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Characters / Psychic Squad

Go To

A list of characters appearing Zettai Karen Children and its spin-off The Unlimited - Hyoubu Kyousuke. Be warned, some spoilers will remain unmarked.

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B.A.B.E.L.

An organization dedicated to the welfare and growth of Espers throughout Japan. Founded by Tsubomi Fujiko, a former member of the ESP Service Corp during World War II which preceded BABEL, it also acts as a peacekeeping force by helping to resolve various incidents within the country. They

The Children

A Special Esper Team comprised of Japan's three known Level 7 Espers (three little girls known as Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho) and led by Minamoto Koichi. Powerful and gifted, they are considered to be one of BABEL's elite. However, a prediction from the esper dolphin Igou suggests that one day they may very well turn on humanity with Kaoru as the leader. Knowing this, many in BABEL work to ensure this never happens whereas those of PANDRA, particularly its leader Kyousuke Hyoubu, work to ensure otherwise.

    Koichi Minamoto 
Voiced by: Yūichi Nakamura

The main protagonist of the series. Originally a scientist in BABEL's Research Division, he's conscripted into becoming the Supervisor of "The Children" after he successfully manages to bond with them. Although initially reluctant, he quickly comes to care for the girls and acts their guardian to the best of his ability.

  • Above the Influence: Despite the persistent efforts of The Children (and Kyousuke, and Fujiko, and the entire free world...).
  • Action Survivor: While he can put up some fight, he's not nearly as powerful as the espers are, and usually has to rely on them to fight other espers.
  • Awesome by Analysis: Due to his intellect, he can usually figure out some of the things going on simply based on the evidence he sees.
  • Badass Normal: subverted in the pilot chapter where he's (although completely oblivious of it) a level 7 anti anti ESP-er link... which still makes him a normal guy... but in the serialized manga (and anime) he is just a Normal.
  • Batman Gambit: His most common means of surviving in a world filled with people of mass destruction
  • Beware the Nice Ones: When pressed about his old college girlfriend, he gets extremely defensive about it, to the point that even high level espers were scared of him.
  • Butt-Monkey: Minamoto starts out this way in the manga, being thrown into walls by Kaoru at the slightest provocation, taking the fall for the Children's collateral damage, or being messed with by Kyousuke.
  • Celibate Hero: Minamoto's life revolves around keeping The Children safe and happy. On the rare occasions when does manage a date he's completely clueless.
  • Chick Magnet: Many of the females in the series are drawn to him. Some comment on his good looks, while others like him because he's a Nice Guy. He's not Oblivious to Love either, he's mostly Above the Influence regarding the Children, and for the others he just simply doesn't have time to date due to his workload with BABEL and the girls.
  • Child Prodigy: As a child he was smart enough that he actually managed to solve Fermat's Last Theorem, an act which resulted in him being sent on a special education program in Comerica.
  • Cunning Linguist: English, Russian, German, French, Italian, Chinese; and some proficiency with Spanish and Korean.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Minamoto of all people experiences this when he learns from Feather that he kills Kaoru in the Bad Future out of Mad Love for her.
  • Even the Guys Want Him: In-Universe. Everyone wants Minamoto, including Kyousuke, Sakaki, and Okama.
  • Heroic Willpower: Strong enough to resist the more drastic forms of mind control Kyousuke tries to inflict on him.
  • House Husband: Lampshaded pretty often. He's often describe by others as being a housewife and his hobbies include cleaning house and cooking.
  • Intelligence Equals Isolation: The girls discover that he was incredibly smart for someone his age when examining an old class picture. Other kids didn't like being outshone by him in class and gradually ostracized him for it. Because of this, despite being a normal human, he is able to sympathize with the plight espers face due to their powers.
  • Minored In Ass Kicking: When he's not fighting someone way over his league, such as a high level esper, he can put up a decent fight.
  • Morality Chain: Initially. Later on in the series "The Children" become mature enough to make their own decisions without him. Still, it's clear that should anything happen to Minamoto the Children ma=
  • Mr. Fanservice: Photographs of Minamoto in his unmentionables are popular among BABEL's female staff.
  • Nice Guy: Aside from him disciplining the girls for rude behavior, he is generally this. It's also the prime reason why Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho are all in love with him, because he was the first supervisor they had that really treated each of them with love and care even by than their own families.
  • Only Sane Employee: He's one of the only ones who generally doesn't go overboard with his actions. The BABEL chief, in contrast, tends to overreact towards the girls and anything they do.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: No matter how strong, influential or cute you are. No matter even if you are his employer. Make Minamoto snap and you will surely regret it.
    • As an example, when Fujiko tries to ask him about his old girlfriend from college, he tries to skirt around the issue. When Sakaki tries to answer it for them, he knocks his friend out, and later when pressed on it, he gets rather angry, and everyone, even high level espers like Kaoru, were quite scared of him.
  • Otaku: A very high functioning one. The man squees like a six year old when he goes to a space museum.
  • Papa Wolf: He tends to get rather protective of the girls anytime they're ordered to do something he deems a bit out of their league, such as having Shiho help the police with unsolved cases by having her touch items recovered from the crime scene, such as a kitchen knife. And especially anytime Hyobu approaches them.
  • Parental Substitute: Acts as a full time parental figure and role model to at least five very powerful ESPers.
  • Poor Communication Kills: Chooses not to share the full details of the prophecy where he kills Kaoru to "The Children" themselves. Hard to blame him, but it still leads to lots of misunderstandings and hilarity.
  • Screw Destiny: Fully believes in trying to achieve this with the prediction of him shooting Kaoru. He doesn't take it that well when Feather (Future Kaoru) tells him that he can't really change anything, but assures him that she will do so in his place.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tries to pull this at one point after "The Children" actions annoy him enough. Fortunately enough for everyone involved, Fujiko is able to convince him otherwise.
  • The Strategist: He usually formulates a lot of the plans that BABEL takes. And they usually succeed.
  • Supreme Chef: The man can cook anything. Anywhere.
  • Team Chef: Is quite a good cook. Sakaki at one point jokes that he'll "make a good wife someday" to someone.
  • Team Dad: He's essentially this for the girls and the other espers who come under his care.

