The Pontiff (法王 Hōō?) is the current head of the Holy See. He harbors a fanatical devotion to Griffith. Despite being of an old age, the Pontiff refuses to die until he crowns Griffith as the king of Midland and oversees his marriage to queen Charlotte.
Appearance[]
The Pontiff is an old man who has grown short with age. What remains of his hair are small tufts on the sides of his head and several of his teeth are missing. As head of the Holy See, he is rarely seen without his religious attire and will sport his papal tiara for official ceremonies.[1]
Abilities[]
As head of the Holy See, the Pontiff has access to nearly universal respect among the world's inhabitants, particularly in Midland and its surrounding countries and city-states, which have a high religious population. When he appeared outside of Vritannis with the Band of the Falcon, the nobles present immediately bowed before him. It was thanks to the Pontiff's influence that Griffith was able to assume military command over the nobles of Midland.[2]
Story[]
While on what would have been his deathbed outside of Vritannis, the Pontiff received a prophetic vision of the Falcon of Light in which it appeared to him personally and caused a spontaneous revitalization in the Pontiff's energy. This vision was soon associated with Mule and Sonia of the Band of the Falcon, and by extension Griffith.[3] From then on, the Pontiff would view Griffith as the Falcon of Light manifest.[2]
Before developing an obsession with Griffith, the Pontiff had misgivings about his tenure as the head of the Holy See. While outside Vritannis, he reflected on his life and came to the conclusion that while he had not particularly failed as a Pontiff, all aspects of his life were largely unremarkable and devoid of any significance.[3] He currently hopes to give his life meaning by hailing Griffith as the savior of mankind.
Notes[]
- In the Dark Horse translation, he is referred to as "His Holiness" by Dahl.
Gallery[]
