Hänsel

"Hey Father, praise me. I've defeated the witch's henchman too."

- Hänsel

Hänsel was a boy kidnapped and raised by Eve and Adam Moonlit, and the twin brother of Gretel. Born as part of Project 'Ma', the newborn twins were taken by their mother, Meta Salmhofer, to Held's Forest and raised by the Moonlit Family after Eve killed Meta. After being abandoned in the forest during a famine, Hänsel and Gretel murdered their foster parents and split Eve's Original Sin into the vessels of sin.

Early Life
Hänsel was born along with his twin sister, Gretel, on December 27, EC 0 in the royal institute in Levianta as part of Project 'Ma'. After being birthed by his mother, Meta Salmhofer, Hänsel and his sister were placed in tubes at the Levianta Royal Institute. Celebrated by the people of the Magic Kingdom, their births marked the first year of the new Evillious Calendar. Some time later, they were taken by their mother from the laboratory and hidden in Elphegort.

One night, on a stroll through Held's Forest after a year of being hidden by Meta, she settled them near a tree and left them. Soon after, he and Gretel were discovered by Eve Moonlit. The witch took the infants and fled through the forest, killing Meta during her pursuit. After Eve showed the children to her husband, Adam, the woodcutter couple adopted the newly orphaned babies and raised them as their own. Over the years, Adam tried teaching Hänsel but the child failed to understand any of it. He later kept a glass bottle as a personal treasure.

Moonlit Abandonment
In EC 013, fragments of the Levia-Behemo dragon, descended upon the twins as two lights and fused with their bodies. A few months later, in EC 014, Hänsel and his sister were led by their parents deep into the forest on a moonlit night, following a famine in Elphegort resulting from the Levianta Catastrophe.

Despite questioning their parents on where they were going and why they looked so sad, the twins received no answers, continuing to be lead deeper into the forest. Eventually, Hänsel and his sister realized that they would be lost if they continued on the path and were soon after abandoned by their parents to die. Seemingly betrayed, Gretel and her brother concluded their parents were actually a wicked witch and her henchman that had tricked them.

Using the glass bottle full of moonlight he had around his neck, Hänsel lit the path as they wandered together. At last, Hänsel and Gretel arrived back home, recognizing it as the "witch's house". The twins decided to murder the witch, their shadows spawning tendrils for this purpose. While Gretel threw the "witch" into the oven, Hänsel murdered Adam.

Watching the "witch" burn to ashes in the oven, they witnessed her body become the embodiment of her Original Sin. Using items located throughout the house, the two split it into seven fragments, and gave each object a Demon of Sin. Afterward, they scattered the vessels of sin across the world, hoping they would eventually cleansed. Gretel and her brother enjoyed the confines of the witch's house, sleeping in a chair there for the rest of night, and then decided to go out and search for their "real" mother and father.

Stupid Servant
Main Article: Pollo

"Do you know Arte and Pollo's true identities? Are they your minions?" "No. It's a bit difficult for me to describe. They're Hänsel and Gretel— reincarnations of friends of mine, or parents or kids."

- Banica Conchita and the Demon of Gluttony

Following his death, Hänsel and his sister reincarnated as the twins Arte and Pollo in the Beelzenian Empire in EC 298. Losing their parents at a young age, the twins became servants to the Conchita family and became obsessively loyal attendants to Banica Conchita. After finding and keeping the wine glass vessel of sin, the two presented it to their dying master in July of EC 323 as a means to save Banica from her eventual fate of overeating.

Once the Duke forged a contract with the Demon of Gluttony, the two supported "Evil Food Eater Conchita" as she began indulging in increasingly disgusting foods, killing any staff that opposed the feudal lord on her orders. As his sister took command of their master's army of undead, the servant helped to do battle against the imperial soldiers sent to subdue Banica. Pollo was later killed and devoured by Banica around August of EC 325, following his sister.

Fifth Pierrot
Main Article: Lemy Abelard

"It's just great. The guy's trying to be with both of his fake mothers. In the end, he'll be coming here. And then he'll remember everything."

