Ethel Borgnine

## Relationships

### Allies

Touka Scott, Yuna Yunis, Anri Hazeworth, Marguerite Farom, Diana Filion, Friedrich Norstein (deceased)

## Status

### Occupation

Mercenary (former), Thief (former), Radish Farmer

## Media

### English VA

Caitlin Glass

**Ethel Borgnine** (エセル・ボーグナイン, *Eseru Bōgunain*) is a major supporting character from the *Yuusha ga Shinda!* series. A female criminal with a deep hatred of Farom’s Prime Minister, she cast her lot in with Hell’s Necromancers to destroy the kingdom. Three years prior, Ethel instructed Touka Scott in the art of survival and trap-based warfare, for which he refers to her as “master”.

## Appearance

A shapely woman with short purple hair, Ethel has a noticeably large bust rivaling Yuna’s in size, and carries herself with a cool, confident aura. Her usual outfits consists of a sleeveless striped top that covers her neck and bears her midriff, tight-fitting black shorts, black tights, knee-high boots with heels, and a pair of dark gloves. She wears an ankle-length black coat over her clothing with the front open, long sleeves, and a white fur collar. A curtain of hair covers the left half of her face, concealing her missing eye. Ethel is also missing her left arm, though she replaced it with the Devil King’s own arm after stealing it from Farom’s Necromancers.

Three years after the main story, her outfit is mostly the same with the top now showing her cleavage, and a black and white choker around her neck. Her new jacket is also shorter, only reaching her waist. In the sequel, Ethel returns to wearing her original top and elbow-length gloves along with another long coat. Despite having lost the Devil King’s arm, she wears the left glove to hide her new hand, a specialized magical prosthetic created by Nicola.

## Personality

Having lived the majority of her years as a wanted criminal, Ethel is a tough woman with a cool head and a wealth of experience surviving outside of mainstream society. Originally a kind and supportive person, her life changed after her childhood friends were secretly abducted by Farom’s Prime Minister, setting her on the path of vengeance. Due to knowing the truth, she was framed for crimes she didn’t commit and forced to live as a criminal. As a wanted felon plagued by feelings of loss, it became impossible for her to live an ordinary life, rendering her unable to settle down or form bonds with other people.

These unfortunate circumstances resulted in Ethel spending the majority of her life wandering alone in the wilds, causing her to develop top-notch survival skills while shaping her into a cautious and guarded individual. She remained a loner until the day she met Touka, his persistence causing her to open up for the first time in years. By the time they parted ways, Ethel had begun to wonder what it would be like had she stayed, showing that despite her aloof nature, a part of her longed to have friends and family.

Due to her painful past with Claudia Avelheid, Ethel was often shown to be obsessed with revenge, a deep-seated desire that she ultimately chose over companionship the day she left Touka behind in Elvania. This focus grew stronger after discovering that the Prime Minister was a Necromancer who devoured the souls of her childhood friends, causing the normally cautious Ethel to carelessly attack her nemesis without a proper plan, resulting in the loss of her left arm.

After finally defeating Claudia with help from Touka’s Party, she becomes much more relaxed and friendly. Three years later, Ethel lives in Touka’s house with several of his female admirers while working on the radish farm and has befriended most of their companions and allies from their journey. By the time of the sequel series, she has grown accustomed to the quiet life and openly turns down the opportunity to go on another adventure, instead choosing to laze about in Touka’s absence despite having promised to tend the crops.

## History

Ethel grew up in the slums of the Royal Capital where she was taken in by a local priest along with several others. Being the oldest of the children, she quickly became like a big sister to her fellow orphans, but the one who admired her most was a boy named Rick. One day, the church was visited by Farom Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Claudia Avelheid, a prominent donor who often provided food and clothing for the children, and even helped find families willing to adopt them.

When Rick was finally chosen, he did not want to leave Ethel behind, but she encouraged him to find his own happiness and they promised to write to each other. After a month passed with no response, Ethel questioned Claudia Avelheid as to his whereabouts, but the Prime Minister claimed he must’ve been happy with his new life and simply forgotten. Refusing to believe this, Ethel began asking around before finally breaking into the palace and discovering a room containing all of her friends that had supposedly been adopted. While they were physically present, they had all become unresponsive shells.

