TV-Series
Description
Issei Hyoudou is the main protagonist of the story, a student at Kuoh Academy whose life changes dramatically after his first date ends with him being killed by a fallen angel. He is reborn as a devil by Rias Gremory, becoming a pawn in her servant family. He is a 17-year-old boy with brown hair and eyes. He lives with his parents and is a second-year high school student when the narrative begins.
Before his reincarnation, Issei was an ordinary, if somewhat notorious, student. He gained a reputation at school for his lecherous behavior, which led him to form the so-called Perverted Trio with his two friends, Matsuda and Motohama. Despite this outward persona, he possesses a core personality that is straightforward, persistent, and unexpectedly passionate. He is known to be dim-witted in academic matters but displays considerable street smarts and a stubborn, hot-blooded nature. Underneath his perverted exterior lies a deeply kind, loyal, and courageous individual who is unwaveringly determined to protect those he cares about, even at great risk to his own life. He is also surprisingly hard-working, dedicating himself to training to master his powers.
The primary driving force behind Issei's actions is his simple, grand ambition: to become the Harem King. This goal is a direct expression of his open admiration for the female form. However, as the story progresses, his motivations evolve to include a powerful desire to protect his friends and master, as well as to rise in rank among devils to a high-class or ultimate-class Devil. His traumatic experience with his killer, Raynare, who posed as a loving girlfriend, leaves a psychological mark, contributing to his initial obliviousness to the genuine romantic affections of the many girls who surround him.
In the story, Issei serves as the central figure of Rias Gremory's peerage and a key member of the Occult Research Club. His role is that of a powerful fighter whose potential far exceeds his low-ranking status as a pawn. He is often the catalyst for change, motivating his comrades with his determination and helping them confront their own personal traumas, as seen in his support for Yuuto Kiba and Akeno Himejima. His actions consistently prove that his lecherous nature masks a heroic heart, making him a beloved figure in the Underworld, especially among children who know him as the hero of the show Oppai Dragon. Within his peerage, his rank is Pawn, for which Rias used all eight of her Evil Pieces to reincarnate him, a fact that hints at his exceptional latent power. His key relationships form the emotional core of the narrative. His bond with his master, Rias Gremory, is the most significant; he is fiercely loyal to her, and their relationship eventually develops into a romantic one after he confesses his feelings. He is also deeply connected to the nun-turned-devil Asia Argento, who he saved and who becomes a close companion. Other important figures include the other girls of the Occult Research Club—Akeno, Koneko, and Xenovia—all of whom develop romantic feelings for him, his childhood friend Irina Shidou, and his primary rival, the White Dragon Emperor Vali Lucifer, who constantly pushes him to grow stronger.
Issei undergoes significant development throughout the series. He begins as the weakest host of the Red Dragon Emperor but evolves into one of the most powerful, eventually being recognized as a candidate for a Super Devil. A major turning point is his mastery over his Sacred Gear, moving from an uncontrollable and life-draining berserker state known as Juggernaut Drive to achieving the stable and powerful Cardinal Crimson Promotion, also known as the True Queen. His character also matures emotionally; after years of being oblivious, he finally acknowledges his feelings for Rias, and they officially become a couple, marking the first step toward realizing his harem dream. Later, after sacrificing his original body to save Ophis, he is granted a new body formed from the flesh of the Great Red and the power of Ophis, which further cements his unique existence as something beyond a simple reincarnated devil.
As the wielder of the Sacred Gear Boosted Gear, one of the thirteen Longinus-level Sacred Gears capable of killing gods, Issei possesses formidable and unique abilities. The Boosted Gear houses the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig, and its primary power is Boost, which doubles the user's power every ten seconds. Its secondary ability is Transfer, which allows him to pass that multiplied power to an ally or an object. He later achieves the ability to manifest this power as Scale Mail armor, called Balance Breaker. Beyond his dragon powers, Issei has famously developed techniques that align with his personality. Notable among these are Dress Break, a spell that destroys a woman's clothing upon contact, and Bilingual, which allows him to communicate with a woman's breasts to learn secrets and strategies. He also wields the holy dragon-slaying sword Ascalon, a gift from the Archangel Michael that he can use without harming himself due to his nature as a dragon.
