History Characters / TokyoGhoulReQuinx

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/NatsukiHanae (Japanese), Creator/AustinTindle (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/193c4068a059fb490cfcb9fc1542bff4.jpg]]
-> ''"If the past Me came back, the things I've built in the last two years would all be lost. That's really scary."''

A 22-year old Ghoul Investigator and protege of Kishou Arima, currently partnered with Akira Mado. He is an artificial Ghoul hybrid, and leads the Quinx Squad as their earnestwhile mentor. His kind personality causes him great difficulty in managing them, and he is looked down on by his coworkers for being too merciful to the Ghouls they hunt.

In truth, he is the long-missing '''Ken Kaneki'''. Having lost his memories, he has been given a new identity and lives as a human Investigator while struggling to control his Ghoul nature. He is haunted by visions of his past self, and fears what may become of him should his memories return.

After the Tsukiyama Family Extermination operation, he was promoted to an Associate Special Class Investigator, left the Quinx Squad and became the secretary of Arima's S3 Squad.

[[WalkingSpoiler For tropes after chapter 53]], see [[Characters/TokyoGhoulReGoat Ken Kaneki]].

* AffectionateNickname: Saiko refers to him as "Maman", French for "Mama". Shirazu calls him "Sassan".
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Akira mentions that he's "an existence" that other Investigators look down on, tolerated less than the Quinx.
* AmnesiacsAreInnocent: He's far more out-going, playful, and criticized for being too naive especially when compared to the jaded, oft-brutal young man he'd become prior to losing his memories.
* AmnesiacDissonance: Haise eventually realizes that Kaneki may have been an enemy of the CCG and feels conflicted between his present as an Investigator and the attachments of his past.
* AmnesiacHero: Haise Sasaki is an amnesiac Kaneki, missing the first 20 years of his life. While he's pushed aside thoughts of his past and generally feared it, after the Auction he becomes curious about Kaneki and begins attempts to learn more about his past.
* AnArmAndALeg: Provides a CliffHanger for ch. 50, with Kanae chopping his right arm off below the elbow.
* AttractiveBentGender: While DisguisedInDrag, there's no denying that Sasaki looks like an incredibly beautiful woman.
* BadassBoast: Parodied. When conflict leads to the team splitting up to investigate Torso, he declares his intention to show them all.
-->'''Sasaki:''' Just watch, you brats! And you too, First Class Shimoguchi! The Serious Sasaki... the [[HurricaneOfPuns SASARIOUS]] will... pull an all-nighter tonight to gather data!
-->'''Mutsuki:''' ''[Thinking]'' He's losing it...
* BadassInANiceSuit: As an Investigator, he goes into the field dressed in a nice suit and tie, facing down Ghouls dressed like an office worker.
* BadassLongcoat: He typically wears a trench coat in the field, but removes it when [[TheCoatsAreOff he gets]] ''really'' serious.
* BagOfSpilling: Zigzagged back and forth. As a result of his lost memories and being dosed with RC suppressants, Sasaki is back to struggling to control his powers and Ghoul nature. However, when he loses control and his old self begins to emerge, his powers are shown to be just as strong and even more fine-tuned than in the past.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Haise and Kaneki are fighting for dominance of the mind and body, but Haise is fighting a losing battle. The more he learns about Kaneki, the more frequently Kaneki emerges from Haise's mind. He tries to remain willfully ignorant of Kaneki, but his job as a ghoul investigator puts him in contact with some of the most important people in Kaneki's life.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: When he actually fights seriously, his unstable nature and former self begin to emerge. It's enough to terrify his subordinates.
* BigDamnHeroes: He has a tendency to arrive just in time to rescue his subordinates, usually slicing up the attacking Ghoul in the process.
* BilingualBonus: Lampshaded by Kanae, who scoffs at the absurdity of having such a name. "Haise" is pronounced the same as the German verb "heißen" when used for yourself ("Ich heiße..." or "My name is...") which in [[WorldOfSymbolism this setting]] is as good as writing in stone that the name is an alias.
* {{Bishonen}}: The ArtEvolution this time around makes him look prettier and he can disguise himself as a pretty girl merely by wearing makeup, feminine clothing, and a wig.
* BlackSheep: He's looked down on by his peers in the CCG, to the point of being humiliated in front of a subordinate.
* BladeOnAStick: Yukimura 1/3, his Quinque, is essentially a slim blade with a plain handle.
* BodyHorror: It seems devouring Eto's Kakuja has had an averse affect on his body. His Kagune appears to have mutated, while his right hand regrew with ''scales'' on it.]
* BrickJoke: In the opening chapter, he concluded his HurricaneOfPuns by asking Akira for a hug -- which she immediately denies him. After the Awards Ceremony, he asks for another one as a joke... and is shocked when she does as asked.
* BridalCarry: Crossed with ContinuityNod, when he rescues Mutsuki. The framing of the panel, as he carries his wounded subordinate in his arms, recalls his rescue of Touka during the ''Aogiri Arc'' in the original series.
* BrokenAce: Akira refers to him as "The Ace of the Mado group". He hides it well from most people, but he's about a broken as a person can be while still relatively functional.
* ByTheBookCop: When his subordinates ignore protocol, he attempts to quote Article 13 at them. They immediately brush him off.
