- List of Black Lagoon characters
The following is a list of characters from the Japanese
manga andanime Black Lagoon .The Lagoon Company
Revy
nihongo|Revy|レヴィ|Revi, some times referred by her full name nihongo|Rebecca|レヴェッカ|Revekka, does most of the fighting for the Lagoon Company. Very little is revealed about her past, although portions can be pieced together through the series. Revy is a
Chinese-American born and raised inChinatown, Manhattan near Mott Street, spending most of her youth as a thief andmurder ess. Flashbacks throughout the series reveal that Revy may have honed her skills with firearms by shooting at cans, and that her first murder may have involved shooting an unknown man while using a pillow. It is unknown whether the pillow was used to suppress the noise or to help avoid looking at her first victim. Revy is very competitive, easily bored, and quick to anger. Unlike Rock, she is undiplomatic, believing in the use of brute force and coercion to get her way.Revy is a sadistic killer without a conscience who will kill at the slightest provocation. Dutch once made reference to
University of Texas shooterCharles Whitman in describing Revy after she slaughtered the innocent crew of the Neo-Nazi's boat for no reason other than her own entertainment (in the anime, she was stopped by Dutch when she began her killing spree, after she shot one in the leg), and she is also a heavy smoker and drinker. Of all the characters in the series, Revy uses the most foul language. She takes maniacal glee in killing anyone and everyone. She shot Rock at point blank range, but he moved her gun at the last second, during a confrontation in episode 7, and in episode 1 emptied most of a magazine in his direction while arguing with Dutch about their hostage. However, she does have a tendency to save Rock from critical situations, and later on she admits to considering Rock as family to Balalaika. It may be possible that she has an attraction to Rock based on her reactions to Eda's teasing which appears to be jealousy. According to CIA agents onBasilan Island , towards the end of episode 12, Revy is still notorious in the NYPD, particularly at the 27th Precinct. Since the 27th Precinct does not exist in real-lifeNew York City , this throwaway reference may or may not indicate an odd connection toDick Wolf 's "Law and Order " franchise.Revy is one of the deadliest fighters in the series, whose skill with firearms and ability to dodge bullets is almost unparalleled—there are only a few other characters, such as Roberta and Ginji, that can hold their ground against her in combat. Her weapons of choice are twin modified
Beretta 92 FS's, which are stainless steel and have barrel's extended from 4.9" to 5.9" each (the 5.9" is the combat MOD barrel), adapted forsilencer s. They are engraved with "9mm Sword Cutlass", theJolly Roger of the famous pirateCalico Jack (which is also inlaid into the ivory grips), and an inscription inThai . Due to her ambidextrous marksmanship skills, she is nicknamed "Two-Hands" by the people of Roanapur. However Revy has also used a variety of other firearms.Constantly living on the edge of life, Revy developed a rather bleak outlook, relying only on her own power, skills, and money. She does not believe in
God or emotions. However, she seems to respect and trust her companions.Rock
nihongo|Rokuro Okajima|岡島緑郎|Okajima Rokurō), also known as nihongo|Rock|ロック|Rokku, was a Japanese
salaryman for Asahi Industries in Tokyo until he was taken hostage by the crew of the "Black Lagoon". He joined the Lagoon Company after his department chief, Kageyama, abandoned him in an attempt to cover up thesmuggling operation in which Rock had been an unwitting participant. Rock is a humble and mild-mannered person despite being on the business end of guns from friend and foe alike, and often seems surprised at the barbarity of theSoutheast Asian crime world. He still wears a tie and short-sleeved dress shirt and prefers to use words over weapons when interacting with others. Rock, from joining the Lagoon company, has wondered if he is experiencing Stockholm Syndrome.Within the Lagoon Company, Rock is usually responsible for account management, diplomacy, negotiation, and the occasional errand. Having once worked in the resource investigation department of Asahi Industries, Rock is also skilled in
geology . He is also a skilled linguist, being effectively bilingual in Japanese (hisfirst language ) and English as well as being familiar with other languages, including Spanish, Romanian and Russian. He also has a surprisingly high tolerance for alcohol, owing to the heavy-drinking lifestyle of a ladder-climbing salaryman. Rock's earnest personality has earned him the interest of several personalities in Roanapur, including Balalaika, Mr. Chang, Rowan “Jackpot” Pigeon, Yolanda, Eda, who develops a crush on him; and young Garcia Lovelace, whom he trusts to the greatest degree. In many ways, Rock is the heart of the Lagoon Company, serving as a balance for his more jaded teammates and as a bright spot in the world of darkness that is Roanapur.He is one of the "luckiest" characters in the series as he managed to survive every single thing he experienced from being taken hostage to being shot at. Thus far, he has survived the wrath of Revy, Balalaika, Roberta, and Sawyer. He is appointed personally by Mr. Chang to help Garcia Lovelace, much to Lagoon Company's disapproval. Revy comments that he's repeating his actions in Japan and his encounter with Washimine Yakuza and Yukio, which resulted in tragedy. She asks if Garcia, Fabiola, and Roberta are worth it and why she always has to stick her neck out for him. He states to her that in his homeland, that's being a gun. If Revy was the gun, he was her bullet, a silver bullet that can slay any monster, if used correctly. If not, you're nothing but prey. This gets Revy thinking as the two leave together to aid Garcia. [Volume 7, Chapter 8]
While Rock has a family in Tokyo, he does not seem to have much connection to them due to their somewhat apathetic attitude towards him. It was later revealed that Rock did not pass his college entrance exams on his first try, leading his family to lower their expectations of him. It is known that Rock has a father, a mother, and an older brother who was academically capable (and thus attained a job in the Japanese government).
Dutch has stated that he believes Lagoon Company is complete with Rock not holding a gun, saying his bullets are the kind to ricochet back at them.
