TV-Series
Description
Carmilla is a vampire who appears as a member of Backbeard's Western Yōkai army in the 2018 anime adaptation of GeGeGe no Kitarō. Her character draws direct inspiration from the titular vampire of Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 Gothic novella, adapting core traits such as her ageless nature, attraction to young women, and the ability to be weakened by a strike to the heart.
Carmilla is visually depicted as a striking figure with pale white skin, long wavy black hair, and pointy ears. Her eyes are notably distinctive, featuring yellow sclerae and red irises, and she complements her look with black lipstick and red nails. Her standard attire consists of a dark blue cape with a red underside and white trim, worn over a matching one-piece suit, paired with platform shoes. When adopting a human disguise as a movie theater manager, she exchanges this outfit for a more contemporary look consisting of a dark blue blazer and a foulard around her neck.
In terms of personality, Carmilla is a strategic and cunning individual, known for setting elaborate traps and being an efficient fighter. As a classic temptress, she displays strong sadistic tendencies, taking clear delight in tormenting her opponents, particularly Neko-Musume, whom she seeks to break and turn into her personal collared pet. She is also extremely vain, reacting with unbridled anger when Neko-Musume mockingly calls her an "old lady". While cruel and deceptive, willing to lie and break promises to manipulate her foes, Carmilla demonstrates genuine loyalty to her own allies. After the defeat of Backbeard, she notably uses a recall stone to rescue Victor Frankenstein, ensuring his safe retreat alongside her.
Carmilla serves as one of the primary enforcers in the Western Yōkai Arc, acting as a loyal minion to the overarching antagonist, Backbeard. Her motivations are intrinsically linked to his will; she actively participates in the campaign to recover the Ring of Arcana and invade the GeGeGe Forest, eventually taking it upon herself to gather human blood from around the world in a dedicated effort to resurrect Backbeard after his death. Her key relationship in the story is her rivalry with Neko-Musume, whom she constantly battles and attempts to subordinate. She also has a working relationship with the witch Adél, who provides her with magical stones, and frequently interacts with fellow Western Yōkai like Victor Frankenstein and Wolfgang. Beyond her master, she also manipulates and cons the cowardly Nezumi-Otoko, using false promises to turn the GeGeGe Forest against Agnès.
Throughout the 2018 series, Carmilla remains a persistent antagonist. Her development is not deeply psychological but rather shows her resourcefulness and dedication to her cause. After a significant defeat by Kitarō and Agnès in a pocket dimension theater, she retreats only to be summoned again for the Brigadoon Project, where she attempts to cut the Ring of Arcana from Mana's finger. Following Backbeard's apparent death, she pivots to a mission of resurrection, commanding vampiric Yōkai globally to collect blood, and ultimately succeeds in witnessing Backbeard be brought back to life.
Carmilla possesses a range of notable supernatural abilities typical of a powerful vampire, as well as several unique powers. She can transform into a flock of bats, allowing her to fly, evade attacks, and spy on enemies, while a single bat retains her full reasoning and speech. She can also extend her fingernails into long, sharp claws for close-quarters combat, allowing her to fight on even ground with Neko-Musume. Using her hypnotic vision, she can place victims into a trance through eye contact. Following this hypnosis, she uses her bloodsucking ability to convert young women into vampires under her command. Those converted lose their free will and become mindless thralls, though they return to normal if Carmilla is defeated. Furthermore, she utilizes magical stones provided by Adél, including a gem that shifts entire buildings into pocket dimensions and teleportation or recall stones for instant retreat. In a possible homage to the collection In a Glass Darkly which contains the original Carmilla story, she is also able to use mirrors to access a secret pocket dimension or as a means of hiding.
Carmilla is visually depicted as a striking figure with pale white skin, long wavy black hair, and pointy ears. Her eyes are notably distinctive, featuring yellow sclerae and red irises, and she complements her look with black lipstick and red nails. Her standard attire consists of a dark blue cape with a red underside and white trim, worn over a matching one-piece suit, paired with platform shoes. When adopting a human disguise as a movie theater manager, she exchanges this outfit for a more contemporary look consisting of a dark blue blazer and a foulard around her neck.
In terms of personality, Carmilla is a strategic and cunning individual, known for setting elaborate traps and being an efficient fighter. As a classic temptress, she displays strong sadistic tendencies, taking clear delight in tormenting her opponents, particularly Neko-Musume, whom she seeks to break and turn into her personal collared pet. She is also extremely vain, reacting with unbridled anger when Neko-Musume mockingly calls her an "old lady". While cruel and deceptive, willing to lie and break promises to manipulate her foes, Carmilla demonstrates genuine loyalty to her own allies. After the defeat of Backbeard, she notably uses a recall stone to rescue Victor Frankenstein, ensuring his safe retreat alongside her.
Carmilla serves as one of the primary enforcers in the Western Yōkai Arc, acting as a loyal minion to the overarching antagonist, Backbeard. Her motivations are intrinsically linked to his will; she actively participates in the campaign to recover the Ring of Arcana and invade the GeGeGe Forest, eventually taking it upon herself to gather human blood from around the world in a dedicated effort to resurrect Backbeard after his death. Her key relationship in the story is her rivalry with Neko-Musume, whom she constantly battles and attempts to subordinate. She also has a working relationship with the witch Adél, who provides her with magical stones, and frequently interacts with fellow Western Yōkai like Victor Frankenstein and Wolfgang. Beyond her master, she also manipulates and cons the cowardly Nezumi-Otoko, using false promises to turn the GeGeGe Forest against Agnès.
Throughout the 2018 series, Carmilla remains a persistent antagonist. Her development is not deeply psychological but rather shows her resourcefulness and dedication to her cause. After a significant defeat by Kitarō and Agnès in a pocket dimension theater, she retreats only to be summoned again for the Brigadoon Project, where she attempts to cut the Ring of Arcana from Mana's finger. Following Backbeard's apparent death, she pivots to a mission of resurrection, commanding vampiric Yōkai globally to collect blood, and ultimately succeeds in witnessing Backbeard be brought back to life.
Carmilla possesses a range of notable supernatural abilities typical of a powerful vampire, as well as several unique powers. She can transform into a flock of bats, allowing her to fly, evade attacks, and spy on enemies, while a single bat retains her full reasoning and speech. She can also extend her fingernails into long, sharp claws for close-quarters combat, allowing her to fight on even ground with Neko-Musume. Using her hypnotic vision, she can place victims into a trance through eye contact. Following this hypnosis, she uses her bloodsucking ability to convert young women into vampires under her command. Those converted lose their free will and become mindless thralls, though they return to normal if Carmilla is defeated. Furthermore, she utilizes magical stones provided by Adél, including a gem that shifts entire buildings into pocket dimensions and teleportation or recall stones for instant retreat. In a possible homage to the collection In a Glass Darkly which contains the original Carmilla story, she is also able to use mirrors to access a secret pocket dimension or as a means of hiding.