Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria/Characters

The Valkyrie Profile series contains a plotline that is highly dependent on its characters. The cast is large, diverse and very colorful, sharing histories in a war-torn, tragic landscape. This article focused on describing the main playable characters, as well as some of the minor enemies and allies that are encountered throughout both ' and '. It should be noted that the appearances of mythological figures such as the Norse gods are highly stylized and reimagined, and thus this article should not be used as a proper mythological source.

=The Valkyries=

Hrist Valkyrie
The elder sister of Lenneth and Silmeria, Hrist is a valkyrie that serves Odin's will with great zeal. She is ruthless and even somewhat evil in this regard. When Barbarossa, king of the city of Dipan was fooled into an unethical search for immortality by his three mages, Hrist unjustly executed the innocent king, and laid the entire city to waste. A frighteningly terrifying figure, she was brought out of slumber to replace Lenneth after her much more forgiving sister regained her memories as a human. Claiming Lenneth's body, she is defeated by the combined forces of Arngrim, Mystina, Lezard Valeth, and Brahms as she tries to confront the Lord of the Undead.

It is revealed in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria that she had previously been dispatched to capture the errant valkyrie Silmeria and bring her, along with her einherjar, back to Valhalla. Initially foiled in this endeavor, Hrist would pose as a human warrior named Leone and join Alicia's quest to aid Dipan in fighting the Aesir. At the Temple of the Venerated Dragon she would reveal her true identity and flee with Argrim, confronting the party again in Dipan alongside Arngrim only to be once more defeated.

In Japanese, Hrist's name is アーリィ ("Aarii"). It has been romanized as both "Arly" and "Arli." Her name is thought to be a pun on the English word "early," since she is the goddess of the past.

In norse mythology, there is a valkyrie named Hrist.

Lenneth Valkyrie
"One of three Goddesses of Fate whose role it is to decide a person's fate after death. A midlevel goddess of the sixth rank, her true name is Lenneth Valkyrie."

Lenneth is a valkyrie and the primary protagonist of , recently awakened warrior-maiden that Odin has served with the task of recruiting the souls of deceased warriors, or einherjar from the world of mortal men, Midgard, so that they may assist in the war against Surt, and prevent the destruction of Asgard in Ragnarok. Lenneth is a goddess of fate along with her two sisters (Hrist and Silmeria) and they all share the same body. A loyal servant, she does as she is asked until she one day discovers that while she had been "sleeping", her soul had been reborn in Midgard as a girl named Platina, and had once been in love with a human named Lucian. Odin gives her body to Hrist after she regains her memories, but through the efforts of Arngrim, Mystina and Lezard, she is eventually returned to Valkyrie.

After returning, Lenneth confronts Loki and in the process discovers that her rebirth, using a homunculus with half-elven/half-human blood, granted her powers surpassing those of Odin, giving her the power of creation. After killing Loki, Lenneth restored Lucian to life, and the two were able live together in peace with Lenneth as the Lord of Creation.

Lenneth returns in as her future self, thanks to a time traveling device that was built in Dipan. To stop the deterioration of her world caused by Lezard Valeth, who also used the time traveling device, she joins Alicia, Hrist, Rufus and others to stop the madman. Later Lenneth loses her body thanks to Lezard using the Sovereign's Rite on her and her sisters. Her soul is then captured and imprisoned in an ice prison. Lezard intended to merge his and her souls into one but was stoped by Alicia, Brahms, Rufus and Arngrim. With the help of Brahms, Alicia and the 3 valkyries merged into one soul. In the ending of Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria during the ending sequence after the credits, the 4 souls are shown to have become separate again. Another scene shows Rufus traveling through Coriander Village, where he encounters a little girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to Alicia, suggesting she may have been reincarnated after the souls seperated. What became of Silmeria and Hrist remains in question, but it is safe to assume Lenneth returned the future to resume her role as Lord of Creation.

Lenneth makes a cameo appearance as a bonus boss in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time and as a recruitable character in Radiata Stories.

Silmeria Valkyrie
The youngest sister of Lenneth and Hrist, she is a captive of Brahms, whom Lenneth and Hrist both make separate attempts to defeat. (Brahms persuades Lenneth not to fight, boasting that she could not possibly win, whereas Arngrim, Lezard and Mystina assist him in defeating Hrist.) At the end of the game, she remains in Brahms's clutches. She only appears in Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth for a brief time if the player chooses to fight Brahms when confronting him as Lenneth.

Silmeria is, however, the primary protagonists of , along with Alicia, the daughter of King Barbarossa and the princess of Dipan. As punishment for sparing the life of Brahms long ago, Silmeria was confined to the body of Alicia by Odin where she would be fully conscious, but unable to act. Something went amiss, however, as in reality Alicia and Silmeria share control of their body, with Silmeria able to assert her authority over Alicia at any time.

Valkyrie
"The one true valkyrie, created by combining Hrist, Lenneth, and Silmeria, the three goddesses of fate. Holds more power than multiple gods, and literally has the power to control even fate."

Valkyrie is a playable character in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria but only at the main story's final battle and as the final Seraphic Gate bonus Character. After Lezard Valeth uses the Sovereign's Rite on all 3 valkyries they all turn into crystallized souls doomed to eventually fade away. Alicia, who has the soul crystals of Silmeria and Hirst, frees Lenneth from the grasp of Lezard and decides to merge her soul with all 3 Valkyries to form one ultimate Valkyrie. With the help of Brahms, she combined her soul with the other 3 Valkyries but at the cost of her soul and body to burn away while the 4 are merged. When the merging of souls is complete a new single Valkyrie was created. Valkyrie's power rivals that of the gods considering she has the souls, power, and attributes, of Lenneth(this Lenneth is from the original Valkyrie Profile when she becomes the new Lord of Creation after Odin's death & Ragnarok; she is in because she traveled back in time to stop Lezard from changing the course of history), Silmeria, and Hrist. Thus her version of Nibelung Valesti is more powerful than any of the 3 Valkyries and more grand.

=Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Characters=

Aelia
"Whether by choice or by fate, the power of the Dragon Gem enables Aelia to transform into a dragon. However, she doesn't realize that such shapeshifting, a form of Necromancy, robs her of her own identity."

A spear-wielding woman clad in green armor, Aelia was captured by the villain Gandar as part of his attempt to learn the whereabouts of the Dragon Orb, one of the most powerful relics in existence. He was mistaken, however, in that Aelia possessed no knowledge of the Dragon Orb, but was in fact the bearer of the Dragon Gem, which gives her the power to transform into a massive dragon. Aelia eventually died from Gandar's torture, and Lenneth recruited her soon after. She was a member of the group of adventures that included Kashell, Grey and Celia, and is one of the few non-human Midgardian characters in the game; she is actually a member of the dragonian race.

Her Japanese name is written エイミ("Eimi"). On the official Japanese website, it is romanized as "Aimi." "Amy" is another variant commonly used by fans.

Badrach
"A thief who works alone, having refused to enter the Thieves Guild. His power is unquestionable, but his unique ability to make enemies makes him unpopular. He has a notorious weakness for women and drink."

A lowlife that has robbed and murdered countless people, he himself is eventually killed by an assassin from the thieves' guild. Lenneth initially intends to send him to Nifleheim and damn him to the underworld, but when he shares his story of how he once saved a young girl from a life of slavery (Lucian's younger sister), he proves to her that even the most craven of humans can show goodness in their hearts, no matter how briefly. Towards the beginning of the game, he accompanied Arngrim in unknowingly transporting Jelanda to the Villnore border, and escaped after the princess was turned into a monster by Ghoul Powder.

Badrach's name is one romanization of his Japanese name, which is written バッドラック ("Baddorakku"). It is most likely a pun on the words "bad luck," as one of his traits is "Unlucky." Also, his name is romanized as "Badluck" on the official Japanese website.

Belenus
"A nobleman holding a high office in Gerabellum. With his powers of leadership, Belenus has earned the loyalty of knights and commoners alike. He stands for fairness and justice in a corrupted and decadent kingdom."

A respected nobleman from the city of Gerabellum. He treats his servants with the utmost care and compassion, including Asaka, a young Yamato woman whom he rescued by buying her from a slave auction. In return for all of his kindness, she remains faithful to him until she is attacked and killed by a vampire summoned by Lady Beliza. Belenus, in his grief, agrees to perform the ritual of soul transfer, exchanging his life so that Asaka may continue living.

Belenus's name in Japanese is written ベリナス ("Berinasu"). It is sometimes romanized as "Belinus" or "Belinas."

Gandar
"A sorcerer in the employ of the Villnore Army. Crafty and ambitious, Gandar's path to power is lined with corpses. He's a classic villain in every sense, and his power is unrivaled. He prides himself in never having lost a battle."

An elderly but virile sorcerer employed by the Villnore army, Gandar is a thoroughly evil man ruled by his ambition. He is also personally responsible for the death by torture of Aelia. In his search for the Dragon Orb, he ultimately breaks into the Palace of the Dragon in order to steal it from its altar, only to discover that someone else had stolen it first. Lenneth chased down and defeated Gandar, but despite his evil nature, Freya gives her strict orders to recruit the wizard as a potential Einherjar.

Gandar's Japanese name is ガノッサ ("Ganossa"). On the official Japanese website, it is romanized as "Ganosa."

Grey
"Nothing is known about this man of mystery. After being saved by Lemia according to the ritual of Soul Transfer, he tried to save her by the same law, but his prayers went unanswered and his soul was set free."

A man that is never seen in anything less than full-plate armor, Grey was brought back to life by his friend Lemia, who exchanged her life for his in the ritual of soul transfer. However, his other comrades mistakenly believed that he murdered Lemia, and was forced to go into hiding. When he attempted to reverse this and bring Lemia back to life, he died once more without the desired result since those resurrected by the ritual cannot return life to another.

In Japanese, Grey's name is written グレイ("Gurei"). It is romanized in the same way as in the English version.

Janus
"A knight of Crell Monferaigne, he was chosen to perform an assassination due to his skill. When it went public, he sacrificed himself rather than betray his country, but his compatriots regarded his sacrifice with contempt."

A loyal soldier (once a knight of the king), that exiled himself from his kingdom of Crell Monferaigne after performing a government-sanctioned assassination. However, he returned ten years later because he was worried about his father, and with hope that he could be reinstated in the military, and re-acquire his title. Unfortunately for him, however, the conspirators in the assassination feared his return, and had him killed to prevent any possibility of their implication.

Janus's Japanese name is written ジェイクリーナス ("Jeikuriinasu"). Its most common romanizations are "Jake Linus," "Jake Linas," and "Jakelinus" (seen on the official Japanese website).

Jayle
"To join the knighthood, Jayle disguised herself as a man. But what terrible secret would drive a gentlewoman to such an action? Perhaps she seeks revenge against some knight..."