Dutch
nihongo|Dutch|ダッチ|Dacchi is the African-American leader of the Lagoon Company and captain of the ex-U.S. Navy
PT boat "Black Lagoon" aka a torpedo boat. He is a former marine who fought in theVietnam War . After theFall of Saigon in 1975, Dutch wentAWOL , escaping to Thailand to work as a mercenary. He tends to stay away from the fighting associated with Lagoon Company's activities. Instead, he gives orders and negotiates contracts with clients—usually Balalaika of Hotel Moscow. However, Dutch is very capable in combat, skillfully wielding aRemington 870 shotgun and a Smith & Wesson 629 revolver with ease. Dutch is a calm, easygoing character, and quite friendly. He is a Christian, denomination unknown. His body is heavily muscled, and he is always seen wearing a pair of sunglasses. He appears to be in his 30s, but is much older, based on his military service in Vietnam.Benny
nihongo|Benny|ベニー|Benī is a college dropout from a
Florida university where he studied until getting into trouble with the FBI and the mafia, and would have ended up dead if Revy had not saved him. He works as the Lagoon Company's mechanic, computer specialist, and researcher. He also functions as the Lagoon's driver, and appears to be the owner of the 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T (with a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner side-scoop hood) that Lagoon Company travels around Roanapur in. He is Jewish, or at least of Jewish descent as he puts it, and is often called "Benny-Boy" by Dutch. Benny joined the Lagoon Company two years before Rock, after Revy rescued him. Benny has an easy-going and non-violent personality: He readily admits to Rock that the two of them are not gunfighters in any way, shape, or form. Conversely, he has a disdain for Nazis due to his Jewish descent, and tells Dutch that "fuck the Nazis" is a family motto. Benny also tends to be possessive of his computers, and will not let anyone else touch them. In the second series, he met Greenback Jane, and, after impressing her with his computer abilities, begun an online relationship with her.Hotel Moscow
Hotel Moscow is a branch of the
Russian mafia based on Thai soil. The Bougainvillea Trade Company serves as their front in their activies. It is composed of the men who served under Balalaika in theSoviet war in Afghanistan and are dedicated to her.Balalaika
nihongo|Balalaika|バラライカ|Bararaika is the boss of Hotel Moscow. Before joining the mafia, she was a
VDV paratrooper and officer in theSoviet Army during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. She wears her uniform dress coat as a jacket and is always smoking a cigar, in contrast with the other characters who smoke cigarettes. She frequently employs Dutch and the Lagoon Company, apparently because they share a mutual respect. Although she has shown herself to be rather cynical on occasion, she is also a pragmatic and professional businesswoman. She is named after the "balalaika ", a Russian stringed instrument.Balalaika can be easily identified by the burn marks which scar most of the right side of her face and neck as well as her chest which she sustained in Afghanistan, earning her the nickname "Fry-Face" by those who dislike her. She has long blonde hair, and usually wears a large overcoat and a low-cut business suit. She appears to be in her 30s or 40s, although taking into account her past military exploits and likely rank (probably a captain, judging from the rank insignia on the shoulder boards of her dress uniform
greatcoat and Boris and others on occasion calling her "Kapitan" ) in the then-Soviet airborne, it is possible that she is actually older. References to the Olympic Games in flashbacks in episode 21 (Los Angeles (1984) and possibly Moscow (1980)) and then the end of the USSR (1992) show a rapid progression from her childhood to being a seasoned veteran.Balalaika, unlike many other "bosses", takes part in work normally done by underlings such as editing hardcore pornography, as seen in episode 7. Balalaika is also one of the few people to earn the respect of Revy, who has taken to calling her "anego (elder sister)". In turn, Balalaika also seems to hold Rock in high regard, sometimes relying on his knowledge and business skills.
In critical operations, Balalaika calls upon a personal cadre she calls the Desantniki (Russian special forces, much like the
US Marines ; "Desant" translates from Russian as "deep strike", usually indicating forces delivered by air or water. They are called "Visotoniki" in the manga). Composed of ex-Soviet special forces soldiers who had seen action in Afghanistan against anti-communist mujahedeen fighters, who act as Hotel Moscow's special ops team. In episode 10, Benny tells Rock that these men are skilled enough to independently "start and winWorld War III ". Due to Balalaika's leadership during the hellish fighting in Afghanistan, her men look up to her as their superior and will do just about anything upon her orders. As a combat officer, she is a proficient marksman and well-rounded fighter, capable of taking care of herself despite the fact that all of her troopers, including Boris, often worry for her. When conducting foreign operations from Thai soil, she uses the Russian cargo ship "Maria Zeleska" as a legal cover from the police and various law enforcement agencies.Boris
nihongo|Boris|ボリス|Borisu is Balalaika's second-in-command. He can be easily identified by the large scar running from his right forehead to his left cheek. Like Balalaika, he had served in the former Soviet army in the Afghan Civil War. She still refers to him as "Sergeant" rather than by his name, suggesting that he was her former
platoon sergeant . He is very protective of Balalaika and often worries for her when she decides to fight in the field. In an Omake, he used to be a weak girlish looking boy before joining the army.The Chinese Hong Kong Triad
They are led by Chang, who is a proficient gun fighter in his own right. Chang is more patient than Balalaika in terms of getting into battle. Under his services are Shenhua, who is his top assassin; Sawyer, who does disposal jobs for him frequently despite not being a member of the organization, and Leigharch, who is their getaway driver until recent events prevented him from acting in this capacity.
Mr. Chang
nihongo|Bai Ji-Shin Chang|張維新|Chan Waisan is the boss of a branch of the Hong Kong Triads based in Thailand. Like Revy, he is adept with wielding a pistol in each hand (
Beretta 76 andAMT Hardballer ), both inscribed with kanji meaning "Heavenly King" in a fashion similar to that ofgun fu . Chang is far more proficient in it than Revy who in episode 11 she states that she is "not on his level yet,". It is implied that it is he who taught her this style of combat. Fact|date=May 2007 It may be this prowess in combat that makes Chang the only male to whom Revy respectfully refers to as "Sir". He has deep respect for Balalaika, who annoys him by referring to him as "Babe," though their beliefs are known to collide. Their relationship is almost playful in a business sort of way, which they started after they both survived a shoot out among each other. They both have the power to join forces, but choose not to because it would make their respective lives boring. He is currently assisting Garcia Lovelace tracking down Roberta before any unnecessary casualties are made. He also comments that Rock's actions will determine the fate of not only Garcia and Roberta, but all existence in Ronapaur and grins due to Rock's "unique" ways of handling things. Unlike most criminal bosses in the town, he advocates cooperation and joint ventures to keep the status quo in Ronapaur. He has a conversation with Eda concerning "Grey Fox", the unit responsible for the death of head of the Lovelace Family. And gets irritated when Eda taunts him no to do anything "foolish" as it will be the destruction of Ronapaur at the hands of the US.Mr. Chang is based on characters commonly played by
Chow Yun Fat in films byJohn Woo , Fact|date=May 2007 such as John Lee in "Replacement Killers " and especiallyMark Gor in "A Better Tomorrow ", as both Chang and Gor are members of the Hong Kong Triad, wield dual pistols and don similar attire.henhua
nihongo|Shenhua|シェンホア|Shenhoa is a Taiwanese assassin in the employ of Mr. Chang. She prefers to use various edged weapons in close combat, in particular a pair of
kukri knives linked together with a length of leather rope at the handles, thus using them as modifiedrope dart s. She is also skilled in the use of throwing knives. Shenhua is a professional rival of Revy (who refers her as "Yes Lady" in the manga and "Chinglish" in the anime), whom she has worked with and against at times. Her personal religion isTaoism . One of her most notable traits is her broken speech pattern, which is always moving between Chinese and English. She is last seen being helped to walk by Lotton (who says that he will take her to a doctor, despite her having suffered what she believes to be a fatal wound) after being shot by Eda while hunting for Greenback Jane. She is revealed to have survived the battle in chapter 57 of the manga after Revy is shown calling her on the phone, though her fate has not yet been confirmed in the anime. She agrees to take up Revy's offer to help Garcia fight off the Colombian Cartel who is trying to kill Roberta.It is unknown if Shenhua has any unarmed hand-to-hand skills, although it seems likely. In the anime she fights only with blades, and never engages anyone in true hand-to-hand combat. The only other person who does this is Sawyer the Cleaner, who frequently works with her in "disposal" jobs.
