Ragnarok (manhwa)

Ragnarok
Cover of the Tokyopop edition of Ragnarok vol. 1 (2002). Art by Lee Myung-jin.
라그나로크 (Ragnarök)
Genre	Action/adventure Mythology in comics
Author	Lee Myung-jin
Publisher	Daiwon C.I.
English publisher	Madman Entertainment Tokyopop Chuang Yi
Other Publishers Punainen jättiläinen Conrad Editora Ediciones La Cúpula Flashbook Tora Aman Siam Inter Comics Kasen
Magazine	Comic Champ
Original run	1995 – on hiatus
Collected volumes	10

Ragnarok (Korean: 라그나로크 Ragnarok, lit. "Ragnarök") is a manga created by Lee Myung-jin and published by Daiwon C.I. in South Korea. There are currently 10 volumes in circulation, published in English in North America by Tokyopop from May 21, 2002 to April 6, 2004.

The series is mainly based on Norse mythology but is influenced by various other cultures. It falls into the genres of fantasy, action and adventure.

This manhwa became the basis of the widely popular Korean MMORPG, Ragnarok Online developed by Gravity Corp, which in turn was the basis for an adaptation into the anime, Ragnarok the Animation. Currently, Ragnarok is on indefinite hiatus as Lee Myung-jin is helping with the development of Ragnarok Online.

Story

Ragnarok follows the life and adventures of the warrior Chaos, who is an amnesiac that cannot remember anything from before the last two years in his life. He resides in the city of Fayon, inhabited by a long lineage of warriors. The newest leader in line to claim the head position of the village is a young woman by the name of Iris Irine, who trains with Chaos, her close friend, to become a suitable leader for her people. Meanwhile, Fenris Fenrir searches for Balder's reincarnation to bring about Ragnarok.

Characters

Protagonists

• Chaos: A Rune Knight who has lost the memory of his childhood. Chaos came to live in Fayon, a village of great warriors, and became best friends with Iris Irine, the heir to leadership of the village. When Fenris Fenrir arrived in Fayon, Chaos learned that he was the reincarnation of Balder, the God of Light. With his memories starting to return and his powers growing with every battle, Chaos struggles to unravel his past and find his true destiny. Chaos appears to be a newer name than his original in this lifetime. In a flashback, he wears the name tag of "Vermillion," from a dragon knight who found him in a bloody area with slain soldiers and a young girl in his arms. Despite his troubled past, he is a relatively good-natured young man who is somewhat clueless about romantic relationships, particularly with Iris Irine. He also is a very loyal friend, including to the very reticent Loki.
• Fenris: The reincarnation of the Wolf God, Fenris has become a powerful warlock upon returning to life began searching the world for Balder, who had also been reborn as a mortal. Fenris wields many forgotten sorceries, as well as the magical demon-slaying staff Laevatein. Notably, she has the curious ability to copy any spell that strikes her. During her journey, she has come to care deeply for Chaos as well as her memory of Balder, and sees Iris Irine as both a friend and a rival for Chaos's affections. She is a dignified and intelligent woman, seen as a big sister by Iris Irine and as an enigma by Chaos.
• Iris Irine: The heir to leadership of Fayon, village of warriors. Iris is a cleric in training and knows many healing spells. She uses Rune Cards (papers that are concealed with magic) inscribed with magical runes to debilitate the enemy and help her allies. Iris has been best friends with Chaos for years and cares about him a great deal (She even calls herself as Chaos' girlfriend sometimes). Though she considers herself dignified and ladylike, she's prone to throwing tantrums and acting childish when she's excited. She admires Fenris greatly and has a running rivalry with the thief Lidia. Currently, her greatest enemy is her half-sister the valkyrie Sara Irine. She wields the magic-destroying sword Chonryongdo, one of three legendary dragon blades. It should be noted that in the English version, there are multiple variations of the spelling of "Chonryongdo" (e.g., Chernryongdo) though none reflect the actual Korean spelling, Hepburn Romanisation suggesting instead Cheongryongdo.
• Loki: The most powerful member of the Assassins' Guild, Loki had never even been wounded twice in combat before encountering Chaos. When the Assassins Guild was almost totally destroyed by Skurai (who had framed the act on Chaos), Loki hunted Chaos down and attacked him. Chaos eventually managed to convince Loki that they were not enemies, and Loki has joined forces with Chaos to hunt down the true culprit. Loki is apparently totally devoid of emotions (though there is some debate on this topic) and has a hard time fathoming them in others. He wields "The Might" ("Cosmic Energy" in the English release), the most powerful form of magic in the world, and has been described as "the one who is human and not."
• Lidia: A thief who travels with a two-tailed cat named Ses. Lidia fancies herself a treasure hunter like her father, and is searching the world over for magical artifacts. Her greatest wish is to find Alfheim, the hidden city of the elves, the one treasure (The treasure of Avariel in the original release) her father could never locate. Lidia started hanging out with Chaos and the gang in order to steal Iris's dagger, Chonryongdo, and later latches on to Loki. She is known as Lidia in the English release.
• Reina (Name not stated in the original release): An elfish archer that Chaos and his friends have run into during their time in the city of Geffen. She appears to be the last of her kind and wishes to protect the secret of Alfhiem, the ancient city of the elves. She doesn’t like Lidia as she is trying to steal the treasures of Alfhiem but she puts aside her differences with her and Loki during their adventure in Alfhiem while battling a powerful assassin (Juliana Lucille) and wizard (The city Mayor). Since the manhwa has been halted it is unsure what will become of her after her, Lidia, and Loki’s adventure.

