TV-Series
Description
Goëtz von Berlichingen, also known as Machina, Nigredo the Black Knight, or originally Michael Wittman, is a prominent figure within the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, the primary antagonistic force. He holds the seventh seat of this organization and is also recognized as one of the Three Knights, an elite group of Einherjar serving directly under Reinhard Heydrich. This position places him in the highest echelons of command within the Black Round Table, making him an essential component for the success of their ultimate goals.
Before the events of the story, during World War II, Goëtz von Berlichingen lived as a Nazi soldier named Michael Wittman. He shared a deep bond of friendship with a fellow soldier named Lotus Reichhart. The two found themselves as the final combatants in a battle to determine the last member of the Obsidian Round Table. Michael was victorious, killing his best friend in the process. Following this, the god Mercurius took Lotus's soul and split it into two halves. One half was merged with Mercurius's own blood to create Zarathustra, while the other half was fused into Michael, transforming him into the being known as Machina. This traumatic origin is central to his identity.
Machina is an enigmatic man whose past is shrouded in mystery, a quality that extends to his present relationships, particularly his connection with the protagonist, Ren Fujii. His personality reflects the weight of his history and abilities; he is defined by a singular, profound desire. This wish is stated as, "I want to die with a single end." This motivation permeates his existence and is the direct source of his supernatural power. He seeks a final, absolute conclusion, both for himself and for anything he faces.
In the narrative of Dies Irae, Machina appears in three of the four main story routes, manifesting at different points during the Transmutation of Gold in Shambala. His role is that of a formidable enforcer for Reinhard Heydrich, an obstacle of immense power that other characters must confront. He also has a brief but notable encounter during the battle against Methuselah, where he is neutralized and physically removed from the battlefield by the god's powers to prevent him from interfering.
The most significant relationship in his past is with Lotus Reichhart, the friend he was forced to kill. This event is the catalyst for his transformation into Machina. In the present, his relationship with Ren Fujii is portrayed as particularly enigmatic, suggesting a deeper, unspoken connection possibly stemming from the fractured nature of Lotus's soul that resides within him. During the Rea Route, Machina achieves the status of a god through Reinhard, reaching the apex of his power.
His key abilities are derived from the magical system Die Ewigkeit. On the level of Yetzirah, his Holy Relic is his own body, specifically his fists. This power, known as Deus Ex Machina, allows him to "end" anything his fists make contact with, effectively breaking through any defense and returning his target to its most basic state. Upon activating his Briah, an evolved form of his power called Midgardr Völsunga Saga, his arms become covered in black armor. With this, he no longer merely "ends" his target but can completely erase its existence, guaranteeing victory with a single successful hit. However, this ultimate power has a critical weakness: it only works on a target that possesses a history, a segment of time that existed before his fist makes contact. Even a fraction of a nanosecond is sufficient, but a target without any temporal history is immune to this erasure. In his godlike state at the end of the Rea Route, his fists become powerful enough to shatter all of Mercurius's attacks.
Before the events of the story, during World War II, Goëtz von Berlichingen lived as a Nazi soldier named Michael Wittman. He shared a deep bond of friendship with a fellow soldier named Lotus Reichhart. The two found themselves as the final combatants in a battle to determine the last member of the Obsidian Round Table. Michael was victorious, killing his best friend in the process. Following this, the god Mercurius took Lotus's soul and split it into two halves. One half was merged with Mercurius's own blood to create Zarathustra, while the other half was fused into Michael, transforming him into the being known as Machina. This traumatic origin is central to his identity.
Machina is an enigmatic man whose past is shrouded in mystery, a quality that extends to his present relationships, particularly his connection with the protagonist, Ren Fujii. His personality reflects the weight of his history and abilities; he is defined by a singular, profound desire. This wish is stated as, "I want to die with a single end." This motivation permeates his existence and is the direct source of his supernatural power. He seeks a final, absolute conclusion, both for himself and for anything he faces.
In the narrative of Dies Irae, Machina appears in three of the four main story routes, manifesting at different points during the Transmutation of Gold in Shambala. His role is that of a formidable enforcer for Reinhard Heydrich, an obstacle of immense power that other characters must confront. He also has a brief but notable encounter during the battle against Methuselah, where he is neutralized and physically removed from the battlefield by the god's powers to prevent him from interfering.
The most significant relationship in his past is with Lotus Reichhart, the friend he was forced to kill. This event is the catalyst for his transformation into Machina. In the present, his relationship with Ren Fujii is portrayed as particularly enigmatic, suggesting a deeper, unspoken connection possibly stemming from the fractured nature of Lotus's soul that resides within him. During the Rea Route, Machina achieves the status of a god through Reinhard, reaching the apex of his power.
His key abilities are derived from the magical system Die Ewigkeit. On the level of Yetzirah, his Holy Relic is his own body, specifically his fists. This power, known as Deus Ex Machina, allows him to "end" anything his fists make contact with, effectively breaking through any defense and returning his target to its most basic state. Upon activating his Briah, an evolved form of his power called Midgardr Völsunga Saga, his arms become covered in black armor. With this, he no longer merely "ends" his target but can completely erase its existence, guaranteeing victory with a single successful hit. However, this ultimate power has a critical weakness: it only works on a target that possesses a history, a segment of time that existed before his fist makes contact. Even a fraction of a nanosecond is sufficient, but a target without any temporal history is immune to this erasure. In his godlike state at the end of the Rea Route, his fists become powerful enough to shatter all of Mercurius's attacks.