The Japanese animated television series Last Exile has a cast of characters designed by artist Range Murata.
All names are displayed according to their spelling in the English subtitled version of the series, as released by Funimation Entertainment or in the romanization of the Japanese names as they appear on official merchandise published after the English localization of the series.
Creation and conception
The initial concept designs for Last Exile were created by character designer Range Murata. Murata also spent a great amount of time on costume design. Wanting to portray each character's personality more fully, he "tried to draw in the kind of material that would have been used in creating their clothes and try to represent the stitches connecting the fabric". Although Gonzo initially intended for Last Exile to be shown in a space setting, it did not want characters who use sterile space suits. As a result, Murata's designs placed the show in its current setting.
Although the fictional world of Prester is not a representation of Earth; it features technology reminiscent of nineteenth century Europe at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Many of its designs were also inspired by Germany's technological advances during the interwar period. Uniform designs for Anatoray's musketeers were based on Napoleon Bonaparte's army and American Civil War soldiers. On the other hand, Soviet Red Army fur coats provided the basis for Disith uniforms. The crew of the Silvana wore uniforms that were more modern and utilitarian. Production of Last Exile relied heavily on 3D computer animation. The animation for Last Exile was also supplemented with Victorian era flourishes. In order to combine hand-drawn animation with computer-generated ones, the production team used a technique for non-photorealistic rendering, which could not be used for Blue Submarine No. 6 (a previous work of Gonzo and one of the first CG anime series) because of a stylistic conflict. At the 2003 Anime Expo, production designer Mahiro Maeda, who also worked with Studio Ghibli's production of Laputa: Castle in the Sky, commented that "[Last Exile] is very advanced in how it will incorporate the two mediums".
Last Exile Protagonists The story of Last Exile revolves Claus Valca and Lavie Head, who fly their vanship as sky couriers. Although they usually take up missions of relatively low difficulty, they are one day asked to complete the mission of dying courier Ralph Wednesday. The mission, rated seven stars out of ten, is to deliver a young girl named Alvis E. Hamilton to the mysterious battleship Silvana. Despite their fears, Claus and Lavie deliver Alvis to the battleship but decide to remain aboard to keep her safe. It is later revealed that Alvis holds the key to uniting the two warring nations of Anatoray and Disith.
Claus Valca
is a fifteen-year-old pilot employed by the Norkia Vanship Union, a sky courier service for the nation of Anatoray. Claus is known for his signature flight technique, the Immelmann turn, and possesses a flight record "not even an adult could outdo".
Claus is no stranger to the vanship courier lifestyle, having been born into and raised for the lifestyle by his late father Hamilcar Valca (much like navigator Georges Head raised daughter Lavie). Their fathers died while attempting to cross the "Grand Stream" on a mission that would have brought peace to Prester.The two were delivering a message that would have ended a long-standing feud, had it arrived. After this and his mother's death, Claus followed in his father's footsteps throughout his childhood and early adolescence to become a top-notch pilot.It is mentioned by several characters (Lavie, "Hurricane Hawk", several unnamed couriers in the first episode, etc.) that Claus is at least equal to his father in piloting ability, who is in turn referred to as an experienced and talented pilot.
While transporting their special "cargo", Alvis Hamilton, Claus and Lavie's vanship is damaged and they are forced to stay on board the Silvana. The captain of the ship, Alex Row, had been the young pilot who delivered news of his father's death to his family. On top of that, he caught the eye of Dio Eraclea, who was fascinated with his skills as a vanship pilot. Though uncomfortable in his presence, Claus treats Dio as a friend.
Lavie Head
is Claus Valca's navigator and vanship mechanic. The moody, outspoken redhead is proud of her lineage as seen in her protectiveness of her vanship (thought to have belonged to their fathers).
Unlike Claus, she is relatively reluctant to stay on the Silvana and favors the freedom of the vanship lifestyle. She abhors the use of vanships for military purposes, and deplores Claus's interest in becoming a combat pilot. Along with her friendly nature, she can hold grudges with others. Her feelings for Claus are obviously conflicted. She treats Claus mostly like a dear friend and sibling, sometimes acts the part of nagging but caring wife, insofar as she cooks for him and rustles him out of bed. She seems to have repressed romantic feelings for Claus, judging by the somewhat simmering jealously she feels when Tatiana Wisla starts showing an interest in Claus. This most prominently appears when Claus and Tatiana return to the Silvana with Tatiana wearing Claus's pilot suit.
As the events of the series unfold, the emphasis of the story began to shift away from her and Claus, instead focusing on the plights of the two countries in Prester, and the treachery of the Guild. However, she and Claus bore witness to Alvis' release of "Exile," and in the end, chose to settle in the new world.
