Third Exorcist Program

The Third Exorcist Program, which was founded and run out of the North American Branch of the Black Order and was overseen by North American Branch Head Renny Epstain, was a continuation attempt of the Second Exorcist Program to create artificial Exorcists. Subjects of this program are called Third Exorcists (第三エクソシスト (サードエクソシスト), Sādoekusoshisuto) or simply Thirds.

Despite their names, they are not, however, actual Exorcists; they are humans with the abilities of Akuma and do not have Innocence.

History
Started not long after the staved off invasion of the original European Branch, the source of the project can be traced back to Malcolm C. Lvellie's order to Howard Link to retrieve a shard of the fractured Akuma Egg. This shard was implanted into the body of Alma Karma, whose regenerative seal allowed him to survive the implantation and mutate in order to adapt and become the "First Womb" (第一母胎, Dai ichi botai).

These mutated cells were then implanted into the human bodies of several members of Central's CROW unit, which resulted in their left arms mutating into Akuma-like appendages capable of swallowing Akuma whole.

Noah Family
When Tyki Mikki and Road Kamelot break into Allen's cell in the Black Order Headquarters to save him from Apocryphos, the Third Exorcists are seen outside of the bulding, having absorbed the golems and CROW guards who guard the perimeter. Apparently, they used spells to allow Road to open a Dream Door into the cell, neutralizing the seals who protected the cell from intrusions. It seems that now they are under the Noah's control, possibly by brainwashing, or through their Akuma cells overpowering their freewill.

Purpose
After the Akuma invasion of the European Branch, Renny Epstain realized that abandoning the Second Exorcist Program had been a "mistake," claiming that there is "a price to be paid if human beings want to defeat the Akuma." Because of this, she received the go-ahead from Lvellie, who had spoken to the Pope, to create the Third Exorcists as a way to add to the Black Order's dwindling offensive forces.

Like its predecessor, however, the Third Exorcist Program had dismal results; with the awakening of Alma Karma, who went mad from his intense hatred of the Black Order, the mutated cells within the Third Exorcists resonated with Alma's and caused the Thirds to be consumed by his anger, their bodies warping into Alma/Akuma-like forms that were driven to destroy Exorcists and the Order. Two Thirds, Goushi and Kiredori, were killed by the Exorcist teams they were assigned to (by Lenalee Lee and Winters Socalo, respectively), while the other three, Madarao, Tewaku and Tokusa, were kidnapped by the Noah Family.

Powers and Abilities of Subjects
''Note: The power and abilities are of the Third Exorcists only. For equipment, spell casting etc., move to CROW article.''

Immense Strength: Madarao has shown incredible strength, effortlessly blocking a blow from a Level 3 Akuma with his bare hand. Goushi was also able to hurl Allen, who is known to be extremely strong in his own right, into a stone pillar with enough strength to partially destroy it.

Advanced Healing: Third Exorcists are capable, to an extent, of healing themselves; a trait they inherited from Alma Karma, though they cannot regenerate limbs or revive themselves from the brink of death, they can, at the very least, staunch major wounds.

Akuma Presence: Because of their nature, which is more Akuma-like than that of actual Exorcists or even Second Exorcists, Third Exorcists are recognized by Allen Walker's Pentacle Eye as Akuma, though this is only when their Akuma arms are released. Also, because their arms are so Akuma-like in nature, they react violently to Innocence.



Cannibalism: Though Third Exorcists possess no Innocence and therefore cannot destroy Akuma through Exorcism, they can invoke the Akuma cells in their body to transform their left arm into an Akuma-like appendage known as a Primordial Well Machine (喰機(ガキ, Gaki), Kuki, Devouring Mechanism). Mother-enation: By absorbing the body and mutated cells of a fellow Third Exorcist, other Third Exorcists can gather and strengthen said fellow Third Exorcist's Akuma cells so that, when they are implanted into a new generation, said new generation can gain the powers of the previous generation, allowing the battle abilities of the Third Exorcist line room to continually expand through new generations.
 * Eating Machine: Primal Hole (喰機開闢孔 (ガキカイビャクコウ), Gaki Kaibyaku Kō): An attack with a wider range than what is seen when the Third Exorcists simply devour one Akuma, a dark, shadow-like presence spreads across the ground, causing the Akuma within the vicinity to sink into the ground and disappear completely as they are devoured.
 * 3rd_exorcist_soul.jpge Innocence, which purifies the souls shackled to the Akuma's body, the cannibalistic arms of the Third Exorcist devour the souls completely, just like Akuma when they self-destruct.

Appearance
Third Exorcists are almost completely human in appearance, save their eyes, with markings underneath the lower eyelid and with their pupils either non-existent (Madarao and Tewaku) or slitted (Tokusa, Kiredori and Goushi).

Clothing
As members of CROW, Third Exorcists tend to wear their uniform, consisting of long, loose pants, tunics bearing the mark of CROW, robes, and veiled hats.

Members
All Third Exorcists are former members of a particular unit of CROW (the same unit Howard Link used to be apart of):
 * Madarao
 * Tewaku
 * Tokusa
 * Kiredori
 * Goushi

Trivia

 * One translation of the names of the arms of the Third Exorcists, Preta, is a reference to a type of spiritual being from Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jain texts known in English as a "hungry ghost."