* CameBackStrong: Dr. Shiba reveals that half-Ghouls become stronger as their bodies recover from serious injury, as a result of the RC cells spreading throughout their bodies. A body scan shows that Sasaki's body is ''littered'' with RC pathways, from all the times he's been injured and regenerated.
* TheCameo: His name appears during the CCG scene in the final chapter of Tokyo ghoul, and his silhouette can be seen on the final page of that chapter. It is our first hint of what became of Kaneki after he was defeated.
* CharacterTic: Several, mostly picked up from others:
** He tends to touch the side of his face when he is thinking or is nervous.
** His prior mannerisms he learned from those around him up also remain despite his memory loss, like touching his chin when lying, like his mom, or mimicking Touka's pre-battle stretches.
** When he's in a tough fight or very stressed out, he'll start cracking his fingers like Yamori (and his torturer Tokage) did, which is a ''big'' [[LetsGetDangerous warning]] [[EnemyWithin sign]] that either he is ''not'' doing okay or who's causing this reaction isn't going to be soon enough.
* TheCoatsAreOff: When he breaks out his full strength, he throws aside his trench coat.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Though it all happens off-screen, Takizawa goes through the process of "poking various holes" in him to terrorize the CCG with his broadcasted screams.
* CombatTentacles: He has become exceptionally skilled at using his Rinkaku, and imitates some of the tricks Arima uses with IXA's tentacle form.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: Ironic, given he's technically the same person as Kaneki, but Sasaki is considerably different both in personality and character conflict.
* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: He consults Donato, getting valuable insight in the investigation of Torso.
* ContinuityNod: He first met Akira in a graveyard, while she was visiting a grave and discussing her new partner. This is the same way that Akira and Amon once met.
* CoolTeacher: He ''tries'' to be one to the Quinx. On the other hand, he's an extremely popular Guest Lecturer at the Junior Academies.
* CriminalAmnesiac: His amnesia has resulted in him becoming a Ghoul Investigator, with the skill and body count sufficient to have earned him an Award that requires killing 100 Ghouls in a year.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: He seems quite hesitant to use his Ghoul abilities, and perhaps with [[EnemyWithin good reason]].
* DeclarationOfProtection: After seeing his EnemyWithin transformed into a helpless child, Haise declares that he will protect him.
* DevotedToYou: Two years later, Tsukiyama and Roma remain obsessed with him while Touka has started a new cafe and continues to wait for him to come home.
* DiseaseBleach: Averted. Sasaki's white hair slowly turns black over the course of the series. By chapter 53, it's entirely black again.
* DisguisedInDrag: During the Nutcracker case, he organizes a plan to have the entire team dress as women. He pulls it off ''very'' well.
* DrivenToSuicide: In Chapter 53, "Kaneki" explains to him that he wanted to die at V14. That he ''still'' wants to die, asking Sasaki to die in a suitably beautiful/cool fashion so that everyone will love him. Sasaki is fairly horrified by this revelation.
* DualWielding: During a training session, he demonstrates how to spin a pair of knives in different directions.
* EnemyWithin: Haise is self-aware that his identity was created by the CCG. However, Kaneki is slowly retaking control and the more Kaneki recovers, the weaker Haise becomes. Haise fears a full recovery will kill his identity completely.
* EyeScream:
** After Takizawa gets through with him, his upper face is a bloody mess. It's probably better that there's so much blood that it isn't clear what exactly was done to him.
** [[spoiler: After being captured and imprisoned in Cochlea, the amnesiac Ghoul #240 is seen wearing bandages over his eyes. This is because he repeatedly clawed his own eyes out, to the extent the wounds kept getting infected]].
* {{Facepalm}}: He does this in Chapter 11, when Shirazu manages to draw attention to them during a stake-out.
* AFatherToHisMen: Arima describes him as the "father" of the Quinx, and he certainly cares for them [[PapaWolf like one]].
* FairCop: He's a sharp-dressed Investigator with youthful good looks. In his introductory scene, a female member of the office staff seems to be trying to flirt with him.
* FireForgedFriends: Juuzou's partner explains that Sasaki and Juuzou became good friends as a result of having to work together on several cases.
* FirstNameBasis: Akira, Arima, Suzuya and Kuramoto all refer to him by his given name.
* FreakOut:
** When he sees Orochi's face and is called by his real name. This causes him to have a complete meltdown, screaming and sobbing hysterically until he's brought down by an RC suppressant bullet.
** Has another one in Chapter 52, when he hallucinates Arima threatening to kill him "again". He immediately goes berserk.
* FriendshipMoment: Juuzou greets him by rushing forward with arms extended, only to start frisking him. It turns out he stuffs candy into his pockets for Juuzou, and this is how they always greet each other.
* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Boxer briefs with the word "Energy" printed on them. Stolen by Urie and given to Chie as a present for her "model".
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In the WhamShot of chapter 6, with his face obscured in shadows while his Kakugan glows ominously.
* HalfHumanHybrid: CCG classifies him as a "victim" of Dr. Kanou's crimes, stating that he should be treated as a human being as long as he lives as one. But should his Ghoul nature emerge, he will be shown no mercy.
