Lance

Lance is one of the secondary protagonists in the 07-Ghost manga and anime series. He serves as a bishop of the Barsburg Church, located in District 7, and his job is to protect the citizens by removing Kor and to also oversee the Bishop's Apprentice Exam. He is easily recognised by his dramatic, flamboyant nature and the large, blonde curl or ringlet in his hair.

After Lance's physical death when he was a child, he acted as the vessel of one of the Seven Ghosts, Relikt. Relikt is the Ghost that can see into one's past, and he used this ability to discover the Pope's crimes during the Raggs War.

In manga chapter 78, Lance was devoured by Verloren's reincarnation. However, in manga chapter 99, he escaped from Verloren and revived, though he became an ordinary human and no longer had Ghost powers.

Etymology
A lance is a type of spear. Lance's name could be an allusion to the shape of Relikt's Ghost symbol. Alternatively, Lance is a derivative of Lancelot, the name of one of the characters in Arthurian legend.

Physical appearance
Like the three main bishops, he appears to be a twentysomething. Considering his age when he died and turned into a Ghost, he is very likely around the same age as Frau or perhaps even younger. Though Lance's official height and weight are unknown, his height and build are shown to be similar to Bishop Castor's, roughly putting him at a height of 180 cm. Like Castor, he has a willowy frame.

Lance has a very angular, diamond-shaped face with wide cheeks and a pointy chin. He has a long, thin, slightly up-turned nose, a small mouth with full lips and narrowed eyes; in the anime his eyes are yellow-orange-brown and appear quite reptilian from a distance, but in the manga they are blue-green, which resembles Shuri's eye colour.

Lance has a pale skin tone with a rosy tint to it. His hair is a very light blonde in colour with a short back and long fringe. His fringe reaches his collar-bone, curls around like a ringlet, is held in place with a blue headband, and he wears it swept up over the right side of his face, often obscuring his right eye.

Lance wears earrings like Shuri and Wakaba, but lacks the long bottom eyelashes typical of many Oaks.

When in chibi form, his eyes tend to be either blank or very small, drawn as dots.

As Relikt
Being one of the Seven Ghosts, Lance appears as a skeleton when in his true form.

Personality
Lance is very flamboyant in nature, and often behaves in a dramatic way. Fond of expressing his emotions through dance, Lance speaks loudly, and makes exaggerated arm movements as he talks. However, he is more serious, focused and purposeful when performing his duties as a Ghost. He has a great respect for manners, and becomes offended whenever anyone uses foul language. According to Castor, Lance is honest.

Castor, who was a contender to be the next Assistant Archbishop after Bastien's death, recommended Lance for the position, because according to Castor, Lance was a person of prestige and would like the assignment better (something which Lance openly agreed to).

"That's right! I'm definitely an appropriate candidate! Just leave everything to me! Everyone shall tremble before me in fear!"

- Lance

He is a rather jocular character who enjoys winding up his friends, often calling Castor a nerd or "glasses", and is shown to enjoy battling. Lance occasionally displays a tendency to not think things through.

He reads horoscopes and believes in what is being foretold for him and has an interest in astrology (e.g. manga chapter 78). He has a poor sense of orientation: once attempting to find his way by putting up his cross and letting it fall, and then following the direction it pointed to which had him going through six Districts instead of two.

Lance is a very confident person, and can also be seen as vain. He has a great appreciation of art or beauty: it was he who designed the "successful applicant's chair", and has sharp art sense, as when he was a child, he was the only one who felt that the kokujyuseki statue made by Buran was made from living human beings.

Lance can also be seen as helpful, as in a manga chapter, he helped a child to find something she had lost using his powers as Relikt.

In the anime, the dramatic side of Lance's nature is somewhat less frequently shown.

Superiors
The Pope: Lance appears familiar with the Pope, as prior to his arrival in the Church the Pope had already informed him of Mikhail's theft. Lance was also the Ghost that discovered the Pope's actions during the Raggs War, and confronted him about it.

Bastien: Lance was not seen interacting with Bastien, but he was seen visiting his grave, suggesting that he respected the Assistant Archbishop.

Former Assistant Archbishops: Lance appears to be on good terms with the two old men, as he welcomes them warmly when he first sees them. They appear to share similar interests, as Lance excitedly shows them his lucky headband and they are equally excited to see it.

