TV-Series
Description
Hagi is a central figure in the narrative, serving as the chevalier, or knight, to the protagonist Saya. His character is defined by centuries of unwavering loyalty, deep sacrifice, and a silent, enduring love. Born in Bordeaux, France, around the year 1858, he was sold by his parents in 1870 to Amshel Goldsmith in exchange for a loaf of bread. He was brought to a research facility known as the Zoo to serve as a companion and potential mate for Saya, a subject of the Goldschmidt family's experiments.
In his youth, Hagi was taciturn and initially did not get along with the spoiled Saya. However, they eventually formed a close bond; Saya taught him to play the cello, while he became her sparring partner in fencing. He grew suspicious of Saya's immortality and the blood she was given as medicine, learning the truth from the elder Joel Goldschmidt. The course of his existence changed forever in 1883. When Hagi fell from a cliff and was mortally injured while trying to pick a flower for Saya, she attempted to save him by feeding him her own blood through a kiss, mistakenly believing it would heal him. This act transformed him into her first chevalier, a chiropteran servant whose time was frozen, granting him immortality.
His personality is stoic, solitary, and reserved. He rarely speaks, and when he does, his words are few and delivered in a calm, almost monotonous tone. This quiet demeanor is a deliberate suppression of his emotions, a choice largely influenced by the trauma of the Vietnam incident in 1972. During a premature and forced awakening, a berserk Saya did not recognize him and cut off his arm. This event, along with seeing her rampage in a frenzy, deeply traumatized him, leading him to become even more reserved and to hide his deep feelings for her. The arm Saya severed remains permanently in its monstrous chiropteran form, kept hidden under a bandage. His personality is further shaped by his first transformation, when a horrified reaction from Saya caused him to vow to suppress his full chiropteran abilities to avoid frightening her again.
Throughout history, Hagi remains by Saya's side, fighting against her twin sister Diva and the other chevaliers. In 1918, they tracked Diva through Russia, confronting her chevalier, Grigori Rasputin. His role in the main storyline is that of a guardian and a catalyst. When he finds a reawakened Saya living a peaceful life in Okinawa without her memories, he offers her his blood in a kiss to restore her powers and memories, reawakening her as a warrior. He respects her wishes above all else, having once reluctantly agreed to her request to kill her after Diva was defeated. He is fiercely protective and loyal, not only to Saya but also to the family she forms, such as her adopted brother Kai and Riku. When Riku, who had become another of Saya's chevaliers, is killed, a rare moment of anger and desire for vengeance surfaces in Hagi. His primary relationships are with Saya and those close to her. He is jealous of people like Kai, who can bring Saya the happiness and smiles that he feels he, as her chevalier, cannot provide.
Despite his devotion, Hagi is not a mindless servant. The one time he deliberately disobeys Saya is at the series' climax. After Diva is slain, and Saya has resolved to die, Hagi, encouraged by Kai, confesses his love and defies her order by refusing to kill her. He tells her, "Live. Please live," and kisses her, finally prioritizing his own wish for her happiness over her command. He then stays behind to fight Amshel in the collapsing Opera House, seemingly sacrificing himself. In the epilogue, years later, a fresh pink rose tied with his signature blue ribbon is found at the crypt where Saya sleeps, implying that he survived and continues to watch over her.
Hagi possesses notable abilities as a chevalier. He does not need to eat or sleep and can heal from wounds. His blood has special properties, capable of awakening Saya from her dormant state or restoring her fighting strength. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and proficient with silver daggers. His most iconic weapon is his large, coffin-shaped black cello case, which he uses as a shield and bludgeon, and which also contains Saya's sword. While he mostly suppresses his chiropteran form, he can partially transform, revealing a monstrous right hand and large bat-like wings used for flight and combat. A man of few words and immeasurable devotion, Hagi's entire existence is a testament to his final whispered promise: "Nankurunaisa. I will always love you, Saya".
In his youth, Hagi was taciturn and initially did not get along with the spoiled Saya. However, they eventually formed a close bond; Saya taught him to play the cello, while he became her sparring partner in fencing. He grew suspicious of Saya's immortality and the blood she was given as medicine, learning the truth from the elder Joel Goldschmidt. The course of his existence changed forever in 1883. When Hagi fell from a cliff and was mortally injured while trying to pick a flower for Saya, she attempted to save him by feeding him her own blood through a kiss, mistakenly believing it would heal him. This act transformed him into her first chevalier, a chiropteran servant whose time was frozen, granting him immortality.
His personality is stoic, solitary, and reserved. He rarely speaks, and when he does, his words are few and delivered in a calm, almost monotonous tone. This quiet demeanor is a deliberate suppression of his emotions, a choice largely influenced by the trauma of the Vietnam incident in 1972. During a premature and forced awakening, a berserk Saya did not recognize him and cut off his arm. This event, along with seeing her rampage in a frenzy, deeply traumatized him, leading him to become even more reserved and to hide his deep feelings for her. The arm Saya severed remains permanently in its monstrous chiropteran form, kept hidden under a bandage. His personality is further shaped by his first transformation, when a horrified reaction from Saya caused him to vow to suppress his full chiropteran abilities to avoid frightening her again.
Throughout history, Hagi remains by Saya's side, fighting against her twin sister Diva and the other chevaliers. In 1918, they tracked Diva through Russia, confronting her chevalier, Grigori Rasputin. His role in the main storyline is that of a guardian and a catalyst. When he finds a reawakened Saya living a peaceful life in Okinawa without her memories, he offers her his blood in a kiss to restore her powers and memories, reawakening her as a warrior. He respects her wishes above all else, having once reluctantly agreed to her request to kill her after Diva was defeated. He is fiercely protective and loyal, not only to Saya but also to the family she forms, such as her adopted brother Kai and Riku. When Riku, who had become another of Saya's chevaliers, is killed, a rare moment of anger and desire for vengeance surfaces in Hagi. His primary relationships are with Saya and those close to her. He is jealous of people like Kai, who can bring Saya the happiness and smiles that he feels he, as her chevalier, cannot provide.
Despite his devotion, Hagi is not a mindless servant. The one time he deliberately disobeys Saya is at the series' climax. After Diva is slain, and Saya has resolved to die, Hagi, encouraged by Kai, confesses his love and defies her order by refusing to kill her. He tells her, "Live. Please live," and kisses her, finally prioritizing his own wish for her happiness over her command. He then stays behind to fight Amshel in the collapsing Opera House, seemingly sacrificing himself. In the epilogue, years later, a fresh pink rose tied with his signature blue ribbon is found at the crypt where Saya sleeps, implying that he survived and continues to watch over her.
Hagi possesses notable abilities as a chevalier. He does not need to eat or sleep and can heal from wounds. His blood has special properties, capable of awakening Saya from her dormant state or restoring her fighting strength. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and proficient with silver daggers. His most iconic weapon is his large, coffin-shaped black cello case, which he uses as a shield and bludgeon, and which also contains Saya's sword. While he mostly suppresses his chiropteran form, he can partially transform, revealing a monstrous right hand and large bat-like wings used for flight and combat. A man of few words and immeasurable devotion, Hagi's entire existence is a testament to his final whispered promise: "Nankurunaisa. I will always love you, Saya".