Durarara Novel Only / Characters

This is the novel-only character page for the many characters of Durarara!!.:

Warning!! The examples below may include spoilers for the light novels, as well as the anime.

If you're only following the latter, proceed at your own risk!

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Yahiro Mizuchi

"I… wonder if I can change, in this city…"

A first year with monstrous strength and instinct from Akita who decides to transfer to Raira Academy in Ikebukuro. He is a member of Snake Hands and associated with the Blue Squares by proxy of Kuon and Aoba. He's also distantly related to Saburo.

All of the Other Reindeer: Since he beat the crap out of several children in his town at a young age, they kept coming again and again to beat him or brought other students from close by and far away and he became more and more alone until he moved to Ikebukuro.
Apologizes a Lot: As part of his fear of offending people and making them hate him, he does this often.
Bad Liar: Almost all his lies are absurdly flimsy.
Because You Were Nice to Me: He knows that Kuon is going to be cruel and controlling like Izaya, but he's Yahiro's first friend so it doesn't matter, he'd still support Kuon in whatever way he can.
Blood Knight: He realizes while fighting in volume 2 that he's smiling because he's finally fighting people that are equal in skill to him.
Brutal Honesty: He doesn't sugarcoat words or bother lying. It would just get him killed.
Combat Pragmatist:
- Will try to end any battle as soon as possible whether that means having to knock everyone out or cripple them like tearing someone's ear off.
- Shizuo tries to throw a vending machine at him. Yahiro knocks him off balance while he's holding it by kicking his knee.
The Comically Serious: He takes things very, very seriously, which Celty finds to be very amusing like when his only concern about being given clothes made from her shadows is whether it could be put in a washing machine.
Confusion Fu: He doesn't really have a defined fighting style beyond just defeat opponent.
Contrasting Sequel Main Character: To Mikado; he really wanted to become part of extraordinary events, Yahiro is already special and wants to live his life normally in some way. Mikado thought that the special people of Ikebukuro would elevate him into a more interesting life, Yahiro wants them to help him feel more normal. Mikado's final goal was to create an urban legend about him and the Dollars, but failed. Yahiro is at the center of two as the student who was on par with Shizuo Heiweijima and Snake Hands.
Country Mouse: Has never left Akita before coming to Ikebukuro and is shocked at all the people in the subway and how busy it is. At Raira, he's confused at all the different looks that the students have.
Covered with Scars: His hands are full of scars created from human teeth. Mikage points out that while some may have come from being bitten, others might have come from punching someone's face so much that their teeth broke off and got stuck in his hands.
Cowardly Lion: He's constantly afraid and loathes being afraid so he pushes himself harder and harder when fighting to avoid being afraid.
Curb Stomp Cushion: He gets his first real loss handed to him by Shizuo, but is one of the few to injure him in a direct fight.
Damn You, Muscle Memory!: He instinctively attacks Himeka after their first conversation since he was expecting a surprise attack from her after they finished talking.
Dark Is Not Evil: He used Celty's shadows as a body disguise occasionally. The first instance of this is what led to the rise of the rumor about Snake Hands.
Eyes Never Lie: Ei Li-pei's surprised to see that Yahiro's eyes are full of fear despite having the upper hand in battle
Foil: To Shizuo, both are abnormally strong and want to live a peaceful life. Shizuo's strength is wild and forceful when used, Yahiro is precise and calculating in where to strike. Shizuo made enemies with Izaya and Yahiro became friends with Kuon.
Friendless Background: Had no friends growing up because everyone was too afraid of his strength.
Full-Body Disguise: He uses Celty's shadows to fully cover him up when he doesn't want his identity to be seen.
Game Changer: His arrival and subsequent draw in an unarmed duel against Shizuo shakes up the status quo that had been there for a year and a half, as suddenly a person on par with Shizuo has shown up and is unaffiliated with any of the major factions.
Happily Adopted: Was found abandoned at a hot spring inn and the family that ran it took him in and he lived happily with them until he transferred into Raira Academy.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: Beats himself mentally for doing something that would have made others hate him.
I Am a Monster: He was called this for a long time because of his fighting skill and he himself believed this until a tourist told him he was perfectly normal like the people in Ikebukuro.
I Just Want to Be Normal: His strength and animal-like instincts displayed at the age of six has caused him to really just want to be left in peace and live a normal life.
The Movie Buff: He can happily talk about films with Walker and Erika about things like how good the makeup or how a low budget can affect a movie. He became this as there's not much one can do when you're alone for most of your time.
Naïve Newcomer: He knew little about Ikebukuro before moving, with the only thing that he does know is that there are monsters like him there. This also allows him to catch readers up to speed on various characters and events that happened in Ikebukuro as he doesn't know any of them.
Nice Guy: He agrees to help Akane and Himeka find the people who disappeared even knowing the risks he faces and doesn't want to hurt anyone in general.
Oblivious Adoption: He didn't know that he was adopted until the kids at his school taunted him. This is what caused the first incident and his strength to emerge.
Platonic Life-Partners: With Himeka.
Quizzical Tilt: Does this whenever he's confused.
Red Baron: Snake Hands
Sensory Overload: Initially Tokyo's hugeness and its teeming with people overwhelms his super reflexes. He gets over it eventually.
The Stoic: He doesn't emote very often.
Super-Strength: Is abnormally and inhumanly strong.
Super-Reflexes: The other part of why he's so strong, he can react to almost any action with superhuman speed.
The Unfettered: When fighting, he won't hold back. Because if he lets them go, or gives mercy, that's just an opportunity for the opponent to strike back.
Unknown Rival: Of Shinra, as he believes he has to fight Yahiro for Celty's love. Yahiro doesn't even know about the rumors that Celty might be dating the disguise and alter ego he created as Snake Hands.
Unskilled, but Strong: He just goes with what his instincts tell him during combat.
Urban Legends: Came to see them, became one as Snake Hands.

