power of another demonic being——which, in the Slayers universe, is akin to willing oneself out of existence. Though he is not as learned in the art as Lina, Zelgadis' even combination of physical force and magical finesse render him among the most fearsome warriors.

Zelgadis is an enigma to his comrades, due to his quiet and asocial nature. Despite traveling with Lina and her friends, he considers himself separate from them and even a little bit evil, as "the heartless mystical swordsman" of the group. When he was a teenager, Rezo transformed him into a three-part chimera. He travels with the Slayers to find a spell that can change him back into a human. Despite the incredible abilities bestowed upon him by the transformation, he dislikes his appearance; his skin is stone hard, tinged blue-grey with pebbles scattered across its surface, and his hair is as stiff as steel wire. During Slayers Evolution-R, Rezo informs Zelgadis that he knows of no cure to return him to human. It is unclear whether this means that Zelgadis will forever remain a chimera, or if Rezo's knowledge was simply limited in that respect; but Hajime Kanzaka, the author of the series, has stated in past interviews that Zelgadis would probably eventually find his cure.

Out of everyone in the group, Zelgadis seems closest to Amelia. This becomes more clear in Slayers NEXT, as he becomes upset whenever she is hurt, and almost sacrifices his own life protecting her from Gaav. In later seasons, they become quite close and he opens up to her. When they part at the end of the last episode of Slayers TRY, the third season of the anime, she apparently gives him "The Lady's Favour" in the form of one of the pink bracelets from her standard costume.

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese); Daniel Cronin (Episodes 2–10) & Crispin Freeman (Episodes 18-104, Premium) (English)

Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun

Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun (アメリア・ウィル・テスラ・セイルーン Ameria Wiru Tesura Seirūn) is a young miko (shrine maiden, sometimes translated as priestess) and the princess of Seyruun. She longs to be a "hero of justice" and quixotically pursues her quest for justice by following Lina and fighting those who appear to be villains. Amelia's naïve tendency to believe whatever she is told sometimes leads her to mistake friend and foe. In the novels, Amelia is the same age as Lina, but in the anime and manga franchise, Amelia is a year younger than Lina and smaller (though very busty, much to Lina's annoyance).

Her perspective on good and evil matures significantly as the series progresses. Although Lina is often annoyed with Amelia for her naïveté, her desire to learn the Dragon Slave, and her larger bust size, eventually Lina comes to accept her as a friend and treats her like a little sister.

Most of Amelia's lessons in justice and heroism came from her father Prince Philionel of Seyruun, the "ultimate pacifist". After the murder of her mother, Amelia vowed never to use blades, though she once used the Sword of Light to channel the Ra-Tilt. Naga the Serpent is Amelia's long-lost older sister, the crown princess Gracia.^[3] This is played to comedic effect in Slayers Evolution-R, with the amnesiac character "Nama" ironically alluding to the relation.

Amelia becomes close friends with everyone in the group, but it is clear that early on she starts to develop feelings for Zelgadis. Their first meeting was not a very good one, but they become quite close as they tend to be paired during missions. Amelia teases him playing chess, or angrily beats him over his maltreatment of innocent forest animals, and gets away without so much as an angry glare.

Voiced by: Masami Suzuki (Japanese); Joan Baker (Episodes 11-13), Veronica Taylor (Episodes 14-104), & Luci Christian (Slayers Premium) (English), Carmen Olarte (Spanish)

Naga the White Serpent

Naga the Serpent (白蛇のナーガ Sāpento no Nāga), or Naga the White Serpent, is a powerful sorcerer with an unstable but resilient personality. She is obsessed with Lina, and follows the younger sorcerer around for some time, annoying Lina with her characteristic cackling laugh. Her main spells, such as Freeze Arrow, are water- and ice-based, in direct opposition to Lina's fire-based skills. She has also shown the ability to use powerful shamanistic, white magic, and necromancy spells.

Naga's true name is Gracia Ul Naga Seyruun; she is the daughter of Prince Philionel and Amelia's older sister. She left home after her mother was murdered.

Naga herself appears only in the OVAs and films, not in the main anime series. However, she does make a cameo appearance in Slayers Evolution-R as "Nama", a sentient suit of armor who remembers very little about her life before her soul was placed in the living armor. Her identity is never confirmed, but Nama's familiar laugh gives Lina chills.

Voiced by: Maria Kawamura (Japanese); Kelly Manison (OVAs and films) & Eva Kaminsky (Evolution-R) (English)

Sylphiel Nels Lahda

Sylphiel Nels Lahda (シルフィール・ネルス・ラーダ Shirufīru Nerusu Rāda) is a young cleric who has known Gourry since childhood. She became infatuated with Gourry to the point where she refers to him as "Dear Gourry" or "Gourry Dear" (translated from "Gourry-Sama" in the original Japanese, a show of respect). However, Gourry only remembers her for her good cooking.

She is weak in shamanism and black magic. However, as a cleric, her skills in white magic (healing and protection) are impressive. Her defensive magic is powerful enough to easily hold its own against both Copy Rezo and Zanaffar in the finale of Slayers Revolution. With her healing magic she is able to bring Lina back from the brink of death using a high level resurrection spell, mainly due to her profession as a shrine maiden. Ironically, in Slayers NEXT, she manages to use Lina's signature black magic spell, the Dragon Slave. Her only other offensive spell, Flare Arrow, is comically pathetic: slow, weak and shaped like a carrot or beet.