* HazyFeelTurn: He's switched sides as a result of his amnesia, but whether that makes him a hero turned Evil or a villain turned Good is entirely dependent on whether it's being viewed from the side of humans or Ghouls.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: He definitely feels overwhelmed by his assignment, and difficulty keeping his team in line, something he readily admits to.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: As in the past, his efforts to fight against Aogiri has resulted in him crossing lines and making callous decisions.
* HurricaneOfPuns: He's extremely fond of word play and silly puns.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: He normally relies on his Quinque to fight, but Akira makes it clear to his subordinates that they've never actually seen him go all-out. Facing Orochi, he decides to do exactly that -- abandoning his weapon in favor of using his [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique kagune]].
* IdentityAmnesia: He is well-aware that he used to be someone different, and admits to being terrified that the happy life he has built and his identity as Haise will vanish should he remember his old self.
* ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: When he tastes the coffee made by Touka, he begins crying without knowing the reason.
* InnocentGrayEyes: Gray eyes hinting at both his role as a mentor to the other hybrids, and his innocent nature.
* IHatePastMe: He admits that he knows his EnemyWithin is his former self, but states he wants nothing to do with his past. After meeting Hinami, however, he admits that Kaneki must have been a wonderful person to have people that loved him so much. It's only after this that he finally makes peace with himself, transforming his EnemyWithin from the fearsome Centipede into a white-haired child he decides to protect.
* InnocenceLost: Kaneki says goodbye to the relatively happy and peaceful time he had as the amnesiac Haise, when he finally regains his memories.
* {{Irony}}: Kaneki used to admire Eto, even had a crush on her, but when she goes full {{Yandere}} on him, he's not thrilled in the least.
* KilledOffForReal: In a [[ThatManIsDead metaphorical-sense]]. After regaining his will to live during his duel with Arima, Kaneki discards his identity as Haise Sasaki. The arc itself ends with him reaffirming himself as Ken Kaneki, now the new One-Eyed King.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Merely learning about Sasaki breaks Tsukiyama out of his depression and motivates him to begin taking action again.
* LossOfIdentity: His greatest fear concerning his memories is that, if he regains them, his current self will cease to exist.
* LockedIntoStrangeness: Downplayed. Despite his hair turning completely white after days of torture in the original ''Tokyo Ghoul'', more and more of his original black hair grows in as '':re'' progresses. Further, when he regains his memories in chapter 53, the dried blood from a head injury turns his remaining white hairs black once more.
* LostInTranslation: Several pieces of textual foreshadowing in the first series were misunderstood by Western audiences and translators, resulting in confusion over Sasaki's identity until the very clear reveal in chapter 7. Readers of the original Japanese, however, were in the know and, unintentionally or not, spread the reveal long before Western audiences were in on it.
* TheLostLenore: Tsukiyama continues to mourn him almost three years later.
* LoveAtFirstSight: It technically doesn't count as "first sight", as Sasaki is an amnesiac Kaneki and Kaneki's memories are still dormant inside Sasaki, but the moment Sasaki met Touka inside the coffee shop '':re'', he couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. He would later often come back to the coffee shop to read books, but also to see Touka. Mutsuki notices Sasaki's attraction to Touka as well, and [[GreenEyedEpiphany through this]] realizes that he is in love with his mentor.
* MasterSwordsman: Takeomi describes his swordsmanship as elegant "like water" and expresses the hope that he can learn from him at some point. Notably, he's skilled enough to essentially dual-wield his Quinque and Kagune at the same time.
* MeaningfulRename: "Haise Sasaki" has numerous meaningful readings.
** "Haise" means "Ash" and can also be pronounced as "Grey", the color of his eyes. It's also a homophone for the characters in "the world is wrong", a repeated phrase in the last chapter of the original Tokyo Ghoul, where Haise first appeared.
** Later, Kanae confuses the name "Haise" for the German word "heißen", meaning "to be named", a nod to the fact that the name is a false one.
** The name is based on Haise's two favorite kanji. The kanji for the "hai" in "Haise", 琲, is found in the kanji writing for "kohi/coffee", 珈琲. The kanji for "se", 世, is part of 世界, which stands for "world".
** His family name can be translated as "assistant", a nod to his subordinate relationships with Arima and Akira.
* {{Megane}}: He wears enormous reading glasses, creating a strong contrast between his kind personality and Arima's StoicSpectacles. Haise later notices that his eyesight is getting worse.
* TheMentallyDisturbed: He suffers hallucinatory waking nightmares, conversing with his EnemyWithin in a mental space full of symbolic imagery.
* TheMentor: He is officially the mentor of the Quinx, supervising and leading them. He tries to be a good teacher to them, but comes up somewhat short.
* MoralityPet: Arima treats him like one, though it isn't clear how genuine this kindness is. In Chapter 52, Sasaki has a hallucination of Arima referring to him as a weapon, and threatening to kill him. For Sasaki to have this hallucination at all might indicate that he's more frightened of Arima than anything.