Castor
Lance and Castor argue often, and don't get along well most of the time due to Lance's easy-going nature causing conflict with the rule-abiding Castor. Lance often insults Castor by calling him a nerd, and Castor once retaliated by punching Lance. During his absence from the Church, Lance forgot Castor's name which suggests he does not think much of Castor. However, Lance remembered to get Castor a present: a doll- suggesting Lance is familiar with Castor's character and wanted to get him something he would appreciate.

Lance and Castor have occasionally been shown to care for each other. When Castor lost one of his eyes and one of his arms after a battle against Ayanami, Lance showed sympathy, saying that Castor's injuries were 'a terrible wound' and that Castor had been through a lot. Also, Castor has suggested having himself devoured so that Ayanami will spit Lance (and Fea Kreuz) out, showing that Castor keeps Lance in his thoughts.

Frau
"Look upon my visage! I will not lose to the likes of you!"

- Lance

Little direct interaction has been shown between Lance and Frau, but Lance considers Frau his biggest rival. Although Frau and Lance argue a lot, Lance still remembered to get Frau a present when he travelled, suggesting he considered Frau a friend. According to an old concept art, Lance and Frau are the same age.

At times, Frau seems to dislike Lance, and once tried to cut off Lance's large side curl with a pair of shears. However, Frau trusted Lance enough to let Lance do his (Frau's) bishop tattoo, a long and complicated process.

Labrador
Labrador is the Bishop Lance interacts with the most and seems the most friendly towards, with Hakuren commenting that they looked like old friends. Lance is always very polite and respectful to Labrador, calling him: 'Lab-shishou' (literally, 'Master/Instructor Lab'), and they share similar interests such as plants and drinking herbal tea.

In the manga, when Lance returned from a trip he went on, he brought back a mountain plant as a present for Labrador, showing that he is familiar with Labrador's character and wanted to give him something he would enjoy.

Ouida
Lance does not interact much with Ouida, but he appears to approve of Ouida's generosity and kindness, as he smiled warmly at Ouida when he saw him donate his Zaiphon to Teito. Lance was also shown thinking that Ouida was a match for his friend, Labrador, whom he has a very high opinion of, and that Ouida is like a mother to Labrador.

Kyle
Kyle became Lance's apprentice after passing the Bishop's Apprentice Exam. From what little has been shown of their relationship, they got along well. Kyle obediently follows Lance's instructions, even when it comes to an extreme situation like jumping from a Ribidzile at 7500 metres and being told to 'wait a bit before opening the parachute'. Kyle's reaction to Lance's death (it is likely that he was informed of it) has yet to be shown.

Hakuren Oak
Lance oversaw the Bishop's Apprentice Exam in which Teito and Hakuren took part. Lance appears to like Hakuren, as he smiles at him and praised his conduct in the exam. When Hakuren noticed Lance's presence in the Hohburg Fortress, he enlisted Lance's help and told him of Teito's situation- indicating that Hakuren trusts Lance.

As both of them are members of the Oak family, they are related by blood, though Hakuren is probably unaware that Lance is also an Oak.

Teito Klein
Lance does not interact with Teito as much as Castor, Frau and Labrador do, but as one of the Seven Ghosts, he carries out his duty to protect Teito and keep Pandora's Box sealed. Lance also oversaw the Bishop's Apprentice Exam in which Teito and Hakuren took part. He (Lance) was annoyed at Teito the first time they met due to Teito accidentally breaking his clergy pass, and was somewhat unfriendly to Teito at first, but after a while, it seems that his annoyance abated.

However, his feelings towards Teito continue to be mixed: he referred to Teito as an 'uncharming brat' after Teito swore, yet was the examiner who officially assigned Teito to be Frau's apprentice after the exam, where he smiled at Teito and wished him luck on his journey. Teito also had mixed feelings towards Lance; he yelled at Lance when the latter refused to rescue some candidates who were in trouble during the exam, but otherwise respected him as a bishop and a Ghost. Despite their mutual mixed feelings, they don't seem to particularly hate or resent each other. When Lance escaped Verloren, Teito was pleasantly surprised to see him alive and well, and Lance made it a point to inform Teito of Kreuz's survival. Lance also did his best to protect Teito from a distance when the boy was brainwashed by Ayanami, and was among the allies who saw Teito off when the boy departed for Seele. Whenever Teito thinks about the people dear to him, Lance is one of the people shown to appear in his mind.

Buran: At first, Lance admired Buran's artistic skill. However, when Lance found out that Buran was actually turning real humans and animals into kokujyuuseki, he lost his respect for Buran, and in his last moments as a human, declared that Buran would be punished by the power of Relikt, something which came true years later.