Kuon Kotonami

"The city’ll become interesting by our hands, yeah?"

A first year in Raira Academy who runs various schemes in Ikebukuro to make money. Kuon also serves as a kind of patron to the Blue Squares, helping fund their activities. He is a member of the Blue Squares and Snake Hands.

Big Brother Instinct: Being the little brother to Nozomi, he declared that he would always try to protect and help her when they were young. She found it cute at first but then he decided to fully become Izaya to protect her.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Everyone can detect that there's something off about him behind his cheeriness.
Birds of a Feather: He gets along well with fellow Manipulative Bastard Aoba, likely due in part to their shared hatred of Izaya Orihara.
Brother–Sister Team: He works occasionally with Nozomi who runs IkeNew! and the Snake Hands website to enact his schemes.
Captured on Purpose: He intentionally got kidnapped by the antagonists of volume 2 to get a better idea of what was going on.
Color Motif: Green.
Dark and Troubled Past: He and Nozomi used to have abusive foster parents until Izaya eliminated them from the siblings' lives. Permanently.
Delinquent Hair: Has dyed green hair styled after Visual Kei.
Dye Hard: He suddenly dyed his hair green before the school year started to revamp his look.
Evil Laugh: Snickers without restraint when things are going his way.
Foil: Is this to Izaya, both are Manipulative Bastards and Kuon really wants to style himself after Izaya, but he's still too soft at heart to do his actions. Izaya openly proclaimed that he loved humanity which baffles Kuon as he loathes humanity.
Hates Everyone Equally: Hates humanity in contrast to Izaya. He doesn't entirely believe his own words.
Hidden Depths: He placed first in the Raira entrance exams and was supposed to represent the first years in the opening ceremony of the year, but his current look had him replaced by someone else.
Knowledge Broker: Sometimes functions as this, as part of his goal to be like Izaya.
Love Makes You Evil: In order to fully protect his sister and accomplish his goals, he feels he has to do things like Izaya did and perhaps even worse.
Manipulative Bastard: Uses people as pawns to get what he wants and then discards them. He provoked the initial murder in volume 3 and then just sat back and watched the pieces move themselves. He wanted to see if he could be like Izaya by doing so.
Mr. Exposition: Living in Ikebukuro and being aware of what's going on/internet savvy means he's usually the one that explains things.
Nonuniform Uniform: Keeps the jacket open and wears a pink collared shirt underneath.
Obfuscating Stupidity: He knows a lot more about the people of Ikebukuro then he lets on.
Only in It for the Money: His primary motivation which is why he fanned the rumors about Celty, then helped dispel them, and created the Slugger. He also funds the Blue Squares in exchange for activities that will create more profit.
Smug Snake: He can be this at times, regarding his plans.
Stepford Smiler: His cheeriness is hiding something much worse.
Tsurime Eyes: His eyes are noticeably sharp.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: He wasn't hurt that much by Shizuo. He faked it to see what Yahiro was truly capable of.

