Ghim

Ghim is a fictional character from the Record of Lodoss War fantasy manga and its derivative anime franchise. Ghim's purpose is apparent right from the beginning of the series, as he is looking for a girl who is like a daughter to him and wishes to get her back from her kidnappers.

Ghim plays a major role throughout more than half of the Record of Lodoss War series, up until his death, and serves as Parn's mentor, teaching him how to fight. He plays no role whatsoever in Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, Legend of Crysania, or even Welcome to Lodoss Island.

Ghim is exclusively a fighter, and has in his possession what appears to be a Battle Axe of Returning as his axe always returns after being thrown.

It is never hinted at, as to what the age of Ghim is, but judging from his appearance, he seems somewhat old, and could be between the ages of 175 and 220.

Character history

Ghim's history is only hinted upon every now and again in the story, though some facts are apparent from the beginning. He is devoted to Neese,^[1] the high priestess of Marfa, the goddess of all creation and acts as a father figure for Leylia,^[2] Neese's adopted daughter, and a priestess of Marfa herself.

Coming to the same village that Parn and Slayn live in, Ghim comes to ask his longtime friend Slayn for aid, to which Slayn at first turns him down.^[3]

Role in Record of Lodoss War

In Record of Lodoss War, Ghim plays a major role all the way up until the end of episode 8, in which he dies removing Karla's circlet from Leylia.

His purpose from the beginning of the series is to save his Leylia, who he thinks of much like a daughter from whatever dark forces may have abducted her.

During the goblin raid on Parn's village, Ghim and Slayn are instrumental in routing the goblins, saving the lives of several people, Ghim with his special axe and Slayn with his sorcery. Ghim is present during the fight between Parn and the goblin chieftain, and when it is remarked that Parn is undisciplined but has potential, Ghim grunts in agreement.

From episode 3 onward, Ghim becomes a sort of mentor for Parn, teaching him how to hold his weapon, as well as how to wield it. He teaches Parn what he is able to, but ultimately allows King Kashue to take on the role of his teacher, when Parn's studies would need to be furthered by someone who actually uses a sword.

Throughout the series, Ghim's quest becomes increasingly desperate, as he comes across Leylia herself, when she is possessed by Karla the Grey Witch. He then vows not too long later, that he is going to go and retrieve Leylia, which will put him face-to-face with both Leylia and Karla.

Voices

In Record of Lodoss War, Ghim is voiced by Yoshisada Sakaguchi. His English voice actor for US Manga Corps is Greg Wolfe.

Origins

Ghim is based on a character of the same name who was played by Hitoshi Yasuda, the president of Group SNE during the advent of the Forcelia campaign world. He does not retain any depth of fame to his character, as he is considered to be a supporting character. His name and appearance are derived from Gimli of The Lord of the Rings.

Ghim was created for play in the Forcelia campaign world which was offered to TSR at one point, but rejected due to current policies. As a dwarven fighter, Ghim is characterized by the use of his Battle Axe of Returning, a weapon which he can use with surgical precision.

Notes

• He first appeared as a player character of the 4th version of the classic Dungeons & Dragons game, his character class was Dwarf, which is a specialized version of a fighter.
• In Sword World RPG (It's one of the official RPG of Record of Lodoss War), he is a 5th-level fighter/5th-level craftsman at finally.
• Due to his death, Ghim is not portrayed in any other Lodoss series.

References