"Humans feed on birds and cattle, Vampires on the lifeblood of Humans. Didn't it ever occur to you that there might be something yet higher on the food chain?"
Trinity Blood is a series of Light Novels written by the late Sunao Yoshida and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto, which was published by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko from 2001 to 2005 for 12 volumes. The series was later adapted into a manga, which was serialized in Monthly Asuka from 2004 to 2018, and an anime series which aired in 2005. The manga is known for its lush and Baroque artwork by Kiyo Kûjô; and the anime adaptation is similarly lavish in its visuals and animation quality.
The anime continuity opens on a time far into the future, 900 years after a disaster which nearly destroyed Earth's population. The Catholic Church has re-emerged as a major military superpower and is currently waging a Cold War against the Methuselahs, a vampiric race composed of humans which have been infected with an alien bacillus. (Said bacillus prolongs the victims' lives, grants them magical powers and super strength, at the cost of being vulnerable to sunlight — and leaves them constantly hungry for human blood, hence the reason they're considered such a nuisance.)
It is not uncommon for stark, be-trenchcoated heroes to emerge during times like this. However, the main be-trenchcoated hero of this story appears anything but heroic at first glance. In fact, Father Abel Nightroad seems a bit of a ditz, although under the right circumstances, his true form will show itself. (His true form being that of a Crusnik, a powerful and monstrous being which feeds on vampires the way vampires feed on humans.)
The series isn't just about Father Nightroad kicking vampire ass for the Lord, though. There's also plenty of intrigue going on in both the Vatican and Methuslean camps. And a shadowy conspiracy called the Order of Rosenkreuz, which seeks to bring about The End of the World as We Know It. Again.
It's probably worth noting that one of the reasons the anime is so light on content is because the original author died before the series could be finished. And the mangaka aren't really sure how to finish the series well enough so as to honour the author and keep the fandom happy.
Trinity Blood provides examples of:
- Accidental Pervert: Abel Nightroad, oftentimes.
- Adapted Out: Many characters from the novels (such as some members from the Vatican and Rosenkreuz Orden) do not appear in the anime, though some of them make it in the manga.
- Alien Sky: The air in the New Human Empire is filled with special paticles that filter out the UV in the sun, thus it causes the whole country to be seemingly bathed in the evening dusk during all daylight.
- All There in the Manual: Seriously. The show tells you almost nothing about the setting and backstory. The manga is more clear and forthcoming about these details. The novels are your best bet if you want to have a clue what's happening, though. There's also the notes left by the original author prior to his death which explains the events after Esther was crowned Queen of Albion. But those events are worse than what has already happened.
- Alternate Continuity: The novels, manga and anime differ greatly from each other.
- Angel Face, Demon Face: Inverted with Abel, whose Crusnik-form appearance is disturbing/demonic, and Cain whose transformed appearance is more classically angelic.
- Anime Catholicism: This is actually the page image. The show has a female cardinal, a child pope, impossible robes, vampire hunters, magic users, and most of the cast seems to be under the age of thirty, with about a fifth of them under the age of twenty.
- The Pope is a hereditary title in this world instead of an elective one. The current Pope is still a teenager with a lot of doubts on his shoulders and severe anxiety due to the burden of his job.
- Anyone Can Die: Several characters met their end despite redeeming themselves but the notes left by the late Yoshida revealed that more people are going to die such as the Pope, Seth, Francesco among others.
- Are You Sure You Can Drive This Thing?: Sister Esther tries to drive, and almost gives Abel a heart attack. It results in Radu finding them.
- The Atoner: Abel is trying to atone for all of his sins of killing millions of people back when he was still Abel Nighlord.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: Esther at the end.
- Badass Longcoat: Most male members of the cast. And with the introduction of Asta, even one of the females.
- Badass Preacher: The Catholics sure can crank 'em out when they have to.
- The Beautiful Elite: Many people higher up from the Vatican to the royals in different countries are all dropdead gorgeos. And quite a few of them are quite talented in different areas to accompany their looks.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Subverted BIG TIME with Dietrich. He's described as extremely handsome with the face of an angel... and is also a total psychopath with no regard for human life.
- Also Cain Nightroad and several good-looking Orden members.
- Big Bad: Cain Nightroad, Abel's twin brother and head of the Order of Rosenkreuz.
