Atsushi Nakajima

Atsushi Nakajima (中島 敦,) is the main protagonist of the Bungo Stray Dogs manga and anime series. He is a member of the Armed Detective Agency who possesses the ability Beast Beneath the Moonlight.

Appearance
Atsushi has light gray hair, pale skin, and is of average height with a slim build. He has segmental heterochromia, consisting of purple with yellow along the bottom curve of his pupil. His hair is short and swept forward in loose spikes with a lock left long on the right side of his face. This uneven style is the result of bullying he suffered at the hands of other orphans in the orphanage, and he never fixed it. Additionally, he has a prominent black streak in his hair.

Initially, he wears rags issued by the orphanage. After he joins the Armed Detective Agency, Akiko Yosano and Doppo Kunikida issue him a white button-up with the sleeves pushed to his elbows, a loose black tie, black pants, black, fingerless gloves, and a suspenders/belt combo with a long stretch of the belt dangling loosely from the buckle.

When he transforms into a partial tiger, his eyes become tiger-eye like and he develops fangs. If more drastic, his limbs morph into tiger limbs, and his tail emerges.

When he morphs with Rashomon, together with his ability Beast Beneath the Moonlight, he wears the black coat of Akutagawa and his tiger claws become longer.

Personality
Atsushi is enthusiastic and passionate, caring deeply about his fellow members of the Armed Detective Agency and for the well-being of civilians and of people in bad situations. During his entrance exam that all members must pass to join the Agency, he is faced with a simulated bomb threat. He uses his body to cover the bomb and shield the other members, whom he had never met.

His traumatic past affects much of his daily life, and he is tormented with nightmares, flashbacks, and the internal monologue of the orphanage director who abused him. He has a severely low sense of self-worth and is somewhat naive, which causes him to initially feel helpless when confronted with dangerous situations. When paralyzed in guilt and/or fear, he has difficulty reacting or understanding what to do. He also tends to react strongly and believe things at face value, trusting others' judgment above his own, even abandoning his own instincts.

For example, when learning of the seven billion yen bounty on his head, he becomes convinced that he is putting the Agency at risk. He feels intense guilt and decides to leave, believing it will keep the Agency from being targeted. He is advised by Kunikida to learn how to become useful rather than worry about the Agency being attacked.

He has a strong sense of morality, which also directly stems from his upbringing. He believes his worth in life depends on his ability to protect others and has an aversion to the abuse of one's power and to preventable deaths. He values life and tries to help even his enemies at times. This is seen through his interactions with Kyōka, Lucy, and Sigma and during his battles with Akutagawa.

Although still struggling with his self-esteem and the words of his late Headmaster, Atsushi gradually improves his confidence and sense of self after joining the Armed Detective agency. He continues to be strengthened by several missions and the clashes between the Port Mafia, Guild, Rats in the House of the Dead, and Hunting Dogs (among others). His will hardens in these tough situations, and he becomes steadfast, reliable, and intensely caring. However, he still experiences paralyzing fear of fighting alone and often needs a companion to aid him in battle or at times save him in order to feel powerful.

Background
Atushi grew up in an orphanage, where he suffered from severe abuse – both verbal and physical – from his caretakers, as well as social isolation from the other children. This history of mistreatment has evidently taken a huge toll on Atsushi's self-worth as an adult and has caused him to constantly question the value and usefulness of his life.

According to the headmaster, Atsushi's parents dumped him in the trash. This headmaster becomes the foundation of Atsushi's warped self-worth. The abuse (presumably severe especially because of the tiger rampaging at night) led the headmaster to chain Atsushi in a cell with little to no food and forcibly injecting him with either sedatives or nutrients.

The headmaster emphasized Atsushi's hatred towards him, seemingly even encouraging it. Alongside the headmaster and other caretakers' abuse, Atsushi suffered at the hands of the other orphans. Oftentimes, the other orphans threw Atsushi under the bus when they got in trouble, as the orphanage ran on some sort of point system that affected if and when they were fed.

Once he hits 18 years old, Atsushi was kicked out of the orphanage because, though he was unaware of it at the time, he was transforming into a white tiger under the moonlight due to his ability and causing chaos.

Ability
Beast Beneath the Moonlight (月下獣,) gives Atsushi has the ability to transform into a white tiger. At first, he doesn't seem to have much control over the transformation, likely due to the fact, or caused by, his unawareness of his state as an Ability user.

After becoming an official member of the Agency and under the influence of All Men Are Equal, he gains more control over his transformations - as shown during his second fight with Akutagawa, when he breaks the transformation on his arms to escape.

