Giovanni

, better known as, is a Second Generation pyrokinetic. Giovanni led Special Fire Force Company 3 as their captain until revealing himself to be a member of the White-Clad.

Appearance
Giovanni bears a resembling appearance to a plague doctor, as he wears a stitched white mask with a large beak over his entire face, with lenses for vision. Atop his head is a black top-hat, and he wears a white scarf around his neck, disclosing any skin on his upper body. He wears a dark v-neck jacket, dark trousers, dark shoes, and carries a white cane with him. Later is seen wearing a skinnier variant of the Special Fire Force jacket, with a dark scarf around his neck and a lightly colored belt.

When Giovanni's true intentions are revealed, he changes his clothing into a large white cloak over his Fire Force uniform that covers his entire body from the neck down; maintaining the plague mask and top hat. He's shown to have long, skinny arms and fingers, and hides an unknown (though huge) amount of mechanics underneath this white cape.

Upon his return, Giovanni is seen in his White-Clad attire; wearing a white trench coat with a black undershirt and long white boots that reach up to his knees at the front. This new outfit also features cross pattern running across both shoulders, arms and his lower back. Besides his hat and mask, the only feature remaining from his Fire Force uniform is the strip of fabric running down the front of his body that appears to be buttoned down.

Giovanni's true form is that of a mutated bug wearing a plague doctor's mask.

Personality
As a doctor, Giovanni is exceptionally intelligent and tries to view things from a scientific perspective. He is interested in expanding his knowledge and likes to experiment on things, including his own body. He can be quite forceful when trying to it comes to getting what he wants and isn't afraid to speak his mind, as shown when he openly comments on Benimaru's nationalism and attempts to find an opportunity to research Shinra's abilities. Giovanni is typically calm and methodical, waiting for the perfect time to strike over a period of months, adjusting his plans when faced with unexpected resistance, strolling through the battlefield without worry and carefully considering his strategies even in the middle of being beaten.

Giovanni is very suspicious, secretive and deceptive going as far to hide his face so thoroughly that even the other captains do not know what he looks like. While initially seeming to be focused on the security of the Empire and success, the doctor is actually a more callous and ruthless individual. Belittling the intelligence and naivete of his opposition and attempting to murder others if they will not work for him. Once his true colors are revealed, Giovanni shows fanatical loyalty to the Evangelist that pushes him into impassioned speeches about his master's knowledge and disregarding individual human life in the pursuit of global schemes. He also becomes ecstatic when he gains progress in understanding Adolla and commits countless experiments to obtain understanding of the strange realm. In addition to manic and emotional outbursts, he demonstrates a cruel and twisted sense of humor, alongside manipulative and abusive behavior towards his subordinates. Even willing to sacrifice their lives to destroy his enemies. He also seems to believe that non-powered individuals are fated for death in the wake of Spontaneous Human Combustion.

Background
In his youth, Giovanni was the apprentice to Vulcan's grandfather alongside Vulcan's father. On the day Giovanni left the workshop, both his master and fellow student went Infernal at the same time. Shortly after this, Giovanni started working for Haijima industries in spite of the Joseph family's disdain for the organization. Because of this, Vulcan is one of the few people who has seen Giovanni's face and Giovanni has a detailed understanding of the young inventor's history. In recent times, Giovanni has used his influence within Haijima to have merchants and stores blacklist Vulcan to deprive him of materials.

Abilities
Giovanni is a Second Generation pyrokinetic. With his power to control fire, he is able to launch his mechanical hands as projectiles and control their movement in mid-air. These hands are connected to wires that can be heated until they slice through trees and human beings. Despite his thin build, Giovanni has shown himself to be very durable as he is able to quickly recover from heavy blows dealt to him by both Shinra and Captain Obi and continue acting as if he hadn't been damaged at all.

With his keen intellect, Giovanni is able to carry out ambushes with ruthless efficiency and outmaneuver his opponents. His intelligence also allows him to create a variety of tools, including mechanical arms and blades that are strong enough to directly grapple with Obi in a test of strength, tasers capable of subduing powerful opponents and a hidden gun within his cane. However, unlike Vulcan's creations, Giovanni's inventions are fragile and easily destroyed. During the Operation Nether Investigation Arc, Giovanni has shown to Shinra and Arthur that he has modified his own body even further by transforming into countless fire bugs and gaining insect-like traits to increase his abilities even further. With his body composed of bugs, he can sense and react to even bullet fire at superhuman speeds thanks to his eyes now being compounded in way similar to conventional flies and even sense emotions and intent by interpreting pheromones likes that of moths. He can also release superheated gas, project sharp insectoid limbs, and disperse his body into multiple insects to avoid damage. Even when decapitated, he still survives as his head can move according to his thoughts. Due to his new body being composed of Infernal Bugs, he also can access an artificial Adolla Link and communicate with others through Adolla itself.

Preacher Pursuit arc
Giovanni introduced himself at the conference of the Captains in Central Tokyo. Learning that Shinra has the Adolla Burst, Giovanni suggests that he be put under extra protection from the Evangelist, seeing as Shinra is his target. This is ultimately turned down by the boy and Hibana, as there are concerns about Giovanni's temptation to experiment on him. After the conference, Giovanni confronts Hibana alone. He comments on her affiliation with Haijima like he is, though it seemed like she's protecting Company 8 from being properly researched. She calls his statement nonsense and leaves by saying she'll send data on the giant Infernals, much to his quiet irritation.

