"I do not know...or...perhaps I should say that I choose not to know...That is what we Great Old Ones are. At least that fool seems to understand that much..." |
Eibon (エイボン, Eibon) is one of the Great Old Ones whose existence presides over Knowledge.[11] He was part of the Eight Shinigami Legions, and was a former friend of Death himself.[9][12] After the wake of Asura's sealing, he later secluded himself onto Lost Island in isolation, using the island's Magnetic Field as a cover.[6]
Cultural References
Eibon is based directly based from the sorcerer of the same name from Clark Ashton Smith's short story "The Door to Saturn". In the story, Eibon is a legendary sorcerer and priest of Zhothaqquah who is famous for writing the Book of Eibon, which included chronicles of his life, his magic formulae, and rites of Zhothaqquah. When an inquisition came with a writ for his arrest, he fled Cykranosh (the planet Saturn) through a magic panel given to him by Zhothaqquah, never to be seen again on Earth.
Personality
From his creation of the Demon Tools and the instructions that led to the development of Demon Weapons, as well as remarks made by numerous respected others and the confirmation provided by The Great Old One of Power, it is obvious that Eibon's most defining trait is his intelligence, which far exceeds any other individual observed thus far.[13] This abundance of knowledge is as much of a gift as it is a curse, in that while it allows Eibon to understand and see through all things, it drives those around him to madness.
Not much can be told of Eibon's actual personality in regards to the Manga. He appears to be a rather formal man, speaking with sophisticated vocabulary and not expressing much emotion at all. He does seem to be slightly concerned about Kid when he comes to Lost Island, and also seems to have an interest in helping him find the answers he seeks. Unlike The Great Old One of Power, Eibon does not present himself as an enemy of Kid or Death, and does not emit a wavelength that is relatively dangerous at close range, possibly in order to keep others from falling into madness.
However, he is not without flaws. Shinigami has mentioned that Eibon is a very curious individual. He has expressed that even when they both agreed to never try to create the Demon Weapons, as the method was unjust, he still showed signs that he really wanted to do so. This side is shown to have him align with witches. He also is one that would go to great lengths to achieve a goal, even if the consequences would cause him and his friendship with Death to suffer. In the anime, for example, he sways from Shinigami's side by aligning with Arachne in an effort to save his wife.
In the anime, Eibon presents himself with the same characteristics as what has been shown so far in the manga but inclines to a much more friendly, good alignment. He speaks to Shinigami as if the two are personal friends, and it is explained that his original goal in creating Demon Tools was to benefit and help humanity. However, it is explained that his research soon turned to a search for the way to grant someone immortality in order to save his beloved wife from death. Unable to find such a way, he was manipulated by Arachne Gorgon and created "BREW". He himself then explains his tragic grief and sorrow for straying from Shinigami's side, explaining that he has suffered the death of friendship, betrayal, and involvement with Witches. Lastly, he states the loss of the one he loved most, his wife, not to the fatal illness she had, but to the explosion set on Lost Island by Arachne. He then makes amends for these misdeeds by lending BREW's power to Shinigami, and hopes that he will save the world with it.
Appearance
Eibon as depicted in the anime
Although Eibon is depicted as a relatively tall humanoid figure, due to the presence of his ornamental clothing his exact physical proportions and even his facial features remain mostly obscured, making it difficult to discern his actual characteristics. This concealing attire is comprised from a simplistic steel mask, attached to a protruding hat with an additional visor that descends down the entirety of his face, and a full length robe, which covers the remainder of his body. Layered over this dark robe are numerous linear patterned panels, accented by metallic plating that is also found on Eibon's shoulders and running down his sides, and protruding from the ends of his sleeves are similarly constructed angular projections. Completing his typical dress is a long triple-wrapped scarf, which terminates in a spherical bead and various tassels at end, and an unusual triangular section that extends forth from his chest, featuring steel panels fashioned into the shape of a capital letter "E".[14]
Power
Being a former member of the Eight Shinigami Legions and serving as one of Death's personal guards, Eibon is known as the most powerful Sorcerer of all time.[15] His power is implied to be extremely potent and roughly comparable to the output of power from "BREW" itself, with statements from Arachne herself stating that "BREW" is Eibon.[16] As a Great Old One, his very existence drives men into Madness (specifically, the Madness of Knowledge in his case) as well as having a Madness Wavelength rivaling Asura.[17]
Special Abilities
The effect of the Lust chapter.
