A Maiden's Prayer (Sylphiel Nels Lahda from The Slayers)
Character: Sylphiel Nels Lahda (The Slayers)
Title: A Maiden's Prayer
Author: Tara-hime
Spoilers: Spoilers for the anime version of Slayers as well as the novels and manga.
Email: tarahime@gmail.com
Personal Website: http://celebaelin.net
Introduction
I was first introduced to Sylphiel long ago in 1998 when I watched Slayers for the first time. Admittedly, back then my first impression of her was not a good one, for at the time I did not see much of a point to her existence because she was just so different from all the other characters and she had so little screentime to prove otherwise. She was simply too normal for her own good among a cast of zany and over the top characters. However, that wasn't a good enough reason for me to dislike her or deny her existence like so many others had and it wasn't until a few years ago that my appreciation for her came to be when I was asked to play as her for a massive roleplaying game that my friends had created. Thinking as Sylphiel and wondering what she would do in certain situations caused me to have a greater understanding of her character and who she is. It took me placing myself in her shoes to truly understand her as a person and not just the proclaimed Gourry fangirl she has been dubbed as by the fandom majority. I soon came to realize that I saw a lot of myself in Sylphiel too and thus, my love grew to where Sylphiel has become my favorite character of all time.
About Slayers
As for Slayers itself, it is the creation of Hajime Kanzaka, one of Japan's most popular novelists. He created the story of Slayers back in September of 1989 as a monthly short story series that was published in Dragon magazine. It later turned into a novel series that spanned 15 volumes and because of its extreme popularity, it was turned into an anime series that lasted for three seasons and seventy-eight episodes, not including the numerous amount of OVAs, and movies. There is also the manga version that consists of eight volumes and much like any anime creation; all versions differentiate from the other in some way or form.
Slayers is a swords and sorcery anime and much like all fantasy worlds, it has a rich history, mythology, interesting creatures, and the element of magic that would make any world builder happy to call its own. It reminds people much of roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons or the fantasy epic Lord of the Rings just with a heck of a lot more comedy thrown into the mix. The story itself revolves around the life of the young sorceress Lina Inverse and her adventures with her friends as they go in search for food, fun, and are always met with lots of mayhem along the way. As much as I wish it were different, Sylphiel is a minor supporting character in the storyline and thusly, many people ignore her and what she brings to the series itself. However, she is one of the vital key points for saving the world in the first season and her contribution goes unnoticed by a lot of people. My essay is here to change that.
First Look
Name: Sylphiel Nels Lahda (variations: Sylpheel or Shilfiel).
Age: 18 in the first season, 19 in NEXT.
Hair: Black in the novels and manga, indigo in the anime.
Eye color: Green in the anime, garnet in the manga.
Occupation: Shrine maiden of the Sairaag temple. Also known as a healer, cleric, and in the manga a nun.
When we first meet Sylphiel, she appears to be a young girl in her late teens and it has been confirmed that her age in the first season of Slayers is 18, making her 19 when we meet her again in season NEXT. She has all the makings of a noble woman, being one of the tallest females in the cast, and possesses long, flowing hair, and natural beauty. Her hair reaches far down to her hips, possibly mid-thigh, and is indigo in color, or black if you're going by the novels or manga. Her eyes are a bright green color and are the most expressive feature on her face. One can take just a glance at her eyes to be able to see what she is feeling. To look at her one would say she is very fond of the color purple, for her robes as a shrine maiden consist mainly of purple as well as green, and gold. However, the color may signify her profession as a shrine maiden since purple is associated spirituality. It's possible it may also be a way to signify her status in society since in medieval times royalty or high-ranking nobles only wore purple. With her she always carries a scepter that was given to her father when she became a shrine maiden. She uses it mainly to enhance her spells or to help her when she is using her power of divination.
At the Beginning
There isn't relatively much known about Sylphiel's past life other than what we see through use of flashbacks. She was born as the only daughter to Eruk Nels Lahda, the high priest of Sairaag. Her mother's identity is virtually unknown, as she is nowhere to be seen and is not mentioned in the anime or manga at all. There have been many rumors as to what happened to Sylphiel's mother, the most popular and most likely is that she died while giving birth to Sylphiel. Other rumors are that she died of illness while Sylphiel was very young, or she abandoned her daughter and husband -- a reason as to why she would do such a thing hasn't been thought of yet. However, the lack of a mother's love may have been the reason Eruk doted so much on his daughter to the point of sheltering her, as he now had to be both parents for Sylphiel.
Nevertheless, Sylphiel grew up as a happy child who loved her father dearly. Eruk focused a lot of his attention on her and because of that, she became very attached to him. As a child, she was mischievous like many and spent much of time exploring and playing by herself within the caves of Flagoon, her secret special place. At one point she even stole the holy sword the Blessed Blade, but since she was too scared to return it, she hid it within Flagoon since the townspeople would never go to look for it there. And so, she grew up and spent the majority of her life in Sairaag, loved by her father and surrounding neighbors. And when she was of age, she became a shrine maiden of the temple where she studied white magick and practiced healing. The cause for this is up for interpretation. She may have chosen to be a shrine maiden to follow in her father's footsteps or perhaps her mother was once a shrine maiden too.
