Be Quiet - Application
Apr. 7th, 2018 12:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
honorarydragonOOC:
Player Name: Yumi
Age: 26
Contact: Plurk: Yzaksama
Other Characters: N/A
IC:
Name: Hak
Canon: Akatsuki no Yona
Canon Point: Ch. 121, as he runs towards Yona
Age: 18
Spoken language(s): Koukan. Which is like an ancient-Korean with Japanese influences. Or something.
Username: darkdragon
To the Mods: N/A, Hak is good for now
History: Have a link to the Akatsuki no Yona Wiki
The wikia contains some information on Hak’s life up to the point when he became a general and Chief of the Wind Tribe. As Hak is a main character and constant companion of Yona, the titular character, their journeys match almost exactly. His story however also is a long one to tell seeing as there are more than 130 chapters of the manga at the moment already. I will therefore only very briefly summarize Hak’s story in Akatsuki no Yona and hope doing so is alright.
On Princess Yona’s 16th birthday her cousin Soo-Won, who like Yona was Hak’s childhood friend, kills her father King Il. Wanting to save her life, Hak and Yona flee Castle Hiryuu and hide in the woods before they reach Hak’s hometown Fuuga, the capital of the Wind Tribe. On this journey, Hak has to watch Yona grow more and more apathetic as a result of the traumatic event, yet she still holds on to a hair ornament Soo-Won gave her as a birthday present, leading him to believe she still harbors romantic feelings for the new king. As he thinks it’s best for her to hide in Fuuga and lead a happy life there, he decides to leave her there but she convinces him to take her with him.
In the hopes of being told of the path she should take, Yona and Hak set out to find a priest. On their way to him, they are however nearly killed when they meet Tae-Jun, the second son of the Fire Tribe's Chief, who wants to bring Yona back to Hiryuu Castle, and fall of a cliff, only to be found by Yoon, who takes care of the priest Ik-Soo. The priest then tells them about the legend of the four dragons and King Hiryuu, whose reincarnation Yona appears to be. To protect Hak’s life Yona decides to find the dragons because he may otherwise die protecting her, while she also has Hak teach her the bow and arrow. One after the other they manage to find the four dragons, while also travelling through the land of Kouka and trying to help as many people as they can, both within their own borders and in the neighbouring countries.
Personality: Hak is a former general of the kingdom of Kouka. He was hesitant to take this position when he was younger as he saw the king he would serve as a "happy-go-lucky" man until King Il stepped in to stop Hak and Tae-Jun from arguing. The king injured his hand as he stopped the latter’s sword but didn’t even flinch, which showed Hak that he was not a coward. Even though Hak considered living at his own pace important before, he was willing to make it his life’s purpose to protect Il and his daughter Yona and maintain peace in their kingdom once he saw Il’s true colours. While Hak’s trust has to be earned, he will never betray whoever is deserving of it in his eyes. Even after Il’s death, when other people speak ill of him, Hak’s faith in him does not waver.
The same applies to Yona and Soo-Won, the princess and her cousin, whom Hak grew up with. While he has been harboring feelings of love for Yona, he never acted on them as he was well aware of Yona being in love with Soo-Won. The way he supported them, even telling Soo-Won to marry Yona when the other man told Hak he wanted him as his right hand, shows that he values the happiness of those he cares about a lot more than his own. To ensure Yona’s happiness he is content with protecting both of them, rather than take Yona for himself. To Hak Yona’s wishes and well-being always come first. All of this is also part of why Soo-Won’s betrayal hits Hak just as hard as Yona. The man he trusted with the woman he loved murdered her father with his own hands in front of her eyes. While Hak is otherwise not shown to be resentful, he cannot forgive Soo-Won for what he has done, especially since it almost turned Yona into something akin to a living doll and shattered her will to live. But also because him killing the king seems to contradict everything Hak used to think he knew about his dear and trusted friend. The anger and resentment he displays whenever they meet or discuss Soo-Won later on is unrivaled in its intensity.
As Hak used to be an orphan before Son Mundok adopted him as his grandson, Hak values both of his families more than anything else. He has been shown to be very close to the family he grew up in – the wind clan – and also his chosen family consisting of the people he travels with. While he is wary of strangers and villages after he leaves Hiryuu Castle with Yona, he quickly comes to trust Yoon and the four dragons. This is shown for example when he sleeps soundly while the others look at merchandise at a market, knowing that they are capable of protecting Yona even without him. During a fight they act as one body and with his brute fighting strength that nearly matches their supernatural powers, they know that they can rely on each other in any case. Hak sometimes refers to himself as the “Dark Dragon”, furthermore emphasizing how he is one of them even without any powers. How much he cares about them as well as Yoon personally and not just because the dragons follow Yona, becomes apparent when Hak suggests meeting Soo-Won as this seems to be the only way to free his companions after they have been taken hostage by the kingdom of Xing. He also notes that it is much livelier with everyone around, suggesting that he does enjoy their company.
