Chimera (MÄR)

Infobox animanga character
name = Chimera
series = MÄR


caption = Chimera by Nobuyuki Anzai
first = Manga Chapter 24 "MÄR" Episode 10
voiced by = Mie Sonozaki (Japanese)
age = ?
born =
relatives = Unnamed parents & little brother ["MÄR" Japanese episode, episode 83] Marco (husband, deceased)
divider = yes
aux1 = Chess Pieces
aux1 name = Affiliation
aux2 = Knight
aux2 name = Rank

Chimera (キメラ, "Kimera") is a fictional character in the popular manga and anime series MÄR. Chimera is a member of the Chess Pieces, the series' main antagonists, and holds the rank of fourth strongest Knight.

Personality

Chimera's appearance, masked or unmasked, is generally anomalous for her gender. She usually dons a ghastly skeletal mask with a green wig attached to it, concealing her blonde hair color (the green color is possibly exclusive to only the anime, however, as the cover of volume 13 shows a blonde-haired masked Chimera). Since her enlisting for the Chess Pieces she's fashioned her hair spiky, a mode far more commonly styled for males, and (exclusively for the anime) builds up her stature into a more masculine form, misleading people about her actual gender ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 134, last page] . In addition to these extraordinary outward features, Chimera's facial appearance carries hideously unique traits: she wears a grotesque mass of eyeballs on the left side of her face, stitches a horizontal black line on the scar across her nose's bridge, and seasons the overall gruesome sight by piercing her Knight insignia earring on the tip of her tongue.

Out of the 13 Zodiac Knights, Chimera is by far the most mysterious. In her every seldom appearance until the Final Battles, Chimera never takes off her mask, nor is she seen conversing with anyone in words. Always shielding her emotions behind the skull face, Chimera possesses the silence of a beast, and also the humanity of one: she's ruthless in battles, and is a barbarous warrior, once seen ripping apart a Cross Guard soldier thrusting at her. Her savagery is commended by even the 2nd-in-command Knight Halloween ["MÄR" manga volume 4, chapter 32, page 5] ; and her prowess is hinted to be one of the most noteworthy among the Knights: Alan of Team MÄR once remarks he didn't notice her in the 1st War Game, which allegedly implies either she moved up to the 4th seat of the Chess Zodiac in a matter of only 6 years' times from a previous unknown lower rank, or that she entered the Chess after the 1st War Game and managed to occupy it after only 6 years (which was precisely the case) ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 134, page 4] . Pozun, referee of the War Game, too esteemed surviving a fight with Chimera - be the fight itself a loss - as an impressive deed (even when the survivor in question is Gaira, 3rd-in-command of Cross Guard, the Chess' nemesis in the 1st War) ["MÄR" manga volume 5, chapter 42, page 6] .

When stripped of her mask, Chimera's personality is shown to be an overly sarcastic and scornful one, reflected in the jeers she attributes to others, e.g. Gaira whom she outfought, and Dorothy when her attacks were merely sufficient enough to land her but one blow. She's also resolutely resentful of the world, claiming she will never forsake her path of destruction, War Game or not ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 138, page 1] ; and refuses to decline herself to be sympathized by opponents ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, last page] . Besides killings, Chimera appears to have interest in disfiguring (pretty) woman body, hints at having an entire collection of it ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 136, page 8] . Despite all this fiendishness, Chimera still has her own emotional insecurities, being easily irritated/incited to losing concentration.

History

Chimera's actual name is Eileen. Years prior to the 2nd War, she met and saved Marco, a man of the then-dispersed Chess Pieces. The two eventually fell in love with each other and one day, held their wedding in a small church. However, in the middle of the ceremony tragedy befell: when Eileen and Marco finished exchanging wedding vows and rings and were about to kiss, they were interrupted by a hostile group of villagers. The mob, who were Chess victims still living in vestiges of the war, were on a witch hunt for the Chess and knowing Marco's former affiliation, took him captive. For she loved him despite this, Eileen desperately beseeched for her fiancé's life, protesting Marco had already defected from his organization, and that the war was already over"MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, page 8] . In response, a representative man of the group told her as long as a Chess was still alive, the war would not end"MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, page 8] .

Following the incident, Eileen frequently visited the church to pray for her beloved in front of its altar, until several days later when the captors from earlier returned. In answer to her demand of Marco's whereabouts, they returned the woman his blood-stained wedding ring (in the manga, with the finger that was wearing it), much to her horror. And as she intended to wed him well-aware of who he was, the lynchers also insisted she deserved equal punishments. Eileen spent months in their custody, physically tortured and mentally tormented (since the gang included many men, it hinted at possible rapes) ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, page 13] , until she managed to escape. However, when she arrived at a lake for rest, she discovered her captors, during their month-long abuse, had left a long scar across her face, forever spoiling her beauty. She collapsed in grief, realizing her life as a woman had been put to an end ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, page 15] .

Afterwards, Eileen was seen staying by the side of the lake, cloaked and hooded to hide her blemished looks until she met Peta, who at the time was traveling around MÄR-Heaven to recruit members for the Chess' reestablisment. At once he perceived her magnificent latent sixth sense (presumably unearthed in her desperations) and offered her a refuge inside the Chess Pieces to extract her revenge along with some Ghost ÄRMs she appeared to have affinity with ["MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 136, page 4] . Inspirited at the prospect of vengeance, with little reluctancy she acceded to Peta's proposal, and also to his condition: she was to forsake the name of Eileen and everything of the woman who was associated to it. From that day on, she would be known as Chimera"MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 136, page 5] .