Leigharch
nihongo|Leigharch|レガーチ|Regāchi is an Irish driver who worked with Shenhua at one time. A compulsive smoker of marijuanaFact|date=June 2007 (in the manga he actually snorts cocaine), he has a distressingly frequent tendency to hallucinate at inopportune times, such as in the middle of a car chase. Most of his hallucinations are actually references to Western pop culture, such as
Playmate s, "Star Trek " characters likeJean-Luc Picard andKlingon s, or English pop music such asJimi Hendrix . Leigharch is said by Shenhua to have suffered a massive overdose, inducing psychological damage severe enough to commit him to full-time medical attention.The Colombian Manisarela Cartel
Along with the Italian Mafia, they are the most brash of the criminal organizations, much to the disgust of Balalaika and Chang. Just them barely appearing results in needless fighting and bloodshed. They are led by Abrego who is somewhat of a coward and usually travels with his men. Lately, they have been made a fool of in the criminal underworld because of the Lovelace Family and their two killer maids. While the Italians do it for profit, the Cartels do it as a sense of pride, which usually gets them into unwanted trouble.
Abrego
nihongo|Abrego|アブレーゴ|Aburēgo is a Colombian drug cartel boss of the Manisarela Cartel operating in Roanapur. Whilst very arrogant, he has a tendency to be cowardly. He was presumed dead after the South American maid Roberta detonated a bomb in the bar he was in, although his appearance in later episodes is evidence that he somehow survived. After the explosion and the loss of many of his gunmen, Abrego's influence in Roanapur seems to have fallen, judging from the attitude he takes from Balalaika, Chang and Verrocchio. He is once again made a fool of, this time by Fabiola. Ever since the incident with Roberta, the Cartel had tried numerous times to figure out where she was hiding; fortunately for Roberta, through her connection with the Lovelace family, Roberta was protected daily by local police and military forces. Thus, the Cartel couldn't even touch her without causing an incident.
Gustavo
nihongo|Gustavo|グスターボ|Gusutābo is one of Abrego's main henchmen. At first, he is seen doing simple task for Abrego, such as disposal jobs, early in the series. Recently, he's been assigned to track down Roberta after hearing rumors of Roberta returning to the city by groups including the the police, Triad, and Hotel Moscow. He, along with some men, search for Roberta throughout the city and meets up with Revy and Rock. He then explains the situation within the Cartel regarding Roberta. He then crosses paths with Fabiola, who is requesting the aid of Lagoon Company. Fabiola is threatened by him and his men, as Revy then instigates are fight between them resulting in a comical argument between him and Bao over the telephone much to Revy's amusement. In desperation, he tries to call Abrego who is out with a girl according to his subordinates. He calls all of them in to warn them of another maid who is as fierce as Roberta. Finally, he orders the total destruction of Yellow Flag, much to Bao anger as he once again gets his bar destroyed. He is left behind by his men after Fabiola scares them off. Because of his failure Abrego has ordered him to be killed on sight. It's unknown if he is still alive or not.
Other Roanapur gangsters
Verrocchio
nihongo|Verrocchio|ヴェロッキオ|Verokkio is the boss of a branch of the Italian mafia based in Thailand. He once attempted to use the child assassins, Hansel and Gretel, to kill the rival gang leaders, including Balalaika and Mr. Chang, in an attempt to seize complete leadership of Roanapur's criminal underworld. Verrocchio was killed when Hansel and Gretel turned against him on a murderous whim.
Dago
Dago is Verrocchio's replacement as Thailand Boss after his death at the hands of the twins. His real name is unknown; "Dago" is a derogatory slang term Balalaika calls him. He seems to have a cooler head than Verrocchio but is still plenty arrogant and foolish; Balalaika and Chang seem to dislike him and his immature way of handling serious business. He doesn't hold much respect for Abrego either and treats him rudely despite being the newest amongst members of those holding the most power in Roanapur.
Chin
nihongo|Chin|陳|Chin is a Chinese crime boss who made several serious attempts to replace Balalaika as one of the major powers of Roanapur. Balalaika found out about his plans and personally murdered him, which consisted of tying him to a chair and then blowing up his apartment using plastic explosives and gasoline.
Luak
nihongo|Luak|ルアク|Ruaku is the captain of a pirate gang that operated in the rivers and seas of Thailand. He was contracted by Chin to kill off the Lagoon Company when Dutch wouldn't accept Chin over Balalaika. Luak's gang ambushed the Black Lagoon, but the entire gang was wiped out by Revy and Dutch.
The Church of Violence
Using their front as a Christian church, their main business is illegal imports, mainly firearms. However, they are known to import other items, including drugs, which seems to offend Balalaika as it is bad for their business. So far they have consistently outsmarted Hotel Moscow in terms of imports. Dutch refers them as "The Rip-Off Church" due to the group charging heavily on goods, especially those needed for missions. So far, it seems Rock is able to arrange proper business deals with the Church. The Church is always money-hungry and are known to do double-dealings, much to the disgust of Revy.
Eda
nihongo|Eda|エダ|Eda is a nun in the the Church of Violence, with ties to the underground since the convent is mainly a smuggling organization. She is friends with Revy, but this does not prevent them from confronting each other, as they share the same hotheaded personality. She has taken a liking to Rock during the "Second Barrage" episodes, and makes fun of Revy by threatening to take Rock for herself.