    Kaoru Akashi 
Voiced by: Aya Hirano

The main heroine of the series. A Level 7 psychokinetic and the most reckless member of "The Children". Gifted with extraordinary power, she's predicted to become the most powerful esper in existence known as "The Queen of Catastrophe" and will lead espers into a war against humanity.

  • A-Cup Angst: As a child she shows visible annoyance when Mary calls her out on having a flat chest. To be fair to Kaoru however she was only 10 years old, and she grows out of this as grows older and starts developing her own sizable chest.
  • Berserk Button: Do not hurt her friends. Ever. That goes double for the one she loves. Hurt Minamoto, suffer horribly. She nearly killed a person twice because of how they almost killed Minamoto and that was when she was a child.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: She tends to feel this way any time someone other than her makes a move on Minamoto, even with Aoi and Shiho.
  • Cuddle Bug: Likes to give hugs towards her friends and loved ones.
  • Dark Messiah: According to the prophecy, she will lead espers in a war against humans before Minamoto kills her.
  • Depraved Bisexual: An utter pervert towards anything with breasts (up to and including her sister and her mother, but as is repeatedly shown, she's not just into women. She's always chasing after Minamoto, flirts shamelessly with Kyosuke, and once complains that she's "still a girl!" and wants to be asked out by a guy. She gets better about it as she gets older.
  • Dirty Old Man: Called this on several occasions. She eventually starts growing out of it as she gets older.
  • Even the Girls Want Her: Tomboy that she is, she gets this a fair bit. Usually from girls she's not chasing after, though - she attracts her female age-mates, but she Likes Older Women with huge boobs.
  • Freudian Excuse: Averted. Despite some horrific treatment at Suma's hands, a prejudice, as well as a childhood of being feared by her family, Kaoru is a kind hearted person. Even as a villain, her stated goal is protecting ESPers rather than hatred of the human race. Still, it's lucky she met Minamoto when she did.
  • Future Badass: Will eventually become the strongest esper in existence if going by Igou's prediction.
  • Genki Girl: The liveliest of "The Children".
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Kindhearted as she is, she's easy to piss off especially when she was a child.
  • Hypocrite: Makes fun of Aoi's lack of bust even though she's as flat as a board herself (which happened before the time skip, of course).
  • Large Ham: The way she speaks at times tends to Chew the Scenery, especially when Calling Your Attacks.
  • Likes Older Women: Gender flipped with Minamoto who is ten years her senior and her first love. She's also highly attracted to Oboro, and at one point mentions that she wants "older, sexier women!"
  • Living MacGuffin: Kaoru's the prize for BABEL and PANDRA. Whether the prophecy is fulfilled is up to her, so both sides work very hard to win her heart and mind.
  • Lovable Sex Maniac: Frequently engages in skinship with her female friends, and together with Aoi and Shiho, likes teasing Minamoto as well.
  • Mind over Matter: A psychokinetic, which means she can lift objects with her mind. However, her powers aren't just limited to this.
  • No Sense of Personal Space: Thanks in part to her nature as a Lovable Sex Maniac and as Cuddle Bug.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: As a Level 7 Esper she's exceedingly powerful and potentially level cities. Come the Highschool Arc and her powers have grown so much that overusing them could potentially lead to her self-destructing and taking out everything in a 15 kilometer radius.
  • Red Baron: The Queen of Catastrophe.
  • Shipper on Deck: Together with Aoi and Shiho, she ships Tohno and Chisato together.
  • Smitten Teenage Girl: After the Time Skip for Minamoto.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: While she still a Jerkass at times, she's not as much of one as the series goes on, partly due to Character Development, but mostly because of Minamoto's influence on the girls.
  • Tsundere: Child Kaoru is Type A, Adult Kaoru is Type B. She progressed to Mixed after the Time Skip.

    Aoi Nogami 
Voiced by: Ryōko Shiraishi

A Level 7 teleporter. Aoi is the rational member of "The Children". Smart and somewhat naive, she's predicted to become one of the future leaders of PANDRA alongside Kaoru and Shiho with her title being "Lightspeed Goddess".

  • A-Cup Angst: Played for Laughs. She once pulled buttons off her school uniform when the other girls' uniforms popped open due to their "developmen". An omake reveals that she, along with Kaoru and Shiho, wrote letters to themselves that were to be read once they reached High School. Aoi's letter? Asking if her breasts grew.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: As with Kaoru and Shiho towards Minamoto.
  • Covert Pervert: She may claim to be sweet and pure, but she's also the one who got the idea of having Kaoru "train" Naomi by tearing off her clothes.
  • Curtains Match the Window: Navy blue hair and eyes.
  • Hard Work Hardly Works: Subverted when it comes to School. Compared to Kaoru who likes to copy from others and Shiho who likes using her powers, Aoi puts genuine effort into her studies and gets the best grades as a result.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Played with. There are times when she's just as devious as Kaoru and Shiho, but at the same time it's made clear that between all three of them she's the most innocent member of the group.
  • Oblivious to Love: Fails to notice Bullet's obvious crush on her.
  • Precocious Crush: Like her teammates, she has a crush on Minamoto. She's almost as serious about it as Kaoru.
  • Red Baron: Lightspeed Goddess.
  • Tsundere: Got called one by Ken. Not that she doesn't have her moments.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Tries pulling this on Minamoto during the beginning of the Middle School Arc because she doesn't want to separate from Kaoru and Shiho due to living arrangements being shuffled. It almost fails if not for Aoi's powers going berserk right and thus necessitating the need for Minamoto to continue overseeing their livelihoods.

