Julio Asuka Misurugi (ジュリオ・飛鳥・ミスルギ Jurio Asuka Misurugi?) is one of the main antagonists of CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon.
Personality & Character
While with his sisters, Julio acts somewhat like Ange used to, dignified, proud and loving, but calmer and more easygoing, as shown when he scolded her for always trying to be "the perfect princess". In overall he portrays himself as a kind older brother. However, this is all just a ruse.
Like all other humans that can use Mana, Julio has been programed to instinctively hate Norma. After he discovered that his own younger sister Angelise is a Norma, he saw her as "a monster" and "a pest" that had poisoned the royal bloodline. Despite this, however, Julio was able to keep his kind older brother act up for a long time, waiting for the perfect moment to expose his sister. After successfully exposing her and usurping the throne for himself, Julio went of a campaign to "re-establish the purity of the royal bloodline". He erased the Empire's name, even having all signs with "Empire of Misurugi" on it crossed through, and even had his own father executed under the crime of deceiving the Empire citizens. After Ange continued to survive in Arzenal, Julio created a plan to lure her back home, so he could personally execute her, believing that the cleansing of the royal bloodline cannot be completed without her death. His hatred for Norma has also shown a sadistic side, taking joy in seeing Angelise suffer. Julio believes that it is a mistake that the Norma exist and that the world needs them, and because of this, when Embryo revealed that it is possible to "destroy the world and create a new one", he immediately proposed to create a new one. When the Norma rejected his "rescue", he saw it as an act of treason towards "humanity", and ordered their massacre.
Julio also has no sympathy for those who shelter Norma. When his mother was killed while trying to protect Angelise and his father arrested and later executed for sheltering her, Julio showed no sighs of remorse, even publicly scolding them for their actions later on.
Despite his many claims of hatred towards the Norma, it has been implied several times that the target of Julio's hatred is not them, but Angelise. This hatred seems to have originated from his belief that their mother favored her over him, and even told Riza Randog outright that their mother had never once even complimented him.
Julio has also shown facets of being manipulative, narcissistic and arrogant. After usurping the throne Julio began to refer to himself under several names, such as "Holy Emperor Julio" and "Julio the First". He likes to standout, making Angelise's execution a public one. He was willing to use Momoka, a fellow Mana user, as well as use Ange's feelings for Sylvia, in order to lure his sister out. Because of his arrogance, Julio is quick to panic when things do not go the way he envisioned them. Julio highly values his looks, and quickly becomes very scared when physically threatened. When Ange scarred his face, he became paralyzed out of fear. Though he later lamented not killing Ange, Riza was pleased that he thought he did well which raised his spirits.
Underneath his cold exterior, Julio is also a coward. When Ange was about to kill him, Julio begged for his life, apologizing for his actions, offering to give her anything she wants and even offered to reinstate her into royalty.
While under the effects of the purple liquid fed to him by Riza Rundog, Julio's personality becomes very similar to that of a young child. He refers to Ange as a "bad Norma", and sees Riza as a mother-like figure. He becomes very happy when she praises him and, wanting for her to praise him more, he blindly follows her every "request". He also seems to become ignorant to what is happening around him, seemingly not noticing that Riza had grown DRAGON-like wings and a tail, and that Sylvia was eavesdropping on them.
Julio seeing Riza as a mother-like figure and his desire to get her to praise him, while under the purple liquids effects, might imply that, despite all of his terrible actions, all he ever truly desired was a mother's affection.
Skills and Abilities
He has the ability to use the Light of Mana.
Julio is a brilliant strategist, being able to form a plan to reveal that Angelise is a Norma to the public, knowing it would get her and their parents arrested, allowing him to become Emperor.
He also has knowledge of technology, being able to overwrite his father's program, which imitates the Light of Mana.
