Dodge Evans

"Dodge Evans"

- reluctantly turning his sword against his own nation to save its future.

About
Dodge Evans is a high-ranking commander of the Leazas Black Corps.

During the events of Rance X, Dodge accompanied the rest of the Black Corps to combat the division of the Monster Army invading from Leazas' southern border. Alongside his associates Jibul Makutomi and Sakanaku Tenka, Dodge 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, Dodge 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, Dodge joins the Leazas Rebel Army formed by Ex in opposition to Rance, the newly-crowned king of Leazas, alongside his colleagues Jibul and Sakanaku. Dodge commands a unit of 1,000 soldiers and assists in attacking Leazas Castle from the city of Oku with the units of Pegasus Fort and Melfeis Promenade. While he can be killed in battle, it is possible to spare his life by avoiding defeating Pegasus, Melfeis and Haurein Province 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. Dodge 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
Dodge is a relatively young man who wears a variation of the standard Leazas soldier's helmet with a bright red curtain protecting the back of his neck. While the helmet obscures the majority of his features, he appears to have a large and somewhat gruesome-looking scar across his face, though only part of it is visible. Dodge's clothing consists of the standard uniform for a soldier of the Black Corps, consisting of light black plate armor bearing the symbol of the Leazas flag on its left pauldron, a white tunic, and brown boots.

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

Due to his limited screentime, the majority of Dodge's personality remains unknown. He appears to be the most hesitant of the three Black Corps commanders who take part in the rebellion against Rance, causing him to trail off when speaking as well as to show fear and uncertainty about the afterlife when killed. Despite this, he still stands by Ex as a leader and believes in the rebellion's cause, resulting in him refusing to back down when confronted by his former allies.

Abilities
While the full extent of Dodge's abilities are a mystery, his grizzled appearance suggests that he is an experienced warrior who has engaged in a large amount of combat in his lifetime. His high position within the army implies that he is a skilled leader, which is further supported by his ability to lead a large army of 1,000 soldiers during the rebellion.

Trivia

 * A Black Corps soldier simply referred to as "Evans" appears in Rance 03 while the Leazas Liberation Army is retaking Leazas castle to inform Rance that their forces had successfully regained control of the castle's eastern tower. Whether this soldier was meant to be Dodge himself, a relative of his, or a completely unrelated character is unknown.