- "I am an 'offering' to 'Him'... and you have harmed me. You must pay with your life."
— Kiryu threatening Nikaido Ren[2]
Kiryu Setsuna (
Appearance
Kiryu is an effeminate looking young man with gentle eyes and long black hair that falls down his back and frames his face in two long bangs. He has an extremely defined musculature.
Personality
Kiryu is an outwardly very polite and nice person,[7] belying his true obsessive nature, which is entirely directed towards Tokita Ohma, with an irrational hatred towards Tokita Niko. While his obsession in Ohma initially appears to be sadomasochistic and sexual, as the series progresses it is revealed to be more religious: He worships Ohma as a god who will give him destruction, and loathes Niko as the devil who defiled his god.[8] He also appears to suffer a severe form of psychosis due to overusing the Fallen Demon technique, with the delusional belief that Niko is still alive and taking the form of different people and that he must kill Niko in every form he takes.[8]
History
Kiryu was born in the Inside as organ stock for his wealthy biological father and spent his entire life beaten, detained and unwanted. Right before his organs were to be harvested, a young Tokita Ohma killed Kiryu's captors because he believed them to be edging in on his turf. Believing Ohma to be a god that would destroy him for his sinful nature, Kiryu chased after him and remained within the Inside so he could find "god" again. Selling himself into child prostitution in order to gain money and connections, he soon earned the favour of one of the most powerful men in Goyu Ward around the time he went through his semenarche. Going to the "Outside", Kiryu found and killed his biological father, stealing his money and using his connections to find "god" again. Two years after their first encounter, Kiryu learned of Ohma's location in the Inside and ran happily to his "punishment" only to find that Ohma had been "defiled" by the devil, Tokita Niko, Ohma's master.[9] It was here that Kiryu met "the real Niko" with the latter informing Kiryu about Tokita Niko as well as teaching him the Niko Style.[10] A year later, Kiryu encountered Taira Genzan (having been told about him from "the real Niko"), becoming his student.[11]
Two years later, Kiryu returned to the Inside[9] and found Ohma once again. Accosting Ohma, Kiryu forcibly unlocked the "god" within him causing Ohma to violently rampage.[10] Ohma nearly killed Kiryu but was stopped at the last minute by the arrival of Tokita Niko.[12] With Niko stopping Ohma's rampage, Kiryu then watched as Niko fought "the real Niko".[13]
It was very soon after this that Kiryu's master Taira Genzan challenged and killed Niko when they were young. Then, during the ten-year span, Kiryu and Genzan fought in the "Death Fights". In this time, before Ohma could exact revenge on Kiryu's master, Kiryu killed him first, intentionally earning Ohma's wrath.[14]
Plot
Kiryu nonchalantly appeared, sitting down during Koyo Academy's battle royale 'examination'. With Ozu Toshio confidently challenging him, Kiryu made quick work of him, much to Soryuin Shion's surprise. Coming down, Soryuin asked him how he managed to find out about the 'exam' with Kiryu merely replying that people will talk. Being asked why he wanted to fight in the Kengan matches, Setsuna explained that he wanted to see "him". With Soryuin agreeing, Kiryu thus became Koyo Academy Group's affiliated fighter.
A few months later, Kiryu found Ohma training by himself in a park. Making himself known, Ohma suspiciously backed off until he realised who it was. Kiryu drew close to Ohma, admiring his physique, before revealing that he had already killed Ohma's focus of vengeance. Almost begging for Ohma to strike at him with all his hatred, Ohma cleared the air and told Kiryu that he didn't care about revenge and only wanted to confirm he was the strongest.
Days later, Kiryu looked on in delight from above after Ohma (and the other preliminary winners) boarded the S.S. Kengan. Seeing a Bodyguard splash Ohma with Hassad's blood after knocking him off the ship, Kiryu was incited into a vengeance-fuelled ire due to Ohma being 'defiled'. Later, Kiryu confronted the Bodyguards in question and brutalised them. Before the ship arrived at Ganryu Island, he was seen naked and cuddling a large Ohma-shaped plushy while fantasising about eventually killing him.
During the opening day of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, Kiryu quietly observed all of the matches preceding his own with Soryuin Shion and Matsuda Tomoko; in particular, he took pleasure in watching Ohma fighting against Inaba Ryo and orgasmically celebrated Ohma's victory afterwards. After the Kiozan Takeru vs Sekibayashi Jun fight, Kiryu purposefully encountered Kure Karla and warned her that he wouldn't fault her if her feelings for Ohma were nothing more than adoration. Eventually coming up to his turn, Kiryu represented the Koyo Academy Group in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, fighting Nikaido Ren. Confounding Ren with his skills, he eventually revealed his true colours and began toying with Ren before putting him down and taking victory.
He fought against Kuroki Gensai in the second round and, despite initially keeping Kuroki on the defensive with his relentless Rakshasa's Palm assaults, he was eventually defeated, almost dying at Kuroki's hands.