* MrFanservice: The 2016 calendar features him in more than one revealing outfit and/or fanservice-y [[BoobsAndButtPose pose]]. Then came Ch. 72, when he tossed off his jacket to reveal a form-fitting black bodysuit. The fandom approved.
* MulticoloredHair: Black and white, in an apparent reversal of usual changes in hair color. When younger, his hair was almost completely white but more black has grown in over time.
* MustHaveCaffeine: He mentions his hobby, since becoming a Rank 2 Investigator, is to visit different coffee shops.
* MythologyGag: The reappearance of the number 12, referencing ''The Hanged Man''.
* NiceGuy: He's very kind, which is probably one reason he struggles to control his subordinates.
* NightmareSequence: He has sleeping and waking nightmares where he encounters a twisted version of his past self in Yamori's torture room.
* OddFriendship: With [[ChildEater Donato Porpora]], of all people. He values his opinions, and discusses both cases and personal matters with the imprisoned Ghoul.
* OpenSecret: His identity as an amnesiac Kaneki is pretty well known throughout the Ghoul community. Touka and the others in the re: café knew it all along, but have kept themselves from confronting Sasaki about it.
* NotQuiteDead: Apparently, it takes more than repeatedly running him through and stabbing him through the skull twice to kill Kaneki.
* PapaWolf: Suffice to say, he doesn't take [[BerserkButton kindly]] to his Squad being harmed.
* ParentalSubstitute: He states that because of his amnesia, Arima and Akira are his "parents". In turn, he's called the "father" of the Quinx Squad.
* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: He pleads with Arima to spare Hinami, before recovering enough to make up the excuse that he captured her and wants "Ownership Rights".
* PowerCopying: He's quite good at copying the fighting techniques of others, along with their mannerisms. Not only has he adopted the {{Character Tic}}s of his mother, Yamori, and Hide but he imitates Touka's pre-asskicking stretches, Tsukiyama's sword kagune, and is observed by a senior Investigator to almost perfectly imitate Arima's moves.
* TheProfiler: Sasaki demonstrated expertise in discerning the characteristics of Ghoul criminals.
* PungeonMaster: He's rather fond of word play and puns, though others don't always appreciate his humor.
* RankUp: In Chapter 32, he's promoted to First Class and the aftermath of Chapter 57 sees him further promoted to Associate Special Class.
* RealMenWearPink: Sasaki is impressively domestic, cooking and caring for his subordinates, and turns out to be extremely skilled with makeup and fashion. He makes no efforts to hide these "feminine" talents, and is a highly-skilled fighter.
* RecruitingTheCriminal: Rather than imprison him in Kokuria for the crime of his mere existence, Sasaki has been recruited as a Ghoul Investigator and allowed to live as a human employee even though he ''is'' [[HalfHumanHybrid technically]] a Ghoul himself.
* ReflectiveEyes: In Chapter 9, there is a closeup of his eye reflecting Touka as he notices her.
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: After being captured by CCG, the amnesic Kaneki was remade as Ghoul Investigator Haise Sasaki. He even ends up fighting a former friend, Nishiki, who expresses pity over seeing what has become of Kaneki.
* RepressedMemories: The end of Part 1 implies that, along with the probably significant mental (and no doubt physical) damage that came with being stabbed in the brain by Arima, Haise chose to purposefully repress his memories after realizing just how much despair and misery his chosen path left him. Certain triggers will cause some of those memories to bubble back up to the surface.
* TheReveal: In Chapter 7, he is confirmed to be an amnesic Ken Kaneki.
* SequelHook: A disjointed "ha i se ..." appeared in final CCG scene in the last chapter of the original ''Tokyo Ghoul'', hinting at his role as CCG's new secret weapon in the sequel.
* ShapeshifterWeapon: Though he avoids using his kagune, he's become capable of controlling the exact shape of his tentacles -- creating three-fingered claws, or sharp blades instead of simple CombatTentacles.
* SharingABody: Haise and Kaneki share a body but neither is happy about it. They are generally fighting for control but situations like Hinami being in danger allow them to temporarily cooperate.
* SharpDressedMan: When working, he dresses impeccably in monochrome pieces -- black dress shirts, pinstripe slacks, light-colored ties, and a white BadassLongcoat to finish off his look. Off duty, his choice of clothing is distinctly less fashionable.
* ShootTheDangerousMinion: Akira shoots him with an RC suppressant to bring him down when he uses his kagune, as per CCG policy. Should these methods ever fail, the standing order is to kill him.
* ShoutOut:
** He wears a tee shirt (and matching ''underwear'') featuring a stylized image of one of the members of the [[JapanesePopMusic JPop]] boy-band ''EXILE TRIBE''.
** He briefly discusses one of Kafka's short stories with Arima in Ch. 8. [[labelnote: Summary]]''A Crossbreed'' involves a man given a strange creature as a pet, half Lamb and half Kitten. The creature is caught between its warring natures, but loves its master and wants nothing to do with either Lambs or Kittens. The master wonders if it might be kinder to kill the poor creature, but keeps it alive anyway because it is his responsibility and gives him comfort. [[/labelnote]]
* ShroudedInMyth: When he first became an Investigator, there were already rumors about him being "[[HalfHumanHybrid different]]" from other Investigators. Akira knew of him even before meeting him for the first time. However, since then he's pretty much become the guy his coworkers look down on.
