List of Blood+ characters: Difference between revisions
AnmaFinotera (talk | contribs) Undid revision 177350454 by 70.124.0.163 (talk) source for spelling? |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 205: | Line 205: | ||
===Archer=== |
===Archer=== |
||
{{anime voices|Kouji Yusa| |
{{anime voices|Kouji Yusa|David Rasner}}<br /> |
||
Argiano's seemingly loyal assistant who has been making appearances since Episode 7. He was attacked by the White House politician Bread after she turned into a Chiropteran in the Metropolitan Opera House. He somehow managed to survive the incident and was appointed as a member of the committee investigating the corruption between Grant and Cinq Flèches. His name was finally revealed to be Archer, a government investigator who infiltrated Cinq Flèches. |
Argiano's seemingly loyal assistant who has been making appearances since Episode 7 (He was originally known as "Researcher A" in the English dub). He was attacked by the White House politician Bread after she turned into a Chiropteran in the Metropolitan Opera House. He somehow managed to survive the incident and was appointed as a member of the committee investigating the corruption between Grant and Cinq Flèches. His name was finally revealed to be Archer, a government investigator who infiltrated Cinq Flèches. |
||
===Diva's daughters=== |
===Diva's daughters=== |
||
Revision as of 04:15, 12 December 2007
 | This article may contain improper use of non-free material. |
 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (December 2007) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
This is a list of the major characters in the anime series, Blood+, which was based on the 2000 animated film, Blood: The Last Vampire. The 50 episode series was produced by Aniplex and premiered in Japan on October 8, 2005.
Saya's friends and family
Saya Otonashi
Voiced by: Eri Kitamura (Japanese); Kari Wahlgren (English)
Saya was "born" in 1833 from a cocoon-like object taken from a mummy of a Chiropteran, along with another cocoon containing her sister Diva. Both were kept at the "Zoo" by Joel Goldsmith, with Saya treated like his daughter and Diva being confined to a tower. She is introduced to Haji there, who becomes her companion and friend. During a birthday part for Joel, Saya releases Diva from her prison, not realizing why she was being kept there, and Diva slaughters everyone who was at the Goldsmith house for the celebration.[1] Both sisters are only active for a few short years before they go into decades long hibernation cycles. Recognizing that Diva is a monster, Saya spends their waking times hunting Diva to try to kill her, her Chevaliers, and any Chiropterans they have created.
Saya is a skilled athlete and fights using a katana with an edge she can touch with her thumb while gripping it so as to draw blood, and grooves specially designed to spread her blood through its entire blade. Once loaded with her blood, it is a deadly weapon against Diva and any Chiroptera created from her blood. After Saya's first blade is broken, David gives her a new one that has a red crystal at the base of its blade as a symbol of her being part of the Red Shield. The crystal is a piece of her adoptive father's body, which crystallized when she killed him with her own blood in order to spare him the fate of turning into a Chiropteran.[2]
At the start of the series, Saya is introduced as a high school girl living in Okinawa.[3] She has been adopted by George Miyagusuku, who had been tasked with watching over her cocoon after she'd gone into her last sleep cycle.[4] She has no memory of her life from before her awakening a one year ago or of what she is. Though she has the outward appearance of being a normal human teenage girl, she can heal all injuries quickly and must received blood transfusions regularly to stay healthy.
She finds her life turned upside down when a monster attacks her school. She is reunited with Haji, though she doesn't remember him, and learns that she has the power to kill the creatures, which she later learns are called Chiropterans.[3] She is also approached by David, from the Red Shield, who tells her it is her duty to kill Chiropterans because she is the only one who can.[4] Neither David nor Haji will tell her the truth about her past, telling her she must remember on her own. As she slowly comes to accept her duty and learns more about their ultimate enemy, Diva, she also starts to regain her memories.
Post episode 34, Saya gains a much darker appearance and personality, sporting a dark maroon trench coat and generally longer hair. Past this point in the series, her willingness to co-operate with the Red Shield and with her own family drops, as she wishes not to endanger them any further, believing that her fight with Diva is hers to fight alone. This also somehow marks a change in Saya's previously cheerful personality, accompanied by an acceptance of her Chiropteran biology and a willingness of necessity to feed off Haji's blood. Even Moses and Karman remarks that she might, just like them, have already lost hope. It might also be said that Saya's depression stems from the fact that she is aware of her next hibernation period drawing near (she becomes prone to sudden bouts of fainting spells and as Solomon observes, her regeneration ability has somewhat slowed down). But everyone on Saya's side does their part to try to "bring" her feelings back during Javier's birthday party; the subsequent fight against Karl and the Corpse Corps; before they depart for Christina Island; and finally, before they set off for the grand finale trip to New York - so to let her know that this fight is not for her to bear alone, and that she is never alone.
In truth, not all of Diva's chevaliers are trying to take Saya's life. The fourth brother, Solomon Goldsmith, fell deeply in love with her. He was first introduced to her as a delightful young man at the ball in her Vietnam school, and danced his only dance with her. After the dance he apologized, telling her that he had only asked her as she was the only girl who wasn't staring at him. Solomon only discovered her true identity when he was dragged off by Van Argiano, to "look" at some results, when Saya's friend Min called out her name. Solomon was greatly disturbed by Amshel's decision to eliminate Saya, and against his brother's will, set out in hope to persuade her to join his side. He saved her life many times as well.