Ethel’s intrusion was discovered by Claudia only moments later, who decided to take her as well since she couldn’t be allowed to escape while knowing the truth. The minister forced Rick to attack her, but Ethel managed to escape even after sustaining serious injuries. Now wanted for the false crime of robbing the kingdom’s treasury, she was forced to flee the capital and live on the run. As a criminal, she was unable to have a home or a job, forcing her to travel the world as a bandit.

Three years before the main story, she discovered a boy named Touka Scott caught in one of her traps. After rescuing him from the pit, she bought him something to eat and learned he had been trying to find his way home to Elvania. Touka offered to hire her to help him return home, but she refused, prompting him to request survival lessons instead. Ethel revealed she was a fugitive and attempted to leave, but the boy pleaded with her again, causing her to relent. She agreed to escort him back home while instructing him in survival, but was quick to remind him of her criminal status.

In the few months they traveled together, Ethel taught him all everything he needed to know to make it in the wilds, including how to set dangerous traps. One night, Touka asked her if she ever became lonely wandering by herself, but she dodged the question, claiming nothing good would come to anybody who associated with her. He jokingly suggested she start a gang of like-minded criminals before genuinely admitting he was glad to have met her. As he drifted off to sleep, Ethel admitted to herself that this was the first time she had opened up to anybody in years, quietly wondering what it would be like if she chose to stay by his side even after their journey ended.

Upon reaching Elvania, they discovered the city was under attack by devils. She helped Touka set traps to delay their approach, buying the Legendary Hero the time he needed to rescue the civilians. Ethel then watched Touka’s reunion with his childhood friends from a distance before taking her leave, deciding she did not want to get in the way of his happiness. As she left town, Ethel heard Touka calling out for her in the distance. While she didn’t answer, it made her happy to know that a person existed who needed somebody like her.

Half a year ago, Ethel was present when the hero’s seal broke, allowing the Gates of Hell to open once more. She recognized the names engraved on the gates as those of Necromancers listed alongside “Farom” and “Avelheid”. In that moment, she realized that the rulers of Farom were Necromancers themselves, and her friends’ souls had actually been devoured by Claudia. Furious at this, she attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister, only to lose her left arm in the attempt. Ethel managed to escape again, this time stealing the Devil King’s arm before fleeing.

She swore vengeance once more, eventually tracking down a group of Hell’s Necromancers who were plotting to overthrow the Farom Kingdom. Ethel offered her assistance to Friedrich Norstein’s growing forces for the sake of killing Claudia Avelheid.

## Synopsis

### Crisis in Farom

After receiving instructions to prevent the Hero’s Party from reaching Elvania, Ethel leads a team to intercept them. She sets a number of deadly traps before sending several underlings to attack the target’s carriage, her plot separating two of the strongest fighters from the party while the others accidentally fall into her pit trap, sending them plunging off a cliff and into the ravine below. Ethel pursues them, knowing that it would take a lot more than that to defeat the Legendary Hero.

They all survive the fall and attempt to reach the next town, but she has a mid-ranked devil cloak the area in a magical mist, making it near impossible for them to navigate through it. After Milly Yunis is attacked by the devils hiding in wait, the Hero’s Party regroups inside the carriage while their leader prepares a counter strategy. They emerge and take up a cross formation to maximize defense. Ethel is mildly impressed by the tactic, but concludes the magic fog will be enough to render the plan useless, as it does not impede her allies and allows them to completely hide their presence.

One of her devil subordinates manages to slay four of the targets, prompting the Hero to surrender. Ethel descends from her perch to survey the situations, coming face-to-face with a busty blonde girl, who offers the Sacred Sword in exchange for being allowed to live. Ethel claims she will consider the offer and takes the weapon before deciding it would be better to end the girl’s life. The rest of the Hero’s Party springs back to life and slays Ethel’s team of devils, revealing they had only pretended to die.

The hero orders her to strip and put on knee-socks while begging for forgiveness. A moment later, they recognize Ethel, before stripping naked and groveling in apology to their ”master”. Ethel claims she doesn’t recall teaching anybody like the blonde girl, but the outburst causes Milly to figure out that the person inside her sister’s body is really her childhood friend, Touka. Realizing that everybody has figured out the truth, Touka has the young Necromancer Anri Hazeworth show them the Coffin of the Living with his real body inside, revealing he has taken control of his friend Yuna using Possession Necromancy.