While Hak appears to be rather aloof and even uncaring at times, he is often not openly showing his true thoughts or feelings on purpose. Such is the case when he interacts with Yona most of all. While he is in love with her, he never openly shows her that, instead he often teases her as a means to be close to her but still hide his true feelings. At times this is hard for him to keep up this facade and he gives in to his desires, such as when he licks her fingers after he has coated them with honey to disinfect them. While he is very observant and easily noticed the way Yona felt toward Soo-Won, her feelings towards Hak himself are something he is unaware of, owing to the fact that his love has not been reciprocated for a very long time and he has gotten used to it. Hence he brushes off some things she says or does as hallucinations or his imagination instead of allowing himself to consider her liking him romantically as a possibility. Instead, he is a lot more likely to interpret things like her pushing him away as an indication that she hates him and can quickly become depressed as a result. Although Hak is seldom seen smiling happily, he does so when Yona gives him a lapis lazuli necklace for protection, as he cherishes the fact that she wants him to be protected.
Something Hak does very commonly would be teasing others, though it can be for a variety of reasons. Most often he can be seen teasing Yona which - as already pointed out - is his way of being affectionate with her without having to admit to his feelings, as he can just claim to have been interested in her reaction or something similar. He sometimes also insults her, especially in the beginning of the story, when he claims something is wrong with her head or that she is bothersome, but this also is a way for him to hide his true thoughts and feelings. He also uses this tactic in an attempt to protect her, when he wants to leave Fuuga by himself and keep her safe thereby claiming that without her he is finally able to travel freely and that she has only been a burden, wanting her to hate him so she lets him leave. This instance again shows how selfless he is, seeing as he maybe never would have seen her again, but was willing to give her up completely only so that she could be safe and have a chance to lead a peaceful and happy life. His insults can also change into something to show his affection with, which can be seen in his relationship with Kija. At first, when the two of them basically were rivals who wanted to protect the princess on their own and fought over her, he called Kija, the White Dragon, who is very proud of his legacy, “white snake” to insult him, but later on as Kija grew used to the moniker and they got along it grew into somewhat of an affectionate nickname. The same can be said about him calling Jae-Ha “droopy eyes” or even his adoptive grandfather Mundok “Old man”. In the case of the latter – just like with Yona – Hak also clearly enjoys seeing how they react to him calling them names and is amused by it.
There are also instances in which Hak comes across as quite arrogant, but not necessarily in a negative way. Throughout Kouka Hak is known as the Raijuu or Thunder Beast because of his incredible strength, a nickname that Hak is shown to take pride in, just like he is proud of the strength that earned him it. He is however always ready to acknowledge the strength of others such as the four dragons or Xing’s Five Stars and even appears to enjoy meeting his match in a fight. He can also been seen to let some of Yona’s comments and words of praise for him get to his head, as he then stands there snickering and barely is able to hide the happiness her words bring him, like when she tells Kija that she doesn’t want to go if Hak isn’t coming with them.
While he views it as his duty to protect Yona even at the cost of his own life and is not even batting an eye when he has to kill numerous people to do so, he is very proud to watch her grow stronger – both mentally and physically. While he has always loved and somewhat admired her, he watches her grow constantly and even though her taking up a weapon goes against her father’s explicit wishes he knows that she needs to become stronger to be able to protect herself and those she loves. His love for her and the way he sees her has changed somewhat in that regard because he now clearly views her as his equal and also increasingly tells her and other people that she is cool or that what she said was amazing, acknowledging how much she has changed but also clearly encouraging it.
Hak’s attitude towards his comrades changes a lot from the beginning of his travels up to his current canon point. When Hak first leaves with Yona he has been betrayed by the person he trusted moth in the world, the one he wanted to entrust with Yona’s happiness, his childhood friend Soo-Won. As a result, he doesn't trust anyone and thus avoids leaving the woods because anyone they might encounter could give them away, which means that any village may be dangerous, except Hak’s hometown of Fuuga.
When they first meet Kija and the other dragons, Hak is weary of them and goes so far as suggesting that Yona not take Kija with them after the white dragon offers Hak money to leave Yona to him. He is afraid that the dragons may take the place that has been his ever since he became the princess’ bodyguard, the only position that allows for him to remain by her side. Before he sees Kija fight for the first time, he is also not convinced that the pretty white-haired man is even able to defend Yona properly and it clearly hurts Hak’s pride that someone not used to sleeping outside sees him as weak. Both the nickname (white snake) and insults (sheltered, pampered boy) he throws his new comrade’s way, show how antagonistic he is towards him, while it’s also clear that he does not trust him as he does not tell Kija why he is protecting Yona in the first place. At the same time, however, the two men quickly develop a sort of rivalry, since Hak notices Kija’s blossoming feelings towards Yona, but is also greatly encouraged to fight harder because he has someone who is on par with him on the battlefield.
