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Ariel

Played by: Roy Khan
The protagonist of the story. He leaves his home on quest for The Meaning of Life.
  • The Atoner: Near the end of the story.
  • Character Development: Ariel starts off as an idealistic Cloudcuckoolander, but soon becomes a StrawNihilist under the influence of Mephisto. Then he realizes his wrongdoings and leaves Mephisto to have some time alone, eventually overcoming his own demons by confronting Mephisto and the mistakes he made.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: At the beginning, until Helena‘s death breaks the cutie.
  • Crisis of Faith: It starts with "III Ways to Epica" and reaches its culmination in "Abandoned".
  • The Hermit: He seems to become this after he leaves the town, most refered to in the verses of "Moonlight".
  • The Philosopher: Most notably in "Center of the Universe", "Farewell", "Soul Society" and "Nothing Ever Dies".
  • Straw Nihilist: He has shades of this in "When the Lights Are Down", hinting at the Character Development.

Helena

Played by: Mari Youngblood
The love Ariel left behind.
  • Driven to Suicide: After Ariel leaves her for the second time.
  • First Love: She is the first and only person Ariel has ever truly loved.
  • Guardian Angel: She seems to become this after her death. She tries to reach out to Ariel and tell him that "love is all we know" and "the dark can never win", but he doesn't seem to hear her in his grief for her.
  • The Lost Lenore: Throughout the entirety of The Black Halo.
  • Love Interest: To Ariel.
  • Purity Personified: She stands for everything that's good and pure.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Aside from Ariel's memories of her in "Wander", the only songs she appears in prior to her death are "On the Coldest Winter Night", "Lost and Damned" and "Helena's Theme", the latter leading up to her suicide. Her ghost makes short appearances in "III Ways to Epica", "Abandoned" and "Memento Mori", but she still has a comparatively small role, yet she (and her death in particular) shapes the story hugely.

Mephisto

Played by: Roy Khan, Shagrath (The Black Halo only)
The devil himself, disguised as an angel. He strives for Ariel's soul.
  • Beneath the Mask: He appears as an angel "in white", but he actually is a demon.
    • This is highlighted by the vocals in March of Mephisto, Khan impersonating the angel and Shagrath’s growl being the demon that hides underneath.
  • Big Bad: Of the whole story.
  • Evil Mentor: To Ariel. It's particularly evident in "III Ways to Epica".
  • Hiding Behind Religion: He makes the people believe he was sent from God. The Latin speach at the beginning of March of Mepihsto suggests this („Ad maiorem die gloriam“ translates as „For the glory of God“).
  • Light Is Not Good: He appears as an angel.
  • Manipulative Bastard: In everything he does.
  • Master of Illusion: He even seems to manage to make Ariel believe that Margarete is Helena.

Margarete

Played by: Simone Simons
A girl from town that is similar to Helena in many ways. Mephisto uses her in an attempt to make Ariel happy again and win his soul.

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