Movie
Description
Colonel Shikishima is the head of a secret government project in Neo-Tokyo, a position that places him at the center of the city's most dangerous secrets. His personal history is deeply tied to the very catastrophe that defines his world. As a child, his father, a Major in the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, was killed during the original psychic destruction of Tokyo that sparked World War III. This profound loss is believed to have shaped his life, leading him to enroll in the National Defense Academy and pursue a distinguished military career focused on preventing another such disaster.
Physically, Shikishima is an imposing figure, standing approximately 203 centimeters tall with a large, bulky build. His distinctive crew cut leads the young gang leader Kaneda to mockingly refer to him as "the Skinhead". As a commander, he is a stoic and stern man who rarely displays emotion beyond grim determination or visible anger. While he appears tyrannical, his actions are driven by a deep, grudging sense of responsibility for Neo-Tokyo. He holds the city and its inhabitants in contempt, once calling it a "garbage heap made up of hedonistic fools," yet he dedicates himself to protecting it, explaining that this is simply what a soldier does. This sense of duty puts him in constant conflict with the city's corrupt political leaders, who blame him for the state of Neo-Tokyo. In turn, he holds a similar contempt for politicians, once storming out of a parliamentary meeting barely able to contain his rage.
Despite his hardened exterior, Shikishima is not without compassion, specifically toward the three Esper children, Takashi, Masaru, and Kiyoko, who are the subjects of his project. He interacts with them in a soft, fatherly manner and takes their warnings and premonitions seriously, a trait that others do not share. This paternal care is reciprocated, as the Espers respect him and ultimately use their powers to teleport him to safety during the final destruction of Neo-Tokyo. His relationship with the scientist Doctor Onishi is more complex and antagonistic. Shikishima is a pragmatist who holds scientific theory in disbelief, referring to scientists as "romantics." He scoffs at Onishi's theories about psychic powers being the next stage of evolution and becomes violently disgusted when he perceives Onishi's fascination with Tetsuo's dangerous powers as a neglect of human life.
Shikishima's primary motivation is to prevent the rise of another psychic calamity like Akira, the child whose powers destroyed Tokyo decades earlier. Having personally seen the consequences, he views Akira as "Pandora's box," a secret the government should never have created. When a teenage biker named Tetsuo Shima begins to manifest similar psychic growth patterns, the Colonel immediately deems him a threat that must be eliminated. He approves of Tetsuo becoming a new test subject but remains deeply uncomfortable with the risk. As Tetsuo becomes more unstable and the government refuses to act, preferring political maneuvering to disaster prevention, Shikishima is driven to stage a coup d'état. He seizes control of the military in a desperate, failed attempt to deal with Tetsuo on his own terms, demonstrating that his loyalty is to the safety of the city rather than to its leaders.
Throughout the narrative, Shikishima remains a pragmatic soldier rather than a scientist or a politician. He has little faith in abstract theories, once musing that humans were not meant to meddle with natural evolution. His abilities are not psychic or superhuman but are rooted in his extensive military expertise. He is a highly skilled strategist, having been instrumental in establishing Japan's special forces and gaining the nation's independence from a US defense system. In his pursuit of Tetsuo, he demonstrates his capacity for ruthless action, notably using a orbital laser satellite known as SOL in an attempt to destroy his target—an attack that only succeeds in severing Tetsuo's arm. While his initial attempts to stop Tetsuo fail, his character is defined by resilience. Stripped of his power and his army, his core sense of honor and duty persists, compelling him to continue fighting to right the wrong he feels responsible for unleashing upon the world.
Physically, Shikishima is an imposing figure, standing approximately 203 centimeters tall with a large, bulky build. His distinctive crew cut leads the young gang leader Kaneda to mockingly refer to him as "the Skinhead". As a commander, he is a stoic and stern man who rarely displays emotion beyond grim determination or visible anger. While he appears tyrannical, his actions are driven by a deep, grudging sense of responsibility for Neo-Tokyo. He holds the city and its inhabitants in contempt, once calling it a "garbage heap made up of hedonistic fools," yet he dedicates himself to protecting it, explaining that this is simply what a soldier does. This sense of duty puts him in constant conflict with the city's corrupt political leaders, who blame him for the state of Neo-Tokyo. In turn, he holds a similar contempt for politicians, once storming out of a parliamentary meeting barely able to contain his rage.
Despite his hardened exterior, Shikishima is not without compassion, specifically toward the three Esper children, Takashi, Masaru, and Kiyoko, who are the subjects of his project. He interacts with them in a soft, fatherly manner and takes their warnings and premonitions seriously, a trait that others do not share. This paternal care is reciprocated, as the Espers respect him and ultimately use their powers to teleport him to safety during the final destruction of Neo-Tokyo. His relationship with the scientist Doctor Onishi is more complex and antagonistic. Shikishima is a pragmatist who holds scientific theory in disbelief, referring to scientists as "romantics." He scoffs at Onishi's theories about psychic powers being the next stage of evolution and becomes violently disgusted when he perceives Onishi's fascination with Tetsuo's dangerous powers as a neglect of human life.
Shikishima's primary motivation is to prevent the rise of another psychic calamity like Akira, the child whose powers destroyed Tokyo decades earlier. Having personally seen the consequences, he views Akira as "Pandora's box," a secret the government should never have created. When a teenage biker named Tetsuo Shima begins to manifest similar psychic growth patterns, the Colonel immediately deems him a threat that must be eliminated. He approves of Tetsuo becoming a new test subject but remains deeply uncomfortable with the risk. As Tetsuo becomes more unstable and the government refuses to act, preferring political maneuvering to disaster prevention, Shikishima is driven to stage a coup d'état. He seizes control of the military in a desperate, failed attempt to deal with Tetsuo on his own terms, demonstrating that his loyalty is to the safety of the city rather than to its leaders.
Throughout the narrative, Shikishima remains a pragmatic soldier rather than a scientist or a politician. He has little faith in abstract theories, once musing that humans were not meant to meddle with natural evolution. His abilities are not psychic or superhuman but are rooted in his extensive military expertise. He is a highly skilled strategist, having been instrumental in establishing Japan's special forces and gaining the nation's independence from a US defense system. In his pursuit of Tetsuo, he demonstrates his capacity for ruthless action, notably using a orbital laser satellite known as SOL in an attempt to destroy his target—an attack that only succeeds in severing Tetsuo's arm. While his initial attempts to stop Tetsuo fail, his character is defined by resilience. Stripped of his power and his army, his core sense of honor and duty persists, compelling him to continue fighting to right the wrong he feels responsible for unleashing upon the world.