* ShutUpHannibal: In Chapter 53, Sasaki has finally had enough of being tormented by his EnemyWithin and strangles "Kaneki" while telling him to shut up.
* SkilledButNaive: He's a highly-skilled Investigator, but criticized by his peers as extremely naive. Akira even warns him that this will be his downfall.
* SlasherSmile: He gives one in chapter 7, when his old personality starts coming through.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: He wears glasses while reading, and has numerous bookcases in his room.
* StealthPun: He's been awarded the Kinmokusei Medal, named for the Fragrant Olive. This flower is associated with Kaneki because they are alternate readings for the same Kanji.
* StepfordSmiler: When asked whether he's curious about his past, Sasaki cheerfully informs Arima that he's "very happy" with his current life. That he [[CharacterTic touches his chin]] while smiling reveals he's not nearly as happy as he'd like the world to believe. In general, he masks his massive emotional and psychological issues behind a cheerful smile, terrible puns, and a gentle attitude. It's later implied further that he's absolutely terrified of Arima.
* SplitPersonality: He seems to have completely separated himself into different selves, denying his former self and Ghoul nature by internalizing it as his EnemyWithin. When the line between the two begins to blur, his personality becomes more ruthless and frightens his subordinates.
* SuicideByCop: He realizes he intended to be killed by Arima at V14, but "screwed it up".
* SuperiorSuccessor: CCG has assigned him with the task of creating an Investigator that can surpass Arima. Akira points out that he himself has to surpass Arima first, if he wants to do this.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: The twisted echo of his old self serves as one to him, emerging during his battle with Orochi. Along with a significant increase in power, he also becomes far more ruthless and begins displaying the mannerisms he picked up from Yamori. Since these are the traits that Kaneki displays when he is in control, Haise wrongly thinks this is all there is to Kaneki's identity. The truth is more complicated.
* SupremeChef: When told she may be fired, one of the first things [[BigEater Saiko]] worries about losing is the meals he cooks. It seems he's a pretty good cook, for not being able to taste his own food.
* SwordOverHead: In Ch. 50, he pins down Tsukiyama and prepares to run him through with Yukimura... but finds himself struggling with the choice.
* TalkingToThemself: Sasaki and the twisted version of his past self that lives in his subconscious don't exactly get along.
* TarotMotifs: As per the original series, numbers from the Major Arcana are concealed within the artwork as hints about his character.
** VIII. ''Strength''
** XII. ''The Hanged Man''
* TeamChef: The primary cook in their household, to the extent that Saiko and Shirazu fret when he isn't around to cook for them.
* TeamMom: He tries to be the TeamDad, but this is what he actually is, taking care of his team both professionally and at home. Saiko even refers to him as "Mama", and he admits to being lenient with her.
* TerrorHero: He's developed into one after the TimeSkip, with two members of Aogiri getting the sense that they'll be devoured if they continue to fight him. This is represented by a visual of a snake devouring a lizard.
* ThatManIsDead: He kindly tells Hinami that he isn't the person she knew, that even though his body was Kaneki, ''he'' is Haise Sasaki. Watching him, however, Hinami firmly states that Haise and Kaneki are definitely the same person.
* TooBleakStoppedCaring: In-universe example. He admits to not liking Sen Takatsuki's work much, citing the sheer amount of tragedy and despair that occurs. Ironically, Kaneki was an avid fan of Takatsuki's work.
* TookALevelInBadass: In Chapter 41, he's shown wielding Yukimura ''and'' his Kagune effortlessly. While the battle occurs primarily off-screen, he leaves several dead {{Mooks}} and sends the named Aogiri members fleeing in terror.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: His love of coffee remains, and he mentions that his hobby is visiting new cafés in his spare time to try new blends.
* UnPerson: As hinted in the original series' finale, Kaneki's existence has been completely erased from official records. Sasaki is unable to find a single mention of his former self in the records... At least, until he finds a single misplaced report draft written by Amon about his encounter with a Ghoul in an eyepatch mask.
* UnwantedHarem: He seems to have a knack for attracting admirers of the VillainousCrush variety -- Tsukiyama, [[DepravedHomosexual Nico]], [[LoonyFan Roma]], and [[BigBad Eto]] [[spoiler: and [[{{Yandere}} Mutsuki]]]] are all fascinated with him to one degree or another.
* WalkingSpoiler: Good luck talking about him in any context that doesn't give away the ending of the original series.
* WhamShot: In Chapter 6, when he [[CharacterTic cracks his knuckle]] in preparation to fight Orochi.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Averted. He's repeatedly criticized for showing mercy to Ghouls, and accused of having sympathy for them.
* YouAreNumberSix: During his time in Cochlea, prior to becoming Haise Sasaki, he was simply known as "#240".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ginshi Shirazu]]
!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/YuumaUchida (Japanese), Daman Mills (English)
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shirazu_bald.png]]

