List of Last Exile characters - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Japanese animated

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

television series Last Exile
Last Exile
is a Japanese animated television series created by Gonzo. It featured a production team led by director Koichi Chigira, character designer Range Murata, and production designer Mahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together in Blue Submarine No. 6, one of the first CG anime series...

features a cast of characters designed by artist Range Murata

Range Murata

is a Japanese artist and designer, known for his unique style combining Art Deco and Japanese anime elements. He is best known for his conceptual design work on anime series Last Exile and Blue Submarine No. 6....

.

All names are displayed according to their spelling in the English subtitled version of the series, as released by Funimation Entertainment

Funimation Entertainment

Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...

or in the romanization

Romanization

In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...

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

Range Murata

. Murata also spent a great amount of time on costume design

Costume design

Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...

. 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 suit

Space suit

A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...

s. 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

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

. Many of its designs were also inspired by Germany's technological advances during the interwar period

Interwar period

Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....

. Uniform designs for Anatoray's musketeer

Musketeer

A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...

s were based on Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon I of France

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

's army and American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

soldiers. On the other hand, Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

Red Army

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...

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

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

computer animation

Computer animation

Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....

. The animation for Last Exile was also supplemented with Victorian era

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

flourishes. In order to combine hand-drawn animation with computer-generated ones, the production team used a technique for non-photorealistic rendering

Non-photorealistic rendering

Non-Photorealistic rendering is an area of computer graphics that focuses on enabling a wide variety of expressive styles for digital art. In contrast to traditional computer graphics, which has focused on photorealism, NPR is inspired by artistic styles such as painting, drawing, technical...

, which could not be used for Blue Submarine No. 6
Blue Submarine No. 6
is a post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Satoru Ozawa, first published in 1967, which was subsequently developed into a four-episode original video animation series by Gonzo.- Plot :...

(a previous work of Gonzo and one of the first CG

Computer graphics

Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....

anime series) because of a stylistic conflict. At the 2003 Anime Expo

Anime Expo

Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...

, production designer Mahiro Maeda

Mahiro Maeda

Mahiro Maeda is one of the most prominent Japanese anime creators working today, having worked as director, character designer, and animator for many of Japan's top series....

, who also worked with Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli

is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...

's production of Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Castle in the Sky
All compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" – 2:27#"Morning in Slag Ravine" – 3:04#"A Fun Brawl " – 4:27#"Memories of Gondoa" – 2:46#"Discouraged Pazu" – 1:46#"Robot Soldier " – 2:34...

, commented that "[Last Exile] is very advanced in how it will incorporate the two mediums".

Protagonists

The story of Last Exile revolves Claus Valca and Lavie Head, who fly their vanship as sky courier

Courier

A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...

s. Although they usually take up missions of relatively low difficulty, they are one day asked to complete the mission of dying courier Ralf 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

Courier

service for the nation of Anatoray. Claus is known for his signature flight technique, the Immelmann turn

Immelmann turn

The Immelmann turn refers to two different aircraft maneuvers.-In aerobatics:In modern aerobatical parlance, an Immelmann turn is an aerobatic maneuver of little practical use in aerial combat, and is a different maneuver altogether from the original dogfighting tactic of World War I from which it...

, 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 becomes 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 onbord 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's 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. She is the only person who holds the key to unlocking Exile by knowing the answers to the questions that form the Mysterion (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
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

."
"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
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

."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".

It is never revealed how Alvis came to be the guardian of the Mysteria and the one who can activate Exile.

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

Propellant

A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...

system rather a steam

Steam

Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...

-based one.

The nation of is at risk of experiencing drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

. 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's actions are driven by one purpose: to kill Guild Maestro Delphine Eraclea, whom he holds responsible for his fiancée's death. 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

Captain Harlock

is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto.Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien...

, a space pirate

Space pirate

Space pirates are a type of stock characters from science fiction. They operate as pirates in outer space and travel by spacecraft; as opposed to the more traditional pirates on the high seas of Earth, who travel by boat...

character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto

Leiji Matsumoto

is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. His wife is also known as a manga artist.-Space opera:Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato...

. 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

is the Silvanas nineteen-year-old first officer and holds the title Vice-Captain. Another graduate of the Anatoray Officer's Academy along with Vincent Alzey, she is one of the few people Alex Row trusts and is often seen left in command of the ship when the Captain is out in pursuit of his own agenda. Interestingly Sophia was assigned to be an onboard spy to reveal everything to the emperor, but Sophia fell in love with Alex and never revealed anything compromising about Alex. During the series, it is revealed that Sophia is actually the daughter of the Anatoray emperor and the princess of Anatoray, which comes as a shock to the rest of the crew. But all of the feelings of unrest about Sophia's true identity comes to rest when they see that deep inside she is still their executive officer, and loyal to both the Silvanna and Alex. Her feelings for Alex sometimes reveal too much, much to Row's chagrin in his sometimes snarky comments to her.

