Banjō

Biodata

Power Progression

Appearance

• Towering, muscular build: His height and intimidating presence allow him to bluff stronger opponents, despite his initially weak fighting ability 88 95.
• Gas mask: Conceals his face and helps him tolerate Ward 24’s foul underground air 84 89.
• Black Ukaku: A single, 28-centimeter kagune resembling a small black flame. It alternates between flame-like and solid forms, barely protruding through his torn clothing when first awakened 155.

Personality

Banjō’s fierce appearance conceals a gentle, easily embarrassed disposition. At Anteiku, he abandons his intimidating entrance and obediently orders coffee when Touka challenges him. His admiration for Rize also makes him impulsive: smelling her scent on Kaneki leads him to assume that Kaneki is her lover and attack in wounded jealousy 46.

He places firm moral limits on his loyalty. Before joining Louis, he insists that he will not violate his principles, reserves the right to reject Louis’s goals, and initially withholds full obedience until Rize is rescued. Louis’s proposal of human-ghoul coexistence gives him cautious hope 77.

His concern for Rize does not override his responsibility toward others. When an immediate rescue could expose Louis and his followers to powerful enemies, Banjō admits that he wants to save her but refuses to treat their lives as expendable. Later, he comforts her without attempting to take her away against the arrangements already in place 155 194.

Under pressure, he becomes decisive rather than merely intimidating. After Louis collapses during the laboratory escape, Banjō replenishes his exhausted kagune, assigns responsibilities, and takes command of the retreat 184 185.

Abilities & Skills

Black Ukaku — Healing

Banjō’s awakened kagune releases life energy in its flame state, sustaining and continuously healing nearby living beings 155.

• Emergency treatment: Keeps the critically injured Nashiro Yasuhisa alive and accelerates the closing of her wounds 180 181.
• Healing while moving: Can continue treatment during travel, though the healing becomes slower 181.
• Crystalline-body compatibility: Accelerates Louis’s recovery even in crystallized tissue, mending cracks and encouraging growth at his severed arm 180.
• Sustained combat support: When focused on Louis, its life energy allows him to continue fighting despite severe injuries, provided he is not killed instantly 182.
• Recovery assistance: Louis credits Banjō with shortening his recovery by at least two days 187.

Limits

• Concentration: Healing is less effective while Banjō is moving 181.
• Endurance: Prolonged use exhausts him. During Louis’s collapse, he can barely maintain Louis’s life rather than immediately restore him 184.
• Hunger: His healing does little for Rize’s weakness from starvation, although its warmth calms her struggles 194.
• Human compatibility: Kanou’s brief tests find remarkable effects on ghouls but negligible effects on ordinary humans; he acknowledges that he may not have developed its full potential 204.
• Offense and defense: Kanou finds almost no offensive power, with limited defensive strength and coverage because of the ukaku’s small size 204.

Physical Strength and Shield Fighting

Banjō can wield Louis’s heavy ice equipment without substantially sacrificing agility, giving him a practical fighting role before his kagune awakens 117.

• Blocks both of Nashiro’s rinkaku attacks with an ice shield and cuts her kagune with an Ice Blade 117.
• Charges a bounty hunter with a thick ice shield, driving the opponent into a wall hard enough to crater it 182.
• Remains vulnerable to stronger fighters: Kaneki accidentally knocks him down at their first meeting, and he is quickly incapacitated during later clashes 46 95 126.
• His borrowed ice weapons are temporary; Louis warns that several more hits from the Yasuhisa sisters would shatter them 117.

Leadership, Intelligence, and Logistics

Banjō’s followers remain devoted to him even when they are stronger than he is. Louis treats his leadership and reliable information as more valuable than his early combat ability 92 133.

• Recruitment: Shelters former Ward 11 subordinates who reject Aogiri Tree’s leadership and introduces them to Louis 92.
• Base selection: Arranges secluded accommodation, including a Ward 19 house and a sparsely occupied high-rise base in Ward 18 89 92 122.
• Diplomacy: Contacts Shachi’s former subordinates and arranges their meeting with Louis 135.
• Coordination: Mobilizes Ward 6 ghouls to find Louis after his encounter with Ganshi 142.
• Emergency command: Organizes the wounded companions’ protection and orders the laboratory retreat 184 185.

Intimidation and Literacy

• Bluffing: Developed an imposing manner while leading Ward 11 to compensate for his lack of strength 88.
• Self-taught reading: Learned to read so that he would have something to discuss with Rize 122.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Gas mask — Used for concealment and protection from unpleasant air. Louis also supplies one during the Yasuhisa sisters’ neurotoxin ambush 84 116.
• Ice Blade — A weapon provided by Louis, used to cut Nashiro’s kagune 117.
• Ice shield — Borrowed protection that enables Banjō to block rinkaku attacks and perform shield charges 117 182.

History

Ward 11 and the Search for Rize

Banjō once led the ghouls of Ward 11, relying partly on his imposing build to compensate for his limited strength. He met Rize there and became a fervent admirer, nearly fighting other ghouls over her 75 88.

