Agares Blight

Agares Blight {{{jpname}}}, {{{roname}}}
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Age	53
From	Highland Kingdom
Appears in	Suikoden II

Agares Blight (アガレス・ブライト, Agaresu Buraito) is a supporting character from Suikoden II. Agares is introduced as the ruler of the Highland Kingdom, although he is quickly marginalised by his son Luca Blight as part of the latter's maniacal plans.

Biography

Suikoden II

Agares Blight was a moderate king who, upon rising to become the 22nd king of Highland after the passing of his father, Robert, sued for peace during the First Jowston-Highland War. Although not a talented ruler, he was a hopeful pacifist who dislike combat and was able to maintain an uneasy peace with the City-State of Jowston.

He married the noble woman Sara some time before taking the throne. The marriage was an arranged one, although Agares still felt love for his wife.

Some years after taking the throne, the Blight royal caravan was attacked by a group of bandits. There, Agares abandoned his wife, Sara, and his then-eleven year old son Luca. Although later rescued by the Highland Army, Luca would always hold his father responsible for the events and their repercussions, including the madness and eventual death of Sara. Realising Luca's hatred, Agares would begin to gradually distance himself from his son. Meanwhile, Agares was always distant and unaffectionate with Jillia, who was conceived during the violation of Sara.

Although the continuing peace agreement with Jowston was said to have been his highest achievement, Agares' pacifist policies led to fierce opposition from within the military and he would later reluctantly entrust the command of the military to his son, Luca to reduce the dissatisfaction of the army, although the prince was not necessarily any more talented in that area than Agares. Older generals such as Han Cunningham and the Solon family would continue to support Agares, while younger generals such as Seed and Culgan supported Luca and his appointment as commander of the Highland Army. Agares would devote his time to political affairs following this appointment.

As the Dunan Unification War raged under Luca's direction, Luca and Jowy Atreides plotted to overthrow Agares, both for their own purposes. Nominating Jowy for knighthood led to the Knight's Oath ceremony where Agares drank the Wine of Fealty, containing the blood of the oathbearer as was the tradition. However, Jowy's blood was heavily poisoned, causing Agares to collapse in pain. Agares spat out his protestations, trying to appeal to Luca's memories of his mother and quell his violent ambitions, which only served to enrage Luca as he recalled Agares' "cowardice". Some of Agares' desire for peace may have been entrusted to him by his late wife. Agares realised he had been betrayed but could do not nothing to prevent his death.

His delegating of military authority and the eventual war that broke out during his reign, coupled with his assassination, means that history remembers Agares as a weak-willed ruler who made the first step towards the Highland Kingdom's destruction.

References

1. Perfect Guide Series Genso Suikoden I & II Official World Guide Book (ISBN 4-471-36033-7), page 34
2. Genso Suikoden II 108 Stars Character Guide (ISBN 4-88317-769-6), page 225
3. Genso Suikoden Genso Shinsho VOL.5 2001 Summer Issue (ISBN 4-88317-884-6), page 28
4. Genso Suikoden Encyclopedia (ISBN 4-575-16297-3), page 15
5. Genso Suikoden 1&2 Official Guide Complete Edition (ISBN 978-4-86155-109-3), page 317
6. Marugoto! Genso Suikoden Book (ISBN 978-4-7577-3673-3), Character Archive page 4