Ares Srowa

Ares Srowa is a major antagonist in the anime Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Season 1 primarily focuses on his role).

He is a highly skilled mage blessed with the rare Divine Blessing of the Sage (also called Wise Man or Sign of the Sage), making him exceptionally powerful in magic. As the second-in-command of the Hero's Party, he serves alongside the Hero Ruti Ragnason and others, including the protagonist Gideon (later known as Red).

On the surface, Ares presents himself as confident, sophisticated, and even somewhat compassionate. In reality, he is deeply arrogant, selfish, narcissistic, and cowardly—only bold against those he sees as weaker, but quick to flee or hide from truly strong threats despite his abilities. He obsessively judges people's worth based solely on their Divine Blessings (valuing his own highly) and looks down on others.

Driven by jealousy over Gideon's close bond with Ruti (viewing Gideon as a "love rival" despite no real romantic basis), Ares banishes Gideon from the party, falsely claiming he was a liability or left voluntarily. This act stems from his delusions of grandeur and ambition to elevate his status (he's the son of a fallen duke seeking to restore his family's power). His actions contribute heavily to the eventual fracturing of the Hero's Party.