Shakugan no Shana/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Humans/Torches

Sakai Yuji

Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (JP), Kristian Ayre (EN)

Yuji, the main character of the story, is just an average high school student. However, his world is turned upside down when he discovers that he is already dead and does not have much time before he disappears. Fortunately, Yuji is a Mystes who contains a treasure known as the Reiji Maigo. The treasure inside him restores his Power of Existence every night at midnight. With the Reiji Maigo, Yuji has the possibility to live on like an average human as long as he makes sure that his Power of Existence does not run out before midnight. Yuji is kind person who puts others before himself. This often draws much confusion and annoyance from Shana, as prior Torches from Shana's experience exhibited selfish attitudes. However, Yuji's compassion and empathy sow the seeds of attraction between him and Shana.

Shana: I should have hit him at least ten more times.

  • A God Am I: As Snake of the Festival, with him believing he has the right to destroy and reform the world as he pleases.
    • Actually, he does not want to destroy the world, nor does he destroy the world. The Flame Haze feared that the Crimson Denizens would lack restraint and devour humans even in their paradise Xanadu (which would have limitless Power of Existence) and would destroy the world, but they the Crimson Denizens were willing to compromise despite having won.
  • Angst? What Angst?: Invoked. Kind of. He cares more about people being sad because of him dying than of death itself. To be exact, he's even glad that death would turn him into a Ret-Gone, because of his nature as a torch. He does angst about his own identity twice or thrice, but usually whenever he's worried, it's about everybody but himself, who's the resident Tomato in the Mirror.
  • Anti-Villain: Type IV as Snake of the Festival. Also a Type III Anti-Hero.
  • Awesomeness By Analysis
  • Badass Long Hair: As Snake of the Festival, Yuji's longhair is badass enough to shape-shift into a giant dark snake.
  • Batman Gambit: Snake of the Festival Yuji is one step ahead of the Flame Haze the entire third season, and the only reason that the Flame Haze partially succeed in their goals is because the Crimson Denizens entreat him to allow them to.
  • Battle Couple: With Shana.
  • Beware the Nice Ones
  • Big Bad: Eventually becomes the one after ascending as Snake of the Festival and leading Bal Masqué.
    • Actually, not only are his and the Snake's intentions noble, but they're completely right in believing that their plan will save the world. Which really makes them the...
  • Big Good
  • Black Knight: His looks as Snake of the Festival.
  • Blue Eyes
  • Chewing the Scenery: When Yuji freaks out and begins screaming in custody of Zarovee. Justified in that he's trying to attract Tanaka's attention, who he knows can alert Margery and Shana to what's going on.
  • Chick Magnet
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: His motives as a whole. During his time as part of the Battle Couple and during Snake of the Festival.
  • Easily Forgiven: By the end of the series, Yuji has been incredibly ruthless and killed thousands of Flame Hazes and humans in order to end the Forever War. However, Shana forgives him and tells him that she still loves him spite of what he did.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Snake of the Festival Yuji has some trouble figuring out why Shana doesn't want to enjoy a love life now they that have confessed to each other, you know, even though he beat her and his former companions down, doesn't share a good view of the world anymore and is allegedly willing to destroy it.
    • Actually, they (Yuji and the Snake) don't want to destroy the world. They want to rewrite the rules governing the world to create another realm for Denizens to live without needing to devour humans' Power of Existence. Hardly the definition of evil, especially since the final light novel reveals that Yuji was right and the Flame Haze were wrong. And to be fair, Shana still loved Yuji despite being his enemy, and wanted to redeem him.
  • Evil Overlooker: The main page's picture foreshadows Yuji's eventual rise to the status of Big Bad. Or so it seems.
  • Evil Overlord: To Bal Masque after his ascention to Snake of the Festival. Or so it seems...
  • Face Heel Turn: After he joins Snake of the Festival and turns against the Flame Hazes.
  • First-Name Basis: With Shana. Granted, she only has one name, but he doesn't use Honorifics when addressing her.
  • Forgotten Fallen Friend: During the his reign as Snake of The Festival, all of his human friends (save Yoshida, Keisaku and Eita) starts to forget him, and by the time the final battle between the Flame Hazes and Bal Masque unfolds, even his mother forgot about him, sadly and innocently enjoying her newborn baby as her "only" son.
  • Good All Along
  • Good Is Not Nice: Yuji breaks the Crimson Denizen Zarovee's neck with his bare hands! And after he joins the Snake of the Festival, he brutally beats Shana in battle (temporarily traumatizing her) and then imprisons her, drives Margery past the Despair Event Horizon, and demoralizes the Flame Haze army arrayed against him to the point that they prove easy prey for his followers.
    • Yuji actually began as a Nice Guy. He ends up as this instead after becoming disillusioned about being able to end the war between Flame Haze and Crimson Denizens.
  • Guile Hero
  • Hero Antagonist: From volume 16 onward.
  • Heroes Want Redheads
  • Hopeless Suitor: When he became Snake of the Festival. He has no problem confessing his love to her every two seconds, but Shana doesn't want him that way.
    • To be sure, she still loves him, she just wants to redeem him before having a relationship with him.
  • Idiot Hair
  • Jumped At the Call: He figures that he's going to disappear soon anyway, so he should help Shana protect Misaki City while he can.
