Lina Inverse
A powerful sorceress with a love for treasure and food.
Lina Inverse is the central character of the *Slayers* franchise, which spans light novels, manga, and anime. She is a teenage sorceress who travels the world seeking adventure and treasure. In the Japanese version, she is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara; Lisa Ortiz provides her English voice for the TV series, while Cynthia Martinez voices her in the films and OVAs. The novels are narrated from Lina’s own perspective. She became a highly popular anime figure in the late 1990s and continues to have a dedicated fanbase. Other characters in *Slayers* and elsewhere have been inspired by or based on her.
Creator Hajime Kanzaka originally conceived Lina and her sister Luna as heroines for a science-fiction story he wrote in high school, where Luna was the protagonist and Lina her clone. When Kanzaka later developed *Slayers* as a fantasy series, illustrator Rui Araizumi based Lina’s look on actress Audrey Hepburn after seeing a vintage film. According to scholar John Lance Griffith, Lina follows the tradition of Western independent female warriors and magic users, such as Spenser’s Britomart and Tolkien’s Arwen and Éowyn. Kanzaka designed Lina as petite, standing 147 cm tall, with two moles on her forehead usually hidden by a headband. Although she is meant to have a very flat chest, Araizumi often draws her with larger breasts due to his personal preference, a trait that carried over into other media. In the film *Slayers: The Motion Picture*, Lina wears folk clothing from her homeland, a nod to Ranma Saotome from *Ranma ½*, who is also voiced by Hayashibara.
Lina was born in the fictional country of Zephilia. Her parents are ordinary townspeople, and Lina, feeling inferior to her older sister Luna, decided to become a sorceress and convinced her parents to send her to the Sorcerer’s Guild school. Luna, a knight known as the Knight of Zephilia, excelled in martial studies and was beloved by everyone. Though Lina fearlessly faces dragons, monsters, and dark lords, the mere mention of Luna terrifies her. Lina dislikes nicknames like “Bandit Killer” and “Dragon Spooker,” but finds “Lina the Pink,” a fan-made nickname, most embarrassing. In prequel stories, she meets Naga the Serpent, a sorceress who obsessively considers Lina her greatest rival.
- field
- Fictional sorceress
- nationality
- Zephilia (fictional country)
- known_for
- Main protagonist of Slayers; signature spell Dragon Slave; official Guild title 'Lina the Bandit Killer'; nicknames including 'Bandit Killer' and 'Dragon Spooker'
Lore & Background
Lina Inverse was born in the fictional country of Zephilia. Her parents are ordinary townspeople, and Lina, suffering from an inferiority complex toward her older sister Luna Inverse, decided to become a sorceress and coaxed her parents to send her to the Sorcerer's Guild school. Luna, a Knight of Zephilia, excelled in martial studies and was the darling of the town; Lina's fear of Luna stems from a childhood incident where Lina was severely punished for reasons not detailed in canon. Lina has many nicknames, including 'Bandit Killer' and 'Dragon Spooker,' but her official Guild title is 'Lina the Bandit Killer.' In prequel stories, she meets Naga the Serpent, a sorceress who considers Lina her greatest rival, and they travel together while often fighting. Lina earns a reputation for tracking and destroying bandits for fun and profit.
Reader's Guide
Lina Inverse is a central figure in the Slayers franchise, appearing across light novels, manga, anime, films, OVAs, and video games. Her character has been consistently voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in Japanese, with English dubs by Lisa Ortiz (TV series) and Cynthia Martinez (films and OVAs). Lina's design was inspired by a vintage film featuring Audrey Hepburn, as noted by illustrator Rui Araizumi. She has been described by scholar John Lance Griffith as following the tradition of Western lady knights and sorceresses, such as Spenser's Britomart and Tolkien's Arwen and Eowyn. Lina's popularity in the late 1990s led to a lasting fan following and inspired characters in both Slayers and other works. She appears as a player character or avatar in numerous role-playing video games, including Elemental Story, Heroes Phantasia, Granblue Fantasy, and Guardian Tales. Her legacy includes a range of merchandise, such as figurines, cosplay outfits, perfumes, and a digital figure compatible with augmented and virtual reality.
Did You Know?
- Lina Inverse is 147 cm (4 feet 10 inches) tall and has two moles on her forehead usually covered by her headband.
- Her signature attack is the Dragon Slave, a devastating black magic spell.
- Lina's appearance in the film Slayers: The Motion Picture is a nod to Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½, who is also voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in Japanese.
- In the audio drama Slayers Kita Kaette EX #4, an elderly Lina and Naga are shown vacationing together in their eighties.
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