When Sylphiel was still quite young, a demon had attempted to attack Sairaag but was defeated by a traveling swordsman. That swordsman happened to be Gourry Gabriev, who used the Sword of Light to destroy the demon. Ironically, centuries prior Gourry's ancestor had saved Sairaag as well from the demon known as Zanaffar. Afterwards, Gourry's ancestor planted a seed inside Zanaffar's slain body that would later on grow into the holy tree known as Flagoon, and it would become the symbol for Sairaag. When Gourry saved Sairaag from destruction this time around, he was badly wounded and was brought to stay at Eruk's home where Sylphiel nurtured and cared for him until he regained his strength. During that time, she fell in love with him. It wasn't until years later that they would meet again and she would meet Lina Inverse for the first time.
The Layers of Sylphiel
To first see Sylphiel, one will probably see her as a melancholic priestess with a huge Gourry fetish. This is understandably so, because her introverted nature is her most prominent feature, but it's only one part of her personality. The more I rewatch/reread Slayers, the more layers I uncover regarding Sylphiel.
Blessed Be
One of the things that had initially attracted me to Slayers was the use of magick and spells. All the characters have their signature moves, Lina her Dragon Slave, Zelgadiss with the Ra-Tilt, and even Sylphiel with her own use of white magick. White magick consists of spells that call upon the power of Ceiphied and offer peace, blessing, healing, as well as protection. To perform these types of spells, it is better if the caster is a cleric, usually a priest or priestess. As a shrine maiden, Sylphiel should be considered a cleric since she is a healer and has devoted her life to the holy service by using her powers to help and protect others.
Her knowledge of the art of magick is quite vast, possibly due to all the books seen in her home, as they could be tomes or manuscripts. Although she has no need of knowledge dealing with black magick, Sylphiel is the one who first warns Lina about the consequences of using the Giga Slave and how it could possibly mean her death or the end of the world. This is very rare knowledge so it is quite impressive that Sylphiel would know about it herself.
When it comes to white magick, Sylphiel is number one. Her greatest skills deal with divination and healing and are known as her specialties but she can also cast a very powerful protection spell. Lina even once wished Sylphiel was there with them when they needed the use of a strong healer such as herself since she can heal many wounds all at once. However, even the most high-level of spells can take their toll on her as seen after she cast Resurrection on Lina, who was on the brink of death. The amount of energy it took to cast it, even with using resuscitation beforehand, caused Sylphiel to become drained and she passed out.
Be as it may though, when it comes to performing other spells, Sylphiel needs a lot of work. One of her biggest faults was focusing on just healing and defensive spells growing up, as she is now quite vulnerable in battle. One of her trademark foul-ups was when she attempted to cast a Flare Arrow only for it to turn into a Flare Carrot. It wasn't much help using it as an attack spell needless to say. Another problem of hers is that she isn't consistent with the use of her spells, making them too powerful or not powerful enough, depending on the situation. There also seems to be limitations concerning her healing abilities since she was unable to bring Amelia back to life after Phibrizzo killed her.
This type of weakness has caused problems for her friends, especially Lina who took a direct hit for Sylphiel to save her life when they battled Kopii Rezo. This is possibly one of the reasons Sylphiel decided to learn more than just white magick since she does not want people to risk their life for her.
Loss
The death of her father and the people of Sairaag left a heavy toll on Sylphiel's heart. Things were no longer black and white to her anymore as they once were. She had grown up in a sheltered home, protected by the holy tree, and thus she was kept away from the real dangers of this world. She was but a mere innocent; hate and anger had always been foreign feelings to her. Her father was all she had ever known and thus she was devastated when he was taken away from her. Family and the sense of home… these were the things that were the strong figures of her life. Without her father, she no longer had either one.
Even though she had mourned and moved on, there is still emptiness in her heart from the destruction of her home and the death of her loved ones. It is heart wrenching to watch her in NEXT when she discovers that Sairaag had been regenerated along with all the dead citizens brought back as zombies, her father included. The look on her face when she could not feel his heartbeat was just a mere reminder of what she had lost and only made the reunion painful.
Strength of the Heart
I can't let Phibrizzo torment the dead like this! I have to let him have it with all I've got!
Sylphiel is by no means weak-willed. In fact, she is quite possibly one of the strongest characters in Slayers due to the strength she possesses inside her heart. She cares for people, deeply and truly, even if she has barely known them. She's more than a naïve goody two-shoes. Sylphiel is complex and has many sides to her that pop up at the oddest of times. Even if she's a minor character, she's the most genuine of all the Slayers and is overall a sweet and humane person. She's idealistic, the most idealistic out of the entire cast even if it isn't obvious at first.
One of her problems is that she often has trouble speaking her mind. This is where people come off calling her a pushover but they can't seem to grasp the reason for it. Sylphiel is not the type to want to hurt someone's feelings, so she keeps from coming out and saying something outright because she's afraid it will hurt someone. A big example of this is Sylphiel's feelings for Gourry. From the get go we can see she has feelings for him, but Sylphiel can sense that there may be more to Lina and Gourry than they let on. So Sylphiel tries to see how Lina feels beforehand. This isn't to say she'll never speak her mind. If she truly believes in something, she will be quite adamant about it, such as when she firmly told Lina not to cast the Giga Slave because she believed that the end of the world was not worth avenging the death of her father and the end of Sairaag.
The things that matter most to Sylphiel are family and a home. She has the need to belong somewhere, which is possibly why she had wanted to learn the Dragon Slave and travel with Lina and Gourry, as she would probably never do such things when she lived in Sairaag. With the destruction of her home, she has in turn lost a piece of her identity. Even when she lived with her uncle (or grandfather and his relatives if you're going by the novels), she somehow finds her way back to Sairaag, the one place she can only refer to as her home.
