TV-Series
Description
Karl Fei-Ong is a character from the anime Blood+, serving as one of Diva's chevaliers and a member of the Cinq Flèches organization. Appearing to be a handsome, elegant young Vietnamese man in his mid to late twenties, he is in fact over one hundred years old. Karl has long, jet-black hair that reaches his lower back, with side bangs falling past his chin, part of which is often tied in a bun with a burgundy ribbon. His eyes are normally dark grey but turn crimson red when he is enraged. In his public role, he is the respected and polite chairman of the Lycée de Cinq Flèches, a prestigious all-girls high school in Vietnam, where he is known for his calm, mature, and controlled demeanor. However, this facade masks a severely disturbed psyche, and he operates under the alias of the Phantom, a masked persona that is violent, sadistic, obsessive, and cruel.
Karl's background is rooted in tragedy and manipulation. In 1917, he was chosen by Amshel Goldsmith to be a test subject for the Delta Project. After being introduced to Diva, he requested that she turn him into a chevalier. The experiments conducted by Amshel heavily modified his body, including replacing an arm that Saya had destroyed with a monstrous spiked arm. This traumatic past, combined with the forced conversion and Diva's inability to provide the love he sought, left him profoundly mentally unbalanced. His mania is believed by his fellow chevalier and close friend Solomon to stem from intense loneliness and a failure to recognize the care that Solomon had always shown him.
Karl's primary motivation is his all-consuming obsession with Saya. He considers her both his hated enemy and his beloved soul mate, the sole reason for his existence. He is desperate to see her access her berserker, bloodthirsty state, a form he admires. When she fails to recognize him or enter that state, it leaves him deeply dissatisfied. His obsession eventually overshadows his loyalty to his queen, Diva, whom he also fondly loves, though their bond is described as dangerous and unhealthy, especially as his mental state deteriorates and she begins to reject him. In contrast, he fears Amshel, the architect of his suffering, and is treated with disdain by other chevaliers like James.
Throughout the story, Karl acts largely on his own violent impulses, often disregarding the orders of his superiors. He stalks Saya, leaving her blue roses as a calling card under his Phantom guise. He orchestrates the kidnapping of girls who resemble her and attacks her and the Red Shield organization on multiple occasions. His role is that of a recurring antagonist whose instability makes him a wild card among Diva's followers. His most significant act of rebellion comes when he is enraged that another chevalier, James, is given the order to kill Saya instead of him. He steals a powerful asset from Amshel and goes after Saya himself, intending to die with her by drinking all her blood.
This final confrontation reveals the full extent of his twisted devotion. In London, Karl attempts a murder-suicide with Saya, believing that only together in death can they belong to each other. Solomon intervenes at Amshel's request, cutting off Karl's arm to free Saya. Saya then impales both Karl and herself with her sword, and with her blood coating the blade, Karl crystallizes and is destroyed. Solomon mourns his death, trying to explain his actions to the others. In the manga adaptation, his story is notably different, where he takes on a more childlike appearance, eventually loses his status as a chevalier, and is renamed Charles by Amshel.
As a chevalier, Karl possesses several notable abilities. He has the standard enhanced strength, speed, and accelerated healing of his kind. He can transform into a monstrous chiropteran form with dark blue skin, grey tendrils for hair, and wings that allow him to fly. A unique ability comes from his modified arm, which allows him to crystallize his own blood and fire it as projectiles, a skill reminiscent of the Schiff. The information available does not provide details on every potential ability.
Karl's background is rooted in tragedy and manipulation. In 1917, he was chosen by Amshel Goldsmith to be a test subject for the Delta Project. After being introduced to Diva, he requested that she turn him into a chevalier. The experiments conducted by Amshel heavily modified his body, including replacing an arm that Saya had destroyed with a monstrous spiked arm. This traumatic past, combined with the forced conversion and Diva's inability to provide the love he sought, left him profoundly mentally unbalanced. His mania is believed by his fellow chevalier and close friend Solomon to stem from intense loneliness and a failure to recognize the care that Solomon had always shown him.
Karl's primary motivation is his all-consuming obsession with Saya. He considers her both his hated enemy and his beloved soul mate, the sole reason for his existence. He is desperate to see her access her berserker, bloodthirsty state, a form he admires. When she fails to recognize him or enter that state, it leaves him deeply dissatisfied. His obsession eventually overshadows his loyalty to his queen, Diva, whom he also fondly loves, though their bond is described as dangerous and unhealthy, especially as his mental state deteriorates and she begins to reject him. In contrast, he fears Amshel, the architect of his suffering, and is treated with disdain by other chevaliers like James.
Throughout the story, Karl acts largely on his own violent impulses, often disregarding the orders of his superiors. He stalks Saya, leaving her blue roses as a calling card under his Phantom guise. He orchestrates the kidnapping of girls who resemble her and attacks her and the Red Shield organization on multiple occasions. His role is that of a recurring antagonist whose instability makes him a wild card among Diva's followers. His most significant act of rebellion comes when he is enraged that another chevalier, James, is given the order to kill Saya instead of him. He steals a powerful asset from Amshel and goes after Saya himself, intending to die with her by drinking all her blood.
This final confrontation reveals the full extent of his twisted devotion. In London, Karl attempts a murder-suicide with Saya, believing that only together in death can they belong to each other. Solomon intervenes at Amshel's request, cutting off Karl's arm to free Saya. Saya then impales both Karl and herself with her sword, and with her blood coating the blade, Karl crystallizes and is destroyed. Solomon mourns his death, trying to explain his actions to the others. In the manga adaptation, his story is notably different, where he takes on a more childlike appearance, eventually loses his status as a chevalier, and is renamed Charles by Amshel.
As a chevalier, Karl possesses several notable abilities. He has the standard enhanced strength, speed, and accelerated healing of his kind. He can transform into a monstrous chiropteran form with dark blue skin, grey tendrils for hair, and wings that allow him to fly. A unique ability comes from his modified arm, which allows him to crystallize his own blood and fire it as projectiles, a skill reminiscent of the Schiff. The information available does not provide details on every potential ability.