- Gretel to Banica

In EC 595, Hänsel's soul reincarnated as Lemy Abelard; abandoned by his mother, the boy grew up in an orphanage before being adopted by the millionaire Julia Abelard at a young age. Raised kindly but firmly by his mother, Lemy grew up completely devoted to her. At the age of seven, the boy discovered the Glass of Conchita in his mother's treasury and unwittingly contracted to the new Demon of Gluttony, Banica, through the spirit of Gretel.

After killing his childhood friend Rin Chan's manager Ton Corpa on October 6, EC 609, Lemy was brought into his mother's criminal organization Père Noël as "Fifth Pierrot", sent on numerous assassination missions for his mother. He was later approached by Seventh Magician in September of EC 610 and asked to flee with her; reporting the traitor to his mother, Lemy continued his assassination work until being shot by Eighth Sniper on December 26. After reviving a month later, Lemy followed the Demon of Gluttony to Merrigod Plateau and joined his mother in battling the traitorous Magician and Sniper before being killed with Sniper's Grim the End.

Servant to the Glass
"Well, let's leave them alone for a while. There are other matters for us to attend to. Since I've finally assembled you and Pollo— no, the Twins of God Hänsel and Gretel."

- Banica

After Hänsel's soul was brought into the Glass of Conchita by the Demon of Gluttony and his memory of his past lives reawakened, the familiar returned to serving the demon Banica with Gretel. While the three dined together, Hänsel watched the events of the Duel of Merrigod Plateau, seeing Julia discard her human body and self-destruct her red cat body with Black Box Type S, dragging everyone caught in the blast into Seventh Magician's inner psychological world. He then observed the conflict between Irina Clockworker, Gumillia, Eve Moonlit, Levia, Behemo, and, later, Banica.

To his dismay, Banica attempted to kill Irina, summoning the massive skeleton Worldeater and clashing it with the mage and gods. After seeing the resulting blast cause the souls of Irina, Levia, and Eve to fuse into one, Banica returned and Hänsel sulked over his master's near murder of his former adoptive mother.

Later on, the familiar learned about her master's ambition to find the "graveyard" where the technology of the Second Period was located to become the Master of the Graveyard and devour everything. Sometime later, Hänsel learned that the Clockworker's Doll was burned and later further damaged after birthing Adam from its womb in EC 998.

Evil's Theater
"Search, search, search for her left, right or below; find the holder of all keys, the Master of the Hellish Yard."

- The Servants following Ma's "testimony"

Once Banica awakened as Master of the Graveyard, Hänsel and his twin followed suit, awakening as the Servants and continuing to serve her; they did this by tearing apart any intruders to Evil's Theater, killing them and serving them as meals to their master. Gammon Octo later encountered and escaped from them, and they attended his trial for him by the Master of the Court.

Although calling for Gammon's execution, they were forced to comply when the Waiter recruited him as a choreman. When Gammon submitted a "motion" to review the script regarding his vision for the Director Doll's utopia, the Servants attended the faux hearing but largely ignored the prophecy.

In EC 998, the Servants attended the "trial" meeting called by the Master of the Court as they searched for the vessel of Wrath. After Ma claimed the last vessel was in the hands of the Master of the Hellish Yard, the Servants frantically ordered everyone to look for her. The Servants were later killed in the destruction of the world the following year.

World's End
"Why are you here and not the Demon of Gluttony, Hänsel!?" "Gihihi. You know already, don't you? That pig demon ended up in Lord Banica's belly long ago. It won't be coming for you."

- Allen Avadonia and Hänsel

After the Third Period's destruction and subsequent merging with the Hellish Yard in EC 999, Hänsel and his twin joined Banica at the Conchita Mansion in Gasto, cooking and serving her desired meals in the forms of Arte and Pollo. When the Demon of Gluttony later agreed to the sun god's request of having Allen Avadonia meet with her among other demon contractors, Hänsel was sent to Sateriasis Venomania's mansion in Lasaland meet with the other boy with the Glass of Conchita and escort him to his master.

