Rolan

Rolan
Japanese	ロラン
Rōmaji	Roran
Gender	Male
Status	Alive
Family	Unnamed parents (deceased)
Team	Chess Pieces
Class	Knight
ÄRMs	Rapier Whip Aile D'ange Stone Cube Dark Ribbon Terror de Bind Cockatrice
Seiyū (Japanese)	Susumu Chiba Fuyuka Oura (child)
Voice Actor (English)	Keith Silverstein

Rolan (ロラン, Roran; or Lauren in the Japanese game) is a member of the Chess Pieces and holds the rank of Knight, of which he is the fifth strongest.

Appearance

Rolan is a rather feminine boy with saffron blonde hair and rose pink eyes. He wears a blue shirt with a zipper down the middle and a black collar with a silver band on it. He has several ring ÄRM and most noticeable an ÄRM on his right shoulder that is covered in feathers.

Personality

Excitable behavior, stuttering speech and possessing a Zombie Tattoo, Rolan of the Knights class is Alviss of Team MÄR's direct counterpart. The greatest contrast between them is that while Alviss's feelings for Phantom are sheer hatred, Rolan's are complete love and devotion, and a wish to keep Phantom company on the path to eternity. This is incomprehensible to others, given Phantom's fearful figure, but understandable for him, as Phantom treated him with kindness at a time of vulnerability for Rolan.

Etymology

Rolan's name and sense of loyalty are based on the titular character from the epic poem, The Song of Roland. Roland is depicted in the poem as heroic, brave, and amazing.

History

Rolan mourning his parents' deaths.

At some point early in Rolan's childhood, Rolan's parents died to unknown circumstances, leaving a poor and starving Rolan to live on the streets. Rolan was always ignored by the others, and Rolan spent his days sitting along a market street with uncertainty on his future as villagers walked by him. One day, a group of kids stealing food dashed by Rolan when the fourth kid bumped into him and spilled all of the fruit and vegetables in his basket. With little time to spare, the boy grabbed some to throw back into his basket and scurried off, with most of the produce on the ground by Rolan. The owner of the stolen food approached Rolan and assumed he was one of the thieving children. He then dragged Rolan by his shirt away from his spot and severely abused him.

Rolan managed to escape from the man, but the abuse left the boy in an even worse state than before. After wandering back to his sitting spot, waiting to simply die, he was then approached by Phantom, who offered a turkey leg to the starving boy. As Rolan aggressively ate the meat, Phantom asked him if he would follow him and held out his right hand. Rolan took his hand and followed him out of the village, joining the Chess Pieces. Phantom taught him many things like about the sixth sense as well as how to fight and how to live as well as how to believe that the world was meant for them.

First Great MÄR-Heaven War

According to Alan, Rolan fought in the first War Games as a Rook or Bishop.

Six-Year Interlude

During this time, Rolan was promoted to the Knight class.

Second Great MÄR-Heaven War

In the anime, he accompanied Loco in an attack during the Chess Piece's war campaign and had a short clash with Alviss. Rolan left abruptly, before it could escalate into a real fight, while telling Alviss that the two would fight again.

War Games

Rolan approaches Jack, Snow, and Edward the night before the third round, praising Team MÄR's performance in the second round earlier in the day. He flusters at realizing he forgot to introduce himself first casually stated he would be participating in the third round. The trio were shocked that such an overly polite person could be a Knight of the Chess, and Rolan awkwardly runs off.

Returning to Lestava Castle, Rolan converses with Girom regarding Phantom's decision to put Rolan in the line-up for the third round. Girom tells Rolan not to kill Ginta as he had dibs on him, and Rolan mentions that Ian did, too, before changing to a more serious tone.

Round 3

After Kannochi's death in his match against Ginta, Rolan makes his battle debut fighting against Alviss. As soon as the match begins Alviss activates his Guardian ÄRM, 13 Totem Pole. Rolan emits a girlish scream and runs away but while he looks like a fool he is dodging each one with perfect timing not being hit by a single one. Alan yells for Alviss to look out, he didn't dodge them by luck and that he knew where they'd be. Rolan activates his Nature ÄRM, Stone Cube. And several cubes of stone appear out of the various debris around him. He launches them at Alviss he dodges some of them and lands on top of one of the cubes. He looks down and sees a small stone face begin to countdown 3, 2, 1. The cubic stone explodes, but Alviss managed to dodge in the nick of time.

