Gouldman

Gouldman is the leader of the corrupt Blue Storm Knights and a minor antagonist turned supporting character in the anime Tales of Zestiria: The X.

History (Anime Version)
After learning of the death of his superior, Bishop Gasparo Reno, Gouldman had his men seal off the cathedral’s underground chambers to prevent anyone from finding he bodies that Reno had hidden. Later, after finding out that General Sergei Strelka and Shepherd Sorey were investigating the underground caverns opened near to the cathedral by attacks of the Malevolence, he and his men surrounded the entrance to the cavern and surrounded Sergei and Sorey upon their exit. Gouldman demanded to know what they were doing in the caverns, and when Sergei refused to answer Gouldman said that he could not just let them go. Before the arrest could be made, and explosion surrounded by a dark tornado erupted in the city. The tornadp, itself an expression of The Malevolence, attacked and destroyed city walls and buildings, wreaking havoc. In an effort to escape from Gouldman and his men and fight the Malevolence, one of Sorey’s accompanying seraphim, Edna, caused a mini earthquake, and blasted shards of rock out of the ground, throwing Gouldman’s men away from their posts and knocking over Gouldman, giving them enough time to flee. Refusing to let Sergei escape as well, he pulled out his sword, began to fight the general. It was later discovered by Sorey that the apparent Malevolence attack was in fact the work of the seraph Dezel, who was attacking the cathedral as retribution for the murderous actions of Reno and Gouldman’s men. After Sorey, his seraphim, and Rose were able to convince Dezel to stop, Gouldman found the Shepherd, and demanded an explanation for what had happened. When Sorey suggested that Gouldman might not be able to understand what had happened, Gouldman blamed Sorey’s powers, and told Sorey that he had arrested Sergei for “unauthorised association with the Shepherd”. Gouldman then asked Sorey to join him and work for Rolance, which Sorey quickly realised mean helping him (Gouldman) overthrow Rolance’s royal family and seize control of the country for himself using Sorey’s power. Sorey refused, but politely asked Gouldman to come with him anyway to the city of Pendrago later on. Nonetheless, Edna created a rock wall to stop Gouldman from following him through the archway. Gouldman actually accepted Sorey’s offer and took a carriage with him out of Lastonbell to Pendrago. On the way, Gouldman expressed his belief that the strong should rule over the weak, and expressed that he was keeping Sergei prisoner because his and Sergei’s superiors were at odds with one another. However he also noted that he was too soft, since he (Gouldman) had decided to bring Sergei with them as a prisoner anyway. While the group were camped, Sorey unexpectedly abandoned them with Mikleo and Edna in order to stop Rose from assassinating Price Konan. Days later, Gouldman sent the Blue Storm Knights to capture Sorey as he and the Sparrowfeathers journeyed towards Pendrago, but Sorey was instead stopped by a group of Sergei’ Platinum Knights who asked him to ride through the forest outside of the roads that Gouldman’s men patrolled, in order to escape them. Sergei greeted Sorey at the entrance of the palace of Doran, Emperor of Rolance and father of the now deceased Prince Konan, a place from where Gouldman and his men were prohibited entry. The emperor revealed to Sorey that he was concerned about the effects Malevolence was having upon his kingdom and people, and discussed how his family came to know of Malevolence to Sorey, and told him how it was the sheer hatred of Velvet Crowe towards the first shepherd Artorius Collbrande which started the Age of Calamities, after Artorius had taken the emotions away from all the people of the rest of the world in an attempt to purge it of Malevolence. As they discussed, Gouldman arrived at the palace gate and requested an audience with the emoeror. Before Gouldman could see his majesty, the emperor had decided to go to Pendrago with Sorey in order to see him deal with the Malevolence, as well as to investigate the Church at Pendrago, whom he believed to be hiding something. Guldman accompanied the group to Pendrago Cathedral, where Pope Masedra greeted them, but refused to allow them access to the building. Nonetheless, Dezel blasted the door open, and Sorey and his group purified the dragon that the Pope has secretly been keeping inside, while Gouldman watched in amazement, commenting on the Shepherd’s astonishing power. Gradually redeeming himself as he associated with Sorey, Gouldman joined Sorey and Sergei, as well as Sorey’s companions, in the final battle against The Lord of Calamity, and later even became friends with his former captive Sergei.