List of Umineko When They Cry characters

The Umineko no Naku Koro ni visual novel series features an extensive cast of characters created and originally illustrated by 07th Expansion's Ryukishi07. The series takes place on the fictional secluded island Rokkenjima in Japan, and the storyline primarily follows the Ushiromiya family during the time period of October 4 and October 5, 1986.

Rokkenjima is owned and lived on by Kinzo, the head of the wealthy Ushiromiya family. Kinzo is near death, and eight of his family members arrive on the island for the annual family conference, where the adults plan to discuss how Kinzo's assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are three family members who live there, five of Kinzo's servants, and his personal physician. After the eight family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island, and shortly after, strange things start to happen and people start dying.

Ushiromiya family

File:Umineko characters.jpg

The Ushiromiya family tree and servants (from left to right):
First row: Kinzo, Krauss, Natsuhi, Jessica
Second row: Nanjo, Eva, Hideyoshi, George
Third row: Rudolf, Kyrie, Battler
Fourth row: Genji, Rosa, Maria
Fifth row: Shannon, Kanon, Gohda, Kumasawa.

Rokkenjima is owned by the wealthy Ushiromiya family, and serves as the home of the Ushiromiya family head. The family was initially much greater and contained more members until the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, after which the family was severely crippled, both domestically and financially. The current head, Kinzo, was originally part of a smaller branch of the family, and it fell to him to restore the family's glory. In Umineko, there is a rumor that Kinzo turned to the Golden Witch Beatrice and sold his soul for ¥20 billion worth of gold, allowing the Ushiromiya family to prosper more than it ever had before.

The current members of the Ushiromiya family gather on Rokkenjima every year for their annual family conference. While the youngest members of the family, Kinzo's grandchildren, see it as a chance to bond and have a pleasurable time chatting about their lives, their parents, Kinzo's children, take the opportunity to debate how Kinzo's assets are to be divided after his death. After that comes to pass, the headship will be passed down onto a successor according to a preset hierarchy. As the current head, Kinzo is the highest rank of all the family members. Following Kinzo are his four children, from oldest to youngest (first son Krauss, first daughter Eva, second son Rudolf, and second daughter Rosa), then his grandchildren in order of their parents' age (Krauss' daughter Jessica, Eva's son George, Rudolf's son Battler, and Rosa's daughter Maria), and finally his children's spouses as they are not blood relatives (Krauss' wife Natsuhi, Eva's husband Hideyoshi, and Rudolf's wife Kyrie). Those born under the name Ushiromiya bear the family crest, the "One-Winged Bird" (片翼の鳥, Katayoku no Tori), on their clothes, while those outside the family do not.

Kinzo's descendants have a Western naming style. While foreign names are normally written in katakana, the names of Kinzo's children and grandchildren are written using similar-sounding kanji. One exception is Battler (戦人), which is pronounced "Batora" (ばとら) rather than the way the kanji that make up his name would otherwise normally be pronounced, "Sento" (せんと).

Kinzo Ushiromiya (右代宮 金蔵, Ushiromiya Kinzō)

Voiced by: Mugihito

Kinzo is the head of the Ushiromiya family and the owner of Rokkenjima. Due to a long-time drinking habit, Kinzo is expected to die within the next three months, though his high spirits and imposing character makes his imminent death even less apparent. He supposedly summoned Beatrice and made a contract with her, in which he was granted ten tons of gold, and was to give something of equal value in exchange. After that, he fell madly in love with Beatrice and confined her to a secret mansion on Rokkenjima, though she disappeared through mysterious means. Kinzo practices black magic as a hobby, through which he hopes to meet Beatrice once again and willingly sacrifices his wealth, glory, and headship of the Ushiromiya family to repay his debt to her, making him the instigator of all the bizarre happenings on Rokkenjima. He sees his children as vultures ready to feast on his fortune once he is dead. A self-fashioned sorcerer, he practices black magic as a hobby and possesses high, if shallow and one-sided, magical power that allows him to summon multiple witches and demons at once. Kinzo has polydactyly, distinguished by having six toes on each foot, which has been the used to identify his body in each scenario when his face could not.

Krauss Ushiromiya (右代宮 蔵臼, Ushiromiya Kurausu)

Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi

Krauss is Kinzo's first son and the oldest of his siblings. He is the next in line to inherit the family headship, and takes the initiative to lead the family conferences. Due to his arrogant nature, he has made himself something of an enemy to the siblings, who see him as trying to monopolize Kinzo's fortune, and unanimously attempt to upstage him, though with little success. His daughter, Jessica, also has little respect for him, particularly due to the pressure he places on her to become (or at least marry) a suitable successor to the Ushiromiya family after him. He is a real estate investor, and is currently supplying his funds to a resort. However, he has been unable to carry out his plans, and thus his investments end in failure. Despite always swaggering about, Krauss holds genuine remorse for all the troubles he put his family through. He is known to have taken up boxing in his youth, and still possesses quite a bit of skill in that area. Unlike his siblings, he lives on Rokkenjima with his father, wife, and daughter.

Natsuhi Ushiromiya (右代宮 夏妃, Ushiromiya Natsuhi)

Voiced by: Emi Shinohara

Natsuhi is Krauss' wife. Born into a family of Shinto priests, Natsuhi discarded her old life when she married into the Ushiromiya family. She is a very proud woman who holds her new family's name in high regard, and is in charge of managing the family head house and family conferences. Unfortunately for her, all of her efforts are often undervalued by her husband, and she is often afflicted by headaches. She holds a bitter rivalry with Eva, who mocks her for not being related to the Ushiromiya family by blood. As a mother, Natsuhi is incredibly strict towards her daughter Jessica, but only out of concern that she becomes an ideal heiress to the Ushiromiya family.

