The headmage of Night Raven College. Likes to constantly remind others how kind he is. He grants the MC student status and appoints them prefect of Ramshackle Dorm after they wind up stuck in Twisted Wonderland.
In-Game Album
Appearance
Crowley's face is concealed by a half-mask resembling a raven's beak. Through this mask, his eyes are occasionally seen glowing gold. He has pointed ears and short, wavy black hair.
Crowley sports a greatcoat over his suit. Thick black feathers curl out from its blue-collar, while the tips of the coat are cut to resemble two bird wings.
He wears black gloves on either hand, with golden claw rings over each of his fingers.
Three mirror-like accessories are attached to his hip, with four golden keys dangling from them. He wears another mirror-like charm on his hat, which has three more keys - making a total of seven.
Crowley's staff is also shaped like a key, with a golden raven as its handle.
Personality
He is an eccentric and carefree man, most of the time he is in a good mood and when he is in a bad mood it usually lasts very little, he is in charge of teaching MC things like what an Overblot is or how they are created.
His catchphrase is, "Because I'm so kind." After MC ends up lost and is summoned to Twisted Wonderland, he is the one who takes them in and appoints them as Prefect and leader of the Ramshackle Dorm. Supposedly, Crowley is researching ways for them to return to their original world and think about them day and night to solve his case.[1] [2]
Although he's the Headmage of Night Raven College, Crowley doesn't seem willing to take any responsibility. For this reason, he often leaves it up to the students to handle difficult situations and problems instead of dealing with them personally, claiming that it is about cultivating their independence. As a result, his students have no sympathy for him if not rare exceptions.
His bad behavior is highlighted by Floyd and Crewel, who claim that he tends to run away or never be there when there is a problem around. [3] [4]
For the Firelit Sky event, instead, when the group goes on their trip, Crowley explicitly states not to call him if there is any trouble.[5]
Crowley is shown to be very petty, since he often expresses exasperation towards the selfishness and irresponsibility of his students despite his own bad behavior and does not hide his ulterior motives for anything that involves financial gain or, again, that he is more interested in the college than in the safety of its own members. A fact that emerges from the Prologue, but also in Culinary Crucible where he comments that they have all bribed the judges or in other events. [6] [7]
Their further enmity is strengthened by the fact that Crowley isn't averse to blackmail to achieve his goals. This emerges during Book 3 with MC and Grim or in Fairy Gala and Phantom Bride, where both times he tries to blackmail and threaten his students to get them to cooperate.[8]
Like many of his students, has a self-centered side which emerges when he gives himself praise and credit when it isn't his due. This is seen in Halloween in which he goes to his head for solved the case (apparently) and during the end of the Tsumsted, when he claims to sending the Tsums away.
[9] [10]
Despite this, Crowley seems to greatly enjoy when the students manage to work together towards a common goal. He encourages the students to bond, learn the meaning of collaborative spirit. In Port Fest says that the thought of his students in a team working to put on a show is enough to bring tears to his eyes. He is similarly pleased with the outcome of Vargas Camp, saying that the camp achieved its intent, with the students growing as individuals. [11] [12]
Throughout his time as Headmage, Crowley has repeatedly demonstrated his interest in financial gain:
- In the past, Crowley allowed the Mostro Lounge to be built in exchange for not only returning the powers he stole from the students, but also contributing 10% of the lounge's proceeds to the NRC.
- In Book 4, Crowley himself insinuates that he allowed Kalim to be appointed Housewarden of Scarabia in exchange for generous support from Kalim’s family, which helps with the costs of providing education. Jamil himself, in Book 5, insinuates this fact in public.
- In Book 6, Crowley explains how he could not refuse the Shroud family’s request that Ortho be formally enrolled as a student after they paid to repair the buildings destroyed by STYX, as well as making “substantial contributions toward expanding the school’s facilities.”
- During Firelit Sky he allows the group to leave, asking for souvenirs in return. He does the same during Glorious Masquerade.
- During Halloween Crowley is seen saving on candy, giving visitors the cheapest on the market, although he insists, “it’s all about the sentiment!”
Yet there have been just as many instances where he demonstrates great generosity:
- During Halloween, Crowley allows visitors to tour the campus free of charge.
- Crowley gives away multiple SDC tickets so that the members of NRC Tribe can invite friends and family.
- Crowley also buys Sam's entire stock of goods for seducing Eliza during the Phantom Bride event, fairy dust for the Fairy Gala event, and club equipment for the winning teams of Vargas Camp.
- Costs pertaining to expenses such as setup and food supplies are all charged to the school during Port Fest, with half of profits donated to the restoration of Craneport. Upon Azul's recommendation, Crowley voluntarily decides to give the rest of the profits to the students themselves.
- Crowley also gives the prefect and Grim funds that are mentioned during Glorious Masquerade.
- Although the Culinary Crucible is an educational program, participants are paid part-time wages.
Magical Skills
The extent of his magical ability is unknown. However, in the manga adaptation, Crowley summons a barrier to protect him and his students from Riddle's powerful attack during his Overblot phase.[13]
He's later seen using the same spell again to protect himself from further attacks. He has also been seen performing a small practical demonstration of magic, which consists of lighting a small flame on a finger.[14]
In the Arcane Combat Drills with Crowley event, Crowley gives students the opportunity to fight a virtual projection of himself. He describes this projection as using "weaker spells" than he normally would, but nonetheless posing a "formidable opponent".[15]
Trivia
- His last name is a Gaelic name meaning "descendant of the hard hero".
- His name may also be a reference to Aleister Crowley, a British occultist who came to be known as "the wickedest man in the world".
- His surname also contains "crow", which plays into his corvid-inspired design.
- Yana Toboso has retconned the word “Dire” to be pronounced as ディア (“dee-ah”), and this is the exact same pronunciation as the English word “dear”.
- Crowley shares the same Japanese voice actor as Simba.
- Crowley never got along with cats, which we see in a vignette with Ortho where he tries to snatch Lucius by his tail. [16]
- Crowley compares the growth of the school's apple trees to the growth of the students. [17]
- Crowley will often appear without warning, surprising those around him, but he is not immune (apparently) to being caught off-guard himself, being surprised by both Lilia and Sam. [17]
- Crowley is famous for his boring and endless assemblies.
- It's commented during the Halloween event that he seems to have secrets that he would prefer the police not know about.
- Crowley likes shiny objects like gems and precious metals.
- He wipes down the frames of the portraits of the Great Seven in his office everyday.
- Crowley may be based on or inspired by Walt Disney himself, as Crowley's SSR vignette heavily focuses on his interest in apple trees and viewing his students as future apple trees, and Walt famously loved apples and apple trees.
- Crowley's crow and raven themeing, especially his staff handle, may be a reference to Diablo, Maleficent's pet raven, who is seen perching on her staff several times throughout the original Sleeping Beauty.
References
- ↑ Book 2/Chapter 4
- ↑ Recollections 1 Voice Lines
- ↑ About faculty 4 Voice Lines
- ↑ Port Fest: A Striking Performance/Story/Chapter 1-7
- ↑ A Firelit Sky: over the Sands/Story/Chapter 1-5
- ↑ Culinary Crucible
- ↑ Prologue/Chapter 19
- ↑ The Phantom Bride: Love at First Fright/Story/Chapter 5
- ↑ Twisted Halloween: Terror Is Trending/Story
- ↑ Twistune Events
- ↑ Port Fest: A Striking Performance/Story/Chapter 1-6
- ↑ Camp Vargas: Exercise in Survival/Story/Chapter 5-17
- ↑ Twisted Wonderland: The Comic (Episode of Heartslabyul) Chapter 16
- ↑ Twisted Wonderland: The Comic (Episode of Heartslabyul) Chapter 14
- ↑ Arcane Combat Drills with Crowley/Story/Chapter 1
- ↑ Ortho Shroud/Cards/R Archetype Gear/Vignette
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Dire Crowley/Cards/SSR Raven Jacket
