Qifrey
From Witch Hat Atelier
Qifrey is a main character of Witch Hat Atelier, a gentle witch who runs a small atelier and takes Coco in as his apprentice when her mistake should have cost her memory. Behind his patience he is quietly hunting the Brimmed Cap witches who marked his past. He is voiced by Natsuki Hanae in Japanese and Joshua Waters in English.
About Qifrey
Qifrey is a gentle, white-haired witch who runs a small atelier and takes Coco in when her mistake would mean punishment and erased memories. A patient teacher to his four apprentices, he is also quietly hunting the Brimmed Cap witches who marked his past, one of his eyes hides more than anyone knows. His kindness and his secrets drive the story.
Appearance
Qifrey is a young man with short, pale silver hair and a calm, soft-featured face. His long hair on one side covers his right eye, which he keeps hidden at all times. He wears elegant layered robes in white and grey with a draped cape fastened by gold clasps, a silver pointed hat, dark ribbons and sharp black boots, the most graceful figure in his own atelier.
Personality
Qifrey is patient, kind and quietly observant, a teacher who praises effort and notices small things others miss. With his four apprentices he is gentle almost to a fault. Underneath, though, is a single-minded determination: the Brimmed Caps took something from him, and his search for them can turn cold and ruthless in ways his students rarely see. He keeps his own pain politely out of sight.
Background & Story
Qifrey was raised among witches and trained in the Great Hall, specialising in water magic, before setting up his own small atelier and taking in apprentices whom stricter schools had rejected, with his childhood friend Olruggio beside him as the atelier's Watchful Eye. Something in his past connects him to the outlawed Brimmed Cap witches: it cost him his right eye and memories of his former life, and he has been searching for them ever since. When Coco's accident brings the Brimmed Caps' handiwork back into the open, Qifrey defies the law that demands her memory be erased and takes her as his apprentice, part kindness, part hope that she will lead him to the people he is hunting.
Powers & Abilities
- Water magic: Qifrey specialises in water magic, shaping drawn seals that move and control water with unusual finesse.
- Drawn seal magic: As a full-fledged witch he draws complex seals in ink to cast a wide range of spells, from travel and protection to delicate everyday magic.
Key Relationships
- Coco: His newest apprentice, taken in against the law's demands, both a student he genuinely cares for and a link to the Brimmed Caps.
- Olruggio: His childhood friend and the atelier's Watchful Eye, the person who knows him best and worries about his obsession most.
- Agott Arklaum: His first apprentice, whose hunger to prove herself he guides with particular care.
- Alaira: An old friend and senior witch whose sympathy for Coco aligns her with Qifrey against the harsher voices of witch society.
Quick Answers
How old is Qifrey in Witch Hat Atelier?
His exact age is never stated. Author Kamome Shirahama has described Qifrey and Olruggio as somewhere in their late twenties to early thirties. His birthday is November 19.
What happened to Qifrey's eye?
Qifrey's right eye was taken in an incident connected to the Brimmed Cap witches, along with memories of his former life. He keeps it covered by his hair and is quietly hunting those responsible.
Who voices Qifrey?
Qifrey is voiced by Natsuki Hanae in Japanese and by Joshua Waters in the English dub.
What magic does Qifrey specialise in?
Qifrey specialises in water magic, cast like all witch magic through seals drawn in ink.
