The Betrayal Knows My Name/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


The characters of the anime and manga series The Betrayal Knows My Name.

WARNING! There are unmarked Spoilers ahead. Beware.


Main Characters

Love… love is such a powerful, complicated, unpredictable thing. It can transcend time and space, tear down walls of differences, and be found in the place you least expect to find it.

A long, long time ago, a young woman fell in love with one of the enemies she had long fought to destroy – a beautiful demon that was treated by his own kin as but a slave and sinner. In spite of their differences, he chose to stay by her side and joined her in the war that already had lasted for hundreds and hundreds of years.

And then… something happened. What exactly, is not known. The story goes on, but parts are missing, the pages are empty. Now, many years later, it seems like the time has come where not only the blanks will be filled, but the story itself will finally come to a conclusion…

Yuki Sakurai/Giou

Voiced by Soichiro Hoshi

Our protagonist. Selfless, polite, kind and good with children, Yuki is loved by everyone at the Asahi Orphanage where he grew up. Yet he can’t seem to escape the feelings of loneliness and being unwanted since his parents abandoned him. Because of this, he has a very low sense of self-esteem that holds him back in life. He’s easily swayed by other people’s emotions, but his heart of gold and genuine desire to help others also makes him more understanding towards people who others turn away from. When the situation calls for it, he can actually be very heroic – and this is when the people around him recognize him as the charismatic leader they loved so deeply in their past lives.

Yuki is the bearer of "Light of God", a divine power that first and foremost gives him access to people’s emotions and memories if he touches them when they are in emotional pain. At younger age, he thought of himself as weird for having this power, but soon comes to terms with it as the story progresses. He also discovers another aspect of the "Light of God" – the power to heal wounds and soothe people’s hearts with his warm, loving light.

Unlike the Zweilt Guardians, he has no recollection of his past lives, and yet he can’t help but feel oddly nostalgic around Luka…

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Apologises a Lot
  • Badass Adorable: You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, but he’s actually extremely skilled in martial arts.
  • Barrier Warrior
  • Bishonen
  • Combat Medic: Gifted with the "Light of God", Yuki is a powerful healer central to the Giou Clan's battle against the Duras.
  • Damsel in Distress: Despite currently being male, Yuki often qualifies. Most of the time, the other characters are protecting or saving him.
  • Door Step Baby: How he ended up at the Asahi Orphanage.
  • Dude Looks Like a Lady: Make sense since he used to be a female in all of his previous incarnations.
  • Even the Guys Want Him: Including the main villian.
  • Gender Flip: Used to be female in all his previous incarnations, but was born as a male in this life.
  • Friend to All Children
  • Heartwarming Orphan: And HOW!
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation: Even though Yuki can read people's minds by touching them to find out what's bothering them, heal people’s injuries by taking on their pain, and wants to help people, he tends to put himself down. "I was abandoned when I was born and hated for my strange powers. Hurting others...I'm completely unwanted, without a place anywhere! Why was I even born? Why?” Not to mention, "I always have to be saved by Luka. I'm powerless to do anything!"
  • The Messiah: Loves everyone and is loved by everyone.
  • Redheaded Hero: At least in the anime. In coloured manga artworks, he seems to be more of a dark blond/light brunet.
  • Stepford Smiler: Yuki clearly has some issues of self-worth stemming from being abandoned by his parents when he was very young. However, if someone should ask him if he's okay, he usually gives them a cheerful smile and tells them that nothing’s wrong. He does tend to get depressed if he's by himself, though.

Luka Crosszeria (“Zess”)

Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai

Known for his unrivaled power and beauty that made even the Demon Lord himself adore him, Luka is the Duras (specifically, an Opast) that fell in love with the previous incarnation of Yuki and swore eternal dedication to her. While he is completely loyal to Yuki in this life as well, he won’t tell him the nature of their relationship in the past. Usually indifferent, reserved and not the most fun person to have around, Yuki is able to open up his heart, little by little, and nowadays, seeing Luka with a smile on his face is not as unthinkable as it was before.

As an ally to the Giou clan he is something of trump card to them, as his knowledge of his own kind is information worth its own weight in gold. Not to mention his unbelievable power level that kills lesser demons simply by existing side by side with him, and throws high-level Opast off their feet. Once thing is for sure: The Giou Clan would be a lot weaker without Luka on their side.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Zweilt Guardians

Reincarnated over and over thanks to powerful magic, the Zweilt Guardians are the members of the Giou Clan whose sole purpose in life is to protect their beloved "Light of God" and slay all the Duras that cross their way. These young warriors are born with supernatural powers and can, by the power of their Zweilt rings, materialize their respective weapons just by thinking.