Saya confronts her sister at the Metropolitan Opera House, and the final duel ends when they simultaneously pierce their swords through each other. Although Diva begins to crystallize, Saya survives as Diva's blood lost her potency due to her having children. Though Saya has said that she lives only to cut down Diva, whom she had released over a century ago, now that the deed is done, all Saya feels is a sense of emptiness and remorse at her sister's body that has been turned to stone. Through Kai's pleas and Haji's admittance of love, Saya breaks her former promise to Haji that she would die after the death of Diva and decides to live instead, and spare the lives of Diva's newborn baby twins as well.
Shortly after her return to Okinawa, Saya goes into her 30 year hibernation period, and Kai along with Diva's children watch over her as she sleeps in the Miyagusuku family grave. Haji had also visited, leaving a fresh pink rose with a ribbon at the grave.
Haji
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese); Crispin Freeman (English)
Saya's first Chevalier, and only surviving one. As a child, he was a talkative and cheerful. Even after his conversion, he was still talkative and cheerful. When the Red Shield forced Saya to awaken in Vietnam using Haji's blood, she attacked friend and foe alike, including Haji. When he stopped her from killing a human child, she cut of his arm. This left his right arm permanently left with Chiropertan features, which he hides under bandages.[5]
Haji first met Saya when he was bought by Joel to be her companion, with hopes that they might mate and create more specimens for future experimentation.[5] Haji lived with her in Joel's mansion for many years, growing up while she never aged. One day he slipped and fell from a cliff attempting to pick a flower that Saya wanted as a present for Joel's birthday. Misunderstanding an earlier conversation between Haji and Joel about why Saya lives on blood and wanting to save him, Saya feed him some of her blood unwittingly turning him into a "Chevalier."[1]
Haji's single wish has been to protect Saya and fulfill her every desire. While this is normal for a Chevalier, Haji's devotion began long before then. As with most Chevalier, Haji neither eats, sleeps, nor goes into long periods of hibernation.
Saya taught him how to play the cello when he was young, but it didn't take long for him to surpass her. He is often seen with a cello case in which he hides Saya's sword, but he also uses the case as a shield or even as a blunt weapon; it seems to be extremely durable, easily deflecting blows from things that can punch through walls. He also carries a few silver daggers with him.
Much like how Saya looks eternally young, Haji appears to be in his early to mid-twenties, even though he's been around since the 19th century. It was implied a few times that he "might not be with her until the end"; it's not clear if this is due to the reluctant murder pact with Saya, or the possibility of Haji killed by Diva or her Chevaliers. Haji should have been the key to impregnate Diva but she never took interest in him. The knowledge was only deduced late when Diva bore twins after raping Riku.
Until recently, he had sealed his Chiropteran powers away because of an incident after they had left the Zoo, which had resulted in him killing many men who had wanted to capture Saya. This had frightened Saya, which motivated Haji into banishing his Chiropteran powers so that she would never feel that same fear again. In episode 43, it is revealed that Haji, like Diva's chevaliers, is also capable of flight via a pair of bat-like wings. In the final episode, he kills Amshel with Saya's sword in conjunction with a large chunk of a balcony collapsing on the two.
Haji also has a habit of keeping his feelings bottled up within himself. Though he loves Saya (as her Chevalier and as her companion during all these long years), he keeps these feelings within himself, only bidding himself to do whatever that Saya "desires" him to do. But shortly before he disappears under the rubble with Amshel, he confesses that he has always loved Saya. He had also convinced Saya to live, which spurs the realization of their feelings and, as a result, they kiss before Amshel arrives. However, he survives the collapse, even though it isn't immediately revealed on-screen. The other characters assume that he has died, but they are proven wrong when Kai, with Diva's children, goes to the Miyagusuku grave, where Saya is currently sleeping, and finds a fresh pink rose with Haji's blue hair ribbon tied to it. The symbolism of this is significant, since Haji's first gift to her was a pink rose which she first rejected, then secretly kept. Clearly Haji is still waiting and watching for Saya to awaken again.
The prequel manga "Blood+ Yakō Jōshi" shows some of Haji's state of mind after Vietnam, but before Saya awoke again. In this canon story, he saves a young policeman, Nishi, whose late brother he resembles. He assists Nishi in capturing a wealthy man who is experimenting with Chiropteran blood. With Nishi's help, and that of the Red Shield, Haji obliterates the Chiropterans of that city.
In this story, we discover that Haji is starving himself, to distance himself from the Chiropterans. He also experiences guilt and depression because of his fear of Saya, because a true Chevalier should never fear his master. He's described as looking like "a little boy afraid to go home." Nishi helps him get over his conflicted feelings, and donates a small amount of blood that restores Haji's strength.
Note on Haji's name: Production I.G.'s official site lists the Roman spelling of "Hagi," but the katakana used for his name reads "Haji" which could be the Japanese render for the name Hadji or "Hadj".
