History Characters / CaterpillarMainCharacters

** Dinoponera easily destroys Imomushi's pistol in both of their encounters so far, but due to suffering from TheWorfEffect in ''Blattodea'' she also keeps falling victim to Imomushi's Caterpillar Cannon despite blocking it the first time she saw it during the Arachnid Huny.

* LegacyCharacter: ''Caterpillar'' shows a previous Kabutomushi who trained this one and that passed down to her a variant of the Alligator blade Roxy and Nichol owned decades before in ''Jackals''.

* MsFanservice: She wears a PlayboyBunny costume in the prequel and looks more mature and curvier than she does in the main story. [[MaleGaze Gratuitous views]] of her assets as she [[CatFight wrestles]] Imomushi are aplenty.

* ThouShaltNotKill: Regarding this, Kabutomushi receives some strange characterization. In the prequel, due to her killing-addicted master murdering her best friend, she believes strong people shouldn't kill gratuitously and is outright unranked amongst the assassins. Kabuto is then pursued by some of her former students who want to avenge other children who died as a result of her harsh training, but spares all of them after winning the duels. In ''Arachnid'', however, Kabuto never mentions any of this and is always willing to use lethal force. She blows at least two people off the school, orders Alice to finish Dinoponera off and ultimately kills [[spoiler:the Boss]] to protect Alice. We see no real transition between those attitudes.

* CynicismCatalyst: Her sister's death.

* GunsAreWorthless: She gets more mileage out of her headbutts than when she fires her gun at people. Her final battle against Paraponera is a particularly exaggerated example. It starts with her casually dodging his minigun, walloping him and holding him at gunpoint. Paraponera then [[{{Acrofatic}} flips like a ninja]], beats her down and then holds her at gunpoint. And then [[spoiler:dies from his injuries]].
* [[HeroOfAnotherStory Heroine of Another Story]]: Is the protagonist of her own spinoff, which takes place a year before the Arachnid Hunt.

* LetsYouAndHimFight: Soon after she first appears in the main story, she fights Alice because of curiosity and interest on the prize for Alice's head.

* NeckLift: Defeats Alice with one.

* OneWomanArmy: Especially when "that" happens to Japan at the end of the story.

* UnstoppableRage: She tries to keep her anger under check as Mika often told her to. Kabutomushi in particular gets to feel [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown what's it like when Imomushi snaps.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Suzumebachi knocked out Imomushi with a backstab and for a long time that was the last we saw of her. ''Caterpillar'' eventually reveals Hanakamakiri got her out safely of the Ouran school.
* TheWorfEffect: Imomushi shows she's capable of defeating Alice, but is the first to get beaten up by Dinoponera. Then in ''Blattodea'' she turns things around, quickly overwhelming the ant-girl and becoming the first one to ever draw blood from her with a physical blow.

** Several scenes draw odd parallels between Kabutomushi and Yoriko or have Yoriko falling over and being threatened by Kabuto's presence. [[spoiler:Turns out Yoriko is ageless, immune to toxins and is blown off the school's rooftop by Kabutomushi.]]

* CuteButPsycho: Kabutomushi is one of the more reasonable insect assassins, but still does have her AxCrazy moments when she's provoked.

* OnlySaneMan: Much more sane than the other bug assassins, especially among the mantis folks.

[[Characters/{{Arachnid}} Character Index]] [=|=] Main Characters: [[Characters/ArachnidMainCharacters Arachnid]], '''Caterpillar''', [[Characters/BlattodeaMainCharacters Blattodea]] [=|=] Organization "Bugs": [[Characters/ArachnidRecurringAssassins Recurring]], [[Characters/ArachnidMainSeriesAssassins Exclusive to Arachnid]], [[Characters/ArachnidCaterpillarAssassins Exclusive to Caterpillar]] [=|=] [[Characters/ArachnidOtherCharacters Other Characters]]

* MythologyGag: Imomushi's signature back-and-forth swings were previously seen once in the manga ''Manga/{{Jackals}}'' from the same author.

* UseYourHead: Can peform powerful headbutts in a catapult motion, much like how carnivorous caterpillars of the Eupethecia genus move to catch prey.

* TheWorfEffect: Imomushi shows she's capable of defeating Alice, but is the first to get beaten up by Dinoponera.

* TheConsigliere: Under the late Suzumebachi's orders, Hanakamakiri welcomes Alice as the new Boss of the Organization and plays bodyguard and advisor roles while informing her about the plans against the zombie apocalypse.

* ElegantGothicLolita: Dresses in such a costume.

* {{Meido}}: Kinohadakamakiri had him wear this costume and do chores back when Hanakamakiri was his student.