Because of this longing of hers, Sylphiel is the most feeling of the Slayers group and thusly the most emotional. She has a sixth sense, an intuition if you will, and can sense what people are feeling. She observes people and notices things before any of the others do. She enjoys reflecting, she needs to do it. It's very often that we will find Sylphiel lost in her thoughts and she is one of the rare characters whose inner monologue we get to see. It doesn't take much to have Sylphiel recall fond memories. All it takes is looking at her scepter to recall her father, an old toy to remember the days when she played inside Flagoon, lines on a tree to remember when they were made. Sylphiel needs to reminisce to remind her of her old life in Sairaag so it won't ever fade away. This self-reflection may seem unnecessary to some, but it is one of the things that fuel her to fight on.
Some have called Sylphiel a pushover, so I often wonder if they have ever read the manga or the novels then. While she isn't a pushover in the anime, she is even less of one in the manga and novels. In the novels she speaks her mind, speaks with vehemence to Kopii Rezo who had tricked her father and was slowly killing him. In the manga she uses a lot more spells and is actually adept with them; she was even able to outwit a mazoku enough to harm him substantially. And in the anime, against the fact that she is horrible with other offensive spells, she was able to learn the Dragon Slave and cast it effectively. So in all three versions, Sylphiel has proven herself to not be weak in some form.
There have even been times where Sylphiel has done things that are considerably out of character for one such as her. It isn't beyond Sylphiel to do something shocking; she has actually done this on a few accounts. Even at a tender young age, she literally stole the Blessed Blade from the temple, something that really surprised Lina and made her look at her differently since Sylphiel gives off the appearance of not doing something like that, it's more like a thing Lina would end up doing. Even in NEXT, she gives everyone a shocker by the vow she makes in rescuing Gourry, stooping to use even sex appeal if it was necessary. And I bet no one would of thought she could have ever used the Dragon Slave. So she is not all what she seems.
Relationships
Your heart... It isn't beating..!
Eruk Nels Lahda: Sylphiel's father and the high priest of Sairaag. He was killed in a destructive blast made by Kopii Rezo and was resurrected by Phibrizzo in NEXT to be his puppet. Thankfully he was laid to rest once more.
All her life, her father was the center of her world and she was the center of his. Even if it is only an anime, the bond between father and daughter that they exhibit is one of the most endearing I have ever seen. Eruk did all he could to make sure his daughter grew up happy, and from the flashbacks of Sylphiel's memory, it was shown that Eruk had accomplished that. Sylphiel wanted for nothing and was a happy child despite never having a mother because her father was always beside her. So when Kopii Rezo destroyed most of Sairaag, Sylphiel's world was shattered in an instant.
Her heart was broken in a way that would never completely mend itself. Her source of happiness and comfort was taken from her; her father was all she had ever known in this world. I believe there is a part of her that blames herself for his death, since if she hadn't wanted so badly to tell him goodbye before they set off on their way, Lina and the others wouldn't have been there and Kopii Rezo wouldn't have attacked that part of the city directly. Eventually she moves on, but it is hard to watch when she discovers her father had been resurrected and is under the control of Phibrizzo. And when he is laid to rest, it was like losing him all over again.
But Sylphiel has grown since then, and lives on for her father since she knows that is what he would want her to do. So she goes on, giving help to others in need so they may not feel the pain of loss as she had.
Gourry dear... Promise me you'll win. That you won't get killed.
Gourry Gabriev: An ex-mercenary and wandering swordsman. He saved Sairaag when Sylphiel was younger from an attacking demon. Because he was wounded, Sylphiel nurtured him back to health.
This is another one who is very important to Sylphiel as we notice from the first moment she appears by hugging him in extreme joy. Sylphiel idolizes Gourry because of his protectiveness and she ends up having a massive hero-worship crush on him. I use the crush loosely though, because Sylphiel does seem to truly love Gourry. She would do anything and everything for him just to see that he was happy. She was even willing to sacrifice herself by throwing herself into harm's way during the fight Gourry had with Zangulus.
Unfortunately, Gourry does not return her feelings of love. He considers her a good friend but he doesn't have a romantic interest in her. Since Sylphiel is far too shy to say her feelings outright, she shows her love with small, affectionate gestures such as cooking him dinner but they still go unnoticed. Whether or not Gourry is aware of how she feels is debatable. He may just be oblivious to it, or he may have noticed but doesn't know how to tell her he can't return her love without hurting her.
That isn't to say he doesn't care. Sylphiel means a lot to Gourry just not in a romantic sense. He cares for her safety and is always the first to rush to her defense and he helped cheer her up after the death of her father. Sylphiel soon realizes whom Gourry has given his heart too, so she graciously gives up the fight for his heart because what matters to her is his happiness and she wants him to be happy even if it is with someone other than herself.
Flagoon... Everyone... Father... Give Miss Lina... your... strength...
Lina Inverse: The main character of the series. She's a young sorceress traveling around the world for fame, fortune and food - mostly food. She meets Sylphiel when the gang head off to Sairaag to find out who the mystery person was that put a bounty on their heads.
This is one of those rare relationships that prove you can be the best of friends even if you're in love with the same guy. A lot of people initially don't like Sylphiel mainly because of Lina. They see Sylphiel as the other woman who wants to steal the guy away. This is clearly not so. While Sylphiel is indeed in love with Gourry, she actually cares enough about Lina's feelings to see where the two of them stand before she makes an attempt to go after him just in case Lina would end up being hurt. And with the kind of response she's given, who could blame Sylphiel for thinking the coast was clear? Lina did say she was just after the Sword of Light after all. This behavior even continues on in NEXT, when Sylphiel tries to find out if Lina and Gourry's relationship had changed during the last time she was with them.