A noblewoman that disguised herself as a man in order to join her country's legion of knights. Her commander eventually found out the truth about her gender, but kept the secret hidden as she had proven to be one of his best soldiers. Eventually, the two of them fell in love. However, during a mission to take down an evil sorcerer, Jayle was killed by her commander when the sorcerer inadvertently summoned the demoness, Genevieve who placed a charm spell over the men in her unit. Lenneth defeated the demoness and recruited Jayle soon after. Her real name is Leticia.

Jayle's name in Japanese is written ジェイル ("Jeiru"). On the official Japanese website, it is romanized as "Jeyal."

Jelanda
The princess of Artolia. After the arrogant Arngrim humiliates her father in front of the army, she hatches an elaborate scheme for revenge, but is betrayed by a court minister who served as a double-agent for a rival nation. After she is placed in a crate, Arngrim serves as her escort to the kingdom's border when she's discovered, alive and unconscious. Some Artolian soldiers give her some "medicine" that turns out to be Ghoul Powder, a potion that turns its imbiber into a monster upon consumption. At that moment, Lenneth appears, and she helps Arngrim kill the monster, claiming Jelanda's soul as an einherjar upon death.

Jelanda's Japanese name may be one of the most difficult to figure out. It is written ジェラード　("Jeraado"), which sounds like the female name Gerard/Jerard. However, on the official Japanese website, is it romanized as "Geraldo," and has countless variations among fans.

Jun
"A young man from the land of Yamato, Jun wields two swords with a style all his own. Jun's goal is to find a miracle drug that will cure his beloved sister, Ai, of blindness. His life is devoted solely to his sister, whom he cherishes."

A Yamato swordsman who desires to cure his sister, Ai, of her blindness. He enters a cavern, believing that such a cure laid within, and confronted a demonic ogre. However, the cave was actually a mirror into his soul. The darkness of his soul turned Jun into the ogre. Upon Lenneth's arrival, she defeated the demon, killing Jun in the process, and opening the way for him to become an Einherjar. Jun's death cures his sister's blindness, as her blindness was reflective of Jun's own blindness toward his own nature.

Jun's Japanese name is written with the kanji 洵, meaning "sincere." On the official Japanese website, this is romanized as "Jung."

Kashell
"Disdaining all profit and personal gain, he travels the land in search of adventure. He wields an enormous sword to prepare for his meeting with a certain person. He shows no disdain toward those who fight for their ideals."

A brash swordsman that fights for his beliefs, he was a good friend of Arngrim, Aelia, Grey and Lawfer. While traveling with fellow mercenary Celia, the two encountered a village where the residents had turned to stone after a forbidden seal had been breached by a curious child. He died protecting a vial of potion that would return stone people to flesh when they confronted the demon that had attacked the village.

Kashell's name in Japanese is written カシェル ("Kasheru"). Although it is romanized as "Kashell" on the official website, it has also been seen romanized as "Kashel."

Lawfer
"A young soldier from Artolia following in the footsteps of his knightly father. From a noble lineage, Lawfer had to combat the expectations of others and struggle to compete with the more skilled Arngrim."

An Artolian knight, proud that his father had given him a name with the word "law". A just and noble individual, he became curious about what caused Arngrim to ultimately kill so many Artolian soldiers and a major court official before committing suicide and leaving his brother Roland in prison. In an attempt to find the answers he seeks, Lawfer chose to take on a mission that would result in an almost certain death, and was recruited by Lenneth not long after. Interestingly enough, Lawfer is the only character who's death is not described in the game. The Valkyrie Profile Manga tells that Lawfer was slain by Arngrim when Lawfer was transformed into a vampire.

Lawfer's name is written ロウファ　("Roufa") in Japanese. On the official website, it is romanized "Lawfa."

Llewelyn
"A gentle young man from Crell Monferaigne pressed into military service by his fanatical and self-righteous country. It's tragic that such a peaceful soul should be sent to his death on the field of battle."

A young boy that had been drafted into Crell Monferaigne's military. Pressed by the rigors of military service, he died an anonymous death on the battlefield, leaving a grieving girlfriend behind. Llewelyn was allowed to visit her one last time on Midgard to comfort her and soothe her pain. On later visits it seems that she got pregnant by him. An archer bearing at striking resemblance to him was seen in the service of the Valkyrie, Hrist, though this was never explained in the sequel (Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria)

Llewelyn's Japanese name is ラウリィ ("Raurii"). Although it is romanized "Lawry" on the official website, it is more commonly written "Lowry" or "Lourry" among fans.

Lorenta
The headmistress of the Flenceberg Sorcery Academy. Lorenta was intelligent and well-respected, although some such as Mystina secretly hated her for her strict personality. Lorenta was also responsible for expelling Lezard from the academy, and ultimately was killed by Lezard in his attempt to attract Lenneth to his tower. Lenneth recruited her into the Einherjar soon after.

Lorenta's name is written ロレンタ("Rorenta") in Japanese. Although the Japanese writing is essentially the same for both "Lorenta" and "Rolenta," the latter is used on the official website.

Lucian
Lucian grew up in a small village with his childhood friend Platina. However, when they were in their early teens, the village's adults, having fallen on hard times, began selling their daughters to slave traders. Lucian encouraged Platina to escape, and the two of them ran away together. However, the path they took led to the Weeping Lily Meadow, a field of flowers known for their highly toxic poison, and Platina died. Lucian went on to live in a poor part of a big city, and became reduced to stealing so that he and his friends could survive, but was eventually killed when the government performed a clean-up operation. Upon meeting Lenneth, he felt the presence of Platina, and sensed that the two might be one in the same. After being sent to Asgard, Lucian continued to brood over Lenneth, and was tricked by Loki into using the Water Mirror to contact Lenneth while the god of mischief stole the Dragon Orb from Odin's personal treasures. Loki then killed Lucian, and used him as a scapegoat for the theft of the Dragon Orb, which he kept hidden. Ironically, it is Lucian's death that finally awakens Lenneth's own emotions and compassion towards humanity. Lucian is reborn at the end of the game.

