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Darkness

Lalatina Ford Dustiness (ダスティネス・フォード・ララティーナ), commonly known by her title Darkness (ダクネス), is a prominent character in the KonoSuba series. A skilled crusader, she becomes a key member of Kazuma’s party. In addition to her adventuring role, she is a noblewoman from the esteemed Dustiness family, known for its longstanding legacy and prestige.

Appearance

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Darkness’ full apperance.

Darkness stands at 5’6″ with an elegant and well-proportioned figure, complemented by her smooth, alabaster skin. Her striking appearance is enhanced by her light blue eyes and long, straight blonde hair, which she often ties into a ponytail adorned with braids and secured by red clips on either side of her bangs. Kazuma describes her as “drop-dead gorgeous,” a sentiment that highlights her beauty.

Her typical outfit consists of a yellow and black sleeveless dress, featuring silver trim. She pairs this with black chainmail and a set of silver armor that includes metal greaves, sabatons, and tassets. On her left side, she wears a shoulder plate, while her right shoulder is adorned with a wing-like cloth. Completing the ensemble is a cuirass, accentuated by a red bow at the front.

Photo Section with Captions

Personality

At first glance, Darkness may seem like the epitome of a noble, heroic knight, but beneath the surface lies a deeply masochistic nature. Her true joy comes from pain and humiliation, often finding pleasure in physical and emotional abuse. Far from selflessly seeking to protect her comrades, Darkness is more driven by the desire to experience the thrill of her opponents’ attacks. The stronger the foe, the more excited she becomes, with her pleasure visible through blushing, moaning, and breathless excitement when she should be in pain or embarrassment.

Darkness frequently indulges in lewd fantasies, imagining herself as the target of harassment. However, when these fantasies cross into real-life situations, she misinterprets others’ actions as invitations to flirt, only for them to be horrified by her advances. Her ultimate dream is to be captured by the Devil King’s Army and subjected to endless torment, a scenario she imagines with both dread and longing. Impulsive and often acting without thinking, Darkness tends to get swept up in the heat of the moment.

Her masochism extends to her taste in men, as she favors those who are perverse, flawed, or even unattractive—individuals who would treat her as an object to be used. Her reason for joining Kazuma’s party was her belief that he was the type who would harass the other female members. Although her masochistic tendencies have lessened over time, they have not completely disappeared.

While Darkness revels in certain forms of shame, there are a few things that deeply embarrass her. She is sensitive about her muscular physique and dislikes any comments about her weight. She also detests anything that might make her seem “cute,” which is why she hides her real name, “Lalatina,” as it sounds too adorable. In fact, anything that could make her appear cute—such as speaking in a soft voice or wearing cute outfits—feels like torture to her.

Despite her perverse tendencies, Darkness is also an innocent and pure-hearted maiden. She is so inexperienced that, during one attempt to engage with Kazuma, she needed guidance on what to do. Although she frequently acknowledges her lack of experience, her party members find it hard to believe she’s still as naïve as she claims. Her shy and reserved nature around sexual situations further underscores her innocence.

As a Crusader, Darkness is a steadfast protector of the innocent and a devout follower of the Eris Order. Raised in a family that has long supported the Eris Church, she once prayed daily for a friend until she met and befriended Chris. Darkness takes immense pride in her faith, especially when it leads her to embrace suffering as part of her devotion, even enduring discrimination without complaint.

As a noblewoman from a prestigious family, Darkness is well-versed in proper etiquette and social protocols. Although initially hesitant to reveal her heritage or use her noble status to her advantage, she gradually grows more comfortable with her identity and begins to utilize her influence to support her party. Though she is now more open about her noble background, she remains humble and interacts naturally with commoners.

Darkness can be stubborn, irritable, and quick to retaliate when wronged. She is fiercely independent, often acting on impulse and seizing the opportunity to get even. However, as a paladin, she is genuinely selfless and altruistic, willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the good of others. Unfortunately, her reluctance to explain her motives often leads to misunderstandings, causing more problems than solutions. Over the course of the series, Darkness grows more self-aware, learning to prioritize her own desires and well-being.

History

Early Life

Darkness hails from the esteemed Dustiness family, known as the “Shield of the Kingdom,” a noble house renowned for its power and influence. Tragically, Darkness lost her mother to a disease, a result of a weak immune system passed down through her bloodline. Raised alongside other nobles, she took on the role of an older sister to her younger sibling, Iris, and later became a motherly figure to her cousin, Sylphina. Throughout her upbringing, Darkness often found herself the object of unwanted attention from Alderp.