Leaving Allen to wait for Conchita, the boy visited Michaela and retrieved the Four Mirrors of Lucifenia for Allen's next visit, passing the vessel of sin over to Gretel once he returned. The two then listened in on Allen and their master's conversation. When Banica left after telling Allen to see Arte, Hänsel went to sit down at Banica's empty seat at the table and eat her unfinished food. When Sleep Princess began putting souls to sleep with her Eighth Gift later on, Hänsel decided to help stop her. Revisiting Michaela, the boy retrieved the Clockworker's Doll and transformed into his Lemy Abelard persona before flying off toward Toragay.

Stopping the Sleep Princess
"Stop... go away..." "Relax. You're not being shoved in an oven this time."

- Sleep Princess and Hänsel

Along the way, he spotted Clarith and Allen on their way to Toragay. As their mount, Josephine, came to a stop the boy requested to ride with them; though initially refused by Clarith, he insisted that it was his duty to clean up after his fellow members of Père Noël, as well as that he took pains to deliver the Clockworker's Doll to them both as a tool. When denied again, Hänsel became incensed at "Michaela's servant's" attitude and threatened to come using force. Allen then intervened, attempting to reason that there was no room on the horse for him.

Hänsel then explained about the doll, pointing out the the burns on its stomach and that it had little power due to an earlier event. He then told them he would catch up, being unable to fly currently. As Clarith and Allen departed, Hänsel got into another tense exchange with the former nun and then watched them take off, following behind on foot. Finally arriving in the ruins of Toragay and flying up into the sky again, Hänsel saw Allen succumbing to the Sleep Princess' Gift, while Clarith stood back unable to intervene. Criticizing their incompetence, the boy floated down with the doll and the poison began to enter into it instead, remarking on the usefulness of the "soul cage" he brought despite it being in tatters.

He then used the doll on the Sleep Princess, sucking the deranged soul inside. After some further conversation on the outcome, he pointed out that Envy was next and that the contractors from then on would all be more difficult, still insane due to Ma's intervention. Once Allen asked if there was any point to meeting them, Hänsel reminded him the sun god wanted him to meet everyone. After encouraging him, Hänsel stated he'd need to return to Banica, claiming he felt tired. He then remembered that he needed to return the doll before then, reassuring Allen that he would take responsibility if the Sleep Princess went on another rampage before flying toward the forest.

The Farcical Court
"Then I'll be his defense!"

- Hänsel imitating Michelle Marlon

Soon after, Hänsel followed Allen to Gallerian Marlon's USE courthouse appearing in Jakoku. Sneaking into the courtroom, he saw Allen intervene in Kayo Sudou's farcical trial and be forced to take her place on the guillotine by Gallerian. Deciding to save the boy, Hänsel unleashed some of Eve's Eighth Gift on the defense lawyer to put him to sleep before placing the doll on the defense's chair while hiding under the desk. He then imitated Michelle's voice and commanded "her father" to stop just before Allen was executed.

After Gallerian paused and called for his daughter, Hänsel rebuked him for trying to kill someone without going through the proper procedures and judging his crimes. Once Gallerian agreed and began to set up a trial for "Irregular," Hänsel declared he would be Allen's defense. Hänsel then observed the Master of the Hellish Yard enter and send Gallerian to the bowels of the Hellish Yard. He then revealed himself from his hiding spot and followed after Allen through the hell master's portal to Nemesis Sudou.

Search For Nemesis
"By the way, Hänsel, you can fly if you wanted to, right?" "Yeah." "Then look for Nemesis from the air."

- Allen and Hänsel

Landing on a pile of rubble, Hänsel walked with Allen until they reached the edge of a cliff, recognizing their new location as the Grave Yard Banica sought, having escaped Punishment's destruction. He mused how Banica would be overjoyed to see this sight and explained to Allen how this was the resting place for the legacy of the Second Period, which Banica had sought.

The boy then pointed out that they should go, as Nemesis was somewhere around in the wreckage according to the Master of the Hellish Yard. When Allen questioned if that woman was really the Master of the Hellish Yard, Hänsel affirmed it, though admitting he didn't know if being so was her intention or the mask manipulating her. The two of them made their way down, Hänsel after some time choosing to fly to aid in their search and spotting something moving around a defunct clocktower.