Now knowing that Touka is inside the girl’s body, Ethel reacts with pleasant surprise. She then concludes her old student was the one who killed Sion Breydan, but this revelation upsets Milly, prompting him to explain that the hero fell into a pit trap by accident. Touka questions his teacher’s motivation for siding with the devils, but Ethel remains enigmatic, claiming that she witnessed something at the Gates of Hell that changed her way of thinking. She recommends Touka and Anri see it for themselves before making their choice.

Ethel attempts to leave with the sword, but Touka reveals he booby trapped it with a conduit for a lightning spell. She surrenders and admits to being outsmarted before returning the blade, also telling them about a magic craftsman who can fix their carriage. Claiming that her life is now his to do with as he pleases, Touka forces her to strip and put on knee-socks. Embarrassed by this turn of events, Ethel swears to make him pay when he returns to his own body.

While riding one of her monsters to the next town, she is recognized by Fieri Yunis, who calls her out as the leader of bandits wanted for her crimes by the Farom Kingdom. She identifies him as a former member of the Yonkishi, but dismisses him as a scumbag and is proved horribly right moments later when he voices his intention to grope her breasts. She draws a dagger, but their argument is stopped by Touka.

Upon reaching the magical craftsman’s workshop, the owner claims to be retired before grumpily telling them to leave. Ethel responds by picking the lock, after which she introduces the elderly man as Sion’s grandfather, Ledo Breydan. He agrees to take the job, claiming it will take three days to repair the carriage due to his bad eyesight and advanced age, prompting Princess Marguerite to offer her help.

Touka then asks Milly why she calls herself a Legendary Hero with her father Fieri cautioning against sharing such information in front of Ethel. Intrigued, she offers to compensate them for sharing the story. Fieri asks for an opportunity to grope her, but she refuses, insteading agreeing to provide some intel for their mission. Milly explains she won an artificial Sacred Sword in a fighting competition on the Western Continent, thus making her a hero, though her father admits that the copies cannot seal the Gates of Hell like the true Excalibur. Ethel concludes they were made for defeating the Devil King and his Four Infernal Generals, as they possess strong regenerative abilities that make them nearly immortal to anything but holy power.

She then informs them that the Necromancers they plan to fight have the zombified bodies of the Infernal Generals and an army of devils stationed in Elvania. She impresses upon Touka the futility of his quest, but her student refuses to back down so long as Yuna needs him.

While Touka is dealing with the high-class devil Nefu, the rest of the party comes under attack by the villain’s allies with Ethel fighting them alongside Fieri. They emerge victorious, with Anri, Marguerite, and Milly running off to find Touka.

## Relationships

### Companions

#### Touka Scott

While initially cold towards him during their first meeting, Ethel reluctantly agreed to help Touka return to Elvania. During the months they spent traveling together, she trained him in the art of survival and taught him how to set traps, the latter of which he found particularly intriguing. Her cautious nature also rubbed off on him, which when combined with his newfound proclivity for traps, helped him develop a strategic mind that would serve him well as the new Legendary Hero three years later. Despite having closed herself off from the world, Touka was the first person in over a decade whom she was able to open up to, and she grew quite fond of him during their journey. While sitting alone with him in a cave one night, the boy admitted he was happy to have met her, making the lone criminal ponder what it would be like to stay by his side.

For his part, Touka sees her as a beloved teacher and mentor. Being incredibly thankful for the help she provided him, he still refers to her as “master” to this very day. Upon their first reunion, he expresses concern that his master is working with a group of Necromancers plotting to take over the world while she claims to have changed her way of thinking after witnessing Hell’s Gate, implying the truth she learned there reignited her desire for vengeance. Despite this rocky reunion and her support of the Necromancers, Ethel chose to help Touka defeat Diego Valentine due to her fondness for her student and personal dislike of the violent warmonger.

Touka was arguably the first person she allowed herself to care for after losing everything to Claudia Avelheid. Why she opened up to him is unknown, but Ethel likened Touka’s situation to her own when they first met, as he was alone without family or friends, and his presence also reminded of her best friend Rick.

After Claudia and Larcvalt are defeated, Ethel ultimately chooses to start a new life with the person she cares for the most. She currently lives in Touka’s house along with several of his female admirers. Ethel seems to enjoy watching the dynamic between Touka and his harem and jokingly pokes fun at his dense nature while watching the girls vie for his attention.

