Bodin (ボダン Bodan?) is one of the secondary characters of the anime series The Heroic Legend of Arslan. He is the Grand Inquisitor and Archpriest of Lusitania, and a servant of Lusitania's God Yaldabaoth.
Appearance[]
Odin is an old man with a menacing appearance. He is bald and has a thick, grey beard. He also has dark circles and many wrinkles around his brown eyes. He wears the same chainmail armor as the Lusitanian soldiers.
Personality[]
Bodin is a fanatic and bloodthirsty believer of Yaldabath, who uses his position and power to indiscriminately kill slaves. He does not hesitate to show his opposition to Innocentius' wedding with Tahamine, threatening him indirectly and in his presence.
Bodin is ruthless and without mercy, as he tortured Pars's marzban Shapur during the siege of Ecbatana, and didn't hesitate to push to the death a Lusitanian soldier who showed doubts on burning mere "pagan" documents, as they could have valuable information.
Plot[]
Siege of Ecbatana[]
When the Lustanian army finally reached Ecbatana, they dragged Shapur near the gate in an imprisoned state. The Bodin started to torture Shapur to make him an example fort he heathens. After a few hits, Shapur called to the people of Ecbatana and said that he would rather dying by a friend’s arrow than being tortured by the Lusitanians. He teased with Parsian soldiers and stated that no arrow could reach from that distance, but Gieve killed Shapur by shooting him in the head with an arrow, thus, ending his pain. Then the soldiers guarded Bodin, making sure of his safety.
Prince Arslan Takes a Stand[]
After hearing that Innocentius is in love with Tahamine and won’t kill Andragoras, Bodin became furious. So, having lost his patience, he burned Pars’s twelve million volumes worth of rare hisorical texts, calling them heathen texts. A soldier said that they should examine them and angered Bodin. He burned him too as he pushed him out to the fire. He then stated that the God wouldn’t allow someone to marry with a heathen, even if he is the king.
Road to Peshawar[]
Bodin came to the King’s room and said that he wanted to burn 10,000 heathens, and seemed very happy about it. But Guiscard didn’t allow it as Pars may rebel against them. Bodin stated that this is the God’s war against the heathens, so he ordered his Temple Knights to come to Ecbatana.
The next day, Bodin came back to the king’s room and stated that he killed Hildigo because of his opposition against his marriage. Innocentis asked his brother to convince Bodin. Guiscard told the archpriest that his commander was sharing his bed with a heathen woman, so nobody will listen to Bodin about this matter. Bodin told Guiscard that he is the one who killed him, and attempted to leave the room, but Guiscard told him that they took Yaldabaoth’s flag down. This made Bodin very angry and he went to Maryam with his Temple Knights.
Siege of Zabul Castle[]
In rout to Maryam, Bodin and his Thirty Thousands Knights stop their travels and take the impregnable Fortress of Zabul, located on a little mountain, under their control and perturbing the communication with Lusitania. A punitive force is sent against them after Bodin start make demands that went against Guiscard and Innocentis's wishes. The punitive force is composed of 30.000 Parsians soldiers under the Command of Hilmes, Sam,Xandes and temporarily of Kubard. When the force arrive at Zabul, they provocate the Temple Knights by burning a flag of Yaldaboth.
The act enraged Bodin, who orders a reckless Cavalry charge on the field. The battle end in a Parsian victory and the Temple Knights leave two thousand of their own on the battlefield while they retreat inside the Fortress of Zabul. Eventually, the Castle fall to Hilmes'forces the next month, and the last knights still in the fortress commit suicide or lost their lives in the battle though Bodin manages to escape.
Quest for Rukhnabart[]
Fleeing to the land of the Fallen Kingdom of Maryam, the fugitive Bodin tried to raise support from the people he once brutally persecuted. In order to gain charisma, he sent temple's Knights to steal the legendary sword Rukhnabart, a task that succeed despite the presence of Prince Hilmes and Prince Arslan's retainer . But he is tracked down by Sam's soldiers, and his base once again came under Attack.
His followers being overwhelmed, he Let his anger deciding instead of his rational senses and began to duels with the Silver Mask with only a club before being push to the ground by the much better fighter. The skirmish being lost, he manages to fled, but not before swearing vengeance.
Relationships[]
Guiscard[]
Guiscard and Bodin hate each other to the point Bodin accuses Guiscard of having assassinated Hildigo, the Knight's Templar Commander.
Innocentius[]
At first Bodin and Innocentius have a good relationship , Innocentius favorising the Church instead of the Lusitanian Army, notably during the sharing of the wealth after the fall of Ecbatana. However, this change when the King decide to married Tahamine, Bodin at first make indirectly threat toward him, to finish with accusation of Blasphemy and paganism and a warning from Bodin that Innocentius will go in hell.
Trivia[]
- Bodin might have been named after the parish of Odin in France, Italy.