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 President Boone. 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.

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.

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 President Boone. 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. The rebel Atlas, and a large group of laborers, whom 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 R