Appearances
Main= {{Appearance
 * Chapters =

Armed Detective Agency vs. Port Mafia Arc

 * Chapter 1 - Looking the Gift Tiger in the Mouth
 * Chapter 2 - A Certain Explosive
 * Chapter 3 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise, Part 1
 * Chapter 4 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise, Part 2
 * Chapter 5 - The Fatalist's Sorrow
 * Chapter 6 - Murder on D Street
 * Chapter 7 - Kill A Man and Die Thee Too, Part 1
 * Chapter 8 - Kill A Man and Die Thee Too, Part 2
 * Chapter 9 - Beauty, Hushed Like a Statue
 * Chapter 10 - Detective Boys
 * Chapter 11 - Back in the Day...
 * Chapter 12 - Rashomon and the Tiger
 * Chapter 13 - The Rupturous Detective Agency

The Guild Arc

 * Chapter 15 - Constantly Pushed to the Past, Part 1
 * Chapter 16 - Constantly Pushed to the Past, Part 2
 * Chapter 17 - The First Job
 * Chapter 18 - Flowers and Autumn Leaves, Snow and Gold
 * Chapter 19 - The Three-Way Battle
 * Chapter 21 - The Brother and the Devil (flashback)
 * Chapter 24 - The Grapes of Wrath Ripen in His Eyes, Part 2
 * Chapter 25 - Q
 * Chapter 26 - Will of Tycoon
 * Chapter 27 - Upon the Shattering Shores
 * Chapter 28 - The Emergancy Plan
 * Chapter 29 - Even If My Head Be Mistaken
 * Chapter 30 - The Silent Tower and the Raven's Feast
 * Chapter 33 - A White Whale, into the Oceans of Heaven
 * Chapter 34 - The Last Tycoon
 * Chapter 35 - Rashomon, the Tiger and the Last Tycoon
 * Chapter 36 - If I May Lay Down This Burden Today
 * Chapter 37 - Closing the Party

The Guild Aftermath Arc

 * Chapter 38 - Slap the Stick
 * Chapter 39 - Portrait of a Father
 * Chapter 41 - Addict
 * Chapter 43 - Cherrirs!
 * Chapter 44 - Fitzgerald Rising
 * Chapter 45 - Fix it, Master Craft

Cannibalism Arc

 * Chapter 46 - The Masked Assassin
 * Chapter 47 - Mutual Destruction, Part 1
 * Chapter 48 - Mutual Destruction, Part 2
 * Chapter 49 - Mutual Destruction, Part 3
 * Chapter 50 - Mutual Destruction, Part 4
 * Chapter 51 - Echo, Part 1
 * Chapter 52 - Echo, Part 2
 * Chapter 53 - Echo, Part 3

Decay of Angels Arc

 * Chapter 56 - The Perfect Murder, The Perfect Killer, Part 3 (cameo)
 * Chapter 57 - Sunday Tragedy, Part 1
 * Chapter 58 - Sunday Tragedy, Part 2
 * Chapter 61 - Dogs Hunt Dogs, Part 3
 * Chapter 63 - Enemies of Society
 * Chapter 64 - You and I, Children of Sin
 * Chapter 67 - The Sadness of Those Without Wings, Part 1
 * Chapter 69 - The Escape
 * Chapter 70 - The Escape, Part 2
 * Chapter 71 - Bungou Hound Dogs, Part 1
 * Chapter 72 - Bungou Hound Dogs, Part 2
 * Chapter 73 - Bungou Hound Dogs, Part 3
 * Chapter 74 - Skyfall, Part 1
 * Chapter 76 - Skyfall, Part 3
 * Chapter 77 - Skyfall, Part 4
 * Chapter 78 - To Threaten God, Part 1
 * Chapter 79 - To Threaten God, Part 2
 * Chapter 81 - The Strongest Man, Part 2
 * Chapter 82 - The Ultimate Ally
 * Chapter 83 - Towards the Full Answer, Part 1
 * Chapter 83.5 - Towards the Full Answer, Part 2
 * Chapter 84 - Hero vs. Criminal
 * Chapter 85 - Hero vs. Criminal Part 2
 * Chapter 86 - Hero vs. Criminal Part 3
 * Chapter 87 - Hero vs. Criminal Part 4
 * Chapter 88 - As Though Tumbling Down
 * Chapter 89 - Hero War, Gang War (image)
 * Chapter 91 - Back to the Detective Agency
 * Chapter 92 - The Empty Port, Part 1
 * Episodes=

Armed Detective Agency vs. Port Mafia Arc

 * Episode 1 - Fortune is Unpredictable and Mutable
 * Episode 2 - A Certain Bomb
 * Episode 3 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise
 * Episode 4 - The Tragedy of the Fatalist
 * Episode 5 - Murder on D Street
 * Episode 8 - Teaching Them to Kill; Then to Die
 * Episode 9 - The Beauty Is Quiet Like a Stone Statue
 * Episode 10 - Rashomon and the Tiger
 * Episode 11 - First, an Unsuitable Profession for Her / Second, an Ecstatic Detective Agency