A 20-year old Ghoul Investigator that volunteered for the Quinx Project due to financial reasons. He has an unusual appearance and a short temper, tending to take things easy and follow the lead of others. Dim-witted and friendly, he tends to follow Urie around and is manipulated by him to cause problems for Sasaki. Even so, he is quick to defend his comrades and thinks about them before himself. Though he performed poorly at the Academy, he is a skilled fighter and Sasaki expresses confidence in his potential as a leader.
----

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: In-universe example. He admits to not liking Sen Takatsuki's work much, citing the sheer amount of tragedy and despair that occurs. Ironically, Kaneki was an avid fan of Takatsuki's work.

* {{Adorkable}}: His hobbies are magic tricks and fishing... without using any bait. He just likes to sit there with the line in the water, never intending to catch anything.

* {{Adorkable}}: He can be adorably awkward on occasion.
** He often visits Arima to give him some books to read. Sometimes in the middle of a meeting.
** When his superior tells him to aim for the sky, he asks for a goodbye hug to conclude his HurricaneOfPuns.
** He makes many cute, awkward expressions whenever lamenting how lame he is acting.
** He has a poster of bananas in his room, of all things.
** He calls his nose a nose Kagune when he goes on the search for coffee.
** Haise often visits, '':re'', the coffee shop that Touka and Yomo manage, to read books. His shy behavior towards Touka, like hiding behind a book while trying to catch glimpses of her, gave away his attraction to Touka (as this is how Kaneki used to look at Rize), which embarasses Kaneki when he finds out.