Jessica Ushiromiya (右代宮 朱志香, Ushiromiya Jeshika)

Voiced by: Marina Inoue

Jessica is the eighteen-year-old daughter of Krauss and Natsuhi. She is not interested in matters of the family inheritance. She dislikes her parents at times, but still shows concern for them. If Krauss does inherit the Ushiromiya family fortune, she will become the heiress of the Ushiromiya family (strictly speaking, a future husband). Jessica was born with weak bronchi and frequently has asthma attacks. She has feelings for Kanon, and in Turn of the Golden Witch sacrifices her life for him by getting stabbed in the back by Asmodeus in stake form. Jessica is shown in Turn of the Golden Witch and Alliance of the Golden Witch to be skilled with brass knuckles. Like her other cousins, she has some magical abilities, being able to enchant her fists with magic through sheer determination. The longer she does so, the stronger her punches get, to the point where she could actually shatter magical barriers regardless of their strength.

Eva Ushiromiya (右代宮 絵羽, Ushiromiya Eba)

Voiced by: Miki Itō

Eva is Kinzo's first daughter and the second oldest of her siblings. With her older brother Krauss to become the next family head, Eva had often been looked down upon by Kinzo as, under normal circumstances, she would have lost her place in the family roster if she were to marry. However, since she was able to give birth to her son, George, before Krauss's wife Natsuhi could conceive a child, Eva was allowed to keep her name and place in the family while her husband Hideyoshi was adopted as an Ushiromiya. Eva is playfully impish towards her younger siblings, nephew and nieces, but very hostile and cruel to Krauss and Natsuhi, and strives to upstage her older brother in any way possible, leading her to rally the siblings against him at the family conferences. However, she treasures her husband and son more than anything, though she looks down on anything that she believes could threaten George's future, such as his romance with Shannon, one of the Ushiromiya servants. She is shown to have considerable skill in various forms of Chinese martial arts, particularly tai chi chuan.

Hideyoshi Ushiromiya (右代宮 秀吉, Ushiromiya Hideyoshi)

Voiced by: Masashi Hirose

Hideyoshi is Eva's husband. He is the successful president of a chain of fast food restaurants. He is a very jovial man and manages to tone down the tension between the siblings during their various meetings. He seeks Kinzo's fortune due to people trying to buy all his shares in his company. He speaks with a fake Kansai accent, which he is said to be too embarrassed to use against actual Kansai people.

George Ushiromiya (右代宮 譲治, Ushiromiya Jōji)

Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura

George is the twenty-three-year-old son of Eva and Hideyoshi. Being the oldest of Kinzo's grandchildren, he is respected by his cousins and parents, who view him as a mature young man. Battler wants to be like him and admires his ability to calmly handle children like Maria. He is in love with Shannon, and proposes to her in Legend of the Golden Witch, Turn of the Golden Witch, and Banquet of the Golden Witch, though he is unable to in Alliance of the Golden Witch. Shannon accepts his proposal in every episode he makes it, making her his fiancée. Eva taught George Chinese martial arts from a young age, which he utilizes against Gaap in Alliance of the Golden Witch. His magic ability is a counterattack barrier that absorbs the impact of enemy blows and adds their force to his own attacks. Even without this ability, George is an amazing fighter, able to fend off Gaap and three goat butlers all at once, and he makes a point of stopping short of hitting Gaap just to prove that he was not to be underestimated.

Rudolf Ushiromiya (右代宮 留弗夫, Ushiromiya Rudorufu)

Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama

Rudolf is Kinzo's second son and the third youngest of his siblings. He was known as a philanderer in his youth, and had a secret affair with an unknown woman who gave birth to Battler, leading to the presumption that his first wife, Asumu, was the mother. After Asumu's death, he immediately remarried with Kyrie, one of his business partners and old girlfriend, leading to a falling out with his son, who ran away from home for six years. Rudolf is still known to chat up young women from time to time, though this does not seem to disturb Kyrie. He seeks Kinzo's fortune to settle a court case in America. He is an avid lover of Western films and an impressive marksman.

Kyrie Ushiromiya (右代宮 霧江, Ushiromiya Kirie)

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka

Kyrie is Rudolf's second wife and Battler's foster mother; however, Battler does not call her "mother," viewing her instead as a respectable older sister. She is known for her "flip the chessboard" mentality, influencing Battler in this regard, and is considered to be a great help to Rudolf. In Banquet of the Golden Witch, it is revealed that she harbored jealousy towards Asumu due to the fact that both dated Rudolf at the same time and that Asumu gave birth before she did.

Battler Ushiromiya (右代宮 戦人, Ushiromiya Batora)

Voiced by: Daisuke Ono

Battler is the eighteen-year-old son of Rudolf and an unnamed woman, though he grew up believing Rudolf's first wife Asumu was his birth mother. He is very stubborn and is afraid of "shaky" transportation, thinking he might fall off of a boat, or out of a plane. Due to his father's remarriage, he rebelled and lived with his maternal grandparents for six years. After his grandparents died, he returned to his old home. He insists that the Golden Witch does not exist, along with magic in general, and his denial of her existence becomes the main theme of the game. Most of the situations are seen through his point of view, and he is generally considered the protagonist of the story. Although he denies magic, he actually has strong magical powers, and because of a hidden power, he generates an invincible anti-magic field powerful enough to the point that even gods cannot harm him.

Ange Ushiromiya (右代宮 縁寿, Ushiromiya Enje)

Voiced by: Rina Satō

Ange is the six-year-old daughter of Kyrie and Rudolf, as well as Battler's half-sister. She could not come to the island in 1986 due to a sickness. After the events of Banquet of the Golden Witch, she is raised by Eva after she returns alive from Rokkenjima, and studies to become the next family head. However, she is put through many hardships particularly due to Eva's belief that her son George should have been the next head. Before her death in 1998, Eva passes down the name of "Beatrice" to Ange, who becomes the new Endless Witch. Ange attempts to commit suicide by jumping off a building so she can be with her family, but is stopped by the witch Bernkastel, who offers to help Ange solve the mysteries on Rokkenjima. Despite being the last witch of her time period, Ange, like Battler, does not believe in witches. However, she does understand witches along with their strengths and weaknesses, making her denial of witches very dangerous to them. Like her brother, she has a habit of saying, "It's useless, it's all useless" during difficult situations.

