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1%%Please do not pothole in spoilers to abide with the spoiler policy, and do not add spoilers in the character bios nor folder names - https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Administrivia/HandlingSpoilers.
2%%
3A list of characters from the ''Anime/DeathParade'' anime series and its short precursor, ''Death Billiards''.
4
5'''Some unmarked spoilers follow.'''
6----
7[[foldercontrol]]
8
9[[folder:Tropes associated with all the staff]]
10* ArtificialHuman: Arbiters (and most likely all staff) are created, and not born; they can neither live nor die, as that would make them too human. However, they're designed to look like humans, most likely to make the arbitrage process go by more smoothly. They are also capable of eating, drinking, and even getting drunk, and it seems that they require sleep as well. It's likely that other than being "unable to experience death," their bodies function just like a regular humans. The last-episode WhamLine reveals that [[spoiler:they're made from souls that were cast into the void]].
11* BornAsAnAdult: They are created, and they don't age. So most of them just look and behave like adults. [[spoiler:They used to be dead humans who were tossed into the void, so it seems that they were "created" to be the same age they were when they died]].
12* ColorCodedCharacters: Usually represented by their eye and/or hair colors in most promotional art. Decim: White or Yellow; Black Haired Woman: Blue; Nona: Purple; Oculus: Pink; Ginti: Red; Clavis: Green; Mayu: Orange.
13* TheCorrupter: An arbiter's job requires them to "draw out the darkness" that lies within all humans, or else they can't accurately judge others. As the black-haired woman points out, rather than drawing it out, they're ''creating'' that darkness instead by putting them through severe emotional distress.
14* DontFearTheReaper: Most of them are rather pleasant individuals to deal with, though their mindsets are quite alien to a human.
15* ExoticEyeDesigns:
16** The arbiters each have cross-shaped symbols around their pupils. These crosses ''turn'' when they receive the memories of newcomers too.
17** As for the non-arbiters, Castra, who works in classification, has an X-shaped symbol around her eyes; and Oculus has black eyes with glowing HellishPupils and claims he is "the closest man to God."
18** In an interview included in the boxset, [[WordOfGod the series composer]] states that the crosses [[spoiler:act as a seal for the individuals dormant emotions, which is why the crosses in Decim’s eyes shatter when he becomes overwhelmed with sorrow.]]
19* FourIsDeath: The crosses on their eyes and four symmetrical ends, and the emblem has four sections as well.
20* {{Immortality}}: They can't get sick or die.
21* InstantSedation: Decim, Nona, and Ginti all seem to have the ability to “put someone to sleep.”
22* ItsWhatIDo: Whenever a guest questions them about their job, the answer is simply "I am an arbiter." Both Ginti and Decim seem to react poorly to receiving pushback on this, albeit in different ways.
23* LackOfEmpathy: Interestingly, it doesn't serve to make them seem evil at all in most cases. They just can't understand the random ways in which human behavior is expressed, so their judgments can be skewed by taking behaviors at face value rather than looking deeper into emotions or reasoning. This was a very deliberate choice by their creator.
24* LaserGuidedAmnesia: After a time, any memories the arbiters gained from past guests vanish - otherwise the arbiter would be weighed down by the sheer number of them.
25* LightIsNotGood: In contrast with [[DarkIsNotEvil the dark-haired woman]], their color schemes are mostly bright, bubbly, and fun. They're not necessarily "evil," but they typically don't seem to hold humans in a high regard and can be very callous towards them. The entire idea of coercing them to [[AbsurdlyHighStakesGame stake their lives]] in an arbitrary SecretTestOfCharacter isn't exactly pleasant to begin with.
26* LimitedWardrobe: They're never seen in anything ''but'' their work uniforms. The dark-haired woman's closet contains a handful of the exact same blazer, and it can be assumed that everyone else is the same, also.
27* LoopholeAbuse: The rules for each game can essentially be whatever they want. They have no qualms about manipulating which game is to be chosen if it will help the guests uncover memories more, as seen in ''Billiards''. They're pretty vague when they give the rules, and they don't specify that the rules they stated are pretty much the ''only'' rules to the game. This means people are free to cheat, steal from, threaten, or abuse their opponent unless their assigned arbiter specifically says not to.
28* MagicalEyes: They are able to "see" choice memories of others through transference; this causes their irises to glow and rotate. [[AllThereInTheManual The crosses on their irises]] also act as [[spoiler:seals for their dormant emotions]].
29* MarkOfTheSupernatural: Most of them have unusual hair and/or eye coloring, which helps them stand out from humans.
30* NoOriginStoriesAllowed: By design, arbiters aren't meant to experience life or death, since that would make them less objective. They are simply "created" and exist with no memories. Furthermore, since the memories of their guests reset every 3 months, any experiences they may have had with them that could have shaped them are unfortunately forgotten. The last episode[[spoiler:reveals that all arbiters were once humans who were cast into the void, so while they ''do'' have backstories that have dictated their personalities, the actual content is unknown by the viewers and the arbiters themselves]].
31* NumericalThemeNaming: The bars that the arbiters work in are named after the Latin representation of their floor number, while the arbiters themselves get their names from a part of their Latin floor number.
32** Decim and Quin both got their names from Quindecim, which is situated on the 15th floor.
33** Ginti works in Viginti, which is the Latin number 20.
34** Even Nona, who doesn't actually work in a bar, gets her name from her Latin floor number: Nonaginta (90).
35* PerkyGoth: Due to the art style of the show, most characters look like they're straight out of a goth rock band - particularly Castra, the dark-haired woman, Clavis, and Decim. However, other than [[TinMan Decim]], they're all fairly chipper characters.
36* {{Psychopomp}}: What arbiters are in a nutshell, as their job is to judge and send dead humans to the afterlife. [[spoiler: The problem is they suck at the "judging" part.]]
37* PunchClockVillain: With the exception of [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk Ginti]], who [[{{Sadist}} seems to]] ''[[{{Sadist}} really]]'' [[{{Sadist}} enjoy his work]], most of the staff members we get to meet are somewhat blasé when it comes to their jobs and are more concerned with finding the free time to relax than actually working harder. While viewers might not find them outright villainous since we see the show mostly from their perspectives, seeing things from the perspectives of the various guests or humans at large makes their manipulative actions seem almost ''evil'' at times.
38* StealthPun:
39** The term used for arbiters in Japanese is 裁定者 (saitei-sha), which is usually translated as judge/adjudicator in English [[note]]The original fansubs for Death Billiards used "adjudicator"[[/note]]. The English dub went with "arbiter," which is a little more specific, but also comes from the same root word that "arbitrary" does, hinting that they are not as impartial and all-knowing as they seem.
40** The term used for them in Japanese might be another one, as the word for "the worst/lowest" is "saitei." The kanji for both meanings is different, however.
41* ThemeNaming: Any non-human characters who aren't [[NumericalThemeNaming named numerically]] can still have their names traced back to a Latin word (e.g., Clavis, Castra, and Oculus). Even Ginti’s cat’s name, Memine, is the Latin word for “remember.”
42* UltimateJobSecurity: Decim makes several mistake and Ginti goes really far with the cruelty, but other than being scolded by Nona, there's no indication that they actually get punished or are at risk of losing their jobs. Part of the rules of being an arbiter include being unable to stop making judgments since it is the very reason they were created.
43* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The people who come into the bars mention nothing about Decim's odd hair coloring or strange eye pattern, although Takashi did seem to notice them at least. In episode eight, one of the guests [[LampshadeHanging directly references Decim's white hair, but doesn't point it out as being unusual]]. He even talks about how emotionless his eyes are, yet says nothing about the cross pattern. This is likely a JustifiedTrope, as the characters involved tend to have [[AbsurdlyHighStakesGame more pertinent matters at hand]].
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Decim]]
47[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4646f2aef39faf573f6d77d271c652de.jpg]]
48[[caption-width-right:225:"Welcome to Quindecim."]]
49->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TomoakiMaeno (JP), Creator/AlexOrgan (EN), Ulises Maynardo Zavala (LA)
50
51A mysterious, emotionless man who works as an arbiter on the fifteenth floor. Speaks in a very detached tone, and doesn't like bringing personal feelings into his work. He's professional and respectful towards guests. In his free time, he likes making mannequins, and makes world-class cocktails.
52----
53* ActuallyPrettyFunny: At the end of the Drama CD, [[CannotTellAJoke one of Decim's jokes finally lands]] when he speaks {{Engrish}} and randomly quotes the opening theme song. It's the first time she laughs instead of snarking.
54* ItsAllAboutMe: He's not particularly egotistical, but he ''is'' self-centered, and never takes anyone else's thoughts or feelings into consideration as he pursues his own skewed ideals. In an effort to get to know his assistant better, he deceives and manipulates her, and doesn't realize until much later how wrong his actions were.
55* AloofLeaderAffableSubordinate: He's cold, manipulative and distant, and he follows the rules to a T. On the other hand, his assistant is far more approachable and more blasé about the system, and isn't afraid to challenge him.
56* ApologizesALot: So much so that "I'm terribly sorry" ("''moushiwake arimasen''") could be considered his CatchPhrase. However, unlike most examples, he doesn't really seem to mean it [[spoiler:until he apologizes to Chiyuki for everything he's put her through, at which point he interestingly switches to the less formal "''gomennasai''"]].
57* ApologeticAttacker: He usually apologizes when he’s forced to restrain someone with his strings (unless his opponent is [[{{Jerkass}} Ginti]]), but he probably doesn’t mean it.
58* ArmorPiercingQuestion:
59** Receives this from his assistant, and the results [[NotSoStoic aren't pretty]]. [[spoiler:It seems her accusation is what begins to awaken the emotions that Nona has implanted in him]].
60** Also receives one from Nona in episode 11, when he approaches her to question his role as an arbiter as well as his assistant's judgment. Though he tells her he doesn't believe that putting Her into an extreme condition is necessary to reveal her true nature, Nona questions him about this and he immediately stops arguing.
61--->"And if you knew her true nature, would you even be able to understand her?"
62* ArtificialHuman: In ''Death Billiards'', Decim claims to have no experience in being alive. Further confirmation doesn't appear until late in the series. [[spoiler: In episode 7, both Oculus and Nona call arbiters "dummies who can neither live or die."]] While the other arbiters fit under this too, it's most notable with him as Nona has had [[spoiler:human emotions implanted within him]].
63* AuthoritativeInPublicDocileInPrivate: While working, he's a shrewd, icy {{Jerkass}} who will not hesitate to [[KickTheDog intimidate or taunt his guests]] when he sees fit. He's pushy and rather imposing towards them as well. However, it becomes clear around his coworkers that he's a quiet, ExtremeDoormat with very little presence. He is also incapable of actual confrontation, as shown around the black-haired woman as he simply [[HeroicBSOD shuts down]] when she pushes back against his behavior towards his guests.
64* ToBeLawfulOrGood: His major conflict later on in the series resolves around the dichotomy between doing his job the way it ''should'' be done, or becoming the type of person that he actually ''wants'' to be.
65* BrokenTears: There is a long buildup of Decim [[spoiler:trembling, hyperventilating, clutching his chest, and wavering before he finally breaks down screaming and crying at what he’s done to Chiyuki. The cross in his iris also shatters when this happens]].
66* TheBartender: One of his only strong points is that he makes great drinks.
67* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Zigzagged with his assistant. He starts off as morose, brooding, and cold, while she is TheHeart and much more empathetic and kind overall. They do switch roles a bit after she [[spoiler:regains memories of her suicide]] and discusses her feelings about it with him. Her outlook on life is revealed to be pretty pessimistic, and this time it’s Decim’s turn to gently support her.
68* ByronicHero: It’s hard to classify him as an AntiHero given [[GreyAndGrayMorality the nature of the system he operates under]], but his somber mood, [[ContemplateOurNavels propensity for extrospection]], [[NoSocialSkills cold behavior]], and his [[GoodIsNotNice rather callous actions]] [[KickTheMoralityPet throughout the show]] make him a pretty classic example of a ByronicHero in a CrapsaccharineWorld.
69* CannotConveySarcasm: Given his position of power and his inability to change his inflection, his one attempt at sarcasm is completely inappropriate and leads to shock from everyone else.
