| This article is about Ballister Blackheart from The Webcomic/The Graphic Novel. You may be looking for The Movie Character. |
Lord Ballister Blackheart is the villain of the Kingdom, and works against the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics and his former childhood friend/ex secret(ish) boyfriend Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, the kingdom's hero. When Ballister takes on Nimona as his sidekick, his entire world changes.
Appearance[]
In Ballister's youth, he is clean-shaven.[1][2]
Ballister in the present is tall and thin, with short, black hair, and a thin beard. After Ambrosius shoot Ballister's right arm off during their joust, it is replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. He often wears full armor and a red cape. Sometimes he wears a long-sleeved, high collared brown shirt and black pants. He has a scar over/around his right eye.
For most of the story, Ballister's prosthetic arm is gray or pale tan/brown. During the epilogue, it's golden. He also lets his beard grow a little thicker.
Personality[]
As a child, Ballister appears to enjoy reading.[1] He helps fend off those who bully Ambrosius, and even goes so far as to give Ambrosius some of Ballister's toys and food in order to make Ambrosius have a good Christmas.
The joust with Ambrosius makes Ballister cynical and vengeful, and he spends his life seeking the Institution's downfall, and potentially to kill Ambrosius.[2] Nonetheless, he cares deeply for his friends, and will do whatever it takes to help them. He also notes that killing didn't solve anything, is messy and vulgar, and that he doesn't just kill people because they are in his way, particularly when the people in his way aren't the ones he wants revenge against.
Ballister is smart and has a tactical mind, though his plans are often more elaborate than functional. He enjoys learning about science in all its forms, though he also likes spending time with Nimona playing board games, chatting, and being critical of zombie movies.
Life[]
Ballister is raised at the Institution alongside Ambrosius.[1] Ambrosius is often bullied by other children, and Ballister looks after him, and they are friends and dating for some time.[3] Together they become heroes-in-training.[4]At the joust where they duel each other, Ballister knocks Ambrosius off his horse, and Ambrosius shoots Ballister's arm off with a weaponized lance, seemingly in revenge,[4] though Ambrosius initially claims it is an accident.[5] According to Ballister, the Institution has no use for a hero with only one arm, so he becomes a villain.[5] Ballister seemingly promises to kill Ambrosius one day,[2] and they begin their careers as nemeses, where Ambrosius always foils Ballister's plans.
When Nimona appears in Ballister's laboratory, he is suspicious of her, and unwilling to accept her as his new sidekick until she demonstrates that she is a shapeshifter.[6] Together they work on a new plan, though they disagree with the execution, and Ballister tells Nimona his backstory with the Institution and Ambrosius.[7]
Together, the duo break into one of the Institution's laboratories, but are quickly discovered by Ambrosius.[8] Both sides insult each other, and Nimona begins murdering guards before disappearing deeper into the facility. Ambrosius holds Ballister back during a playful swordfight, until the self-destruct sequence is activated, and Ambrosius pulls Ballister out of the facility with him.
Ballister believes Nimona is dead. When he receives a call from "the Director", Ballister asks to know about survivors. He is shocked when the Director shapeshifts into a shark, revealing it is Nimona in disguise. He asks her to return to his fortress. Once there, Ballister lectures Nimona on her actions, explaining, "Killing solves nothing . . . I don't kill people just because they're in my way."[9] They talk some more about their respective roles and plans, and then Nimona tells Ballister her backstory.[10] They then go to Ballister's lab, where Ballister decodes the Institution documents Nimona stole, revealing Institution plans to build containers to store massive amounts of jaderoot, which could pose a threat to the safety of the Kingdom.[11] Ballister and Nimona leak the documents to the press/have Nimona pose as the Anchorwoman on Channel Six News to share the information. Then they watch a zombie film together.
Ballister and Nimona implement phase 2 of their plan: putting a non-fatal toxin onto certain foods, to create a seeming epidemic and encourage the believability of the Institution storing jaderoot.[12] They then rob His Majesty's Royal Treasury. Ballister is alarmed at Nimona's injury fleeing the battle, bandages the wound, and notes that it was his fault for allowing her to be injured. He then lectures Nimona on not taking things seriously enough, and mandates recovery time for her, wherein they play board games. Within four days, the robbery results in a run on the bank, which leads the bank to freeze accounts, leading to more panic.[13] Ballister is surprised that Nimona's injury heals so quickly.
Ambrosius calls to meet with Ballister at The Antlered Snake, where they talk over drinks. Ambrosius insists Ballister has to get rid of Nimona, as the Institution ordered Ambrosius to kill her. When Ballister is skeptical of Ambrosius' abilities, this leads to an old argument about the joust being an "accident" in Ambrosius' mind. When Ambrosius insists that everyone knew that Ballister would go bad, Ballister hits him, and they fight. Ballister wins and leaves, feeling morose.