Generally speaking, the Zweilt Guardians work in pairs because (aside from making them more effective by numbers in combat) the bond between the Guardians strengthens their minds to the point where they can fight as one being. Most Zweilt Guardians have been paired consistently through their many lifetimes and know each other by heart.

For a Zweilt Guardian, the strongest love of all is the love they share with their fellow Zweilt partner.

Touko Murasame

Voiced by Marina Inoue

One of the first Zweilts to appear, Touko is a cheerful girl who is always there to make you smile again when you feel down, whether it is by kind words or a loving hug. But she’s more than just a cheerleader – she is tough and snarky when she needs to be, always quick to react when exposed to injustice and can be more than a handful when she’s really angry. Touko is easily likeable, to the point of her being the Zweilt that is closest to Luka.

Specializing in offense, Touko is the bearer of the "Ears of God". However, her gift is not as powerful as Tsukumo’s (who has the same power), so she only shares some of his abilities, such as telepathy and unusually good hearing. When battling the Duras, she wields a large sword called "Eon" (Eternity).

Her Zweilt partner is her younger brother, Tsukumo.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Tsukumo Murasame

Voiced by Jun Fukuyama

Another Zweilt that appears early on, Tsukumo is calm and relaxed without being lazy or indifferent. He is also sweet and friendly without being officious or a doormat. He is a very generous soul and doesn’t hesitate to share loads and loads of whatever snack/candy he’s always seen munching on. While generally disliking conflicts, he’s not above some mild teasing and snarky comments in order to amuse himself. He might not be as openly expressive as his sister, but he cares deeply for his friends and is not unaffected when something bad happens to them. One should keep it as a general rule that basically, if Tsukumo’s upset, then shit has really hit the fan.

Specializing in defense, Tsukumo is the bearer of the "Ears of God", which, among other things, allows him to sense people, hear their hearts and thoughts, speak to them through telepathy, and communicate with animals (most notably birds). He wields a gun called "Knell" (Funeral Bell), which he can use to drive Duras out of human bodies they have taken possession of, but he cannot actually kill them with this weapon.

His Zweilt partner is his older sister, Touko.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Hotsuma Renjou

Voiced by Daisuke Ono

Short-tempered and impulsive, Hotsuma doesn’t give off the friendliest of impressions – at first sight, he appears to be just an arrogant, angry thug. However, despite his rough exterior and foul mouth, he is actually very passionate, sincere and will go to any lengths to help those who are dear to him. The truth is, he’s quite a “people person” – he just doesn’t realize it himself. This isn’t made easier by the fact that he tends to clash with other people that have a lot of character such as Touko and Kuroto. One thing is for sure though; once you have Hotsuma on your side, you can count on him to be there for you when there’s trouble ahead.

Specializing in offence, Hotsuma is the bearer of the "Voice of God", a power which usually manifests in fire that is activated by his voice. Since this is a very fickle power, he has shakey control of it and sometimes fears others will get hurt because of it. He wields a blade called "Master Stroke" (Divine Skill), which also holds fire powers.

His Zweilt partner is his childhood friend, Shuusei.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Shuusei Usui

Voiced by Mamoru Miyano

Thinking before acting, Shuusei is quiet and sensitive, and his excellent grades make him a model student at school. But behind his proper demeanour, those small teasing comments and weak smiles, he hides severe self-esteem issues that cause him to pass many days barely eating or sleeping at all. While he is more delicate than most, this also makes him unexpectedly stubborn and courageous. With his high intelligence and tendency to think before he acts, he is a resourceful ally whose determination is surpassed by few.

Specializing in defense, Shuusei is the bearer of the "Eyes of God". This power gives him a sixth sense that allows him to sense enemies, shoot energy balls at them, support his fellow guardians and put up magical barriers. He wields two short swords called "Kurai Kurou" (Crime and Punishment).

His Zweilt partner is his childhood friend, Hotsuma.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Back From the Dead: Thanks to Hotsuma using his "Voice of God", his command “LIVE!” woke Shuusei up from the Eternal Sleep that Ashley put him in.
  • Barrier Warrior
  • Bishonen: Gets called one in-story several times.
  • Covered with Scars: A good part of his upper body is covered with nasty burn marks he got when he interrupted Hotsuma’s suicide.
  • Crystal Ball: Can summon one which he uses to detect criminals as he assists the police. Also counts as Functional Magic.
  • Dual-Wielding: "Kurai Kurou."
  • Empty Shell: Subverted – he only thinks of himself as this, to the point of wondering is something went wrong with him during this war, as if he lost the ability to have any kind of emotion, ambition or motivation towards anyone or anything… except Hotsuma.
  • Energy Ball
  • Forgets to Eat: Or so he claims.
  • Magic Knight: While he does specialize in support and defense, he can be a very skilled and dangerous sword fighter in close combat if the situation calls for it.
  • Parental Abandonment / Parental Neglect: His parents pretty much lost interest in him, presumably because they were weirded out by his powers, and his mother even called him an “it”.
  • Stepford Smiler

Senshirou Furuouri

Voiced by Satoshi Hino

Klutzy but lovable by nature, Senshirou is the kind of nice guy you’d expect to see living next door. Humble and docile as he is, he’s surprisingly strong both physically and spiritually – life-saving personality traits if one is going to hunt Duras.