After his defeat, Kiryu wandered the halls of the Kengan Dome aimlessly. During Hayami Katsumasa's attempted coup, Kiryu inadvertently aided the squashing of Hayami's plans by mercilessly killing any of the Guardians that came his way. After this event, Kiryu traversed the Kengan Dome under the delusional belief that he was protecting the "saviour and saved" from being hunted by Tokita Niko. In his "noble" efforts, he was attacked by the various Niko's that came to eliminate him. Believing that he needed to evacuate everyone from Niko, he eventually encountered Yamashita Kazuo and brought him outside. However, when he saw Yamashita turn into Niko he attacked only to be deflected by a suddenly arriving Ohma. Confused that Ohma would defend his own defiler, Kiryu attacked him and wondered aloud if Ohma was still under Niko's curse. With Ohma reiterating that Niko died ten years ago and recounting what happened, Kiryu incoherently revealed the whole story of what happened that day. With the past revealed, the two resumed their battle with Ohma dominating with his mastered Niko Style. With Fallen Demon activating, Kiryu attempted to activate Ohma's Advance but Ohma put him down and subdued him. Knocked out, Kiryu was arrested by the Bodyguards and put in the island's holding cells.
After the tournament had ended, it was discovered that Kiryu had broken out of his cell and vanished.
Power & Abilities
Kiryu is a remarkably powerful and dangerous combatant, who was able to effortlessly defeat Ozu Toshio, an undefeated Kengan fighter,[15] and later, on board the S.S. Kengan, he easily defeated two Bodyguards, men who are renowned for their impressive strength.[16] With his natural aptitude for martial arts, Kiryu has proven himself to be a highly capable fighter, able to pressure people of Tokita Ohma and Kuroki Gensai's level in battle.
Koei Style
- Main article: Koei Style
Kiryu uses the long-lost martial art revived by his master Taira Genzan. However, Genzan was only able to salvage two techniques before his death at Kiryu's hands. Kiryu uses the Koei Style's techniques very well, mastering them in a short time and even improving them, highlighting his fighting genius.
Niko Style
- Main article: Niko Style
Prior to learning the Koei Style, Kiryu learned the Niko Style from "the real Niko". While he was no match for Ohma in using the Niko Style, he can combine its techniques with the Koei Style to strengthen his weakness or use the knowledge he has to counter Ohma's techniques.
Fallen Demon
- Main article: Fallen Demon
The secondary secret technique of the Niko Style demonstrated only by Kiryu. This technique only activates whenever Kiryu is in a critical situation.[17] It allows him to react to his opponents more quickly, letting him dodge and counter attacks that would otherwise land.[18][17] However, due to the drawbacks of the technique, and the fact he's used it too much, it causes him to see hallucinations of his 'devil', Tokita Niko, still alive and taking the form of other people.[17]
This state is artistically represented by Kiryu's face being drawn in shadow, with narrow white eyes and an unnerving smile. All-in-all, his face is extremely reminiscent of the comedy mask of the twin theatre masks that symbolise drama.
Mingling of the Tiger and Fox (虎狐 の交 , Koko no Majiwari)
A combination of the Koei Style technique Rakshasa's Palm with the Niko Style technique Swimming Swallow.[19] Not only does Kiryu deliver a rush of blows with unpredictable and quickly-altering trajectories, but each of the blows also has the lethal twisting force of the Rakshasa's Palm behind it.
Theme
his theme is Beautiful Beast by Yasuharu Takanashi
Notes & Trivia
- He has an obsession with Tokita Ohma, liking everything that Ohma likes and hating anyone that likes Ohma.[1]
- While it takes normal people at least 8 years to complete the training needed to be able to use Rakshasa's Palm, Kiryu managed to master it in only a year.[20]
- Before the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, Kiryu spent his time wandering Koyo Women's University (because he had no job and regularly had time on his hands) and became quite popular with the students there.[7]
- Setsuna makes a silhouetted Cameo, in Sandrovich Yabako's other series Danberu Nan-Kiro Moteru?.[21]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kiryu Setsuna's profile
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Chapter 95
- ↑ Kiryu's father is from the outside.
- ↑ Kiryu's mother is from The Inside.
- ↑ 1 win prior to the Kengan Annihilation Tournament(Ch95)(Ep16)
1 win during the tournament against Nikaido Ren(Ch97)(Ep16) - ↑ After defeat to Kuroki Gensai during the Kengan Annihilation Tournament(Ch157)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 4-koma: Neighborhood Cat
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapter 208
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chapter 155
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 210
- ↑ Chapter 156
- ↑ Chapter 209
- ↑ Chapter 211
- ↑ Chapter 24
- ↑ Chapter 12
- ↑ Chapter 34
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Chapter 213
- ↑ Chapter 97
- ↑ Chapter 157
- ↑ Chapter 212
- ↑ Chapter 28 (Dumbbell)
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