As Darkness matured, she began to develop her unique and perverse inclinations. Concerned, her father, Ignis, attempted to arrange marriages for her, but each proposal was met with violent rejection—Darkness would often knock him unconscious whenever the topic came up. She also frequently ran away to Axel, where her family would offer rewards for any information about her whereabouts.

Despite her eccentricities, Darkness became a Crusader, donning a suit of armor crafted by the blacksmith of the Crimson Demon Village. However, due to her inability to effectively attack in battle and her overwhelming perversions, she struggled to find a place among her peers. Even after registering as an adventurer, she found herself isolated, prompting her to turn to her faith. As a devoted follower of the Eris Order, Darkness prayed daily at the Eris Church, hoping for companions who would accept her.

Her life took a turning point one night when a thief named Chris stole her wallet, intending to catch her attention in hopes of inviting her to join his party. Before Chris could finish his offer, Darkness called the authorities, and he was promptly apprehended. This became a regular occurrence until, one day, Chris was finally able to present his invitation without interference. Moved by his persistence and kindness, Darkness joined Chris’ party, and they formed a strong bond.

Abilities

Like her companions Aqua and Megumin, Darkness suffers from being overly specialized. As a Crusader, a class renowned for its exceptional defensive capabilities, she excels in the role of a tank. However, her masochistic nature prevents her from learning offensive skills. She intentionally lowers her accuracy to the point where she is unable to land hits, relying on her immense strength to overpower enemies before they can even strike back.

Stats:

  • Strength: Darkness possesses extraordinary physical strength. She has proven her power by easily fighting off multiple guards, shattering Beldia’s armor when he was nearly defeated, and protecting Kazuma from a potentially fatal blow by the Kowloon Hydra. Her strength is so great that she could defeat most monsters before they had a chance to harm her.

  • Vitality: Darkness boasts an impressive amount of Vitality, granting her a massive HP pool that allows her to endure prolonged battles on the front lines. Her resilience is extraordinary—when Kazuma usedDrain Touch, a technique that normally incapacitates or stuns targets, Darkness was able to continue overpowering him without issue.

Physical Resistance: 

Darkness has an exceptional resistance to physical damage, enabling her to endure heavy melee attacks. This makes her the quintessential “meat shield” in her party. Her durability is further amplified by her ability to withstand attacks from formidable creatures like the Hydra and even a Zombie Dragon. This skill also applies to both her weapons and armor.

Magic Resistance: 

Darkness has a natural resistance to magic, which allows her to mitigate or even completely negate magical attacks. This ability has allowed her to survive the full brunt of Megumin’sExplosion Magic, a feat few could achieve. Similar to her physical resistance, this skill also protects her weapons and armor.

Debuff Resistance (All Types): 

Darkness possesses a range of separate skills that protect her from various status ailments, making her incredibly resilient to debuffs that might affect her or her party members.

Decoy: 

Darkness has the ability to draw the attention of monsters, acting as a decoy to protect her companions from harm. This skill makes her an ideal choice for drawing aggro in battle.

Side Slash: 

A powerful horizontal slice, Darkness can unleash this skill with full force, delivering a devastating blow to enemies in her path.

Weaknesses

Low Accuracy: Despite her impressive physical stats, Darkness is notoriously clumsy and struggles with accuracy. She is often unable to hit even stationary targets, with successful strikes typically occurring only by sheer accident. Her refusal to learn any skills that would improve her accuracy—such as the Two-Handed Sword skill—is rooted in her masochistic tendencies. As a result, her inability to land a hit is a recurring gag throughout the series.

Equipment

Adamantite Armor:
After defeating Vanir, Darkness obtained armor crafted from adamantite, the strongest metal in the world. This powerful armor significantly enhances her already impressive defense, making her virtually indestructible in battle.

Pitch-Black Full Body Armor:
During the final battle against the Devil King, Darkness dons a full-body armor imbued with immense magical power, specifically designed for the Crusader class. This armor, provided by Kazuma, is cursed, driving the wearer into a berserk rage during combat. Despite its potent capabilities, the armor can be easily removed at will, offering a degree of control over its effects.

Slave Collar:
A divine treasure obtained by Darkness from a rival noble, the Slave Collar forces its wearer to obey the commands of their master. In Darkness’ case, it punishes her disobedience by compelling her to act and speak in a cute manner, a form of humiliation that she finds particularly torturous. As a divine artifact, the collar is impervious to theft or removal by Steal or similar abilities.