In the anime, Sylphiel joins the Slayers for the end of the first series, and again near the end of the second series NEXT. She reappears in Slayers Revolution during the attack on Seiruun.

Voiced by: Yumi Tōma (Japanese); Stacia Crawford (Episodes 18-26, 49-52) & Stephanie Sheh (Episodes 90-93, 104) (English)

Xellos

Xellos (ゼロス Zerosu) is a high-level monster (translated from "Mazoku" in the original Japanese) who is more than 1,000 years old. He first appears in the second episode of Slayers NEXT.

According to Demon Dragon King Gaav, Xellos was created by Shabranigdo and given powers beyond any monster outside the five Demon Lords. He seems to serve various monster lords,^[4] including Hellmaster Phibrizzo, but his true master is Zelas Metallium, another of the Demon Lords, for whom he acts as both priest and general. Dragons fear Xellos and see him as their mortal enemy after he killed half the population during the War of the Monster's Fall.

Most often, Xellos goes by simply his first name. In the sixth Slayers novel Vezendi's Shadow, Xellos says his real name is "Xellos the Mysterious Priest". In the anime, he is called the "trickster priest" by many, including himself, and "namagomi" ("raw garbage") by Filia. In the English version, he is also known as Beastmaster Xellos. Some have called him Xellos Metallium after his master Zelas.

Xellos is sometimes a hindrance, sometimes a help to the Slayers. His actions appear frustratingly inconsistent because of his oft-changing loyalties at his master's request. His trademark response to any important question is "That is a secret!" (from "Sore wa himitsu desu!").

Fans often propose that there is a love, or hate, or even a love-hate relationship between Xellos and Filia.

Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese); David Moo (Episodes 27-78), Michael Sinterniklaas (Episodes 83-104), & Kurt Stoll (Slayers Premium) (English)

Martina

Martina Xoana Mel Navratilova (マルチナ・ゾアナ・メル・ナブラチロワ Maruchina Zoana Meru Naburachirowa) is the princess of the kingdom of Zoana who, along with her father the king, plots to capture Amelia. When Lina, along with Gourry and Zelgadis, saves Amelia, then uses the Dragon Slave to destroy Martina's castle and kingdom, Martina runs off and learns magic so that she can take revenge. She later joins forces with the Slayers. She appears only in the anime, not in the original light novels or the manga. Her full name is based on tennis superstar Martina Navratilova.

Martina acts as an antagonist and comic foil for most of the series, but when Hellmaster Phibrizzo kills her during the final battle, Martina uses her last moments to encourage Lina to keep fighting and save Gourry. She specializes in curses through the power of Lord Zoamelgustar, the monster she worships; surprisingly, her curses actually work, even though Zoamelgustar doesn't really exist.

Martina is fickle in her love affairs, obsessed with whatever man she happens to see first on any given day. At first she is hung up on Zelgadis, but her interests switch to Gourry and even Xellos as the series progresses, before settling on Zangulus. She eventually marries Zangulus in a fake backdrop church while her kingdom is still rebuilding.

Voiced by: Tomoko Ishimura (Japanese); Rachael Lillis (English)

Filia

Filia Ul Copt (フィリア・ウル・コプト Firia Uru Koputo) is a priestess of the Fire Dragon King who appears exclusively in Slayers TRY. As a Golden Dragon, she has a huge sense of honor and is dedicated to "fulfilling her duties to the temple". Any monster that crosses her path annoys her, and she doesn't get along with Xellos at all. She carries a large mace (affectionately dubbed "Mace-sama") in her garter, and uses it to end most of her arguments. Filia originally wanted Lina's big sister Luna to accompany her on her quest, but Luna refuses and suggests Lina as a replacement.

Filia's Golden Dragon magic from the outer world is a raw, more intense form of white magic. Amelia states that the white magic used by clerics is only an "empty shell" of Filia's ancient holy magic. Filia's skills include clairvoyance, healing, purification, transportation, and offensive spells effective against the most powerful monster. Her spell Chaotic Disintegrate is an astral offensive spell that outclasses the Ra-Tilt.

Filia is able to switch back and forth with ease between her dragon and human forms. Her dragon's form comically wears a pink bow on the end of her tail. While in dragon form, Filia can fly, surpassing the speed of a normal Ray Wing levitation spell. Her Laser Breath, which fires an incredibly destructive beam from a dragon's mouth, can be used in both human and dragon forms.

At the end of Slayers TRY, Filia accepts the egg of the reborn Valgaav in repentance for what her ancestors did to his kind, and raises him as his adoptive mother.

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese); Tara Jayne (English)

Pokota

Pokota (ポコタ Pokota), full name Posel Korba Taforashia (ポセル＝コルバ＝タフォーラシア Poseru Koruba Tafōrashia), is an original character created exclusively for Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R, though he borrows certain elements from the character Luke seen in the Slayers novels. He resembles a small stuffed animal with large ears that double as a set of functional arms used for casting spells, wielding swords, or gliding through the air. Like Lina, he is a powerful sorcerer capable of casting various spells, including the Dragon Slave. He wields a replica of the Sword of Light, which he carries in a pocket in his chest.

Pokota was born a human, the prince of Taforashia. When he was a teenager, the Durum sickness swept through Taforashia, and the king became very ill. Rezo the Red Priest appeared and sealed the residents of Taforashia in sleeping chambers to isolate them until a cure was found. In this way he sealed Pokota's human body, but he used the magical Hellmaster's Pot to transfer Pokota's spirit into his current form. Years later, Pokota is searching for Rezo in order to find a way to revive his people.

Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi (Japanese); Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English)

Villains

Rezo the Red Priest

Rezo the Red Priest (赤法師レゾ Aka Hōshi Rezo) is one of the "Five Wisemen of the Age", a world-famous priest and healer. According to Zelgadis, Rezo is over a century old. However, he does not look his age. In the first novel, Lina describes him as looking "both young and old" at the same time. Rezo's only known relative is Zelgadis Greywords, who is either his grandson or great-grandson.^[5]

Rezo was born with one of the seven pieces of Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo sealed within his eyes. As a result, he is gifted with superior magic ability, but cursed with blindness. He began studying white magic in an effort to cure his blindness, not realizing its origin. Once he mastered white magic, he traveled the land healing the sick and blind, performing miracles. However, he was never able to cure his own eyes, so he turned to shamanism and black magic, becoming increasingly obsessed with finding any possible cure while the fragment of Shabranigdo corrupted his soul. He comes to the conclusion that Demon Lord Shabranigdo is the only one with enough power to cure him.

When Rezo finds the philosopher's stone, he resurrects the fragment of Shabranigdo, only then learning that it lies within his own eyes. Lina is able to defeat the Demon King using the incomplete Giga Slave and the Sword of Light, with help from Rezo's soul, but she kills the priest in the process.

It is later revealed that Rezo survived by transferring his soul, as well as the ghost of Shabranigdo, into the Hellmaster's Pot. When the Slayers find the Hellmaster's Pot, Pokota resurrects Rezo in order to revive the people of Taforashia from their suspended state. After reviving the people of Taforashia, Rezo wants to see again, if only for a moment, so he opens his eyes. As the power of Shabranigdo returns to him, he asks Lina to destroy him once more. With the help of the completed Giga Slave, Lina destroys Rezo, and the ghost of Shabranigdo with him.

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Peter Davis (Episodes 3-10, 23) & Liam O'Brien (Episodes 3, 88-104) (English)

Eris

Eris is the servant of Rezo the Red Priest and later Copy Rezo. From a young age, she serves as Rezo's assistant and apprentice, helping him perform his miracles. She also assists in his research to cure his blindness, and is brokenhearted over his repeated failures; she may have been in love with him. After the death of the original Rezo, she hires the swordsman Zangulus and the sorcerer Vrumugun to hunt down Lina and Gourry and bring them to Sairaag. She is responsible for cloning Vrumugun.

Eris is killed in cold blood by Copy Rezo after he merges with the ancient Demon Beast Zanaffar that was buried in the Holy Tree Flaggoon.

Voiced by: Etsuko Ishikawa (Japanese); Rachel Nanstad (English), Rossana Cicconi (Spanish)

Copy Rezo

Copy Rezo (コピー・レゾ Kopī Rezo), sometimes referred to as "The Rezo Clone", is a copy of Rezo the Red Priest, created by the original Rezo as a lab rat for experiments to cure his blindness. Copy Rezo's eyes open while the original's do not, because the copy's eyes do not contain the fragment of Shabranigdo.

Copy Rezo's greatest and only wish is to surpass his original. At first, he intends to kill Rezo in a fair fight. When Rezo is killed by the Slayers, he decides that the only other way to surpass Rezo is to either kill the ones who defeated the original Rezo, or withstand the Giga Slave that delivered the killing blow. He orders Eris to lure the three of them to Sairaag, where he attempts to defeat them by resurrecting and absorbing the power of the demon beast Zanaffar. However, Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis, accompanied by Amelia and Sylphiel, kill him using the Blessed Blade and the power of the tree Flaggoon.

When the Rezo clone wonders how he lost, the Slayers answer that it was because of his desire to surpass his original, and his inability to imagine a life for himself beyond that. He dies with a smile on his face, and asks to be buried beneath Flaggoon.

In the novel series, the original Rezo's fury when Copy Rezo's eyes open but his own will not leads him to conduct a number of experiments on Copy Rezo. When Rezo fuses the copy with a monster, Copy Rezo gains both pride and a will of his own, causing his desire to get revenge on and surpass Rezo. This, rather than Zanaffar, becomes the source of Copy Rezo's power.

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Peter Davis (English)

Gaav the Demon Dragon King

Gaav is a high-ranking monster, one of the five Demon Lords under Shabranigdo. He bears the title of Demon Dragon King, though he is unrelated to the dragon race. Gaav appears to be the main antagonist of Slayers NEXT, but it is later revealed that he is simply a pawn in Hellmaster Phibrizzo's plan.

During the war of the extermination of the Ancient Dragon race, Gaav meets Valgaav, the last of the Ancient Dragons, and gains his servitude. Valgaav appears as one of Lina's enemies in Slayers TRY.

Long ago, Gaav battled and defeated Aqualord Ragradia, one of the four Dragon Kings created by Ceiphied's power. However, before his death, Ragradia somehow sealed Gaav's monster soul into a human body, dramatically weakening him. Gaav still displays a considerable amount of strength, far outclassing even that of Xellos, who is unquestionably the strongest monster besides the five Demon Lords. Even sealed in a human body, Gaav is able to attack on the astral plane. He bests Xellos at his own game, and proves able to withstand a direct attack from Lina's Ragna Blade.

