History Characters / Monster

* KickTheSonOfABitch: He views his shooting of a serial killer (while drunk) to be this. [[spoiler: According to Johan, though, there's no evidence that he actually was drunk, [[PayEvilUntoEvil putting it in different territory.]]]]

* CrocodileTears: [[spoiler:Johan, when "lending a shoulder", actually sheds a tear during a conversation with Karl, when the latter recounts his own childhood, the tragic life of his mother, and being moved from one foster home to another]]. And when he cries, it looks very convincing -- but don't be fooled, especially when you, the audience, are already aware of what an amazing actor Johan is. [[spoiler: This is subverted in ''Another Monster'', where both Lotte and Karl himself contend that Johan's tears about Karl'spast were genuine, to the point that he spared Karl because he related to him.]]

[[folder:Franz Bonaparta]]

[[spoiler:Also known as Klaus Poppe, Emil Sebe, and by many other pseudonyms, Bonaparta is responsible for the eugenics program that resulted in the twins' birth. When he wasn't busy kidnapping his test subjects' mothers and killing their fathers, he engaged in educating the superior children with the aid of morally questionable fairy tales he had penned himself.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Rather a slow, maddening process in which he gives up his experiments and becomes a dull, old man, living incognito in a small town where he unsuccessfully tries to continue his creative pursuits.]]

* MatchmakerCrush: [[spoiler:One of the most warped examples ''ever''.]]

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[spoiler:He has some resemblance to Sigmund Freud.]]

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Although, whether he was truly redeemed or not is debatable.]]

** He is initially happy to see Dieter again by the end of the series, commenting on how much he has grown up, despite quickly reverting to being abrasive and self-absorbed when Dieter notes that Heckel does not seem to have changed for the better, showing that he does still have a soft spot for the boy even after being reluctantly saddled with babysitting duties for him by Tenma.

** He is initially happy to see Dieter again by the end of the series, noting how much he has grown up, despite quickly reverting to being abrasive and self-absorbed when Dieter notes that Heckel does not seem to have changed for the better, showing that he does still have a soft spot for the boy even after being reluctantly saddled with babysitting duties for him by Tenma.

* PracticallyJoker: Inverted. He is often called The Joker of Manga and Anime and it's not hard to see why, as he is an AxCrazy mass murderer with a mysterious past who amasses cult-like followers, has a desire to corrupt his ArchEnemy by getting him to kill him, a dislike of Nazi, because they aren't discriminate enough in their kills for them and both have disorders and [[BlueAndOrangeMorality senses of morality foreign to most people]]. However, they're essentially the ''reverse'' of each other otherwise; where Joker is loud and flamboyant, Johan is quiet and dresses unremarkably. Johan was a monster since a young age and is obsessed with his past while Joker's past is left mostly ambiguous and mysterious. Johan's modus operandi is working behind the scenes to manipulate others into doing awful things while Joker loves to kill everyone himself. Most importantly while Johan has a specific goal of trying to erase his existence, Joker would love nothing more than to cause the most amount of chaos possible and build mile-high signs announcing he's the cause. Furthermore, he lacks the humor seen in Joker and is portrayed as a horrific villain throughout.

* PracticallyJoker: Inverted. He is often called The Joker of Manga and Anime and it's not hard to see why, as he is an AxCrazy mass murderer with a mysterious past who amasses cult-like followers, and has a desire to corrupt his ArchEnemy by getting him to kill him. However, they're essentially the ''reverse'' of each other otherwise; where Joker is loud and flamboyant, Johan is quiet and dresses unremarkably. Johan was a monster since a young age and is obsessed with his past while Joker's past is left mostly ambiguous and mysterious. Johan's modus operandi is working behind the scenes to manipulate others into doing awful things while Joker loves to kill everyone himself. Most importantly while Johan has a specific goal of trying to erase his existence, Joker would love nothing more than to cause the most amount of chaos possible and build mile-high signs announcing he's the cause. Furthermore, he lacks the humor seen in Joker and is portrayed as a horrific villain throughout.