Sylphiel is more like a catalyst for Lina to begin realizing what her feelings for Gourry really are. It wasn't really until she saw how open Sylphiel was with her affections for Gourry that she began to question how she felt for him as well. However, unlike most love triangles, this one was not met with jealously, bitterness, or low attempts at stealing the guy in the end. Sylphiel and Lina don't fight over Gourry at all but they are met with insecurities they've haven't felt before. Lina worries if Gourry would go for someone more like Sylphiel and in turn, Sylphiel feels that she has suddenly been replaced by Lina and is no longer needed.
Though there are no catfights or vows of stealing Gourry away, Sylphiel does try in her own way to win his heart. When it seemed that nothing had changed between Lina and Gourry, Sylphiel jumped at the chance to come along with them to be by his side. She even got it in her head that Gourry would want someone who was strong like Lina, so this added to her reasons for learning the Dragon Slave. Although, she only does these things since Gourry appears to be available. Though she senses that there is more to the relationship that Lina lets on, Sylphiel believes her word for truth. However, at the end of NEXT, Sylphiel realizes that there is in fact love between Gourry and Lina, so she quietly lets them be together and is happy for the both of them.
Even without Gourry in the picture, there is a lot more to these two girls. Truthfully they are both opposites, but they balance each other out and bring out qualities each other don't show very often. Lina gives Sylphiel the encouragement she needs to be confident enough in performing spells since she needs the reinforcement. Sylphiel in turn helps Lina not be so brash, mostly toward her. Lina knows how sensitive her friend is so she holds back on saying anything that would hurt her. Together both of them make a powerful duo.
Zelgadiss Graywords: He's a human-turned-chimera who travels along with Lina in search of a cure to turn him back to normal. He used to be an enemy in the beginning of the story but has turned into an ally.
Zelgadiss is rather indifferent to Sylphiel when they first meet. However, after Sairaag was destroyed, Zelgadiss made a rather harsh comment toward Sylphiel about more people like her father dying when she begged Lina not to use the Giga Slave. Sylphiel became extremely hurt by it and ran out of the cottage they were in. Afterwards, it seemed as if Zelgadiss felt guilty for what he said as he worries if Sylphiel is okay first when the group had been reunited after being temporarily separated. This confuses everyone, Sylphiel especially. However, she doesn't hold any ill will against Zelgadiss, for though his remark lacked tact, it was a wakeup call she needed to realize more people would become hurt if they couldn't find a way to stop Kopii Rezo.
Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun: She's the princess of Seyruun and daughter of Prince Phil. In her spare time she is a defender of justice and travels along with Lina to spread the truth and power of justice to all she meets.
It surprises me how these two aren't that close. Both girls come from similar home lives; both were raised by their father, mother deceased, and siblings are nowhere in sight. They're also two of the most sheltered in the series as they are both innocent to the world around them though Sylphiel lacks Amelia's enthusiasm and drive. They are friends though and look out for each other and will protect one another even at the risk of their own life.
My father and the people of my town were not born to be destroyed by you!
Kopii Rezo: He's a homunculus or rather a created human being that was modeled by Eris in the likeness of Rezo the Red Priest after he died. He's jealous of the original Rezo and vows to outdo him by killing Lina.
In the anime, Sylphiel doesn't appear to hate Kopii Rezo for destroying Sairaag, rather she pities him for the suffering he went through as being the real Rezo's shadow. Despite that she doesn't outright hate him, she knows without a doubt that he must be stopped at all costs before any more innocents are hurt. Sylphiel is a hindrance to Kopii Rezo since she prevented Lina from casting the Giga Slave and also discovered that his weakness was Flagoon. But her behavior toward him is very very different in the novels and manga. She despises Kopii Rezo for tricking her father and then killing him and destroying her home. She even demands him to give her an explanation for why he did it.
The Method to my Madness
Why write about Sylphiel? Because she is my favorite character of course! There are so many who would sooner demean her than stand up for her and it's not needed at all. People don't acknowledge the fact that she is a very prominent and important character in the series. Without her, much of the show would not have progressed in the final arc of the first season. Her good nature makes her a very sacrificing and tragic character. She'd risk her life for her friends and take any burden to help others. How could I not adore someone like this since this world does not have many people like her in it? Sylphiel fans are also far and few between, a rare breed if you will. I don't see Sylphiel as the evil other woman, just a gentle soul who wants to be loved. She's kind and gentle, a pure soul that knows no malice and would do anything for her friends. It's very endearing and I would love to have a friend such as her. So I continue to read and write about her, because my love for Sylphiel continues to grow day by day.
Sylphiel Sites and Recommendations
Sadly there aren't many websites as there used to be dedicated to Sylphiel since they've either died or are no longer updated. So here is what I have to offer:
Shrine Maiden: My own web tribute to Sylphiel, which is also home to the official Sylphiel fanlisting Hitori.
Alone: an extensive Sylphiel shrine with a huge image gallery.
Fake Smile: a wonderful shrine to Sylphiel that has a lovely layout and lots of interesting information.
And as for fanfiction...
Slayers Faces: One of the best overall Slayers fanfics out there that pairs Sylphiel up with Zelgadiss.
After the Rain: This is the fanfic that made me adore SylphielxValgarv.
A Flower Whose Name I Don't Know Yet: Possibly my favorite Sylphiel-centric fanfic out there that questions what would happen if Koppi Rezo still lived after the first season.