Seven Chapters (7つの章, 7Tsu no Shō): Being the creator of the Book of Eibon, Eibon was capable of imbuing the book with Magic in which exposed and enhances one's sin within the "Seven Deadly Sins" in accordance to their personality. Giving into one of the sins within Eibon's chapters makes them give into Madness and become part of the Book of Eibon itself.[18] Within the Lust Chapter, those would undergo exposure to magic in which enhances their lustful vices as well as switch their sex partially based on their desires and preference of the opposite sex.[18]The Gluttony chapter exposes those within the chapter to magic in which enhances their appetite to extreme levels.[18] The Envy chapter has magic in which creates illusions for it's captors that exposes their envious thoughts and forces them to face them.[19] The Wrath chapter has magic that forces its inhabitants' tempers to unorthodox levels, making them angry for little reason.[19]The Pride chapter exposes magic to it's inhabitants that makes their inhabitants becomes excessively prideful.[19] The Sloth chapter has magic in which reveals one's inhibition and dulls their senses as well as their drive to do necessary actions.[20]And finally, the Greed chapter, although not show, is implied to have some ability in enhancing one's greed.[21]
Spatial Magic (空間魔法, Kūkan Mahō) : Eibon was capable of creating an entirely separate dimension within the Book of Eibon. Furthermore, the Table of Contents claimed that anything within the Book of Eibon can happen and "nothing is beyond the pale".[11]
Summon (召喚, Shōkan): Given the vast summoning capabilities from the Book of Eibon, Eibon is at least a capable of summoning using his own Demon Book.[11]
Eibon reading Kid's mind.
Mind Reading: Fitting for his status the a Great Old One of Knowledge, Death the Kid himself comments that Eibon has the ability to "see through everything". Not only was Eibon able to know Kid by his nickname despite not having met him but he was also able to see Kid's past experiences and even iterated his current thoughts in front of the Death God.[6]
Precognition: Also fitting for his status the a Great Old One of Knowledge, Eibon possess the ability to see into the future, having been aware that Maka Albarn herself would be the one out of Kid's "dear friends" to learn of the location of the Kishin himself despite having not happened yet during his conversation with Death the Kid on Asura's hidden locaton.[22]
Eibon displays telekinesis.
Telekinesis: In the anime, Eibon has displayed the ability to move objects without touching them. He seems to utilize this by moving his arm, surround the object being lifted in a blue aura. However, it is shown that he can also so without arm movement and can even use it to levitate himself, in which also surrounds him in a blue aura.[23]
Eibon appearing from the Demon Tool Eibon.
Demon Tool Eibon (魔道具•エイボン, Madougu Eibon; FUNimation "Magic Tool Eibon"): In the anime, Eibon bound his soul to the Demon Tool called the Key. From that point on, it became known as "Demon Tool Eibon". He's capable of housing himself within the Demon Tool and can appear should he be called forth. Because of his connection to the Key after bounding his soul, he can allow or disallow the usage of "BREW" as he functions as the artifact capable of activating the dangerous Demon Tool.[10]
Madness Wavelength (狂気の波長, Kyōki no hachō) :Like all of the Great Old Ones, Eibon possess an extremely high, god-level Soul Wavelength dubbed in which his very existence drives men into Madness. Per having a Soul Wavelength on a godly level that closely rivals Asura, Eibon's own Madness Wavelength itself can supposedly distort certain Magics such as Snake and Spatial Magic as well as Demon Tools.[3]
- Madness of Knowledge (知識の狂気, Chishiki no kyōki): This Madness has the capability to present a person with absolute knowledge, stopping their thoughts altogether, powerful enough to affect even Stein. This Madness can be transferred into powerful objects such as the Book of Eibon.[5]
Demon Book Text: Eibon is capable of using some sort of magical texts on paper to perform magical feats, in which are exhibit from the Book of Eibon as well as the Demon tools within it. He's capable of making them perform feats such as such as summoning[24], plundering into separate dimensions[25], teleportation, or creating magical restraints capable of trapping an incomplete Death God.[26]
Soul Bounding: In the anime, Eibon has the ability to bound his soul to an object. He bound himself to Key to ensure no one could use "BREW" without his presence to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands.[10]
Genius-Level Intellect: Eibon is known to be an extremely intelligent individual, with The Great Old One of Power's comments suggesting Eibon's most renowned trait is his intelligence.[11] He's even known as the true mastermind behind the blueprints of the Demon Weapons with inspiration coming from Excalibur, a Legendary Blade.[27] In addition, the Sorcerer himself is known to have created Demon Tools and Demon Books with immense capabilities as well as knowing his way around machinery. This has caused him to be labelled the world's greatest Sorcerer in history as well as the greatest inventor.[15]
History
Demon Tool creations
He started out as some sort of associate with both Death and the Spider Witch, Arachne Gorgon.[4] At some point with Death, both he and the Death God would create the Demon Tool known as Eternal Spring. After it's creation, he would sign his signature along with Death.[28] He'd also create the Book of Eibon and within it's contents, store the blueprints for Demon Tools as well as create others.[29]
"BREW" & Demon Weapon Blueprints
Faced with the dilemma with the Witches' control spreading far and causing chaos, both him and Death proposed for a solution. With Excalibur's as inspiration much to his disgust, he along with Death draw up the blueprints for the Demon Weapons. However, both soon discover to make them propose to sacrifice Witches for their souls and although conflicted, he ultimately agreed in ending the tests and seal the information away.[30]
