| “ | What I hate most are useless individuals. However... there is too many such people on this planet, including those elders of Chronos. I cannot bear to think that we share the same air! That's why some house-cleaning is in order. To get rid of the worthless. I will only allow those superior individuals who serve me to remain...! That is my ideal world, "Eden!" As a god I will forever dominate it from above...! | „ |
| ~ Creed Diskenth |
The main villain of the Manga Black Cat and most of its anime adaptation; Creed Diskenth was once the partner of Train Heartnet, the primary protagonist whom he idolizes, until he betrayed the secret organization Chronos and created the Apostles of the Star. His ultimate goal is to become an immortal God in order to rule the world for all of eternity, and he would stop at absolutely nothing to have Train join him.
He was voiced by Shin'ichirō Miki in the Japanese version, and by Chris Patton in the English version.
Background[]
Creed was the undesired and badly abused son of a single, alcoholic mother, who blamed him for everything wrong in her life, constantly insulting and assaulting him with empty bottles. He later ended up as a destitute street-urchin, picking "food" in bins and being beaten down without reason by policemen.
All these ill treatments drove Creed to insanity and made him fiercely hate everything. (The anime implies that he murdered his mother, but this is less likely in the manga.)
Sometime later, Creed was taken in the ranks of Chronos: the organization secretly controlling a third of global economy and politics. They trained him to make him one of their countless erasers (assassins).
As years passed, Creed developed swordplay beyond human level. Therefore, the Elders considered making him join the Chrono Numbers: Chronos' elite brigade of thirteen supreme erasers, each being peerless in the use of a given weapon. However, Creed's insanity and lust for both power and blood were (rightfully) deemed too dangerous.
Creed and Train as partners.
Creed was partnered with Train Heartnet, the world's best gunfighter and other Number candidate. Back then, Train (who had been raised by his parents' killer) hated the entire word and trusted none but himself, looking only for power.
This state of mind coupled with Train's supreme fighting skills made a very strong expression on Creed, who came to regard him as his equal, both in term of strength and hatred, despite Train not caring the slightest about him. They teamed up for about a month, before Train was appointed as the Chrono Number XIII.
For three years, Train became known worldwide as the "Black Cat", and grew to become the world's mightiest and most feared warrior, surpassing even Chrono Number I, Sephiria Arks herself, further fuelling Creed's fascination.
Meanwhile, the demented swordsman kept working as Chronos' best (regular) eraser. However, Creed utterly despised Chronos' leaders. At some point, he killed the Chrono Number X Ash, against whom he held a never specified grudge. From then on, he defected from Chronos and went into hiding.
Two years before the start of the story, Creed went in the town where Train lived and learnt of his friendship with a sweeper (bounty hunter) named Saya Minatsuki. The lively young woman was teaching him how to enjoy life, something Train had forgotten since his parents' murder. This disgusted Creed, who labelled Saya as a "witch" who "perverted Train with weakness". Thus, he attacked Saya one night, intending to "lift the spell" by killing her.
Saya fought on par with Creed, but got distracted by three children whom Creed tried to kill. She saved the children at the cost of her life and broke the blade of Creed's katana. Train ultimately arrived and beat Creed down, but it was too late, and Creed fled, telling him that one day he would realize that he killed Saya to "save" him.
After Saya's death, Train defected from Chronos to live "free as a stray cat" and he became sweeper. As for Creed, he got in touch with Shiki and Maro, who chose him as their leader and awoke his power of Tao. Creed and his newfound allies spent the next two years recruiting Tao wielding followers from all around the world, building a secret organization of their own, the Apostles of the Star.
Personality[]
| “ | In a battle, there is no such word as under-handed. | „ |
| ~ Creed Diskenth |
The first and foremost thing to keep in mind about Creed is that he is utterly insane! He is a violent and bloodthirsty murderer who kills as naturally as he breathes and relishes in violence and bloodshed. He is totally unable to feel empathy towards even his closest followers, and would slay anyone at the drop of a hat. Even his own followers can end up dead, should they disobey him or simply cease to please him.
