Gilbert Bougainvillea
Gilbert Bougainvillea
| Japanese | Rōmaji | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| カトレア・ボードレール | Katorea Bōdorēru | ||||
| Information | |||||
| Alias | |||||
| Age | 29 | ||||
| Gender | Male | ||||
| Hair Color | Black (Light Novel)
Dark blue (Anime) |
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| Eye Color | Emerald Green | ||||
| Height | 6’1″ (185 cm) | ||||
| Blood Type | O | ||||
| Residence | Ecarte | ||||
| Personal Status | |||||
| Status | Alive | ||||
| Relatives |
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| Occupation |
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| Affiliations | Leidenschaftlich Army |
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| Voice Actors | |||||
| Japanese | Daisuke Namikawa | ||||
| English | Tony Azzolino | ||||
| Debut | |||||
| Light Novel | |||||
| Anime | Episode 1 | ||||
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“Live… and be free. From the bottom of my heart, I love you.“ |
Appearance
Cattleya’s design in the anime.
Gilbert Bougainvillea is a tall man with a slender waist and broad shoulders, featuring the distinct emerald-green eyes and dark blue hair that are characteristic of the Bougainvillea family. His hair is styled short and slicked back, with a few strands falling loosely to frame his face. Gilbert bears a noticeable scar on his left cheek and another just above his left eye. His appearance closely resembles that of his late father, both considered handsome but with a somewhat “stodgy” expression.
Gilbert’s military uniform is composed of a purplish-black ensemble, complemented by burgundy linen shoulder pads. He also wears a decorative, accordion-pleated cloth that glistens around his hips and is buttoned up to his neck, contributing to his formal and authoritative presence.
Following the war, Gilbert acquires a maneuverable prosthetic arm made of metal. Additionally, due to losing vision in his right eye, he begins wearing a black eye patch, further marking the physical tolls of his combat experiences.
Personality
Gilbert Bougainvillea is a reserved, stoic, and stern man who is often described as someone incapable of receiving or giving love. As a soldier, he was conditioned to suppress his emotions and desires, believing that he was not permitted to express his true feelings. This emotional restraint has led to a deep internal conflict, as Gilbert often feels he lacks the right or worthiness to voice his thoughts. When he holds back, his mind becomes burdened with guilt, regret, frustration, and sorrow, causing inner turmoil. Despite this, Gilbert occasionally finds relief when he is able to express his genuine emotions, particularly when conveying his feelings of care toward Violet Evergarden, which gives him a sense of emotional release and forgiveness.
Gifted with a natural aptitude for the military, Gilbert felt no anxiety as he advanced in rank, believing that his destiny as a soldier had been divinely ordained. However, he often struggled with a lack of personal direction or desires outside his expected role as a member of the noble Bougainvillea military family. This led to feelings of envy toward his friends, who freely pursued their dreams. Gilbert’s list of likes is notably short, with his affections centered on his best friend Hodgins, his complicated family, and Violet Evergarden. In contrast, he harbors many dislikes, including his own lifestyle and the world he serves to protect, despite his sense of duty.
According to Hodgins, Gilbert, though raised as a privileged noble, possesses a calm and warm demeanor. However, he can also be blunt and distant, especially when dealing with obvious or repetitive questions. Though generally acquiescent, he is firm in his convictions and possesses a strong sense of right and wrong. Unlike his brother, Dietfried, Gilbert is empathetic and compassionate, placing the well-being of those he cares about above his own. His kindness and deep moral integrity are exemplified by the care he showed Violet, offering her the warmth and humanity that his brother denied her by turning her into a weapon.
History
Gilbert and his elder brother Dietfried during their childhood.
Early Life
Gilbert Bougainvillea was born into the prestigious Bougainvillea family, which was revered as national heroes. From an early age, both Gilbert and his older brother, Dietfried, were subjected to rigorous military training by their father, as it was a family tradition for men to serve in the army. While Dietfried later left the army to join the Navy, Gilbert remained on the path of a soldier, eventually becoming the 26th head of the Bougainvillea family.
Service in the Army
Gilbert enlisted in the Leidenschaftlich Army and was quickly integrated into its combat unit. He was sent to the battlefield at the age of seventeen and fought for nearly eight years, returning to his homeland only a few times each year. Four years before the main events of the series, his brother Dietfried discovered a young and abandoned Violet Evergarden on the battlefield. Upon Gilbert’s promotion to major, Dietfried “gifted” Violet to him, unwilling to take responsibility for her himself. Seeing the cruelty with which Dietfried treated Violet, Gilbert embraced her, shielding her from further harm. He later enlisted Violet into the military unit under his command and received permission to conduct experiments to assess her potential as a military “weapon.”
Although Gilbert was ordered to treat Violet as a tool, devoid of compassion, he refused to follow these instructions. Instead, he showed her kindness, teaching her how to speak and giving her the name “Violet,” hoping that she would grow into someone as beautiful as the flower. Gilbert had wished to place Violet in the care of a family, but he feared that without his supervision, she might inadvertently harm others. His desire was for her to grow as an individual, beyond the role of a mere weapon. Throughout their time together, they fought side by side—Violet, the “weapon,” and Gilbert, her “commander.”
