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This article is about the character Gilbert Nightray.
You may be looking for his Chain, Raven; Pandora Hearts Chapter 13 "A Lost Raven"; Anime Episode 11 "A Lost Raven"; or, the DVD bonus story "Gilbert in Wonderland".
Yes, my master is right here. This person will become my master for me.

—Retrace XXXVIII: Scapegoat

Introduction

Gilbert Nightray (ギルバート=ナイトレイ, Girubāto Naitorei), usually nicknamed Gil (ギル, Giru) or Raven ( (レイブン) , Karasu「Reibun」), is one of the protagonists of Jun Mochizuki's Pandora Hearts. He is the childhood friend and former valet of Oz Vessalius. An amnesiac, he first met Oz fifteen years before the events of the story with no memory of his family or past.

When Gil was around fourteen, Oz disappeared into the Abyss, and shortly after the Nightray Dukedom adopted him. There, he learned of Vincent, another adopted son of Nightray who claimed to be his younger brother by blood. Gilbert's adoption allowed him to join the government research organization Pandora and form a Legal Contract with one of the five Black Winged Chains, Raven. Though he hoped to use Raven to free Oz from the Abyss a decade after Oz's disappearance, Alice the B-Rabbit, a Chain, beats him to the punch. As he is the only person capable of sealing the B-Rabbit's power so as to prevent strain on Oz's body, Gil accompanies the two in their quest to find Alice's memories.

Embarrassed by having aged ten years and joined an enemy house, Gilbert initially hides his identity from Oz. However, he is quickly confirmed to be Oz's former valet by Zwei, a Baskerville intent on antagonizing Gilbert.[1]

He, along with Alice and his childhood friend Oz, are the central protagonists of Pandora Hearts.

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SPOILER WARNING!
This article contains plot and/or ending details for Pandora Hearts.
Read at your own risk.
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Born over a century prior to most of the story, Gilbert's biological parents are never revealed or elaborated on, though he is stated to be of "humble birth"[2] and is somewhat implied to have been born into poverty.[3] A year after his birth, his younger brother, Vincent, was born. Though only Vincent was a Child of Ill Omen, both brothers were sold off by their mother.[3] For the next several years, the two endured numerous harsh conditions. As Children of Ill Omen experienced considerable prosecution, Gilbert was obligated to protect his younger brother from physical assault and exclusion for his condition. They are implied to have spent most of their childhood homeless, though Gilbert has narrated that some nobles were fascinated by Vincent and would take them in as "pets."[2] When the two were slightly younger than ten, on the day of the execution of Lacie Baskerville, they would encounter the Droplets of Golden Light and become Baskervilles.[4]

Determined by Oswald to be the next incarnation of Glen Baskerville, Gilbert was personally raised by him. Thus, it became Gilbert's destiny to execute Vincent and succeed Oswald as Glen.[5] Alongside Gilbert and Vincent were Oswald's nieces, Alice and the Intention of the Abyss. Gilbert formed an antagonistic relationship with both Alices after witnessing the Intention tease Vincent for his red eye.[6] This escalated, and due to the deliberate manipulation of Jack Vessalius,[5] led to Vincent becoming convinced of Gilbert's impending death at the hands of their guardian. His younger brother's actions would facilitate the Tragedy of Sablier.[6] Though Gilbert fell unconscious due to an attack from Jack relatively soon into the Tragedy, he was picked up by Vincent before being dragged into Abyss.[7] This allowed him to be one of the first to escape the Abyss. A century later, Gilbert emerged from the Vessaliuses' Door while his younger brother emerged from the Nightrays' Door. His memory loss is implied to be the result of dissociative amnesia.

Appearance

Gilbert is a tall, solidly built man who looked to be in his early to mid twenties. He has golden, almond shaped eyes with thin eyelashes. In the anime, his eyes are given a greenish tint. He has a slightly wider chin and jaw than his younger brother, and is usually drawn with a thicker neck. Multiple[8] omake[9] mention him having large hands. His hair is short, black, and wavy, and he usually does not style it, though it is long enough to sometimes pull back into a small ponytail. A long, lateral scar angling upwards from his right to his left crosses his upper chest.[10]