  • Karma Houdini: See The Extremist Was Right.
  • Love Makes You Evil: Eventually it was revealed why Yuji was so willing to become Snake Of The Festival; with his godly powers he planned to make a new earth, a mirror of the current one, but without the Flame Hazes or Bal Masque, and no more people becoming forgotten, torches, nor more wars, he and Shana would be able to live a happy life. That said, the methods for fufilling his dream are beyond extreme, genocides and Sanity Slippage, Yuji claims to be doing all of this for Shana, but it only kept her apart from him.
    • Subverted, turns out, he's the good guy all along. The Flame Haze, while they have good intentions, are misguided. There are no genocides, all deaths are the result of the war. As much as Yuji likes the Flame Haze, they are trying to kill him and his followers, who turn out to actually be right about the whole saving the world thing.
  • MacGuffin Guy
  • Meaningful Name: His father later reveals that Yuji actually had an older brother who died at birth. Thus, in memory of the first baby and from the parents' wish, the second baby was given the name Yuji, which means "Second (child) who shall live long".
  • Mission Control: His role in the Battle Couple.
  • Nice Guy: At first. Then after becoming involved with Shana and the Snake of the Festival, not so much.
  • Oblivious to Love: Lampshaded by himself.
    • In the novels, it's clear that he's not that oblivious to Shana's love, but he's rather waiting for her to take the first step, just to be sure... which is weird, since it's traditionally the man who's expected to take this step.
  • One Hero, Hold the Weaksauce
  • Ordinary High School Student: Or so he thinks.
  • Physical God: Snake of the Festival
    • Even without the Snake, Yuji is one, though he does not yet know how to use his power to its full potential. Thanks to Hecate's synchronization with him, Alastor confirmed he has the power of a Crimson God.
  • Power Makes Your Hair Grow
  • Protagonist Journey To Well-Intentioned Extremist: Never expected this trope to hit, then came the Snake of the Festival. Only for it to turn out that his plan is to save the world. And it works.
  • Rapunzel Hair: Snake of the Festival, again.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Shana's Red.
  • Relationship Voice Actor: Yuji, Shana, and Snake of the Festival are Kamui, Kagura, and Umibozu.
  • Selective Obliviousness: He had to get Hayato's help to realize Kazumi's feeling toward him.
  • Sharing a Body: With Snake of the Festival, and yet it didn't change Yuji that much -- by his own words, "there's no one in his body but him". Shana and friends however insist that the one before them is Snake of The Festival, not Yuji.
    • The Flame Haze are wrong.
  • Shout-Out: It could be just me, but Snake of the Festival Yuji and Id have a lot in common.
  • Take Over the World: Destroy it, reform it and finally take it; those are his goals as the Snake of the Festival.
    • Not destroy the world or rule the world actually. He created a duplicate earth for the Denizens to live on, and the Snake of the Festival leaves Yuji to sleep now that his task is done.
  • The Ageless: The final light novel confirms this.
  • The Dark Side: Established later in the novels.
  • The Extremist Was Right
  • The Strategist: Yuji discovers the secret behind Friagne's Dance Party weapon, the secret behind Sabrac's invulnerability and how to defeat him, and how to end the Forever War and save numerous humans, Flame Haze, and Denizens.
  • They Do: Yuji and Shana end up in a romantic relationship at the end of the series.
  • Token Good Teammate: Originally, Shana and the other Flame Haze cared more for preserving the balance over protecting innocent lives, making them more Lawful Neutral than Lawful Good. Yuji was the only one who cared about protecting people, but his influence turns Shana, and, to a lesser extent, Margery and Wilhelmina to his way of thinking. And then, when he merges with the Snake of the Festival and leads Bal Masqué, he (and the Snake) are the only ones to care about protecting human lives. The rest of Bal Masqué's leadership, the Trinity, could care less about humanity, and one of them, Hecate, is renowned for casually murdering humans.
  • Tomato in the Mirror: He has to find out that he's a torch, the outburning flame of a person who lost the majority of his/her lifeforce to a Tomogara. Usually that would mean that he's doomed to be become a Ret-Gone, but a MacGuffin is protecting him from this fate.
  • Took a Level in Badass: A few of them, actually.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: As Snake of the Festival.
  • Willing Channeler: Shana proved resistant to the idea, believing (at least initially) that the relationship between Yuuji and the Snake of the Festival was more akin to Demonic Possession. This was not the case.
  • Yandere: A subtle one at first, especially in the novels towards Shana. Becomes a full-fledged one after becoming the Snake of the Festival. Then Lord help you if you stand between him and Shana.
    • To put it another way: he's going to destroy and recreate the universe just so Shana doesn't have to fight anymore.
      • He doesn't destroy the world, he creates a duplicate world for the Denizens to live peacefully on.

Yoshida Kazumi

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (JP), Chantal Strand (EN)

Yuji's classmate. She has a crush on him, but is a bit too shy to tell him directly. When Shana becomes her love-rival, she vows to tell Yuji her feelings and to let him decide between her and Shana.


Ike Hayato

Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima (JP), Matthew Erickson (EN)

Yuji's friend since Junior High School. Carries the title "Megane-man" ("Glasses Man"). He is secretly fond of Yoshida; however, as Yuji's loyal (and best) friend, he is the one who helps her to show her feelings toward Yuji.