Marius tells her to love "all [her] subjects, not just one man".

At times in the series, she feels that she is unloved, both by Row's visible actions to her and her father's response to her when she returns to the capital city. On her final night on Silvana, she put her hair down. This gave her an even stronger resemblance to Euris, Alex's dead fiance. Alex wasn't pleased at all with her appearance and told her off, calling her free flowing hair unbecoming of an officer. Feeling down she went outside to look at the skies when Claus Valca happened to be there and they had a heartful conversation. Sophia felt better after talking to Claus and even gave him his first kiss on the lips. With the death of her father, she became empress of Anatoray and sought the alliance of Disith against the Guild, having realized that the Guild was playing both countries against each other. She became the captain of the Silvana after Alex's capture, having ordered the ship to attack the Guild's flagship, with Alex and Maestro Delphine Eraclea on board.

Tatiana Wisla

is the only child of "the proud and noble" Wisla house of Anatoray. At the age of seventeen, Tatiana left home to become a member of the newly-formed Anatoray Military Vanship Corps, a new military division dedicated to using vanships as weapons as opposed to just couriers and transports. She excelled in both piloting and dogfighting, quickly becoming one of the best vanship pilots in the sky, possibly second only to Alex Row. She sent all the extra money she made as an ace pilot back to her family so that her mother could care for her ailing father. Before too long, she found herself on the Silvana as Row's handpicked wing commander for his small vanship fighter fleet. She pilots a twin-engine vanship fighter which she painted red to distinguish herself from the other pilots as well as all other vanships in the sky.

With her trusted friend, confidant, and navigator, Alister Agrew, she quickly becomes one of the most dreaded forces in the sky next to the Silvana herself, for which the technicians on-board the Silvana start calling her the "princess." Her cold demeanor manages to alienate even her close friend Alister. This leads to Alister flying with Claus Valca as his "navi" (short for "navigator") for a time, both as a rebuke to Tatiana and because Claus's navigator, Lavie Head, does not want to fly any more combat missions.

Tatiana is second best to none in her own mind, but her overconfident self-view is challenged when she meets Claus, whose piloting skills rival her own. From then on, her feelings toward Claus go on a roller coaster, making her feel anger, disgust, awe, respect, fear, and even attraction to the young vanship pilot. Her frosty aloofness is clearly a self-defensive façade; she suffers a mental breakdown of sorts after getting shot down over the desert, but recovers, and from that time she begins to show a greater depth of feeling, especially towards Claus, whom she develops a crush on.

In Last Exile: Fam, the Sliver Wing, Tatiana is now Captain of the Submersible Aircraft Carrier Silvius with Alister as her Vice-Captain.

Alister Agrew

, or "Alis" to her friends, is Tatiana Wisla's trusted confidant, best friend of the same age, and expert navigator. By her nature she is very quiet, reserved, and otherwise unflappable, reacting very little to even the strangest of circumstances. Her only reactions are shown in the way she carries herself, and the quickest way to earn her loyalty is to not dismiss her, or act like she is not around. From her behavior, it is shown that she is a consummate professional, just like Tatiana, which explains why they work so well together. However, she is far more than that, but will do nothing to prove it outright. She has displayed unfathomable respect for Tatiana, a strange attraction to Claus Valca, and even motherly behavior towards Alvis Hamilton.

Alister returns in Last Exile: Fam, the Sliver Wing serving as Tatiana's Second-in-Command in the Submersible Aircraft Carrier Silvius.

Mullin Shetland

is a nineteen-year-old rifleman on the battleship Claihm Solais, which is the flagship of the Anatoray fleet. He has fought in nineteen battles and needs only one more survivor medal (received from surviving a battle) to become promoted out of the rifleman line. A third of the way through the series he joins the Silvana and becomes a mechanic servicing the vanships. He has a brief crush on the vanship captain Tatiana Wisla but soon forgets about it realizing the futility of it as he moves on to other things. Around the end he leaves the Silvana to train again as a rifleman in a secret joint operation to take back the battleship's Claudia engines and free the world of the Guild.

At this time he meets Dunya Scheer from the Disith fleet, also involved in the operation. He and Dunya fall in love with each other, cumulating in Mullin asking Dunya to go on the same ship together. Dunya accepts his request, as the operation to take back the ship's Claudia unit begins. The operation ends with Mullin taking the unit back, but being gravely wounded in the process, believed dead. The epilogue reveals he survived and is living with Dunya on a farm with her siblings.