Although he is most often calm, collected, courteous, and a bit playful, he has a very short temper and he will easily fly into violent rages, or blood-crazed frenzies in the worst cases. The sufferings he endured as a child made him horribly misanthropic, but he does not seek revenge or anything like this, he simply hates, lashes out and kills.
Creed is also deeply narcissistic and egomaniacal. He cares about nothing but himself and considers himself superior to everyone in every way. As such, he wants to become immortal in order to remain "perfect" forever. Creed considers that he is the only one right in the world; he is convinced that those who disagree with him simply do not understand the truth, and he destroys every contradiction he faces.
When things do not go the way he wants them to, he fabricates absurd explanations following his way instead of questioning himself. His delusion is so strong that he is absolutely unable to fathom why people such as Train hold a grudge against him. However, deep down in his heart, he knows when he cannot bend a will to his own, and this only furthers his hatred. Nothing infuriates him more than an unbreakable contradiction to his views.
Creed is obsessed with talent. He regards regular people as mere trash, and despises even more people who have done nothing to earn a political influence that they take for granted. Creed wants a world in which only gifted people who obey him can live, and plans to select them one by one, killing anyone whom he would deem unworthy. To put it simply, he wants the entire world to revolve around him and to fit his demented ideals of perfection.
He does not care only about fighting skills though, and he considers any talent to its rightful worth. However, even though he values his followers' strength and listens to their advices, he regards them as disposable and never considers their objections.
Train Heartnet is the only one whom Creed truly respects. His dearest wish is to have Train rule by his side. Back when they were partners, he was not only fascinated by Train's astonishing might but by his hatred of the entire world, which mirrored Creed's own. Creed felt that Train was the only one who could understand him.
Too bad for him, this facade was not Train's true self, but instead a shell that he built to cope with his years of loneliness; a shell that Saya Minatsuki would break, much to Creed's dismay. Creed is persuaded that the ruthless killer is the real Train and would stop at nothing to restore it, even if there is no hope right from the start.
Despite all this, Creed is a very charismatic and refined person. He enjoys luxury and he lives in opulent manors and castles. When he interacts with people he deems worthy, enemies included, he acts with smiling and courteous manners.
Creed is also clever and knowledgeable; He knows what he needs, how to use it, and he rarely underestimates his opponents, only making his move only when he feels prepared enough, or when he has at least one backup plan. Yet, in spite of his caution, he is certain of his superiority and when confronted to an opponent he admires, he may reveal his weaknesses to make things more interesting.
Power and Abilities[]
| “ | There is nobody other than him who is capable of stopping me. The Black Cat of course. | „ |
| ~ Creed Diskenth |
Even before gaining a power of Tao, Creed was already a formidable warrior on par with any Chrono Number, save from Number I, II and XIII. He wields a "Kotetsu" katana with incredible proficiency, being doubtless second only to Sephiria Arks in swordfighting. He his highly fast and agile, being able to jump atop a building without effort and to fight normally even after being shot in the leg.
His power is Imagine Blade, (Phantom Blade in some versions). From the hilt of his sword, he can create a blade of solid ki that slices through virtually anything.
However, his full power remains dormant for most of the story. The Imagine Blade is linked to Creed's mind. If he experiences a violent emotional turmoil, it evolves into a new, mightier form. Creed can switch between his blade's different forms as he pleases, but he almost always uses the mightiest available.
Imagine Blade level 1[]
Imagine Blade Level 1
At Level 1, the Imagine Blade is an invisible katana. (Creed can make it visible but only does so to prove its existence.) As such, one can only detect it by reading through Creed's movements, a feat only fighters of his level can do.
Creed decides its length and sharpness and can extend it to a maximum of 80 meters. He is also able to channel his ki through the blade to project invisible waves of slicing energy.
