Characters / The Ones Within

Akatsuki Iride

Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita (Japanese), Justin Briner (English)

The protagonist and a cheerful first-year high school boy specializing in escape games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu, whom he befriended after a co-op "Let's Play" in the past, calls him "Akki."
• All-Loving Hero: He does his darndest to be friends with everyone, be they human, his very dangerous captor, colossal pandas, or even spirits trying to burn him.
• Amnesiac Hero: He mentions that he doesn't have any memories prior to being adopted.
• An Arm and a Leg: His right arm was broken by the grandfather during the ogre stage.
• Bait-and-Switch Gunshot: When he tries to kill Himiko as Madarame. He's shown aiming and firing the rifle, only for Punitsuki to jump in front of her at the last second.
• Cloudcuckoolander: As a result of being an airhead.
• Dead Guy Junior: His real name is Akira. However, his adoptive mother changed it to Akatsuki, treating him as a Replacement Goldfish for her deceased blood-related son.
• Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: It's no surprise that this overly-friendly Nice Guy is able to get along with even the Mastermind Paca.
• Emotionless Boy: A downplayed example. He has trouble relating to emotions like anger of fear as he's seemingly forgotten how it feels to be angry or sad. Given how he had been treated by his adoptive mother prior to the events of the story, it could be a result of him trying to suppress his own negative emotions in order to cope with the harsh reality.
• Expressive Hair: At one point in the story, his Idiot Hair shaped itself into a heart when he was expressing his love and gratitude towards Pantarou, a giant panda. His hair also flattens when he is sad or depressed.
• Friend to All Children: The 9th Stage proved that this is his trope, considering how well he could get along with the aged-down clones of the cast.
• Friend to All Living Things: In the very first chapter, when he was forced to participate in a game of killing large animals or insects, the first thing he did was befriend a panda that was as big as a mountain!
• Hidden Depths: He's a lot more intelligent and perceptive than he lets on, as seen in chapter 41, where he correctly 'guesses' the truth about the whereabouts of the dropouts from previous streams. Even Paca is visibly taken aback by this sudden display of wits from the team's Cloudcuckoolander.
• Iconic Item: The sick mask that he always wears, in case he suffers from his allergies. Ironically, said allergies haven't been acting up at all since arriving at the island, something that he lampshades when Paca asks if he needs medicine.
• Idiot Hair: That sometimes moves according to his emotions.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: It is revealed that he doesn't remember his childhood before and during his days as an orphan, presumably due to being the original Akira's Split Personality formed out of trauma.
• Mysterious Past: Apart from his relation with his adoptive mother, nothing much is known about him, unlike the rest of the characters, who mostly have fleshed out backgrounds and motives. This turns out to be for good reason.
• Man Behind the Man: Is this to Paca and the rest of his organisation, being the owner of the island and head of research for The Ones Within: Genome.
• Nice Guy: And one of the nicest characters at that. His classmates mention at one point that he was able to befriend a burglar breaking into his house.
• Odd Friendship: He and Anya become fast friends thanks to Akatsuki offering to eat his bell peppers. He considers Anya his best friend at some point, which Anya does nothing to deny.
• Perpetual Smiler: Always has a smile on his face, though this becomes a lot more disturbing and dissonant when you consider he can't actually feel emotions.
• Replacement Goldfish: His adoptive mother treated him as if he was her deceased son, going as far as changing his real name, Akira, to her deceased son's name, Akatsuki.
• Stepford Smiler: The recent chapters have been heavily implying him to be one. It seems to be a facade to hide the fact that he can't really feel emotions on the same level as normal people. The latter part is something he himself admits in chapter 39. Given the hints, he could be a mixture of both type A and type B. Even Anya lampshades this in chapter 41:
  Anya: That guy [Akatsuki] is always smiling, probably because he's really hurt on the inside.
• Skewed Priorities: He was devastated at not being allowed to participate in 6th Stage of the game, clearly despairing that his perfect-attendance in the game was shattered. Karin had to point out how stupid he was for acting like that, since the reason he was being left out of the game this time was because he was supposed to recover from his broken right arm.