    Shiho Sannomiya 
Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu

A Level 7 psychometer. Shiho is the sarcastic, sharp-tongued and often childishly sadistic member of "The Children". Together with Kaoru and Aoi, she is predicted to become one of the leaders of PANDRA in the future, with her title being "Untouchable Empress".

  • Blessed with Suck: As a psychometer, she can read people's darkest secrets and feelings simply by touching them. This eventually leads her to have a very cynical view of people and also causing many people to being afraid of touching her.
  • Broken Bird: Shiho mentions in one of her arcs that she learned very early on what kind of a world she lives in. Later, for laughs, she frequently Lampshades that she's a "dark" character.
  • Fake Period Excuse: How she tried (and failed) to bullshit her way out of a training session.
  • Girl with Psycho Weapon: Shiho really loves that taser of hers. Even before that, she also carried around a gun and had no problems using it on people.
  • Precocious Crush: Like the other girls, she's crushing on Minamoto. She mostly expresses it by messing with his head and getting him in trouble.
  • Stepford Smiler: Very mildly, all things considered. If she doesn't want to deal with you, she'll smile, listen politely, and ignore you until you go away.
  • Touch Telepathy: How Shiho's powers generally work. She's a powerful user of psychometry, which allows her to read a person's mind or understand how objects have been used by holding them.
  • Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: As a child before befriending Kaoru she frequently invoked behavior that would make most parents concerned about her mental state. As a ten year old she has no problem pulling a gun on her enemies and invokes violent solutions as jokes.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She has a large fear of the supernatural in general and spirits and ghosts in particular.
  • Yandere: Played for Laughs, she has this look from time to time, such as when Muscle Okama tried to hit on Minamoto. She threatened to shoot him in the groin.

    Phantom Daughter 'Juli'/Yuuri Kumoi (Unmarked Spoilers) 
Voiced by: Marina Inoue
One of The Children's classmates. Actually Black Phantom's daughter, a Level 7 Wizard-Class Hypno user with split personalities: Yuuri, Mirage, and Phantom. The Yuuri personality knows nothing about Black Phantom and has no special abilities; Mirage, who considers herself the main personality, created her to fool Psychometers.

  • Ax-Crazy: Phantom hates it when their play time is interrupted/takes their attention away from her and lashes at whoever does.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: The Black Phantom agents she controls, along with Mind Rape. She's not entirely acting of her own free will either.
  • Child Soldier: Was raised as one along with cultivating her powers that her guard is always up, and skillfully reacted to Theodore having Nai jump on her and even having no qualms killing her with a knife. Yet not skilled enough to detect she has 'another passenger' when Nai said 'The fourth one...who is she?'
  • Designer Babies: Her father created her and Gilliam using their comatose mother's ova and his own cells, which is also a precursor to Gilliam's cloning experiments using his own sister as material.
  • Elegant Gothic Lolita: Gothic Lolita as a child, The Classic Elegant as Mirage, Punk Lolita as Phantom.
  • Fate Worse than Death: In the Bad Future, all crimes she committed for her father took a toll on her in Junior High School and the final nail was Nai's Death on the day The Children fought Nai. She vanished on a Villainous B So D trip... but was found at her most vulnerable off-screen by Black Phantom and as Future!Kaoru would tell Minamoto, the next time they found her, Juli was no more than an obedient weapon merged with a giant hulk of Raremetal that amplifies her Hypno. The only human part of her remaining was her face. No doubt in order for Future!Juli to come with them, The Children in the future had to do a Mercy Kill on their friend than prolong her suffering.
  • Given Name Reveal: At the Return of Phantom Arc, her Future Self calls her 'Juli'. Yuuri used Japanese Pronunciation Version to make her name 'Yuuri' to blend in in her infiltration to spy on The Children.
  • Heel–Face Turn: She defected from Black Phantom upon being called out by P.A.N.D.R.A on her 'work' for her father. Upon being rescued by The Children, Sakaki and P.A.N.D.R.A from Gilliam and his clones, she went in hiding to The Foundation with the three rescued clones, Nai and Hanzo to recuperate, discovering Yugiri, a genetic sibling who was the prototype of Gilliam's cloning experiments. She later joins The Children come High School.
  • I Just Want to Have Friends: At first it manifests as asking her father to have Kaoru as her doll as a reward for her work under What Is This Feeling? because she was lonely and isolated at home. Come school life, she realizes this and plays a key role in her defection.
  • Last Episode, New Character: In the anime, she's introduced at the very end of episode 51. Tono says he doesn't remember who she is, but Chisato says Yuuri was at the entrance exams with them.
  • Living with the Villain: She is their classmate and everyone's friend in their Junior High, unaware she was Black Phantom.
  • Master of Illusion: She is a Level 7 Hypno like her mother. She can cast illusions and make you 'her doll'.
  • More than Mind Control: She was 'loved' and spoiled by their father who keeps telling her he loves her dearly so she was unable to turn against him, leading to her Split Personality. She eventually admits this and would tell Gilliam it was all false love in the end.
  • New Powers as the Plot Demands: In this case, additional memories and skills. Originally, 'Yuuri' could not play any instrument for Kaoru's birthday party but Mirage reprogrammed her to have it. Mirage also made her think she has Nai-the-Kitten for quite some time now.
  • Parental Favoritism: Gilliam lampshaded it to Hyoubu. She looks like their mother save for the blonde hair, and is a Level 7 Esper like their mother. She was 'Conditionally Spoiled' by their father on a 'do good for daddy and be rewarded' basis.
  • Split-Personality Merge: In the manga, Juli's locked memories have awakened from the major's lockdown. As a result, all of her previous personnalities have merged under 'Kumoi Yuuri' as the dominant one. She has since decided to erase her existence from the Children's memories to pursue a personal vendetta against Black Phantom.
  • Time Travel: Future!Juli was one of the personalities within 'Feather' alongside The Children with Kaoru as the Main Body. They psychically traveled back in time to save Past!Juli from her brother Gilliam and to give her younger self the inner strength to break free from Gilliam's Illusions.

