WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Ranking of Kings Episode 10, "The Prince's Sword," now streaming on Funimation.
What is strength? When it comes to muscle mass or the ability to lift heavy objects, Ranking of Kings' young hero Bojji is undeniably weak, and even extensive training under Prince Despa isn't enough to change that. Strength, however, comes in many forms. Already, the cursed giant boy had gifts of expert dodging and impressive resilience, and his unconventional forms of strength are only growing.
Episode 10, which finally returns to Bojji's story after a few dark Bosse-centric episodes, shows that Despa's training has given Bojji new skills in combat.
After weeks of speculation over Bojji's weapon of choice, it turns out he's wielding a thin needle-like sword, which he hides beneath a deceptively large sheath. When Despa takes Bojji and Daida for drinks, we get the chance to see how Bojji uses this blade in a bar fight with a trio of orc brothers. Whereas Bojji's old strategy centered around using his small size to dodge blows, now he knows how to use his size to charge at enemies and deal blows himself. He punches the orcs in the jaw to give them concussions, and with his tiny sword, he can stab nerves to knock opponents out without killing or seriously injuring them.
Akin to Steven Universe and Kid Cosmic's early missions, this fight was a set-up meant as a secret training exercise. Just because these orcs weren't actually going to kill Bojji, however, doesn't make the deaf prince's victory in battle any less genuine or impressive. When Despa leaves to check in on how the orcs are recovering after the fight, they're taken aback by how the deaf prince utterly destroyed them. Despa's training regimen is a huge success -- so where does Bojji go now?
Kage tells Bojji some of what Bebin has told him about the conspiracy afoot back in his family's kingdom. Bojji's first thoughts upon hearing of a conspiracy are that his stepmother Hiling must be responsible; Kage, who lost a loving mother and doesn't want Bojji to reject another, is offended by the mere thought of this suspicion, and Bojji's fear quickly turns to shame that he even considered it. Following Bebin's instructions, Kage is ultimately able to convince Bojji to return home.
What Kage has kept secret from Bojji is that Bebin specifically does not want Bojji to become king, but instead wants him for something else. The audience still doesn't know what this is, and given the ambiguities of the court's allegiances, this might be a reason to be suspect. Even so, it seems as if Kage wouldn't go along with any plan that could hurt Bojji, and even if he doesn't become a king, that doesn't mean he can't be a hero. As the two-headed snake said to Bebin, "Bojji may not rise to the caliber of a king. However, as the boy grows, I am certain that he will save many people."
New episodes of Ranking of Kings premiere Thursdays on Funimation.
