Hagi

Hagi (ハジ Haji) is the love interest of Saya Otonashi and also her first chevalier.

Appearance
Although Hagi is over 140 years old, he maintains the look of a handsome 25 year old man because that is the age at which he became a chevalier. Despite his origins being a complete mystery, he is said to be of Eastern European descent. He is quite tall, has fair skin and jet black hair that falls to his shoulders with somewhat wavy bangs falling over his eyes on the left side. His eye color is pale blue which turns crimson when his Chiropteran powers are unleashed. He usually keeps his hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck with a blue ribbon. In flashbacks, he is shown to have let his hair remain unbound.

Attire
Hagi is nearly always seen wearing a charcoal suit that has two front and two back tails of equal length. The jacket has a narrow black band at the waist and a black buckled band on his Chriopteran arm. He pairs the jacket with a white Barrymore shirt, charcoal trousers and black shoes. In the flashback to the Russian village sequence, he is shown bare-chested with a towel around his lower torso. He is also often seen with his cello case, both a genuine instrument vessel as well as storage for Saya Otonashi's sword.

Personality
When Hagi started living at the Zoo, he was rather taciturn and occasionally rude, partly because Saya Otonashi herself was spoiled and selfish. It was only after revealing his true circumstances (namely, that his parents had sold him to the original Joel for a loaf of bread) that they gradually became friends. While Hagi was still living with Saya in France as an adult, he was charming, kind and chivalrous, even parental. These attitudes only grew stronger after Hagi became her chevalier.

Hagi is shown to have a rather calm, solitary, stoic and quiet personality for the majority of the series, rarely showing his feeling or talking. When he does, he only says a few sentences and speaks rather monotonously. It is revealed that he actually gave up showing his emotions after being shocked and disappointed during the Vietnam incident, coming to believe that as Saya's chevalier, his duties are to obey her orders and look after her well-being, keeping his deep feelings for her to himself. He even goes so far as to avoid ever using his full power, as he ended up frightening Saya the first time he did it. Hagi is also shown to greatly appreciate his immortal life, as it allows him to watch over Saya during her 30-year periods of sleep.

Although considered to be a doormat by several people, Amshel in particular, Hagi is in fact far from it; his number one priority is fulfill Saya's wishes, but he also isn't against voicing his opinion on what he thinks is best for her and does so more and more frequently as the series progresses, particularly after the one-year timeskip. This is notably makes him the complete opposite of Diva's chevaliers; they all spoil Diva rotten, but the majority of them are secretly following their own agendas, with only James being completely loyal to her. Nevertheless, there are times when Hagi's loyalty can get the better of him, as he would have stood back and let Saya kill herself had Kai not intervened.

Throughout his life, even prior to becoming a chevalier, Hagi has always been loyal, not only to Saya, but to her friends and family. The one time he disobeyed her was when Kai had convinced him to confess his love for Saya and what he wished for. He wished for her to live on because at that point she would no longer have to fight. The two soon kissed afterwards. In his fight with Amshel, in fact, he says that in spite of everything he's been through, he has no regrets whatsoever, just because he was able to meet Saya.

Birth
Hagi is born around 1858; and approximately twelve years old when brought to the Goldschmidt household.

Meeting Saya
In 1870, Hagi was purchased by Joel and Amshel from his parents for a loaf of bread to be a companion for Saya, with hopes that they might mate and create more specimens for future experimentation. Hagi meets Saya who was apparently a spoiled child. Although ordered to follow her each and every orders constantly, he showed stubbornness at first. But when Saya learns about Hagi's plight, she shows sympathy and reveals her friendly side. Hagi clings to this and their relationship develops.

Life in the Zoo
Over the years, Hagi is one of Saya's only two friends at the Zoo (the other being Diva, whom Hagi does not know about). They grow to understand each other and fall in love. He admires Saya's dream of wanting to travel with him and her fencing sword to see the world.

While growing up at the Zoo, Hagi becomes suspicious of Saya never aging and how quickly she heals as well as of the "medicine" Joel I gives her to drink. When he questions Joel about these peculiar traits, Joel cryptically tells him is that the medicine she drinks, blood, is necessary to Saya's survival, further confusing Hagi. Unbeknownst to either of them, Saya eavesdrops on the entire conversation.

