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Sperm
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Diagram of a human sperm cell
Sperm is the male reproductive cell and is derived from the Greek word (σπέρμα) sperma (meaning "seed"). In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and its subtype oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell. A uniflagellar sperm cell that is motile is referred to as a spermatozoon, whereas a non-motile sperm cell is referred to as a spermatium. Sperm cells cannot divide and have a limited life span, but after fusion with egg cells during fertilization, a new organism begins developing, starting as a totipotent zygote. The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell. In mammals, sperm develops in the testicles, stored in the epididymis, and is released from the penis.
Play media
Video of human sperm cells recorded by an affordable home microscope.
Contents
[hide]
1 Sperm in animals
1.1 Function
1.2 Anatomy
1.3 Origin
1.4 Sperm quality
1.5 Sperm size
1.6 Market for human sperm
1.7 History
1.8 Forensic analysis
2 Sperm in plants
3 Motile sperm cells
4 Non-motile sperm cells
5 Sperm nuclei
6 Sperm centrioles
7 Sperm tail formation
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Sperm in animals
Further information: Spermatozoon
Function
The main sperm function is to reach the ovum and fuse with it to deliver two sub-cellular structures: (i) the male pronucleus that contains the genetic material and (ii) the centrioles that are structures that help organize the microtubule cytoskeleton.
Anatomy
Sperm and egg fusing
The mammalian sperm cell consists of a head, neck, a midpiece and a tail. The head contains the nucleus with densely coiled chromatin fibres, surrounded anteriorly by an acrosome, which contains enzymes used for penetrating the female egg. The neck contains the sperm centriole. The midpiece has a central filamentous core with many mitochondria spiralled around it, used for ATP production for the journey through the female cervix, uterus and uterine tubes. The tail or "flagellum" executes the lashing movements that propel the spermatocyte.[1]
During fertilization, the sperm provides three essential parts to the oocyte: (1) a signalling or activating factor, which causes the metabolically dormant oocyte to activate; (2) the haploid paternal genome; (3) the centriole, which is responsible for forming the centrosome and microtubule system.[2]
Origin
The spermatozoa of animals are produced through spermatogenesis inside the male gonads (testicles) via meiotic division. The initial spermatozoon process takes around 70 days to complete. The spermatid stage is where the sperm develops the familiar tail. The next stage where it becomes fully mature takes around 60 days when it is called a spermatozoan.[3] Sperm cells are carried out of the male body in a fluid known as semen. Human sperm cells can survive within the female reproductive tract for more than 5 days post coitus.[4] Semen is produced in the seminal vesicles, prostate gland and urethral glands.
In 2016 scientists at Nanjing Medical University claimed they had produced cells resembling mouse spermatids artificially from stem cells. They injected these spermatids into mouse eggs and produced pups.[5]
Sperm quality
Human sperm stained for semen quality testing.
Main article: Semen quality
Sperm quantity and quality are the main parameters in semen quality, which is a measure of the ability of semen to accomplish fertilization. Thus, in humans, it is a measure of fertility in a man. The genetic quality of sperm, as well as its volume and motility, all typically decrease with age.[6] (See paternal age effect.)
DNA damages present in sperm cells in the period after meiosis but before fertilization may be repaired in the fertilized egg, but if not repaired, can have serious deleterious effects on fertility and the developing embryo. Human sperm cells are particularly vulnerable to free radical attack and the generation of oxidative DNA damage.[7] (see e.g. 8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine)
The postmeiotic phase of mouse spermatogenesis is very sensitive to environmental genotoxic agents, because as male germ cells form mature sperm they progressively lose the ability to repair DNA damage.[8] Irradiation of male mice during late spermatogenesis can induce damage that persists for at least 7 days in the fertilizing sperm cells, and disruption of maternal DNA double-strand break repair pathways increases sperm cell-derived chromosomal aberrations.[9] Treatment of male mice with melphalan, a bifunctional alkylating agent frequently employed in chemotherapy, induces DNA lesions during meiosis that may persist in an unrepaired state as germ cells progress though DNA repair-competent phases of spermatogenic development.[10] Such unrepaired DNA damages in sperm cells, after fertilization, can lead to offspring with various abnormalities.
Sperm size
Related to sperm quality is sperm size, at least in some animals. For instance, the sperm of some species of fruit fly (Drosophila) are up to 5.8 cm long — about 20 times as long as the fly itself. Longer sperm cells are better than their shorter counterparts at displacing competitors from the female’s seminal receptacle. The benefit to females is that only healthy males carry ‘good’ genes that can produce long sperm in sufficient quantities to outcompete their competitors.[11][12]
Market for human sperm
Further information: Sperm donation
Some sperm banks hold up to 170 litres (37 imp gal; 45 US gal) of sperm.[13]
In addition to ejaculation, it is possible to extract sperm through TESE.
On the global market, Denmark has a well-developed system of human sperm export. This success mainly comes from the reputation of Danish sperm donors for being of high quality[14] and, in contrast with the law in the other Nordic countries, gives donors the choice of being either anonymous or non-anonymous to the receiving couple.[14] Furthermore, Nordic sperm donors tend to be tall and highly educated[15] and have altruistic motives for their donations,[15] partly due to the relatively low monetary compensation in Nordic countries. More than 50 countries worldwide are importers of Danish sperm, including Paraguay, Canada, Kenya, and Hong Kong.[14] However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US has banned import of any sperm, motivated by a risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, although such a risk is insignificant, since artificial insemination is very different from the route of transmission of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.[16] The prevalence of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease for donors is at most one in a million, and if the donor was a carrier, the infectious proteins would still have to cross the blood-testis barrier to make transmission possible.[16]
History
See also: Homunculus § Homunculus of spermists
Sperm were first observed in 1677 by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek[17] using a microscope, he described them as being animalcules (little animals), probably due to his belief in preformationism, which thought that each sperm contained a fully formed but small human.[citation needed]
Forensic analysis
Ejaculated fluids are detected by ultraviolet light, irrespective of the structure or colour of the surface.[18] Sperm heads, e.g. from vaginal swabs, are still detected by microscopy using the "Christmas Tree Stain" method, i.e., Kernechtrot-Picroindigocarmine (KPIC) staining.[19][20]
Sperm in plants
Sperm cells in algal and many plant gametophytes are produced in male gametangia (antheridia) via mitotic division. In flowering plants, sperm nuclei are produced inside pollen.[citation needed]
Motile sperm cells
Motile sperm cells of algae and seedless plants.[21]
Motile sperm cells typically move via flagella and require a water medium in order to swim toward the egg for fertilization. In animals most of the energy for sperm motility is derived from the metabolism of fructose carried in the seminal fluid. This takes place in the mitochondria located in the sperm's midpiece (at the base of the sperm head). These cells cannot swim backwards due to the nature of their propulsion. The uniflagellated sperm cells (with one flagellum) of animals are referred to as spermatozoa, and are known to vary in size.[citation needed]
Motile sperm are also produced by many protists and the gametophytes of bryophytes, ferns and some gymnosperms such as cycads and ginkgo. The sperm cells are the only flagellated cells in the life cycle of these plants. In many ferns and lycophytes, they are multi-flagellated (carrying more than one flagellum).[21]
In nematodes, the sperm cells are amoeboid and crawl, rather than swim, towards the egg cell.[22]
Non-motile sperm cells
Non-motile sperm cells called spermatia lack flagella and therefore cannot swim. Spermatia are produced in a spermatangium.[21]
Because spermatia cannot swim, they depend on their environment to carry them to the egg cell. Some red algae, such as Polysiphonia, produce non-motile spermatia that are spread by water currents after their release.[21] The spermatia of rust fungi are covered with a sticky substance. They are produced in flask-shaped structures containing nectar, which attract flies that transfer the spermatia to nearby hyphae for fertilization in a mechanism similar to insect pollination in flowering plants.[23]
Fungal spermatia (also called pycniospores, especially in the Uredinales) may be confused with conidia. Conidia are spores that germinate independently of fertilization, whereas spermatia are gametes that are required for fertilization. In some fungi, such as Neurospora crassa, spermatia are identical to microconidia as they can perform both functions of fertilization as well as giving rise to new organisms without fertilization.[24]
Sperm nuclei
In almost all embryophytes, including most gymnosperms and all angiosperms, the male gametophytes (pollen grains) are the primary mode of dispersal, for example via wind or insect pollination, eliminating the need for water to bridge the gap between male and female. Each pollen grain contains a spermatogenous (generative) cell. Once the pollen lands on the stigma of a receptive flower, it germinates and starts growing a pollen tube through the carpel. Before the tube reaches the ovule, the nucleus of the generative cell in the pollen grain divides and gives rise to two sperm nuclei, which are then discharged through the tube into the ovule for fertilization.[21]
In some protists, fertilization also involves sperm nuclei, rather than cells, migrating toward the egg cell through a fertilization tube. Oomycetes form sperm nuclei in a syncytical antheridium surrounding the egg cells. The sperm nuclei reach the eggs through fertilization tubes, similar to the pollen tube mechanism in plants.[21]
Sperm centrioles
Most sperm cells have centrioles in the sperm neck.[25] Sperm of many animals has 2 centrioles known as the proximal centriole and distal centriole. Some animals like human have a single centriole known as the proximal centriole. Mice and rat have no sperm centrioles. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has a single centriole and an atypical centriole named the Proximal Centriole-Like (PCL).[26]
Sperm tail formation
The sperm tail is a specialized type of cilium (aka flagella). In many animals the sperm tail is formed in a unique way, which is named Cytosolic ciliogenesis, since all or part of axoneme of the sperm tail is formed in the cytoplasm or get exposed to the cytoplasm.[27]
See also
Mendelian inheritance
Ejaculation
Female sperm
Female sperm storage
Polyspermy
Sperm competition
Sperm donation
Sperm granuloma
Spermatogenesis
Spermatozoon
References
Jump up ^ Ishijima, Sumio; Oshio, Shigeru; Mohri, Hideo (1986). "Flagellar movement of human spermatozoa". Gamete Research. 13 (3): 185–197. doi:10.1002/mrd.1120130302.