George Miyagusuku
Voiced by: Hōchū Ōtsuka (Japanese); Wally Wingert (English)
An Okinawan-American US Army veteran, George served in the Vietnam War. He was one of the soldiers who was there when Saya went insane in Vietnam, killing friends and enemies alike. One of the few survivors, he was asked by the first David to watch over Saya's sleeping body after she fell into another hibernation cycle.[5] He lost his wife and biological children in an accident years before, but was inspired to live by the sound of Saya's heartbeating in her cocoon.[4] When she wakes up from her sleep and he see's she is no longer a threat, he adopts her as his daughter. He also has two adopted sons: Kai, and Riku.[3]
While protecting Saya, he is attacked by a Chiropteran.[6] While recovering from his wounds, he is kidnapped from the hospital and taken to a US military base where he is infused with Delta 67.[7] After escaping, he is again wounded by a Chiropteran while protecting Saya. The Delta 67 and the wounds from the Chiropteran begin to change him into a Chiropteran, so he asks Saya to pour her blood into his wounds and kill him. Saya is very reluctant, though, because he is the only father she has ever known. While they talk, he holds her hands, causing her blood to slowly run down his arms to drip into the sounds and kill him.[8]
Kai Miyagusuku
Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Benjamin Diskin (English)
Saya's adopted "elder" brother. Kai is one of the most popular students at school and a star athlete. He stopped playing baseball when one of his arms sustained an injury. Since George's death, he tried his best to keep his family united, but just when he was getting used to the fact that some of his relatives aren't human, Riku was raped and eventually killed by Diva, and Saya disappeared for a year. He also becomes something of a love rival to Haji, but eventually accepts that he and Saya cannot remain together. In the final episode, he cements this by urging Haji to confess his feelings.
Since the destruction of the Red Shield, he lived with Lewis and David in an orphanage in London, actively hunting Chiropterans with Lewis and honing his skills as a soldier in the war against Diva and her minions. Initially Kai had little skill in fighting, and was badly beaten by David, but he grows in skill as the series goes on.
Just like Saya's sword has a red crystal from his father's body, Kai wears a pendant with a crystal from Riku's remains crested in it. As the last surviving family member of Saya's adoptive family, he has sworn to protect her and return to Okinawa together once everything has been settled. He takes over much of David's responsibilities in Chiropteran-hunting while the latter sinks into a deep depression and alcohol addiction over the loss of the Red Shield HQ.
He managed to persuade Saya not to take her own life after she had slain Diva, and convinced Haji to break his promise. After their return to Okinawa, he reopened their omoro. Saya went into hibernation shortly afterwards, and Kai took care of Diva's daughters as their father—though he is actually their uncle, as his little brother was their father—much as his father George cared for Saya.
He still makes regular visits to Saya's crypt with the little girls, and presumably is still running the pub George once owned. He is also one of the few people aware that Haji is still alive, although he apparently is keeping this fact a secret.
Riku Miyagusuku
Voiced by: Akiko Yajima (Japanese); Kamali Minter (English)
Saya's adopted younger brother. He is a very kind and intelligent boy who loves to cook.
His kindness even rubs off on the reclusive Haji to some degree, after he brought Haji a plate of food and asked him to join the others. Haji seemed to warm up at this show of friendship, helping out an old lady (Amshel in disguise) by helping her with her luggage and giving up his seat to her during the Trans-Siberian arc. Haji even teaches Riku the cello, and leaps off a moving train to save the boy; it seems that the warmhearted, innocent boy reminded him of himself as a child.
While in Vietnam, he met Mui - a girl with one leg after a land mine accident. She asked him to give her some money so she could buy a metal detector to dig up the mines in her village. Like Riku, she can hear Diva's song. He was somewhat infatuated with her.
After Diva drank most of his blood at the "Zoo", Saya had no option but to save his life by turning him into a Chevalier, just like she did with Haji. Since then, Riku was thought to be developing powers similar to Haji's and just like him, was compelled to protect Saya at any cost. Despite a brief estrangement, Riku remained close to his older brother Kai.
Diva developed an interest in Riku after draining his blood. During her and Carl's assault at the Red Shield headquarters, she raped Riku, to become pregnant with the next "Queens", and then "rewarded" him with her blood. Her blood caused him to crystallize and die, as he had become a Chevalier by Saya's blood. Afterwards, she states that she now knows why Saya enjoys killing Chevaliers. Kai mourns his brother and keeps with him a piece of crystal from Riku's body when the crystallized body was crushed to pieces from the collapsing ship.
Akihiro Okamura
Voiced by: Kentaro Ito (Japanese); David Rasner (English)
A somewhat jaded, down-on-his-luck, chain-smoking reporter working for the local Ryūkyū Daily (Ryūkyū Mainichi Shimbun) newspaper, he doesn't seem to command much respect from his boss or colleagues as much as he does their contempt. His father was a photographer and war correspondent during the Vietnam war, having taken several mysterious black and white photos that seem to depict a young girl killing soldiers, innocent villagers, and misshapen monsters with a sword in a haze of bloodlust and rage.