Noted as having no sense for fashion,[11] Gilbert's choice in clothing is relatively informal, and he rarely changes outfits. For most of the series he wears a long black coat with silver details over a white shirt and black pants. He usually wears a white neck piece resembling a jabot or cravat, folded into three layers. On his right leg he wears what appears to be a lightly colored thigh holster. Up until he amputates his left arm, Gilbert would wear a pair of white gloves. He usually wears a black, wide rimmed hat. Though his outfit has many white components, he remarked that lightly colored outfits made him uncomfortable. He also wears a golden ear cuff on his left ear, though he does not have piercings.[12] Jun Mochizuki tries to draw his expressions to have both anguish and romance.[13]

As a child, his hair was styled in a slightly different manner, his bangs parted at one side instead of falling straight onto his face. Though still larger than Vincent, Gilbert was frail in build when he was young. He had numerous outfits, generally some kind of commoner's uniform, which were almost always dark. The timeline suggests he experienced a growth spurt when he was about seventeen or eighteen.[13]

Following the hundred-year timeskip, Gilbert has not visibly aged. He wears a modern black suit with a black leather glove.[14]

Personality

Ep17 - gils ailurophobia

Gil's ailurophobia

In his early appearances, Gil was described as timid, a crybaby, and easily frightened, but was praised for his gentleness.[1] When subjected to the whims of others, he rarely put up much resistance, and was rather cowardly and impressionable. Gil is not naturally talented, and while not stupid, he often has difficulty realizing things that are not explained to him. To make up for this, he is hardworking when it comes to physically oriented or menial tasks. When confronted with potentially uncomfortable or awkward interactions, his natural compulsion is to run away. His language is often curt and unrefined, though usually not outright offensive.

He is incapable of concealing his emotions or manipulating others, making him the frequent target of bullying, particularly by Oz. Despite this, he is fiercely loyal to him, his devotion to Oz bordering on obsession. At times, he is stated to be "useless" when not working for Oz's sake.[15] He is frequently described as immature or childlike, and seems deeply ashamed of having grown physically older in Oz's absence.[10] Xerxes Break remarked that his devotion to Oz is "abnormal," and could easily result in his hurting him.[16] Multiple characters call him a "pervert"[17] or "shameless,"[18] knowing Gilbert will be too flustered to outright deny it, though this is done mostly for humor. Though Gil earnestly loves and cares for Oz and takes no pleasure in violence, he is frequently selfish and lacking in empathy. He has difficulty acknowledging or showing compassion for the feelings of others, even when said feelings are pointed out to him.[19]

Though extremely protective of those he cares about, he does this not out of selflessness, but out of desire to foster dependency in the person he protects. This particularly impacted his relationship with Vincent, who he loathes, yet could not abandon for fear that no one else would need him.[2] As an adult, he grew frustrated after learning Oz would no longer make suicide attempts, believing he would lose his purpose in life were Oz to not exclusively depend on him.[18] Aware of the ethical ramifications of this, he describes himself as "a very mean person" as a child, clearly anguished by his own perceived moral failing.[2] Despite this, many years would pass before he attempted to amend his behavior. Vincent describes him as "weak" and "cruel," outright stating that he believes Gil would inevitably destroy all that he loved.[20]

Ep05 - clashing

An early encounter between Gil and Alice.

Gilbert is obsessed with taking the role of a servant, believing he needs outside proof of his devotion to Oz. His desire for others to confirm his thoughts and dictate his actions influence his refusal to seek his own lost memories. In order to shift the burden for his convictions onto others, Gilbert selectively interprets and communicates information, such as insisting he was the former valet of Jack Vessalius despite being explicitly told otherwise.[2] This obsession with servitude and fear of agency is likely due to the influence of the Jury, the gods which select and guide the incarnations of Glen Baskerville. When he perceives a threat to the one he deems his master, Gil becomes incorrigibly and almost indiscriminately violent,[20] to the point of needing to be physically subdued and restrained.[21] However, Gil's earnest love for Oz triumphed when he regained his memories, contrary to Vincent's expectations.[7] Despite being compelled to unquestionably obey Glen Baskerville as both a Baskerville and as Glen's former valet, Gilbert chose to amputate his own left arm to reduce the Jurors' influence on him. He apologized to Vincent, admitting to his hatred of him, but nonetheless acknowledging him as an essential part of his life and promising to protect him from further anguish. After returning to Oz, Gilbert rejected the concept of "realness" and his intended role, instead desiring to remain with his loved ones even at the cost of his life.[22]

Overall, while Gil is often selfish and lacking in moral conviction, he is deeply loyal and capable of showing great care for others. His vulnerability and sincerity fosters feelings of warmth in others, and allows him to rectify once tumultuous relationships, such as those he had with Vincent and Alice. While his singular devotion borders on the pathological, his purity of heart redeems him.

