TV-Series
Description
Ban Mido is one half of the retrieval duo known as the Getbackers, representing the B in the group's name. He is a young man of 21 years in the anime and 18 in the manga, born on December 17. Standing at 175 centimeters (approximately 5 feet 9 inches) and weighing 58 kilograms, he has a lean but solid build with dark brown, unruly hair that often leads to nicknames like Urchin Head, and deep blue, sapphire-colored eyes usually hidden behind a pair of small purple sunglasses. His typical attire consists of a short-sleeved white button-down shirt over a loose black tank top, black skinny jeans with a white belt, and brown shoes, often with a lit cigarette in his mouth, a habit he picked up from a close friend in his past.
Ban is one-quarter German, having inherited his extraordinary abilities from his grandmother, who was known as the Last Witch of the 20th Century. His father is a man named Der Kaiser, and it is later revealed that he shares a father with Himiko Kudo, making them half-siblings. His early life was marked by hardship; after his powers manifested, he was sent to live with his grandmother in Europe, where he was constantly hunted by shamans. This forced him to become a self-taught genius, studying fighting techniques, science, history, and magic from a very young age in order to survive his destined fate. After being sent back to Japan, he lived on the streets as a child before eventually teaming up with siblings Yamato and Himiko Kudo as a transporter. This partnership ended tragically when Ban was forced to kill Yamato at the latter's own request to prevent him from succumbing to a terrible curse. Fulfilling his promise to protect Himiko, Ban took Yamato's lighter and cigarette brand and left. Sometime later, he ventured into the mysterious Infinity Fortress, where he encountered and fought the powerful Raitei, Ginji Amano. Instead of killing each other as fate supposedly dictated, they formed a close bond and left the Fortress together to start their retrieval service.
At first glance, Ban appears rude, arrogant, and prideful, often giving unflattering nicknames to almost everyone he meets, calling his partner Ginji "Chattering Eel" and their associate Shido "Monkey Boy." Despite this harsh exterior and his impatience, he possesses a strong sense of leadership and a hidden, sentimental kindness, particularly toward those he considers friends. He is a classic example of a person who is good but not nice, often showing his care through actions rather than words, such as rushing to protect Himiko when she is in danger or helping an ally in need even after a bitter argument. As the "Genius of Battles," as his grandmother called him, he is the strategic planner of the Getbackers, consistently thinking several steps ahead of his opponents and analyzing situations with a sharp, detective-like intellect. He is also a talented violinist, a skill that hints at his deeper, more refined side.
Ban Mido is driven by a quiet desire to protect those he cares about and to defy the tragic destiny laid out for him. He carries the weight of his past actions, particularly the killing of Yamato, which serves as a constant motivation to keep his promise of watching over Himiko. His partnership with Ginji is central to his existence; meeting the optimistic and powerful former lightning emperor gave him a new purpose and a way to use his abilities to help others, breaking him out of a lonely and burned-out state.
His role in the story is that of the pragmatic and powerful executor. While Ginji often provides the heart and emotional core of the duo, Ban provides the brains and the decisive force. He is the one who handles the negotiations, devises the plans, and delivers the final, crushing blow to their adversaries when necessary. His deep knowledge and cold demeanor make him a formidable and often terrifying opponent, respected even by his enemies.
In combat, Ban wields two primary abilities inherited from his grandmother. The first is the Jagan, or Evil Eye, a technique that allows him to trap anyone who meets his gaze in a highly realistic, one-minute-long illusion, which often manifests as a nightmare. This ability is exceptionally powerful but has strict limitations: it can only be used three times within a 24-hour period, and it cannot be used on the same person again during that time. Using it a fourth time risks causing the user to disappear from existence and from the memories of everyone who knew them. His second and more frequently used ability is the Snake Bite. Due to being born under the star of Asclepius, his hands possess a crushing grip of over 200 kilograms of force each, enough to easily break steel, concrete, and bones. By reciting a special incantation, he can channel even more power from Asclepius, causing the spectral form of a giant snake to coil around him and transforming his right hand into a devastating weapon capable of destroying nearly anything. He also possesses incredible speed and fighting instincts, making his attacks unpredictable and his reflexes sharp enough to match the series' deadliest fighters. Over the course of the story, his skills continue to evolve, and he learns to transcend the limitations of his curses, unlocking even greater latent potential.