Hak is forced to trust Kija and Yoon with Yona’s life when he can’t accompany them because of his injuries without argument, which despite the fact that he did not have a choice shows that he has faith in Kija’s strength. If one were to compare the Hak then to the Hak at his current canon point, a visible change is also noticeable: Hak used to be noticeably uneasy and tense when not with Yona but later even sleeps soundly as the others browse a market, showing that he has grown to trust them as much as he trusts himself. While Hak is never shown to distrust Shin-Ah - whose ability to see across wide distances he quickly comes to rely on -, things are different concerning Jae-ha. The green dragon is very observant and often challenges him, such as when he tells him that he doesn’t seem to feel desire towards Yona, but also acts very flamboyantly which includes dragging Hak to a brothel when they first meet, both of which put him into an uncomfortable position. There are many moments when Jae-ha calls Hak out on his feelings, forcing him to face them and think about them more than he would prefer.
As the story continues Hak is shown to care about the dragons’ well-being, such as when he asks Kija whether he ate something bad again following the incident with the Hakuyruu scale or when Jae-ha has been drugged in Shisen. In the latter case also is very considerate towards Jae-ha’s feelings because he is sure “that guy doesn’t want to be seen like this”. He feels locked out of the loop when the others speak about their initiation as dragons, while he also is disappointed by the lack of powers Zeno displays since he has come to know the dragons as very powerful individuals, which leads to him jokingly proclaiming that he is Ouryuu instead of Zeno. When Kija rather suggests him to be a “Dark Dragon”, Hak visibly likes the title, which also indicates that Hak longs to be one of them, presumably both because he cares for them and also because it would give him a reason to always be by Yona’s side, just like the dragons are. Later on, the nickname would resurface several times, as his moniker when they pose as bandits in the fire tribes' territory and when he even later would claim that he is able to feel that his dragon brothers are alright to soothe Yona when they are separated. A later exchange with Zeno clearly shows that he does care greatly about the dragons when Hak tells Zeno that the dragons are irreplaceable just like Zeno considers Hak to be. Some other things that show how much he appreciates the dragon’s presence in his and Yona’s life and likes, would be him feeling bad about hurting Kija and Jae-ha when they stop him from attacking Soo-Won, going to look for the missing dragons rather than just wait and take care of the unconscious Yona when Shin-Ah’s possessed by a former Seiryuu and the fact that he can be seen smiling genuinely more and more often when he teases Jaeha and the others.
The way he handles the romantic feelings he harbours for Yona also changes greatly in the course of Akatsuki no Yona. He grew up believing himself to be inadequate while he was also aware of Yona’s feelings for Soo-Won, which led him to hide his own love for the princess altogether, instead wanting Soo-Won to make Yona happy and the three of them to always be together. That dream is shattered to pieces when Soo-Won kills Yona’s father. Rather than making her his, he wants her to be safe and happy more than anything following their escape from the palace as well, her life being far more important to him than his personal feelings or even his life. In the beginning, he only shows his feelings by laughing because Yona says he is precious to her, which he is very happy to hear, or when his heart is swayed and he decides to take Yona away from Fuuga after she tells him she wants him. Any romantic advance is hidden behind a joke and when he tries to kiss her, it's only because he is truly happy she would cry for him and takes it as an indication that she has romantic feelings for him too. He is greatly discouraged when she does not recognize the kiss for what it was, instead thinking that he just wanted to take her temperature. Generally, Hak appears to not want her to get too close to him, as it makes it harder for him to hold back and not let instances such as these reoccur.
While he doesn’t want her to fight and get hurt, another part of him also enjoys seeing her grow and "struggle like a human being". He has always admired her greatly as a princess, but also wants to know every bit of her, all of the different sides to her that he has not had the chance to see before and the newly found determination and strength she displays. This is also why he helps her get stronger, despite knowing that her father never wanted her to touch a weapon.
There is a noticeable distance between them that Hak seems to bridge on more than one occasion. After the tunnel collapses and he is separated from the others when they look for Seiryuu, Hak greatly blames himself for not going with them and later hugs Yona out of sheer relief. He is aware of the said distance between them for he tries to call her “Yona” just like Shin-Ah and Yoon do now, but she orders him to not forget that she is a princess, reminding him of their difference in status and the reason that he is with her – as her bodyguard, not as her childhood friend – but he obeys her, promising her he will never forget that she is Il’s daughter.
