| Lutz | |
|---|---|
 Lutz in Episode 24. | |
| Status | Alive |
| Origin | Germany (anime) |
| Affiliations | Koko's Squad GSG-9 (anime, former) |
| Occupation | Bodyguard GSG-9 sniper (anime, former) |
| Weapons | Various |
| Manga debut | Chapter 1 |
| Anime debut | Episode 1 |
| Japanese voice | Wataru Hatano (anime) Takuya Eguchi (drama CD) |
| English voice | Greg Ayres |
Lutz (ルツ Ruttsu?) is a former police sniper and a member of Koko's Squad.
Appearance[]
A fair skinned man with short fair, spiky hair that is blond in the anime, Lutz has a small scar above his left eyebrow. He has worn standard equipment and uniforms when Koko's Squad has been outfitted with them in addition to various civilian attire.
Personality[]
Lutz is largely easygoing but can be provoked. As a result of his background as a policeman he became concerned when he noticed that the squad was undertaking kidnappings to complete Jormungand and was the only member to voice his doubts. However when offered the chance to back out he decided to continue on and later affirmed his commitment to Koko. Additionally, he had not previously been in a situation where he had to shoot a female opponent like Chinatsu before, let alone a considerably young one as she was, causing him to hesitate when she appeared in his sights and he later doubted if he could shoot if Koko were threatened again by a woman or a younger person, like Jonah. Lutz has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth with his comments, earning him the rest of the squad's good natured but collective teasing.
Relationships[]
It is implied that Lutz was the junior member of the squad before Jonah joined as after the latter left, he became the target of their ribbing. Lutz has a mixed relationship with Valmet. On one hand he is attracted to her because of her impressive physical attributes, but at the same time somewhat fearful of her because of her formidable combat skills and aware that she is in love with Koko. This devotion to Koko and the doubts that he has experienced with her actions have sometimes put Lutz and Valmet at odds with how they see their mission as Koko's bodyguards. Valmet also has a habit of ribbing Lutz, usually when he sets himself up for this when he says something that she can jump on. Nonetheless, Lutz respects her highly and out of the other male members of the squad he appears in Valmet's company the most. Although designated as the squad's primary sniper, Lutz greatly respects the older and more experienced Lehm.
Abilities[]
Wiley acting as a spotter for Lutz in Episode 15.
Like the other members of the squad, Lutz is proficient with a variety of firearms but his specialty is sniping, for which he favours a Blaser R93 Tactical. He is a highly skilled sniper, able to disable the rifles of two opposing snipers in quick succession by firing single shots into each of their respective rifle barrels. However he also acknowledged that the old Lehm would have performed this feat of shooting much faster.[1] Unlike Lehm, who typically snipes alone, Lutz is usually paired with a spotter, although he can work without one. Because of his police background, he lacks experience operating in wooded or mountain terrain.
History[]
A flashback of Lutz with the GSG-9 in Episode 8.
Prior to joining the squad Lutz was a sniper for an unnamed police anti-terrorist unit and was deployed against terrorists and hostage-takers. In the anime it is suggested to be the GSG-9, implying that he is from Germany. Lutz is the only squad member whose joining HCLI was not dealt with, making the circumstances under which he left police service unknown. Along with Ugo, Lutz is the only other member to not have prior military experience.
Plot[]
Fire Hare Arc[]
He was shown but not named when Koko introduced Jonah as the newest member of the squad and like everyone else was surprised to see that her newest recruit was a former child soldier.
Gunmetal, Calico Road Arc[]
Along with Lehm, Ugo, and Mao, Lutz supported Koko during her negotiations with C. K. Kloshkin. When she signaled that they could hunt, all of them looked forward to doing so. After they eliminated Kloshkin's sniper team, which was positioned in the building opposite his office, Lutz drew a bead on Kloshkin and asked for permission to shoot him, but was turned down by Lehm. Following Kloshkin's death they returned to the hotel.
Pulsar Arc[]
Koko's Squad gets into a standoff with Pollack's men in Episode 2.
Lutz acted as Koko's driver when they were delivering some goods to a certain Eastern European country bordering Russia and jokingly warned everyone else that she was mad when she could not get any reception on her phone. When their escorts' APC was suddenly destroyed by an anti-tank missile, he managed to stop the Volvo in time from crashing into the truck in front of it when it swerved to avoid the wreck. After Koko exited to survey the damaged city in the valley below, Lutz tried to get her back but ended up getting out to help form a security perimeter shortly before the squad was surrounded by Pollack's men. During Koko's meeting with Pollack and Curry she refused the major's request for a radar unit, prompting him to call in his mentroops. Lutz quickly responded by covering two of them with an MP5 in one hand and his pistol in another. Koko had to tell him to stand down as he had gotten angry over the development, but no one dropped their guns until Pollack ended the meeting. The following night he unloaded his MP5 when directed to do so by Koko, allowing the squad to escape being surrounded and make a run for it.