Ban is one-quarter German, having inherited his extraordinary abilities from his grandmother, who was known as the Last Witch of the 20th Century. His father is a man named Der Kaiser, and it is later revealed that he shares a father with Himiko Kudo, making them half-siblings. His early life was marked by hardship; after his powers manifested, he was sent to live with his grandmother in Europe, where he was constantly hunted by shamans. This forced him to become a self-taught genius, studying fighting techniques, science, history, and magic from a very young age in order to survive his destined fate. After being sent back to Japan, he lived on the streets as a child before eventually teaming up with siblings Yamato and Himiko Kudo as a transporter. This partnership ended tragically when Ban was forced to kill Yamato at the latter's own request to prevent him from succumbing to a terrible curse. Fulfilling his promise to protect Himiko, Ban took Yamato's lighter and cigarette brand and left. Sometime later, he ventured into the mysterious Infinity Fortress, where he encountered and fought the powerful Raitei, Ginji Amano. Instead of killing each other as fate supposedly dictated, they formed a close bond and left the Fortress together to start their retrieval service.
At first glance, Ban appears rude, arrogant, and prideful, often giving unflattering nicknames to almost everyone he meets, calling his partner Ginji "Chattering Eel" and their associate Shido "Monkey Boy." Despite this harsh exterior and his impatience, he possesses a strong sense of leadership and a hidden, sentimental kindness, particularly toward those he considers friends. He is a classic example of a person who is good but not nice, often showing his care through actions rather than words, such as rushing to protect Himiko when she is in danger or helping an ally in need even after a bitter argument. As the "Genius of Battles," as his grandmother called him, he is the strategic planner of the Getbackers, consistently thinking several steps ahead of his opponents and analyzing situations with a sharp, detective-like intellect. He is also a talented violinist, a skill that hints at his deeper, more refined side.
Ban Mido is driven by a quiet desire to protect those he cares about and to defy the tragic destiny laid out for him. He carries the weight of his past actions, particularly the killing of Yamato, which serves as a constant motivation to keep his promise of watching over Himiko. His partnership with Ginji is central to his existence; meeting the optimistic and powerful former lightning emperor gave him a new purpose and a way to use his abilities to help others, breaking him out of a lonely and burned-out state.
His role in the story is that of the pragmatic and powerful executor. While Ginji often provides the heart and emotional core of the duo, Ban provides the brains and the decisive force. He is the one who handles the negotiations, devises the plans, and delivers the final, crushing blow to their adversaries when necessary. His deep knowledge and cold demeanor make him a formidable and often terrifying opponent, respected even by his enemies.
In combat, Ban wields two primary abilities inherited from his grandmother. The first is the Jagan, or Evil Eye, a technique that allows him to trap anyone who meets his gaze in a highly realistic, one-minute-long illusion, which often manifests as a nightmare. This ability is exceptionally powerful but has strict limitations: it can only be used three times within a 24-hour period, and it cannot be used on the same person again during that time. Using it a fourth time risks causing the user to disappear from existence and from the memories of everyone who knew them. His second and more frequently used ability is the Snake Bite. Due to being born under the star of Asclepius, his hands possess a crushing grip of over 200 kilograms of force each, enough to easily break steel, concrete, and bones. By reciting a special incantation, he can channel even more power from Asclepius, causing the spectral form of a giant snake to coil around him and transforming his right hand into a devastating weapon capable of destroying nearly anything. He also possesses incredible speed and fighting instincts, making his attacks unpredictable and his reflexes sharp enough to match the series' deadliest fighters. Over the course of the story, his skills continue to evolve, and he learns to transcend the limitations of his curses, unlocking even greater latent potential.