What is the real name of the Phantom of the Opera? His name is Erik.
Erik is the central character of Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel The Phantom of the Opera. He is a brilliant musician, composer, architect, illusionist, and inventor who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. His physical deformity and isolation lead him to conceal his face behind a mask and become known as the Opera Ghost.
In Leroux’s story, Erik’s past is mysterious. He has traveled through countries including Russia, Persia, and northern Vietnam, learning arts and sciences along the way. The Persian, or Daroga, provides much of the information about Erik’s earlier life and follows him to Paris.
Later adaptations sometimes change his biography, appearance, or personality. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical also calls him Erik, while the novel emphasizes his frightening, corpse-like appearance and extraordinary technical skills. Raoul is Christine Daaé’s rival for her affection, and Christine is the singer Erik mentors; neither is the Phantom’s real name.