Eda has blond hair, blue eyes, and wears angular pink sunglasses even with her nun's habit and is often seen either chewing gum or smoking. Before she came to work for the Church, she claimed to have been born in
Langley, Virginia . It must be noted that Langley, Virginia, is a metonym for the CIA as its headquarters is located there. Later on, it is revealed that Eda is an operative for the CIA and is being hosted by the Church of Violence in return for monetary payments. This justifies her appearance as a woman many years older (most likely her mid-30s) than Revy (mid-20s), though that does not correspond to her emotional immaturity, such as her distraction to the point of indecision when Gretel offered her a large amount of money. She is given an assignment by the CIA to track down Grey Fox, the same foe Roberta is hunting as they are a threat to her CIA division. She provides Mr. Chang with much of the intel about Grey Fox, but warns him about his actions.Eda's preferred firearm is a
Glock 17L (as seen in manga chapter 41), which she wields proficiently despite Revy's claims that she is a "second-rate gunman".Yolanda
nihongo|Yolanda|ヨランダ|Yoranda is the leader of the Church of Violence. She appears to be quite old and wears an
eyepatch over her right eye. Despite her age and gentle appearance, she leads her organization with an iron hand. As the head of her organization, Yolanda usually never fights, leaving this job to gunmen like Eda and Rico. However she does carry a customized goldenDesert Eagle and uses it without hesitation in due course. It should be noted that she can fire the Desert Eagle one-handed and with deadly accuracy, seemingly unaffected by the gun's infamous weight and heavy recoil. Her looks could be based onMother Angelica , a real life Roman Catholic nun who, at one time, wore an eyepatch over her left eye. Yolanda is usually stern with Eda drinking alcohol in the church and seems to love tea. After an intelligent conversation with Rock, who convinces her to make a deal with Lagoon Company, she is impressed by his abilities and credits Dutch for finding someone as rare as him. She refers to Revy as "Rebecca" and tells her that she might learn a thing or two from Rock. She has connections with all the criminal organization in terms of intelligence though not officially part of the CIA, she serves as Eda's informant and confidant. She gives Eda fair warning that her opponent is no rookie and that she should be careful.Rico
nihongo|Rico|リカルド|Rikarudo (Ricardo) is an apprentice priest in the Church of Violence. Like Eda and Yolanda, he is a highly skilled gunman whose choice of weapon is a
M60 machine gun . He refers to Eda as "Big sis" ("Ane-san" in Japanese) instead of "sister", much to her chagrin.Citizens of Roanapur
Bao
nihongo|Bao|バオ|Bao is the bartender and owner of the Yellow Flag bar. He was an ex-ARVN soldier who fought in the
Vietnam War . He often feels harassed by Lagoon Company, especially Revy, for messing up his bar whenever they get into a fight with another party and reminds Revy to pay for the damage she has caused, which she always avoids doing. Balalaika seems to cover the repairs after Roberta destroyed it, which implies that the bar maybe owned by Hotel Moscow. Seen as a great hang out by most of the residents as it give many "jobs" to locals. After being rebuilt, he calls Lagoon Company that Roberta is back in town. When Revy and Rock arrive along with Gustavo, they all meet up with Fabiola. After some words, Revy instigates a fight between Gustavo and Fabiola leading once again to the destruction of his bar. Bao claims that his bar has been destroyed more than 15 times, most of it done by Revy.Flora
Madame Flora is a morbidly obese woman who runs "Sloppy Swing", a strip club located on the top floor of Bao's bar. She takes a liking to Rock and offers to "service him herself" if only she was a bit younger.
Rowan “Jackpot” Pigeon
nihongo|Rowan “Jackpot” Pigeon|ローワン|Rōwan is the owner and manager of the GoofFest
strip club on Rachiada Street in Roanapur. Of African descent, he has offered Revy a job as an S/M dancer more than once, possibly putting her as adominatrix . He is also a movie dealer who carries both legal and illegal genres (such as all forms ofpornography andsnuff films ). He is extremely frightened of Hotel Moscow, especially of Balalaika.Chief Watsup
nihongo|Chief Watsup|ワトサップ|Watosappu is the chief of the Roanapur police. He receives a regular stipend from Roanapur's criminal cartels, as well as the Lagoon Company, to stay away from their illegal activities. It's implied throughout the series that Revy tends to cause a lot of trouble in public and he usually has to bail her out much to his chagrin. For the most part, Watsup upholds this deal as long as his benefactors do not cause public incidents. He has dealt with Balalaika on more than one occasion, although she detests him.
Bounty Hunters & Mercenaries
The Captain
The Captain is the rank of an unknown mercenary in the employ of the Extra Order Company, a fictional private military company similar to modern day
Blackwater USA & the now defunctExecutive Outcomes where the initials EO come from. An experienced ex-soldier who saw action in the Liberian civil war in the early 1990s, Captain had no qualms with killing anyone he was asked to kill. He was also something of a challenge-seeker, since he wanted to prolong his fight with the Lagoon Company, whom he saw as worthy opponents. This proved to be his undoing, however since Rock realized this and came up with a strategy to exploit Captain's attitude. While attacking the "Black Lagoon" head on in a military helicopter, the boat launched itself off of a sunken ship and fired two torpedoes that brought down the Captain's helicopter, one hitting him in the face before detonating.awyer the Cleaner
nihongo|Frederica Sawyer|ソーヤー|Sōyā, also known as Sawyer the Cleaner, is a young girl, appearing to be in her late teens-early twenties, who specializes in body disposal, but also does occasional bounty hunter work. She is the person that the Triads, at least, turn to to execute people in the most brutal ways possible, usually to serve as examples for their clientele and enemies. Her legitimate business front is, ironically, a meat packing business named "U.G. Pork". Sawyer works in a white tiled room, which is covered in blood from her various executions, and uses a
chainsaw as her tool of trade. When on the job, she is dressed like a surgeon, but otherwise she wears gothic clothing. Few people seem to recognize her when she is not wearing her surgeon's robes. Because her throat had been cut open at some point, she speaks with anUltravoice . She also seems to have various emotional issues, as she will drop into fetal position if she loses her Ultravoice.Like Shenhua, Sawyer is an assassin in "Black Lagoon" who eschews the use of firearms in combat. Instead, she utilizes a thick-bladed chainsaw over half-her-height long, the same one she uses on her victims. The size and build of the weapon allows her to deflect rapid gun-fire with horrifying ease, although this can still push her back.
