TV-Series
Description
Akito Sohma is the enigmatic head of the Sohma family and serves as the primary antagonist in the story. Born as the only child of the family head Akira Sohma and a maid named Ren, Akito was raised as a male from birth. Her mother, Ren, feared that a daughter would steal Akira's affection and threatened to abort the child unless she was raised as a boy. As a result, Akito was presented as the male head of the family, with only the four eldest cursed members knowing her true gender due to a prophetic dream they shared on the night she was conceived. This androgynous appearance is maintained through short black hair and masculine clothing such as layered robes, which help conceal her feminine figure. In the later part of the series, she grows her hair to shoulder length and begins wearing traditional women's clothing.
The personality of Akito Sohma is defined by deep-seated cruelty and emotional instability. She is abusive and manipulative toward the members of the Zodiac, using her position as the God of the Chinese Zodiac to control them absolutely. She has physically and emotionally scarred many of the cursed Sohmas, including blinding Hatori in one eye, confining Yuki to a dark room, and throwing Isuzu from a window. Akito shows little sympathy for others and displays strong misogynistic tendencies, showing distrust and disrespect toward women such as Kana, Tohru, and her own mother Ren. However, beneath this tyrannical exterior lies a profoundly insecure and frightened individual. Her mother's constant emotional abuse, particularly the declaration that she was an unwanted existence after her father's death, created a desperate fear of abandonment. Akito's father Akira, on his deathbed, told her that the cursed Sohmas would love her to make up for Ren's lack of affection, which instilled in her the belief that the Zodiac bonds would ensure she would never be alone. An elderly maid gave her an empty box claiming it contained Akira's spirit, and Akito kept this box for years, hoping against hope that something meaningful was inside.
Akito's primary motivation throughout the story is to preserve the Zodiac bonds at any cost, ensuring that none of the cursed members can find love or happiness outside of her control. She believes the world is a cruel place where unconditional love does not exist outside of these bonds, so she works to prevent the Zodiac members from forming relationships with outsiders. Her role in the story is that of the primary obstacle to the characters' freedom and happiness. She makes a deal with Kyo, the Cat, stating that if he can defeat Yuki by the time he graduates high school, he will not be forced to live in the isolated room reserved for the Cat; if he fails, he will be confined there for life. When Tohru Honda enters the lives of the cursed Sohmas, Akito initially allows her to stay, believing that Tohru will eventually reject the family and cause them to return brokenhearted to her side.
The key relationships in Akito's life are complex and often destructive. Her relationship with her mother Ren is one of mutual hatred and fear, with Ren constantly undermining Akito's sense of worth. Her bond with Shigure is particularly intricate, involving romantic feelings on both sides that become twisted by betrayal and manipulation. Kureno, the Rooster whose curse broke first, stays with her out of sympathy, and Akito uses this to reinforce her control over others. Her treatment of Yuki is especially cruel, as she raised him and then subjected him to severe psychological and physical abuse, creating a deep trauma that affects him throughout the story. Tohru Honda serves as the catalyst for Akito's eventual change, as Tohru's unconditional acceptance and kindness gradually break through Akito's defenses.
The character development of Akito is significant over the course of the narrative. As the Zodiac curses begin breaking one by one, she suffers a mental breakdown, realizing that her worst fear of being abandoned is becoming reality. In her desperation, she stabs Kureno, an act that shocks her into confronting her own actions. Eventually, through Tohru's persistent kindness and forgiveness, Akito begins to understand that bonds based on love are stronger than those based on fear and control. She accepts her female identity, apologizes to the Zodiac members for her abuse, and begins a path of atonement. In the sequel series Fruits Basket Another, she has married Shigure and become the mother of their son Shiki, though she still stays away from many family gatherings, accepting that forgiveness is not something she can demand.