Because of things that happened in the past, Senshirou only just recently became a Zweilt. This is not an easy task, as a new Zweilt only comes by every few hundreds of years or so, and is then put to several kinds of harsh tests before it is decided if the person has what it takes. However, the hard-working Senshirou endured his training for many years and is now ready to stand eye to eye with the demons he is expected to kill. To do this, he uses a large calligraphy brush to draw spells in the air and also wields a gigantic scythe appropriately named "Death Scythe".

His Zweilt partner is Kuroto.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Kuroto Hourai

Voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya

Kuroto is serious and quiet, but not above letting go of things he love in order to achieve a greater goal – which is why he had to give up his life-long passion for shogi. He hates being complimented, and it is the easiest way to embarrass him and make him loose his indifferent posture. He considers himself a loner, but Senshirou seems to be melting his heart slowly but steadily...

When in battle, Kuroto wields a black katana named "Izanagi" (Hell).

His second Zweilt partner is Senshirou.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Bishonen: Extra points for being outright stated as such.

Yuki (upon their first meeting): You're totally pretty in real life too!

The Giou Clan

A clan "touched by God" which manifests in the possession of special abilities that can be used to fight the Duras that threaten the balance of the human world (see the Zweilt Guaridans). Many of its members are involved in the political and financial world, which gives them the opportunity to get the resources they need, and also have “certain organizations” clean up for them when things get ugly.

Takashiro Giou

Voiced by Takehito Koyasu

The current head of the Giou Clan. A suave and charming, but at the same time no-nonsense man who regards sacrifices as a necessity, even if it breaks his heart to be so cruel. Possessing a grimoire, the Book of Solomon, he is a powerful magician who can cast the most powerful spells and call forth the wildest of monsters when the situation calls for it – even if he only does it as a last resort when nothing else can be done.

He first introduces himself as Yuki’s older half-brother and tell him he’s spent years looking for Yuki. Even if Yuki is reluctant at first, he eventually joins his brother in the war, and for the first time in a very long time, Takashiro feels like they may finally have a chance to win this war once and for all…

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Big Good
  • Biseinen
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy
  • Manipulative Bastard: Thinks of himself as this, since he must tell many lies, make sacrifices when it’s necessary and coldheartedly manipulates those around him in order to keep the Giou Clan from losing the war against the Duras.
  • Not Blood Siblings: Surprise! He isn’t actually Yuki’s half-brother – he just lied about it in order to manipulate Yuki into joining the Giou Clan.
  • Scars Are Forever: "Wounds made by a friend will never heal…"
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Back when the war started, Takashiro cast a forbidden spell that sealed a Duras inside himself. Therefore, he is not reincarnated like the Zweilts; instead, the Duras keeps on regenerating his mind and body, meaning he will never age, die from physical wounds or forget anything, ever.

Tachibana Giou

Voiced by Shinichiro Miki

The steward of the Twilight Mansion. He has an upbeat personality and likes to keep the conversation going.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Isuzu Fujiwara

Voiced by Ken Narita

Isuzu is the Giou's family doctor who works full time at the infirmary located at the Twilight Mansion. Isuzu is known for passing out for various days from lack of sleep, which is caused by his sleepless and restless nights of researching Duras. As he is very fascinated by the subject matter, he is always looking for an opportunity to examine Luka’s body.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Beautiful All Along: His introduction isn’t very… flattering. But once he shaves and cleans himself up it's a different story.
  • Biseinen: And how!
  • Chivalrous Pervert: Arguably. When he suggests an examination, his words and actions about treatment always come off as perverted, but it’s unclear whether he is aware of it or not.
  • Hospital Hottie: Except he doesn’t work at a hospital.

Other Characters

Kanata Wakamiya / Reiga Giou

Voiced by Akira Ishida

Kanata grew up alongside Yuki at the Asahi Orphanage, where they shared a close bond like that of brothers. Being older, Kanata moved out before the story’s beginning and became independent, but he often visited Yuki and asked him to live with him in the future. When he wasn’t spending time with his dear Yuki, Kanata would often do research about a mysterious old book he had had in his possession since he was little: the Book of Raziel.

