Characters / Isabelle of Paris

The Laustin Family

In General

A family of wealthy Parisian Bourgeouisie land owners that flee the country after the Battle of Sedan.

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Left to right: Léon, Marie, Isabelle, Geneviève, Andréa

• Ambiguously Christian: The Laustin family being religious is hinted at in episode 3, when Isabelle asks God for Victor's safety in the duel^note No, really◊ and Geneviève prays to him to save Jules. However, in episode 4, they are outright confirmed Christian when Geneviève and Jules get married in a church and have a traditional Christian wedding. Justified since the 18th-century Bourgeoisie were mostly French Catholic.
• Badass Family: The Laustin children are this trope. Andréa is a French Army Captain who's braved through his country's harshest conflicts, and Isabelle vows to join the war effort by disguising herself as a boy.
• Gorgeous Period Dress: The women all have their own Ojou outfits and attend fancy balls, while Andréa dons a military outfit since he's a part of the French army.
• Impoverished Patrician: Léon tells Marie and Victor that this is his biggest fear, as the Laustin family name dates back to 300 years ago. And it comes true.
• Malicious Slander: Thiers claims that the Laustins housed Count Red, when this cannot be further from the truth - Count Red chose to go to the Laustins estate and hold every member of the family hostage during his duel with Victor, and right before revealing his secret identity - Andréa Laustin - to Léon and Marie. However, Marie is crushed by a chandelier as a result of Thiers' forces shooting at the mansion, which she is unable to avoid as Andréa had her tied to a chair. Through Broken Tears, Léon proclaims Andréa is no longer his son and accepts death with his wife, refusing to move from the burning building. As a result of Thiers claims', not many people attend Léon and Marie's funeral, sans Isabelle, Jean, Jeanne, a few other Laustin family staff, and some bystabders who only attended to mock them.
• Ojou: They're part of the Bourgeoisie upper-class of France, having accumulated their wealth from being landlords.
• Parasol of Prettiness: In Léon's Imagine Spot of Geneviève, she's seen with one as she embraces a happy Isabelle, and while Isabelle is in London, she dons one too. After Marie's death, Isabelle has an Imagine Spot of her holding one while standing next to her husband.
• Rich Bitch: Léon and Marie look down on Jules as a love interest for Geneviève, the former angrily scolding her and saying it is unacceptable. Though, later, Marie comes to regret this decision and says that Geneviève is worthy of the Laustin family name.
• Ridiculously Long-lived Family Name: One of the main reasons Léon wants his daughters to marry rich and wealthy nobles is to preserve the family name, which dated to be around 300 years old.
• Strong Family Resemblance:
  • Marie to Isabelle. When they both don Ojou Ringlets, they look near-identical except Marie's wrinkles makes her look older.
  • Isabelle and Geneviève also have one. When Victor is looking at a Wanted poster for Isabelle after she's suspected by Thiers of aiding La Résistance, he suddenly gets the image of Geneviève in his head and throws the poster away.
• Upper-Class Equestrian: They travel through horse pulled carriages, and Isabelle rides horses on her own. Justified since this is 18th-century France.

Isabelle Laustin

Isabelle Laustin

Voiced by: Mami Koyama (Japanese), Caroline Beaune (French), Silvia Tognoloni (Italian), Maru Guzmán (Spanish), Sana Al-Meflah (Arabic)

The main character of the series, Isabelle is a fifteen-year-old French girl and the youngest of the Laustins. Formerly a tomboy who loved to rough-and-tumble with her best friend Jean, she has grown into a prim and proper Lady, and made her debut at the ball the same day Prussian troops overtook Paris. Forced to flee for her own safety with her loved ones, Isabelle swears to save her country and becomes a spy for France.