Sakai Chigusa

Voiced by: Tomo Sakurai (JP), Lalainia Lindbjerg (EN)

Yuji's mother. She can seem gentle but she's strong and very intelligent. Her husband, Kantaro, works outside the country. Chigusa remains ignorant of Shana's and Yuji's true nature, but becomes a source of good advice for Shana on matters where Alastor can not counsel her. The Crimson Lord himself acknowledges and bows to her wisdom after a phone call between the two of them when he posed as Shana's guardian.


Sakai Kantaro

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (JP)

Yuji's father. His business keeps him away from home months at a time, but he maintains an excellent relationship with his wife and son despite this fact. He rarely announces his visits, preferring to surprise his family instead. Despite some brief confusion upon first meeting him, Shana comes to admire him and see his relationship with Chigusa as a role model for her own developing relationship with Yuji.

  • Big Eater
  • Hot Dad
  • So Proud of You: His attitude towards Yuji, who he sees is maturing tremendously. Feeling that Yuji is ready, Kantaro has a heart-to-heart talk with Yuji about responsibility and also informs him that he had a twin brother that did not survive childbirth.
  • When You Coming Home, Dad?: His work keeps him overseas for months at a time. He's so absent, that when he returns for a visit Shana mistakes him for an enemy.


Satou Keisaku

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (JP), Brad Swaile (EN)

A somewhat Lonely Rich Kid who, along with his friend Eita, wind up becoming Margery's retainers\henchmen. He's rich, and his house pretty much becomes Margey's by extension, and both he and Eita have a thinly veiled crush on her, albeit his is stronger.

  • Bodyguard Crush: Margery may not need him in that capacity, but he has feelings for her as if he were her bodyguard and he did fall for his protectee.
    • Subordinate Excuse: He's more accurately this. Though it was initially a barely hidden sexual attraction at first for both himself and Eita, he started gaining actual feelings for her.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: Has unbelievable patience in regards to Margery. He gets her hangover medicnine whenever she drinks herself half stupid, he often helps onto the couch or into bed after she nearly collaspes from her booze drinking, and whatever she wants he does without fail. In short, he is VERY devoted to her for good or ill.
  • Likes Older Women: The woman he loves is physically about twice his age (in reality she is hundred of years older than him).
  • Lonely Rich Kid: He's not deprived of friends, but he does have a small social circle.
  • May-December Romance: With Margery. A rare example that's also Mayfly-December Romance; biologically, Margery is well into her twenties at the youngest, and could easily be in her thirties.
  • Mayfly-December Romance: Unless he ends up achieving his goal of becoming a Flame Haze Margery will almost certainly outlive him.
  • Mission Control: For Margery. Wants to be more.
    • By the second season, he even considers becoming a Flame Haze himself just to be better able to support her.
      • By the third season, he attempts to join Outlaw, the Mission Control organization for Flame Haze in general. Unfortunately, they decide to hold him hostage in an attempt to convince Wilhelmina to report in and not to go rogue.
  • Non-Action Guy: Hates this status, and wants to be more proactive than Mission Control.
  • Real Life Relative: His and Ike's seiyuu. They are brothers.
  • Ship Sinking: Margery tries to keep him and Eita at arms length by telling them about her Dark and Troubled Past. In Eita's case, it works, but it backfires rather epically for Keisaku.
    • Subverted further in the light novels, where they become an Official Couple.
  • The Rival: To Yuji, albeit due to the fact he resents not being action capable like Yuji. Actual hatred for Yuji himself is not present.
  • Those Two Guys: Along with Eita.


Tanaka Eita

Voiced by: Takayuki Kondo (JP), Alistair Abell (EN)

One of Yuji's classmates, and Keisaku's friend. After meeting Margery, he starts helping her along with Keisaku.

  • Beta Couple: With Ogata.
  • Cool Big Sis: Viewed Margery as this until she temporarily killed Ogata in a Fuzetsu.
  • Eyes Always Shut
  • Japanese Sibling Terminology: For some reason, always calls Margery "Ane-san" ("elder sister").
  • Mission Control
  • Mistaken for Gay: In the first season's OVA, while visiting a hot spring Tanaka and Keisaku race each other up a set of stairs, which, unbeknownst to them, local tradition says guarantees marriage between any two people who go up it together. Ogata, who is crushing on Tanaka, is understandably upset about this and Hilarity Ensues for the rest of the episode as she tries to derail Tanaka and Keisaku's budding "relationship".
  • Those Two Guys: Along with Keisaku.
  • Opt Out: He decides to never deal with Flame Hazes after seeing Margery kill Ogata in Unstoppable Rage (Ogata got better). It doesn't stick for long, though he finally goes through with it near the end, explaining that he trusts Snake of the Festival Yuji's plan to save the world, and throwing away the Phlebotinum that allows him to operate inside a Fuzetsu as a sign of his faith.


Ogata Matake

Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi (JP), Nicole Bouma (EN)

One of Yuji's classmates. She is tomboyish, extraverted, and very social. She often suggests that the group do things together when everyone else is too shy.