Rolan at this point notices the Zombie Tattoo on Alviss's hand and mentions that Alviss has received Phantom's baptism. He pulls up his sleeve and reveals that he also has been branded the Zombie Tattoo, though it hasn't progressed as much as Alviss. Confused on why Phantom would brand an ally, Alviss angrily yells at Rolan for making the situation light in spite of the consequences. Rolan admits to receiving the Zombie Tattoo of his own volition and desires to walk the same path as Phantom. He forms more stone cubes and launches them towards Alviss, who dodges and continues to argue. Rolan tells Alviss that the tattoo is proof that he has great potential that Phantom saw. Alviss argues that despite what Rolan believes in the end he's only being used. Rolan replies that he doesn't mind as long as he is of some use to Phantom.

Rolan then activates a new ring ÄRM and creates a creature from a nearby magma pool. The ÄRM is called Magma Snake and he has it slam into Alviss and sends him flying. At this Alviss realizes the difference in power between the himself and the Knights of the Chess. Team MÄR fears for his safety when 13 Totem Pole appears and destroys the serpent. Meanwhile in the audience Dorothy makes a realization that Alan also makes at the same time. That Alviss has used too much strength and has no chance of victory and should surrender. Instead of surrendering Alviss silently stumbles towards his opponent. Ginta yells that if Alviss keeps this up he will die but Babbo informs him that because of his pride and courage Alviss doesn't want to lose to the Chess and he also doesn't want to lose against Ginta either. Rolan insists to Alviss to forfeit, as he'd rather not kill him. Alviss uses a high speed 13 Totem Pole and actually manages to strike Rolan, cutting his face. Finally he gives up, acknowledging that at his current level he has no hope of defeating a Knight, that the biggest thing he lacks at the moment is magic stamina and despite that, he will catch up to Rolan's strength. As Pozun declares Rolan the winner, he comments to himself that he now understood why Phantom had chosen Alviss, too.

Aftermath

After the fifth round, the Knights are called into Phantom's room for a meeting. Phantom then specified that the only Knight who needed to be punished was Rapunzel, for her senseless murder spree of Chess teammates during the fourth round. Phantom offered her a chance to save herself by dueling against a Rook named Ian.

Rolan and his fellow Knights go outside to the surface below where the castle floated to observe the duel between Rapunzel and Ian. Ian effortlessly brushes off Rapunzel's attacks and immediately kills her with one attack. Phantom promotes Ian to the Knight class, taking Rapunzel's position, and hands him the Knight pierce. Ian turns to the other Knights and announces his intentions as a new Knight to kill whichever one of them hurt his beloved.

Round 7

Rolan participated in the final round of the War Games alongside the rest of the strongest Zodiacs. After Jack defeated Vidar in the first round, Alviss calls Rolan out for a rematch, which Rolan happily accepted.

After the War Games

In the anime, Rolan nearly stabbed himself to death just some moments prior to Phantom's death, wishing they could once again meet in another, more peaceful, reborn life. However, he lives, and at the end, he is seen with Candice, offering a rose to Phantom's grave.

ÄRMs

He uses explosive Nature ÄRMs:

• Rapier Whip: A Weapon ÄRM, a sword that can stretch its blade like a whip and explodes when its tip touches an opponent. The anime also shows it having the ability to split to create more arms to use as whips. In the manga, it was destroyed in his battle with Alviss in the final rounds, but the anime shows him using it after this battle.
• Aile D'ange: The flocks of feather Nature ÄRM that adorn Rolan's right shoulder which wing him for mid-air combats. The wings can shoot out an endless stream of razor-sharp feathers.
• Stone Cube: Rolan's Nature ÄRM which makes giant stones cubes to crush the enemy or explode with him/her. He can also make a snake out of magma using this ÄRM:
  • Magma Snake: Using boulders and lava flowing around, the user creates a giant snake.
• Dark Ribbon (anime): Nature ÄRM, ties adversaries in one fatal grip with the roots of the Dark Roses, which weaken them by sucking out their energy.
• Terror de Bind: Another unique ÄRM type, sends out a giant bird cage to trap opponents. This may be a downgraded version of Alviss' Darkness ÄRM Caged Bird.
• Cockatrice: The bell Guardian ÄRM at the end of a chain seen at Rolan's waist that calls for the giant eagle of legend and its lethal petrifying breaths. The ÄRM requires an esoteric incantation to activate.

Gallery