RahXephon/Characters

The characters of Rah Xephon.

Warning: MASSIVE Spoilers abound. -

Ayato Kamina


Japanese seiyū: Hiro Shimono English voice actor: Chris Patton

The protagonist of the series. An artistic youth, he finds himself drawn into a chain of events beyond his capacity to understand and through the people around him he has to find his place in the world.


 * Age-Appropriate Angst: Of the existential variety. He never descends beyond what's understandable, either.
 * Dangerous Seventeenth Birthday
 * The Determinator: "There's something I want to protect."
 * Falling Into the Cockpit: Subverted: Ayato has been prepared for piloting the RahXephon his entire life, he just doesn't know it until midway through the series.
 * I Know Mortal Kombat: Inverted: Because he pilots the RahXephon, he's none too shabby at aerial dogfight arcade games. He's no match for Ace Pilot Elvy, though.
 * Intertwined Fingers: with Haruka
 * Laser-Guided Amnesia
 * Likes Older Women: Averted. One of the first things he says to Haruka is that he doesn't like older women. Luckily for her, he falls in love with her just as much as he did with
 * Lotus Eater Machine: Vivance the Dolem traps him in one of these. He breaks out because of Reika and beats the hell out of Vivance with RahXephon's help.
 * Male Gaze: As he's introduced to the cast, the camera has a tendency to fixate on the particular features of the ladies.
 * Naive Newcomer
 * Nice Guy: Amazingly, considering he's the protagonist.
 * Oblivious to Love
 * Pro-Human Transhuman
 * Refusal of the Call
 * Screaming Warrior
 * Stranger in A Familiar Land
 * Technician Versus Performer: Ayato's (artistic) ability to pilot the RahXephon is contrasted by Itsuki's failed (scientific) attempts
 * Time Travel Not literal, but he feels like this after being brought out of Tokyo Jupiter, comparing himself to Urashima Taro (Japanese Rip Van Winkle and main character of the first documented story about time travel).
 * Tomato in The Mirror
 * What Measure Is a Non-Human?: When the Mu Phase in his blood activates, the people around him begin to have doubts about how trustworthy he really is. He proceeds to prove them all wrong by being such a decent guy
 * You Are Not Alone: For the finale
 * You Are Not Alone: For the finale

Haruka Shitow


Japanese seiyū: Aya Hisakawa English voice actor: Monica Rial

A spunky and mysterious woman who first meets Ayato in the subways of Tokyo and promises to reveal to him the secrets of the world. Her professional competence and tough exterior hide a complex and sensitive woman.


 * Action Girl
 * Action Girlfriend : As a corollary to the above.
 * All Love Is Unrequited: Or rather erased due to
 * Boy Meets Girl: Or rather, boy re-meets girl.
 * Christmas Cake: 29 years old. Mildly subverted in that her age isn't really brought up much and Megumi is even a little jealous of her managing to be fairly girly despite her age (like maintaining a crush on the same guy since she was a teenager ).
 * Cuteness Proximity: Does Haruka think Buchi is the cwootest widdle kitty in the wholest widest world? Yes he is!
 * Femme Fatale: Subverted. Her introduction paints her as a shifty and potentially dangerous person, future episodes reveal her to be nothing but sweetness and fun.
 * I Will Wait for You: Made worse by Year Inside, Hour Outside.
 * Kindhearted Cat Lover
 * May-December Romance: Played straight until the very end where it's subverted because.
 * Monica Rial
 * Mysterious Protector: In a roundabout way throughout the entire series.
 * Say My Name: "AYATO!"
 * Spanner in The Works: To Maya's plans.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko
 * Yamato Nadeshiko
 * Yamato Nadeshiko

Reika Mishima/
Japanese seiyū: Maaya Sakamoto English voice actor: Mandy Clark

An ethereal girl in a yellow dress who Ayato seems to recognize from somewhere. She definitely knows more than she lets on and is connected to the secrets of the Rah Xephon.