Vincent Alzey

is a naval officer of Anatoray and a friend of Alex Row and Sophia Forrester. Initially appointed Admiral of Anatoray's fleet, he was relieved of his command after Alex sank four out of five of his Urbanus ships. Despite this, he respects Alex, knowing his strengths in combat and strategy (they were in the Officers' Academy together and the same age; indeed, before the battle, Vincent met Alex to try to persuade him to keep the Silvana out of battles). A great lover of coffee, Vincent likes to enjoy life. But when duty calls, he's not about to sit back either. When Sophia was imprisoned by her father and about to be killed by a guard, he barges into her room and saves her. Some of his dialogue also hints at a romantic interest in Sophia, despite her obvious affections for Alex. With her command as Empress, Vincent resumed his command as Admiral, this time leading his ships into a grand battle together with Disith against the Guild.

Dunya Scheer

was first introduced in episode 13 (Isolated Pawn) as a seventeen-year-old woman soldier in the army of Disith. She appeared for the first time as one of the members of a small Disith patrol that captured Tatiana Wisla and Claus Valca while they were trying to reach into one of Silvana emergency resorts. However, the patrol is abandoned when migration ships from Disith arrive nearby. When Dunya reaches the landing field, she realizes no civilian ships survived the launch. She sets off her gun while crying in grief.

She is later involved as part of the ground force in the Disith operation to raze the Anatoray capital which is successfully completed. We next see her involved in the same operation Mullin Shetland is involved in; they first meet when she falls over Mullin trying to catch a dove to eat. Over the course of their training, they meet several times and eventually develop a relationship.

The relationship between her and Mullin culminates in Mullin asking Dunya if she would join him on the Silvana. Dunya accepts with the approval of other Disith soldiers and Mullin is overjoyed. The operation commenced shortly thereafter and was successful, though Mullin was gravely wounded and presumed dead. Dunya is seen crying over him. No more reference is made to either of them until the last episode where she is seen getting the message Lavie Head and Claus's fathers were supposed to have delivered over their new grave. She is then seen in the new world with the others.

Godwin Austin

is the thirty-six-year-old Mechanic of the Silvana flight deck crew. He is the largest and most aggressive member of the flight deck crew, and usually the first to throw a punch in any fight on anyone who insult the Silvana. Despite this, he has a hidden sensitive side.

Gale Frank

is a twenty-seven-year-old bald mechanic. Notable for wearing metal pointy earrings, Gale is openly gay and has a crush on Claus.

Anthony Kostabi

is a twenty-two-year-old mechanic with glasses. Mostly known as Kostabi, he is a cool and calculating type, who is probably more sinister than he looks.

Ethan Pelerin

is a nineteen-year-old mechanic. As the "new guy", he is responsible for many hard chores on the Silvana until Mullin arrived.

Arthur Campbell

is the second officer of the Silvana. Although he shows unswerving loyalty towards both his superiors, Alex Row and Sophia Forrester, he also does not follow them blindly. When Alex orders the Silvana to attack Delphine's ship at Sophia's coronation ceremony, Campbell refuses to obey on grounds that it will risk endangering the Empress and other military commanders below.

Wina Lightning

is the listening officer of the Silvana. Gifted with a perceptive hearing, she is tasked with matching the acoustic signature
Acoustic signature
Acoustic signature is used to describe a combination of acoustic emissions of ships and submarines.-Contributing factors:The acoustic signature is made up of a number of individual elements...

provided by Disith to that of Exile. She trains herself by continuously listening to the different acoustic signatures present in the Grand Stream, from the sound of a rainbird flock to the signature of a Disith battleship's remains. During the Silvanas final attack run at Delphine's base ship, she is able to hear Alex Row's final words before he dies with the base ship's destruction.

Lescius Dagobert

Sixty-six-year-old is the Silvanas chief engineer and a member of one of the three Guild houses purged by Delphine Eraclea. Like other members of the Guild, he is interested in playing chess

Chess

Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

in his spare time and often provides counsel to Alex Row through the game. He is entrusted with the Mysterion held by his family but hands it to Alex on the eve of the assault against the Guild.

Lescius returns in Last Exile: Fam, the Sliver Wing now serving as the Silvius's chief engineer.