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Isabelle Laustin

^Young

^{Versailles outfit}

^{Fencing outfit}

^Disguise

^{In London}

• Action Survivor: Survives a number of conflicts throughout the series and is left the sole survivor by the Grand Finale - everyone else is dead.
• Attractive Bent-Gender: As a spy, Isabelle cuts off her hair and poses as a boy.
• Big Brother Worship: She is overjoyed when Andréa comes home and runs towards him, chanting his name. She embraces him in a Bear Hug. She then thumps his chest and yells at him for making her worried while he was fighting off in the war.
• Bitch Slap: It runs in the family, as she does this to a French military captain.
• Beehive Hairdo: When preparing for the ball, Jeanne styles Isabelle's hair this way. It's held into place with a diamond-encrusted clasp.
• Best Her to Bed Her: When Isabelle was a child, she made a promise swearing that she would only marry someone stronger than her. After her father suggests she marry Jean, the next day, she challenges him to a duel. Though Jean wins, she doesn't tell him of her father's suggestion, and Jean leaves, calling the duel fun, unaware of the bigger picture.
• Boyish Short Hair: As part of her spy disguise, Isabelle sheds the Ojou Ringlets. This hairstyle becomes the default til the end of the anime.
• Calling the Old Man Out: After Leon disowns Geneviève for loving Jules, she calls him a terrible father.
• Chickification: In-universe example. The series starts when she grows out of her tomboy phase into being a gorgeous, traditional French lady.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Victor dies confessing his love to Geneviève, much to Isabelle's heartbreak.
• Dramatic Irony: She has a crush on Victor and he's the subject of many of her fantasies but when he finally Bridal Carries her for the first time, she's out cold from exhaustion.
• Dub Name Change:
  • In the Arabic dub, her name was changed from Isabelle to Renad (ريناد).
• Everything's Sparkly With Jewellery: As an Ojou, she wears a blue necklace.
• Fairytale Wedding Dress: Hers is white with Giant Poofy Sleeves and baby pink highlights. Her day dress◊ is also white but has green ribbons.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: For most of her life, Isabelle lived in Geneviève's shadow, who was seen as the ideal wife and prime beauty of the Laustin household, while she was a prank-pulling, Jean-bullying, wild little rugrat.
• Girlish Pigtails: Inverted, as a tomboy she wore her hair in pigtails.
• Gratuitous French: In the Japanese version, expect Isabelle to speak the occasional French phrase in Mami Koyama's adorable Japanese accent.
• Head-Turning Beauty: When Isabelle joins the ball for the first time, she gets many stares due to her gorgeous looks.
• Imagine Spot: Has many about Victor, who she has a crush on.
• Impoverished Patrician: By the end of the anime, all the Laustins are dead and their estate is siezed by Thiers. Isabelle introducing herself to a soldier as "Isabelle of Paris" instead of "Isabelle Laustin" can be read as her shedding the family name.
• Jeanne d'Archétype: French? Check. A tomboy? Check. Uses a sword, fights for her country despite the wishes of everyone else, even cutting her hair to disguise herself as a boy? Check, check, check. Isabelle even has an Imagine Spots where she pictures herself like Jeanne.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She may be a bully to Jean and has a penchant for playing pranks and worrying her family, but she's also an All-Loving Hero who keeps Geneviève's secret and wants to save her country. Unlike her parents, she's not a Rich Bitch and treats the commoner French as equals.
• The Klutz: In the first episode, Isabelle gets her Pimped-Out Dress stuck on a chair while trying to show off to Geneviève.
• Likes Older Men: If her words in episode 3 are to be believed...
  Isabelle, to Jean: You're ten years too young to be hitting on me!
• Ojou Ringlets: And how!◊
• Patriot in Exile: She may have been forced to leave France, but it is still her country, now and forever.
• Pink Is Feminine: Her Ojou dress is mainly white but has pink highlights. Her Versailles dress also has a pink ribbon◊.
• Plucky Girl: Plucky enough to Bitch Slap the Captain of the French army.
• Secret-Keeper: She's shocked when she finds out that Geneviève is in love with Jules despite bring betrothed to Victor, but doesn't say anything. She's also the first to know that Geneviève is pregnant, and she's going to be an aunt.
• Sibling Rivalry: In episode one, Isabelle asks her maid, Jeanne, who is fairer, her or Geneviève. She takes Jeanne's pause as a sign it's Geneviève, but Jeanne assures her this isn't the case.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Despite being a fifteen-year-old Ojou, Isabelle can ride horses and wield a stick in combat. Later, she's trained by Victor himself.
• Stylish Sunhats: In the Versailles arc, Isabelle dons one along her default gown. It's bigger than her head.
• Tareme Eyes: Like most characters illustrated by Nobuyuki Kitajima, Isabelle has a pair of innocent Tareme Eyes.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: In Jean's flashback, it's revealed that Isabelle was a wild child who enjoyed catching fish, rough play, climbing trees, and tormenting him, making fun of him for being a "crybaby" and a "weakling".
• True Blue Femininity: As a child, Isabelle wore her hair in pigtails and donned a blue dress.
• Used to Be a Tomboy: The first episode reminds us multiple times that Isabelle is no longer a Tomboy and is going to be a Proper Lady just like her sister.
• Underestimating Badassery: Isabelle sees Jean as a crybaby (to be fair, she wasn't wrong) in spite of his protests that he isn't. When she challenges him to a duel, to her shock, Jean wins, the latter remarking that he's been practicing his sword craft every day. However, because Jean is the show's Butt-Monkey, he then embaresses himself by falling off his horse while trying to climb it.

Geneviève Laustin

Geneviève Laustin

Voiced by: Yuneko Matsukane (Japanese), Mireille Audibert (French), Serena Verdirosi (Italian), Talia Marcela (Spanish), Hala Auda (Arabic)

The Deutragonist of the anime, Isabelle's older sister who is lauded as a Proper Lady amongst their peers. In spite of her image, she harbours a dark secret that could threaten it all - she is in love with Jules, her piano teacher, and wants to marry him instead of the man her parents arranged her to marry. She wants to defy her parents and live the life the way she chooses.