Alvis E. Hamilton
is a peculiar eleven-year-old child and "the cargo." Alvis (or "Al") is targeted by the Guild and it becomes apparent that she is the "key to Exile." Her nurse, Guita, and the pilot who was commissioned to transport her, Ralph Wednesday, were killed as a result of the Guild's pursuit. Claus Valca tended to Ralph when he crash landed and that's how they met Al. Ralph knew he was going to die and asked Claus to take his dangerous mission in delivering Al to the Silvana. While Ralph distracted the Guild pilot with his engine, Claus and Lavie drifted downstream with their vanship and Ralph self detonates his ship to save the three of them.
When Al woke up, she was confused and scared of Claus and Lavie Head because she was unconscious during the whole ordeal. She wanted to know whatever happened to her previous guardians, but Claus and Lavie made up an excuse that they were simply away. Al's intuition was enough for her to figure out they are dead. During the night while Claus planned their route, the Guild already caught up to their house and had to make an early run before morning. They did not run far before the Guild fighter caught up to them. At the last moment Alex used a pistol to kill the pilot and recovered their "cargo." Al was knocked out during the Guild fighter assault. After she came to, she woke up again to new strangers (Silvana crew). Claus during that time didn't like Alex's facial expression and worries the safety of Al. He steals highly purified fuel from what's left of the Guild fighter and flew to the Silvana to find Al.
After everyone was reunited, Claus remained with the Silvana crew to look after Lavie and protect Al. Al does not know of her importance, but learns of it while under the care of the Silvana. Al is revealed to be member of the Guild House of Hamilton which has the ability to control Exile and unlocking it by knowing the answers to the questions that form the four Mysteria (see below). The Guild's Maestro Delphine Eraclea kidnapped Al and Claus to discover the secrets of Exile. She needed to recite all four passages, but Alex was smart enough to not know of the fourth and final one should he ever get captured and interrogated.
After Lucciola helped Al and Claus escape from the Guild, Al ended up back in Norkia with Claus. They ventured back into the Grand Stream to use the vanship Lavie worked so hard on to adapt to Grand Stream conditions. After they entered the domain, Al and Claus got to the other side of the Grand Stream, she finished reciting the poem that would unlock Exile's true form.
At the end of the series, Claus and Alvis recite the four Mysteria, allowing Exile to shed its defensive cocoon and reveal itself. The Mysteria, in their correct order of recitation, and their responses are: "What lies in the furthest reaches of the sky?" "That which will guide the lost child back to her mother's arms: Exile." "The waves that dye the land gold." "The blessed breath which nurtures life: a land of wheat." "The path the angels descend upon." "The path of great winds: the Grand Stream." "What lies in the furthest depths of memory?" "The place where all are born and where all will return: a blue star."Although it is never stated that the blue world is indeed Earth, an image of a planet whose landscape resembles that of Earth is shown when Alvis speaks the phrase "a blue star".
Supporting characters The majority of the events in Last Exile occurred on the fictional lone aerial battleship and aircraft carrier . The ship is known as the "Kill-'em-all" Silvana for its reputation of destroying other battleships regardless of which faction they belong to. Because it has never lost in a battle, the ship became an object of superstition and rumor. Despite being powered by a Claudia unit of Guild origin, the Silvana cannot be controlled by the Guild because the unit itself was stolen. The ship also employs armaments that differ from battleships used by the Anatoray navy. They were developed in secrecy and use a propellant fluid system rather a steam-based one.
The nation of is at risk of experiencing drought. The nation of , on the other hand, is experiencing a deep freeze. Anatoray Prime Minister Marius Bassianus likened Disith to a "wounded lion" after its lands fell into a deep freeze due to climate changes.
Alexander Row
Twenty-eight-year-old Alexander Row,Although not mentioned during the series, the full names of some characters appear in promotion material such as "Aerial Log" published by Gonzo or in Range Murata's "Range Murata Anime Works 1998–2006 Prismtone" published by Wani Magazine. or most commonly known as , acts as the captain of the Silvana. In the series, he is portrayed as emotionally distant from the other characters, including his first officer, who resembles his deceased fiancée . Alex Row: What do you [Sophia Forrester] want from me? Are you such a weak woman that you'd decide on a course of action based on my words? Alex's actions are driven by one purpose: to kill Guild Maestro Delphine Eraclea, whom he holds responsible for his fiancée's death. Sophia Forrester: Did you really intend to kill Maestro Delphine? Alex Row: It's that thought that keeps me alive. After being confronted about his past, Alex reveals himself to be a friend of the legendary vanship duo of Hamilcar Valca and Georges Head and the former owner of Claus's and Lavie's vanship. Character designer Range Murata has described the character as a "loner". Alex Row was based on Captain Harlock, a space pirate character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. According to Murata, the design for his clothing "turned out all black, no matter how carefully or subtly I put in the lines; they were all the same when I colored it in". Animators also experienced difficulties in animating his hair and flowing cape.
Sophia Forrester