70-->'''The Black-Haired Woman''': Just so you know, that wasn’t funny.
71* CannotTellAJoke: He's so deadpan and has such inappropriate timing that he has to ''explain'' when he's joking. The one time his assistant ''does'' laugh at him during the Drama CD, it's mostly because it's SoBadItsGood.
72* CatharticCrying: Starting around episode 4, it becomes clear that Decim’s belief in the system is being put to test when he clenches his fist and quietly asks one of his distraught guests to continue playing after she’s injured someone. Episode 9 has him in a similar situation, and after being compared to a KnightTemplar SerialKillerKiller and getting [[WhatTheHellHero torn into by his assistant]] he begins stammering, hyperventilating, and clutching at his chest. In the final episode, he behaves this way again before finally breaking down.
73* CollectorOfTheStrange: His hobby is [[CreepyDoll building mannequins]], which are scattered all about Quindecim. At the very least, he doesn't seem oblivious to the nightmare fuel factor, and uses it to his advantage so he can intimidate guests into playing the games.[[spoiler: The mannequins are actually the bodies of the previous guests which usually are thrown away after the judgement. Decim however keeps the "bodies" of some of his previous guests so that they are remembered in some way.]]
74* TheComicallySerious: While he ''can'' crack a "[[DeadpanSnarker joke]]", most of the humor he's involved in revolves around other characters overreacting to things in his presence and him [[SuperStoicShopkeeper remaining stone-faced and diligent]].
75* ContemplateOurNavels: He is quite thoughtful and pensive, and he often wonders what the humans he judge are actually thinking, much to the surprise of his fellow arbiters. This is why Nona [[spoiler:chooses him as her guineapig to have an arbiter develop human emotions]].
76* CooldownHug:
77** Gives these to the more [[FreakOut stressed out guests]], whether they want it or not. The imposition of his hug is actually lampshaded by his assistant later on, who says he simply foisted it upon the guests and [[SubvertedTrope there was no real meaning behind it]].
78** He gets one from his assistant after [[spoiler:he breaks down]] in episode 12.
79* CosmicPlaything: Though not quite as much as his assistant, the experiment done on her still centres around him and he is very much an UnwittingPawn in [[spoiler:Nona’s futile and possibly tragic attempt at creating an arbiter with human emotions. He is never told that Chiyuki was brought to him intentionally as a catalyst for this, and most of the actions performed by Nona, Quin, and Castra are never revealed to him]].
80* CreepyBlueEyes: Along with being cold and distant, his eyes make him look creepy and otherwordly. Not helped by his general demeanor and manner of speech, of course.
81* CryIntoChest: Enforces this with some of his guests. [[spoiler:He ends up burying his face in Chiyuki’s neck in the last episode.]]
82* CuriousQualmsOfConscience: As a result of his assistant's frequent distaste towards his actions, he slowly starts to question his identity and his relationship towards his job. Being the only arbiter who seems to feel this way, his coworkers react with a mix of curiosity and disdain towards him.
83* DeadpanSnarker: He has such a [[TheStoic resting poker face]] that he actually has to explain when he's joking.
84* DeathGlare:
85** Shoots one at the young man in ''Billiards'' and at Misaki in episode 4. Life's not fair, indeed.
86** He gives an even more menacing one to Ginti when the latter threatens him.
87* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype:
88** Of the EmotionlessGirl/ReiAyanamiExpy/TheStoic. Through the perspectives of his assistant and the human guests, we see just how off-putting and disconcerting that behavior ''really'' is in a realistic setting. We also see how much internal anguish someone might go through when they don't know how else to think or feel, as Decim laments being unable to understand others and becomes increasingly conflicted with himself and with his position.
89** He also seems to deconstruct the FlatCharacter archetype, along with Ginti. Arbiters *literally* cannot express "human emotions," which leaves them with only a few basic character traits and the inability to express themselves outside of their pre-determined guidelines. Since there are NoOriginStoriesAllowed with the arbiters, they don't get to have the depth that their human guests do in just ''one'' episode. The black-haired woman and Mayu both point-out that because of this, they have no right to judge people who have lived full lives and express themselves in a variety of ways, since they can't possibly understand that behavior.
90* DefrostingIceQueen: It's a pretty slow thaw, but as the series progresses he becomes a bit warmer, particularly towards his assistant, and he treats the guest in episode ten with respectful honesty. By the finale, [[spoiler:he begins to greet his guests with a warm smile]].
91* DirtyBusiness: He begins developing increasingly more complicated feelings towards his job as an arbiter, before finally realizing that rather than revealing the darkness that people keep tucked away, his actions might actually be ''creating'' that darkness in the first place.
92* DissonantSerenity: He always remains calm and composed, no matter what situation he's placed in.
93* DramaticDeadpan: He speaks in a low and monotone, yet ''[[CreepyMonotone ominous]]'' voice. The drama is especially apparent when he's [[KickTheDog saying something triggering towards his guests]], such as reminding a woman who [[DomesticAbuse suffered]] ''[[DomesticAbuse years]]'' [[DomesticAbuse of abuse]] about how "unfair" life can be.
94* DramaticIrony: He really has no idea how much he is being manipulated by some of his higher ups. While Nona feigns obliviousness, [[spoiler:she actually asked Quin to keep Chiyuki’s knowledge of dying, and also asks Castra to bring specific guests to challenge him. She is also entirely aware of Chiyuki’s influence on Decim and is using that for her own goals]].
95* DueToTheDead: Episode 7 reveals that the reason he has mannequins all over the bar is to remember in ''some way'' the people who he saw as having lived full lives. [[spoiler:Said mannequins are the containers of the previous guests.]]
96* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: While his eyes generally don't reflect the light, they tend to look especially dark and forlorn whenever he questions his role as an arbiter.
97* DullSurprise: Because he's so stiff, his shock is rarely shown as anything other than his one eye opening wide. When things are ''really'' serious, his jaw falls slack.
98* EasilyForgiven: The black haired woman forgives him pretty quickly after he subjected her to extreme emotional distress by [[spoiler:making her believe she could be brought back to life if she sacrificed a random person, and making her watch her mom cry over her shrine and blame herself for her daughter's suicide]]. It helps that he was clearly [[TearsOfRemorse ''very'' remorseful]], but he very clearly crossed a line with her.
99* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He has a hard time understanding complex good deeds - such as why someone would lie for the sake of someone else - and seems shocked in episode three when the two characters fall in love despite a major hurdle. He's not necessarily ''evil'', but he ''does'' lack empathy [[GreyAndGrayMorality and isn't exactly "good" either]].
100* ExperiencedProtagonist: At the start of the show, he's been an arbiter for 5 years and ''seems'' to know what he's doing, especially compared to the black-haired woman, who is a NaiveNewcomer working as his assistant.
101* EyeMotifs: While the show employs these in general, it's most obvious with him and his assistant. His hair frames one eye and hides another, and there is a lot of focus on how his eyes flicker during emotional scenes. It's telling that the one time we them both is [[spoiler:when Chiyuki parts his bangs after he finally opens up to her]].
102* FallingIntoHisArms: He actually invokes this himself several times. After holding characters back with his strings, he will sometimes let them go abruptly and force them into an embrace.
103* TheFarmerAndTheViper: It's clear that his assistant means a lot to him, and that simply being around her has had an overall positive effect on him. He tells her as much himself in episode 11, thanking her for all that she's done for him and expressing his gratitude towards her, before he [[spoiler:drugs her and puts her through the same type of emotional abuse he has towards his other guests]].
104* FigureItOutYourself: Tells this to his assistant in ‘’Billiards’’ when she asks him questions about the guests. He grows to be more receptive to her questions as the series develops, however.
105* FlatJoy: When the black-haired woman gets annoyed that he doesn't comment on her cooking, he tells her very flatly that it's good, which she of course rebukes...so instead he tells her that it's ''very'' good while raising his voice slightly, though his expression remains unchanged.
106* FormalCharactersUseKeigo: He speaks ''extremely'' formally and politely, even when he's off-duty. Towards guests he goes so far as to use the very humble "watakushi" instead of his usual (polite) "watashi." The dub compensates by giving him more eloquent speech mannerisms than the rest of the cast. [[spoiler: He only drops it around Chiyuki in the final episode when he breaks down crying and apologizes to her for everything he's done]].
107* HairContrastDuo: With his assistant; [[LightIsNotGood his hair is pure white]], messy and slightly wavy, and hers is straight, sleek, and [[DarkIsNotEvil black]]. She acts as is his {{Foil}}, being far more empathetic, light-hearted, and direct, and eventually bringing these sides out of him as well.
108* HeelRealization: He takes his job as an arbiter very seriously and seems to take some pride in it. It isn’t really until his assistant calls him out and questions the entire system of judgment that he realizes how misguided he has truly been.
109* HeldGaze: Very frequently with his assistant, but most notably at the very end of the series [[spoiler:before she leaves him for good]].
110* HidingBehindYourBangs: Bangs that hide his right eye and are of the supernatural and solitary type. They add more mystery to his character. [[spoiler: He's not hiding anything under there, they're simply used for symbolic purposes]].
111* HumanizingTears: His character arc culminates with the [[MarkOfTheSupernatural cross in his eyes shattering]] as he sheds TearsOfRemorse, finally displaying empathy and a genuine emotion.
112* {{Hypocrite}}: He says he values those who have lived a fulfilled life, but as the black-haired woman points out, he can't even know what that means since he himself has never lived. He says he wants to understand people, he is incredibly passive and too caught up in his role as an arbiter to truly empathize with another person.
113* IcyBlueEyes: Emotionally distant and blue-eyed.
114* IdentityBreakdown: Heavily foreshadowed before coming to a head in the ninth episode. While his self-doubt had been developing as early as the second episode, it isn't until his assistant [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech finally calls him out]] on how poorly he treats his guests despite insisting he respects them that he becomes unable to do anything but clutch his chest and stammer that [[{{Catchphrase}} he is an arbiter]] before falling completely silent. In the finale, his breakdown [[spoiler:leads to the crosses in his eyes momentarily disappearing after he finally feels empathy towards another person]].
115* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Whenever the black-haired woman questions him about his dubious strategies to shake up the games, he essentially tells her it's his pride and duty as an arbiter to make the games stressful enough to uncover the memories needed to make a proper judgment. While he doesn't express any guilt over it, it's clear that something's amiss.
116* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: He claims to respect people who have "lived a fulfilled life," but he can't even understand what that means, since he himself has never really lived. Despite his pride as an arbiter, it's clear to the black-haired woman that his inability to relate to others makes him completely unaware of how much damage he's inflicting, and that his job and his identity simply make him a {{Jerkass}}, rather than an impassive observer.
117* ImprovisedWeapon: He sometimes relies on ''furniture'' to cause bodily harm.
118* InsecureProtagonistArrogantAntagonist: He's insecure and becomes increasingly uncertain about his work, while Ginti starts out arrogant and confident and only becomes ''more'' aggressive as the story progresses.
119* IntriguedByHumanity: Even in the early stages of being an arbiter, he found himself interested in the feelings of the human guests. His motivation for choosing his assistant is that he wants to understand her better, as well.
120* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler: Despite having human emotions, he's the closest thing the show has to an emotionless character.]]
121* JawDrop: He does this after a strange guest causes his assistant to pass out.
122* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The jerk part is a JustifiedTrope; as an arbiter, he is supposed to bring out the worst in his guests and manipulate the games as he sees fit. However, he really does have a different outlook on life than the other arbiters do, and his relationship with his assistant is what allows him to [[CharacterDevelopment slowly drop the jerk part]].
123* JustFollowingOrders: For the majority of the series, he brushes off any criticism he receives from his guests or his assistant by saying some variation of "I am an arbiter."
124* KarmaHoudini: While he clearly feels bad for some of the stuff he’s done to his guests and ''especially'' his assistant, a lot of his more heinous acts go completely unaddressed and nothing bad actually happens to him as a result of his actions - he isn’t shown to experience any lasting consequences, he doesn’t lose his job even though it seemed like it might have been a possibility, and the show ends [[spoiler:with him smiling, implying that the result of his terrible treatment towards Chiyuki was worth it]]. He is EasilyForgiven by his assistant and continues working as an arbiter like nothing happened.