Powers and Abilities

  • Proficiency in Firearms - Gilbert had trained in firearms since he was about sixteen, and dual-wielded pistols in adulthood. Though he is said to be a remarkably good shot, he is still beat out by his younger brother.
  • Menial Tasks - As a consequence of his childhood upbringing as a servant, Gilbert excels at a number of household chores. This includes cleaning, cooking, and knitting.[23]
    • Though most of his skill in these areas is implied to be the consequence of his time with the Vessalius Dukedom, he actually learned to cook as a teenager following his adoption.
  • Limited Immortality - As a Baskerville, Gilbert's body is more similar in construction to that of a Chain than a human, and thus cannot be killed by mortal weapons, though he can be harmed or disabled. Only weapons charged by Chain Killers or exceptionally powerful Chains (as in the case of Oz scarring him)[17] are capable of causing fatal wounds to Baskervilles.
  • Eternal Youth - Gilbert did not appear to age over the course of a century; however, his youth is only superficial, and he implies he will die of old age soon following the hundred year timeskip.[14]
  • Reality Warping - As an incarnation of Glen Baskerville, Gil passively warps reality around him, though the specific nature and full extent of this warping is unknown. It was through this warping that Vincent was created.[24]
    • All denizens of Abyss, Baskervilles included, have the passive ability to slightly warp reality for humans. However, this is not considered advantageous, as it generally encourages humans to act in a violent manner, and makes Baskervilles far more likely to be subjected to abuse.[25]
  • Immunity to Abyss - All Baskervilles have an increased resistance to the negative effects of Abyss, due to being denizens of Abyss themselves. They are able to maintain "illegal" contracts indefinitely,[22] and do not suffer the same madness induced in humans who interact with Abyss.

Chain

See more: Raven

Raven is one of the five Black Winged Chains, Chains originally reserved for Glen Baskerville but distributed among the Four Great Dukedoms following the Tragedy of Sablier. Raven is the Nightray Chain; however, it had not been successfully contracted even once until Gilbert's adoption. It takes the form of a gigantic, half-skeletal raven wrapped in large chains. It is sometimes depicted as having a more shadowy form, in which it has many eyes.

  • Sealing Powers - Raven is able to seal the powers of other Chains in his contractor's left hand, making the Chain unable to exert its full power. This power can be unsealed when Raven's contractor touches the sealed Chain's contractor with his bare left hand. Gilbert used this power on Alice for much of the early series to prevent her presence from putting too much strain on Oz's body.[26]
    • This seal would lose effect if Gilbert summoned Raven or used one of his other powers.[27]
  • Portal Opening - Raven has the ability to open portals to other dimensions, such as from the material world to Abyss, or Cheshire's Dimension back to the material world. However, this puts considerable strain on his contractor, to the point that Gilbert was incapacitated for several hours after opening one portal.[27]
    • Chains of Condemnation - Like all Black Winged Chains, Raven is able to open a portal to Abyss and summon the Chains of Condemnation, chains which bind those his contractor deems "sinners" and drag them to the depths of Abyss. However, Gilbert was never shown using this power.
  • Feathery Flames - Raven can create blue flames from his wings that, as an exceptionally powerful Chain, are dangerous even the Baskervilles. These flames appear to have physical properties, capable of breaking several windows, but do not appear to set fires.[22]
    • These flames can be localized precisely enough that Gilbert is able to use them to amputate and cauterize his own left arm.[22]

