Sir Sparhawk is the central character of The Elenium and The Tamuli, a series of fantasy novels by David Eddings. Sparhawk is a knight of the Pandion Order. He is the Champion to Queen Ehlana of the kingdom of Elenia. He is also Anakha - the One Whose Fate the Gods Do Not Know, and wielder of Bhelliom. One of his distinguishing physical characteristics is a crooked nose, which was broken by his friend Kalten during their knights' training as boys. He rides a foul-tempered war horse named Faran. His nemesis is Martel, a knight who was expelled from the Pandion order.
Sparhawk is approaching (if not already at) middle age at the beginning of the series, and described as approximately six feet, four inches tall, and having a husky frame even when he hasn't been eating much; On the left side of his torso are several purplish scars from when he was badly wounded in an ambush and nearly bled to death; even after he reached safety, he couldn't get the wounds tended to by a surgeon (they likely would have require a large number of stitches and Sparhawk was not in a position to go seek the services of a surgeon) and he left them to heal on their own. His hair is coarse and black (in fact, when he's in disguise with a beard made from the tail of a black horse, someone remarks that it's a very close match to his real hair), and he doesn't consider himself to be handsome (some of the remarks by his friends when they're teasing hint that he is, indeed, ugly, though other comments suggest he at least fairly attractive). His most prominent facial feature is his crooked nose, which was broken when he was a boy and he was, in his words, too busy to have it set. Sparhawk can put entire volumes of menace into a quiet voice when he's been provoked, and unlike most people, Sparhawk does not often yell or bluster when he's angry—he gets more and more icy calm.
Sparhawk has a worldly, practical nature due to many years serving his crown and seeing the worst of people, making him quite cynical, though he does have his romantic moments (especially when his wife or daughter is involved.) Sparhawk does have a set of ideals, and some things anger him greatly; the Seeker (an insectoid creature of Azash which can turn humans into slaves who must be killed and feeds by draining the body fluids of humans) seemed to greatly offend him, especially when he and his friends discovered the drained corpse of a child the Seeker had fed upon. He has a towering reputation, he is also capable of great loyalty as well as some tolerance for human foibles. He is known for his surprisingly disarming way of calling most people 'neighbor', and the brusque nature he assumes to avoid court trivialities which he finds annoying. Most people have a first impression of the 'implacable resolve' Sparhawk exudes, and only eventually accept that Sparhawk's still a man underneath his iron will. When he is with friends he gladly engages in the constant banter they're known for, and he frequently offers a bit of thoughtfulness, kindness, or charity to those who need it. He's a generous tipper to gate guards and anyone who gives him some information or does him a service.
Sparhawk is capable of a great deal of personal loyalty to those who have earned it; his devotion to his friends is absolute and unyielding, while his commitment to the Elene Church is more institutionalized; despite that impersonal obligation to the Church, he is very willing to aid the Church however he can—a major subplot in the Elenium is concerned with Sparhawk and Co.'s effort to keep the corrupt Annias off the throne of the Archprelacy of the Elene Church.
Despite his sophistication, Sparhawk is not emotionally suited for politics—too many things in his mind reduce themselves to battleground imagery, a trait Sparhawk himself would likely attribute to being overtrained. Therefore, when the shaking hand raised to vote carries equal weight with a mailed fist, it grates against his instincts.
Anakha is a title, first mentioned in The Elenium in reference to Sparhawk. At several points both later and in The Tamuli it is explained as meaning "without destiny." One character, upon being informed of this, disputed it, saying that all have a destiny. The joking rejoinder by one of Sparhawk's companions was that Sparhawk did not, and said that that simple fact made the gods very nervous since they had absolutely no idea what Sparhawk would do. In the events of The Tamuli is when the true nature of this title is made evident: Anakha is Bhelliom's Child, infused with the same powers that fuel Bhelliom itself. As such, he has more power than any of the gods, being an elemental force himself. This power also explains why the gods would not be able to see, or determine, his future actions. This is only revealed at the climax, and Sparhawk only makes use of his powers on two occasions. After the second time, Sparhawk makes a request of Bhelliom before the spirit departs the world. He asks that all the power be taken with it, as he would rather be Sparhawk, than the apparently disconnected "Anakha." Bhelliom's final words are "Know that I am well pleased with thee, my son. I find more merit in thee in this moment than in any other. Be well, Sparhawk." (The Hidden City, by David Eddings, paperback publication, page 490.).
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