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler: Subverted, believe it or not. Johan checks many of the boxes to a T: [[FauxAffablyEvil superficial charm]], [[ConsummateLiar pathological lying]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative tendencies]], [[DissonantSerenity shallow affect]], [[EnfanteTerrible early]] [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior behavioral problems]], and a lack of realistic long-term goals. As revealed by his empathetic bond with Nina as a child and him connecting emotionally with Karl, however, he is capable of empathizing with people but has simply convinced himself not to.]]

* BadassBookworm: He's as intellectual as he is vicious.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Played with. He murders the neo-nazis because they discriminate with their murder upon the basis of race and he has no interest in that whatsoever.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: There is no real proof that he's anything but a near-pure evil {{Muggle}}, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, although several characters believe him to be]] a HumanoidAbomination. He is alternately perceived [[note]]albeit mainly by delusional killers and neo-Nazis[[/note]] as a vampire, an alien, the Devil, and a drunk person hallucinates him as a multiheaded dragon EldritchAbomination. Make of that what you will.

* {{Sadist}}: Subverted, for the most part. His constant calm and cheerful demeanor may suggest that he enjoys tormenting people and some of the ways he induces people to suicide are unnecessarily cruel as well, but this can be better chalked up to {{DissonantSerenity extreme emotional disconnection}} more than anything.

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler: Subverted, believe it or not. Johan checks many of the boxes to a T: {{FauxAffablyEvil superficial charm}}, {{ConsummateLiar pathological lying}}, {{ManipulativeBastard manipulative tendencies}}, {{DissonantSerenity shallow affect}}, {{EnfanteTerrible early behavioral problems}}, and a lack of realistic long-term goals. As revealed by his empathetic bond with Nina as a child and him connecting emotionally with Karl, however, he is capable of empathizing with people but has simply convinced himself not to.]]

[[caption-width-right:320:''"The only thing all humans are equal in...is death."'']]

* AgentPeacock: He's extremely effeminate in appearance, [[spoiler: cross dresses]], and is very poetic. He's also a monstrous sociopath.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: There is no real proof that he's anything but an near-pure evil {{Muggle}}, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane however several characters believe him to be]] a HumanoidAbomination. He is alternately perceived [[note]]albeit mainly by delusional killers and neo-Nazis[[/note]] as a vampire, an alien, the Devil, and a drunk person hallucinates him as a multiheaded dragon EldritchAbomination. Make of that what you will.

* {{Sadist}}: He clearly enjoys tormenting people. Some of his ways of inducing people to suicide are unnecessarily cruel as well.

* SerialKiller: A very nightmarish one. He enjoys inducing his victims to suicide, or being the catalyst for mass murders.

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler: Subverted. Johan fulfills numerous qualities for a sociopath, from a lack of remorse, social manipulation and charisma, but as revealed by his empathetic bond with Nina as a child and him connecting emotionally with Karl, he can empathize with people but has simply convinced himself not to.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: While we don't see him commit any crimes and he claims not to share the goals of the other members, he's still one of the founders of a Neo-Nazi organization and the one who sent Johan to Kinderheim in the first place, which makes it doubtful he's a nice guy. He also seems indifferent to the plan to burn the Turkish district and only cares about having Johan killed, and when Tenma decides to help the Turks instead, one of Wolf's men says he would be disappointed.

* VillainousBreakdown: After re-reading "The Monster With No Name" and again (offscreen) after Nina points out that some of "his" memories [[spoiler:are actually hers.]] And once more when [[spoiler:Nina forgives him in Ruhenheim and it becomes apparent that Tenma won't shoot him unless he actually threatens an innocent.]]

[[folder:Peter Capek]]
!!Peter Capek
-->Voiced by: Nobuo Tanaka (JP), Dave Mallow (EN)

The head of the organization, formerly a close associate of Franz Bonaparta.

[[folder:Professor Günther Goedelitz]]
!!Professor Günther Goedelitz
--> Voiced by: Creator/IemusaKayami (JP)

Another leader of the organization, he holds Nina hostage in an attempt to draw out Johan.