These photographs have always haunted Akihiro, spurring him to discover the truth behind their meaning. Tracing wine dumped by the military he goes to Vietnam, where he took photos of Saya fighting Carl. He paired up with Mao, searching for Saya and Red Shield as they went to Europe at the expense of money stolen by Mao from her yakuza father, eventually finding that the truth is larger and more disturbing than they thought.
He and Mao may seem like an odd couple but they work surprisingly well together as they dig deeper and deeper into the mystery surrounding Saya and Red Shield. Ever the cynic, Akihiro is driven by the pursuit of the truth and seems rather unfazed by Mao's tempestuous nature.
In the last episode, Okamura is planning to head to the Middle East with Mao as his companion. Okamura's father is probably modeled after the late photo-journalist Akihiko Okamura, who took many pictures for Life magazine during the Vietnam War.
Mao Jahana
Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese); Olivia Hack (English)
Kai's girlfriend (of sorts) and the daughter of the head of the Jahana Yakuza. She worked with the reporter Okamura to track down Saya so she could meet up with Kai. She's often bossy and likes to be in control, a trait she no doubt picked up from her father. Her rather blunt, confrontational demeanor seems to be a brave facade she puts up whenever things don't go her way, as evidenced whenever she finds disturbing clues of a strange and violent conspiracy in the course of her journey to find Kai (she gets scared upon finding traces of blood and Saya's broken sword).
Strong willed and stubborn, Mao drags along Okamura to help find Kai with money she stole from her father (a fact not lost on Okamura and the threat that implies), and is determined to stick by Kai's side despite his best efforts to shield her from the danger surrounding him and Saya. Lately, she has been warming up to Saya, as they were the only girls "in a group of men" and has grown protective of her well being. Upon chance, she overhears Saya and Haji's conversation about Saya's impending 30-year period of hibernation. Mao then promises Saya that she will personally bring her back to Okinawa once everything is over, and they make a promise to each other, a promise between two women. Haji sees how Mao has somehow, for the moment, managed to pull Saya out from her depression, and bows gratefully towards her.
In episode 43, she kisses Kai to test his feelings towards her. Since she deemed that Kai was unresponsive and baffled, Mao has since then tried to play match maker for Kai and Saya. In the last episode she plans to accompany Okamura to the Middle East.
Red Shield
The Red Shield is an organization dedicated to killing Diva and Chiropterans. The organization was started by Joel Goldschmidt, who first found Saya and Diva, and raised them at the zoo. He separated the sisters after birth, raising Saya like his own daughter, while locking Diva up in a tower, for scientific reasons.[5] He was killed by Diva on his seventy second birthday after Saya released her from the tower to sing at his birthday party.[1]
Leadership of the Red Shield is passed down from father to son, with the current leader being Joel Goldschmidt VI. Many of its members are have suffered tragic encounters with Chiropterans in the field and all members of the Red Shield carry an item containing a piece of red crystal taken from the crystallized body of destroyed Chiroptera.[2]
David
Voiced by: Jurouta Kosugi (Japanese); Christopher Nissley (English)
Before joining Red Shield, David was the sole survivor of a Chiropteran attack on his special forces squad. His father was also a member of Red Shield and was one of Saya's victims in Vietnam.[5] It is implied that he, along with Joel, are the only members are descended from a line of Red Shield operatives.[9] He is aware of Saya's past life and wishes to use her in the struggle against the Chiroptera.[4] David's red crystal item is a cross[2] and his preferred weapon is a custom .44 caliber revolver with a silencer.
David tends to be straight-faced and serious, with a somewhat cold personality. However, he also assumes an unofficial guardianship of Kai and Riku, and would be instrumental in helping Kai come to terms with what Saya is[10] and with Riku's conversion to a Chevalier. He seems to take a particular interest in helping Kai grow up to be a strong man who can support Saya and Riku as their brother, despite their unusual natures.
When the Red Shield's headquarters are destroyed and Saya is believed to have gone down with it, David sinks into a deep depression and becomes an alcoholic.[11] Kai helps him get back on his feet, though, and he returns to his duties slightly more cheerful and able to smile than he had been before. He is later critically wounded shot saving Julia from a jealous Dr. Collins, but he survives and recovers.
Julia Silverstein
Voiced by: Yuko Kaida (Japanese); Abby Craden (English)
Julia Silverstein, a medical doctor working for Red Shield Medical Section. She graduated from Sorbonne University, the same University as Argeno. She often accompanies David and has on two separate occasions (during the Vietnam Phantom arc) tried to get him to notice her looks (once in a Vietnam dress and another during a conversation with Saya over her revealing ball dress), but the latter has either chosen to ignore her or is too much of a dud to notice. She was Saya's doctor when she was dormant, supervising her regular blood transfusion. She believed her research about the Chiroptera's true nature, and the changes in Riku's body while he is transforming into one, should be used in the Red Shield's war against them, and be destroyed after it. Collins however, had other plans for this data, and she worked with him and the Cinq Flèches Group for some time, although it appears she is now back with Red Shield after Collins tried to kill her. It has been suggested on several occasions that she likes David, who behaves rather stoically towards her, treating her as just another colleague. As she was sitting with David in the hospital after he saved her from Collins, she leaned over and kissed him. Julia is also revealed to be pregnant in the last episode, more than likely with David's child.