Rosa Ushiromiya (右代宮 楼座, Ushiromiya Rōza)

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu

Rosa is Kinzo's second daughter and the youngest of her siblings. Her husband abandoned her shortly before the birth of her daughter and only child, Maria, whom she secretly blames for it. Rosa is the president of a small design company, "Anti-Rosa," which has recently begun to flounder, and thus seeks out Kinzo's inheritance to pay off her co-endorsers. As a result, she is forced to leave Maria home for work, though she often neglects Maria to take small vacations with boyfriends, which has drawn the attention of child services. On the surface, Rosa appears to be the most sensible and soothing of all the siblings, and often has the least to say during the family conferences. However, she frequently responds violently to her daughter's childish behavior and overenthusiastic approach to the occult to the point that Maria believes her mother is being possessed by an evil witch, and thus doesn't hold her responsible for her abusive behavior. Once Rosa regains control of her emotions, she usually feels guilty and reconciles with Maria, only to have this unhealthy cycle repeat itself.

Maria Ushiromiya (右代宮 真里亞, Ushiromiya Maria)

Voiced by: Yui Horie

Maria is Rosa's nine-year-old daughter. At a glance, Maria is a pure an innocent child, though she is also stubborn, highly possessive, and quite immature for a girl her age, which often frustrates her mother. She also has a habit of being very creepy and disturbing during certain moments, though this may be because of her sensitivity to the paranormal. Being neglected at home while Rosa manages her company, Maria turned to the occult and gained a strong interest in the occult, black magic, and anything related to witches. As a result, she believes strongly in Beatrice's existence, and gets very upset whenever anyone questions it. She keeps an extremely detailed notebook containing countless pieces of occult information. As the second youngest of Kinzo's grandchildren, she has very high magical potential, and can grant souls and immense power to inanimate objects, turning them into relics and talismans that can impress even the strongest of witches. Maria is perhaps best known for her catchphrase "ū" (うー), which is in fact a spell she utters whenever she has or desires her mother's love and happiness. Unfortunately for Maria, Rosa often sees this as one of her aggravating childish habits, and is unable to understand its meaning. Maria also has a distinct laugh, "kihihihi" (きひひひ), which unnerves anyone who hears it.

Mansion staff

The Ushiromiya head house is tended to by multiple servants. While there are more, only five servants are on duty at the time of the murders on Rokkenjima. A majority of the servants were raised in an orphanage owned by Kinzo. When on duty, these servants utilize pseudonyms, consisting of the suffix "on" (音). It is suggested that these servants are actually furniture created by Kinzo's hands through magic, and are permitted to bear the One-Winged Bird on their uniforms. The other servants and staff members are normal people hired by Krauss and Natsuhi. Also present is Kinzo's attending physician who, while not explicitly a member of the mansion's working staff, does offer his services when needed.

Genji Ronoue (呂ノ上 源次, Ronoue Genji)

Voiced by: Masato Funaki

Genji is the head butler of Kinzo's mansion. He is implied by Beatrice to be the first furniture Kinzo ever created, he is the person Kinzo trusts the most. He is the first in rank of all the servants. He is implied to have a connection to Ronove. Very loyal and reliable, he also has a penchant for throwing knives. It is suggested that the demon Ronove assisted Kinzo in Genji's creation, and thus many hints are given about his connection to Ronove, one being his similar-sounding surname.

Shannon (紗音, Shanon)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

Shannon is a young maid of Kinzo's mansion. Her real name is Sayo (紗代). She is the second in rank of all the servants. She has a habit of making mistakes and blunders when she is nervous, despite being an extremely talented and hardworking servant. She thinks of Kanon as her younger brother, and like him she feels she is inferior to humans, as she is only furniture. Despite this, she falls in love with George. In Turn of the Golden Witch, she breaks a mirror sealing some of Beatrice's power in return for a spell to bring her and George together, and in Legend of the Golden Witch, she accepts his proposal, as she is wearing the ring on her ring finger when she is killed. Based on what Beatrice has shown Battler, he has magic powers that let her create barriers, interrupt magic attacks, and link with Kanon.

Kanon (嘉音)

Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi

Kanon is a young butler of Kinzo's mansion. He is a serious and fervent butler, carrying out his master's orders thoroughly. He is a bit frail and antisocial. He considers Shannon as an older sister and highly disapproves of her feelings for George, as he believes she should not feel love as she is only furniture. He has feelings for Jessica, which he tries to hide from even himself, because he thinks of himself as "furniture", rather than a human being. However, it is shown that he still deeply wishes to become a human being, and hopes to do so when he reaches the Golden Land. He is the third in rank of all the servants. Like Shannon, Kanon is not his real name. Based on what Beatrice has shown Battler, he also possesses some magic abilities, though his are more offense based - using a red blade of light and linking with Shannon.

Toshiro Gohda (郷田 俊朗, Gōda Toshirō)

Voiced by: Hitoshi Bifu

Gohda is the head cook of Kinzo's mansion. Unlike the other servants in the mansion, he has been hired by Krauss and Natsuhi. Due to this, his rank is very low. He is extremely proud of his culinary skills. He was previously employed at a hotel, and due to his experience, he is ostentatious and looks down upon Shannon and Kanon. However while this seems apparent from a first glance, he is actually quite concerned for them, and is very reliable when it counts.