To hide his true intention and his kindness, Hak happens to call Yona “ugly” when urging her to relax and take better care of herself, which shows his unwillingness to admit to his true feelings while Yona still carries the present Soo-Won gave her. He also enjoys to see her all riled up because of him, such as when he is teasing her with embarrassing things she formerly said to him, like “I want you”. When forced to think about his own feelings and desires more instead of pushing them to the back of his mind, he can get carried away, such as when he licks the honey off of Yona’s hands, showing that his self-control isn’t always as reliable as he’d prefer it to be. At the same time however, he is also shown to dislike the fact that Yona is more aware of the others – like Kija when he was affected by the Hakuryuu scale – than she is of Hak and so tends to not have much of a reaction to his “jokes”, as she doesn’t see him like that for the longest time. He is painfully aware of that, so much so that he interprets any differing behavior of hers as hallucinations or something similar later on. He has grown so used to her not seeing him like this that he is unable to notice that the way she sees him changes over time.
Hak also has moments of great honesty that serve as a contrast to the way he otherwise hides behind jokes or pretends to be indifferent. When Yona tells him to do something he likes, he kisses her forehead, without leaving any room for interpretation as to how he meant that. That way he forces the princess to become more aware of him as a man but also is confused when she pulls back from him and doesn't want to sleep in the same tent as him as a result. Hak therefore clearly is very observant unless it concerns Yona’s feelings towards him. He is also often shown to be very conflicted between what he wants to do (pushing her down) and what he knows he should or should not do, while he also never would do anything that she explicitly does not want, such as force himself on her in any way. He cherishes her far too much to even consider that, even if her reaction would be very interesting for him to witness. When Soo-Won’s present resurfaces after a long time, it serves as a reminder of Yona’s lingering feelings – or so Hak thinks because she is still holding on to it – and makes Hak pull back, again not wanting to force his feelings on someone he thinks is not able or willing to return them.
Another moment of honesty would be him sending her away after again kissing her face when he is about to face the Kai army by himself and it is uncertain whether he will survive this. He claims it recharged him while it's also clear that it is a goodbye because he tells her to run. In the face of death, he wants something good to hold on to. As the series progresses these displays of honesty concerning his true feelings become more and more frequent. When she gives him the lapis lazuli he does not shy away from taking her hand – which he also does more often on other occasions – and also tells her that his happiness is seeing her happy and thanking her for the gift, something he may not have done at the beginning of the series.
When Hak and Soo-Won grew up as childhood friends, they each thought of the other as their ideal, which made both of them strive to become better so they could be equal to the other. As already mentioned Hak also considered Soo-Won to be more worthy of Yona than he was and – entrusting him with Yona’s happiness – wished for Soo-Won to be king so the three of them could be together forever. All of this shows how important Soo-Won was to Hak, which makes his betrayal so much crueler and installs an unrivaled hatred in Hak, who has to believe that everything they shared before was nothing but a lie. The hair ornament Yona received from Soo-Won as a birthday present and that she still carries with her serves as a permanent reminder of what he did along with the many hardships the princess has to face and that Hak cannot forgive him for.
Whenever anyone would speak of the current king Hak’s expression notably changes and dims, which Jae-ha views as an indication that Hak cared greatly for Soo-Won. Once Hak has a terrible nightmare in which Yona asks him to help her kill Soo-Won and avenge her father only to be killed by Soo-Won as well, which can be viewed as the thing Hak fears happening the most. While Yona already meets Soo-Won again in Awa, which Hak seems to know just from looking at the expression on the princess’ face, he only encounters the king again in Sensui. Despite the fact that Hak is severely injured after protecting Yona and Zeno, he keeps charging at Soo-Won while knocking everyone he has to out of the way. His hatred and rage, remembering the past Soo-Won destroyed and that the happy days that they will never be able to go back to - fuel him and seem to make him indifferent to the pain. Everything he can see is Soo-Won and all he wants is to kill him, which Kija and Jae-ha, whom he also attacks, prevent him from doing. Only when Yona interferes and tells him that it is alright and she is as well does he stop. Hak notably starts crying as a result of this encounter, something we never otherwise see him do, signifying how important Soo-Won was to him and how he grieves the relationship they lost.
While his feelings towards Soo-Won boil up again as they speak at the fort, he also agrees to Soo-Won’s suggestion and cooperates with him for the sake of everyone at the front they want to rescue. Hak focuses on what is important at that moment rather than give in to his hatred, working toward a common goal, such as when they later save Lili together. His ability to prioritize reuniting with Yona and helping Lili and the captives at the fort shows that he has calmed down somewhat compared to his former encounter with Soo-Won, where he was able to vent the rage towards the current king he was keeping inside for such a long time. While he does not trust Soo-Won again, he is aware of the fact that they cannot reach their common goal without cooperating and is able to see past their differences and leave without further incident, the latter of which is also helped by the support of his two families – his travelling companions and the Wind tribe.
Abilities/Skills: - Strength that is close to superhuman. Hak has been remarked to be the strongest fighter in Kouka Kingdom (not counting the four dragons). - Military training, including strategic and combat training. His weapon of choice is his glaive, but he is also shown to be excellent at fighting with a sword, bow, and arrow or his bare hands.
- Perseverance. He has been shown to survive injuries that should have been fatal while he still continued fighting, which also shows his extraordinary willpower.