Marius Bassianus

Fifty-two-year-old Prime Minister is a member of one of three Guild houses purged by Delphine Eraclea who was taken under the protection of the Anatoray royal family. After the death of his daughter Euris, Marius took care of Princess Sophia as if she were his own daughter. He and the Emperor killed each other during the Disith attack on the Anatoray capital after a dispute on Sophia's status as heir to the throne. He is entrusted with the Mysterion held by his family but surrenders it to Alex Row before his death so that it can be kept safe. His generosity is shown in the desire to grant land to Disith's people after its collapse and when he allows his Guild ship as training ground for the allied assault on Guild forces. Marius was the signatory of the proposed peace treaty with Disith that was lost ten years earlier.

David Mad-thane

Duke is the commander of Anatoray's military defending the regions of Minagith and Norkia. Claus's and Lavie's attempt to cover his fleet's retreat in the battle at Minagith using only their vanship inspired Mad-thane. Seeing the potential of a vanship in battle, he sponsors the formation of vanship squadrons to act as fighter support

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

in the assault against the Guild. He is portrayed as an optimistic character who wishes for peace, once believing "[t]here is hope yet for the world's survival" after meeting Disith commander Nestor Messina. Because of this attitude, he is often ridiculed by other commanding officers in the military who deem his actions are those of a coward.

Lady Mad-thane

is the head of the Mad-thane residence in Norkia in her husband's absence. She assigned Claus and Lavie the delivery mission that takes them to the battle at Minagith. She later turns the residence into a makeshift hospital to care for Anatoray's and Disith's wounded soldiers during the assault against the Guild.

Holly Mad-thane

is the nine-year-old daughter of Duke and Lady Mad-thane. She asks Claus and Lavie to deliver her message (in addition to her mother's) to her father, who she fears will not return home from the battle at Minagith. After her message is broadcast aboard the Claimh Solais by Claus and Lavie, her father decides to hide his shame and retreat from the losing battle. Although Holly "used to always cry", her personality grows stronger by the end of the series. She is one of the children taken by Exile to the new world.

Emperor

The of Anatoray no longer pays attention to the suffering of his people. He is the father of Sophia and, at the age of sixty-five, dies during the invasion of the capital city by the Disith forces but at the hands of Marius Bassianus. His death leads to the succession

Order of succession

An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...

of Sophia to the throne.

Vitellius Glamis

General is a secondary character introduced in episode 15 who commands the Anatoray military. Upon learning of the Emperor's death during the Disith assault on the Anatoray capital, he orders his men to defend the capital with their own lives. His ambition drives him to defy a ceasefire order with Disith to the point that he is willing to kill heir apparent

Heir apparent

An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....

Princess Sophia in order to set "the foundation of a reborn Anatoray". The sixty-year-old is killed when the Urbanus destroys the Scolopendra Cannon used to bombard the attacking Disith ships. His name was based on the actual historical figure Vitellius

Vitellius

Vitellius , was Roman Emperor for eight months, from 16 April to 22 December 69. Vitellius was acclaimed Emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors...

, who led the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

for several months during the Year of the Four Emperors

Year of the Four Emperors

The Year of the Four Emperors was a year in the history of the Roman Empire, AD 69, in which four emperors ruled in a remarkable succession. These four emperors were Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian....

Knowles

Count is the commanding officer of the Anatoray battleship Goliath, assigned to Mad-thane's fleet at Minagith. His ship is the first to retreat from the battlefield during the surprise attack by Disith, giving it the nickname the "Fleeing" Goliath. Knowles is portrayed as a vain and egotistical
Egotism
Egotism is "characterized by an exaggerated estimate of one's intellect, ability, importance, appearance, wit, or other valued personal characteristics" – the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself....

character and orders his own face painted on the bow of the Goliath. He unknowingly challenges Alex Row to a ship-to-ship duel but regrets his action after realizing he is facing the Silvana. Knowles orders his men to fire before the signal to commence is fired, expecting to destroy the Silvana in a surprise attack, but the Silvana is unharmed and sinks his ship in one volley. He perishes with the entire crew of the Goliath.

Henry Knowles

Duke is a ranking Anatoray noble and the father of Count Knowles, whom Alex Row defeats in a ship duel. He is provided with the opportunity to seek revenge for the "unnecessary" death of his son when Alex makes an appearance at the Horizon Cave black market auction. His men captures Alex at gunpoint, but Horizon Cave experiences a blackout when bombs destroy its power generators. Alex kills Knowles's men in the confusion and escapes, leaving the sixty-nine-year-old nobleman emptyhanded.

Giancarlo

Forty-three-year-old is the manager of the Horizon Cave station and a subordinate to Duke Henry Knowles. He also serves as an auctioneer when the supposed Exile artifact is opened for bidding at the black market. He takes the artifact, auctioned at 50 billion Claudia, to Maestro Delphine Eraclea but discovers it to be fake. Delphine gives him a Guild ring as a "reward", but the ring's power kills him by turning him into dust.