Other BABEL Members

    Shadow Children 
As "The Children" entered middle school, BABEL created a team to support them in their activities and fill in for them at school should the need arise. The team is comprised of Bullet and Tim, two former Black Phantom operatives that "The Children" saved after their initial encounters with them.

Bullet Silver

Voiced by: Takashi Kondo

A former Black Phantom operative who was saved from the organization by Kaoru after she released him from his brainwashing. Together with Tim, the two act as a support unit for "The Children" and live alongside them and Minamoto.

  • The Gun Slinger: Instead of simply relying on his powers Bullet, as the name implies, carries around an assortment of weaponry as well.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: Thanks in part to Black Phantom, Bullet's memories of who he was prior to being saved by Kaoru and "The Children" are a complete mystery to him.
  • I Owe You My Life: Bullet is deeply loyal to the Children, though he's not quite sure why.
  • Mind over Matter: His main power is psychokinesis much like Kaoru. He uses this to control the trajectory of his shots and is skilled enough to even give Kyousuke trouble.
  • Otaku: His rehabilitation resulted in him become one.

Tim Toy

Voiced by: Junko Minagawa

Much like Bullet, he's also a former Black Phantom operative who was saved from the organization by Kaoru after she released him from his brainwashing. Together with Bullet, the two act as a support unit for "The Children" and live alongside them and Minamoto.

  • Anime Hair: His hair is very spiky. It's revealed in an omake that he uses a specialized gel in order to get it that way.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: As with Bullet, Tim doesn't really remember anything prior to his being saved by Kaoru and "The Children".
  • I Owe You My Life: Like Bullet, he's deeply loyal to The Children even if he doesn't know why.
  • Marionette Master: He's the one behind the controls of the actual Shadow Kids (three dolls made to look like "The Children" in order to substitute for them in matters related to School) and can even use them in a fight.
  • Mind over Matter: As with Bullet, his main power is psychokinesis. Thanks to a combination of it and hypnosis, he can create physical illusions such as giant robots and the like hence his name.

    BABEL Staff 

Fujiko Tsubomi

Voiced by: Yukana

The official head of BABEL. She's a former member of the ESP Special Corp during World War II together with Kyousuke Hyoubu, her adoptive younger brother. Current times have seen the two as enemies however as Fujiko spearheads BABEL in order to oppose her little brother's plans for esper supremacy.

  • Bait-and-Switch Tyrant: Starts out by taking Minamoto off duty, but while it's something of a dick move on her part, it's actually a Secret Test of Character, and she does become somewhat less nasty afterwards.
  • Big Good: As the founder of BABEL she's this for Minamoto and the girls along with other BABEL members. In contrast to Kyousuke who believes in esper supremacy above all else, Fujiko desires peace between espers and normals and sincerely believes that it will be achieved one day.
  • Berserk Button: Do not remind her how old she is.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She founded an organization like BABEL. Of course she's completely nuts.
  • Cool Big Sis: She's this towards "The Children". She was also this towards Kyousuke in the past. Nowadays not so much.
  • Heavy Sleeper: As a means to stretch her life expectancy even further.
  • Kawaiiko: She really overdoes the cute sometimes, even though she's a bit too old for it.
  • Locked into Strangeness: Over the years, her hair has changed color from chestnut brown to light creamy-tan, almost a off white color.
  • Mystical White Hair: Her white hair is the only physical nod to her actual age, as she uses her vampire powers to retain her youth.
  • Older Than She Looks: She's in her 80s, but looks like she's in her 20s.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: She's usually laid back, but if she puts on a serious face, watch out, as Hyoubu found out first hand. While she claims she's not as powerful as he is, she still dished out a Curb-Stomp Battle to him, and he was only saved because PANDRA members came to bail him out.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: She's nearly a match for Kyousuke in power.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: While she may not look like it, she allows her subordinates quite a bit of freedom to perform tasks and missions however they see fit. She also provides them with help from time to time, although upon first impression it may not look like it, such as when she was trying to train Minamoto to grow closer to the girls.
  • Sealed Good in a Can: Takes a nap after founding BABEL, and only wakes up in the second season.
  • Shipper on Deck: For Minamoto and all "The Children", believing that through the Power of Love the future predicted by Igou can be averted.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: When she was younger, she defied this trope by joining the ESP Special Corp.
  • The Tease: She likes to do this to Minamoto a lot, something that doesn't really sit well with Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho at first until they befriend her.
  • Third-Person Person: When she thinks she's being cute.
  • Vain Sorceress: For being a woman over eighty years old, she retains her youth by sucking life energy from whomever she kisses, to be able to retain her youthful appearance.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Literally as Hyoubu uses this fear to subdue her at one point.
  • Your Days Are Numbered: Much like Hyoubu, she's already pushing the limits of her abilities by extending her youth so much. This is the reason why she tends to go into hibernation periods that can last years in order recover and conserve her strength.