* RapeAsBackstory: His master Kinohadakamakiri used to regularly rape him with a wire. It is implied this is actually a tradition among mantis-themed people in the Organization.

* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Biologically male but presents as female and hates when most people try to expose their gender. Imomushi always treats Hanakamakiri as a male, though, and although irritated at first the mantis is willing to put up with that.

* AttemptedRape: Gets in danger of being raped every now and then, but is well able to fight the creeps off on her own. Even Imomushi considered molesting her once and later tried to hire a (bug-themed, ''of course'') prostitute to take Hana's virginity instead.

* BerserkButton: Hanakamakiri identifies as female but to her chagrin the rest of the cast doesn't care and keep referring to her as male. She tolerates Imomushi and even likes her attention, but often ends up punching or slicing people when a UnsettlingGenderReveal situation is forced on her.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Despite her traumatic past and in contrast to almost every other assassin in either story, Hanakamakiri seems nice and of sound mind. She's also quite calculated and doesn't shy away from ruthlessly slashing her enemies.

* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Feeling guilty over making a deal with Suzumebachi for Imomushi's protection without her knowing, Hanakamakiri leaves to parts unknown at the end of ''Caterpillar'', much like how Alice left Oki. And like Oki, Imomushi swears to find her and claim her virginity.]]
* ChildSoldier: Seems to have been brought in the Organization a couple of years prior to her meeting Imomushi.

* CuteAndPsycho: Subverted. She confesses to Kinohadakamakiri she hopes to cut Imomushi's limbs like a literal caterpillar and turn her into a mindless sex slave, only for it to be a lie to distract her sadist teacher.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Already an orphan for 4 years, Hanakamakiri lost her foster family to a robber who wanted to rape her and had to kill him when she got home from school. She was then adopted and trained as an assassin by the extremely controlling and abusive Kinohadakamakiri, who frequently raped her.
* DeathGlare: [[TheParalyzer She can stun people]] by making eye contact with them.
* DefensiveFeintTrap: Sometimes she exploits her cuteness and falls to her knees crying, pretending to be helpless.

* GagPenis: Something of a RunningGag in ''Caterpillar'' is people not being just surprised by what Hanakama has under her dress, but also scared by it. BiggerIsBetterInBed has its limits, it would seem.
* TheGhost: She is only mentioned once in ''Arachnid'' and doesn't appear on-panel, so of course the sidestory reveals she ''was'' there all along the moment Dinoponera leaves the room Suzumebachi and the knocked-out Imomushi were in.
* {{Hammerspace}}: Hanakamakiri's scythes are huge and literally appear from out of thin air in some scenes, including one where she's naked.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: To interrogate Nanafushi, she ties her to to a chair and leaves it barely hanging at the edge of a hole in the ship's hull, only supported by a rope tied to Nanafushi's neck.

* LittleMissBadass: Small and cutesy but deadly.
* {{Meido}}: Kinohadakamakiri had her wear this costume and do chores back when Hanakamakiri was her student.

* RaisedAsTheOppositeGender: Hanakamakiri was born male but was raised as a girl due to having been born with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome Klinefelter syndrome]]. She keeps a feminine image and gets mad when outed [[IfItsYouItsOkay but gets used to]] Imomushi, her only genuine friend, treating her like a man.
* RapeAsBackstory: Her master Kinohadakamakiri used to regularly rape her with a wire. It is implied this is actually a tradition among mantis-themed people in the Organization.
* SinisterScythe: She wields a pair of large mantis-themed scythes. Their design was rather inconsistent and got simplified by the second artist of the spinoff, so they now lack spikes.

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Despite her job and how everyone thinks she's a VillainousCrossdresser, she isn't a bad person.

A lazy and simple-minded but awfully tenacious assassin who is the protagonist of ''Caterpillar''. Imomushi only kills people [[PunchClockVillain who are assigned to her by the Organization]] and during the "Death Caterpillar" contest is motivated to find the truth behind the murder of her older sister. Whenever her gunplay becomes [[GunsAreWorthless ineffective]], she makes use of her SuperStrength and [[UseYourHead carnivorous caterpillar swings]] to kill her opponents.
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A young girl with mantis-themed scythes who provides intel and support for Imomushi after befriending her. In ''Arachnid'' she's mentioned by Imomushi as having sent her to investigate Alice's school.
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She's still prominent in ''Blattodea'' as the one who brings Alice in as the new Boss of the Organization as part of a deal with Suzumebachi.

The Organization's self-proclaimed strongest assassin. Kabutomushi is in charge of an OrphanageOfFear called Pomario where she teaches swarms of kids such as Goki how to be crazy beetle people. Ruthless and determined, with her naturally abnormal strength, cyborg enhancements and her handy Kabuto Horn halberd, Kabuto can whack just about anyone into low orbit.
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Although Kabutomushi is introduced in ''Arachnid'', ''Caterpillar'' is what gives her a little story arc and goes over her backstory.

