| Overview |
| Akira | |
| |
| Role | Main Character |
|---|---|
| Race | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Alive (All Good Ends) Deceased (All Bad Ends) |
| Relatives | None |
| Aliases | LOST |
| Weapon | N's knife |
| Abilities | Neutralizing the effects of Line, skilled with martial arts and knives, increased stamina |
| Voice Actor | Kousuke Toriumi/Spoon Sakiware |
| Height | Approx. 172cm (~5'8") |
Akira (アキラ) is the series' protagonist. He is generally cold and quiet, though he has a hidden naive side. He grew up in an orphanage, along with his best friend Keisuke. Akira was the undefeated champion of a street fighting game called "Bl@ster" in the RAY district, participating under the alias "LOST."
He was accused of a murder he did not commit and sentenced to life in prison, but hesitantly accepted an offer from Emma and Gwen to be released from prison in exchange for going on a mission for them to Toshima and participating in the life-and-death game Igura.
Personality
Akira naturally acts cold and uncaring towards most people, even including his friends. He is a man of few words, and is greatly out of touch with his own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, which causes him to come off as abrasive. Even those who are close to him don't often know what he's thinking or feeling. He has a indomitable will that even the most dominating people have a hard time breaking down.
Despite his cold exterior, Akira does care deeply about the people close to him. There's a naive or childish side of his personality, that he generally hides, but which comes out under certain circumstances.
Appearance
Akira has messy dark grey hair, dark blue/green eyes, and pale skin. He wears light grey jeans, an orange t-shirt, white high top sneakers, and a black bomber jacket with a hood trimmed in white fur.
Abilities
Martial Arts
He received military training his entire life, and with the addition of his time in Bl@ster, he is an expert in fighting and shown to have a quite bit of force behind his strikes. With the amount of counter attacks he displays while facing the combatants of Toshima, he is not easily defeated.
Knife Expert
As he has a lot of experience in terms of armed and hand-to-hand combat, Akira handles his blade with the ease of a skilled fighter. As such, he is able to dispatch the lower level combatants of Igura quickly, oftentimes without injury to himself. He acquired his preferred dagger from Nano when he was young.
Increased Stamina
Since he was one of the few Bl@ster regulars, Akira's stamina and endurance is a force to be reckoned with. As such, he can easily subdue several hostiles at once (depending on their skill level of course).
Relationships
Keisuke - Keisuke is his closest friend, as they grew up together. He constantly worries about Keisuke throughout the series and cares deeply for him, despite the fact that he does not commonly show it. He despises the way Keisuke puts him on a pedestal while berating himself, and wants him to stand up for himself and see himself as Akira's equal.
Rin - Akira is suspicious of Rin at first and commonly has doubts about him throughout the game. He is confused by Rin's overly happy attitude, as Akira sees glimpses of something dark underneath the exterior. As the game progresses, they grow closer as friends. In Rin's route, they end up with a romantic relationship.
Motomi - Akira mentions that he was interested in Motomi when they first met, and wanted to get to know him better. He gets annoyed about how Motomi treats him like a kid. Motomi views him as a son but the feelings soon turn into something more.
Shiki - Akira initially has an antagonistic relationship with Shiki, but after being kidnapped, his feelings seem to change. He becomes fearful of him, but also intrigued. In Shiki's ends, Akira ends up attached to him despite everything that Shiki put him through, and pledges his undying loyalty to him.
Nano - Akira first met Nano when he was a child, and he was interested in him and tried to be friends with him. Nano gave him his dagger as a promise that they would one day meet again. Because of the brainwashing he underwent, Akira does not remember this until he meets Nano again. His interest quickly returns, and they develop mutual attachment.
Arbitro - Akira is perturbed by Arbrito's sadistic tendencies and appalled by his general lack of taste.
