Bo

This article is about the playable in the original Breath of Fire game.For the character from Breath of Fire II, see Bow. For the character from Breath of Fire 6, see Gilliam (Breath of Fire 6).

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Bo ギリアム Giriamu (Gilliam)
Portrait
Type												Playable Character (BoF) Non-Playable Character (BoFII)
Tribe												Wolba member of Forest Clan (BoF) Wikba (BoFII)
Home												Tantar (BoF) Island of Giants (BoFII)
Occupation												Hunter (BoF) Farmer (BoFII)
Height												182 cm (5'12") (BoF)
Weight												87 kg (191.8 lbs) (BoF)
Personal Action												Hunt (BoF)
Weapon												Bow (BoF)
I				II				III				IV				V				VI

Bo (known as Gilliam in the Japanese version) is a playable character in Breath of Fire. He is a wolba member of the Forest Clan, and a skilled hunter. He and his tribe used to live in the woods, but after being driven from their home by the Dark Dragon Clan, they form the city of Tantar.

Although physically intimidating, Bo is nevertheless a kindhearted and devoted friend who is often depicted as a big brother figure to his younger teammates.

Role throughout the series

Prior to the events of Breath of Fire

At a young age, Bo was taught to hunt using a bow and arrow, which he would become extremely proficient with as he grew older. Some time before the events of the game, the Dark Dragon Clan waged war against the Forest Clan to obtain their Ring, a magical artifact that enhances one's power. Bo received numerous accolades for his efforts in combating the enemy forces. Despite the skills of the Forest Clan warriors, they were forced to flee their home due to the Dark Dragon's superior numbers. This ultimately led the Forest Clan to found the town of Tantar, which became a sister city to the neighboring town of Tuntar. However, the Dark Dragon Clan continued to antagonize the Forest Clan, as they still wished to acquire the Ring.

During Breath of Fire

By the time that Ryu and Nina reached Tantar, both it and Tuntar are in the middle of a drought, as the Dark Dragons have dammed up the river which serves as the towns' sole water source. The duo investigate the Dark D. Fort in hopes of helping the townspeople. However, they are eventually trapped by an enemy General who had been masquerading as Tuntar's elder. Bo, who had seen through the General's ploy and rescued the true Elder, helps Ryu and Nina escape. Afterwards, they work together to normalize the river's water flow, and Bo agrees to accompany Ryu and Nina in their efforts to defeat the Dark Dragons and stop them from reviving the Goddess Tyr.

At the end of the game, Bo and the group are flown back to Wyndia by the members of the Wing Clan. Afterwards, they revisit some previous locations they visited on their long journey. Bo is the sixth member to leave. He, Ryu and Nina briefly visit the volcano where the Stone Robot sacrificed itself, before heading off to Tantar. There, Bo separates from the group to help his clan and their neighbors.

During Breath of Fire II

Bo and Karn in Breath of Fire II.

Bo, along with Karn, makes an appearance in this game, inhabiting the sole house on the Island of Giants. In a nod to Bo's background in the previous game, hunting tools litter their home. When spoken to, Bo tells the party about a fossil he discovered while tilling the land.

During Breath of Fire III

Bo makes a brief cameo in a mural that's seen as this game's Ryu, as well as his comrades, explore Dragnier. The mural shows up again as the Dragon Elder Jono tells the party about the history between the Dragon Clan and Myria.

Appearance

As a wolba, Bo possesses a wolf-like appearance, and is quite tall and physically powerful. He wears green pants with a red belt, and some brown boots. He also wears a yellow scarf, and sports some gold wristbands over the bandages on his wrist.

Personality

In Breath of Fire, Bo is portrayed as a taciturn, even-tempered individual who is famed for his military leadership during his battles with the Dark Dragon Clan. His small cameo in Breath of Fire II also implies he's a good farmer.

In the manga adaption, while still portrayed as an even-tempered tactical genius, he is occasionally shown to get hot-blooded. He also demonstrates an initial distrust of the party's offer to help, due to the Tuntar villagers blaming his clan for the Dark Dragon attacks. This leads to him attempting to take care of the matter himself. However, his opinion of the outsiders slowly changes as Ryu and Nina assist him, and the Tuntar Villagers come to atone for their prior treatment of the Forest Clan.

Abilities

Bo possesses great physical strength, and knows a limited selection of spells. As a member of the Forest Clan, he is a naturally gifted hunter and quite knowledgeable in forestry. His field abilities reflect this as well; on the overworld, he is able to hunt and pass through tree formations. He is also one of the three party members who is able to fuse with Karn.

Etymology

One of Bo's closest friends in the original Breath of Fire is named "Terry." This, combined with Bo's Japanese name, "Gilliam", forms a reference to British director and Monty Python alum, Terry Gilliam. A similarly named canine character is playable in Breath of Fire II. However, while that character's English name, "Bow", is similar to "Bo", the two have completely unrelated names ("Gilliam" and "Bosch" respectively) in the Japanese releases of their games.