Jump up ^ Hewitson, Laura & Schatten, Gerald P. (2003). "The biology of fertilization in humans". In Patrizio, Pasquale et al. A color atlas for human assisted reproduction: laboratory and clinical insights. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-7817-3769-2. Retrieved 2013-11-09. CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)
Jump up ^ Semen and sperm quality
Jump up ^ Gould JE, Overstreet JW and Hanson FW (1984) "Assessment of human sperm function after recovery from the female reproductive tract". Biology of Reproduction 31, 888–894.
Jump up ^ Cyranoski, David (25 February 2016). "Researchers claim to have made artificial mouse sperm in a dish". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19453. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
Jump up ^ Gurevich, Rachel (2008-06-10). "Does Age Affect Male Fertility?". About.com. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
Jump up ^ Gavriliouk D, Aitken RJ (2015). "Damage to Sperm DNA Mediated by Reactive Oxygen Species: Its Impact on Human Reproduction and the Health Trajectory of Offspring". Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 868: 23–47. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-18881-2_2. PMID 26178844.
Jump up ^ Marchetti F, Wyrobek AJ (2008). "DNA repair decline during mouse spermiogenesis results in the accumulation of heritable DNA damage". DNA Repair. 7 (4): 572–81. doi:10.1016/j.dnarep.2007.12.011. PMID 18282746.
Jump up ^ Marchetti F, Essers J, Kanaar R, Wyrobek AJ (2007). "Disruption of maternal DNA repair increases sperm-derived chromosomal aberrations". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104 (45): 17725–9. doi:10.1073/pnas.0705257104. PMC 2077046  . PMID 17978187.
Jump up ^ Marchetti F, Bishop J, Gingerich J, Wyrobek AJ (2015). "Meiotic interstrand DNA damage escapes paternal repair and causes chromosomal aberrations in the zygote by maternal misrepair". Scientific Reports. 5: 7689. doi:10.1038/srep07689. PMC 4286742  . PMID 25567288.
Jump up ^ Lüpold, Stefan; Manier, Mollie K.; Puniamoorthy, Nalini; Schoff, Christopher; Starmer, William T.; Luepold, Shannon H. Buckley; Belote, John M.; Pitnick, Scott (2016-05-26). "How sexual selection can drive the evolution of costly sperm ornamentation". Nature. 533 (7604): 535–538. doi:10.1038/nature18005. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 27225128.
Jump up ^ Gardiner, Jennifer R. (2016-05-26). "Evolution: The bigger, the better". Nature. 533 (7604): 476. doi:10.1038/533476a. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 27225117.
Jump up ^ Sarfraz Manzoor (2 November 2012). "Come inside: the world's biggest sperm bank". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c Assisted Reproduction in the Nordic Countries ncbio.org
^ Jump up to: a b FDA Rules Block Import of Prized Danish Sperm Posted Aug 13, 08 7:37 AM CDT in World, Science & Health
^ Jump up to: a b Steven Kotler (26 September 2007). "The God of Sperm".
Jump up ^ "Timeline: Assisted reproduction and birth control". CBC News. Retrieved 2006-04-06.
Jump up ^ Anja Fiedler; Mark Benecke; et al. "Detection of Semen (Human and Boar) and Saliva on Fabrics by a Very High Powered UV-/VIS-Light Source". Retrieved 2015-10-22.
Jump up ^ Allery, J. P.; Telmon, N.; Mieusset, R.; Blanc, A.; Rougé, D. (2001). "Cytological detection of spermatozoa: Comparison of three staining methods". Journal of forensic sciences. 46 (2): 349–351. PMID 11305439.
Jump up ^ Illinois State Police/President's DNA Initiative. "The Presidents's DNA Initiative: Semen Stain Identification: Kernechtrot" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-12-10.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Raven, Peter H.; Ray F. Evert; Susan E. Eichhorn (2005). Biology of Plants, 7th Edition. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers. ISBN 0-7167-1007-2.
Jump up ^ Bottino D, Mogilner A, Roberts T, Stewart M, Oster G (2002). "How nematode sperm crawl". Journal of Cell Science. 115 (Pt 2): 367–84. PMID 11839788. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
Jump up ^ Sumbali, Geeta (2005). The Fungi. Alpha Science Int'l Ltd. ISBN 1-84265-153-6.
Jump up ^ Maheshwari R (1999). "Microconidia of Neurospora crassa". Fungal Genetics and Biology. 26 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1006/fgbi.1998.1103. PMID 10072316.
Jump up ^ Atypical centrioles during sexual reproduction. Avidor-Reiss T, Khire A, Fishman EL, Jo KH. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2015 Apr 1;3:21. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00021.
Jump up ^ A proximal centriole-like structure is present in Drosophila spermatids and can serve as a model to study centriole duplication. Blachon S, Cai X, Roberts KA, Yang K, Polyanovsky A, Church A, Avidor-Reiss T. Genetics. 2009 May;182(1):133-44. doi: 10.1534/genetics.109.101709.
Jump up ^ Shared and Distinct Mechanisms of Compartmentalized and Cytosolic Ciliogenesis. Avidor-Reiss T, Leroux MR. Curr Biol. 2015 Dec 7;25(23):R1143-50. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.001. http://0-resolver.ebscohost.com.carlson.utoledo.edu/openurl?sid=Entrez%3aPubMed&id=pmid%3a26654377&site=ftf-live
External links
The Great Sperm Race pdf
Human Sperm Under a Microscope
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sperm.
Preceded by
None Stages of human development
Sperm + Oocyte Succeeded by
Zygote
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"The Clapping Song" is an American song, written by Lincoln Chase, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game". The lyrics of "The Clapping Song" were borrowed from the song "Little Rubber Dolly",[1] a 1930s song recorded by the Light Crust Doughboys, and also feature instructions for a clapping game. The song sold over a million copies, and peaked at number eight in the United States and number six in the UK.
The song returned to the charts in 1982, when the Belle Stars' version charted at number 11 in the UK. This version did not chart in the US, although a version by Pia Zadora charted there at number 36 in 1983.