  • Applied Phlebotinum After Margery accidentally kills her. She was able to get better because they were inside a Fuzetsu.
  • Beta Couple: With Eita.
  • Genki Girl
  • Huge Schoolgirl: Not huge, but she stands a head taller than Shana, Kazumi, or Konoe. She is also the only freshman allowed to play in the volleyball game.
  • Morality Chain: For Eita.
  • Muggle: One of the few characters who don't know about Flame Hazes.


Hirai Yukari

Voiced by: Masumi Asano (JP), Ashleigh Ball (EN)

She was Yuji's classmate. She dies when Friagne's Rinne Marianne appears on her way home, essentially killing everyone in the vicinity of the attack, except Yuji, who is rescued by Shana. Shana makes a Torch of Yukari, and everyone who was involved, that same day. Unfortunately, her flame burns out on the next day and her existance disappears as a result. Shana then uses the remains of Yukari's existence to shift the perception of others' identification of Yukari Hirai as herself.


Tenmoku Ikko

Voiced by: Takayuki Sugo (JP), Mark Gibbon (EN)

A Torch who created Nietono no Shana. Reputed as the worst Mystes in the world.


Johann

Eternal Lover

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (JP)

The former Mystes and one of the creators of the Reiji Maigo. The Reiji Maigo was created to ensure eternal life to Johann and for Pheles to cease consuming humans. However, due to a fight against the Bal Masque's assassin Sabrac that severely wounded Johann, she sealed her lover into the Reiji Maigo. She was unaware that Sabrac had also placed the Silver into the Hougu simultaneously. Reiji Maigo then transported itself into Sakai Yuji, who is currently possessing it.

  • Bishonen
  • Eyes of Gold
  • Gadgeteer Genius: As mentioned above, helped invent the Reiji Maigo and invented bandages that cancel out Sabrac's deadly Stigma. Unfortunately, the latter did not stick.
  • Hannibal Lecture: A rare non-evil example. After being released from the Reiji Maigo, Johann delivers one to Snake of the Festival Yuji. Ironically, Johann is not criticizing Snake of the Festival Yuji's goals, which are noble, or even the means by which he's trying to achieve said goals. He's condemns Yuji as too selfless and too logical. Johann rebukes Yuji for not trusting enough in the power of love and emotions, and for his intent to separate himself from Shana as penance after the creation of Xanadu. He disagrees with Yuji's belief that in order for everyone else to have happiness, he by necessity needs to sacrifice his own. He'd rather Yuji forego the penance (which ultimately does happen) and be with Shana.
  • Hot Dad
  • Sealed Good in a Can
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: With Pheles. Pursued by the relentless Sabrac until he succeeded in mortally injuring Johann, which forced Pheles to place Johann's soul in the Reiji Maigo. The Reiji Maigo, being a Treasure Tool, relocated to a new Torch, Sakai Yuji, setting the stage for the entire series. When Pheles attempts to force Johann and Yuji to switch places (Johann would take Yuji's Power of Existence and have a body, while Yuji would be locked within the Reiji Maigo), Johann convinces Pheles to let him go. In the final light novel, Johann is released from the Reiji Maigo (without harming Yuji) and he finally is reunited with Pheles.
  • Theme Naming: Named after Johann Faust.


Flame Hazes/Crimson Lords

Shana

Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (JP), Tabitha St. Germain (EN)

Shana is the female lead and a Flame Haze. In the beginning of the show, Shana is solely concentrating on her duty as a Flame Haze. Fighting all the time she doesn't even bear a name. One day, during another fight, Shana meets Yuji. She sees Yuji as nothing more than another Torch though, an object interesting only because of its status. However she slowly opens up to him, coming to think of him as an actual person. Going through many different battles together, Shana eventually comes to fall in love with Yuji. Yuji eventually names Shana after her Sword, Nietono no Shana. Shana has a funny habit of saying 'Urusai' ('Shut up!') three times in a row whenever Yuji makes a remark which disturbs her way of seeing things. Also Shana is very fond of melon bread.


Alastor

Flame of Heaven

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (JP), Paul Dobson (EN)

The Crimson Lord to whom Shana is bound. He expresses his will through a pendant as his divine vessel, called Cocytus. Alastor is considered to be one of the strongest of all Lords or Denizens; in fact, he is one of the true Gods of the Crimson Realm. But even so, he tries to keep the Denizens from consuming Power of Existence. Alastor is like a father-figure to Shana and cares for her, as he had watched over the future Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter as she grew up.

  • Amulet of Concentrated Awesome: His vessel.
    • Technically, Alastor resides within Shana, the amulet, or Cocytus, is his mouthpiece.
  • God Is Flawed: Alastor does have his short comings. His emphasis on raising Shana to be the perfect Flame Haze meant that Shana was very ignorant of human interactions and relationships. The worst example of this was how Shana used to strip naked in front of others and let Alastor purify her instead of bathing, something Sophie Sawallisch managed to shame her out of (thankfully before she met Yuji). And, more seriously, Alastor made the mistake of imprisoning the Snake of the Festival in the Abyss out of fear that the Snake's plan would fail catastrophically, a fear that thousands of years later proved misplaced.
  • God Is Good
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Potentially. Alastor was instrumental in defeating the Snake of the Festival during the first war with Bal Masqué, his motivation for doing so being the same as the second time he waged war: he and his allies feared that the Crimson Denizens would not exercise restraint despite having limitless Power of Existence, and they would could continue to consume humans' Power of Existence, eventually causing the world's destruction. However, at the end of the series, the Crimson Denizens, despite being victorious, agree to allow their paradise Xanadu to have a restraint preventing them from devouring humans' Power of Existence, suggesting that Alastor's fears were misplaced. On the other hand, this was after the Crimson Denizens were forced to roam Earth for three thousand years and learn more from humans, without this they may have not had the same respect for human life as they came to develop. On the other other hand, if Crimson Denizens had learned to admire humans in those three thousand years, how much better could it have gone had they not needed to subsist on humans, but had a harmless alternative? Ultimately, this is a case of YMMV Trope and a what if.
  • Parental Substitute: To Shana.
  • Physical God
  • Worthy Opponent: The Snake of the Festival views him as this.