There are also two fan communities for Sylphiel located at sylphiel_love and at the Sylphiel yahoo mailing list.
Title: A Maiden's Prayer
Author: Tara-hime
Spoilers: Spoilers for the anime version of Slayers as well as the novels and manga.
Email: tarahime@gmail.com
Personal Website: http://celebaelin.net
Introduction
I was first introduced to Sylphiel long ago in 1998 when I watched Slayers for the first time. Admittedly, back then my first impression of her was not a good one, for at the time I did not see much of a point to her existence because she was just so different from all the other characters and she had so little screentime to prove otherwise. She was simply too normal for her own good among a cast of zany and over the top characters. However, that wasn't a good enough reason for me to dislike her or deny her existence like so many others had and it wasn't until a few years ago that my appreciation for her came to be when I was asked to play as her for a massive roleplaying game that my friends had created. Thinking as Sylphiel and wondering what she would do in certain situations caused me to have a greater understanding of her character and who she is. It took me placing myself in her shoes to truly understand her as a person and not just the proclaimed Gourry fangirl she has been dubbed as by the fandom majority. I soon came to realize that I saw a lot of myself in Sylphiel too and thus, my love grew to where Sylphiel has become my favorite character of all time.
About Slayers
As for Slayers itself, it is the creation of Hajime Kanzaka, one of Japan's most popular novelists. He created the story of Slayers back in September of 1989 as a monthly short story series that was published in Dragon magazine. It later turned into a novel series that spanned 15 volumes and because of its extreme popularity, it was turned into an anime series that lasted for three seasons and seventy-eight episodes, not including the numerous amount of OVAs, and movies. There is also the manga version that consists of eight volumes and much like any anime creation; all versions differentiate from the other in some way or form.
Slayers is a swords and sorcery anime and much like all fantasy worlds, it has a rich history, mythology, interesting creatures, and the element of magic that would make any world builder happy to call its own. It reminds people much of roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons or the fantasy epic Lord of the Rings just with a heck of a lot more comedy thrown into the mix. The story itself revolves around the life of the young sorceress Lina Inverse and her adventures with her friends as they go in search for food, fun, and are always met with lots of mayhem along the way. As much as I wish it were different, Sylphiel is a minor supporting character in the storyline and thusly, many people ignore her and what she brings to the series itself. However, she is one of the vital key points for saving the world in the first season and her contribution goes unnoticed by a lot of people. My essay is here to change that.
First Look
Name: Sylphiel Nels Lahda (variations: Sylpheel or Shilfiel).
Age: 18 in the first season, 19 in NEXT.
Hair: Black in the novels and manga, indigo in the anime.
Eye color: Green in the anime, garnet in the manga.
Occupation: Shrine maiden of the Sairaag temple. Also known as a healer, cleric, and in the manga a nun.
When we first meet Sylphiel, she appears to be a young girl in her late teens and it has been confirmed that her age in the first season of Slayers is 18, making her 19 when we meet her again in season NEXT. She has all the makings of a noble woman, being one of the tallest females in the cast, and possesses long, flowing hair, and natural beauty. Her hair reaches far down to her hips, possibly mid-thigh, and is indigo in color, or black if you're going by the novels or manga. Her eyes are a bright green color and are the most expressive feature on her face. One can take just a glance at her eyes to be able to see what she is feeling. To look at her one would say she is very fond of the color purple, for her robes as a shrine maiden consist mainly of purple as well as green, and gold. However, the color may signify her profession as a shrine maiden since purple is associated spirituality. It's possible it may also be a way to signify her status in society since in medieval times royalty or high-ranking nobles only wore purple. With her she always carries a scepter that was given to her father when she became a shrine maiden. She uses it mainly to enhance her spells or to help her when she is using her power of divination.
At the Beginning
There isn't relatively much known about Sylphiel's past life other than what we see through use of flashbacks. She was born as the only daughter to Eruk Nels Lahda, the high priest of Sairaag. Her mother's identity is virtually unknown, as she is nowhere to be seen and is not mentioned in the anime or manga at all. There have been many rumors as to what happened to Sylphiel's mother, the most popular and most likely is that she died while giving birth to Sylphiel. Other rumors are that she died of illness while Sylphiel was very young, or she abandoned her daughter and husband -- a reason as to why she would do such a thing hasn't been thought of yet. However, the lack of a mother's love may have been the reason Eruk doted so much on his daughter to the point of sheltering her, as he now had to be both parents for Sylphiel.
Nevertheless, Sylphiel grew up as a happy child who loved her father dearly. Eruk focused a lot of his attention on her and because of that, she became very attached to him. As a child, she was mischievous like many and spent much of time exploring and playing by herself within the caves of Flagoon, her secret special place. At one point she even stole the holy sword the Blessed Blade, but since she was too scared to return it, she hid it within Flagoon since the townspeople would never go to look for it there. And so, she grew up and spent the majority of her life in Sairaag, loved by her father and surrounding neighbors. And when she was of age, she became a shrine maiden of the temple where she studied white magick and practiced healing. The cause for this is up for interpretation. She may have chosen to be a shrine maiden to follow in her father's footsteps or perhaps her mother was once a shrine maiden too.
When Sylphiel was still quite young, a demon had attempted to attack Sairaag but was defeated by a traveling swordsman. That swordsman happened to be Gourry Gabriev, who used the Sword of Light to destroy the demon. Ironically, centuries prior Gourry's ancestor had saved Sairaag as well from the demon known as Zanaffar. Afterwards, Gourry's ancestor planted a seed inside Zanaffar's slain body that would later on grow into the holy tree known as Flagoon, and it would become the symbol for Sairaag. When Gourry saved Sairaag from destruction this time around, he was badly wounded and was brought to stay at Eruk's home where Sylphiel nurtured and cared for him until he regained his strength. During that time, she fell in love with him. It wasn't until years later that they would meet again and she would meet Lina Inverse for the first time.
