The Black King (黒王, Kokuō) is an End who once sought salvation for human beings but now advocates for their destruction in favor of non-humans. He is also one of the primary antagonists in Drifters.
Appearance[]
A long, hooded cloak conceals his face and most of his body save for his arms and hands, both of which bear a number of scars. The most curious of the scars is a circular marking centered in the palm of his right hand. He also often carries a wooden staff topped with a dragonfly.
Personality[]
Because his identity is unknown, his presence is always accompanied by a dark and mysterious aura. He shows himself to be a charismatic leader, having earned the unwavering loyalty of his allies and subordinates and is a remarkable military leader and civilization builder.
He holds a deep-seated hatred toward the human race, which denied his offer of salvation (and which also probably killed him), and for this reason he decided to side with all nonhumans as the Ends and other monsters against the humans and anyone who would dare to help them, including the Drifters, the Elves, the Dwarves and the Oct.
His goal is to build a civilization of non-humans that rivals the accomplishments of the civilizations founded by humans, whom he believes to be cruel and oppressive (a stark contrast to the thinking of his archenemy Abe no Seimei, who believes in the goodness of humanity and has no intention of starting a war between them and the non-humans).
However, despite this pessimistic view of humanity and the ensuing maltreatment of them on his part (such as a mass slaughter of innocents and the abuse of human prisoners), the Black King has at times shown himself to have a good side as well, and is capable of kindness. He looks after not only the Ends but also his soldiers, healing their injuries and granting them the resources they need without hesitation.
Role[]
The Black King's true identity is currently a mystery, but like all his fellow Ends, he is apparently an individual from human history. Some people believe that he is Jesus, whose traumatic near-death experience caused him to become completely misanthropic towards all other humans, resulting in his goal to wipe out mankind. He serves as leader of the Ends.
Abilities[]
Although the Black King has yet to be shown in combat, he has already proven himself to be one of the most powerful characters in the series, with abilities that far surpass those of the beings around him (be they human or non-human), including Abe no Seimei. They include not only such offensive powers as those demonstrated when he annihilated the Bronze Dragon in one shot, but also defensive powers such as healing, duplication (e.g., wood and wheat) and telepathy, all of which can at times lead others to think of him as something akin to a god. However, the Black King dismisses this notion, claiming that he lacks the immortality needed to be a deity in the truest sense of the word. This is later shown to be true, as he is slowly turning to salt, though he keeps it a secret from all.
In addition to his supernatural abilities, the Black King has also shown himself to be a brilliant strategist, able to teach the non-humans of the fantasy world how to build their own culture, economy and military. In fact, Minamoto no Yoshitsune has described him as a "multi-world expert".
The Black King also knows the "Descent", an aerial support and maneuver of flying transports dropping soldiers into the battlefield. This military tactic was introduced by Nazi Germany in World War II, hinting that the Black King has some knowledge of the modern era.
Cell Multiplication: One of The Black Kings main abilities, it gives him the ability to duplicate any living cell whether it be plant or animal. This has been seen used in several ways the first being the ability to heal any wound. Another use is the duplication of crop seeds and wood. The ability also has offensive capabilities as it allows the Black King to cause rapid cell duplication resulting in cancer being spread throughout the victim's body as seen with the Bronze Dragon.
Relationships[]
Grigori Rasputin[]
- Main article: Grigori Rasputin
His relationship with Grigori Rasputin is that of a servant and a lord. However, it's not exactly the same as with other Ends, he can also be called the Black King's right-hand man as he always orders him to do the more important tasks which only he can do. An example of this is the task of teaching the monsters the Latin alphabet and creating a unified religion in order to foster a sense of unity among the nonhumans of his realm.
Army[]
Following his claim to the Northern Kingdom of Carneades, he healed each of his soldiers who survived the battle. He is shown to pathologically care for his soldiers, and they show a devoted allegiance to their 'savior' and his mercy.
Abe no Haruakira[]
- Main article: Abe no Haruakira
Despite being on opposing sides, the Black King seems to hold a degree of respect for Haruakira's skills and conviction. He does not talk down to him and even acknowledges his rival's beliefs, even though he disagrees with them.
Trivia[]
- It has been theorized and suggested by numerous fans that the Black King may be the biblical savior Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, the Black King can perform healing miracles. He also bears scars on his hands, reminiscent of those depicted in crucifixion imagery. According to Black King's backstory, he once tried to save humans, but they "denied" him. This could be a reference to the New Testament story of Jesus Christ coming to save mankind from sin, then being rejected and crucified.
- However, biblical scholars debate into the 21st Century whether or not Jesus was nailed by his hands or wrists. Modern medical science has concluded that crucifixion by the palms would not have been possible, and instead the nails would have gone into his wrists.
- But this is trivial, since an artistic interpretation of the aftereffects of Christ's crucifixion needn't be tied to anything other than a recognizable lore.
- Given the palm scars are only on the front of his hands, and not in the back, it is possible the Black King had a form of stigmata in the real world.
- What contradicts the Jesus theory is the Black King's extensive knowledge base that a first century prophet from Israel should not know:
- He has vast historical knowledge such as: the fact that the Greeks knew the Earth was a globe or the fact that people claimed that the Earth revolves around the sun were put on trial.
- He understands the concept of the "Dark Ages" - a term first invented during the renaissance.
- His knowledge about building the basics of a nation for the monsters: establishing common religion, teaching them agriculture, inventing an alphabet and a trade currency economy show vast social knowledge - something an End transported from the first century, from a family of carpenters, should not know.
- The Black King refers to himself as "the Inexorable Tribulation", a phrase associated with the Antichrist. Thus, it is plausible that he may be the Antichrist or an Antichrist-like individual and not Jesus.
- However, biblical scholars debate into the 21st Century whether or not Jesus was nailed by his hands or wrists. Modern medical science has concluded that crucifixion by the palms would not have been possible, and instead the nails would have gone into his wrists.
- In episode 10, "Baba Yetu" (Swahili for "Our Father," another Christian reference), Rasputin and a Goblin troop noticed molted crystalline skin off the Black King after he performed a miracle. This implies that he may be falling apart in a manner similar to how Gilles de Rais did. In the same episode, he expresses that he is not eternal and then swears the Goblin who witnessed this to secrecy.
Gallery[]
- Main article: Black King/Image Gallery