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| “ | There's a famous saying in the East. Even with a crappy gun, shoot a lot and you'll hit something. I have a hell of a lot of Akuma. | ” |
— The Earl
| ||
The Earl of Millennium (千年伯爵, Sennen Hakushaku) known publicly[1] and to fellow Noah as Lord Millennium (千年公, Sennen Kō) is the primary antagonist of the series.
The Earl of Millennium is the patriarch of the Noah Family, and the current incarnation of Adam (アダム, Adamu). He is the creator of Akumas known as The Maker. He is also a player of the Noah's Ark. The Earl plans to 'cast god into outer darkness' and cause another three days of darkness.
Spoiler Note[]
Night 219 reveals an intricate link between the Earl, Mana D. Campbell and Nea D. Campbell. This reveal creates much confusion in the continuity of the story as their connection has yet to be fully revealed. For convenience's sake and rule of precaution, aside from reference to the previous past Earl, all plot and personality descriptions will be about the current earl as displayed in the series and not Mana Walker, Mana D. Campbell, or Nea D. Campbell as to prevent clutter and confusion. This page will be regularly updated as new information on the subject becomes available.
Appearance[]
The Earl of Millennium.
In his initial form, the Earl resembles a grotesque caricature of a Victorian gentleman, and appears much more similar in appearance to an Akuma upon initial introduction than the rest of the Noah Clan. He has a large, almost cartoonish, rotund figure, easily towering over everyone else. The Earl has a goblin-like face, with long pointed ears, and perhaps his most notable characteristic, is his large rectangular-shaped mouth that appears stuck in a perpetual grin. Like the rest of the Noah Clan, he has gray skin and, on the rare occasion they can be seen behind his glasses, golden eyes. This gives him an overall demonic and otherworldly appearance. Unlike other members of the Noah family we are introduced to, he initially lacks the usual stigmata on the forehead. Instead, on the rare occasion he is shown without his signature top hat, he is shown to have two devilish horns on his head.
In the original anime, his usual attire consists of a tan overcoat with a light purple inner collar, a black and green striped shirt, black trousers, and black shoes that curl up at the toe. In addition, he also wears a pair of pince-nez glasses, and a black top hat, the decorations of which change with each encounter.
In Hallow, his attire consists of a light yellow overcoat, a green shirt with slightly darker green stripes, a light-colored tie, black trousers, and black shoes. His top hat is now dark purple, and his pince-nez glasses have been replaced by a pair of gold spectacles.
The Earl wears a different hat in each encounter, each with a different decoration. In a gag comic in volume 2 of the manga, he is shown taking off his hat, revealing a set of bunny ears. It was revealed in later chapters that in actuality he has two devil-like horns under his hat. He could sometimes be perceived as friendly or goofy due to his smile and flamboyant way of speaking. He is almost always "happy" and only rarely "frightening", an example being in chapter 134 when he exhibits extreme rage at the loss of the Noah's Ark due to the previous actions of The 14th. Recently, as a result of Hoshino's change in art style, his appearance has gone through minor changes, most notably The Earl's face being slightly shorter and rounder, his teeth now being drawn in more detail, along with a slight change in body shape (namely his shoulders being more drawn out). In the Hallow anime, his skin has changed from light gray to a slightly pale pinkish hue. In his encounter with Allen in chapter 218 and onward the Earl has shown that his body can morph at will into more nightmarish and grotesque forms when losing control of his emotions.
The Earl of Millennium in Human form.
The Earl has been shown to have a human form. It was first seen in chapter 158, where he appears as a typical Victorian gentleman in a suit and top hat, and a monocle over his left eye. His face was rarely seen and when it was, it was often hidden, though this changed in later chapters. When his human form is shown in full, he resembles a tall, handsome, middle-aged man with beard and mustache stubble, or a five-o-clock shadow. He has medium length dark hair, and wears a human sized version of his usual attire. There are 6 buttons on his jacket, and a stripped green and black shirt underneath. He also carries Lero in a cane form rather than as an umbrella.