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Geneviève Laustin

^{Ojou outfit}

^{Wedding dress}

• The Ace: Is gorgeous, from an aristrocatic family, can play the piano, desired by many men as the ideal wife and even successfully wields a gun despite having no prior training. There's a reason Isabelle wants to impress her and be like her.
• Always Someone Better: Ever since their youth, Isabelle was seen as the mischevious, rambunctious tomboy, while Geneviève was seen as the beautiful and elegant Proper Lady. Even Isabelle admits that she can't fault people for thinking that Geneviève is the prettier one, and to boot, she's engaged to Captain Victor Langlois, who Isabelle has a crush on.
• Arranged Marriage: Her father arranged her to marry Victor.
• Big Damn Kiss: Gets one with Jules at her wedding.
• Bleed 'Em and Weep: She bursts into tears after realizing she killed a man. Granted, he was a corrupt government official trying to arrest Jules for the crime of....not wanting to live under an authoriatarian government. However, Jules and Isabelle assure her that she's not a monster and try to console her.
• Broken Ace: Geneviève is secretly unhappy about her life in spite of her wealth and natural talents because her parents want her to marry Victor and will look down on her if she chooses to marry the man her heart belongs to as he is from an impoverished background. Once she is disowned after her Forbidden Romance with Jules, she lives in Paris with him and wants to be with forever...and then the Prussians deem him a fugutive for inciting rebellions across Paris. Nevertheless, Geneviève swears to be by his side no matter what and bids a goodbye to Isabelle, forced to leave her for her own safety.
• Brutal Honesty: Once Isabelle catches Jules and Geneviève in an act of intimacy, she doesn't hide it from her sister and tells her the truth.
  Geneviève: "I cannot help it."
• Dub Name Change:
  • In the French dub, Geneviève's name is changed to Florian.
• Dude Magnet: Geneviève is the subject of Jules, Victor and Gaston's affections.
• Forbidden Romance: She loves her piano teacher, Jules. It's not their student-teacher relationship or their age gap that's the issue though - it's that she's the daughter of a wealthy landowner and he's a Parisian commoner with barely any cents to his name.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Before her disownment, Geneviève had the reputation of a gorgeous, kind Ojou who was the ideal wife for men of French society. Isabelle, not so much.
• The Fundamentalist: Geneviève is religious and believes that if she should die in conflict with her baby, then it is God's will, much to Isabelle's horror.
• The Gunslinger: In her first attempt at wielding a gun, Geneviève manages to shoot the man wrangling Jules, despite her eyes being shut. She has an instant My God, What Have I Done? moment afterwards.
• Happily Married: In episode 4, Geneviève and Jules finally get married. It's cut short by the appearance of Victor, who informs them that the Prussians have already infiltrated corners of France and they need to go into hiding for their safety.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: Geneviève's are a shiny dark blue color, surrounded by a lighter blue pool.
• Killed Off for Real: Geneviève and her baby are killed by the French military in the Grand Finale, and Jules is executed.
• Longing Look: While she's dancing at the ball with Victor, Geneviève can't help but spare Jules this look, because he is the one she really loves and wants to be with.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After shooting a Prussian Secret Police agent for assaulting Jules and trying to take him to prison, Geneviève looks at her own hands with horror and starts crying.
• Pregnant Badass: While vowing to defend Paris from the Prussians, she reveals to Isabelle that she is pregnant with Jules' child.
• Star Crossed Lover: With Jules. For a while.
• Stepford Smiler: On the outside, she's the crown jewel of the Laustin family, on the inside, she secretly yearns to run away from it all and live with Jules.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Unlike her sister, Geneviève dresses hyperfemininely and has traditionally feminine interests such as playing the piano.
• True Blue Femininity: Contrary to her sister, who's Fairytale Wedding Dress is white with pink highlights, Geneviève's dress is white with baby blue highlights. Her [[day dress]] is purple-blue with bright blue collars.
• Nice to the Waiter: She's nice to the commoners in general, like Gaston and Jules. It's possibly a factor in their love for her.
• Ojou Ringlets: Like her sister and mother, Geneviève dons curly Ojou ringlets.
• Pimped-Out Dress: Her default◊ outfit◊ is purple with two layers of blue ruffles on the collars.
• Proper Lady: Geneviève is seen as perfect by almost everyone she meets and orginates from an Ojou family. Her hobbies are playing the piano and she is engaged to the Captain of the French army.
• Spoiled Sweet: In spite of being the golden child of the Laustins, she never rubs her status in anyone's face and is endlessly humble. She even throws away her wealthy family to be with her lover, Jules.
• Think of the Children!: One of Geneviève's reasons for fighting for Paris is because she wants a bright future for her children. This takes on another meaning when it's revealed that she's pregnant.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: After she starts living in Paris alongside Jules, Geneviève discovers that she has Swinophobia (fear of pigs).
• You Are Worth Hell: Tells Jules she will follow him wherever he goes when he rebuffs the idea of marriage because of their class differences. She does this again when he's on the run from the Prussians, telling Isabelle she will follow him wherever he goes and bidding a sad goodbye to her sister, not knowing if they will ever re-unite. Luckily, they do.

Andréa Laustin

Andréa Laustin

Voiced by: Osamu Ichikawa (Japanese), Vincent Ropion (French), Tonino Accolla (Italian), Salvador Najar (Spanish), Ahmad Abu Sweilem (Arabic)

The firstborn of the Laustin children, and the only boy. He is a part of the French Military and fought the Prussian army to defend Paris. He is also the leader of the Garrison. Andréa is believed to be dead at the battle of Champigny....or is he? Turns out that he's the man behind Count Red, a group that prioritizes the interests of the commoners over the Bourgeoisie, including Thiers and his cronies.

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Andréa Laustin

^{Civilian outfit}

^{Secret identity (Spoilers)}

• Big Damn Heroes: Twice.
  • The first time is when Andréa brings the French army to Victor, Isabelle and Jean's side.
  • The second time is when Count Red saves his little sister and Jean from Panza's hitmen.
• Captain Patriotic:
  Andréa: "As long as I have Paris, I will never die! I will never give Paris to the Prussians!"
• Classy Cravat: As part of his civilian uniform, Andréa wears two.
• Crazy-Prepared: Count Red sure is. When Thiers plans to ambush him, he brings a lit explosive to the scene and chucks it at his soldiers.
• Dad's Off Fighting in the War: Sibling variant. Before the events of the anime, Andréa was drafted off to war to fight the Prussians. He makes a temporary stop in Paris to see his family again after the Prussians defeat Napoleon III, warning them to escape, before heading back into war.
• Dramatic Irony: Andréa refuses to abandon one of his shot men and takes him back to the army base as soon as possible. He asks the doctor to treat his wounds, but after examining his corpse, he shakes his head, implying that the man has already succumbed to his injuries. Andréa lampshades this trope, mournfully saying that life is full of irony.
• Killed Off for Real: Thiers arranges for him to die in the Battle of Champigny by alerting the Prussians of his presence. His death snaps Marie into pieces. However, he's actually alive, operating under the alias Count Red. Unfortunately, he dies for real in the Grand Finale.
• The Gadfly: He suggests that Victor marry Geneviève as soon as possible, remarking "Now may be the best time to do it. What if you're betrothed has a little fun behind your back?". If only he knew how right he was...
• Gender-Blender Name: Andréa is commonly used as a girl's name. The masculine variant is André.
• Go Out with a Smile: Dies thinking of Irma.
• The Gunslinger: As a member of the French military, he owns a pistol.
• Master Swordsman: Unsurpringly, as a member of the military, he is skilled at swordfighting. Panza comments on it, during their duel.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Count Red gets the absolutely genius idea of tying Marie to a chair during his duel with Victor, so that the Laustin family don't get in the way. Why he even thought bringing the fight to their house was a good idea isn't stated. When Thiers' men shoot at the mansion, a chandelier falls off and hits Marie in the head, killing her.
• No Man Left Behind: He refuses to abandon a dying comrade in spite of him telling him it's pointless to keep going.
• No-One Could Have Survived That: In the first episode, Andréa is assumed to have died in the Battle of Sedan, but his family is relieved to have found out that's not the case. In the sixth episode, Andréa is assumed to have perished at the Battle of Champigny, but thanks to Irma and another Romani woman nursing him back to health, Andréa was able to survive and become Count Red.
• Shipper on Deck: He supports Victor marrying Geneviève and when he finds out of her Forbidden Romance with Jules, he gets angry and tells her to come to her senses. Regardless, he is appalled at the idea of a duel for her heart and tries to convince Victor it isn't worth it, saying that they should focus on protecting France. However, after wards, he comes to accept that Geneviève loves Jules and even attends their wedding.
• Straw Misogynist: The "benevolent sexism" kind. He doesn't want Irma to get involved in his gang activities because he believes that a woman's place is elsewhere. This doesn't stop Irma from trying, however.
• Would Hit a Girl: In episode 3, he slaps Geneviève and tells her to end things with Jules to make sure him and Victor don't die by duelling. Geneviève bursts into tears and collapses and Isabelle is shocked that the big brother she idolized for so long would do such a thing. Later, Andréa intervenes in their father nearly slapping Geneviève, implying that he regretted his actions.