Notable cover versions[edit]
The song has been covered many times:
Gary Glitter covered this song on three albums: Glitter in 1972, Glam Years 1991, and Gary Glitter in 1995
Female Mexican pop singer Yuri recorded a Spanish version of the song in 1980 titled "Bailad (The Clapping Song)"
Ian Cussick, Scottish singer-songwriter, released the song as a single in 1981, from his third studio album Hypertension
The Belle Stars covered the song in 1982
Pia Zadora's cover of the song entered the top 40 in 1983
Aaron Carter released a cover of the song on his 2000 album Aaron's Party (Come Get It). A music video was produced for the song.
Lil' Kim performed the song (as Shirley Ellis) on the NBC drama American Dreams October 12, 2003 and danced to the song on the ABC show Dancing With The Stars April 20 and 21, 2009
Mother and The Addicts released a cover of this song as the B-side to 2004 single "Who Art You Girls?"
The Young Punx covered the song for the Buffet Libre 'Rewind 2' project in late 2008, featuring Laura Kidd on vocals and Guthrie Govan on guitar
UK X Factor contestant, Cher Lloyd, performed the song on the final of the show in December 2010
Russell Grant released it in 2012 in the UK as a Christmas single along with six backing singers/dancers, including S Club 7's Tina Barrett, Chloe Rich, Miriam Breckner and Rhiannon Drake[2]
The Hip-hop gospel Congolese group Makoma has covered the song
Izza Kizza samples the chorus in his song "Walk The Dawg"
R&B Singer Cupid did a cover of the song with B.o.B on the Step Up 2 OST which samples Ellis' version
Operator Please covered the song for the Australian Independent teen film Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger
Baccara recorded a cover with a "Macarena" beat.
Andrew W.K. included a re-mixed version in the album Damn! The Mixtape.
On Season 1 of The X Factor US, the group InTENsity performed the song during the first live show
The Hype Girlz released The Clapping Song on June 15th, 2015
Icona Pop released a cover on July 17th, 2015 titled "Clap Snap" on the "Emergency EP"
UK X Factor group, 4th Impact, performed the song as a mashup with Sound of the Underground during the second week of live shows.
Legacy and in the media[edit]
Tom Waits's song "Clap Hands" from his album Rain Dogs quotes the line "they all went to heaven in a little row boat." In the version of the song on the live album Big Time, Waits prefaces "Clap Hands" with the entire first verse of "The Clapping Song".
Radiohead's "Pyramid Song" quotes the line "And we all went to heaven in a little row boat".
Buck 65's "1957" quotes the line "we all go to Heaven in a little row boat."
In "Loco Mosquito" (Soldier, 1980), Iggy Pop quotes some lines from "The Clapping Song".
UB40's rendition of Red Red Wine includes the lines "The line broke, the monkey get choked".
Spank Rock's mix tape Couche-Tard samples "The Clapping Song" on track "Five".
Parkway Drive quotes the line "and we all go to heaven in a little row boat" in a satirical manner in their 2015 song "Writings on the Wall".
James May attempted to parallel park a Lamborghini Countach to the song on an episode of Top Gear.
Manu Chao used the "My mama told me" part in the 2003 Jai Alai Katumbi Express with Fermin Muguruza on "Hamburger Fields / Hitz Egin" song. [3]
The song was used in an advertising campaign for Matalan in the UK.
The song was featured in the hip hop documentary Scratch as part of a story where DJ Jazzy Jay recalls Afrika Bambaata passing him a 45 single with a drum break he later discovered was from "The Clapping Song".
The song was also featured in the TV series Skins in 2007. It was used in the bonus episode of Season 1, during the organisation of the "Secret Party".
The song is featured in a 2011 advertisement on YouTube for the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.
The chorus of Cat Power’s 2012 song “3, 6, 9” borrows heavily from “The Clapping Song”
The line "3, 6, 9" is referenced in the verses to "Get Low" by Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring the Ying Yang Twins.
In 2016 the song was used in a commercial of the car Ford Focus.
In Stephen King's Insomnia (1994) an evil character chants the song several times throughout the novel.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Shirley Ellis's The Clapping Song". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 23 May 2012. ("Little Rubber Dolly" available at YouTube)
Jump up ^ Llewellyn, Angharad (2012-11-21). "Russell Grant is a happy Clapper – The Sun". Thesun.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
Jump up ^ "LARZAC 2003 Manu Chao Part 3". YouTube. 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Clapping_Song&oldid=791747415"
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text:
List of Black Cat characters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Black Cat manga series features characters created by Kentaro Yabuki. The story follows a young man named Train Heartnet who withdrew from an elite group of assassins called the Chronos Numbers two years earlier and is now a Sweeper, or bounty hunter. Many of the characters are humans with superhuman strength, speed and/or supernatural abilities. Black Cat's anime adaptation features some characters not created by Yabuki, as well as many plot differences.
Contents
[hide]
1 Main characters
1.1 Train Heartnet
1.2 Sven Vollfied
1.3 Eve
1.4 Rinslet Walker
2 Supporting characters
2.1 Saya Minatsuki
2.2 Tearju Lunatique
2.3 Woodney
3 Chronos
3.1 Sephiria Arks
3.2 Belze Rochefort
3.3 Emilio Lowe
3.4 Kranz Maduke
3.5 Nizer Bruckheimer
3.6 Anubis
3.7 Jenos Hazard
3.8 Baldorias S. Fanghini
3.9 David Pepper
3.10 Ash
3.11 Lin Shaolee
3.12 Beluga J. Heard
3.13 Mason Ordrosso
4 Apostles of the Stars
4.1 Creed Diskenth
4.2 Shiki
4.3 Charden Flamberg
4.4 Kyoko Kirisaki
4.5 Maro
4.6 Doctor
4.7 Durham Glaster
4.8 Echidna Parass
4.9 Leon Elliott
4.10 Eathes
4.11 Deak Slathky
4.12 Preta Ghoul
5 References
5.1 Black Cat manga
6 Other sources
Main characters[edit]
The main characters of Black Cat. From left to right: Sven Vollfied (back), Train Heartnet, Rinslet Walker (back), Eve.
Train Heartnet[edit]
Train Heartnet (トレイン ハートネット, Torein Hātonetto), also known as Black Cat (黒猫, Kuro Neko), is the protagonist and a Sweeper partnered with Sven. Train is a lighthearted, courageous man who is highly skilled with a gun. The 23 year old's distinguishing features are a choker with a tiny bell attached to it and the XIII tattoo he has on the left side of his chest.[1]:26 Two years earlier Train was a Chronos Number, a ruthless assassin and Number XIII of the group. He has a large amount of killing intent that he honed from his days as a Chronos member, and as a result he often has sudden mood swings, going from carefree to serious in an instant, especially when Creed is mentioned. This personality stems from being orphaned at 10 years old after the assassin Zagine Axeloake kills his parents, takes Train in and teaches him how to kill with efficiency.[ch. 68] Zagine eventually dies and tells Train that he needs to be the strongest in order to survive. After that, Karl took Train in and he became an assassin for Chronos. Having been killing and exposed to death since early childhood, Train becomes very bleak and unsmiling until he leaves Chronos. He eventually meets Saya, a carefree sweeper, who slowly changes Train into a "stray cat" that does not blindly follow orders. He decides not to kill anymore, and after Creed kills Saya, he leaves to become a Sweeper and searches after him.