#### Yuna Yunis

Ethel originally learned of Yuna from Touka, who longed to return to his childhood friend in Elvania, this being the primary purpose of their journey. While she grew fond of the boy during their travels, seeing Touka reunite with Yuna brought a smile to her face as she watched from a distance. Seeing them together again made Ethel content with leaving him behind, not wanting to get in the way of their happiness.

The two meet several times during the course of Touka’s adventure as the new hero, later becoming allies in the struggle against the Farom Kingdom’s Necromancers. Three years later, Ethel and Yuna live in Touka’s house together and are shown shopping in the capital. She occasionally makes fun of Yuna for failing to get closer to Touka even after years of cohabitation, but the latter shrugs it off, saying she deserves it for rejecting his advances for even longer.

When the group goes on another adventure, Ethel stays behind to tend the farm in their absence, but ditches her responsibilities to go on vacation to Sageland. Yuna becomes angry after finding out and punishes Ethel by forcing her to tag along as fodder for Touka’s naked knee-socks dash.

#### Anri Hazeworth

First meeting her as a member of Touka’s party, Anri developed a strong respect for her after hearing about Touka’s past, and regularly calls her “master” in much the same manner as he does. When Anri temporarily leaves her friends to join up with her brother’s group, the two become better acquainted while working together. During this time, Ethel is mindful of the young Necromancer’s habits of incapacitating her enemies rather than killing them, likening Anri’s new benevolence to Touka. Anri later helps her take revenge on Claudia Avelheid by leading them to the Prime Minister’s lair after transforming the Royal Capital with the Devil King’s Dungeonization Magic, though she does not participate in the battle.

In the sequel, the two are among the people living in Touka’s house together and continue to get along. When Yuna claims that Diana’s sexually perverse behavior is bound to set a bad example for Anri, Ethel shrugs off the notion, claiming the adventure they were on years ago had some worse moments.

#### Diana Filion

Having worked together as members of Friedrich’s group, the two have been acquainted for some time and have a casual and slightly friendly relationship. They share a similar dislike of Diego Valentine, with both seeing him as dead weight and a liability to the group’s plans to take over the world. Diana personally helps her take revenge on Claudia Avelheid, joining the battle alongside Touka and Sion to even the odds against the psychotic villain. Working together, they manage to finally end the Prime Minister’s evil reign.

While living together in Touka’s house, Ethel is shown not to be bothered by the woman’s seductive personality. Diana is later shown to be annoyed after discovering she went on vacation instead of tending the farm while they were out risking their lives on another adventure.

### Allies

#### Friedrich Norstein

As the leader of the Necromancer group, Ethel appears to have some degree of respect for his abilities, enough that she was willing to cast her lot in with them to further her revenge plot on Farom Kingdom’s leaders. While they shared this same motivation, she was not above doing things he blatantly disapproved of, and openly aided Touka in defeating Diego. While he was noticeably bothered by the latter’s death, she assured him they were better off without him. On his side, Friedrich never sought to punish her for her actions, though this may have been due to the fact that Diego was actually attacked by devils after losing the battle.

After Touka’s Party helps her defeat Claudia, she chooses to join her student instead of returning to Friedrich’s resistance. While she admits to owing him a lot, Ethel prioritizes helping the person most important to her.

#### Diego Valentine

While Ethel willingly joined the Necromancers, she harbored a personal dislike of the battle-hungry Diego, seeing him as an unpleasant man and a major liability for their upcoming plans. She ultimately helps Touka and the Hero’s Party defeat him, partially due to her soft spot for the boy, but also because it was beneficial for her. When Friedrich notes the loss of their ally, Ethel is quick to dismiss Diego’s disappearance as not great loss, a sentiment shared with Diana Filion who purposely ensured his painful demise.

Diego eventually returns possessing the body of a low-ranked devil, having somehow managed to cheat death. He greets her by tearing off her clothing, but Ethel is indifferent towards his continued survival, resulting in him threatening to kill her while she pokes fun at his new non-threatening appearance. The two manage to tolerate each other’s presence during the group’s subsequent invasion of Farom Kingdom.

Even after making peace with each other years later, Ethel refuses to spar with Diego, claiming she may give into the temptation to kill him.