Summary
Number 03 is a Silpelit Diclonius, approximately three to four years of age, who lacks a personal name and is known only by the designation assigned by the human scientists at the research facility. She appears exclusively in episode 10 of the anime, during a series of flashbacks experienced by Kurama when he reflects on his tenure as director at Chief Kakuzawa’s island facility. These memories reveal the cruel experiments conducted on Diclonius subjects to measure the range and power of their vectors. Number 03 was daily chained to a wall while a machine fired small iron balls at her from various angles to test the maximum reach and deflection capabilities of her vectors. When the trauma of these tests became unbearable, Kurama voiced his protest against the inhuman activities. Shortly thereafter, the restraints on Number 03 mysteriously came undone, triggering a killing spree that ended when she located Kurama. She had secretly concealed the true length of her growing vectors from the research team to facilitate her escape. With her vector resting on Kurama’s head, she offered a haunting expression of gratitude before Professor Kakuzawa shot her in the head with an armor-piercing bullet. Several months later, Kurama’s wife gave birth to a Diclonius baby named Mariko. This event terrified Kurama and caused him to recall his near-death encounter with Number 03, leading him to finally realize that the virus is transmitted through the vectors. The official Elfen Lied website confirms that Number 03 is Nana’s older sister.
