Gilthunder

"Elizabeth... the kingdom top priority is to ensure your safety. But that's got nothing to do with me. Whether you live or die... is like a grain of sand in the path to the Holy Knights' rule. Leave. I only have business with the Sins."

- Gilthunder to Elizabeth in Holy Knight Gilthunder

Gilthunder (ギルサンダー) is a Holy Knight with dominion over magic that allows him to generate and manipulate lightning. He is the son of the murdered Great Holy Knight, Zaratras.

Appearance
Gilthunder is a relatively tall man with slightly curly short salmon-colored hair. He has thin eyebrows and a pair of blue eyes.

Armor
He is seen wearing dark-colored full body knight armor without a helmet and wields a single hand sword. The upper body armor is carved with several crosses and the symbol of the Holy Knights. He also has a leather waist belt fastened on top of his armor.

Personality
Gilthunder is a cold and cruel individual, devastation a town by stopping its source of income just because he was angry at them. When he learned that a child pulled out his sword, he threw a spear at the town just to check whether it wasn't an accident, even though the town could have been destroyed. However, despite that, he is honorable as he gave Meliodas a final request when he thought that he was dying. He has a desire to kill the Seven Deadly Sins for apparently killing his father and to prove by killing them all that he has surpassed his father.

Introduction Arc
A day before Meliodas, Hawk and Elizabeth arrived at to Bernia, Gilthunder had had gone then to collect the taxes, and while doing so, had drunk the very popular Bernia Ale. Even though it was the best ale Bernia had ever made, the Holy Knight insulted it and called it "only slightly better than a horse's urine". Mead, angered by this comment, dropped a bug in his next drink, which angered Gilthunder, who, in his anger, sealed the underground water source of the river in Bernia with a sword imbued with his lightning magic. That prevented the villagers from making the ale, which is the sole economic income for the whole village. He was residing in and governing Fort Solgales when he heard of a child having pulled his sword, and he, deciding to confirm whether this was an accident or not himself, borrowed a spear from one of the guards and threw it directly at Bernia. Meliodas, however, stopped the spear and threw it back, which resulted in the fort's destruction, and Gilthunder's realization that the Seven Deadly Sins were still alive.

Forest of White Dreams Arc
Upon arriving in the Forest of White Dreams by using a gigantic thundercloud and a lightning bolt, Gilthunder immediately immobilizes everyone with his lightning magic. As Meliodas and Diane realize that he is a Holy Knight, Elizabeth recognizes him as Gilthunder, a Holy Knight very close to her father, and a brother figure to her, and initially doesn't believe that he was the Holy Knight who had dammed Bernia's water source, and is greatly surprised when she realizes that he was the one. Gilthunder, informing her that while her safety was the kingdom's priority, she was only a "grain of sand in the path to the Holy Knights' rule", and after releasing her, orders her to leave. She, however, refuses to do so or let him hard Meliodas and Diane, and when Gilthunder kicks a weakened Hawk out of the way, runs towards him.

Gilthunder, points his sword at Meliodas' neck, stating that he wants to avenge his father, the deceased Great Holy Knight, Zaratras, and also wants to prove that he has surpassed him, leading Meliodas to recognize him as "Little Gil", Zaratras' son who would often follow the Seven Deadly Sins. Gilthunder then also declares that he is now stronger than any of the Deadly Sins, and offers to unbind the two to fight, but before he could do so, however, they easily break his spell themselves, with Meliodas instructing Diane not to interfere in their battle. As Gilthunder then attacks first using a powerful lighting bolt, the Sin of Wrath easily repels the spell back at Gilthunder, but the latter dodges the attack and moves behind the former, slashing him from behind and causing him to collapse. Meliodas, seemingly in his last moments, is question by Gilthunder for any last questions, with him asking for the whereabouts of the other five Deadly Sins. Gilthunder answers, telling him that while the whereabouts of three of them remain unknown, it is known that the Fox's Sin of Greed is imprisoned in the Baste Dungeon and the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth has perished in the Capital of the Dead. Hearing that, Meliodas quickly jumps back up, leading Gilthunder to realize that Meliodas let himself be gravely injured in order to obtain the information. He then proceeds to repeatedly attack him, only for Meliodas to dodge all his attacks. The Holy Knight eventually moves behind Meliodas again and points his sword towards his neck. Diane then suddenly interrupts the battle, lifts him with her hand, and despite his attempts to escape her grasp by discharging lightning, throws him from the forest to a neighboring village.