- Big Good:
- The Pope, who despite still very young, has decided to fight for the world and all people in it.
- Queen Esther of Albion, who basically the Pope's counterpart in that country.
- BFG: Tres sure loves his heavy artillery.
- Big "NO!": At the climax of episode 22, and to a lesser extent, episode 3.
- Bishie Sparkle:
- Abel, too often to count.
- Shahrazad, completed with a dose of Love Bubbles every time she smiles at Esther's direction.
- In the manga, whenever Ion is in good term with Esther.
- Bloody Murder: One vampire could cause his blood to spontaneously combust with air. Abel could form a scythe out of his.
- Blood-Stained Glass Windows: Happens too many times to count. An example would be when Esther discovered the palace's staff inside the room next to hers had been completely slaughtered.
- Bodyguard Crush: Tres' incredible devotion to Caterina Sforza in both the novels and the manga.
- Broke Episode: Abel never seems to have money when he needs it.
- Burn the Witch!: Both Terrans and Methuselah hate witches.
- Cain and Abel:
- Cain and Abel and Seth: Abel and his Evil Twin Cain also have a sister named Seth (originally the third son of Adam and Eve, here turned into a girl).
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Many, many members of the Vatican are beautiful men. Same with the Empire and Albion.
- The Chessmaster: Dietrich and Isaak.
- The Chew Toy: Bizarrely, Abel. He takes a lot of abuse for someone who's capable of badassery.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Pope Alessandro XVIII, King Ludwig II of Bavaria (in the novels) and Empress Seth. The former is timid and easily manipulated; the second is the genderconfused 15-years-old wheelchair-bound ruthless king of Germanicus; and the the latter is Really 700 Years Old but rules through a proxy due to her youthful appearance.
- Church Militant: VERY militant. Straight up to 40K levels.
- *Click* Hello: Tres, in episode 2. May also count as Dramatic Gun Cock.
- Compressed Adaptation: The anime left out a lot of things related to the setting and backstory and reduced and changed several of the character’s roles.
- Costume Porn: The art of the light novel employs very intricate costume and jewelry designs with gothic elements. The anime simplifies them enough to suitable for animation. And while the manga also tones down the details and some of the blings, all the clothings are still extremely beautiful to look at.
- Crash-Into Hello: Abel and Esther. Although Abel thought she was a boy when they met.
- Crapsack World: Before the events of Trinity Blood, the humans and the Methuselahs (who were orignally humans and colonizers of Mars but got infected with the bacillus) wage war against each other which almost destroy the entire human race and the planet. During the events of the series, humans and Methuselahs still hold antagonistic feelings against each other. According to the original author's notes, it got worse.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Abel and Cain. This is most aparent in both the light novel and the manga where both men tend to act like idiotic, childish kluzts, only to show later that both are extremely dangerous individuals. Cain even more so due to his unpredictability and sadist.
- Cursed with Awesome: ... which is what infection of the Bacillus would be if it didn't require the constant craving for human blood. Given the wondrous powers it bestows, one wonders why all or part of humanity doesn't allow itself to be infected and then just survive on a diet of synthetic blood. Lampshaded during the fairy synthetic vampires arc: it said that the successful conversion rate is extremely low (at least in the light novels).
- Deadly Ringer: The anime adaptation has a pipe organ and series of bells as the controls of a sonic-based earthquake device.
- Decapitation Presentation: Abel still has nightmares about Cain doing this to him with Lilith's severed head.
- Deceptively Human Robots: Tres and the other Killing Dolls
- Decoy Leader: The vampire empress.
- Demotedto Extra: The anime reduced some of the characters' roles. For example, Mary Spencer has a very prominent role in the manga and novels where she is the illegitimate daughter of the Crown Prince of Albion (making her Ester's half-sister) and a possible successor to the throne. The anime never mentions this.
- The Ditz: Abel, who tends to act like a kid. He loves sweets, often scream when face with sudden danger, and overall acting so very carefree and teasing most of the time.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer whose 'agenda' and 'goals' are described as mysterious and is compared with Karla of Record of Lodoss War in interviews.
- The Empire: The vampires' form of government.
- Eyes Always Shut: Brother Matthew
- Expy: Abel's particular brand of ditziness, along with being one of the strongest characters in the setting when he pulls a Let's Get Dangerous!, right down to the very name of the manga, may bring to mind one Vash the Stampede.