Voiced by: Jay Snyder (English)

Seigram

Seigram is a servant of Gaav the Demon Dragon King in Slayers NEXT. He is a purely evil monster who is seemingly as powerful as his rival Xellos. He first appears as a mysterious figure that frames Damia and Tarimu by summoning ooze monsters out of their estates, and he makes an alliance with Halcyform. However, when confronted by Xellos, he retreats without a fight. He later attacks Lina in the temple of the Claire Bible manuscript, revealing that he was granted enough of Gaav's power to withstand a Dragon Slave. He is killed when Xellos holds him directly in the path of Lina's Ragna Blade.

Voiced by: Robert O'Gorman (English)

Hellmaster Phibrizzo

The primary antagonist in NEXT, Hellmaster Phibrizzo (冥王フィブリゾ Herumasutā Fiburizo) is the oldest and the most powerful of the five Demon Lords created by Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo. He is most likely the second-in-command of the monster race. Like all monsters, he seeks to destroy the world and return everything to the Sea of Chaos. He manifests as an androgynous little boy in order to trick his victims into underestimating him.

Phibrizzo has complete control over death and the souls of the departed. He is able to raise thousands of people from the grave as living dead under his control with their memories and personality intact. He can also encase people in a life-absorbing green crystal, or kill anyone simply by breaking a golden marble that represents their lives. He is highly intelligent and cunning; he knows how to manipulate people, and convincingly pretends to be an ordinary child. His eagerness to destroy the world goes far beyond any other monster's. Though cruel and sadistic, his personality fits his childish appearance, as he enjoys making fun of his victims and using people like toys to entertain himself.

It was Phibrizzo who ignited the War of the Monster's Fall, first as a conflict between humans, then as a worldwide war between monsters and dragons, in order to awaken the part of Shabranigdo sealed within the sorcerer Lei Magnus. He is probably the one who decided to create the Monster Barrier, which isolated the battlefields to the outer and inner worlds, weakening the dragons' forces.

In Slayers NEXT, Phibrizzo plans to force Lina to draw upon the power of the Lord of Nightmares and use the Giga Slave, which can destroy the entire world. He uses Gaav and Xellos to lead Lina to the discovery of the Giga Slave spell, then joins Lina as a young pickpocket to watch what happens. When Lina, fearing the power of the Giga Slave, brings down Gaav with the weaker Ragna Blade spell instead, Phibrizzo destroys Gaav and kidnaps Gourry, forcing her to cast the Giga Slave. However, the Giga Slave summons the Lord of Nightmares herself in Lina's body, who obliterates him, giving him the destruction he craved.

Voiced by: Kazue Ikura (Japanese); Wayne Grayson (English)

Valgaav

Valgaav is one of the main adversaries in the third series of the anime, Slayers TRY. Once known as Prince Val of the Ancient Dragon clan, he is nearly killed by the Golden Dragons, who feared the dark powers of the Ancient Dragons and exterminated them. He is saved at the last moment by Gaav, who sees in him a powerful ally and a spirit of hatred towards the Golden Dragons for their betrayal. Gaav bestows upon him the powers of a monster and renames him "Valgaav".

Valgaav and Gaav are separated when the other four Demon Lords create the barrier separating the outer and inner worlds. The barrier remains in effect until Hellmaster Phibrizzo's death at the end of Slayers NEXT. Valgaav is loyal only to his savior, Gaav, and gives no allegiance to any side, be it Slayers, dragons, gods, or monsters.

With the combined power of a monster and Ancient Dragon, Valgaav is the strongest of Gaav's servants. However, he is notably weaker than Gaav. His Ancient Dragon power conflicts with the monster power given to him by Gaav, causing him pain. He is able to best Xellos in a one-on-one fight by using Ragud Mezagis, one of the five Darkstar weapons. He survives a magically amplified Dragon Slave fired directly into his body.

Despite his prowess as a warrior, Valgaav is radically unstable and reckless. He activates the gateway created to summon Darkstar with only two of the five weapons required. Although the gateway is closed by other gods from the Overworld, Darkstar fires a blast through it that destroys Valgaav. He reappears at the end of the season merged with the fusion of Darkstar and Volphied, and acts as an arbiter of the two. Possessing the powers of both dragon gods and monster lords, he is easily the most powerful being faced in the entire storyline of Slayers, although his power is cut in half by the open gateway. Valgaav/Darkstar/Volphied is destroyed by the combination of dark and light powers of Xellos's and Filia's abilities, combined with the five Darkstar weapons and Lina's incantation of Chaos power. At the end of Slayers TRY, he is reborn as an egg and falls under the care of Filia and two of his former demi-human subordinates, Jillas and Gravos.

Voices: Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Scottie Ray (English)

Zuuma

Zuuma is an assassin hired to kill Lina Inverse in Slayers Revolution. He became an assassin solely for the purpose of killing Lina. Gourry uses Pokota's Sword of Light to blast one of his arms off, while Lina blasts the other.

Zuuma returns in Slayers Evolution-R as the main antagonist alongside Shabranigdo. He orders Lina to come to the city of Vezendi or he will kill a merchant named Radok, who has the Hellmaster's Jar. It turns out that Zuuma actually is Radok, and it is all a ploy to draw Lina in. Although it is uncertain precisely why Zuuma wants to kill Lina, she once killed a group of bandits that were responsible for killing his wife, thus denying him vengeance. In the manga, he is killed by the Ragna Blade, but in the anime, he has his hands slashed off a second time before Xellos appears and kills him in order to steal the Hellmaster's Jar.

