Claude Ringheart (クロード・リングハルト Kuroudo Ringuharuto) is one of the supporting characters in the Nisekoi series. He is a member of the Bee Hive Gang, and cares for Chitoge Kirisaki deeply, watching Raku Ichijō constantly. He is also one of the few characters that deeply believes that Raku's and Chitoge's relationship is fake. He trained Seishirō Tsugumi to be a hitwoman, naming her Seishirō (a boy's name), being clueless to her real gender.
Background[]
Claude is one of the Bee Hive Gang's leaders, holding the rank of Daikanbu (大幹部, senior executive), serving a somewhat similar role to Ryunosuke Sasaki. He has made it his life's mission to protect Chitoge Kirisaki, much like Seishirō Tsugumi (Claude's protégé).
Sometime in the past, he took in Tsugumi, gave her a name, and raised her to be a hitwoman, all the while not knowing that she was a girl.
In the finale, following Adelt Wogner Kirisaki's retirement, Claude moves up in rank to "Boss" and becomes the new leader of the gang.
Appearance[]
Claude is a tall man with medium-short length silver hair (in the film, it is slightly longer, extending to his jawline). He wears rimless eyeglasses with square shaped frames. He usually wears a salmon colored business suit, with a black dress shirt, blue/white striped necktie, and white gloves.
Personality[]
Claude is portrayed as a strict man, as well as extremely arrogant, shown when he blew up a wall to find Chitoge Kirisaki at the Yakuza house.
He is also shown to be quite dense, not knowing Seishirō Tsugumi's gender until she revealed it to him and he couldn't believe that he didn't notice.
Abilities[]
- Claude is an Expert Marksman and Knowledgeable for Firearms as he is seen firing at tiny space between Raku Ichijō and Chitoge Kirisaki without missing. Furthermore, he was able to teach Seishirō Tsugumi (Claude's student) to able to assemble a pistol in seconds while blindfolded.
- Claude is also an expert at espionage, as shown by his constant presence near the school, examining Raku and Chitoge's behavior. He is often depicted squatting on a tree branch on level with the class window, with a pair of binoculars.
- Claude is also an inventor of several "agents" disguised as confectionery or a bottle of perfume. His inventions are the spotlight of several chapters, often taken into school naively by Tsugumi and causing hijinks between her and those in her class. These chapters usually end with Claude admitting that the agents were prototypes and their effects do not last (or, in one case, had no effect).
Trivia[]
- The name Claude means "limping" or "stuttering".
- It can also mean "lame; enclosure".
- Claude is one of the few characters who did not change in the slightest between the original concept for Nisekoi (depicted in the one-shot) and the final product. From his appearance to his mannerism and even his dialogue, he remains the same character.