Van is a boy who had to become a man far too soon. His determination is that of someone who tries desperately hard at the expense of something else.

Van Fanel is a young man of about 15 with adorable eyes and black, spiky hair. His bangs hang over his face making him look slightly melencholy, yet gorgeously cute. He can usually be seen in a red shirt and tan pants, which may not have anything to do with his personality, but are really cute at any rate.

When he was young, he didn't have the responsibility of ruling a kingdom, as that rite would go to his brother. Unfortunately his father died while he was young, his brother vanished, and his mother left to find him, never to be seen again. All of a sudden he had a lot of responsibility and no family.

Suddenly he has to become a very different person-one who must protect rather than one who is protected. His carefree days of playing with his brother are replaced with training and duty, so that part of him is stored away in the back of his mind.

He is a very kind person, always willing to help a friend. He always treats Hitomi with respect, even if he says stupid things to her sometimes. He reveals this kindness in his lovely smiles, which are rare but so adorable. Occasionally his actions tell of his kind heart as he does something terribly thoughtful such as caring for Hitomi's wounds after she had been injured.

Van is also a brave, if inexperienced, warrior who never wants to turn his back on an enemy. For many years he was reminded of his brother's "disgrace"--running away from a battle. He is battling with his feelings towards both fighting and his brother as he is fighting a war. This ambivalence and being forced into battle makes him impetuous and sometimes even a bit careless. Although noble, his approach to battle is both naïve and dangerous at times. His drive to win forces him recklessly into battles which a more experienced fighter would know to avoid. Yet he is still a young boy so he must be given credit for his courage. He wishes to protect, or avenge, those he cares for.

He doesn't like war, and he certainly doesn't like killing, but he will defend himself, his people, and those he loves even to the death. I'm sure he craves peace as much as Folken does, but he can't possibly believe that such a lofty goal can be achieved at the expense of so many lives. There has to be another way.

He gets caught up in battle, and he crosses over into something very unVan-like. This is not the true Van but rather a manefestation of war--even good people can become cruel. That is why it is so important for this war to end, so no more lives are ruined. That is why he and Hitomi must bring peace to Gaea without killing people as Dornkirk believed he must.

Even though Van has suffered a great deal, he will still be OK. He put away his battle gear and settled into a live were he could be happy. He has lost a lot, but he has also matured into a person who is no longer at war with himself. Now he can truly live.