Karin Sarayashiki

Voiced by: Akari Kitou (Japanese), Kristi Rothrock (English)

A tempermental first-year high school girl specializing in horror games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu calls her "Karirin."
• Berserk Button: Anything perverted will piss her off, hands down. Yuzu used this to her advantage by making Karin angry enough to tear down the vines blocking their way.
• Cuteness Proximity: She finds Himiko to absolutely adorable and wants to protect her.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: At the very least, by the 4th volume, she's warmed up enough towards Akatsuki that she hasn't hit him in a while.
• Father, I Want to Marry My Brother: When she was a little girl, she adored her older brother to the point where this trope was used.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: She sure is scary when she's angry... Maybe it's because she's a Tsundere?
• Nightmare Fetishist: Subverted. Sarayashiki's the horror specialist... but she's the worst at dealing with any round that's even remotely scary. As she puts it, liking horror games doesn't mean she actually wants to be in a horror game herself!
• Trademark Favorite Food: She loves her pudding.
• Tsundere: While she tends towards violence, especially with Akatsuki at the beginning, she does show signs of a warmer side.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She enjoys watching characters suffer in horror games... unless SHE'S that character in the horror scenario.

Kaikoku Onigasaki

Voiced by: Takuya Sato (Japanese), Aaron Campbell (English)

A laid-back youth in his first year at university, specializing in Japanese-style games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu calls him "Kai-san."
• Berserk Button: He may hate his dad, but his love for him is enough that finding out his old man was dying pushed him into attacking Paca, suspecting the Mastermind of being responsible for that.
• Cool Sword / Katanas Are Just Better: He owns a katana that belonged to his father... which he stole from said father...
• Iconic Item: His old-Japanese themed attire like his yukata, his oni mask, his paper umbrella, his KATANA...
• I Have No Son!: He is on the receiving end of this when he got disowned by his father.
• Improbable Weapon User: Despite owning a katana, he also uses his umbrella to attack enemies at times.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Has a bad habit of resorting to murder and violence as his solution to a problem...
• Rebellious Spirit: Disobeys his dad and runs away from home? Check! Stealing his dad's katana just to spite him? Check! Being the main guy responsible for fighting against the Mastermind Paca? Check!

Anya Kudo

Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka (Japanese), Travis Mullenix (English)

A loud and rowdy first-year high school boy specializing in fighting games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu calls him "An-bou."
• Anger Born of Worry: Much of his anger towards his friends in 13th Avenue is out of worry for them.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: When he was forced into a stage where he must tell truthfully about what are Akatsuki's good points, he indirectly reveals that one of the reasons he cares about Akatsuki is because the latter didn't treat Anya any different despite the former suffering from an insomnia disorder.
• Can't Hold His Liquor: Turns out he turns into a sobbing mess when he turns a bit of alcohol.
• Does Not Like Spam: He hates bell peppers so much that he has Akatsuki eat the former's bell peppers all the time.
• Exhausted Eyebags: Has these because of his sleeping disorder.
• First-Name Basis: Kudo prefers to be on this with others, finding it gross to be so formal.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Due to a mix of Jerk with a Heart of Gold persona with grouchiness due to lack of sleep caused by his sleeping disorder.
• Headbutting Heroes: While he tends to abrasive towards most people, it is most pronounced with Zakuro.
• Iconic Item: The motorcycle helmet, which doubles as a Tragic Keepsake.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his rude and edgy behavior, he clearly has a soft spot for his family and friends.
• Odd Friendship: As said above, him and Akatsuki become fast friends thanks to Akatsuki offering to eat Anya's bell peppers. Akatsuki calls Anya his bestie at the point, and Anya doesn't dispute this.
• Tragic Keepsake: Carries around the motorcycle helmet of his deceased brother, who died in a traffic accident due to the sleeping disorder inherited to the whole family.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Anya and Oshigiri argue a lot. Their relationship improves after Anya jumps into the large rafflesia flower to check on Oshigiri, causing Oshigiri to notice Anya's positive qualities. Oshigiri is nicer and more sympathetic to Anya as a result.