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita (Japanese); Troy Baker (English)

Other characters

Noonsa

Noonsa (ヌンサ Nunsa) is a fishman, with the body of a fish and the legs and arms of a human. He is one of Zelgadis's henchmen at the opening of the story. He comically tortures Lina with a kiss (sucking on her entire head) when she won't tell Zelgadis about the philosopher's stone.

Later, when Zelgadis breaks Lina out of the castle, Noonsa attempts a sneak attack on Lina, but Zelgadis traps him in a bubble of air and fries him with a fireball. Later, some of Dilgear's followers find the fried fish and eat him.

In the manga version of the story, Noonsa has no romantic attraction to Lina. He is ordered by Zelgadis to steal the philosopher's stone, but Gourry slices him in two and eats him. In the novel, when Noonsa is ordered to kiss Lina, he asks where the eggs are, having no concept of kissing other than that it is related to mating.

Voiced by: Kozo Shioya (Japanese); Junior Ringenbach (English)

Dilgear

Dilgear (ディルギア Dirugia) is a half-wolf, half-troll henchman of Zelgadis. Unlike Zolf, Rodimus, and Noonsa, his colleagues, Dilgear is actually quite violent during battles and will even kill his foes. He first appears in Episode 4 of the anime.

Although Dilgear was placed under Zelgadis' rule, his ultimate loyalty is to Rezo, so it comes as no surprise to Zelgadis when the half-breed turns against him. When Zolf and Rodimus arrive, Dilgear thinks that he has been saved, but Rodimus says that their loyalty is to Zelgadis, not Rezo. Dilgear is seriously wounded by Zolf, and his final words are: "Just wait until I come back to life!" Thanks to his half-troll regenerative abilities, he does revive, but instead of seeking revenge he ends up as Luna Inverse's pet, and she calls him Spot. The exact circumstances of this radical change in Dilgear's life are unknown.

In the manga, Dilgear is a bounty hunter sent by Eris, along with Rahanimu and Vrumugun, to eliminate Gourry and Lina. Strangely, Dilgear vanishes shortly after his introduction. It is possible that he either flees or is simply killed off-screen.

Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese); Jimmy Zoppi (English)

Zolf

Zolf (ゾルフ Zorufu) is a sorcerer loyal to Zelgadis. While under the command of Zelgadis and the Red Priest Rezo, Zolf infiltrates the Dragon Fangs gang in order to steal the Orihalcon Statue and the philosopher's stone it contains. Unfortunately for him, he joins the gang just in time to be blown up by Lina robbing the gang. Following the attack, bandages cover his entire body, earning him the nickname "Mummy Man". After Zelgadis' break with Rezo, Zolf chooses to follow Zelgadis and remain under his command, also removing his bandages. He casts a Dragon Slave at Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo, but Shabranigdo reflects the spell, killing Zolf and Rodimus.

Voiced by: Masato Hirano (Japanese); Stan Hart (English)

Rodimus

Rodimus (ロディマス Rodimasu) is an elderly man loyal to Zelgadis. Despite his apparent age, Rodimus appears to be a skilled fighter and manages to hold his own, with the help of Dilgear, against much younger fighters like Gourry.

Rodimus chooses to remain under Zelgadis's command when Zelgadis turns from Rezo. His time with the Slayers is short-lived; when Zolf mistakenly casts a Dragon Slave on Shabranigdo, the Demon King reflects the spell, killing Rodimus and Zolf.

In the manga series, after Zolf is killed by the reflected Dragon Slave, Rodimus sacrifices his life protecting Zelgadis from a dark magic attack launched by Shabranigdo.

Voiced by: Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese); Junior Ringenbach (English)

Crown Prince Philionel El Di Seyruun

Philionel El Di Seyruun (フィリオネル＝エル＝ディ＝セイルーン Firioneru Eru Di Seirūn) is the crown prince of Seyruun. He has two daughters, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and Gracia Ul Naga Seyruun. Gracia leaves after Phil's unnamed wife is killed by an assassin, and now calls herself "Naga the White Serpent".

Phil also has two brothers, Christopher Wil Brogg Seyruun and Randionel Seyruun, and a nephew, Alfred Seyruun. Both Randy and Alfred are killed in separate attempts to seize the throne for themselves. Though Phil's father Eldoran Seyruun is technically still the king, he is old, sickly, and bedridden, so Phil more or less runs the country. Possibly due to his wife's death and his eldest daughter's absence, he is very close with and protective of his youngest daughter Amelia.

Like Amelia, Phil has a strong belief in justice, and he is also a pacifist. However, if Phil sees something he believes to be unjust, he will not hesitate to use force. Unlike most of the Seyruun royal family, Phil has no magical powers, but his brute strength crushes injustice with attacks such as Pacifist Crush and Kindness to All Creatures Kick. This sheer strength is sufficient to destroy lesser demons.

Voiced by: Masahiro Anzai (Japanese); Matt Black (Episodes 11-13), Jimmy Zoppi (Episodes 25-26, 34-40, 53), & David Brimmer (Episodes 90-91) (English)

Beastmaster Zelas

Zelas Metallium, also known as Lord Beastmaster, is one of the five Demon Lords who rules on Wolf-Pack Island. She appears in the novels periodically, but her only appearance in the anime is a shot of legs and a cigarette. Xellos serves as her right-hand man, and everything Xellos does in the end leads back to her. She is a popular character in the fandom world, and most of what is known about her personality is fan-based.

Vrumugun

Vrumugun (ヴルムグン Vurumugun) is the name given to a group of copy men created by Eris in the third novel and the first season of the anime.