Taizo Kiritsubo

Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi

The leader of BABEL in terms of most day to day matters.

  • Badass Normal: While mostly portrayed for comedy relief, he can be surprisingly competent when things get serious.
  • Charles Atlas Super Power: In the OVA, he falls for a trap when he opens a door. A guillotine comes down and seems to hit Taizo, only for him to get up and say that a normal person would have died. A camera shot from behind reveals it sliced off the back of his clothing.
  • I Was Quite a Looker: Omakes reveal that he was quite good looking when he was young.
  • Large Ham: When allowed, he basically chews the scenery each time.
  • Papa Wolf: He tends to go overboard with the girls, such as when Aoi and Shiho went on a date with a boy. He went so far as to have Babel staff follow them and interrupt the date as much as possible.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He backs "The Children" all the way and is a clear advocate for peace between normals and espers everywhere.
  • Uncle Penny Bags: If Minamoto is the main parent figure to "The Children", then Chief Kiritsubo is the over indulgent Honorary Uncle.

Oboro Kashiwagi

Voiced by: Masumi Asano

Taizo's secretary, who's often seen with him.

  • Beleaguered Assistant: Can turn out this way at times when the Chief does some over the top things.
  • Cloud Cuckoo Landers Minder: She acts like this towards Taizo when he starts veering off from his actual job of running BABEL.
  • Covert Pervert: Is implied to be one given her reaction to a half-naked picture of Minamoto.
  • Hyper-Competent Sidekick: She gets a lot of things done around BABEL when Taizo is goofing off or doing things he really shouldn't be, such as spying on the girls while on a date with a boy. She even gets the Japanese government off of BABEL's back when they question why they're spending so much money on the organization. Due to her sincerity and hospitality, they all agree that it's a necessary function and allow more funding for them.
  • Mission Control: She often performs this role for Minamoto and the girls, providing them with intel for their mission.
  • Only Sane Employee: Other than Minamoto, she seems to be the only one that can usually get things done around work. Certainly when Minamoto isn't around.

Shuuji Sakaki

Voiced by: Kissho Taniyama

BABEL's chief physician and Minamoto's close friend from College.

  • Because You Were Nice to Me: He's a little jealous that the Children have Minamoto as a mentor. Growing up, he didn't have anyone like that, and like all espers, he was ostracized too, so often hung out by himself. However, once he meets Minamoto, and sees a human that genuinely wants to befriend espers, he starts to become more likable.
  • Big Brother Mentor: Attempts to be this to Tim Toy and Bullet. He will also occasionally watch over the girls if Minamoto is unable to for whatever reason.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: By Black Phantom's Gilliam, though it is like a cancer instead of hypnotism.
  • Casanova Wannabe: While it's strongly hinted at that he has a lot of girls' numbers, the ones he tries to hit on onscreen usually turn him down, such as the Double Face girls.
  • Chivalrous Pervert: He may be perverted, but he will still help where he's needed, especially if it's Minamoto or the girls.
  • Combat Pragmatist: He doesn't mind using drugs to sedate his opponent, since he doesn't have any real offensive esper abilities like Kaoru and Aoi do.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Comes off as a skirt chaser and a slacker... until you threaten his friends.
  • Digging to China:He can use his psychometry through the Earth to reach Brazil, which is not impossible considering where he was at the moment.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Just a subtle one, but he mentions to Shiho that he's a little jealous that she got to meet someone like Minamoto who goes through a lot of trouble to protect her, Aoi, and Kaoru. By comparison, he had no one like that to rely on growing up, so grew kind of jaded and bitter. Until he punched Minamoto at college and saw someone who looked like he cared about espers despite being a normal person.
  • Healing Hands: His psychometry greatly enhances his abilities as a doctor.
  • Inconvenient Hippocratic Oath: In episode 32, after meeting his old college professor at a secret fishing spot, the latter taunts him for being a bad student. He then suffers a stroke, and while Shiho says he got what he deserved, Sakaki mentions that he still has to do what he can to help save the old man's life. In the end he seems to have done so, and also grown a little closer to Shiho, who up to that point was largely confrontational to him.
  • Mind over Manners: In contrast to Shiho, Sakaki uses his powers more or less ethically. (He does examine his female patients' chests a little more often than he should, but in BABEL that's negligible.)
  • Minored In Ass Kicking: Rarely participates in combat, but is more than proficient when he does. This includes sedating opponents stronger than him.
  • The Resenter: Mildly. Sakaki barely conceals his wishes that he had a parent/mentor figure like Minamoto, and can get catty with Shiho over it.

    Other Esper Teams 

Naomi Umegae

Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura

A Level 6 psychokinetic who occasionally assists the children in the field. Her code name is "Wild Cat".

  • Ambiguously Gay: In the anime. One episode focuses on her relationship with one of her female teachers with a number of yuri undertones and symbolism to go along with it.
  • Hero of Another Story: She's in a different group than "The Children", and some episodes focus on stuff she does.
  • Tsundere: Type B. She's dere to everyone except Tanizaki. And he deserves the violence he receives and likes it, anyway. Lampshaded by Ken.
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: Tanizaki's pet project is to turn her into one. And mostly succeeds: Naomi is simply a very calm, kind young woman who is far too strong willed to put up with her supervisor's crap.

Ichiro Tanizaki

Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka

Naomi's supervisor, and would be suitor.