Margery Daw

Chanter of Elegies

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (JP), Janyse Jaud (EN)

Margery is a tall, "well-endowed" and mature blonde Flame Haze with a drinking habit. She uses the book Grimoire, which is the divine vessel through which Marchosias, to whom she is bound, expresses his will. Her main powers focus around chanting spells and turning into a werewolf. She casts spells by chanting "Improvisational Poems of Slaughter".


Marchosias

Claws and Fangs of Violation

Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata (JP), Trevor Devall (EN)

The Crimson Lord to whom Margery is bound. He expresses his will through the divine vessel Grimoire, which takes the form of a book. He talks wildly, makes comments without remorse, and often teases Margery, often earning a retaliatory punch. He does genuinely care about her, however, perhaps not in the form of friendship, but as a companion in battle.


Wilhelmina Carmel

Specialist of Everything[3]

Voiced by: Shizuka Ito (JP), Anna Cummer (EN)

A young lady that wears a maid's uniform all the time and the one who took care of Shana during the girl's training. She is bound to "Crown-and-Sash of Fantasies" Tiamat, whose will resides in the divine vessel Persona, which shifts forms between a headband, and a mask when in battle.

She is one of the great Flame Haze from the age of the great war, fighting alongside her friend, Mathilde Saint-Omer (the previous "Flaming-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter"). Her ability is the power to control an infinite number of ribbons which appear from around her. Wilhelmina, who always speaks in an overly formal and polite manner, has nearly no expression.

  • Arch Enemy: Sabrac.
  • Bandage Babe: Literally, which she uses as weapons.
  • Battle Butler/Ninja Maid
  • Chekhov's Gunman: A distinctive, heavily-burdened Meido is occasionally shown trudging through exotic locales without any explanation; she eventually appears in the main setting and is introduced as an important character. In the movie, she walks past the camera (and turns to look at it) in two news reports in the span of a day -- one in the Gobi Desert and one on Mount Everest.
  • Combat Tentacles: Her ribbons.
  • Heartbroken Badass: Wilhelmina was in love with Merihim, a Crimson Lord who in turn was in love with Mathilde Saint-Omer, Shana's predecessor as the Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, who was in love with Alastor. Merihim died protecting Shana from the Denizen Orgon, never returning Wilhelmina's affections, even platonically. Part of Wilhelmina's resentment towards Yuji and distaste for Shana's budding relationship with him is her fear that Shana might end up like her.
  • Heroic BSOD: When Wilhelmina thought Shana died using her ultimate technique, she could not stand on her own. More humorously, she enters one when Yuji, in Shana's body (something she was unaware of), unabashedly proclaims that "she" loves her. While this is true, Wilhelmina's stoicism and Shana's Tsundere traits meant that this was never openly stated by either of them. Wilhelmina is frozen in shock, not sure how to respond, when Yuji and Shana make their get away before she can deduce their body swap.
  • Hopeless Suitor: Towards Merihim, who himself was a Hopeless Suitor towards Mathilde.
  • I Am Your Opponent: Wilhelmina declares this when she must buy time for others during battle.
  • Lady of War
  • Lethal Chef
  • Limited Wardrobe: She always wears a maid's uniform. Lampshaded in the third season, which shows that she has several identical maid uniforms.
  • Mask of Power: Tiamat's transformed form. Changes form for no apparent reason between the first and second seasons.
  • Meido
  • Parental Substitute: Is the closest to a mother figure that Shana has ever had, and practically raised her from childhood. For example, Shana's love of melon bread? It's her fault.
  • Power Makes Your Hair Grow: Tiamat's ribbon-adorned mask form achieves a very similar visual effect.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning
  • Rose-Haired Girl
  • The Spock
  • The Stoic
  • Tall, Pink-Haired and Bishoujo
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Gingered Pork. Hail Pork.
  • Tsundere: Nowhere near Shana's level, but she could never openly admit her affection towards Merihim, and referred to him as a "detestable person".
  • Verbal Tic: ~de arimasu. "Indeed" in the dub.
    • Tiamat also has a habit of adding short two-word comments to Wilhelmine's sentences.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Afraid that Yuji was distracting Shana from her purpose as a Flame Haze, she attempted to kill him and remove the Reiji Maigo. Shana was not pleased about this.


Khamsin Nbh'w

Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment

Voiced by: Junko Minagawa (JP), Cathy Weseluck (EN)

Contracted with "Steadfast Sharp Peak" Behemoth whose will resides in the divine vessel Sabia (the bracelet he wears), Khamsin Nbh'w[4] is supposedly one of the oldest Flame Hazes in history, but looks like a young boy that hasn't reached his pre-teens yet. Unlike most Hazes, Khamsin acts as a tuner, dispelling the distortion caused by battles between the Flame Haze and Tomogara.