125* KickTheDog: Seems to go with the territory of being an arbiter. He does this to Misaki in episode 4, triggering her memories of domestic abuse. That said, he has his PetTheDog moments.
126* KickTheMoralityPet: In the last episode, [[spoiler:his test for Chiyuki is pretty much the same as ''Ginti's'' test for Mayu - sacrifice someone else's life in exchange for yours. He shows her an illusion of her mother crying over her shrine and causes Chiyuki to break down crying and apologizing.]]
127* LiteralMinded: His assistant realizes early on that she needs to be direct and forward when talking to him about the feelings of their guests, or he just won’t get it. He also takes a lot of her sarcastic quips seriously.
128-->'''The Black-Haired Woman''': I’ve heard [[{{Catchphrase}} that one]] about a million times.
129-->'''Decim''': Really? That many?
130* LongingLook: Gives a few of these to his assistant throughout the series, generally looking somewhat confused.
131* LongLastLook: Exchanges one of these with his assistant [[spoiler:when they finally part ways, just before the elevator door closes]].
132* ManlyTears: [[spoiler:His character development culminates in him breaking down and sobbing over all the grief he's caused Chiyuki]].
133* MarionetteMaster: With his strings, he can control marionettes that he makes himself, among other things.
134* MasterOfThreads: He's able to create and manipulate puppet strings, using them for restraining or moving people and objects. It helps that his strings can appear en-mass from unusual angles, taking opponents by surprise even when they're expecting said strings.
135* MeaningfulLook: Shares one with the dark-haired woman at the end of the series, [[WhenHeSmiles finally able to convey his feelings to her]].
136* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: Nona mocks him and admonishes his interest with the mannequins as a silly hobby. Most of his coworkers have pointed out how strange he is, and his assistant seems put-off by a lot of his behavior as well. When she [[DefrostingIceQueen finally gets him to open up]], she realizes that his "revolting hobby" isn't so bad after all and [[DueToTheDead comes from a place of genuine sincerity]].
137* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[ObliviouslyEvil He doesn't truly realize]] just how terrible his actions have been until he witnesses [[MoralityPet the only person]] he cares about [[HeroicBSOD completely break down]] because of his manipulative, self-serving actions. He becomes [[spoiler: utterly destroyed over having hurt her so badly, apologizes profusely, and promises he will be a better arbiter after]].
138* MysticalWhiteHair: Has white hair which is fitting given his situation and personality.
139* NeutralNoLonger: He claims to be impartial in his judgments and takes his job very seriously. It takes a lot of questioning and pushback from his assistant for him to slowly start to realize the flaws in the system, and at the end of the series he finally takes a stand and decides [[spoiler:that he wants to be the kind of Arbiter that makes people happy to have lived.]]
140* NiceJobBreakingItHero: He's so detached from humanity that he's unable to discern complexities like lying to protect someone you love. This causes trouble when he realizes he may have passed unsuitable judgement, causing someone with trust issues to be reincarnated and a remorseful woman to be sent into the void. His boss chastises him for this.
141* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: He really is a creepy guy, especially if you look at things from the perspective of his guests. Decim is OneHeadTaller than most of his guests and is constantly looking down his nose at them. His UndeathlyPallor, CreepyBlueEyes, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion pointed questions]], and [[DeathGlare sharp stares]] serve to make him deeply unsettling, and he uses them all to his advantage. His games often include a good dose of BodyHorror, and the gamepieces are often linked to a guest's organs. He also has [[CollectorOfTheStrange a back room full of what look like naked, dismembered bodies]] suspended from the ceiling. While the viewers learn that they are just mannequins, the guests seem to believe that they're ''real''. [[spoiler:It's made even weirder when we find out that they really ''are'' practically corpses, since that's what humans bodies are made of when they're getting judged.
142* NotSoDifferentRemark: A KnightTemplar Vigilante SerialKillerKiller says this to Decim. Decim doesn't even acknowledge him, but Chiyuki is a bit taken aback by the statement [[spoiler:and later, agrees with the man, which eventually pains Decim]].
143* NotSoStoic: Played with. He has shown brief shock or annoyance at moments but he's still so stoic that it's unsettling to see him in the few times he really loses his composure. Specifically:
144** Whenever he misjudges a situation or one of his guests directs their anger at him.
145** He appears to be losing his cool when Ginti knocks out his assistant and picks a fight with him.
146** In episode nine when the dark-haired woman [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out on his bullshit]], all he can do is clutch his chest as he trembles and stutters, unable to deny her words. The episode ends with him completely silent and slack-jawed. What's worse for Decim is this episode seems to create parallels between him and a KnightTemplar SerialKiller.
147** In episode twelve he [[spoiler:breaks down into tears and falls to his knees after seeing Chiyuki have her own breakdown as she's indecisive over whether to (supposedly) bring herself back life at a cost of another life or not. Later before she leaves, he manages to give her a genuine smile.]]
148* ObliviouslyEvil: Unlike [[{{Sadist}} Ginti]], who revels in his job and takes joy in pushing his guests, Decim genuinely thinks he is doing the right thing and sees no issue with [[BreakThemByTalking what he says]] and [[ForcedIntoEvil does]] to his guests as it's just part of his role as an arbiter. It takes quite a while before he truly realizes it.
149* OccultBlueEyes: When guests finally realize that he’s not human, the camera often zooms into his eyes to emphasize his otherworldliness.
150* OddCouple: He and his assistant couldn't be anymore different, [[spoiler:they aren't even the same species]], but he still finds her fascinating and they have good chemistry, developing a good rapport throughout the show. Ginti points out how bizarre their relationship is and finds them uncomfortable to be around in the Drama CD.
151* OneHeadTaller: Than his assistant. Particularly noticeable in the final episode, when she’s not wearing her heels.
152* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
153** Much ado is made about Decim taking on Ginti in a fight after the latter knocks out his assistant and attacks him. Even Ginti himself seems shocked, and Nona points out that Decim usually never gives him the time of day.
154** It seems to be a defining trait of his, considering [[spoiler: he has human emotion and is actively attempting to not only learn about people but to remember them past the usual amnesia arbiters suffer. It's enough that Nona is actively attempting to do...something with it.]]
155* PerpetualFrowner: Lips are always downturned, regardless of how he may be feeling. [[spoiler: Thanks to Chiyuki, he now greets his guests with a genuine smile.]]
156* PetTheDog:
157** He's usually a bit too aloof towards his guests, however when someone breaks down around him, he's wont to [[CooldownHug give them a hug and praise]] for doing what they could in life rather than to rub it in.
158** In episode 3, Decim allows Shigeru and Mai to have a final date before giving them his judgement.
159* PietaPlagiarism: He cradles his assistant like this frequently in the show and in promotional art. [[spoiler:Played straight, since she is essentially dead.]]
160* PolitenessJudo: When guests yell at him or refuse to play games for one reason or another, he very calmly and politely convinces them to do it while using flawlessly [[FormalCharactersUseKeigo formal business speech]], even if what he's saying seems rather cruel.
161* PreAsskickingOneLiner: He's the last you'd expect to make one, but he does this to Ginti in irritation. Subverted, as Nona intervenes before things get too serious.
162-->"Do you ''truly'' wish to keep this up?"
163* ProHumanTranshuman: He respects humans and finds them interesting, which surprises the other arbiters, especially Nona who takes advantage of his curiosity.
164* RealMenCook: It's implied that he's always the one who gathers, prepares, and cooks food for him and the dark-haired woman, to the point that he seems fairly surprised when she offers to do it for once. He also makes ''amazing'' cocktails.
165* RedOniBlueOni:
166** Blue to his assistant's red, once they get accustomed to one another. He's emotionless and collected while she has her hot-headed moments and can be quite expressive.
167** He seems to share this duality with Ginti as well, with him being calm and TheStoic while Ginti is more aggressive and HotBlooded.
168* ReiAyanamiExpy: A rare male example, but he hits nearly every mark, and gets the development to boot.
169* SacredHospitality: He takes his jobs as an arbiter ''very'' seriously and finds a deal of pride as an arbiter, strictly sticking to the rules with extreme formality.
170* SatelliteCharacter: There likely wouldn’t be much CharacterDevelopment without his assistant there. Even though Nona has evidently [[spoiler:implanted human emotions in him, she finally reveals in the last episode that all she did was have him work alongside a human.]]
171* SeriousBusiness: He is a diligent employee and takes his job as an arbiter very seriously, much to the chagrin of his assistant. It takes quite a while for him to begin having doubts about his judgments.
172* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: After his HeelRealization, the next time he judges someone he is open and honest with her about her situation. Even [[TokenGoodTeammate his assistant]] is shocked.
173* SharpDressedMan: Justified considering his job, however, he seems to be the only one dressed properly and formally. Ginti's outfit is the same but it's ill-fitting and sloppy, with undone buttons and no bow tie, and Nona's outfit is more customized than theirs.
174* ShipTease: With his assistant. It becomes [[LongingLook increasingly obvious]] as the series progresses that he has very strong feelings for her, particularly in the penultimate episode. Her feelings towards him aren't as clear, but once he opens up to her she seems to warm up to him and even offers to make him food for once.[[spoiler: They part during the finale with Chiyuki being sent for reincarnation but later we can see that a smiling Chiyuki dummy is sitting next to him, with Chavvot and Jimmy dolls in her hands.]]
175* TheStoic: He's unflinching and robotic, and doesn't seem to feel any emotion other than apathy and rarely, shock. But he can crack a joke!
176* StunnedSilence: PlayedForDrama when he deliberately pushes a guest so far that they snap and cause extreme pain to the other guest they were with. Seeing the impact of his actions and getting chewed out by his assistant render him completely silent as he just looks at the aftermath.
177* SuperStoicShopkeeper: ''Especially'' in ''Billiards''. Though even in the series, he responds to people groveling, spitting, begging for their lives, and grabbing onto him with nothing but cold apathy.
178* SupportingProtagonist: While he ''does'' develop quite a bit throughout the show, his main role is to [[spoiler:guide his assistant through her judgment]]. He's the main character, yet not quite the focus of the MythArc.
179* SympathyForTheHero: Feeling empathy towards his assistant over all the grief he caused her [[spoiler:is what finally causes him to break down and decide that he wants to be a better arbiter]].
180* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: He does ''something'' to a cocktail he made for [[spoiler:his assistant]] that [[InstantSedation renders her unconscious]].
181* TearsOfRemorse: In the final episode, [[spoiler:he sheds these as he continuously apologizes to Chiyuki for putting her through so many trials and causing her to have a breakdown over realizing how much grief she's caused her mother]].
182* TinMan: He never really shows any emotion on his face, but is prone to balling his hand into a fist at his side. Arbiters cannot feel human emotions, [[spoiler:but he has had human emotions implanted into him. He doesn't appear to be aware of this, however, and it's possible he's trying his best to be TheStoic due to his pride as an arbiter]].
183* TookALevelInKindness: After his assistant calls him out for his poor treatment of his guests, he is more direct and honest with his next visitor, which seems to surprise her.
184* TragicHero:
185** He is conflicted by his role as an arbiter and his opposing desire to understand and empathize with others, which creates a cycle where he will BreakThemByTalking, judge their reaction based on the extenuating circumstances he has put them in, and then [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feel guilty about it]] before doing it all over again. Arbiters cannot stop working or they will cease to be, so his enforced adherence to his role is his FatalFlaw, and one which he struggles to overcome over the course of the show.
186** Though he eventually resolves to find a better approach to his job, arbiters are programmed to forget about their guests every three months so they don't get mentally overloaded. It's likely that his CharacterDevelopment by the end of the series will be reset [[spoiler:if and when he forgets about Chiyuki]], meaning that this cycle will be endless.
187* TragicKeepsake: He actually makes them himself. Those mannequins decorating Quindecim are all former guests that he admired or simply wanted to honour in some way. In the finale, [[spoiler:he makes a mannequin of Chiyuki smiling and cradling her Chavvot dolls]].
188* TranquilFury: In [[RedOniBlueOni stark contrast]] to [[HotBlooded Ginti's]] animosity, the most expressive Decim gets during their fight is giving him a simple DeathGlare while still speaking with exactly the same tone and being otherwise as stoic as usual.