Lucian's Japanese name is written ルシオ ("Rushio") and is romanized as "Lucio" on the official website.

Lyseria
A powerful sorceress that may be a descendent of the goddess Mimir from the Vanir tribe. Despising her power, she voluntarily sealed herself away with the hope that she would never be forced to use it, but is eventually freed by Lenneth when Odin expresses interest in recruiting her as an Einherjar.

Lyseria's name is written リセリア　("Riseria") in Japanese and is romanized "Liseria."

Mystina
A researcher and graduate of the Flenceberg Sorcery Academy. She is one of the academy's top students and is considered both as Lorenta's favorite student and Lezard's rival. Although beautiful, she's narcissistic and thinks very little of others. She steals a homunculus from Lezard's tower to use for her own research, but is killed by him when he returns to retrieve it; her body is frozen by Lezard when Mystina is spirit walking. Like Arngrim, she cannot be sent up to Valhalla. She proves herself loyal to Lenneth when she helps revive the valkyrie after the gods attempt to do away with her. Apparently an earlier incarnation of Mystina served the Valkyrie, Hrist during the destruction of the city of Dipan. However, in the sequel )(#REDIRECT ), she is not seen during those moments (unlike Arngrim) so her appearence was never explained.

Mystina's Japanese name is Meltina, written メルティーナ ("Merutiina"). She is called "Mel (メル/Meru)" by Lezard.

Nanami
The adopted daughter of a Shinto priest in Yamato, Nanami was chosen to inherit the family shrine after her adoptive family's daughter, Minayo tragically died. A strong believer in fate, she is emotionally level-headed and calm, and was unable to see the danger the shrine's right of passage posed to her due to the fact that she wasn't a true member of the family bloodline. During the trial, she encountered the angered spirit of Minayo. Lenneth appears in order to drive the spirit off, but Nanami desires to give up her body allowing Minayo's spirit to take her body and live on.

Nanami's Japanese name is written 那々美. The first and last characters were likely taken from Minayo's name、 which was written 美那代. 美 means "beautiful" and is often used in girls' names, usually on the end. 那 means "what" or "which" but, in the case of names, is used phonetically. 代 means "generation" and is probably also used phonetically in this case. The middle character in Nanami's name, 々, is a kanji repetition symbol.

Shiho
A song maiden from Yamato, Shiho is blind. Her singing voice had the power to give strength to her lord's soldiers, but in the midst of battle, she stopped, worried by what her singing caused. The tide of battle quickly turned, and Shiho's allies were defeated. Afterwards, Suo, who fought for the opposing side, found her and attempted to bring her back to his camp when she was deemed dangerous by his superiors and executed.

In Japanese, Shiho's name is written 詩帆, using characters for "poem" and "sail." The first character may be an allusion to her singing, but the two are most likely used phonetically.

Suo
A samurai-like soldier from Yamato, he lived by the sword until meeting Shiho who made him question the nobility of his efforts. Stopping to think, he left his guard open and was killed by a peasant. When Lenneth came to recruit him, he continued to ask himself what it was that truly mattered.

Suo's Japanese name is written 蘇芳. It can also be romanized as "Suou" or "Suoh." The characters mean "revival" and "frangrance," respectively, but were most likely used phonetically in this case. The character 芳 is often read "hou," but it seems to be read "ou" in this case.

Yumei
A mermaid that lived off the coast of Yamato, Yumei was born to a mermaid mother and a human father. After her mother died, she attempted to locate her father in Yamato by hitching a ride on a small fishing boat operated by a father and son, and struck up a friendship with the boy. She spoke of her desire to find a cerulean lapis, a rare item said to grant wishes, but ultimately fled in despair when she learned that her father had died years before. She shared her history with the boy, about how she was looked upon with disdain by the merfolk for being half-human, and with the death of her father, she had lost all hope and motivation. As she cried, a cerulean lapis formed from her tears. After she swam off, the boy picked the lapis up, and used it to wish for her to be reunited with her parents. The wish, however, had the effect of killing Yumei, and Lenneth arrived to collect her soul not long after.

Yumei's Japanese name is written 夢瑠, the characters meaning "dream" and "Lapis lazuli." On the official website, her name is romanized "Yumel." Although the characters used for her name are read "Yumeru," "Yumel" could very well be the preferred spelling because 1) her name may come from the mermaid language, and 2) "Yumeru" is not a standard Japanese name.

=Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria Characters=

Adonis
Adonis was a mercenary commander during the War of Camille Hill. He was not known for his loyalty or devotion to any one cause; at one time he led an army to destroy the men he had led to victory only two days before. He would go on to become one of the four Radiance Generals of Rosetta, the Black Radiance General. Shortly after this "promotion," however, he was sent to Lassen at the onset of the One Year War and killed by the former princess of Dipan Celes, who in turn would be captured, and then join, Rosetta, taking his title of Black Radiance General.

He bears a striking resemblence in design and backstory to the Berserk character Griffith.

Arcana
Arcana and Rasheeka were two natives of Kalstad who held off the invading forces of Crell Monfereigne for many years, despite being massively outnumbered. They would hold off this invading force four times, earning the respect of both their own people and of the invading Crell forces. Although they would eventually fall in battle, even the Crell soldiers honored their memory by calling a momentary truce when the two were killed.

