Solomon Goldsmith

Solomon Goldsmith was Diva's fourth chevalier. However, he later betrayed her in hope of securing his love for Saya.

Background
Solomon was a blood relative of Amshel and thus related to the Goldschmidt family of France. When he was of age, his family wanted him to enter the military during the first World War. But wanting to help people in need, Solomon went into the medical field and though he didn't directly participate in the war, he became a military doctor. However, because of what he witnessed during this time, it can be assumed that the constant bloodshed of war terrified him and he wanted a war-free life.

He was introduced to Diva by Amshel in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. At this time, he became one of her chevaliers, after which he wears only white clothing as a symbol of his being Diva's chevalier because it was what he was wearing when he had first met her.

Solomon later helped Amshel to bring in and forcibly turn Karl into Diva's next chevalier; feeling guilty for the pressure on Karl's mind that the forced conversion has created, Solomon decided to watch over Karl and forges a brotherly bond with him. During the second World War, they both served as officers for the Allied Forces.

Human Form
Solomon is of French descent and one of the most charming characters in the series. Owning handsome attributes like a kind, gentle smile, he is shown to be the eye-catcher of every woman in any gathering. Retaining the appearance of a young man in his early to mid 20s, he has pale skin, light green eyes, and wavy pale blond hair. His ever smiling face displays his peaceful nature. However, his eyes turn glowing red whenever he gets serious and fights using his chiropteran abilities while in human form.

Chiropteran Form
Solomon has blond hair falling over his shoulders and glowing red eyes while in his chiropteran form. Unlike his brothers and most chiropterans, he has doesn't posses a maw of razor sharp fangs, instead owning very few small sharp teeth. He has dark beige skin, long pointy ears, and bat-like wings that are reminiscent of a wyvern. He uses his full transformation twice: rescuing Saya and Kai from James and fighting with Hagi in New York. Normally, he uses a partial transformation of his right hand, starting from the fingertips which transforms into a bluish blade to fight.

Personality
Unlike his brothers, Solomon is a peace loving person and dislikes fighting, but will only do so when necessary. Being Diva's favorite, he is also the only one who can calm her down, which has resulted in James taunting him with comments such as, "Diva's Favorite" and "Beautiful Boy".

At the time he becomes a chevalier, he wanted to free himself from seeing humans kill each other, but afterwards, he started seeing humans as insignificant and beneath him. As time passed, he realized the world of the chiropterans is just as full of war as the human one.

He is led to believe that Saya is the enemy before meeting her. After meeting her personally at the ball in the Lycee without knowing each other, his opinion changes. Although he agrees that Saya is a threat to him and his partners, he harbors strong feelings for her and regularly tries to protect her, despite his brothers' intentions to destroy her. He loves Saya, and swears his loyalties to her, vowing to protect her even though she rejected his love. He becomes depressed for awhile afterwards. He even tries to attack Diva as of doing a favor to Saya but fails. He later saves Saya from James and says he wishes to protect her because he is in love with her.

Season 1
Solomon first appeared in the anime when Karl invited him to the grand ball in his school. He unknowingly introduced himself to Saya as a delightful young man at the ball in her Vietnam school, and danced his only dance with her. After the dance he apologized, telling her that he had only asked her as she was the only girl who wasn't staring at him. He did not discover her identity until later she was called by her name.

Solomon, along with Van, later visited the vessel that contained Diva and escaped taking it with them while Saya fought Karl.

Season 2
Solomon meets his chevalier brothers in his Paris mansion, where Diva resides after her awakening. The chevaliers discuss what to do with Saya, settling on the decision to kill her should she poise any danger for their queen, Diva.

Unsettled at mind, Solomon drives to Saya's next destination: the Chateau to meet her. He is observed on the way by Mao but doesn't take notice of them. Confronting Saya, he tries to convince her to join the chiropteran side rather than destroying them. However, Diva's sudden appearance and assault on Riku diverts Saya's attention. Solomon retreats with Diva while Saya is left more firm in her decision to fight the chiropterans.

Season 3
Solomon's love for Saya only continues to grow as the series progressed, bringing him into conflict with his chevalier brothers and with Diva. He even tips off David about the plan his brothers were making of launching an assault on the Red Shield, imploring David to take Saya away to safety.

After Riku's death, Saya forces to keep herself alienated from others. After learning of the ambush planned for her in Christina Island from Amshel, Solomon hurries to rescue Saya from the danger. He arrives in the nick of time to save both Saya and Kai from falling in the huge tunnel James had prepared. Afterwards, Solomon tells the Red Shield group that it was a trap set by Amshel to see if he would tip off Saya, and that Diva is on her way to New York. Before leaving, Solomon confesses his love for Saya and tells that he wishes to always stay by her side.

