| Jose Croce | |
 Jose in action. From Book Five. | |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Professional Status | |
| Cyborg | Henrietta |
| Occupation | SWA Handler |
| Personal Status | |
| Status | Deceased |
| Relatives | Jean Croce (Brother)
Enrica Croce (Sister) |
| Debuts | |
| Portrayal | |
Jose Croce is an agent working in Section 2 of the Social Welfare Agency as a Handler. He is the younger brother to Jean, the older sibling of Enrica, and the Handler to Henrietta.
Background[]
Jose's childhood was heavily influenced by his grandfather, a hero of the Italian resistance movement in World War II, who use to tell both him and his brother stories about being a soldier. He had little to do with his parents, both of whom worked excessively and often left him home alone for long periods, with Jean raising him and his sister.
When his grandfather died, Jose was visibly upset by the loss, as they were very close.
At the time Jean left for the military, he told Jose to quit school and look after his sister. Jose refused, and for two years, used to study then return home to cook and raise Enrica, which led to the two of them growing very close.
At eighteen years old, trying to follow in his brother's footsteps, Jose joined the military 1st Carabinieri Parachute Battalion "Tuscania", where he was sent into the Balkans as a paratrooper to fight. He loved the war zone and found it uncomplicated and strangely calming, although he had great difficulty leaving the battle as when he was sent away on holidays or left to visit his sister, he would often drink excessively until he would pass out.
When Jose was twenty-two years old, he received a notice stating that he was being pulled out of the Balkans as requested by Giovanni, due to his father's work as he had become a liability. This was something he heavily resented his father for. While on his way home he began drinking and by the time he reached the house, he passed out by the front door, where Enrica found him. She said that she had never seen him so drunk before.
The Croce family decided to travel down to their home in Sicily, as they have every Summer, but it was to be the first time they had all been together for years. Before they left, Jose received a call to meet with the Minister of Defence about a job opportunity and Jean accompanied him, while the rest of the family left in a separate car. Giovanni was travelling down the highway with Carla, Enrica and Sophia when a car bomb detonated beneath the vehicle, hurling it into the air. The explosion killed most of the family instantly, except Jean's fiancée, who was still alive although grievously injured.
Jose and Jean were standing in front of the Minister of Defence when he received the phone call, saying: "They all...!!" They both got into they car and drove to the scene, where they saw the bodies of their family. They were taken into custody under suspicion of terrorism, while Sophia was driven away in an ambulance, where she later died.
Jose was blamed heavily for the murders of his family, because of his resentment towards his father for pulling him out of the Balkans, despite the lack of evidence. Even after he was released, the media hounded him, asking for interviews and questioning his support with the Five Republics Factions.
His brother convinced him to join the SWA in order to get revenge for their family. For the first year, they were given little work to perform as the cyborg program was still in its early stages, with Angelica being used as a test. It was during this time that they led a personal investigation into their family's murder and discovered that Giacomo Dante was behind the attack.
In volume 14 of the manga, Jose is critically wounded by a gunshot to his stomach, delivered by Henrietta during a confused state, when she saw him as one of the men who attacked her and killed her family the night she was raped. He accepted his fate, stating that it is what he deserves for doing this to her, and instructs her to fulfil her promise to kill him then herself. They are both found dead by members of Section 1 with gunshot wounds to the head, although it is unclear who pulled the trigger on whom.
- Jose is an agent in Section 2, Henrietta's handler, and Jean's younger brother. He was previously an officer with the Carabinieri and was the youngest son of the influential public prosecutor Giovanni Croce and defense attorney Carla Croce, Enrica (whom Henrietta strongly resembles). In what would be labeled as the "Croce Incident", Jose's parents, sister and Jean's fiance were murdered when their car was destroyed by a roadside bomb set by Giacomo Dante of the terroristic Padania organization. To avenge his family, Jose and his brother joined the SWA to eradicate Padania, and ultimately kill Giacomo. After joining the SWA, Jose was initially adamant against treating the children the agency "repaired" as mere tools of vengeance, and is quite aware of their propensity for feeling emotion and pain, as well as each having a separate consciousness. However, as the series progress, he grows tired of treating Henrietta nicely as it is emotionally draining. After hunting down Giacomo, the terrorist responsible for his family's deaths and losing one of his eye, Jose grows detached from Henrietta, even allowing the SWA to "reset" Henrietta without caring about the consequences. During the SWA attack at the New Turin nuclear power station after Giacomo and his followers take control of the plant, Jose was accidentally shot and mortally wounded by a panicked Henrietta as she has a flashback of her past. Knowing that she will not be able to live happily if he is dead, He also feels dying by her hand wouldn't be so bad. Jose then reminds her of their vacation to Sicily and what she had said.[15] With Jose pointing his gun at her eye and Henrietta with hers at his head, they enter into a suicide pact and together they pull their triggers.[16]
- The name "Giuseppe" is used only in ADV's English adaptation of the manga; in the Japanese-language manga and anime, this character is named Joze (ジョゼ), which has been rendered as Jose and even Giuse[17] for the North American DVD release from FUNimation. Both forms have the same meaning: they are translations of the name "Joseph." Although in flashback of Enrika Croce, Carla mentioned Jose as Gioseffo when she told her daughter to invite his brother to her football match replacing her.
