Gran Kirkwayne

Gran Kirkwayne is a 26-year-old man with short spiky red hair and a rough, wild look.

His hairstyle and face make him resemble a certain Britannian vampire character.

He often looks like a typical troublemaker and isn't very impressive or intimidating in person.

Gran is a classic Britannian supremacist with a very strong dislike of Japanese people.

He finds joy in hurting and executing civilians, often doing so for fun.

He doesn’t respect others and even looks down on those he is supposed to serve.

He is cowardly in real fights, always hiding behind others and unwilling to face danger himself.

Gran lacks real combat skills, often getting scared or confused when things don’t go as planned.

Gran is the younger son of the noble Kirkwayne family, who moved to Hokkaido as close aides to Sakuya Sumeragi’s mother, Lady Shelley li Britannia.

Both Gran and his brother Greede deeply hated Japanese people, even after their family settled in the Special Administrative Zone of Hokkaido where Japanese rights were somewhat respected.

When Neo Britannia invaded four years ago, Gran and Greede betrayed their lord and helped the invaders from within.

They personally hunted Sakuya Sumeragi and her body double, Sakura Haruyanagi.

Gran mistakenly captured Sakura, thinking she was the real Sakuya, which led to his and his brother’s rise within the Neo Britannian ranks.

Their betrayal earned them places within the Aeinberg Knights, but Gran had actually failed to catch the real Sakuya.

Gran serves as the captain of a Nightmare Frame squad and pilots his favorite machine, the "Leviathan," which is equipped with two large swords.

Despite his position, his piloting skills are poor.

He only knows how to fight by sending his men in first and attacking from behind, never truly fighting on his own.

In real combat, he panics easily and cannot handle pressure.

Gran is the younger brother of Greede Kirkwayne, the White Pawn of Aeinberg, who handles strategy.

Together, they maintain control over their family territory.

He and his brother have a history of laughing at Japanese people and taking pleasure in oppressing and killing them.

Gran resents Sakuya Sumeragi because she is half-Japanese, showing open dislike for her since they were children, even though their parents were respectful to her.

Haruka Rutaka's mother was also killed due to their so-called "public safety activities".

"You have no hope!"

"Be grateful that you are only being used for target practice!"

Brutal Acts in the Name of Order

Gran is introduced while leading a crackdown as commander of the Nightmare Frame unit in Kirkwayne territory.

He executes a large group of Japanese civilians, making fun of them while ordering their deaths.

He and his brother use the excuse of security to kill Japanese citizens purely for amusement.

The Encounter with Nameless Mercenaries

Unable to bear the Kirkwayne brothers’ cruelty, the Shichikouseidan hires the Nameless Mercenaries, Rozé and Ash.

Gran encounters them while on the move, and follows his brother’s orders to send his men forward.

He faces Ash in battle, using his Leviathan, but is quickly outmatched by Ash’s Z- Apollo.

Humiliation in Battle

Ash shows far greater skill, dodging Gran’s attacks and quickly disabling Gran’s weapons before he can even use them.

Gran’s men are wiped out, and he is left alone and helpless after taking a hard hit to the face and freezing in shock.

Ash criticizes Gran, saying he never learned the pain of real battle because he only attacked from a safe spot and never gained real experience.

Death of a Pawn

Infuriated by Ash’s words, Gran tries to attack again but is no match.

Ash throws his own swords at Gran, which pierce Gran’s cockpit.

Gran dies with a terrified look on his face, his cockpit cut open and the Leviathan destroyed.

Gran holds the title of Schwarz Pawn, but his actual value in battle is very low.

His rise in Aeinberg was only because of his betrayal, not his ability.

Even among his fellow knights, he was probably just a convenient tool rather than a valued member.

The Shichikouseidan didn’t see him as an important target either; they hired the Nameless Mercenaries mainly to test their skills.

In chess, pawns can be used as sacrifices or play important tactical roles, but Gran and his brother were just disposable pieces for Noland von Lüneberg, living up to their "pawn" title.

• Age: 26