| “ | What does this hand of yours want to do? Say what you wish for. I'll make it come true. | ” |
William Twining (ウイリアム・トワイニング Uiriamu Towainingu) is the main character of the series; a extreme realist with a brilliant mind. William is from a noble family and attends Stratford Academy. He is also a descendant of King Solomon and the Elector, someone who has the ability to choose the King of Hell.
Appearance
William has blond hair and deep green eyes. He has a drooping ahoge on the top of his head and he occasionally pulls his hair back, like when he went to Swallow's family dinner. He also has a fair/pale skin tone and a slender figure.
There are very few occasions where he can be seen out of his normal uniform. It consists of a coat that falls past his waist, which he always leaves open; matching dark-blue/black slacks to his coat; a dress shirt with upstanding collars pressed into wings, and tied with a wide white ribbon; and striped blue and green vest.
As a prefect, he also wears a short, cape-like cloth of white, called a 'mantle' in the series and it is a sign of his position as a prefect. It's lined with red, draped around his shoulders, connecting beneath both sides of his collar.
Personality
A staunch realist, William is very arrogant, especially regarding his intelligence, which he takes great pride in, making him vulnerable to praise and landing himself in troublesome circumstances because of that. He also takes great pride in the Twining name and is obssessed with keeping his records spotless for that reason. He is very ambitious, aiming for high lofty goals in politics and law, which he feels confident he will achieve and placing high value in money, power, and honor, even citing them as the only three things he loves.
He is skeptical of the demons and their world at first, but he eventually learns to accept them, even searching for a way to incorporate them into science and to learn more about them. He's relatively composed even when finding himself in bizarre situations that contradict the laws of science or even in the face of danger. He is very determined, willful, and stubborn, refusing to choose an interim ruler even when threatened or placed in situations that would've shaken normal people.
Despite that, William can get hotheaded especially in regards to rule-breakers, the antics of Isaac Morton and the demons that surround him daily, and Kevin's gambling addiction. He is good at making the most of certain situations, using people, utilizing his above-average intellect in cunning ways, and he is meticulous at manipulation (though these parts are mostly for laughs with no real negative effects on anyone). At one point, he even uses the demon candidates themselves to work for him in his cafe to raise funds. William is not above using his newfound demon allies to his advantage when it comes to getting higher grades or furthering his 'flawless' reputation.
He also has a less pronounced caring side shown when he worries about Kevin, whom he sees as family, even wiling to let him go when he mistakenly thinks Kevin wanted to be a priest instead of his butler, and when he secretly worries about Dantalion and Sytry when he discovers they had taken leave. William has also been shown to be very forgiving, as he forgives Uriel for continuously lying to him for years when he took the identity of the real Kevin Cecil. He does not care that Dantalion killed him in a previous lifetime and seems to accept without much trouble that Sean, his fag is actually the Angel Metatron who took the identity of a human to get close to him.
Power and abilities
Under the instruction of Samuel Liddell Mathers, William's magical powers started to get stronger and by the lastest chapters he was able to perform various spells and summon the demons of the pillars much easier than before. However, he was defeated by Isaac in a practice battle at Mathers' behest.[4]
Trivia
- In the short story booklet that came with the limited editions of Volume 12, it is revealed that William's middle name starts with a H.
- Although William's birthday is officially listed as being June 6th in his character profile, in the manga, it is shown as being in November, after Guy Fawkes Day. According to the author, the canon divergence was unintentional.
- William's family is not to be confused with Thomas Twining, founder of Twinings of London.[5]
- He can sleep with his eyes open.[6]
- His character song, sung by his seiyu Takuya Eguchi[1], is titled Crossover the World.
- When Wiliam was a child, he used to give Kevin all sort of things to eat, such as caterpillars and rocks.[7]
Quotes
- (to Kevin Cecil) "You're a kind person, Kevin. (...) You've always been like that. I'm sure I'll depend on you as long as you're around..."[8]
- "Everyone has doors they don't want opened."[9]
- (to Dantalion) "'That time'? When do you mean? A little while ago? Or very long ago? (...) Well, whether you killed Solomon or not doesn't matter to me. That's something to do with you and Solomon, not you and I. You don't want to talk about it either, do you?"[9]
- (to Kevin Cecil) "... it is because you have been by my side that I have been able to live freely to now. Nothing will be able to change that truth. And so, from now on, let me trust you too. I believe in you. (...) It's not 'I believed in you,' it's 'I believe in you.' That's all."[10]
- (to Kevin Cecil) "You're the only house steward I have."[11]
- (on Christmas) "Normally, they would be around at this time... Kevin would covertly pull out the cork of some champagne, and Sitri would eat dessert outright. Camio would probably bring some pie that he baked himself. Isaac and Swallow and the rest... maybe even Sean and the others would participate... and then, him too."[12]
- (to Dantalion) "Then come back. You can stay here."[13]
- (to Dantalion) "'Protect'... As if I'll let you... As if I'll trust a demon with the responsibility of the world!"[14]
References
Amon and Mamon • Baphomet • Eligos • Gilles de Rais • Gilgamesh • John Dee • Lamia • Leonard Belphegor • Empusa • Lamashtu • Leviathan • Lucifel Rofocale • Pluto • Astaroth the Second • Behemoth | |
Adrian Swallow • Barton Twining • Bianca Clifford • Elliot Eden • Mary • William Wynn Westcott Arthur Christian • Cassandra • Ernest Crosby • Tamar • Elizabeth Dale | |