Celes
Celes, Princess of Dipan, began a life of warfare early, participating in the War of Camille Hill when she was still very young. She apparently came out ahead by war's end and married Alm's brother, the king of Lassen. Forces around her would conspire to restart the war, however, as both the forces of Rosetta, Arcadia, and Gorhia began to agitate for war, engaging in skirmishes for a number of years. Rosetta would eventually dispatch Ehrde and Adonis to Lassen to take the city. Celes killed Adonis, but was captured immediately after by Ehrde and taken back to Rosetta. While prisoner she learned that Rosetta was seeking to cut off the link the Aesir had to Midgard, a cause she soon concluded was in the right. She defected to Rosetta and became the Black Radiance General, a title formerly held by Adonis. She was put in charge of the defense of Rosetta territory as the war began to turn against their forces. Phyress, Queen of Dipan and Celes' sister, led the attack against Rosetta's capital. Celes met her sister on the field of battle and was fatally wounded by one of Phyress' arrows, dying shortly after.

Chrystie
Chrystie was the daughter of Phyress born sometime before the One Year War. During the war, Phyress rescued a young boy named Seluvia from Rand, a decimated village near Artolia. She adopted him as a son and he grew up alongside Chrystie. When Phyress died, however, he fled Dipan fearing civil war over succession. Soon after Chrystie ran away from Dipan to find him, eventually meeting him during Queen Hel's invasion of Midgard (the Mists of Nifelheim). Reunited, they were joined by a man named Dyn who was also from Dipan, in fact the son of Phyress' general Sylphide. Together they sealed the portal that allowed the forces of Nifelheim into Midgard, but Dyn was trapped on the other side in the process. The world safe for the moment, Seluvia and Chrystie decided to wander the world together and disappeared from history.

Circe
The wife of Kraad, Circe was a reknowned armor- and weaponsmith. Along with her husband, she helped found the city (and empire) or Villnore. Within a few years, however, rebellion broke out, led by the daughter of a trader named Tylith. Circe was killed in the opening days of this rebellion.

Although her weapons and armor are top-quality, they do not impress her husband who gives them away rather freely, prompting her late in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria to simply give some of her work to Alicia, since it would likely end up with her anyway.

Dyn
Son of the Dipan generals Sylphide and Guilm, Dyn became a wanderer when he failed to protect his mother from the forces of Queen Hel. Shortly thereafter Hel began a full-scale assault on Midgard in an event known as "The Mists of Nifelheim." Demonic forces escaped from Nifelheim through a portal at an unspecified location. As Dyn searched for this entryway, he encounted Seluvia and Chrystie. The three journied together, battleing the undead and demonic forces of Hel, and eventually discovered the portal. The three managed to close the portal, but Dyn was trapped on the opposite side in Nifelheim where he was slowly tortured to death by Queen Hel.

Falx
Flax was a reknowned hunter of the undead. At some point he sought to challenge Brahms, Lord of the Undead, and was killed and subsequently recruited by Silmeria Valkyrie.

Gerald
Gerald led one hundred men to slay a dragon that had been terrorizing the Southeastern region of the continent. He slew the dragon, but the noxious blood of the creature polluted the entire area, creating the Nethov Swamp, and resulted in the deaths of Gerald and many of his men.

Guilm
Guilm was Celes' righthand man during the War of Camille Hill, serving the princess of Dipan throughout the conflict. After the war, however, he remained in Dipan when Celes married the king of Lassen and was placed under the command of Phyress. Serving alongside the queen, he would face the forces of Celes in battle during the One Year War. He also became very close to Sylphide, fighting alongside her throughout the war and in all liklihood becoming the father of her son Dyn. During the conquest of Rosetta, Sylphide was killed, prompting Guilm to perform a soul transfer to save her life at the cost of his own.

Jessica
The mother of Gerald. She inadvertently released the very dragon that would kill her son and result in the creation of the Nethov Swamp.

Khanon
Khanon is the most villainous einherjar to appear in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria. Initially an advisor to the king of Arcadia, Khanon manipulated the king and several nobles into civil war. In the chaos, he asserted control from the region of Gorhia and helped to instigate the One Year War, although unlike Xehnon his goal was not end the god's interference in mortal affairs, but simply to gain more power. He attempted to gain control of the religious forces of the continent by assuming the title of Pope, but moments after his coronation to this position he was assassainated when the Blue Radiance General Ehrde of Rosetta arrived on the scene to stop him. Even in death Khanon is loathed by the einherjar he knew in life, a sentiment he returns as well. He likewise has a low opinion of both Alicia and Silmeria, taunting them once he is returned to life.

Khanon's name and personality may be a reference to the Legend of Zelda villain Ganon.

Kraad
Husband of Circe and a famed warrior, Kraad aided in the founding of Villnore. Although he would not become the ruler of Villnore, he was granted the personal armor of the king when his own was destroyed. Within a few years Tylith would lead a rebellion against Villnore. Both Kraad and Circe would fight in the war, Circe dying early in the conflict. Kraad would live through Tylith's death, but he would not see the end of the rebellion and would die within a few years.

Lydia
The daughter of Lylia via Woltar, Lydia was shunned by the royal family of Crell Monfereigne because of her illegitimate birth. To compensate she practiced archery, becoming the greatest bowyer in the kingdom. Her stepbrother Kain was extremely jealous of her abilities and had her murdered. Although she lived an extremely short life, her prowess with the bow would be remember for many generations.