Chiyo Kumasawa (熊沢 チヨ, Kumasawa Chiyo)

Voiced by: Yasuko Hatori

Kumasawa is a part-time worker who assists with domestic chores in Kinzo's mansion. She often shirks her responsibilities and likes to tell stories and jokes, especially outrageous ones involving mackerel. In Banquet of the Golden Witch, she became a host for the sleeping Virgilia, and was briefly possessed by her when she awoke in response to Beatrice's growing power, but was killed along with Virgilia in battle against Beatrice.

Terumasa Nanjo (南條 輝正, Nanjō Terumasa)

Voiced by: Akihiko Ishizumi

Nanjo is Kinzo's personal physician and close friend. He is also Kinzo's opponent in chess. He is one of the few people Kinzo, who has grown fanatical in his suspicions, opens his heart to. He has a very big-hearted disposition, and has come to the island for a long time, never getting upset by Kinzo's hot temper. He owns a clinic on Niijima, the island closest to Rokkenjima.

Witches and sorcerers

In the world of Umineko no Naku Koro ni, witches are beings who hold powers that allow them to surpass human limitations, and are able to use that power freely. The term "witch" generally refers to females, while males are generally defined as sorcerers. All witches were either once humans who learned how to use magic, or manifested from human emotions. Humans who can use magic but are unable to use it to its fullest potential are referred to as magicians.

Witches are classified by the types of magic they are able to use. The most recurring type of magic in Umineko is Endless Magic, which grants witches the power to break and repair anything infinitely, including human lives. Witches with this ability such as Beatrice are known as Endless Witches and are greatly respected, though they often lose their concept of life and death entirely and are easily corrupted. Even with this power, Endless Witches and all other witches of a lower class are very limited beings, as they are bound to certain territories and unable to use their powers outside of them. Witches who gain the ability to move into other territories, such as Bernkastel and Lambdadelta, are known as Voyagers, to whom few other witches can compare, though their sense of worth is often deterred, and they are even at the risk of losing their souls on their voyages, which they often hope will be endless. Witches of an even higher order are Creators, beings who hold the ability to create something from nothing. Voyagers are said to become Creators at the ends of their journeys, which they fear for unknown reasons.

Beatrice (ベアトリーチェ, Beatorīche)

Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara

Beatrice, also known as the Golden Witch, the Endless Witch, and affectionately as "Beato", is arguably the primary antagonist of the series. A witch who lived for over a thousand years, she is said to appear as a cloud of golden butterflies, and has the power to summon higher demons among the seventy-two pillars to serve her. It is said that humans can summon her to have their wishes granted in exchange for compensation, though she often acts whimsically. She ended up losing much of her former power and became bound to Rokkenjima after she appeared before Kinzo to grant him ten tons worth of gold, though she eventually managed to escape, albeit in a weakened state. She seeks to regain her power by sacrificing the residents of Rokkenjima according to her cryptic epitaph, which Kinzo had written out for her. At first glance, her personality is extremely twisted, in that she does not necessarily make the best move for herself if ignoring the best move can cause her opponents to become confused or maddened. Despite this, she is nothing more than an immature child at heart who only wants to play with toys she doesn't have to worry about breaking. She sees Battler as the ultimate toy, considering his strong resistance towards her, though deep down she respects Battler as a worthy adversary and even displays feelings of affection towards him.

Bernkastel (ベルンカステル, Berunkasuteru)

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura

She is also known as the Witch of Miracles, and greatly resembles Rika Furude from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Her name also suggests some connection to Rika's "alter-ego", Frederica Bernkastel (which is hinted when Bernkastel quotes herself saying Rika's trademark "Ni~pa" sound). It is said she resides in a world where concepts such as fate and probability can be visualized. She appears to see Beatrice's game to ease her boredom. She assists the player by giving some hints around the workings of the game. Her "Magic of Miracles" allows her to reset a desperate situation as long as the probability of a favorable situation is not equal to zero. She wants to defeat Beatrice, regardless of the means used for this objective. Throughout Umineko no Naku Koro ni, she maintains an icy and and aloof calm in most situations, though by the end of Alliance of the Golden Witch and throughout Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru, she is shown to be just as impish and playfully cruel as Lambdadelta.

Lambdadelta (ラムダデルタ, Ramudaderuta)

Voiced by: Fuyuka Ōura

Another witch who fought Bernkastel in a "game" in the past. Her name and appearance hint at her being connected to Miyo Takano from Higurashi. "Lambdadelta" (λδ) represents thirty-four when using Greek numerals and "Miyo" (三四) can translated as "three, four" in Japanese. This is later revealed in supplementary tips that she actually aided Takano, but other than the fact that they look similar they do not share anything other connection. She is quite childish and holds a grudge against Bernkastel for finally beating her in their last game, although she actually cares for her. She is also known as the Witch of the Absolute and The Most Powerful Witch in the Universe before losing to Bernkastel. She is the most powerful witch next to Bernkastel, and is feared by most other witches, including Beatrice. Her "Magic of Certainty" allows her to kill anyone without fail, as an absolute result. Like Bernkastel, she is a Voyager. She wishes for Battler and Beatrice to fight against each other for eternity as part of a larger plot to have Bernkastel lose against her, even attempting to sway Ange-Beatrice to have the games continue indefinitely.

Virgilia (ワルギリア, Warugiria)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

She was the previous Endless Witch before Beatrice, and was also her teacher. Her new name (having passed her old one to her student) comes from the Divine Comedy character Virgil, who guides Dante through Hell and Purgatory to Beatrice, who is his guide through Heaven. She is a silver-haired witch with great powers, despite surrendering most of them to Beatrice with the title of the "Endless Witch". She assists Battler during Banquet of the Golden Witch, helping him to come up with theories to counter the claims that Beatrice sets forth, though it is revealed in the end that her allegiences lie entirely with Beatrice, having worked with and secretly assisted her throughout the game in an effort to make Battler accept the existence of witches. However, she ends up becoming Battler's ally once again in End of the Golden Witch when Battler becomes the Endless Sorcerer. She is a dangerous opponent, as she can beat Beatrice in combat if not for a surprise attack. She is also somewhat bumbling as well.

