Donato Porpora

Donato Porpora (ドナート ・ ポルポラ, Donāto Porupora) is a Russian ghoul and a former prisoner who had special treatment, in the 23rd ward's ghoul detention center, Cochlea, before being freed during the Third Cochlea Raid. In the past, he ran a Catholic orphanage and preyed upon the children under his care, earning the nickname Priest (神父, Shinpu). And during that time, he was Koutarou Amon's foster father.

By the Clowns, he is known as Crown (クラウン, Kuraun)..

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 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 hailed 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 the CCG and sent to Cochlea. There, he established himself as a valuable informant and was frequently consulted by investigators about their cases.

Aogiri Arc
When Aogiri attacked Cochlea, 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, were sent to interview him. He made small talk at first, teasing Amon about their relationship before congratulating him on his promotion. Though Amon refused to answer about his previous partner, Donato easily figured out what this meant and laughed mockingly. When told that Amon had come with questions for him, he suggested that Akira leave them alone to talk — while hesitant, she left father and son alone. He took the chance to tease Amon further, inquiring about whether their relationship was intimate or not.

He refused to cooperate when Amon read from a list given to him, correctly guessing that Itsuki Marude ordered Amon to interview him. He stated that he did not know anything about Aogiri, since he could only hear things from inside his cell. He described the sounds of the guards being killed, and mourned that he was not able to take part in the killing. Amon was disgusted and prepared to leave, but was stopped when Donato questioned him about the cross he still wore. He wondered if Amon harbored any affection for him, and was amused by the anger this question triggered. He offered Amon cryptic advise, suggesting that he should follow "Alice" instead of the "White Rabbit" because it would lead to the same place. Amon was left to puzzled over the meaning of his words.

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

Owl Suppression Operation
Just before he lost consciousness due to his injuries, Amon's thoughts wandered first to his faceless parents before settling on Donato. He wondered why this was, calling out to him as his father.

Torso Investigation
Haise Sasaki and Tooru Mutsuki visited him in hopes of gaining new insight on the investigation into the ghoul known as Torso. Donato greeted Sasaki in a friendly manner, teasing him over having a woman as his superior and using his personal name. When he noticed Mutsuki watching him with unease, he becomes excited and rather graphically described how he wanted to eat the young investigator. Before it could go further, Sasaki intervened and defused the situation.

He was shown the case information on a digital screen and noted how unusual it is for a ghoul to have no interest in their victim's head. He explained the importance of the face as part of the meal, and suggested their suspect was someone who was blending in with human society. Based on the use of a vehicle and familiarity with the streets, he suggested that Torso had been working as a taxi driver. As Sasaki prepared to leave, he suggested the investigator come speak to him again after the case was over. He stated it should be alone, as there was another case he would like to talk to him about.

Afterwards, Mutsuki wondered why such a dangerous ghoul had been allowed to live. Sasaki explained that Donato was a valuable resource for their investigations, but that he must continuously prove himself useful to them. Later that night, Sasaki had a nightmare in which a mysterious figure told him that he was just like Donato — desperate to remain useful so the he would not be thrown away.

Auction
As requested, Sasaki visited him alone after a meeting with the Suzuya Squad to discuss personal matters. The investigator apologized to him for allowing Torso to escape after the help he had provided, which Donato brushed off since these visits amused him. He changed the subject to the matter of Sasaki's memories, noting that unlike previous visits, he seemed to be worried about them and experienced conflicting feelings. He inquired if it had anything to do with the Torso case, while casting a suspicious glance at the camera monitoring them. When questioned about Serpent, he admitted to not knowing more than the basic data about him — Sasaki confessed that he believed the ghoul was someone he once knew. The subject was changed again, to the other ghoul that Donato claimed was someone of "personal interest" to him. He advised Sasaki this ghoul may hold one of the keys to his lost memories, and provided a name. Afterwards, he suggested that Sasaki intentionally concealed his suspicions about Serpent and had become curious about his own memories. He called Sasaki his friend and wished him well.