At some point in addition, he'd also create his masterpiece known as "BREW". However, he'd fine that both the blueprints on the Demon Weapon and his Demon Tool were stolen thanks to the likes of Arachne Gorgon, who intended to hide both the tool from Death to reclaim later and create the Demon Weapons from his research.[31] After his defeat, he came to reside within the Magnetic Field on Lost Island, using it as a cover.[32]
Wife's Illness and "BREW" (Anime)
Template:Anime Instance
Warlord of the Eight Shinigami Legions
Some point after the Demon Weapons were created,[33] Eibon was among it's ranks as one of the Eight Shinigami Legions and was present along with an unknown creature when one of the Warlords informed Death of Asura destroying the group known as the Witches in the East.[34] He'd also was one of the figures to play a role in Asura's defection from the Eight Shinigami Legions and rise to becoming a Kishin.[35]
Synopsis
"BREW" - The Tempest Arc
As Mosquito prepares to battle Maka's Team, he interrupts them and is identified as Eibon by Mosquito, much to Kid's surprise though is confused on whether or not he's an image. Although he is not an image, he pretends to be.[36] He would walk on as they battle the Bloodsucker.[37]
Operation Capture Baba Yaga Arc
From afar, Eibon actives "BREW" when Death the Kid is nearly killed by Mosquito, having it amplify the power of his soul and Soul Wavelength.[38]
Arachnophobia vs DWMA Arc (Anime)
Template:Anime Instance
Mad Blood Arc
Eibon and Kid meet once again.
When Kid goes back to the Magnetic Field on Lost Island, he's there to meet Kid. As Kid formulates he was, indeed, real during the battle for "BREW", Eibon is already aware of the various matters on his head: the Kishin, "BREW", and the question If his father was indeed the root cause of the Madness. He instructs on the young Death God to follow.[39] As Kid asks for information on his location, Eibon reveals he doesn't know and further states that he chooses not to know. He would also cite that what Great Old Ones are, something even that a certain "fool" understands. Although seeing him desperate, he reassures that one of his "dear friends" will present the answer.[40]
He then tells him of the Magnetic Field's properties allowing an hour to repeat to no end and assumes Kid's love for order would allow him to value such a fact. But when the boy responds with it being unproductive to the point there was no point of it happening and states the things he found unbalanced and incomplete in the Book of Eibon was the ultimate "order", he then claims that not only will he learn If Death is the root of Madness but also says he's not a fragment but a worthy Death God himself.[41]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Soul Eater Volume 8; Chapter 31, page 161
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 112
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Soul Eater Volume 17; Chapter 72, page 176
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 (Yen Press) Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 99 - Death:Me...Eibon...Arachne...we have let the rift between us grow to deep.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 82
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 87
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 88
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 17; Chapter 72, page 175-177
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Soul Eater Anime: Episode 46
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Soul Eater Anime: Episode 47
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 72
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 16
- ↑ Soul Eater Chapter 72, page 37
- ↑ Soul Eater Chapter 35, pages 38-39
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Soul Eater Anime: Episode 27
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 9; Chapter 35, page 167
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 72
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 73
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 74
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 74-75
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 75
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 21; Chapter 88, page 23
- ↑ Soul Eater Anime: Episode
- ↑ Soul Eater: Manga: Chapter 55
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 56
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 63
- ↑ Soul EAter Manga: Chapter 99
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 8; Chapter 31, page 164
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 15, page 19
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 23; Chapter 99, page 60-61
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 9; Chapter 35, page 166-167
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 20; Chapter 87, page 154
- ↑ If the Eight Shinigami Legions included Demon Weapons, then the group should have formed after their creation
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 5; Chapter 15, page 57
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 19; Chapter 79, page 91
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 8; Chapter 35, page 195-196
- ↑ Soul Eater Manga: Chapter 36
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 14; Chapter 53, page 16
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 20; Chapter 87, page 154-156
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 21; Chapter 88, page 22-23
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 21; Chapter 88, page 23-24
| Active | Eibon • Asura • Great Old One of Power • Excalibur |
| Deceased | Death |
| Warlords | Excalibur • Eibon • The Great Old One of Power Asura • Vajra |
| Eibon • Prisoner • Grimoire • Rerené Descartes | |
| Icon | Greed • Wrath • Lust • Gluttony • Envy • Pride • Sloth |