The Layers of Sylphiel
To first see Sylphiel, one will probably see her as a melancholic priestess with a huge Gourry fetish. This is understandably so, because her introverted nature is her most prominent feature, but it's only one part of her personality. The more I rewatch/reread Slayers, the more layers I uncover regarding Sylphiel.
Blessed Be
One of the things that had initially attracted me to Slayers was the use of magick and spells. All the characters have their signature moves, Lina her Dragon Slave, Zelgadiss with the Ra-Tilt, and even Sylphiel with her own use of white magick. White magick consists of spells that call upon the power of Ceiphied and offer peace, blessing, healing, as well as protection. To perform these types of spells, it is better if the caster is a cleric, usually a priest or priestess. As a shrine maiden, Sylphiel should be considered a cleric since she is a healer and has devoted her life to the holy service by using her powers to help and protect others.
Her knowledge of the art of magick is quite vast, possibly due to all the books seen in her home, as they could be tomes or manuscripts. Although she has no need of knowledge dealing with black magick, Sylphiel is the one who first warns Lina about the consequences of using the Giga Slave and how it could possibly mean her death or the end of the world. This is very rare knowledge so it is quite impressive that Sylphiel would know about it herself.
When it comes to white magick, Sylphiel is number one. Her greatest skills deal with divination and healing and are known as her specialties but she can also cast a very powerful protection spell. Lina even once wished Sylphiel was there with them when they needed the use of a strong healer such as herself since she can heal many wounds all at once. However, even the most high-level of spells can take their toll on her as seen after she cast Resurrection on Lina, who was on the brink of death. The amount of energy it took to cast it, even with using resuscitation beforehand, caused Sylphiel to become drained and she passed out.
Be as it may though, when it comes to performing other spells, Sylphiel needs a lot of work. One of her biggest faults was focusing on just healing and defensive spells growing up, as she is now quite vulnerable in battle. One of her trademark foul-ups was when she attempted to cast a Flare Arrow only for it to turn into a Flare Carrot. It wasn't much help using it as an attack spell needless to say. Another problem of hers is that she isn't consistent with the use of her spells, making them too powerful or not powerful enough, depending on the situation. There also seems to be limitations concerning her healing abilities since she was unable to bring Amelia back to life after Phibrizzo killed her.
This type of weakness has caused problems for her friends, especially Lina who took a direct hit for Sylphiel to save her life when they battled Kopii Rezo. This is possibly one of the reasons Sylphiel decided to learn more than just white magick since she does not want people to risk their life for her.
Loss
The death of her father and the people of Sairaag left a heavy toll on Sylphiel's heart. Things were no longer black and white to her anymore as they once were. She had grown up in a sheltered home, protected by the holy tree, and thus she was kept away from the real dangers of this world. She was but a mere innocent; hate and anger had always been foreign feelings to her. Her father was all she had ever known and thus she was devastated when he was taken away from her. Family and the sense of home… these were the things that were the strong figures of her life. Without her father, she no longer had either one.
Even though she had mourned and moved on, there is still emptiness in her heart from the destruction of her home and the death of her loved ones. It is heart wrenching to watch her in NEXT when she discovers that Sairaag had been regenerated along with all the dead citizens brought back as zombies, her father included. The look on her face when she could not feel his heartbeat was just a mere reminder of what she had lost and only made the reunion painful.
Strength of the Heart
I can't let Phibrizzo torment the dead like this! I have to let him have it with all I've got!
Sylphiel is by no means weak-willed. In fact, she is quite possibly one of the strongest characters in Slayers due to the strength she possesses inside her heart. She cares for people, deeply and truly, even if she has barely known them. She's more than a naïve goody two-shoes. Sylphiel is complex and has many sides to her that pop up at the oddest of times. Even if she's a minor character, she's the most genuine of all the Slayers and is overall a sweet and humane person. She's idealistic, the most idealistic out of the entire cast even if it isn't obvious at first.
One of her problems is that she often has trouble speaking her mind. This is where people come off calling her a pushover but they can't seem to grasp the reason for it. Sylphiel is not the type to want to hurt someone's feelings, so she keeps from coming out and saying something outright because she's afraid it will hurt someone. A big example of this is Sylphiel's feelings for Gourry. From the get go we can see she has feelings for him, but Sylphiel can sense that there may be more to Lina and Gourry than they let on. So Sylphiel tries to see how Lina feels beforehand. This isn't to say she'll never speak her mind. If she truly believes in something, she will be quite adamant about it, such as when she firmly told Lina not to cast the Giga Slave because she believed that the end of the world was not worth avenging the death of her father and the end of Sairaag.
The things that matter most to Sylphiel are family and a home. She has the need to belong somewhere, which is possibly why she had wanted to learn the Dragon Slave and travel with Lina and Gourry, as she would probably never do such things when she lived in Sairaag. With the destruction of her home, she has in turn lost a piece of her identity. Even when she lived with her uncle (or grandfather and his relatives if you're going by the novels), she somehow finds her way back to Sairaag, the one place she can only refer to as her home.
