Tower of Heroic Spirits in Original Series
The Tower of Heroic Spirits (英霊の塔, Eirei no Tō) is a secret tower and tomb that contains the spirits of every Makai Knight that held the title of Garo, it is they who decide who is worthy of bearing the mantle.
Description & Characteristics[]
Original Universe[]
The title of Golden Knight Garo isn't just given to anyone, it is earned, even with the Saejima bloodline of Makai Knights. Within a hidden forest area, lies the tower, the tomb of all who were once Garo. Regardless of blood or kin, anyone who wishes to become the next Garo must face a series of difficult trials to prove their worth to become Garo. The ability to don the armor is granted by these spirits. Without their permission, even if they wielded the Garo Sword, they couldn't become Garo; they would simply be denied. In most cases, the transfer of the armor is due to the retirement or death of a knight. However, if the current wielder of Garo still lives, they could permit the next user to take their place as their successor, such as Kouga's transfer over to Raiga. However, the hall isn't just a place for housing heroic spirits.
Any knight will accumulate darkness over the course of long-term exposure of combating Horrors. If exposed long enough, they risk a form of dark personality corruption and can become a danger to themselves and the people around them. As such, a knight must routinely purify themselves along with their tools to prevent such corruption. Although makai priests have the ability to purify anyone, the hall was specifically made to help sanctify Garo, but also judge if the knight still worthy of being their successor. In most cases, it's a formality to honor the spirits as well a convenience as purification takes a lot more time and effort with a priest and it's almost instant in the hall. The purification process isn't absolute, darkness is an eternal struggle and it has been known that even when a knight cleansed themselves of the evil they fight, the dark energies don't always completely dissipate; fragments of darkness can recollect on their own to become a new threat. Ultimately, the hall is a place to aid and steward the title of Garo.
Ryūga-verse[]
The Tower of Heroic Spirits is depicted very differently from its Original Series counter-part. Instead of being a tall, ancient tower hidden deep within a forest, this version appears as a massive ceremonial hall. The structure resembles a vast, open sanctuary built on a small, isolated island, fully exposed rather than protected by natural surroundings. The exact location of the island is never identified, and it appears to be inhabited primarily by Makai Priests who maintain the facility.
Unlike the original Tower, which houses the spirits of the former Garo bearers and acts as a sacred site where these ancestral guardians judge the worthiness of new candidates, the Ryuga-verse version contains no such spirits. It is not a mausoleum, shrine, nor a resting place for past Makai Knights. Instead, the armor is displayed in an open chamber with very little ceremonial reverence. The priests treat the Garo Armor almost like an artifact under examination rather than a holy relic, and there is no indication that the hall is reserved exclusively for Garo.
For a significant period, the Garo Armor in this timeline is considered defective. Its lost brilliance and weakened state give it a troubled reputation, causing it to be largely ignored or dismissed by the Makai Order. As a result, the hall functions mainly as a research location where priests attempt to analyze and understand the armor's decline, instead of serving as a place for succession trials or spiritual judgment.
The role of the hall changes only through the efforts of Burai, Hakana Dōgai, and Ryūga Dōgai, who work to restore the armor’s lost glory and reestablish its importance. However, even after its restoration, the Garo Armor never returns to the island for purification or maintenance. Those responsibilities are handled on an individual basis by priests such as Ryūme, who purifies and oversees the armor personally rather than through any formal ritual tied to the hall.
Overall, the Tower of Heroic Spirits in the Ryuga-verse holds far less ceremonial and spiritual significance than its original counterpart. It serves mainly as a temporary holding and research site for the weakened armor, with no lasting importance to the Garo Armor or its bearer.
History[]
TBA
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
TBA
Articles & References[]
TBA
External Links[]
TBA Template:Locations