Tetsuo Shima

Lore & Background

Tetsuo's powers emerge after his crash with Takashi, attracting the attention of JSDF Colonel Shikishima and a secret government project. His increasing abilities exacerbate an inferiority complex regarding Kaneda, leading him to violently assume leadership of the rival Clown Gang. As his mind unhinges, Tetsuo becomes obsessed with the figure known as Akira. He forces Doctor Onishi to take him to other Espers—Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru—and eventually breaks into a secret military base beneath the Olympic Stadium. There, he frees Akira from a cryogenic chamber, an act that triggers a state of emergency and massive panic across Neo-Tokyo. His body begins to contort as his powers expand beyond physical confines, allowing him to transmute inert matter into flesh.

In Their Own Story

After being shot by Kaneda, Tetsuo astonishingly survives and kills Yamaga, Kaneda's second-in-command, during a citywide turf war. He escapes military custody with the intent of releasing Akira, killing many soldiers at the Olympic site before Colonel Shikishima attempts to negotiate. When SOL, a laser satellite, severs his arm, Tetsuo disappears in an explosion only to reappear later as the leader of the Great Tokyo Empire, worshipping himself and Akira as deities alongside Lady Miyako's cult. He visits her temple to learn the history of the project, then begins withdrawing from government-issued pills to become more powerful. In a display of his expanding abilities, he tears a massive hole in the Moon's surface and encircles it with debris. As his body absorbs surrounding objects during an assault on an American aircraft carrier, he prepares to launch a nuclear attack before his physical form is lost to the chaos.

Reader's Guide

Tetsuo Shima serves as the catalyst for the destruction of Neo-Tokyo in two separate psychic explosions. His arc illustrates the dangers of power without wisdom, transforming from Kaneda's childhood friend into a threat that ravages the city. Key turning points include his accidental awakening by Takashi, his violent takeover of the Clown Gang, and his decision to free Akira despite his disturbed personality. The narrative details his struggle against Colonel Shikishima, his betrayal by Nezu, and his eventual confrontation with Kaneda and Kei in the ruined city. His story concludes with a second psychic explosion that destroys Neo-Tokyo, leaving him to meet Akira amidst the ruins while Kaneda disappears in the blast.

Did You Know?

• Tetsuo accidentally awakens his psychic powers when Takashi, an Esper with wizened features, blocks his bike path during a crash.
• After being shot by Kaneda in Volume 1, Tetsuo astonishingly survives the injury due to his rapidly healing abilities.
• Tetsuo's physical body begins to absorb surrounding objects and transmute inert matter into flesh as his powers expand beyond his form.
• In a display of immense power, Tetsuo tears a massive hole in the Moon's surface and encircles it with a ring of debris.
• The second psychic explosion triggered by Akira destroys Neo-Tokyo after Nezu accidentally kills Takashi.