Léon Laustin

Léon Laustin

Voiced by: Masato Tsujimura (Japanese), Georges Atlas/Jacques Serres (French), Unknown (Italian), Agustín López Zavala (Spanish), Muhammad Al-Qabani (Arabic)

The father of the Laustin children and the husband of Marie. He is a wealthy landowner and wants his children to follow his footsteps.

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Léon Laustin

• Abusive Parents:
  • He would have slapped Geneviève for saying she wanted to live with Jules had Andréa not stopped him. He then tells her he will no longer stop her from marrying him, because she is no longer part of his family. He also leaves her in Paris while the rest of the family goes to Versailles to escape from the oncoming Prussians. However, when she's out of earshot, he hands Gaston a wad of cash and tells him to look after her nonetheless.
  • After the death of Andréa, he tells Isabelle that she is the only child of the Laustin family left and regardless of how she feels about Jean, she should consider marrying him as he is a noble, repeating the same pattern of Arranged Marriage he did with Geneviève that drove her away.
• Adipose Rex: He's a tubby Bourgeoisie Self-Made Man who looks down on the poor and shames his daughter for falling in love with a non-wealthy pianist.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: The Laustin household burns down with Léon and Marie in it; the latter already dead and the former not wanting to live without her.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: He is outraged when he finds out that Geneviève holds feelings for her piano tutor, Jules, and rejected Victor in his favour.
• Gold Digger: In spite of being wealthy himself, Léon uses his daughters as tools to expand the Laustin family's status and wealth and wants them to both marry Bourgeoisie men. When Geneviève rejects the Arranged Marriage he set up with her and Victor, he disowns her.
• I Have No Son!:
  • Disowns Geneviève for falling in love with a commoner.
  Geneviève: "Father-"
  Léon: "Do not call me that." (to his crying wife) "Marie, do not be upset. The Geneviève we know is dead. Our only children are now Andréa and Isabelle."
  • He does this again to Andréa after his actions inadvertedly cause Marie's death.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He's not wrong to blame Count Red/Andréa for the death of his wife, considering the dumbass 1) thought it would be a good idea to bring a fight between two skilled swordsmen to a civilian household and 2) restrained the Laustins from being able to move from danger.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: His wife bears a heavy resemblance to her Head-Turning Beauty daughters, but he's remarkably unattractive.

Marie Laustin

Marie Laustin

Voiced by: Reiko Senou (Japanese), Denise Metmer (French), Unknown (Italian), Ana Maria Gray (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

The mother of the Laustin children and the wife of Léon.

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Marie Laustin

• Cruel and Unusual Death: Is crushed to death by a chandelier, and unable to avoid it as she's tied to a chair. Her corpse then burns with the building as Léon is to grieved to move. Great work, Count Red!.
• Regal Ruff: Her green dress has a thick, white, wavy collar.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Downplayed because her age has wrinkled her face, but Marie is more presentable-looking and conventionally attractive than Léon, who is fat and has no remarkable features.

Staff of the Laustin Family

Jeanne

Jeanne

Voiced by: Unknown (Japanese), Unknown (French), Unknown (Italian), Patricia Acevedo (Spanish), Margo Aslan (Arabic)

The main maid of the Laustin household. She is often exasperated at Isabelle's drive for chaos and disorder.

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Jeanne

• Big Fun: Jeanne is on the tubbier side, but she's a sweet old lady.
• Giant Poofy Sleeves: Hers are yellow under her apron.
• Glasses of Aging: Hers are round and thick-rimmed.
• Go Out with a Smile: Dies with her signature smile, being shot by the French army.

Gaston

Gaston

Voiced by: Unknown (Japanese), Jacques Torrens (French), Unknown (Italian), Pedro D'aguillon Jr. (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

The carriage-driver of the Laustins.

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Gaston

• Almighty Janitor: Gaston can ride carriages, use guns, jump from roofs Ezio-style and spy properly.
• Age-Gap Romance: It's implied that he has romantic feelings for Geneviève, giving her a Longing Look after she leaves for the ball and softly muttering her name. He also holds her hand as she exits the carriage.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Once the Prussian intelligence target Jules for inciting rebellions against Prussian rule, Gaston threatens them with guns, and locks them in the room after successfully evacuating Geneviève, Isabelle and Jules. By the time they break out, the four have already escaped.
  • Again, when Isabelle and Jean are at the British museum, Gaston wards of Panza's men and saves them.
• The Gunslinger: Apart from driving carriages, Gaston knows how to use guns.
• Secret-Keeper: He knows of Geneviève's romance with Jules. When Jules asks him to keep it under wraps, eh assures him that he is Geneviève's loyal servant.
• Shout-Out: Nobody drives carriages like Gaston!
• Shipper on Deck: He supports Jules courting Geneviève and keeps their romance a secret from the Laustins.

Other Bourgeoisie

Jean Clément

Jean Clément

Voiced by: Yuji Mitsuya (Japanese), Thierry Redler (French), Riccardo Rossi (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

The childhood best friend of Isabelle.