189* UndressingTheUnconscious: He does this to his assistant, removing her uniform [[DudeShesLikeInAComa after knocking her out]] and dressing her in [[spoiler:the clothes she died in to make her believe that she has returned home]].
190* TheUnsmile: When asked to smile in Episode 12, he gives a really weird and forced one that doesn't impress his assistant. [[spoiler:Then he gives a better right after and now his customers are greeted with a smile - his and Chiyuki’s dummy copy.]]
191* UnwillingSuspension: Decim uses his strings to hold characters back or to be able to carry them in his arms. They clearly struggle against it, but his strings seem unbreakable.
192* UnwittingPawn: He truly has no clue that Nona is using him to further her own goals, or that his assistant was brought to him for the purpose of [[spoiler:giving him human emotions]]. He believes she just showed up randomly, and Nona's scheming is never revealed to him.
193* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Seems completely unable to understand complex human emotions or concepts. He ''realizes'' that love exists, he just can't comprehend the behaviors of those who are ''in'' love and thus overlooks emotional intricacies, leading him to make mistakes. The black-haired woman [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out on this]] in episode nine, essentially saying he has no right to pass judgment on humans when he doesn't even ''understand'' them.
194* WhatTheHellHero: His assistant becomes more and more critical oh his behavior, which finally culminates in her [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech verbally eviscerating him]] for taking things too far despite [[{{Hypocrite}} acting as though]] he cares about others and wants to empathize with them.
195* WhenSheSmiles: Gender-inverted, Episode 12 shows [[spoiler:he has a lovely smile when he genuinely gives one, as Chiyuki finds out before she's reincarnated.]]
196** Played straight with his feelings towards his assistant; thinking about her many smiles throughout the show [[spoiler: is what enabled him to smile at her in the first place]].
197* YouDidEverythingYouCould: His preferred way to comfort and console his guests, when he chooses to.
198
199[[/folder]]
200
201[[folder:Black Haired Woman/[[spoiler:Chiyuki]]]]
202[[quoteright:241:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b74efcdfe8111656d4208e5bd7b28bd6.jpg]]
203[[caption-width-right:241:"Call it a hunch."]]
204->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AsamiSeto (JP), Creator/JamieMarchi (EN), Sarah Souza (LA)
205
206A nameless amnesiac woman who works as Decim's assistant. She's strong minded and always says what she's thinking, but little else is known about her when we first meet her.
207----
208* AloofDarkHairedGirl: In ''Billiards'' moreso than the series. She stands at 5'7" (with heels) and is easily irritated, but doesn't seem phased at all by all the turmoil surrounding her.
209* AloofLeaderAffableSubordinate: In the series, she's far more friendly and talkative, and she's more willing to break the rules than Decim is. As his assistant, this is [[spoiler:invoked by Nona]].
210* AllLovingHero: Despite her [[DarkIsNotEvil appearance]] and her [[SugarAndIcePersonality occasional snark]], she's a notably kind person and she has an incredibly good-faith approach to judging the guests, quickly empathizing with and forgiving others, including a killer. She also easily forgives and empathizes with Decim, despite everything he's put her through over the course of the show.
211* AmnesiacDissonance: It's only after learning that she [[spoiler:is a dead human]] that she becomes more active in the judgments they conduct, even asking to receive the guest's memories. Before this, she was far more impassive, and her criticisms towards Decim were less harsh and pointed. She never interfered with his judgments or went over the line.
212* AmnesiacHero: Episode 2 shows her first arriving at Quindecim while having no idea who she is and what's happened to her. Episode 5 reveals she's a human who [[spoiler:actually first arrived beforehand to be judged, except she knew she was dead. Decim thus erased her memories and has since then made her work with the gang so he has more time to judge her.]]
213* AmnesiacResonance:
214** In the Drama CD, when Nona asks her to dance for the opening sequence, she says that she doesn’t know if she can, but Nona assures her that it won’t be a problem [[spoiler:because she was a figure skater as a human.]]
215** In episode 11, she is able to [[spoiler:perform an excellent skating sequence before fully gaining her memories back]].
216* AmnesiaMissedASpot: When she arrived in Quindecim, she [[spoiler:retained the memories of dying, unlike other guests]]. Nona says it was just an oversight. [[spoiler:She’s lying, she asked Quin to make sure Chiyuki retained her memories when arriving at Quindecim]].
217* AnguishedOutburst: Partly due to the stress of the situation but also because she asked to receive the memories of two guests [[spoiler:who are both killers]] for the first time, she becomes [[ExpressiveHair visibly stressed out]], [[TheScream screaming]] as one of the guests delivers a HannibalLecture and later on lashing out at Decim for inflaming the situation in the first place.
218* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Believing Decim has gone too far in his attempts at judging the guests, she finally gives him one of these in episode nine, picking apart the cruelty of the entire premise of the show and [[NotSoStoic finally causing him to break]]:
219-->"[[spoiler:It's not just grief. There are as many emotions as there are people. The fragility of someone who lets their anger get the best of them... the strength to be able to overcome fear because of love... you can't comprehend anything about them. So how can you possibly pass judgment on them]]?"
220* AudienceSurrogate: She serves as one, and it's through Nona's tutorial to her that we learn what actually happened in episode one. After episode two, she drops this role and begins to blossom as her own character.
221* BarbieDollAnatomy: Her torso is shown nude in the opening theme and in [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71WX4PcmfBL._AC_SY879_.jpg this]] promo art with no visible nipples. Even though her arm is in front of her, it's not placed properly to actually censor anything that *would* be there anyway.
222* BarefootSuicide: Her flashback sequence ends with [[spoiler:a shot of her kneeling over the side of the tub with her bare feet on display]].
223* BathSuicide: Payed with. [[spoiler:She commits suicide by slitting her wrists above the bath, but she is fully clothed and draped across the side of the tub instead of actually being ''in'' the bath]].
224* BerserkerTears: By the end of [[DarkerAndEdgier episode 9]], she's so distraught and angry over Decim's behavior that she sheds these while confronting him.
225* BeyondRedemption: In the two-part arc with two guests who have [[spoiler:killed someone]], she is immediately put-off by both of them before their motives are revealed. Afterwards, she does her best to help one of them get a second chance at life, but is ''extremely'' antagonistic towards the other one and doesn't bother trying to redeem him.
226* BigWordShout: She screams "Stop!" when one of the guests delivers a HannibalLecture after revealing that he [[spoiler:watched the other guest's little sister get assaulted so he could enact his own twisted version of vigilanted justice]]. The dub has her scream "please make it stop!" instead, to match the flaps.
227* BlankStare:
228** Towards the end of her flashback montage, she’s shown [[spoiler:staring blankly down while her friends and family slowly disappear]].
229** She is also seen staring blankly at her figure skating awards in the dark until her mom snaps her out of it.
230* BrokenBird: She became this after [[spoiler:her numb reaction to a career-ending injury caused her to reevaluate herself, her life, and the people around her. Nothing could get through to her, and her self-loathing and cynicism eventually drove her to suicide]].
231* BrokenTears: In the final episode, she breaks down completely while apologizing to [[spoiler:her mom for having committed suicide, and does so again while begging Decim to push a button that would bring her back to life in exchange for someone else.]]
232* BroodingBoyGentleGirl:
233** Despite her occasional hot-headed moments, she's a tender girl whl fills the role as a guiding force and supportive MoralityPet for Decim. She makes the effort to get to know him better [[CreepyDoll through his weird hobbies]] and comforts him [[spoiler:when he breaks down]].
234** Inverted after [[spoiler:she regains her memories]]; her DespairEventHorizon leads her to [[ContemplateOurNavels become the brooding one]] while Decim gently tries to talk her through it.
235* CannotSpitItOut:
236** She'll frequently try to talk to Decim about something before cutting herself off and saying it's nothing, or changing the subject entirely. She's not good at talking about her problems or concerns, which leads her to isolate [[spoiler:and ultimately kill herself when she was alive]].
237** There are a few shots where she'll stare at [[EmotionlessGirl Decim]]'s FrozenFace and start to ask him something, then disregard it. In the GrandFinale, [[CharacterDevelopment she finally]] [[spoiler:musters up the will to ask him to smile]].
238* ChildishBangs: Her bangs are much shorter when she was [[UsedToBeASweetKid just a kid]], slowly getting longer as she grows older, growing far passed her eyebrows [[spoiler:when she enters a depressive phase]].
239* ComicallySerious: She shows this in episode 6 when everyone is [[spoiler:energetically clapping to Harada's show, she and Decim calmly and slowly clap instead]].
240* ContinuityNod: Her body begins to wear down around her left wrist, [[spoiler:which his how she committed suicide]].
241* CoolDownHug:
242** In desperation, she attempts to give one to Shimada in episode nine, when he's offered one final chance to take revenge on the person who watched his sister suffer. [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]]
243** In Episode 12 she gives one to [[spoiler:Decim]] after they break down into tears, and the two hug each other while they cry.
244* CosmicPlaything: She’s brought to Quindecim for the sole reason of [[spoiler:helping Decim develop human emotions in an experiment Nona is trying out]]. She’s lied to and manipulated throughout her stay, forced to watch humans get emotionally tortured and abuse one another [[spoiler:despite being a human herself, with Nona even admitting that humans can’t judge other humans]], and has her memories and identity taken from her in an experiment that is implied to have been known to be futile from the start. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Every attempt she makes to help others blows up in her face]], and even when she regains her memories and finally opens up to Decim, [[spoiler:he responds by manual ting her again and causing her even ''more'' suffering]]. All this just because a couple of people in charge wanted to try something new.
245* CuteIndignantGirlStance: PlayedForDrama. She makes this exact pose towards Decim when getting between him and a guest to prevent him from pushing the poor guy into doing something he might regret.
246* CynicismCatalyst: One that happened [[TroubledBackstoryFlashback in her past]]. [[spoiler:Busting up her knee and being unable to skate again did quite a number on her, turning her into a downplayed Straw Nihilist and causing her to believe that she was insignificant and a bad person, and that humans were all strangers who could never have any hope of understanding one another. It got bad enough that it drove her to taking her own life, in part because she wasn't able to understand why she felt that way in the first place]].
247* DarkIsNotEvil: She's clad in all black, has [[RedEyesTakeWarning reddish eyes]], dark hair with a suspect white streak, and thick bangs. Her appearance almost makes her look villainous. Yet despite that, she's the most optimistic character thus far, and is very grounded and empathetic, especially compared to the [[LightIsNotGood bright looking arbiters]].
248* DeadAllAlong: Episode five reveals that she's a human [[spoiler:who was sent to Quindecim after she died. She finally realizes it in Episode 7 but she doesn't talk to Decim about it for a while.]]
249* DeadpanSnarker: She has her snark moments, though they're more deadpan in ''Billiards'' than the TV series.
250* DeathAmnesia: She figures out on her own that she is already [[spoiler:dead, just like the guests]] after finding a book she read as a child.
251* DeathGlare: When she finds out that one of the guests at Quindecim is a murderer, she greets them both with one of these. [[spoiler:Turns out both of them were killers, but she sympathizes with Shimada]]. She later gives one to Tatsumi while he’s taunting Shimada.
252* DespairEventHorizon: She fell into a deep depression after [[spoiler:a serious knee injury took away her chances of ever ice skating again. Even though she was surrounded by people who cared for her, she was completely numb to the news and grew to hate herself for being so despondent. Believing that the ones who surrounded her were like strangers, and that people could never hope to understand one another, she eventually took her own life]].
253* DistinctiveAppearances: Interestingly, she is the only human character with unnatural hair and eye colors. She is also designed to have much shinier hair than anyone else in the show.
254* DramaticDrop: She is given a tool to help undo [[MyGreatestFailure her past]] [[spoiler:during Decim's judgement, which will bring her back to life]], at the expense of someone else. She gets pretty close to touching it until she remembers all of their guests and everything they've gone through, and then lets it drop to the ground.
255* DramaticIrony: While the audience is made aware of her situation by the fifth episode, it takes her a while before realizing that she's [[spoiler:just like the guests at Quindecim - a dead human. The irony is played up here because she's been assisting in their judgments, as well. After the realization, she becomes a bit more proactive in the judgments, requesting that she be sent the memories of the guests in the episode immediately after]].