Relationships

Chris
As a child, Darkness lacked friends and prayed to Eris daily for companionship. In response to her prayers, Darkness meets Eris, disguised as Chris, after one of her church visits. Despite a series of misunderstandings, the two quickly become best friends, with Chris serving as Darkness’ adventuring companion until Darkness later joins Kazuma’s party. Though Chris is often away from Axel, the bond between the two remains strong, and they make a point of meeting up whenever possible. Darkness frequently scolds Chris for her thieving activities, especially when they involve Kazuma.

Kazuma Satou
At first, Kazuma refuses Darkness’ offer to join his party but eventually gives in. While Darkness’ “onee-san” figure fits his preferences, her perverted personality puts him off. Despite this, he often finds himself eyeing her, albeit with a sense of discomfort. Vanir frequently teases them, suggesting that both Kazuma and Darkness harbor feelings for each other but are too afraid to cross the line between adventurer comrades. Darkness, for her part, often blurts out perverted thoughts, which Kazuma either mocks verbally or mentally. She seems to enjoy his verbal jabs, much to Kazuma’s dismay. Though Kazuma considers her the most “useless” member of the party, he genuinely cares for her, and she trusts him as a good friend she can rely on.

Darkness’ feelings for Kazuma deepen after he saves her from an arranged marriage. She becomes fiercely protective and, after some heated moments, admits her feelings to him. Initially, she was drawn to him because he was “her type,” but after he rescued her from Alderp, her attachment to him only grew. She even kisses him on the lips during a breakdown after he rejects her. Following her confession, a rivalry begins to form between Darkness and Megumin for Kazuma’s affection, with Darkness trying to seduce Kazuma by offering him a bath. However, before she can act on it, Megumin intervenes upon returning from the Crimson Demon Village.

Aqua
Despite Darkness being a devout worshiper of Eris, the two get along reasonably well. Darkness is not easily irritated by Aqua’s antics, and Aqua, in turn, seems unfazed by Darkness’ masochistic tendencies. Like Megumin, Darkness initially dismisses Aqua’s claims of being a goddess, but upon realizing the truth, she continues to act as though she doesn’t believe it. Aqua has helped Darkness on occasion, such as lifting a curse Beldia placed on her and curing her father’s illness. Whenever Kazuma refuses to help Aqua, she often turns to Darkness for support and comfort.

Megumin
Darkness and Megumin have a generally amicable relationship, often engaging in casual conversation despite their differing personalities. Darkness once took a curse intended for Megumin from Beldia, solidifying their bond as companions. Megumin, in turn, has shown care for Darkness, particularly when she helped Kazuma save Darkness from her arranged marriage. After Darkness confesses her feelings for Kazuma, the two women begin competing for his affection, even though Kazuma is already involved with Megumin.

Princess Iris
Darkness shares a close, sisterly relationship with Princess Iris, having grown up together due to political reasons. Darkness is shown to be incredibly protective of Iris, often going to great lengths to keep her safe.

Sylphina
Having always been close to her cousin, Sylphina, after the death of Sylphina’s mother, Darkness has taken on a motherly role in her life. Sylphina often calls Darkness “mommy,” even in public, much to Darkness’ embarrassment. Nonetheless, Darkness takes care of her like a mother would, providing support and guidance.

Karen Donnelly
Karen often teases Darkness about her family’s lack of wealth, which is a common jab among members of poorer noble houses. The two frequently argue, with Darkness retaliating by making comments about Karen’s slender physique. Darkness finds particular satisfaction in passing judgment on Karen’s crimes, enjoying the opportunity to assert some dominance in their interactions.

Hyanhyan
Hyanhyan hails from a rival noble house, and as a result, she and Darkness often engage in playful rivalry. The two tease each other about their “cute” names, maintaining a lighthearted yet competitive relationship.

Trivia

    • Darkness’ birthday is on April 6th.
    • In the Web Novel, Darkness attributes her inability to hit targets to her low Dexterity stat.
    • According to Kurone Mishima, Darkness’ cup size is H.
    • Darkness leveled up after being exploded by Vanir’s dolls and due to her habit of eating expensive, XP-rich food.
    • Kazuma speculates that Darkness might possess the toughest body in the kingdom.
    • Darkness has a secret habit of trying on Megumin’s outfits.
    • Technically, Darkness is divorced from Alderp.
    • Despite claiming to still be a virgin, no one in her party believes Darkness due to her perverted personality.
    • The Axel police have classified her as the fifth most dangerous individual in the city.
    • Darkness always wears her mother’s dress for social occasions.
    • She holds a degree in dance, musical instruments, and tea ceremony.
    • The only household chore Darkness is allowed to do is the dishwashing.
    • Darkness ranked 3rd in the KonoSuba Popularity Poll.