Ruggie Bucchi

Appearance Ruggie is a light-skinned boy of average height. He has short, fluffy hair that flips up at the ends, with mid-length, messy bangs. His hair is mostly sandy-blonde, but a darker blonde color fades in from the top of his head. He has short, thicker-than-average eyebrows, bluish-gray eyes, and a subtle dark coloring underneath his eyes.

Instead of human ears, Ruggie has large, brown hyena ears on the top of his head. This is paired with a short hyena tail of the same color. Small, sharp fangs are usually seen when his mouth is open. He is usually shown brandishing a mischievous smile.

Dorm Uniform Ruggie’s uniform is similar to the rest of the Savanaclaw students. It consists of a dark-yellow shirt, a black leather vest, worn-out jeans, thick beaded jewelry, and an orange-yellow bandana with black patterning and the symbol of Savanaclaw printed on it.

The shirt has a deep y-neck, and a black, geometric pattern on the trim. Unlike a majority of Savanaclaw students, Ruggie’s shirt is not sleeveless, and is instead a large, short-sleeved t-shirt. He wears his shirt over the jeans, covering his waist. The leather vest has a design reminiscent of a “double-rider” biker jacket, with silver buttons and zippers. The jeans are a cool gray with visible creases. Over his jeans are black leather biker boots. He also wears one black, leather driving glove on his right hand.

While most Savanaclaw students wear their orange-yellow bandana around their waist, Ruggie chooses to wrap it around his neck like a scarf.

The uniform includes a variety of jewelry, made up of thick beads that are gold, red, blue, and green. Ruggie wears two low-hanging necklaces with this pattern of beads, but they are mostly covered by his vest and bandana.

Personality Ruggie is a laid-back, yet cunning person who always works to earn his keep. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means blatantly deceiving others, or currying favor with his housewarden, Leona. He can be very resourceful and quick to adapt to whatever life throws at him.

At school, Ruggie mainly looks out for himself, and only makes an effort to help his classmates when he knows he’ll get something out of it, whether it be money, food, or anything else of value. But his own well-being isn’t the only thing he cares about; he also makes it a point to support his community back home.[1] His poor upbringing has made him quite versatile, as he’s learned a number of practical skills necessary for survival, like cooking, cleaning, and good work ethic. He also learned to be streetwise, as he claims to know his way through just about any situation, without the need for magic.

In general, Ruggie values his own hard work and self-sufficiency. As a result, it can be hard for him to trust people on a personal level. He usually assumes that anyone doing him a favor just wants something in return, similar to his own mindset. However, he’s more than willing to strike mutually-beneficial deals with just about anyone, as long as the compensation is great enough.[2]

Background Ruggie grew up in the slums of the area he lives in.[1] His mother passed away when Ruggie was born, and his father left to make money but he never came back, and Ruggie doesn't know his whereabouts. Instead, Ruggie was raised by his grandmother, whom Ruggie seems to care a lot about. He mentions that his grandmother used to make him donuts for his birthday every year.[3]

Signature Spell Ruggie's signature spell is called "Laugh With Me!" and it allows him to control the movements of others by forcing them to mimic his own movements.[4] It's possible to use this spell on multiple people at once.

Trivia Ruggie is most likely based on Scar's three hyena underlings: Shenzi, Banzai/Kamari, and Ed/Azizi. His first name may come from the word "rugged", relating to his poor upbringing. His last name, Bucchi, overtly references Buchi Hyena (ブチハイエナ), the Japanese name for the spotted hyena. Ruggie's school uniform is a hand-me-down from Leona.[5] Leona has stated he is intimidated by the women of the Afterglow Savanna because they are much physically stronger and more strong-willed than the men, including himself. Ruggie corroborates this statement and mentions he feels the same.[6] This follows the biology of many savanna animals, such as lions and hyenas, wherein the females are hunters and typically dominant in nature. He knows how to greet and negotiate with someone in at least ten languages.[3] In Japanese, he calls his flying broom "Broom-kun."