* DisneyVillainDeath: This has been her favorite way of killing people, from her first appearances to the end of the story.

** Several scenes draw odd parallels between Kabutomushi and Yoriko or have Yoriko falling over and being threatened by Kabuto's presence. [[spoiler:Turns out Yoriko is ageless, immune to toxins and is blown off the rooftop by Kabutomushi.]]

* TheNameless: Her birth name is "Ran Kabuto".

** It's never explained why Kabutomushi took so long to go protect Alice even though she did value keeping her word to Kumo. It doesn't help that the [[LampshadeHanging author himself makes fun]] of this [[VoodooShark plot hole]] in one afterword.

* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Just when she had cornered Sara, the floor below Kabuto breaks and she falls to the bottom of Alice's school. She breaks the fall with her spear and isn't hurt.

** Her ownership of the Heracles Horn [[ContinuityNod confirms]] ''Arachnid'' and ''Caterpillar'' are sequels to ''Jackals'', and implies Alice's Kumoito is likewise related to the one Turis owned in that story. More than one scene of her wielding Heracles are framed exactly like ones with either Nichol or Roxy fighting in ''Jackals'', including the "Killing Bite" counter attack.

* GagPenis: Something of a RunningGag in ''Caterpillar'' is people not being just surprised by what Hanakama has under her dress, but also impressed by her endowment to the point of being scared.

The Organization's self-proclaimed strongest assassin. Kabutomushi is in charge of an orphanage called Pomario where she teaches swarms of kids such as Goki how to be crazy beetle people. Ruthless and determined, with her naturally abnormal strength, cyborg enhancements and her handy Kabuto Horn halberd, Kabuto can whack just about anyone into low orbit.

** It is inferred that Kabutomushi takes her job to protect Alice so seriously (despite arriving late for some reason) that she won't bat an eye at killing anyone who threatens the spider-girl's life. She insists Alice should kill a trapped Dinoponera and later blows [[spoiler:the Boss]] off the school's rooftop even though it was a big deal in the prequel that she doesn't like killing and even spared one antagonist [[IronicEcho who looks suspiciously]] [[{{Expy}} similar]] to Dinoponera.

* CuteButPsycho: Kabutomushi is one of the less psychotic insect assassins, but does have her AxCrazy moments when she's provoked.
* DarkActionGirl: Although we mostly see her in the heroine's side, Kabutomushi can be very ruthless.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Several scenes draw odd parallels between Kabutomushi and Yoriko or have Yoriko falling over and being threatened by Kabuto's presence. [[spoiler:Turns out Yoriko is ageless, immune to toxins and is blown off the rooftop by Kabutomushi.]]
-->"You won't die. Not from falling [[ExactWords from three meters]]."

* JustShootHim: She urges Alice to kill Dinoponera, but Alice finds it unnecessary and Dinoponera flees while the two are distracted.
* LegacyCharacter: The sidestory shows a previous Kabutomushi who trained this one and that passed down to her a variant of the Alligator blade Roxy and Nichol owned decades before in ''Jackals''.

** Her ownership of the Heracles Horn [[ContinuityNod confirms]] ''Arachnid'' and ''Caterpillar'' are sequels to ''Jackals'', and implies Alice's Kumoito is likewise related to the one Turis owned in that story.

* SadistTeacher: Kabutomushi makes a point of being a better person than her master who killed her best friend. But she is still infamous for beating students to such an extent that they learn to fight while knocked out. This is PlayedForLaughs when shown to the reader, but in a case of OffscreenVillainy most of her students are said to have died during training anyway.

** It is inferred that Kabutomushi takes her job to protect Alice so seriously that she won't bat an eye at killing anyone who threatens the spider-girl's life. She insists Alice should kill a trapped Dinoponera and later blows [[spoiler:the Boss]] off the school's rooftop even though it was a big deal in the prequel that she doesn't like killing and even spared one antagonist [[IronicEcho who looks suspiciously]] [[{{Expy}} similar]] to Dinoponera.

* BerserkButton: Being called [[OlderThanSheLooks old]], looked down upon or being challenged in feats of strength. She once humiliated an arm wrestling champ just because he was nicknamed "The Strongest" (he did think [[GracefulLoser she actually was pretty rad]]). Conversely, Kumo expressing sincere respect for Kabuto gets her uncharacteristically flattered.

!!Rhinoceros Beetle (カブトムシ; Kabutomushi), alias Ran

* TheNameless: Her birth name is "Ran".

