Amber
Amber |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Alias | February |
| Statistics | |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Contractor |
| Messier Code | UB-001 |
| Ability | Chronokinesis |
| Obeisance | Aging Backwards |
| Debut | |
| Anime | Season 1, Episode 12 |
| Actors | |
| Japanese | Kawakami Tomoko (川上 倫子) |
| English | Laura Bailey |
Amber (アンバー Anbā), also known by the codename February (フェブラリ Feburari), is the first confirmed Contractor whose star’s Messier Code is UB-001. She was a former MI-6 agent who defected to join the Syndicate. After Heaven’s War, she created the organization Evening Primrose to fight the Syndicate
Following the events of the Heaven’s War, Amber broke away from the Syndicate and went on to found the Evening Primrose, a radical organization composed of rogue Contractors aiming to oppose the Syndicate and expose the truth behind their manipulation of Contractors and humanity.
Background
Amber and Hei
Amber was originally an intelligence operative for MI-6, operating under the codename February. During her time with the agency, she gained access to sensitive Gate-related information, which she later stole upon defecting. After leaving MI-6, she provided the stolen data to the Syndicate and adopted the alias Amber, distancing herself from her former identity.
She became a key figure within the Syndicate and worked closely with Hei and Bai during the conflict known as the Heaven’s War in South America. It was during this period that Amber also began to shape her own ideology, eventually laying the foundation for her independent organization, Evening Primrose, which advocated for the freedom and recognition of Contractors.
Amber vanished along with Bai and millions of others when Heaven’s Gate mysteriously disappeared. She reemerged five years later, now leading a strengthened Evening Primrose, and began an open rebellion against the Syndicate, aiming to expose their secrets and protect Contractor-kind.
Personality
Despite being a Contractor, Amber is notable for retaining a strong sense of individuality and emotion, which is atypical for most individuals with Contractor abilities. She is portrayed as kind-hearted and compassionate, earning the loyalty and trust of the members of Evening Primrose, who follow her leadership without hesitation. Her empathetic nature often influences her decisions, even when they defy logic or strategic efficiency.
Amber harbors deep feelings for Hei, which persist even after he comes to view her as a traitor. Her affection for him is evident in the many instances where she prioritizes his safety, sometimes even at the cost of her own missions. This emotional attachment distinguishes her from many other Contractors, reinforcing her role as someone who defies the norms associated with her kind.
In contrast, prior to the disappearance of Heaven’s Gate, Amber was more stern and composed, reflecting the hardened mindset of an active field operative. Her personality shift following the Heaven’s War suggests a deeper emotional awakening, likely influenced by her experiences during and after the conflict.
Appearance
Amber is a slender young woman with hip-length pale green hair, styled with soft bangs that cover her forehead. Her most striking feature is her amber-colored eyes, which are likely the inspiration for her chosen alias.
She typically wears a distinctive light pink bodysuit adorned with white fur trim at the collar and cuffs, giving her a soft yet unconventional look. Her outfit also includes white boots and visible bandaging on her left wrist, suggesting past injuries or tactical preparation. Her overall appearance combines elegance with a sense of mystery, befitting her role as both a former spy and the leader of the Evening Primrose.
Abilities
Amber possesses the Contractor ability of chronokinesis, granting her the power to manipulate time. This rare and highly versatile ability allows her to perform a range of time-related feats, including:
Time Stoppage
Amber can freeze time within a localized area, rendering all individuals and events motionless. She retains mobility within the frozen time stream and can selectively exempt others, allowing them to move freely while the rest of the world remains suspended. Those still affected by the time stoppage are unable to perceive her presence or actions during this state.
Time Reversal
She can rewind time, although the exact limits of this power are not fully defined. Through this ability, she can alter events and outcomes, effectively reshaping timelines.
Precognition
By using her powers to observe or interact with alternate timelines or possible futures, Amber gains limited knowledge of future events, allowing her to make strategic decisions with remarkable foresight.
Time Travel
In some instances, Amber demonstrates the ability to travel through time, giving her a broader understanding of unfolding events and adding to her mystique as a manipulator of fate.
Amber’s powers come with a heavy price, characteristic of all Contractors, though her exact remuneration is not explicitly detailed. Her mastery over time makes her one of the most powerful and enigmatic characters in the Darker than Black universe.
Part in the Story
The Black Contractor
Amber plays a central role in the later arc of Darker than Black, acting as the enigmatic leader of Evening Primrose, an organization opposing the Syndicate’s manipulation of Contractors. She and her followers arrive in Tokyo with the intent to recruit new members, disrupt Syndicate operations, and destroy the Saturn Ring, a device linked to Hell’s Gate.
Following the theft of the Meteor Fragment from PANDORA, Amber comes into possession of it. Weeks later, she meets with Yin and Hei, continuing to maneuver behind the scenes. She also attempts to recruit November 11 and initiates a bombing campaign targeting Tokyo’s intelligence agencies. Under her direction, Brita abducts Robert Schroeder from PANDORA and, along with Wei Zhijun, extracts information about the Saturn Ring. Amber later holds a strategic meeting with November 11, Mao, and Schroeder, where she demonstrates knowledge of future events predicting November’s death to earn his trust.
When Hei infiltrates the building, he confronts Amber, nearly attacking her with his Contractor power. However, the Meteor Fragment resonates with Hei’s ability, leading him to let her go. As the Solar Maximum nears its peak, Amber leads her Contractors in a final mission to attack PANDORA, destroy the Saturn Ring, and establish a Doll network within the Gate. After losing comrades Amagiri and Brita during the assault, Amber rewinds time to give Amagiri a second chance.
She then journeys into the core of Hell’s Gate, awaiting Hei’s arrival. Due to the toll of her obeisance, Amber has physically regressed in age. When Hei and Yin reach her, she reflects on the past, sharing long-withheld truths about Bai, Hei’s involvement in the Syndicate, and the nature of their powers. Amber reveals that Bai’s consciousness lives within Hei, and that her power is far greater than simple electricity, it can alter the Gate itself.
Amber pleads with Hei to use Bai’s power, through the Meteor Fragment, to seal Hell’s Gate, warning that if he refuses, all Contractors including Yin will be destroyed, leaving him alone. As the Saturn Ring activates, she presses the fragment to Hei’s chest. In the ensuing vision, Amber questions whether Hei can truly endure being both human and Contractor, acknowledging the burden he carries. Before disappearing, she shares a final moment with Hei, kissing him and rewinding time one last time so that he can act and stop the Saturn Ring. Her clothes remain behind, marking her departure from the timeline.