Sakanaku Tenka

"Sakanaku Tenka"

- leading his troops in battle.

About
Sakanaku Tenka is a high-ranking commander in the Leazas Black Corps.

During the events of Rance X, Sakanaku accompanied the rest of the Black Corps to combat the division of the Monster Army invading from Leazas' southern border. Alongside his associates Dodge Evans and Jibul Makutomi, Sakanaku assisted in defending the western flank with a portion of the Leazas Blue Corps led by Lieutenant-General Kinkaid Brambla. Under the orders of General Barres Province, the group made several strategic retreats to gradually lead the Monster Army into the Ander Crimson Plains, where it faced heavy bombardment from the Tulip. While the strategy threw the Monster Army into a state of confusion and dealt a significant blow to its forces, it remained on the offensive due to the Great Monster General Joseph declaring any soldier that attempted to flee would be branded a traitor and executed, forcing the Leazas Army to abandon the area.

If Rance does not assist in liberating Leazas from the Monster Army, Sakanaku commands a division of the Leazas Army to confront the remainder of the monsters' forces in a decisive battle in Mathers Field. Despite being outnumbered by over 50,000 troops, the Leazas Army is able to maintain a stable defense by routinely rotating soldiers to and from the frontlines to prevent them from becoming exhausted. Eventually, Joseph is killed in a joint ambush orchestrated by General Ex Banquet, leaving the Monster Army without a leader and securing a victory for Leazas.

In the non-canonical Kichikuou Rance, Sakanaku joins the Leazas Rebel Army formed by Ex in opposition to Rance, the newly-crowned king of Leazas, alongside his colleagues Dodge and Jibul. Sakanaku commands a unit of 1,000 soldiers and aids in attacking Leazas Castle from the city of Wes with the units of Ex, Jibul, and Haurein Province. While he can be killed in battle, it is possible to spare his life by avoiding defeating Haurein, Pegasus Fort, and Melfeis Promenade in combat until retaking the Rebel Army's base in Oaks, as doing so will make it impossible for his unit to deploy alongside theirs during the rebellion's last stand. Sakanaku will not make any further appearances in the story if spared, suggesting that he either resumed his normal duties within the Black Corps after the rebellion's failure or was expelled from the army due to betraying his country.

Personality and Appearance
Sakanaku is an old man with a short, stocky body, a bald head and a pair of large white eyebrows. Sakunaku's clothing consists of the standard uniform for a soldier of the Leazas Black Corps comprised of light black plate armor, a white tunic, and brown boots.

During his appearance in Rance X, Sakanaku lacks any of the distinguishing features he possesses in Kichikuou Rance and instead shares his portrait with all generic members of the Black Corps.

From what little is known about Sakanaku's character, he appears to be a seasoned veteran commander who has served in the Leazas Army for a long time. He also seems quite spirited in his old age, boldly declaring that he will fight for what he believes in till the end of his life. Above all else, he seems to be a man who cares deeply for his country's future, joining Ex's rebellion in order to oppose Rance's tyrannical reign even if it meant fighting his allies, and begging Ex to save Leazas during his final moments.

Abilities
While the full extent of Sakanaku's abilities are largely unknown, his high position within the Leazas Army suggests that he is a skilled soldier and military leader. This is further supported by his performance in Ex's rebellion, where he was able to command a large force of 1,000 rebel soldiers. Sakanaku also has a small chance of preemptively weakening enemy armies using his strategic knowledge, revealing him to have some skill as a tactician.

In combat, Sakanaku somewhat uniquely utilizes a large broadsword rather than the standard long sword wielded by most other Leazas soldiers. In a notable deviation from his younger counterparts, he does not command his troops from the front, implying that old age has negatively impacted his individual fighting ability.

Trivia

 * A young Black Corps soldier named Nikunaku Tenka appears in Rance 03 as the leader of a group of generic Leazas soldiers subjected to the mind-controlling powers of the Apostle Garnet during the battle of Hoch Gorge. Whether this character is intended to be a relative of Sakanaku or an unrelated character is unknown.