Much like Roberta, Sawyer is presented as an "unstoppable" attacker, much in the manner of
Leatherface from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", where she will cut through any obstacle in her path while stalking her prey, and the fact she enjoys her work immensely makes her even more dangerous. Her name may also be a homage to the Sawyer family of that film series and when she realised she had lost her ultravoice in episode 18 she briefly reenacts Leatherface's "chainsaw dance" of rage. Strangely, she is one of the few bounty hunters to survive the manhunt on Jane, and is later seen doing some "cleanup" work on a Roanapur side street in the morning. She is currently with Shenhua and Lotten helping Garcia fight off the Colombian Cartel who is trying to kill Roberta.Claude "Torch" Weaver
nihongo|Claude "Torch" Weaver|クロード・“トーチ”・ウィーバー|Kurōdo "Tōchi" Wībā is a heavyset, middle aged man with blonde hair and glasses and always sports a grin. As his nickname would suggest, he is a
pyromaniac who uses alighter shaped-and-sizedflamethrower as his weapon of choice, although for heavy duty jobs, he will also use a full-sized flamethrower. In spite of his profession and the fact he burnt his own wife to death (which he claims took five minutes), Claude claims to be religious (which religion is unknown) and does not drink alcohol. He is possibly the only character in the series who does not use foul language, preferring to speak with euphemisms (such as "darn" or "shucks") instead. He is blown up by Revy while hunting for Greenback Jane.Lotton the Wizard
nihongo|Lotton the Wizard|ロットン・“ザ・ウィザード”|Rotton "Za Wizādo" is a mysterious looking man and one of the bounty hunters hired to catch "Greenback" Jane. He has silver hair, wears a black trenchcoat and shaded glasses, and speaks in a light voice. His weapon of choice is one or more
Mauser C96 (s) with an extended magazine, although it's unknown whether this is an actual Mauser or a foreign version of the gun. He does not drink alcohol (he claims it makes him vomit). He gets shot by Revy when he tries to make a fancy entrance. It is implied that he is not a mighty fighter, but a poser. However, he did survive a fall from atop a warehouse building after getting shot due to his Kevlar vest, so the full extent of his abilities is still in question. He is currently with Sawyer and Shenhua helping Garcia fight off the Colombian Cartel who is trying to kill Roberta.He is also one of the few bounty hunters to survive the manhunt for Jane. After the battle takes off in the sea, he gets up and aids a gravely wounded Shenhua and Sawyer. Due to the uncommon act of mercy, Shenhua comments that he is not the type to kill and would be better as a host in a
bordello , but Lotton claims that he is too clumsy for that. He is seen playing video games with Sawyer at Shenhua's residence in chapter 57 of the manga.His Style of dress and mannerisms are very similar to both The Captain and Heinkel Wolfe of the popular Vampire Anime Series
Hellsing .Kirkstone Caxton
nihongo|Caxton|キャクストン|Kyakusuton is an American para-military commando who is currently in Roanapur awaiting deployment into Indochina. Like Dutch, Caxton is a Vietnam War veteran who still holds on to his moral code of conduct. Caxton's team, called "
Grey Fox ", under orders from a division of the NSA, orchestrated the assassination of Garcia's father. As a result of his action, he has made enemies of Roberta and the entire city of Roanapur, including the Triad, Hotel Moscow, and the Church of Violence. Despite this, Mr. Chang is trying to get Caxton and his men out of Roanapur to prevent Roberta from killing them as their deaths will trigger a war between the Roanapur gangsters and the United States.U-1324 Crew and Passengers
Captain Wentzel Ahbe
nihongo|Captain Wentzel Ahbe|アーベ|Ābe was the decorated skipper of the Type IXC
U-boat U-1324 and a survivor of the Battle of the Atlantic. His last order in the closing months ofWorld War II in Europe was to take the U-1324 and its veteran crew along with two passengers from theKriegsmarine naval base atKiel to ostensibly return Lt. Col. Matsuda to Batavia. He succeeded in getting safely to theIndian Ocean , but ran into trouble with US Navy destroyers near theNicobar Islands on March 25, 1945, which succeed in fatally crippling the U-1324 withdepth charge s, leaving it stranded on the seafloor. With only two hours of air left, he relieved his crew of their military duties and allowed them to choose death however they chose. Ahbe was a patriot, but not a Nazi, expressing his bitterness to the SS Lieutenant Colonel that the Nazis had brought Germany to ruin and satisfaction that U-1324’s sinking had meaning if his children would never see the Nazi flag again, leading the latter to shoot him. In their last act of loyalty to their captain, his crew avenged him. Ahbe left behind a wife and two children.His Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords is sought after by Revy after she and Rock recover “The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda” for its value on the open market. Ahbe is also shown to have received the Iron Cross 1st Class among his other decorations. Additionally, the U-1324 has the famed laughing sawfish emblem of the U-96.
Lieutenant Colonel Matsuda
Lieutenant Colonel Matsuda was an
Imperial Japanese Army officer posted to Germany to study aeronautics, where he remained until the early part of 1945. Returning him to Japanese-held Batavia is the apparent final mission of the U-1324. He formed a quick understanding with Captain Ahbe and was sociable with the crew, engaging them in games ofshogi during the voyage from Kiel to Batavia. When the U-1324 was fatally depth charged and runs aground on the seabed near the Nicobar Islands, he committedseppuku (ritualsuicide ) using hiskatana . He does not appear in the manga.Matsuda is based on the
Imperial Japanese Navy lieutenant commander Genzo Shoji, who was posted to Germany to study aeronautics as well, and tried to return to Japan as a passenger ofU-234 . However, when Germany surrendered in the midst of the voyage, the captain of U-234 decided to surrender to the U.S. Navy. Consequently, Shoji committed seppuku—suicide—to avoid capture. This episode was turned into the movie "Das Letzte U-Boot" in Germany in 1990.Lieutenant Colonel Spielberger
SS Lieutenant Colonel (
Obersturmbannführer ) nihongo|Spielberger|シュピールベルガー|Shupīruberugā} was the U-1324’s second passenger. A member of the SD, he was charged with the care of the painting “The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda,” which is part of a Nazi plot to prepare for the Nazis’ eventual rise to power following their defeat in World War II.He boarded the U-1324 the night before it sailed. Unlike Lt. Col. Matsuda, he was not as sociable, tending to keep to himself belowdecks, even when the U-boat was safely cruising on the surface in daytime. Like Captain Ahbe he also had a family, a wife and child in
Stuttgart , but unlike the former, was more focused on the failure of his mission rather than on them in his final hours. Ahbe’s anti-Nazi comments infuriated him, leading him to fatally shoot the captain. About to then shoot himself, he decided to take down as many of the U-1324’s crewmembers as possible in his final moments when they avenged their captain’s death.Neo Nazis
The Aryan Socialist Union is a group of aspiring
Neo Nazis styling themselves along the lines of the NaziSturmabteilung . Though it's not explictly stated, it is implied they are based in theUnited States . They have a large arsenal of weapons such asMG3 machine guns,AK47 assault rifles,Luger pistols and even TOW Anti-Tank Missiles.However, they do not realize that they have been lied to and are being set up by Sir Alfred, the head of the Neo Nazi movement, who believes they are a waste. There are more than 30 of them aboard their recovery ship. It is unknown how many, if any, survived the conflict with the Lagoon Company.
Ratchman
nihongo|Ratchman|ラッチマン|Racchiman is a short, fat man who leads the Aryan Socialist Union. He and his men are sent to retrieve a painting that was supposedly painted by
Hitler and will reunite the Nazis and return them back to their former glory. He hopes that, by obtaining the painting, he will have proven himself and his men loyal enough to be accepted into the Neo Nazi underworld. Though he shows loyalty on the surface, he is a coward at heart. Ratchman's lack of foresight and proper planning enables the Lagoon Company to sneak onto the ASU's recovery ship and launch a surprise attack while his men are drunk from celebrating after they recover the painting. He is murdered by Revy and Dutch.Kruppen Feller
nihongo|Kruppen Feller|クルッペンフェラー|Kuruppen Ferā is the commander of the Aryan Socialist Union’s Suicide Corps, the recovery team who was sent to retrieve “The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda” from the U-1324. He is the only man, other than Ratchman, to get emotionally worked up over the latter’s bombastic pronouncement of his mission. Feller leads his men down to the U-1324 using a special diving pod to connect with the U-boat’s hatch. Getting caught up in a firefight with Revy, he is the only member of his team to set foot in the U-1324 to make it out alive, recovering the painting in the process.