Becoming Chevalier (Bloody Sunday)
In 1883, he falls from a cliff attempting to pick a flower that Saya wants as a present for Joel's birthday. She remembers the conversation Hagi had with Joel about blood and, misunderstanding what Joel meant, cuts her hand and feeds Hagi her blood via a kiss in an attempt to save him. While at first she believes that she has killed him, the convulsions and accompanying stillness signify Hagi's transformation into Saya's first chevalier. Requiring blood to feed, Hagi transforms fully and kills many in front of Saya. The terrified face of Saya compelled him to take the oath of not transforming or taking blood.

Saya feels some guilt over this through the years, but when she apologizes, Hagi assures her that he has no regrets as it allows him to always be at her side while she lives her dream of traveling the world with her sword.

During Russian Revolution
In 1918, Hagi accompanies Saya to find Diva who is masquerading as Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. They scourge through Russia and end up in a village where they meet a girl named Sonia. She tries to get Saya alone but Hagi finds the truth about her. However, he is impaled with a tree trunk before reaching Saya. When Sonia changes to Grigori to kill Saya, Hagi returns, his wounds having healed. Saya kills Grigori but they do not manage to catch Diva who flees with Amshel to enter her hibernation.

Vietnam War
During the War in 1972, Hagi stays with the Red Shield and Military forces along with Saya in her casket. His blood is taken to inject in Saya's body to awaken her to help fight chiropterans. However, the untimely awakening makes Saya lose control over herself and go berserk. Hagi tries to stop her but she doesn't recognize him or his call. Rather she strikes at his arm with her katana, cutting it off. That part of his hand remains in chiropteran form and Hagi has kept it bandaged ever since. The whole incident deeply traumatizes Hagi; not only does the arm Saya cut off remain frozen in chiropteran form, he becomes more quiet and reserved than before. After that incident, Hagi keeps away from any of the shield members or militaries until Saya awakens once more.

Meeting Saya in Okinawa
Hagi plays his cello and is surrounded by people who is watching him play somewhere in the streets of Okinawa when Saya walks by and stops to listen him. She suddenly has a vision about unlocking a door and embarrassingly shouts a no. Hagi stops playing as the rest of the people stares weirdly at Saya who then falls into a bush. She starts getting up, red on the face, and runs away. This is where Hagi first meets Saya just a year after her awakening in Okinawa.Soon after, Hagi briefly attempts to approach Saya, but she doesn't recognize, him. He, in turn, realizes that she is happy, in a way she never was with him. Soon after, however, on of the regular's of Georges bar, a man named Forest, is exposed to Delta-67 and begins turning into a chiropteran. Saya goes to school later that night to collect her forgotten shoes, she is attacked, but Hagi counters it. He offeres Saya his blood to awaken her, she looks at him horrified. In response, he takes the blood into his own mouth and feeds her his blood with a kiss. Saya awakens temporarily and slays the chiropteran, in time for Kai to come see a blood-splattered Saya.

Saya
Hagi did not get along with Saya when they first met at the Zoo. Although obedient, he was taciturn and occasionally rude, partly because Saya herself was spoiled and selfish. It was only after revealing his true circumstances that they gradually become friends. While Haji was still living with Saya in France as an adult, he was charming, kind and chivalrous, even parental. These attitudes only grew stronger after Hagi became her chevalier. The fact that she attacked him so violently and without hesitation caused a dark, almost melancholic change in his personality. One reason on his personality change could be that he blames himself because it was his blood that caused what happen to Saya and what she did in the war. Shortly after the incident, Haji left the Red Shield and his whereabouts were, for the most part, unknown. Although initially distancing himself from Saya following their reunion, he gradually became more affectionate towards his queen again, like when they were in the Zoo.

Their relationship also grew stronger with a year-long absence from the Red Shield, although Saya's personality had considerably darkened, Hagi was still very much in love with Saya. Many speculate that Hagi's personality is quiet and calm because Saya's brutal attack, however it has been shown mutiple times throughout the series that Hagi understands what had happened when she attacked him and Saya has apologized several times.