Ralph Wednesday

is the courier who is initially responsible for delivering Alvis Hamilton to the Silvana. After receiving his mission at the age of twenty-eight, Ralph is relentlessly pursued by the Guild and is mortally wounded. On the day of the 75th Norkia Cup race, his vanship crosses path with that of Claus's and Lavie's. He asks the two to complete the mission in his stead and acts as a decoy to cover for their escape from the Guild. Ralph has an elder brother named Mikhail, who is also a vanship pilot.

Hurricane Hawk

is the nickname of a vanship race pilot. He is known throughout the frontier town of Norkia for his two prior consecutive wins in the Norkia Cup race. Hawk begins the race in the pole position

Pole position

The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

but is overtaken by Claus and Lavie during its final stage. He is forced to withdraw when his vanship collides with that of Ralf Wednesday. Hawk is one of the pilots recruited to fly as fighter support in the assault against the Guild.

Fat Chicken

is the nickname of a vanship pilot whom Lavie alternatively names as "Piggy Bird" due to her weight. She starts the 75th Norkia Cup race in second position but is forced to withdraw after experiencing difficulty in navigating a narrow segment of the track. She is one of the pilots recruited to fly as fighter support in the assault against the Guild.

Sunny Boy

is the nickname of a vanship pilot whom Lavie alternatively names as "Nosehair". He wins the 75th Norkia Cup race when Claus and Hurricane Hawk withdraw after colliding with Ralph Wednesday. He is one of the pilots recruited to fly as fighter support in the assault against the Guild.

Nestor Messina

It is unclear who some of the voice actors are as the credits for the English cast did not associate actors with their corresponding roles and the Japanese credits did not associate actors with minor roles.

Sixty-year-old is the commander of the Disith forces that invaded Anatoray. He fell victim to a blizzard in Disith, leaving him unable to open his right hand. After Sophia assumes the throne of Anatoray, she goes to parley with Nestor in hopes of forming an alliance and reveals to him the proposed peace treaty to Disith that was lost ten years earlier. Nestor ascertains Sophia's sincerity and provides Anatoray with a map of the Grand Stream and the acoustic signature

Acoustic signature

Acoustic signature is used to describe a combination of acoustic emissions of ships and submarines.-Contributing factors:The acoustic signature is made up of a number of individual elements...

of Exile. Nestor is well respected by his Anatoray counterparts, especially by Duke David Mad-thane, because he "seems to understand the meaning of chivalry

Chivalry

Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...

" and is unwilling to sacrifice his men in a meaningless battle.

Hamilcar Valca

is the father of Claus Valca. Although Valca came from nobility, he took his family to Norkia out of love for its free skies. He became immediate friends with Georges Head, and the two became a famous vanship courier duo. They died in the attempt to deliver a peace offer to Disith when Exiles defense system reacted to their presence in the Grand Stream. Valca died at the age of thirty-four and when Claus was five years old. His name was derived from the actual historical figure Hamilcar Barca

Hamilcar Barca

Hamilcar Barca or Barcas was a Carthaginian general and statesman, leader of the Barcid family, and father of Hannibal, Hasdrubal and Mago. He was also father-in-law to Hasdrubal the Fair....

, Carthaginian

Carthage

Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...

general during the First Punic War

First Punic War

The First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...

and father of the famous tactician Hannibal.

Justina Valca

is the mother of Claus Valca. After the Valca family moved to Norkia and became neighbors with the Heads, Justina took care of Lavie, whose mother died in childbirth. According to Lavie, Justina at the age of twenty-eight died, just six months after her husband disappeared in the Grand Stream, leaving both Claus and Lavie as orphans.

Georges Head

is the father of Lavie Head. His wife died in childbirth, leaving him to raise Lavie as a single parent. When the Valca family moved next door, he immediately became good friends with Hamilcar Valca and served as his vanship navigator. Head died at the age of thirty-five attempting to cross the Grand Stream with Valca when Lavie was five years old. Lavie later finds his remains inside Exile.

Walker

is the owner of the Casino Royale, an airborne casino

Casino

In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...

and repair station where many ships arrive for their shore leave

Shore leave

Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is culturally infamous for its excess. Sailors without family obligations and with basic lodging needs provided aboard ship may spend their wages for the journey in a brief period of extravagance ashore and return to...