- Flash Step : In the manga, many methuselahs (Mauve Shirt and above) can do this. Brother Petro Orcini is also able to do this because he used a drug in FULL-BODY METAL ARMOR.
- Flowery Elizabethan English: In the English version of the manga released by Tokyopop, the Empress speaks like this... but only with other noble Methuselahs.
- Food Chain of Evil: Many vampires are shocked and horrified to learn that they are the natural prey for the even more badass Crusniks.
- Freudian Excuse: A lot of characters. Notably Dietrich. He had a very disturbing past in which he basically was hated and mistreated since he was born. His father saw an inclination for evil in him and tried to murder him when he was six years old which didn't work, so Dietrich snapped and killed his entire family in a fit of paranoia. Alone and orphaned, little Dietrich had no moral compass to draw about from and became a twisted Mad Scientist miniature. Until Cain and Isaak just happened to walk by his town when he was seven and picked him up to groom him with their standards to be a high ranked terrorist at ten years old. Basically, in the Canon Notes, he is unable to comprehend love because he never experienced it, but he is drawn to people who are naturally loving (like Esther and Abel). He's also described as pure evil, but innocent and honestly believes the Orden can make the world better. To the point that when he realizes what are Cain's real plans, he pulls a Heel–Face Turn thanks to Caterina's persuasion.
- Gay Romantic Phase: Shahrazad and Esther are a rare inversion, because Esther had 'romantic friendship/partnerships' with a lot of men (Dietrich, Abel, Ion) before 'graduating' from them and establishing one with a true sense of lasting commitment with a girl. Too bad Shahrazad dies minutes after Esther realizes this.
- Good Wings, Evil Wings: Inverted. Abel's are a scary black and red, while Cain's are white-feathered.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language:
- Hungarian words and names occasionally crop up untranslated, especially in the manga continuity. Justified, though, since Esther is a naturalized citizen raised in Istvan, a Hungarian border city which a handful of story arcs center around, and, presumably, picked up Hungarian as her first language.
- Gratuitous German: Scanlations of the manga tend to have Deitrich throw in a word or two, and even complete phrases, of German into his dialogue for no reason in later chapters. In the novel, Isaak also speaks German quite often, he may not actually be German, but apparently sees fit to use whatever languages his fake names align with.
- Gratuitous Latin: Aside from the assumption that most characters affiliated with the Vatican probably speak Latin via Translation Convention, there's also Contra Mundi, whose name and motto are often dropped entirely in untranslated Latin.
- Gun Kata: Father Tres, in episode 2.
- The Gunslinger: Quite a few characters, but mainly Tres, to the point that Gunslinger is actually his callsign.
- Heroic Vow: Abel to Lilith, Esther to Shahrazad).
- Hunter of His Own Kind: The Crusniks are vampires that hunt other vampires.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Tres has literally inhuman accuracy thanks to being a robot.
- Improbable Weapon User: Crusnik 02 wields a huge, wicked, multi-bladed scythe. Made out of his own blood.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Caterina Sforza in the novels and the manga.
- Jeanne d'Archétype: Esther Blanchett starts like this in the novels.
- Large Ham: Brother Petro, who seemingly can't go five minutes without making a grand proclamation of justice.
- Love Hurts: When it doesn't make you evil or is unrequited, happy protagonists and villains in this series have to deal with the demise of their spouse/lover: Like William and his fiancé, Helga and her husband, Monica and her husband, Leon and his wife, Gyula and his wife Maria, Abel and his beloved Lilith.
- Love Makes You Evil
- Caterina Sforza in the novels and the manga. When Abel shows too much concern for Esther to her liking. She subtly moves to arrange Esther's accidental death twice. Later on, in Stories Untold, she realizes the grave consequences of her actions and uses this hatred and jaded love to win herself a place in the Orden, in order to destroy them from within.
- Could also apply to Gyula and his wife.
- Machine Monotone: Tres and Brother Bartholomew are robots without much variation in their tone of voice.
- Meaningful Name: Shout Outs to historical and religious figures abound in this series.
- Abel, Cain, and Seth Nightroad: Obvious reference to the three sons of Adam and Eve.