Samples: Sample 1 Sample 2
Player Name: Yumi
Age: 26
Contact: Plurk: Yzaksama
Other Characters: N/A
IC:
Name: Hak
Canon: Akatsuki no Yona
Canon Point: Ch. 121, as he runs towards Yona
Age: 18
Spoken language(s): Koukan. Which is like an ancient-Korean with Japanese influences. Or something.
Username: darkdragon
To the Mods: N/A, Hak is good for now
History: Have a link to the Akatsuki no Yona Wiki
The wikia contains some information on Hak’s life up to the point when he became a general and Chief of the Wind Tribe. As Hak is a main character and constant companion of Yona, the titular character, their journeys match almost exactly. His story however also is a long one to tell seeing as there are more than 130 chapters of the manga at the moment already. I will therefore only very briefly summarize Hak’s story in Akatsuki no Yona and hope doing so is alright.
On Princess Yona’s 16th birthday her cousin Soo-Won, who like Yona was Hak’s childhood friend, kills her father King Il. Wanting to save her life, Hak and Yona flee Castle Hiryuu and hide in the woods before they reach Hak’s hometown Fuuga, the capital of the Wind Tribe. On this journey, Hak has to watch Yona grow more and more apathetic as a result of the traumatic event, yet she still holds on to a hair ornament Soo-Won gave her as a birthday present, leading him to believe she still harbors romantic feelings for the new king. As he thinks it’s best for her to hide in Fuuga and lead a happy life there, he decides to leave her there but she convinces him to take her with him.
In the hopes of being told of the path she should take, Yona and Hak set out to find a priest. On their way to him, they are however nearly killed when they meet Tae-Jun, the second son of the Fire Tribe's Chief, who wants to bring Yona back to Hiryuu Castle, and fall of a cliff, only to be found by Yoon, who takes care of the priest Ik-Soo. The priest then tells them about the legend of the four dragons and King Hiryuu, whose reincarnation Yona appears to be. To protect Hak’s life Yona decides to find the dragons because he may otherwise die protecting her, while she also has Hak teach her the bow and arrow. One after the other they manage to find the four dragons, while also travelling through the land of Kouka and trying to help as many people as they can, both within their own borders and in the neighbouring countries.
Personality: Hak is a former general of the kingdom of Kouka. He was hesitant to take this position when he was younger as he saw the king he would serve as a "happy-go-lucky" man until King Il stepped in to stop Hak and Tae-Jun from arguing. The king injured his hand as he stopped the latter’s sword but didn’t even flinch, which showed Hak that he was not a coward. Even though Hak considered living at his own pace important before, he was willing to make it his life’s purpose to protect Il and his daughter Yona and maintain peace in their kingdom once he saw Il’s true colours. While Hak’s trust has to be earned, he will never betray whoever is deserving of it in his eyes. Even after Il’s death, when other people speak ill of him, Hak’s faith in him does not waver.
The same applies to Yona and Soo-Won, the princess and her cousin, whom Hak grew up with. While he has been harboring feelings of love for Yona, he never acted on them as he was well aware of Yona being in love with Soo-Won. The way he supported them, even telling Soo-Won to marry Yona when the other man told Hak he wanted him as his right hand, shows that he values the happiness of those he cares about a lot more than his own. To ensure Yona’s happiness he is content with protecting both of them, rather than take Yona for himself. To Hak Yona’s wishes and well-being always come first. All of this is also part of why Soo-Won’s betrayal hits Hak just as hard as Yona. The man he trusted with the woman he loved murdered her father with his own hands in front of her eyes. While Hak is otherwise not shown to be resentful, he cannot forgive Soo-Won for what he has done, especially since it almost turned Yona into something akin to a living doll and shattered her will to live. But also because him killing the king seems to contradict everything Hak used to think he knew about his dear and trusted friend. The anger and resentment he displays whenever they meet or discuss Soo-Won later on is unrivaled in its intensity.
As Hak used to be an orphan before Son Mundok adopted him as his grandson, Hak values both of his families more than anything else. He has been shown to be very close to the family he grew up in – the wind clan – and also his chosen family consisting of the people he travels with. While he is wary of strangers and villages after he leaves Hiryuu Castle with Yona, he quickly comes to trust Yoon and the four dragons. This is shown for example when he sleeps soundly while the others look at merchandise at a market, knowing that they are capable of protecting Yona even without him. During a fight they act as one body and with his brute fighting strength that nearly matches their supernatural powers, they know that they can rely on each other in any case. Hak sometimes refers to himself as the “Dark Dragon”, furthermore emphasizing how he is one of them even without any powers. How much he cares about them as well as Yoon personally and not just because the dragons follow Yona, becomes apparent when Hak suggests meeting Soo-Won as this seems to be the only way to free his companions after they have been taken hostage by the kingdom of Xing. He also notes that it is much livelier with everyone around, suggesting that he does enjoy their company.
