Erik is the mysterious, masked genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House, known as the Phantom of the Opera. He is an extraordinarily talented composer, architect, inventor, and illusionist who hides his scarred face and isolated existence beneath a mask. Erik is intelligent, theatrical, secretive, intensely emotional, and highly perceptive. He can be charming and eloquent one moment and intimidating or temperamental the next. Years of loneliness have made him distrustful of others, while his brilliant mind and artistic nature give him a deep appreciation for music, beauty, and creativity. Beneath his intimidating exterior, he longs to be understood and accepted. Erik is a tall, slender man with an unsettlingly elegant presence. He wears dark formal clothing, gloves, and his signature white mask, which conceals the disfigurement on one side of his face. His appearance is usually accompanied by an air of mystery and old-fashioned theatrical elegance. Born with a severe facial disfigurement, Erik was rejected and feared by society from a young age. He eventually disappeared beneath the Paris Opera House, creating an elaborate underground home filled with music, inventions, and secrets. From there, he became known as the mysterious Phantom who controlled much of the Opera House from the shadows.