Imagine Blade level 2[]
Imagine Blade Level 2
At Level 2, the Imagine Blade resembles a huge scimitar with a demonic face, fortunately no longer invisible, but with limited sentience enabling it to move by its own accord. The Imagine Blade's face synchronizes with Creed's emotions, smiling, laughing and yelling according to Creed's mood.
The blade moves extremely fast and can be extended and distorted indefinitely, enabling Creed to strike from unpredictable sides. It can also bite Creed's foes and swallow their projectiles to spit them back with equal force.
Creed can smash the ground with it to project a highly destructive, blade-like wave of ki across the ground in front of him, slashing everything in its path, ground included, with variable might.
Imagine Blade level 3[]
Imagine Blade Level 3
The Imagine Blade Level 3 only manifests during the final battle. In this form, Creed fuses with his sword, which becomes part of his right arm, and gains a third eye and a demonic arm. (In fact, Creed still holds the hilt of his sword and the ki it produces envelops his arm under a materialized shape.)
In this form, Creed's speed, strength and power skyrocket. He becomes able to slice an immense building in two with his blade-like energy wave, to strike at supersonic speed, and to destroy several bullets with a single sword strike.
Not only Creed can extend and distort both his sword and his demonic arm, he is now able to increase their size, to widen and to reshape them.
Creed's demonic arm has strength way over that of Creed's regular body. Creed mostly uses it to grab things and use them to propel himself, to grab his enemies and toss them violently on the ground, or to throw large pieces of rubble.
Creed's attacks create such pressure that blocking them is close to impossible, and he synchronizes the sword strikes and the arm attacks, to hit his foes with one as they dodge the other.
Imagine Blade at maximum power
When Creed calls forth his full might, the Imagine Blade becomes a building-sized blade of pure ki, looking like the Imagine Blade Level 2. With it, Creed can easily vaporize anything that stands before him in a single strike.
Nanomachines[]
Very early in the story, Creed is injected with healing nanomachines that make him recover at a very fast rate. At the moment of the final battle, he got injected nanomachines called the God Bless that make him immortal.
With these, he no longer ages, gets immune to all diseases and can recover from any injury (even lethal ones) in seconds, returning as good as new after being reduced to dust. Yet, he can still die if his brain his destroyed, as even the God Bless cannot restore one.
Miscellaneous[]
Aside from his Tao power and his fighting skills, Creed is a very capable spy, able to come up with decent disguises. Creed knows Chronos' immense network of information like the back of his hand, and he can use it as well. Moreover, he is a skilled orator who managed to convince many people from different horizons to join his cause, and to enlist the financial help of many wealthy criminals.
Thanks to their support, and probably thanks to the fortune of many of his "sponsors" that he killed, Creed has gained considerable wealth, which enabled him to purchase many residences all over the world and to invest huge amounts of money into scientific research in the field of nanomachines.
In addition, the anime depicts him as a talented piano player, who plays the "Presto", third movement of the sonata in C minor by Giovanni Pescetti without fault, even during battle, as well as a gifted painter.
Role in Black Cat[]
Reunion of former partners[]
Creed's name is disclosed when Train and his sweeper partner Sven Vollfield defeat the weapon dealer Torneo Rudman and save Eve, a young girl infused with nanomachines enabling her to shape-shift, whom Torneo was using as a human weapon. Upon hearing Creed's name, Train gets overcome with fury and demands information at gunpoint.
Torneo is in fact a sponsor of Creed's Apostles of the Star, and he shared with him the results of his experiments with nanomachines. Shortly after, Creed and Shiki dispose of the now useless Torneo.
Creed later abducts Rinslet Walker, a famous thief for hire and a recent acquaintance of Train, while Shiki tells Train that Creed will be awaiting him at the Lunafort Tower, and will kill a hostage if he fails to show up. An enraged Train rushes to the meeting, intending to kill Creed and avenge his late friend Saya. Creed joyfully welcomes Train, explaining his plan to take down Chronos and rule the world, and his desire to have Train to join his group.