Gilthunder is later seen falling down from the sky into a church in a neighboring village. He walks out unscathed from the remnants of the collapsed church, whilst the priests and civilians cry for help.

Capital of the Dead Arc
In the village that is also the entrance to the Capital of the Dead, Gilthunder informs King, who had formed an alliance with the Holy Knights to kill Ban, about Fort Solgales' and Baste Dungeon's destruction, the Weird Fangs' annihilation, and Ban joining Meliodas and Diane. He also warns King to not betray his trust, to which King asks him to keep things such as trust between humans and that his way was more convenient for both of them. Oslo, being as small as an ordinary dog due to not being threatened at all, then enters the room, and informs King about having found his target. King, showing Gilthunder the badges of Andre and his partner, who had been killed earlier by Oslo, then asks the Holy Knight to order his subordinates to not get in his way, lest he shall kill them along with his intended target, Ban.

Ongoing Arc
Gilthunder, along with a fellow colleague, Hauser, is later ordered to confront and stop the invasion of the Northern Barbarians' army, which, numbering three thousand, had annihilated many knights. The two arrive on the battlefield on a flying dragon, and after landing on a lightning bolt created by Gilthunder, quickly defeat the entire army with ease. After returning to the castle, the Great Holy Knight, Dreyfus, commends them for their work, and after, Hauser questions him if that "errand" wasn't the predicted Holy War, assures him that it wasn't. Gilthunder then expresses his suspicions of their foe, who hasn't been predicted, being the Seven Deadly Sins, since four of them had already reunited. After a small discussion on their captain, Meliodas', abilities, Dreyfus mentions the "New Generations" of Holy Knights, with Gilthunder then reporting to Dreyfus about many Holy Knight apprentices, many of whom were considered failures, suddenly and mysteriously gaining incredibly strength, and that he senses someone of something to be the phenomenon's source. After Hauser leaves, Gilthunder goes closer to Dreyfus and informs him silently that the second Great Holy Knight, Hendricksen's, subordinates have been calling for several apprentices.

Abilities/Equipment
Gilthunder, like all Holy Knights, has magic that transcends human knowledge imbued within his body, and is among the strongest in Britannia, being able to match entire armies. He is shown to be incredibly strong and agile, easily matching Meliodas in skill and remaining unharmed after being flung from a great height and crashing into a building, destroying it in the process.

Weapon
Gilthunder wields a long sword, through which he channels his lightning magic. The tip of the blade is curved and wider with the ends pointed.

Abilities
Gilthunder is greatly skilled in lightning magic, being able to use it both offensively and defensively. He can use his magic to further increase his physical capabilities, granting him extraordinary strength and agility.

Zaratras
Gilthunder is Zaratras's son. It is unknown what kind of relationship they had but since Gilthunder wants revenge for his death, it can be assumed that they had a good father-son relationship.

Hauser
Hauser and Gilthunder have greatly different personalities, but appear to fight very well as a team.

Elizabeth
In the past, Gilthunder used to treat Elizabeth as a little sister. However, now, even though the kingdom's priority is to ensure her safety, he says that he doesn't care about her and that she is a "grain of sand in the path to the Holy Knight's rule".

Meliodas
Gilthunder once admired Meliodas and the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins, even wanting to be one of them. After his father was apparently killed by them, he wanted to kill them for revenge and to prove that he has surpassed his father.

Trivia

 * The Japanese pronunciation of the name, "Gilthunder" can also be "Jil Sander", who is a minimalist German fashion designer.