The Earl's current appearance in color.
In the 219th night, his human form is revealed to be related to Mana D. Campbell by Nea. Though his exact relation is unknown, due to the death of Mana Walker earlier in the series, it is implied he was created in part from the "Mana" half of the Earl's soul, the other belonging to Nea. It has also been shown that the Earl's current face is not that of the original body of Mana D. Campbell. The original "whole" Earl was a younger man with greyish brown skin and long dark hair. It is unknown whether the current Earl is the same as the original Earl, but it should be noted that when addressed by a human name the Earl refers to himself as Adam, the same way the original Earl is referenced.
Hat decorations[]
The multiple decorations seen on the hat of The Earl are:
| Decoration | Source(s) |
|---|---|
| White roses, golden brambles and skulls | Volume 1, Cover
Volume 1, chapter 1 |
| Three oblong appendages and a snowman head | Volume 1, chapter 2
Volume 3, chapter 23 |
| A grinning crescent moon | Volume 1, chapter 3, page 102 |
| A big star | Volume 1, page 112 |
| Stars | Volume 1, chapter 7 |
| A small heart and a bigger heart | Volume 2, page 102 |
| A long stripped riboon | Volume 3, chapter 18 |
| A bat | Volume 3, chapter 19 |
| Several clocks of various sizes | Volume 4, chapter 29 |
| A jewel heart, a jewel lozenge and two dice | Volume 4, chapter 30
Volume 5, chapter 38, page 28 |
| A piano keyboard | Volume 5, inner cover
Volume 5, chapter 41, page 109 |
| Spotted mushrooms | Volume 5, chapter 38, page 29 |
| Six candles, some stripped, some with spirals and one with a face | Volume 5, chapter 39, page 43 |
Zone[]
In zone, the work preceding D.Gray-Man, The Earl appears much more muscular and fit. He has a black top hat and a black fancy costume. He also has horns under his hat and devil-like wings.
Continue[]
In Continue, The Earl is less muscular than in Zone but still much slimmer than in D.Gray-man.
Personality[]
Despite the Earl's evil intentions for the destruction of humanity and constant trickery into creating Akuma, the Earl always seems to act as a cheerful, friendly and carefree character, almost like a friendly old uncle. Allen Walker notes that the Earl always acts like he is playing the fool and a huge grin seems to be permanently fixed upon the Millennium Earl's face, with a speech pattern unfitting for the ultimate evil in that he always speaks in a cute, loving manner, and up until later chapters of the manga, almost always ends his sentences with a heart. The Earl has also shown to be rather eccentric, an example of this would be how he pulled out a rooster costume out of nowhere when trying to wake up Alma Karma.
However there is more to the Earl's character than acting like a goofball who is presumably trying to end humanity. He has shown concern and happiness towards the other Noah, and became outright furious after the destruction of the Ark, although whether that was due to the 14th's return or due to him destroying the original home of humanity and the Noah family is unknown. It is evident that the Earl cares for his fellow Noah a great deal, and seems to be particularly close to Road, even aiding her in her homework. A majority of the time, he is rather lax and cordial, and occasionally affectionate towards them. However, there has been at least one instance in which he has shown anger and strictness towards his fellow Noah, namely while in Japan, he ordered Jasdevi and Skinn Bolic to complete the tasks assigned to them (which they made little progress in) in a rather threatening manner (similar to how he acts towards enemies) which left them greatly intimidated. Up until that point, he had never shown such behavior towards the other Noah before, and has not been seen doing it again following that occasion. Road Kamelot, however, states that in spite of everything, the Earl could never truly be angry with the other Noah. The Earl is unusually insulted when referring to the weight of his "suit form", playfully commenting he "isn't fat" when prodded by family members such as Tyki. This is somewhat of a running gag among the Noah due to his awkwardness, embarrassment and denial.
