Oswald (Odin Sphere)

Oswald, also known as The Shadow Knight was the most powerful soldier in the Ringford army, he is also the grandson of the monstrous King Gallon, husband of the Valkyrie Princess Gwendolyn and the cousin of Cornelius. As an Infant, he was found by Melvin who raised him to be the ideal soldier.

Personality
Oswald is a somewhat blood-thristy, cruel and hateful young man, most likely a side-effect of his being a warrior most of his life and grappling with the curse of his sword. He can be very aggressive and has little care at all about murdering/slaughtering others, even going as far as to plan to murder the fairy princess Mercedes to ensure the success of Melvin's plans. He can also be disrespectful to those he dislikes, openly insulting the likes of Demon Lord Odin and Wagner and Hindel, referring to the later as a "lizard" to the former, and showing a lack of care of his actions that resulted in the murder of the former's friend (although it is hinted, that when his was in the Netherworld after finding out Melvin's true intentions and when he defeated King Gallon that he did feel regret for murdering Hindel). It would not be surprising that if he and his cousin Cornelius were to ever meet or cross paths with each other, they would not get along very well with each other (Cornelius being a man who upholds justice, honour and good. Almost the complete opposite of Oswald).

In reality Oswald is actually a depressed young man, and seeks the love of those he cares for, which is demonstrated in how he dives into despair when Melvin revealed he considered Oswald little more than a tool, and later when he came to believe Gwendolyn was using him. He urgently seeks to prove his feelings to Gwendolyn, going through great lengths to obtain and then save her while she was still asleep, and then giving her the precious Ring Titrel as a gift and sign of his affection when she awoke. Some of his brighter sides show through around her, most notably in how he treats her as a person rather than a possession of his. Showing that he can be a kind, loving and caring person and not a cruel, evil, heartless/ruthless murderer. This is a result of Melvin's final words, calling Oswald a "object" a tool through which he would obtain the throne. He stubbornly affirms that Gwendolyn is not an object, and would not accept anyone treating her as such.

Alignment
Oswald is described to be Lawful Evil or Chaotic Neutral at the beginning of his story. He later becomes Chaotic Good in the middle of his storyline and eventually Neutral Good or maybe even Lawful Good at the end of the whole game (he possibly just stayed Neutral Good in the end as he does not suffer anymore conflicts).

Appearance
True to his title, Oswald is nearly always dressed in heavy black armor with a number of points on it and with the Ringford Royal Army symbols/icons engraved on his armor (the two clovers on his shoulder plates). His hair is a similar white-grey/white-blond to Gwendolyn's. Both his eyes are red, though his right eye more so (this is possibly a side effect of the use of his sword as his eyes were originally golden-brown/dark brown or even green like his cousin, Cornelius). It also glows fiercely red when he enters his shadow form, while the rest of his body turns completely black and takes on a completely black appearance that often leaves motion blurs and gives off something similar to the appearance of being a creature of shadow, black fire. He also wears a more casual outfit while recovering from his battle with Leventhan.