Mikhail: Of all the present-day Ghosts, Lance has the least interaction with Mikhail. The archangel did not appear particularly interested in his previous incarnation,the unnamed Raggs War Relikt. When infiltrating Hohburg Fortress, Lance's main concern was the Eye of Mikhail. However, he has on occasion not displayed most characters' usual reverence for the Eye, and spoke quite loudly about it in the Church until Castor forcibly silenced him.

Abilities and Attributes
Lance is the Ghost Relikt, and his Ghost power is to be able to see into the past. In the manga he was shown to be able to turn back time on a person, turning them into a child.

Like the other Ghosts, Lance's heart did not beat and his body did not give off heat, granting him higher resistance to low temperatures than ordinary humans. As a Ghost, he would also have recovered more quickly from injuries than an ordinary human.

Zaiphon
Attacking Zaiphon: Lance has an attacking Zaiphon, and he uses his Baculus to channel his attacks at his opponents. He appears to be quite strong as he was shown to fight on par with Katsuragi, who is a member of the Black Hawks.

Tattooing
Lance appears to have some skill at tattooing, as he did the Bishop tattoo on Frau's back.

Physical strength
Lance has quick reflexes. His apprentice, Kyle, once mentioned that the two of them were going to go mountain climbing, indicating that Lance's physical strength was at least average. Lance has also been shown to have physical resilience beyond that of an ordinary human-in a manga chapter, after Teito jumped from a Church window to catch some balloons and landed on Lance's back, Lance stood up only moments later, completely unscathed.

He is graceful, often shown dancing.

Mental
Being a god, Lance was probably able to understand the Language of the Gods.

Early childhood
Lance is a member of the noble Oak Family by birth, and spent at least part of his early childhood in the Oak House. When he was a child, he discovered that Buran, a Warsfeil employed by Wakaba Oak, turned real humans into kokujyuseki, a monopolized black jewel sold by the Oak Family, and to cover his secret, Buran used black magic to turn Lance into a dark jewel statue, resulting in Lance's death.

Before the series start
Lance presumably joined the Church after being reincarnated as Relikt, eventually becoming a bishop.

At some point, he travelled the seven districts as Bishop on duty, initially planning to only visit two, and went missing for three months after getting lost. During this time, he was feared dead. He returned to the Barsburg Church mid-series.

Bishop's Apprentice Exam
Lance first appears paying his respects to Bastien's grave. After a short prayer, Lance checks his daily fortune book which informs him the first item he obtains that morning will bring him luck. Lance discovers the late assistant Archbishop's Clergy Pass and takes it as a sign that he will be the next assistant Archbishop.

However, as he celebrates his luck- Teito Klein lands on him after attempting to catch some balloons, breaking Bastien's pass. Lance, angry at the two boys, attempts to reprimand Teito but is bitten by Burupya.

"I toured the second and third districts... but got a little lost."

- Lance

Frau appears, and upon seeing Lance, his self-professed rival, attacks him with a pair of shears in an attempt to cut off his large curl. Castor, then appears and quickly silences Lance with a kick when Lance almost divulges information about the Eye of Mikhail in the presence of civilians. Labrador welcomes Lance warmly. Lance reveals he had been touring the seven continents looking for souvenirs instead of performing his Bishop duties, which annoys Bishops Frau and Castor. Lance then shows the gifts he got them and Frau, at first excited to receive a present, attempts to burn it once he discovers it is a photo album full of pictures of Lance.

Lance voices his desire to be Bastien's successor, and Castor reveals he had also been a candidate for the position of Assistant Archbishop but had decided to refuse the position as he would not be able to make his sister dolls. During the interview, he instead complimented Lance, which makes Lance very happy as his chances have improved significantly. Now in a good mood, Lance bids the Bishops farewell and leaves to prepare the exam.

Part one of the exam
"Stake your lives and your souls and challenge the ordeals."

- Lance

Lance next appears in the exam hall where he introduces himself to the candidates as chief executive of the Bishop's Apprentice Exam- much to Teito Klein and Hakuren Oak's horror, as Lance is still angry at Teito for beaking his pass. He watches the students pass through the hall of shadows and sees many fail. When the remaining candidates reach the wall, he explains to them what must be done to pass and then disqualifies two candidates for cheating.