He wields Hades (ハーディス, Hādisu), a black and gold revolver made out of Orichalcum weighing 2.5 kg, with the numeral XIII engraved into its side and a red tassel attached to its hand grip that stretches out like a leash.[1]:26[2]:162 He possesses 20/20 vision[1]:26 and is an extremely skilled marksman, able to accurately shoot down bullets from other guns,[ch. 36] and hit the same place with a number of bullets at exactly the same time. He is ambidextrous, but naturally left-handed; using his left hand increases his speed and accuracy.[ch. 16] He can also shoot a number of bullets while in the air to accelerate him into a spinning slash, "Black Claw", that leaves four large slash marks. He also uses specialty bullets created by Sven, including the Burst Bullet, which produces an extremely large amount of damage, and bullets that freeze or paralyze opponents. His gun is made out of the strongest metal called Orichalcum, which allows him to use the gun to deflect bullets and guard against other attacks. When his body becomes infected with nanomachines he manages to manipulate them into creating static electricity, allowing him to focus the electricity into the barrel of Hades, turning it into a railgun.[ch. 111] However, he loses this ability after one last maximum shot in the final fight with Creed.[ch. 185]
Yabuki chose the name Train because it brings about the image of him freighthopping.[3] In the original one-shot version, Stray Cat, Train was a famous Sweeper that gave that life up to become a Delivery Man. Additionally, he could use Tao to turn his chi into bullets fired from his pistol with a taijitu symbol on it, or into a blade coming from its barrel.[ch. Stray Cat] Train came in first place in all three of the series' character popularity contests.[4][5]
Voiced by: Takashi Kondō (Japanese); Jason Liebrecht (English)[6]
Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese); Luci Christian (English) (kid)[6]
Sven Vollfied[edit]
Sven Vollfied (スヴェン ボルフィード, Suven Borufīdo) is a sweeper and Train's partner. The 30-year-old follows a strict code of chivalry: he is always respectful to women and children and acts very proper.[1]:46 He befriends Eve, being the first person to treat her like a human, which causes the two to become very close like a father and daughter relationship. He is often tortured by Train's capricious personality and is usually dragged into trouble and even more debt because of it. Sven is skilled in inventing and making innovative weapons and other various equipment, including bombs and special bullets for Train. Sven's weapon of choice was originally a normal pistol, but after that is destroyed, he invents the Attaché Weapon Case (アタッシュウェポンケース, Atasshu Wepon Kēsu), a suitcase equipped with hidden weaponry inside of it. It contains a built-in machine gun,[ch. 37] grenade launcher, net launcher,[ch. 55] an electrical cable, and various other small weapons inside the case.
Before becoming a sweeper, he was an inspector for the International Bureau of Investigations (国際捜査局, Kokusai Sōsa Kyoku), along with his partner, Lloyd Goldwynne. Lloyd possessed an ability called Vision Eye (予見眼（ヴィジョンアイ）, Yoken Me (Vijon Ai)), which allowed him to see a few seconds into the future.[ch. 29] Seven years ago, after being attacked by members of a crime family, Sven loses his right eye and Lloyd sacrifices himself to save him.[ch. 30] A week before his death, Lloyd registered as an organ donor; Sven received one of his eyes and the Vision Eye, although he is not able to use it as well as Lloyd. However, it puts a massive strain on his body so he normally keeps it under an eye patch.[2]:26 Sven later evolves it into the "Grasper Eye" (支配眼（グラスパーアイ）, Shihai Me (Gurasupā Ai)) through rigorous training by having cannonballs fired at him, honing his endurance with the eye to the point where extensive use no longer drains him to the point of total collapse.[ch. 121] The Grasper Eye allows him to see things in slow motion for about five seconds, allowing him to evade seemingly impossible attacks and barrages, and is less draining than the Vision Eye.[ch. 142]
The name Sven was taken from a minor character in a blockbuster film Yabuki enjoyed.[3] In the original one-shot version, Stray Cat, Sven is a Delivery Man instead of a Sweeper and had a beard.[ch. Stray Cat] Sven came in seventh, fourth and third place in the series' three character popularity contests.[4][5]
Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese); Brandon Potter (English)[6]
Eve[edit]
Eve (イヴ, Ivu) is a young beautiful girl, who is a genetically cloned and engineered bio-weapon. After being rescued by Train and Sven, she accompanies them on their travels. She is able to use nanotechnology to transform her body into various offensive and defensive weapons and heal any injuries. Initially only able to alter limited parts of her body, she is later able to transform her entire body at will, though it causes a lot of strain on her. She typically turns her arms into blades, hammers and shields,[ch. 35] turns her hair into fists and microblades able to cut through steel,[ch. 63, 101] turns her own skin into steel, and sprouts wings from her back to fly. The nanomachines in her body also alter her clothing; for changing her appendages or growing wings without ripping them.[2]:150
She is designed to be the ultimate soldier, being raised to be an emotionless killing machine, not understanding the concept of free choice. She is saved by Sven from the weapons smuggler, Torneo Rudman, and he treats her like a human for the first time in her life. Seemingly unfeeling and more like the machine she was made to be initially, she turned more and more like a human as the series progress due to the time she spent with Train and Sven. She loves reading, and can remember everything in a book after reading it once,[1]:112 which also served to build her humanity. Sven initially tries to keep her away from the Sweeper life for her own safety, though she proves that she can fight and he begins to treat her as a partner. She also has a deep sense of compassion and will absolutely not kill no matter what, stemming from guilt she feels for the murders she committed before Sven found her.
Yabuki agonized over choosing her name, looking for one that evoked "purity and innocence."[3] Eve came in second place in all three of the series' character popularity contests.[4][5] The character Golden Darkness from Kentaro Yabuki's later work, To Love-Ru, is based on Eve. They both have the ability to turn part of their bodies into weapons. Golden Darkness comes from the spaceship Lunatique and her creator is Tearju. In the anime series, both Yami and Eve are voiced by Misato Fukuen. In chapter 61 of To Love-Ru, Golden Darkness tries on a black dress similar to the one that Eve wears in the final chapters of Black Cat. In chapter 15 of To Love-Ru Darkness, it is revealed that Yami's true name is Eve.
Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese); Brina Palencia (English)[6]
Rinslet Walker[edit]
Rinslet Walker (リンスレット ウォーカー, Rinsuretto Uōkā) is an infamous thief-for-hire that recruits Train and Sven for a heist, but continues teaming with them afterwards. The 21-year-old works for everyone from mob bosses to the government, this being the reason a bounty is never placed on her.[1]:90[ch. 2] Rinslet claims she can steal anything and manipulate any man,[ch. 2] though she has trouble with Train; she can sucker him into participating in her schemes, but can't get him to follow her plans to the letter. She occasionally provides Train and Sven with targets, so that they can act as distractions while she steals. She treats Eve as a younger sister, much to her own annoyance. Rinslet owns and uses a gun but she is not as skilled at fighting as Train or Sven, she also carries a whip with a heart-shaped tip.[ch. 35] Rinslet is not cold-hearted and will help others or even destroy what she is hired to steal if the item is dangerous to humanity. She is later forcefully hired by Chronos to act as bait.
Yabuki chose the name Rinslet because it evokes the image of a "silky haired beauty."[3]
Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese); Jamie Marchi (English)[6]
Supporting characters[edit]
Saya Minatsuki[edit]
Saya Minatsuki (ミナツキ サヤ, Minatsuki Saya) was an accomplished sweeper and close friend of Train. Her involvement with him led to his more human outlook on life and his departure from Chronos. Train denies having had romantic feelings for the 19-year-old, stating he "fell in love... with her way of living. Not bound by anyone or anything... like a stray cat."[ch. 31, 61]
Saya has no memories of her life before the age of ten, due to heavy abuse from her parents. Her first real memory is waking up in hospital and being carried off to a relative's house.[ch. 184] She constantly wears a yukata because she likes their appearance and thinks it makes her stand out.[7]:21 She develops the "Reflect Shot" (リフレクショット, Rifureku Shotto) over the course of five years, allowing her to fire bullets that ricochet off hard surfaces and strike opponents at odd angles and different velocities.[8][ch. 117]
Creed, seeing that Train's personality is changing due to her, confronts Saya and the two fight until she is stabbed while being distracted by kids.[ch. 117] She does manage to destroy his sword before dying.[ch. 118] Devastated by her death, Train struggles while whether or not to get revenge on Creed, until settling on taking him in as a Sweeper instead of killing him. Saya's spirit later helps Train defeat the Doctor's Warp World and aim his final shot at Creed.[ch. 163, 183]
Saya's name just popped into Yabuki's head while he was looking at her face.[3]
Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Caitlin Glass (English)[6]
Tearju Lunatique[edit]
Tearju Lunatique (ティアーユ ルナティーク, Tiāyu Runatīku) is one of the top authorities in nanotechnology and leader of the group that created Eve.[ch. 92] Eve's DNA was taken from hers, thus making them look identical.[ch. 108] She is very bad at household chores and has the ability to trip over nothing. Train, Sven and Eve seek her out after Train is shot with the Lucifer bullet and turned into a child, in hopes she knows how to revert it. Because of the huge cost of a vaccine, she informs him the only other possibility is to mentally concentrate and visualize changing his body, similar to how Eve does it.[ch. 107] The Apostles seek her out at the same time so Creed can obtain immortality, but she refuses, having resolved to never experiment with humans again.[ch. 113]
In the anime, Tearju is absent from this part joining much later after the assault on the Apostles, because she suffered brain damage from an explosion at the time of Eve's creation. She is hospitalized and is shown to react violently to her reflection in the mirror. This is later explained by Tearju as being the result of her having hypnotized herself to react violently toward Eve. She travels with Sven and the others and shares information about Eve and Eden so that they may destroy Eden and save Eve. The Doctor is actually her former partner.
Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese); Brina Palencia (English)[6]
Woodney[edit]
Woodney (ウドニー, Udonī) is an overweight sweeper who imitates Train by dressing in a long black coat, referring to himself as the "Black Cat" and having the number thirteen tattooed on his left arm (albeit it is in Arabic numerals, not Roman, drawn with a marker, and occasionally alternating arms).[ch. 44, 45] He meets with moderate success as a sweeper by using the Black Cat's reputation to intimidate his enemies, but this tactic backfires when he is faced with a powerful criminal.[ch. 46] After an encounter with the real Train, he gives up imitating him and attempts to become his disciple,[ch. 46] but Train convinces him he would help more by being an informer to them.[ch. 47] In the anime, the only main difference in Woodney is that he keeps on following the group, instead of turning into an information broker, and is the cause of some humorous moments.
Voiced by: Bon Ishihara (Japanese); Jeremy Inman (English)[6]
Chronos[edit]
Chronos (秘密結社（クロノス）, Himitsu Kessha (Kuronosu)) is an organization that controls one third of the world's economy,[ch. 2] and much of the plot revolves around them and their connection to Train, a former member. They have a special group of strong individuals, the Chronos Numbers (時の番人（クロノ・ナンバーズ）, Toki no Bannin (Kurono Nanbāzu)), that act as "Erasers" (抹殺者（イレイザー）), or assassins and only follow orders from the Council of Elders that run the organization.[ch. 20] Each Number have complete mastery of a weapon made of Orichalcum, the strongest metal in the world.[ch. 26]
Sephiria Arks[edit]
Sephiria Arks (セフィリア アークス, Sefiria Ākusu), known as Number I, is the commander of the Numbers and is trusted enough by Chronos to be given total control over killing Creed. Sephiria was one of the few members who were "born for Chronos", as she stated that when she was an infant she underwent surgery to enhance her recovery time from injuries.[ch. 184] Sven once commented that her eyes allowed her to stare into the recesses of one's soul.[ch. 47] This empathy is her greatest strength, which allows her to utilize her powers of manipulation to their utmost extent. She will do anything to finish her missions and will sacrifice whatever it takes in order to succeed in meeting an objective. However, she does show some inner conflict in her manipulation, even questioning Belze about her actions.[ch. 47] She controls all of the Chronos Numbers' actions as well as many of the independent operatives in the hunt for Creed with little interference from the Elders.
Despite her gentle looks and young age, her swordsmanship is undisputed. She has such precision and swiftness with her weapon, Christ (クライスト, Kuraisuto, "Ichthus" in the English translation), a saber of unparalleled sharpness, that her strokes produce no sound and her movements leave after-images in her wake. She knows all thirty-six moves of her style, the ultimate being "Mekkai World Destroyer", which completely reduces a target to nothing.[ch. 170] However, her muscles sustain severe damage in using this technique. Although she loses, she survives her battle with Creed due to Train's timely arrival and her enhanced healing.[ch. 173, 184]
Her personality is drastically changed in the anime. Here, she is much less charismatic, showing little outward emotion, and is generally much more ruthless and aggressive. She is also much less manipulative, preferring to handle things personally and with straightforward planning rather than manipulate others into doing work for Chronos. She initially holds much animosity towards Train for his decision to leave Chronos and tries to kill him on several occasions. At the end of the anime, she and the other four Numbers left take control of Chronos.
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Lydia Mackay (English)[6]
Belze Rochefort[edit]
Belze Rochefort (ベルゼー ロシュフォール, Beruzē Roshufōru), known as Number II, is the vice commander of the Numbers,[7]:46 and one of the closest people to Sephiria. He understands that Chronos is a dark and evil organization but also knows that if Chronos is destroyed, the world will fall into chaos. His weapon is an Orichalcum spear named Gungnir (グングニル, Gunguniru). Belze is a cultured man and an accomplished martial artist.[7]:46 Creed himself says that even two of his apostles working together have a chance of losing to Belze. Belze holds no ill-will towards Train but hates Creed. He truly respects Sephiria as his superior even though he is several years older than her. After fighting to a draw with Charden Flamberg and Kyoko Kirisaki, Belze is the first to realize just how dangerous the Apostles of the Stars are. He usually takes a back seat to Sephiria and complies with her decisions even though he will express his opinion if he sees a flaw in her plans.
Voiced by: Hideyuki Hori (Japanese); Mike McFarland (English)[6]
Emilio Lowe[edit]
Emilio Lowe (エミリオ ロウ, Emirio Rou), known as Number III, is a member of Chronos. While he is briefly referred to,[ch. 184] he never actually appears in the original manga. In the anime, he is a member of the Zero Numbers who defect from Chronos. He uses an Orichalcum bow and arrows as a weapon named Artemis (アルテミス, Arutemisu), and is able to fire them at an extremely fast rate. While on Eden, he is able to constantly revive due to nanomachines and Tao, though it kills him once the connection is severed. He takes part in the attack on the Apostles of the Stars.
Kranz Maduke[edit]
Kranz Maduke (クランツ マドゥーク, Kurantsu Madūku), known as Number IV, is a blind man raised to be an assassin from birth. Along with his partner, Baldor, he is extremely violent, going as far as destroying entire towns while completing their missions, and loyal to Chronos. He wears a helmet that conceals his eyes, having lost his sight in a battle several years ago, and has learned to fight through sensing sound and movement as he believes he was born to fight.[9]:100 His number is located on one of the eyes of the helmet. He and Baldor are tasked with killing the Apostles before Chronos' next strike on Creed, and also participates in the attack on Creed's headquarters using the Sweepers Alliance as a decoy. Kranz enjoys being silent and rarely talks, thus leaving Baldor to make the decisions. His weapon is an Orichalcum knife named Mars (マルス, Marusu), which is able to vibrate at a high frequency, allowing it to easily cut steel.[9]:138 He appears in the anime as one of the Zero Numbers, who defect from Chronos.
Voiced by: Atsushi Kakehashi (Japanese); Viktor Walker (English)[6]
Nizer Bruckheimer[edit]
Nizer Bruckheimer (ナイザー ブラッカイマー, Naizā Burakkaimā), known as Number V, is the leader of the elite commando squad Cerberus, and in charge of the close-range attacks.[10]:108 He wields a pair of Orichalcum tonfas named Dioskouroi (ディオスクロイ, Diosukuroi), which he wields with incredible skill.[ch. 72] He is a bald man with a well cut black beard and commonly escorts Sephiria Arks when she leaves for business. Nizer is one of the first to act in Sephiria's defense when she is not treated with respect. He holds a personal vendetta against Creed Diskenth for the death of Number X, his old partner Ash, and orders the others to allow him to be the one to kill Creed. Even though he holds a grudge against Creed, Nizer does not hunt him down for revenge but to complete his mission as a Number.[ch. 83] After the destruction of the castle and Beluga's death, Nizer succumbs to a near-fatal wound and enters a coma.[ch. 87] He recovers but is too injured to partake in the final attack on the Apostles.
Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese); Daniel Penz (English)[6]
Anubis[edit]
Anubis (アヌビス, Anubisu), known as Number VI, is an anime-only character. He is a large black wolf, capable of human speech, with a long, mechanical tail made of Orichalcum. As well as using his Orichalcum tail, the weapon Osiris (オシリス, Oshirisu), he has his natural arsenals of claws and teeth. Anubis is first seen defending Numbers I and II after they are betrayed by the newly emerged Zero Numbers.