Nimona suggests they go to the Science Expo to cheer him up.[14] They go in disguise, and Ballister appears to enjoy the time there, and speaks with Dr. Meredith Blitzmeyer about her Anomalous Energy Enhancer. When the device reacts badly with Nimona, attracting the attention of the guards, Ballister and Nimona flee, with Nimona creating a disturbance to help keep the guards away. When Nimona is injured, Ballister runs back for her, and carries her to safety. Back at Ballister's home, Nimona grows furious over losing control of her powers, and Ballister tries to calm her down.
Ballister later checks in on Nimona.[15] They implement the next part of their plan: Nimona infiltrates the Royal Tournament to start a riot in distraction, while Ballister infiltrates the Institution's headquarters and sends out a message to the public to rise up against the Institution. He is captured by Ambrosius and brought to a trap for Nimona. Ballister and Nimona fight Ambrosius and the guards, but Nimona's head is cut off, and Ambrosius knocks Ballister out. Nimona turns into the black dragon, rescues Ballister, and kills all but Ambrosius, before fleeing back to Ballister's home. When Ballister grows alarmed that Nimona killed Ambrosius, Nimona goes out to scout for information.
When Nimona returns with news that some of the infected are dying, Ballister says that he is putting a stop to the plan, and no more people will die.[16] He confronts Nimona about what happened during the last fight, and when Nimona grows defensive, particularly when Ballister notes she lied about her backstory, Ballister reaches for his sword, making her leave.
Ballister seemingly concocts a cure for his toxin, and contacts Dr. Blitzmeyer to talk about shapeshifters. Ballister then goes to His Majesty's Hospital to cure some of the sick, and is captured and knocked out by the Institution. He wakes in a cell guarded by Ambrosius. They talk, and Ambrosius apologizes for the joust, which Ballister appreciates. After Nimona breaks in to try and rescue Ballister and is taken captive, the Director brings Ballister down to use as blackmail to make Nimona cooperate with their tests. Nimona's blood sample transforms into the black dragon and destroys the facility. When Ballister calls out to Nimona, Ambrosius grabs Ballister and drags him away to safety.
Outside the facility, when Ambrosius makes clear his intent to kill Nimona to save the Kingdom, Ballister insists on non-fatal solutions, and that Nimona will kill Ambrosius. He then tells Ambrosius to get people to safety and find the armor the Director gave, while Ballister works on a plan.
Ballister visits Meredith, and confides in her, noting that Nimona is his friend, and, "Someone I love is going to try and kill her. And she's going to kill him."[17] He then asks if he can borrow Meredith's device, which he then gives to Ambrosius to use in the fight against Nimona, and tells Ambrosius not to get killed.
Ballister goes to rescue the child Nimona trapped in the tank at the Institution, and when he learns this part of Nimona is going to dissolve, he resolves to recombine the parts, and takes Nimona with him to the fight between Ambrosius and the black dragon. They arrive in time to see the dragon leaning over Ambrosius' battered and unconscious body, and Ballister yells for the dragon to let Ambrosius go, and begs Nimona to do something. Nimona is hurt and enraged when she learns that Ballister told others about the device's effects, and the dragon attacks Ballister. Ballister used a spare gun to knock the dragon out, apologizes to the dragon, rescues Ambrosius, calls out for Nimona one last time, and flees the building as the purge starts.
Ballister and Ambrosius go to the hospital. Ballister insists on staying by Ambrosius' side, for when he weaks up. When a "doctor" visits and calls Nimona a monster, Ballister tells her not to call Nimona that, as she isn't a monster. Meredith visits, and Ballister bemoans his inability to save Nimona. When the real doctor arrives and reveals the previous doctor was an imposter, Ballister races out of the room, and sees Nimona at a distance. She smiles and waved at him, just before the real doctor tells Ballister that Ambrosius woke up and is asking for him.
Ballister and Meredith form Blitzmeyer Blackheart Labs, and Ballister seems to stay with Ambrosius.[18]
Skills[]
Ballister has strong combat skills with a sword, guns, and in unarmed combat. He is also incredibly intelligent, and enjoys learning and experimenting with different science-y things.
Relationships[]
Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin[]
Ambrosius is Ballister's love interest. They grow up together in the orphanage at the Institution,[3] where they are close friends and secret(ish) boyfriends.[19] After the joust, they become nemeses, with Ambrosius often foiling Ballister's plans against the Institution, and Blackheart seething over Ambrosius' betrayal. The Director uses their relationship and Ambrosius' continued affection for Ballister to make Ambrosius toe the line.[15] In the epilogue, they appear to be close again, and perhaps in a relationship once more.[18]
The Director[]
Ballister and the Director appear to dislike each other. The Director is the personification of the Institution, and everything that screwed with his life.[20] The Director seems to see Ballister as an obstacle in the way of the Institution's plans, and later as a tool to get Nimona to comply with the Institution's plans. The Director also disapproves of Ballister's more than platonic relationship with Ambrosius.[21]
Dr. Meredith Blitzmeyer[]
Ballister and Meredith bond over their love of science at the Science Expo. Ballister reaches out to her twice for help, and a third time when he is at the hospital, since she is one of his only friends. Meredith is routinely supportive, and even forgives him for destroying her life's work. They seemingly ended up partnering in a new business together.[18]
Nimona[]
Ballister is initially impressed by Nimona's shapeshifting, and comes around to her ideas for battle plans, though he finds her methods too dangerous and risky in terms of causing casualties and even deaths. The two grow close, though there is a tension between them over how Nimona hides or lies about her past, and how Nimona fears and awaits the day Ballister turns on her, as others have. Ballister still tries his hardest to save her in the end, though he betrays her by using the Anomalous Energy Enhancer to dampen her powers, causing her to become even more enraged. In the end, he still insists she isn't a monster and he feels bad for killing his friend. The last time they wave to each other is soft and hopeful.
