Kaiju No 8: Every major character in the anime so far

With Kaiju No 8 recently having its grand premiere, it’s time for us to take a look at every major character in the anime so far.

Expected to be one of the biggest anime of the year, Kaiju No 8 debuted on April 13, 2024 on Crunchyroll. The anime is adapted from the Kaiju No 8 manga by Naoya Matsumoto. The Spring 2024 series is adapted by Production I.G. and is listed for 12 episodes.

Kaiju No 8 is set in a world where Godzilla-like monsters aka kaiju frequently attack the cities. The Defense Corps deploy soldiers to kill these monsters while the Monster Cleaners clean the corpses. The story follows Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old cleaner who failed to join the Defense Corps, who turns into a kaiju on a fateful day.

Since Kaiju No 8 anime is only starting, there are only a few major characters introduced in the story yet. With every new episode, we’ll get to meet more and more characters who’ll contribute to the story. Here are every major character in the Kaiju No 8 anime so far.

1. Mina Ashiro

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The first major character to be introduced in Kaiju No 8 is Mina Ashiro. She’s the captain of the Third Division of the Defense Corps. At only 27, she has achieved a great deal in life. Not only is she the captain of her division, she’s also an ace shooter and one of the most popular soldiers in the city.

From the very first scene in the anime, Mina makes it clear that she’s no damsel in distress like many shonen heroines. She, along with her team, efficiently kills the first kaiju to appear in the story and the yonju that appear from the kaiju.

The first episode of Kaiju No 8 also reveals the history between Mina and Kafka. After seeing their part of the city destroyed, both vowed to join the Defense Corps as children. However, only Mina was able to accomplish her dream of the two.

2. Kafka Hibino

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Kafka Hibino is the protagonist of Kaiju No 8. A jaded 32-year-old man, Kafka has given up on his dream of joining the Defense Corps after multiple failed attempts. Currently, he works as a Monster Cleaner, cleaning the corpses of kaiju instead of killing them.

Although Kafka tells himself that he’s content with his life, he hates his job. He feels inferior to his childhood friend Mina who’s become a captain in the Defense Corps. It isn’t until he meets his new co-worker Reno that he dreams of joining the Defense Corps again.

Kafka’s life is turned upside down when he and Reno are almost killed by a yonju that originated from the kaiju they were cleaning. While in the hospital, he encounters a strange flying kaiju that flies straight into his mouth, transforming him into a kaiju itself.

3. Reno Ichikawa

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The third major character to be introduced in Kaiju No 8 is Reno Ichikawa. Reno is an 18-year-old teenager aspiring to join the Defense Corps. He joins the Monster Cleaners as a part-timer where he meets Kafka. Unlike the jaded Kafka, Reno is still young and has no intention of giving up on his dream.

Though Reno isn’t initially impressed with Kafka’s attitude towards his ambition, he later comes to respect the older man. After Kafka saves him from the yonju, Reno comes back to help him, only to be saved by Mina and the Third Division.

Reno is currently the only person who knows Kafka has somehow transformed into a kaiju. Despite the weird situation, he’s determined to aid Kafka in any way possible.

4. Soshiro Hoshina

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The vice captain of the Third Division of the Defense Force, Soshiro Hoshina is another major character in Kaiju No 8. He also plays the protagonist in the manga’s spin-off series, Kaiju No 8: B-Side. His position as the vice-captain speaks of his capability as a soldier, something he demonstrates further into the story.

Soshiro acts as the invigilator in the second phase of the exam where he tells the contestants that they have to defeat a kaiju to pass the phase. His abilities are demonstrated further down the Kaiju No 8 episodes when he’s revealed to be the Defense Force’s Strongest Close-Quarters Combatant.

5. Iharu Furuhashi

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Iharu Furuhashi is another candidate in the member selection exam and a major character in Kaiju No 8. He’s also one of the best contestants in the exam. Iharu places third on the physical exam.

Like Haruichi, Iharu was the topper of the class during his time as a student at the Hachiouji Subjugation High School. He’s only 19 and has a history with Mina. As a middle school student, he was saved by Mina and was inspired to join the Defense Force just like her.

6. Haruichi Izumo

Aside from Kikoru, there are three other contestants in the member selection exam who pose as the biggest opponents to Kafka and Reno. One of them is Haruichi Izumo. He ranks second in the physical exam during the selection.

Graduating at the top of his class from the Tokyo Subjugation University, Haruichi is initially considered as the top candidate in the exams. But Kikoru steals his thunder as soon as the exam begins.

7. Aoi Kaguragi

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The one to earn the first spot in the physical exam is Aoi Kaguragi. Kafka and Reno first see him in the parking lot outside the Tachikawa Base of the Defense Force. He, along with Kikoru, IIharu and Haruichi, are Kafka and Reno’s strongest competitors.

Aoi was the young star member of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force before he left it to pursue a career in the Defense Force. So, it makes sense that he’s physically gifted and has the constitution to become a soldier.

8. Kikoru Shinomiya

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A great thing about Kaiju No 8 is its strong female characters. After Mina, the anime brings out another amazing female character who is no damsel in distress. Kikoru Shinomiya is the daughter of Isao Shinomiya, the director general of the Defense Force.

Like Kafka and Reno, she’s also a contestant in the Defense Force member selection exam. But unlike those two, she’s a prodigy and said to be the best of the lot. After getting into a beef with Kafka over a parking space, Kikoru wows everyone in the exam despite being one of the youngest contestants.

These are the major characters introduced in the story so far. There will be more to come in the future with the next episode of Kaiju No 8 dropping this Saturday on Crunchyroll. Until the next episode is released, check out whether Godzilla is in Kaiju No 8, the best anime like Kaiju No 8 to watch next, and every Kaiju No 8 monster ranked by strength so far.