Gil (ギル, Giru?) is a tigerman who served as captain of the second guard squad in Verbergen, and would eventually be promoted to one of its generals.
Appearance
Gil has a burly build. Like all tigermen, he is covered in stripped fur, has a striped tail and a pair of tiger ears.
Personality
Gil is fiercely brave and loyal to his fellow beastmen. As a captain of the guard for Verbergen, it is his duty it and the outlying settlements, and to keep them safe from monsters or invaders; something that he was totally decimated towards. He will not hesitate to aid those that are weaker than him, even at the cost of his life.
Like most beastmen, Gil is initially very prejudice towards humans, but he eventually overcomes it when most nations of Tortus band together to fight its self-styled god Ehit.
Despite his intense dedication, Gil is also capable of acting rationally in even the most dire of circumstances and will attempt to resolve an issue without violence if possible. It is due to this trait that eventually earns Gil a promotion as one of Verbergen's generals.
Chronology
Gil and his squad were out patrolling the Sea of Trees one day when they came across Hajime Nagumo, who was being escorted by a group of Rabbitmen. surprised by this unusual group, Gil immediately ordered the rabbittmen to identify themselves and what there objective was. Gil soon realized that they were actually the Haulia Tribe that were labeled as traitors by Verbergen after seeing the one that was deemed "cursed" for being able to utilize mana, unlike most beastmen. Gil was about to order his squad to kill them all, but was stopped when Hajime fired an extremely powerful shot his powerful handgun artifact "Donner" that just barely missed Gil's face. Hajime then threatened to kill all of Gil's men with that same attack unless they withdrew and let them be. Shocked after having just witnessed such an overwhelming attack, Gil managed to compose himself and politely asked Hajime was his objective was, to which he replied by claiming that he wanted to visit the Grand Tree Uralt at the center of the forest in order explore one of the Great Labyrinths that resided there. Gil was puzzled by Hajime's answer due to the believing that the entire forest itself was actually the Labyrinth, but Hajime rebuked him by telling him that the Labyrinths were actually trials created by the Liberators that would make it impossible for most people to survive it on a daily basis. Gil had never previously heard of what Hajime told and was initially unsure of what to do, but soon requested that Hajime allow him to retrieve one of Verbergen's rulers so that they may confirm him story, to which Hajime agreed. Gil then ordered his subordinate Zam to fetch their ruler while they waited. Zam returned an hour later with Verbergen's elder Ulfric Heipyst, who was able to confirm Hajime's story and invited them back to Verbergen. Gil and the the other tigermen were shocked at Ulfric's hospitality towards them, but soon escorted them back after Ulfric claimed that he was following their nation's law of aiding anyone that managed to overcome the Liberators' trials.
Gil was among the beastmen soldiers that were fighting an army of demons who had invaded the Sea of Trees with special monsters that could navigate its impenetrable fog barrier. After having been injured throughout continuous fighting, Gil aided in the evacuation the non-combatants who were fleeing from their villages to find safety in Verbergen. As the situation was looking worse for the beastmen, several of Gil's subordinates pleaded with him to abandoned the refugees and resume the fight (due to them being weak rabbitmen that were incapable of fighting), but Gil refused and remained committed to protecting as many of them as he could while they they fled their homes. It was then that Gil was attacked by a large dryger beetle monster after it had initially aimed for one of his men before Gil pushed him out of the way and took the attack head-on. Gil attempted to block with his sword, but the dryger hit him with such force that he skipped across the ground before slamming into one of the trees behind him, and almost passing out. As Gil was about to be killed, the dryger was suddenly slain before it got the chance to finish him. Gil saw that he was saved by several Rabbiten who killed the monster as thanks for him risking his life earlier to save the rabbitmen that were fleeing from their homes. They then left just before Gil's subordinates arrived to help him. Gil managed to get back on his feet and ordered his men to regroup at Verbergen in order to prepare for another monster attack, while having realized that he had been saved by the Haulia Tribe after remembering a story her heard from the bearman Regin Vanton about having a near-fatal encounter with them, that he had originally dismissed.