It would later turn out that Kanata is actually the human incarnation of the Giou Clan’s sworn enemy, Reiga Giou, who once was part of their noble clan but turned his back to them and joined the Duras. Reiga is a necromancer of unbelievable strength and knowledge, which is the reason why he doesn’t recover his memories before his body have physically matured - otherwise the immense stress on his soul and body would kill him. While his heart is just as cold as the ice and snow that surrounds him, the fond memories of his life as Kanata together with Yuki still lingers, confusing and frustrating him, creating a complicated internal conflict about whether or not he should kill the Giou Clan’s last hope – the "Light of God."

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Uzuki

Voiced by Shinnosuke Tachibana

Yuki’s classmate. A boy who has had a harsh life but finds peace in gardening. At some point, he became cranky, always frustrated, and he rejected Yuki like the plague, and didn't even take care of his dear flowers. It is revealed that he is been possessed by a Duras, causing him to act that way, and his possession is the first real experience with Duras that Yuki encounters.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Ibuki Shikibe

Voiced by Yuri Amano

Takashiro’s talented secretary. Ibuki is also the sister of Tsubaki and Yuki's aunt on his mother's side.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Aya Kureha

Voiced by Sayuri Yahagi

A maid who works at the Twilight Mansion. Her older brother Fuyutoki works at the main residence of the Giou Clan.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Katsumi Tooma

Voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto

A full time cook at Twilight Mansion and a world-class chef.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Fuyotoki Kureha

Voiced by Kenji Hamada

The butler of the main residence of the Giou Clan. He is very loyal to Takashiro and sees it as a pleasure to serve his master. His younger sister Aya works at the Twilight Mansion.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Tsubaki Shikibe

Voiced by Houko Kuwashima

Lives at the main residence of the Giou Clan. She is Ibuki’s younger sister and Yuki's aunt on his mother's side.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Masamune Shinmei

Voiced by Shintarou Asanuma

A Necromancer in training.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Sodom

Voiced by Momoko Ishikawa

Luka’s familiar. Don’t let his cute appearance and friendly behavior fool you, this adorable little fellow WILL kick your ass if his Master commands him to.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Duras

The Duras are residents of the Infernus (Hell) and the enemies that the Giou Clan has sworn to destroy. The word Duras itself actually means “The Proud Ones”. Duras who come to the human world often possess humans who hold darkness in their hearts, effectively growing stronger by feeding on their negative emotions. Since the power levels between the Duras vary, they are categorized like this:

Niedatrechy, low-level demons who mostly take the forms of beasts or reptiles. Unlike the higher-class Duras, these little guys can appear spontaneously in the human world without answering to a necromancer’s call.

Midvillain, humanoid creatures with much higher level of intelligence and sentience than the Niedatrechy. A person who is possessed by a Midvillain can be discerned by the mark that appears on the victim’s body during said possession.

Opast, the highest ranking Duras. They all look like unearthly beautiful people. An Opast can (and will!) easily kill even the most experienced magician, and even the legendary Zweilts are advised not to fight an Opast unless it’s absolutely necessary. The highest ranking Opasts, called general class, are second only to the Demon Lord in terms of raw power and cruelty.

Ashley

Voiced by Kana Ueda

Ashley is a cheerful girl who cares about her appearance, surrounds herself with toys and stuffed animals, is always wearing a smile on her face, and loves pretty teenage boys. She also happens to be a blood-thirsty, cruel Opast who kidnaps humans and/or kills them in various ways just to amuse herself.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

WMG:Elegy

Voiced by Junko Minagawa

A general class Opast who fell in love with Luka, or as she knows him, “Zess”. She has yearned for him for centuries now, and her patience is almost worn out: Zess will belong to her at all costs. Only with her can they, two pure immortals, live and love each other for an eternity. Anything or anyone that comes in her way will face the consequences and it will not be pretty.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Cadenza

Voiced by Takaya Kuroda

One of the most dangerous Opasts seen so far, Cadenza has earned every right to carry the nickname “Master Killer” proudly, as he almost always kills the poor necromancer who was foolish enough to summon him. He is easily recognized by his long, crimson hair that seems to gain an aggressive glow when he does his evil deeds. That blood red colour and his hollowed laughter will haunt your nightmares forever if you manage to survive an encounter with this devil.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Luze

Voiced by Shinnosuke Tachibana

An Opast that had a small role in the anime but in the manga is still waiting for his moment to come, eagerly longing for Reiga’s call to summon him to Earth and let him finally see his brother Luka again.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Betrayal_Knows_My_Name/Characters?oldid=2030916"