History Characters / Gankutsuou

* AntiVillain: Unlike most versions of the tale, the Count's plots are shown without the filter of the story being told from his point of view, which means they're presented as twisted, [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], and downright psychotic actions with no regard towards innocents caught in the wake. Then again, the three ''direct'' targets of his wrath ''[[KickTheSonOfABitch completely deserve it]]'', so you can't help but root for him when those exact people get their just-desserts.

%% The numpad code to type an accented "e" (é) is Alt+130 in Windows.

!!'''The Count of Monte Cristo [[spoiler:aka Edmond Dantes]]'''

* BeardOfEvil: Dantes was clean-shaven, while the Count has a beard

* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Dantes was a soldier, the Count is supernaturally powered.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: His father, Louis Dantes. The main reason for his rage and revenge are because his father died of a broken heart, penniless and alone as a result of Edmond's imprisonment.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: The fact he fights his worst urges makes him the most sympathetic of the villains, but it also results in this. [[spoiler: Started as a noble sailor, his heart went cold and he became a conniving war criminal after betraying Dantes, then regained his moral compass and went back to being a face as a beloved and moral general after he married his love and his son was born, then went ''back'' to heel when all that getting taken away drove him off the deep end and became a military dictator, then went ''back'' to face in his last moments when his own son confronts him and makes him realize how far he has fallen.]]

* LoveMakesYouEvil: Fernand's StartOfDarkness (''I was tired of living that loser life'') was being pushed over the edge partly due to his being on the losing end of the LoveTriangle [[spoiler:between him and his best friend Edmond for Mercedes]], which he attributed in large part to the fact that he was poor and struggling in his own profession while Dantes was rich and successful in his career.

* StartOfDarkness: Of the three men who betrayed Edmond Dantes, Fernand is the most sympathetic, [[spoiler: just wanting to be more than a lowly dock worker at Marseilles and to be loved by Mercedes. Unfortunately it meant he had to reveal the presence of a letter to the authorities and betray his best friend. He's also the only one to accept and show regret for his actions and genuinely apologizes to the Count.]]

* FatBastard: Although he was skinnier and better looking as a young man (but always a bastard). Of the three men who betrayed Edmond Dantes, Jullian is also the least sympathetic, just wanting Edmond thrown in jail [[spoiler:because he was caught embezzling funds.]]

* AmbitionIsEvil: [[spoiler:Due to his family name being on the letter revealing the conspirators who killed the Prince]], Gérard had Dantes convicted as a scandal surrounding his family would have damaged Gérard's chances of ascending higher in the government and society.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Franz becomes this to the Count when Franz [[spoiler:decides to participate in the duel instead of Albert and gets killed. This not only derails the Count's plan to get rid of his Edmond Dantes part of soul completely but also hands him KarmicDeath in the end.]]

A poor drunkard from Marseille, Gaspard seems connected to some of the most powerful men in the Empire, though obviously not through any choice of their own. He seeks to take by force what he feels life owes him, though he never resorts to murder. [[spoiler:Actually one of the four who had Dantes imprisoned, he blackmails the others out of a mixture of remorse and avarice.]]

* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: As mentioned above, in the book Gaspard was someone who would murder others if he thought it would get him even slightly ahead. In Gankutsuou he never even contemplates this, and seems to have genuine remorse over his role in [[spoiler: Edmund Dantes imprisonment]]

* KarmaHoudini: He's the ONLY one [[spoiler:of the four men who got Dantes jailed that doesn't get the hammer dropped on him.]] Though considering how miserable and lonely his life is, perhaps the Count thought that Karma had already beat him to the punch.

->Voiced by: Creator/JojiNakata (JP), Creator/JamiesonPrice (EN)

* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: The Count shares many quiet moments with Haidee and Albert.

->Voiced by: Creator/KoujiIshii (JP), Creator/BeauBillingslea (as John Daniels) (EN)

* UndyingLoyalty: Mentions he'd follow his master into hell, [[spoiler:though in the end he defies him when he realizes that the count's gone too far. After that he serves under Haidee, calling her princess.]]

->Voiced by: Creator/NobuoTobita (JP), Creator/KirkThornton (EN)

* UndyingLoyalty: To the count, [[spoiler:up until the end, where he defies him, after that he serves Haidee, calling her princess and even trying to buy her some jewelry, though when he sees the model is Peppo he chooses not to.]]

!!'''Haidee'''
->Voiced by: Creator/AkikoYajima (JP), Creator/StephanieSheh (EN)

A mysterious woman who is seen alongside the count after his debut in Paris. While all of his servants adore him and he returns the respect, none are dearer to him than Haidee.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In spite of her grudge against Fernand Morcerf, Haidee feels no satisfaction from publicly humiliating him and is instead guilt-ridden, realizing she's just ruined the lives of his wife and son who were innocent of anything and that the Count is destined for nothing but regret if he continues with his plans.

->Voiced by: Creator/KikukoInoue (JP), Creator/KarenStrassman (EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/JurotaKosugi (JP), Creator/PaulStPeter (as Francis C. Cole, EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/NaokoMatsui (JP), Creator/MariDevon (as Jane Alan, EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/YosukeAkimoto (JP), Tom Wyner (as Abe Lasser, EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/DaisukeHirakawa (JP), Ezra Weisz (as Ethan Murray, EN)

-> Voiced by: Tetsu Shiratori (JP), Erik Davies (EN)

-> Voiced by: Creator/NobuoTobita (JP), Creator/KirkThornton (EN)

* FunctionalAddict: An adaptational subversion. In the original novel, the Count kept a stash of hashish in a hollowed out emerald to dull his chronic pains after his tenure at the Chateau d'If, but was by all accounts by other characters an EruditeStoner. In this series, the Count still carries the hollowed out emerald as a GeniusBonus, but here it contains the pills he needs to sustain himself [[spoiler: in lieu of being possessed by the Gankutsuou, and keep it at bay]].
%%* GoMadFromTheIsolation

* AdaptationalSexuality: In love with [[spoiler:Albert]] here, which is never even hinted at in the novel.

%%* TheBeard: Not intentionally, but this is definitely one reason Franz initially pursues their arranged marriage.

!!'''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo [[spoiler:aka Edmond Dantes]]'''

* KickTheSonOfABitch: It is hard to feel bad for those he is extorting once you know their pasts.

* SparedByTheAdaptation:[[spoiler: As he isn’t a murderer like his book self is, the series of events that lead to his demise never happen]]

->Voiced by: Creator/NaokoMatsui (JP), Jane Alan (EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/YosukeAkimoto (JP), Abe Lasser (EN)

->Voiced by: Creator/DaisukeHirakawa (JP), Ezra Weisz (as Ethan Murray EN)

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: During his ultimatum to his wife after her crimes are exposed, he drops an absolute steamroller of a line on any attempted verbal defense of hers;

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Sadistic hanging judge he may be, but when he presents the ultimatum of suicide or life in an asylum [[note]]remember since Gankutsuou is based upon Bourbon Revolution era France, asylums are horrific places intended to fence off the mentally ill, not places intended to cure anyone[[/note]] to [[spoiler:his murderous, backstabbing wife]] large parts of the audience ''cheered''.