Quotations[]
- "As I said, Nimona, I go by the rules. Not their rules. Mine."[5]
- "Wait! NImona is still in there!"[22]
- "...No. I can still save her. I can save them all."[23]
Trivia[]
- ND Stevenson stated on tumblr that Ballister is given to the Institution by his father to cover Ballister's father's gambling debts.[3]
- ND Stevenson stated on tumblr that Ambrosius was 11 years old and Ballister was 13 in the Christmas special, they were in the 20s at the joust, and are probably in their late 30s in the story present.[24][25]
- According to ND Stevenson, about Ballister choosing his last name of "Blackheart": "He chose Blackheart when he became a villain."[26]
- ND Stevenson stated on tumblr that Ballister is right-handed.[27]
- ND Stevenson stated on tumblr (via Netflix) that Ballister begins as the big spoon in his relationship with Ambrosius, but would roll away, and then wake up with Ambrosius latched onto him.[28]
- ND Stevenson stated on tumblr (via Netflix) that Ballister regains his knighthood after the end of the main comic story, and the Institution is possibly dissolved.[29]
- Ballister's last name was changed from "Blackheart" to "Boldheart" for the movie adaptation. Ballister is however referenced at least twice in the movie as "Ballister Blackheart": on the Innocence Wall in Ballister and Nimona's hideout, one article lists, "Black Heart Out There", and another says, "Queen Killer: The Sword of Ballister Blackheart".
- While Ballister is taller than Ambrosius in the webcomic/graphic novel, he appears to be shorter than Ambrosius in the movie adaptation.
- Although Ballister's right arm is the one he loses after the joust, during the backstory he shares with Nimona near the start of the webcomic/graphic novel, Ambrosius' weapon hits Ballister's left arm in the first panel, but two panels later, Ballister is shown with his right arm missing.[2] The first panel is seemingly an error.
Image Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Christmas Special 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 2.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 gingerhaze. "I said I would post some Baby Knights pictures so here we go..." How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 22 Aug 2013, 8:10 PM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/59054754394/i-said-i-would-post-some-baby-knights-pictures-so.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 2, p. 5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 2, p. 6.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 1.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 2, p. 3.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 3.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 4, p.21.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 4.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 5.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 6.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 7.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 8.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 9.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 10.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 11, p. 214.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Epilogue.
- ↑ gingerhaze. "Nimona Q&A" How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 14 Oct 2014, 4:23 PM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/100017892553/nimona-qa.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 10, p. 183.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 9, p. 126.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 3, p. 14.
- ↑ Stevenson, ND. Nimona. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015. Chapter 10, p. 210.
- ↑ gingerhaze. "I have two questions: 1. I get the impression..." How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 27 August 2014, 7:40 PM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/95951895873/i-have-two-questions-1-i-get-the-impression-that.
- ↑ gingerhaze. "ive been wondering for a while..." How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 27 July 2015, 1:34 AM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/125147459618/ive-been-wondering-for-a-while-are-blackheart-and.
- ↑ gingerhaze. "bendy said: so ballister CHOSE blackheart?" How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 30 July 2013, 2:23 PM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/56893332219/bendy-said-so-ballister-chose-blackheart-he.
- ↑ gingerhaze. "I am really sorry to intrude, . . . " How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, 30 July 2013, 5:22 PM, https://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/75085548832/i-am-really-sorry-to-intrude-i-love-nimona-and-i.
- ↑ Netflix. "inphront asked: oh also— which of the knights is the little spoon? i must know for science." Netflix, 25 July 2023, 7:06 PM, https://netflix.tumblr.com/post/723859680291586048/oh-also-which-of-the-knights-is-the-little-spoon. (Recorded on 12 July 2023).
- ↑ Netflix. "Anonymous asked: Did Ballister regain his status of knight after the events of the movie? Does he work for the Institute again? Is he still an inspiration to commoner kids who want to become knights?" Netflix, 25 July 2023, 7:08 PM, https://netflix.tumblr.com/post/723859812088233984/did-ballister-regain-his-status-of-knight-after. (Recorded on 12 July 2023).