Lewis
Voiced by: Takashi Nagasako (Japanese); David Rasner (English)
Another Red Shield operative. A man who always has his shades on 24/7, Lewis is often responsible for the gadgets and transportation for the operations. He makes many of the meals and also provides most of the comic relief. In the English dub, he speaks with a Jamaican accent, possibly hinting at origins in the Caribbean. He can be spotted fighting alongside with David on several operations. Although he has been seen wielding a variety of firearms, he prefers the standard issue SPAS-12 shotgun of the Red Shield, but uses slugs instead of buckshot. He used to be slim, while working for the CIA under the name of Sammy as seen and revealed near the end of the Blood+ OVA. His name is probably a reference the Louis from Blood: The Last Vampire, a man who, like Lewis, was also black and worked with a man named David in the same line of work.
Lewis can be seen as the heart of the series, since he is the warmest and most openly caring member of Red Shield. He seems very fond of Saya and the boys, and sees their arrival as an opportunity to lavish his cooking on them. Despite this, he does have a lot of fun teasing Kai about his attraction to Saya.
Joel Goldschmidt VI
Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese); Crispin Freeman (English)
Joel Goldschmidt, current head of the Red Shield. His "diary" is a record of Red Shield's activities since its formation, and also contains information regarding Saya, Diva, the Chevaliers and the Chiroptera.[5] He is related to the man who found Saya and Diva, whose name was also Joel. It is revealed in the story that every man in his family who bears the name Joel, must live and fight against the Chiroptera throughout there life until they are no longer a threat. It also seems that there is some relation between him and Amshel as he calls him "Uncle Amshel". One year after the attack on the Red Shield HQ, he is shown to be confined to a wheelchair having been paralyzed from the waist down after he sustained a serious injury from Carl during the attack.
Collins
Voiced by: Hideyuki Umezu (Japanese); Steven Blum (English)
Second-in-command of the Red Shield. In charge of researching the Chiroptera with Julia as his assistant. Van Argeno convinced him to betray the Red Shield's HQ position in order to preserve his research which he believes can be used for the future of mankind. After Amshel made Julia Diva's physician, Collins had a mental breakdown and became extremely jealous of Julia's importance in researching Diva and her babies. He says to Julia that a scientist's task is to "tell the truth to the world" and the "world must accept that truth", and Julia was shocked with his intentions of killing her so that Amshel will hire him to take her place and get what he demands as a greedy scientist, fame, fortune, and "putting a mark on history". Right before he was about to shoot Julia, David took the bullet and act as a human shield to Julia and threw a scalpel in Collins' arm which caused him to run away screaming. His status after this incident is never revealed.
Cinq Flèches Group
The Goldsmiths (S) are a branch of the Goldschmidt family. The family crest of five arrows (Cinq Flèches) and the names of the five brothers are modeled after Mayer Amschel Rothschild's family. Cinq Flèches is first and foremost a pharmaceutical company owned by the Goldsmiths, but is widely diversified into other industries including foods, high-tech and military. Comprising of hundreds of corporations under differing names, the group has controlling hand stretches even to governments of countries.
Diva
Dīva (ディーヴァ)(M)
Voiced by: Akiko Yajima (Japanese); Kari Wahlgren (English)
Saya's younger twin sister and main antagonist; she's the greatest sworn enemy of the Red Shield. She proves this point with her incredible reflexes and strength since her debut appearance in episode 24 - she casually throws Saya through a brick wall with seeming ease; the speed at which she avoided a blow from Haji while playing with Saya with the broken tip of a sword; breaking down a heavy steel door with a single thrust of her arm; dodging through a rain of bullets; killing several sailors aboard a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier when she woke up at the very end of episode 19. Not only that - post episode 33, she is able to switch her appearance between the female Diva and the male Riku within the blink of an eye, much like Amshel did with Liza back in Russia.
Confined by the original Joel just after her birth, she spent her first decades of life locked in a tower in the outskirts of his estate. As she was just a guinea pig to Joel she had no name, until she was found by Saya, who named her Diva because of her voice. Diva has been found out to be the one who killed the original Joel in the late 1800's after she was released by Saya in hope that she will sing for Joel at his birthday party. The "Delta 67" substance used in the researches involving Chiroptera is obtained from her body, and the top echelons of the Cinq Flèches Group include some of her faithful Chevaliers. Just like Saya's blood is a threat to her and her minions' existence, her blood can also destroy Saya and her Chevaliers.
Her air-headed demeanor (much like a spoiled, naive heiress) is the fruit of her secluded childhood which results in her making remarks in an innocent, child-like way. In example, she comments on how Riku "was delicious" and later giggled when Solomon's offer for Saya to join their ranks was crudely refused, teasing "Solomon got rejected!" (English version: "Look -- Solomon got a boo-boo!") Also, during their confrontation halfway through the series; Diva was determined to kill Saya by her own hands and was moments from doing so but casually loses interest after Haji comes to Saya's rescue as she tells Solomon, "Let's go. I want to change into a new dress." (English version: "I'm bored now. Could you help me find a new dress, Solomon?")