Himeka Tatsugami

The second of the Tatsugami sisters and a first year in Raira Academy who aimed to eliminate the Headless Rider, blaming her for all the trouble in Ikebukuro. She is a member of Snake Hands.

Berserk Button: Initially it was the Headless Rider, due to Himeka's belief that Celty was responsible for the kidnapping of her two sisters and was causing all the trouble in Ikebukuro.
Damsel in Distress: She gets kidnapped by the same people that kidnapped her sisters.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She slowly releases her barriers as Yahiro gets closer with her.
Nonuniform Uniform: She doesn't wear the jacket.
Not So Stoic: Her calm demeanor vanished when she talks about the Headless Rider, and becomes incredibly angry when talking about her.
Master of Unlocking: She's very accomplished at this, knowing all kinds of locks and what kinds of lockpicks she should use. She was taught how to do this by a student in order to get into her apartment since her mother doesn't let the sisters have keys.
Platonic Life-Partners: With Yahiro.
Shower of Angst: Has one in volume 2.
The Stoic: Like Yahiro, she doesn't emote openly most of the time and always seems to keep her calm expression on her face at all times.
The Team Normal: Doesn't have any exceptional abilities and had little to do with the extraordinary occurrences in Ikebukuro before SH volume 1.
When He Smiles: Her gentle smile at the end of SH volume 2 is noted to be one of the few times she truly shows her happiness on the outside and it's beautiful.

Aya Tatsugami

"I simply, for the sake of sating my own curiosity, want to expose the identity of the Headless Rider."

The first of the Tatsugami sisters and a reporter working for the magazine Tokyo Warrior who was investigating the Headless Rider before she vanished.

Brainwashed and Crazy: The drugs turned her obsession with Celty into flat-out worship, willing to do anything in her name, even harming her sister.
Cleavage Window: Has a large one on her outfit
Damsel in Distress: After they find out that she was kidnapped, she becomes this as Aya was kidnapped by someone pretending to be the Headless Rider.
Decoy Damsel: After she was brainwashed, she began helping her kidnappers.
Fangirl: Of the Headless Rider. This is turned into a cult-like obsession under the influence of drugs.
The Ghost: Her disappearance triggers the events of the first two volumes. They eventually meet her in person.
Intrepid Reporter: She really wanted to know who the Headless Rider was and began to look everywhere for more information.
Ms. Fanservice: She wears a skintight suit with exposed cleavage while working for the cult of the Headless Rider.
Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains: During her time in the cult, she was wearing a skintight suit with an opening for her chest in contrast to Himeka wearing her school uniform.

Ai Tatsugami

The third and last Tatsugami sister who also had an obsession with the Headless Rider. She is Akane's senior in middle school.

