Overview |
“ Only then... will you see what matters most. ”
Demian (Hangul: 데미안, Demian), is a peculiar young man with a link to the Sign. He first appeared in Canto III: The Unconfronting as a major supporting character.
Demian is originally introduced as transfer student at the school Sinclair attended in Calw, forming a friendship with him through Sinclair's increasingly tumultuous days until their hometown was ultimately destroyed by the Inquisition of N Corp.
Shown to possess a relationship with the unknowably treacherous Outskirts and a handful of abilities defying the laws of the City itself, Demian showcases himself to be a powerful individual. He leads the unofficially named Demian's Group in present day.
Appearance[]
Demian is depicted in average stature. He bears brown, short hair that is swept to his right. He has an unnaturally pale complexion, to the point of going on gray in color. His eyes are a deep blue.
He is occasionally depicted with a mysterious mark on his forehead. That mark being The Sign: a mysterious symbol resembling a crudely written ‘he’ (𐤄) turned slightly counter-clockwise.
His school uniform consists of a white long-sleeved button-up shirt overlaid with a green sleeveless sweater, as well as a pair of pants of the same color. Both his shirt sleeves and pants are partially rolled up. He also wears short white socks and black shoes.
In present day, he wears a different outfit. The attire consists of a similarly white long-sleeved button-up shirt, rolled up past his wrists, but overlaid with a dark gray waistcoat. He wears matching shorts, but this time with a black belt, too. Prominently, Demian wears a large blue scarf that waves behind him. Underneath this scarf in the "V" of his waistcoat lies a blue gem.
Personality[]
Throughout their childhood with Sinclair, Demian was a rather amicable and friendly person, being a confidant of sorts to Sinclair. In Sinclair's memories, he is described as rather mature. He gained an immense interest in Sinclair the moment the shy boy made eye contact with him upon seeing his mark, and was privy to information about Sinclair's personal life than what really seems natural. Always talking in a vague manner, Demian proves himself to be of the philosophical sort with an attitude of someone wise beyond his years. Despite coming off as cold and all-knowing at times, he remained supportive and hopeful of what Sinclair could become.
Like Sonya, he appears to have an interest in those who manifested The Sign, a mysterious symbol manifested in those who are "special". Demian himself possesses the Sign, which lead to his acquaintance with Sinclair. The enigmatic young man wishes to see his former classmate to cultivate his great potential, eager to see Sinclair transformation into something greater — to "see [him] completely bare", as he puts it.
He seems to be able to obtained information without being told beforehand: adding to his mystic charm, as described by Sinclair. This information is usually relayed in an unusually calm demeanor, even when confronting Sinclair about his endeavors with Kromer. Demian maintains his perpetual calm and smile even during his bisection and utter obliteration of Kromer upon rescuing the Sinners. This tranquil yet conversable and somewhat friendly persona is rather unnerving to those he reaches out too, as Dante and Sinclair have felt first hand.
Demian additionally characterizes himself as a bit of a contrarian, stating that he much prefers the "love and freedom" found in those barren lands compared to life in the Nest, that the Mirror technology is a cruel one, and that most adults are stupid. While some of his iconoclastic ideals are almost romantic, his unique views also tend to be incredibly eyebrow-raising and highly suspicious to many.
Abilities[]
Demian is implied to have explored the Outskirts at some point in time— an incredibly dangerous place for even the most experienced Fixers. This may speak volumes on his capability of survival, especially in conjunction with having escaped the wrath of the Inquisition unscathed.
He also bears The Sign, a mysterious symbol largely shrouded in mystery, with a distinction from E.G.O yet similarly notable presence.
- Psychokinesis: Demian was able to completely bisect and disintegrate Kromer the Dreamer of Human Wholeness by manifesting a string golden rings with a wave of his hand, without any form of physical weapon visible.
- Levitation: Demian is shown to control the speed of his descent in cutscene, gracefully falling down from the sky. He is hinted to float in the air instead of walk, with Rodya even referring to him as the "flying blue kid".
- Telepathy: Demian states he can hear "all sorts of chirps and trills" when referring to his ability to understand Dante's ticking. It is not clear whether this is a sort of "true" telepathy— which would be one method of explaining his capability to know information he shouldn't naturally know— or if he can simply resonate and communicate with Dante like the others Sinners can.
- City Technology Bypassing: Canto IV: The Heartbreaking shows Demian completely disregarding T Corp.'s restrictions on color, appearing before Dante in full color as he would anywhere else. He also proves himself to remember Catherine's existence, which had been entirely lost to everyone other than Dante and Heathcliff.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The red mark that appears on Demian's forehead is a reference to the biblical Mark of Cain, an important motif in Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth by Hermann Hesse, the novel Demian and Sinclair are based on.
- Sinclair points out this mark the first time he sees Demian, though he only sees it for a second. Demian appears with this mark again at the end of Canto III, with it unclear if it was visible to anyone other than Sinclair and Dante.
- Demian borrows from not just one, but two pieces of classic literature- those being the Hermann Hesse novel by the same name (which Sinclair and Kromer also originate from), and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.He makes several direct references to The Little Prince in Cantos III, IV, and VI, some being:
- "What matters most is something you can't see or hear" (3-33) references a sentiment which the little prince shared with the protagonist- "anything essential is invisible to the eyes".
- "Just draw me a sheep later" (4-55) is a near direct quote from the story, as the little prince repeatedly asks the protagonist to draw him a sheep.
- In 6-53, he gives Dante a thought exercise involving caring for a single rose, leaving it for a long journey, coming across thousands of roses just like the one he left behind, and concluding that they could not match that rose because that was the only one he had cared for. This is nearly identical to a major plot point in The Little Prince.
- Demian's flowing scarf likely also originates from The Little Prince, as one of the most iconic aspects of the prince's design.
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