Voiced by: Andrew Tipps
Jenos Hazard[edit]
Jenos Hazard (ジェノス ハザード, Jenosu Hazādo), known as Number VII, is the middle-range attacker of Cerberus.[10]:108 A womanizer, that gets violent whenever he sees a woman injured, his attempts at flirting usually fail due to overzealousness.[ch. 59] Jenos is usually laid back and energetic and doesn't appear to be serious most of the time, making it difficult for some to believe he is a Chronos assassin. He becomes infatuated with Rinslet, who uses physical violence to avert his flirts, though in the end she begins to warm up to him. In exchange for Rinslet's help in tracking Creed, Jenos becomes her bodyguard. Jenos' weapon is Excelion (エクセリオン, Ekuserion), a glove with indestructible Orichalcum wires attached to its tips, which he uses to tightly grasp or lacerate his opponents or their guns.[ch. 59] He can also control the sharpness of the wires so they can either cut through stone or catch someone safely.[ch. 79] Jenos cares about the survival of his teammates just as much as he does completing the mission.
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese); Troy Baker (English)[6]
Baldorias S. Fanghini[edit]
Baldorias S. Fanghini (バルドリアス S ファンギーニ, Barudoriasu S Fangīni), known as Number VIII, is an assassin raised to be a member of Chronos from birth.[9]:64 Along with his partner, Kranz, he is extremely violent, leading to the destruction of entire towns while on missions, and extremely loyal. Nicknamed "Baldor", his number is tattooed onto the side of his neck. He and Kranz are tasked with killing the Apostles before Chronos' next strike on Creed, and also participates in the attack on Creed's headquarters using the Sweepers Alliance as a decoy. Out of the pair, Baldor acts as the leader but he will concede to Kranz when the blind man asks. Baldor has a habit of acting first and then reporting his actions to Sephiria. He wields the rocket-boosted flail Heimdall (ヘイムダル, Heimudaru), which only he can wield well enough to use in battle.[9]:82 Baldor is willing to do anything but betray Chronos. Ironically, in the anime he is shown as one of the Zero Numbers that betray and destroy Chronos.
Voiced by: Anri Katsu (Japanese); Justin Cook (English)[6]
David Pepper[edit]
David Pepper (デイビッド ペッパー, Deibiddo Peppā), known as Number IX, is an anime-only character. He is injured by the Apostles of the Stars when a gravity ball crushes him and his foe. Later, it was said that he was buried but it is unknown if he died due to the injuries or if the Zero Numbers killed him. He uses Orichalcum gambling cards called Sigurd (ジークフリード, Jīkufurīdo) as his weapons. He likes talking about gambling while fighting and knows Train.
Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese); Daniel Drumm (English)[6]
Ash[edit]
Ash (アッシュ, Asshu), formally known as Number X, was a close friend and partner of Naizer until he was killed by Creed. While he is briefly referred to, he never actually appears in the original manga. He was designed exclusively for the anime by series creator Kentaro Yabuki. Ash uses an Orichalcum cane capable of splitting the ground, and has an x-shaped scar on his chin.
Voiced by: Taketora (Japanese); David Wilson-Brown (English)[6]
Lin Shaolee[edit]
Lin Shaolee (リン シャオリー, Rin Shaorī), known as Number X, is a master of disguise nicknamed the "Magician" (魔術師＜マジシャン＞, Majutsushi (Majishan)) that can change his appearance in seconds.[9]:44[ch. 75] He is a new member to the Chronos Numbers, added after Train left the group as the replacement of Ash.[ch. 75][9]:44 His weapon Seiren (セイレーン, Seirēn), is a mantle that is made of Orichalcum. This allows it to block attacks, such as bullets,[ch. 166] or cut through metal with its edges. He disguises himself as "Glin" (グリン, Gurin) in order to form the Sweeper Alliance (掃除屋同盟, Sōjiya Dōmei) to attack the Apostles as a decoy for Chronos.[ch. 124]
Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese); Jerry Jewell (English)[6]
Beluga J. Heard[edit]
Beluga J. Heard (ベルーガ J ハード, Berūga J Hādo), known as Number XI, is the long range attacker in the Cerberus assassination squad.[10]:108 He wields an Orichalcum bazooka named Verethraghna (ウルスラグナ, Urusuraguna), which can also change into a large hammer.[ch. 72, 79] Beluga also carries a knife for close-range fighting. Due to his weapon of choice, Beluga is usually used for attacks against groups or nations rather than one-one-one duels.[10]:84 To him, completing the mission with his team is everything and personal feelings can wait until the job is done. He dies helping Jenos and Nizer escape from the Apostles of the Stars' collapsing hideout after a failed attempt on Creed's life due to Jenos' intervention. His last words are disapproving of Jenos' actions, but also thanking Jenos for keeping him from killing his own friend.[ch. 87]
Voiced by: Kouji Ishii (Japanese); Gordon Holey (English)[6]
Mason Ordrosso[edit]
Mason Ordrosso (メイソン オルドロッソ, Meison Orudorosso), known as Number XII, is the eldest member of the Numbers. He is the wisest and most experienced of the group, and the lone survivor of the war against the Tao-users 25 years ago. Sephiria states that he has been a Chronos Number longer than most of the members including herself have been alive. He only briefly appears during the final attack on the Apostles, going to investigate another of their hideouts with Belze.[ch. 184] His weapon is Á Bao A Qu (ア・バオア・クー, A.Baoa.Kū). In the anime, Mason replaces Creed as the main antagonist in the final story arc. He is featured as the leader of the Zero Numbers, who defect from Chronos and destroy it after planning since the end of the war. Mason's Orichalcum weapon is a golden suit of armor that covers every inch of his body except his face, and also includes two large swords.
Voiced by: Rokuro Naya (Japanese); Randy Tallman (English)[6]
Apostles of the Stars[edit]
The Apostles of the Stars (星の使徒, Hoshi no Shito) is a revolutionary group led by former Chronos member Creed Diskenth. Their aim is to start a revolution, including overthrowing Chrono's control on the economy. They do not just wish to bring about a world revolution, but they seek revenge against Chronos, each for their own reasons; for example, Shiki and Maro due to the war between the Taoist and Chronos long ago. Some recruits, however, are merely criminals who wish to use their new-found powers to kill for fun. Although Tao has been the primary source of the Apostles' power, Creed also relies on Doctor's investigations in nanomachines to grant him eternal power and elevate him to a god. In the anime, Creed hinted that the Apostles had some partnership with the group Zero Numbers.
Every member of the Apostles of The Stars has the power of Tao (道（タオ）, Michi (Tao)) and the ability to control their chi or life force to perform supernatural abilities.[7]:86 Practitioners possess one of two types of Tao powers by using Soft Chi Kung, a force that accelerates cellular movement through chi; Inner Chi Kung, which manipulates chi inside the body, or Outer Chi Kung, which releases chi outwards.[7]:86 Those who possess the potential awaken these powers through the Shinkitou (神氣湯), an elixir only concocted by born Taoists such as Shiki. Another member of the Apostles, Maro, is also from the Forbidden Continent, and together with Shiki, they bear the most traditional Tao powers, such as controlling and summoning bugs (Shiki), using ink marks (Shiki) and controlling gravity (Maro). Other members of the Apostles rely on more "deviant" powers, such as Creed's "Imagine Blade, which is a sword that can expand for 80 meters.
The Apostles have a small army of soldiers, armed with all kinds of weaponry and equipped with special armor that can withstand grenades. They are known as the Shooting Star Unit and show great loyalty to Creed and the other Apostles. There is also an experimental squad of cyborg soldiers, the Kiseitai (鬼星隊（きせいたい）, Onisei-tai(Kiseitai), "Demon Star Force"), that were created by Doctor to be weapons of war.[ch. 172] They were released by Echinda after Doctor's and Eathes' defeat.[ch. 171] However, they were easily defeated by Sven, Eve, and Chronos members IV, VII, VIII and X.
