Akira was released in 1988 and it’s still going on in everyone’s must-watch list, this alone should let you know the power of this Movie. The story of Akira and the art style is something that we will never see again, let alone the power it holds on the anime world. It has been one of the most important pillars on which anime is supported today, without “Akira” we wouldn’t be having anime series around the world. This gateway Movie paved the way for other artists and their anime dreams.
It made us believe it’s possible to create something and people will remember it for a long time, we think that Akira is an Anime Movie that will never go out of Trend. Now, mind you that Akira is a movie and not a series that we will be able to note down the Top 10 Popular Characters from Akira. But we managed to jot it down, involving the manga characters too. We have also got some gifts for the real Akira fans hidden inside this list; you will find amazing merch at an affordable price!
The story of Akira is based in a dystopian Neo Tokyo in 2019, the Japanese government dropped an atomic bomb on Tokyo after they failed some dangerous experiments being done on children. The real story starts in 2019 when Kaneda who is the coolest guy in Neo Tokyo with his badass Bike, tries to battle the government and save his friend Tetsuo. Tetsuo develops supernatural powers because of the experiments done on him, but Kaneda is keen on saving his friend and battling anyone who comes in his way. The Animation and colors of this Movie are so crisp and clear that you won’t believe that Akira wasn’t made in today’s time. The impact of Akira on the world was huge, the western countries started opening their doors to the Anime world. In short, Akira was the movie that spread Anime like wildfire throughout the planet, this mystical story about friendship and Neo Tokyo is a must-watch.
Chiyoko is one of those female characters who are buffed up and wouldn’t be scared to take on a group of guys. She is a tall and strong woman, who can take on anyone she wants. She has the knowledge of weapons and can use heavy machinery with precision, she is a member of the Resistance and serves them.
Chiyoko is one of the supporting characters from the Akira manga series, but for some reason, she doesn’t appear in the movie. She is said to be Kei’s aunt, but fans think it was a facade she put on to cover herself.
Takashi was one of the chosen children from the original Tokyo, which the Japanese Government ran experiments on. The Purpose was to awaken the psychic powers for military purposes, this parapsychology project was hidden from the outside world. Takashi is a very shy boy who tries to avoid fights with other people, but he would do anything to protect the people he loves.
He has the closest relationship with Kiyoko, who is a fellow Esper from the project. Her protection means everything to him, and he would do anything to protect Kiyoko. Takashi looks old and wrinkly, even though he is a child, the reason for this is the experiments ran on his body. He has the best telekinesis powers in the movie, he can lift and destroy objects at his will like he destroyed Tetsuo’s bike!
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Akira, on whom the movie is actually based, is a kid who is almost emotionless as his psychic abilities have destroyed his human soul. He can’t be controlled or taken advantage of emotionally, as he has no human tendencies left inside him. He is known as subject number 28; he was also kidnapped by the Japanese government for the parapsychic project! Akira was the only kid who developed destructive psychic powers, so strong that they would wipe out cities.
On July 16th, 1988 Akira’s powers went out of hand, and he wiped out the original Tokyo city! The people were informed that it was a nuclear detonation, but it was Akira’s power. The scientists later dissected the boy to find out the reason, they carefully placed his remains in lab so others won’t get parts of him.
He is known as the “Colonel” in the manga and anime, he is the security head for the secret project of the Japanese government. He is the one who looks upon the Esper, he may look like a bad person at the start of the movie, but later you realize that he is a dedicated soldier who wants to protect Neo-Tokyo!
Our protagonist Kaneda calls him as “Skinhead” because of his weird hairstyle, he was removed by the government because of him trying to end the projects. He planned a coupe de tat against the japaense government, but he failed badly and all he wanted was to protect Neo-Tokyo from the powers of Akira and Tetsuo.
Ryu is a member of the resistance movement by the Japanese government, he is known as Kei’s brother but you see him denying it. He was removed from the project after he turned alcoholic, and he was in a depression after losing his friends in the Neo-Tokyo Explosion. He infiltrated Hospitals to find the new subject “Tetsuo”, who can make the same explosion as Akira did in Tokyo.
He was dedicated to saving Tokyo and never gave up on it, he managed to shoot and kill the subject Akira but later was killed when the elevator landed on him, which crushed him. He is one of the most important characters in the story of Akira, and that’s why he makes it to our Top 10 Popular Characters from Akira.
Yamagata was the right-hand man of our protagonist Kaneda, he was one of the most important people in the biker gang! He is the same age as Kaneda but looks much more muscular and taller, he looks like the typical bike guy who is a menace to society.
Yamagata is a wild personality, and he has no respect for his peers. He hates the politicians and would do anything to destroy them, also he likes to hit the opposition gang members with his club stick! He has little screen time and is killed by Tetsuo, when he asks him about who killed the bartender and thinks it’s him.
Kei is a member of the resistance; she is the one who helped Takahashi escape the lab and later she was arrested for it. Kaneda was the one who helped her get out because he was infatuated with her strong presence. But Kei doesn’t care about that, she continues her work of recruiting Tetsuo and making sure he comes to the Resistance! She is also one of the people who can use Psychic powers, which the resistance wants to use.
She later escapes and becomes fond of Kaneda and his biker gang; she finds people whom she can trust. Despite her struggles, she fails in protecting the Neo-Tokyo and then proceeds to keep Kaneda safe.
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Kaisuke is the youngest member of the Kaneda’s biker gang, he is the somewhat same age as Tetsuo. He is the mechanic of the group as h you will see him shooting laser tazers at other gangs. Like others, he hates the Japanese government, and wants them to stop the heinous crimes they have been performing on children!
Also, unlike others, he isn’t scared of showing his vulnerable side, you see him crying for Kaneda after the explosion. Even though he is a gang member, he has the most childlike presence in the group. At the end of the movie, he is one of the few alive characters in Neo-Tokyo!
Tetsuo is the main antagonist of the Akira Movie/Manga, he is the perfect definition of what happens when the power falls into wrong hands. He feels inferior to his gang boss Kaneda, despite him making brotherly advances and looking after him. He thinks he is been looked down upon and embarks on a powerful yet destructive journey! Tetsuo is definitely the kid who makes rash decisions, based on his present emotional baggage.
The Resistance tries to kill Tetsuo and fails at it, this makes him angrier and he storms through the Neo-Tokyo to find Akira. He meets Kaneda along the way and mocks him, saying he is stronger than he could ever dream of. After bad use of his psychic powers, his body starts to expand and turns him into an otherworldly creature. Tetsuo Shima’s ego was his biggest enemy, but he is a character whom people loved and that’s why he is one of the Top 10 Popular Characters from Akira.
Kaneda is the protagonist of the Akira Movie/Manga, he is a normal-looking guy with a red jacket costume which was quite famous after the movie’s release! He drives his cool bike around the streets of Neo-Tokyo with his biker gang, you see him battling other gang members and always coming on top of it. After finding out about Tetsuo being abducted by the resistance, he takes it upon himself to rescue him and infiltrates the heavy security government’s base!
Kaneda always looks after his biker gang, and even tears up after losing them as he is a vulnerable leader. He was born in an orphanage same as Tetsuo, where they became like brothers and developed a relationship. Kaneda has the most stylish bike in the series, it’s said that it was stolen and then modified to what we see it as. Kaneda’s goal is to end the reign of the toxic government =, which has been using the orphan kids to run their experiments. He is known as one of the best MCs in anime, and that’s why he tops our list of Top 10 Popular Characters from Akira.
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