Eva-Beatrice (エヴァ・ベアトリーチェ, Eva Beatorīche)

Voiced by: Miki Itō

She is the supposed successor to the title of Endless Witch and is shown to be the main antagonist of Banquet of the Golden Witch. She is created when Eva solves the riddle of the witch's epitaph, having been recognised as suitable to be a witch by Lambdadelta, and resembles Eva during her high school years. Her main choice of furniture are the Siestas 45 and 410, and she often uses the Stakes of Purgatory to cover up the wounds the Siestas inflict on her victims. Despite the fact that Eva had solved the epitaph and become the head of the Ushiromiya, as well as only a piece on the game board initially, Eva-Beatrice continued the murders out of her anger and malice towards her family, utilizing cruel and or bizarre methods to kill them before reviving them, and starting the sadistic process all over again. After she was brought into the meta-world by Battler, she nearly causes him to accept the existence of witches and magic with a seemingly perfect scenario and usage of the Red Truth, but Beatrice destroys her by using the same method to "deny" witches, apparently sacrificing herself as well (though this was a ruse so she could make Battler submit herself). In Alliance of the Golden Witch, however, she manages to return in spirit form and manipulates Kasumi to do her bidding through her hatred towards Ange, who nicknames Eva-Beatrice the "Black Witch." When this fails and Kasumi is killed, Eva-Beatrice summons her human form from hell and possesses her, only to be killed, seemingly once and for all, by Mammon.

Ange-Beatrice (エンジェ・ベアトリーチェ, Enje Beatorīche)

Voiced by: Rina Satō

She is the witch form of Ange in 1998 when she decides to return to 1986 and help out her brother, Battler, in Alliance of the Golden Witch, having been recognized as a witch by Bernkastel. She has three titles: "Golden Witch", "Endless Witch", and "Witch of Anit-Soul". She declares herself to be a Witch-Hunting Witch and adopts the alias "Gretel" (from the German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel) in the meta-world, since she was forbidden to reveal her true name. She helps Battler form his theories and calls herself a White Witch by her way to use magic for the benefit of people, in opposition of Eva-Beatrice who uses anger and hatred to control people and grant their wishes (like Eva in 1986 and Kasumi in 1998). Like her brother, Ange has a natural resistance to magic, along with a strong ability to wield it. She develops a great friendship with Mammon of the Stakes of Purgatory, since she used to be her first furniture, and the witch form of Maria, who accompanies her through her grimoire/diary. She used to be a member of Mariage Sorcière, which explains the fact how she can summon the Seven Stakes of Purgatory without their stakes as vessels. She was banished when she gave up on magic during her high school. She apparently dies at the end of Alliance of the Golden Witch, revealing her true name by reminding Battler of his duty to protect her as his younger sister, and is torn apart as a result.

Maria (マリア)

Voiced by: Yui Horie

She is the witch form of Maria, having become Beatrice's apprentice after giving a soul to Sakutaro. By succeeding in doing this feat, she is a potential Creator: a witch with an even higher rank than Bernkastel and Lambdadelta. Known by the title of Witch of Origins, she is able to give birth to a 1 from the sea of zero (hinted to be used in conjunction with Beatrice in the next game). It is revealed in Alliance of the Golden Witch that she is affiliated with the Mariage Sorcière, an alliance of witches she and Beatrice are exclusive members of. She is also the witch teacher of Ange, despite the fact that they did not see each other as she was banished from Mariage Sorcière.

Goldsmith (ゴールドスミス, Gōrudosumisu)

Voiced by: Mugihito

He is the magician form of Kinzo and is shown to be the main antagonist of Alliance of the Golden Witch. Though he has the same perseverance as Kinzo, he is in perfect health instead of at death's throes, and is an extremely powerful summoner, being able to summon and keep the three Siestas, Ronove, Gaap and Virgilia within the same call of time. Goldsmith's name is an allusion to the first game, where Battler jokingly calls him Goldsmith, since "Kinzo" literally means a gold warehouse, and Battler wanted Kinzo to join in with the Western-naming.

Erika Furudo (古戸 ヱリカ, Furudo Erika)

Erika is Bernkastel's piece on the game board in End of the Golden Witch. Coincidentally drifting ashore during the family conference of 1986, she is able to break through the limits imposed on the first four games and become the island's 18th person. She claims to be a detective and manages to solve the epitaph with the help of her excellent reasoning skills and Battler. Erika is rather insensitive, and lacks compassion, only caring to solve mysteries to prove her superiority to their creator. After the events of the first twilight, she makes use of her rights as the game's detective to lead a full blown investigation which eventually pins Natsuhi as the culprit. By tackling Fantasy with Mystery instead of Anti-Fantasy, Erika manages to completely deny the existence of Beatrice and end the game, resulting in Beatrice's death. As a reward from Bernkastel, she is declared to be both the Witch of Truth and Game Master, but the latter of the titles is soon snatched from her by Battler, who has become the Endless Sorcerer. Battler destroys her theory and forces her to make a new one with a value equal to his, much to Erika's dismay. Since her supposed truth in this game was shot down, it ends as a stalemate for that round. Seeking revenge, Erika swears to expose the truth behind witches and kill Battler in the sixth game. Her name is an homage to Frederica Bernkastel and Rika Furude. The furniture she uses are the Siestas and the Eiserne Jungefrauen.

