TV-Series
Description
Kanta Mizuno, known throughout the Great Kanto Desert as Desert Punk or the Demon of the Desert, is a seventeen-year-old mercenary who works for the Handyman Guild. He is notably short in stature with a slim build, medium-length black hair, and brown eyes. For protection against the harsh desert environment, he wears a Zero-Type Helmet System that regulates his body temperature, along with a cape, gloves, and other gear made from aramid fibers. His sunshade displays the red sun-and-horizon symbol of his guild, though he later replaces it with a red bandana and eventually a dark outfit with a spiked Stahlhelm.
Kanta's personality is defined by a deep-rooted cynicism and an almost complete disregard for human life. He respects the Oasis Government specifically because it forces people to fend for themselves, leaving survival entirely up to the individual. He is famously lecherous and opportunistic, with an obsessive fixation on women with large breasts that consistently overrides his better judgment. His attraction to the manipulative Junko Asagiri is a recurring weakness; despite being fully aware that she deceives and exploits him repeatedly, he finds her so attractive that he simply does not care. This perversion extends to his decision to take on an apprentice, Taiko Koizumi, whom he nicknames Kosuna. He initially rejects her requests but changes his mind when she shows him a photograph of a well-endowed woman she claims is her mother, hoping that Kosuna will one day develop similarly.
Beyond his base desires, Kanta is a highly professional and exceptionally capable mercenary who is completely dedicated to completing any job he accepts, no matter the cost or ethical compromise. He is willing to use underhanded tactics, betray allies, or endanger innocents to achieve his objectives. His legendary reputation for success stems from a combination of genuine good luck, sharp intelligence, quick instincts, practical thinking, and grandiose self-promotion. He is motivated primarily by money, sex, and self-preservation, openly admitting that he will side with whoever pays more or offers him a better life. As a child growing up in Water Station 30 with the three Machine Gun Brothers and their sister Natsuko Kawaguchi, he was already mischievous and manipulative, often forcing the brothers to steal for him.
In the story, Kanta starts as a comedic antihero, taking on various missions that display his skills while his lust constantly lands him in trouble. His role becomes more complex with the introduction of his apprentice, Kosuna, whom he reluctantly trains while frequently complaining about her lack of experience and flat chest. He eventually becomes entangled in a political uprising led by Kaoru Kaizuka, fighting against the West Oasis Government. However, in a significant turn of events later in the manga, Kanta betrays his allies and switches sides to join the West Oasis Government alongside Junko, becoming the frontline commander of a new unit known as the 8th Army. He sacrifices his right arm to become a cyborg, allowing him to lead a battalion of Undead robot soldiers, and he becomes the primary antagonist of the manga's later story arc.
Kanta has several key relationships that define his journey. His dynamic with Kosuna is central; she idolizes him and endures his abuse and lecherous comments, eventually growing to become an independent and capable mercenary who takes his place as the protagonist after his betrayal. His history with Natsuko Kawaguchi is dark, as he attempted to sexually assault her in childhood, leading her brothers to brutally beat him. Later, he captures Natsuko and her entire faction in an effort to trade them for advancement. He also has a professional rivalry with another mercenary known as Rain Spider.
Kanta possesses a wide array of notable abilities and equipment. His primary weapon is a modified Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, a memento from his late father, which can fire various specialized ammunition including flashbangs, smoke screens, and grenade rounds. He also carries a Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver as a sidearm and a combat knife. His signature gadget is a rocket-powered winch on his back that allows him to ascend high places or swing across structures, often leading enemies to mistakenly believe he can fly. He is an expert in deception, employing numerous inflatable balloons shaped to look like himself as decoys to confuse opponents about his true location. He also uses C-4 explosives, grenades, and even rigs his own equipment with sabotage devices to punish thieves. His combat strategy focuses on staying hidden, deceiving the enemy, and using quick, adaptable thinking to overcome any situation.
Kanta's personality is defined by a deep-rooted cynicism and an almost complete disregard for human life. He respects the Oasis Government specifically because it forces people to fend for themselves, leaving survival entirely up to the individual. He is famously lecherous and opportunistic, with an obsessive fixation on women with large breasts that consistently overrides his better judgment. His attraction to the manipulative Junko Asagiri is a recurring weakness; despite being fully aware that she deceives and exploits him repeatedly, he finds her so attractive that he simply does not care. This perversion extends to his decision to take on an apprentice, Taiko Koizumi, whom he nicknames Kosuna. He initially rejects her requests but changes his mind when she shows him a photograph of a well-endowed woman she claims is her mother, hoping that Kosuna will one day develop similarly.
Beyond his base desires, Kanta is a highly professional and exceptionally capable mercenary who is completely dedicated to completing any job he accepts, no matter the cost or ethical compromise. He is willing to use underhanded tactics, betray allies, or endanger innocents to achieve his objectives. His legendary reputation for success stems from a combination of genuine good luck, sharp intelligence, quick instincts, practical thinking, and grandiose self-promotion. He is motivated primarily by money, sex, and self-preservation, openly admitting that he will side with whoever pays more or offers him a better life. As a child growing up in Water Station 30 with the three Machine Gun Brothers and their sister Natsuko Kawaguchi, he was already mischievous and manipulative, often forcing the brothers to steal for him.
In the story, Kanta starts as a comedic antihero, taking on various missions that display his skills while his lust constantly lands him in trouble. His role becomes more complex with the introduction of his apprentice, Kosuna, whom he reluctantly trains while frequently complaining about her lack of experience and flat chest. He eventually becomes entangled in a political uprising led by Kaoru Kaizuka, fighting against the West Oasis Government. However, in a significant turn of events later in the manga, Kanta betrays his allies and switches sides to join the West Oasis Government alongside Junko, becoming the frontline commander of a new unit known as the 8th Army. He sacrifices his right arm to become a cyborg, allowing him to lead a battalion of Undead robot soldiers, and he becomes the primary antagonist of the manga's later story arc.
Kanta has several key relationships that define his journey. His dynamic with Kosuna is central; she idolizes him and endures his abuse and lecherous comments, eventually growing to become an independent and capable mercenary who takes his place as the protagonist after his betrayal. His history with Natsuko Kawaguchi is dark, as he attempted to sexually assault her in childhood, leading her brothers to brutally beat him. Later, he captures Natsuko and her entire faction in an effort to trade them for advancement. He also has a professional rivalry with another mercenary known as Rain Spider.
Kanta possesses a wide array of notable abilities and equipment. His primary weapon is a modified Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, a memento from his late father, which can fire various specialized ammunition including flashbangs, smoke screens, and grenade rounds. He also carries a Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver as a sidearm and a combat knife. His signature gadget is a rocket-powered winch on his back that allows him to ascend high places or swing across structures, often leading enemies to mistakenly believe he can fly. He is an expert in deception, employing numerous inflatable balloons shaped to look like himself as decoys to confuse opponents about his true location. He also uses C-4 explosives, grenades, and even rigs his own equipment with sabotage devices to punish thieves. His combat strategy focuses on staying hidden, deceiving the enemy, and using quick, adaptable thinking to overcome any situation.