Brainwashed and Crazy: The drugs turned her obsession with Celty into flat-out worship, willing to do anything in her name, even kidnapping Akane.
Damsel in Distress: After they find out that she was kidnapped, she becomes this as Ai was kidnapped by someone pretending to be the Headless Rider.
Decoy Damsel: After she was brainwashed, she began helping her kidnappers.
The Ditz: Himeka mentions that she was air-headed, blaming this for why she became obsessed with the Headless Rider.
Fangirl: Of the Headless Rider. This is turned into a cult-like obsession under the influence of drugs.
The Ghost: She also vanished and is met eventually in person.
The Unsmile: Has a smile described as soulless while observing Akane as part of the plan to kidnap her.

Rira Tailtooth Zaiya

The administrator and head of IkeNew!, a news blog that reports anything going on in Ikebukuro. She is a member of Snake Hands.

Abusive Parents: She used to have abusive foster parents. Then Izaya completely destroyed them.
Brother–Sister Team: With Kuon. She mainly uses her websites to support his plans.
Fangirl: She became one of Izaya's fanatics after he liberated them from an abusive foster family. Then he disappeared and she fell apart.
G.I.R.L.: Is suspected to be this. She's not.
Given Name Reveal: Rira Tailtooth Zaiya is just her online handle. Her real name is Nozomi Kotonami and she's Kuon's sister.
Greek Chorus: She replaces the chatroom from the first series with her articles about the activity in Ikebukuro. Also attached to her articles are various comment chains, which she actively interferes with by banning commenters who are too nosy.
Hikikomori: She rarely leaves her apartment, is terrified of strangers and depends on Kuon to bring her food.
Madness Mantra: She vaguely remembers after Izaya disappeared that she was saying "Izaya-san" over and over in her room.
Morality Chain: Nozomi is one of the few people Kuon genuinely loves and she's completely aware of that. She taunts him with the idea that if she died, maybe he could actually become like Izaya.
Online Alias: Rira Tailtooth Zaiya is just her online handle.
Red Herring: Some people believe that she's Izaya, looking at the Significant Anagram. She's not. She's actually Kuon's older sister, who decided to use the handle to give Izaya's fanatics some kind of psychological anchor to cling onto.
Shrinking Violet: She gets really nervous around people, which is why she talks with everyone via phone.
Significant Anagram: The characters in Japanese can be rearranged to form Orihara Izaya. ‘Rira Tailtooth’ is in katakana; Tail = O, tooth = Ha. Ri-Ra-O-Ha-Za-I-Ya, Orihara Izaya.
Verbal Tic: Uses nari at the end of every sentence for the first two volumes. In the third volume she switches to moja. People either think that she's very immature, she actually believes it's a neat gimmick or is actually a middle aged man who wants to act like a young girl.
The Voice: Most of her appearances are either posting her articles and thoughts on what's happening on IkeNew! or talking with others on a smartphone. She shows up in person during volume 2. She's more comfortable talking with others on a phone then in person.

Ying Libei

The biker gang leader of Dragon Zombie who's come back to Ikebukuro after his extended break in Taiwan.

Badass Biker: Leader of a bosozoku gang.
Dude Looks Like a Lady: Several people thought he was female when they first meet him. Yahiro figures out he's male since he has an Adam's apple and a male hip structure.
Meaningful Name: His name, Libei, in Chinese means "Pretty Seashell".
Pretty Boy: He's described as very feminine and pretty.
Tattoo as Character Type: He's got a dragon, the symbol of his gang, inked on his neck.
Younger Than He Looks: Despite being a feared gang leader for several years in Ikebukuro, he's only twenty-three.
You Owe Me: He decides after his fight with Yahiro that since the latter won't join his gang, the two will owe each other a favor.

The Slugger

A Serial Killer and Serial Assaulter using the costume based off the hero of a In-Universe popular movie and manga franchise, "Owl of the Peeping Dead", Dark Owl, as a disguise while perpetuating their crimes.

