Donato Porpora

Donato Porpora (ドナート ・ ポルポラ, Donāto Porupora) is a Russian ghoul and a prisoner, who has special treatment, in the 23rd Ward's ghoul detention center Cochlea.

In the past, he ran a Catholic Orphanage and preyed upon the children under his care, earning the nickname Priest (神父). And during that time, he was Koutarou Amon's foster father.

Appearance
Donato is an older Ghoul, showing the physical signs of a long life with a wrinkled face. He has short cropped, light-colored hair and a neatly-trimmed beard, as well as thick, bushy eyebrows. In the past, he dressed in the typical clothing of a Catholic Priest. As a prisoner, he wears simple prison scrubs -- a long-sleeved shirt and pants, though he seems to be barefoot.

Personality
Donato is a ruthless and cruel individual, noted enough among Ghouls for his sadistic personality. He thoroughly enjoys inflicting suffering on others, whether physical or psychological. His utter disregard for others makes him a valuable informant, willing to cooperate in Investigations and betray other Ghouls in exchange for being allowed to continue living. When visited by Investigators, he enjoys making statements to disturb or frustrate them.

Though selfish and cruel, he is apparently not without the ability to care. When his secret was discovered by his foster son, Amon, he spared the boy's life out of some sort of twisted affection. Whenever Amon must consult him professionally, he enjoys teasing his "beloved son".

However, according to Sasaki, Donato is trying to prove that he is useful because he knows that one day he will no longer be useful and on that day he will be disposed of. Donato seems to be afraid of this.

Background
Donato Porpora originally hails from Russia, and came to Japan at some point in time. He posed as a Catholic Priest, opening an orphanage and used the children as his personal livestock. While pretending to be a caring and affectionate caretaker to the children, he would in secret torture and murder the children that had supposedly been adopted. It is implied that he also served pieces of his victims to the other children, disguised as appetizers.

Eventually, his secret was discovered when Koutarou Amon interrupted him during a meal. Instead of killing the boy to protect his secret, he requested that Amon remain with him and join in his lie. He would eventually be captured by CCG and sent to the Ghoul Detention Center. There, he established himself as a valuable informant and was frequently consulted by Investigators about their cases.

Aogiri Arc
When Aogiri attacked the Detention Center, he was not among the prisoners released. It is unknown whether this was intentional or merely a coincidence. He overheard the attack from his cell, but was unable to participate in the slaughter of the guards.

Raid of Kanou's Lab
In the months following the raid on Aogiri's hideout, Amon and his new partner, Akira Mado, are sent to interview him. He makes small talk at first, teasing Amon about their relationship before congratulating him on his promotion. Though Amon refuses to answer about his previous partner, Donato easily figures out what this means and laughs mockingly. When told that Amon has come with questions for him, he suggests that Akira leave them alone to talk -- while hesitant, she leaves father and son alone. He takes the chance to tease Amon further, inquiring about whether their relationship is intimate or not.

He refuses to cooperate when Amon reads from a list given to him, correctly guessing that Itsuki Marude probably ordered him interviewed. He states that he doesn't know anything about Aogiri, since he could only hear things from inside his cell. He describes the sounds of the guards being killed, and mourns that he wasn't able to take part in the killing. Amon is disgusted and prepares to leave, but is stopped when Donato questions him about the cross he still wears. He wonders if Amon harbors any affection for him, and seems amused by the anger this question triggers. He offers Amon cryptic advise, suggesting that he should follow "Alice" instead of the "White Rabbit" because it will lead to the same place. Amon is left to puzzle over the meaning of his words.

When Amon battles an out-of-control Ken Kaneki in the underground laboratory, he begins to recall his childhood and the night he discovered the truth about his foster father. He recalls the snacks Donato would serve the children, implying that they may have been made from his victims. Still haunted by his childhood, he asks Kaneki to explain to him the reason he alone was spared.

Owl Suppression Operation
Just before he loses consciousness due to his injuries, Amon's thoughts wander first to his faceless parents before settling on Donato. He wonders why this is, calling out to him as his father.