While Hak appears to be rather aloof and even uncaring at times, he is often not openly showing his true thoughts or feelings on purpose. Such is the case when he interacts with Yona most of all. While he is in love with her, he never openly shows her that, instead he often teases her as a means to be close to her but still hide his true feelings. At times this is hard for him to keep up this facade and he gives in to his desires, such as when he licks her fingers after he has coated them with honey to disinfect them. While he is very observant and easily noticed the way Yona felt toward Soo-Won, her feelings towards Hak himself are something he is unaware of, owing to the fact that his love has not been reciprocated for a very long time and he has gotten used to it. Hence he brushes off some things she says or does as hallucinations or his imagination instead of allowing himself to consider her liking him romantically as a possibility. Instead, he is a lot more likely to interpret things like her pushing him away as an indication that she hates him and can quickly become depressed as a result. Although Hak is seldom seen smiling happily, he does so when Yona gives him a lapis lazuli necklace for protection, as he cherishes the fact that she wants him to be protected.
Something Hak does very commonly would be teasing others, though it can be for a variety of reasons. Most often he can be seen teasing Yona which - as already pointed out - is his way of being affectionate with her without having to admit to his feelings, as he can just claim to have been interested in her reaction or something similar. He sometimes also insults her, especially in the beginning of the story, when he claims something is wrong with her head or that she is bothersome, but this also is a way for him to hide his true thoughts and feelings. He also uses this tactic in an attempt to protect her, when he wants to leave Fuuga by himself and keep her safe thereby claiming that without her he is finally able to travel freely and that she has only been a burden, wanting her to hate him so she lets him leave. This instance again shows how selfless he is, seeing as he maybe never would have seen her again, but was willing to give her up completely only so that she could be safe and have a chance to lead a peaceful and happy life. His insults can also change into something to show his affection with, which can be seen in his relationship with Kija. At first, when the two of them basically were rivals who wanted to protect the princess on their own and fought over her, he called Kija, the White Dragon, who is very proud of his legacy, “white snake” to insult him, but later on as Kija grew used to the moniker and they got along it grew into somewhat of an affectionate nickname. The same can be said about him calling Jae-Ha “droopy eyes” or even his adoptive grandfather Mundok “Old man”. In the case of the latter – just like with Yona – Hak also clearly enjoys seeing how they react to him calling them names and is amused by it.
There are also instances in which Hak comes across as quite arrogant, but not necessarily in a negative way. Throughout Kouka Hak is known as the Raijuu or Thunder Beast because of his incredible strength, a nickname that Hak is shown to take pride in, just like he is proud of the strength that earned him it. He is however always ready to acknowledge the strength of others such as the four dragons or Xing’s Five Stars and even appears to enjoy meeting his match in a fight. He can also been seen to let some of Yona’s comments and words of praise for him get to his head, as he then stands there snickering and barely is able to hide the happiness her words bring him, like when she tells Kija that she doesn’t want to go if Hak isn’t coming with them.
While he views it as his duty to protect Yona even at the cost of his own life and is not even batting an eye when he has to kill numerous people to do so, he is very proud to watch her grow stronger – both mentally and physically. While he has always loved and somewhat admired her, he watches her grow constantly and even though her taking up a weapon goes against her father’s explicit wishes he knows that she needs to become stronger to be able to protect herself and those she loves. His love for her and the way he sees her has changed somewhat in that regard because he now clearly views her as his equal and also increasingly tells her and other people that she is cool or that what she said was amazing, acknowledging how much she has changed but also clearly encouraging it.
Hak’s attitude towards his comrades changes a lot from the beginning of his travels up to his current canon point. When Hak first leaves with Yona he has been betrayed by the person he trusted moth in the world, the one he wanted to entrust with Yona’s happiness, his childhood friend Soo-Won. As a result, he doesn't trust anyone and thus avoids leaving the woods because anyone they might encounter could give them away, which means that any village may be dangerous, except Hak’s hometown of Fuuga.
When they first meet Kija and the other dragons, Hak is weary of them and goes so far as suggesting that Yona not take Kija with them after the white dragon offers Hak money to leave Yona to him. He is afraid that the dragons may take the place that has been his ever since he became the princess’ bodyguard, the only position that allows for him to remain by her side. Before he sees Kija fight for the first time, he is also not convinced that the pretty white-haired man is even able to defend Yona properly and it clearly hurts Hak’s pride that someone not used to sleeping outside sees him as weak. Both the nickname (white snake) and insults (sheltered, pampered boy) he throws his new comrade’s way, show how antagonistic he is towards him, while it’s also clear that he does not trust him as he does not tell Kija why he is protecting Yona in the first place. At the same time, however, the two men quickly develop a sort of rivalry, since Hak notices Kija’s blossoming feelings towards Yona, but is also greatly encouraged to fight harder because he has someone who is on par with him on the battlefield.