Takeru - A former Bl@ster and current Igura participant who tries to steal Akira's tags. Akira learns of his greater goal of providing for his family and reluctantly admires Takeru's inner strength, and is horrified by the change Takeru undergoes after taking Line. His death hits Akira hard.
In the Game
History
Akira was born before the Third Division in the northeastern side of Japan, probably somewhere near Tokyo. Akira was separated from his parents at a young age and grew up in the Toshima Bunny Orphanage with Keisuke. Though he does not remember it, he was a test subject in the Nicole Experiments. He underwent military training, and at the end of the war was assigned as an only child to his new adoptive parents. They treated him well and Akira liked them well enough, but to him "strangers were still strangers," and he had no reason to stay with them since they weren't related. He left their home after living with them for three years, moving out into his own apartment and fighting in Bl@ster to get money. He won the Bl@ster championship a couple years later.
Common Route
The common route starts with Akira defeating a man in a Bl@ster match. He is imprisoned under a false murder charge and faces a life sentence when Emma and Gwen appear with another option: go to Toshima and participate in Igura to defeat Il Re and disband Vischio on behalf of the government. Akira's first night in the city is marked by witnessing one man raping another (presumably an Igura participant who lost), which demonstrates the harsh nature of environment.
Akira is joined by Keisuke, who followed him into Toshima and can't remember the way back home, and Rin, who shows them around the city. Rin takes them to Vischio's Palace so Keisuke can enter Igura, where they meet the flamboyant Arbitro. They run across the Executioners beating an innocent man to death, and see Kau, whose modified nose can smell fake tags (including the ones given to Akira). Rin also takes them to Meal of Duty, where they meet Motomi and take a photo together.
After he enters Igura, Keisuke's tag gets stolen by Takeru, who recognizes Akira from Bl@ster and tries to fight him. Their battle is interrupted when Takeru's tag and cross go flying, and Takeru recovers the cross without the tag. Akira picks it up, which later prompts Takeru to drag Akira into his flight from the Executioners, who are chasing Takeru for stealing tags. The player's choices in this part of the game can lead to bad endings with Gunji or Kiriwar. The route continues with a conversation with Takeru about his motives.
Rin takes Akira and Keisuke to the Hotel. Akira goes outside for fresh air and quiet, and finds people running away and yelling, "It's Shiki!" Akira investigates and clashes blades with Shiki. On his way back to the Hotel, Akira is attacked by several Line-addicted thugs. Akira is overpowered until the leader licks Akira's blood off his knife and goes into strange convulsions. Akira takes the man's tag in his "victory," but feels uneasy about the experience. The Executioners show up to haul away the man he defeated, and Akira is rescued by Motomi, who hides Akira and shoos Gunji and Kiriwar along.
When he returns from his "victory", Akira argues with Keisuke at the Hotel. Keisuke runs out into the night, eventually taking Line to become stronger and being driven mad by the drug. After parting ways with Rin and Motomi, Akira goes looking for Keisuke and discovers a massacre at Meal of Duty. There, Akira again encounters Takeru, who has changed dramatically after taking Line (given to him by the mysterious man, Nano). Enhanced by the drug, Takeru defeats Akira, but licks blood from Akira's mouth. He too goes into convulsions and passes out. Akira runs out without finding if Takeru is dead; he survived, but is killed by Keisuke.
Keisuke confronts Akira with this information later on, and scenes with the Line-using Keisuke are part of the story regardless of which character's route is played. Throughout the common route there are specific choices for the player to determine which character's route Akira will enter and the ending.
Arbitro's End
If the player chooses to take some of the bread offered by Arbitro while he and Akira are talking at the Palace, they will get Arbitro's end.
After Akira passes out from the drugged food, Arbitro has his servants carry him into the basement that serves as a torture chamber. When Akira awakens, he's shackled to the wall, and Arbitro force feeds him some kind of drug, presumably an opiate . Because of this, all the pain that Akira experiences feels good to him. Arbitro begins cutting his torso, making decorative scars like those seen on Kau. His goal is to make Akira into a mate for Kau. Some time later, Akira has been "broken" by Arbitro, and Arbitro is musing on introducing him to Kau that day.