Gilbert’s final words to Violet: “I love you.”
Operation Regain Intense
During the war, Gilbert’s unit was tasked with launching a pivotal attack on the enemy’s headquarters, which could potentially bring an end to the conflict. Although the mission succeeded in capturing the headquarters and signaling the main force, Gilbert’s unit sustained heavy casualties. Mortally wounded, Gilbert urged Violet to leave him behind to ensure her survival. Despite having lost her arms, Violet refused to abandon him. It was only after his repeated pleas that she relented. In his final moments, Gilbert expressed his wish for Violet to live freely, not as a tool but as a human being, and to find her own happiness. Before losing consciousness, he confessed his deep love for her.
Gilbert’s condition after the final battle.
After the War
Though presumed dead, Gilbert miraculously survived and later woke in a monastery hospital, having lost both his right eye and an arm. He spent some time recovering and assisting at the monastery, where he witnessed firsthand the devastating aftermath of the war. Rather than returning home or reporting back to the Leidenschaftlich military, Gilbert chose to roam for several years, grappling with his role in the war. He eventually made his way to Ekarte, an island formerly occupied by Gardarik, where he settled and began working as a school teacher.
Story
Although Gilbert miraculously survived the war, he lost both his right eye and an arm. Understanding that Violet’s deep attachment to him might lead her back to the role of blindly following his orders as a tool of war, Gilbert made the difficult decision to distance himself from her. He entrusted his close friend, Hodgins, with the responsibility of caring for Violet and instructed him to tell her that he had died. However, Hodgins struggled to break the news to Violet right away due to the emotional weight of the situation.
After parting from Violet, Gilbert continued to serve in the army in secret and eventually received a promotion to the rank of colonel. His decision to keep his survival a secret was driven by his desire to allow Violet the freedom to grow beyond the person she had been under his command.
Relationships
Gilbert and Violet pinky promise.
Violet Evergarden
Gilbert first met Violet when she was “gifted” to him by his brother Dietfried, a moment that marked the beginning of their intertwined destinies. Despite being ordered to treat her as a tool of war, Gilbert showed Violet kindness and compassion, teaching her how to speak, write, and understand emotions. Over the four years they spent together, they formed a close bond, with Gilbert acting as a mentor and protector. Although initially fearful of her ability to kill, Gilbert resolved to raise Violet himself, hoping she would grow into a person worthy of the name he had given her.
As their relationship deepened, Gilbert’s feelings for Violet evolved into a paternal love. He found joy in her calling him “Major” and developed an unwavering sense of responsibility toward her. While he was forced to place her on the frontlines due to her combat prowess, Gilbert’s true desire was for Violet to find her own path and live as a person, not a weapon. His devotion to her was evident during the war, when, in a near-death state, he confessed his love for her and implored her to live freely, without being tied to him or the military. He realized that his purpose in life had become teaching Violet what love truly was.
Gilbert’s love for Violet was the first true affection she experienced, shaping her understanding of emotions and giving her the strength to move forward. His words, “I love you,” became the foundation of her journey toward self-discovery. Gilbert, burdened by guilt for having treated her as a tool, even contemplated suicide on several occasions, including when he asked Hodgins to kill him if Violet had died in the war. After their reunion, Gilbert remains deeply in love with Violet, though he is willing to wait until she fully understands the meaning of love and can reciprocate his feelings. He hopes that when that time comes, Violet will accept his love.
Gilbert And Hodgins.
Claudia Hodgins
Gilbert and Hodgins have been close friends since their time at the officer academy while serving in the Leidenschaftlich army. Though Gilbert respected Hodgins as a superior, he often acted coldly toward him, while Hodgins maintained a more energetic and teasing demeanor. Despite this, their friendship was strong, and Gilbert deeply cherished Hodgins as his best friend. Although Gilbert felt envious of Hodgins’ dreams, as he himself lacked direction, he regarded Hodgins as one of the few people he truly liked and trusted. Their bond was so strong that Gilbert entrusted Hodgins with the care of Violet after the war, a testament to his deep trust and affection for his friend.
Gilbert and Dietfried during their childhood.
Dietfried Bougainvillea
Dietfried is Gilbert’s older brother, and although they appear to be very different, the two share a deep connection. Both men are pragmatic and tend to approach situations with calculated precision. However, Gilbert’s inability to express love contrasts sharply with Dietfried, who possesses the emotional qualities Gilbert lacks, making Gilbert envious of him in many ways. Despite their differences, Dietfried cares deeply for his younger brother and has expressed his love for Gilbert on several occasions. While Gilbert harbors mixed feelings toward Dietfried due to the way he treated Violet, their brotherly bond remains strong.
Gilbert and his Father.
Mr. Bougainvillea
Gilbert’s father was extremely strict in raising his sons, demanding rigorous training and discipline. He imposed high standards on both Gilbert and Dietfried, requiring them to excel in fencing and homeschooling, as they were expected to uphold the Bougainvillea family’s military legacy. This rigid upbringing instilled a sense of duty in Gilbert, though it also contributed to his emotionally restrained nature.