Battler Ushiromiya (右代宮 戦人, Ushiromiya Batora)

Voiced by: Daisuke Ono

The Sorcerer form of Battler, and the new Game Master. After Beatrice dies and Battler is able to face off Erika's nearly perfect mystery theory, Lambdadelta gives him the title of "Endless Sorcerer". Although he still does not believe in magic, much like his sister, he is gifted with very strong magical abilities as well as his own natural magical resistance. He can summon a golden blade of light (differing from most blades in that it has a handle, much like Dlanor's), the Golden Truth and can call upon Ronove, Virgilia, Gaap, the Stakes of Purgatory, and most of Beatrice's other furniture except for the Siestas and Eiserne Jungefrauen, who are under Erika's control. He seeks to defeat Erika, revive Beatrice, settle down his original game, and end the tragedies on the island.

Furniture

The term "furniture" (家具, kagu) in Umineko is used to refer to those who serve others, similar to that of a servant, except those termed furniture are summoned or created by a magician or witch. The number and type of furniture summoned at one time depends on the summoner's skill. The term is also used as a form of dehumanization. In addition to special powers, such as transformation and barriers, most furniture have the ability to conjure a magical ornate blade of light from one of their hands for offensive purposes.

Stakes of Purgatory

The Seven Stakes of Purgatory (煉獄の七杭, Rengoku no Shichikui), also known as the Seven Sisters of Purgatory (煉獄の七姉妹, Rengoku no Shichi Shimai), are the weapons which are said to be controlled by Beatrice. There are seven of them, named after the corresponding demons of the seven sins, and each one can gain power from said sin. The Stakes of Purgatory are described as being inescapable. Only powerful mages can control the Stakes of Purgatory, but they cannot hurt any who have not committed the sins, or have strong magical resistance. The Stakes can take on a human form and their true form, a powerful stake.

While in human form, they rely on their blades of light for offense, switching to stake form to dodge attacks and get in their opponent's blind spot. As for their stake form, while smaller, they are many times faster and can kill by impalement. They can also bounce off walls and anything blocking their way, able to attack from any angle. However, in stake form, they are far from invincible, and can still be injured or even killed if shot by guns. In Turn of the Golden Witch, the Stakes of Purgatory first appeared in human form, taking the shape of young girls, each with a different personality, but all have red irises. They can be distinguished through hair styles and colors. They are used in order to accomplish Beatrice's epitaph, but they are also Ange's friends during her school years.

Lucifer (ルシファー, Rushifā)

Voiced by: Yuka Saitō

Representing the fallen angel Lucifer and the corresponding sin of pride, she is the eldest among all the Stakes of Purgatory and acts as their leader. She is extremely insecure, knowing herself to be the most inferior to her sisters, and fears what they would do if they found out. As such, she acts arrogant and conceited to keep her weaknesses from being discovered. Despite that, she takes pleasure in surrendering on her own accord. Lucifer's appearance is a girl with long, straight black hair.

Leviathan (レヴィアタン, Reviatan)

Voiced by: Madoka Yonezawa

Representing the demon Leviathan and the corresponding sin of envy, she is the second eldest of the Stakes of Purgatory, and the self-fashioned representative of the younger sisters to Lucifer. By nature, she is a jealous, selfish crybaby who will do anything to win. Her otherwise brutal personality allows her to easily pinpoint the weaknesses of others. Unfortunately for her, she is clumsy at everything she does and always comes out last at everything she and her sisters do together. Leviathan's appearance is a girl with wavy, middle-length green hair.

Satan (サタン)

Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa

Representing the demon Satan and the corresponding sin of wrath, she is the third eldest of the Stakes of Purgatory. She is easily angered and speaks with scornful inflection, making her the most feared out of the sisters, including by the sisters themselves. Since people are too afraid to talk back at her, she often becomes lonely. She often tries to intentionally anger her sisters so they can be angry with her, but to no avail. Satan's appearance is a girl with short, curly pale hair.

Belphegor (ベルフェゴール, Berufegōru)

Voiced by: Seiko Yoshida

Representing the demon Belphegor and the corresponding sin of sloth, she is the middle child of the Stakes of Purgatory. She is hard-working and sensible, but only so that her master can become a lazy pig and fall all the harder. Her serious nature makes her the most trusted of her sisters, but she isn't used to being treated with kindness. Belphegor's appearance is a girl with long dark hair in a ponytail.

Mammon (マモン, Mamon)

Voiced by: Ayano Niina

Representing the demon Mammon and the corresponding sin of greed, she is the third youngest of the Stakes of Purgatory. She is extremely greedy and, with her ability to act quickly, will do anything to get what she wants, often leading her to start conflicts between her sisters. Unlike the other Stakes, however, she is the most honest emotionally. Mammon's appearance is a girl with long brown hair. In Alliance of the Golden Witch, she is Ange's best friend.

Beelzebub (ベルゼブブ, Beruzebubu)

Voiced by: Yuri Yamaoka

Representing the demon Beelzebub and the corresponding sin of gluttony, she is the secound youngest of the Stakes of Purgatory. She is a gourmet, and is willing to use even her own flesh if it is used to make a delicious meal. Due to her connection to food, she is widely known among other enthusiasts. She serves as a calming influence among the sisters. She also has a competitive streak with Mammon to see who will get something first. Beelzebub's appearance is a girl with short curly blond hair in two pony tails.

Asmodeus (アスモデウス, Asumodeusu)

Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki

Representing the demon Asmodeus and the corresponding sin of lust, she is the youngest of the Stakes of Purgatory. She wants to fall in love, and is willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of it. Due to her young age, she is treated affectionately by everyone, but is not taken seriously among the sisters. This makes her wish all the harder for her knight in shining armor to arrive and help her be accepted as an adult, though such a thing is nothing more than a delusion. Asmodeus' appearance is a girl with long, blonde, straight hair in two pony tails.