  • Butt-Monkey: He sexually harasses a woman who can juggle trucks with her mind, so he's really got it coming.
  • Characterization Marches On: His behavior towards Naomi was originally portrayed as more Squicky than funny.
  • Iron Butt Monkey: But despite the severe beatings he gets, he always shrugs them off, and in fact seems to enjoy the punishment from Naomi.
  • The Not-Love Interest: He's placed in the Love Interest slot for Naomi (by his design) and is the most important person in her life, but he is never getting a chance at her.
  • Wife Husbandry: Unlike Minamoto he is trying to invoke this trope, but it's backfiring badly. And by badly, we mean hilariously.

Akira Yadorigi

Voiced by: Fuyuka Ōura

One of the members of "The Hound", and Hatsune's childhood friend. His power is metempsychosis, an ability which allows him to take over either animals or humans.

Hatsune Inugami

Voiced by: Ai Shimizu

The second member of "The Hound", with a metamorphic synthetic power that allows her to change her form into that of an animals.

  • No Sense of Personal Space: More than willing to get up close and personal with people such as when she licks Minamoto during the Lake Cabin arc in order to measure his health. She also tries to do this to Akira and according to him she does it pretty often.
  • The Nose Knows: Has a strong sense of smell and taste.
  • Third-Person Person: Often refers to herself in the third person.
  • Our Werewolves Are Different: Her esper powers let her transform into a wolfish creature just like a werewolf, though she can imitate other animals, as ell.
  • Wild Child: She eats animals raw due to her canine nature.

P.A.N.D.R.A.

A criminal organization comprised of espers gathered under the command of Hyoubu Kyousuke, a former member of the ESP Special Corp during World War II who turned rogue after his superiors turned on him. Like BABEL, it seeks to ensure the welfare and growth of many Espers, but unlike BABEL they are unwilling to compromise with normal society and seek to rule over them.
    Kyousuke Hyoubu 
The leader and founder of PANDRA. A former member of the ESP Special Corp during World War II and adoptive younger brother of BABEL Director, Fujiko Tsubomi. He is over 80 years old, yet retains his youthful appearance due in part to his powers. He seeks to ensure Kaoru's future as the Queen of Catastrophe.
  • Affably Evil: Very. He does have serious moments where he acts like a genuine bad guy, but most other times he just does petty things, such as trying to beat Momotaro at a video game, and losing.
  • All Your Powers Combined: His extra powers were gained from his old comrades, and were passed on to him if he personally watched them die.
  • Amnesiac Dissonance: When reverted into a child, he is nicer, and due to Minamoto, it bleeds over when he comes back.
  • Anti-Villain: Kaoru sees him as such, though Kyousuke is always zigzagging across the Moral Event Horizon. Regardless, his intentions are at least understandable, and he is providing a home and support network for the espers that BABEL isn't able to find or help.
  • Big Bad: Initially set up as this, only for Black Phantom to show up and eventually take over instead.
  • Breakout Character: Has his own anime spinoff, The Unlimited.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: Kyousuke is as intelligent as Minamoto, but is too whimsical to match him tactically.
  • But Not Too Foreign: Backstory tells us his mother is 'from the continent' i.e. mainland Asia.
  • Cast from Lifespan: His "Unlimited Mode" introduced in the spinoff, in which he removes his Power Limiter and becomes even more powerful than he already is, shortens his lifespan every time he uses it due to the unstable nature of his powers (thus necessitating the use of a constant Power Limiter in the first place).
  • Characterization Marches On: In his first appearance, he seemed somewhat more evil and less whimsical.
  • Combat Pragmatist: He's usually willing to do whatever is necessary to win a fight.
  • Creepy Child: Had his moments after joining the military.
  • Depraved Bisexual: Either this or If It's You, It's Okay toward Minamoto. Or just a massive tease.
  • Draco in Leather Pants: In-universe, Kaoru is unbelievably willing to forgive his crimes.
  • Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: The default state of his eyes after his Start of Darkness, regardless of whether he's angry or smiling or contemplating sweet murder.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He feels a war between espers and normals is inevitable, and constantly works in subtle way to try and speed things up. However, Fujiko and Minamoto both refuse to believe that, and feel that espers and normals can get along, hence BABEL's existence and why they're trying so hard to ensure the girls grow up with a somewhat healthy and normal childhood. As a result, they often end up at odds with each other.
  • A Father to His Men: Kyousuke has genuine, no-strings-attached feelings of affection and responsibility for his followers, up to taking over a country just to let the kids go to school.
  • Friendly Enemy: To BABEL, particularly Minamoto and The Children.
  • Freudian Excuse: The reason he's so distrusting of normals, Minamoto in particular, is because his commander when working in the Japanese military had come off as a very reasonable kind man who wanted nothing more than coexistence between espers and normals, but then tried to murder Hyoubu and made it clear that his ideal world was one in which baseline humans control espers. Because of him, Hyoubu has trouble bringing himself to trust normals who work towards coexistence between espers and normals.
  • Hypocritical Humor: Made fun of Kiritsubo's age by calling him "dad" even though he's older than him.
  • I Shall Taunt You: His favorite hobby is fucking with Minamoto or Kiritsubo.
  • Like Brother and Sister: With Fujiko, before and during the war. He even called her "sis".
  • Limited Wardrobe: Nothing but gakurans. Getting him to wear more normal clothes have ended badly in the past.
  • Locked into Strangeness: His hair was originally black. It turned white over the years.
  • Manipulative Bastard: He's willing to play dirty to achieve his goals if he has to.
  • Master of Illusion: There are very few espers who have a stronger hypno than him.
  • Morality Chain: Kaoru is this to him. He will often stop what he's doing to help her out, or provide a clue on what to do about the current crisis, and in some cases will do dirty work behind the scenes to prevent Kaoru from having to get her hands dirty, such as killing an esper controlled by Black Phantom.
  • Mystical White Hair: His silver hair is the only physical nod to his actual age.
  • Not So Above It All: He may be a criminal mastermind, but he still tries to show up Minamoto from time to time, such as making a boxed lunch for Mio after she reminisced about Minamoto's cooking, or trying to beat Momotaro at a video game, losing badly, and still insisting on playing more. He also finds it hilarious when Minamoto is taken control of by some flies, and try to make him do silly things such as drink from a toilet.
  • Older Than He Looks: Despite having the appearance of a high schooler, he is at least 80 years old.
  • The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: He takes this stance at times when helping out BABEL/Minamoto. While he would love to see them fail, he also realizes that upsetting Kaoru would work against his goal of trying to make her the esper queen.
  • Parental Substitute: Thanks in part to his age, he's this towards many a member of PANDRA.
  • Pet the Dog: As underhanded as he acts at times, he does have these moments where he'll protect Kaoru or help out Minamoto, even if his objective to have Kaoru do a Face–Heel Turn ultimately fails.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: In Volume 6, he does avenge a young girl who is severely wounded in a suicide bombing - but only because the bomber ruined the good mood brought on by the flowers she sold him and because she looks astonishingly like Kaoru. Later, he says to the leader of the terrorist group (before he blows up the plane they're on):
    Kyousuke: I go anywhere my interest leads me. I do anything I want to. I kill anyone I don't like. That is all.
  • Rank Scales with Asskicking: He is quite dangerous even though he does get beat from time to time. But that's usually because he wants to give them a Hope Spot before showing a trump card that then takes out whoever he's fighting.
  • Reality Warper: Between his highly-refined telekinesis and hypnosis, Kyousuke can do just about anything.
  • Supreme Chef: While this doesn't crop up often, Mio did comment that his boxed lunch was delicious. One of his henchmen notes that he's being immature because he made said lunch solely because Mio was reminiscing about Minamoto's cooking a while back, and wanted to show him up.