* {{Adorkable}}: He's awkward but friendly towards others, and does silly things like invent stupid names for his attacks and worries about breaking the law.

* FatGirl: Dr. Shiba does his best to not call her one, but Sasaki is bemused at the idea of a "fat Investigator". (When we actually see her, however, she's really only pudgy in comparison to her extremely fit comrades.) This stops later on.

* BadDreams: He implies he suffers frequent nightmares related to his EnemyWithin.

** There was quite a bit of [[MentorShip subtext]] between Mutsuki and Sasaki before the latter regained his original memories and defected. Sasaki ended up becoming his unofficial caretaker, while Mutsuki clearly adored and admired him. Come chapter 114 and SanitySlippage having already ensued, Mutsuki's attraction to Sasaki/Kaneki has warped into something rather [[{{Yandere}} destructive]].

* ManInWhite: He dons a white, buttoned up trenchcoat to match with his white hair after his experience on Rushima.

-->'''Urie:''' (There's nothing more useful than a weakened leader. I'll be making full use of you, Special Class. The only one groveling like a dog will be you, Matsuri Washuu.)

-->'''Urie:''' (A coat today, I see. Coats are nice, I guess.)

-->'''Hsiao:''' (''after kicking Aura's face'') You "wanted to protect [your aunt]"? Touma's uncle and Hairu are both gone. If you really want to protect her, then what the hell are you doing here?! ''Wimp''.

-->'''Sasaki:''' ''"Just watch, you brats! And you too, First Class Shimoguchi! The Serious Sasaki... the [[HurricaneOfPuns SASARIOUS]] will... pull an all-nighter tonight to gather data!"''
-->'''Mutsuki:''' ''(Thinking) "He's losing it..."''

-->'''Shirazu:''' ''"Point Blank Bomber!"''
-->'''Orochi:''' ''"Tch, what a shitty name."''

* GrayEyes: Hinting at both his role as a mentor to the other hybrids, and his innocent nature.

!!! '''Voiced by''': Natsumi Fujiwara (Japanese), Mikaela Krantz (English)

* SingleTargetSexuality: He only has eyes on Sasaki/Kaneki. He seems to have no attraction on anyone who isn't his beloved Sasaki/Kaneki. After he found out Sasaki/Kaneki was married to Touka, he never fell in love again and he stay single.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: It seems that Tooru has an inner side of himself fully capable of murder, animal-cruelty, sadism and cannibalism without a hint of a moral compass behind it.]] And guess what? [[spoiler: That's just the stuff he remembers. [[UnreliableNarrator Who knows what else he has done...]]