256* DrivenToSuicide: Episode eleven reveals that [[spoiler:this was the cause of her death. Chiyuki was a professional ice skater but due to a serious knee injury, she was told she can never skate again. She fell into depression and eventually killed herself after a DespairEventHorizon made her believe she was "nothing," and realize that no one could hope to understand one another.]]
257* DullEyesOfUnhappiness:
258** After her DespairEventHorizon, she's almost always seen with dull eyes and a downward gaze.
259** Also happens when she is given the choice to [[spoiler:bring herself back from the dead in exchange of the life of another]], and almost chooses yes.
260* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Fitting for an amnesiac with a mysterious past. Her design stands out from the rest of the cast in that it's dark and unnerving, rather than fun and colorful. Interestingly, it still manages to stand out from the regular looking humans that visit Quindecim as well, putting her somewhere in the middle.
261* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite being very empathetic and non-judgmental, she becomes very circumspect when she finds out that one of the guests is a killer.
262* ExhaustedEyeBags: The first time she gets memories of the dead, she collapses and temporarily gets these. It certainly doesn't help that the guests [[spoiler:were both killers with tragic backstories]].
263* ExpressiveHair: Her hair gets messy when she gets stressed out. Notably, in a show with so many [[FreakOut freak-outs]], she's the only one who does this.
264* EyeAwaken:
265** In ''Death Parade,'' when she appears at Nona’s tower, she is shown to slowly open her eyes when she wakes up.
266** She has a recurring dream throughout the series and always wakes up from them like this.
267* EyeMotifs: Her eyes are often drawn with more detail than the other characters, reflecting more light, and getting plenty of focus throughout the show. The white streak in her bangs points down to her right eye, which is the same side that Decim hides with his own bangs [[spoiler:until she parts his hair during his emotional outburst]].
268* EyeRecall:
269** When she requests the memories of the guests in episode 8, the camera zooms right into her pupil. This doesn’t seem to happen to the arbiters, though.
270** In her flashback sequence in episode 11, this doesn’t happen until the end when [[spoiler:she remembers her knee injury and subsequent depression]].
271* FailuresOnIce: An example that's actually played for drama - [[spoiler: a career-ending knee injury was a Cynicism Catalyst that eventually led to her taking her own life]].
272* {{Fainting}}: Invoked. The arbiters have the ability to put people to sleep, and she falls victim to this at least ''three'' times.
273* FaintInShock: The first time she asks to receive memories of the dead, she collapses to the floor. [[spoiler:It certainly didn't help that they were memories from ''two murderers'']].
274* {{Facepalm}}: She's especially prone to these when Decim is being...well, [[SuperStoicShopkeeper Decim]].
275* FatalFlaw: Her inability to open up and communicate her feelings. It's shown sporadically throughout the series that she clearly wants to talk to Decim about her concerns with her own life, [[https://imgur.com/a/Ap3U7SG or her concerns with his behavior]], but she *always* [[https://imgur.com/a/vEMPMIs cuts herself off]] before she can say anything. It got so bad [[spoiler:when she was a human, that she pushed away everyone who tried to get to her after her traumatic accident until it ''worked'', and she ended up killing herself after]].
276* FeetFirstIntroduction: When she awakens in the tower for the first time, she's introduced with her bare feet, likely alluding to [[spoiler: her barefoot suicide]].
277* {{Foil}}: Episode nine firmly cements her as Decim's foil - she spends about half the episode [[WhatTheHellHero calling him out on his callousness]] and trying to get him to understand why what he's doing is wrong. What started out as a RedOniBlueOni dichotomy eventually developed into this after she believes him to have crossed a line.
278* ForgottenFirstMeeting: She doesn’t know that she’s [[spoiler:met Decim as a guest before becoming his assistant]], and is never shown finding out.
279* FormalCharactersUseKeigo: Normally she actually speaks very casually, [[{{Foil}} in stark contrast]] to [[TheStoic Decim]]. However, she has no problem using formal keigo towards guests when she's working. [[spoiler: She drops the act altogether in episode 9 when she fully goes against the entire judging process, even using much more disrespectful speech to address Tatsumi]].
280* FriendToAllChildren: She's generally aloof to most customers, but is noticeably kinder to the child shown in episode five. This was likely an InvokedTrope, as the child is simply Ginti in disguise, and it's possible he took that form to bring her close enough to him so he can put her out for a bit.
281* GhostAmnesia: She doesn’t remember her name or her former life when she is made Decim’s assistant.
282* GoOutWithASmile: At the end of the series, [[spoiler:when Decim sends her off to be reincarted, he gives her a genuine smile and she is able to do so in return]].
283* GracefulLadiesLikePurple: She is poised and elegant and has an purple-leaning color scheme. Her figure skating dress is also purple, and she definitely displays grace and refinery when she skates.
284* HairContrastDuo: With Decim. Opposite hair colors, completely different hairstyles, and contrasting personalities and roles to match.
285* HappyFlashback: Her [[spoiler:ice skating]] sequence in the eleventh episode helps her to recall these: she seemed to have a good relationship with her parents and was always surrounded by friends, and she had a promising future in her hobby as well. [[spoiler:Until an injury made her unable to ever enjoy ice skating again, and the flashback turns sour really fast]].
286* TheHeart: Episode 9 cements her as the kindest and most empathetic of the cast, particularly when she pleads with Shimada not to damn himself to the Void because if he's reincarnated, he may be able to see his sister again someday.
287* [[HisOwnWorstEnemy Her Own Worst Enemy]]: She genuinely doesn't believe that people can ever hope to understand one another, and doesn't even bother trying to open up as a result, which creates something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. She constantly brushes off Decim when he expresses himself or tries to get her to open up, which is why he wanted to get close to her in the first place. [[spoiler:When she was alive, this is part of what led to her suicide]].
288* HeyYou: She refers to Decim with "anta" in episode 9 [[spoiler:while giving him a "reasons why you suck" speech. She also refers to Tatsumi this way in the same episode when he derides her attempts at moral decency]].
289* HiddenEyes: She was intentionally designed with chunky bangs for moments like these, such as [[spoiler:remembering her mom or trying to prevent Shimada from hurting Tatsumi in episode 9]].
290* HimeCut: Long hair, even bangs, and such. It suits her more in the series than it did in ''Billiards'' since she seems more innocent, dignified, and elegant here.
291* HotBlooded: Once she begins getting accustomed to the system, her personality begins to shine as this despite her appearance. Downplayed, for the most part, since the show is fairly mature.
292* IdentityBreakdown: Her identity was so tied up with being [[spoiler:a figure skater]], that when she lost the ability to do it, she realized she had no idea who she was and felt incredibly disconnected from everyone around her, eventually believing that [[spoiler:her life had no meaning before committing suicide]].
293* InternalReveal: It isn’t until halfway through the series that she finally realizes [[spoiler:she is human, just like the guests]], something that the viewers knew from prior episodes.
294* InstantSedation: [[spoiler:Decim]] slips ''something'' in her drink that makes her go out like a light the second she takes a sip.
295* IronicName: Her real name is revealed to [[spoiler:essentially mean "knowing happiness," something she was ''not'' able to do after her career-ending injury, which later lead to her suicide]].
296* ItsAllMyFault: In the finale, when she falls for an illusion of [[spoiler:her grieving mother who is taking the blame for her suicide]], she turns it around on herself and says she's the only one to blame.
297* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Episode five reveals that [[spoiler:Decim had her memories erased and brought her into Quindecim to extend her judgement.]] Ginti seems surprised that the amnesia hadn't lifted by that point, [[spoiler:though it starts to change in episode 7]].
298* LeadYouCanRelateTo: The recurring characters have bizarre, exaggerated personalities with no backstory and little to no identity outside of their jobs. She's the only one who acts like...well, a person, and doesn't fulfill any stereotypes while still being interesting in her own right. Having a realistic hair color and style is a good visual cue as well.
299* LegFocus: Taken advantage of in lots of promo art, as seen [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/cd6691c7a8d1bc5187167761dc1fec65/tumblr_nggbw9hBk21qmlmyuo1_500.jpg a particular one]] of her sitting on the table with her legs given the most focus. The eleventh episode gives her a [[spoiler:skating]] sequence that is absolutely full of leg focus, though it's justified.
300* {{Leitmotif}}: The track "[[AllLowercaseLetters moonlit night]]", which finally plays in full during her flashback sequence. Different variations of the song can be heard during her dreams and any mention of the book ''Chavvot''.
301* LockedOutOfTheLoop:
302** In the short film, Decim doesn't answer any of her questions, and she's not allowed to know which player went where. This is mostly averted in the series, where she's told almost everything she needs to know about the games and arbiters, but any questions about her identity are left unanswered. Whenever Decim answers any of her questions, she seems genuinely surprised.
303** Episode five pushes this a bit further by revealing her LaserGuidedAmnesia and the fact that everyone knows that she's a human who [[spoiler:died some time ago, except for her]].
304* LonelyAmongPeople: A flashback sequence reveals her surrounded by people who care for her and are trying to support her after an accident, but she narrates that she felt like they were all suddenly strangers to her, eventually pushing them all away in the end.
305* LovelyAssistant: She's an attractive woman who only performs menial tasks while Decim makes the drinks and carries out the judgments. Eventually, she becomes more proactive.
306* TheMcCoy: Empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and outspoken. She functions as TheHeart and is openly defiant to Decim's underhanded tactics. As it turns out, this is [[spoiler:deliberately invoked by Nona, who brought her on so that she can influence Decim]].
307* MeaningfulLook: Shares one with Decim at the end of the series.
308* MeaningfulName: Her real name - [[spoiler:Chiyuki - is written with the kanji for "knowing" and "happiness." In the last episode, just as Decim is sending her off, he remembers her rare smiles throughout the series and for the first time is able to genuinely smile himself]].
309* MomentOfWeakness: When Decim shows her an illusion of [[spoiler:her crying, grieving mother]] and convinces her that she can [[spoiler:bring herself back to life]] in exchange of the life of someone else, she becomes very close to accepting it before deciding not to...only to become overcome with grief and to ask Decim to do it, instead.
310* MoralityPet: Towards Decim. This is implied to have been [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Nona, as it is revealed in the final episode that [[spoiler:rather than “implanting emotions” in Decim, she simply had him conduct his judgments with a human]].
311* MsFanservice: When asked to describe her, the first thing her voice actress says is that she's a "beautiful woman with sex appeal." The show itself lacks MaleGaze so this is generally averted in the series proper, but played up in promotional material.
312* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: She has a fairly apathetic view towards her own [[spoiler:suicide]], and it isn't until she sees the serious impact that it had on [[spoiler:her mother]] that she truly realizes her mistake.
313* MysteriousPast: Has no idea who or what she is, and no one seems to want to tell her, either. Episode five reveals that she was a human who [[spoiler:remembered she was dead and thus could not be prompted into playing one of Decim's games, so he had her memories erased and is keeping her as his assistant to extend her judgement.]]
314* MysteriousPurple: Has a purple color scheme and is a mysterious character with amnesia. She also randomly finds a purple dress in her closet, which ends up relating to her past later on.
315* NaiveNewcomer: Fits this role in the series. She's intuitive, but Nona seems to think she's overly optimistic. By episode three, [[ExperiencedProtagonist Decim]] observes that she's getting more accustomed to the job, and her more relaxed personality is a teller.
316* NameAmnesia: The character credited as [[YouKnowTheOne "Black Haired Woman"]] wakes up with total amnesia. Nona walks up and introduces herself. The woman says she can't remember her name, but Nona flatly says she doesn't have one. [[spoiler:She eventually remembers her name is Chiyuki.]]
317* NiceGirl: Despite her somewhat creepy appearance and melancholic disposition, she's a genuinely kind and empathetic young woman, and, barring Decim who gets better later on, the only one who really can be considered as a good person.
318* NoFullNameGiven: While her first name is eventually revealed, her last name is unmentioned, even in supplemental material. Notably, despite being the main character, she is the ''only'' [[spoiler:human]] character whose full name is never given, as every other guest has this information readily available.
319* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
320** In episode 5 she rushes to help a kid who was hurt by the other guest, only for the kid to [[spoiler:knock ''her'' out instead, since the kid happened to be Ginti in disguise and he wanted a chance to talk to Decim]].
321** The one time she becomes more proactive with the judgment and even asks to receive their memories, the guests [[spoiler:are both killers]] who become increasingly antagonistic and aggressive as the episodes unfold. She even ''physically'' tries to restrain one guest from attacking the other one, and it seems to work, [[spoiler:until Tatsumi demeans her good intent, which causes Shimada to break down and torture the man while she still still tries to hold him back]].
322** Her entire existence is what provokes Decim into wanting to be a better person. She gets him to open up, to emote more, and to be kinder to others, and even opens up to him return, which is what he wanted from her in the first place. How does she get rewarded for this? [[spoiler:By being lied to, deceived, and manipulated by Decim and Nona for the entirety of her stay at Quindecim, and then later on by being drugged and likely undressed by Decim when he puts her through a secret test of character that causes her to completely break down]].
323* OddCouple: Deliberately invoked by Nona, as she thought that this woman would be a good influence on Decim due to her emotional nature and [[spoiler:her literal humanity]]. Despite being foils in pretty much every way, they get along just fine and have a great rapport, and she gets him to open up and comes to respect him overtime.
324* OnlySaneMan: Due to the rest of the staff being an AllStereotypeCast, she takes on this role simply for being so ''normal''.
325* PastLifeMemories: A flashback of being read to as a child is what finally causes her to realize that [[spoiler:she’s a dead human]].
326* PatrickStewartSpeech:
327** Gives one to Decim in episode 9, but rather than playing up humanity's strengths, she instead talks about how simple they are and how wrong it is to judge them.
328** Gives another one in the final episode about how everyone has someone who cares about them, and why that needs to be honored.
329* PerkyGoth: She may appear stoic and emotionless but she is actually quite expressive and is the most optimistic in the cast. Inverted after [[spoiler:her figure skating injury when she was still alive, where she dressed normally despite being deeply cynical and gloomy, and eventually killing herself]].
330* PerpetualFrowner: In ''Billiards'' she only frowns. She's a bit more expressive in the TV series. [[spoiler:This happens to her after her knee injury, however.]]
331* PerpetualSmiler: In her flashbacks [[spoiler:of her life as a human, she is shown always smiling up until her knee injury]].
332* PersonalHorror: Invoked by Decim, who intentionally puts her through this. When she first recounts her [[spoiler:loss and suicide]], she seems pretty blasé and accepting. It's not until he later shows her the consequences of her actions, [[spoiler:forcing her to watch her mother cry over her shrine while apologizing and blaming herself for her daughter's suicide]] that she becomes devasted over what she's done and truly realizes how terrible what she did was.
333* PlotTriggeringDeath: If it weren't for [[spoiler:her suicide]], there wouldn't be an overarching plot.
334* ProneToTears: Starting around episode 8, she cries at least OncePerEpisode, often to Decim’s confusion.
335-->'''Decim:''' Tell me, what emotion are you feeling right now?
336-->'''Woman:''' Huh? [[TearfulSmile I’m obviously sad, aren’t I?]]
337* PurpleIsTheNewBlack: She's literally described as a "black haired woman" in official references, but her hair has a noticeable tint of violet to it. This seems to be a JustifiedTrope as the cool blue lighting at the Quindecim reflects on her very shiny hair, since it looks more black in normal environments.
338* RavenHairIvorySkin: In the series proper, she is created to be an attractive young woman who Decim has grown an interest to and is protective of. Her lack of focus in ''Billiards'', however, made her seem more of the [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette eerie]] and [[AloofDarkHairedGirl aloof]] type.
339* TheReveal: Episode 5 reveals that she is [[spoiler:a human being who has had her judgment period extended by 3 months because Decim wasn’t able to judge her properly initially]]. However, [[InternalReveal she doesn’t realize this herself until much later]].
340* RedEyesTakeWarning: Played straight in ''Billiards'', since her identity is a mystery and she has a fairly eerie presence. Averted in the series however, [[DarkIsNotEvil as she's shown to be one of the nicest characters]].
341* RecurringDreams: Episode 5 reveals that she's been having these about the book called "Chavvot". This appears to have something to do with her past.
342* RedOniBlueOni: Red to Decim's blue, starting mainly from the third episode, signified by their character designs. She has her hot-headed moments and can be quite expressive, while Decim is mostly stoic and calm.
343* RegainedMemoriesSequence: In the penultimate episode, she finally regains her memories while figure skating.
344* {{Reincarnation}}: How she ends up.
345* RousingSpeech: She tries to give this to one of their guests to prevent him from assaulting his game partner and ending up in the void as a result. She plays to his sensitivities regarding [[spoiler:his sister]], telling him that if he's reincarnated he could have a chance to see her again. It actually seems to work for a moment as the guest pulls back, but then his opponent [[ShutUpKirk admonishes her]] and he ends up attacking him anyway.
346* RuleOfSexy: It's never explained why her uniform is [[HighHeelPower so]] [[LegFocus different]] [[BareMidriffsAreFeminine from]] the rest of the staff, and no one ever brings it up either, but she certainly [[MsFanservice looks good wearing it]].
347* ScarsAreForever: Played with. [[spoiler:Her body is a dummy like other guests. After she regains her memories through ice-skating, she falls and her body is damaged in two particular places: her right knee, where she sustained a severe injury when she was alive, and her right wrist, which she slit to commit suicide.]]
348* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: She eventually comes to oppose the arbitration so much that she intentionally interjects when she thinks things have gone too far. She tries to help a distraught guest by revealing the entire system to him and trying to stop him from crossing a line.
349* SecretTestOfCharacter:
350** Unbeknownst to her, [[spoiler:she was sent to Quindecim when she died but could not be coerced into playing any games because she could ''remember'' she had died. Decim then had her memory erased and had her judgement trial extended, and that's the reason she became his assistant]].
351** She gets a proper one in the final episode: after bringing her back to her old house and showing her how her mum is devastated after her death, [[spoiler: Decim tells her there is a way to return back to life and erase all memories of her death: if Chiyuki will agree to kill one random person in exchange. She is almost willing to agree until she realizes that whoever may die because of her wish, there will be someone mourning their death as much as her mother is mourning Chiyuki's death. She declines the offer, breaks down... and it turns out the whole scenery was just an illusion made to test her.]]
352* SelfDeprecation: She clearly begins to spiral mentally after [[spoiler:sustaining a career-ending injury]], which shatters her sense of self. Her mom tries to cheer her up by telling her how proud she is of the woman she's become, but she brushes her off and tells her to leave.
353-->"No...I'm not a good woman."
354* SentimentalHomemadeToy: Her mom made her Chavvot dolls for her birthday when she was young. [[spoiler:Decim holds onto replicas of them after they part ways]].
355* ScreamingWoman: She screams rather suddenly in episode nine when one of the guests delivers a HannibalLecture while revealing some of the terrible things he has done.
356* ShouldersUpNudity: Has a brief shower scene that shows her from the shoulders up.
357* SingleTear: After she finally [[spoiler:remembers her name]].
358* SmashTheSymbol: She destroys the tool that Decim uses to interfere with the games that his guests play, making it very clear where she stands morally.
359* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:Her mom]] tries to tell her this during a depressive episode, but she brushes her off.
360* SugarAndIcePersonality: Though not quite so much as [[SuperStoicShopkeeper Decim]], she's pretty distant towards the guests, especially when explaining the rules. She's only shown concern to a couple guests, one of them being a child. She's a considerably warmer person when it's just her and Decim, as even around Nona she was pretty guarded and distant.
361* TheStoic: ''Only'' in ''Billiards'', where she seems almost as cold as ''Decim,'' and the only time she emotes is out of frustration when the jellyfish tank gets shattered.
362* SympatheticPOV: Her introductory episode has her viewing one of Decim's judgements from literally another point of view and shedding new light on the possible motivations of one of the guests, causing Decim to realize that [[OhCrap he may have made a mistake]].
363* TearfulSmile: Happens frequently throughout the series, such as when she remembers her name and her backstory. This also appears to be the initial reason that Decim was so drawn to her and wanted to get to know her better, since [[spoiler:seeing her face like this after she showed up in Quindecim having remembered that she had died is what causes him to ask Nona if he can keep her with him throughout her judgment trial.]]
364** Decim lampshades the ambiguity of this expression by questioning how she feels when she makes expressions like this. [[ArmorPiercingQuestion She isn’t able to answer him]].
365* TearsOfJoy: [[spoiler:Most notably, she sheds these after she sees Decim smile for the first time, before he sees her off to be reincarnated]].
366* TearsOfRemorse: Seeing the grief she's caused [[spoiler:her mother after she killed herself]], she falls to her knees and sheds these while continuously apologizing.
367* TechnicolorEyes: It wouldn't be unusual considering the setting, but her eyes have always been red [[spoiler:even as a living human, despite all the other humans in the show looking perfectly normal]]. They even seem to ''glow'' with an eerie purple during her more emotional moments.
368* TheEeyore: Seems to become this after an injury [[spoiler:which causes her to lose her ability to skate and sends her into a pit of depression]].
369--> ’’I just felt like, 'I'm nothing, I'm no one.'’’
370* ThousandYardStare: In contrast to [[PerpetualSmiler her usual behavior]], her flashback sequence [[spoiler:ends with her staring blankly down at her legs after losing her ability to skate.]]
371* TokenGoodTeammate: She’s capable of exhibiting human emotion and is the most empathetic recurring cast member.
372* TokenHuman: Is revealed to be a human and appears to be the only one in the main cast, something Ginti is not particularly fond of.
373* TomatoInTheMirror: She has no clue who she is and just does her job as she is told, until she finds out [[spoiler:that she is a human who has died]], at which point her character arc begins to unravel.
374* UnwillingSuspension: Decim uses his string to suspend her before he carries her away, but she's passed out both times.
375* UnwittingPawn:
376** She was brought to the Quindecim specifically by Nona so she could use her as an experiment [[spoiler:to give Decim human emotions by working alongside him and teaching him how to care for and empathize with others]].
377** Decim, while not as outwardly manipulative as Nona, has kept her around [[spoiler:and had her memory wiped]] to satisfy his own curiosity about human nature. Later, he very cruelly [[spoiler:tricks her into an illusion and lies to her so he can better understand her emotions]] in the final episode, and she doesn't even realize it until he apologizes to her.
378* WalkingSpoiler: It's not just her name, but her backstory and her role in the narrative that reveals so much about her character arc ''and'' the show, making it hard to talk about her, the overarching plot, or even Decim's development. Even early promos and interviews just mentioned her looks rather than her job or personality, even though her appearance isn't plot-relevant at all and is never even discussed.
379* TheWatson: Justified as she is a NaiveNewcomer with no understanding of how the system works, so the many questions she asks [[MrExposition Nona]] about her job make sense in-universe. Her curiosity and unwillingness to just accept Decim's behavior at face value leading her to asking questions that [[ArmorPiercingQuestion change the course of the story]], [[spoiler:which is likely what Nona was planning for all along]].
380* WhatTheHellHero: Absolutely ''slams'' Decim with ''two'' of these speeches in the ninth episode, [[NotSoStoic finally eliciting a genuine emotional response from him for the first time]].
381* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Her judgment culminates into this, with Decim telling her that if she pushes the button on the device that creates extreme conditions, [[spoiler:she will be able to return to life in exchange for another's. She won't know the person and no one will know what she's done - not even her - as her memories of Quindecim will be erased. She gets close to pressing it, until her memories of the past guests at the bar make her realize that she'll cause someone pain, which she can't bear. She refuses to press it despite Decim's prodding, but seeing her mother crying while clutching the new ''Chavvot'' dolls she made causes her to break down and beg for Decim to press it instead]].
382* WideEyedIdealist: She has a far more optimistic perspective on humans and on society than the arbiters do, and doesn’t approve of the judgment system overall. This is part of the reason that Decim finds himself drawn to her, but also why Nona thinks she [[BreakTheCutie has a long way to go]].
383* WorldWearyWaitress: Presented as this in the original short film, but acts more as a snarky NaiveNewcomer in the show proper.
