How Will Vanitas Die? And Why?

The first part of question is easy to answer. Vanitas will die because Noe killed him. That much we get from the first chapter of manga (and episode 1 in anime).

“That was the beginning. This is the tale of how I met Vanitas and how we walked toghether…Of all we gained and lost…And how at the end of that journey…I would kill him with my own two hands” ~ Noe, chapter 1

It seems that this is it. We have our answer. Noe will kill Vanitas and now the question is why?

And yet in chapter 11 we learn this:

“Even now I vividly remember the color of the rising sun I saw then. And all too easily the memories of the beginning summon memories of the end. The things that slipped through my fingers…The regrets of that day when I didn’t grab your hand- [and in the background the picture of Noe’s bloodied hand reaching Vanitas’s]” ~ Noe, chapter 11

Is Noe talking about same situation? Or two separate events? One leading to another.

Also what does Vanitas mean here:

1) Vanitas calls Noe

2) Then in the next panel we see him say: “I won’t die…Noe. Even if I’m no longer here…”

Does Vanitas mean to say it as reassurence? Now, I don’t mean that kind of reasurance: “ Even if I died, I’ll forever be in your heart/memory”, I meant it literally; remember chapter 6 when Noe and Dominique where crossing borders and Vanitas joined them? Noe was furious becuase Vanitas could have gotten stuck between them and remain there forever.

Maybe that’s what Vanitas mean. That he’ll be stuck in a place like this but still alive. Noe couldn’t/wouldn’t grab Vanitas’s hand and so he is stuck.

I don’t think that Noe would willingly not help Vanitas, even considering the current events of chapter 52. Future-Noe seems to genuinly regret not helping him so even if currently their relationship is rocky it will (at some point) return to what they had previously-maybe their relationship will get even better. (I hope so at least)

But back to the topic. As to why Noe wouldn’t save Vanitas-it won’t necessarily be his choice. Either he will be: a) too late (won’t be present during the situation, will come only for the aftermatch), b) manipulated and not thinking straight in that moment, c) forced to not help Vanitas (circumstances or maybe even the oath he is under- thanks to Lord Ruthven).

And Future-Noe while writing “Les Memoires de Vanitas” is thinking about the possibilities of what could have been done diffrently, so that Vanitas could live normally. (And is generally blaming himself for the outcome).

Of course, there can be other interpretation of those clues.

1) In the panel where Vanitas says that he won’t die, we can see someone; there is a smirking person with long white hair- hair that reminds me of Luna /Vanitas (The Vampire of Blue Moon)- so they could be connected to the whole situation.

2) Noe is speaking metaphorically about not grabing Vanitas’s hand- he didn’t help Vanitas or he let Vanitas go/do something alone which led to his death.

Now, taking those points into account, here’s my theory: Vanitas wasn’t himself before his death. He was either possesed or on the verge of losing himself.

You see, ever since Vanitas reavealed that he was just ordinary human being and that he had inherited name and the Book of Vanitas fromthe original vampire (how exactly it happened is a theory for another day) I was curious how exactly is it possible for human to mendle with formulas (even with help from the magic book). Then the ball from chapter 7 happened and we got answers. Because of the bite mark Vanitas got this powers.

But as we know with great power comes great responsibility (or drawback in this case) and something was supposed to make Vani’s life harder.

Through the course of story Noe points out that for the revenge on V!Vanitas (for helping those vampires really) Vani must have given up on something (at least that’s what Noe read from Vani’s expression).

And Noe was right. Because in chapter 42:

Vanitas will be rewritten beacuse of that power.

We don’t know exactly how. Does it mean he will become a vampire? Maybe. We don’t know how Luna transformed Mikhail into one.

But I think that Mikhail turning into vampire and Vanitas remaining human was the result of two different courses of action being taken by Luna.

1) Mikahil wanted to be turned into vampire (the only thing that could save him)

2) Vanitas refused (even if that meant dying).

Luna didn’t want Vanitas to die and so she found another way that would both save him and allow him to live as human (which is why she/they died and Vani blames and hates himself).

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Vani can use his powers but there are limits and once he hit those there is no turning back.

Luna stated that because of Moreau’s experiments Mikhai’s and Vanitas’s condition was unstable. They were neither human nor vampire. Now Mikhail is safe because he got transformed. Vanitas did not and is not safe.

I’m guessing that because of those medlings Vanitas (after hitting limits) can’t remain human but also can’t become a vampire. Maybe something similair to what happened to Luna(her name was probably corrupted- that’s why she/they look(s) like Naenia, she asked Vanitas to kill them so most of her/them had died before turning into Naenia) will happen to him(he will also be become corrupted somehow). And that’s why Noe will kill him. That’s why Vanitas said that he wouldn’t die (part of his conciousness will be alive but stuck between realms).

And Noe is blaming himself because he hadn’t noticed that Vanitas was not well.