Ezylryb

**Ezylryb**, formerly known as **Lyze of Kiel** is a supporting character in Kathryn Lasky's *Guardians of Ga'Hoole* and one of the three tritagonists of the 2010 computer animated film, *Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole*.

During his younger days, Ezylryb as Lyze of Kiel led a group of Guardians against Surtr, the leader of the Pure Ones but Lyze had tore of a large part of Surtr's beak. Coming out victoriously but losing a talon, Lyze took on the name Ezylryb and became the ryb (teacher of both the weather interpretation and colliering chaws. He became a mentor to a young Barn Owl, Soren.

At the end of the battle, Ezylryb led the band into the storm.

## Background

Ezylryb was once known as the fierce warrior, Lyze of Kiel, and leads the Guardians through the Battle of the Ice Claws, a very terrible battle, between the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and the Pure Ones.

During the battle, Lyze fought the leader of their opposing side, Metalbeak. During the Battle, Lyze tore off half of Metalbeak's beak but lost a claw at the same name. After this battle, Lyze changed his name to Ezylryb and conceived a book that fell into legend. The battle was a distant memory for Ezylryb and tried forgetting about it, but still retained his desire to fight a battle.

### Personality

Back as a young owl, Ezylryb was known as Lyze of Kiel who bravely fought during the Battle of the Ice Claws. However, it was known for a fact that Lyze did not go into battle for fame or for glory, but merely did it for a right reason. However, he took out the leader of the owls and bravely led other owls into battle.

Most people believed him to be strange, such as when Soren and Gylfie first meet him, especially Otulissa. Also, some Owls doubted his teaching skills. Soren, for that matter, points out that what Ezylryb had taught him of Trusting his gizzard that his wings could have been ripped off. Ezylryb has also been worried for the well-being of others, showing this kind of emotion to younger owls, such as Soren and his friends, by telling Soren, Gylfie and Digger to stay to guard the other owlets who had been moon-blinked. The prime reason for this is because Ezylryb came to see Soren as a son.

It is known for a fact that Ezylryb also has a very sarcastic and dry sense of humor. He sarcastically remarks that Soren wouldn't last a whole minute in the battle and when he confronted Metal Beak one last time, Ezylryb had a dry sense of humor, claiming what he did to Metal Beak was an improvement.

After the death of his enemy, Ezylryb becomes more light-hearted, as to when he playfully makes the children laugh.

### Appearance

Ezylryb is an old Screech owl with both white and brown feathers. It is often noted by most people that he sheds his feathers from time to time. Ezylryb as Lyze of Kiel lost two of his talons. According to Otulissa, he could use a good bath every now and again, but that was her being rude. He's also got a scarred eye in the struggle.

### Abilities

* **Combats:** As Lyze of Kiel, Ezylryb used to fight like a pro. He was able to fight Metal Beak and also take off his upper beak. However, age seems to catch up with him, as he is unable to fight Metal Beak. He was overpowered by Metal Beak and Nyra before being saved by Soren. However, Ezylryb was able to throw Nyra off of him during the final battle.
* **Meteorologist:** Being the ryb (teacher) of weather, Ezylryb is able to keep track of the weather. He also had predicted when another storm was coming before he and his friends go to fly in the storm.
* **Flight:** Ezylryb is an expert in flying, mostly trusting his gizzard over his head, as he advises Soren on how to fly when they are flying through a monsoon.
* **Mentoring skills:** Ezylryb knows how to teach other owls. However, Ezylryb's methods aren't always the best forms of teaching, as his teachings were ridiculed by Twilight, Digger, Gylfie, and especially Otulissa. Soren had learned a great deal from Ezylryb, such as letting his own natural instincts take over flying and also learning the true nature of battle.

## Books

Ezylryb was known as Lyze of Kiel who had a brother named Ifghar. They were brothers in arms and very close, even Ezylryb giving his brother his battle claws. However, they were in love with the same woman, Lil, who chose Lyze. Similar to Soren and Kludd, Ifghar got jealous of Ezylryb. During the war of the Ice Claws, Ezylryb and Lil had a child together, but thought they lost it during the war.

Later, Ezylryb became a peace lover after his mate was killed on accident and became a ryb at Ga'Hoole Tree and taking along his friend, Octavia, with him.

He became a mentor to the Barn Owl, Soren and was resourceful in some of their missions.He appeared in *The Journey*, *The Rescue*, *The Siege*, *The Shattering*, *The Burning*, *The First Collier*, and *The Rise of a Legend*.

## *Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole*

Decades later, a band of four owls and a snake came to the Great Tree of the Guardians saved by King Boron and Queen Barran and later a barn and elf owlets, came before them. Soren and Gylfie explained their plight and how the Pure Ones had kidnapped them and other owls.
During the Battle of the Beaks, Ezylryb managed to subdue many Pure Ones, but was shocked to see Allomere had betrayed them even yelling out the traitor's name He and the other Guardians were incapacitated by the flecks, causing Ezylryb and the other guardians' great pain from being affected by their gizzard. However, because of the skills he taught Soren, the young Barn Owl trusted his gizzard as Ezylryb taught him. and used the fire to ruin the Flecks, watching him complete the task. After the flecks were destroyed, Ezylryb comforted Soren and praised him for what he did, but claimed they were not finished yet.

