Chivalry of a Failed Knight

Chivalry of a Failed Knight (Japanese: 落第騎士の英雄譚 キャバルリィ Hepburn: Rakudai Kishi no Kyabarurii, lit. The Heroic Tales of the Failure Knight) is a Japanese light novel series written by Riku Misora and illustrated by Won. The story is set in a fantasy world where Ikki Kurogane, who is considered a failure meets Stella Vermillion who is considered a genius. The two make up for each other's weaknesses and form a relationship while training to become great knights. The first volume was released on July 15, 2013. An anime adaptation aired from October 3 to December 19, 2015.

The series has been well-received. Since 2015, the light novels is one of the top selling series in Japan with 1.8 million copies sold as of February 2017. English reviewers had mixed to positive reviews for the anime adaptation.

Plot

The story is set in an Alternate Earth world where humans called "Blazers" have supernatural abilities. These Blazers can materialize weapons known as "Device" which are made through a person's soul. Ikki Kurogane is arranged to share a dorm room with Stella Vermillion, a foreign princess and a once-in-a-decade genius student. Ikki though is considered a Failure Knight [clarification needed] and is having to repeat a grade. Offended that Ikki saw her half-dressed, Stella challenges Ikki to a duel where the loser has to be obedient to the winner for life. She ends up losing the duel, but they agree to become roommates. The series follows their adventures as they train to qualify as the school's representatives for the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, an annual tournament event held by the seven Mage Knight Academies in Japan to determine the strongest Apprentice Knight.

Characters

Ikki Kurogane (黒鉄 一輝 Kurogane Ikki)
Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka, Yukiyo Fujii (young) (Japanese); Clint Bickham (English)
Ikki is an F-Rank Blazer who is widely known as the Worst One (落第騎士 ワーストワン? Wāsuto Wan). A member of the distinguished Kurogane Family, Ikki was subjected to ill treatment from his own family since childhood, and due to his family's influence on the school coupled with less than average grades, he was forced to repeat a year. However, his great-grandfather, Ryoma Kurogane, a legendary Blazer and hero, encouraged Ikki to never give up and become strong, after which he continued to work hard on his craft. He relies on learning his opponents' skills and tactics. His Device is Intetsu and his Noble Art is Ittō Shura (一刀修羅?), where he pushes his skills and abilities beyond what the human body would limit. At the start of the series, he is challenged by Stella in a duel where the loser has to obey the winner. Although he wins the duel, his main order is that he and Stella become roommates and get along. After defeating his past-year rival, Shizuya Kirihara, Ikki gets a new nickname, Another One (無冠の剣王 アナザーワン Anazāwan). Although he attracts the affections of many girls, he and Stella eventually develop a relationship, and they get engaged.

Stella Vermillion (ステラ・ヴァーミリオン Sutera Vāmirion)
Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)
The main heroine of the series, Stella is a red-haired A-Rank Blazer who is considered to be a once-in-a-decade genius. Her Device is Laevateinn and her Noble Art is Katharterio Salamandra (天壌焼き焦がす竜王の焔 カルサリティオ・サラマンドラ Karusaritio Saramandora). The second princess of the Vermillion Kingdom (a small European country), Stella could not control her own powers as a child and was badly burned each time she tried to use them. Through her effort, she eventually mastered her own power and is widely regarded as a genius by those around her. Not wanting to become conceited, Stella then decided to transfer to Japan. At the start of the story, she challenges Ikki to a duel where the loser must obey the winner, but she loses. Although they agree to be roommates, Stella feels it is her noble's obligation to treat him as a master. She is immediately jealous of other girls being affectionate towards Ikki and over the course of the series, she falls in love with Ikki. They eventually become a couple and engaged.

Shizuku Kurogane (黒鉄 珠雫 Kurogane Shizuku)
Voiced by: Nao Tōyama (Japanese); Juliet Simmons (English)
Ikki's younger sister who is extremely obsessed with him. She has white hair, unlike his brother, who has black hair. Nicknamed Lorelei (深海の魔女 ローレライ Rōrerai), a B-Rank Blazer who excels in magic control. Her Device is Yoishigure and her Noble Arts are Shōha Suiren (障波水蓮?), Water Prison Orb (水牢弾 Suirōdan), and Hisuijin (緋水刃) Shizuku hates her family for their treatment of Ikki and generally dislikes holding the family name. She initially disapproved of Ikki's relationship with Stella, but eventually accepted her and decided to take it upon herself to teach Stella about being a bride of the Kurogane family, though she still made up her own restricting rules.