Hak is forced to trust Kija and Yoon with Yona’s life when he can’t accompany them because of his injuries without argument, which despite the fact that he did not have a choice shows that he has faith in Kija’s strength. If one were to compare the Hak then to the Hak at his current canon point, a visible change is also noticeable: Hak used to be noticeably uneasy and tense when not with Yona but later even sleeps soundly as the others browse a market, showing that he has grown to trust them as much as he trusts himself. While Hak is never shown to distrust Shin-Ah - whose ability to see across wide distances he quickly comes to rely on -, things are different concerning Jae-ha. The green dragon is very observant and often challenges him, such as when he tells him that he doesn’t seem to feel desire towards Yona, but also acts very flamboyantly which includes dragging Hak to a brothel when they first meet, both of which put him into an uncomfortable position. There are many moments when Jae-ha calls Hak out on his feelings, forcing him to face them and think about them more than he would prefer.
As the story continues Hak is shown to care about the dragons’ well-being, such as when he asks Kija whether he ate something bad again following the incident with the Hakuyruu scale or when Jae-ha has been drugged in Shisen. In the latter case also is very considerate towards Jae-ha’s feelings because he is sure “that guy doesn’t want to be seen like this”. He feels locked out of the loop when the others speak about their initiation as dragons, while he also is disappointed by the lack of powers Zeno displays since he has come to know the dragons as very powerful individuals, which leads to him jokingly proclaiming that he is Ouryuu instead of Zeno. When Kija rather suggests him to be a “Dark Dragon”, Hak visibly likes the title, which also indicates that Hak longs to be one of them, presumably both because he cares for them and also because it would give him a reason to always be by Yona’s side, just like the dragons are. Later on, the nickname would resurface several times, as his moniker when they pose as bandits in the fire tribes' territory and when he even later would claim that he is able to feel that his dragon brothers are alright to soothe Yona when they are separated. A later exchange with Zeno clearly shows that he does care greatly about the dragons when Hak tells Zeno that the dragons are irreplaceable just like Zeno considers Hak to be. Some other things that show how much he appreciates the dragon’s presence in his and Yona’s life and likes, would be him feeling bad about hurting Kija and Jae-ha when they stop him from attacking Soo-Won, going to look for the missing dragons rather than just wait and take care of the unconscious Yona when Shin-Ah’s possessed by a former Seiryuu and the fact that he can be seen smiling genuinely more and more often when he teases Jaeha and the others.
The way he handles the romantic feelings he harbours for Yona also changes greatly in the course of Akatsuki no Yona. He grew up believing himself to be inadequate while he was also aware of Yona’s feelings for Soo-Won, which led him to hide his own love for the princess altogether, instead wanting Soo-Won to make Yona happy and the three of them to always be together. That dream is shattered to pieces when Soo-Won kills Yona’s father. Rather than making her his, he wants her to be safe and happy more than anything following their escape from the palace as well, her life being far more important to him than his personal feelings or even his life. In the beginning, he only shows his feelings by laughing because Yona says he is precious to her, which he is very happy to hear, or when his heart is swayed and he decides to take Yona away from Fuuga after she tells him she wants him. Any romantic advance is hidden behind a joke and when he tries to kiss her, it's only because he is truly happy she would cry for him and takes it as an indication that she has romantic feelings for him too. He is greatly discouraged when she does not recognize the kiss for what it was, instead thinking that he just wanted to take her temperature. Generally, Hak appears to not want her to get too close to him, as it makes it harder for him to hold back and not let instances such as these reoccur.
While he doesn’t want her to fight and get hurt, another part of him also enjoys seeing her grow and "struggle like a human being". He has always admired her greatly as a princess, but also wants to know every bit of her, all of the different sides to her that he has not had the chance to see before and the newly found determination and strength she displays. This is also why he helps her get stronger, despite knowing that her father never wanted her to touch a weapon.
There is a noticeable distance between them that Hak seems to bridge on more than one occasion. After the tunnel collapses and he is separated from the others when they look for Seiryuu, Hak greatly blames himself for not going with them and later hugs Yona out of sheer relief. He is aware of the said distance between them for he tries to call her “Yona” just like Shin-Ah and Yoon do now, but she orders him to not forget that she is a princess, reminding him of their difference in status and the reason that he is with her – as her bodyguard, not as her childhood friend – but he obeys her, promising her he will never forget that she is Il’s daughter.
To hide his true intention and his kindness, Hak happens to call Yona “ugly” when urging her to relax and take better care of herself, which shows his unwillingness to admit to his true feelings while Yona still carries the present Soo-Won gave her. He also enjoys to see her all riled up because of him, such as when he is teasing her with embarrassing things she formerly said to him, like “I want you”. When forced to think about his own feelings and desires more instead of pushing them to the back of his mind, he can get carried away, such as when he licks the honey off of Yona’s hands, showing that his self-control isn’t always as reliable as he’d prefer it to be. At the same time however, he is also shown to dislike the fact that Yona is more aware of the others – like Kija when he was affected by the Hakuryuu scale – than she is of Hak and so tends to not have much of a reaction to his “jokes”, as she doesn’t see him like that for the longest time. He is painfully aware of that, so much so that he interprets any differing behavior of hers as hallucinations or something similar later on. He has grown so used to her not seeing him like this that he is unable to notice that the way she sees him changes over time.