He has also displayed a manipulative side, capable of acting out of sheer, sadistic malice, and happily plays with people's lives. During Sheril Kamelot's dinner party, the Earl in his human form appeared far more stern, addressing the issue of the Akuma Egg and the Heart in a serious manner; in this moment of seriousness he didn't end any of his sentences with a heart. When appearing (fully) in his human form again later on, he is shown to be much more calm and quiet, but also somewhat more tired and melancholic in contrast to the jovial and eccentric persona of his suit form. He does not display the same eccentricities as he does in his "suit" form. He also appears to be prone to getting comically depressed rather easily, specifically when the topic of Nea is brought up, where at one point, he crumbled into a ball and cried, while lamenting the 14th's betrayal. Road states that he can be such a "crybaby" in his human form.
After learning that the original Ark was put into human hands, and that eighty-percent of the Akuma Egg was lost, The Earl showed an incredible amount of anger.
After learning that Allen Walker was the reincarnation of Nea D. Campbell, the 14th Noah, the Earl asked him to join the Noah Family despite Nea attempting to kill him 35 years prior and Allen Walker being an Exorcist, showing a forgiving side, yet at the same time he seems to hold a deep and intense hatred towards Mana Walker, refusing to ever forgive him for his actions. He is shown to be affectionate to the point of obsession towards Nea. The other Noah even go so far as to call him "love struck" and he claims to want to be by his side, chasing Nea down to the ends of the Earth. This obsession is the catalyst for the entire Alma Karma Arc, the objective being to obtain Nea so he can continue to be with him. Eventually this leads to his run-in with Nea in Allen's body in the Search for Allen Walker Arc, being so incredibly overwhelmed by emotion and sorrow he breaks down crying in his arms after almost killing him, only because Nea chose to acknowledge his existence and offer the slightest hint of kindness. This bipolarity continues to switch between worrying greatly and crying over Nea to actively trying to absorb him into his very being by "devouring" him.
In addition, when confronting Allen during his run from Apocryphos, the Earl shows he is not always menacing and/or collected. During this part of the story due to high emotional strain he madly chants Nea's name, repeatedly asking him why he doesn't recognize him, all the while his body and face in suit form grow more deranged and aggressive. He then suddenly remembers Mana and starts expressing intense hatred towards him.
The Earl has shown a deep hatred for both Innocence and Humanity. Despite this he does have a somewhat soft spot for certain humans, especially children, as seen when he buys flowers from a little girl, and bringing a little boy back to his mother in a chapter of the reverse novels. He also lets Allen live when he fails to turn him into an Akuma, despite later questioning why he did so, stating it was fate.
The Earl is perfectly conscious that the humans consider him to be the villain. Despite this, he is never stated to be evil, and claims that he creates Akumas for the sake of humans. He has a mission to achieve no matter what, and is ready to make any sacrifice to do so--which relays to the audience just how ambitious of an individual he can be. Much about his personal life and true motivations are still unclear, but some of his past has been revealed in later chapters.
His favorite food is known to be crocodile.
Due to the events of 52 and 35 years ago, the Earl of Millennium's origin is muddled and unclear. There was once a man who was originally known as The Earl of Millenium, it is unclear if this original Earl is the same Earl we see throughout most of the story. This original Earl split himself into two (if not more) seperate beings for unkown reasons. The two halves we are currently aware of were raised by Caterina Eve Campbell as Mana and Nea D. Campbell. The Mana half was deeply disturbed and was associated with an animated empty version of the suit. The suit's actual capacity remains unclear, but was able to possess Mana in a scene after Nea’s death, and speaks to Mana at Katrina’s death. Eventually the Mana half “devoured” the Nea half, leaving a third party that remains unknown in control. Nea hints at the current Earl being “the old us” but what exactly happened in the years after Nea’s death, especially regarding the life of Mana and Allen Walker, along with Mana Walker's supposed death remains a mystery. Whether the current Earl is Mana, a part of Mana, or something else altogether has yet to be seen, but the correlation between the two is undeniable. It should be noted however that Mana in all his incarnations has a deep fear or hatred for The Earl of Millennium, and the Earl himself passionately hates Mana and blames him for the events that occurred 35 years or so ago. Most of his viewed memories are from the suit, and he actively protests and becomes increasingly distressed when called Mana (despite Nea’s insistence), denying any recognition or identification with the name. He also states while holding Nea that he hates “Mana’s Nea” showing how little he relates himself to the name.