Throughout the end of the series it was shown that Hagi was still in love with Saya until the very end, and Saya, who had lost her memory and had begun regaining it, and was falling in love with him again.

Riku
Hagi is shown to have gotten fond of Riku especially when Riku became Saya's chevalier. It was shown that they were always together, and he may have served as an example to Riku on how to be a good chevalier. He encouraged Riku a few times on how he can be of use to Saya, and also taught Riku how to play the cello.

Kai
Hagi is jealous of Kai to some extent, since he can make Saya laugh while Hagi seems to upset her many times. This jealousy is more prominent in the manga version rather than the anime. He even goes so far as to push Kai into the helicopter, as well as not letting Kai touch Saya. Despite this, Hagi is willing to listen to Kai on occasion, particularly when Kai convinced him to be honest with himself and confess his deep feelings to Saya.

Diva
Hagi is not shown to commune with Diva who has a constant disliking of him.

Skills
Musician: Hagi plays the cello, a skill he learned from Saya and later taught to Riku. He usually carries his cello in a large black case that bears a heavy resemblance to a Victorian-era coffin.

Special Abilities
Feeding: As with most chevaliers, Hagi doesn't need to eat or sleep, and he stays awake while Saya eats, sleeps, or goes into long periods of hibernation. But he does need to feed on human blood, something that he does not succumb to doing.

Hand-to-Hand Combat: Throughout the series, Hagi displays great proficiency in close quarters combat, being able to perform swift movements with not only his bare hands but also maneuvers such as leg sweeps and roundhouse kicks.

Blood Attributes:
 * Regeneration: Hagi's blood is capable of healing self wounds. However, if the wound is inflicted by the queen who has made him chevalier, the regenerated part is likely to take permanent chiropteran form.


 * Awakening/ Strengthening Queen: Saya was forcefully awakened during the Vietnam war by injecting Hagi's blood. This indicates that Hagi's blood is a source of his queen's chiropteran strength. It can also awaken her chiropteran mode. Saya is shown to consume Hagi's blood several times.


 * Transformation: Unlike Diva's chevaliers, Hagi almost never makes a full transformation into a chiropteran form; however, this is by his own choice rather than a limitation of his power. He only fully transformed into his chiropteran self when he first became chevalier. After seeing him kill people in that form, Saya was frightened, so he never fully transformed again. Hagi rarely resorts to using his chiropteran form, unless it is absolutely necessary. He keeps his right hand bandaged most of the time to hide the fact that its form is permanently chiropteran since Saya injured it while going crazy from being forced awake decades ago in Vietnam. Although Chiropterans can heal themselves simply by sticking their severed limbs back on (as Solomon did) it seems as though Hagi simply left it detached from his body for too long, leaving it unable to change back into human form. After returning from the battle with Amshel on the final episode, his both hands are shown to have transformed. In the opening credits of the final season, Hagi is shown with bat-like wings, but he does not use them in the series until Episode 43 where he uses them to save Saya from falling off of a building. During the fight with Amshel, when he uses his wings again, one of his wings is torn by Amshel during the fight on top of the Chrysler Building. Compared to Diva's Chevalier's, who become full-on monsters, Haji's transformation is so minimal, it's questionable if this is in-fact his full transformation. Largely, he retains the same apperance as his human form, albeit with some adjustments. The skin of his hands turns a dark red, with his fingers covered in a hard layer like a bladed gauntlet, and he grows a pair of bat-like wings.

Weaponry

 * Cello-case: Hagi uses his cello-case as a blunt weapon and a shield, and the case also holds Saya's sword. His cello case looks like an old Victorian coffin with a hard metal coating of a odd design and a black lacquer finish.


 * Daggers: He also fights with a handful of silver daggers that he keeps on his person.

Season 1
Hagi travels across countries in search of Saya and performing on his cello earns him the name 'mysterious cello-man'. He arrives in Okinawa and continues his search. In Okinawa, Riku learns of the cello-man's presence and while on the run with Saya, they encounter his performance. Hagi finally finds Saya again but without her memories from past.

