Gannicus is a central character and anti-hero in Spartacus.
He serves as champion in Batiatus' Ludus throughout the events of the
prequel, Gods of the Arena, until his departure upon earning his freedom
in the aftermath of the Games of the New Arena. He later returns in Vengeance initially
as an acquaintance to the rebels, criticizing their cause against the Roman
Republic, though he ironically becomes a rebel himself for the sake of his
closest friend, Oenomaus.
He is often referred to by others as a "God of
the Arena" due to his legendary fights as a gladiator that had
led to winning his freedom.
Appearance
Gannicus is a Celtic gladiator at 1.78 m
tall, athletic, with tanned skin and long, dirty blonde hair. In later seasons
he has a tattoo- an Icelandic symbol called the Helm of awe; to induce fear and
to protect against abuse of power, on his left arm. He is noted to be
remarkably handsome and charming, enough so to catch even the eye of Gaia,
a woman abiding in the wealthy Roman class. He fights dual wielding two swords
in the gladiator style of Dimachaerus.
Personality
Gannicus proves himself a remarkable physical
specimen: fearless in the arena and possessed by a thirst for the fleeting
pleasures of life. His love of wine and women, coupled with his unwavering
arrogance, is unmatched by any of the other gladiators. For his victories,
Gannicus isn't seen training with the other gladiators, but rather he is
allowed to train alone in the shade if he wishes. Gannicus is shown to be a
close friend to Oenomaus and his wife Melitta, despite taking
Oenomaus' place as Champion in Batiatus' Ludus. With a love for
battle, he reveals an excited grin whenever confronted.
Though he could take down opponents with swift
efficiency, he demonstrates showmanship by pacing his fights with variety of
attacks, demonstrating graphically gruesome executions, and laughing and
roaring for the spectators. He boasts that he could take on gladiators with his
bare hands, and even willingly gets blindfolded during one fight. Though
he pursues physical female companionship on a constant basis, Gannicus does not
mistreat women and possesses a strong moral code, which is a common trait
shared by Spartacus and Oenomaus. Yet, beyond his cockiness, there's an
underlying sense of honor about him that creeps to the surface, especially in
the presence of Oenomaus. This became strained when he began to struggle with
his feelings for Melitta and would later haunt him the following years since his
departure.
At first, Gannicus is doubtful of Spartacus and
his cause, believing the man to be a jest the same as the rebellion, but as
time passes he slowly joins in with the rebellion and, while not considering
himself close with Spartacus by the end of Vengeance, he and Spartacus
gain a mutual respect. At the time of War of The Damned, he and Spartacus
have become very close and often joke and trade barbs with one another, even
providing each other counsel. Spartacus sees Gannicus' potential as a leader
and has asked him to become one numerous times, but Gannicus denies stating
that he does not wish to become a "God" in the eyes of the rebels
like Spartacus has; Yet he still accompanies him and seems to become one of his
closest allies. Gannicus, however, still does not truly believe in the cause
and instead does it to honor Oenomaus, however, he occasionally acts as a
moral advisor to Spartacus, steering him in the right direction, and does
embrace him as a brother.
After developing a relationship with Sybil and the
departure of Crixus and Agron with half of their army, Gannicus assumes the
unnoficial position of second in command in the rebel army. Just before the
final battle against Crassus army, he fully accepts becoming a leader under the
cause of gaining time so that those unable to fight are able to escape from the
grasp of Rome.
Combat Prowess
As a former champion of not only his house but the
arena as well, Gannicus is one of the most skilled, athletic, and durable
fighters in the series. Gannicus' true testament to his abilities is he
has proved himself an equivalent to Spartacus with skill and sword,
while Spartacus is considered one of the best, if not the best fighter in the
series. Gannicus himself claims he and Spartacus are equal in skill with
swords, but admits that Spartacus is superior to him when using a spear.
Gannicus' fighting style suits his way of thinking.
With the Dimachaeri style he can constantly attack and with
Pankration he can protect himself with no armor worn. He thrives on athleticism
and speed that enables him to bombard rapid strikes and aerial assaults with
many jumping motions compared to the other gladiators who prefer more grounded
combat style.Gannicus also appears to be able to enter into a berserker rage in
combat, which greatly augments his strength and overall ability. This has been
seen from his fights with Otho, Barca, The Egyptian, and Crixus.
However, Gannicus' morbid pursuit of thrill by
facing death as closely as possible often puts him in dangerous combat
situations. He willingly fights Otho without weapons, with a
blindfold, and challenges enemies that are physically bigger and stronger than
him, such as Caburus, The Egyptian, and Crixus, without hesitation.
It is the combination of his obsession for danger, nonchalant attitude against
fear, gifted athleticism, and supremely honed fighting skills that allow him to
stand victorious against virtually every enemy he has faced while laughing and
smiling with joy and excitement.
Gannicus is fully capable of taking down multiple
enemies even in tight corridors, such as Ashur's mercenaries and thepirates.
During the capture of Ilithyia, he single handedly took down an entire squad of
bodyguards through the element of surprise and the aid of night time darkness,
as well as a group of hunters who later questioned her presence around the
gladiator.
Gannicus "signature attacks" are;
Thrusting his swords at the same time towards the
opponent’s neck and either decapitating them or slashing their throats. Most
commonly used technique, and a very common way for him to kill enemies.
Jumping towards a wall and performing a 360º flip and
either kicking or slashing the opponent with his sword/s.
History
Gannicus was initially purchased by Titus
Lentulus Batiatus in his late adolescence. Gannicus displayed a natural
fighting prowess, however due to his arrogance and carefree attitude he was
never favoured by Titus and therefore wasn't given much consideration. He did,
however, develop a strong friendship with Oenomaus and also
befriended other gladiators of note such as Barca and Auctus.
After Titus became ill and move to Sicilia, Quintus
became the Dominus of the house after which time he began to utilize Gannicus
in the arena more and more. Gannicus proved to be a real sight in the arena and
gained a popular following.