When Revy and Dutch assault the Aryan Socialist Union aboard their recovery ship, he attempts to arm himself with a
MG42 to fight back, but is shot in the back by Revy in the ship’s magazine. In the manga he is last seen fighting Revy inside the submarine; his fate afterwards is unknown.Fritz Stanford
nihongo|Fritz Stanford|ブリッツ・スタンフォード|Burittsu Sutanfōdo is the captain of the Nazi boat that is sent to obtain the
World War II painting in the sunkenU-boat . He is a physically huge man, and is filled with blind faith and overconfidence. In the end, it is this overconfidence that gets him killed when he brags about his weapon and threatens Revy, who shoots him in the chest then point blank in the head. He wields a large goldLuger chambered for the.454 Casull cartridge.ir Alfred
Little is known about nihongo|Alfred|アルフレード|Arufurēdo, except he seems to be the head of the Neo Nazi underworld. He is an elderly man, most likely in his 80s, since he was in the
SS during the war, and it is implied that he is a combat veteran. The Boss sets up a test of loyalty and ability for Ratchman and his Aryan Socialist Union, in which he purposely sends them to face off with the Lagoon Company. Even though he sets them up, he already knows that Ratchman will most likely be defeated. Ratchman and the Lagoon Company are unaware that they are being set up. The Boss feels that Ratchman and his men are idiots and a disgrace to call themselves Nazis. He even thanks Dutch and Revy for killing them off for him. Dutch later finds out that the Frenchman who hired him was in fact The Boss setting him up. In the manga, he is referred to as "Sir Alfred".Protectors of the Islamic Front
The "Protectors of the Islamic Front" will stop at nothing that gets in their way, the Lagoon Company included.
Masahiro Takenaka
nihongo|Masahiro Takenaka|竹中正洋|Takenaka Masahiro) is a co-leader of the terrorist group "Protectors of the Islamic Front" and a patient, sociable person who rarely loses his cool. Despite being involved with an Islamic terrorist group, he himself is an atheist. Born in the Adachi ward in Tokyo, Masahiro was once an enthusiastic activist for human rights before joining the
Japanese Red Army during theCold War . Later, he was forced to evade arrest by hiding overseas after most of its members were arrested. Takenaka is based on theJapanese Red Army memberKozo Okamoto .Ibraha
nihongo|Ibraha|イブラハ|Iburaha is a co-leader of the "Protectors of the Islamic Front", leading one of its main cells in the
Philippines , and is resolute in his hatred ofIsrael , as his son was killed by Israeli soldiers inBeirut ,Lebanon in 1987, after which he dedicated his life to destroying the West. Compared to Takenaka, he is the exact opposite in personality. While chasing Revy, Rock, and Shenhua towards aBasilan military base, he is shot and killed by Takenaka for refusing to pull their forces back for a retreat.The Washimine Group
The Washimine group were a
Yakuza formerly run by nihongo|Ryuzo Washimine|鷲峰龍三|Washimine Ryūzō). Balalaika came to Japan to work out a deal with the Washimine group to expand their influence in Japan. Ryuzo however, wouldn't allow it, and was killed by Balalaika, who decided she would instead kill the entire group and take over their operations. Following his death, his daughter was put in charge. In the end, the entire Washimine group, and family, were wiped out.Yukio Washimine
nihongo|Yukio Washimine|鷲峰雪緒|Washimine Yukio)is a high school senior and the only daughter of Ryuzo Washimine, who was the former "kumicho" (boss) of the
yakuza organization "Washimine-gumi" (Washimine Group). As the only surviving direct relation of the former boss of the Washimine Group, only Yukio had a viable claim to the leadership of the Group. She reluctantly takes up the leadership when "Hotel Moscow" steps up their efforts to claim a part of the Japanese criminal underworld. She falls, seemingly inevitably, into the world of the yakuza and fantasizes about running away with Ginji to Roanapur to stake a claim in that world of crime. In her spare time, Yukio enjoyed reading a wide variety of books, particularly those concerning philosophy (she once read a book written byMartin Heidegger ). She commits suicide with Ginji's sword after Ginji is killed by Revy. Thoughtful, intelligent and talented, the misfortune of being the only heir to the Washimine group proved too much for Yukio to live by.Ginji Matsuzaki
nihongo|Ginji Matsuzaki|松崎銀次|Matsuzaki Ginji)is the acting "wakagashira" (underboss) of Washimine Group. He is currently working as a street stall vendor, but was formerly an assassin nicknamed "Hitokiri Ginji" (Manslayer Ginji) due to his use of a
katana in combat. His skills in its use are exceptional, manifesting themselves in such feats as cleaving bullets in two in midflight. Coupled with his ability to evade gunfire from multiple foes, Ginji almost completely eschews the use of firearms.Ginji had protected Yukio for a long time and hoped that she would live out her life normally despite her family's criminal background. He seems to regret his past as a murderer, but is willing to take up arms again for those he cares for. He is killed by Revy in a prearranged duel after he and Yukio realize they can't defeat Balalaika and the rest of Hotel Moscow.
It is interesting to note that although Revy calls Ginji "Jumbo" because of his height, the name "Jumbo" may also refer to Takeshi Takeda (AKA "Jumbo") from the
Yotsuba&! manga series with whom he shares an uncanny appearance.Tsugio Bando
nihongo|Tsugio Bando|坂東次男|Tsugio Bandō) is the "wakagashira" (underboss) of the Washimine Group. Since the position of boss of the Washimine Group is left vacant by the death of the former boss Ryuzo Washimine, Yukio's father, Tsugio is the actual boss of the Washimine Group. Tsugio is very loyal to the memory of Ryuzo, who had protected him after he just arrived in Tokyo from Osaka. Due to his hate of the Kousa Council's ill-treatment of the Washimine Group, he allied with Hotel Moscow for a short time in order for his group to rise and make a name for itself. However, his plans and Hotel Moscow's completely differed in approach as Balalaika was more brutal in her methods. He is killed in a desperate attempt to assassinate Balalaika and protect the Washimine Group, Balalaika easily dodging his attempt to stab her and then breaking his neck.
Yoshida
nihongo|Yoshida|吉田|Yoshida)is one of the enforcers working for the Washimine Group. He was very loyal to Tsugio Bando and refers to him as an older brother. Yoshida is usually seen as a bodyguard for Tsugio, and later Yukio when she inherits the leadership of the Washimine Group. During Yukio's inheritance of the Washimine Group's head position, it was Yoshida who rallied support for the young lady. He is killed by Chaka during Yukio's kidnapping.