    PANDRA Adults 

Shiro Magi

Voiced by: Koji Ochiai

Kyosuke's right hand man and secretary.

  • But Not Too Foreign: Magi says he and other members of PANDRA were war orphans or refugees.
  • Hypercompetent Sidekick: Not a match for Kyosuke in power, but he's the one who has to clean up after him and make sure PANDRA is still functioning well enough for him to go off on his larks.
  • Limited Wardrobe: He only dresses in identical copies of his nice suit.
  • Not So Above It All: Especially in the supplement. He apparently thought that Muscle was Muscle's real name.
  • Only Sane Employee: He and Minamoto once got drunk on a picnic in frustration about their superiors.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Magi treats PANDRA like it's a job: objectives are set, paperwork is organized and you put in overtime to get the big projects done on time. All this makes him more dangerous than the rank and file who treat PANDRA like a hobby or a game.
  • Ship Tease: With Momiji, who decides very early on that he's marriage material. More so when the only time we see Magi lose his cool is when she gets hurt.
  • Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Deeply cares about Kyosuke, but admitting it is like pulling teeth.
  • Team Dad: The one who gets stuck trying to establish rules and discipline. Also had to raise at least three ESPers. He's more detached and stern than Minamoto, but given that he works for Kyosuke that's something of a necessity.
  • The Trains Run on Time: Handles PANDRA's logistics and planning.
  • The Worf Effect: Gets pounded by Mirage but we then learn it's just Kysouke's high-level hypno. He's not happy about being such a pushover.

Momiji Kanou

Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (2009 series), Sayaka Ohara (The Unlimited)

A PANDRA ESPer who is another one of Kyosuke's primary assistants.

  • Shoot the Dog: When she first meets Kaoru, Momiji is willing to engage in unethical behaviour to get her objectives. Then Kaoru tells her that sort of crap won't fly.

Yo Fujiura

Voiced by: Wataru Hatano

An esper that was raised by Magi and PANDRA.

Masuo "Muscle Okama" Ookama

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake

One of PANDRA's ESPers and Mio's most frequent partner in crime.

  • Hard Gay: As if his signature attacks from the groin weren't already enough of a clue, he also actively hits on Minamoto as well.
  • He Cleans Up Nicely: Gender-inverted example. In the last episode, he shows in one scene looking and acting like a completely normal person, to the point that several of the PANDRA members are unable to recognize him. Then he changes into his usual outfit/demeanor, and they immediately recognize him.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: Certainly comes of as much more malicious then usual during the Infamous Colony Drop Incident.
  • Super Sex Organs: has the Esper ability to turn people to stone with a blast from his crotch.

Takashi Kugutsu

Voiced by: Yukito Soma

A psychokinetic and avid otaku.

  • Adaptation Expansion: The anime gives him stronger motives for Face–Heel Turn, making him more sympathetic.
  • The Dog Bites Back: In the anime being always mocked for his hobbies by Sakaki makes it that much easier for him to join PANDRA for good; he nearly murders Sakaki in the process.
  • Face–Heel Turn: Initially presented as a member of BABEL only for it to be revealed that he's a member of PANDRA.
  • Freudian Excuse: His coworkers' general disdain for his hobby gives him another reason to spy on them for PANDRA.
  • Marionette Master: As an esper, Kugutsu can manipulate dolls with life-like accuracy.
  • Otaku: A doll/figurine otaku to boot. Never to be seen without a LiccaMoga-chan doll.
  • The Mole: Revealed early on as the one responsible for leaking information about BABEL to PANDRA.
  • Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Subverted. Kugutsu is truly appreciated in PANDRA for his abilities, otakuism notwithstanding.