Collective Identity: Turns out that a costume that is readily and publicly available for sale makes it really easy to create copycats.
Full-Body Disguise: A mascot costume covers the entire body and makes it a lot easier to commit crime in public.
Hypocrite: Shōya believes that he's purely in the right for assaulting and killing criminals and delinquents because that's how Dark Owl is as a hero. Erika and Walker then point out that in all media about Owl of the Peeping Dead, Dark Owl always doubts himself and his actions, questioning whether it's right to kill zombies or not.
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Both of the main Sluggers become more convinced in their self-righteousness that they began to murder people in the name of their cause. Kuon pushing Ajimura further and further on his fansite contributed to the jump to murder.
Moral Guardians: One of the two primary Sluggers, Yōko Shirobishi protested against the movie online without having watched it, already assuming it was a violent movie that would corrupt the youth. She decided to use the image of the hero against the company and began to murder people in order to fully get rid of it.
Never My Fault: Yōko refuses to accept the idea that the violence triggered partially by her assaults has anything to do with her, since she was doing it for the good of the community.
Serial Killer: At first he was just assaulting people with a hammer, bludgeoning them until they became unconscious. Then he started murdering his victims.
Straw Fan: The other primary Slugger, Shōya Ajimura fervently worships the Owl of the Peeping Dead without ever having seen any of its media. He adheres only to his specific vision of the hero and tries to drive out all others from his fansite.
Unwitting Pawn: Shōya was ultimately just a way for Kuon to create money and test himself.

Jami Natsugawara

A mysteriously strong boy who joined up with Earthworm and Shijima.

Ambiguously Brown: He's described as tan and depicted in artwork as brown-skinned but it isn't stated what ethnicity he has.
Cheerful Child: He's always keeping up a cheerful smile and takes everything in with childlike glee and curiosity.
Five-Second Foreshadowing: He reveals that he's been opening the puzzle box because he has the same one at home. Then it's revealed in the next segment that's because what he thinks are two identical puzzle boxes are actually the same one that belongs to the Natsugawara group.
Happily Adopted: His parents gave him away to the Natsugawaras because they could provide Jami a better life. Jami for his part seems perfectly content with their situation.
Wall Run: Casually runs up a wall while having a conservation with Shijima. He claims it's for balance training and he could do a dance for Shijima.

Shinichi Tsukumoya

An enigmatic internet-based information broker who claims to be online 24/7.

Adapted Out: While his role wasn't very big in the novels, but everything he does is omitted in the anime. He's only alluded to in an OVA where he photoshops a picture of Izaya cross-dressing and enters it in a contest as retaliation for the info broker using his name.
Always Someone Better: A major reason Izaya dislikes him is that Shinichi is even better at info gathering than he is.
Ambiguously Human: It's heavily implied Shinichi is not a human, but some sort of artificial intelligence or supernatural internet being, as he's able to comb through his clients' personal computers without hacking them and other online maneuvers that should not be possible.
Ambiguous Situation: He first encountered Izaya about mocking a game he made, but Izaya only gave Shinra a copy, so how he got ahold of one is a mystery.
The Gadfly: He pisses off Izaya Orihara on a regular basis, and has done so since the latter was in high school. After the Hollywood arc, he reveals to Izaya all the stuff he missed out on, taunting him over it until Izaya actually threatens him.
Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: He serves as this to Izaya and is probably the only person to get under his skin more than Shizuo. He went as far as to post a photo of him cross-dressing in retaliation for using his name.
Spanner in the Works: He's the one who told Shingen about the kidnapping attempt on Namie.

Hajime Shishizaki

An old associate of Shizuo and Izaya's from high school.

The Ace: He was born into a rich family, strong as Shizuo and agile as Izaya, a good student and incredibly popular with women.
Chick Magnet: He is noted to have had many female admirers in high school. Izaya once used his popularity to punk a bunch of girls that were into him into missing class to buy chocolate for him (Hajime) when he was out sick.
The Dreaded: To Izaya, who is noted to be uncomfortable with the thought of him returning overseas.
The Ghost: He hasn't been seen in the story as he is overseas.
Super-Strength: He is noted to be equal to Shizuo in physical strength and shares his ability to send people flying with a single punch.

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