Nowak is a former mercenary who became an inquisitor. He is known for his laid-back manners and hard-to-read personality. He carries out harsh tortures and executions of heretics as part of his job, shocking readers with his brutal scenes. Despite his work, Nowak is a family man who is especially close to his daughter Jolenta, and is gentle with others except those he suspects of heresy. After Jolenta’s disappearance, Nowak loses his drive and drowns himself in alcohol, but a meeting with his successor Ash gives him a new purpose. When Nowak learns the shocking truth that he was only used as a tool for someone else’s grudge and that his actions as an inquisitor meant nothing, he falls into despair over the lives he took—especially his own daughter. His story is inspired by the concept of “the banality of evil.”
Nowak has a tired look and carries himself in a lethargic way. His appearance matches his personality, always giving off the vibe that he is bored or exhausted.
Nowak acts uninterested and relaxed most of the time.
He is hard to understand and keeps people guessing about what he is really thinking.
Even so, he is very careful and questions anyone he suspects is involved with heresy.
He is very gentle with people who are not heretics and is especially loving around his daughter Jolenta.
Nowak is unusual among inquisitors because he has a wife and child.
He shares a strong, happy bond with his daughter Jolenta and is a caring husband and father.
After her disappearance and presumed death as a heretic, he loses his will to work and turns to alcohol.
Always a Mercenary Inquisitor
Nowak started as a mercenary and became an inquisitor.
He often tortures and executes heretics in extremely cruel ways.
His actions are driven by his belief in his work, even if his methods seem heartless.
Love for Family
Unlike other inquisitors, Nowak has a wife and daughter.
He is especially close to his daughter Jolenta, showing a kind and fatherly side to his family.
Jolenta’s Disappearance and Downfall
Jolenta disappears, and Nowak believes she was executed as a heretic.
This breaks his spirit. He stops working and spends all his time drinking.
Meeting Ash and Facing the Truth
Nowak meets his replacement, Ash, and decides to help him.
He wants to solve everything with his own hands.
In this journey, he discovers a painful truth: he was just a tool for the former bishop’s personal hatred.
All his life’s work as an inquisitor—and even killing his daughter—was meaningless.
The revelation shatters Nowak. He is overcome with sorrow for all the people he judged and killed.
Final Despair and the Last Act
Heartbroken, Nowak kills the bishop. He sets the church and Draka on fire, deciding to end everything.
In his last moments, he talks to an imaginary Rafal, wishing his daughter could go to heaven before dying.
Nowak’s character is based on Adolf Eichmann.
The way Nowak says he never thought of himself as the villain reflects “the banality of evil," an idea famously discussed about Eichmann.
His voice actor, Mr. Tsuda, is a huge fan of the original story and wanted to play Nowak. His dream came true when he was cast in the role.
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