Torso Investigation
Haise Sasaki and Tooru Mutsuki visit him in hopes of gaining new insight on the investigation into the Ghoul known as Torso. Donato greets Sasaki in a friendly manner, teasing him over having a woman as his superior and using his personal name. When he notices Mutsuki watching him with unease, he becomes excited and rather graphically describes how he wants to eat the young Investigator. Before it can go further, Sasaki intervenes and defuses the situation.

He is shown the case information on a digital screen, and notes how unusual it is for a Ghoul to have no interest in their victim's head. He explains the importance of the face as part of the meal, and suggests their suspect is someone that is blending in with human society. Based on the use of a vehicle and familiarity with the streets, he suggests that Torso has been working as a taxi driver. As Sasaki prepares to leave, he suggests the Investigator come speak to him again after the case is over. He states it should be alone, as there is another case he would like to talk to him about.

Afterwards, Mutsuki wonders why such a dangerous Ghoul has been allowed to live. Sasaki explains that Donato is a valuable resource for their investigations, but that he must continuously prove himself useful to them. Later that night, Sasaki has a nightmare in which a mysterious figure tells him that he is just like Donato -- desperate to remain useful so that he won't be thrown away.

Auction
As requested, Sasaki visits him alone after a meeting with the Suzuya Squad to discuss personal matters. The Investigator apologizes to him for allowing Torso to escape after the help he'd provided, which Donato brushes off since these visits amuse him. He changes the subject to the matter of Sasaki's memories, noting that unlike previous visits, he seems to be worried about them and experiencing conflicting feelings. He inquires if it has anything to do with the Torso Case, while casting a suspicious glance at the camera monitoring them. When questioned about Serpent, he admits to not knowing more than the basic data about him -- Sasaki confesses that he believes the Ghoul is someone he once knew. The subject is changed again, to the other Ghoul that Donato claims is someone of "personal interest" to him. He advises Sasaki this Ghoul may hold one of the keys to his lost memories, and provides a name. Afterwards, he suggests that Sasaki intentionally concealed his suspicions about Serpent and has become curious about his own memories. He calls Sasaki his friend, and wishes him well.

Third Cochlea Raid
As Haisaki looked in terror at Cochlea being annihilated, Donato approached the former and swiftly ripped his head off. Uta joined him, throwing a Clown mask at him, saying that they should go and meet the "king".

Koutarou Amon
Their relationship is very complicated, with a twisted mixture of hatred and affection. Though Donato preyed on the children in his care and enjoyed their suffering, he seems to harbor genuine affection towards Amon as his adopted son. As a direct result, he spared him when his secret was uncovered and even asked Amon to remain with him. As a prisoner, he enjoys teasing Amon about various things and seems to take pleasure in his discomfort.

Haise Sasaki
They have an unlikely friendship, with Donato serving as both an informant and a sympathetic ear. He aids the amnesiac Investigator with sorting out his thoughts, and treats him in a friendly manner compared to his other interactions. In turn, Sasaki seems to genuinely appreciate his advice on personal issues and cases, confessing his worries to the imprisoned Ghoul.

Tooru Mutsuki
As a Ghoul that prefers young victims, Donato becomes excited upon meeting Mutsuki. He relishes the young Investigator's terror while he describes how he would eat him, going into graphic detail. Sasaki steps in to defuse the situation, and suggests that Donato was only "teasing". Later on, Mutsuki questions the justification for keeping such a sadistic Ghoul alive.

Kureo Mado
Mado and Donato weren't seen together, but it was hinted that they interacted with each other in the past. While nothing is known on how they interacted, Porpora called Mado to be a Death God-like man and was amused when he realized he was dead and laughed mockingly.

Power and Abilities
In the past, Donato was known as a powerful Ghoul and earned the SS-rating. He killed numerous Investigators prior to his capture, though his kagune and full abilities are unknown.

Donato has a brilliant mind, able to connect pieces of information available to him even inside prison, so much that the CCG still goes to him for information every now and then. He is also exceptional at reading people, able to figure out what Amon is thinking with minimal effort and accurately analyze Sasaki's worries and personal issues.

Trivia

 * In Tokyo Ghoul Trump, he's featured as the "King of Diamonds".