Rolan

Rolan
Characteristics
Name	Rolan
Kanji	ロラン
Romanji	Roran
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Chess Pieces: Knight
ÄRMs	Rapier Whip Ailes'd Angel Stone Cube Dark Ribbon Dark Cage Cockatrice Electric Cage
Seiyū (Japanese)	Susumu Chiba
Voice actor(s) (English)	Anthony Pulcini

Rolan (ロラン, Roran), or Lauren in the Japanese game, is a fictional character and recurring anti-villain in the popular manga and anime series MÄR. Rolan is a member of the Chess Pieces and holds the rank of Knight, of which he is the fifth strongest. He is voiced by Susumu Chiba in the Japanese version and by Anthony Pulcini in the English version.

Personality

Excitable behaviour, 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 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.

History

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 himself would have died under such a living eventually. At one point in the anime, a number of kids stealing food bumped into Rolan and left a large amount of food around him, leaving the owner of the stolen food to blame Rolan and severely abuse him, putting Rolan in an even worse state than before. Just after this, Rolan was found by Phantom, the leader of the Chess Pieces. Phantom became the only one to treat Rolan with consideration, giving him food to survive.

Just before Phantom left, he asked Rolan if he would follow him, which was followed by Rolan taking Phantom's hand and the two walking out of Rolan's home village together. Rolan, having a wish to serve Phantom, would join the Chess Pieces. According to Alan, Rolan fought in the first War Games as a Rook or Bishop.

Plot

Pre-War Games

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

As a display of the Knights' power, Rolan defeated Alviss in the last match of the 3rd Round. Alviss surrendered before he was killed. When they fight again in the final round, Rolan loses.

Post-War Games

Due to his special bond with Phantom, his inevitable ending struck Rolan devastated.

In the anime adaption, 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.

ÄRM

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.
• Ailes'd Angel: 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.
• Electric Cage (anime): The unique ÄRM type, summons a cage inside which the trapped one cannot use ÄRMs, and will take on an immense electric jolt at each attempt to get out.
• Dark Cage: 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.