Death is a mysterious creature in Dorohedoro. It is never explained whether or not she is a Magic User or a Devil. She has her own clothing and accessories store as well as a movie. She mentions the word "die" or "death" in every one of her sentences.
Appearance[]
During her first appearance Death appears as a tall, slender creature with a hoodie, jogging pants and sneakers. Later she changes into a more formal-looking reaper appearance.
During the encounter with Risu and Aikawa in the past, she has a completely different look:
Her sorceress form is that of an imposing, long blond-haired woman in a black dress with a painted cross as her mask. Her transformed look consists in a black heavy coat, a gas mask with a skeletal face (similar to Duston), drain tubes and a custom scythe.
Personality[]
In her debut chapter she seems to be polite but creepy, a rather laid-back shop owner, sitting while Ebisu chooses what she wants to buy.
In her meeting with Aikawa and Risu, she is straightforward, merciless and prone to change her humor quickly, typical of a Devil.
History[]
Past[]
Death Sorceress Form
Death showed up in a cheap-looking bar in Zagan City using a female appearance and approached Risu, Aikawa and Mizuno, sitting at the same table and paying for their beers. Risu was suspicions about how it could be possible that a beautiful and powerful sorceress would be interested in nobodies like them. Mizuno broke the silent asking her who of the three of them liked the most. She pointed at each of them, calling him a dead weight, Aikawa a dangerous man who was no stranger to death, and Risu an Ill-fated monster possessed of negative power and who desired death.
Death Past Form
She showed up once again in the men's bathroom, killing Mizuno on the spot and transforming into a devil-like creature. She grabbed the other two sorcerers, telling them that unfortunately they were not fated to die yet. Out of respect for Risu's "Gorgeous Power", Death even gives him a piece of advice: to not fear the death, because it's been a part of him since the very beginning. She disappears after this. Confused, Risu grabs Aikawa and walks home.
Present[]
Death selling Ebisu a purse
Ebisu tries to buy a purse using En's money, but she can't afford anything good until she finds the "Death Store." Kikurage freaks out by the mere presence of the store and runs away while Ebisu goes inside and is attended by Death itself, a scary-looking and disturbing figure that tells her with every purchase she gets a "gift." Nevertheless, the store is in fact a big and illuminated place with lots of different products and Death even tells her she can touch anything while sitting on her couch. Ebisu notices a purse and Death floats to grab it, selling it to her for an extremely cheap price and giving her two tickets to Death: The Movie. When the little sorceress leaves, Death becomes a more notorious reaper-like figure and flies away the store to claim the soul of Dr. Omori (killed by Noi) and dropping two more tickets for the movie.
Trivia[]
- Death wears Nike sneakers (like many other characters).
- During her appearance in Zagan's bar, fleas come to her, representing a sign of decay and rot.
- Artificial Devil Kai and Devil Kai have some aesthetic elements related to her soldier-like appearance (the gas mask face and drain tubes), hinting some symbolism in Kai purpose as the harbinger of death for the sorcerers' race.
- Death's role in the cycle of death for the Magic Users is never explained, or maybe was retconned, because in the chapters following her first appearance, the explanation of how sorcerers go to Hell is fully explained. Devils are usually the ones the take care of the transition and punishment for Magic Users, so it's ambiguous what exactly Death as a physical being does.
- Ebisu is shown to have some relation with death, as is shown in solo artwork of her and the symbolism of her second mask (a simply skull-shaped mask before Kaiman destroyed it). Also, her magic door has a depiction of death in its design.
- The way she referred to Risu's magic is a connection between her and Curse. Risu's magic avatar in his original form was a mass of smoke, fleas, pestilence and utter death to anyone who crossed it, and in merged form is a reaper-like creature, a direct representation of death aesthetics.