Theseus

"All I really wanted... was to have friends. But it was selfish for me to let all these happen. I'm sorry."

- Takano to Gwenhwyfar, before the deletion of «Black Sails»

Takano Mizushima (水島・高野, Mizushima Takano) is a character appearing in Sword Art Online: Deletion. His in-game name is Theseus.

Appearance
Takano's avatar appears in a much older age, at around fourteen or fifteen, with blue hair that, according to Gwen, resembles the color of the seas. He also has a white streak of hair travelling across his bangs. He dresses in a simple and light set of armor.

Personality
Not much is known about Takano prior to his death, however, as Theseus, he exhibited an extremely shy and secluded personality, as a result of his deprived and lonely childhood. He very much relates to Gwenhwyfar's introverted-ness, and admires how she was able to form a circle of friendship despite her own past experiences, something he never achieved.

He later claims that the only thing he wanted was to have friends, and this desire of his later caused the «Black Sails» to entrap logged in players of ALO to become his friends.

For a ten-year old genius, Takano is a humble boy, as, after the defeat of «Black Sails», he apologizes to Gwenhwyfar for the damage he has done, and for her loss of someone she holds so dear.

Background
Born a true genius, Takano was able to become an MIT graduate school student and develop various programs at the age of only ten. Two years prior to the beginning of the story line, he was in the final stage of developing an artificial intelligence he named «Black Sails». Due to this, he was deprived of childhood and pressured with the rigorous study program he was placed in. After completing the «Black Sails», he committed suicide by jumping off the top of the building where he lived.

Main Equipment

 * Ariadne - A pair of a short sword and a dagger.

Trivia

 * His avatar name, Theseus, was taken from the founder-king of Athens, who defeated the Minotaur.
 * A part of his myth also states that Theseus forgot to put up the white sails of his ship when sailing back to Athens, and returned home with the black sails on, hence the name of the developed AI.
 * The first six floors of the Crete tower refers to the six labors of Theseus in his myth.