Hak also has moments of great honesty that serve as a contrast to the way he otherwise hides behind jokes or pretends to be indifferent. When Yona tells him to do something he likes, he kisses her forehead, without leaving any room for interpretation as to how he meant that. That way he forces the princess to become more aware of him as a man but also is confused when she pulls back from him and doesn't want to sleep in the same tent as him as a result. Hak therefore clearly is very observant unless it concerns Yona’s feelings towards him. He is also often shown to be very conflicted between what he wants to do (pushing her down) and what he knows he should or should not do, while he also never would do anything that she explicitly does not want, such as force himself on her in any way. He cherishes her far too much to even consider that, even if her reaction would be very interesting for him to witness. When Soo-Won’s present resurfaces after a long time, it serves as a reminder of Yona’s lingering feelings – or so Hak thinks because she is still holding on to it – and makes Hak pull back, again not wanting to force his feelings on someone he thinks is not able or willing to return them.
Another moment of honesty would be him sending her away after again kissing her face when he is about to face the Kai army by himself and it is uncertain whether he will survive this. He claims it recharged him while it's also clear that it is a goodbye because he tells her to run. In the face of death, he wants something good to hold on to. As the series progresses these displays of honesty concerning his true feelings become more and more frequent. When she gives him the lapis lazuli he does not shy away from taking her hand – which he also does more often on other occasions – and also tells her that his happiness is seeing her happy and thanking her for the gift, something he may not have done at the beginning of the series.
When Hak and Soo-Won grew up as childhood friends, they each thought of the other as their ideal, which made both of them strive to become better so they could be equal to the other. As already mentioned Hak also considered Soo-Won to be more worthy of Yona than he was and – entrusting him with Yona’s happiness – wished for Soo-Won to be king so the three of them could be together forever. All of this shows how important Soo-Won was to Hak, which makes his betrayal so much crueler and installs an unrivaled hatred in Hak, who has to believe that everything they shared before was nothing but a lie. The hair ornament Yona received from Soo-Won as a birthday present and that she still carries with her serves as a permanent reminder of what he did along with the many hardships the princess has to face and that Hak cannot forgive him for.
Whenever anyone would speak of the current king Hak’s expression notably changes and dims, which Jae-ha views as an indication that Hak cared greatly for Soo-Won. Once Hak has a terrible nightmare in which Yona asks him to help her kill Soo-Won and avenge her father only to be killed by Soo-Won as well, which can be viewed as the thing Hak fears happening the most. While Yona already meets Soo-Won again in Awa, which Hak seems to know just from looking at the expression on the princess’ face, he only encounters the king again in Sensui. Despite the fact that Hak is severely injured after protecting Yona and Zeno, he keeps charging at Soo-Won while knocking everyone he has to out of the way. His hatred and rage, remembering the past Soo-Won destroyed and that the happy days that they will never be able to go back to - fuel him and seem to make him indifferent to the pain. Everything he can see is Soo-Won and all he wants is to kill him, which Kija and Jae-ha, whom he also attacks, prevent him from doing. Only when Yona interferes and tells him that it is alright and she is as well does he stop. Hak notably starts crying as a result of this encounter, something we never otherwise see him do, signifying how important Soo-Won was to him and how he grieves the relationship they lost.
While his feelings towards Soo-Won boil up again as they speak at the fort, he also agrees to Soo-Won’s suggestion and cooperates with him for the sake of everyone at the front they want to rescue. Hak focuses on what is important at that moment rather than give in to his hatred, working toward a common goal, such as when they later save Lili together. His ability to prioritize reuniting with Yona and helping Lili and the captives at the fort shows that he has calmed down somewhat compared to his former encounter with Soo-Won, where he was able to vent the rage towards the current king he was keeping inside for such a long time. While he does not trust Soo-Won again, he is aware of the fact that they cannot reach their common goal without cooperating and is able to see past their differences and leave without further incident, the latter of which is also helped by the support of his two families – his travelling companions and the Wind tribe.
Abilities/Skills: - Strength that is close to superhuman. Hak has been remarked to be the strongest fighter in Kouka Kingdom (not counting the four dragons). - Military training, including strategic and combat training. His weapon of choice is his glaive, but he is also shown to be excellent at fighting with a sword, bow, and arrow or his bare hands.
- Perseverance. He has been shown to survive injuries that should have been fatal while he still continued fighting, which also shows his extraordinary willpower.
Samples: Sample 1 Sample 2