Siestas

The Siesta Sisters Imperial Guard Corps (シエスタ姉妹近衛兵, Shiesuta Shimai Konoehei) are bunny-girl weapons who can only be summoned by witches and sorcerers with a substantial amount of summoning skills. They attack using bows of light that fire potent beams of light which kill instantly on impact; the lone exception being Battler due to his invincible anti-magic shield. It is said that there is no escape from the Siestas' attacks, and they can even locate targets from far parts of the island and retrieve the corpses of whom they've killed; despite this, the Siestas appear to be far from fearless, being terrified away twice when it appeared that their attacks had been useless against both Beatrice and Battler in Banquet of the Golden Witch. They have red eyes, bunny ears, and elaborate military-styled outfits. It is hinted that they are connected to Maria in many different ways: Maria owns a set of ceramic musician rabbit toys said to wear uniforms resembling theirs; they bear a cross-shaped crest on their left arms, which resembles the last character in Maria's name, "a" (亞); and they are highly protective of Maria when she is around and willing to carry out her orders, such as during the Tea Party of Banquet of the Golden Witch. The only known witches and sorcerers who have been able to summon the Siestas are Eva-Beatrice, Goldsmith, and Erika Furudo. Beatrice can also summon them, but she has only done so in the Beatrice's White Day TIPS. Their true master is referred to as Pendragon, or the "Dragon King", who is only mentioned by name.

Siesta 410 (シエスタ410, Shiesuta Yonichimaru, pronounced "Four One Zero")

Voiced by: Eri Kitamura

She is named after the .410 Winchester shotgun. Siesta 410 wears a blue uniform and has short teal hair. Unlike Siesta 45, 410 has a childish, silly smile on her face most of the time. Her duty is the main sniper using the information from Siesta 45.

Siesta 45 (シエスタ45, Shiesuta Yonjūgo, pronounced "Forty-Five")

Voiced by: Mariko Mizuno

She is named after the .45 Winchester shotgun. Siesta 45 wears a red uniform and has long pink hair tied in two ponytails. She has a serious look most of the time, but she is also somewhat hesitant. Her duty is battle control, information gathering and data mining, trajectory calculating and sending it to Siesta 410.

Siesta 00 (シエスタ00, Shiesuta Daburu Ō, pronounced "Double O")

Voiced by: Shion Hirota

She is named after the "00 buck" shotgun load. Siesta 00 wears a black uniform and has long blonde hair. She has an eyepatch over her left eye, and her left bunny-ear has a scar. As the leader of the summoned Siestas, she is very composed and serious in her work, though in general besides her work she is a nice-hearted and gentle. She is also known for going full force in battle, and lost her eye for it. She is in charge of guard and recon. Although she works under Erika for now, she shows some reluctance to do so.

Siesta 556 (シエスタ556, Shiesuta Gōgōroku, pronounced "Five Five Six")

She is named after the 5.56x45mm NATO rifle cartridge. Siesta 556 wears a purple uniform and has short black hair. She is dead, after supposedly having been killed by a "Black Witch" who is heavily suggested to be Rosa, since she ended up breaking one of Maria's toy rabbits during a fight with Maria. She was in charge of firing support and guard. In life, she is said to have been teased by the other Siestas, but only out of love for her.

Eiserne Jungfrau

The Eiserne Jungfrau (アイゼルネ・ユングフラウ, Aizerune Yungufurau) are furniture summoned by Erika Furudo in End of the Golden Witch. Eiserne Jungfrau literally means "Iron Maiden" in German. Unlike most other mentioned furniture, who come from hell, the Eiserne Jungefrauen are said to come from heaven. They are witch hunters, who hunt out those who are judged as evil with extreme force, though not unemotionally as one would guess from their demeanor. They work under the "rules of Knox", and uses these for their theories and judgement.

Dlanor A. Knox (ドラノール・A・ノックス, Doranōru A Nokkusu)

Dlanor is the Chief Inquisitor of Eiserne Jungfrau, also known as Archbishop Knox and, popularly, "Death Sentence Dlanor". She can summon a red blade of light, which differs from the others seen in the series by having a handle. She is named after Ronald A. Knox. Dlanor is also an extremely strong fighter, and engages in a duel with Battler in End of the Golden Witch. While she is a witch hunter and puts on a cold mask, she actually pities witches, as she is in truth neutral, but she strives to eliminate evil. This does not allow her to let those who she has been ordered to hunt go. She, like Cornelia and Gertrude, work under Erika, though she sees Erika as "evil" and desires to teach her a lesson despite following her. She respects Battler despite being on opposite sides as they have things in common, and is an old friend of Virgilia's, despite the latter being a witch.

Cornelia (コーネリア, Kōneria)

Cornelia is a member of Eiserne Jungfrau. She has the apperance of a teenage girl with short brown hair and ribbons. She can put up red and blue bariers on openings such as doors and windows to represent rulings. As cold-looking as her associates, she can actually be quite emotional, but follows her orders to the letter even if she is not allowed to cry while being punished.

Gertrude (ガートルード, Gātorūdo)

Gertrude is a member of Eiserne Jungfrau. Appearing as a teenage girl with long dirty blond hair, she memorized the Rules of Knox and uses them during interrogation to back others into corners. She has a tendency to leave holes in her arguments without thinking, however.

Others

Ronove (ロノウェ, Ronowe)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

Ronove is Beatrice's (and later, Battler's) butler and head furniture. He is a high ranked earl of hell named after the demon of the same name. He often serves black tea and cookies to Beatrice and her guests. Nonchalant, he often bears a mysterious smile that is hard to interpret, even for his master. Even though he is bound by contract with Beatrice, he does not hesitate to state facts to tease her. He claims to be linked to Genji Ronoue. In Alliance of the Golden Witch, he engages Jessica in combat, where he utilizes barriers for both offense and defense, generating strong ones to both deflect attacks and launch enemies backwards. He can also use a special barrier that returns damage back to the attacker.