She drank much of Riku's blood when she first met him, forcing Saya to turn him into a Chevalier to save his life. She later develops a disturbing interest in him and rapes him. After this, she kills him by giving him her blood, causing him to crystallize. She than tells Saya that she understands why Saya kills Chevaliers, and how fun it was. One year after the attack on Red Shield HQ she entered into show business as a singer sponsored by the Cinq Flèches Group, as part of Amshel's master plan. As it turns out, Diva is actually pregnant with Riku's children. Only then was it deduced that the opposing bloods through the Chevaliers could bring about reproduction of the Queens. Haji, as Saya's first Chevalier, could have been the key to this life-long research but Diva never took interest in him. Now she seems to treasure her babies more than her Chevaliers and has expressed a noticeable disinterest in them as of late. She also takes a momentary interest in Kai, and even invited him to become her Chevalier. While it is clear as to why Saya hates her so much, we only learn that Diva's hatred of Saya much later and comes from a strong envious feeling of Saya's privileged life. From the Metropolitan Opera House, a broadcast of Diva's singing triggered the transformation of many people across the world into Chiroptera. However, she is interrupted by Saya, and a fight between the two sisters ended when Diva and Saya pierced each other by swords coated with their respective bloods. Although her blood had no effect on Saya, Saya's blood causes her to crystallize after Nathan has brought her two cocoons to her side, revealing that Diva's blood lost its potency, having been passed on to her children.
Throughout the entire series, Diva is portrayed as a ruthless and sadistic entity willing to sacrifice even her own Chevaliers without so much as blinking. This along with her hostility and envy towards Saya is no doubt a result of the experimentation and isolation forced upon her as a child by Joel. It is at her death when she finally shows a different side of herself as she lovingly tries to reach for her newborn babies.
Amshel Goldsmith
Voiced by: Jouji Nakata (Japanese); Wally Wingert (English)
The first Goldsmith Brother, Amshel is the oldest and the most powerful of Diva's Chevaliers, and used to work with the original Joel Goldshmidt. Diva had somewhat of a connection with Amshel even before he became her Chevalier, as it was his responsibility to bring Diva food as she stayed isolated in the tower. For some reason he has kept secrets from the others, including the creation of the Schiff. He does admit to experimenting with Diva's pregnancy for a while, hinting at attempts by her own Chevaliers and humans with no success at all. Apparently he does not share the same love for Diva or Saya nurtured by the other chevaliers, and is merely interested in learning about them. He tried to bring Saya to their side at first, killing Liza and assuming her form to reveal Saya her true nature. But he later proposed Saya's extermination when she decided to continue fighting. After a fight with Haji above New York City, he was impaled on the Chrysler Building and was presumed dead when a lightning strike surged through his body. He survived however, in a half human-half Chiropteran form. He was finally killed when Haji stabbed him with Saya's bloodied sword, crystallizing him.
Grigori
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese); Liz Sroka (English)
The second Goldsmith Brother, he is Also known as Grigori Efimovich Rasputin (pronounced Gregory in the English dub), who is the same monk involved in the historical downfall of Romanov dynasty of Russia. He was killed in 1916 in a long and drawn out assassination attempt that, among other things, saw him poisoned, stabbed, shot, and thrown into a freezing river. In this fictional account, he survived the assassination attempt and took refuge in a village near his hometown. He took the physical form of a young girl who recently died named Sonya, until he was discovered and killed by Saya in 1918.
Martin Bormann
The third Goldsmith Brother, Martin Bormann appeared briefly in an old photograph from 1943 in Episode 12 and in the Blood+ manga. In real life, Bormann served as head of the Nazi Party Chancellary and as Adolf Hitler's private secretary. He is regarded as one of the elites in the Third Reich. He is presumed to have been killed sometime between late April and early May 1945 during the apocalyptic Battle of Berlin. It is said that as he tried to break through the encircled city, he was shot and killed by soldiers of the Red Army. In this fictional account, he was killed by Solomon (Episode 12 and Episode 37 Solomon's conversation) in Germany under Amshel's order around the same time of his presumed historical death. Why he became a chevalier is never revealed.
Solomon Goldsmith
Voiced by: Koji Tsujitani (Japanese); Dave Wittenberg (English)
The fourth Goldsmith Brother, Solomon has served as Diva's Chevalier for sixty-one years before the events of the series and is also Amshel's younger brother from Amshel's original human family. Although he agrees that Saya is now a threat to him and his partners, he harbors strong feelings for her, and always tries to protect her, despite his brothers' intentions to destroy her. He is introduced first as a delightful young man while dancing with Saya at her school in Vietnam and at that time Saya is seen to have strong feelings for him. However, it is quickly revealed that he is one of Diva's Chevaliers. After saving Saya from James, he has revealed that he wishes to protect Saya because he is in love with her. After that, he appeared at Nathan's mansion wearing a black suit. He told Diva when they first met he was wearing white. In the following conversation, it is revealed that he was made a Chevalier towards the end of World War I. His background as a doctor may explain his ability to calm the clearly insane Carl and Diva.