Personal Statistics[]
| Statistics | Previous[2] | Current[3] |
|---|---|---|
| Sophistication | 5 | 5 |
| Humanity | 1 | 5 |
| Combat Ability | 5 | 5 |
| Mental | 5 | 4 |
| Flexibility | 5 | 5 |
| Extra Statistics | ||
| Persuasion | 5 | 5 |
Zone[]
In Zone, the Earl of Millennium is first seen tricking Robin who has lost his sister in a shipwreck into bringing her back. He violently impales him to let his akuma take his body. He then sends a letter to Lenalee and makes her believe that her lover is still alive somewhere. Lenalee later comes to his encounter to make a deal with him to see her lover again. Fortunately Robin jumps in and stops the ceremony. He sends his two minions to fight the exorcist who finally defeats them. Upon his defeat the Earl runs away.
Continue[]
In Continue, the Earl is an alien invader who attacked the home planet of Shiropin located light years away from the earth. Shiropin managed to seal him along with his technologies in a ball that he sent into a black hole.. However on the way, the ball was pulled away by the sun's gravity and became the earth's moon. From then on, the Earl tried to corrupt the moon and then the earth.
The Earl possesses a zombie to attack Taiyo Yamamoto but he is defeated when Taiyo gains the power of Shiropin. He later sends an text message to Koji saying "Sorry to bother you Koji. I am the Earl of Millennium". He possesses Koji and creates an facade of his original appearance around the body. Later he is attacked by Taiyo but Taiyo only hits the illusion. The earl then uses his connection with the moon to summon servant number 66, the horrible Tesla. Tesla quickly crushes Taiyo but before Tesla finishes him, Taiyo gets a second wind and destroys Tesla. Taiyo severs the link between his friend's body and the moon.
As they fall, the Earl prophesies that the planet will eventually die due to pollution and asks if such a world is worth fighting for. Koji answers that it is as long as there is hope and the Earl smiles in Koji's body before escaping through his blood and returning to the moon.
Trivia[]
- Katsura Hoshino, the creator of D.Gray-man, at first wanted to create a story with the Earl of Millennium as a protagonist.
- According to Hoshino, the Earl of Millennium is one of the most simple characters she can draw.
- According to the end of the 3rd chapter in D.Gray-man, Hoshino stated the Earl of Millennium is based on a person who actually existed, refraining from mentioning who it was specifically. She stated this person was rumored to be immortal because his appearance from the age of 50 hadn't changed at all. He also referred to himself as the alchemist of time.
References[]
[]
| The Noah Family | |
|---|---|
| The Noah | The Earl of Millennium • Road Kamelot • Tyki Mikk • Skinn Bolic • Jasdevi • Lulu Bell • Nea D. Campbell • Sheril Kamelot • Wisely • Toraido • Fiedla • Maushyma • Maitora • Allen Walker • Mana Walker |
| Akuma | Claire • Leo • Pierrot • Eliade • Eshi • Thread • Chomesuke • Lesley • Alma Karma • Mimi • Doug • Ice • Pang • Kazekiri • Sara • Doug • Sophia • Wizard Akuma • Rabbit Akuma • Level 3 (Paris) • Level 4 (Headquarters) • Level 4 (Paris) |
| Other | Dark Matter • Noah's Ark • Cell Roron • Lero • Teez • Akuma Egg • Skull • Brokers • Golem |