Musica Ex Machina Arc[]
Lutz is shocked when he sees how young Chinatsu is in Episode 4.
After the squad successfully escaped to Dubai, Lutz and Valmet were drawn into the room where Koko and Tojo were trying to tutor Jonah by their laughter. When Koko wondered why they were all staying inside instead of going out, he replied that it was cozy. Following Orchestra attempt to assassinate Koko, Lutz and Wiley deployed to the roof of a high rise. From here Lutz's first shot nearly got Chinatsu but just missed, blowing off her hat. She suspected something amiss but Shisho thought that Jonah had shot her hat off and charged into the open, getting shot through the heart by Lutz. To make sure that he was dead, Lutz fired a head shot next. Koko then directed them to withdraw unless Chinatsu entered their sights, which she unexpectedly did as she was so unhinged by Shisho's death. However when he saw her Lutz was unsettled by how young she was and was unable to take the shot. Wiley had him shoot Shisho's IMI Negev instead, which galvanized Chinatsu into acting and enabled her to escape. Three days later Lutz watched Lehm shoot Chinatsu when she accessed the roof of the squad's hotel in an attempt to avenge Shisho and complete her mission. Lehm noticed him afterwards and told him that his own experience at having lost five comrades to a soldier just like Chinatsu had enabled him to shoot her.
Vein Arc[]
En route to South Africa on the Atlas, Lutz test fired an XM8 at a towed target and was impressed by the gun's lightness and accuracy. He and R were not impressed when Kasper Hekmatyar's bodyguards themselves test fired it and were glad to see Ugo show them up by firing it one-handed.
Sea Route Arc[]
R and Lutz cleaning in Chapter 14.
Because he and R had left the XM8 on deck, Koko punished them by making clean the pilothouse. Lutz tried to interest Jonah in cleaning as well, but failed. When Koko came by she got their opinions on the XM8, with Lutz thinking that it was too light. After she declared that their cleaning was done, the pair quickly left, leaving their mops and buckets on deck to Koko's annoyance.
They were found in a lounge along with R and Valmet after Jonah descended from the crow's nest. When Koko discovered Jonah she suggested that they take a bath together, which which she claimed would be fun due to the ship's movement. The offer instantly piqued the interests of R, Valmet and Lutz, and they considered Jonah's refusal on the grounds that Koko was not a child anymore and to bathe by herself a waste.[2]
African Golden Butterflies Arc[]
When they were attacked by Somali pirates, Lutz along with Wiley and R finished off the speedboat that had been crippled by Wiley's bomb. While on the way to find Minami in the mountains, he complained to Lehm about too many people being squeezed into the car, but this was ignored. When he asked Jonah how many opponents there were, he was embarrassed when the latter revealed that there were eight and stated that he should have felt them himself. Valmet then suggested that he train in the mountains with Jonah. During the ensuing firefight, Lutz was shot in the butt, becoming the squad's sole casualty.[3]
Air Route Arc[]
After Jonah triggered a metal detector at London Heathrow Airport, Lutz supported him when he explained that this was due to having a bullet in his butt.
Mondo Grosso Arc[]
The squad laughs at Lutz's predicament in Episode 8.
While training in East Sussex, Valmet chewed Lutz out when he questioned the viability of training with airsoft paintball guns as he was the only one who had been hit during the firefight with Karen Low's squad in South Africa. In an effort to improve his skills in operating in wooded terrain, Lutz and Jonah were assigned to play capture the flag. Jonah's experience in the mountain infantry gave him an easy advantage over Lutz. Additionally, the latter was too preoccupied in thinking about his failure to shoot Chinatsu in Dubai and wondering what he would do if a similar situation arose again, especially if the attacker looked like Jonah. This and his lack of fieldcraft enabled Jonah to prepare an ambush and stalk him. When he was ready, he shot Lutz in the butt, angering him and leading him on a chase to the ambush site. Here Lutz was completely caught and ensnared, enabling Jonah to pepper him with paintballs at ease while emerging from the training exercise spotless. Back at the shooting range Lutz vowed to improve as the rest of the squad laughed at his predicament.
Anime and manga differences[]
Additions[]
- In the anime Lutz was shown with the rest of the squad and Minami Amada watching a Hek-GG rocket launch from a naval launch platform prior to Jonah's addition. The scene with Jonah cooking a meal was changed to dinner and sickened the entire squad.[4]
Omissions[]
The following scenes did not appear in the anime:
- Kasper's bodyguards test firing the XM8 and Lutz and R's reaction.
- Lutz and R cleaning the pilothouse as punishment.
- Koko inviting Jonah to bathe with her on the Atlas and his refusal.
Trivia[]
- Lutz placed 7th in a character poll conducted by Sunday GX which ran from June through September 2012.[5]
- He was injured in the butt several times as a running gag:
- Shot during the fight against Karen's men in the mountains in South Africa.
- Shot by Jonah with a paintball gun during training in East Sussex.
- Stabbed by Liliane in the hotel in Alexandria.
- Shot by Night Nine in Cuba.