TV-Series
Description
José Croce was the younger brother of Jean Croce and Henrietta's handler at the Social Welfare Agency. Raised primarily by Jean and their sister Enrica due to limited parental interaction, he formed a strong bond with his grandfather, a World War II resistance fighter, whose death deeply impacted him. He enlisted in the 1st Carabinieri Parachute Battalion "Tuscania," serving in the Balkans and finding combat zones paradoxically calming. After his father orchestrated his military discharge, José resented the action and struggled with heavy drinking upon returning to civilian life.
The "Croce Incident" defined José's later years. Terrorist Giacomo Dante assassinated his parents, Giovanni and Carla, his sister Enrica, and Jean's fiancée Sophia with a car bomb. José and Jean were detained as suspects but later released. Media scrutiny intensified due to José's known resentment toward his father. Seeking revenge, both brothers joined the Social Welfare Agency. Initially, José opposed treating the cyborg girls as tools. He showed Henrietta unusual kindness, encouraging her interests in astronomy and violin, viewing her as a replacement for the physically similar Enrica. This dynamic strained their relationship; Henrietta developed intense devotion to him, while José struggled with guilt over using her.
After years pursuing Dante, José's focus shifted solely to vengeance. He grew emotionally detached, permitting Henrietta's aggressive "reconditioning" to suppress her emotions after a breakdown, which erased her memories and personality, leaving her robotic. He became cold and withdrawn, distancing himself from Jean and others. During the New Turin nuclear plant mission, Henrietta, experiencing traumatic flashbacks, mistook José for her family's murderer and shot him. Mortally wounded, he reminded her of their earlier promise to die together. They simultaneously shot each other: José firing into Henrietta's eye, and Henrietta into his head. Section 1 agents discovered their bodies.
Personality-wise, José evolved from compassionate to disillusioned. He initially resisted the Agency's dehumanization of cyborgs, advocating for Henrietta's emotional needs. Guilt over Enrica's death drove him to provide Henrietta with normal experiences, like gifting her a diary and teaching her music. After achieving revenge against Dante and losing an eye, he viewed his kindness as performative and exhausting. His final act, initiating the mutual suicide, reflected his belief that Henrietta could not survive without him and his own desire for atonement.
The "Croce Incident" defined José's later years. Terrorist Giacomo Dante assassinated his parents, Giovanni and Carla, his sister Enrica, and Jean's fiancée Sophia with a car bomb. José and Jean were detained as suspects but later released. Media scrutiny intensified due to José's known resentment toward his father. Seeking revenge, both brothers joined the Social Welfare Agency. Initially, José opposed treating the cyborg girls as tools. He showed Henrietta unusual kindness, encouraging her interests in astronomy and violin, viewing her as a replacement for the physically similar Enrica. This dynamic strained their relationship; Henrietta developed intense devotion to him, while José struggled with guilt over using her.
After years pursuing Dante, José's focus shifted solely to vengeance. He grew emotionally detached, permitting Henrietta's aggressive "reconditioning" to suppress her emotions after a breakdown, which erased her memories and personality, leaving her robotic. He became cold and withdrawn, distancing himself from Jean and others. During the New Turin nuclear plant mission, Henrietta, experiencing traumatic flashbacks, mistook José for her family's murderer and shot him. Mortally wounded, he reminded her of their earlier promise to die together. They simultaneously shot each other: José firing into Henrietta's eye, and Henrietta into his head. Section 1 agents discovered their bodies.
Personality-wise, José evolved from compassionate to disillusioned. He initially resisted the Agency's dehumanization of cyborgs, advocating for Henrietta's emotional needs. Guilt over Enrica's death drove him to provide Henrietta with normal experiences, like gifting her a diary and teaching her music. After achieving revenge against Dante and losing an eye, he viewed his kindness as performative and exhausting. His final act, initiating the mutual suicide, reflected his belief that Henrietta could not survive without him and his own desire for atonement.