Regarding notable abilities, Akito is possessed by the God-spirit of the Chinese Zodiac, which forces all cursed Sohma members to obey her commands regardless of their personal wishes. She is also frequently ill and has a frail constitution, requiring constant medical attention from Hatori and often being confined to her bed. In the 2001 anime adaptation, which differs significantly from the manga and 2019 remake, Akito was portrayed as biologically male and expressed a fear of dying young, a plot point not present in the original source material.
The personality of Akito Sohma is defined by deep-seated cruelty and emotional instability. She is abusive and manipulative toward the members of the Zodiac, using her position as the God of the Chinese Zodiac to control them absolutely. She has physically and emotionally scarred many of the cursed Sohmas, including blinding Hatori in one eye, confining Yuki to a dark room, and throwing Isuzu from a window. Akito shows little sympathy for others and displays strong misogynistic tendencies, showing distrust and disrespect toward women such as Kana, Tohru, and her own mother Ren. However, beneath this tyrannical exterior lies a profoundly insecure and frightened individual. Her mother's constant emotional abuse, particularly the declaration that she was an unwanted existence after her father's death, created a desperate fear of abandonment. Akito's father Akira, on his deathbed, told her that the cursed Sohmas would love her to make up for Ren's lack of affection, which instilled in her the belief that the Zodiac bonds would ensure she would never be alone. An elderly maid gave her an empty box claiming it contained Akira's spirit, and Akito kept this box for years, hoping against hope that something meaningful was inside.
Akito's primary motivation throughout the story is to preserve the Zodiac bonds at any cost, ensuring that none of the cursed members can find love or happiness outside of her control. She believes the world is a cruel place where unconditional love does not exist outside of these bonds, so she works to prevent the Zodiac members from forming relationships with outsiders. Her role in the story is that of the primary obstacle to the characters' freedom and happiness. She makes a deal with Kyo, the Cat, stating that if he can defeat Yuki by the time he graduates high school, he will not be forced to live in the isolated room reserved for the Cat; if he fails, he will be confined there for life. When Tohru Honda enters the lives of the cursed Sohmas, Akito initially allows her to stay, believing that Tohru will eventually reject the family and cause them to return brokenhearted to her side.
The key relationships in Akito's life are complex and often destructive. Her relationship with her mother Ren is one of mutual hatred and fear, with Ren constantly undermining Akito's sense of worth. Her bond with Shigure is particularly intricate, involving romantic feelings on both sides that become twisted by betrayal and manipulation. Kureno, the Rooster whose curse broke first, stays with her out of sympathy, and Akito uses this to reinforce her control over others. Her treatment of Yuki is especially cruel, as she raised him and then subjected him to severe psychological and physical abuse, creating a deep trauma that affects him throughout the story. Tohru Honda serves as the catalyst for Akito's eventual change, as Tohru's unconditional acceptance and kindness gradually break through Akito's defenses.
The character development of Akito is significant over the course of the narrative. As the Zodiac curses begin breaking one by one, she suffers a mental breakdown, realizing that her worst fear of being abandoned is becoming reality. In her desperation, she stabs Kureno, an act that shocks her into confronting her own actions. Eventually, through Tohru's persistent kindness and forgiveness, Akito begins to understand that bonds based on love are stronger than those based on fear and control. She accepts her female identity, apologizes to the Zodiac members for her abuse, and begins a path of atonement. In the sequel series Fruits Basket Another, she has married Shigure and become the mother of their son Shiki, though she still stays away from many family gatherings, accepting that forgiveness is not something she can demand.
Regarding notable abilities, Akito is possessed by the God-spirit of the Chinese Zodiac, which forces all cursed Sohma members to obey her commands regardless of their personal wishes. She is also frequently ill and has a frail constitution, requiring constant medical attention from Hatori and often being confined to her bed. In the 2001 anime adaptation, which differs significantly from the manga and 2019 remake, Akito was portrayed as biologically male and expressed a fear of dying young, a plot point not present in the original source material.