 * Cryptic Conversation: Which also fully explain the plot.
 * Deus Ex Machina: A completely justified one
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: Her attempt to truly awaken the Rah Xephon in episode 23 is rather like an Immodest Orgasm.
 * Maaya Sakamoto
 * Mind Control: She seems to have this effect on others in order to get them to guide Ayato towards his destiny.
 * Mysterious Waif: Boy howdy!
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting / Empathic Shapeshifter: As the soul of the Rah Xephon she takes the form of the person most important to her pilots. Since the Rah Xephon was split in two she had to guide two pilots. For Ayato this was a . For Quon it was Ayato.

Quon Kisaragi


Japanese seiyū: Houko Kuwashima English voice actor: Kira Vincent-Davis

Sister of Itsuki and test subject of TERRA. She knows much about the plot but will never give a straight answer about it.


 * Adult Child
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Cryptic Conversation: Pretty much whenever she says anything.
 * Demoted to Extra: She sleeps through almost the entire movie.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita
 * Hot Shounen Mom: apropos Luke, I Am Your Father below.
 * Genius Ditz: More like Genius Cloudcuckoolander. She learns shogi (Japanese chess) from Rikudoh. The next time the camera focuses on them (in the same episode), Rikudoh is noticeably having a hard time in the game.
 * Houko Kuwashima
 * Innocent Fanservice Girl: "To be perfectly honest, I'd like to take off everything...but if I came here to get my haircut naked I'd probably get scolded, don't you think?"
 * Mysterious Waif
 * The Ophelia
 * Verbal Tic: "Ra ra?" which she uses when she's surprised or as an equivalent to what most people would respond with a "what."
 * Waif Prophet
 * You Gotta Have Pink Hair
 * Waif Prophet
 * You Gotta Have Pink Hair

Itsuki Kisaragi
Japanese seiyū: Mitsuru Miyamoto English voice actor: Jay Hickman

A scientist of TERRA and brother of Quon.


 * Big Brother Complex: Ironic considering he's actually Quon's son and Ayato is his older brother
 * Brother-Sister Incest: Nothing explicitly overt, but his affection for Quon is a tad bit obsessive.
 * Bishonen
 * Cain and Abel: He's not a total bastard despite an upbringing under Bähbem. His dynamic with Ayato is quite interesting, though not as vicious as other examples of this trope.
 * Hot Scientist
 * Kuudere: He's quite aloof in the first part of the series. Once his motivations are fleshed out, however...
 * Oedipus Rex: Even though our understanding of his relationship with, it still maintains the same overtone.
 * Replacement Goldfish: To Haruka, in a sense. It's heavily implied that she once had a relationship with Itsuki because he looked like Ayato.
 * Stoic Spectacles: By gum, he's the poster boy!
 * Stoic Spectacles: By gum, he's the poster boy!

Makoto Isshiki
Japanese seiyū: Toshihiko Seki English voice actor: Illich Guardiola

An Earth federation inspector sent to observe and inspect TERRA.