- Lilith Sahl: Reference to Lilith, Adam's first wife in some interpretations of Genesis.
- Esther Blanchett: Reference to the biblical queen Esther. Also lampshaded by Dietrich as being homophonous to Greek "Aster," or "star." Revealed to be Esther White in the manga, the White Rebellion.
- Edward White is not her biological father, but a knight faithful to the Crown Princess who saved Princess Esther and was framed by the real conspirators of the crime. Also Blanchett/Blanchette is a French heroine of a novel with the same name. Also also, "Blanchett" approximately translates from French as "Little White," and Albion, one of the traditional, poetic names of Britain is etymologically related to Latin "albus," or "white."
- Radu Barvon Named after Vlad "The Impaler" Tepes' traitorous brother, he was the puppet ruler of Wallachia whenever the Ottoman Empire occupied it.
- Hercules Tres Iqus: Number 3 out of 10 (Iquis is Latin for "X", or in numeral form, "10") Killing Dolls created by Geppetto Garibaldi.
- Augusta Vradica: Augustus Caesar meets Vlad Dracula
- Astharoshe/"Asta": Reference to Ashtoreth/Astarte, a Canaanite goddess mentioned in the Old Testament, and namesake of Astaroth, a high-ranking demon in Medieval demonology
- Suleyman: Reference to Suleiman the Magnificent aka Suleyman I, the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
- All codenames (Except maybe Dandelion?)
- Nope, even Dandelion. He's a dandy, and his name is Leon. That's it.
- In fact, Dandelion translated to Spanish is "Diente de León", that can be literally translated to "lion's tooth".
- All members of the Vatican are connected to Renaissance's important politicians or members of the Church: Borgia, Sforza, Medici, D'Este, Orsini.
- Archbishop D'Annunzio shares a surname with an Italian soldier poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, a precursor of fascism.
- The nicknames "Calamity Jane" and "Bloody Mary".
- Vaclav Havel is named after Czech president, while Ludwig II of Bavaria is named after a famous Bavarian king.
- Dietrich von Lohengrin bears the name of the hero of one of Wagner's operas.
- The von Neumann brothers from RKO are named after the biblical Magi: Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
- Melchior, a dollmaker, himself uses codename Pygmalion, while his favorite doll is named Sieglinde.
- Susanne von Skorzeny shares her surname with Otto Skorzenny, a famous member of Waffen-SS, while her nickname "Red Baron" is a reference to a Ace Pilot Manfred von Richtofen. However, her overall character might be a Shout-Out to a female Ace Pilot, Hanna Reitsch.
- Isaac's numerous aliases reference famous magicians/alchemists.
- Helga von Vogelweide shares her surname with a medieval German poet.
- Baybars/Baibars is a reference to another famous sultan known as Abu al-Futuh.
- Scheherazade/Shahrazad
- Ms. Fanservice: Noelle Bor, Monica Argento, and Jane Judith Jocelyn.
- Minored in Ass-Kicking: Professor Wordsworth
- No Ending: At least by the original author. His friend, Kentaro Yasui, author of the Ragnarok novels, was asked to continue the series.
- Noisy Guns: Played utterly straight. Any time a gun is even pointed at something, it makes random clicky sounds.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Abel, although Cain pulls this act more convincingly; also Seth.
- Ojou Ringlets: Cardinal Caterina sports a magnificent pair. So do Helga von Vogelweide of the Rosencreutz Orden and Jane from Albion.
- Ominous Latin Chanting: Whenever you hear it, you know someone is about to get their ass handed to them.
- One Cast Member per Cover: The manga adaptation shows the important characters on each cover. Abel and Ester are the only characters who are featured on more than one cover.
- Only Mostly Dead: Abel, after his unsuccessful bid to defeat Cain.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Crusniks are vampires that feed on other vampires.
- Overlaid Societies: There's a society that straddles this and The Masquerade: it turns out that what seems to be a society of muggles on the surface is actually knowingly preserving The Masquerade, and there is a second city just below the ground. The city above ground is Londinium, Albion; the city below is home to Friendly Neighborhood Vampires essentially being used as forced labor in return for protection.
- Planet Terra: Methuselahs refer to humans as Terrans. Because, as the original novels reveal, the first Methuselahs were created on Mars.