Vulcan's Workshop arc
Giovanni appears to Vulcan at his workshop, persuading him to work with Haijima Industries, but Vulcan denies his request, stating that Giovanni is the man who killed his family years ago. Giovanni leaves him, and meets with members of Company 3, telling them to attack and kill Vulcan, while at the same time revealing themselves to be members of the White-Clad. Soon after, Giovanni begins his personal attack on Shinra Kusakabe. Using his Second Generation ability, he effortlessly terrorizes Shinra from a distance, while he attempts to out-chase Giovanni's wired hand. Giovanni finally confronts Shinra close-up, electrocuting him to the point of unconsciousness, and calling on members of the Ashen Flame to take the boy with the Adolla Burst to the Evangelist while he tries to take the Key to Amaterasu from Vulcan.

Due to the efforts of Mirage and Flail, Giovanni is able to force his way into the Workshop while Arthur is unable to stop him. With his agent, Feeler, revealing herself and subduing Vulcan; Giovanni demands to know where Vulcan has hidden the key. When the boy refuses to talk, Giovanni grabs Yū by the neck and shoots him in the chest and tells Vulcan to give in to his demands, or his apprentice will bleed to death. When Vulcan still refuses to talk, Giovanni loses his temper and ties to beat the information out of him before smashing the image projector that Vulcan loved. Inside, he finds the Key he is looking for, but Giovanni is suddenly attacked by Shinra, having been freed by Hibana. While Giovanni and Feeler initially subdue Shinra, the intervention of Iris and Vulcan distract them and free Shinra who then beats Giovanni through the wall of the building. Following the arrival of the Ashen Knight's commander and the total defeat of the Fire Force at his hands, Company 8, Yū ,and Vulcan escape with the aid of Joker and Viktor Licht. Giovanni and his cohorts leave with their commander to deliver the Key to the Evangelist. Giovanni's treachery is reported by Shinra and many members of Company 3 leave the organization. Imply they were all agents of the Evangelist. Although Haijima arranges a press conference claiming that the Giovanni who attack Vulcan's family was an impostor using a stand -n. Meaning this actions are not public knowledge.

Netherworld arc
Giovanni and Feeler confront Vulcan and Akitaru in the Nether after Company 8 has been divided. When Lisa starts to express doubts, Giovanni shifting asserts his dominance by reminding her that she everything, including her life with Vulcan, to him. Terrified and refocused, Feeler unleashes her flames to battle their foes and protect her master. After Akitaru insults Giovanni’s teaching and treatment, the scientist gloats that The Evangelist has told him the secret's of their world and he won’t give them away.

Feeler is able to quickly restrain Vulcan and Akitaru with her tentacles and their lack of powers forces them to use technology to free themselves. Giovanni begins hypothesizing about the relationship between the Fire Bugs and the relationship between moths and flame before erupting into calls for their deaths. Both Lisa and Giovanni fail to notice that Obi has planted extinguishing grenade to destroy Lisa’s flames, while Giovanni does nothing to save her, Vulcan catches her. Before she can fully accept them saving her, Giovanni once again asserts control over her. Deciding that she can’t betray him, Lisa plans on returning to Giovanni only for him to take her hostage and offer an ultimatum: Vulcan will shoot and kill Captain Obi in exchange for Lisa’s life. Sliding a gun across the floor, Giovanni threatens to shoot and decapitate Lisa if Vulcan does not comply with this demand. After much hesitation, Vulcan shoots Akitaru and Giovanni releases Lisa while cackling over his victory.

Until Akitaru quickly rises and rips the train tracks form under Giovanni’s feat, having worn an impact resistant vest beforehand that took the bullet for him. A confused and angered Giovanni ties to counter with a swarm of weaponry, only for Vulcan to smash it apart with his Penguinmet. Before he can turn the tide, Giovanni is attacked by Akitaru and the two argue over the value of human life in the face of the Evangelist’s grand design. While the Doctor rants about the secrets of the Adolla Realm, other members of Company 8 arrive. Giovanni disappears into the shadows, abandoning Lisa. Telling them that other members of the Fire Force know of the Adolla.

Operation Nether Investigation arc
Giovanni uses one of his laboratories in the Nether to draw the Fire Force into a trap. Upon the Special Fire Force Company 2 and Company 8 entering the Netherworld and a fight with the White-Clad starting, Giovanni confronts Shinra with an ambush. While Shinra begins to fight back, Giovanni reveals his heightened strength and that he has become closer to Adolla by transforming his body to be more like a bugs.

Post-Kusakabe History arc
Giovanni appears in this arc.

Trivia

 * His appearance and occupation heavily imply that Giovanni was based on a plague doctor — a medical physician, who used to treat people that were infected by the plague and used various perfumes held in bird-like masks to drown out the scent of the deceased.
 * Giovanni is the only known Second Gen pyrokinetic to have served as a Fire Force captain. All other members are either being Third Gen or non-powered, with the exception of the Composite Fire Soldier Benimaru.
 * While Giovanni's age is unknown, he was the same height as Vulcan's father years ago and Akitaru refers to him as an 'old geezer'.