Train answers by demanding a one-on-one fight, which Creed accepts at the condition that he would join the Apostles of the Star if he were to lose. Creed drives Train into a corner with his invisible Imagine Blade, but Train ultimately sacrifices his right hand to shoot Creed in the belly with an explosive bullet.
Creed, saved by Shiki, orders Doctor to reattach Train's severed right hand. Doctor later injects him with healing nanomachines and puts him into an artificial coma. Creed is next seen after Kyoko's and Charden's fight with the Chrono Number II Belze Rochefort, still recovering, he muses on the growing conflict between him and Chronos.
War against Chronos[]
Train with Creed's "wanted" poster
Sometime later, a fully-healed Creed declares war to the entire world. The Apostles of the Star go to Sanzers City (the Black Cat counterpart of New York City) for the World Conference: an international meeting gathering twenty of the most important state leaders, including seven of Chronos' highest-ranking executives.
There, they slaughter every soldier and stateman, before taking their leave. Learning this, the Elders of Chronos order the Chrono Numbers to make the annihilation of the Apostles of the Star their absolute priority.
The Chrono Number I Sephiria Arks pays a visit to Train, Sven and Eve, revealing that Chronos has marked Creed as a Double S class criminal (the highest threat) and put a three billion yens bounty on his head. Surprisingly, while Train remains determined to defeat Creed by his own hand, he is no longer interested in rushing after him. Meanwhile, Creed and his group travel around the world, destroying several of Chronos' sub-organizations.
A few weeks later, Train defeats Durham, who challenged him for the title of the world’s best gunfighter. Irked by his insubordination and by his desire to kill Train, Creed later kills Durham, which makes Charden question Creed's motives and whether he values them as more than mere pawns to use and discard.
The battle of the old castle[]
Creed's castle
Four months later, the Apostles of the Stars are hiding in a castle in the mountains, near the city of Stoke Town. Many bounty hunters manage to track them down but those who are not killed serve as guinea pigs for Doctor's experiments on nanomachines.
Sephiria Arks sends the Cerberus strike-team made of the Numbers V, VII and XI, after Creed. She hires Rinslet Walker for information, but secretly uses her as a bait. Creed has Rinslet brought to his lair, and notices the transmitter used by the Numbers to follow her.
Creed greets them, holding Rinslet hostage, and forces them to fight a brainwashed bounty hunter, whom Doctor transformed into a shape-shifting werewolf thanks to nanomachines called Lucifer. Naizer manages to kill the werewolf but instead of freeing Rinslet like he promised, Creed throws her to her death down a chasm. The Numbers save Rinslet in-extremis and engage Creed in a fight.
After a short while, Train is directed to the castle by Number X Lin Shao Lee, interrupting the battle between the Numbers and the Apostles. Overjoyed, Creed thinks that Train has come to join him, but Trains shuts him up by shooting him. Suddenly, Train grabs Rinslet and departs, stating that the conflict between the Apostles of the Star and the Chrono Numbers is not his concern.
Distraught, Creed unlocks the Imagine Blade Level 2 and attacks the Chrono Numbers in a frenzied rage, while the Apostles escape the castle after setting it to be blown up. Creed is rescued by Echidna but Janos severs his left arm in a last-ditch attempt to kill him. Creed and Echidna force a medic to heal him, and kill him immediately after.
The following day, Creed finds Train's whereabouts. He gets into his head that killing Train's partners would deprive him of what makes him a bounty hunter, leaving him free to join his side. Creed and Echidna set a trap to drag Sven and Eve in a church, where Creed attacks Sven and tries to talk Eve into joining the Apostles of the Star.
Creed changes his mind and shoots Sven with a bullet full of Lucifer nanomachines, to turn him into a monster. Train arrives at the last second and blocks the bullet with his arm, before punching Creed in the face. Horrified by the prospect of Train transforming, Creed flees with Echidna, and Train is later turned back into a child.