Because of this longing of hers, Sylphiel is the most feeling of the Slayers group and thusly the most emotional. She has a sixth sense, an intuition if you will, and can sense what people are feeling. She observes people and notices things before any of the others do. She enjoys reflecting, she needs to do it. It's very often that we will find Sylphiel lost in her thoughts and she is one of the rare characters whose inner monologue we get to see. It doesn't take much to have Sylphiel recall fond memories. All it takes is looking at her scepter to recall her father, an old toy to remember the days when she played inside Flagoon, lines on a tree to remember when they were made. Sylphiel needs to reminisce to remind her of her old life in Sairaag so it won't ever fade away. This self-reflection may seem unnecessary to some, but it is one of the things that fuel her to fight on.
Some have called Sylphiel a pushover, so I often wonder if they have ever read the manga or the novels then. While she isn't a pushover in the anime, she is even less of one in the manga and novels. In the novels she speaks her mind, speaks with vehemence to Kopii Rezo who had tricked her father and was slowly killing him. In the manga she uses a lot more spells and is actually adept with them; she was even able to outwit a mazoku enough to harm him substantially. And in the anime, against the fact that she is horrible with other offensive spells, she was able to learn the Dragon Slave and cast it effectively. So in all three versions, Sylphiel has proven herself to not be weak in some form.
There have even been times where Sylphiel has done things that are considerably out of character for one such as her. It isn't beyond Sylphiel to do something shocking; she has actually done this on a few accounts. Even at a tender young age, she literally stole the Blessed Blade from the temple, something that really surprised Lina and made her look at her differently since Sylphiel gives off the appearance of not doing something like that, it's more like a thing Lina would end up doing. Even in NEXT, she gives everyone a shocker by the vow she makes in rescuing Gourry, stooping to use even sex appeal if it was necessary. And I bet no one would of thought she could have ever used the Dragon Slave. So she is not all what she seems.
Relationships
Your heart... It isn't beating..!
Eruk Nels Lahda: Sylphiel's father and the high priest of Sairaag. He was killed in a destructive blast made by Kopii Rezo and was resurrected by Phibrizzo in NEXT to be his puppet. Thankfully he was laid to rest once more.
All her life, her father was the center of her world and she was the center of his. Even if it is only an anime, the bond between father and daughter that they exhibit is one of the most endearing I have ever seen. Eruk did all he could to make sure his daughter grew up happy, and from the flashbacks of Sylphiel's memory, it was shown that Eruk had accomplished that. Sylphiel wanted for nothing and was a happy child despite never having a mother because her father was always beside her. So when Kopii Rezo destroyed most of Sairaag, Sylphiel's world was shattered in an instant.
Her heart was broken in a way that would never completely mend itself. Her source of happiness and comfort was taken from her; her father was all she had ever known in this world. I believe there is a part of her that blames herself for his death, since if she hadn't wanted so badly to tell him goodbye before they set off on their way, Lina and the others wouldn't have been there and Kopii Rezo wouldn't have attacked that part of the city directly. Eventually she moves on, but it is hard to watch when she discovers her father had been resurrected and is under the control of Phibrizzo. And when he is laid to rest, it was like losing him all over again.
But Sylphiel has grown since then, and lives on for her father since she knows that is what he would want her to do. So she goes on, giving help to others in need so they may not feel the pain of loss as she had.
Gourry dear... Promise me you'll win. That you won't get killed.
Gourry Gabriev: An ex-mercenary and wandering swordsman. He saved Sairaag when Sylphiel was younger from an attacking demon. Because he was wounded, Sylphiel nurtured him back to health.
This is another one who is very important to Sylphiel as we notice from the first moment she appears by hugging him in extreme joy. Sylphiel idolizes Gourry because of his protectiveness and she ends up having a massive hero-worship crush on him. I use the crush loosely though, because Sylphiel does seem to truly love Gourry. She would do anything and everything for him just to see that he was happy. She was even willing to sacrifice herself by throwing herself into harm's way during the fight Gourry had with Zangulus.
Unfortunately, Gourry does not return her feelings of love. He considers her a good friend but he doesn't have a romantic interest in her. Since Sylphiel is far too shy to say her feelings outright, she shows her love with small, affectionate gestures such as cooking him dinner but they still go unnoticed. Whether or not Gourry is aware of how she feels is debatable. He may just be oblivious to it, or he may have noticed but doesn't know how to tell her he can't return her love without hurting her.
That isn't to say he doesn't care. Sylphiel means a lot to Gourry just not in a romantic sense. He cares for her safety and is always the first to rush to her defense and he helped cheer her up after the death of her father. Sylphiel soon realizes whom Gourry has given his heart too, so she graciously gives up the fight for his heart because what matters to her is his happiness and she wants him to be happy even if it is with someone other than herself.
Flagoon... Everyone... Father... Give Miss Lina... your... strength...
Lina Inverse: The main character of the series. She's a young sorceress traveling around the world for fame, fortune and food - mostly food. She meets Sylphiel when the gang head off to Sairaag to find out who the mystery person was that put a bounty on their heads.
This is one of those rare relationships that prove you can be the best of friends even if you're in love with the same guy. A lot of people initially don't like Sylphiel mainly because of Lina. They see Sylphiel as the other woman who wants to steal the guy away. This is clearly not so. While Sylphiel is indeed in love with Gourry, she actually cares enough about Lina's feelings to see where the two of them stand before she makes an attempt to go after him just in case Lina would end up being hurt. And with the kind of response she's given, who could blame Sylphiel for thinking the coast was clear? Lina did say she was just after the Sword of Light after all. This behavior even continues on in NEXT, when Sylphiel tries to find out if Lina and Gourry's relationship had changed during the last time she was with them.
