Lowe is a reoccurring charcter from the Shining series. He is Max's best friend, a founding member of the Shining Force alongside Max, Ken, Lug, Tao and Hans, a loyal steward to Queen Anri and an advisor to Nick.
Appearance
Lowe is a short and chubby friendly looking hobbit with grey-blue hair and bushy side burns. He always wears a long robe on his body as an apprentice healer with his feet poking out from beneath.
History
Born in Guardiana, Lowe became an apprentice vicar at the church learning healing magic. One day whilst strolling along the beach he came across Max who had wound up washed ashore with no memories of his past. Lowe brought Max to the church were he was healed back to health and soon became his best friend, training with him under Lord Varios, although with far less aptitude for swordsmanship than Max, tiring out from the training sessions after only 15 minutes.
A year after Max washed ashore, Lord Varios was summoned and rushed past Lowe white as a sheet. Lowe, his curiosity peaked agreed with Max to see if they could find out what was going on, splitting up to search for clues on what was happening. When Max was summoned to the castle by the king of Guardiana and placed in charge of an elite team known as the Shining Force, he was told to gather his soldiers. Whilst Ken, Tao, Hans and Lug joined up quickly under the Nova's suggestion, Lowe chased after Max, telling him to not sneak out of town without him and joined his best friend of his own volition, and stands by his side through his quest.
When Max sacrifices himself to seal Dark Dragon, Lowe is filled with sorrow, stating he or anyone else would have been willing to die in Max's place. His hope is snuffed out as he watches the castle sink below the sea and he mourns his loss. With a heavy heart, Lowe returns back to Guardiana without his best friend.
Years passed and Lowe began to serve under Anri, who was coronated as queen, as her steward and personal advisor. When Woldol, Dantom and Frabell of Cypress arrive at Guardiana Castle and violently break their way in, Lowe backs Ken up in guarding Queen Anri, calling them barbarians. Anri commands both her former friends to stand down so she can try and negotiate peacefully with Woldol, but is sent into an eternal sleep by the contents of their 'gift' from their king, a bejewelled box. Rushing to Anri's side, Lowe and Ken are both sucker punched by Dantom and Frabell, whilst Lowe calls for more healers to aid the Queen. Woldol reveals the only one who can reverse the spell is their king, and then vanishes in a puff of smoke.
Lowe and Ken send out their best men to try and kill the King of Cypress and break the curse on Anri, but the army they sent is not heard from again. Lowe sadly states they have sent their best warriors and fears Guardiana may be doomed. Fortunately at this point Ruce, son of Lug, shows up and brings with him Hans' son, Shade, Gong's nephew, Sig, Tao and Diane's sister, Wendy and Ken's son Apis as well as a stranger, a young boy named Nick. When Ruce asks for Ken's consent to go to Cypress with Nick and the new Shining Force, Lowe states that they are old enough, and that he has decided to go with them, and help save Queen Anri.
Lowe accompanies Nick and the new Shining Force across the sea to the land of Cypress. Along the way they are attacked by a wizard associate of Woldol's who mocks Nick and the other others calling them a bunch of kids. Lowe warns this wizard not to underestimate them as it may be the last mistake he ever makes. After the battle, the wizard blows the ship up to try and take the Shining Force out, forcing them to swim to shore. Lowe wakes Nick up on the beach, relieved at the boy's survival.
When it is revealed Nick is a Cypress prince, Lowe becomes uncertain about whether Nick can be trusted. Gyan explains to him that Nick came to Gardiana to save their country and chose to save them over staying and avenging his father. Lowe, upon hearing this reconsiders his position and promises Nick that he and the Shining Force will help avenge his father.
Trivia
- Lowe is the second playable hobbit in the shining series after Milo from Shining in the Darkness. However, chronologically Lowe is the first hobbit member of the Shining Force, as well as the first healer.
- Lowe plays the same role Nova did in the original Shining Force in Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force CD, acting as a mouthpiece for the Shining Force and helping look after the team and help organise the party. However thanks to his priest training he also fulfills the role of the priest, able to revive dead team members, promote them.
- Lowe and Mae are the only two members of the Shining Force given speaking lines during the end cut scene.
- In Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, all of Lowe's story sections involve him showcasing his huge appetite and talking about what he's hungry for at the time.
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