. He is an acquaintance of Alex Row and refers to the Silvana as his "outlaw friends". When the Silvana arrives for repairs from its battle against Guild fighters, Walker provides a tip to Alex Row on the Exile artifact being sold in auction at Horizon Cave. He provides repair services for the ship again after its battle with the Urbanus. He is seen throughout the series wearing an eyepatch

Eyepatch

An eyepatch or eye pad is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the...

and is thirty-years-old.

The Guild

The serves as the arbitrator between the Anatoray and Disith nations.

Dio Eraclea

Principal is the sixteen-year-old younger brother of the most powerful Guild member, Maestro Delphine Eraclea. People see him as a rare find that will someday take over the Guild. He is very playful and fearless, and treats many things like they were games. His odd nature can be seen in his awe of Claus Valca's skills and giving him the nickname "Immelmann" (referring to the World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

ace, Max Immelmann

Max Immelmann

Max Immelmann was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun...

and the maneuver Claus frequently used while flying, the Immelmann turn

Immelmann turn

). This strange nature is mostly due to the Guild lifestyle and fear of his sister Delphine. His first appearance in the series is marked by a chess-match with his beloved friend Lucciola and with the Guild's power and surveillance, watches the skies of a skirmish between Guild ships searching for Alvis Hamilton and the Silvana. He finds extraordinary talent in Claus's vanship piloting, and after the Horizon Cave Eight vanship race, he starts to have strong interactions with the main characters. He later joins them on the Silvana in order to escape his sister. Though his initial presence with the Silvana was unwanted, his participations and interactions with Claus and Alvis eventually earn the entire crew's trust, and is acknowledged as one of them, during a birthday party proposed by Alvis. He is forced back to the Guild during the end of the series, and is brainwashed by a Guild device in preparation for the "Rite of the Covenant".

Driven to insanity, he participates in the Rite of the Covenant, where the next Maestro is chosen, and emerges victorious. He escapes with Claus and Alvis soon after and is nursed back to health in the Mad-Thane residence. He flees from there in a vanship and travels to the Grand Stream. Being delirious, his memory resets to the moment of the race in Horizon Cave, and he attempts to pass Claus. At that moment he tells his navi, Lucciola (who isn't there), to jump out so they can get more speed. He crosses a flock of rainbirds believing them to be the finish line and congratulates Lucciola on their victory and invites him to celebrate, but he then turns around to find he is not there. Believing Lucciola had actually jumped from the vanship, he attempts to cross to his seat while crying, but his vanship is then hit by a gust of wind and he is swallowed by the Grand Stream.

Despite this, his voice is heard during a later scene in the Silvana's engine room cheering "Ascending!" In addition, there is a scene depicted in the series' official artwork showing Claus, Lavie, and their friends living on the farm turning and smiling at an individual stepping into the frame with them. Though all that can be seen is one foot and a waving hand, the individual appears to be wearing a Guild uniform. In the Last Exile Aerial Log artbook, notes by the creators revaled that Dio survived after being rescued by a passing Guild ship and later joining Claus, Lavie, and their friends journey to Earth.

In Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing, Dio is a member of the Sky Pirates yet is secretly a scout for the Silvius. Since the events of Last Exile, his personality is back to normal and remembers what happen to Lucciola which he honors his late friend's memory by riding his vanship along and telling those who ride the backseat not to touch anything.

Dio is also the Italian word for "God"; many of the Guild members have Italian names.

Lucciola

is a member of the Guild and personal bodyguard to Dio Eraclea. He is an exceptional martial artist and is one year older than Dio. He was assigned the role of protecting him from a very early age, and Dio considers Lucciola not just a servant, but also a friend. Lucciola is forced to betray that trust out of fear of Maestro Delphine Eraclea when Maestro ordered him to bring Dio back before her. Lucciola then redeems himself by helping Claus, and Alvis and Dio escape from the grasp of the Maestro. In a confrontation against the Maestro, Lucciola kills his brother, Cicada, and is then disintegrated by a ring that is given to him by Maestro Delphine as a "gift."

Lucciola's name is Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

and means firefly

Firefly

Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...

Delphine Eraclea

Maestro

Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...

is the series' main antagonist, Dio's twenty-four-year-old older sister, and head of the Guild. A run-in between her and Alex Row in the past has left her the sole target of his vengeance, and one of his only goals is to personally kill Delphine. The Maestro is portrayed as a decadent aristocrat, callous and ruthless in her ways. When Lucciola decided to let Dio escape, the Maestro, feigning interest in his plea to let Dio go free, killed him with a device (in the shape of a ring) that essentially disintegrated him. However, she did not go unpunished, for Alex managed to strangle her even though he had been tied in place by rose tendrils. Like her favorite flower, the rose, the Maestro is beautiful but dangerous. With her death and the release of Exile by Alvis Hamilton, the might of the Guild was broken, never to be restored again.

