{ in depth }

Before I can really get into Valgaav and his past, I have to explain a little about the past of the Slayers world. No one knows how long the Sea of Chaos has existed. The Sea of Chaos, also known as the Lord of Nightmares, or the Dark Golden Lord, created four planes projecting out from the Sea of Chaos. On each plane, a different world exists, with different forces as well. Each one has a Shinzoku [a God] and a Mazoku [a Demon] that are at odds, trying to take control of that plane. On Lina's plane, the plane our story takes place in, the Shinzoku and Mazoku at odds are the Flare Dragon King Ceiphied and the Ruby Eye Shabranidgo. It isn't known how long they fought for power over the plane, but what is known is that five-thousand years ago, something happened between them. Shabranigdo was split into seven parts, each of the parts spread across that plane, and left behind five subordinates, [Demon Dragon King Gaav, Greater Beast Zelas Metallium, Dynast Grauscherra, Deepsea Dolphin and Hellmaster Phibrizzo]. Ceiphied sank into the Sea of Chaos, splitting his power into four parts and creating four subordinates [The Earth Dragon King, Fire Dragon King, Water Dragon King and Sky Dragon King] and he left his soul to reside in Lina's sister, Luna. Neither of them were actually defeated, but technically the battle isn't over, because both of them lie dormant. About a thousand years ago, a war was waged between the subordinates of the two main Shinzoku and Mazoku of this plane, in the War of the Resurrection of the Demon King [aka Kouma-sensou]. This war was brought about by Hellmaster Phibrizzo, waged between the Water Dragon King and Demon King of the North. At the beginning of the war, the attacks of Mazoku increased at a high rate, and it was not Phibrizzo's intention to attack the Water Dragon King immediately. Phibrizzo's objective was to awaken the seven parts of Shabranigdo that were lost within the members of the human race. He was successful at this, ressurecting one seventh of Shabranigdo, The Demon King of the North, who then attacked the Water Dragon King. Then, what Phibrizzo had the other subordinates of Shabranigdo do was move to the Kataart Mountains where the Water Dragon King lived and surrounding him with them. This weakened him, and using Demon Dragon King Gaav as a medium for the battle [since he was already part dragon] the Demon King of the North managed to offset the difference between the one-fourth of Ceiphied and the one-seventh of Shabranigdo. The Water Dragon King was defeated, and left behind the Claire Bible, a source of infinite knowledge about the land. The Demon King of the North was not defeated, however, he was unable to leave the Kataart Mountains. Demon Dragon King Gaav, who had fought against the Water Dragon King as well was turned half-human. This war was no small one, this war included humans, elves, trolls, monsters, and dragons... Especially Golden Dragons. As a result of the Kouma war, the subordinates of Shabranigdo placed a magical barrier around the sub-continent in which Lina and her friends travel in about a thousand years later. Hellmaster Phibrizzo moved to the Desert of Destruction, which is southeast of the sub-continent, Zelas Metallium moved to Wolf Pack Island, which is to the southwest, Deepsea Dolphin moved to the Demon Sea, which is to the west, and Dynast Grauscherra moved to the north. The four of them created a barrier around the area, so the use of powerful magic was limited to this region, and all of the kingdoms outside of that subcontinent were unable to use powerful magic, and were limited to weak spells such as Lighting and Sleeping. But, a thousand years after the War of the Resurrection of the Demon King, Lina Inverse destroys Hellmaster Phibrizzo [who killed Maryuu-ou Gaav for insubordination not long before then]. Because the barrier was weakened so much by loss of so many high ranking Mazoku, the barrier shattered, allowing travel to the outer regions possible and powerful magic to be used there. However, ever since Lina destroyed Hellmaster Phibrizzo, a strange pillar of light is visible. No one knows how far away it is, all that is known is that it's in the center of the world.... This is about when Valgaav enters the story. You see, during the Kouma war, the Golden Dragons were suffering a tremendous defeat from the Mazoku [namely, Xelloss]. Thousands of them were slaughtered. At the time, several types of Ryuuzoku [Dragons] existed, but the most powerful of them all were Ancient Dragons. The Ancient Dragons were very powerful but pacifist as well, and when the Golden Dragons asked for their help during the Kouma war, they refused. The Golden Dragons thought that since the Ancient Dragons wouldn't help them in the war, they must be evil somehow and therefore decided to kill them all. However, that was not the case. The truth behind it is that since the Golden Dragons couldn't have their help, they didn't want them helping anyone else, and that they truly feared their power and were willing to have them slaughtered to be the most powerful of all Ryuuzoku. The Ancient Dragons, however, didn't find it necessary to help the Golden Dragons in the war, because the war didn't need to have those dragons involved in the first place. The Ancient Dragons' naturally pacifist nature, although powerful, didn't even find the need to fight back when the Golden Dragons were committing genocide on their kind. So, in the end, the Golden Dragons ended up killing all of the Ancient Dragons because they simply didn't want to fight back. All of them were killed... but one. A young Ancient Dragon slid down from a sand dune, looking back, seeing the Golden Dragons hunting him and his kind down. He was called Valtier. Only moments later, a shadow appeared in the distance, approaching young Valtier. It was Demon Dragon King Gaav, standing above Valtier. Gaav said a few things to Valtier, mentioning how he had no fight left in him. Valtier disagreed, trying to convert into his dragon form, but was unable to. Gaav then told Valtier of how he reminded him of himself... noting that Gaav himself was on the run from the Mazoku as well, because the human half of Gaav wanted him to live, and so it caused him to rebel against Shabranigdo, therefore making himself an exile. He told Valtier that he too, would be just like that, on the run from the Ryuuzoku. Then