Characters – Witches

Profiling the witches of Umineko.

Note: More information to be added as the anime continues. Please keep checking back.

Witch Classes

Before getting into the actual witches, the witch classes will be defined. In EP 4 we are given certain classes and which of the current witches fall into said category.

• Finite Witches – Witches with limitations on their power. Sometimes they remain finite because they have not achieved the level of infinite magic – other times they choose to remain finite, fearing not limitation.

• Infinite Witches – Witches with no limits on their powers or abilities. Endless Witches are an example of this class.

• Voyager Witches – Similar to infinite witches, the only difference is that they have the power to leave and enter different domains and travel between millions upon billions of different parallel kakeras. They are also considered the most powerful class of witch and most of them were born/created as voyagers rather than becoming voyagers over time. The only class that rivals their power are:

• Creator Witches – Witches with the power to create something from nothing (0 to 1). Many voyager witches have the potential to become creator witches, but almost fear becoming one and hold off on it. Creators are only second to Gods and the most powerful creators can go on to make entire galaxies with their power, if they are well trained.

There are also lower positions to witches, such as magician class or summoner class.

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Beatrice

Title(s): Golden Witch, Endless Witch

Class: Infinite Witch

Current position: Game Master

Overview: The series main antagonist, Beatrice is the Endless Witch who has lived for over a thousand years. Many years after the Kanto Earthquake of 1924, which wiped out all of the Ushiromiya family but one, she was summoned by Kinzo and contracted to give him gold in exchange for his soul. However he had fallen in love with Beatrice’s beauty and imprisoned her on Rokkenjima, keeping her captive so he could be with her. Beatrice soon escaped by committing suicide and being free from her human form, but was soon captured again. This time she was imprisoned in a homunculus made to look like her and had her memories erased, including those of her being a witch. In 1967 she was freed yet again when she fell off the cliffs of Rokkenjima while being led out of the forest by a young Rosa.

But her freedom was not truly freedom. Although Beatrice was freed from her shell and was no longer under Kinzo’s reign she was still trapped on the island due to her diminished power, partly because of the mirror in the Shinto shrine. In 1984 however, she had made a deal with Shannon, which ended up with the mirror breaking into pieces. Yet even that wasn’t enough – she still needed more power in order to leave the island and be free. So she started a game with Kinzo for her revival ceremony. This game takes place on Rokkenjima in 1986, during the annual family conference. If nobody on the island can solve the epitaph before the end of October 5th Beatrice is the victor and can revive.

However this ceremony leads to her battle with Battler, the only one of the first surviving four on the 10th twilight who did not believe in her existence, which is the current setting of the game.

If there more to her than we are being told though?

Virgilia

Title(s): Previous Endless Witch

Class: Finite Witch

Current Position: Assistant to Beatrice

Overview: The previous Endless Witch before Beatrice and her teacher. According to the game Virgilia was originally named ‘Beatrice’ herself and began the tradition of passing down the name ‘Beatrice’, giving her disciple the name. Unlike the childish demeanor her pupil has, Virgilia is a calm and mature motherly figure, wanting to take care of Beatrice and help her gain freedom from Kinzo’s clutches. However, Beatrice has to learn her stupendous troll skills from somewhere right? At the end of the third game Virgilia is revealed to be in cohorts with Beatrice, only pretending to side with Battler. Her true motivations aren’t completely known, but regardless of her trolling she seems to be a kind figure – even assisting Beatrice with creating Sakutaro’s humanoid form.

Eva-Beatrice (EVA)

Title(s): Endless Witch, Golden Witch, Head of the Ushiromiya family (EP 3)

Class: Infinite Witch

Current Position: Destroyed by Beatrice at the end of the 3rd game

Overview: A malevolent being living inside Eva since the woman was merely a teenager, when Eva solved the riddle and found the gold she was crowned the Ushiromiya head by Beatrice and given the titles Endless and Golden Witch. Although the younger version of Eva herself is very immature she also is a form holding all of Eva’s repressed anger to the family for not accepting her. Deciding that as the head of the family all the other members belong to her to do what she wishes Eva-Beatrice continues the resurrection ritual, but rather than making a mystery out of it such as Beatrice had Eva-Beatrice kills strictly because she enjoys it.

At the end of Banquet of the Golden Witch she is revealed to be merely a decoy witch, which Beato allowed to be created after Eva solved the riddle. Beato allowed Eva-Beatrice to her own devices and ultimately destroyed her.

Ange-Beatrice

Title(s): Endless Witch

Class: Infinite Witch, Golden Witch, Head of the Ushiromiya family (EP 4)

Current Position: Assisting Battler

Overview: Ange-Beatrice, known as ‘the last Beatrice’, is a piece thrown into the game by Bernkastel, in order to help Battler and destroy the insidious game that has been trapping her family endlessly. Ange herself is not extremely powerful in magic, but that’s only because she stopped practicing it. She was once a member of the Mariage Sociere, but was thrown out of the alliance after she denied the existence of Sakutaro and the Stakes of Purgatory as a young child.

