Contents
- 1Biodata
- 2Power Progression
- 3Background / History
- 4Appearance
- 5Personality
- 6Abilities & Resources
- 6.1Commercial Influence
- 6.2Kagune Experimentation
- 6.3Monstrous Ghoul Form
- 7Equipment / Weapons / Items
- 8Relationships
- 9Story Role / Major Arcs
- 9.1Gato Assassination Request
- 9.2*Heaven on Earth* Incident
- 9.3Mutant Duel
- 9.4Collapse and Transformation
- 9.5Death
- 10Legacy
- 11Notable Quotes
Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Sakamoto (坂本) |
| Alias(es) | Chairman Sakamoto; Mr. Sakamoto |
| Species/Race | Human; later a Kagune-controlled Ghoul |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Sakamoto Trading Company; allied with the Jashin Cult |
| Occupation/Role | Chairman of the Sakamoto Trading Company |
| Status | Deceased |
| First Appearance | Chapter 11 (mentioned in a letter to the Jashin Cult); Chapter 21 (physical debut) |
Power Progression
| Stage | Development | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant Chairman | Sakamoto relied on wealth, political judgment, armed employees, and a private ninja squad rather than personal combat ability. 11 22 29 | Controlled the Sakamoto Trading Company, maintained influential clients and allies, and commanded two chunin and six genin-level ninja. 22 29 |
| Kagune Researcher | After witnessing Simu's waiter test subject become a Ghoul, Sakamoto began implanting Kagune into slaves to develop a controllable Ghoul force. 23 24 25 | Acquired experimental Ghoul subjects, though their unstable wills and violent behavior made them unreliable. 24 25 28 29 |
| Multi-Kagune Consumption | Cornered by Shiraishi Mori, Sakamoto swallowed eight or more Kagune from Simu's briefcase while pleading to Jashin for power. 32 33 | The simultaneous implantation granted enormous physical power but rapidly eroded his sanity and autonomy. 32 33 |
| Centipede Ghoul Form | Sakamoto's body fused with numerous Kagune into a tens-of-meters-long centipede monster. 33 | Possessed massive strength, speed, exoskeletal armor, scythe-like arms, and enough power to overwhelm ordinary Ghouls and initially overpower Mori. 33 |
| Defeat and Death | Simu easily disabled the transformed Sakamoto, leaving Mori to exploit his damaged defenses and ultimately decapitate the monster. 34 35 | His remaining Kagune were absorbed by Mori, while his corpse was later recovered by Simu for genetic research. 34 37 45 |
Background / History
Sakamoto led the Sakamoto Trading Company, a major merchant guild operating from the luxury cruise ship Heaven on Earth. The company was a financial backer of the Jashin Cult, contributing large annual sums; Sakamoto offered to raise this support to fifty million ryo if the cult eliminated his shipping rival, Gato. 11
His company exploited Shuiyu Village’s fishermen, impounding their boats and detaining villagers who resisted. The cruise ship itself was designed as a floating casino, complete with restaurants, dance floors, concert halls, a colosseum, prison cells, and an arena for beast and slave fights. 21 22 25 26
When Simu and Hidan arrived, Sakamoto avoided antagonizing the Jashin Cult by inviting them aboard and compensating the families of four guards killed by Hidan. His payment of one hundred thousand ryo per family both preserved the alliance and restored his subordinates’ loyalty. 22
During his negotiations with Simu, Sakamoto attempted to pressure the Jashin Cult into killing Gato by threatening to end the company’s annual funding. Simu declined to personally act against Gato, instead offering Kagune as a means for Sakamoto to cultivate his own armed force. 23
After Simu presented Kagune as gifts capable of empowering ordinary people, Sakamoto became intent on producing Ghouls for his company. He conducted experiments on twenty slaves, resulting in eleven deaths, six comas, and only three conscious survivors. He then forced Shiraishi Ao and Yanagishima Keiko—Shiraishi Mori’s parents—to fight each other as Ghouls for the amusement of his noble guests. 23 24 25 26
As Mori became powerful enough to threaten him, Sakamoto consumed numerous Kagune in desperation. The transformation destroyed his sanity and turned him into a massive centipede-like creature driven by a residual urge to kill. 32 33 Simu easily brought the monster down, after which Mori absorbed Sakamoto’s Kagune; Sakamoto’s corpse was later recovered for Simu’s research. 34 37 Mori subsequently decapitated the monster after its defenses had been shattered, confirming Sakamoto’s death. 34 35
Appearance
Before transforming, Sakamoto was a heavyset man with small eyes set among folds of fat. He wore a jade thumb ring and maintained the polished appearance and manners of a wealthy merchant chairman. 23 25
- Commanded business meetings and events in formal surroundings aboard Heaven on Earth. 22 23
- Carried a Kunai Gun during his confrontation with Shiraishi Mori. 32
- After consuming multiple Kagune, his lower body became a tens-of-meters-long purple centipede, while exoskeletons covered his torso and his arms became scythe-like blades. 33
- His head warped into an insectoid form with large mandibles after his sanity collapsed. 33
Personality
Sakamoto was politically perceptive and highly pragmatic. He understood that the Jashin Cult was too valuable an ally to offend casually, using compensation payments to resolve the deaths of his guards while making his workforce feel valued. 22
