Sven has been a ship captain for most of his life, only taking up posts on cruise ships in recent years to satisfy Colter's worries about violence on the high seas. Before then he'd been something of a pirate, careful to sail in international waters with his vicious friends. He claims to never have resorted to murder and not associating with those who did (this resulting from a few bad experiences in his youth). This however is a lie, something to protect himself from his unfortunate past as a murdering plunderer in his young adult years.

Sven has always felt at home on the ocean, even though he's not as comfortable running the helm of the cruise ship, the Hnakra.