Akitaru Ōbi, a seasoned firefighter turned resolute commander, spearheads Special Fire Force Company 8 to root out systemic corruption after his disillusionment with the Fire Defence Agency’s callousness. His career-defining rebellion occurred when he abandoned protocol to aid a widow mourning her husband’s transformation into an Infernal—an act of defiance that cost him his position but forged his ethos: treating the deceased with reverence and framing Infernal eradication as a somber duty rather than mere procedure. His towering stature (189 cm, 108 kg) masks no pyrokinetic gifts, relying instead on disciplined physical mastery. Enhanced strength enables feats like wielding customized fire axes and the Core Annihilating Pile Bunker, while battlefield ingenuity sees him repurpose environments—diverting rail lines for vantage points or weaponizing fire-suppressant foam as tactical cover. Though prone to boisterous camaraderie—hosting team meals or bench-pressing mid-conversation—his leadership sharpens when honoring the dead. He once publicly reprimanded subordinates for brandishing gear near mourning families, cementing his reputation for unflinching integrity. This moral clarity commands universal respect, from the rogue Joker to the tempestuous Benimaru Shinmon. Pivotal missions expose him to lethal threats: exposing Company 5’s human experimentation, enduring assaults by the berserk Infernal Assault, and a sacrificial demise during a clash with his own double. His death fractures Shinra Kusakabe’s resolve until reality itself bends to restore him. Post-cataclysm, he dismantles the Fire Force to establish the World Heroes Force, later governing the reformed world as president. Beyond duty, he harbors a culinary allegiance to ramen, scorns synthetic nutrition, and unwinds by curating vinyl records or crafting furniture. Immune to alcohol’s effects and bearing blood type B, he anchors his team as a stalwart mentor—a figurehead of pragmatic idealism whose legacy intertwines raw humanity with unyielding justice.