Mathilde Saint-Omer

Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura (JP), Kelly Sheridan (EN)

The previous owner of the title "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter". She was Wilhelmina's friend and companion. She was in love with Alastor.


Rebecca Reed

Scatterer of Sparkling Light

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (JP)

Rebecca Reed is a Flame Haze, one of the Outlaws. Her contractor is the "Widened Eye of Incineration" Balar, whose will resides in the golden bracelet she wears, the divine vessel Cruach.


Sophie Sawallisch

Braider of Trembling Might

Voiced by: Masako Katsuki (JP)

A Great War veteran and the supreme commander of the Flame Haze Army. She is bound to "Thunder Blade of Banishment" Takemikazuchi, who expresses his will through the divine vessel Donner, a blue-star shaped cross on Sophie's veil. Her flame itself is not flame at all, but lightning.

  • Authority Equals Asskicking: She is the commander of the Flame Haze army, and she one-shots Decarabia.
  • Blue Eyes: Blue-Green.
  • Cool Old Lady
  • Kick Chick: Her most destructive attack is a lightning-infused flying kick.
  • Pyrrhic Victory: Sophie's killing of Decarabia, and her victory over his forces in general, awesome though they were, was this. Due to Decarabia's enormous amount of power, Sophie had to use most of her energy to kill him. This proved unfortunate, since Decarabia was not performing a Last Stand, but a Delaying Action. Sophie and the Flame Haze were left exhausted from their fight with Decarabia and his soldiers, which is precisely when a much larger Bal Masqué army arrives. The ensuing battle turns into a rout so devastating for the Flame Haze that, with the exception of Shana and a few like-minded individuals, the Flame Haze are knocked out of the war.
  • The Mentor: While Alastor, Wilhelmina, and Shiro taught Shana how to be a Flame Haze, their single-minded focus on combat left her woefully inadequate when it came to social skills and norms. Sophie set about rectifying this and taught Shana basic social skills and encouraged her to be more open to her emotions. Ultimately, Yuji would have an even greater impact than Sophie when it came to causing Shana to embrace emotions and view herself as more than just a Flame Haze, but Sophie laid some groundwork for it. Thus, Shana came to see Sophie as her primary source of advice when it came to emotions (while Yuji caused her to open up to her emotions, the personal nature of Shana's emotions, especially since it concerned him, precluded her going to Yuji for advice).
  • Shock and Awe: Unusually, her "flame" takes form of purple lightning.


Snake of the Festival

God of Creation

Voiced by: Show Hayami (JP)

Along with his peer Alastor, the Snake of the Festival is the most powerful of the Crimson Gods. The leader and founder of Bal Masqué, he attempted to create a paradise for Crimson Denizens with unlimited Power of Existence to feed on. Fearing that his plan would disrupt the balance and destroy both Earth and the Crimson Realm, an army of Flame Haze and Crimsons Lords (Alastor among them) defeated him, sealing his body in the Abyss and his soul in the Reiji Maigo. His followers continued to work relentlessly for three thousand years to restore him, with the Reiji Maigo often being at the crux of their plans. This causes several clashes between Shana, Yuji (who carries the Reiji Maigo within him), and their allies and Bal Masqué. Ultimately, Yuji is convinced by the Snake of the Festival, speaking to him from within the Reiji Maigo, to merge with him and help him accomplish the establishment of Xanadu, pitting Yuji against his beloved Shana.


Samuel Demantius

Guardian of Steady Passage

Voiced by: Akio Nojima (JP)

The veteran Flame Haze bound to "Peaceful Shield of One's Scales" Zirnitra, whose will resides in the divine vessel Tábor, a thumb-sized silver cup. He is known by alias of Sirotci and is the one who coins the name "Flame Haze Army" during the Great War.


Chiara Toscana

Archer of Aurora

Voiced by: Ai Kayano (JP)

A young girl who holds a contract with a Crimson Lord with two personalities named Outreniaia and Vetcherniaia, "Forerunner of Daybreak" and "Successor of Twilight", respectively. Her choice of divine vessels, named Zorya, is two arrowheads that she uses as hair accessories.


Sale Habichtsburg

Puppeteer of Devilish Skills

Voiced by: Shinobu Matsumoto (JP)

The Flame Haze contracted to "Gorgeous Hanging Strings" Gizo, who expresses his will through the divine vessels Länge and Saite, a pair of wooden crosses.


The Four Gods of Earth

A group of Flame Haze based in Americas, consisting of four powerful Flame Haze who protect the American continent from attacks of Crimson Denizens.

  • Big Good
  • Neutral No Longer: Initially, they don't join any of the warring sides. It changes when one of them is killed by Bal Masque.
  • The Nicknamer: They use special titles for Flame Hazes and Crimson Lords, different from their "standard" ones.
  • Non-Indicative Name: They are not gods, and neither are their contractors; "The Four Gods" only references the Theme Naming.
  • Theme Naming: Their contractors are named after Aztec gods: Tlaloc, Quetzalcóatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Chalciuhtlicue.