Gunji's End
If the player chooses to shake Takeru off while they are running from the Executioners, then chooses to go left, they will get Gunji's end. Gunji rapes Akira while cutting open his torso with his claws, ultimately killing him.
Kiriwar's End
If the player chooses to shake Takeru off while they are running from the Executioners, then chooses to go right, they will get Kiriwar's end. Kiriwar rapes Akira, then carries him off, presumably to deliver to Arbitro.
Keisuke's Route
Good End
If the player chooses to endure the pain when Keisuke is raping Akira with the screwdrivers, and then later on, when Akira and Keisuke are talking, chooses to say nothing, they will get the good end.
Bad End 1
If the player chooses to cry out in pain when Keisuke is raping Akira with the screwdrivers, they will get the first bad end. This ending is commonly referred to as the "screwdriver end" to distinguish it from Keisuke's other bad end.
Bad End 2
If the player chooses to endure the pain when Keisuke is raping Akira with the screwdrivers, and then later on, when Akira and Keisuke are talking, chooses to say they don't understand, they will get the second bad end. This ending is commonly referred to as the "intestines end" to distinguish it from Keisuke's other bad end.
Rin's Route
Getting involved with Rin eventually leads Akira to try to fight Il Re on Rin's behalf. They are rescued by an explosion detonated by Motomi. In a heart-to-heart with Rin, Akira promises never to betray him and gains his trust. Rin returns to fight Shiki as Akira and Motomi escape from Toshima. Five years later, Akira and Rin are finally reunited. Rin lost his leg, but he defeated Shiki and took his katana as proof.
Motomi's Route
On Motomi's route, Akira and Motomi spend a lot of time getting to know each other at the church. Akira learns about Motomi's tragic past as a researcher for ENED, and how Motomi seeks to stop the government from continuing the research by killing the living weapon, Nicole Premier. Akira convinces Motomi that Nano is a victim, too. In the end, Nano fights the invading soldiers so that Motomi and Akira can escape from Toshima using the secret underground passage. After that, Motomi and Akira travel the world together while Motomi works as a journalist.
Shiki's Route
The main branch for Shiki's route is when he and Akira are crossing blades; if the player chooses to look away, they will not get Shiki's route. If they choose to hold his gaze, it is likely that they will get Shiki's route. (Note that Shiki's route is locked, and therefore this option is not present, until at least one other route has been completed. Before this happens, Akira will look away automatically.)
Some time after their initial fight, Shiki attacks Akira again, and when Akira is unable to fend him off completely, Shiki kidnaps him, picking him up and carrying him to an apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. He proceeds to give him a navel piercing as a mark of ownership, which arouses Akira against his will. Seeing this, Shiki tells him to "relieve himself." Akira is immediately angered by this, but after Shiki makes it clear he has no chance of fighting back, Akira hesitantly does what he says. Afterwards, Shiki leaves him there, locking the door after himself so Akira can't escape.
When Shiki returns, he drags Akira into the bathroom and dumps him in the filled bathtub, causing him to choke on the water. As he's coughing and sputtering, Shiki uses the shower head to douse his face in scalding water. Shiki then orders him to strip, which Akira does, again after it being made clear that there's nothing he can do to fight back or escape. Shiki rapes him, leaving again shortly after.
This continues for a long time, and eventually, Akira is given the means to escape; Shiki leaves the door unlocked. (It is unclear whether or not this was done on purpose.) Akira gets up and leaves the apartment, and makes it all the way to the front door of the building before realizing that he can't bring himself to leave for some reason. He collapses near the door in self-loathing and indecision, staying there until Shiki returns some time later.