Delphine possesses a veritable arsenal of psychological weapons she uses frequently, which explains Dio's fear of her. She is truly heartless when it comes to the Guild, and takes great delight in the wastefulness that her people go through to attain and prepare meals, such as the meat of a type of yak from the frozen wastes, the capture of which leads to the deaths of countless hunters, Kerasion mousse, which contains an ingredient so rare only a handful is gathered each year, and catfish that took 100 gallons of First Water to remove the mud. During the Trial of Agoon, she demonstrated an ability to restore the dead to life; everyone who died in the Trial was seen scampering to her feet as she said "I have renewed your lives."

It is unknown whether she has any real combative power of her own. Due to her impossibly immense oppressive influence, she really only needs her truly loyal subordinates to do her work, namely Cicada and his attack force. The only evidence of power she may have is in that she killed off the other families and remained as the sole house of the keys to Exile, which she stole the Mysteria from each house-except for house Hamilton's, the one she lost to Alex Row at Giancarlos' auction at the price of 500 billion Claudia.

Guild Agents

The Maestro Delphine has many loyal Guild members at her disposal. Some include bodyguards and maids, to fighter pilots and counselors. They tend to fall into two groups: and . The names of the Guild servants all seemed to be named after insects.

The most powerful of the Maestro's entourage is , the servant to Maestro Delphine and the elder brother of Lucciola. A man of thirty-one, he is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and prevents Alex Row from assassinating Delphine when the Guild boards the Silvana. However, Lucciola kills him in combat in front of Delphine after Claus, Alvis, and Dio escape from the Guild stronghold.

The Maestro also has two maids, and who are part of the Maestro's Aspis. The nineteen-year-old male servants and are also a part of the Aspis. Twenty-three-year-old , twenty-six-year-old , twenty-eight-year-old , and twenty-seven-year-old are her other agents and a part of the Scutum.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing

Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing- (ラストエグザイル～銀翼のファム～, Rasuto Eguzairu Ginyoku no Famu) is the sequel to the original Last Exile. The main character Fam Fan Fan is part of the Sky Pirates, a group that assaults ships following the code of the "First Harpoon". The code of the First Harpoon means that the first pilot to hit the target with a harpoon has the right to decide how to proceed on the assault. They target minor vessels and prosper on an isolated location, until one day they take off for a mission that will change their lives and for all Turan Kingdom citizens by rescuing their two princess from Ades Federation betrayal.

Fam Fan Fan

is a fifteen-year-old Vespa pilot for the Sky Pirates. The Sky Pirates found her at vanship crash where her parents died and adopted her. Fam is very skillful in piloting vanships and dreams of "peace in the free skies."

Giselle Collette

Fifteen-year-old is Fam's best friend and navigator. In contrast to the reckless Fam, she is more introverted. Giselle is the daughter of the Sky Pirate's chief, Atamora Collette. She is a very capable navigator. She also has very good knowledge regarding the architectural structure of ships, being able to draw out a detailed blueprint of internal structures just by looking at a picture of the ship itself. Being the eldest daughter, she is very capable in handling housework such as cooking and cleaning while taking care of her brothers and sisters. She is affectionately called "Gisey" by Fam.

Millia Il Velch Cutrettola Turan

Fifteen-year-old is the younger princess of the Kingdom of Turan. Millia and her older sister Liliana have taken on the task of ruling the kingdom despite their young ages due to their ill father, the King of Turan. Millia is a bit more brash and impulsive than the more composed Liliana.

Liliana il Grazioso Merlo Turan

is the nineteen-year-old princess of the Kingdom of Turan and the King's eldest daughter. In contrast to her sister Millia, she is a graceful and kind woman. As a stand-in for her bedridden father, she is highly skilled in politics and she is essentially responsible for the governing of Turan.

Teddy

is Princess Millia's butler. He is a bit clumsy and very much immature in many ways, but still puts in his utmost effort to serve Millia everyday.

Marianne

is a friend and maid of Millia.

Sārā Augusta

is the reigning empress of the Ades Federation. She is the only daughter of the former empress Farahnāz Augusta.

Luscinia Hāfez

is the Premier of the Ades Federation. As a man with overwhelming charisma, he receives strong support from members of the military. He is shown to have a soft heart towards Sārā Augusta. He and Liliana were childhood friends in the past.

Alauda

is a top intelligence agent of the Ades Federation and reports directly to Luscinia. He supports from the shadows through covert operations, assassinations, and other means.