In twilight, while Saya is under a chiropteran attack at the school, Hagi arrives and temporarily holds off the monster until Saya is convinced to fight it. He makes her drink his blood, forcefully attempting a mouth-to-mouth infusion. It awakens Saya and she kills the chiropteran in front.

Later he properly introduces himself as her chevalier and gives her the katana he has been carrying after the Vietnam incident. He never tells what relationship he had with her in the past and lets her recollect the past memories herself. Gradually, she has flashbacks helping her regain her memories.

George's death brings about Saya, Kai, Riku and Hagi traveling together with the Red Shield to hunt Diva. Along most of the journey, Hagi stays silent, only staying by Saya's side to aid her in battle. He disguises as a gardener in the Lycee to help Saya in her investigation.

Season 2
An intimacy develops between Hagi and Riku while he is constantly approached by the opposite from Kai. Meanwhile, he remains in his same, silent self along Saya's side as she continues recollecting her memories through flashbacks.

He accompanies her to the journey to the zoo and defends against the Schiffs who attack them on the way. After reaching the zoo, he fights Solomon when the latter approaches Saya.

Season 3
Hagi spends a lot of time with Riku after he turns into a chevalier too. He teaches him to play the cello and tells him he could be there for Saya and play important role as chevalier. His days as a mentor were short as Diva cut short Riku's life. After Riku's death, Hagi follows Saya into wandering off pack and fighting chiropterans. By this time, Hagi allows Saya to feed on him to keep her healthy.

Season 4
After Saya rejoins the remnants of the Red Shield, Hagi follows her to the Opera House Diva is to perform at and keeps Amshel busy while Saya fought Diva. After Diva's death, Hagi is about to fulfill his promise to Saya but gets smacked to senses by Kai. He then convinces Saya to live, confessing that he has always loved her. Agreeing that she does wish to live, Saya kisses him. As they, along with Kai and the rest of the Red Shield operatives, try to escape the opera house, Amshel attacks them, ripping off one of Hagi's arms. Saya reloads her sword with blood and is ready to fight him to protect Diva's babies. However, Hagi takes her sword and pushes her aside so she can escape while he impales Amshel himself. As Amshel crystallizes, he stabs Hagi through the chest and the ceiling collapses on them both. Before the bombing happens, Hagi asks Kai to protect Saya and give her a place to be happy. Hearing this made Saya panic and Hagi then smiles like in the past and says "Nankurunaisa. I will always love you, Saya". Saya screams his name before they leave. She believes he may be dead, but Kai reassures her that Hagi will return and tells her, “You never know, maybe one of these days he'll come out of the blue."

Years after Saya goes into her hibernation, Kai brings Diva's daughters to visit the Miyagusuku crypt where Saya is sleeping. When they arrive, they find a fresh pink rose with Hagi's blue hair ribbon tied to it. Hagi is alive and he is watching from afar, waiting patiently for his love to awaken after her thirty year sleep.

Blood+
In the manga, it is shown that Hagi and Saya had been in a relationship for a short time before Diva was released. Diva becomes jealous of their relationship because he is taking up more of Saya's attention and it seems that all Saya would talk about was him. As a result, Diva kills him when Saya frees her, which is why he is turned into a chiropteran (the first Joel tells Saya that if she truly cannot live without him, she should give him her blood, where as she accidentally turns him in the anime due to a misunderstanding). Most likely Saya had never regained her memory of her relationship with Hagi in the past, but was able to fall in love with him again with what memory she had.

Although Hagi shows jealousy towards Kai in the anime, it is more obvious in the manga. He even tells Kai "Saya is my beloved" while forcing him to leave (though he later says that it was somewhat childish of him).

Blood+: Kowloon Nights
Hagi's life after the Vietnam incident is depicted, including his search for Saya. During this time he comes across Nishi Tatsuyoshi and strikes up an unlikely friendship. As they are investigating chiropteran attacks, a member of the Red Shield approaches Hagi and tells him of Saya's location.

Trivia

 * The name Hagi means "my celebration" in Hebrew.
 * Even though he was born in Bourdoux, France he does not speak with a french accent in the dubbed version of the anime.
 * In past flashbacks the same ribbon that was around his neck is the same ribbon he uses to tie his hair up now.