384* YouKnowTheOne: She's called "Black Haired Woman" so that the team can more easily identify her without actually giving her a name.
385[[/folder]]
386
387[[folder:Nona]]
388[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1e295e23de9d2553b41e17d37b5f7666.jpg]]
389[[caption-width-right:225:"You'll soon get used to it."]]
390->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RumiOokubo (JP), Creator/JadSaxton (EN)
391
392A young-looking girl who has high seniority among the towers and is Decim and Ginti's boss. She manages Nonaginta (90F) and takes her job seriously, but generally acts rather childishly otherwise.
393----
394* AintTooProudToBeg: A minor version; Nona's more likely to try and bribe and beg Castra [[spoiler: to divert specific guests to Decim]] rather than simply pulling rank or blackmail. [[spoiler: Castra recognises it as a sign that Nona doesn't have a lot of time for whatever she's planning.]]
395* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: She’s the manager of her tower, and she’s strong enough to bring anyone down.
396* BeautifulDreamer: Oculus says she's even cute while she sleeps, much to her chagrin.
397* BunnyEarsLawyer: She tends to act childish, but she has seniority over most of the characters and takes her job quite seriously.
398* TheChessmaster: She shows some elements of this, [[spoiler: and she knows that there isn't a lot of time to get her game done]]. Rather fitting, considering she's a manager.
399* CustomUniform: Likely because she's a manager, her outfit is different than the standard female uniform, making her look cuter and more laid-back.
400* TheCynic: She's critical of the system, but also critical of humans. When the black-haired woman thinks that a couple could have been happy if they [[PoorCommunicationKills just talked things true]], she rebukes her, believing that the man in that relationship was so untrusting that he could never be happy.
401* MisterBig: She is the leader of her tower, but she’s 4’11” and has the looks of a teenage girl.
402* MrExposition: Her entire role in her intro episode is to explain everything about the arbiters, Quindecim, and the games they play with guests to the black-haired woman. Justified, given that the latter is a NaiveNewcomer with no understanding of the situation she's been placed in.
403* OlderThanTheyLook: She's been alive ''at least'' 82 years, yet looks like a young college student.
404* PintSizedPowerhouse: She's able to incapacitate a very muscular man more than twice her size. Likely justified, seeing as she's "lived" at least 82 years and has more experience than him, and is capable of using some sort of magic.
405* PurpleIsPowerful: [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience Her eyes]] are light purple, and she resides on the highest floor, giving her seniority over many other characters. She's also very strong physically.
406* SecretKeeper: An unusual variety in that she doesn't act like the Black Haired Woman are secrets, and thus doesn't draw undue attention to the things she's trying to keep secret. Even when Ginti learns about [[spoiler: the Black Haired Woman]], Nona doesn't try to cover it up, leaving Ginti curious but mostly confused without any focus on her.
407* SignatureHairDecs: Has a jeweled ornament tying her hair into a thick braid, adding to her childish, feminine appearance.
408* SugarAndIcePersonality: She's generally witty, fun, and amiable, if a little morbid. However, she has a stiff, cold, and no-nonsense side to her that comes out when speaking to and disciplining the staff, and she's not particularly kind to them when they don't meet her standards.
409* TokenMiniMoe: Played with. She's one of the oldest members in the cast despite looking like a teenager, [[OnlySaneMan and certainly doesn't act like one either]].
410* WaifFu: Despite looking like a frail young girl, she's capable of effortlessly knocking out [[TheBigGuy Ginti]] and does some pretty impressive backflips in her brief squabble with [[spoiler:Oculus]].
411
412[[/folder]]
413
414[[folder:Clavis]]
415[[quoteright:293:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d0edc5461e0d866da7b5f57ebf6b0ac1.png]]
416->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KoukiUchiyama (JP), Zach Bolton (EN), Sergio Morel (LA)
417
418A young man who acts as the elevator operator and mainly attends to Nona. He's a friendly and laid-back guy but little else is known about him.
419----
420* CatchPhrase: "Where to today?" Usually followed by an "Okay!"
421* TheConfidant: Implied in the Drama CD to be this towards Nona, and seems to be the only person who knows the real reasons behind her actions.
422* EyesAlwaysShut: His default expression along with his perpetual smiling. His eyes are yet to be seen opened.
423* TheGadfly: He has a mischievous streak, and seems to ''especially'' like making fun of Ginti.
424* TheKlutz: Shown in the opening, where [[FreezeFrameBonus he slips and is about to fall while the characters are swinging across the screen.]]
425* PerpetualSmiler: Is constantly smiling.
426
427[[/folder]]
428
429[[folder:Ginti]]
430[[quoteright:222:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/02dff35c124577a277594ce62354ed8b.jpg]]
431%%[[caption-width-right:222:some caption text]]
432->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YoshimasaHosoya (JP), Creator/RobertMcCollum (EN), Manuel Campuzano (LA)
433
434The arbiter and bartender of the 20th floor, Viginti. He's very rough and impatient to both his guests and fellow workers, especially to Decim whom he doesn't particularly like.
435----
436* ADayInTheLimelight: Episode six is all about him and the way he conducts himself as an arbiter. It's...pretty terrifying, especially when compared to how Decim works.
437* AmbiguouslyBrown: Is noticeably darker than most of the cast and has no particular race as he isn't human.
438* AnimalMotifs: WordOfGod confirms that his design was inspired by rockhopper penguins, of all things.
439* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: {{Zigzagged|Trope}}. His [[HotBlooded behavior]] is pretty much what you'd expect out of [[FieryRedhead someone who looks the way he does]]... yet his powers are [[MakingASplash water-based]] despite having red and yellow as his [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience color scheme]] and a hairstyle that resembles fire, and he's extremely quick and agile for someone his size.
440* BerserkButton: Ginti can't stand it when people touch the human-shaped figures he keeps on display in Viginti. In episode 12, it's revealed that [[spoiler:the dolls are actually his mementos of the humans he wishes to remember, expressed when he polishes the newly made doll of Mayu]].
441* ButtMonkey:
442** Nona and Clavis seem to ''really'' enjoy picking on him.
443** In the Drama CD, Mayu and Chiyuki also get in a few digs at him for wearing suspenders with a belt.
444* CantTakeCriticism: Despite already being a prickly guy, he becomes noticeably even ''more'' angry when Mayu tells him she pities him and that his job is incomprehensible.
445* ClintSquint: Almost constantly squinting, when he’s not glaring that is.
446* CombatParkour: Surprisingly able to pull off some more complicated parkour moves despite his size, and this seems to be his only manner of defense against Decim.
447* CustomUniform: Reflecting his more casual personality, his outfit doesn't fit him properly and he doesn't wear his bowtie. He keeps his sleeves rolled up too. Most of the background arbiters we see dress properly.
448* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Within the first ten minutes of his screen time, he puts the black-haired woman to sleep, mocks and attacks Decim, calls him an idiot about three times, and implies that humans are inferior to arbiters, firmly cementing him as a HotBlooded, FieryRedhead [[FantasticRacism with superiority issues]] and a strong distaste for Decim's methods and behavior.
449* FantasticRacism: He hates humans and seems to have something of a superiority complex.
450* FieryRedhead: Bonus points for having a hairstyle that actually ''resembles'' a flame. However, his fieriness comes out more as aggression and heated anger than it does passion.
451* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: The grumpy to Mayu's gleeful.
452* HairTriggerTemper: He's constantly irritated and annoyed and he yells at every little thing that bothers him. In his own words, just being around certain people, like [[TheStoic Decim]] or [[GenkiGirl Mayu]] gets him riled up.
453* HotBlooded: He's aggressive and antagonizing, and seems to have quite the temper.
454* IgnoreTheFanservice: Mayu freaks out when he sees her panties, but he says he couldn't care less.
455* InsecureProtagonistArrogantAntagonist: He starts off confident, arrogant, and aggressive, and only becomes ''more'' antagonistic as the series progresses. On the other hand, Decim is sensitive and [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplative]], and also [[CharacterDevelopment becomes more insecure]] towards the end of the series.
456* {{Jerkass}}: Compared to how Decim handles the players complaints, Ginti shows more irritation and apathy. He also ''really'' seems to enjoy putting pressure on the humans he judges. And manipulating people into doing things such as [[spoiler: going to the void by themselves]].
457* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: His arc with Mayu is set-up similarly to Decim's arc with his assistant, and it seems that likewise, she might actually turn out to be his MoralityPet who brings out the best in him, but sadly, he's an asshole through and through. [[spoiler:He tricks her into sending someone into the void in Harada's place, which she agrees to, but then he sends them both to the void anyway]].
458* LightningBruiser: He's fast and strong, but lacks any of the defenses Decim's own abilities grant him.
459* MadeOfIron: Gets smashed through the jellyfish aquarium and gets back up instantly, without even a scratch. This is possibly due to him being an arbiter, and thus not allowed to die.
460* ManipulativeBastard: He lies to [[spoiler: Mayu]] that there is a chance of [[spoiler: bringing back Harada's soul if there is a soul to be exchanged for his. Mayu believes and is cast into the void]].
461* MakingASplash: He seems to have some unusual ability to use water as a weapon and a shape-shifting tool, but like Decim's strings, his power is pretty mysterious and not explained.
462* NoIndoorVoice: His voice is perpetually raised.
463* NoSenseOfHumor: Or fun really; it's difficult to find something that ''doesn't'' irritate him outside of his cat Memine. What puts a smile on his face is... decidedly not comedic.
464* PerpetualFrowner: Unlike Decim's default dourness, Ginti sports a constant glower that is only ever replaced when he's having fun (usually at the expense of others) or under a disguise.
465* PetTheDog: A posthumous example, but the final episode has a blink-and-miss-it shot of his [[spoiler:the Kokeshi dolls, and one of the more recent additions is Mayu]].
466* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Tries to give a few of these to Decim when he's fighting him, but it's subverted each time.
467* RedHotMasculinity: He's much more traditionally masculine than [[EmotionlessGirl the passive, emotionless Decim]] or NiceGuy Clavis, is constantly at odds with them, and [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience is represented in official art by the color red]].
468* RedIsViolent: A redhead that is quick to jump to physical aggression.
469* RedOniBlueOni:
470** The red to Decim's blue. Ginti is more aggressive and HotBlooded, Decim is calm and TheStoic.
471** He seems to share this dynamic with Mayu after she [[spoiler:comes to reside in Viginti]]. He's aggressive and easily irritated, while Mayu is more laid-back and doesn't let much bother her.
472* RightHandCat: Has one named Memine, which seems to be the only living thing Ginti treats respectfully.
473* {{Sadist}}: Towards humans. He's quick to interfere with the gameplay and gives a couple of [[SlasherSmile slasher smiles]] when doing so, enjoying their plight and claiming that they have no worth outside of entertaining him with their stupidity.
474* SecretTestOfCharacter: One way to interpret his [[spoiler: rather cruel trickery of Mayu. He leads Mayu on to believe there was still a way to save Harada's soul, despite already previously banishing him to the void. At first he offers to have her exchange a stranger's soul for his, but when she is reluctant, asks her point blank why she is so dedicated to him. Mayu responds that her life would have no meaning without Harada, which leads Ginti to send her to the void as well]].
475* ShirtlessScene: He rips off his shirt in the OP (but his suspenders remain intact).
476* SlasherSmile: Sports several nasty smiles in Episode 6 when he's screwing with the humans he's judging.
477* StrawNihilist: He tells Decim in Episode 10 that human lives and their judgments have no meaning, as humans live only to die.
478* SuddenlyShouting: He quotes Decim while mimicking the latter's deep, stoic voice, before switching back to his own register and shouting, as he usually does.
479* SupernaturalGoldEyes: A yellow-eyed {{Psychopomp}}.
480* UnusualEyebrows: Has sharp eyebrows that split at the ends.
481* VoluntaryShapeshifting: One of his abilities, as seen in Episode 5 where he transforms back from a young boy and reveals himself.
482* YellowEyesOfSneakiness: A ManipulativeBastard with yellow eyes.
483[[/folder]]
484
485[[folder:Memine]]
486[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ab463df8c614eeb88721fd600c1a7cde.jpg]]
487%%[[caption-width-right:225:some caption text]]
488
489Ginti's cat, and assistant during the games hosted at the Viginti. It's unknown if Memine is an arbiter, a feline equivalent, or just a random cat inherent to the bar. She's quite a bit smarter than the average cat however.