Creed Diskenth[edit]
Creed Diskenth (クリード ディスケンス, Kurīdo Disukensu) is the series' main antagonist. He is the leader of the Apostles of the Stars and Train's former partner before he joined the Chronos Numbers.[ch. 14][7]:202 He tells the group that their only purpose is to destroy Chronos, but he really plans to make himself immortal using nanomachines and rule the world forever by selectivity controlling the human population.[ch. 113] He is severely warped after being abused by his mother, whom he kills, and the police while living on the streets.[ch. 184] It is stated that Creed had the abilities to be chosen as Chronos Number XIII, but was deemed too unstable and the position went to Train.[ch. 27] He greatly admires Train to the point of obsession,[7]:202 as he thinks of him as the only person in the world that he can relate to. After Train changes during his meetings with Saya, Creed kills her, and makes it his goal to return Train to his previous lifestyle and have him join the Apostles.[ch. 14]
Creed uses his Tao powers to manipulate the hilt of his former sword, "Kotetsu" (虎徹), to form the "Imagine Blade" (イマジンブレード, Majin Burēdo). Its first form, Level 1, is an invisible sword that is able to extend up to eighty meters.[ch. 15] It later evolves into Level 2, a living sword with a mouth and eyes that is directly linked with Creed's emotions.[11]:126 It is able to extend and be manipulated like a whip at will, bite opponents, and break Orichalcum.[ch. 82] Level 3 merges the sword with his arm, with eyes on his shoulder and another large arm extending from his back.[ch. 176] Its final form, Level Max, creates a colossal blade made out of light.[ch. 183] After obtaining The Breath of God nanomachines, Creed becomes able to regenerate from any fatal wound in seconds and he will remain in his peak physical condition forever. The nanomachines' only weakness is that they cannot fully restore the brain, which would leave him with only primal instincts.[ch. 169] However, these are removed from his body after his final battle with Train by Eve.[ch. 184] Train and Chronos allow Creed to walk away, and he is last seen living with Echidna in a country villa, using a wheelchair, with the implication that the physical and mental injuries he sustained in his fight with Train left him vegetative.[ch. 185] In the final episode of the anime, Creed fights Mason so that Train can rescue Eve, and in the end he is seen, again, in the villa in the company of Echidna, quietly painting a landscape.
Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (Japanese); Chris Patton (English)[6]
Shiki[edit]
Shiki (シキ) is one of the highest ranking in command of the Apostle of the Stars and one of the first recruited. He is a true Taoist, wearing the clothes from his homeland of Itairiku, a member of the clan whose ancestors started a war against Chronos a quarter of a century ago.[ch. 149] As a true Taoist, Shiki manipulates his chi and can create the special elixir that can grant people with the power of Tao. Shiki's main form of attack is through the use of insect summoning and control,[12] including the fully sentient, humanoid, Setsuki. They are created from his chi, allowing Shiki to create them indefinitely although they eventually self-destruct,[12] as such his Tao power is called "Insect". However, besides the insects, he masters the usage of ink seals, using them for manipulating his chi in various ways, ranging from creating a cursed sword, to creating an energy blast and a large dragon made of fire.[ch. 148, 149, 150] Shiki battles Train in order to prove that the Tao are not weak, though Train defeats Shiki to break him of those feelings and show him that there is more to life than proving the Tao to be strongest.[ch. 150] He is last seen with Maro, riding on one of his giant bugs at the series' end. In the anime he joins the Zero Numbers and is killed by Anubis while fighting on Eden against the Chronos numbers and Sweepers.
Voiced by: Mayumi Yamaguchi (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)[6]
Charden Flamberg[edit]
Charden Flamberg (シャルデン フラムブルグ, Sharuden Furamuburugu) is a member of the Apostles of the Stars. He wears sunglasses and a silk top hat constantly, though he is found to be very attractive to Kyoko after taking them off. He wields the power to control blood,[ch. 27] including blood drawn from his enemies; taking in blood from his opponents, even if they are different types than his, doesn't seem to cause him any ill-effect. Charden wishes to take down Chronos, though he does not agree with Creed's methods, leading him to defect from the group with Kyoko while their castle is being attacked by Cerberus.[ch. 82] Out of all of the Apostles, he is the only one that spoke up about Durham's murder. Charden knows that Creed does not care about them and only sees the Apostles as a means to an end.[ch. 88] Train has him promise to keep away from battle after saving him from death at Sephiria Arks' hands. In the anime, Charden was formerly an assassin.[13]
Voiced by: Sho Hayami (Japanese); Kent Williams (English)[6]
Kyoko Kirisaki[edit]
Kyoko Kirisaki (キリサキ きょうこ, Kirisaki Kyōko) is an energetic high school student from the island country of Jipangu.[7]:162 Kyoko can easily be considered a ditzy person because of her lack of focus. She has the Tao ability to create and control fire, increasing her body temperature up to a thousand degrees; her favorite way of killing people is kissing them and then incinerating their bodies from the inside out.[ch. 17] She leaves the Apostles of the Stars with Charden, so he will not be lonely.[ch. 84]
Kyoko falls in love with Train when he saves her from a dangerous criminal.[ch. 86] Due to her feelings, she commits herself to Train's own personal philosophy to not kill senselessly; however, her infatuation with Train causes him nothing but an endless amount of headaches.[ch. 94] She adopts a tiny black kitten that likes to ride on her shoulder. After leaving the Apostles, Kyoko returns to her normal schoolgirl life, seen in the company of her school friends.[ch. 185] Kyoko is a popular character in the series, coming in third place in the first two character popularity contests, and fourth in the last.[4][5] A character with the same name appears in To Love-Ru as a popular idol and star of the TV show Magical Kyoko.
Voiced by: Chiemi Chiba (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)[6]
Maro[edit]
Maro (マロ) is a true Taoist and one of the first recruited by Creed, along with Shiki. He is a large sumo wrestler-like man able to control gravity within a certain range. He can create a gravity wall capable of deflecting projectiles, its weakness being when they are fired from above.[ch. 133] He can also launch his punches and roll into a ball to crush opponents. He was defeated by Train, who shot a tranquilizer bullet into his leg.[ch. 134] He is seen riding with Shiki on one of Shiki's giant bugs at the series' end. In the anime, he died in the final assault while fighting David Papper. It was also hinted by Mason that he was part of the Zero Numbers, but was never confirmed.
Voiced by: Yasuhiko Kawazu (Japanese); Brad Jackson (English)[6]
Doctor[edit]
Doctor (ドクター, Dokutā) is a highly talented scientist from Jipangu interested in nanomachines and one of Creed's closest and first recruited allies.[14] He cares little for human life, which he easily sacrifices and experiments with in order to pursue his goals and further knowledge.[ch. 155] His Tao ability is called "Warp World", which allows him to create an alternate world where everything he imagines will become reality, including reattaching an arm.[ch. 18] He can also pull memories from the minds of those trapped in the Warp World, and bring those into reality as well; however, it can backfire if a memory from one of his victims is strong enough to manifest on its own, such as when Saya came from Train's memories and helped him escape Warp World.[ch. 160, 163] At the end of the series, he is last seen hiding from society. In the anime, his name is Kosuke Kanzaki (カンザキ コウスケ （コウスケ カンザキ）) and revealed to be a member of the Zero Numbers.
Voiced by: Yū Mizushima (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum (English)[6]
Durham Glaster[edit]
Durham Glaster (デュラム グラスター, Dyuramu Gurasutā) has the ability to channel his chi into his revolver, allowing him to fire destructive balls of energy without regard for ammunition.[ch. 49] His mask also contains a hidden gun in case of emergencies.[ch. 51] He attempts to fight Train in order to prove his status as a gunman, though he is easily defeated. Durham is obsessed with being the best gunman and that desire is what led him to fight Train.[ch. 49] He is ruthlessly slaughtered by Creed afterward for "being selfish."[ch. 56] In the anime, he tried to kill Train during the Apostles' attack on the Summit, but failed thanks to Sven's Vision Eye. He later hunted Train down when his imposter was about, only to get beaten and pummeled for information before being let go and killed by Creed.
