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Ecarl is a non-playable character in Breath of Fire III. His Japanese name, Ekaru, was previously translated as Jean in Breath of Fire II, where he served as one of the game's playable characters.
Role in Breath of Fire III
Ecarl is a painter who lives in a cabin in Maekyss Gorge. While the party is never required to talk to him, his wife Kimiko will teaches them how to make Shisu at a key point in the game. Ecarl's paintings decorate their home and the Frost Gene is located in their yard.
Another member of the Creeping Clan who physically resembles Ecarl is a prisoner in Wyndia Castle's dungeon. The portrayal of these two characters -- one a painter, and the other a prisoner -- might be a reference to Ecarl's previous appearance in Breath of Fire II where he at one point passes his time as a prisoner by painting.
Appearance
Ecarl maintains his stocky build from the previous game, however his medieval costume is replaced by a beret and painter's smock.
Personality
Like his previous appearance, in Breath of Fire II, Ecarl and his wife have a cheerful and hospitable personality. They both share a passion for shisu, and when the party displays an interest in learning how to prepare it, she readily agrees to teach him how. Ecarl appreciates the solitude that Maekyss Gorge affords and explains that this is why he chose to build their home there.
Etymology
Ecarl is a reference to the American children's author Eric Carle, who illustrates his books using a unique bend of painting and collage. Although he is an American writer, he enjoys global popularity, including in Japan, where he has won the Japanese Picture Book award, the country's highest award for picture books, and his work has been widely exhibited in Japanese museums. Hence, the charcter's in-game depiction as a painter. The character's Japanese name "Ekaru" is also a play on words as it is an anagram of "kaeru" the Japanese word for frog.