Quotes

  • "Protecting the master... is supposed to be my job!"
  • "No matter what happens, I will be beside you."
  • "What were you thinking?! Do you have that much of a death wish?!" (Following Noise almost making Gilbert shoot Oz using Duldum)
  • "Even now, I want to stay as your servant."
  • "Don't say it. It was to get my hat back..." (to Oz when he unleashed Oz's powers so Alice could win his hat back)
  • 'Oz...I am...a Baskerville. And yet, in spite of that...I am your faithful servant. That won't change. No matter what you do...no matter what you say...that is not going to change. Not in the least!' (declaring his loyalty to Oz in Chapter 78)
  • "Shut up, you stupid rabbit."
  • "In other words, it'll be fine if you die!" (to Alice when she asked him how to erase Oz's Illegal Contractor Incuse)
  • "Protecting the Master is my job...even so he...is always on his own..."
  • “…When I…think about the succession ceremony tomorrow, I become…unable to sleep…”
  • “After tomorrow’s ceremony…I heard that there will be many distinguished people that I will have to greet. Will Master Jack be there?”
  • “Um…Master Jack is always so kind and fun and peaceful. If I can meet him tomorrow then surely, surely…I feel that my nervousness will just go away somewhere…”
  • "We...are not connected by light, but darkness instead. I've always thought so...No. I wanted to think like that. Oz is heading toward the light, and left me behind."
  • "Was it all...a lie? Everything that...that Jack...said..." (Gilbert questions everything after remembering the Tragedy of Sablier)
  • "I understand now... A wound like this... Is not enough to kill me."
  • "I guess there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

Appearances

Manga Appearances
Anime Appearances
Light Novel Appearances
Omake Appearances

(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.

Trivia

  • "Gilbert" is a name of Norman-French origin, deriving from the Old Germanic name "Gisilberht" or "Gisalberht." The derivative of "Gil-" may either mean "shaft of an arrow" or "pledge, hostage" while the derivative of "-bert" may mean "bright" or "famous."[28]
  • Gilbert's Contracted Chain, and thus commonly used as a moniker for the man himself, Raven is directly based off the Monstrous Crow,[29] a minor character in Lewis Carroll's Alice Through the Looking-Glass.[30]
  • His character song is named Truth.
  • His theme for the duration of the anime is called "Crush."
PH 24 plus 1 Gilbert profile 1

Gilbert's profile in 24 + 1: Last Dance

  • His likes are, in order, coffee (black with no sugar), the color black, bargain sales, and fresh ingredients. His dislikes are, in order, people who hurt Oz, Jack Vessalius, the Nightray Dukedom, Duke Nightray, and bell peppers.
  • His skills include all manners of housework, firearms, making sweets, and calculating bargains faster than Oz can. He is weak when it comes to cats, Xai Vessalius, and Cheshire.
  • Mochizuki's comment on him is, after regaining all his memories and being forced to come undone slightly, it was easy for him to turn into an inspiring type of character. He is honest about his feelings and has even countless times saved herself the writer.
  • Gilbert's fear of cats is likely a reference to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", when Alice scared off a mouse and some others animals by talking about her pet cat Dinah. Gilbert is probably somewhat inspired by this mouse, as his brother Vincent is associated with the Dormouse, the other rodent in the book.
  • Though numerous characters state his age as 24, the Evidence guidebook states that his age is technically unknown. When he first met Oz, he had no idea what his age was. As such, Oz declared him to be a year younger than himself.
    • While his amnesia was originally cited for his lack of knowledge, it's quite likely Gilbert simply doesn't know his actual birthday. Vincent's age is also marked as "self described" (自称, jishou), having only cared to identify as a year younger than Gilbert. Oswald and Lacie, whose backstories parallel Gilbert and Vincent's, are marked as having unknown ages (though their ages are approximated as 27 and 25 respectively). Given he was trafficked at an early age, it is unlikely that any legal record of his birth exists.[13]
  • In the earliest drafts of Pandora Hearts, Gilbert was the protagonist. As his character and the story continued development, Oz, originally a minor female character with a crush on him, became male and took his place as the protagonist.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Retrace VI: Where am I?
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Retrace XXXVIII: Scapegoat
  3. 3.0 3.1 Retrace XLVI: Persona
  4. Retrace LXVIII: Glen
  5. 5.0 5.1 Retrace LXXIII: A note
  6. 6.0 6.1 Retrace XXXIX: Gate of Blackness
  7. 7.0 7.1 Retrace LXXVIII: Decision
  8. Pandora Hearts: Knave of Hearts
  9. Volume 18 Omake: "Miss Alice's obsession"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Retrace VII: Reunion
  11. Caucus Race 1 — Story 2: Black Widow
  12. Volume 17 Omake: "Siblings"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Pandora Hearts 18.5: Evidence
  14. 14.0 14.1 Retrace CIV: Will
  15. Retrace LIII: Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall
  16. Retrace XIII: A Lost Raven
  17. 17.0 17.1 Volume 21 Omake: "Me, a Baskerville, and Master the B-Rabbit"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Retrace XXVIII: Modulation
  19. Retrace XXIV: Hello my sister!
  20. 20.0 20.1 Retrace XXXIII: Echo of Noise
  21. Retrace XL: Blindness
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Retrace LXXIX: Falling
  23. Extra episode: It makes all kinds
  24. Retrace LXIX: Alice
  25. Retrace LI: Lily&Reim
  26. Retrace IV: Rendezvous
  27. 27.0 27.1 Retrace XXI: Discord
  28. Wikipedia: Gilbert (given name)
  29. Wikipedia: List of minor characters in the Alice series#The Monstrous Crow
  30. Wikipedia: Through the Looking-Glass