The two boys then approached the viewing platform and spotted Nemesis, Hänsel confirming it was her. Meeting with Nemesis, the boy soon heard that she was looking for her mother. The boys argued with her over her being able to find her, Hänsel declaring her crazy. After Allen and Nemesis' conversation, Hänsel watched Nemesis flee and, startled, grabbed Allen and leaped off the platform after her. Muttering in irritation as the former party leader disappeared, he agreed to Allen's suggestion that they return to the ground and walk on foot.

After a while of searching, the boy caught sight of a tree on a hill with fresh fruit of the Grave Yard and expressed his wish to get one as a souvenir for Banica; ignoring Allen, Hänsel ran up the hill until running into Irregular. He greeted the boy and then Allen as he caught him, explaining who the other child was. In response to Allen's surprise, he explained how the child died before forming an ego and as a result now wandered aimlessly.

Noticing Irregular's interest in the Clockworker's Doll as his "mother," Hänsel refused to give the other boy the doll due to its power, despite Allen's suggestion that he should. He then ran up the hill, Irregular in pursuit, and advised Allen to ignore the other child, scoffing at him for his sympathy. Seeing that there was another doppelganger of theirs by the Grave Yard tree as well as Nemesis with a fourth boy, who looked like Punishment, and the golden key, Hänsel rushed Allen to take them from her. Although running at the former dictator, he was easily dodged. Hänsel was then enveloped in the light emitted by the fourth boy as he declared punishment was mete out.

The End of Capriccio
Sometime after, Hänsel returned to Beelzenia and resumed serving Banica. When Tasan Party soldiers arrived with a Black Box, Arte and Pollo captured and interrogated a soldier about Evil's Theater under Banica's orders. Reporting to Banica, Pollo and the other servants accompanied her to Evil's Theater, later escaping when Ma absorbed Banica.

Resting under a tree, Pollo watched as the confrontation between Allen, Nemesis and Ma carried out. Hearing Michaela sing the Clockwork Lullaby, Pollo discussed the lullaby and Michaela with Lich. He was presumably incorporated into the new world created by Allen and Riliane's Re_birthday.

Legacy
Due to the disruption of fate caused by Abyss I.R. and Queen Prim, Hänsel's reincarnation wasn't born into the world with Gretel's incarnation, though the originally intended reincarnation, Prince Alexiel, continued to share his visage. After Gretel's soul became a familiar to the Demon of Gluttony, the sun god contemplated if the twins had discarded their forgotten reason for existing in the first place. Centuries later, Nemesis Sudou began hearing the voices of Gretel and her twin, telling her repeatedly how she had been abandoned by her mother, Ma. Hänsel's degraded will later manifested as the male servant, serving the Master of the Graveyard.

Ma wrote several screenplays involving Hänsel and Gretel and adapted them into films. While watching the films with an intruder to Evil's Theater, Ma playfully questioned their existence, citing they seemed to be hidden so well by their parents that that there were no recorded documents of them in existence. While reflecting on the "motions" of the Master of the Court, Gammon Octo noted how Hänsel's reincarnation, Lemy Abelard, was uncharacteristically born without a Gretel counterpart. Gammon also wondered what became of the twins, questioning if they needed to ask the Master of the Hellish Yard to find an answer.

Personality and Traits
Hänsel was a dumb and somewhat naive boy. Typically free-spirited and playful, he was always ready to have fun whenever the opportunity arose and rarely sulked over anything for long. At the same time, his simple nature made him rather submissive to others, quick to serve his superior's whims. This was especially true of his twin sister, Gretel, where the boy often let her boss him around largely without complaint; despite this, he sometimes took the lead in supporting her in certain situations.

Being a HER, Hänsel was also rather malicious, happily committing murder with a dose of mockery. After being abandoned by his false mother and father, he and his twin became embittered by their apparent apathy and decided to find their real parents, despite not knowing who they might be. Following his reincarnation as Pollo, Hänsel became wholly devoted to Banica Conchita, serving his demonic lord in whatever she needed; he also inherited the stupid servant's peculiar laugh.

Likewise, after his reincarnation as Lemy Abelard, Hänsel was uncharacteristically depressed from his master's attack against Irina Clockworker, still feeling some attachment to his previous incarnation's adoptive parent. Despite this lingering sentimentality, Hänsel's loyalty ultimately lied with Banica. Otherwise, the demonic familiar was intrigued by the "Irregular" Allen Avadonia and happily befriended his look-alike, following the boy on his journey through the Hellish Yard to pass the time and helping him on several occasions.