* AssholeVictim: A Neo-Nazi who tries to burn the Turkish quarter and murders a helpless woman he's holding captive. He gets what's coming to him at Johan's hands.
* AxCrazy: A completely unhinged fanatic who's willing to burn down the Turkish quarter and revive the Nazi movement.
* BullyingADragon: He holds Johan's sister hostage to try to bait him out. Johan shows up, just as expected, and kills Goedelitz and his subordinates.
* KickTheDog: His brutal murder of the Turkish prostitute.
* MoreHateableMinorVillain: Goedelitz is a rabid Neo-Nazi who wants to make Johan Liebert into the dictator for his new Reich. Epitomizing [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain the most contemptible traits of political extremism and fanaticism]], there is nothing remotely pleasant, sympathetic, or likable about him—nothing you might expect from an unrelenting [[AxCrazy psychopathic]] zealot devoid of redeeming qualities, whose actions and interests could place him right alongside ''Johan'' in terms of depravity ('''the monster himself'''). And unlike the complex Johan, he doesn't even have a [[FreudianExcuse tragic childhood]] or his genuine friendship with Karl Neuman.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: He treats Nina to dinner at his mansion, while explaining his plans for Johan.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He openly shows admiration for Adolf Hitler.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Despite being a Neo-Nazi fanatic, he was a renowned professor at Dresden University.

!Other Characters

[[folder:Detective Müller and Messner]]
!!Detective Michael Müller and Messner
-->Müller voiced by: Creator/MikeMcFarland (EN)
-->Messenger voiced by: Katsuhisa Hoki (JP), Creator/DanWoren (EN)
[[quoteright:137:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/muller.png]]
[[caption-width-right:137: Müller (left) and Messner (right)]]

Two detectives who appear to Tenma and Nina not long after the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Fortner. [[DirtyCop They quickly turn out to be on Johan's payroll.]]

* ADeathInTheLimelight: Messner gets a brief characterization as a drug addict on a downward spiral before his demise. [[spoiler: Müller gets an entire episode to build a family and reflect on his sins.]]
* DirtyCop: Both were stealing confiscated drugs and reselling them to criminal organizations. Which Johan was quick to use for his own purposes.
* KilledOffscreen: Messner's drug addiction eventually gets him killed at a deal. [[spoiler: At least, that's how Roberto wants Müller to think it went.]]
* NeverMyFault: Messner completely denies his role in the Fortners deaths and claims he was only a look-out. Müller contradicts this, but also downplays his own culpability by claiming Johan gave them no choice.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: Müller ends up pulling a rescue mission to save Nina, at the cost of his own life.]]
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Combined, they appear in three episodes. They kickstart Nina's hunt for Johan, point Tenma in the direction of "the Baby", and introduce [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains Roberto]] to the plot.
* ThoseTwoGuys: In their introductory episode, at least. They soon separate and experience ''vastly'' different luck when the plot catches up to them.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Twice. With tragic results both times.
** When threatened by Johan, Müller and Messner could have turned themselves in. Instead, they chose to willingly follow his demands and murder the Fortners.
** Roberto ends up choosing to let Müller go rather than [[HeKnowsTooMuch erase a loose end]]. With Nina in hand and Müller paid off, there's no reason ''to'' bother with Müller anymore. [[spoiler: Müller instead chooses to save Nina, as atonement for his murder of her parents.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Martin Reest]]
!!Martin Reest
-->Voiced by: Creator/ShuichiIkeda (JP), Creator/RogerCraigSmith (EN)
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/martin_reest.png]]

A criminal with a [[DarkAndTroubledPast troubled past]] who is charged with looking after Eva when the mob discovers that she can be of use to them.
----

* TragicVillain: [DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. He suffered extreme trauma as a child and it's clear that it continues to haunt him. However, others suffered similarly without becoming monsters, and Hartmann admits that he couldn't have crafted a monster like Johan.