During the following years the Chess Pieces had to prepare itself for the upcoming 2nd war, Chimera relentlessly engaged in battles, honing her innate aptitude at Ghost ÄRM into mastery. Her efforts turned fruitful – in less than 6 years, she’s ascended three Chess classes to its exclusive and elite rank - the Zodiac Knights; its fourth in term of powers, in fact, exceeded among the Knights by strategist Knight Peta, 2nd-in-command Knight Halloween, and chief Knight Phantom only. In exchange, Chimera’s completed her part of the deal with Peta; her past Eileen woman self, as well as her humanity, have been fully renounced "MÄR" manga volume 13, chapter 135, page 5] .

Roles

Chimera was first introduced alongside the 12 Knights and several other Chess Pieces during Phantom's resurrection and later, the assembly in Chess headquarter Lestava castle for a hearing on the initation of the 2nd War. However, she only staged her official introduction when the Chess finally launched its full military force out for the uproar, accompanying 2nd-in-command Halloween to Acalupa Port. Together they obliterated the Cross Guard troops stationed there, set the region aflame, and saw the Port come to demolition. Some times after this, in an off-stage appearance, Chimera was assigned to the Rook Ian's punishment for his violation against Phantom's orders by Halloween, and metamorphosed his sweetheart - the Pawn Gido - into a mutant of human and bug.

Chimera's first War Games introduction was in its preliminary round, dispatched to mingle into the Pawn combatants and knock out one participant from the opposing line - and emerged victorious, beating her opponent Gaira hors de combat. As from that time until the Final Battles, she laid in waiting with her fellow Knights in Lestava, observing the Game fights and did not show up outside save for two times, one after the 3rd round with the Zodiac's entire cast and the other after the semi-final 6th round with the Zodiac's five other strongest Knights. During this time, she was never seen unmasked, or engaged in conversation with anyone.

Chimera entered in the 3rd fight of the Final Battles, her rival being Dorothy of Team MÄR. The first half of the fight went on with Chimera gaining the upper hand, being an user of the mysterious Ghost ÄRM, until with the mammoth Guardian Brikin, Dorothy broke Chimera's mask and her tragic loss of humanity was finally known. The audience present was greatly appalled at this sorrowful tale; however, Dorothy didn't flinch and remained unswerving, claiming she wouldn't tolerate Chimera's wrongdoings just because of the misfortunes she once shouldered. The fight then progressed with its two fighters and their ÄRMs canceling out the attacks of the other, eventually provoking Chimera to call in her strongest Ghost ÄRM the Guardian Chimaira. However Dorothy managed to avoid her every strike and conjured the Guardian Toto, which bested Chimaira and rendered its user defeated. At the end of the fight, Dorothy stated that not only had Chimera lost the happiness of a woman, she had also forfeited that of a human.

After the loss to Dorothy, Chimera ran off with Ian hot at her heels, determined to have Gido's revenge. The pursuit ended at Lestava castle, where Chimera awaited Ian with Gido as her hostage and challenged him to a duel, on the condition he would retrieve the girl if she was defeated. Their fight didn't last long; Chimera was down after one single blow. However as she held Marco's and her wedding ring (which she had interlocked and worn behind her collar as a necklace), Chimera realized she could at last join him in heaven. Relieved, she offered Ian the ÄRM that would undo Gido's transformation, wishing them the happiness she had lost. In her last breath, Chimera confessed her real name to Ian and beyond the scene of his reunion with Gido, she saw herself, an unscarred and happy Eileen in bridal attire, reunite with Marco in a close embrace.

ÄRMs

Being the 4th strongest Knight, Chimera is extremely agile in battles - her speed is one to be on par with, or even outmatches, Dorothy's, the fastest of Team MÄR. In term of ÄRM fights, she masters the forbidden, and most horrendous, type of ÄRM - Ghost ÄRMs:

* ???: A Ghost ÄRM, turns the user's hand into a stretching monster-headed arm with sharp, canine teeth. This was one of three Ghost ÄRMs Peta gave to Chimera.
* ???: An unnamed ring Ghost ÄRM that will give the user a large number of eyes on one side of their face. Whether this has an actual purpose is unknown, it reflects on Chimera's inhumanity. This was one of three Ghost ÄRMs Peta gave to Chimera.
* Howling Demon: Ghost ÄRM, turns the user's hand into a salivating monster's mouth which shoots energy. This was one of three Ghost ÄRMs Peta gave to Chimera.
* Ogre Hand: Ghost ÄRM, turns the user's hands into long, giant clawed stretching arms.
* Ghost Tail: Ghost ÄRM, a sharp rag tail.
* ???: Guardian ÄRM, summons 4 eyed grotesque winged creatures.
* Chimaira: A giant Ghost Guardian with drill-handed body which can fuse itself with Chimera's body.
* Hydra (anime): A giant Ghost Guardian which fuses its body with Chimera and fights with tentacle-like hands.

References