GIRODELLE
... or Girodel, or Girondelle, Gerodere, Girodet - it seems no two sources can actually agree on what the poor guy is called. Whatever his name is, I thought he deserved at least a page of his own here on shoujosparkles, since he's actually one of my favourite characters in the series. Sometimes viewed as the "bad guy", an arrogant aristo who tried to come between the golden couple of Oscar and André, I've always seen him as someone who did nothing more than fall in love and try to express that in the best way he knew how. Plus, there's his Crowning Moment of Awesome - simply, selflessly stepping aside and telling Oscar that if the best way to make her happy is getting out of the way, then he'll do so. Now that's a true gesture of love - and something not a lot of dramatic-hero types would do. Later, he proves his love and unselfish nature once again by risking his own life in disobeying orders for Oscar. To me, he's always been one of the most intriguing and mysterious characters in Rose of Versailles. We know almost nothing about where he's come from, what his life has been like, or what his story is - only that he's willing to risk almost everything and even sacrifice his own happiness in order to give Oscar a chance at the life she deserves. On the whole, I think he deserves more recognition than he gets.
(Besides, he has fantastic hair.)