But now he wears black to symbolize that he no longer wishes to be Diva's chevalier. He explains to Amshel that their Chevaliers' instinct might be what draws them towards their progenitor, Diva; but as Solomon Goldsmith, he is drawn towards Saya. Since then, Diva has practically disowned him as a Chevalier of hers and tells him he may go wherever he wishes and do whatever he wishes. She also tells him he may take Saya's hand and have her bear his children. After he saved Saya from Amshel at the US Airbase, he pledges to give his all to her. Saya reminds him, "But you're Diva's Chevalier, aren't you?", but he answers, "But before that, I am a man who loves you." He sank into depression when Saya rejected him. He then launched a surprise attack on Diva (when he visits her and her newly-born babies), but gets beaten senseless by her. During his captivity after attacking Diva, James taunts him with comments such as, "Momma's Favorite" and "Pretty Boy" and promises to kill Saya. Later, after being freed from captivity by Nathan, he rushes to save Saya once more from James, but during the battle was cut accidentally by Saya's sword coated in her blood. He proclaimed his allegiance to Saya as her Chevalier, but then crystallized in Amshel's arms shortly afterwards and has been with Saya only in spirit. It was seen that Saya never received the news of his apparent death, and entered her long sleep not knowing anything about it.
Karl Fei-Ong
Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (Japanese); Quinton Flynn (English)
The fifth Goldsmith Brother, Karl has served as Diva's Chevalier for sixty-six years. In 1972, he lost his arm to Saya in Vietnam, and has held a grudge against her ever since. Disguised as his alter ego "The Phantom", Karl was secretly kidnapping girls that looked like Saya in his anguish to meet her someday so they can finish their fight. Apparently, what Karl desired the most was Diva's love, but did not get it.
So he went after Saya, partly believing that both he and Saya were soulmates, and partly due to his anger and lust for revenge because she had hacked off his arm. According to Amshel, he was only chosen to be a Chevalier to be used as a guinea pig for his experiments. Unfortunately, his traumatic past has left Carl severely mentally unbalanced, and Solomon seems to be the only one who can calm him.
His body suffered lots of modifications, including a spiked arm implanted in his body to replace the one destroyed by Saya in one of his fights. His final meeting with Saya was during the UK arc. Determined to die with her, his plan was to restrain her and drink all of her blood, killing both in the process as her blood is poison to him. Saya then realizes that she has so much to live for so she stabs him through herself, thereby coating her sword in her blood and causing him to crystallize.
James Ironside
Voiced by: Toru Okawa (Japanese); David Rasner (English)
The sixth Goldsmith Brother, James was made Chevalier in 1945 in Berlin and has served Diva ever since then. He is the Cinq Flèches' contact with the US military, and later was appointed by Amshel as leader of the Corpse Corps. Of all the Chevaliers, he is the one who cared most about Diva, always carrying a picture of her with him and calling her Mama. He barely survived his battle against Saya's group on Christina Island after he tried to lure them into a trap, saved by having most of his body replaced by Schiff parts. Once Diva realizes that most of his body has been replaced with Schiff parts, she disapproves of it, and begins to avoid him. Towards the end of the series, James begins to lose his sanity due to his crumbling relationship with Diva, and he takes out his rage on the Schiff, who are inferior organisms to him. Ironically enough, in his final battle against Saya, James begins to succumb to the Thorn before being killed by Saya. He is able to harden his skin harder then steel to use it as armor.
Nathan Mahler
Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese); Wally Wingert (English)
Nathan is the seventh Goldsmith Brother, and the only Chevalier to stand up to Amshel. In the Japanese version (and somewhat in the English dub) of the anime, Nathan sometimes speaks in a manner usually employed by the feminine gender (by using kashira and wa). Despite being one of Diva's Chevaliers, Nathan seems more interested in Haji and James, though his loyalty and love for Diva is still unquestioned. In episode 49 he says that Amshel never understood Diva and that the only thing Diva actually wanted was to have a family like Saya. He plans not only to destroy Saya, but to do it in a "stage" prepared only for the occasion.
Despite this he seems to be one of the more tranquil Chevaliers, stopping Amshel and Solomon from fighting while at his home. He also seems to be aware of Amshel's ulterior motives, saying that he won't be bothered much as long as no harm comes to Diva, and suggested offhandedly that similar events took place for Saya & Diva's mother. Nathan was devastated at Diva's death and asked that Saya kill him, changing into his Chiropteran form and allowing Saya to slice through him with her sword, although he is not seen crystallizing. Evidently like Haji, he was able to escape, since he is seen among the reporters in the final episode.
There are some speculations that Nathan actually was a Chevalier of a previous queen, since Saya's blood clearly didn't kill him. His statement about Saya's and Diva's mother (during the conversation with Amshel right before the concert) and his knowledge that Diva's blood has lost its potency after the latter is slain seem to indicate this. If that was the case, he most likely chose to end his acting as Diva's Chevalier in a quite theatrical way, waiting for the next generation of chiropteran queens. How he could have tricked Diva in making her believe he was made chevalier by her blood is never told.
