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The Vatican’s official mascot for next year’s 2025 Jubilee is a Japanese-style anime girl named Luce, who influential tech journal Gizmodo says is “bodying the power level”.
“Luce is the storm that is approaching anime fans’ tier list of the most powerful heroes,” say Gizmodo writer Isaiah Colbert.
A quick Internet search for those less hip says that “bodying the power level” is a gaming term indicating when someone defeats an opponent with significant strength that symbolises an overwhelming amount of ‘something’.
Bodying the power level is a common trope in meme culture, where characters from various media are compared regarding their exaggerated abilities.
The mascot is the Vatican’s attempt to reach the young people engaged in the anime community for the 2025 Jubilee.
In true anime fashion, Luce comes with a loyal group of friends, each bearing distinctive motifs reminiscent of Catholic virtues.
Yet, it’s Luce herself who has garnered the spotlight, with fans portraying her as a divine warrior empowered by both faith and the iconic aesthetics of anime.
Across social media platforms like X and TikTok, anime enthusiasts are creating memes and fan art that cast Luce as a formidable figure.
She is depicted as a “holy child,” a resilient force embodying the strength to endure life’s trials as a follower of God.
Despite her recent entry into anime culture, Luce has quickly ascended to near-legendary status, earning a reputation as one of the genre’s most powerful characters.
Her boots, splattered not with mud but with the blood of vanquished foes, stand as a testament to her role as both a fierce combatant and a holy redeemer, absolving adversaries through her devastating tri-beam attacks.
Vatican enters world of pop culture
Jubilee chief organiser Archbishop Rino Fisichella showed Luce (pronounced “Loo-chay” [ˈluːtʃe], lit. ’Light’) for the first time last week.
He said the mascot was “created from the desire to enter into the world of pop culture so beloved by our young people.”
Designed by tokidoki founder Simone Legno, the mascot represents a Catholic pilgrim, carries a staff and wears a cross around her neck. She also has a pet dog named Santino and friends Fe, Xin and Sky.
Luce represented the Holy See at Lucca Comics & Games in 2024 and will appear at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
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