TV-Series
Description
The character known as King is the true leader of the Chess Pieces and the central antagonist of the series, also referred to as Caldia's Orb. This being originated as a mysterious orb formed on the island nation of witches, Caldia. It was specifically created to contain the most concentrated evils and malevolent souls, and due to this volatile and dangerous nature, it was ultimately sealed away and locked inside Caldia's floating palace to prevent it from causing harm.
The background of King is deeply tied to the history of the Chess Pieces. Years before the main story, a young boy named Phantom from Caldia discovered the orb and felt an inexplicable attraction to it, visiting it in secret every day. When he was caught, Phantom was sentenced to life imprisonment, a punishment that led to his parents taking their own lives. A decade later, Phantom and another Caldean named Diana abandoned their loyalty to their homeland and took possession of the orb. They sealed it inside the living ÄRM known as Babbo for Phantom to use as a weapon. Together, the three entities—Phantom, Diana, and the Orb—formed the Chess Pieces army, with the Orb assuming the role of King, Diana becoming the Queen, and Phantom serving as the leader of the Knights.
In terms of personality, King is defined by a complete absence of humanity or emotion. It never displays any feelings beyond the purely evil thoughts contained within the countless souls that make up its being. The orb harbors a deep and ironic hatred for the human race, condemning the very sins and evils that it itself is composed of. Despite its immense power and cold demeanor, King is capable of experiencing fear, as shown when it was visibly terrified by Alviss's attempt to sacrifice his own life to destroy it. King operates with a long-term and ruthless strategic mind, crafting a plan to conquer both the world of MÄR-Heaven and the human world. The strategy involved using a connection between Snow from MÄR-Heaven and Koyuki from Ginta's world to open portals, intending to use the advanced technology of the human world to subdue MÄR-Heaven, after which the human race would be destroyed.
King's role in the story is that of the ultimate, hidden puppet master. For most of the series, it remains in the shadows, allowing the Queen and the Knights to act in its stead. It never involves itself directly in the Chess Pieces' affairs until its strongest subordinates have been defeated. After Phantom's apparent death at the hands of Danna Toramizu, King demonstrated its power by resurrecting Phantom's dead body and taking possession of it. The orb forced Danna's own soul out of his body and into the ÄRM Babbo, allowing King to secretly control the Chess Pieces while wearing the guise of Danna, the father of the protagonist, Ginta Toramizu. When King finally emerges in person, it does so with brutal finality, massacring its own remaining Chess Piece soldiers—deeming them useless pawns—and then attacking Team MÄR directly. In this assault, it kills most of the team's members, leaving only Ginta, Dorothy, and Jack alive before later killing Dorothy as well.
Key relationships define King's interactions. Its relationship with Phantom and Diana is one of manipulation and convenience; it influenced them as children and used them to gain freedom. Phantom serves as its powerful Knight and initial vessel, while Diana serves as its loyal Queen. The most pivotal relationship is with Ginta Toramizu. King reveals itself to Ginta wearing the face of his father, Danna, a shocking revelation that initially paralyzes the young hero with disbelief. This forces Ginta into a psychological battle against the possessed body of his own parent. The orb also has a significant connection to the ÄRM Babbo, having once been sealed inside it and later forcing Danna's soul into it.
Throughout the series, King shows no development in the sense of emotional growth, as it is a static entity of pure evil. Its development is instead a progression of its schemes coming to light, moving from a hidden power to an active, devastating force. After Ginta overcomes his shock and uses Babbo to extract the orb from his father's body, restoring Danna's soul, King is forced to reveal its true form. This true form is described as an eyeless corpse wielding a scythe, a physical manifestation of its impure and deathly nature. Following this revelation, King launches a direct assault on the human world, specifically Tokyo, which it begins to destroy. The conclusion of its development differs between the manga and anime. In the original manga, Ginta enters Babbo to battle the orb directly and defeats it, leaving its remains as a magic stone for Babbo. In the anime adaptation, King escapes to Earth and wreaks havoc until Ginta follows and, using the collective willpower of his friends, summons a golden gargoyle to ultimately destroy the orb. In both versions, King's final act is to deliver a cryptic warning that humanity will one day be destroyed by its own hands.
As the strongest member of the Chess Pieces, King possesses a range of notable and devastating abilities. It commands a variety of deadly ÄRMs, including the giant sword Weapon ÄRM Gigant Blade, the Nature ÄRM Explode which traps its prey in a glass ball before detonating, the twin air wheels of Raijin Goyles, the Guardian ÄRM Phoenix summoned from sacred flames, and the powerful Tiamat, a fallen mother goddess who attacks those who rebel against King. Beyond these ÄRMs, King also exhibits other supernatural powers. In the anime, it is shown using a telekinetic-like force to strangle enemies without physical contact and possesses a deadly aura that instantly kills anyone who touches it. King’s most terrifying ability may be its power to possess and control the bodies of others, as it did with both Phantom and Danna, making it an enemy that can strike from within the most trusted of forms.