Vin Argiano
Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese); Crispin Freeman (English)
Head scientist studying Chiroptera for the Goldsmiths. He was in charge of the current development of Delta 67, and likes small round candies—seemingly always unwrapping and eating one. He at first worked under Solomon, but convinced Amshel to change his position to working directly under him. He currently acts as CEO of Cinq Flèches America. Van is one of the few humans who sided with the Chevaliers despite knowing their true nature and their plans. He was abandoned by Grant at the Opera House to Chiropteran, though he survived by David's help. He was later made to face charges. The name Argiano is probably named after the Italian Vintage Argiano.
Archer
Voiced by: Kouji Yusa (Japanese); David Rasner (English)
Argiano's seemingly loyal assistant who has been making appearances since Episode 7 (He was originally known as "Researcher A" in the English dub). He was attacked by the White House politician Bread after she turned into a Chiropteran in the Metropolitan Opera House. He somehow managed to survive the incident and was appointed as a member of the committee investigating the corruption between Grant and Cinq Flèches. His name was finally revealed to be Archer, a government investigator who infiltrated Cinq Flèches.
Diva's daughters
As with all Chiropteran queens, Diva produces two babies girls after a fast pregnancy (after she raped Riku), as she and Saya had been. Saya reluctantly planned to kill both babies to keep anyone else from being hurt, but Kai dissuades her, promising that he'll punch anyone who doesn't accept them and show both girls his love. Amshel then tries to steal the babies, but they are protected by Kai and Haji, and in following years Kai raises them as their father, much as George raised him and Riku. A few years later, we see Kai taking the two happy toddlers to Saya's grave and eating lunch with them, showing that his love and kindness has kept the girls from following their mother's path.
The Schiff
The Schiff are soldiers created by a group of scientists led by Boris using Diva's blood, under the sponsorship of Amshel Goldsmith. Slaves at first, they decided they wanted to be free and escaped from the lab where they were created, killing most of the humans there.[12] Trained only for fighting, they mostly know no other way of living or of getting what they want except by force.[13] However, they are deeply attached to each other.
Like Chevaliers and Chiroptera, the Schiff have enhanced speed and strength, and must drink blood to survive.[14] However they are different in two key ways: sunlight will crystallize them, and they suffer from a condition they call "Thorn" that also causes them to slowly crystallize. It initial manifests itself as red cracks that usually appear on the neck, spreading along the body until the infected Shiff shatters completely.[12]
Due to the parting words of one the scientists from the lab, they believed that they were created from Saya's blood, and so her blood would save them from their destined short life spans. They attack Saya and Haji, but when one of the Schiff drinks Haji's blood, it kills him almost instantly.[14] They later try again with Saya's blood, but it also causes the Schiff who drinks it to die instantly. They realize that the scientist lied and that it is Diva's blood they require to live, not Saya's and devote themselves to hunting Diva down.[13]
Moses
Voiced by: Naoki Yanagi (Japanese); Steven Blum (English)
The leader of the Schiff who uses a scythe. He was the one who had encouraged the Schiff to leave the lab for the sake of hope.[12] Clones of Moses are used to make up the Corpse Corps. He committed suicide along with Karman, who was about to die from Thorn, by both removing their hoods in direct sunlight.
Irène
Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Olivia Hack (English)
Irène fights with a wide, double-sided sword, and is one of several Schiff with the ability to locate Saya from great distances. Killing humans to drink their blood bothers her to the point that she refuses to continue to do so, though it leaves her in a weakened state.[14] After Kai saves her from some thugs in Paris, Irene tells him how the Schiff came to exist, how they are dying from Thorn, and why they keep attacking Saya. She also tells him that they think Saya's blood will save them, so he offers to ask Saya. When the Schiff later attack Saya's group, she and Kai try to convince both sides to stop fighting because of their new friendship, but the fighting only stops when Irene collapses from her progressing Thorn. Saya reluctantly agrees to feed her some of her blood, but it ends up killing Irene. Her death is mourned by Kai, Saya, and the Schiff alike. Realizing its Diva's blood the really need, Irene's death is the precipice for the end of the hostilities between Saya's group and the Schiff.[12]
Lulu
Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese); Lara Jill Miller (English)
A diminutive young girl with sunken eyebags who uses a battle axe and befriends Saya's group.She started to live with them since the death of her Schiff companions. Her dream is to live long enough to be an important person of somebody's memory. Her life has been extended and is the only survivor of the Schiff. She is last seen traveling with Akihiro and Mao. She has an innocent childish personality, as she is seen watching television and was the most cheerful of the Schiff, until Karman berated her for making friends with humans.
References
- ^ a b c "The Zoo". Blood+. Season 2. Episode 22.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Limited Existence". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 28.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "First Kiss". Blood+. Season 1. Episode 1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d "The Place Where it All Started". Blood+. Season 1. Episode 3.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f "Joel's Diary". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 30.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Dangerous Boy". Blood+. Season 1. Episode 4.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Beyond the Dark Forest". Blood+. Season 1. Episode 5.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "My Father's Hands". Blood+. Season 1. Episode 6.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Those Who Serve Saya". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 26.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Chevalier". Blood+. Season 2. Episode 20.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Power of Believing". Blood+. Season 2. Episode 33.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d "Paris, Jet'Aime". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 27.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Cursed Blood". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 29.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Sour Grapes". Blood+. Season 3. Episode 21.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help)