Koremitsu Yamada

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake

A telepath, and Mio's bodyguard.

  • The Voiceless: Until he removes the bandages in an omake, though he could talk telepathically before.

    PANDRA Children 

Mio Tsukishi

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

A young level 6 teleporter in PANDRA. Mio spends a great deal of time trying to gain Kaoru's affection without admitting that she wants to be friends.

  • Affably Evil: While her introduction was rather violent, kidnapping Minamoto to force Kaoru into a showdown, she is a rather incompetent villain. Even when he was kidnapped, Minamoto ends up cooking some decent food for her after noticing she just ate instant noodles. He even cleans her clothes for her after recommending she take a much needed bath as well.
  • And Your Little Dog, Too!: Frequently makes threats against against Kaoru before she admits that she really wants Karou's friendship.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Hyobu showed kindness to her when she was younger, hence why she willingly joined him and worships him.
  • Body Horror: Her first fight has her teleportation powers run amok.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Hates Kaoru because of the attention Hyobu gives the former over her.
  • The Ditz: Can be a bit slow to realize things like "having no air will kill you."
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Mio resents that The Children, Kaoru especially, received many opportunities that she was denied.
  • Psychic Teleportation: Her teleportation allows her to teleport only a part instead of the whole like the others. The parts are still connected and if they are too far apart or too far away from Mio, they will reattach on one side.

Patty Crew

Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi

An esper that was liberated from Black Phantom by Kaoru and PANDRA.

  • Shipper on Deck: Pretty much every time two guys seem friendly with each other.

Black Phantom

    Black Phantom 
Black Phantom
The leader of the organization of the same name, which brainwashes Espers and uses them as assassins.
  • Freudian Excuse: Hates espers, because his wife's powers caused her braindeath.

Theodore
  • Battle Butler: A notable aversion: despite the way he dresses and his loyalty to Black Phantom, he lacks Psychic Powers or other combat abilities.

Nai
A young girl who is a Black Phantom agent.
  • Shadow Walker: She can teleport herself or somebody else through a shadow.
  • Creepy Child: So brainwashed that she smiles when revealing that Black Phantom has put a device in her forehead that will kill her if Kaoru removes her brainwashing.
  • Cute Kitten: Poses as one, though since it's an illusion she can't do things like go through a cat door.
  • Hazy-Feel Turn: Joins PANDRA to keep Yuri safe.

Ninja Hanzo
An adult Black Phantom agent.
  • Otaku: Naruto fanboy. Even whips out the Sharingan once as part of a gag.

Gilliam
A young man who is an agent and son of Black Phantom. Yuri's elder brother.
  • Ax-Crazy: Hyobu describes him as the most insane person he has ever met.
  • Freudian Excuse: His cruel father treated him as useless garbage his while life.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: Wants to kill all espers and non-espers
  • The Un-Favourite: As a result of not being as powerful an ESPer as his sister.
  • You Have Failed Me: Kills his clones for the slightest failure. Except it was an illusion, he considers them too expensive to do that to.

Other Characters

    Feather 
A mysterious, very powerful Esper whose mind can be transferred between bodies using raremetal quartz. She has amnesia, but has a vague idea that her goal is to "change the future". In love with Minamoto (even more so than everyone else).
  • Broke the Rating Scale: Her Psychokinesis is said to be beyond Level 7.
  • Grand Theft Me: Does this to Phantom Daughter, although she doesn't really take over, just hide among the other three personalities.
  • Meaningful Name: She gets turned into a bird for a while. Actually, her name probably refers to Kaoru's angelic wings.
  • Mental Time Travel: She's actually an amalgamation of the memories of all three children (and possibly others as well) from the future, with Kaoru as the nexus.

    School Friends 

Chisato Hanai

Voiced by: Kaori Fukuhara

A level 2 esper who goes to the same school as Kaoru, Shiho, and Aoi does.

  • Break the Cutie: She accidentally outs the three girls as espers when they first go to school, which causes some problems for them. She also accidentally read Tono's thoughts about not caring if she was an esper, but when she accidentally reveals it and he finds out later, he gets rather mad at her.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl:
    • She absolutely hates it when Tono mentions not liking her. In episode 33, imagining him doing things with Kaoru when the two get lost looking for the latter's lunch during a class field trip gets her rather angry.
    • In episode 50, he gives his notebook to her so she can take notes, then asks Mio to share hers with him. Chisato is absolutely furious about that turn of events.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: She is unaware of the Children's association with BABEL. Anytime she tries to pry into it, they give her some rather vague answers.

Masaru Tono

Voiced by: Rina Sato

A young boy who's attending the same school as the girls.

  • Butt-Monkey: He's sometimes on the receiving end of the girl's anger, sometimes deserved, other times not so much, especially with Kaoru.
  • Fantastic Racism: He despises espers at first, and nearly gets into a fight with Kaoru over it. However, he seems to lose this trait as the series goes on.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Like Chisato, he's unaware that they work for BABEL and are actually more powerful espers than they claim to be. It helps that the girls obey Minamoto's order to not use their powers at school, such as when Kaoru wanted to blast him to the other side of the classroom after provoking her into a fight.
  • Muggle: He is absolutely normal unlike some of the girls in his class.
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: While it's strongly hinted that he does have feelings for Chisato and hangs out with her quite a bit, he will often deny this if it's brought up.
  • Worthy Opponent: Views Kaoru as one after she manages to play him to a draw in a game of dodgeball.

Alternative Title(s): Zettai Karen Children

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