Season 4
Solomon eventually decides that he simply cannot kill Saya or continue to support Diva's efforts to do so, and wants to live with her as someone who loves her. While Amshel thinks Solomon's love for Saya is just part of his instinct as a chevalier, Solomon disagrees and knows he loves Saya as himself. Diva disowns him and tells him to do whatever he wants. As a sign of his no longer being a chevalier, Solomon stops wearing his signature white suits, instead switching to black ones.

Solomon kidnaps Saya after saving her from Amshel. He takes her to his penthouse apartment. There he confesses his love for her and asks her to marry him. He promises to take her to a land where there's no war and even kill Diva for her. He soothes her feelings with his words and is about to kiss her but Hagi interrupts. Solomon tries to kill Hagi but Saya's fall triggers his opponent to partially transform, outmatching his speed. Saya remembers her promise to Hagi and gently rejects Solomon. Afterwards, Solomon briefly sinks into a depressed mood.

Nathan visits Solomon and takes him to visit Diva and the babies, but Solomon uses the opportunity to try to kill her. Diva easily defeats him and he is imprisoned at the mansion. James taunts him by promising to kill Saya and bring her head in front of him. Amshel tells Nathan to kill him, but Nathan frees him instead. Solomon rushes to save Saya from James, but during the battle he is accidentally cut by Saya's sword coated in her blood. He proclaims his allegiance to Saya as her chevalier once more, then leaves.

In an alley, he begins to crystallize. Yet he attempts to attack Amshel who is also present there but fails as he shatters while his brother Amshel watches. It is unknown as to whether Saya ever learned of his death as no one is shown telling her.

Manga Plot
In the manga version, Solomon's character and backstory are drastically different than that of his anime counterpart. Here and like his other brothers (sans Charles) he was turned into a chevalier at the behest of Amshel by Diva, with the latter never having any genuine interest in him. His previous life as a medical doctor seems to also be absent and his motivation for becoming a chevalier are shrouded in mystery (though it is presumed that he was convinced by Amshel).

In the story, Amshel orders Solomon to calm down Charles, to which he obliges. Upon meeting the boy, Solomon teases him for no longer being Diva's chevalier, prompting Charles to slice off his older brother's hand. Suddenly, Solomon's light-hearted attitude disappears as he attacks Charles, dismembering several of his limbs. After the squabble, Solomon cheerfully bids him farewell as Charles disdainfully retorts that he will always be alone. He then joins Van whom he calls evil for admitting to being falsely devoted to Charles. Van then invites Solomon to review the results of the Delta project, to which the chevalier says that he would love to. Later, he gives a Van a box to be taken to Charles as a 'present'.

He is eventually left in charge of the rest of the experiment as he plays Diva's song, turning the humans who ingested the D67 pills, Mui included, into chiropterans who all attack Saya. As she slaughters them in her newly awakened state, Solomon watches the scene in delight, commenting that it makes him want her. Following the spectacle, he watches Charles ensuring that he is given his 'gift' which later turns out to be an explosive prosthetic arm and said to be used for the final stage of the experiment. Once Charles and Riku are left for dead, Solomon and Van depart from the scene, leaving Saya to take care of the rest.

Knowing that Saya turned Riku into her chevalier, Solomon relays this information to Amshel who plans to attack the Red Shield's base of operations. Reluctant, Solomon believes the idea to be too risky but is convinced by his older brother after mentioning if he really wanted to test the theory of chiropteran reproduction. Once on board the Red Shield luxury ship, Solomon sets out to search for the bed-ridden Riku and in the process murders many humans and even attacks Julia. Horrified and learning of Solomon's plan, Riku refuses to join the other chevalier who beats him unconscious and kidnaps. En route to join his chevalier brothers, Solomon encounters the body of a Corpse Corp soldier. Curious, he removes the helmet and is shocked to see that they were clones of the late Charles. This moment has him question Amshel's true motives and becomes suspicious of his older brother.

Upon returning home, he immediately orders for Riku and Diva to proceed with the mating experiment. However, Diva, upset from learning of her older sister's wish to kill her refuses, though Amshel coaxes her into it. Watching through the cameras once more, Solomon grows impatient and takes it upon himself to confront Diva who is choking Riku. He breaks them apart and orders Diva to continue, but she protests she doesn't want to and scratches Solomon's face. Overcome with with anger, he violently shoves her, telling the queen that she and Amshel both disgust him and leaves. But before he could depart, Riku stops him and he says he will take him back to Saya. On the way out, they find a clone of Charles whom Riku believes is the original and Solomon agrees to take him with them.