Sylphiel is more like a catalyst for Lina to begin realizing what her feelings for Gourry really are. It wasn't really until she saw how open Sylphiel was with her affections for Gourry that she began to question how she felt for him as well. However, unlike most love triangles, this one was not met with jealously, bitterness, or low attempts at stealing the guy in the end. Sylphiel and Lina don't fight over Gourry at all but they are met with insecurities they've haven't felt before. Lina worries if Gourry would go for someone more like Sylphiel and in turn, Sylphiel feels that she has suddenly been replaced by Lina and is no longer needed.
Though there are no catfights or vows of stealing Gourry away, Sylphiel does try in her own way to win his heart. When it seemed that nothing had changed between Lina and Gourry, Sylphiel jumped at the chance to come along with them to be by his side. She even got it in her head that Gourry would want someone who was strong like Lina, so this added to her reasons for learning the Dragon Slave. Although, she only does these things since Gourry appears to be available. Though she senses that there is more to the relationship that Lina lets on, Sylphiel believes her word for truth. However, at the end of NEXT, Sylphiel realizes that there is in fact love between Gourry and Lina, so she quietly lets them be together and is happy for the both of them.
Even without Gourry in the picture, there is a lot more to these two girls. Truthfully they are both opposites, but they balance each other out and bring out qualities each other don't show very often. Lina gives Sylphiel the encouragement she needs to be confident enough in performing spells since she needs the reinforcement. Sylphiel in turn helps Lina not be so brash, mostly toward her. Lina knows how sensitive her friend is so she holds back on saying anything that would hurt her. Together both of them make a powerful duo.
Zelgadiss Graywords: He's a human-turned-chimera who travels along with Lina in search of a cure to turn him back to normal. He used to be an enemy in the beginning of the story but has turned into an ally.
Zelgadiss is rather indifferent to Sylphiel when they first meet. However, after Sairaag was destroyed, Zelgadiss made a rather harsh comment toward Sylphiel about more people like her father dying when she begged Lina not to use the Giga Slave. Sylphiel became extremely hurt by it and ran out of the cottage they were in. Afterwards, it seemed as if Zelgadiss felt guilty for what he said as he worries if Sylphiel is okay first when the group had been reunited after being temporarily separated. This confuses everyone, Sylphiel especially. However, she doesn't hold any ill will against Zelgadiss, for though his remark lacked tact, it was a wakeup call she needed to realize more people would become hurt if they couldn't find a way to stop Kopii Rezo.
Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun: She's the princess of Seyruun and daughter of Prince Phil. In her spare time she is a defender of justice and travels along with Lina to spread the truth and power of justice to all she meets.
It surprises me how these two aren't that close. Both girls come from similar home lives; both were raised by their father, mother deceased, and siblings are nowhere in sight. They're also two of the most sheltered in the series as they are both innocent to the world around them though Sylphiel lacks Amelia's enthusiasm and drive. They are friends though and look out for each other and will protect one another even at the risk of their own life.
My father and the people of my town were not born to be destroyed by you!
Kopii Rezo: He's a homunculus or rather a created human being that was modeled by Eris in the likeness of Rezo the Red Priest after he died. He's jealous of the original Rezo and vows to outdo him by killing Lina.
In the anime, Sylphiel doesn't appear to hate Kopii Rezo for destroying Sairaag, rather she pities him for the suffering he went through as being the real Rezo's shadow. Despite that she doesn't outright hate him, she knows without a doubt that he must be stopped at all costs before any more innocents are hurt. Sylphiel is a hindrance to Kopii Rezo since she prevented Lina from casting the Giga Slave and also discovered that his weakness was Flagoon. But her behavior toward him is very very different in the novels and manga. She despises Kopii Rezo for tricking her father and then killing him and destroying her home. She even demands him to give her an explanation for why he did it.
The Method to my Madness
Why write about Sylphiel? Because she is my favorite character of course! There are so many who would sooner demean her than stand up for her and it's not needed at all. People don't acknowledge the fact that she is a very prominent and important character in the series. Without her, much of the show would not have progressed in the final arc of the first season. Her good nature makes her a very sacrificing and tragic character. She'd risk her life for her friends and take any burden to help others. How could I not adore someone like this since this world does not have many people like her in it? Sylphiel fans are also far and few between, a rare breed if you will. I don't see Sylphiel as the evil other woman, just a gentle soul who wants to be loved. She's kind and gentle, a pure soul that knows no malice and would do anything for her friends. It's very endearing and I would love to have a friend such as her. So I continue to read and write about her, because my love for Sylphiel continues to grow day by day.
Sylphiel Sites and Recommendations
Sadly there aren't many websites as there used to be dedicated to Sylphiel since they've either died or are no longer updated. So here is what I have to offer:
Shrine Maiden: My own web tribute to Sylphiel, which is also home to the official Sylphiel fanlisting Hitori.
Alone: an extensive Sylphiel shrine with a huge image gallery.
Fake Smile: a wonderful shrine to Sylphiel that has a lovely layout and lots of interesting information.
And as for fanfiction...
Slayers Faces: One of the best overall Slayers fanfics out there that pairs Sylphiel up with Zelgadiss.
After the Rain: This is the fanfic that made me adore SylphielxValgarv.
A Flower Whose Name I Don't Know Yet: Possibly my favorite Sylphiel-centric fanfic out there that questions what would happen if Koppi Rezo still lived after the first season.
There are also two fan communities for Sylphiel located at sylphiel_love and at the Sylphiel yahoo mailing list.