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/KaitoIshikawa (Japanese), Adam Gibbs (English)

[[folder: Ching-Li Hsiao]]

[[folder: Shinsanpei Aura]]

[[folder: Touma Higemaru]]

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Attempts suicide after being confronted by Urie and Saiko, only to be stopped by them and talked down]].

* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler: Mutsuki's numerous attacks on Touka and mistreatment of Yoriko are quickly forgiven during the greater crisis. By the DistantFinale, Mutsuki seems to be on good terms with Touka and sends gifts to the Kaneki family]].

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the anime, Urie and Saiko manage to talk him down and he isn't killed by Yomo. The last we see of him is in epilogue with Urie and Saiko.]]

* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: Her [[CombatTentacles rinkaku]] is '''''[[{{Understatement}} massive]]''''', as anyone on the receiving end of it can attest to.

* SuperSenses: He has an incredibly keen sense of smell, far beyond that of a regular Ghoul. His sense tips him off that Mutsuki is a girl, when he realizes that the blood he smells on him is menstrual blood.

* AllPeriodsArePMS: Mutsuki suffers from abdominal cramps in the middle of the Human Auction operation, which only make things worse for him, considering he was not too long ago seriously injured by Kanae and his regeneration isn't working properly. Urie is also able to smell Mutsuki's menstrual blood after Urie accidentally attacked Mutsuki during said operation, [[GenderReveal which makes him realize that Mutsuki is biologically female.]]

* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler: In the finale, Mutsuki chooses to transfer away from Tokyo and leave the other Quinx behind]].

* NoPeriodsPeriod: The Human Auction operation doesn't go well for Mutsuki, as he is not only hurt by Kanae (and barely regenerating), he is also menstruating. Urie smells Mutsuki's menstrual blood and realizes that Mutsuki is female.
* OnlySaneMan: Mutsuki seems to be the only member that actually follows orders and does what is expected without causing trouble. Except it turns out that he´s also the only member with an actual, [[{{Patricide}} serious]], [[{{Matricide}} crime-]][[SiblingMurder record]] [[SelfMadeOrphan as]] [[ChronicPetKiller well]].

* UnfriendlyFire: When Akira shields Takizawa from an attack, Mutsuki takes this as a personal betrayal and continues attacking her until Amon intervenes.

* CainAndAbel: Mutsuki killed his elder brother, when he had enough of the abuse at home.

** After Rue island it´s revealed that he has adapted the habit of finger tapping when stressed out, just like [[{{SerialKiller}} Torso]]...

** Very weird example. Both Mutsuki and Kaneki end up captured during the Aogiri-centred arc and are viciously tortured by an individual shaped by simular experiences, then end up going through a personality shift after recalling their DarkAndTroubledPast, defeating their captor and escaping, their hair turning white in the process. The difference is that, while Kaneki became an AntiHero driven by a desire to protect his friends, Mutsuki slips into his psychotic SplitPersonality.

* ArchEnemy: His obsession with killing Kaneki is enough to make his aunt worry for him.
%%* AxCrazy:

* BlindingBangs: His bangs completely conceal his eyes. Althoguh underneath his bangs, his eyes are very menacing and disturbing during the Clown Seige operation and [[spoiler:his battle against "Sasaki"]].

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Mutsuki fought off deranged, AxCrazy Ghouls but after being [[RapeAsDrama stuck with]] [[StalkerWithACrush Torso]] for nearly a month, realized he was just like the monsters he fought against, if not '''worse'''.

* FaceHeelTurn[=/=]HeelFaceTurn: He's switched sides as a result of his amnesia, but whether that makes him a hero turned Evil or a villain turned Good is entirely dependent on whether it's being viewed from the side of humans or Ghouls.

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: After much warnings and repeated strain brought down on his body through the series,[[spoiler: he ultimately breaks his final frame by his own volution and turns into a full ghoul, dual-kakugan and all, while facing Donato Porpora]].

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/KaitoIshikawa

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/AyaneSakura

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/NatsukiHanae

!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/YuumaUchida

!!! '''Voiced by''': Natsumi Fujiwara

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/KaitoIshikawa

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/AyaneSakura

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/NatsukiHanae

-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/YuumaUchida

-> '''Voiced by''': Natsumi Fujiwara