He later watches the candidates enter the Kor palace. When Hakuren and Teito exit the tank after defeating 50 Kor and Teito shouts at Lance for not helping a drowning candidate, Lance reminds Teito he is to remain impartial, and deducts marks from Teito for speaking back. He then disqualifies several candidates for exiting the tank before defeating 50 Kor.

"The reason for passing the exam is the question, of course. There are no winners in this exam. What is needed is those who can extend a hand to people."

- Lance

Lance watches the candidates attempt the final challenge where he says 9% of the remaining students will fail, as they must measure themselves against each other. he watches Teito Klein and Hakuren Oak argue, with each boy thinking that the other deserves to pass more than himself. The Former Assistant Archbishops offer to give up, allowing them both to pass, but they go unheard. Lance becomes appalled when the two boys write an obscenity on the door as opposed to their names, and both decide to walk through the door of the defeated. When asked why they chose the door of defeat they say: "there are no losers, just companions to fight alongside- brothers in arms", where Bishop Lance appears and tells them that their selfless solution made them pass.

Part two of the exam
As the remaining candidates pass through to the next exam, Teito Klein asks what the marks engraved in the walls were, much to the annoyance of Hakuren Oak and Kyle. Lance interrupts, and explains the marks are the signs of each of the Ghosts, and that the Ghosts' souls are unable to return to heaven. He then reminds Teito not to destroy the Church, like he did before, explains the rules of the exam to the candidates, and then the Bishops and candidates part ways.

He is with the Former Assistant Archbishops when they notice a commotion outside. Lance informs them the Barsburg Imperial Army is investigating the Barsburg Church in order to find the wielder of the Eye of Mikhail, after yesterdays incident. He continues to watch the examinees in the exam, watching Hakuren Oak, Ouida, and Kyle pass, but sees Teito be stabbed by an Ayanami illusion and declares he failed the exam. He is about to stop Teito's exam, but notices the expression on Teito's face has changed, and is shocked when a vision of Mikhail appears. As Teito faces his fear, the illusion disappears, and Teito passes the exam.

Teito's escape from the Church
"A farewell gift, Teito Klein. You are from now on Bishop Frau's apprentice."

- Lance

Regrouping with the fleeing Teito and Frau, Lance presents Teito with his Clergy Pass, and informs him he is now Frau's apprentice. Lance wishes him luck on his journey, and then allows Teito and Frau escape while he (Lance), Castor and Labrador hold off approaching forces.

Lance later appears before several soldiers that are in the Church where he informs them that the vessel of the Eye of Mikhail has left the building. When they comment that he is armed, Lance uses his Zaiphon and informs them that they should leave.

Leaving with Kyle
Four days after the military's invasion, Lance's desire to travel was not sated by his earlier adventure, and Lance and his new apprentice, Kyle, opted to go mountain climbing, when the other Bishops and their apprentices were leaving to practice Kor extermination.

He decided to go undercover in the First District to gather information about the disappearance of 2 of the seven ghosts. There, he found Ea and looked into his past using his powers.

He found Teito, but was caught by Ayanami from behind and devoured by him. Frau, Labrador and Castor sensed his annihilation.

At the end of the series, he escapes unharmed from Verloren and, alongside the other major protagonists, watches Teito leave for Seele. He then loses his Ghost powers and becomes a human again. Lance is last seen at a picnic with Castor, Labrador, Millea Klein and Teito's newly reincarnated form.

Quotes

 * 'You've made me see that nerds have their uses! I'm so glad that glasses is a nerd!' (to Castor)
 * 'That is my duty, after all.' (once when commenting on his duties as Relikt)
 * 'Where have you been?! We've been trying to contact you for the past ten years!' (to Karu/Ea)

Trivia

 * In Kapitel 21, the book of horoscopes he is reading from is shown to be entitled 'Super-Accurate Manic Fortunes'.
 * When Lance first returned from his travels, his gifts to the Bishops included: A winged snake from District 1; a three-eyed squid from District 2; a plant resembling a dandelion puff from District 3; a doll from District 4; a turnip from District 5; and a sweet roll from District 6.
 * Lance's real first name remains unknown, but it is presumed that his family name was Oak when he was human. Considering that other named male Oaks in the series (Hakuren, Shuri, Wakaba) have Japanese first names, Lance's real first name is probably also of Japanese origin.
 * The statue that Lance was turned into remained in the Oak House for several years, and vanished when Buran died.
 * In a humorous scene exclusive to the manga, Lance asked Teito if he (Teito) was an angel sent to grant him happiness, and remarked that Teito is an 'unusually small one (angel)'.