 * The Casanova: He used his sexual conquests to gather information about goings on in TERRA and to gratify his own ego, with no concern for his partner's well-being.
 * Deadpan Snarker: he'd be very funny, were he not such a condescending bastard
 * Evil Albino
 * Illich Guardiola
 * Manipulative Bastard: Poor Nanamori
 * Meaningful Name: "Isshiki" means "one color." Take a wild guess at which one. Whereas Makoto means either "truth" or "faithful" depending on how it is written. Considering his casanova personality and  neither really apply to him. Although knowing his family, this naming was probably intentional.
 * Smug Snake: Goddamn, is he ever. Characters in the series even call him "The White Snake".
 * Start of Darkness: He may be a callous prick as an adult, but just try and watch the episode about his childhood and not feel like he badly needs a hug. "And I wonder if that clay doll ever found its parents, in the mud?"
 * Tragic Keepsake: He's kept a piece of the clay from the Dolem from his childhood that got stuck with a clump of his hair
 * Tyrant Takes the Helm: When he usurps control of TERRA.
 * The Unfavourite: Especially harsh when your earliest memories are fellow clones suggesting that a short life expectancy for you might be "a small mercy".
 * Unwitting Pawn: To both Bähbem and Ixtli
 * Villainous Breakdown: After he brings down Tokyo Jupiter and ends up inadvertently assisting the Mulian invasion plans.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Ends up contributing to the aforementioned breakdown.
 * With Friends Like These...: With Itsuki. The scientist is Isshki's oldest and closest friend, and Isshki still treats him like shit.
 * Yaoi Guys: There are hints in the early part of the series that he and Istuki had been more than just friends when were young boys.
 * Yaoi Guys: There are hints in the early part of the series that he and Istuki had been more than just friends when were young boys.

Sayoko Nanamori
Japanese seiyū: Atsuko Tanaka English voice actor: Kelly Manison

A scientist at TERRA. Works under Itsuki, and harbors some feelings for him.


 * Drowning My Sorrows
 * Horny Scientist
 * Hot Scientist
 * Love Martyr
 * Running Gag: Her windshield wipers work on their own when she's in her car and upset.
 * : Bähbem really is a piece of work.
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: Becomes more and more angry and bitchy as the series goes on.
 * The Woobie
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: Becomes more and more angry and bitchy as the series goes on.
 * The Woobie
 * The Woobie

Mamoru Torigai
Japanese seiyū: Hirofumi Nojima English voice actor: Vic Mignogna

A friend of Ayato's from Tokyo and Asahina's boyfriend.


 * Irony: His name means "to protect." After he's revealed to be a Jerkass, he does nothing that supports his name. In contrast, one of the most uttered lines from Ayato is that "he wants to protect" something.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: He acts this way a lot, especially in the first episode, but he's really just a...
 * Jerkass: He's quite a condescending bastard, especially to Ayato.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He REALLY likes to plays off of Ayato's guilt.
 * The Rival
 * Those Two Guys: Subverted, as noted above.
 * Those Two Guys: Subverted, as noted above.

Hiroko Asahina
Japanese seiyū: Yumi Kakazu English voice actor: Cynthia Martinez

Mamoru's girlfriend and a friend of Ayato.


 * Fish Out of Water: She becomes like this
 * Those Two Guys
 * Tsundere: To Mamoru. We never see her 'dere' side shown to him, but she's got all the Tsun-Tsun mannerisms. And you see how she acts around Ayato...
 * Those Two Guys
 * Tsundere: To Mamoru. We never see her 'dere' side shown to him, but she's got all the Tsun-Tsun mannerisms. And you see how she acts around Ayato...

Kim Hotal
Japanese seiyū: Fumiko Orikasa\\ English voice actor: Tiffany Grant

An extremely professional member of TERRA and friend of Megumi Shitow.


 * Bridge Bunnies
 * Defrosting Ice Queen
 * Orphan's Ordeal

Megumi Shitow
Japanese seiyū: Ayako Kawasumi English voice actor: Hilary Haag

Haruka's younger sister.


 * Annoying Younger Sibling: But in a sweet and likable way. While she's still older than most examples, she still fulfils this role quite a bit.
 * Bridge Bunnies
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: "Megumi Shitow used to have a bit of a crush on But she doesn't anymore! That's what she's decided!"
 * Pettanko
 * He Is Not My Boyfriend: with Ayato. in the later episodes, this attitude starts to change a bit.
 * Tsundere

Ernst Von Bähbem
Japanese seiyū: Iemasa Kayumi English voice actor: Ted Pfister

The enigmatic director of the Bähbem Foundation. He harbors a special interest in ancient Mayan civilizations.