- Possibly also because the Methuselah are simply humans with nanites (or artificial bacteria, whichever) in them giving them special powers and a thirst for blood. So, the Methuselah may consider themselves to still be human (hence not liking being called vampires) and use "Terran" to distinguish the type of human.
- Power Limiter
- Abel has imposed one on himself. His Evil Twin hasn't, and the results show why Abel has done so.
- Seth and Lilith limited it too. Since releasing 100% power would mean the Nanomachines taking possession of the host which is what happened to poor Cain. Sadly, the Anime forgets this fact and the other little detail that Lilith had no nanomachines in her bloodstream otherwise she wouldn't be dead, or that Abel got his head blown off to be in stasis during Throne of the Roses.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Whenever you hear Abel's voice change uttering the words, "Crusnik 02. Nanomachine output 40%. Activate," you know someone is about to get wrecked in a horrific manner.
- Prehensile Hair: Vanessa. Holy fricking crap, Vanessa.
- Pretty Boy: Just about every male cast member is one, including the Pope! The manga even lampshades it a few times. And Abel appears so many times with Bishie Sparkles...
- Pro-Human Transhuman: A few vampires and Crusniks.
- Putting on the Reich: The RKO's uniforms are modeled after the Nazi's Waffen-SS. Probably to invoke Red Right Hand.
- Really 700 Years Old
- The Crusnik and Methuselah.
- Special mention must go to Seth and Mirka, who are ancient but look about the same age as Ion. What's really striking is that Mirka is Ion's grandma!
- The Reveal: Big time in episode 19, in which Seth is revealed to be The Empress, while The Empress is revealed to actually be Mirka Fortuna, Duchess of Moldova. In all fairness, there was a bit of a Chekhov's Gun that should have at least clarified who Seth really was: at the end of episode 11, you see the bottom portion of her head, revealing her childlike face and giveaway hairstyle (not to mention her voice when she speaks).
- Requisite Royal Regalia The crown Esther is, well, crowned with, and she also had an ermine cape in the manga
- Say My Name: Esther and Ion, stuck in a cell together. You wouldn't think they'd have to cry out the names, what with being in the same cell, but they do.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: In the episode Overcount I. The Belfry of Downfall Cardinal Caterina Sforza breaks Vatican protocol in seeking to stop a weapon that could destroy all of Rome. As a result she placed under house arrest and is hinted that that she might have been executed. However, she is cleared when the weapon is used.
- Sexy Priest: The AX agents seem to be ranked according to how attractive they are. Abel of course is first. Tres may be an exception, as he was designed that way.
- Ship Tease:
- It is implied that Esther has feelings for Abel, though the latter sort of treats like a younger sister.
- The manga and the novels hint that Catarina also has feelings for Abel. It's most evident in when she's in bed due to her disease, she started crying that she won't be able to live longer so she can be with Abel and is jealous with Esther's relationship with him.
- Shout-Out: Episode 2 of the anime has Tres throw it out to John Preston by pulling a similar "bust into badguy hideout, kill the lights, and blow everyone away while standing in the same spot" entry.
- Isaac's kobold summons in the manga look suspiciously like mass produced Evas.
- In the same chapter he stops bullets in mid-air with his hand.
- All manga chapters (save for two, one of which refers to a video game and Reborn on Mars, which is the title of one of the light novels) are titled after films. At least several chapters set in Albion are titled after Shakespeare's (adapted) plays and James Bond movies.
- Some of the characters' clothes, particularly in Methuselah Empire, look very similar to those in The Five Star Stories. Interestingly, both Thores Shibamoto (novels' illustrator) and Kiyo Kûjô did some artwork for The Five Star Stories.
- Sliding Scale of Vampire Friendliness: On the friendlier side. Only cruel or debauched vampires go on blood-guzzling sprees. Most live on cloned blood.
- Snow Means Love: The ending credits show a snowy romance between Abel Nightroad and Esther Blanchett. That never happens in the actual show, though.
- The Spock: Tres is very stoic and analytical.
- Stripperiffic: Most female vampires. Sister Monica and Sister Paula also, despite being nuns.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Esther Blanchett, in Star of Sorrow. Also Vanessa Walsh.
- Sweet Tooth: Abel would like thirteen sugars in his tea, please.