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Jean Clément

• Abhorrent Admirer: Isabelle finds him irritating because he's unable to take no for an answer whenever she tells him she won't marry him.
• Annoying Laugh: And that's just the top of the iceberg as to why Isabelle views him as the above trope.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: In spite of being a fifteen-year-old, Jean knows his way around weapons and explosives, and frees Victor from his imprisonment, beating Count Red and his gang to the punch.
• Butter Face: Played for Laughs in episode 1. Jean asks Isabelle for a dance, which she rejects, as she holds affections for Victor and views Jean as a "crybaby" due to her being somewhat of a bully to him when they were children. Jean then replies that he will dance with someone else and complements a lady with a Beehive Hairdo and Ojou Ringlets, but when she turns around, Jean is disgusted by her thin eyes and fat nose.
• Butt-Monkey: By his own hand or fate's, Jean is frequently on the receiving end of humiliation and failure. He's seen as a joke by everybody, including Isabelle, and treated as the show's Plucky Comic Relief. Even the one time he gets a moment of badassery (beating Isabelle in a duel), is followed by him falling over his horse.
• Childhood Marriage Promise: He's been asking Isabelle to marry him ever since they were young, in spite of her constant rejections. One flashback from when they were children has this hilarious exchange:
  Jean, after drawing a chalk illustration of Isabelle in a wedding dress on the ground: "Isabelle, your wedding dress looks so beautiful."
  Isabelle: "Of course it does. But you'll be disappointed since I'll be wearing it for someone else."
• Child Soldiers: At fifteen years old, he is recruited as a student of Victor, who teaches him how to use a rifle.
• Chick Magnet: Episode 11 reveals that he's quite the stud.
  Jean, reading off the senders of his love letters: "Marie...Francoise...Brigitte...Sylvie...Yvette...Joanne...Delphine...Ha, I'm quite popular. But I didn't even get one from Isabelle."
• Clingy Jealous Guy: When he sees Victor bridal-carry an unconscious Isabelle, he looks at them wistfully and tries to stomach his jealousy.
• A Day in the Limelight: Episode 11 sheds light on his family life, amongst other things.
• Determinator: No matter what, he wants Isabelle's hand in marriage, even if she despises his attempts to woo her.
• Go Out with a Smile: While they're at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Jean suggests to Isabelle that they run away together, and she happily agrees. Moments later, Jean is shot, his last words commenting on the Irony.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: He has blonde hair and is a happy-go-lucky boy, albeit a rather annoying one.
• Kill the Cutie: Anyone Can Die here, and he does.
• Ladykiller in Love: Jean has received love letters from many women, but it is only his Childhood Friend Isabelle who he wants to marry.
• Master Swordsman: Skilled enough to beat Isabelle in a duel (though considering Isabelle is The Klutz at swordwielding, this isn't saying much).
• Only Friend: When Isabelle asks him why he loves her, he says that ever since they were kids, she was the only one who looked out for him, and that he learned shooting and horseriding because she enjoyed them too.
• Prone to Tears: He tells Isabelle he's not a crybaby anymore, but this is proven wrong when he flies in a hot air balloon for the first time and bursts into tears because he's afraid of heights.
• Satellite Character: All of his appearances exist around Isabelle and his unrequited love for her.
• Terrible Artist: Ehrm◊...well....at least he got the mouth right?
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: He has had a crush on Isabelle ever since they were children, and according to episode 3, he's been asking her to marry him every day. The first time he suggested it, Isabelle delivered a Dope Slap to him, and she's been rejecting him outright ever since.

French Military

In General

The military of France.

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Liberté, égalité, fraternité

• Artistic License – History: The French flag is depicted as the modern-day tricolore flag, but since the anime is set in 1870, it should have been this.
• Big Damn Heroes: As Isabelle, Victor and Jean are escaping the clutches of the Prussians, the army, led by Andréa, show up and gun down the remaining Prussian soldiers on their tail.
• Bling of War: Unlike the Prussians, who have drab uniforms, the French military uniforms are stylish and studded, and on top of that, historically accurate◊.
• Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Absolutely not. The French military are as badass as they are brave and defy orders from their higher ups to abandon their country, willing to fight to the very end for glorious France!
• The Gunslinger: Every member of the French military owns a pistol. It's also mentioned by others that Victor's a skilled shooter.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Their military outfits are black and red with golden epaulettes, and often studded with medals.

Victor Langlois

Victor Langlois

Voiced by: Kazuyuki Sogabe (Japanese), Jean-Louis Rugarli (French), Angelo Nicotra (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Hisham Hamada (Arabic)

A high-ranking member of the French military and Geneviève's fiance.