Three months later, Solomon saves Saya from a chiropteran attack in the Red Shield's New York City apartment and is accompanied by Riku and the Charles clone who help fend off the creatures. Riku introduces everyone to Solomon as Diva's chevalier and says that he is a nice guy and also taught him how to tap into his chiropteran powers. Obviously distrusting of him, Saya doesn't believe any of it. However, she is surprised when Solomon kneels before her, professing that he wishes for her to be his bride and claims that it was love at first sight. Likewise, Saya doesn't buy the act and tells him that if he really means what he says that he'll help her fight Diva and maybe then she'll believe him.

The final battle at the Lincoln Center comes and Solomon, Riku, and the Charles clone are stationed at one of the exits to prevent Diva's escape. But just as they are about to get started, Solomon excuses himself and searches for Amshel. The two finally confront each other and do battle for a brief period before talking. During the conversation, Solomon seems to ramble on about how his purpose in life is what keeps him alive and how the experiment is the only thing that keeps him going. Finding Solomon to have gone insane, Amshel silences him when he shoots him with a gun containing bullets coated with the very same substance from the Corpse Corp's claws.

After the ordeal, Van rescues Solomon from the exploding Lincoln Center and are later shown being in Japan spying on Saya. Initially, Riku had invited Solomon to their homecoming party but he refused, seemingly depressed that he will have to wait another thirty years to mate with Saya and finally conduct the experiment. Van then informs him that he is testing if humans can truly kill chevaliers, and Solomon, believing that he has lived long enough agrees to take part in it.

Manga vs Anime
As noted before, Solomon's personality is much different than that of the anime. In the manga, he is shown to be much more cruel and sadistic, scientist-like even, much like his brother Amshel. He will also lie and manipulate others to get his way and doesn't appear to show much concern for his family. He only appears to care about whether or not chiropterans can reproduce and is extremely driven to test this theory out. Unlike his anime counterpart, Solomon's immortality has perhaps caused him to lose whatever was left of his sanity as he states that a purpose in life is only a means for survival and that without it he would forget that he is even alive in the first place.

It is also worthy to note that he is seemingly vain as evidenced by the way he reacts after Diva scratches his face. More than that, he doesn't seem to harbor any real feelings for Saya, instead only being interested in mating with her so that he can finally test his theory. From his first encounter with Charles and later during the mating experiment, it can be assumed that Solomon is impatient and is quick to lose his temper.

While Solomon in the anime simply hated humans for their recklessness and foolishness, in the manga he has no regard for their lives as he willingly murders many in Red Shield HQ. He also doesn't appear to have any qualms about fighting and follows Amshel's orders without question. But despite these traits, Solomon does seem to posses some shred of kindness and friendliness when he teaches Riku how to use his abilities as a chevalier and lets him have the clone of Charles accompany them.

Interestingly enough, he still retains his cheerful and light-hearted disposition like his anime counterpart, but is still a bit more flippant in nature.

Skills
Medical Skills: He was a physician in his early life as a human. He did war service as a medical surgeon. He need not perform this skill after becoming a chiropteran. However, he uses his skills to aid Saya once she impales herself with her own katana to kill Karl. Solomon draws out her sword with medical precision so as to avoid inner organ damage.

Business: He proves himself to be the most successful businessman in decades with his achievements as CEO of Cinq Fleches.

Lady Charmer: Despite his reluctance, his appearance and charming manners never fail to catch every ladies' eye in any vicinity.

Special Abilities
Strength: Solomon's strength outmatches those of Karl, Martin, James, the Schiff and regular chiropteran. He is also driven by will-power when he fights James to save Saya in his human form even though he lost major amount of blood through the injury inflicted by Diva.

Speed: Solomon has certain extent of speed as chevalier surpassing that of schiff easily.

Telepathy: He is able to perform telepathic communication with other chevaliers as shown when he restrains Karl from continuing to fight with Saya in Vietnam.

Transformation: He fully transforms during rescuing Saya and the battle with Hagi. He mostly uses his partial transformation of his right arm.

Attire

 * He wears an all-white suit with a blue rose in the breast pocket while he serves as Diva's chevalier.


 * After he betrays Diva and is disowned, he changes his suits to black symbolizing his loyalty to the opposite queen, Saya.


 * During his time as a medical doctor he wore a white suit with a vest and long jacket.


 * When he and Karl served in the Allied Forces during the second World War, Solomon wore a French army officer's uniform.


 * In one of the photographs in Karl's Mansion, Solomon is seen wearing a black suit with a bowtie.


 * At the end of the manga, he wears a button-down polo shirt and pants.

Trivia

 * The name Solomon means 'peace' in Hebrew which suits the character's peace-loving nature.
 * He is named after Solomon Rothschild.
 * The paper about Solomon that Mao takes out from her purse, mentions Hagi and his devotion to Saya in a seemingly anecdotal fashion.
 * Solomon's affinity for romance may be a reference to the age-old book Song of Solomon which contains the brief chronicles of two lovers and their devotion to each other.