| Charuka | |
| charuka.jpg | |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Dorok Principalities, Miralupa |
Charuka [1] is a priest and the commander of the Dorok forces besieging Sapata. A capable military and civil leader, he is fiercely loyal to the Dorok people and Miralupa, but his morality and open-mindedness ultimately lead him to ally with Nausicaa against his own Emperor.
When Kushana leads a sally attack to destroy the Dorok siege guns during the Siege, Charuka fights well but fails to defend the guns, and the siege is broken. Accepting responsibility, he is demoted by Miralupa but continues to try his best to aid the Dorok war effort, though he opposes the use of bioweapons and weapons of mass destruction such as the fungus and the daikaisho.
After realizing Nausicaa's truly good nature, he attempts to aid her in defiance of the Dorok leadership. Sentenced to death along with the rest of the Council of Monks by the Dorok Emperor, he escapes his fate and survives, becoming an ally of Nausicaa and a leader of the Dorok people in the aftermath of the main events of the series.
Biography[]
Though a member of the Council of Monks, Charuka was an exception; while most were promoted for political or nepotistic reasons from scholarly or priestly positions, Charuka, an illiterate warrior-monk, earned his promotion by merit and outstanding service in warfare.
During the Battle of Sapata, Charuka spots Nausicaä as she arrives with Kushana in the Torumekian Armored Corvette [2]. He recognizes her as the Blue Clad One foretold in the Dorok Prophesy and is determined to capture her and bring her before his superior Miralupa.
During Nausicaä's Ride, he rallies the Doroks to destroy Kushana's cavalry and personally leads them to capture Nausicaä. He is confused, however, when they briefly capture her and she seems gentle and kind, in contrast to the evil witch he was expecting[3]. He is demoted after failing to stop the destruction of the Dorok Siege Guns and allowing Nausicaä to escape.
After the battle Miralupa orders the miasma to be used as a weapon against the Torumekians. Charuka disagrees with the decision, but grimly accepts the reality, reminding the pleading elder of Sapata that none may question Miralupa's decisions. He tries his best to convince Miralupa to abandon the plan, but fails. During the release of the miasma, his ship is consumed by the fungus, but he is rescued by Nausicaä and Chikuku.
Afterwards, he does his best to help the Dorok refugees, aiding a member of an oppressed tribe being bullied and saving an orphaned baby among several other acts of responsible leadership. When the Holy Emperor orders the deaths of the entire Council of Monks, Charuka is set for execution along with the rest, which he faces bravely. The Holy Emperor tells Kushana that, of all the Council of Monks, Charuka was the only one whom he regretted sentencing to death, but despite his respect for Charuka, the Emperor does not make an exception for him, perhaps believing that it would make him appear weak or lenient.
Regardless, Charuka escapes his fate and supports Nausicaa in her endeavors, continuing his attempts to help the Dorok people find a better future.
References[]
a See Page Conversions Between Editions to convert Deluxe Edition volume 1 (DE1) to other editions