Centerhill

Invoker of Brightened Dew

Voiced by: Yutaka Nakano (JP)

The Native-American Flame Haze contracted to "Drum of Exceptional Love" Tlaloc, whose will resides in a a squarish-shaped stone medal as his divine vessel. He and his contracted Crimson Lord are widely feared by many Denizens, calling him a "monster". In all four, he is least excels in combat and fighting.

Eastedge

Summoner of Star River

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (JP)

The Native-American Flame Haze who runs the Outlaw disguised as a news agency in New York. He is contracted to "Flute of Enlightenment" Quetzalcóatl, whose will resides in a stone medal with engravings as his divine vessel.

We are the stars.
 We are the singing stars.
We are the stars who sing with dazzling light.
We are the birds.
We are the birds who show disapproval.
We fly the sky free.
Therefore, we, the stars and the birds...
...Turn into a burning galaxy.

Southvalley

Evoker of Demon Horde

Voiced by: Yuuki Kaji (JP)

The Native-American Flame Haze who is contracted to "Pipe of Hesitation and Fear" Tezcatlipoca, whose will resides in a pointed stone medal as his divine vessel. He runs one of the Outlaw branch in the United States after the clash between the Four Gods of Earth and fellow Flame Haze known as the Civil War.

Westshore

Waver of Great Billows

Voiced by: Mikako Takahashi (JP)

The Native-American Flame Haze who is contracted to "Bell of Cleansing Flutter" Chalciuhtlicue, whose will resides in a undulating contour-shaped stone medal as his divine vessel.


Yuri Chvojka

Leader of Spirits

Voiced by: Yuko Sanpei (JP)

A Ukrainian immigrant who lost his family to a Crimson Denizen attack while crossing the Atlantic to immigrate to the United States during the late 19th century, he formed a contract with the Crimson Lord Valac, "President of Reptiles". He slew the Crimson Denizen responsible for his family's death, so a lust for revenge never developed within him. He became an agent of East-edge, leader of New York City's Outlaw branch. After a year of service as a Flame Haze, he met Margery Daw and attempted to become her partner, only to be killed fighting Sydonay and the Crimson Denizen Annaberg, who were being hunted by Margery.

  • Knife Nut: Valac communicates to him through his family heirloom, a dagger, which he also uses in combat.
  • Lawful Good: Unlike the majority of Flame Haze, Yuri actually cares about humans, and his goal as a Flame Haze is neither revenge or protecting the balance, but protecting humanity. This makes him unique, as most Flame Haze are Lawful Neutral at best and Sociopathic Heroes at worse. Other Flame Haze view his compassion as a liability, noting that Valac tends to choose hosts similar to Yuri, and that they have short life spans.
  • Skilled but Naive: Margery views him as such, and there is some truth to this. She shuns his attempts to become her partner until the end, at which point he bravely but recklessly attacks the much more experienced and powerful Hero-Killer Sydonay, resulting in his death.
  • The Beast Master: Yuri's Power of Unrestraint is the ability to control insects and other small animals.
  • Too Good for This Sinful Earth
  • Trial by Friendly Fire: After being severely injured by Sydonay, he is caught in the crossfire between the Crimson Lord and Margery Daw, who ruthlessly fired Power of Existence at him save her own skin due to the fact that was she obsessed with obtaining her revenge on the Silver, even at the price of killing her ally and admirer.


Crimson Denizens

Sydonay / Chi You

Thousand Changes

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (JP), Eli Gabay (EN)

Entitled "General", he stayed outside of the Bal Masque, preferring the freedom to do as he pleases, with "personal bodyguard" as his hobby. Upon finding the Reiji Maigo, he's returned to the Bal Masque, leading the Denizens in their war with the Flame Hazes. A shapeshifter, he usually looks like a tall, middle-aged man with sunglasses and dark-colored suits.


Hecate

Supreme Throne

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (JP), Brenna O'Brien (EN)

Entitled "Priestess", Hecate is a small girl with a Nice Hat, a staff and a white cape, who controls the movements of Seireiden, the base of the Bal Masque. Melancholic and quiet, frequently lamenting herself as "empty", she habitually prays, but to nothing in particular, which Bel Peol finds odd.

  • Blue and Orange Morality: The only way we can explain her habit of praying, really.
  • Caught the Heart on His Sleeve: Konoe to Yuji, all the time because she's an apparition sent by Hecate to monitor him. Non-romantic example, but the other characters think it is.
  • Character Development: Gained quite a few feelings, most notably love, following contact with Yuji as Konoe (but not like that).
  • Cloudcuckoolander: As Konoe. She's usually seen chasing birds and butterflies, when she's not spilling her books on the floor and wondering why they won't come up again.
  • Friend to All Living Things: As Konoe.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In order to fully awaken the Snake of the Festival's power so that he might create Xanadu, she has to sacrifice herself. It is not without some hope, as her spirit resides with her master until the time comes for her to be reborn.
  • Hopeless Suitor: Hecate also joins the loser side about the same time she starts developing strong feelings for Yuji. That was when he already became Snake of the Festival and had only Shana in his mind.
  • Murder the Hypotenuse: She attempts this on a powerless Shana in the third season.
  • Nice Hat: So nice, it's the current trope picture.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: While Konoe was gathering memories and feelings during Season 2, she was fascinated by birds and kept having them land on her hands. After Hecate transfers said feelings/memories and the stolen Reiji Maigo into the Statue of Pride, cue a Curb Stomp Battle between it and Shana/Yuji. Unable to get close enough to attack, Shana tries one last attempt by flying towards the statue. During that attack, the statue sees Shana like a little bird, which causes the it to reach out with its hand instead of attacking her. Shana and Yuji then use this opportunity to reclaim the Reiji Maigo and leave Hecate wondering what the heck just happened.
  • Reincarnation: The Snake of the Festival spends most of his time sleeping while waiting for the Crimson Denizens' desires and faith to grow strong enough to awaken him so that he might grant their wish. Each time, Hecate and the rest of the Trinity (if the other members of the Trinity had perished) are reborn to prepare the way.
  • Rei Ayanami Expy
  • Simple Staff: Her Treasure Tool, Trigon.
  • Third Option Love Interest: As Konoe.
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair


Bel Peol

Judge of Paradoxes

Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara (JP), Paula Lindberg (EN)

Entitled "Strategist", Bel Peol is a tall, three-eyed woman with an eyepatch over her right eye. Scheming and manipulative, she holds no qualms with sending off her subordinates to die, but she can inspire loyalty in many, all the same.


Sabrac

Destructive Blade

Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (JP)

An assassin infamous for killing Flame Hazes, he was hired by the Bal Masque. As a hobby, he collects bladed weapons, from swords to katanas, and he actively used them in fights, a la General Grievous.

  • Arch Enemy: With Wilhelmina.
  • Badass
  • Choosing Death: Sabrac deliberately allows himself to perish in the Abyss after seeing the Snake of the Festival's true body.
  • Cool Mask
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Sabrac throws Wilhelmina around like a rag doll and severely injures Shana before Yuji figures out how to defeat him. In his second battle with the Flame Haze (that we see in the series), he inflicts brutal damage on the Flame Haze before losing his will to fight upon viewing the overwhelming power of the Snake of the Festival.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Realizing his (relative) impotency when compared to the Snake of the Festival, he chooses to die in the Abyss, the void between Earth and the Crimson World. At the same time, he enjoys his feeling of despair, realizing that it finally caused him to understand and connect with Mare.
  • Dual-Wielding: Sabrac uses twin swords, summoning replacements as they are broken.
  • The Faceless
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: He has permanent glowing eyes (but other than that, no visible face).
  • Hero-Killer: Sabrac was responsible for the death of Pheles' lover Johann. In each of his defeats, it took the combined power of some of the most powerful Flame Haze to beat him, and in the final defeat his loss was due mainly to his being distracted by the Snake of the Festival's emergence.
  • It Only Works Once: Sabrac alters his Stigma so that Johann's countermeasures no longer affect it.
  • Implacable Man
  • Power Nullifier: His Unrestricted Spell Stigma is applied to his swords, which nullify a Flame Haze's Healing Factor on any wounds caused by said swords. Stigma actually causes the wound to rapidly worsen as well. Wilhelmina and Shana use bandages specially devised by Johann to cancel out Stigma, but by their next encounter Sabrac has altered Stigma so that the bandages no longer work.
  • Professional Killer
  • The Quiet One: When outside of combat.
  • Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Doesn't merely throw his swords, but rockets numerous swords at his enemies.
  • Villainous Friendship: With Mare.


Pheles

Beautiful Whim

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (JP)

A green-haired Denizen that isn't aligned with the Bal Masque, Pheles fell in love with a man named Johann (not that one). Forged the Reiji Maigo with Johann so she doesn't need to consume other humans' power of existence; she can get enough to survive from Johan without him being in danger of disappearing. She's also friends with Wilhelmina, whom she once saved from a trap set by Sabrac.


Dantalion

Seeking Researcher

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita (JP), Michael Dobson (EN)

A Mad Scientist of Bal Masque, he's even disliked by most Denizens.


Friagne

The Hunter

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (JP), Trevor Devall (EN)

A powerful Crimson Lord. Unlike other Crimson Lords and Denizens, he doesn't associate with the organizations like Bal Masqué.


Sorath and Tiriel

He-Who-Loves-Himself (Sorath), She-Who-Loves-Others (Tiriel)

Voiced by: Ryoko Shiraishi (Sorath, JP), Aidan Drummond (Sorath, EN), Yukari Tamura (Tiriel, JP), Jocelyne Loewen (Tiriel, EN)

A pair of blonde, blue-eyed villains who start sloppily making out any chance they get without care for their surroundings (which leads to an aesop for Shana about what love really is).


Merihim

Rainbow Wings

Voiced by: Katsuyoshi Konichi (JP), Brian Drummond (EN)

One of the Nine Eternal Divine Scales, the nine great Crimson Lords gathered under the organization of Töten Glocke. He was crazily in love with the previous "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter", Mathilde Saint-Omer, who in turn, loved Alastor. After her death, he hid his last portion of Power of Existence which would be used for the last purpose; to test the successor of "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter" and changed his shape into the skeleton known as Shiro. He trained Shana along with Wilhelmina and was eventually defeated by her.


Multiple-character tropes

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  1. ↑ "Shut up, shut up, shut up!
  2. ↑ "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
  3. ↑ Except cooking.
  4. ↑ Apparently read as "Nebhau"
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