Antagonists

• Sara Irine: One of the twelve Valkyries of Freya. She is first seen attempting to hunt down Fenris Fenrir, although the warlock escapes. She then devastates Fayon with an army of Giants. Sara is, in fact, the half-sister of Iris. For some horrible, unknown reason, Sara's (and Iris's) father killed Sara's mother and tried to kill Sara as well. Sara fled the village of Fayon and became consumed with a thirst for vengeance. She met and killed her father during the attack on Fayon, earning Iris's hatred. Curiously, she saves both Iris and Fenrir from the witch Bijou, though she dispassionately tells her half-sister that she will finish her the next time they meet. She wields the legendary Sword of Retribution, Haeryongdo.
• Sakray/Skurai, the Cursed Prosecutor : A mysterious man with a terrifying power. Skurai wields the demon sword Talatsu (known as Tartanos or Talefing in some versions of the series), a weapon that drains the blood of whoever it injures, and receives also the memories of that person. Talatsu also learns the fighting techniques of the person it sucks the blood out, as Skurai stated in volume 10. Guided by the Beholders, Skurai arrived in Fayon while it was under attack by Sara Irine and slew all the non-combatant villagers, including Iris's mother. He then traveled to the Assassin's Guild and nearly killed every assassin there, then framed Chaos for the entire event. He seeks the blood of Chaos, as he believes it can fully quench the thirst of Talatsu and free Skurai's soul from its bondage to the demon. Skurai's dark past hides a terrible tragedy: he was once an honorable knight and the selling of his soul to Talatsu was to allow him the power to save his lover, the princess Titania, who was killed however by another demon that was disguised as a prince.
• Himmelmez: Another of the twelve Valkyries, Himmelmez is a powerful necromancer and her necromancy has surpassed lich levels. Her undead forces encountered Chaos and his band while searching for the magical crystal known as the Heart of Ymir. She has vast hordes of undead beasts at her disposal, and her cloak of darkness can transform into many different weapons, including axe-blades, drills, and even a giant cannon. Her main weapon is called the "Wand of Hela", which controls zombies and it also transforms into the "Goth Rapier", which imparts lethal poison. No antidote in the world can dispel the poison from her Goth Rapier and only the "Ring of Ymir" can purge its poison, which she possesses.
• Bijou the Witch: A powerful witch with a deformed hand. She commonly uses glacial spells against her opponents. She was killed by Sara. Upon her death it appears that she and Himmelmez have been friends for a long time. She may have begun altering her body to better help her friend.
• Zenobia Sadi Freile: One of the twelve valkyries of Freya. She is a powerful sorceress of elven descent. Little is known about her abilities.

