| “ | A true warrior always keeps his blade in hand. | „ |
| ~ Anthony Herzen |
Anthony Herzen is an anti-villain in the Professor Layton series, who acts as the main antagonist of the second game, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, though the game revolves around the mystery surrounding him.
History
Backstory
Once Anthony was in love with a girl called Sophia. Before they could marry, she moved away from the cursed town Folsense, where he had become the Duke, without telling him why, as she was pregnant and didn't want to cause Anthony more pain. He grew mad from the belief that Sophia had left him from another man, and grew paranoid about people stealing his wealth from the castle. He decided to terrorize anyone who visited his castle by pretending to be a vampire. He would capture anyone who visited his castle, tie them up in the basement, and claim he was going to feast on their blood. He intentionally makes it easy to escape so that when the visitor escapes, they can tell people he is a vampire.
This went on for 50 years without him noticing, as a hallucinogenic gas present from a mine beneath the castle prevented him from seeing how old and withered his body was, and that no one even lived in the town anymore.
The Diabolical Box
When Professor Layton and Luke get the Elysian Box after discovering Don Paolo disquised as Flora, they open it and discover there is nothing within the box. Confused, they head to a nearby ore mine, where they discover the box belongs to Anthony Herzen, the man people in town claim to be a vampire. They decide to go and visit Castle Herzen, and recieve a dire warning from the village photographer that if they proceed any further, they will discover the truth about Folsense.
They eventually arrive at the castle, where Anthony's butler Nigel greets them. They meet Anthony, and have dinner with him. When asked about the box, he says it's simply an heirloom. He invites them to sleep in the castle, and has Nigel escort them to their beds. Layton and Luke both have the same nightmare, and wake up tied up with Anthony overlooking them. Anthony then claims that Layton and Luke will be his dinner, and walks out of the room.
Layton and Luke discover the ropes are lose, and manage to escape. Once they get to the main floor of the castle, they see Katia in the hallway. They try to escape together, only to be stopped by Anthony. He sees Katia, and mistakes her for Sophia. Katia, frightened, clutches onto Layton's arm, and Anthony misinterprets this as Sophia leaving him for Layton. He draws out a sword, and tries to kill Layton, before deciding to give Layton a chance to grab a sword. He gives Layton a hint about which sword he can choose is real, and Layton picks the right one. They then engage in combat, which then stops after Anthony seems to be out of stamina. Katia uses this moment to reveal that she is Anthony's granddaugher. Layton then explains that Anthony's youth is an illusion created by the fumes from the mine beneath the castle, and that Folsense is actually abandoned. Anthony takes this all in, but then Katia mentions Sophia passed away a year prior to the certain events, which makes Anthony have a violent outbreak, and knock down the chandelier in the ballroom. The damage causes the castle to start falling apart, and the group escapes.
The rubble clogged up the mine where the fumes were coming from, so as morning sets in, the town's appearance is changed to its real look, the residents of Folsense dissapear, and Anthony's appearance is changed to that of an old man.
Anthony finally comes to terms with the truth, and overhears Layton and Luke talking about the Elysian Box. He tells them that the box contained a letter for Sophia, but the ore the box was made of made it valuable, causing people to steal it. Luke is confused about how there can be a letter in the box if it is empty, and Anthony reveals to them that there is a second way to open it. Luke finds out the second way to open it, and finds a letter. Anthony discovers that the letter is from Sophia, and that it made it to her eventually. He reads the letter, where Sophia confirms everything that he has learned, and that although she is about to die, she will "meet him on the other side." Anthony looks up in the sky, sees Sophia's spirit, and then decides he will stay alive a little longer so that he can get to know Katia. Anthony and Katia bid Layton and Luke farewell as they head back to London. In the credits it is seen that Anthony arrives in Dropstone, reunites with Beluga, and meets some people he knew from Folsense.
Manga
Anthony Herzen in the manga.
In the manga series Professor Layton and the Cheerful Mystery, Anthony has only minor appearances in the third and fourth book.
Basic Information
Personality
Before being abandoned by Sophia, Anthony was a polite and well-educated man, loving his city and family. His love for Sophia meant everything to him. However, it turned into anger after she left. This made him retire from public life, but he always hoped for her return, despite his bitterness. When he finally learned the truth, his feelings came back and he lost all his anger and rage.
Powers and Abilities
Like many Professor Layton villains, Anthony has high intelligence, shown for example through challenging the Professor with very complicated puzzles. Another thing he has in common with many of the villains in the series is that he is simply doing it because he is in a state of misery. He also was a very skilled fencer, able to fight Layton, and nearly defeat him.
Quotes
| “ | Good evening. Welcome to my house. | „ |
| ~ Anthony Herzen |
| “ | Oh, lovely, You're awake. It's been far too long since I've encountered prey so... feisty. | „ |
| ~ Anthony Herzen, having captured Luke and the Professor |
| “ | LAAAAYTON! Sophia belongs to me! You can't have her! | „ |
| ~ Anthony during his sword fight with the Professor |
Trivia
- In a special puzzle challenge in Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Anthony reappears in his young form for a rematch against the Professor.
- Furthermore, he has a cameo appearance in a Weekly Puzzle in Professor Layton and the Last Specter, along with Clive.