Azure Messenger Arc

 * Episode 6 - The Azure Messenger
 * Episode 7 - Love for the Disease Called Ideals

The Guild Arc

 * Episode 12 - Borne Back Ceaselessly into the Past
 * Episode 17 - Three Companies Conflict
 * Episode 19 - Will of Tycoon
 * Episode 20 - Though the Mind May Be Wrong
 * Episode 21 - Double Black
 * Episode 22 - Part 1: Poe and Rampo; Part 2: Moby Dick, Swimming in the Sky
 * Episode 23 - Rashoumon, the Tiger, and the Last Emperor
 * Episode 24 - If I May Shed Away My Burden Now

The Guild Aftermath Arc

 * Episode 30 - Slap the Stick & Addict
 * Episode 31 - Part 1: Herurisu! / Part 2: Portrait of a Father
 * Episode 32 - Fitzgerald Rising

Cannibalism Arc
}}
 * Episode 33 - The Masked Assassin
 * Episode 34 - Cannibalism (Part 1)
 * Episode 35 - Cannibalism (Part 2)
 * Episode 36 - Cannibalism (Part 3)
 * Episode 37 - Echo
 * -| DEAD APPLE =

Quotes

 * (To Osamu Dazai) "''At the orphanage, people always told me I'm worthless. I have no idea where my next meal will come from or my next bed. No one would care if I died on the street. I might as well just let that beast eat me and be done with it."
 * "Suddenly, an idea came to me. A foolish idea that I can't get out of my mind. If I have any chance of saving them all, of returning them home safely, would that mean it's okay for me to keep on living?"
 * (To Ryunosuke Akutagawa about Kyōka Izumi) "It's not up to you to decide who's worth living. Why couldn't you have spoken to her some other way? People can't live unless someone tells them 'it's okay to go on!' Why can't you even understand something that simple!?"
 * (To Lucy Maud Montgomery) "You've got the wrong idea. I'm not strong, and I'm not popular. In fact, my entire life has been cursed. I know full well how you feel, envying and hating everyone around you."
 * (To Ryunosuke Akutagawa) "It's true that I'm foolish and worthless. But it sure beats being you - a murderer who just wants to bandy his power around! Am I wrong? You've got the power and status but you still fight 'cos you want to be feared! That's far more worthless in my book."
 * (Referring to the tiger) "No matter where I run, the tiger follows. It's the same as the way I can't escape the beating of my own heart… for you're my strength to keep living. I hear you well, now. I understand your words well. I know. I know everyone's souls are on fire. I'll say the same to you. Hurry up, or I'm leaving you behind. Come, tiger!"
 * (While facing Kamui) "I don't fear the enemy. I don't fear the pain. What is fear is that I'm alone. […] Solitude scares me. At the orphanage, solitude was the norm for me. But now, this same solitude scares me. I wish there was someone fighting at my side. Anyone would do. Somebody…"
 * (After escaping from Ōchi Fukuchi) "Why did Akutagawa let me go? I don't know… […] Moreover, was there some sort of important meaning in that? Or did it end that way by sheer coincidence? I didn't understand."

Etymology

 * The name Atsushi (敦) is a Jinmeiyō kanji which are kanji that can be used as personal names.
 * The surname Nakajima means "inside" (中) (naka) and "island" (島) (shima/jima).

Trivia

 * He and several other characters made appearances in mobile games, such as Love Heaven, Kimito Lead Puzzle 18, and Yumeiro Cast as limited-time characters.
 * When Atsushi Nakajima is wearing his belt, it seems to act like his tail as if he were in tiger form. When Atsushi Nakajima is relaxed, the belt hangs down. If Atsushi Nakajima is surprised or scared the belt acts much more lively.
 * In BONES' anime adaptation, the black streak in his hair is omitted, yet it still appears in promotional art and the mobile game.
 * According to the first official guidebook:
 * He thinks that his weakness is that he is weak and he doesn't think he has strengths.
 * His motto is "It's okay as long as I'm alive."
 * His ideal type is a kind person.
 * His favorite spot in Yokohama is the shopping district.
 * According to the second official guidebook:
 * He recently spends his free time borrowing books from the library and studying.
 * As a habit from the time he lived in the orphanage, he goes to sleep at 9 and wakes up at 5.
 * During his pair-up with Akutagawa, Atsushi felt that they weren't paired up in his heart.

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Atsushi Nakajima