Other characters

• The Beholders: Huginn and Muninn, two mysterious individuals who are able to transform into crows. They are the eyes of Odin, Allfather of the Gods, and are acting to influence events in Midgard. They are the ones who directed Skurai to attack first the village of Fayon, and then the Assassins Guild. They also acted to save both Skurai and Sara Irine from the dragon Nidhogg that Chaos summoned during the battle (by accident, but mostly sure, due to his flashbacks). Their true motives are a mystery. However, Muninn seems to have a more sadistic side than the silent Huginn, who displays occasional compassion, such as when he kills a monster about to devour a child.
• The Asgard Rangers: A wild band of strangely dressed women who consider themselves to be the champions of truth and justice. However, they seem to simply attack targets at random, then declare their victims to be 'unrighteous,' justifying their own extreme actions. Their wild poses and wacky antics serve to hide their considerable fighting skills. They seem to be a parody of sentai groups like Sailor Moon and Power Rangers.
• Lord and Lady Irine: The father and mother of Iris. They both die at the hands of Skurai and Sara Irine. Lady Irine seems to be the brains behind the operation but the Lord is not dumb, just easily blinded by love of his daughter. Lord Irine is also father to Sara, by another mother, who he later kills for unrevealed reasons. Lord Irine's dying request is for Iris not to hate her sister. Lady Irine is implied to have been killed by Skurai in an attempt to protect the children (Nuri and Seri).
• Matthew and the Guards: The accomplished guards of Fayon are led by the massive, if not lovable, Matthew. His hair resembles a rooster's crest, leading Chaos to call him 'chicken head'. He has a blatant infatuation with Iris but never lets it get in the way of duty. The main weapon of the guards is a wall of lethal cannons. These valiant souls go down defending their home. Matthew is made into a zombie by Himmelmez in order to make a foe Chaos would not willingly fight.
• Ses (Sessy) the Cat o' Two Tails: This cat can talk, though Lidia would prefer it couldn't. He (A 'She' in the English release) seems to be more reasonable and rational then her owner. According to the Official Player's Handbook found at the start of each volume after the first, she provides a 50% bonus on Pickpocketing Saves. While this is relatively illogical both in wording and use, Ses does seem to do all the work in most of Lidia's criminal escapades.
• The Assassins Guild: This group of Arabic inspired warriors are dedicated to preserving the balance of power within the entire continent. This means favoring good OR evil as the balance shifts. The policy doesn't exactly make them friends with anyone. Most are slaughtered by Skurai. Taulin and a small band of others survive because they accompany Loki to battle Surt's minions. The survivors are eventually stationed at the Guild headquarters to rebuild and recover the heavy losses taken.
• General Karl Johann Spiegal: Commander of the forces of Volsug, he is a competent and good natured man. He is forced to imprison Chaos and his companions but assures them that he trusts them and would support them as a witness. When the forces of Himmelmez attack the city, he takes Fenris and Iris to the fragment of the Heart of Ymir. He becomes critically wounded but is stabilized in time.
• The White and Black Mages: These taciturn characters constantly show up in the background of any major crowd. They are mimics of their namesakes from the Final Fantasy RPG series. They appear to be a tribute to that popular series.
• Angelina Kidman: This spunky young woman is the announcer for the Geffen magic tourney and the prime secretary (As said in the original release) of the Witch Guild. She has a lecherous co-host, Frontain Rod, who is more concerned with the breasts of female competitors.
• Frontain Rod Kimacue: He is the co-host announcer of the Geffen magic tourney, by Angelina's side, and the account manager of the Gravity Research Union (As said in the original release). He is a rather perverted person, who keeps peeking on women's breasts with his binoculars. Although he seems to be only an old perverted man, he has a lot of knowledge about magic and fighting techniques. He recognizes every single move that Fenris uses and is being curious about who Fenris really is. Just like he stated in the original release; "I have no idea, that how I should be reacting to Fenris's techniques. She's a complete mystery, and I'd really like to know who she really is and where does she come from".
• Gustav Kube the Magician: A novice magician who explains the city of Geffen to our heroes. His character model would later be used as the basis for Mage in Ragnarok Online.

Additional information

This series is supposed to go on for 40+ books, but Lee Myoung-Jin has put it aside to work on artwork for Ragnarok Online instead.

See also

• Ragnarok Online, an MMORPG
• Ragnarok Online 2 a sequel MMORPG
• Gravity Corp.
• Ragnarok the Animation, an Anime

External links

• Ragnarok (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia