TV-Series
Description
Kokopelli, also referred to as Professor Usui, is a pivotal figure in the anime Bokurano. He first appears as a mysterious man hiding in a cave near a beach, where he encounters a group of fifteen children during summer camp. He introduces himself as a computer programmer working on a new game and persuades the children to sign a contract to pilot a giant robot called Zearth against fifteen alien invasions. Kokopelli serves as the first pilot of Zearth, using the initial battle to demonstrate how to control the mecha. During this fight, he shows no concern for civilian casualties and explains that he is a human from a different planet. After destroying the enemy robot, he tells the children that the responsibility to protect Earth now falls on them and teleports them away. As they leave, one child hears him whisper an apology.
Kokopelli’s real identity is later revealed as Garaku, a teacher from the same alternate world as the creatures Koyemshi and Machi. He is also known by the surname Usui, and Koyemshi refers to him as Gara-Sensei. His true background indicates that his own world participated in the same deadly game and was destroyed, making him a survivor of that catastrophe. This history casts his actions in a tragic light: he was once a victim of the same system he now imposes on the children.
In personality, Kokopelli initially appears detached and manipulative, tricking the children into a life‑or‑death situation under the pretense of a game. However, his whispered “I’m sorry” after the first battle hints at deep guilt and moral conflict. Later revelations confirm that he understood the horrific cost all along and that his involvement was driven by the cycle of battles between parallel worlds. Despite his deceptive introduction, he is not a straightforward villain but a figure trapped by the same cruel mechanism that forces each world to sacrifice its pilots.
His role in the story is that of a catalyst: without him, the children would never have entered the contract or piloted Zearth. He provides the initial tutorial on how to operate the robot and then withdraws, leaving the children to face their fates. His connections to Koyemshi and Machi link him to the broader multiverse structure of the series, and his actions foreshadow the themes of sacrifice, guilt, and the cyclical nature of the battles.
Kokopelli’s development is revealed gradually through the story and its backstory. He transforms from a seemingly callous trickster into a remorseful former teacher who bears the weight of his own world’s destruction. His notable abilities include piloting Zearth with skill and possessing knowledge of the battle system and the contracts. He does not display any supernatural powers outside the mecha, but his experience as a former pilot and his familiarity with the rules of the game make him an important if fleeting mentor figure.
Kokopelli’s real identity is later revealed as Garaku, a teacher from the same alternate world as the creatures Koyemshi and Machi. He is also known by the surname Usui, and Koyemshi refers to him as Gara-Sensei. His true background indicates that his own world participated in the same deadly game and was destroyed, making him a survivor of that catastrophe. This history casts his actions in a tragic light: he was once a victim of the same system he now imposes on the children.
In personality, Kokopelli initially appears detached and manipulative, tricking the children into a life‑or‑death situation under the pretense of a game. However, his whispered “I’m sorry” after the first battle hints at deep guilt and moral conflict. Later revelations confirm that he understood the horrific cost all along and that his involvement was driven by the cycle of battles between parallel worlds. Despite his deceptive introduction, he is not a straightforward villain but a figure trapped by the same cruel mechanism that forces each world to sacrifice its pilots.
His role in the story is that of a catalyst: without him, the children would never have entered the contract or piloted Zearth. He provides the initial tutorial on how to operate the robot and then withdraws, leaving the children to face their fates. His connections to Koyemshi and Machi link him to the broader multiverse structure of the series, and his actions foreshadow the themes of sacrifice, guilt, and the cyclical nature of the battles.
Kokopelli’s development is revealed gradually through the story and its backstory. He transforms from a seemingly callous trickster into a remorseful former teacher who bears the weight of his own world’s destruction. His notable abilities include piloting Zearth with skill and possessing knowledge of the battle system and the contracts. He does not display any supernatural powers outside the mecha, but his experience as a former pilot and his familiarity with the rules of the game make him an important if fleeting mentor figure.