Following Rize’s interest in a Ward 20 café, he visits Anteiku to ask about her. His confrontation with Kaneki ends in an accidental knockout. Ayato and Yamori subsequently arrive, knock Banjō aside, and take Kaneki away 46.

Joining Louis

Louis recruits Banjō by revealing that Rize is alive and offering to locate and rescue her. Banjō is initially shocked to discover that Ice Mask is human, but accepts cooperation after establishing his conditions and hearing Louis’s goal of peaceful coexistence 75 76 77.

Their search brings them into a violent confrontation with Shachi at the Ghoul Restaurant. Louis intervenes when Banjō is threatened, and Banjō later defends Louis against accusations of coercing ghouls. After the group is defeated, Banjō agrees to stop investigating Rize to secure their release 95 96. He subsequently states that Louis’s willingness to risk his life for him earned his complete trust 119.

Abduction by the Yasuhisa Sisters

Banjō is abducted as bait for Ice Mask. Louis finds him bound and blindfolded in an abandoned residential area, where Kurona triggers a neurotoxin trap. After receiving a gas mask and being cut free, Banjō helps defend Louis with borrowed ice weapons before Louis removes him from the fight 114 116 117.

Establishing Control in Ward 6

Louis proposes moving to Ward 6 and appointing Banjō as his strategist. Banjō supplies information about the ward’s instability and contacts Shachi’s former followers 133 135.

During the conflict with invading factions, Banjō becomes publicly regarded as a major force behind the capture of Thousand-Leaf Tree territory. His intimidating appearance makes the captives and cleanup personnel reluctant to approach him 146. While Louis is unconscious for nearly a week, Banjō and Sante monitor the ward and report its stability upon his awakening 148.

Awakening and the Laboratory Escape

Louis awakens Banjō’s Black Ukaku by exposing him to extreme cold and provoking strong emotions about Rize’s captivity. Despite its small size, the kagune grants the healing ability Louis had identified at their first meeting 46 154 155.

During the underground laboratory operation, Banjō treats Nashiro, supports Louis through further combat, and interrupts Tsukiyama’s attempt to take Kaneki for himself. When Louis eventually collapses, Banjō eats from Nico’s corpse to replenish his exhausted ukaku and leads the group’s retreat 180 181 184 185.

Reunion with Rize and Continued Service

Banjō later visits the starving Rize with flowers. He gently cleans her face and introduces himself again, accepting that she may not remember him. Rize faintly repeats his name 194.

He continues serving Louis and maintaining order among their allies. When Viper challenges the group’s arrangements and questions why Louis must face danger alone, Banjō remains composed, ready to fight, and asks her to trust their leader 220.

Relationships

• Rize Kamishiro — His beloved and the original reason for his search. Her interests motivate him to learn to read and follow Sen Takatsuki’s books. He later prioritizes comforting her over asserting any claim to her care 75 83 122 194.
• Louis / Ice Mask — Leader, rescuer, and the person who awakens his kagune. Their conditional partnership develops into complete trust, with Banjō volunteering to act as Louis’s shield 77 119 155.
• Jiro, Fukai, and Sante — Loyal companions who support his decisions and fight alongside his group. Jiro and Fukai seek Louis’s help after his abduction; Sante and Jiro assist during the laboratory escape 92 114 181 185.
• Hinami Fueguchi — A younger companion with whom he gets along warmly. She praises his self-taught literacy, and he reminds Louis of her upcoming birthday 122.
• Ken Kaneki — Initially mistaken for Rize’s lover. Later, Banjō’s arrival prevents Tsukiyama from isolating the unconscious Kaneki, and Louis entrusts Kaneki’s care to him 46 181 207.
• Shuu Tsukiyama — A teammate whose appetite makes him difficult to trust completely. Banjō explicitly warns Kurona to remain wary of him during their retreat 185.
• Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa — Initially involved in his captivity. Banjō later heals Nashiro and accepts Kurona as a needed teammate because Louis trusts her 116 180 184 185.
• Viper — Initially overpowers him in Ward 24. Later, she praises his suitability for leadership while challenging his reliance on Louis 86 220.

Notable Quotes

“First, I'll help you, but I won't do anything that goes against my principles.” 77

“Just like this morning, I'm willing to follow you and become a shield that blocks attacks for you.” 119

“Miss Rize, my name is Banjō. You once called me a boring person... it's all right if you don't recognize me... we can get to know each other again.” 194

Trivia

• One of Banjō’s ancestors possessed a healing kagune capable of sustaining dying humans and ghouls. The ability had not appeared in the family for several generations 86.
• His followers initially mistake Louis’s recruitment offer for a sexual proposition. Later chapters include rumors and suggestive reactions concerning the two, without explicitly defining their relationship 75 92 205.
• Louis considers making a life-sustaining Quinque from Banjō’s kakuhou. By a later chapter, kagune identified as Banjō’s is attached to Louis’s back, where its connection causes severe pain and partially embeds itself in his flesh 180 220 221.