Movie
Description
Colonel Shikishima, often referred to simply as Le Colonel, is the supreme military commander of Neo-Tokyo and the officer in charge of the secret government project that oversees psychic research. He was present when an earlier manifestation of Akira's power destroyed Tokyo thirty-one years prior, and this experience has shaped every decision he makes. He understands the true scale of the threat better than any politician or civilian, and he carries the weight of that knowledge alone.
His background positions him as a career soldier who rose through the ranks by demonstrating competence and loyalty, but his loyalty is to the safety of the city and its people rather than to the corrupt political class that nominally holds power. He is pragmatic, disciplined, and uncompromising. His personality is stern and authoritarian on the surface, and he operates with a cold efficiency that makes him appear ruthless. He does not hesitate to order the study or containment of individuals who pose a psychic risk, including Tetsuo Shima. However, beneath this exterior lies a strong sense of duty and an unexpected capacity for compassion, particularly toward the Esper children Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. He treats them with care and respect, seeing them not as weapons or threats but as victims of the same experiments he is forced to manage.
His primary motivation is prevention. He is driven by the absolute conviction that another disaster on the scale of the original Akira incident must never be allowed to happen. This overriding goal justifies extreme measures in his mind, including the use of the orbital laser weapon SOL, the imposition of martial law, and eventually a coup d'état against the civilian government when he judges its corruption and incompetence to be an obstacle to public safety. He does not seek personal power or political advantage; his actions are rooted in a genuine belief that he is the only person willing to do what is necessary.
In the story, he serves as a major supporting character and initially an antagonist to Kaneda and the resistance group. He orders Tetsuo's capture and study after the boy's psychic powers emerge, and he later becomes the primary military force attempting to contain Tetsuo's rampage. His role evolves when he stages a coup to seize control of the military and deploy it to defend the Olympic Stadium where Akira's remains are held. Despite his overwhelming resources and strategic planning, conventional military power proves insufficient against Tetsuo's escalating abilities. The orbital laser strikes Tetsuo and destroys his arm, but Tetsuo retaliates by destroying the satellite. The Colonel confronts Tetsuo personally in a final attempt to stop him, shooting him in a desperate negotiation that instead triggers a further loss of control. He is nearly consumed by Tetsuo's expanding form but is saved by Kaneda and teleported to safety by Kiyoko, surviving the final cataclysm.
His key relationships reflect his divided role. With the Esper children, he is protective and attentive, listening to their warnings and treating them with a warmth he shows almost no one else. He views Tetsuo as both a lethal threat and a tragic figure, a victim of the same project the Colonel himself oversees. With the Neo-Tokyo government, his relationship is one of open contempt and frustration, culminating in his decision to overthrow them. He initially opposes Kaneda and Kei, seeing them as disruptive elements, but eventually recognizes their determination and aligns with them against the greater danger posed by Tetsuo.
His development is one of gradual moral clarification. He begins as a figure who enforces the status quo through force, but as the crisis deepens, he sheds his allegiance to the corrupt system and acts purely on his own judgment. He accepts the personal cost of his decisions, risking his career, his freedom, and his life for what he believes is right. His journey reinforces the theme that order maintained through dishonesty is no order at all, and that true responsibility sometimes requires breaking the chain of command.
Notable abilities include his strategic and tactical command of military forces, his access to advanced weapons systems including the SOL orbital laser and Caretaker robots, and his willingness to lead from the front in combat. He possesses no psychic powers and relies entirely on his training, authority, and resourcefulness. His greatest asset is his unwavering resolve and his ability to make hard decisions under pressure, even when those decisions carry moral ambiguity. He survives the story's conclusion and continues to live in the world that emerges from the destruction.
His background positions him as a career soldier who rose through the ranks by demonstrating competence and loyalty, but his loyalty is to the safety of the city and its people rather than to the corrupt political class that nominally holds power. He is pragmatic, disciplined, and uncompromising. His personality is stern and authoritarian on the surface, and he operates with a cold efficiency that makes him appear ruthless. He does not hesitate to order the study or containment of individuals who pose a psychic risk, including Tetsuo Shima. However, beneath this exterior lies a strong sense of duty and an unexpected capacity for compassion, particularly toward the Esper children Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. He treats them with care and respect, seeing them not as weapons or threats but as victims of the same experiments he is forced to manage.
His primary motivation is prevention. He is driven by the absolute conviction that another disaster on the scale of the original Akira incident must never be allowed to happen. This overriding goal justifies extreme measures in his mind, including the use of the orbital laser weapon SOL, the imposition of martial law, and eventually a coup d'état against the civilian government when he judges its corruption and incompetence to be an obstacle to public safety. He does not seek personal power or political advantage; his actions are rooted in a genuine belief that he is the only person willing to do what is necessary.
In the story, he serves as a major supporting character and initially an antagonist to Kaneda and the resistance group. He orders Tetsuo's capture and study after the boy's psychic powers emerge, and he later becomes the primary military force attempting to contain Tetsuo's rampage. His role evolves when he stages a coup to seize control of the military and deploy it to defend the Olympic Stadium where Akira's remains are held. Despite his overwhelming resources and strategic planning, conventional military power proves insufficient against Tetsuo's escalating abilities. The orbital laser strikes Tetsuo and destroys his arm, but Tetsuo retaliates by destroying the satellite. The Colonel confronts Tetsuo personally in a final attempt to stop him, shooting him in a desperate negotiation that instead triggers a further loss of control. He is nearly consumed by Tetsuo's expanding form but is saved by Kaneda and teleported to safety by Kiyoko, surviving the final cataclysm.
His key relationships reflect his divided role. With the Esper children, he is protective and attentive, listening to their warnings and treating them with a warmth he shows almost no one else. He views Tetsuo as both a lethal threat and a tragic figure, a victim of the same project the Colonel himself oversees. With the Neo-Tokyo government, his relationship is one of open contempt and frustration, culminating in his decision to overthrow them. He initially opposes Kaneda and Kei, seeing them as disruptive elements, but eventually recognizes their determination and aligns with them against the greater danger posed by Tetsuo.
His development is one of gradual moral clarification. He begins as a figure who enforces the status quo through force, but as the crisis deepens, he sheds his allegiance to the corrupt system and acts purely on his own judgment. He accepts the personal cost of his decisions, risking his career, his freedom, and his life for what he believes is right. His journey reinforces the theme that order maintained through dishonesty is no order at all, and that true responsibility sometimes requires breaking the chain of command.
Notable abilities include his strategic and tactical command of military forces, his access to advanced weapons systems including the SOL orbital laser and Caretaker robots, and his willingness to lead from the front in combat. He possesses no psychic powers and relies entirely on his training, authority, and resourcefulness. His greatest asset is his unwavering resolve and his ability to make hard decisions under pressure, even when those decisions carry moral ambiguity. He survives the story's conclusion and continues to live in the world that emerges from the destruction.