TV-Series
Description
Prince Ludwig Von Monsterstein Eccentro, usually called Prince Eccentro, is the main recurring antagonist of the anime Mon Colle Knights. In the original Japanese version the character is known as Count Collection, with the full name Count Ludwig Presto Von Meinstein Collection. In that version he is a German count and scientist; the English adaptation reimagines him as a prince who traveled to the present day from the twelfth century using an invisible time machine, a device he then forgets about for the rest of the story. He is a young, flamboyant, and effeminate aristocrat of European origin who lives in Germany.
In terms of personality, Eccentro embodies the sissy villain archetype. He dreams of conquering both the human world and the monster world, but he lacks the willpower and discipline to carry out his ambitions, to the point that he sometimes cannot even bring himself to get out of bed. He is spoiled, erratic, and behaves like an unruly child, and he is entirely incapable of handling failure with maturity. His villainy is less like calculated evil and more like bullying, though it can still place other people in genuine danger, and he rarely shows remorse for the harm his plans cause. Despite this, he is not entirely without a heart; he simply does not seem to know what to do with his kinder impulses. He enjoys tending a rose garden and inventing perfumes, and an intense dose of manliness can make him faint.
His central motivation is gathering the six Mon items scattered across the Mon World. The young heroes of the story seek these items to bring their world and the monster world together peacefully, whereas Eccentro intends to use them to dominate both worlds. The character himself is not entirely certain why he wants to rule, which fits his overall lack of focus and follow-through.
In the story, Eccentro serves as a constant obstacle. He is the rival of Professor Ichiroubei Hiiragi and appears in nearly every episode to compete with the Mon Colle Knights for the same relics, typically ending up defeated through a combination of the heroes' interference and his own foolishness. He commands a variety of monsters from the Mon World in these encounters, and he considers the three-headed Chimera to be one of his most powerful creatures. He also has access to strange inventions and scientific creations, and in one episode he is temporarily possessed by the vampire spirit Count Dragula.
Eccentro's closest relationships are with his two female underlings, Gluko and Batch. He regards them as subordinates, but he treats them more like friends, sharing meals, telling ghost stories with them, and turning to them when he wants to share something pleasant. They are arguably his only real friends. He also has a long-running petty rivalry with Professor Hiiragi, with whom he once worked in a laboratory researching the Mon World before a falling-out drove them apart. He clashes with the young protagonists Mondo and Rockna, and in one episode, after he and Mondo are stranded on an island together, he develops a brief infatuation with Mondo, with the English version of the story having him speak of abducting Mondo so they can raise chinchillas like true friends. The English version also introduces Tanaka, a sort of ally who gives Eccentro evil villain training, and his father is presented as having become so alienated from him that he no longer recognizes him. On occasion, he crosses paths with more powerful figures, such as the demonic character Reda, who once manipulates him into handing over the Gringul Orb.
In terms of development, Eccentro remains largely static throughout the series. He appears in almost every episode, goes through the same cycle of scheming and failure, and never undergoes a genuine redemption or lasting change. His brief glimpses of vulnerability, such as his friendship with Gluko and Batch and his fleeting romantic interest in Mondo, hint at a softer side, but it never overrides his ambitions or reforms his behavior. His abilities lie mainly in inventing and applying cartoon-like scientific logic: he builds the invisible time machine, creates perfumes, devises gadget-based schemes, and battles by commanding monsters or pairing with them, such as when he teams up with the ogre Pose Brothers in a monster tournament. His effectiveness as a villain is consistently undermined by laziness, vanity, impulsive tantrums, and a remarkable talent for sabotaging his own plans.
In terms of personality, Eccentro embodies the sissy villain archetype. He dreams of conquering both the human world and the monster world, but he lacks the willpower and discipline to carry out his ambitions, to the point that he sometimes cannot even bring himself to get out of bed. He is spoiled, erratic, and behaves like an unruly child, and he is entirely incapable of handling failure with maturity. His villainy is less like calculated evil and more like bullying, though it can still place other people in genuine danger, and he rarely shows remorse for the harm his plans cause. Despite this, he is not entirely without a heart; he simply does not seem to know what to do with his kinder impulses. He enjoys tending a rose garden and inventing perfumes, and an intense dose of manliness can make him faint.
His central motivation is gathering the six Mon items scattered across the Mon World. The young heroes of the story seek these items to bring their world and the monster world together peacefully, whereas Eccentro intends to use them to dominate both worlds. The character himself is not entirely certain why he wants to rule, which fits his overall lack of focus and follow-through.
In the story, Eccentro serves as a constant obstacle. He is the rival of Professor Ichiroubei Hiiragi and appears in nearly every episode to compete with the Mon Colle Knights for the same relics, typically ending up defeated through a combination of the heroes' interference and his own foolishness. He commands a variety of monsters from the Mon World in these encounters, and he considers the three-headed Chimera to be one of his most powerful creatures. He also has access to strange inventions and scientific creations, and in one episode he is temporarily possessed by the vampire spirit Count Dragula.
Eccentro's closest relationships are with his two female underlings, Gluko and Batch. He regards them as subordinates, but he treats them more like friends, sharing meals, telling ghost stories with them, and turning to them when he wants to share something pleasant. They are arguably his only real friends. He also has a long-running petty rivalry with Professor Hiiragi, with whom he once worked in a laboratory researching the Mon World before a falling-out drove them apart. He clashes with the young protagonists Mondo and Rockna, and in one episode, after he and Mondo are stranded on an island together, he develops a brief infatuation with Mondo, with the English version of the story having him speak of abducting Mondo so they can raise chinchillas like true friends. The English version also introduces Tanaka, a sort of ally who gives Eccentro evil villain training, and his father is presented as having become so alienated from him that he no longer recognizes him. On occasion, he crosses paths with more powerful figures, such as the demonic character Reda, who once manipulates him into handing over the Gringul Orb.
In terms of development, Eccentro remains largely static throughout the series. He appears in almost every episode, goes through the same cycle of scheming and failure, and never undergoes a genuine redemption or lasting change. His brief glimpses of vulnerability, such as his friendship with Gluko and Batch and his fleeting romantic interest in Mondo, hint at a softer side, but it never overrides his ambitions or reforms his behavior. His abilities lie mainly in inventing and applying cartoon-like scientific logic: he builds the invisible time machine, creates perfumes, devises gadget-based schemes, and battles by commanding monsters or pairing with them, such as when he teams up with the ogre Pose Brothers in a monster tournament. His effectiveness as a villain is consistently undermined by laziness, vanity, impulsive tantrums, and a remarkable talent for sabotaging his own plans.