One day, Shiki returns acting solemn. He is in possession of Rin's stilettos, implying that they fought and he won. He talks to Akira calmly for some time before raping him again, but Akira realizes that he's being a lot more gentle than usual and seems distracted.
The ending branch comes when Shiki and Nano are facing off. Nano offers Shiki his blood, and the player is given a choice between stopping Shiki from taking it or allowing him to. If they choose to allow him to, they are given a second choice between watching the ensuing scene or deciding it's too horrible to watch.
Good End
If the player chooses to call out to Shiki and stop him from drinking Nano's blood, they will get the good end.
Shiki kills Nano, and he and Akira leave Toshima.
Two years after the events in Toshima, Shiki is completely unresponsive and in a wheelchair, with Akira taking care of him. After defeating Nano, Shiki slowly devolved into a shell of his former self, since he no longer had a reason to live. Akira watched this sadly, continuing to talk with him though he does not get a response. In the scene of the good end, Akira is now wielding a katana and dressing similarly to how Shiki used to. He is taking Shiki out for a walk when he is attacked by Shiki's enemies. The scene fades to black while Akira is preparing to fight.
Bad End 1
If the player chooses to let Shiki drink Nano's blood, and subsequently chooses to look away, they will get the first bad end. This end is commonly referred to as the "slut end" to distinguish it from Shiki's other bad end.
Some time after the events in Toshima, Shiki has gone Line-mad, and lives in a palace with Akira and many servants. Akira's personality has changed drastically. Whenever Shiki leaves, which he does often, Akira gets unbearably lonely and starts sleeping around with whoever he can to make Shiki jealous. When Shiki returns, he kills all the men that Akira has slept with without emotion, since he's long since gotten used to the routine.
Bad End 2
If the player chooses to let Shiki drink Nano's blood, and subsequently chooses to watch the scene that unfolds, they will get the second bad end. This end is commonly referred to as the "military end" to distinguish it from Shiki's other bad end.
Some time after events in Toshima, Shiki is a dictator over all of Japan. Akira rules by his side as the second in command.
Nano's Route/True Route
The player must play every route before gaining the branch onto Nano's route, which is the choice to investigate a body lying beneath a tree. Akira discovers the body is not a corpse but the mysterious Nano, whose true name he does not learn until the end.
Akira repeatedly encounters Nano in several different locations, and sometimes seeks Nano out because Nano has a strangely calming effect on him. As they grow closer, Akira learns of Nano's fatalism and despair, and finally recalls the elusive dream he's been having, which is about his first meeting with Nano. From Emma, Akira learns how they share a past as experiments at ENED, and how the unusual spark they feel when they touch is related to their blood's polar opposite abilities.
Nano kills Emma, and Akira convinces Motomi to give up on his goal of killing Nano. In the end, Akira loses Keisuke (whose sanity returned) to a soldier's gun. Akira finally gets through to Nano about fighting their fates, and Akira and Nano escape from Toshima after exchanging their names. Three years after the end of the civil war, Akira and Nano are still being pursued by the new Japanese government. Nano's long-suppressed emotions are reviving, and they are happy as long as they're together.
In the Anime
Akira in the anime
In the final episode of the anime series, Akira is shown wielding a katana of his own as he goes back to Toshima to face his rival, Shiki.
In the Manga
The manga follows Akira through a mix of the game route storylines. Scenes from all five major routes appear, as well as a temporary version of Arbitro's end in volume 6.
Trivia
- Akira's height is not mentioned in the game, but it is listed in one of the official True Blood books as being approximately 172cm, and in the manga as being 173cm.
- Akira's exact age is also not mentioned, but he is stated as being in his late teens in the same True Blood book, which would likely make him either 18 or 19.
- He likes omurice (omelette rice) flavored Solids. He is somewhat embarrassed when this is pointed out to him, because omurice is a dish that is popular among children.
- Akira's citizen number is 11298-TM-3099.
- According to the manga, Akira attended Mikasa Military Training School.