Zakuro Oshigiri

Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese), Stephen Fu (English)

A serious and somewhat stoic second-year high school boy who specializes in stealth games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu calls him "Zakkun."
• Attractive Bent-Gender: Especially since he looks just like his twin sister.
• Big Brother Instinct: He act as the team's big brother. Not surprising, considering his has a twin sister and the reason he came to this deadly game was to find his sister (who was taken to this game previous).
• Cannot Talk to Women: He has a fear of women that makes it hard for him to be too close to one.
• Can't Hold His Liquor: One sip of sweet sake is enough to make him drunk and aggressive (to an overexaggerated level).
• Curious as a Monkey: In an omake, where he researched on Anya's insults because he wondered if they have some kind of deeper meaning behind them (but... they don't).
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: He seriously looks like his sister if you were to force him to dress up like her.
• Iconic Item: The mask he wears over his mouth that hides his scar on his mouth.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Since he is a stealth game expert, Oshigiri believes that if you can't win the fight, then you should run.
• Scars Are Forever: He hides a scar on his mouth under his mask. That scar was caused by an accident by his sister when they were kids, during the time she tried to cut her brother's hair by herself and accidentally cut her brother's mouth by accident.
• Super Gullible: He actually believed Yuzu's lie that every girl carries Yuzu's dangerous poison for self-defense against rapists and criminals. He also mistakes Anya's insults to having a deeper meaning.
• Team Mom: Along with Himiko.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: He and Anya argue a lot. Their relationship improves after Anya jumps into the large rafflesia flower to check on him, resulting in Oshigiri noticing Anya's good qualities. Oshigiri starts caring for Anya more as a result.

Himiko Inaba

Voiced by: Manaka Iwami (Japanese), Kate Bristol (English)

A shy girl in her second year of middle school who specializes in nurturing simulation games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu calls her "Hii-min."
• Berserk Button: Do not insult nurturing games in any way, or she'll punish you with flash grenades.
• Beware the Nice Ones: She may be shy, but she will threaten and even use flash grenades if you make her angry enough.
• Iconic Item: Her googles and her flash grenades.
• It's All My Fault: Blames herself for getting one of her older brothers kicked out of the family in order to have one less mouth to feed, which resulted in the orphaned older brother disappearing (which led him being labeled dead).
• Serious Business: She takes nurturing very seriously. People. Animals. Crops. Simulation games. ANYTHING.
• Shrinking Violet: She is the shyest member of the 13 District. But remember, she has a Beware the Nice Ones trope for a reason.
• Stuff Blowing Up: She carries flash grenades for self-defense.
• Team Mom: Along with Zakuro.
• Token Mini-Moe: The only member of the main cast to be under high-school age.
• Moe: And a Token Mini-Moe at that!

Makino Aikawa

Voiced by: Takuma Terashima (Japanese), Mark Allen Jr. (English)

A perpetually drowsy second-year high school boy specializing in dating simulation games.

---

• Affectionate Nickname: Yuzu refers to him as "Maki-maki."
• Ambiguous Disorder: His Cloudcuckoolander traits seemed to be the result of being neglected by his parents, causing him to lack social skills and proper communications.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Despite giving off a stoic look, he was aggressively attacking Genji with a wine bottle!
• Big Eater: The second bonus chapter, "Wild Flower", suggest that he can eat a lot of food.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Quite the oddball, but it makes a lot of sense when one considers his neglectful parents...
• Emotionless Boy: Played for laughs as a Cloudcuckoolander until you found out about his parents giving him Parental Neglect issues...
• Even the Guys Want Him: Don't look into his eyes if you don't want to fall in love with him like Genji.
• I Just Want to Be Loved: He was never loved by his parents, who would argue with each other all the time while seeming to neglect their own son. He was only cared for by his neighbor, Koizumi Sumire. However, despite caring for him, Koizumi didn't 'love' him the same way he was in love with her. This is what hit Makino especially hard when he found out about his crush having got married to someone else.
• Likes Older Women: He fell in love with his older neighbor, Koizumi Sumire, because of how she was the first person to either showed any care for him when he is always neglected by his parents.
• Parental Neglect: His parents him to ignore their child, not giving him any love while they either work or argue with each other.
• Odd Friendship: With the ever cheerful Yuzu.
• The Quiet One: He barely talks... at all...
• The Stoic: So far, he's able to retain a neutral face in any situation.
• Tranquil Fury: You don't need to try that hard to realize how angry he was (despite his stoic face) when he attacked Genji after the latter tried to attack Ueno.