490----
491* AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: Acts as an assistant to Ginti without any prompting on what to do or when.
492* CatsAreMean: This is actually inverted - her ''owner'' is a major {{Jerkass}}, but she's quite nice and she also cozies up to Mayu in episode 7 without any prompting. In the end, [[spoiler:it's implied Ginti's actions towards Mayu are the reason she leaves]].
493* MoralityPet: Is thus far the only living being Ginti has shown any level of respect to. [[GreenEyedMonster That said, when Memine is shown cozying up to someone aside from Ginti, he gets even more irritated than usual.]]
494* RightHandCat: Acts as one to Ginti, assisting in the games he hosts and being carried around by him personally. [[spoiler:She seems to have ditched him by Episode 12 as Ginti says she doesn't visit him anymore, probably due to disgust after what he earlier does to Mayu.]]
495* ScarsAreForever: Possibly; one of Memine's legs is perpetually bandaged up and her tail is docked.
496
497[[/folder]]
498
499[[folder:Oculus]]
500[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/71c397b7b74ac565daa59b5cd92df76a.png]]
501->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TesshoGenda (JP), Jeremy Schwartz (EN), Creator/GerardoReyero (LA)
502
503An older man who is said to be the closest to god, and created the current system. He enjoys playing billiards with Nona despite having a large losing record, and tends to act extremely childishly.
504----
505* AGodAmI: He considers himself the closest thing to God in the series. By [[spoiler: the end of episode 10]], he's starting to back that claim up.
506* AmbiguouslyEvil: It's hard to tell if he's actually malicious or if he genuinely thinks that the current system he upholds is benevolent.
507* BunnyEarsLawyer: He seems obsessed with trying to beat Nona at billiards, wears the most casual outfit of the cast, and his hair is a flower, but he's said to be the closest to god.
508* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: While Nona thinks that arbiters should all be able to judge in their own ways, Oculus thinks that is utterly pointless.
509* FlowerMotifs: While they show up all over the show, he has lotus details in his hair and beard, and considering he created the current system their prevalence throughout the bars is likely due to his influence.
510* HellishPupils: He's a pretty suspicious guy, and based on Nona's behavior towards him, he's not one to be trusted. The neon green, cat-like pupils surrounded by black irises are a good teller.
511* ImprobableHairstyle: It's a freaking ''lotus''. The man gets bonus points for having an improbable beard style, as well. [[spoiler: It gets rather more creepy by episode 10.]]
512* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Whatever Nona's planning is something she very much doesn't want Oculus to find out about, but he has his suspicions. [[spoiler: He catches on in episode 10, though he's not aware of everything. Notably, Clavis does not volunteer the information Oculus got...]]
513* TheManBehindTheMan: His dialogue with Nona in episode 12 heavily implies that [[spoiler:he's as much of a "dummy existence" as the other arbiters are, and that he takes direction from an otherwise-unheard of greater power]].
514* TotalitarianUtilitarian: He really is not malicious. He seems to genuinely believe that his rules are the best way for the arbiters to operate properly, and adds an extra rule that he believes will prevent them from suffering needlessly.
515* TouchTelepathy: Oculus uses [[spoiler:his beard]] to extract the memories from [[spoiler:Clavis in episode 10]]. He later uses it again on [[spoiler:Nona in episode 12, but she dodges it with well-placed acrobatics]].
516
517[[/folder]]
518
519[[folder:Castra]]
520[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccadcd97ab808904afc27fad0699cde9.png]]
521%%[[caption-width-right:223:some caption text]]
522->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RyokaYuzuki (JP), Creator/MorganGarrett (EN), Jahel Morga (LA)
523
524An organization clerk who measures coefficients of the dead and classifies them in various fields to determine their bar destination. Her alternate title is Queen Of The Dead.
525----
526* AmbiguouslyBrown: Is noticeably darker than most of the cast and has no particular race since she isn't human.
527* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Wears a skull helmet.
528* SweetTooth: Really likes her candy and is always seen with a lollipop. It's implied that Nona bribes her by supplying her with sweets from the living world.
529* UnusualUserInterface: The control screen that she uses boxes of color in a stained-glass formation, without any overt indicator of what bar various guests go to, and yet she directs them with precision. The skull she wears may have something to do with it.
530* VaporWear: [[http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/death-parade/images/5/5b/Castra.png/revision/latest?cb=20150118172952 Is very clearly not wearing a bra under her shirt]]. At the very least, her large breasts ''do'' appear to sag somewhat appropriately.
531
532[[/folder]]
533
534[[folder:Mayu Arita]]
535[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/42cfb2bd64351c63cb93c33cc7bedc71.png]]
536%%[[caption-width-right:223:some caption text]]
537->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AtsumiTanezaki (JP), Creator/LeahClark (EN), Susana Moreno (LA)
538
539A young woman who is sent to Ginti to be judged.
540----
541* AntiNihilist: Despite her cheerful behavior, Mayu doesn't believe that the world is a wonderful place and that humans are special beings. She actually seems to agree with Ginti overall - that people are dumb and selfish and that life doesn't have any inherent meaning. However, that doesn't mean they can't ''find'' meaning to their lives, and thats what Harada meant to her.
542* AtLeastIAdmitIt: She openly admits that she's devoted her life to a pop idol and that that's her choice, so she doesn't care that anyone else might think her life had no meaning or purpose behind it.
543* BringMyBrownPants: She wets herself after [[spoiler:falling from a great height]], which isn't helped by her being denied a bathroom break during the game. Her outcry to this is what makes Ginti provide her a kimono to change into.
544* ButtMonkey:
545** She gets excited at the prospect of [[LustObject Harada]] seeing her panties, even though he doesn't even find her attractive and seems mostly uncomfortable when the wind lifts up her skirt.
546** During her introductory episode, she gets insulted by Ginti and Harada (albeit the latter doesn't say it out loud at least), has constant WardrobeMalfunction, then ends up wetting herself and ruining her makeup. All of this is PlayedForLaughs
547* ChewingTheScenery: Her reaction shots, poses, voice, and overall demeanor in episode six is stock full of so many out of place anime tropes that she ''completely'' steals the spotlight from the other characters in episode six.
548* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Like [[BlackComedy everything else in her intro episode]], her relentless panty shots end up being played for laughs, literally throwing subtlety to the wind.
549* ComicalOverreacting: Her intro episode [[ChewingTheScenery is]] ''[[ChewingTheScenery full]]'' [[ChewingTheScenery of this]], with over-the-top anime reactions like [[WingdingEyes heart-shaped eyes]], [[{{Gasp}} excessive gasping]], and dramatic body poses at the mere ''sight'' of [[FanGirl her favorite idol]].
550* DeathByFallingOver: She slipped on a bar of soap and died after hitting her head on a step in her shower. It's PlayedForLaughs.
551* FanGirl: Of the idol boyband C.H.A., especially the dancer Harada. She goes to their concerts, sends fan-letters, knows their songs and dances by heart and her room is full of their posters.
552* GenkiGirl: A cute girl who is full of energy, much to Ginti's chagrin.
553* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: She actually ''wears'' a teddy bear in her bun!
554* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: The gleeful GenkiGirl to Ginti, after he lets her stay with him for a bit.
555* GoOutWithASmile: Does this when she sacrifices herself for Harada's sake and [[spoiler:intentionally falls into a pit of spikes]]... which turn out to be [[spoiler:inflated balloons that catch her easily]], so it's [[SubvertedTrope subverted]].
556* HeroicSacrifice: Zigzagged. She tries to do this for Harada, but she's already dead, so it doesn't matter. However, neither of them ''realize'' she's dead, so it matters to the ''both of them''. The "sacrifice" doesn't cause her any pain, anyway, as it was all a ruse done for Ginti's sick entertainment. And whether she sacrifices herself out of kindness and affection for Harada or simply to save face, so he doesn't see her wet herself is debatable.
557* HotBlooded: Is prone to getting fired up, though it's less angry and more enthusiastic.
558* IgnoreTheFanservice: She's delighted that Harada is seeing her underwear, but mortified that Ginti is too. In reality, neither of them care or find her attractive in the first place.
559* KimonoFanservice: In episode 6 after the test, Mayu wears one that shocks both Harada and Ginti since she's wearing much less make-up and doesn't look as gaudy.
560* MsFanservice: A pretty girl that wears a really short skirt with her uniform, seen naked in her bathroom and also gives viewers many upskirt shots in her Episode 6 appearance (though it can't be helped since she's playing Twister and there's wind blowing it up at one point when Ginti makes the game more... interesting).
561* RedOniBlueOni: With Ginti. Despite being a HotBlooded GenkiGirl herself, she has an ''extremely'' laid-back attitude compared to Ginti's constant aggression, and doesn't seem to let anything really get to her. It seems her more passionate side mainly comes out around the [[FanGirl object of her affection]].
562* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: She is sent to Viginti in her school uniform so they're the only clothes she's seen in most of the time.
563* ScrewYouElves: She doesn't take kindly to Ginti when he demeans the entire human species.
564-->"I really pity you arbiters."
565* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Played with. She's [[IfItsYouItsOkay completely okay with Harada seeing her panties]] because she [[{{Fangirl}} has a crush on him]], but yells at Ginti to look away when her skirt blows upwards.
566* SheCleansUpNicely: Looks quite nice and different after removing her makeup and changing into a kimono. So much that Ginti doesn't even recognize her and Harada, who previously didn't consider her that cute, is pleased and says that she's his type.
567* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:She and Harada are both sent to the void together.]]
568* UncannyValleyMakeup: Wears a few too many layers of make-up which makes her look too gaudy for Harada's taste.
569* UndignifiedDeath:
570** In Episode 6 it's shown she died by [[spoiler:slipping in the shower and hitting her head... because she was too busy jumping around and fangirling over her favorite boy band.]]
571** Her fall to her "death" isn't particularly dignified either, [[spoiler: considering she has a bit of an accident come the landing on an inflated balloon-spike]].
572* WardrobeMalfunction: Her short skirt constantly rides up during her game of Twister.
573
574[[/folder]]
575
576[[folder:Quin]]
577[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4ad0f8f2abb36b71c0e78447d9dbb3bb.png]]
578%% [[caption-width-right:223:some caption text]]
579->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RyokoShiraishi (JP), Creator/AnastasiaMunoz (EN), Creator/MarianaOrtiz (LA)
580
581The previous bartender of Quindecim, Quin now works in the memory bureau. When she's not slaving away at looking through memories, she likes to drink.
582----
583* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: She was initially ecstatic that she would be getting Decim as a replacement for her job and be moving to a new job, as she felt she wasn't a good arbiter. The stresses of the memory bureau swiftly changed her mind on her new position.
584* CuteLittleFangs: Though it's only apparent when she opens her mouth.
585* EyepatchOfPower: Wears an eyepatch after she starts working in the memory bureau as it helps her study the memories she looks through. It makes her look impressive, but she doesn't enjoy her new job.
586* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: She seems to really love alcoholic drinks. Lucky for her, she works in a place with easy access to them. It's implied she took this position up after she switched to the memory bureau, however.
587* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: All memory bureau staff wear one despite their job being stationary.
588* LadyDrunk: She goes into a drunk slumber during her visit to Nona, and was the one who filled Quindecim with the various alcohols Decim works with.
589* MotorMouth: She was quite talkative as an arbiter, at least to fellow arbiters, much to Ginti's annoyance. Nona's not particularly fond of it, either. However, she seems a lot more subdued after she starts working in the memory bureau, likely because of how draining it is.
590* PerpetualSmiler: In flashbacks when she was still an arbiter, she's shown to be a very enthusiastic grinner whenever she wasn't actually working. Nowadays she's still fairly similar, but her eyes are always baggy and her smile gives her more of a dazed look.
591* SugarAndIcePersonality: Though it was only shown briefly, she seems to have had this attitude while an arbiter; the humans she judged would get a stoic, calm personality, while arbiters she knows in her off time get a far warmer and exuberant treatment. Come the present, she seems to have lost the exuberant part to the strains of the memory bureau.
592
593[[/folder]]
594

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