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Victor Langlois

• Arranged Marriage: With Geneviève. While he's elated, Geneviève's heart is already taken by Jules.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • He rescues an unconscious Isabelle after her horse is separated from her parent's carriage. He then protects her and Jean from the Prussian military and trains them on how to use weaponry and ride horses.
  • He does this again when Isabelle and Jean are in London. Jean scowls and lampshades this trope.
• Bridal Carry: He does this to Isabelle twice in episode 4, after the poor girl suffers a crash when her horse is separated from the Laustin's carriage and after she narrowly saves her, Jean and Victor from the Prussians.
• Captain Patriotic: Vows to protect Paris to his dying breath with Andréa.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Geneviève abandons their Arranged Marriage for Jules, and Victor spends the rest of the series heartbroken, unable to get over her. In the Grand Finale both Victor and Geneviève are killed by the French army, as is the child of Jules Geneviève is carrying. A dying Victor mistakes Isabelle for Geneviève and spends his last moments thinking he's in her arms.
• Dope Slap: Delivers one to Victor with his glove before challenging him to a duel.
• Dying Declaration of Love: After fleeing from the French troops, he is shot. After he falls to the ground, he mistakes Isabelle for Geneviève due to their Strong Family Resemblance and asks "Geneviève? Is that you, Geneviève?". Not wanting to break his heart, Isabelle insists she is and allows him to hold her hand. Victor says Geneviève's name one more time before biting the dust.
• From Hero to Mentor: Jean idolizes Victor and Isabelle has a crush on him. While escaping Versailles from the Prussians, he becomes a mentor to both, teaching Jean the ways of The Gunslinger and ordering Isabelle to ride the horses.
• Innocently Insensitive: After Isabelle rejects Jean's advances, Victor says he thinks they'll make quite the couple. Isabelle then feels saddened that Victor doesn't realize her feelings, with Victor oblivious to why she's upset.
• Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: After Geneviève tells him that she cannot come with him to Versailles because she loves Jules, Victor goes to Jules' house, slaps him, and challenges him to a duel. During the fight, Geneviève begs him not to shoot Jules, so he makes sure to deliberately miss, wounding Jules' face, before declaring the duel over.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Subverted. He challenges Jules to a duel over the heart of Geneviève, but he admits to Andréa that it's not about her, it's about his pride as a soldier. He actually doesn't end up murdering Jules, just inflicting a wound over his cheek.
  Victor: "A high-ranking army officer who's bride was stolen by an impoverished pianist. This is who I am now. Love is fickle, I am fine with that. But can a soldier live with a stain on his pride? If I can't protect my own pride, how can I protect the pride of France? How can I defend Paris?"
• My Country, Right or Wrong:
  Victor: "No matter what the order is, a soldier must carry it out. It is not my role to decide whether the order is correct or not."
• Oblivious to Love: He assumes that Isabelle fawns over him because he's her sister's fiancé, not because she has a crush on him.
• Red Is Heroic: He has red hair and is patriotic to defend France against it's enemies. He also puts his life on the line to save civilians.
• Stepford Smiler: Once he sees Geneviève in her bridal gown, marrying Jules, he tries to suppress his feelings, implying deep down he's bitter over her rejecting their betrothal to one another.
• Upper-Class Equestrian: He has his own horse, which he rides into the duel with Victor.

General Gambetta

General Gambetta

Voiced by: Tetsuya Kaji (Japanese), Raoul Guillet (French), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Italian), Ghannam Ghannam (Arabic)

A member of the French government who shares the Parisian's patriotism for their country.

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General Gambetta

• Cool Old Guy: Isabelle thinks so. She's elated to a fly a hot air balloon with him and eagerly listens to his speech.
• Hero of Another Story: Thiers mentions that a long time ago, Gambetta saved France from ruin during a previous war and is an acclaimed war hero.
• Historical Domain Character: Léon Gambetta was a real person, but the anime takes many liberties with his story.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: According to the anime, he saved France from destruction prior to the start of the series. Unfortunately the truth is more boring, in Real Life Léon Gambetta was a lawyer and Republican statesman who was known for his actions in the Affaire Baudin. He was, however, involved in the Franco-Prussian war, but not in the way the anime depicts it (for one, he wasn't a General).
• Matchstick Weapon: For him it's his cigar, which he drops on an unfortunate Prussian camp.
• Red Is Heroic: He dresses in a red military coat with golden epaulettes and a blush sash with a white outline, and is a war hero who opposes Thiers' idea of selling out Paris to Prussia.
• The Smart Guy: When the Prussians block off Paris's routes through land, he decides to travel to Versailles through sky.
• Token Good Teammate: Amongst the narcissistic Bourgeoisie, Gambetta is one of the few with any sense of national pride.

Ordinary Parisians

Jules Francoeur

Jules Francoeur

Voiced by: Yoshito Yasuhara (Japanese), Eric Abrauhn (French), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Italian), Unknown (Arabic)

A commoner Frenchman who is Geneviève's piano teacher. They fall in love, but he knows their romance likely won't have a happy ending because her wealthy, upper-class parents will never allow her to marry a commoner like him.

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Jules Francoeur

^{Wedding outfit}

• Age-Gap Romance: He fell in love with Geneviève, who's one of his students.
• All for Nothing: By the Grand Finale, he is executed, his wife and their child are shot to death, the French army crushes the Parisians like ants and Isabelle is the only survivor. She starts a new life elsewhere.
• Big Damn Kiss: With Geneviève at their wedding.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Jules and Geneviève are executed separately; the former through a firing squad in public because it's found out that he led La Résistance and the latter through the military firing upon Parisian civillians. Geneviève's child also dies with her.
• Happily Married: He finally gets married to Geneviève in episode 4. However, their happiness is cut short when the Prussians, in complicity with Thiers, demand Paris and order Jules and the other Parisians to be arrested for opposing them. They narrowly escape, but the Prussians manage to kill some of them.
• Execution: His fate, after it's found out he's the leader of the Paris Commune. Sadly, this is historically accurate.
• Intimate Artistry: Jules taught Geneviève how to play the piano. In his house, it's revealed that he has a drawing of her on top of his own piano.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: He tells Geneviève to marry Victor because he knows that her parents will disown her if she married him. After Victor and Jules have a duel, Jules realizes that he's been using Geneviève's situation as an excuse to run away and tells her that he doesn't want to be away from her because he loves her too.
  Jules: "You shouldn't run away from the ones you love. You shouldn't let go of them. You should stand up and fight for them!"
• La Résistance: Jules heads the Paris Commune, where he holds meetings dedicated to opposing the Prussians and defending Paris. Because of this, the Prussians deem him public enemy number one.
• Lonely Piano Piece: Plays one during the ball while everyone is dancing with their lovers, while he is all alone because the woman he loves is engaged to someone else.
• Patriotic Fervour: Jules and the rest of the Parisian commoners swear to defend their city on their lives, in spite of their lack of training. When Thiers authorizes the Prussians to overtake Paris, they resist them.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: No doubt this is part of his appeal, apart from being a pianist, Jules is a gorgeous man with dark hair and eyes.
• Teacher/Student Romance: He was initially hired as a piano tutor for Geneviève, and ended up falling in love with her. And it got worse from there.
• The Piano Player: Jules teaches it to Geneviève and plays it during the ball scene.