Navigation

v - e - t Pandora Hearts
Characters

Main: AliceGilbert NightrayOz Vessalius
Vessalius: Ada VessaliusAda's CatsJack VessaliusMrs. KateOscar VessaliusRachel CecileSara VessaliusXai Vessalius
Nightray: Bernard NightrayBernice NightrayClaude NightrayEchoElliot NightrayErnest NightrayFred NightrayHansLeoMrs. FinnRaymond NightrayVanessa NightrayVincent Nightray
Rainsworth: EmilySharon RainsworthShelly RainsworthSheryl RainsworthXerxes Break
Barma: Arthur BarmaCalum LunettesGrunerMiranda BarmaReim LunettesRufus Barma
Baskervilles: CeliaDugFangGlen BaskervilleGlen Baskerville (♀)JuryLacieLeviLilyLottieNoiseOswald
Abyss: The Core of the AbyssThe Intention of the Abyss
Other: Flower GirlThe GeneralHarris WatsonHeadhunterIsla YuraJyantaMariePhillipe WestRytasTurnerWilliam West
Chains: AlbusB-RabbitBandersnatchCardsCheshireThe CookDemiosDodoDormouseDuldeeDuldumEquusFawnFlower Girl's ChainGrimGryphonHedgehog ChainsHumpty DumptyThe Intention's DollsJabberwockLacie's ChainLarsLeonMad BabyMad HatterMarch HareOwlRavenRocking-Horse-FlySnap-Dragon-FlyTove
Caucus Race: Dahlia GarlandGarland ButlerGeraldGreat MotherJosephineMarcelMia

Nobility Barma DukedomBaskerville ClanNightray DukedomRainsworth DukedomSinclair FamilyVessalius DukedomWest Family
Terminology Species & Factions: Black Winged ChainsChainsContractorsIsla Yura's CultPandora

Objects: Arthur Barma's Memoirs"Chains"Doors to the AbyssJack Vessalius' Pocket WatchKeys to the DoorsSilent Clock TowerStone Seals
Events: Coming-of-Age CeremonySuccession CeremoniesTragedy of Sablier
Miscellaneous: AngelsChildren of Ill OmenLacie (Song)Holy KnightStatice

Locations AbyssBarma HomelandCarillonDimensional PlaneÉbaucheHouse of FiannaLacie's TombLuca's GateLutwidge AcademyReveilSablierTower
Volumes IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIXXXIXIIXIIIXIVXVXVIXVIIXVIIIXIXXXXXIXXIIXXIIIXXIV
Omake Maidora HeartsBumbling Sleuth BreakMagical Girl Ill-Omened❤LaciePandora Academy
Episodes 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425Special Episodes
DVDs IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIXBonus Story
Guidebooks & Artbooks 8.518.524 + 1Official Animation Guide〜Odds and Ends〜「There is.」
Light Novels 123
Drama CDs Pandora Hearts Drama CDNightmare of Vessalius Academy!Alice's Tea PartyAnimedia Radio SpecialRadio Special 1Radio Special 2Radio Special 3Retrace 42.5Another Story of A Promise Lost
Soundtrack OST 1OST 2Parallel HeartsMazeWatashi wo MitsuketeEverytime you kissed me
Character Songs Swear to...Kinjirareta AsobiTruth
Calendars 20102011201220132014
Extra Pandora HearchuMochizuki's MusingsTimelineReal-World References
Author Jun Mochizuki
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