he offered to have Valtier join up with him, and have him reborn as a Mazoku. Valtier replied "It wouldn't be so bad.." and Gaav grabbed him by the hair and stabbed him in the heart. The last true Ancient Dragon was dead. Valtier was renamed Valgaav, after Gaav, who now became his superior. Now Valtier became a chimera, part Mazoku and part Ancient Dragon. Valgaav served under Gaav for a thousand years... But after a thousand years, Gaav's Mazoku hunters finally caught up with him. Hellmaster Phibrizzo caught Gaav and killed him. And it just so happened that Lina Inverse was there when Gaav was killed, and it was Lina Inverse who killed Phibrizzo later. So then, when Valgaav heard that Gaav was dead, he also heard that Lina Inverse was the one who had killed him. Knowing nothing else, Valgaav sought vengeance for Gaav, since for a thousand years he had served him, and now he was after Lina Inverse. But Lina Inverse was on a new quest. That strange pillar of light had some people thinking... in fact, a Golden Dragon named Filia came and told Lina of a prophecy that told of destruction, dealing with that pillar of light. "There shall come forth a controller of a dark star that will call forth the light, and the world will be flooded with darkness. Dragons' blood shall spread, and following the struggle between light and darkness, a single star shall be awakened, around the star shall spin five lights, and the power shall be a darkness beyond twilight, a brilliance beyond the dawn. When the power is unleashed, we shall yield to an arrow-like force that will split the heavens apart." At this same time, Valgaav meets up with an outerworlder from another world plane, Almace. Almace is looking for five Weapons of Light, and he hires Valgaav to help find them in return for Lina's death. Valgaav sends his two helpers, who owe their lives to him [I don't know when he saved these guys, all I know is that they were both in danger for their lives and that Valgaav saved them.], Gravos and Jillas, to find those Weapons of Light. And they will do anything to get them... But you see, that pillar of light is strangely connected to these five weapons. That pillar of light is the gateway to the next plane, the plane that Almace comes from. However, unlike the Slayers world, the main Mazoku has not been defeated, and still runs rampant in that world, causing death and destruction. But thousands of years ago, five weapons were created by Darkstar, the main Mazoku of Almace's plane, to control and harness its power. Almace's objective was to gather the five weapons that lie in Lina's plane, and harness Darkstar's power when the gate is opened when Darkstar tries to enter Lina's plane. But I don't think Valgaav completely understood Almace's plan. Valgaav thought that his objective was to let Darkstar into Lina's plane and leave it there, letting it destroy the world. Either way, that would have worked for Valgaav, because that's the kind of things he's used to. In the end, Almace is killed just after the last weapon is found. Lina and her gang, along with two other outerworlders from the same plane Almace came from, Sirius and Erologos, and also Xelloss take the weapons back to the pillar of light, where they prepare for the gate to open.. Once it is completely open with Valgaav standing near the top of the gate, Darkstar vaporizes Valgaav within him. Darkstar then starts reacting to something... Then Filia realizes that it's reacting to the gem she picked up at the Shrine of the Ancient Dragons. Suddenly, Darkstar gets up and starts to fly towards the Temple of the Fire Dragon King, but he shakes up the place so badly that they think it's a counter-attack, when in actuality, it's only Darkstar moving! Filia transforms into her dragon self, and they ride on her back to the Temple, with Xelloss, Sirius and Erologos teleporting. Once they get there, they find Valgaav, now with Darkstar's power within him. Filia cries out and askes Valgaav what sacrifices he desires.. but Valgaav replies that he simply wants the purification of the universe.. in other words, resetting everything. He askes them why good and evil fight continuously, that everyone has been conned into it and that it is Darkstar and Vorphied's will to do the same. [Vorphied is the primary Shinzoku from Almace's plane, he is the equivalent of Ceiphied and his power is in direct opposition of Darkstar's]. Xelloss mentions that it isn't to be thought of, a question that is not to be asked and it's a rebellion directed towards that person who "conned them into it," probably meaning the Lord of Nightmares. Filia, in a state of desperation, cries out to Valgaav "Though you desire purification, why do you look at us with such sad eyes?" Valgaav heads back to the gate, getting ready to destroy the gateway, so that Darkstar can't be let back into the Almace's plane. By then, the group with the weapons come back, to try go slay Darkstar. Then they realize what they must do, they must fuse the power of evil [the Mazoku] with the power of good [the Shinzoku], with a human performing the spell, since humans are neither good nor evil, and like with Filia's prophecy, the struggle is between light and darkness, and Lina is the one to cast the arrow that will split the heavens apart. Xelloss represents the Mazoku, and summons Shabranigdo's power, while Filia summons Ceiphied's power. Once the arrow is cast, Valgaav is slain. "I finally die. It all returns to white...." The victors stare at their prize. Left in a state of confusion, they stand, wondering if that is the end. Filia is quite depressed, because Valgaav was killed... being the last of the Ancient Dragons.. she felt so much pity for him. Then feathers start to rain down, Ancient Dragon feathers... and to Filia comes a small, dark blue orb, and she realizes that it is Valgaav, being reborn as an Ancient Dragon in an egg. Filia then states that it is the end, but it is a new beginning for Valgaav. In the ending credits, we can see Filia working in a pottery shop with Jillas and Gravos helping her, and beside her is a basket with Valgaav's egg in it. So now we know what happens to Valgaav. So, one thing I was wondering, was why was the series called "Slayers TRY?" Try comes from "Try Again!" because the enemies are "trying" again, Valgaav wanted everything to be reset, to be reborn, to have it done over. Trying again.