Movie
Description
Colonel Shikishima is the stern, imposing commander of the Neo-Tokyo military forces and the head of a secret government project researching psychic abilities. A physically large and intimidating man standing approximately 203 centimeters tall, he is typically seen in military attire and is known for his thin mustache and distinctive crew cut, which leads the protagonist Kaneda to refer to him as "The Skinhead".
Shikishima's background is rooted in the destruction of the original Tokyo by the psychic child Akira, an event that killed his father, a Major in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. This tragedy profoundly shaped his life, motivating him to enroll in the National Defense Academy and build a distinguished military career. He studied abroad at the United States Department of Defense, helped establish Japan's Army Special Forces, and was decorated for service in the Soviet-DPRK War. His growing power and success in unifying Japan's defense systems were perceived as a threat by government leaders, who effectively sidelined him by appointing him to the seemingly dead-end position of commander of the top-secret Akira research project.
As a personality, Shikishima is a serious, stoic, and stern figure who rarely displays emotion beyond determination or contained anger. While he appears tyrannical, he is deeply concerned with protecting Neo-Tokyo from another catastrophic psychic event, viewing the city with contempt as "a garbage heap made up of hedonistic fools" yet feeling a soldier's duty to defend it. He holds politicians in contempt, believing they are corrupt and more interested in political maneuvering than the city's safety, and they in turn see him as a convenient scapegoat for Neo-Tokyo's squalid state. Unlike his political counterparts, he is an honorable and dedicated soldier, arguably representing a shred of morality within the corrupt government. He is skeptical of pure scientific theory, dismissing scientists as "romantics," and is disturbed by the potential consequences of tampering with human evolution. Despite his harsh exterior, he has a notable soft side in his relationship with the three Esper children, Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. He treats them in a gentle, fatherly manner, and unlike most others, he genuinely listens to and acts upon their premonitions. The Espers, in turn, are fond of him and show their gratitude by teleporting him to safety during the final catastrophe.
Shikishima's primary motivation is the protection of Neo-Tokyo and the prevention of another apocalypse like the one that leveled the original city. He is deeply disturbed by the emergence of Tetsuo Shima, a young biker whose developing psychic powers mirror Akira's growth patterns. Viewing Tetsuo as a potential second Akira, a new "Pandora's box," he is determined to eliminate the threat, even approving of Tetsuo's recruitment as a test subject despite his discomfort and later actively hunting the boy during his rampage. His role in the story is that of a complex supporting character and antagonist to Tetsuo, while remaining a persistent authority figure in conflict with the protagonists Kaneda and Kei. He commands the military's efforts to control the psychic crisis, and when the civilian government attempts to arrest him for taking decisive action, he stages a coup d'état to secure free rein to deal with Tetsuo.
Key relationships define his actions. With the scientist Doctor Onishi, he shares a tense working relationship, but when Onishi becomes fascinated by Tetsuo's emerging powers, Shikishima reacts with violent disgust, throwing him across the room for neglecting human lives. In contrast, his bond with the Espers is one of mutual care and respect. His relationship with Kaneda is one of mutual antagonism, as Kaneda sees him as a representative of the oppressive system he rebels against. However, after the destruction of Neo-Tokyo, the Colonel is forced into a humbler position and ultimately allies with Kaneda and others to stop Tetsuo, as he feels responsible for having unleashed the boy's power.
The Colonel undergoes notable development, particularly in the source material, where the destruction of the city strips him of his military command and forces his true honorable nature to emerge as he joins the fight against Tetsuo to right the wrong he helped create. While the film adaptation presents him more as a standard strict military archetype, he remains a figure who stages a desperate coup to take responsibility for the crisis his project created. As for notable abilities, Shikishima possesses no psychic powers. His authority and capabilities are entirely conventional, stemming from his strategic intellect, his lifelong military training, his command over the armed forces of Neo-Tokyo, and his willingness to utilize advanced weaponry, such as the SOL laser satellite, in a desperate attempt to destroy Tetsuo.
Shikishima's background is rooted in the destruction of the original Tokyo by the psychic child Akira, an event that killed his father, a Major in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. This tragedy profoundly shaped his life, motivating him to enroll in the National Defense Academy and build a distinguished military career. He studied abroad at the United States Department of Defense, helped establish Japan's Army Special Forces, and was decorated for service in the Soviet-DPRK War. His growing power and success in unifying Japan's defense systems were perceived as a threat by government leaders, who effectively sidelined him by appointing him to the seemingly dead-end position of commander of the top-secret Akira research project.
As a personality, Shikishima is a serious, stoic, and stern figure who rarely displays emotion beyond determination or contained anger. While he appears tyrannical, he is deeply concerned with protecting Neo-Tokyo from another catastrophic psychic event, viewing the city with contempt as "a garbage heap made up of hedonistic fools" yet feeling a soldier's duty to defend it. He holds politicians in contempt, believing they are corrupt and more interested in political maneuvering than the city's safety, and they in turn see him as a convenient scapegoat for Neo-Tokyo's squalid state. Unlike his political counterparts, he is an honorable and dedicated soldier, arguably representing a shred of morality within the corrupt government. He is skeptical of pure scientific theory, dismissing scientists as "romantics," and is disturbed by the potential consequences of tampering with human evolution. Despite his harsh exterior, he has a notable soft side in his relationship with the three Esper children, Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. He treats them in a gentle, fatherly manner, and unlike most others, he genuinely listens to and acts upon their premonitions. The Espers, in turn, are fond of him and show their gratitude by teleporting him to safety during the final catastrophe.
Shikishima's primary motivation is the protection of Neo-Tokyo and the prevention of another apocalypse like the one that leveled the original city. He is deeply disturbed by the emergence of Tetsuo Shima, a young biker whose developing psychic powers mirror Akira's growth patterns. Viewing Tetsuo as a potential second Akira, a new "Pandora's box," he is determined to eliminate the threat, even approving of Tetsuo's recruitment as a test subject despite his discomfort and later actively hunting the boy during his rampage. His role in the story is that of a complex supporting character and antagonist to Tetsuo, while remaining a persistent authority figure in conflict with the protagonists Kaneda and Kei. He commands the military's efforts to control the psychic crisis, and when the civilian government attempts to arrest him for taking decisive action, he stages a coup d'état to secure free rein to deal with Tetsuo.
Key relationships define his actions. With the scientist Doctor Onishi, he shares a tense working relationship, but when Onishi becomes fascinated by Tetsuo's emerging powers, Shikishima reacts with violent disgust, throwing him across the room for neglecting human lives. In contrast, his bond with the Espers is one of mutual care and respect. His relationship with Kaneda is one of mutual antagonism, as Kaneda sees him as a representative of the oppressive system he rebels against. However, after the destruction of Neo-Tokyo, the Colonel is forced into a humbler position and ultimately allies with Kaneda and others to stop Tetsuo, as he feels responsible for having unleashed the boy's power.
The Colonel undergoes notable development, particularly in the source material, where the destruction of the city strips him of his military command and forces his true honorable nature to emerge as he joins the fight against Tetsuo to right the wrong he helped create. While the film adaptation presents him more as a standard strict military archetype, he remains a figure who stages a desperate coup to take responsibility for the crisis his project created. As for notable abilities, Shikishima possesses no psychic powers. His authority and capabilities are entirely conventional, stemming from his strategic intellect, his lifelong military training, his command over the armed forces of Neo-Tokyo, and his willingness to utilize advanced weaponry, such as the SOL laser satellite, in a desperate attempt to destroy Tetsuo.