A poor man's Staff of Ra.
Tropes in this episode:
- Awful Truth: Van learns his older brother didn't die a decade ago and is now working for the people who burned their homeland to the ground.
- Big Damn Heroes: The Crusade crew boarding and storming the Flying Fortress to rescue Van.
- Foreshadowing: During his first scene with Van, Folken's shadowy silhouette briefly sprouts wings. This is the first clue of the brothers' shared Draconian heritage.
- It's Personal: While rescuing Van and Escaflowne from the Flying Fortress is a priority, Allen and company don't deny payback for the attack on Castelo's another motive here.
- Internal Reveal: Van learns of Folken's survival.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Dilandau after Van cuts his cheek.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Dilandau screwing around with the captured Escaflowne's energist accidentally triggers an explosion in the hanger — and at the exact same moment the Crusade arrives. The ensuing damage and distraction from the explosion gives Allen and company their opening for boarding the Fortress.
- Spanner in the Works: The Zaibach capture of Van only fails because Folken and Dilandau had no way of knowing of Hitomi's divination abilities, or that her dowsing could locate the Flying Fortress.