Chaka
nihongo|Chaka|チャカ|Chaka) is one of the enforcers working for the Washimine Group who fancies himself as a "Wild West" gunman and is fluent in English. Arrogant, cruel, and sadistic, Chaka is often seen as an idiot by his peers. His earlier appearance showed that Revy's reputation as a gunman in Roanapur is such that even the yakuza in Japan have heard of her. Shortly after Yukio becomes the boss of the Group, Chaka makes his bid to take over the leadership by kidnapping her with the help of a street gang. He was determined to fight Revy in a quickdraw showdown, but she refused and lured him into fighting a duel with Ginji instead, who defeated and finished him off by letting him drown in a pool with both his hands severed. His character and appearance is likely based on Kakihara from
Ichi the killer , as both of them are longing for a strong opponent equal to them and are sadistically violent.The Loveless Family
The Loveless (sometimes called Lovelace) is one of the 13 prominent South American families. However, the family has come under hard times from not only their peers due to their political beliefs, but also from the Colombian Cartel, which has been harassing employees of the family in order to take control of their land. However, because of Diego Loveless's military and political connections, the family is constantly protected from threats. In addition, the family includes Roberta (aka Rosarita Cisneros), a former FARC terrorist who is wanted by both the Cartel and various law enforcement agencies. Because of her close relationship with the family, she is accepted as one of their own, serving as maid and, if necessary, bodyguard. Another maid, who is combat ready like Roberta, is Fabiola Igesias.
Diego Jose San Fernando Loveless
nihongo|Diego Jose San Fernando Loveless|ディエゴ・フェルナンド・ラブレス|Diego Ferunando Raburesu was the former head of the Lovelace family, eleventh in succession. While it is one of the thirteen noble families of South America, the Loveless family fell upon hard times, with only the meager income from their plantations maintaining their lifestyle. He took in Rosarita Cisneros, when she was escaping from the Columbian Cartel as a favor to his old friend, Roberta's father. He took her in and treated her as family. Recently, he was assassinated during a speech due to the fact his political beliefs were seen as a threat by many. This event makes Roberta take up the "Bloodhound" persona once more.
Garcia Loveless
nihongo|Garcia Loveless|ガルシア・フェルナンド・ラブレス|Garushia Ferunando Raburesu is the only son of Diego Jose San Fernando Lovelace, aged about 12 to 13 at his first appearance. He was heir to the Loveless family line, and as such, is its current head, the twelfth in succession after his father was assassinated. He was kidnapped for a short while by a Colombian cartel and was transported by the Lagoon Company as "goods". He and Roberta left Roanapur shortly afterwards, with some help from Hotel Moscow. He has apparently returned to Roanapur searching for Roberta with a new maid named Fabiola, waiting in a local hotel called the "Sunken Palace Hotel" and seemed to have matured greatly in terms of emotional strength, as commented by Rock, since his last appearance. He treats both Roberta and Fabiola as if they were his extended family and in return, both care for him equally. He requests help from Lagoon Company with additional help from Chang, Shenhua, Sawyer, and Lotton. However, the only person he truly trusts in Roanapur is Rock.
Roberta
nihongo|Roberta|ロベルタ|Roberuta is a maid who worked for four years at the Loveless household in
Venezuela . Although her domestic skills such as cleaning and cooking were poor, she developed a close friendship with the young son of the Loveless family, Garcia. Roberta was once known as Rosarita Cisneros, a former FARC guerrilla trained as an assassin inCuba and an internationally wanted criminal. Balalaika refers her as a "hardcore terrorist" to the point that Hotel Moscow had to deploy all their commandos as well as Balalaika getting involved in the situation personally should things get out of hand. Revy refers her to "That Glasses Bitch". She earned the moniker "Bloodhound ofFlorencia " for her relentless drive to achieve her objectives. Her tormented past and the smell of blood, gunpowder and muck like that of a sewer rat emanating from her was something Revy understood full well.In combat, Roberta is a truly fearsome opponent, having trained in a wide variety of martial, stealth, and weapon skills. Among the weapons she has used were a
sniper rifle ,combat knife , a SPAS-12shotgun disguised as an umbrella,machine gun ,grenade launcher hidden in a suitcase, spikedbrass knuckles ,trench spike , andpistol s. Her strength, speed, endurance, and instincts were honed to almost supernatural levels, so much so that Rock at one point refers to her sardonically as "a killer robot from the future" (a reference toJames Cameron 's Terminator movies).It is ironic that while Roberta is one of the most powerful warrior-women in "Black Lagoon", she is also humane, possessing warmth, kindness, remorse, and family love for her master and his son. Roberta and Revy fight each other, but only to beat themselves up. Rock interferes, but Roberta and Revy tell him to stay out of it. In the manga and anime, the fight ends in a draw right after they punch each other out simultaneously, (though Garcia claims she won because she remained conscious). Her kindness can easily change as seen in a humourous omake in Volume 1 of the manga when Garcia slapped her butt in a playful manner, which prompted her to pinch his arm and lift him up as punishment.
She admitted that she did murder children, women, or anyone in name of revolution during her
FARC years. Disillusioned by the fact that she was merely a tool for the drug cartels in cahoots withFARC , she opted out and joined the Lovelace clan as a maid through her father who is a friend of Lovelace. Despite being asked by Garcia not to pick up gunfighting anymore, later events in the manga, which depicts her watching helplessly as a bomb was set killing many including Diego Lovelace. Garcia's question of why was his father was a victim makes her go into battle again, seeking revenge. Roberta also shows signs of a growing madness; she is shown taking mouthfuls of anti-psychotics, and experiencing haunting hallucinations in the form of her past victims. She once again stalks the city of Roanapur in search of the one responsible for assassinating her master. Unfortunately, it turns out to be the US Special Forces. Roberta's quest for vengeance has put many of the residents including Hotel Moscow, the Triad, and the Colombian Cartel on high alert as it could mean the end for all of them as their new enemy is the United States. Most of the residents blame the Lagoon Company for attracting her back to Roanapur despite the fact the group was in the dark about the situation and brushed it off as if it were anElvis sighting. Her oath as the "Bloodhound of Florencia" is "In the name of Santa Maria, a hammer blow of righteousness to all injustice".Roberta is likely modeled on
Robert Rodriguez 'sEl Mariachi character, from her suitcase-mounted machine gun signature to herLatin America n background. However, she also parodies theT-1000 andAsh Williams in terms of demeanor.Fabiola Iglesias
nihongo|Fabiola Iglesias|ファビオラ・イグレシアス|Fabiora Igureshiasu is a young maid in the employ of the Lovelace family. She is one of the maids who work as Roberta's subordinates, and the only other combat-trained person among the maids apart from Roberta herself. In combat, she prefers to use two
MAG-7 s that were given to her by Roberta. She also carries a pump actionEX 41 grenade launcher . She also has heel blades concealed in her shoes (A possible Reference to theJames Bond FilmFrom Russia With Love , in which the antagonist,Rosa Klebb famously tries to Use Poison laced blades conceled in her shoes to kill the Protagonist) .Fabiola first appears in the same bar, The Yellow Flag, that Roberta met the Lagoon crew in, panicking everybody with her resemblance to Roberta. However, unlike Roberta, her suitcase is revealed to be filled with lollypops and a lunchbox with
Scooby Doo andRanger Smith on it. She is currently helping Garcia search for Roberta. She is something of a comic relief when compared with Roberta (whom she calls "head housemaid" with the utmost respect), as she is little, carries her grenade launcher concealed in her outfit, and is often prominent in hilarious situations; such as her height, being picked up like a bratty little kid, to being made fun of her breast size.Dutch describes her as a "Short Version of the Killer Maid" after she destroys Bao's bar. She states that she comes from the poorest slums of Caracas, where she lived with her ten siblings until she was employed by the Lovelace Family. As noticed by Rock, she does not brawl, being a proficient practitioner of
capoeira . According to her, she and Roberta are the only two maids in the Lovelace house who are proficient in firearms with Roberta being the better of the two. She also mentions that there are three other maids in the Lovelace house: Karina, Masica and Davia (though its unknown at this time if they're combat proficient as well). This makes Revy question her "Just what is the Lovelace plantation like? Full of bad-ass motherfuckers who could storm the Iranian embassy by themselves?"Fabiola is, just like Roberta, very protective of Garcia, but is more brash than her mentor, but not as much as Revy. She tries to attack Chang after seeing him with Garcia and easily disarms her without trying. She loves to play in the pool when she's relaxing, but is embarrassed to ask Garcia for a break, despite the fact he is aware of her activities.
