Corona Karasu

An unusually serene surgeon who is particularly keen to ‘bond’ with people. They appear to lack any kind of social sensibilities, seeming genuinely surprised when others find them off-putting.

But they wish to learn about everything nonetheless, as they seem devoted towards some kind of enlightenment.

• The existence of ‘Corona Karasu’ is a relatively recent development. They have explained that this identity developed as a result of observing and trying to acclimate into society. Even basic identifying markers, such as surnames, pronouns, and Color Codes, were a novel concept to Corona. This is why their surname has no connection to an existing family, their pronouns are incredibly vague, and their Color Code is moreso a scientific concept rather than a hue.
  • Conspiracy theorist and determined truth-seeker Matt Umuthicula claims to know who they were prior to their current identity and is convinced that ‘Corona’ is merely their escaping accountability for the deeds they had committed in the past.
• How exactly Corona came to know The Program is unknown, as they seem to lack even the most basic understanding of modern society. They regard the show along the vein of a Roman gladiatorial contest, or perhaps an elaborate ritual for human sacrifice.
• EMPATHY is typically a stat that measures one’s compassion and cooperation. Though Corona exhibits sincerity in their desire to get along with others - to the point of being a pushover, at times - their complete lack of understanding for others’ feelings is the primary reason why their EMPATHY is so low.
  • Gabrielle Eleazar, a fellow competitor with high EMPATHY, is one of the few characters sympathetic to this paradoxical plight. She feels that something, or someone, must have failed Corona when they were very young.
• Judging from their comments on certain body functions - heart rate, blood pressure, how many times you blink in a minute - Corona highly values the ability to control these aspects in a precise manner. They seem particularly obsessed with maintaining a perfect 70 bpm heartbeat; a measurement of absolute composure.
• "Only from death and destruction can new, better life emerge” is something Corona believes both in regards to the metaphorical and the literal.
  • The manner in which they utilize their Value is consistent with this, as they prefer to ‘resurrect’ deceased mass rather than that which was never alive, like inanimate objects.
• Your gameplay choices surrounding Corona, as opposed to most other characters, rarely rebuff them completely. This may be in part to Oojin’s own fascination with them.
• Over 16 competitors in a Program season is highly unusual, as the tradition for decades has been 12-16 people. Corona seems unaware of their unconventional role as the ‘17th student’.
• For as often as they mention their experiments, little is known about them. They appear surgical in nature, as Corona carries around a scalpel, syringes, and gloves with them at all times. They also seem to involve aquatic creatures in one way or another - perhaps because of their failure in convincing a human subject.
  • They claim to have experimented on a human at one point. Successfully.
• Rejection and threats of violence fail to deter them. If anything, they seem to take a particular interest in those who are the most hostile, as if encouraged by the chasm of difference between them.
• Even though they appear incredibly uncomfortable around organized religion, Corona’s beliefs and familiarity in the spiritual imply that they had at one point been religious themself. Their single-minded pursuit of science resembles the obsessive worship of a god.
• Because it exists as energy, Chroma is not tangible matter. However, Corona believes otherwise. They assert that if they were to dissect a human, they would be able to see and touch physical evidence of their Chroma as if it were another organ. To them, unearthing this ‘core Chroma’ will bear the truth of one’s soul.
• In Corona’s introduction scene, they are the only character to not appear as a pair with another competitor.
  • Corona’s introduction is also unusual due to them approaching Oojin first, rather than the other way around. Oojin notes that, in general, they seem immune to certain narrative patterns.
• Rips and tatters are present on all of Corona’s outfits. With the exception of their elaborate wetsuit, everything they wear is a patchwork of fabric they’ve sewed together. They seem unfamiliar with the notion of buying clothing.
• The stitches littered throughout their body - most prominently across the bridge of their nose - are of Corona’s own design. The pattern appears consistently in their surgical procedures, almost like a signature style of their own.
  • Corona has explained that their scars are due to skin grafts. However, since there are two distinct skin tones visible throughout, it isn’t likely that the supply came from their own body.
• Hair color and Color Code can intersect but rarely overlap completely. However, Corona is an exception to the rule, being the only main character and one of the few in the entire cast whose hair is nearly entirely Cosmic Latte.