TV-Series
Description
Iwao Himura, also known by his true demonic name Himmler, is a character from the original Devilman anime television series who serves as a supporting antagonist. His human alias combines the Japanese surname Himura with a name that evokes the historical German military figure Heinrich Himmler, hinting at his sinister nature. This character is specifically tied to the 1972 anime adaptation and does not appear in the original manga, making him a unique addition to that version of the story, where he acts as an agent sent by the demon lord Zennon to assist his general Zannin in the mission to destroy the hero Devilman.
In his preferred human disguise, Iwao Himura presents himself as a teenager in his late teens. He is recognizable by his brown hair and distinctive spiked sideburns, often dressed in casual attire consisting of blue jeans, a white t-shirt with blue stripes, and a signature blue scarf. On occasion, he also wears a biker's jacket decorated with a black skull on the back, reflecting his rebellious persona. However, this human form is merely a facade. Himmler's authentic demonic appearance is radically different; he is a large, blue-furred bat-like creature with a feline head, complete with horns, which underscores his otherworldly and bestial nature. Despite being a demon, Himmler is not portrayed as particularly powerful in a conventional sense. His abilities include flight, the capacity to maintain a human disguise, and the power to emit a thick black fog from his mouth, which he uses as a smokescreen to confuse and distract his enemies. In his human guise, he demonstrates notable skills as a proficient motorcyclist and a capable hand-to-hand fighter.
The personality of Iwao Himura is defined by a blend of cunning intelligence and arrogant troublemaking. He is a manipulative character who enjoys creating chaos and psychological distress for his targets. His primary mission from Zennon is to eliminate Devilman, and to achieve this, he employs a strategic approach rather than relying solely on brute force. One of his most notable tactics is to get close to Miki Makimura, a girl who shares a close bond with the hero Akira Fudo, the human host of Devilman. Himura uses his human charm to make her fall for him, with the explicit goal of making Devilman jealous and emotionally vulnerable, thereby weakening his resolve.
However, the character exhibits a degree of complexity as the story progresses. His initial, calculated pursuit of Miki appears to evolve into something more genuine. During a confrontation with the demon Gondoroma, Himura's actions and attitude suggest that his feelings for Miki become sincere, moving beyond his original manipulative intentions. Similarly, he displays a capacity for loyalty and emotional attachment within his own demonic circle. He shares a close bond with a demoness named Lafleur, and after her death at the hands of Devilman, Himura is genuinely distraught and vows to avenge her, demonstrating that his emotional capacity is not limited to his human guise. His arrogance, however, remains a defining flaw, and his ultimate fate is to be defeated and killed, meeting his end in the same episode in which he first appears alongside his superior, Zannin.
The character of Iwao Himura occupies an interesting space in the Devilman mythos, in part because he functions as a stand-in or an anime-original counterpart to a key figure from the manga. He is widely considered by fans to be the anime equivalent of Ryo Asuka, also known as Satan, who is the central antagonist and Akira Fudo's closest friend in the original comic. While the similarities between Himura and Ryo Asuka are superficial, this connection gives Himura a greater narrative weight than his limited screen time might otherwise suggest. This role is further complicated by later reinterpretations within the franchise. For instance, in the Devilman Grimoire manga, the names and concepts are re-contextualized; Himura appears as a separate devilman character who has fused with the demon Zannin, while Himmler retains his identity as a distinct, bat-like demon. This demonstrates how the original anime version of Himura has influenced other iterations of the story, creating a layered legacy for the character.
In his preferred human disguise, Iwao Himura presents himself as a teenager in his late teens. He is recognizable by his brown hair and distinctive spiked sideburns, often dressed in casual attire consisting of blue jeans, a white t-shirt with blue stripes, and a signature blue scarf. On occasion, he also wears a biker's jacket decorated with a black skull on the back, reflecting his rebellious persona. However, this human form is merely a facade. Himmler's authentic demonic appearance is radically different; he is a large, blue-furred bat-like creature with a feline head, complete with horns, which underscores his otherworldly and bestial nature. Despite being a demon, Himmler is not portrayed as particularly powerful in a conventional sense. His abilities include flight, the capacity to maintain a human disguise, and the power to emit a thick black fog from his mouth, which he uses as a smokescreen to confuse and distract his enemies. In his human guise, he demonstrates notable skills as a proficient motorcyclist and a capable hand-to-hand fighter.
The personality of Iwao Himura is defined by a blend of cunning intelligence and arrogant troublemaking. He is a manipulative character who enjoys creating chaos and psychological distress for his targets. His primary mission from Zennon is to eliminate Devilman, and to achieve this, he employs a strategic approach rather than relying solely on brute force. One of his most notable tactics is to get close to Miki Makimura, a girl who shares a close bond with the hero Akira Fudo, the human host of Devilman. Himura uses his human charm to make her fall for him, with the explicit goal of making Devilman jealous and emotionally vulnerable, thereby weakening his resolve.
However, the character exhibits a degree of complexity as the story progresses. His initial, calculated pursuit of Miki appears to evolve into something more genuine. During a confrontation with the demon Gondoroma, Himura's actions and attitude suggest that his feelings for Miki become sincere, moving beyond his original manipulative intentions. Similarly, he displays a capacity for loyalty and emotional attachment within his own demonic circle. He shares a close bond with a demoness named Lafleur, and after her death at the hands of Devilman, Himura is genuinely distraught and vows to avenge her, demonstrating that his emotional capacity is not limited to his human guise. His arrogance, however, remains a defining flaw, and his ultimate fate is to be defeated and killed, meeting his end in the same episode in which he first appears alongside his superior, Zannin.
The character of Iwao Himura occupies an interesting space in the Devilman mythos, in part because he functions as a stand-in or an anime-original counterpart to a key figure from the manga. He is widely considered by fans to be the anime equivalent of Ryo Asuka, also known as Satan, who is the central antagonist and Akira Fudo's closest friend in the original comic. While the similarities between Himura and Ryo Asuka are superficial, this connection gives Himura a greater narrative weight than his limited screen time might otherwise suggest. This role is further complicated by later reinterpretations within the franchise. For instance, in the Devilman Grimoire manga, the names and concepts are re-contextualized; Himura appears as a separate devilman character who has fused with the demon Zannin, while Himmler retains his identity as a distinct, bat-like demon. This demonstrates how the original anime version of Himura has influenced other iterations of the story, creating a layered legacy for the character.