Other characters
Kageyama
nihongo|Kageyama|景山|Kageyama) is one of the department chiefs of Asahi Industries, based in Tokyo. He was entrusted by its board of directors to ensure that their illegal activities were not exposed. Kageyama betrayed Rock by appointing Captain to kill him and the Lagoon Company, thus encouraging Rock to stay on with the Company. Although Kageyama is married and has three children (one teenage son, one teenage daughter, and one pre-teen daughter), he seems to place more emphasis on his job than on his family.
Hansel and Gretel
anime voices|Omi Minami|Ashleigh Ball (Hansel)
anime voices|Tomoko Kaneda|Jocelyne Loewen (Gretel)Hansel and Gretel are two unnamed Romanian twin orphans. It has been suggested that they are identical twins, but as it has been further implied that they may be male and female, respectively, this is unlikely (twins who are not same-sex are never identical, since the simple fact that they do not share a common gender makes an identical nature impossible; Still, it is possible - even probable - that Hansel and Gretel "are" fraternal twins). They were abandoned in a state-run
orphanage due to theNicolae Ceauşescu regime's ban on abortion and their parents' inability to afford keeping them. As a result of being repeatedly forced to participate in paedophilicsnuff film s in which they are either raped or forced to murder other children, and being repeatedly forced to watch the people running the orphanage beat one of the children to death in front of them, the twins eventually became deranged, sadistic killers just to survive. Unknown to most people, "Hansel" and "Gretel" are actually two personalities alternately adopted by the two children, both of whom suffer fromDissociative Identity Disorder , meaning they swap being "Hansel" and "Gretel" with each other from time to time (it is likely that these were their screen names in the films). There are slight implications that they could beincest uous, possibly due to the abuse they suffered in the state-run orphanage. Also, one of the most disturbing facts about them is that it is never made clear of what gender the twins are: in one scene in particular, "Gretel" (formerly "Hansel" before swapping) showed 'her' genitalia to Rock in what she presumably came to believe was a show of gratitude, causing him to flee in a terror and almost throw up.In combat, "Hansel" wields a sharp, wicked-looking
battle axe while "Gretel" uses aM1918 Browning Automatic Rifle that appears to be taller than 'she' is. Both also carry additional sidearms. While they were mentally deranged, Hansel and Gretel were also cunning, having used two other children as decoys to distract the "Hotel Moscow" ex-soldiers and using money to distract Eda. They were also not above using their innocent appearance to deceive their enemies.As revenge for killing Balalaika's men, Hansel is shot from a distance by one of her snipers and left to bleed to death, as he's left crying, in one of Roanapur's parks as Balalaika used herself as bait much to Boris' displeasure, while Gretel manages to escape and eventually boards the "Black Lagoon" of her own volition. Due to Rock's kindness, she begins to shed her psychotic personality and takes a genuine liking to him. However, just as Gretel starts to begin a normal life, she is gunned down by a hitman, hired by Hotel Moscow.
Within the story of "Black Lagoon", Hansel and Gretel may be two of the most deranged characters, as they live for nothing other than random, senseless acts of murder. However, they may also be the most tragic characters as they believe that these acts of violence will prevent them from being harmed by others. However, in the end, it was what got them killed.
The characters' names are taken from the German fairy tale, "
Hansel and Gretel ". Many of the series' characters compare them to a similar pair of disturbed, sadistic twins from the American film "The Shining". In the manga, the song sung by Gretel to Rock on the Black Lagoon is called "Midnight, the Stars, and You," the song used in the ending credits to "The Shining." In the anime, she sings "The World of Midnight," made for the anime and sung by Minako Obata.Greenback Jane
nihongo|Janet Bhai|ジャネット・バーイー|Janetto Bāī, also known as nihongo|Greenback Jane|ジェーン|Jēn, is a professional money
counterfeit er fromIndia . She served as the leader for her project team, which was spread around the world but was connected thanks to the internet, and is quite knowledgable on the details of thedollar bill . Coincidentally, she falls in love with Benny after he displays his hacking skills. Janet currently seems to be having aninternet romance with Benny. One of the running gags of her story arc is her clumsiness and poor luck, which usually result in her being subject to apantyshot .Russell
nihongo|"Groovy Guy" Russell|“グルーヴィ・ガイ”・ラッセル|"Gurūvi Gai" Rasseru is a middle aged American man who works for the Florida crime syndicate that's tracking Jane. He is quite distinguishable since he dresses like a
cowboy : he has the trademark hat, boots withspurs , arevolver at the hip,bandolier belt, tan shirt and jeans. He is not taken serious by the other bounty hunters because he is an outsider. Even Shenhua says, “Cowboy, this no Florida” meaning that he is in over his head. However, his skills are shown to be more than everyone thought, when he is the last bounty hunter left in the hunt for Jane and he duels Eda onboard the Lagoon. It is then later revealed that he and Eda have met previously in the United States, but Eda says they have never met. When he brings up the words "CIA", Eda kills him.Vasili Laptev
nihongo|Vasili Laptev|ヴァシリ・ラプチェフ|Vashiri Rapuchefu is the boss of a branch of the Russian mafia based in Tokyo. A former
KGB officer, Laptev had many difficulties operating in Japan due to his status as a "gaijin " (foreigner). Considered distasteful and incompetent by Balalaika, he appeared to lose his standing with his peers back in Russia and this was reflected in his arrogant personality, since he did not speak Japanese despite being based in Japan. Laptev's detachment is slaughtered single-handedly by Ginji when the fallout between Hotel Moscow and the Washimine-gumi begins.Maki
Maki is a female high school junior and goes to the same high school as her friend, Yukio Washimine. Maki seems to be a symbolic representative of the typical Japanese high school girl who is interested in skin-care, has a part-time job, reads
light novel s, and has poor school grades.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.