| Overview |
Keith (キース, Kīsu) (Keys in some Japanese Translations) and Berun (ベルン, Berun) are supporting antagonists during the Faudo Arc. They placed 19 out of the 100 mamodo in the battle to determine the king.
Appearance[]
Keith is a flamboyant Mamodo with a regal, eccentric appearance that gives off the air of a space-faring aristocrat or a dramatic sci-fi villain. His armor-like suit is a striking combination of white, blue, and gold, with intricate trim and star-like embellishments. He wears a massive crescent-shaped helmet or collar that fans out around his head like a cosmic crescent moon, adding to his theatrical flair. He carries a blue and gold cane that doubles as a baton, which he tends to wave about randomly while he sings. Keith’s face is always framed by his helmet, and he sports golden eyebrows and a confident smirk. Keith's most distinctive features are his arms, which are on springs. He can use these to ram his fists forward in a powerful punch, as well as to propel himself forward.
Berun is Keith’s human partner and appears tall, stern, and refined. He has a gaunt face with deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and shoulder-length curly dark hair. He wears a red ball on his nose, similar to a clown, although when he is happy, it opens up into a flower. He wears a formal, old-fashioned outfit consisting of a deep red coat with gold trim, beige breeches, long white socks, and brown shoes.
Personality[]
Keith is flamboyant, dramatic, and thrives on making a scene. His small stature and exaggerated gestures only amplify his larger-than-life personality, giving him a comical edge even in the middle of battle. Proud of his strength, Keith once considered himself on par with the Four Mamodo Prodigies—a belief shattered after his defeat at the hands of Bari, whom he came to view as a rival. He typically uses the first-person pronouns ore or watashi. Although much of Keith’s role carries a comedic tone, he also displays a cruel and biting side. He corners opponents not just with magic but with relentless insults and provocations. When facing Zatch and Kanchome, for example, he mocked them as “insects” and “bastards not even worth the trash on the street,” showing his penchant for harsh words and psychological intimidation.
This arrogance stems less from corruption during the battle to decide the king, and more from his natural disposition in the demon world. In a flashback from Chapter 239, Keith is shown insulting Bari upon their first meeting, smoking a cigar, and lounging with his feet on a classroom desk—implying he was a delinquent student even before the king battle. Keith’s competitive streak is especially strong, and he often refuses to admit defeat. After losing to Zatch and Kanchome, he excused himself by saying, “I’ll let you off the hook because I have to eat Imoten,” before leaving. Even after arriving in the human world, he continued to demand a rematch with Bari, reflecting both his persistence and inability to easily accept bitter experiences.
In many ways, Keith’s personality mirrors Bari’s during the early Encounter Arc—immature, prideful, and fixated on strength above all. This parallel is acknowledged when Bari himself remarks in the Faudo Arc, “It’s frustrating, it’s like seeing my old self.” Outside of battle, however, Keith reveals a more sociable side. He cooperates easily with Buzarai and other Mamodo, and on the cover of Volume 21 of the Shonen Sunday Comics edition, he is shown working in a restaurant kitchen (albeit still with a cigar in his mouth). These glimpses, along with his final interactions in the story, suggest that beneath the bravado and arrogance, Keith is ultimately a good-hearted character.
Like most Faudo Arc bookkeepers, little is known about Berun’s personal background. He usually carries a serious or disdainful expression, but his defining trait is his identity as a film director. In both the manga and anime, he openly confirms this, carrying a clapperboard, shouting “ACTION!” at random intervals, and even mistaking it for a cue to chant spells. His habit adds an odd layer of comic relief to his otherwise stern demeanor.
Keith[]
Keith is one of the most eccentric mamodo seen in the series. Like all the competitors in the current battle, he is young, although he smokes a cigar and has a low voice. He often makes his entrances singing a gibberish version of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ode to Joy (while normally being blasted halfway through the song) and is also quite proud of it as he has a comical singing contest with Kanchome and Folgore's "Iron Man Folgore" song.
In the manga, his intention in allying with Riou is merely to take control of Faudo for himself and also to become a King cheered by everyone for his power, contributing his powerful spell, “Dioga Ginisdon” to the effort to break Faudo's lock. In the anime, however, he was shown to be loyal to Riou.
Biography[]
As with many Faudo arc characters, Keith and Berun's role greatly differs between the anime and the manga.
Manga[]
Shortly after the lock on Faudo is broken, Riou and his partner Banikis are defeated by Zeno and Dufort, who Keith promptly switches his allegiance to. He seals the deal by accepting a power boost from Faudo, changing him into a taller and stronger form. Stationed on the third level of Faudo's neck, he was the final guardian of the Main Control Room in Faudo's brain. He begins his inevitable fight with Zatch's group by unleashing a cerberus-like body part of Faudo's, called Degosumia. What Keith did not plan on was the arrival of his old enemy Bari (who, it was revealed, used to beat Keith up when they were in school), who destroys Degosumia in one hit and proceeds to face down Keith himself.
Keith after Godufa powering.
Keith realizes that he has no chance against Bari, and tells Berun to kill himself so Faudo could convert the parts of his body into power for Keith. Berun is reasonably hesitant, but in the end settles on offering Faudo some of his nose hair, which upgrades Keith to an armored form complete with laser-shooting satellites. However, Bari is still far stronger, and uses his ultimate spell, Dioga Zonisudon, to destroy Keith' armor and burn his book. As Keith disappears, he activates a torrent of lasers to block the door to the next room, which Bari ultimately sacrifices himself to get everyone through. Before disappearing, though, Keith tells Bari that he probably wouldn't have wanted to use such a cruel device on his enemies but the power of "Godufa" had really changed him. He tells Bari that he was glad that they could battle in the end and adds that just this once, he will let him go because they were rivals, finally fading away. Keith is later seen helping Zatch with his final battle against Clear. One month after Zatch becomes king, Keith is shown to be enrolled in a tensed school, along with Tsaolon, Rodeaux and Bari, who still retains his injuries from his fight against Elzador.
Berun is seen again when he is evacuated out of Faudo and witnesses the giant mamodo's defeat at the hands of Zatch, Kiyo, Brago, and Sherry. He is later seen eating a potato tempura, possibly remembering Keith.
Anime[]
Keith's part is significantly simplified in the anime as opposed to the manga. In the anime, he also keeps watch on the third level of Faudo's neck but he does not get an upgrade nor does he report to Zeno, as Riou is defeated much later in the anime than the manga. The room he is stationed in is also very different. The main teams that battle him are Kanchome and Parco Folgore and Momon and Elle Chivas, who use their powers of trickery and illusion to keep him busy until, as in the manga, Bari and Gustav arrive. Unlike in the manga, both Keith and Bari survive, and are evacuated out of Faudo.
Spells[]
Other Media[]
Video Games[]
Keith and Berun are a playable team in the following video games:
| Game | Japanese Release | English Release |
|---|---|---|
| Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yūjō no Zakeru Dream Tag Tournament | ||
| Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Go! Go! Mamono Fight!! |