Gretel

Gretel is the female twin kidnapped and raised by Eve Moonlit and the sister of Hansel. Along with her brother, she murdered their parents and later split Eve's Original Sin into the Seven Deadly Sins.

Project 'Ma'
Gretel was born along with her twin brother, Hansel, in the Levianta Royal Institute as part of Project 'Ma'. After birthed by her mother, Meta Salmhofer, Gretel and her brother were placed in vitro conditions. Celebrated by the people of Divine Levianta, their births marked the first year of a new calender, EC 0. Some time later, they were taken by their mother from the laboratory and hid in Elphegort.

Original Sin
After a year of being hidden by Meta, she carried them to Eldoh's Forest for a stroll. While there, Meta settled them near a tree and left them. Soon after, she and Hansel were discovered by Eve Moonlit. Believing them to be fruit, Eve took them and carried them through the forest as she fled from their mother and eventually killed her. After being greeted by her husband, Adam, he saw the twins in her hands and became horrified by Eve's action. With Meta dead and the twins orphaned, the two woodcutters adopted the children and raised them as their own.

In EC 013, Gretel and her brother were led by their parents deep into the forest on a moonlit night. The curious twin asked her mother what fortune they would find on their path and wondered if their destination would have lots of their favorite snacks to eat. Eventually, Gretel and her brother realized that they would be lost if they continued on the path and were soon after abandoned by their parents to die, unable to find their way home.

While wandering the dark forest with her brother, holding hands, the two stumbled upon a small glass bottle illuminated by the moonlight and used it to light their path, not knowing whether the direction they headed in was right or wrong. At last, Gretel and Hansel arrived someplace, recognizing it as "the witch's house". They decided to murder the witch, believing they would become happy if she was gone. While Hansel murdered her "henchman", Gretel shoved the "witch" into an oven, gleefully asking her mother if he was proud of him for doing so.

Watching Eve, the witch, burn to ashes in the oven, they witnessed her body become the embodiment of her Original Sin. Splitting it into seven fragments, they scattered it across the world so that it could be eventually cleansed. Gretel and her brother enjoyed the confines of the witch's house, feeling as if they themselves lived their long ago, and then decided to go out and search for their "real" mother and father.

Legacy
After her death, Gretel's soul reincarnated with his same visage every few centuries. In several cases, her reincarnations maintained some of Gretel's memories and characteristics, including loyalty to matriarchal figures who resembled her mother, Meta. In EC 505, her reincarnated soul as Ney Marlon merged with the Glass of Conchita and later awakened as the female Servant to the Master of the Graveyard.

Escape of the Witch, Salmhofer (EC - )
In Escape of the Witch, Salmhofer, tells of Gretel's beginnings, about how she is created and ultimately carried away by Meta Salmhofer.

Moonlit Bear (EC 001)
In Moonlit Bear, Gretel initially is described as a "fruit", only to be revealed that she is Meta's child, kidnapped by Eve.

Abandoned on a Moonlit Night (EC 014)
Abandoned on a Moonlit Night tells the story of Hansel and Gretel being left in the woods by Adam and Eve when the guilt of Eve's sin has reached its limit.

Chrono Story (EC 015)
In Chrono Story, it is revealed that Hansel and Gretel took the "Original Sin" and split it into seven fragments and scattered them across the world, hoping that they will be free of their mother's sin.

Connections to Other Characters
Meta Salmhofer: Gretel's real mother, and an artificial human just like her. She gave birth to her and Hansel without a father.

Eve Moonlit: The woman who kidnapped her as a child and murdered her mother. She raised her alongside her brother Hansel for 14 years before abandoning the two. Gretel murdered her by pushing her into an oven. Afterwards, she split her Original Sin into seven pieces and releases them into the world.

Adam Moonlit: The husband of Eve Moonlit who raised Gretel as his daughter after Eve commited the Original Sin.

Hansel: Gretel's twin brother. Together, the two were abandoned in Eldoh's forest and eradicated their foster parents. Afterwards, they release the Seven Deadly Sins to the world together.

Wicked Maid: The Wicked Maid is a reincarnation of Gretel.

Ney Futapie: Ney is a reincarnation of Gretel.

Servants: The female servant is Gretel's latest reincarnation.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Gretel is inspired by the character from the Brothers Grimm's tale "Hansel & Gretel".
 * In the original story, Gretel is depicted as a gluttonous child, strengthening her link with the Demon of Gluttony.
 * Gretel's name derives from German, meaning "pearl" and is a diminutive of the name "Margaret".

Curiosities

 * Similar attire to Gretel is worn by a young Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche and, to a lesser extent, the female Servant in Gallerian's Theater.
 * Gretel's reincarnations tend to be more malicious or bloodthirsty compared to her brother's reincarnations.
 * Elluka Clockworker noted that Queen Anne's child, Riliane, resembled Gretel.
 * It is assumed that Levia and Behemo successfully reincarnated as humans and are the stimuli behind Hansel and Gretel's cycle of reincarnation in the series.

Gallery
Song Apparitions=