Nanomachines of immortality[]
Train, Sven and Eve goes to find the world's greatest Nano technician, Dr Tearyu Lunatic (who happens to have created Eve from her own DNA), the only one who could revert Train's transformation. Meanwhile, the Apostles of the Star contact Dr Tearyu and ask her to create nanomachines that would make Creed immortal.
She ultimately rejects the Apostles' offer and helps Train to become adult again. Trains transforms back and in the process, he gains the ability to turn his gun into a Rail Gun (an electricity powered gun able to fire extremely fast and devastating bullets).
Train then uses his newfound power to save Dr Tearyu from the Apostles of the Stars, who stole her knowledge and were about to get rid of her.
The battle of Clarken Island[]
The Chrono Numbers eventually discover the Apostles of the Stars' main hideout on Clarken Island, and have Number X recruit many powerful bounty hunters under a false identity, including Train, Sven and Eve. Sephiria plans to send the newly formed Sweeper's League on Clarken Island to distract the Apostles of the Star, while she would sneak into the Apostles’ mansion and engage Creed in a one-on-one swordfight.
Finally acknowledging Train's grudge, Creed asks if he has come to avenge Saya like he did last time, but Train answers that he is here to capture him as a sweeper. Horrified, Creed laments that Train was totally "engulfed by that witch's spell". He then departs, telling Train that he'd rather see him dead than the way he is now.
Creed orders his remaining followers to give everything they have in the fight, vainly hoping that this would turn back Train into a ruthless killer. In the ensuing battles, two of the remaining bounty hunters get brainwashed and two other get severely wounded, leaving only Train, Sven and Eve. While the Chrono Numbers help the wounded sweepers to get out safely, Sephiria manages to reach Creed and challenges him to a duel.
Creed facing Sephiria
The world's mightiest swordfighters do battle, but despite her superior skills, Sephiria proves unable to Creed. She lands two lethal strikes, but the crazed anarchist recovers in mere seconds, having been made immortal by his God Bless nanomachines (which even regrew his left arm).
Creed wounds Sephiria, before telling him about his new "godhood" and his only weak point left: his brain. Sephiria retaliates with her most devastating technique Apocalypse, obliterating Creed... Or so it seems.
This near-death experience unlocks the Imagine Blade Level 3, which Creed uses to evade the onslaught, digging a hole in the floor to hide at the last second. He then reverts to the Level 2 and defeats Sephiria, preparing to finish her off. Unbeknownst to him however, Sephiria wears an explosive bangle which would detonate with her last breath and destroy his brain.
Meanwhile, Echidna unleashes the Phantom Star Brigade. Only Train is allowed to enter Creed's private quarters, while Sven, Eve and the Numbers must fight to the death against the cyborgs. Train arrives just in time to save Sephiria's life, saying that he has come to "deliver bad luck" to Creed. The hour of their long-awaited decisive confrontation has finally arrived.
The Final Showdown[]
| “ | Degraded as you are, you're still the Black Cat, the only man in this world I respected... That's why I can't forgive you!! | „ |
| ~ Creed Diskenth (to Train Heartnet). |
Creed starts the fight with his Imagine Blade Level 1, determined to kill Train to "save his soul". However, Train is now able to detect it by reading through Creed's movements with a clear mind, and he strikes his enemy with his gun. But Creed recovers, gloating about his immortality and his only weak point left.
Former partners, sworn enemies
Creed retaliates by unleashing the Imagine Blade Level 2, driving Train to a corner, but the young sweeper hits him in turn with Saya's signature technique: the Reflect Shot (bouncing bullets). Enraged by Train's refusal to fight to the death, Creed then reveals his ultimate form, the Imagine Blade Level 3.
Creed's immortality, the sheer might of his blows and Train's weakened state from all his previous battles give him the upper hand, forcing Train to try to break the Imagine Blade, which would shatter Creed's mind. Yet, all his attempts prove unsuccessful.
Kept standing by Saya's spirit, Train ultimately combines all his remaining electric power with an explosive bullet to create the Burst Rail Gun, the most powerful attack he can muster. Livid, Creed calls forth his Imagine Blade at its maximum level and prepares to obliterate him.