In the novels, Eris uses the Vrumuguns to try and capture Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis and bring them to Sairaag. She only sends one Vrumugun after them at a time, sending a new copy every time one is killed, which confuses Lina and the others at first: each time they think they've killed Vrumugun, he reappears to attack them again. The Vrumugun copies disappear once their controller dies.

In the anime, Vrumugun is partnered with Zangulus, and they try to capture Lina and Gourry. However, while Zangulus is short-tempered and arrogant, Vrumugun is quiet, collected, and takes everything seriously. In episode 18, after Zelgadis kills a group of clones, Vrumugun vanishes and is not seen again in season 1.

The original Vrumugun's identity is a mystery. In the novels, there is evidence to suggest that Eris is the original. She (and possibly the original Rezo) created them, and her last name is given as Vrumugun. In the anime, Eris' last name is never mentioned, nor is it ever hinted that she is the original. At the end of Slayers NEXT, a person very much resembling Vrumugun is briefly seen at Zangulus and Martina's wedding, implying that this person is the original Vrumugun.

Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese); Jimmy Zoppi (English)

Zangulus

Zangulus (ザングルス Zangurusu) is a mercenary and a swordsman of considerable skill. Although he cannot use magic, he wields a weapon called the Howling Sword, a magical sword created by Rezo that can shoot great gusts of wind. Zangulus and the sorcerer Vrumugun were originally hired as bounty hunters by Eris and Copy Rezo to capture Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis and bring them to Sairaag.

Zangulus becomes obsessed with fighting Gourry to see who is the better swordsman. They duel in Rezo's lab, but Gourry wins in the end, and Zangulus leaves. He reappears towards the end of Slayers NEXT, looking for a rematch. However, Gourry is being held prisoner by Hellmaster Phibrizzo, so Zangulus does not get a chance to duel him a second time. He does help Lina and the others fight the Hellmaster.

It is during this time that Zangulus meets and falls in love with Martina, who he marries after the battle.

Zangulus is yet another character created for the animme, and does not appear in the original novels or the manga. He can still be considered a canon character, as the series was written, supervised and approved by Hajime Kanzaka.

Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese); Liam O'Malley (Episode 13) & Ted Lewis (Episodes 14-21, 49-52) (English)

Jillas Jillos Jilles

Jillas Jillos Jilles (ジラス＝ジロス＝ジレス Jirasu Jirosu Jiresu) is a red fox beastman and a servant of Valgaav.

Jillas' people were nearly hunted to extinction. After being injured by humans and losing his left eye, Jillas is saved by Valgaav. He is partnered with Gravos Maunttop, who he refers to as "Boss". He has no knowledge of magic or swordplay, but is skilled with guns, gunpowder and various explosives. He also has a knack for exploiting the friction between people to his advantage, and employs psychological warfare against the Slayers to great effect.

In TRY, Valgaav orders Gravos and Jillas to locate and recover the five Darkstar weapons. When Gravos loses control of Ragudo Mezegis is blasted away by a Dragon Slave, Jillas swears vengeance on the Slayers, and succeeds in stealing Gorun Nova from Gourry.

After everyone is separated and Valgaav is presumed dead, Jillas is rescued by a fox named Elena and her son Palou, who call him "uncle". He abandons them to seek vengeance when he discovers that the Slayers are still alive. Filia saves him from the explosion of one of his own bombs, after which he calls her "Boss", a name that makes her uncomfortable.

After Valgaav is reborn as a pure Ancient Dragon and is adopted by Filia, Jillas and Gravos (who was literally launched into orbit by the Dragon Slave) become her partners and help her sell maces and pottery in a shop.

Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (Japanese); Maddie Blaustein (English)

Gravos Maunttop

Gravos Maunttop (グラボス＝マウントトップ Gurabosu Mauntotoppu), a reptilian beastman, is a servant of Valgaav. His first appearance in the series is in Episode 54 of TRY.

Gravos was almost killed by his own people, causing him to lose his right eye. Valgaav saves him and becomes his master. During TRY, Gravos and Jillas attempt to steal Gorun Nova on Valgaav's orders. During a struggle to get the holy magic and the black magic vessels from Princess Sera and Prince Marco, Gravos loses control of Ragudo Mezegis when he is hit by the Dragon Slave and is knocked into the distance, presumed dead. However, he is alive and well in the epilogue of TRY, once again partnered with Jillas and helping Filia run a store that sells maces and pottery.

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese); Nathan Price (English)

Milgasia

Milgasia (ミルガズィア Mirugazia) is the leader of the Golden Dragons remaining in the outer world, who were originally in the service of the Water Dragon King.

Milgasia finds the Slayers when they enter the Valley of Dragons. He aids Lina by taking her to see the real Claire Bible so that Lina can learn the truth behind the Giga Slave. In the anime, Martina tags along as well. In the novels, Milgasia and his elven companion Mephis join Lina in her travels for a while.

Milgasia is probably over 1,000 years old, as he seems to have first-hand knowledge about Xellos and the War of the Monster's Fall. At first, he is worried about the Slayers's association with Xellos, until Gourry helps him realize that they are not intimidated or influenced by Xellos in any way. Milgasia's first appearance is in Episode 20 of Slayers NEXT, which roughly equals the seventh novel and manga issue.