Ange-Beatrice resides in 1998, trying to unravel the mysteries of Rokkenjima from the future and find the truth that has eluded her for 12 years. At the same time she is avoiding her crazy aunt, Kasumi Sumadera, who surely doesn’t have good intentions for her.

MARIA

Titles(s): Witch of Origins

Class: Creator

Current Position: Unknown

Overview: Although she is still only an apprentice witch MARIA has a natural talent for magic and is quickly able to learn and create her own spells, even going as far as to create a soul for Sakutaro despite the fact that she is still training. With this magical power to create something from nothing, MARIA has been dubbed the Witch of Origins by her mentor Beatrice.

As a creator class MARIA has the potential to become an amazing witch in the future, even being able to trump powerful witches such as Bernkastel and Lambdadelta. Being a member of the Mariage Sociere, along with Beato, she has the power to summon furniture involved in the alliance. This furniture includes both the Stakes of Purgatory and even the Siesta Sisters. Despite holding the same staff as Eva-Beatrice, MARIA is not an Endless Witch successor herself.

Frederica Bernkastel

Title(s): Witch of Miracles

Class: Voyager

Current Position: Unknown

Overview: Dubbing herself as ‘The Cruelest Witch in the World’ Bernkastel wishes to thwart Beatrice’s game, taking pity on Battler. Her power is the ability to create a miracle, as long as the possibility of that miracle does not equal zero. She rarely uses this power though, saying a miracle is only a miracle when it shouldn’t happen. Although she had been supporting Battler from the sidelines, she realized doing such wasn’t enough. So to given assurance to her victory she put an 18 year old Ange Ushiromiya (coming from the third game) into Meta-World, in order to help Battler.

However, she also tricked this same Ange by telling her that there would be a chance that she would get her family back. Although she didn’t lie she didn’t tell the whole truth – in reality the Ange that would get her family back would be the Ange from the fourth game world, whereas the Ange from the third game world (Ange-Beatrice) never had even the slightest chance of getting her family back into the third world.

Lambdadelta

Titles(s): Witch of Certainty

Class: Voyager

Current Position: Unknown

Overview: The previous “Most Powerful Witch in the Universe”, before the start of Umineko Lambda was defeated by Bernkastel in a different game (implied to be Higurashi, but it isn’t completely affirmed) before coming to watch Beatrice’s game and how it unfolds. Even though Beatrice is the game master, Lambda appears to be the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Her goal is to keep the game going on for all eternity, in order to keep Bernkastel trapped in a bird cage once more.

Lambda’s power is the power of certainty – to kill and make anything happen with 100% certainty. However the power depends on the wish: for example if someone wished they had the will to pass a test she could grant that certainty. But if the will to pass that test waivered then Lambda’s power to help that person would diminish. If they would just wish to pass the test then they would instantly as long as they take the test. Compared to Bernkastel’s power, Lambda’s is far more kinder.

Goldsmith

Title: Badass Grandpa

Class: Summoner

Current Position: Head of the Ushiromiya Family

Overview: Not exactly a witch per se, but is still put into this category. Goldsmith and Kinzo Ushiromiya are the same people, however Goldsmith is the title Kinzo uses when referring to himself as a summoner (also going by Lord Goldsmith). Although he lacks magical power of his own, due to the interference of his black blood (passed onto Battler), he makes up for it in his will and studies. Thanks to his efforts he became quite talented in the art of summoning demons and witches and able to summon Beatrice to make a contract to receive ten tons of gold.

He is the primary antagonist in the 4th arc and is seen through the magical illusions to be the main mastermind in the killings of his family and workers. However he soon meets his own demise when destroyed by Beatrice in her anger. But he still lives on through OH DESIREEE

The Black Witch

Title: None

Class: Witch

Current Position: None

Overview: The Black Witch is a magical being with no form. If someone becomes angry at you, does something cruel to you or perhaps lives their life in hatred, you can say that the Black Witch is standing by that person’s shoulder, manipulating their feelings. Feelings of anger and hatred ultimately are considered to be ‘black magic’ and can not only wound the person afflicted by it, but also the person using it. Whether they realize it or not. However you shouldn’t be angry at the person manipulated – if anything you should pity them for giving into the witch and try to help them. Not that it will be easy.

In the series, the Black Witch is given the personification of Eva-Beatrice. However, it should be made clear Evatrice herself is NOT the Black Witch – the witch appears in the form of the person the viewer hates the most. Therefore, because Ange has always hated Eva the most she sees the Black Witch as Eva-Beatrice, while for Maria the Black Witch always appeared as Rosa when the mother was acting cruelly towards her daughter.

She is apparently destroyed by Ange, but it is most likely such a thing never happened. For as long as anger and hate exist, so will the Black Witch. In that sense you can say she is immortal through all.