- Succession Crisis: In the manga and novels. After Brigitte II died, the Kingdom of Albion is in peril since her heir, Crown Prince of Albion, is dead, leaving no children. Until it’s revealed that he has two daughters from two different mothers: Mary Spencer and Esther. Mary is aware of her heritage who thinks she’s more suitable for the crown despite her reputation as "Bloody Mary". Esther has no idea about this until she learned about it and is afraid that she’s not suitable for the crown regardless for being known as a “saint”.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial
- Oh, Brother Petro. "I'm merely been assigned to be His Holiness's escort! It's not as if I'm on another mission and have been sworn to absolute secrecy or anything! Because I am definitely not! Don't get the wrong idea!"
- Also the Duke of Tigris: "W-Whatever do you mean? Why would I ever blow up Your Majesty?"
- Tarot Motifs: an entire tarot deck released with the DVD box sets.
- Technically-Living Vampire: Methuselahs are infected with a symbiotic alien bacterium that feeds on their red blood cells, but greatly enhances their physical abilities and regeneration, which they can replenish from humans. Instead of being immortal they "only" live about three hundred years or so and they can reproduce naturally. Despite having supernatural abilities and Weakened by the Light, they consider "Vampire" to be a Fantastic Slur.
- Technical Pacifist: Abel in the anime. He's rather less disturbed by killing in the novels and manga.
- Novel, manga, or anime, Abel wouldn't intentionally kill anyone except for Cain, and perhaps Isaak (after the RAM series). In RAM II, He couldn't let himself kill one mass murderer to prevent the destruction of Rome. This is because he made a promise to his dead lover Lilith.
- Tin Man: Tres has his moments
- Token Mini-Moe: Seth and Mirka Fortuna (only in the novels and manga)
- Tsundere
- Astharoshe "Asta" Asran, and using that nickname without permission is an easy way to trigger the tsuntsun side. Ion Fortuna. Esther Blanchett to a degree is a tsundere type B, usually she's polite and kind, but she has her triggers specially around Abel in the novels.
- Vanessa Walsh as well.
- Unknown Rival: Brother Petro and Tres, who really couldn't care less.
- Unrequited Love
- Sister Noelle, for Abel.
- And Caterina Sforza for Abel (maybe Tres for Caterina).
- Ion Fortuna and the Pope, for Esther Blanchett.
- Vampire Monarch: Empress Augusta Vradica the First is the leader of the Methuselah vampires of "The New Human Empire". In reality, she is the childlike Seth Nightroad, a Crusnik Vampire and is Really 700 Years Old.
- Winged Humanoid: The Crusnik when they're at 80% and over.
- Walking the Earth: Abel and Ion at the end of the anime.
- We ARE Struggling Together: The humans and Methuselahs hate each other. Several humans such as the AX Agency and Esther (who became the Queen of Albion) want to make peace with the Methuselahs in fighting against Cain. It have gotten worse in the Stories Untold after Cain have caused the relationship between human world and the Empire to worsen, attempting to assassinate Esther which lead to the death of Pope Alessandro. As a result, the fragile peace between both sides is destroyed resulting to another war.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Some members of the Orden, particularly Balathasar, are like this. Esther could have been one in the beginning, specially in the novels. Also Suleyman.
- Whole Costume Reference When Esther is crowned, she wears a Pimped-Out Dress just like one Elizabeth I of England wore, but it wasn't her coronation dress
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Cain, who apparently went crazy after fusing with the Crusnik nanomachines at 100%, thus demonstrating why Abel's voluntary Power Limiter is a very good idea.
- Women Are Wiser: The female rulers and leaders are generally portrayed as more competent or in a better light. When they commit grave mistakes, they are just flawed and tragic rather than tyrannical or evil. The vast majority of the Saints who guided humanity were women. Most male leaders are either tyrannical, cruel, the incompetent Pope, or the Big Bad Cain Nightroad.
- The Worf Effect: Brother Petros seems to assume this role after his initial battle with Abel.
- Would Hit a Girl: Abel slaps Esther after she defies the direction of her bosses and nearly torpedoes a crucial diplomatic operation.
- Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Seth speaks in Old-ish English to Süleyman during his attempt on her life. Only in the Tokyopop translation, though.
- You Are Worth Hell: Shahrazad is this for Esther.
- Yuri Fan: Abel has a moment of this after Jane comes on to Esther.