Lylia
Lylia was a citizen of Crell Monfereigne who caught the eye of the kingdom's elderly king. He sought her hand in marriage, prompting Lylia to flee the country with her lover Woltar. The two were tracked down and Woltar was murdered, but no before the two had a daughter together named Lydia. Both Lylia and Lydia were brought back to Crell Monfereigne, where the mother committed suicide in sorrow over Woltar's death.

Lwyn
Lwyn was an explorer from Kalstad. While wandering in the Sahma Desert, he discovered some lost ruins (possibly the Tombs of the Amenti, but this is never explicitly stated) and died while exploring them.

Masato
Masato was a Yamato magician of Hai-Lan. Fed up with the corruption of the ruling class, he joined a rebellion against the government. The rebellion was quashed and he was exiled to the continent where he spent his days wandering the land warding off the undead. While fighting one such creature, Masato accidently hit himself with his own curse and died from the effects shortly after.

Millidia
Millidia was Sophalla's sister, although she did not know about her sister's occupation. They both lived hand-to-mouth, but when Sophalla became queen by marrying the king, she was brought into a life of luxury. After many years, however, things seemed to be amiss as Sophalla was ordering the deaths of apparent innocent street urchins. At this time Millidia was approached by the Thieves' Guild and asked to replace her sister, since clearly she was out of control. Millidia agreed and Sophalla "vanished." Years later she would learn the truth about her sister, and in turn would ask for a meeting with the Thieves' Guild leadership. During the meeting, she burnt their hall to the ground, killing them and herself.

This story bears some resemblence to the story of Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied.

Mithra
The oldest known human character in either game, Mithra was the court magician of an ancient kingdom. He displeased the king, however, and was executed. He is the first einherjar "materialized" by Silmeria in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria.

Psoron
Psoron was a legendary magician who is credited with inventing many of the mainstay magical spells, including Fire Storm and Guard Reinforce.

Rasheeka
Rasheeka and Arcana were two natives of Kalstad who held off the invading forces of Crell Monfereigne for many years, despite being massively outnumbered. They would hold off this invading force four times, earning the respect of both their own people and of the invading Crell forces. Although they would eventually fall in battle, even the Crell soldiers honored their memory by calling a momentary truce when the two were killed.

Seluvia
Seluvia was the sole survivor of the massacred city of Rand, near Artolia, during the One Year War. He was found by Phyress, Queen of Dipan, and adopted by the royal family. He lived comfortably, raised alongside the queen's daughter Chrystie, until his adopted mother's death, but decided to flee the country lest his true heritage lead to civil war over the kingship. He wandered the land working as a bard, but five years later he ran into Chrystie, who had chased after him when he fled. At this same time Queen Hel of Nifelheim launched an invasion of Midgard via a portal to the underworld (the Mists of Nifelheim). They searched for this portal together, encountering Dyn on their journey. The three of them found the portal and sealed it, although Dyn was trapped on the other side. Seluvia and Chrystie decided to continue their wanderings, living off Seluvia's singing ability. To honor Dyn's sacrifice, Seluvia composed a ballad of his exploits.

Sha-Kon
Sha-Kon was a necromancer from the area near Hai-Lan. Growing up alone on an island to the North of Hai-Lan, Sha-Kon sought to create companionship for herself via artificial lifeforms. She created several golems, but they were mindless creatures. She began to research the arcane for a method of soul transference, eventually discovering a method and attempting it on one of her golems. She was able to infuse the golem with a soul, but the creature did not truly utilize the soul for consciousness, but instead relied on it solely as a power source and was no more lifelike than her previous attempts. She was shortly after apprehended by the Hai-Lan authorities and executed for her magical practices.

It is hinted, although never confirmed in-game, that Sha-Kon is from the same area as the Clockwork Mansion and may in fact be the mysterious owner of the mansion who was executed some time before Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth.

Sophalla
Sophalla was an expert assassin employed by the Thieves' Guild, using the money she earned to care for both her sister Millidia and other members of the underpriveleged. At some point she fell in love with the king of Gerabellum and married him, but was forced to routinely pay the Thieves' Guild to keep her former identity secret. Knowing many of the members, however, she began a program of assassaination to rid herself of this obligation. The Thieves' Guild responded by murdering her husband, then convincing her sister to replace her as queen while Millidia was sold into slavery.

Sylphide
Sylphide was a general of Dipan who served under Phyress during the One Year War. It was during this conflict that she became involved with Guilm, a general currently serving Phyress but previously operating under her sister Celes. The two became involved with each other, fighting together throughout the war and having a child together who would be named Dyn. Towards the war's end, Sylphide was killed, prompting Guilm to perform a soul transfer to save her life at the cost of his own. Sylphide would live on for a few more years, but was killed in the opening days of Queen Hel's invasion of Midgard (known as the Mists of Nifelheim).

Tyrith
Tylith was the daughter of a Villnore trader who claimed to be a descendant of Celes, the former Black Radiance General. She would go on to lead a revolt against Villnore, a revolt that claimed the lives of both Circe and Kraad. She led her forces to several victories, but was killed when the Audoulla Temple of the Lake was sunk by Villnore forces with many of her own army trapped inside.

Woltar
Woltar was the lover of Lylia. When Lylia caught the eye of the aging king of Crell Monfereigne, the two fled the country together. They gave birth to a daughter, Lydia, but were soon captured by Crell forces. Woltar was killed on the spot, while the two women were brought back to Crell Monfereigne. Shortly after being returned home, Lylia committed suicide in grief over Woltar's death. Lylia would also die soon after, killed by her jealous stepbrother.