The background of King is deeply tied to the history of the Chess Pieces. Years before the main story, a young boy named Phantom from Caldia discovered the orb and felt an inexplicable attraction to it, visiting it in secret every day. When he was caught, Phantom was sentenced to life imprisonment, a punishment that led to his parents taking their own lives. A decade later, Phantom and another Caldean named Diana abandoned their loyalty to their homeland and took possession of the orb. They sealed it inside the living ÄRM known as Babbo for Phantom to use as a weapon. Together, the three entities—Phantom, Diana, and the Orb—formed the Chess Pieces army, with the Orb assuming the role of King, Diana becoming the Queen, and Phantom serving as the leader of the Knights.
In terms of personality, King is defined by a complete absence of humanity or emotion. It never displays any feelings beyond the purely evil thoughts contained within the countless souls that make up its being. The orb harbors a deep and ironic hatred for the human race, condemning the very sins and evils that it itself is composed of. Despite its immense power and cold demeanor, King is capable of experiencing fear, as shown when it was visibly terrified by Alviss's attempt to sacrifice his own life to destroy it. King operates with a long-term and ruthless strategic mind, crafting a plan to conquer both the world of MÄR-Heaven and the human world. The strategy involved using a connection between Snow from MÄR-Heaven and Koyuki from Ginta's world to open portals, intending to use the advanced technology of the human world to subdue MÄR-Heaven, after which the human race would be destroyed.
King's role in the story is that of the ultimate, hidden puppet master. For most of the series, it remains in the shadows, allowing the Queen and the Knights to act in its stead. It never involves itself directly in the Chess Pieces' affairs until its strongest subordinates have been defeated. After Phantom's apparent death at the hands of Danna Toramizu, King demonstrated its power by resurrecting Phantom's dead body and taking possession of it. The orb forced Danna's own soul out of his body and into the ÄRM Babbo, allowing King to secretly control the Chess Pieces while wearing the guise of Danna, the father of the protagonist, Ginta Toramizu. When King finally emerges in person, it does so with brutal finality, massacring its own remaining Chess Piece soldiers—deeming them useless pawns—and then attacking Team MÄR directly. In this assault, it kills most of the team's members, leaving only Ginta, Dorothy, and Jack alive before later killing Dorothy as well.
Key relationships define King's interactions. Its relationship with Phantom and Diana is one of manipulation and convenience; it influenced them as children and used them to gain freedom. Phantom serves as its powerful Knight and initial vessel, while Diana serves as its loyal Queen. The most pivotal relationship is with Ginta Toramizu. King reveals itself to Ginta wearing the face of his father, Danna, a shocking revelation that initially paralyzes the young hero with disbelief. This forces Ginta into a psychological battle against the possessed body of his own parent. The orb also has a significant connection to the ÄRM Babbo, having once been sealed inside it and later forcing Danna's soul into it.
Throughout the series, King shows no development in the sense of emotional growth, as it is a static entity of pure evil. Its development is instead a progression of its schemes coming to light, moving from a hidden power to an active, devastating force. After Ginta overcomes his shock and uses Babbo to extract the orb from his father's body, restoring Danna's soul, King is forced to reveal its true form. This true form is described as an eyeless corpse wielding a scythe, a physical manifestation of its impure and deathly nature. Following this revelation, King launches a direct assault on the human world, specifically Tokyo, which it begins to destroy. The conclusion of its development differs between the manga and anime. In the original manga, Ginta enters Babbo to battle the orb directly and defeats it, leaving its remains as a magic stone for Babbo. In the anime adaptation, King escapes to Earth and wreaks havoc until Ginta follows and, using the collective willpower of his friends, summons a golden gargoyle to ultimately destroy the orb. In both versions, King's final act is to deliver a cryptic warning that humanity will one day be destroyed by its own hands.
As the strongest member of the Chess Pieces, King possesses a range of notable and devastating abilities. It commands a variety of deadly ÄRMs, including the giant sword Weapon ÄRM Gigant Blade, the Nature ÄRM Explode which traps its prey in a glass ball before detonating, the twin air wheels of Raijin Goyles, the Guardian ÄRM Phoenix summoned from sacred flames, and the powerful Tiamat, a fallen mother goddess who attacks those who rebel against King. Beyond these ÄRMs, King also exhibits other supernatural powers. In the anime, it is shown using a telekinetic-like force to strangle enemies without physical contact and possesses a deadly aura that instantly kills anyone who touches it. King’s most terrifying ability may be its power to possess and control the bodies of others, as it did with both Phantom and Danna, making it an enemy that can strike from within the most trusted of forms.