| Vanitas | |
|---|---|
| The Case Study of Vanitas character | |
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Vanitasmangacover.png) Vanitas, as illustrated by Jun Mochizuki | |
| First appearance | "Vanitas: In the Event of Rusty Hopes" (2015) |
| Created by | Jun Mochizuki |
| Voiced by | Natsuki Hanae (Japanese) Zeno Robinson, Cherami Leigh (young) (English) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | 69, Vincent |
| Family | Vanitas of the Blue Moon (guardian) Mikhail (adoptive brother) |
Vanitas (Japanese: ヴァニタス, Hepburn: Vanitasu) is the fictional protagonist and title character of the manga series The Case Study of Vanitas, which was written and illustrated by Jun Mochizuki. The character was named Vanitas of the Blue Moon, making him part of the Blue Moon clan with some vampire abilities. Vanitas possesses a grimoire called The Book of Vanitas (ヴァニタスの書, Vanitasu no Sho), which can restore vampires who have become "curse-bearers" with uncontrolled bloodlust due to the corruption of their names. He enlists the vampire Noé Archiviste in his quest.
Mochizuki conceived Vanitas as a vampire character during a trip to France, but she changed her mind and made him human after talking with her editor. The character was written to contrast with Noé's personality while his actions are meant to highlight the series' theme of identity due to how he heals vampires. In the anime adaptation, the character was voiced by Natsuki Hanae in the Japanese version. Zeno Robinson voiced him in the English dub, while Cherami Leigh provided the voice of his younger self.
Critics gave Vanitas a positive reception as a result of his quirks and enigmatic identity; with good charactization and development, several writers noted he hides a past that traumatizes him.