Erik Destler

Erik, or The Phantom, age 42. is a composer. A genius, a magician, genius that had turned into insanity. Half of his face is scarred which he covers with a white porcelain mask. He falls in love with Christine when he hears her singing during her first show, when she steps in for Carlotta, and is favored by the public. He then "kidnaps" her, and when she is returned to the theatre, he sends notes. Most of them concerning Christine taking Carlotta's place in every play.

The Phantom is mix of poetry, tragedy and cold-blooded evil. He terrorizes the opera, especially Carlotta, blackmails the managers and murders both Buquet and Piangi.

In the middle of the movie, Phantom shows himself publicly in the middle of an Opera. He mad that those who read the letters didn't listen when they were instructed to put Christine as the countess and put Carlotta as the page boy (the silent role).

At the end of the masquerade scene, The Phantom appears and gives the people a new opera that he wrote. He tells the opera owners that they belong in an office an not in the arts. He tells Carlotta that she is no longer needed in the opera. He tells Piangi that he should lose some weight since it isn't healthy in a man of Piangi's age. He then explains to everybody that he's Christine's Tutor and that they should return her to him. After, he looks at Christine with eyes of love. He then sees her engagement ring on a chain around her neck and he then rips it from her neck and keeps it with him and tells her that she belongs to him.

The Phantom's face is shown publicly once at the end then he kidnaps Christine once again. They begin talking about what will be done and what he wants he gives Christine her engagement as if he is telling her that she will marry him. After this, Raoul comes to save Christine, Erik let's him pass but then traps him and tangles him in ropes since he's ready to hang him. He forces her to love him when he is giving her an ultimatum; to stay with him forever or to kill Raoul. Christine then decides to kiss him twice and he begins to cry and let's them go.

As she's about to leave, The Phantom is listen to the monkey with symbols playing the song "Masquerade". She walks over and gives him the her engagement ring and then walks away.

At the end of the movie, we see The Phantom looking at himself in the mirror and being very upset, he takes one of the candle holders and begins to break the mirrors that he owns and then takes a secret passage to somewhere unknown. After this scene we no longer see The Phantom.