As both attacks collide, the Imagine Blade ultimately disintegrates, shattering Creed's power and mind. As they are about to fall from the manor's roof, both Creed and Train are rescued by Leon, who witnessed the entire fight.
Conclusion[]
Creed's final fate
After Creed wakes up, able to see and talk but paralyzed, and Eve uses her nanomachines to destroy his God Bless ones and revert him back to his mortal state.
Creed begs Train to kill him and spare him the "disgrace" of being a "mere" human again, and asks him why he does not understand his hatred for a world that mistreated them. Unimpressed, Train tells him that he must live on as a human and bear the weight of his crimes for the rest of his life, like he himself did. He then allows Echidna to depart with him.
Having been proved wrong through his own logic, Creed ends up confined in a wheelchair in a nearly vegetative state, under Echidna's care. Now that the Apostles of the Star have been disbanded and that Creed is reduced to the state of powerlessness he despised so much, the former terrorist has his entire life left to reflect on his mistakes and failures.
In the Anime[]
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Creed as portrayed in the anime
In the anime, Creed is introduced when he is working for Chronos. Creed meets Shiki and Maro as an eraser, and they begin to create the Apostles of the Star, while Train still serves as a Chrono Number.
Creed later betrays Chronos and tries to make Train join his side, before killing Saya like he did in the manga. Though it is Train, not her who breaks the blade of his katana. Contrary to the manga, Creed kills Number X and Saya after he gained his power of Tao.
The rest of the story is more or less the same as in the manga, but Creed is portrayed as even more demented and obsessed with Train. As for Train, he is portrayed as tormented and crazy with revenge, far from his easy-going manga counterpart who learns to shed his gory past.
It must be noted that Creed has gained immortality during the time gap between his defection from Chronos and the creation of the Apostles of the Star, but while he is seen recovering from lethal wounds, no mention is ever made about the God Bless nanomachines.
Creed and Train meet again during the Apostles' attack of the World Conference, because Creed broadcasted an "invitation" instead of luring him to the Lunafort tower with a hostage. Train manages to wound Creed in the belly when they meet again, yet Creed heals immediately without even needing to recover. Also, contrary to the manga, each time they meet Train attacks Creed in blind rage, intending to kill. It is only during the showdown in the old castle than Train finally chooses the safety of his friends over his revenge. But contrary to the manga, he remains haunted by his past until the bitter end.
Creed spends most of the Battle of Clarken Island playing the piano, not caring the slightest about anyone but Train. He later fights against Sephiria, and once again defeats her thanks to his immortality, but his Imagine Blade Level 2 does all the fighting while he is busy playing. Train later uses the Orichalcos bullet that Sephiria gave him to defeat Creed, and Sephiria helps him by stabbing Creed in the back while Train attack from the front.
Creed redeemed
In the anime, the destruction of his nanomachines of immortality apparently restores Creed's sanity. Symbolizing his reformation, he is now seen holding white roses instead of red ones.
In the anime, Creed's crippled state is short lived and he and Echidna take part in the battle against the Zero Numbers and Eden. It seems that the Apostles of the Star and the Zero Numbers have been working together from the beginning. It is implied that the Zero Numbers manipulated the Apostles, but Creed knew more about them that they would have liked.
Creed, who knew about their Project Eden manages to sneak into Eden alongside Echidna (likely thanks to Echidna's power) as Train and Sven are fighting the leader of the Zero Numbers, Mason Ordrosso. Creed takes over the battle, allowing Train and Sven to go ahead. Creed is later saved when Echidna takes one of Mason's attacks for him. No one really knows however if he retained his power of Tao or if he simply fought against Mason with a regular katana.
After Eden and the Zero Numbers are destroyed, Creed is seen living with Echidna in a chalet in mountain, where he is painting a landscape.
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 Villains
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Apostles of the Star Chronos Zero Numbers Others | ||