Parisian Cafègoer

Parisian Cafègoer

Voiced by: Unknown (Japanese), Unknown (French), Unknown (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

An unnamed Parisian man who frequents the same cafe as Jules and knows of his situation with Geneviève.

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Jules' friend

• The Alcoholic: In the second episode he gets drunk at a cafe.
• Colour Motifs: Blue. His eyes, shirt and ribbon are all blue.
• Dumb Blonde: Averted. In his first appearance, he gets drunk at a cafe before teasing Jules about Geneviève, but once he finds out about the duel, he urges Jules to drop out because he knows that as someone who's never held a gun, he doesn't stand a chance against an experienced military commander like him. Jules's response?.
  Jules: "I love Geneviève more than I value the life of that man"
• The Gadfly: Teases Jules about him being a "starving artist falling in love with a Princess". Even at their wedding, he asks Jules why he's with her since she's lost all her money and status. Jules stares at him with an aghast expression in response.
• No Name Given: This folder is called "Parisian Cafègoer" for a reason.
• Patriotic Fervour: When the Parisians chant about defending their city from the Prussians, he joins in.
  The Parisians: "Defend Paris! Defend Paris! Defend Paris! Defend Paris! Defend Paris!"
• Sinister Schnoz: He has a crooked nose. However, he isn't evil, just a bit of a Gadfly.

Count Red and associates

In general

A group of revolutionaries that oppose Thiers.

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• Domino Mask: They all wear these to hide their identities. Though it's not hard to figure out that Count Red is Andréa.
• Expy: Three times over.
  • Of Zorro, given their appearances and acts of vigilante heroism.
  • Of Robin Hood, because they steal from the rich to help fund their schemes, to aid the Parisian commoners and liberate France.
  • Of Batman, given how they're caped crusaders that use a bat as a symbol. Then again, given that Zorro inspired Batman, this may be a redundant point...
• Red Is Heroic: Their insignia is a red bat. Also their leader is named "Count Red".

Count Red (Unmarked spoilers)

Count Red

Voiced by: Osamu Ichikawa (Japanese), Vincent Ropion (French), Tonino Accolla (Italian), Salvador Najar (Spanish), Ahmad Abu Sweilem (Arabic)

Andréa's alter ego. Contrary to Thiers' belief, he survived the battle of Champigny and since then has been working to undermine Thiers and his government.

To see tropes for him, go to Andréa Laustin's folder.

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Count Red

Irma

Irma

Voiced by: Kachiko Hino (Japanese), Unknown (French), Germana Dominici (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

A Romani woman who's a member Count Red's gang, and his love interest.

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Irma

^Past

• Big Damn Kiss: In Andréa's flashback, after living together for a long time, they finally realize they're in love with each other and kiss.
• Colour Motifs: Red. Her hair is red, and in Andréa's flashback, she's depicted through hues of red and orange.
• Evil Redhead: Subverted. She's certainly an anti-villain, but she's far from evil.
• Hot Romani Woman: She catches Andréa's eye while dancing sensually and playing the tambourine.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In the Grand Finale, Panza spies on Victor and Andréa makimg plans to resist the French troops, but is caught by Irma. Irma leads him to the room they're in, but he turns the tables and holds a knife to her neck, saying that if Andréa wants her alive, he must hand over his map with the plans of resistance to him. As Andréa brings the map to him, Irma takes the knife from Panza and stabs herself in the chest, so that Andréa decides to save Paris instead. She tells Andréa she's glad to have met him before dying.
• Go Out with a Smile: Her last words, before succumbing to her stabbing, is that she was glad she got to meet Andréa.
• Leg Focus: It's one of the factors of her Fanservice appeal.
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: In Andréa's flashback, he fell in love with her after she taught him many things, such as "sadness and the hardships of poverty, but also the simple joys of life and appreciation for each day".
• Miss Fanservice: In the flashback to her past days, she's seen dancing sensually and showing a lot of leg, freely entertaining the hordes of Romani men surrounding her.
• Plucky Girl: In spite of Count Red ordering her not to join in his activities, Irma refuses to take no for an answer and stands by him anyways.
• Red Is Heroic: She has red hair and is part of a gang that opposes the fascist Thiers.
• Roguish Romani: She's of the heroic variant. Thiers brands her and the gang as criminals, but the commoner Parisians love them because they fight for their cause.
• Ship Tease: Count Red tells Irma that he cannot bear to lose her and during his duel with Panza, he ensures she makes it to safety before continuing to fight him.
• Spanner in the Works:
  • Had Irma not found Andréa that day, Count Red would have never existed, and Isabelle and Jean would have died in London.
  • Had Irma not spied on Thiers and taken the bait, Victor and the Laustins would have never found out that Andréa was Count Red. Unfortunately, her actions also led to the (accidental) death of Marie.
• Token Girl: Of Count Red's gang.
• Twofer Token Minority: She is the only female and non-white (albeit, white-passing) member of Count Red's gang.
• Too Dumb to Live: Irma, while spying on Thiers, doesn't bother to hide herself properly, allowing Thiers to notice her and deliberately feed her baiting information. When she runs off, she again doesn't bother to exit discreetly, and Thiers and his associates can see her.

French collaboraters

Thiers

Thiers

Voiced by: Ritsuo Sawa (Japanese), Jacques Torrens (French)

A French politician who wants to give up Paris to the Prussians in exchange for defending his own property, in spite of the loss of lives and national pride of the French citizenry.