Before his reincarnation, Issei was an ordinary, if somewhat notorious, student. He gained a reputation at school for his lecherous behavior, which led him to form the so-called Perverted Trio with his two friends, Matsuda and Motohama. Despite this outward persona, he possesses a core personality that is straightforward, persistent, and unexpectedly passionate. He is known to be dim-witted in academic matters but displays considerable street smarts and a stubborn, hot-blooded nature. Underneath his perverted exterior lies a deeply kind, loyal, and courageous individual who is unwaveringly determined to protect those he cares about, even at great risk to his own life. He is also surprisingly hard-working, dedicating himself to training to master his powers.
The primary driving force behind Issei's actions is his simple, grand ambition: to become the Harem King. This goal is a direct expression of his open admiration for the female form. However, as the story progresses, his motivations evolve to include a powerful desire to protect his friends and master, as well as to rise in rank among devils to a high-class or ultimate-class Devil. His traumatic experience with his killer, Raynare, who posed as a loving girlfriend, leaves a psychological mark, contributing to his initial obliviousness to the genuine romantic affections of the many girls who surround him.
In the story, Issei serves as the central figure of Rias Gremory's peerage and a key member of the Occult Research Club. His role is that of a powerful fighter whose potential far exceeds his low-ranking status as a pawn. He is often the catalyst for change, motivating his comrades with his determination and helping them confront their own personal traumas, as seen in his support for Yuuto Kiba and Akeno Himejima. His actions consistently prove that his lecherous nature masks a heroic heart, making him a beloved figure in the Underworld, especially among children who know him as the hero of the show Oppai Dragon. Within his peerage, his rank is Pawn, for which Rias used all eight of her Evil Pieces to reincarnate him, a fact that hints at his exceptional latent power. His key relationships form the emotional core of the narrative. His bond with his master, Rias Gremory, is the most significant; he is fiercely loyal to her, and their relationship eventually develops into a romantic one after he confesses his feelings. He is also deeply connected to the nun-turned-devil Asia Argento, who he saved and who becomes a close companion. Other important figures include the other girls of the Occult Research Club—Akeno, Koneko, and Xenovia—all of whom develop romantic feelings for him, his childhood friend Irina Shidou, and his primary rival, the White Dragon Emperor Vali Lucifer, who constantly pushes him to grow stronger.
Issei undergoes significant development throughout the series. He begins as the weakest host of the Red Dragon Emperor but evolves into one of the most powerful, eventually being recognized as a candidate for a Super Devil. A major turning point is his mastery over his Sacred Gear, moving from an uncontrollable and life-draining berserker state known as Juggernaut Drive to achieving the stable and powerful Cardinal Crimson Promotion, also known as the True Queen. His character also matures emotionally; after years of being oblivious, he finally acknowledges his feelings for Rias, and they officially become a couple, marking the first step toward realizing his harem dream. Later, after sacrificing his original body to save Ophis, he is granted a new body formed from the flesh of the Great Red and the power of Ophis, which further cements his unique existence as something beyond a simple reincarnated devil.
As the wielder of the Sacred Gear Boosted Gear, one of the thirteen Longinus-level Sacred Gears capable of killing gods, Issei possesses formidable and unique abilities. The Boosted Gear houses the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig, and its primary power is Boost, which doubles the user's power every ten seconds. Its secondary ability is Transfer, which allows him to pass that multiplied power to an ally or an object. He later achieves the ability to manifest this power as Scale Mail armor, called Balance Breaker. Beyond his dragon powers, Issei has famously developed techniques that align with his personality. Notable among these are Dress Break, a spell that destroys a woman's clothing upon contact, and Bilingual, which allows him to communicate with a woman's breasts to learn secrets and strategies. He also wields the holy dragon-slaying sword Ascalon, a gift from the Archangel Michael that he can use without harming himself due to his nature as a dragon.