Xehnon
Xehnon was a scholar and court magician of Rosetta who came into a possession of an ancient tome. This tome began corrupting him, leading him to push for war shortly after the end of the War of Camille Hill. His actions would eventually lead Rosetta into the One Year War, which although involved all the nations of Midgard was in truth directed at cutting off the Aesir from Midgard. He recruited the four Radiance Generals (Adonis, Crescent, Ehlen, and Ehrde) and told them of his true motives. After Adonis' death, Xehnon convinced the captive Celes of the nobility of his cause and brought her into the fold. Sadly, within the year, Rosetta forces were routed and Xehnon was defeated when his tome was destroyed by Phyress. He spent the remainder of his life as a wanderer, trying to atone for the suffering he caused in his failed revolt against the gods.

Zunde
Zunde was a famous hunter of the undead, stalking his prey across the continent. His line of work ultimately led to his death, however, and recruitment by Silmeria.

=Characters Appearing in Both Titles=

Arngrim
"A mercenary from the Artolia region, blessed with a true warrior's prowess and a good measure of luck. Arngrim's swordfighting technique is unmatched. In battle, he fights as if he were a demon possessed, slicing through foes like a scythe through ripe wheat."

One of the first souls that Lenneth recruits in Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. However, due to imperfections in his character, Odin and Freya refuse to accept him as an Einherjar, and thus spends the rest of the journey at Lenneth's side. After the death of Princess Jelanda, he fought his way through the Artolian king's castle and defeated the man responsible for her death with Lenneth's help. Afterwards, he elects to commit suicide rather than fight against Lawfer's father, the captain of the guard. Lenneth then recruits Arngrim's soul, telling him to consider it a "gift", probably due to Jelanda's request to save Arngrim earlier in that storyline. He eventually becomes one of her most constant allies. He assists Mystina and Lezard in saving Lenneth's life when the gods attempt to do away with her.

In Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria we see an earlier incarnation of Arngrim. Initially Arngrim is a mercenary working with Leone to raid the Serdberg Mountain Ruins for treasure between wars. He joins Alicia's quest along with Leone to aid Dipan in their coming war with the gods, but deserts the party at the Temple of the Venerated Dragon when Leone reveals her true identity. Appearing later in Dipan as one of Hrist's einherjar, he attacks Alicia, Dylan, and Rufus along with Hrist but is defeated.

His name is a reference to a legendary berserker from the Norse mythology named Arngrim. He also has obvious similarities to Gattsu, the main character of Berserk, in appearance (face, hair, huge sword), personality and profession and also has the same ranged weapons in the fangame Valkyrie Fight. His name in the Japanese version is written アリューゼ　("Aryuuze"). On the official Japanese website, it is romanized "Aluze." Other variations include "Aluzi" and "Aruze."

Barbarossa
The long-deceased king of Dipan, a city that once thrived in Midgard centuries before Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. Barbarossa was fooled into a search for immortality by his three mages, and as a result incited the wrath of Odin. The valkyrie Hrist turned Barbarossa's execution into a spectacle, publicly beheading him via guillotine in the city square. His ghost, angered by this unjust action, haunted Dipan's remains, and attacked Lenneth, believing her to be the one that killed him. Lenneth is then sent back in time to the day of the execution, where she finds Barbarossa's wife Queen Malabeth and is entrusted with the king's crown. Upon returning to the present, Lenneth presented the crown to Barbarossa's spirit. Realizing his grave error in judgement, Barbarossa apologizes to Lenneth, praising her with his utmost gratitude before finally resting in peace.

Brahms
Brahms, as revealed in Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, is the lord of the vampires, and has had a long-standing feud with the gods of Asgard. He is in possession of Silmeria, one of Lenneth's sisters, who is contained in a giant blue crystal, but he refuses to show her any harm. When Lenneth arrives to fight him, he boasts that he is too powerful to defeat. Later, when Odin commands Lenneths soul to be put to sleep and replaced by her evil sister Hrist, Brahms is assisted by Arngrim, Mystina and Lezard in defeating Hrist so that they may reclaim Lenneth's soul.

In Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, it is explained that Brahms and Silmeria were allies at one time. Some time later, Freya sought to bind Brahms to a crystal, but Silmeria saved him, in return getting bound herself. Brahms escaped with her. But, due to the interference of Lezard Valeth, who came from the future world of Valkyrie Profile, Brahms gets bound and Silmeria disappears mysteriously. The reasons behind this are stated later in the game.

He later chooses to stay behind and die in the twisted world of Lezard Valeth in while Rufus and Arngrim(the new guardian of the Dragon Orb)return to Midgard. He chooses here as this place is the only place where he is mortal. This would be now canon because of the interference of Lezard Valeth's time travel into the past and disruption of key events.

Frei
Freya's sister. She appears briefly at the beginning of the game to welcome Lenneth at the gates of Valhalla, and reappears at certain key points throughout the rest of the game. Unlike Odin and Freya, Frei appears to see Lenneth as a friend rather than a tool, but due to a rather naive nature, she angers Lenneth after the valkyrie returns to Asgard with her memories in tact, mentioning how Loki had stolen the Dragon Orb and ruined Odin's plans to eventually subjugate Midgard. She is also the one that explains the connection between Platina and Lenneth to Lucian.

Frei's Japanese name is フレイヤ ("Fureiya") and is romanized "Freya." No one is sure why her name was switched with Freya's for the English translation, but it may have something to do with the fact that Frei's innocent and childlike presence does not suit the Western image of a goddess of love and sexuality.

While Frei is never playable, she was noted on the now-offline official Japanese website to have the power of ultimate destruction. This power was apparently sealed and unknown to her.

