ONA
Description
Akira Fudou is the protagonist of the story, a high school student whose life changes forever after a chance reunion with his childhood friend, Ryo Asuka. Before this encounter, Akira is known for being gentle, sensitive, and emotionally open, a trait that has earned him the nickname "crybaby" because he readily weeps for the pain of others, even strangers he sees on the news. He lives with the Makimura family, having been left in their care by his parents, and shares a particularly close bond with their daughter, Miki.

Akira's personality is defined by his profound empathy and pure-hearted nature. He is not a fighter by instinct and is portrayed as somewhat timid and book-dumb, yet his moral compass is unwavering. This inherent goodness is the very thing that allows him to survive the demonic possession orchestrated by Ryo. At a debauched Sabbath party, the powerful demon Amon attempts to consume Akira's soul, but because of Akira's kind and human heart, he is able to conquer the demon's will and absorb its power for himself. He transforms into Devilman, a being with the body of a demon but the soul of a human. After the fusion, his physical appearance changes, becoming more muscular and wild, and he develops a newfound, often cocky confidence and an increased appetite, but he never loses his core capacity for compassion.

His primary motivation is to use his demonic powers to protect humanity from the demons that now threaten it. He is driven by a desire to save people and is horrified by violence and cruelty, whether perpetrated by demons or humans. As the series progresses, his mission becomes more desperate. Ryo, who reveals himself to be the demon Satan, broadcasts a manipulated video of Akira transforming, inciting global panic and a violent witch-hunt against anyone suspected of being a demon. This leads to the tragic death of Miki Makimura at the hands of a paranoid mob, an event that shatters Akira's hope and faith in humanity. In his grief and rage, he massacres the mob, marking a point where his empathy is replaced by a grim determination.

Akira's key relationships are the driving forces of the narrative. His bond with Ryo Asuka is the most complex. Ryo is a cold, social Darwinist who sees Akira as a tool to wage war on demons, but their shared childhood creates a deep, if tragic, connection. Akira trusts Ryo implicitly, a trust that is ultimately betrayed when Ryo reveals his true nature as Satan. Even so, their final battle ends not with triumph, but with Ryo weeping over Akira's dead body, finally understanding the love he has destroyed. In contrast, his relationship with Miki Makimura represents his anchor to humanity. He is deeply in love with her, and she represents everything he is fighting to protect: kindness, normalcy, and hope. Her brutal death is the ultimate breaking point for him, yet his love for her remains a core part of his identity.

Throughout the story, Akira undergoes a tragic but steadfast development. He begins as a naive and sensitive boy, evolves into a powerful and confident warrior, and is eventually broken by the cruelty of the world he sought to save. Unlike in some other versions of the story, this Akira never loses his resolve completely. Even after Miki's death and the revelation of Ryo's betrayal, he continues to fight alongside other Devilmen to give humanity a final chance against Satan and the demon horde, even in the face of certain extinction. His development is a gradual erosion of his idealism, replaced by a tragic, stoic acceptance of his duty.

As Devilman, Akira possesses a vast array of superhuman abilities. His fusion with Amon grants him incredible physical strength, speed, durability, and the power of flight. He has razor-sharp claws and fangs, a prehensile tail, and can unleash powerful energy beams, heat rays, and fire from his body. He also possesses a potent healing factor, capable of regenerating lost limbs. While he is a brutal and relentless fighter who shows no mercy to demons, his greatest power is arguably his unbreakable human will, which allowed him to master Amon in the first place and continue fighting long after his body and spirit are pushed to their limits.