Voiced by: Masaaki Ōkura (Japanese); Zeke Zeigler (English)

Damia and Tarimu

Damia (デイミア Deimia) and Tarimu (タリム Tarimu) are members of the Sorcerer's Association, competing for the position of Guild Master. Damia hires Lina and Gourry as bodyguards Tarimu, while Tarimu does the same with Amelia and Zelgadis, leading the two pairs to unknowingly compete. When monsters begin coming out of both Damia's and Tarimu's estates, they are imprisoned, leaving them unable to pay the Slayers for their services.

While in prison, Damia and Tarimu reveal that they are responsible for the empty guild position. Halcyform, the previous Guild Master, had been expelled after they found him conducting taboo research into immortality. He lost his position, and was certainly powerful enough to summon the monsters to frame them both. Both Damia's and Tarimu's lower halves become imprisoned in stone when they try to repay Halcyform for his wrongs, and, to their dismay, they are left on their own to find a way of turning themselves back to normal.

Luna Inverse

Luna Inverse (ルナ＝インバース Runa Inbāsu), Lina's older sister, was born in a small village in Zephilia, the first daughter of merchants. Her father is an ex-mercenary and her mother is an ex-sorceress.

Luna and Lina's relationship is not particularly affectionate. Apparently, when they were younger, Lina would misbehave and Luna would "punish" her by making her do grueling workouts. The most notorious incident between the two was when Lina, ever keen on an opportunity to make some extra cash, set up a device that projected an image of Luna while she was taking a bath. Luna's reaction "compelled" Lina to begin her quest. Lina is still terrified of Luna, and even the mere mention of her sister sends Lina into a panic attack, as seen in Slayers Revolution episode 8.

A fragment of Ceiphied's will is lodged within Luna. In Slayers TRY, when the Slayers visit the Fire Dragon Temple, it is mentioned that she is known as the "Ceiphied Knight". As the Knight of Ceiphied, Luna wields an immense amount of holy power.

Luna never appears in person during the novels or the anime, but Hajime Kanzaka has said that she is slightly more powerful than Xellos. She can cut a Dragon Slave in half with an ordinary, non-magical sword, and once defeated a plasma dragon with a kitchen knife.

In Slayers TRY, Luna is Filia's first choice to save the world from the prophecy of destruction. Luna, being on the side of the gods, knows she is not the candidate in the prophecy; she turns down Filia's request and suggests Lina for the job instead.^[6]

Deities

Shabranigdo

Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo (赤眼の魔王（ルビーアイ）シャブラニグドゥ Rubī Ai Shaburanigudu), also known as Shabranigdu, is a powerful being of evil, the ruler and strongest of the monsters, and the source of power for Lina's signature spell, the Dragon Slave. He is said to be the sole source of misery and negative emotions in the Slayers world.

Defeated long ago by the Dragon King Ceiphied, Shabranigdo was split into seven parts and buried in human souls. It was Ceiphied's plan to wear away at these fragments by the constant death and rebirth of human lives, until Shabranigdo ceased to be. A thousand years before the series begins, one of these parts awakened in the legendary sorcerer Lei Magnus, the Demon King of the North. Lei Magnus was a great sage who created devastating spells, such as the Dragon Slave and shamanism's powerful fire spell Blast Bomb. However, his power came at a price. When the piece of Shabranigdo within him awakened, he led the monsters against the Dragon Kings. He was defeated and sealed in ice by the Sea Dragon King, Aqualord Ragradia, and at the same time the Demon Dragon King Gaav, one of Shabranigdo's Demon Lords, was bound to a human body. It was a costly victory; Ragradia was destroyed, leaving only her memories and knowledge, which became the Claire Bible. The remaining four Demon Lords (Dynast Grausherra, Deep Sea Dolphin, Beastmaster Zelas Metallium, and Hellmaster Phibrizzo) erected a shield that sealed the divine powers in the outer world, separated from the inner world where the Slayers story begins.

A second portion of Shabranigdo awakens in the first Slayers arc. Rezo the Red Priest awakens the fragment sealed within his eyes when he uses the philosopher's stone in an attempt to cure his blindness. Lina confronts the unbound piece of Shabranigdo, invoking the Giga Slave to defeat him. It is possible that Shabranigdo could have survived this attack, but a fragment of Rezo's remaining will forces open its defenses. Shabranigdo claims that he is so impressed at Lina's improvised spell that he allows that fragment of himself to be bested.

In Slayers Evolution-R, the Red Priest revives, bringing the fragment of Shabranigdo back to life with him. It possesses the true body of Pokota, and when Pokota returns to his body, it causes instability between the occupying souls, allowing Lina's perfected Giga Slave to destroy Shabranigdo.

In the final Slayers novel, a third fragment of Shabranigdo is buried in the soul of a character named Luke, who had previously appeared as a rival. Driven to despair by the events of the previous book, Luke is contacted by the fragment of Ruby-Eye within him and manages to strike a deal with it: he will fight Lina and Gourry one more time, and if he is victorious, the fragment will wholly revive and complete the monster race's goal of destroying the world. As Luke ultimately wishes to die in the battle, rather than destroy the world, his self-destructive impulse allows him and the fragment to be slain by the Dragon Slave. This battle is the only known exception to the monsters' immunity to black magic drawn from their own power (described by Lina as, "Hey, help me kill you").

