Introduction

Berusaiyu no Bara,   also known as The Rose of Versailles and Lady Oscar,   is a historical drama set in 18th century France.   Partially based on actual historical figures, the story follows the lives of three man and women from pre-Revolution France to just before Napoleon's reign.   As the predestined tragic queen, Marie Antoinette of Hapsburg-Lorraine opens and closes the story, providing a structural framework for the historical setting.   Oscar François de Jarjayes, a crossdressing, noblewoman officer, enters the stage shortly after the seal of Austro-French alliance.   Hans Axel von Fersen appears only briefly until his formal introduction at the masquerade party.  

While Ikeda intended to write about three main characters, the story centers on Oscar's struggles with her social role and beliefs about equality and gender.   Through Oscar, we see what it is like to be a nobleman and noblewoman, a high courtier of Versailles and observer of the impoverished commoners, in pre-Revolution France.   And it is this tension that draws us towards Ikeda's classic piece of fiction.   For a detailed review, see Eri Izawa's article for EX magazine.
 

Character Guide

In this section, I'll briefly describe the main characters and some notable minor characters.   The main character subsection consists of summaries and colored images from the manga.   Though the author regards André as a minor character, I think he plays an important role and deserves to be promoted to a major character.

For the minor characters, the descriptions are divided into two types, basic and in-depth (1).   The basic descriptions consist of pictures, one or two lines about their relationship to other characters and the plot, and their famous lines.   The in-depth descriptions give a more detailed analysis of the characters' personalities and roles in the story.   If you haven't seen the series or want a quick refresher, start at the basic ().   Otherwise, go to the in-depth ().

 

Main Characters Oscar André Antoinette Fersen

Minor Characters
I.	Oscar's Family Members and Admirers
	General Jarjayes
	Alain
	Gerodère
	Rosalie
	Granny
	Mme. de Jarjayes
	Diana
	Sophia
	Charlotte

II.	Courtiers at Versailles
	Polignac
	du Barry
	Mercy
	Orléans
	Guéméné
III.	Participants in the Necklace Affair
	Jeanne
	Rohan
	Boehmer
	Nicholas
	Nicole
	Rétaux
IV.	Leaders of the Revolution
	Bernard
	Robespierre
	Saint-Just
V.	Royal Family
	Louis XVI
	Louis XV
	Maria Theresa
	The Three Aunts
	Louis Joseph
	Louis Charles
	Marie Thérèse