* BoobsOfSteel: The Strongest Insect looks rather small-chested in the main story but is busty in the prequel, and is noted to be awfully strong.

* MiniDressOfPower: Gets a school uniform for herself before sneaking into Alice's school.
* MsFanservice: She wears a PlayboyBunny costume in the prequel and looks bustier than she does in the main story. [[MaleGaze Gratuitous views]] of her assets as she [[CatFight wrestles]] Imomushi are aplenty.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Kabutomushi steals the show in the prequel as her battle against Dorcus and her squad, which is unrelated to the main plot, goes on and on.

A lazy and simple-minded but awfully tenacious assassin who is the protagonist of the prequel. Imomushi only kills people [[PunchClockVillain who are assigned to her by the Organization]] and during ''Caterpillar'' is motivated to find the truth behind the murder of her older sister. Whenever her gunplay becomes [[GunsAreWorthless ineffective]], she makes use of her SuperStrength and [[UseYourHead carnivorous caterpillar swings]] to kill her opponents.

She makes an extended cameo in ''Arachnid'' that is given full context towards the ending of ''Caterpillar''.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: More than once we are told that Imomushi is CoveredWithScars, but we only ever see her bodacious form in ''pristine condition''.

* DependingOnTheArtist: The second artist for the spinoff depicts her differently enough from what she originally looked like that when you compare chapter 94 of ''Caterpillar'' to its equivalent in ''Arachnid'', 36, she nearly looks like a different character.

* DroppedABridgeOnHer: While she was busy fighting Dinoponera, Suzumebachi backstabbed Imomushi and left her for dead. She disappears from the plot of ''Arachnid'' after this, leaving her own sidestory to catch up and show what became of her.

* OneWomanArmy: Specially when "that" happens to Japan at the end of the story.

* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Fights Sasori [[FullFrontalAssault in the nude]] without a hint of shame.

* TheAgeless: Much to her annoyance, it is often hinted that Kabutomushi is actually over her mid-twenties despite her 15-years old appearance. The reasons for this [[NoodleIncident are never explained.]]

* BoobsOfSteel: The Strongest Insect looks rather small-chested in the main story but [[DependingOnTheArtist the artist of the prequel makes her much more well-endowed.]]

* OlderThanSheLooks: Implied to be a young adult instead of a 15-years old schoolgirl. And it doesn't help that she does act like an adult and treats youngsters with disdain. Could it be an effect of her cyborg-ish enhancements?

* WorldsBestWarrior: She's the self-proclaimed strongest Organization member. Most people fear her accordingly, except for those who think Kabutomushi [[NormalFishInATinyPond doesn't really know of the world outside of Japan]] or look down on her because she doesn't enjoy killing.

* NoNameGiven: Her given name from before she got taken in by the Organization is Ran.

** Kabutomushi boasting that Alice mastered her mental disorder in two weeks without any previous combat experience makes a playful Dinoponera unexpectedly mad.

!!Caterpillar, Miki Inou (イモムシ; Imomushi, 井上美樹; Inou Miki)

!!Orchid Mantis, Kozue Shiihara (ハナカマキリ; Hanakamakiri)

!!Rhinoceros Beetle, Ran (カブトムシ; Kabutomushi)

* NoNameGiven: Averted. Miki Inou is said to be her original name before she joined the Organization.

* NoNameGiven: Actually is named Kozue Shiihara, though that sense of self is [[ThatManIsDead long gone]].

!!Rhinoceros Beetle (カブトムシ; Kabutomushi)

* ThouShaltNotKill: Regarding this, Kabutomushi receives some [[FridgeLogic strange characterization]]. In the prequel she is unranked among the assassins due to not ever having killed anyone as a result of childhood trauma after her teacher killed her only friend. Even so, she is pursued by some of her former students who want to avenge other children who died as a result of her training. In ''Arachnid'' proper she never mentions any of this and is always willing to use lethal force against enemies. We see no real transition between those attitudes.

* VagueAge: People keep implying that she is way older than she appears, but the details have never fully explained.

[[Characters/{{Arachnid}} Character Index]] [=|=] Main Characters: [[Characters/ArachnidMainCharacters Arachnid]], '''Caterpillar''', [[Characters/BlattodeaMainCharacters Blattodea]] [=|=] [[Characters/ArachnidMainSeriesAssassins Main Series Assassins]] [=|=] [[Characters/ArachnidCaterpillarAssassins Caterpillar Assassins]] [=|=] [[Characters/{{Blattodea}} Blattodea Assassins]] [=|=] [[Characters/ArachnidOtherCharacters Other Characters]]

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A young girl who provides intel and support for Imomushi after befriending her. In ''Arachnid'' she's mentioned by Imomushi as having sent her to investigate Alice's school.