History
Coup D'etat
During the Baptism Ritual ceremony, he revealed to the audience that Ange is actually a Norma. Once Ange was exposed, her mother tried to take her away, but is killed. Jurai is arrested, and this opens the door for Julio's desire to "re-establish the purity of the royal bloodline". (CROSS ANGE: "Fallen Princess")
Luring out Ange
He tracked Ange on a map saying that hers tactics are predictable. After that Ange was extremely shocked by Sylvia's words. While she was captured by the imperial guards, he appeared, saying that she looked pathetic and he was the one who lured her out. (CROSS ANGE: "The Hometown of Betrayal") After Ange's capture, Julio held a "trial" for her, which was actually a public torture. After Sylvia was done whipping Ange, he revealed to her that he was the one who exposed her identity at the Baptism Ritual. He claims that he expected that he would quickly receive news that Ange had been devoured by "another monster" after she had been sent to Arzenal, but she managed to survive, much to his surprise whereupon then sending Momoka without any knowledge of the truth to find her. He addressed the crowd, saying that the former Empress died in her foolish attempt to protect a Norma and he had the former Emperor was executed for the crime of deceiving the people, shocking Ange. He announced Ange's execution for the cleansing of the royal family to be complete and the rebirth of the nation, the New Empire of Misurugi. Ange starts marching to the gallows while singing, he recognizes his mother's song and ordered to have her rapidly hanged before saying his goodbye to her. When Ange is hanged, he is blinded by a strange bright light, where Tusk snatched Ange's Royal Ring from him. During their escape from the empire, Ange scarred his face using a shuriken. (CROSS ANGE: "Goodbye from the Gallows") Julio was having sexual relations with Riza Rundog. During this Riza fed Julio a purple liquid, which seemingly brainwashed him, causing him to see her as a mother-like figure. Riza sprouted DRAGON-like wings and a tail, revealing that she is not human, and then "requested" Julio to open a "Singular Point". (CROSS ANGE: "Dragon Song")
Attacking Arzenal & Death
During the meeting between the world leaders he was one of the leaders present. He looked the image of the attack on Arzenal by the DRAGONs, Julio explained that there's no sign whatsoever that the Dawn Pillar was activated. Rosenblum Kingdom King proposed to re-establish and to reinforce Arzenal immediately but Galia Emperor refused this proposal and showed an image of Villkiss, the King of Rosenblum says that it should have been destroyed during the revolt. The General Secretary of the Marmeria Republic criticized the negligence of the Rosenblum royal family's duty to manage Arzenal, the Emperor of Galia replied that the commanding officer reported nothing out of the ordinary. Julio asked to the Secretary of Marmeria Republic and to the King of Rosenblum to calm down but Rosenblum Kingdom King told him to shut up and that it was his sister that took his daughter Misty. Julio replied that thing is no longer his sister, Embryo proposed to the world leaders to rebuilt the world, Julio immediately accepted by saying that it was a mistake that the Norma exist and that the world needs them, the other leaders also accepted and Embryo gave him a key by saying that he can to use the tools in the yard. Shortly after he led a Navel Fleet which head towards Arzenal. (CROSS ANGE: "Her Right Arm's Past") Julio's fleet advances to Arzenal, the naval fleet sees the Arzenal arming up their defenses, hence he commands to attack and make assault on Arzenal. He sent soldiers infiltrated Arzenal and captured in priority one Angelise, two the Villkiss and three the Mail riders and eliminated all the personnel of Arzenal. After destroying Julio's fleet, Ange confronted her brother, shot him in his leg, and ordered him to stop the massacre. The intimidated emperor recalled his troops, She scared him. he offered to reinstate her as a princess and he begged her for mercy, but Ange prepared to deliver the killing blow thinking that he deserves to die. before Embryo interferes using his EM-CBX001 Hysterica Ragna-Mail to stop Ange. Embryo tells her that he will carry the burden of her sin and sang the "Endless Song" and activated its powerful attack, killing Julio and annihilating his naval fleet in process. (CROSS ANGE: "Arzenal in Flames")
Legacy
With Ange in exile and Jurai and Sophia deceased, in order to fill the gap in the Empire of Misurugi's government structure caused by Julio's death, Sylvia was automatically appointed the new Empress after Embryo awoke her from her endless sleep induced by Riza. However, Embryo ended up taking control of the Empire as Sylvia was still too young and too dependent upon others to lead the Empire, making her only Empress by name.
When Ange and Tusk were talking about all the strange things that Ange has been through and everything she learned and the people she met, she brought up Julio, claiming, somewhat remorseful, that she was "unable to understand him, until the end". Also when Ange confronted Embryo and stated all the reasons why she despised him, one of the reasons was that he killed Julio.
Sylvia believed that Ange was the one who killed Julio, just like how she thought that she the one who killed their parents. However, later, Riza revealed to Sylvia that it was Julio who murdered her father and later Embryo has murdered Julio as well.
Relationships
He was aware that his younger sister Angelise was a Norma for many years, and revealed into to public on the day of her "Baptism Ritual Ceremony". This resulted in Angelise being exiled to Arzenal, his mother, Empress Sophia being killed, and his father, Emperor Jurai, being arrested, and later executed. Allowing him to usurp the throne for himself and become Emperor. He became enraged when Ange continued to survive in Arzenal, and therefore created a plan together with his youngest sister Sylvia, to lure Ange back home so he could personally execute her. Ange ended up falling into his trap, however, she was able to escape with help from Tusk, and returned to Arzenal, scarring Julio's face in the process. Later, he led an attack on Arzenal, in an attempt to kill Ange once and for all. However, this backfired, resulting in his death, and the destruction of his fleet.
Gallery
Trivia
- His character design is fairly similar to that of Clovis la Britannia, a supporting character from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.
- He have the same japanese voice actor as Acnologia in Fairy tail