Appearance[]
Jose in his leather jacket
Jose is a relatively handsome man, with fair skin, dark brown, almost black hair and deep brown eyes.
He dresses more casually than his brother, in either a black suit or a a loose-fitting shirt and pants with a coat.
He often wears a brown leather jacket with a fleece lining, particularly if the weather is cold.
Personality[]
Jose is a very caring and kind individual.
When he first joined the agency with his brother, he was very quiet and reserved, often standing back and following Jean's lead. This may have been because Jean stepped up and took charge after their family's deaths, getting them the job at the agency and pursuing revenge on Dante.
He is strongly against treating the children of the agency as mere tools of vengeance and is quite aware of their propensity for feeling emotion and pain, as well as each having a separate consciousness. Due to this reason he acts very kind and loving towards Henrietta, more so than many of the other Handlers, and he treats her a lot like his little sister, Enrica.
Jose feels a large amount of guilt for his family's deaths, and regrets not spending enough time with his sister, which is why he treats Henrietta so nicely and tries to give her all the things Enrica never had.
He does have a darker side, as seen when facing down Dante, and is still driven by a desire for revenge.
Near the end of the manga, after he is forced to recondition Henrietta to save her life, his disposition changes and he grows colder and completely detached. from everyone, even distancing himself from his brother.
Jose, adjusting his tie
Weapons[]
He prefers FN made weapon systems as his personal sidearm is an FN Five-seven USG and during the attack at the nuclear plant he is the only other SWA soldier besides Henrietta who is using an FN P90.
Notes[]
His full name is Gioseffo Croce, from which Jose (or Giosè) comes as a diminutive. Gioseffo is an old-fashioned, Italian name, basically a historic variant of Guiseppe, which is most likely taken from the famous composer, Gioseffo Zarlino. Zarlino was followed by another composer, who's name was Giovanni Croce, like his father, hence why he may have been named such.
In the first season of the series, Jose has black hair and blue eyes, while in the second, which the writer of the manga, Yu Aida, worked more closely with, he has dark brown hair and brown eyes.
In the North American manga translation by ADVManga, Jose is called Giuseppe, while in the first season of the anime, distributed by Funimation, he has the name Giuse, as if to blend the two combos together. All variations are Italian equivalents of Joseph.
When his family died, he continued to drink although at an even more excessive rate than before.
When he is making an important decision or feels uncomfortable, he often adjusts his tie or shrugs, however he does this less and less at the manga progresses.
His brother, Jean, may have given him the job at the agency in order to provide Jose with a way to cope with his guilt and pain.
His sister, Enrica, bears a close resemblance to Henrietta, especially when she was young.
He starts to feel that his doting on Henrietta is forced rather than felt, although he does genuinely care for her.
After each mission, he buys Henrietta a gift, as a form of payment for her work.
He often confides in Dr. Bianchi about his feelings towards his cyborg, and they both appear to get along rather well.
Jose and Hilshire are close friends and often share similar points of view.
He often visits the family house and the Sicily summer home, where he has taken Henrietta for a couple of holiday.
He frequently visits Enrica's grave and leaves her flowers.
He has watched footage on the news of the Croce Family Incidence, which he uses to remind him of why he works at the Agency - for revenge.
Images[]
Jose, as he appears in Season 2
Jose, as he appears in season 1
Jose, standing behind his brother, Jean
Jose, leaning up against the wall behind his brother, while watching Henrietta in training
Jose, after being blamed for his family's murders
Jose (sideshow)