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| “ | At this moment, we as a nation are about to touch the stars. I tremble at the honor of announcing the culmination of mankind's history of intellectual and scientific achievement. Yesterday our power spanned the Earth, today it can illuminate the heavens! May it stand forever! Our Ziggurat! | „ |
| ~ Duke Red |
Duke Red is the secondary antagonist of the 2001 anime movie Metropolis. He is an extremely wealthy man, who has such influence over the city of Metropolis, that he holds far more power than even it's president or mayor. As such, Duke Red is the city's unofficial ruler.
Duke Red is the adoptive father of Rock Holmes, whom he adopted to fill a void in his life caused by the death of his biological daughter Tima. Duke Red eventually replaces her with a highly advanced android replica, who will serve as the ruler of mankind atop the Ziggurat, a massive skyscraper housing a secret weapon of mass destruction.
He was voiced by the late Taro Ishida in Japanese and Jamieson Price in English.
Appearance[]
Duke Red is a tall man of older age with blonde hair, green eyes, and somewhat tanned skin. He has a large nose, shaped in a similar manner to the beak of a bird. He often dresses himself in formal clothes, usually a suit with a bowtie.
Personality[]
Duke Red is extremely callous, shallow, and unforgiving man. He only cares for power and dominance over others, and as such shows very little emotion whatsoever. He merely uses people around him as pawns or devices to gain more power. He once did seem to show some level of empathy and compassion, as seen in pictures with him hugging his dead daughter Tima, and later doing the same with his adopted son Rock after Tima died. It's likely that her death changed his personality profoundly.
It's possible that Duke Red merely adopted Rock to increase his public popularity and image, as he would be helping an orphan of war, but he seems to have had a genuine love for Rock in the past, even if it was short lived once he realized he would never replace Tima.
Biography[]
Duke Red is the most powerful man in the city of Metropolis, with such influence as to be the city's unofficial ruler, holding more power than even the president and mayor. He reveals the Ziggurat to the entire world. A giant skyscraper which supposedly will allow humanity to greatly increase it's power and "reach the heavens." Unbeknownst to anyone, save for him and a few of his top scientists, the Ziggurat is actually a weapon of mass destruction.
Duke Red orders Dr. Laughton, a highly renowned scientist, to create Tima, an android modeled and named directly after his deceased daughter. Tima is the most advanced robot ever created, and will serve as a sort of key and control device for the main weapon, which is operated by a throne at the top. Tima will also serve as the "guardian deity" of humanity, not held back by any human emotions or restraints.
Duke Red's adopted son Rock Holmes, the leader of the Marduks, a political party and paramilitary organization, becomes suspicious of Dr. Laughton and his connection to Duke Red. Fearing for his father's safety, Rock discovers Laughton's laboratory and the new Tima. Duke Red's jealous son murders Laughton and destroys his lab. Tima survives and is rescued by Kenichi, the nephew of private detective Shunsaku Ban, who came to Metropolis to arrest Laughton.
Rock later lies to Duke Red about what happened to Laughton and the lab. With Duke Red believing Laughton dead and Tima destroyed, he begins testing the Ziggurat's superweapons as a backup plan. A large group of laborers, who were already fed up with Duke Red and the Marduks for years of mistreatment, see this act as the final straw. They form a militia and stage a revolution against Red. Duke Red uses this to his advantage, assassinating the president and mayor, making him the official and absolute ruler of Metropolis.
Duke Red later discovers Rock outside in the aftermath of the revolt, he begins scolding him for his disappearance when he notices Tima alive standing nearby. He questions Rock on how he knows of her existence. Realizing the truth, Duke Red disowns Rock and removes him of any command, telling him to leave his sight and never return. With his original plan restored, Duke Red takes Tima to the Ziggurat.
Tima is later captured and nearly killed by Rock, but she is rescued by Shunsaku, who is looking for Kenichi. Duke Red tracks their location and captures them both, bringing them atop the Ziggurat. Duke Red gives a speech to Tima on how she needs to throw away her emotions and compassion to become the ruler that humanity needs.
Rock suddenly appears and tries to reason with Duke Red, telling him that he should be the one to sit upon the throne, and that no robot should ever rule over humanity. However Duke Red is absolute in his goals and does not listen to him. Rock then shoots Tima in the chest, much to Duke Red's horror. Tima is unable to handle the revelation of her true identity and purpose, she becomes insane and sits upon the throne, ordering an attack on all of humanity. Robots under her control begin to rise up against all humans around them.
As Duke Red is backed into a corner by the oncoming robots, Rock reawakens after being shot by guards, where he proclaims that Duke Red will never die by the hand of a robot. Duke Red utters Rock's name before Rock overloads the Ziggurat, which releases an explosion that kills himself, Duke Red, and Tima. Sending the entire tower collapsing to the ground, along with Duke Red's legacy, bloodline, and rule over Metropolis, signifying a new age.
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