Freya
A powerful goddess, and an assistant to Odin, Freya serves as the go-between for Lenneth and Odin for most of the game. However, she is disdainful of most humans, and finds them to be beneath the gods. Freya is stated to have power to bring life well as destroy it. After Lenneth regains her memories as Platina, she informs Odin, and the two of them plot to do away with the valkyrie and replace her with Hrist, a far more evil, but loyal warrior-maiden. Freya is left in despair after Loki kills Odin, as her betrayal of Lenneth's trust has destroyed any sympathy that the valkyrie may have had for her.

Freya makes a cameo appearance in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time as the final boss of the bonus dungeon. Freya has been confirmed to appear in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, apparently as a boss character as gameplay clips have shown her using her Ether Strike attack against Alicia. Upon defeating her in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria's Seraphic Gate, she joins the party as a bonus character.

Freya's Japanese name is written フレイ ("Furei") and is romanized as "Frey" on the official website. "Frei" is also often used because of the name given to her younger sister in the English version. Frei is the name of Freya's brother in true Norse mythology.

Lezard Valeth
An evil human, Lezard is an alchemist that plots to make Lenneth his own by any means necessary. Using the bodies of Elves, he constructs homunculi, believing that he can use such a means to eventually attain godhood himself, and to provide Lenneth with a body that he could claim her in. However, his plans are thwarted when Lenneth is baited to his tower and flatly refuses to cooperate. After his defeat, he escapes, but eventually decides to kill himself so that his spirit may travel the realm of Midgard freely. Using his necromantic powers and one of his homunculi, Lezard brings Lenneth back to life with the side-effect of granting the valkyrie the ability for her powers to grow to those of the most powerful of gods.

Lezard makes a cameo appearance in Radiata Stories as a bonus boss. A different character with his name appears as an NPC in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, but this different Lezard does share certain traits in terms of personality.

Lezard appears as a playable character, and later revealed as the main antagonist in Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria. He first appears to save the party from being captured by two of the Three Mages. After joining the party he assists them for a short time before disappearing after the now demonic 2 Mages uses the Sovereign's Rite. Unknown to anyone, besides suspicion from Freya who sensed a disturbance but didn't know who caused it, he is ultimately revealed to be the Lezard from Valkyrie Profile 1, who used the Dipan Time Machine to escape Ragnarok, stole Silmeria's soul and started using her as a power source. He is later defeated by Valkyrie and vanishes into nothingness.

Lezard's name is written レザード・ヴァレス. Although the romanizations used by fans are nearly endless, "Lezard Valeth" is the official English spelling as it appears in the games.

Odin
The lord of the gods, he orders Lenneth to locate Einherjar to assist in the battle against Surt, leader of the frost giants. He is also responsible for the original theft of the Dragon Orb, taking it from the Palace of the Dragon in Midgard to keep in his personal collection of artifacts (a fact that he and Freya kept hidden from Lenneth). He is ultimately betrayed by Loki and murdered at Ragnarok, unable to withstand the power Loki could wield with the Dragon Orb. Odin is a rarity among the gods, as he has elvish blood in his veins which grants his powers the capability to grow in strength.

=Other Notable Characters=

Bloodbane
A magical dragon who has the magical sword "Levantine" within him who serves Loki. He appears to be sentient, but his motives for aiding Loki in bringing about Ragnarok are never explained. Bloodbane's Japanese name is ブラッドヴェイン ("Buraddovein") and probably means "Bloodvein."

Celia
A human woman from Midgard. Celia is a mercenary that is a friend and ally of numerous characters, including Arngrim, Kashell, Aelia, Lawfer, and Grey. However, she grows distraught as each of her friends dies one after the other. Eventually, she comes to the conclusion that these events began around the time that Grey killed Lemia (as she believed). When she finally finds Grey, she attempts to confront him, but becomes lost when Grey's armor falls to pieces, revealing that he had disappeared. (In fact, moments before Celia's arrival, Grey had attempted the ritual of soul transfer to exchange his life for Lemia's but because Lemia had brought him back from death through her own soul transfer, the ritual failed and Grey's physical body ceased to be.) After this event Celia collapses in anguish, but what fate ultimately befalls her is unknown.

Fenrir
A large wolf that has the power of ice under the control of Loki.

Genevieve
A powerful and seductive demoness who seems to have faced all the three Valkyries. She is a witch who was sealed, along with her floating island, by Valkyrie beneath the seas ages ago. An evil summoner broke Genevieves' seal in an attempt to manipulate her power for his personal deeds. She annihilates the summoner and returns to her island to continue as she previously willed. In the Japanese Version, she was named "J.D Wallace".

Loki
The Norse god of mischief, Loki secretly works to usurp power from Odin by stealing the Dragon Orb. After killing Odin's enemy, Surt, he then goes on the offensive, killing Odin, and taking control of Asgard. A nihilist, his only wish is for the destruction of all life, but he is stopped when Lenneth confronts him with the power of creation in her soul.

Platina
During a period of time where Lenneth was put to sleep, she was reborn as a human in Midgard named Platina. A beautiful young girl with silver-blue hair, she suffered constant abuse from her parents. When her friend Lucian found out that her parents planned to sell her into slavery, she agreed to run away with him, but the two accidentally wandered into the Weeping Lily Meadow. Having lost hope for her life and for her future, Platina died in Lucian's arms from the toxic pollen, and was laid to rest in the meadow. The gods sealed Lenneth's memories of her life as a human away, thinking that she would be easier to control if she couldn't remember the one human she had loved until her mortal death.