Voiced by: Daisuke Gouri (Japanese); Roger Kay (Episodes 8-10) & Marc Thompson (Episodes 103-104) (English)

Lord of Nightmares

The Lord of Nightmares (金色の魔王（ロード・オブ・ナイトメア） Rōdo obu Naitomea/Konjiki no Maō) is the demiurge of the Slayers universe, the creator of everything. Although she has no defined gender, she is generally considered female because she possessed Lina's body and took her form in her sole appearance in the series. Unlike most creator deities in fiction, the Lord of Nightmares is not considered benevolent and humans do not worship her. Even among those steeped in the magical arts, few are aware of her existence. Those of the monster race are, and refer to her as "the Mother of All Beings". Other names given to her include "Lord of Dreams that Terrify", "He Who Shines Like Gold upon the Sea of Chaos", "The Golden Lord", and "L-Sama".

The Lord of Nightmares created the entire Slayers multiverse, including the futuristic galaxy portrayed in Lost Universe, and two other known worlds, the realms of Chaotic Blue and Death Fog. Both Shabranigdo and his rival Ceiphied are her direct creations. The Lord of Nightmares may have done this simply because she wanted to watch gods, monsters, and mortals contend for her amusement, a hypothesis adopted by Valgaav in Slayers TRY in his attempt to remake the world. Another theory is that the Lord of Nightmares requires the chaos of battle for sustenance.

Lina is the only human known to directly use the power of the Lord of Nightmares in spells, and she is reluctant to do so. Spells that call upon the power of the Lord of Nightmares are notoriously unreliable, with failure frequently having devastating consequences. The Giga Slave, for instance, could theoretically destroy existence itself if miscast. Lina created the Giga Slave when she was much younger by combining parts of the Dragon Slave's incantation with chaos words of the Lord of Nightmares that she found in a Claire Bible manuscript. When she cast the spell for the first time, she turned a body of water into a sea of death, where no living thing can grow. To call upon the power of Chaos is to call upon the Lord of Nightmares herself, and she can withhold her power if she chooses; "My mind is my power, my power is my mind," she says in the Slayers NEXT finale.

The Lord of Nightmares's only direct appearance is in Slayers NEXT, when Lina is goaded into casting the Giga Slave by Hellmaster Phibrizzo, who wants the power of Chaos to destroy the world. Before this point, the Lord of Nightmares had no physical form, having sacrificed her body to create the Sea of Chaos and the Four Worlds. Using Lina's body as a vessel, the power of Chaos obliterates Phibrizzo. She also makes good on Lina's final thoughts and wishes by reviving her companions and allowing them to see her. She declares that Lina is gone forever, consumed by her power, with Xellos explaining that when "existence calls forth oblivion, it must return to oblivion". The only thing that saves Lina's soul from the Sea of Chaos is Gourry's sacrifice of the Sword of Light.

The Lord of Nightmares does not intervene in the battle against Valgaav and Darkstar at the end of Slayers TRY, since Lina doesn't cast the Giga Slave spell. Instead, the Slayers create a power very similar to that of Chaos by combining the powers of the monsters and the gods, Light and Dark, to destroy Valgaav and Darkstar.

Ceiphied

Ceiphied (スィーフィード Suīfīdo), also known as Flare Dragon Ceiphied (赤の竜神（フレアドラゴン）スィーフィード Furea Doragon Suīfīdo/Sekiryuushin Suified), is the dragonic counterpart to Shabranigdo in the Slayers universe.

In each world of this universe, a Dragon King and a Demon King struggle against each other to direct the fate of the world. In the Red World, in which Slayers is set, Ceiphied is the Dragon King who battles the Demon King Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo. Ceiphied successfully weakens his demonic counterpart by cutting Shabranigdo into seven pieces. Ceiphied dies in the process, but leaves behind four beings to continue his struggle: Aqualord Ragradia, Flarelord Valbazard, Earthlord Rangort, and Airlord Valwyn. A fragment of his will is lodged in Luna Inverse, Lina's older sister, who is known as the "Ceiphied Knight".

Darkstar Dugradigdo

Darkstar Dugradigo is one of the four Demon Kings (or "Ma-oh") created by the Lord of Nightmares. He is the main antagonist of the Black World, and appears in Slayers TRY attempting to cross over into the Red World and cause further destruction. The gods of the Black World aim to destroy him using the five weapons he created: Gorun Nova (the Sword of Light), Ragudo Mezegis, Nezzard, Bodigar, and Galvayra.

In his own world, Darkstar is the equivalent of Shabranigdo in power, as Volphied is the equivalent of Ceiphied. Darkstar devours Volphied, but grows so powerful that he can't control his own power, and becomes a being seeking only the destruction of everything. However, Valgaav reveals that Darkstar "devoured" Volphied by mutual agreement between the two. They realized how meaningless the eternal fight between gods and monsters was, and fused to bring "purification" to the worlds by destroying and remaking them so that gods and monsters would not have to constantly fight.

Half monster and half god, the new Darkstar merges with Valgaav, who is the same combination. Darkstar's "astral body" is different from those of any other monster, making magic useless against him. Darkstar can only be defeated by the five weapons he created. When Filia and Xellos combine the powers of Light and Dark, of Ceiphied and Shabranigdo, and unleash it through the five weapons of Darkstar, the resulting Chaos force vanquishes him for good.

References

1. "The Slayers DVD Collection". Amazon.com. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
2. "Anime Review". Exploded goat. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
3. This rumor was confirmed by Hajime Kanzaka during an interview.
4. Hajime, Kanzaka (2005). Slayers: The Silver Beast. Tokyopop, LA. p. 35
5. Choubaku Madouden Slayers #3 (Legend of Darkness), July 1996, pg 41
6. "Slayers TRY - 2 - Doubtful? A Letter From Home!". YouTube (Funimation's official channel). November 12, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2015.