Yuzu Roromori (Beware of spoilers!)

Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Marissa Lenti (English)

The oldest member of the group and an easily excitable girl specializing in puzzle and maze games.

---

• Ambiguously Bi: On the one hand, she has expressed a desire to grope Karin and see how Himiko looks in 5 years. On the other, her feelings towards Akatsuki go far beyond friendship.
• Easily Forgiven: Kaikoku was willing to forgive Yuzu for being The Mole when he called for a truce between them.
• The Gadfly: Does her best to tease everyone, especially Karin.
• Iconic Item: Her gas mask that she always carries with her.
• The Nicknamer: As evident by all the Affectionate Nicknames above.
• Master Poisoner: Supposedly, since she just so happens to have a stash of highly toxic substances from a poisonous plant from a tropical island... It's really concerning.
• Odd Friendship: With the very quiet Makino.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: Roromori's the only one of the group who wears glasses, and she so happens to be a puzzle expert, the best at problem-solving, and even a budding chemist apparently.
• Stalker with a Crush: It soon becomes clear that she is in love with Akatsuki to the point of obsession. Complete with Stalker Shrine.
• The Mole: She is Paca's Recorder, someone who's responsible for recording information about the other contestants of the game.
• Vague Age: Unlike the other members of the main cast, her age isn't specified, only that she's older than the others. That being said, given how Kaikoku has already graduated high school, that would make her at least 19.
• Yandere: Resembles one due to her Stalker with a Crush tendencies and her obsession of Akatsuki.

Paka

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese), Ben Phillips (English)

One of the main antagonists and head of the 13th District in this real life 'livestream' of "The Ones Within - Genome".

---

• Affably Evil: He is a pretty nice and funny guy when it isn't something to do with being in a death game.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He may be a nice guy to be with, but he is the Big Bad for a reason. Even the minor villains like the grandfather ogre or a man-eating mimicry plant will come to understand how dangerous he is if/when they cross him.
• Big Bad: The focused main villain in the series, as he looks after Akatsuki's group. However, he is just one of the many observers of this death game.
• Body Horror: According to Paca, his whole body has been burnt so horribly that he has to cover up his whole body so that the sunlight doesn't hurt him.
• Cool Mask: He wears a rather tall alpaca's mask.
• Covert Pervert: That's how everyone sees him whenever this guy tries to get Himiko for himself (and Paca's appearance 'does' get creeper when he does it).
• Crazy Jealous Guy: Being a fan of Himiko, he easily gets jealous whenever he thinks Anya is getting to close to Himiko. This guy proceeds to punish Anya by overpiling the fighting streamer's food with bell peppers.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He is shown to be very caring towards the protagonist Akatsuki (who also cares about him in return). It goes as far as the Big Bad performing a Villainous Rescue on Akatsuki when the kid was about to be killed by an ogre during the 5th stage. He was willing to go as far as interfere with his own game just to save Akatsuki!
• Evil Is Petty: While he did put his participants through some pretty horrible scenarios, he has also punished Anya a number of times by putting bell peppers in the latter's meals.
• Major Injury Underreaction: Despite having his head brutally smashed by Kaikoku with an umbrella, he shrugs it off before delivering Kaikoku and Zakuro a terrifying Death Glare. And he did that while casually turning his head almost backwards, as if he temporarily gave himself a Neck Snap!
• Stronger Than They Look: He can casually evade attacks, bend metal pipes with his bare hands, and shrug off attacks on him like it's no big deal.
• Villainous Rescue: He interfered in his own game in order to save Akatsuki from being killed off in the 5th stage.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Supposedly, his skin was burnt so badly that sunlight can hurt him.