OVA
Description
Bando is a former operative of the National Police Agency's Special Assault Team, a position he held due to his exceptional combat skills and effectiveness as a soldier. Despite being fully human, his initial personality is characterized by extreme aggression, sadism, apathy towards others, and an almost insatiable bloodlust. He is arrogant and anti-social, showing little regard for authority or the safety of civilians. However, beneath this brutal exterior lies a personal, albeit perverted, sense of honor and obligation, as he places great importance on repaying debts and keeping his word.
His primary motivation becomes a relentless and selfish quest for vengeance against the Diclonius Lucy after she inflicts devastating injuries upon him during their first encounter. In this battle, Bando loses his right hand, has his left arm broken, and his eyes gouged out. Left for dead, his life is saved by a homeless girl named Mayu, who provides him with emergency first aid. Following this defeat, Bando is informed that he has been infected with the Diclonius virus through Lucy's vectors, meaning any future children he fathers would be born as Diclonius. To prevent this, the proposed medical solution is castration, which Bando vehemently rejects, fearing the loss of testosterone would hinder his ability to fight. He instead opts for surgeries to receive cybernetic prosthetics, including bionic eyes and a myoelectric hand, before escaping the facility to pursue his revenge.
In the story, Bando serves as a formidable human antagonist who gradually develops into a more complex figure, particularly in the manga. His role extends beyond simple revenge as he forms uneasy alliances with Lucy's other enemies, including the gentle Diclonius Nana and the scientist Kurama. He plays a pivotal role in their struggle against the powerful Diclonius Mariko and later prevents a despondent Kurama from committing suicide. His most significant relationship is with Mayu, the girl who saved his life. He begrudgingly accepts her presence, and a subtle bond forms between them, with Bando showing a protective, almost paternal side by coming to her defense when she is threatened by a predatory character known as the Unknown Man. He also develops a tense but cooperative relationship with Nana, bonded by their shared experience of being brutally defeated and maimed by Lucy.
Throughout the narrative, Bando undergoes notable character development. He starts as a purely sadistic and self-absorbed killer, but his humiliation and injuries at Lucy's hands, combined with his interactions with Mayu and Nana, reveal hidden depths. He shows compassion, such as when he cares for Kurama, tends to Nana's wounds, and buries the body of a deceased young Diclonius. His long-held, secret wish for someone to mourn his death is ultimately fulfilled by Mayu. In a final act of reluctant heroism, Bando sacrifices himself to save Mayu from Lucy, getting his body torn in half in the process. However, he survives this mortal wound, and in the final chapter of the manga, he is revealed to have been revived with extensive bionic prosthetics replacing the lower half of his body.
As a combatant, Bando is an exceptionally skilled and hardy soldier. His fighting style relies on his tactical cunning, physical endurance, and marksmanship. He is shown to be adept at analyzing his opponents' abilities, quickly deducing the two-meter range of a Diclonius's vectors and learning to dodge attacks by sensing vibrations in the air. To counter Lucy's powers, he arms himself with custom.50 Action Express caliber Desert Eagle pistols, loaded with heavy tungsten rounds that are too massive and fast for her vectors to effectively deflect. He also demonstrates a meticulous and strategic mindset by clearing a battlefield of debris to deprive Lucy of projectiles and setting booby traps. In the manga, his arsenal also includes other heavy weapons like a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
His primary motivation becomes a relentless and selfish quest for vengeance against the Diclonius Lucy after she inflicts devastating injuries upon him during their first encounter. In this battle, Bando loses his right hand, has his left arm broken, and his eyes gouged out. Left for dead, his life is saved by a homeless girl named Mayu, who provides him with emergency first aid. Following this defeat, Bando is informed that he has been infected with the Diclonius virus through Lucy's vectors, meaning any future children he fathers would be born as Diclonius. To prevent this, the proposed medical solution is castration, which Bando vehemently rejects, fearing the loss of testosterone would hinder his ability to fight. He instead opts for surgeries to receive cybernetic prosthetics, including bionic eyes and a myoelectric hand, before escaping the facility to pursue his revenge.
In the story, Bando serves as a formidable human antagonist who gradually develops into a more complex figure, particularly in the manga. His role extends beyond simple revenge as he forms uneasy alliances with Lucy's other enemies, including the gentle Diclonius Nana and the scientist Kurama. He plays a pivotal role in their struggle against the powerful Diclonius Mariko and later prevents a despondent Kurama from committing suicide. His most significant relationship is with Mayu, the girl who saved his life. He begrudgingly accepts her presence, and a subtle bond forms between them, with Bando showing a protective, almost paternal side by coming to her defense when she is threatened by a predatory character known as the Unknown Man. He also develops a tense but cooperative relationship with Nana, bonded by their shared experience of being brutally defeated and maimed by Lucy.
Throughout the narrative, Bando undergoes notable character development. He starts as a purely sadistic and self-absorbed killer, but his humiliation and injuries at Lucy's hands, combined with his interactions with Mayu and Nana, reveal hidden depths. He shows compassion, such as when he cares for Kurama, tends to Nana's wounds, and buries the body of a deceased young Diclonius. His long-held, secret wish for someone to mourn his death is ultimately fulfilled by Mayu. In a final act of reluctant heroism, Bando sacrifices himself to save Mayu from Lucy, getting his body torn in half in the process. However, he survives this mortal wound, and in the final chapter of the manga, he is revealed to have been revived with extensive bionic prosthetics replacing the lower half of his body.
As a combatant, Bando is an exceptionally skilled and hardy soldier. His fighting style relies on his tactical cunning, physical endurance, and marksmanship. He is shown to be adept at analyzing his opponents' abilities, quickly deducing the two-meter range of a Diclonius's vectors and learning to dodge attacks by sensing vibrations in the air. To counter Lucy's powers, he arms himself with custom.50 Action Express caliber Desert Eagle pistols, loaded with heavy tungsten rounds that are too massive and fast for her vectors to effectively deflect. He also demonstrates a meticulous and strategic mindset by clearing a battlefield of debris to deprive Lucy of projectiles and setting booby traps. In the manga, his arsenal also includes other heavy weapons like a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.