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Atsushi Nakajima (中島 敦, Nakajima Atsushi?) is a member of the Port Mafia who possesses the ability Beast Beneath the Moonlight. He is currently back at his previous orphanage, under the care of Ogai Mori.
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 evenly-cut bangs unlike his canon counterpart.[3]
He wears a black trench coat with a tiger-patterned fur hood that hides his thorned collar on his neck that controls the tiger's strength and keeps the tiger from taking over. He wears a gray turtleneck sweater beneath, a pair of dark gray trousers, and black combat boots and black gloves.
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Personality[]
Atsushi comes across as someone vile with a high thirst for blood, who kills and threatens anyone without hesitation, even members of the mafia. When he's on the battlefield, his body doesn't falter and he doesn't show an ounce of emotion.
But, Atsushi classifies himself as a coward, fearing to die, get hurt, get shot, and/or bleed out. That is why he decided to become the god of death, becoming one with death so that death would not find him.
He is loyal and grateful to Dazai for taking him in and giving him a place, unlike others who just pushed him away and treated him like a vile beast. At the same time, he is someone who is very protective of everything he deems valuable. Such is the case of Kyoka, who share a strong friendship as Atsushi was willing to "betray" Dazai to save Kyoka's life while he was panicking and questioning himself.
Atsushi has strong psychological trauma due to the mistreatment he received from the director of the orphanage he grew up in, and, at the same time, a strong guilt for having murdered him; after learning the true reasons for his behavior towards him - what it really meant to him and seeing everything, his efforts to keep Atsushi safe. But, at the same time, Atsushi refuses to feel any guilt for killing him. He has nailed the idea that he is only worthy of living if he is able to save the people around him, leading him to enter into a serious internal conflict with himself: if he should save Kyoka or prevent Akutagawa from going to Dazai.
When Mori welcomes him and tells him to break the clock the headmaster gave him as a birthday present, Atsushi adamantly refuses to do so, once again showing how much guilt and regret he has accumulated in four and a half years. Once Mori advises him, comforts him and hugs him, he sheds tears of feelings that he has repressed for so long.
Already in the final scenes of chapter 22, a more cheerful Atsushi is seen playing with the children of the orphanage, which shows that he is trying to move on and leave the past in the past.
Background[]
Ability[]
- Main article: Beast Beneath the Moonlight
Beast Beneath the Moonlight (月下獣, Gekka-jū?): It allows Atsushi to transform into a white tiger, either fully or partially, being able to change parts of his body to those of a tiger; the claws of the tiger and enhance his senses to turn him into a predator. In turn, it grants him incredible physical strength and endurance, as well as incredible regenerative powers, being able to heal himself from Rashomon's deadly attacks.
However, Atsushi does not have full control over his ability, so he wears a collar with thorns on his neck to control the tiger's strength and prevent the tiger from taking control, but hurting him in the process.
According to Dazai's words, when his ability collides with Akutagawa's ability, an unrivaled singularity is formed, which no other ability could supposedly perform.
Battles[]
| Atsushi Nakajima vs. Ryunosuke Akutagawa | Win |
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Appearances[]
- Chapter 2 - A Certain Bomb
- Chapter 3 - The White Reaper
- Chapter 4.1 - The Target <Second Part>
- Chapter 4.2 - The Target <Second Part>
- Chapter 5 - The Conditions (cover)
- Chapter 8 - Thy Beast, Thyself
- Chapter 9 - A Chance Meeting <First Part>
- Chapter 10 - Plan
- Chapter 11 - Time Limit
Quotes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bungo Stray Dogs: BEAST.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Volume 2.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs: BEAST, Sango Harukawa's Rough Sketch Gallery.