Voiced by: Shinya Fukumatsu (Japanese); R Bruce Elliott (English)[6]
Echidna Parass[edit]
Echidna Parass (エキドナ パラス, Ekidona Parasu) is an ex-actress whose Tao power, "Gate", allows her to create portals from one point in space to another, up to 15 meters away.[10]:148[11]:46 She can create portals for transportation, or she can create portals for single body parts or projectiles to be shot through, allowing her to attack from numerous angles.[ch. 73, 76] She is one of Creed's closest allies and the first to realize that he never believed that the power of Tao alone could bring about his revolution. She deeply cares for Creed and wishes to live with him as a normal human, although he seems to be oblivious to this until the end.[ch. 184] She vows to continue protecting him until he regains his strength and will to live, and retires to a country villa with a wheelchair-using Creed.[ch. 184, 185]
Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese); Stephanie Young (English)[6]
Leon Elliott[edit]
Leon Elliott (リオン エリオット, Rion Eriotto) is a young boy with a hateful distrust of adults and society due to his parents' and sister's death during a civil war in his country.[ch. 139] He travels on a flying board, and has the Tao power of "Wind" enabling him to control air to suffocate people, throw wind gusts, and create a tornado with himself at the center.[ch. 42, 139] Leon hates being referred to as a child, being easily provoked when called such, and thinks girls are inherently weaker than boys. He leaves the Apostles after making a promise to Eve to leave if he loses to her in combat.[ch. 139] He saves Train and Creed from falling from the mansion after their final battle, and is last seen traveling with Eathes.[ch. 184, 185] In the anime, he is the one who provides fireworks to attract Eve (and thus the Eden too) away from Palmila City. He seems to think that Eve is similar to Layla. It is also hinted in the anime that Leon might like Eve.
Voiced by: Junko Minagawa (Japanese); Aaron Dismuke (English)[6]
Eathes[edit]
Eathes (エーテス, Ētesu) is a monkey gifted with the ability to understand human language and speak after drinking the Tao potion. He can also project his soul into another being's soul, allowing him to completely transform into them. He is granted all of their memories and abilities, though he is often unable to use them to their full potential.[ch. 109] He frightfully admits defeat to Train's crew and escorts them to Creed – which he is later branded as a traitor and sent to be killed by the experimental Phantom Star Brigade. After being defeated and then saved by Eve, Eathes saves her from an grenade by Echidna, and at the series end is seen with Leon in one of his human disguises.[ch. 181, 185]
Deak Slathky[edit]
Deak Slathky (ディーク スラスキー, Dīku Surasukī) wields the power to produce and control ice. He can attack using shards of ice, create an ice barrier around his body, or even freeze his enemies with his touch. He joins the Apostles when they help him escape from prison after stalking and murdering four girls before storing them in a freezer.[15] He is beaten by Sven using the Grasper Eye, with the Sweeper named Silphy delivering the final blow.[ch. 142, 143]
Preta Ghoul[edit]
Preta Ghoul (プレタ グール, Pureta Gūru) is a former priest who murdered sixteen people before going to jail and being broken out by the Apostles.[ch. 135] Through Tao, he gains the ability to decay and rot anything that comes into contact with his body.[ch. 133] He can also extend his aura to effect the surrounding area. He tag-teams with Maro in fighting Train and River, and is later defeated by River.[ch. 135] The anime features him being captured by Saya, leading him to become obsessed with revenge against her despite the fact she has long been dead. He is encountered and defeated by Sven during the final assault on the Apostles' base.
Voiced by: Susumu Chiba (Japanese); Taliesin Jaffe (English)[6]
References[edit]
Black Cat manga[edit]
Entire series
Yabuki, Kentaro. ブラックキャット [Black Cat] (in Japanese). 20 vols. Tokyo: Shueisha, 2001–2004.
Yabuki, Kentaro. Black Cat. 20 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2006–2009.
Individual volumes
Vol. 1 (ch. 1–8): The Man Called Black Cat. March 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0605-0. and 黒い猫と呼ばれた男 (in Japanese). January 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873065-3.
Vol. 2 (ch. 9–18): Creed. May 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0606-7. and (in Japanese). March 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873091-2.
Vol. 3 (ch. 19–28): What the Living Can Do. June 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0607-4. and 生きる物に できる事 (in Japanese). May 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873114-8.
Vol. 4 (ch. 29–38): One-Day Darling. September 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0608-1. and 一日ダ–リン (in Japanese). August 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873148-3.
Vol. 5 (ch. 39–47): Spark of Revolution. November 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0609-8. and 革命の狼煙 (in Japanese). October 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873172-8.
Vol. 6 (ch. 48–57): The Price of Happiness. January 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-0610-4. and (in Japanese). December 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873217-6.
Vol. 7 (ch. 58–67): Time for Vengeance. March 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1036-1. and (in Japanese). March 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873233-6.
Vol. 8 (ch. 68–Stray Cat): Cerberus Strikes. May 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1037-8. and (in Japanese). June 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873271-8.
Vol. 9 (ch. 76–84): Showdown at the Old Castle. July 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1038-5. and (in Japanese). August 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873299-2.
Vol. 10 (ch. 85–93): Big Changes. September 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1039-2. and (in Japanese). October 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873329-6.
Vol. 11 (ch. 94–103): The Promise. November 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1040-8. and (in Japanese). December 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873349-4.
Vol. 12 (ch. 104–113): The New Weapon. January 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1470-3. and (in Japanese). March 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873395-1.
Vol. 13 (ch. 114–122): Dear Friend. March 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1604-2. and (in Japanese). May 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873421-7.
Vol. 14 (ch. 123–131): Recruiting Allies!. May 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1605-9. and (in Japanese). August 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873494-1.
Vol. 15 (ch. 132–140): Eve in Battle. July 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1606-6. and (in Japanese). October 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873517-7.
Vol. 16 (ch. 141–149): The Truth of the Tao. September 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1607-3. and (in Japanese). December 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873535-1.
Vol. 17 (ch. 150–158): Go After Them!. November 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1608-0. and (in Japanese). April 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873574-0.
Vol. 18 (ch. 159–167): Light of Guidance. January 2009. ISBN 978-1-4215-1609-7. and (in Japanese). May 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873596-2.
Vol. 19 (ch. 168–Bonus): As a Bounty Hunter. March 2009. ISBN 978-1-4215-2378-1. and (in Japanese). August 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873640-2.
Vol. 20 (ch. 176–185): A Carefree Tomorrow. May 2009. ISBN 978-1-4215-2379-8. and (in Japanese). October 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873662-4.
Other sources[edit]
General
Character page at Tokyo Broadcasting System
Voice actors at Tokyo Broadcasting System
Specific
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Yabuki, Kentaro (2006) [2001]. Black Cat. 2. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-0606-7.
^ Jump up to: a b c Yabuki, Kentaro (2006) [2001]. Black Cat. 4. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-0608-1.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Yabuki, Kentaro (2007) [2002]. Black Cat. 7. Viz Media. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4215-1036-1.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Yabuki, Kentaro (2008) [2003]. Black Cat. 13. Viz Media. pp. 188–191. ISBN 978-1-4215-1604-2.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Yabuki, Kentaro (2009) [2004]. Black Cat. 18. Viz Media. pp. 188–191. ISBN 978-1-4215-1609-7.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "Black Cat English Cast & Crew". www.funimation.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Yabuki, Kentaro (2006) [2001]. Black Cat. 3. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-0607-4.
Jump up ^ Yabuki, Kentaro (2008) [2003]. Black Cat. 13. Viz Media. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-4215-1604-2.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Yabuki, Kentaro (2007) [2002]. Black Cat. 11. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-1040-8.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Yabuki, Kentaro (2007) [2002]. Black Cat. 8. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-1037-8.
^ Jump up to: a b Yabuki, Kentaro (2007) [2002]. Black Cat. 9. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-1038-5.
^ Jump up to: a b Yabuki, Kentaro (2006) [2001]. Black Cat. 4. Viz Media. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4215-0608-1.
Jump up ^ Episode 15, "The Distant Cat"
Jump up ^ Yabuki, Kentaro (2009) [2004]. Black Cat. 18. Viz Media. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-4215-1609-7.
Jump up ^ Yabuki, Kentaro (2008) [2003]. Black Cat. 16. Viz Media. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-4215-1607-3.
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