Gaap (ガァプ, Gāpu)

Voiced by: Yuki Kaida

Gaap is a curly-haired woman named after the demon of the same name. She wears a red dress and a hat with a pink bow. Quite flamboyant, Gaap loves to tease people and gives people random nicknames by shortening their names ("Riiche" for Beatrice, "Lia" for Virgilia, etc.). She is one of Beatrice's friends, though she is greatly disliked by Virgilia. She draws power from the Abyss to summon holes that can lead anywhere, although there are limits. In battle, particularly against George in Alliance of the Golden Witch, she uses a combination of these portals and various kicks that stab with her sharp heels, overwhelming her opponent and keeping them from moving as they emerge from the portal in mid-air.

Sakutaro (さくたろう, Sakutarō)

Voiced by: Minori Chihara

Sakutaro is a stuffed animal resembling a lion cub handmade by Rosa, who gave it to Maria for her birthday. Maria managed to give Sakutaro a soul through magic, and since then, he became Maria's best friend. Though Maria sees him as being able to talk freely, everyone else sees it as Maria merely speaking through a toy. His human form resembles a young boy with blond hair, and wears a yellow sweater with overly-long sleeves and a tail, a red scarf, and a cap with lion ears. His name was originally intended to be "Sakura" (さくら), named after a parody of the manga and anime Cardcaptor Sakura, but since "Sakura" is traditionally a female name, Maria derived from it and added the male suffix "taro" (たろう, tarō). He was destroyed by Rosa during a fight with Maria prior to the main events of the series and, due to Rosa's refusal to accept him afterwards and her own subsequent deaths in 1986, it is impossible for Beatrice to revive him. However, Sakutaro is later miraculously revived by Ange.

Goat Butlers (山羊の従者, Yagi no Jūsha)

They are the faithful servants of Beatrice, and their primary weapon of choice is a purple blade of light. They are not very intelligent creatures and often get confused in the manner that a normal animal would be when given an order. Regardless, the butlers are, while lumbering, very strong and dangerous, and have a taste for human flesh. Unless their head is damaged, they can shrug off shotgun wounds in pursuit of their target. Despite their durability, however, they are very low ranked servants and pale in comparison to the Siestas, the Stakes, and even Sakutaro. Their numbers, however, are seemingly endless. In Alliance of the Golden Witch, it is shown that they have their own personalities and families, and are quite human in terms of their thoughts and ability to have friends and family.

Characters from 1998

Juza Amakusa (天草 十三, Amakusa Jūza)

Voiced by: Kōji Yusa

Amakusa is a hot-blooded and open young man who cannot stand boredom and is hired by Okonogi as Ange's bodyguard. He stands by Ange's side despite being originally hired by Eva, who grew to resent Ange. Due to his talkative nature, Eva fired him before her death. He is skilled at operating many weapons.

Tetsuro Okonogi (小此木 鉄郎, Okonogi Tetsurō)

Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi

He is the president of a company who has ties with Rudolf's and Hideyoshi's companies. Ange goes to question him about everything he knows of the Rokkenjima murders, despite suspecting that he may betray her. Although he had been hired by the Sumadera family to stall Ange and allow them to take control of her wealth, he proves himself to be Ange's fundamental ally in the end and allows her to escape, hiring Amakusa to protect her. He influences Ange greatly in her battle against Beatrice, particularly his belief that truth can only be obtained through love. He is identical in appearance to the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni character Okonogi, though their personalities differ slightly.

Kasumi Sumadera (須磨寺 霞, Sumadera Kasumi)

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka

Kasumi is the younger sister of Kyrie. She is extremely jealous of Kyrie, and eventually moved her hatred on to Ange once she inherited the Ushiromiya family fortune from Eva. Her anger eventually became a target for the black witch Eva-Beatrice, who manipulates her through her hatred. She and her men constantly hunt down Ange during her investigation of the Rokkenjima murders in the hopes of quelling her anger. She finally catches up with Ange on the island, having her men beat her up and mocking her alongside Eva-Beatrice for her belief in magic. She meets her end when Ange miraculously summons the Stakes of Purgatory to kill her and her men despite their high resistance to magic.

Masayuki Nanjo (南條 雅行, Nanjō Masayuki)

Voiced by: Akihiko Ishizumi

Masayuki is the son of Terumasa Nanjo who inherited his father's clinic on Niijima after his death in 1986. Due to his family's sensitivity to Terumasa's death, Masayuki is resentful of the media for its rather flippant depiction of the murder incident on Rokkenjima, and prefers to keep quiet about it. He is interrogated by Ange during her own investigation of the incident, only opening up to her as a fellow victim who lost her family.

Sabakichi Kumasawa (熊沢 鯖吉, Kumasawa Sabakichi)

Voiced by: Hideyuki Umezu

Sabakichi is one of Chiyo Kumasawa's sons who works as a fisherman on Niijima. Like his mother, he is big-hearted and carefree. Sabakichi is one of the relatives of the Rokkenjima murder incident's victims who Ange interrogates during her investigation.

Otsuki (大月, Ōtsuki)

Voiced by: Takayuki Kondō

Otsuki is the foremost Japanese member of the Witch Hunt, an international organization of occult enthusiasts dedicated to researching the tragedy on Rokkenjima from a magical perspective. However, their prescence and activities are less than welcome by the surivoring members of the victims on Rokkenjima, having stirred up the tabloids in a very unpleasant light. The name of this organization was borrowed from the English fan translation group for the game, also called "Witch Hunt."

Kawabata (川畑, Kawabata)

Voiced by: Daisuke Matsuoka

Kawabata is the captain of a high-speed boat that sends the Ushiromiya family to Rokkenjima back and forth. After the murder incident on Rokkenjima, Kawabata held himself partially responsible for being unable to pick up the family sooner, in spite of the typhoon that otherwise prevented him from doing so. In 1998, he agrees to bring Ange to Rokkenjima in the hopes of finding closure.

External links

• Official Umineko no Naku Koro ni visual novel character profiles Template:Ja icon