Skills and Abilities
Due to being designed after Behemo of Levia-Behemo, Hänsel was an imperfect copy of one of the dragon gods. As a result, the young twin's shadow could come to life and manifest in dark, twisted forms, such as arms, hands, or other appendages, and be freely manipulated by him. Hänsel also showed some other magical capabilities, as he was able to split the Original Sin into seven pieces and scatter them across the world.

It also allowed Hänsel to reincarnate every few centuries, his soul fated to be reborn in an identical body, typically with his reincarnated sister as a twin. However, if either of the boy's fated parents had children with someone else before his intended birth, Hänsel could instead incarnate as one of those children instead or not incarnate in that particular reincarnation cycle at all.

After becoming a familiar to the Demon of Gluttony, Hänsel was able to possess others on his master's behalf, allowing him to act in the same capacity as the demon herself for her contractors. However, this also meant he shared his master's weaknesses, unable to manifest his spirit and move freely outside conceptual worlds due to the Third Period's rules. Possessing the combined experience of all his reincarnations, Hänsel was extremely skilled in assassination, though pretty terrible at cooking.

Character Connections
Meta Salmhofer: Hänsel's real mother. Hänsel didn't remember Meta, growing up in Eve's care, but he later expressed a wish to go find his "real" mother after Adam and Eve were dead. He passed on a fanatic loyalty to Meta to all his reincarnations, showing this loyalty to anyone resembling her.

Eve Moonlit: Hänsel's foster mother. Hänsel grew up thinking of Eve as his mother, however he became convinced she was a wicked witch after he and Gretel were abandoned by her and delighted in bringing about her death. He later considered her to be a troublesome woman, discovering her Original Sin among her ashes; similarly the boy treated her with little familial affection at the end of the world, subduing her with the Clockworker's Doll with little more than quips.

Adam Moonlit: Hänsel's foster father. Hänsel grew up thinking of Adam as his father, even trying, albeit failing, to be taught the woodcarving trade he engaged him. Later, however, he became convinced Adam was the wicked henchman of a witch after he and Gretel were abandoned by him. After killing Adam, Hänsel delighted in his accomplishment and gave him no more consideration after discovering Eve's Original sin.

Gretel: Hänsel's twin sister. Hänsel loved his sister and was always beside her if he could help it, holding her hand to comfort her while lost in the woods and leading the way with the bottle; later he would aid her in defeating their foster parents. Hänsel continued to stay with Gretel after Eve's death and would usually be by her side in their reincarnations.

Pollo: One of Hänsel's reincarnations. Hänsel's appearance and soul passed on to Pollo's, and with it he passed on his loyalty to anyone resembling Meta, such as Banica.

Lemy Abelard: Another of Hänsel's reincarnations. Hänsel's appearance and soul passed on to Lemy Abelard, and with it he passed on his loyalty to anyone resembling Meta, such as Julia.

Allen Avadonia: One of Hänsel's intended reincarnations. Due to the disturbance of fate caused by Abyss I.R. and Prim Marlon, Hänsel wasn't born as Allen, or at all, during this period. At the end of the Third Period Hänsel worked with Allen and formed a partnership with him, rescuing his lookalike on more than one occasion. Despite this he was not always cooperative with Allen and didn't regard the boy very seriously.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Hänsel is inspired by the character from the Brothers Grimm's tale "Hänsel &amp; Gretel".
 * In the original story, Hänsel is depicted as a gluttonous child, strengthening his link with the Demon of Gluttony.

Curiosities

 * He shares the same birthday (December 27) with his Vocaloid.
 * The Servants' attire is reminiscent of the clothes of their original incarnations, Hänsel and Gretel; their role to their master is similar to that of Arte and Pollo to Banica Conchita.
 * In the Capriccio Farce PV, the Servants' cry to search for the Golden Key is complemented with a small commentary, "That idiot's up above", explaining their reasoning for not searching there.
 * According to mothy in a Q&A, Hänsel and Gretel's memories fade more and more with each reincarnation.

Gallery
Concept Art=