In the aftermath of the battle, Gil once again encountered Hajime and his companions while on patrol. He was surprised to see that Hajime was accompanied by Ulfric's granddaughter Altina after she and many other citizens of Verbergen were captured by the Hoelscher Empire following the Demon's invasion. Gil was overjoyed to see her safe and soon guided Hajime and the others back to the beastman capital.
When the mad god Ehit was planning to wipe out all life on Tortus, Gil was placed in command of Verbergen's beastmen army that were allied with the human nations that had banded together to fight back. The night before the battle, Gil was among Hajime's acquaintances who visited him in order to express their gratitude, while escorting the harpy elder of Verbergen Mao. Hajime was shocked to learn that Gil had been promoted to one of Verbergen's five generals, to which Gil explained that he wanted to partake in the battle in order to express his gratitude to Hajime for all that had done for Verbergen.
Gil and the rest of the beastmen engaged with many of Ehit's apostles, while taking cover in a sea of trees that had been by magically cultivated by Aiko Hatayama. After a hard fought battle, the allies of Tortus were victorious after Hajime managed to kill Ehit.
Relationships
Hajime Nagumo
Gil is initially hostile towards Hajime due to his prejudice against humans, but soon becomes terrified of him after having witnessed his incredible abilities up-close. Gil later gains immense respect for Hajime as a result of all beastmen having been saved through the latter's actions (both direct and indirect) during both the demon invasion, followed by the empire's enslavement efforts. It it due to how well Gil had interacted with Hajime during their first meeting that he was promoted to one of Verbergen's generals.
Ulfric Heipyst
Like most beastmen of Verbergen, Gil greatly respects Ulfric as the eldest ruler. During the battle against Ehit, Gil believed Ulric to be more suited to commanding Verbergen's forces than him.
Powers & Abilities
- Expert Combatant - As a captain of the guard for Verbergen, Gil is very skilled at fighting.
- Enhanced Strength - Gil is strong enough to have achieved a high-ranking position within Verbergen's army.
- Enhanced Senses - As a beastman, Gil's senses are superior to those of an average human. Gil later trains himself to move around without relying on either his sight or hearing, as a way to avoid any future unpleasant encounters with the Haulia Tribe's antics.
Weapons & Equipment
- Two-Handed Sword - His primary weapon.
- CheatMate (チートメイト, Chītomeito?) - A food-type artifact comprised of nutritional minerals, such as calcium and iron, that are enchanted with metamorphosis and evolution magic. They are then turned into powder and transmuted to became a solid food block. Once consumed, it raises a person's base stats and increases their body's sturdiness.
- Last Seele (ラスト・ゼーレ, Rasuto Zēre?) - A red gem Hajime made for everyone who participated in Rangarok. It bestowed its wearer "Limit Break" and "Overload." It was destroyed by Hajime after Ehit's death.
Quotes
- (To his subordinates): "I’ll say it again. We’re going to defend our countrymen to the last. That’s the job we signed up for. At the very least, that’s the oath I swore when I became a warrior of Verbergen. Were yours different?"[1]
- (To himself): "Goddammit. I haven’t felt so powerless since the time I faced off against that boy.[1]
- (To Hajime): "Once this battle is over, the relationship between beastmen and humans is going to change drastically. I don’t know how things will end up, but I hope you’ll be willing to help us again if the need arises. I’ll be praying for your success."[2]
Trivia
- The name "Gil" has several meanings:
- From the Latin "Aegidius," which means "tutelage, protection," which in turn comes from the ancient Greek "aigís" (αἰγῐ́ς).
- From the British, Norman-French, which in turn is derived from the Old High German name "Gisilberht", composed of two elements: "*gīslaz", meaning "pledge, hostage" and "*berhtaz," meaning "light, bright, clear, shining one." In turn, the name means "bright pledge."
- From the Hebrew "gı̂ylâh / gı̂ylath," meaning "happiness, joy, rejoicing."
- Gil does not appear in the Manga or Anime. In the Manga, he is replaced by Zel as the one leading the squad of tigermen that are patrolling near Verbergen when they first encounter Hajime and the Haulia Tribe. In the Anime, Gil, along with his squad of tigermen, are replaced by a squad of bearmen that are lead by Jin Vanton.