ONA
Description
Iori Kusanagi is a supporting antagonist and bounty hunter who appears in the first episode of the Netflix original anime My Daemon. He is a ruthless user of a Daemon, a type of mutant creature born from a nuclear disaster, and stands out as one of the most cruel and unambiguously evil characters in the story.
His background is rooted in the world of Daemon hunting, where he works as a bounty hunter to capture or kill Daemons for financial gain. He is first seen using his own Daemon, Casper, to punish a man over a petty theft. When a police officer intervenes, Iori shows no regard for authority and simply uses Casper’s power to turn them both invisible to escape, dropping the thief in the process. This early scene establishes his impulsive, spiteful, and lawless nature.
Personality-wise, Iori is defined by his extreme cruelty, sadism, and lack of empathy. He takes obvious pleasure in hunting down and tormenting his targets. His lack of moral restraint is most evident when he attempts to kill the young protagonist Kento and his Daemon Anna. His first attack involves hijacking a truck, making it invisible with Casper’s power, and trying to run over Kento and Anna, along with three other children from Kento’s class, in a public park. When this fails, he pursues the children on foot, showing no hesitation in using a knife against them. Throughout the chase, he prioritizes his own greed and amusement over any sense of right and wrong, causing widespread panic and collateral damage without concern. He is also deeply cowardly; his smug and violent demeanor instantly crumbles when he is faced with a threat he cannot control.
His primary role in the story is as a minor yet pivotal antagonist. While he appears only in the first episode, his actions serve as the catalyst for the entire plot. He is driven by a bounty placed on the rare Storage Daemon Anna, which he is determined to claim. His motivation is purely selfish and greedy, with no higher purpose or redeeming quality. He views Daemons not as living beings but as tools and sources of income, a mindset most clearly demonstrated by his abusive treatment of his own partner, Casper.
Iori's most significant relationship is with his Daemon, Casper, who possesses the ability to turn objects and people invisible. Iori keeps Casper subservient through an electric shock collar, which he uses frequently to punish the Daemon for any perceived failure. Iori treats Casper with cruelty and ingratitude, never showing appreciation and only issuing orders, such as his frequent command, "Casper, make me invisible". This abusive partnership ends violently when Kento removes the shock collar, freeing Casper. No longer bound, Casper takes revenge on his former master, culminating in a moment where Iori pathetically pleads, "You and I, are a TEAM!" before being devoured.
Iori’s development is minimal but impactful, as his death directly leads to the central tragedy of the series. After cornering Kento and Anna, he is initially incapacitated when Anna reflects his own knife back at him, embedding it in his mouth. Kento’s mother, Kaoru, arrives on the scene. As she tends to her son, a still-living Iori rises, pulls the knife from his wound, and hurls it at the child and his Daemon. Kaoru sacrifices herself to shield them, taking the fatal blow herself. Before Iori can act again, the freed Casper kills him. Though Iori dies, his final act of spite leaves Kento an orphan, setting the young boy on the journey that forms the main storyline of the anime.
In terms of notable abilities, Iori possesses no superhuman powers of his own. His effectiveness as a hunter comes entirely from his strategic use of his Daemon, Casper. Casper’s invisibility powers allow Iori to perform stealthy attacks, set up ambushes, and harass his targets. Iori’s tactics involve using this ability to turn vehicles or objects invisible to cause sudden and unexpected harm, demonstrating his cunning, however cruel, as a Daemon user.
His background is rooted in the world of Daemon hunting, where he works as a bounty hunter to capture or kill Daemons for financial gain. He is first seen using his own Daemon, Casper, to punish a man over a petty theft. When a police officer intervenes, Iori shows no regard for authority and simply uses Casper’s power to turn them both invisible to escape, dropping the thief in the process. This early scene establishes his impulsive, spiteful, and lawless nature.
Personality-wise, Iori is defined by his extreme cruelty, sadism, and lack of empathy. He takes obvious pleasure in hunting down and tormenting his targets. His lack of moral restraint is most evident when he attempts to kill the young protagonist Kento and his Daemon Anna. His first attack involves hijacking a truck, making it invisible with Casper’s power, and trying to run over Kento and Anna, along with three other children from Kento’s class, in a public park. When this fails, he pursues the children on foot, showing no hesitation in using a knife against them. Throughout the chase, he prioritizes his own greed and amusement over any sense of right and wrong, causing widespread panic and collateral damage without concern. He is also deeply cowardly; his smug and violent demeanor instantly crumbles when he is faced with a threat he cannot control.
His primary role in the story is as a minor yet pivotal antagonist. While he appears only in the first episode, his actions serve as the catalyst for the entire plot. He is driven by a bounty placed on the rare Storage Daemon Anna, which he is determined to claim. His motivation is purely selfish and greedy, with no higher purpose or redeeming quality. He views Daemons not as living beings but as tools and sources of income, a mindset most clearly demonstrated by his abusive treatment of his own partner, Casper.
Iori's most significant relationship is with his Daemon, Casper, who possesses the ability to turn objects and people invisible. Iori keeps Casper subservient through an electric shock collar, which he uses frequently to punish the Daemon for any perceived failure. Iori treats Casper with cruelty and ingratitude, never showing appreciation and only issuing orders, such as his frequent command, "Casper, make me invisible". This abusive partnership ends violently when Kento removes the shock collar, freeing Casper. No longer bound, Casper takes revenge on his former master, culminating in a moment where Iori pathetically pleads, "You and I, are a TEAM!" before being devoured.
Iori’s development is minimal but impactful, as his death directly leads to the central tragedy of the series. After cornering Kento and Anna, he is initially incapacitated when Anna reflects his own knife back at him, embedding it in his mouth. Kento’s mother, Kaoru, arrives on the scene. As she tends to her son, a still-living Iori rises, pulls the knife from his wound, and hurls it at the child and his Daemon. Kaoru sacrifices herself to shield them, taking the fatal blow herself. Before Iori can act again, the freed Casper kills him. Though Iori dies, his final act of spite leaves Kento an orphan, setting the young boy on the journey that forms the main storyline of the anime.
In terms of notable abilities, Iori possesses no superhuman powers of his own. His effectiveness as a hunter comes entirely from his strategic use of his Daemon, Casper. Casper’s invisibility powers allow Iori to perform stealthy attacks, set up ambushes, and harass his targets. Iori’s tactics involve using this ability to turn vehicles or objects invisible to cause sudden and unexpected harm, demonstrating his cunning, however cruel, as a Daemon user.