Sadri

is one of the five leading generals of the Ades Federation. He is the leader of the other four generals who are highly skilled but lack the experience. He commands the First Fleet Anshar . His vast experience gives him great knowledge of utilizing his fleets to gain tactical advantage.

Kayvān

is one of the five leading generals of the Ades Federation who supports Luscinia Hāfez. He commands the Second Fleet Raktavija, which is widely known as the strongest annihilation unit and feared by neighboring countries. He is shown to have a soft heart towards Sārā Augusta.

Ōrang

is one of the five leading generals of the Ades Federation. He commands the Third Fleet Admirari, which is balanced in both its offensive and defensive powers. He utilizes his fleet alongside the Fourth Fleet to serve as an advance guard.

Sorūsh

is one of the five leading generals of the Ades Federation. He commands the Fourth Fleet Senapati, which comprises fast battleships that specialize in surprise attacks. Having attended the military academy together with Ōrang, the pair make a formidable combination.

Vasant

is one of the five leading generals of the Ades Federation. She commands the Fifth Fleet Anaitis, which holds the responsibility of defending the capital and has a reputation of making it an impregnable fortress.

Roshanak Babar

is a member of the Ades's aristocratic Babar family.

Atamora Collette

is Giselle's father and the leader of the Sky Pirates of Kartoffel.

Tereza Collette

is Atamora's wife and Giselle's mother.

Félicité, René and Adele Collette

, and are Atamora and Tereza's children and Giselle's younger siblings.

Fritz

is a Sky Pirate Vanship pilot.

Johann

is a Sky Pirate Vespa pilot.

Cecily

is the listening officer of the Silvius.

Merchandise

A 136-page art book containing character sketches and supplemental material was published in 2005 but has since gone out of print. Murata has also released several self-published

Dojinshi

is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...

art books, under the collective title of SPHERES, containing additional character and design sketches used in Last Exile promotional posters.

Seven promotional busts were made by Alter, a Japanese figure company, in 2006 depicting Claus, Lavie, Alvis, Tatiana, Alex, Dio and Lucciola as chess pieces. The seventh figure was of the iconic silver vanship.

Reception

Reviewers have praised Murata's work in designing the characters of Last Exile. South African magazine New Age Gaming called him an artist "who is quickly making a name for himself with a style that is as recognizable as works by artists like Masamune Shirow

Masamune Shirow

is an internationally renowned manga artist, born on November 23, 1961.Masamune Shirow is a pen name, based on a famous swordsmith, Masamune. He is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into two theatrical anime movies, two anime TV series, an anime TV movie, and...

or Tetsuya Nomura

Tetsuya Nomura

is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...

". (Shirow is known for his work in Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan ....

, and Nomura is known for his work in the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...

series.) His signature style is easily distinguishable and can also be recognized from Blue Submarine No. 6
Blue Submarine No. 6
is a post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Satoru Ozawa, first published in 1967, which was subsequently developed into a four-episode original video animation series by Gonzo.- Plot :...

and his art book Robot and Rule. According to the magazine, "his female characters have very round, cue-ball

Billiard ball

A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played...

like heads you just want to sink in the corner pocket". The unique style also brought some reviewers to believe that the series more resembles a work of Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki

is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...

rather than Gonzo.

The English dubbed version of the series, first released by Geneon Entertainment, was also well received by reviewers. Geneon hired Bang Zoom! Entertainment

Bang Zoom! Entertainment

Bang Zoom! Entertainment is an audio post-production studio, located in Burbank, California, that has worked on several anime, video games, feature films, and directly-to-DVD projects...

to produce the dubbed version of Last Exile, which Ryan Mathews of Anime News Network

Anime News Network

Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...

has praised as "the best Bang Zoom dub of all I've experienced". Production of the English version of the series was directed by Eric Sherman. Mathews goes on to say that "[t]he role of spunky young Lavie is a perfect fit for [Kari Wahlgren

Kari Wahlgren

Kari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...

]". On the other hand, Johnny Yong Bosch

Johnny Yong Bosch

Johnny Yong Bosch is an American actor, voice actor, martial artist, and musician.He may be best known for portraying Adam Park in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and being the English voice of Ichigo Kurosaki in the hit anime series Bleach, Vash the Stampede in Trigun and Lelouch Lamperouge in Code...

's performance as Claus Valca was called "one of his softest performances". The dubbed version also demonstrated "a clear delineation…in terms of emotionality and overall tone" between the two main characters and the crew of the Silvana. A comparison to the original Japanese version of Last Exile shows that the English adaptation stays true to the original dialogue and only deviates to accommodate for pacing.