His calculated business sense was paired with extreme cruelty. He treated slaves, villagers, employees, and even wealthy guests as expendable resources: he experimented on captives, coerced a married couple into a lethal arena duel, and ordered his ninja force to kill Ghouls and spectators alike when his event spiraled out of control. 25 26 29
When directly threatened by Mori, Sakamoto’s confidence gave way to panic. His fear of death drove him to consume multiple Kagune, sacrificing his humanity for temporary power and ultimately becoming a creature controlled by the Kagune’s violent will. 31 32 33
Abilities & Resources
Commercial Influence
Sakamoto controlled a wealthy merchant guild with influence across the Land of Rivers and connections extending into neighboring countries. 37
- Funded the Jashin Cult as one of its principal backers. 11
- Maintained a private ninja squad, including two chunin and six genin-level ninja during the Heaven on Earth incident. 29
- Operated Heaven on Earth as a luxury floating casino and entertainment venue. 22
- Held slaves and prisoners for labor, torture, and Kagune experimentation. 25 26
Kagune Experimentation
After witnessing a waiter transform, Sakamoto sought to mass-produce Ghouls for his company. 24
- Tested Kagune implantation on twenty slaves; most died or became incapacitated. 25
- Recycled Kagune from failed subjects for further experiments. 25
- Used Shiraishi Mori’s parents as conscious Ghoul subjects in a staged “Duel of the Mutants.” 25 26
- Failed to account for the instability and revolt of Ghoul subjects. 28 29
- Learned that a single implanted Kagune could produce a Ghoul with strength comparable to an average genin, but that the subject’s sanity depended on individual willpower. 24
Monstrous Ghoul Form
Sakamoto consumed eight or more Kagune at once when Mori cornered him, creating a powerful but unstable centipede-like body. 32 33
- Overpowered Shiraishi Mori during their initial fight and crushed ordinary Ghouls with his massive body. 33
- Possessed scythe-like limbs, heavy exoskeletal armor, and high mobility despite his size. 33
- Retained only a diminishing fragment of his own will; Simu described him as a monster destined to be controlled by Jashin. 33
- Was effortlessly defeated by Simu and subsequently had his Kagune absorbed by Mori. 34
- After Simu’s attack destroyed much of his chest, facial armor, and one arm-blade, Mori was able to exploit his reduced defenses and finish him. 34 35
Equipment / Weapons / Items
- Heaven on Earth — Sakamoto Trading Company’s luxury cruise ship, casino, prison, and arena complex. 22 25 26
- Kunai Gun — A crossbow-like weapon that fired kunai; ineffective against Mori’s exoskeleton. 32
- Kagune briefcase — A case of Kagune supplied by Simu, later consumed by Sakamoto during his final confrontation. 23 32
- Jade thumb ring — Worn while negotiating with Simu. 23
Relationships
- Kamizuki Simu — Business ally through the Jashin Cult. Sakamoto initially sought Simu’s help against Gato, then became fascinated by the potential of Simu’s Kagune; Simu ultimately treated Sakamoto’s downfall as experimental data. 11 23 24 33 34
- Hidan — Jashin Cult representative whom Sakamoto tolerated as part of the alliance despite finding his behavior irritating. 22 23
- Shiraishi Mori — Victim of Sakamoto’s imprisonment and threats against his family; later became the Ghoul who fought Sakamoto, absorbed his Kagune, and decapitated his transformed body. Mori’s subsequent formation of the Chosen People was driven by the survival and revenge of Ghouls created amid the Heaven on Earth incident. 25 31 34 35 57
- Shiraishi Ao and Yanagishima Keiko — Mori’s parents, imprisoned and forcibly transformed into Ghouls for Sakamoto’s arena spectacle. 25 26
- Abu — Sakamoto’s trusted ninja subordinate, who supervised Kagune experiments and enforced Sakamoto’s orders in the arena. 25 26
- Jashin Cult — A longstanding ally and recipient of Sakamoto Trading Company funding. 11 22
Story Role / Major Arcs
Gato Assassination Request
Sakamoto contacted the Jashin Cult to request Gato’s elimination, offering increased financial support in exchange. 11
*Heaven on Earth* Incident
He hosted Simu and Hidan aboard his cruise ship, accepted Kagune from Simu, and began pursuing the creation of a Ghoul force. 22 23 24
Mutant Duel
Sakamoto imprisoned Shiraishi Mori and transformed Mori’s parents into Ghouls, forcing them into a public duel while nobles gambled on their deaths. 25 26
Collapse and Transformation
When the Ghoul uprising endangered his business and Mori advanced on him, Sakamoto ordered indiscriminate killing by his ninja squad. Cornered after the squad’s defeat, he consumed multiple Kagune and became a monstrous Ghoul. 29 31 32 33
Death
Sakamoto’s transformed body was defeated by Simu, weakened further by Mori, and ultimately reduced to a source of Kagune and research material after Mori absorbed it. 34 37 Mori later decapitated the centipede monster, while Simu’s Black Beetles recovered Sakamoto’s remains for analysis. 35 37
Legacy
The slaughter of the Sakamoto Trading Company, the Land of Rivers’ largest merchant guild, spread the Jashin Cult’s reputation across the region and neighboring countries. The scale and brutality of the company’s destruction contributed to Simu’s rise in Jashin Reputation. 37
Sakamoto’s corpse, together with Mori’s molted remains and blood, became research material for Simu. The subsequent analysis established that Sakamoto was no longer biologically human, but a vessel containing multiple Kagune, in contrast to Mori’s more stable Kagune-derived mutation. 37 45
Notable Quotes
“I said, kill them all.” 29
“All of you, go to hell!” 33