Ezylryb joined the assault on the Pure Ones. Going to confront his old enemy, Ezylryb told Soren to guard the moon-blinked owlets. Into the battle. Throwing Metalbeak off his perch, the two old enemies circled each other. Metalbeak sarcastically called Ezylryb legendary and proclaimed he would have his vengeance for what Ezylryb had done to him all those years ago, but the old owl said it was an improvement before the two of them engaged in battle. However, during the fight, Ezylryb was attacked by Surtr's mate, Nyra.

At the mercy of the two owls, Ezylryb told Metalbeak to be done with it, ready to embrace death. However, Soren rescued Ezylryb a second time at the last-minute attacking Metalbeak, who recognized the student-mentor relationship between the two. Unable to assist Soren, Ezylryb struggled against Nyra, but she kept a firm grasp on him. She was distracted when Soren slashed Metalbeak with the burning branch. With Nyra distracted, Ezylryb managed to throw her off and watched as Soren killed Metalbeak in Self-defense, but immediately ' looked away as his old enemy collapsed dead.

Ezylryb told Soren what he did was right. He smiled to Soren, and told the young Barn Owl that it seemed they would have to add to the chronicles.

Ezylryb attended the guardian initiation ceremony, the band, bowing down to them because of their bravery. He came across Soren telling other children the story and insisted they flew off to another storm.

## Relationships

### Soren

Ezylryb regarded highly of Soren during their first meetings despite them hardly knowing each other, as he was the only one who believed Soren's (and Gylfie's) claims of the Pure Ones were enslaving Non-*Tyto* owls and defended both Soren and Gylfie and said he would gladly fight for the boy's cause. Over time, Ezylryb came to see Soren as a son, but he never told Soren of his former identity because it didn't seem to matter at all. Ezylryb in turn became a father figure and a mentor for Soren, teaching him how to fly with his gizzard and the true meaning of battle.

However, he never told Soren who he was in the past life, because he didn't believe it was important on who he is called. Ezylryb was fond of Soren by the time of the final Battle of the Pure Ones. Soren saved him at least twice: the first time, freeing Ezylryb and the other guardians from the Devil's triangle and a second time when Metalbeak had Ezylryb at his mercy.

Soren and Eglantine used to worship him as their hero when they were children, but saw him as both a friend and father figure.

### Metalbeak

Surtr and Ezylryb have been enemies since before the Battle of the Ice Claws as Metal Beak was the leader of the Pure Ones and Ezylryb was the leader of the Guardians of the tree. Ezylryb was one of the reasons why Surtr became "Metal Beak", as he was responsible for Metal Beak 's deformed face and missing beak. When they are engaging in a duel, Ezylryb mocked Metal Beak, saying his beak being removed "was an improvement."

At the owl's mercy, Ezylryb was just ready for him to finish it, but he was saved at the last minute by Soren. Ezylryb was fazed by Metalbeak's death, and looked away as he died.

The two of them serve foils as each other. While Metal Beak wears a mask to cover his scars and cares very little for others, Ezylryb is not ashamed of his scars and is more opened of his appearance and cares for the well-being of others. Also, they both changed their names to fit the person they were.

### Lil

Lil was Ezylryb's mate in the books. However, she was killed in the War of the Ice Claws, and he swore off fighting forever. They were eventually reunited when Ezylryb died and entered Glauxmora.

## Trivia

* Ezylryb actually never stopped fighting in the film, unlike his book counterpart, where he became a pacifist. However, he doesn't enjoy fighting and actually calls one of his battles a "distant memory" ]at one point.
* The first part of his name, "Ezyl" is an anagram of his birth name, spelled backwards. Then, he just added "Ryb" at the end of his name, thus making it Ezylryb.
* His birth name "Lyze" possibly means "bright."
* Ezylryb is voiced by Geoffrey Rush, famous for portraying Hector Barbossa in the *Pirates of the Caribbean* film series.
* Ezylryb is similar to characters Obi Wan Kenobi (*Star Wars*), Gandalf (*The Hobbit)* and Merlin (*Arthurian Legend*),
	+ Are all mentors to the protagonist, becoming the hero's paternal figure (Soren, Luke Skywalker/Anakin Skywalker; Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and King Arthur)
	+ They have a former colleague who turns against them (Surtr for Ezyrlyb; Anakin for Kenobi, Saruman for Gandalf and the Lady of the Lake for Merlin)
		- However it is unknown if Ezylryb and Surtr were friends before the battle but it is highly unlikely
	+ Have lost someone.
* Ezylryb lost a talon and also, his eye has a scar over it due to Surtr slashing it during the war.