Third Cochlea Raid
As Shinme Haisaki looked in terror at Cochlea being laid waste to, Donato snuck up on the former and swiftly ripped the warden's head off. After Uta had handed him a Clown mask, Donato told him that they should go meet the King. Arriving in the chairman's office, Donato and Uta met Furuta and witnessed the murder of Chairman Tsuneyoshi Washuu.

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. Despite this concern for Haise, Donato showed no remorse in attempting to persuade Urie that Haise was the mastermind of the Clown Siege.

Tooru Mutsuki
As a ghoul who 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 were not seen together, but it was hinted they interacted with each other in the past. While nothing was known on how they interacted, Donato called Mado a Death God-like man and was amused when he realized the investigator was dead and laughed mockingly.

Uta
Not much is known about their exact relationship, but the two have a calm and casual relationship.

Mikito Urie
Donato harbors a grudge against the deceased Mikito for capturing and imprisoning him in the Cochlea. He derides Mikito as loathsome for ruining his peace and desires revenge by attacking his son Kuki Urie.

Kuki Urie
Due to being the son of Mikito Urie, he has a grudge against Urie.

Powers and Abilities
Ghoul Physiology: Being a ghoul, Donato possesses enhanced physical abilities and a potent koukaku-type kagune.
 * Koukaku Kagune: His koukaku kagune resembles a long tentacle formed from intertwined strands of sinew and an outer layer covered in cross-like shapes. It is capable of ranged attacks, and allows him to extend it over long distances and spear targets with great precision. In spite of the type's greater weight, he is able to wield it with incredible speed, attacking faster than the eye can follow. He also demonstrates the ability to detach pieces of his kagune.
 * Kagune Detachment: Donato demonstrates the ability to detach pieces of his kagune.
 * Superhuman Strength: He possesses strength superior to a human, allowing him to decapitate a human with a single motion.
 * Superhuman Speed: He possesses incredible speed, demonstrating the ability to move so quickly that he seems to vanish into thin air. With this speed, he was literally able to disappear from view while standing in an open space with an unbroken line of sight.
 * Superhuman Regeneration: Donato's cells are capable of regenerating in a cross-like pattern after his finger was severed by Kuki Urie.

Great Intelligence: Donato has a brilliant mind, able to connect pieces of information available to him even inside prison, so much that the CCG still occasionally goes to him for information. He is also exceptional at reading people, able to deduce what Amon is thinking with minimal effort and succinctly analyze Sasaki's worries and personal issues.

Trivia

 * In Tokyo Ghoul Trump, he is featured as the "King of Diamonds."
 * Donato was designed by a friend of Sui Ishida, the same one who also created Misato Gori.

Quotes

 * To Amon: "I could hear the death cry of the prison guard as he was being killed. I hadn't been this excited for a while. Can you imagine it? A fresh lump of meat right over there... Ha... It was absolute hell, in a different sense of the word. I prayed to God I could be a part of that banquet."
 * To Amon: "Koutarou, go after Alice, not the White Rabit."
 * To Sasaki about Mutsuki: "Oh... there's a new one with you today. Little young too. Looks really tasty! I want to selfishly rip apart that belly, and stuff my mouth full with those soft organs."
 * To Sasaki about Torso: "I see... so he's a torso-mania. For ghouls the head is an extremely important part. By completely understanding what he's eating, it amplifies the excitement of the meal. He satisfies himself with different parts while looking at the face... everyone has their own taste of having fun. The head is no doubt the face of the meal. To humans, ghoul meals can be boring because it's garnished by just a single "flower".
 * To Haisaki: "Please do pay attention to the monitor, prison chief. The SS Clown's cell is open."
 * "Meeow."
 * "Then I guess the usual toys just won't be enough"
 * "Don't let your guard down. It'll be the last thing you do, Kuki Urie"

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