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Thiers

• Amazing Technicolour Population: Thiers is green. No, he's not an alien or a monster, he's a Frenchman, but he's green.
• Ambiguously Human: During Andréa's death scene, Thiers suddenly materializes out of nowhere. He laughs endlessly, for several minutes, as one by one, all of Andréa's comrades are shot one by one, until finally, Andréa himself is killed. The whole sequence looks like a terrible acid trip, and has to be seen to be believed. There's also his green skin, which for some reason, no one else mentions.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: Thiers believes that the needs of the Bourgeoisie (i.e. ensuring they remain unaffected by the war) outweigh the safety of the French people, the face of French pride and the soverignity of the country against the Prussians.
• Artistic License – History: Whoever wrote this anime really hated Thiers.
• Bad Boss: Thiers has Karlov choke Panza until his mouth bleeds as a demonstration of his power.
• Bastard Bastard: The real Adolphe Thiers was born out of wedlock, and this one is the Big Bad.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Thiers is secretly planning the downfall of Gambetta because he constantly rejects his idea of giving Paris away to the Prussians.
• Dirty Coward: When masses gather outside of the government building to protest against him, he makes plans to flee to Prussia. When Gambetta calls him out, he deflects the blame to him for not gathering an army.
• Green and Mean: He has green skin and he's the main antagonist of the series; a traitor that sold out his own country in exchange for money.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: In Real Life, Adolphe Thiers was opposed to Bismarck. He even warned France about going to war with Prussia, saying it was too risky. He also wanted to protect Paris from their siege.^note Though he did abolish the fédéré, which was a source of income for many Parisian families, resulting in them despising him and rioting against him In the anime, he is a greedy, self-absorbed Narcissist who sells France out to the Prussians. The only thing they have in common is that they made decisions that sparked riots in Paris. And no, Thiers didn't plot the demise of Gambetta in Real Life either.
• Les Collaborateurs: When the Prussians invade France, he refuses to fight for Paris and allows it to fall in their hands, as long as the Prussians don't go after him or his property.
• Karma Houdini: Everyone except Isabelle is dead because of him in the Grand Finale, and he gets away scott-free.
• Make It Look Like an Accident:He views Andréa and his soldiers as complicit in the Parisian riots, and to punish them, he gives them the opportunity to fight the Prussians in Champigny, knowing that earlier they critisized him for ordering them to stand by. However, after this, he has his right-hand man, Panza, alert the Prussians
• Man of Wealth and Taste: He dresses extravagantly and has his waiter serve him exquisite dishes like roasted duck.
• Obviously Evil: Did him not being green give it away?
• Patriotic Fervour: Averted. He cares more about defending his wealth by making peace with the Prussians rather than standing his ground and fighting back. His fellow politicians critisize him, saying that Paris is the heart of France and they cannot lose it, but they fall on deaf ears as he has already made up his mind.

Panza

Panza

Voiced by: Unknown (Japanese), Unknown (French), Unknown (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

Thiers' right hand man.

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Panza

• Arch-Enemy: Count Red, for sabotaging every attempt of his to harm Isabelle.
• Bald of Evil: He has a shiny, bald head.
• The Gunslinger: Panza favours pistols, as do the men that follow him.
• Icy Blue Eyes: Panza's are of the villainous variant.
• Implied Death Threat: He hints to Isabelle that he had a hand in Andréa's death.
  Panza: "You're next."
• Leave No Survivors: Once he finds out that Isabelle has been in contact with British revolutionaries, he orders his men to wipe out everyone who Isabelle has ever met. He is then subsequently attacked by Count Red, who plants a bomb in his ship.
• Master Swordsman: Count Red remarks that he's good at swordfighting, before following up with another insult.
• Pædo Hunt: While his cronies are searching Isabelle's room for Gaston, he leers at Isabelle (who is fifteen) sexually. When he's called her out for being a creep, he slaps Isabelle and says that him and his goons have no need for manners. Later, he throws a knife at Isabelle, tearing her sleeve and showing her shoulder.
• Would Hurt a Child: He slaps Isabelle because she called him out for being a pervert.

Karlov

Karlov

Voiced by: Unknown (Japanese), Unknown (French), Unknown (Italian), Unknown (Spanish), Unknown (Arabic)

Another of Thier's goons. Does not talk much, because he can't.

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Karlov

• Ambiguously Human: He doesn't speak, has eyes that glow into Prophet Eyes when he's about to kill, and is immune to most bullets.
• Expy: Of Frankenstein's monster.
• The Heavy: Throughought the London arc, Karlov is a recurring villain, racking up kill counts of several innocents in his way to finish off Isabelle and Jean.
• One-Man Army: He takes on an entire ship's crew at once, and later a pub.
• Would Hurt a Child: Thiers ordered him to assassinate Isabelle and Jean, and he comes close to doing so on more than one occassion.

Prussian Empire

The Prussian Army

The Prussian Army

The army led by Otto von Bismarck.

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The Prussian Army

• Armies Are Evil: They are viewed as monsters by Isabelle, Geneviève, Andréa, Jules, Victor and the rest of the Parisians because they killed many French soldiers and want to overtake their city.
• Artistic License – History: And how!
  • Historical Hero Upgrade: The anime repeatedly insists that the Prussian army doesn't shoot women or children, but the French do.
• Rape, Pillage, and Burn: The Prussian army pillage and burn France once they successfully manage to infiltrate it, targeting wealthy Bourgeoisie refugees who try to flee the country. While the "rape" part isn't apparent, in episode 4, a Prussian man way older than Isabelle stares down at her with a vile grin, assuming they're alone, only for Jean to attack him with a stick.
• Red Shirt Army: Here and there. They're ruthless when it comes to shooting the French military, but they're incompetent when it comes to shooting a fleeing Isabelle, Jean and Victor in episode 4. It also doesn't occur to them to do the obvious (shoot their horses), which Victor does.
• Would Hurt a Child: Discussed. As they march into Paris, a young boy throws a tomato at them, yelling at them to get out of their country. One Prussian soldier is enraged and loads his gun, but another stops him, saying that they are King William's soldiers and do not shoot children.

Prussian Intelligence Officer

Prussian Intelligence Officer

An unnamed Prussian Intelligence Officer who investigates rebellions in Paris and arrests those who partake in it.

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• Arch-Enemy: He considers Jules one because he leads and organizes the rebellions.
• Blue Is Heroic: Inverted, he wears blue and is an agent of an oppressive regime that targets civilians.
• Perpetual Frowner: Is always seen with a scowl.
• No Name Given: None of the Prussians, sans the Historical Domain Characters, are named.

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