 * Affably Evil: He is exceedingly well-spoke and polite
 * Big Bad: He certainly gives off this air
 * Dirty Old Man: He seems to enjoy touching the tattoo on Quon's belly far too much. It's even worse in the movie.
 * For Science!: His ultimate motivation behind making the Rah Xephon.
 * Grand Theft Me: His means of living so long.
 * Immortality Immorality: When your method of choice involves seizing control of people you've raised since birth, it definitely counts.
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: More like millennia.
 * Smug Snake: Now you see where Isshki and Helena get it from!
 * Wicked Cultured: He knows much about fine art and culture, particularly Nahatual cultures. Given that he lived through most of it, this shouldn't be surprising.

Maya Kamina
Japanese seiyū: Ichiko Hashimoto English voice actor: Laura Chapman

She is Ayato's mother, a confident and strong woman who wants only the best for her son.


 * Hot Shounen Mom
 * Hot Mom: Not surprising, given that the entire cast is Bishonen or bishojou
 * Lady of War
 * My Beloved Smother: Well-intentioned, but so very overwhelming to poor Ayato.

Souchi Yamuko
Japanese seiyū: Kouki Miyata English voice actor: Mark Laskowski

The second-in-command of TERRA and an all around friendly guy. He's also.


 * The Generic Guy
 * Good Looking Privates
 * The Pollyanna: He's definitely the most cheerful person in all of TERRA.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Reverse Mole: When Isshki usurps, Souchi goes out of his was to kiss the bastard's ass to make sure Isshki fails.

Elvy Hadhiyat
Japanese seiyū: Yuu Sugimoto English voice actor: Christine M. Auten

Leader of TERRA's airforce and friend of Haruka.


 * Ace Pilot
 * Ambiguously Brown: Averted. It's noted in-story that she's from Indonesia and her nickname, "Bunga Mawar," means "Rose Blossom."
 * Bottle Fairy: She is hilarious when drunk. "You wanna lock on? Dogfight 'til morning, cutey?"
 * The Ladette
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: She and Haruka exchange quite a few riffs, despite being good friends.

Commander Jin Kunuugi
Japanese seiyū: George Nakata English voice actor: John Gremillion

The somber commander of TERRA's military operations. He buried Mulians under the cherry trees in his garden.


 * The Atoner
 * Badass: This is joked about and hinted at throughout the series, until we finally get to see it for ourselves.
 * Dead Young Daughter: His Greatest Failure was the fact that he fired the bomb that killed her. The incident understandably resulted in a divorce.
 * Memetic Badass: Invoked. Legend says he buried Mulians under the cherry trees in his garden, which is why the cherries that blossom from his trees are blue.
 * Not So Stoic: The scene where he laughs when Ayato asks about the blue cherry blossoms is absolutely priceless
 * The Stoic
 * The Stoic

Commander Watari
Japanese seiyū: Kenji Utsumi English voice actor: Mike Kleinhenz

The operations manager of TERRA.


 * A Father to His Men: He buys them all Chrismas presents to make up for leaving them with a boatload of work before the holidays
 * Eyepatch of Power: A unique one - it seems he has perfectly normal right eye, but he wears this anyhow.
 * Kenji Utsumi
 * Ayato I Am Your Father
 * Reasonable Authority Figure

Rikudoh
Japanese seiyū: Chikao Ohtsuka English voice actor: John Swasey

Haruka and Megumi's Uncle. Lives on Nirai Kanai island
 * Cool Old Guy
 * John Swasey
 * The Professor

Futagami/ Jomanji
Japanese seiyū: Katsunosuke Hori English voice actor: Andy Mc Avin

A laid back, bumbling observer sent by Terra to placate the media.


 * Catch Phrase: "What's your take on that?"
 * Intrepid Reporter
 * Guile Hero
 * Obfuscating Stupidity
 * Not So Harmless: As Bähbem learned the hard way.
 * Not So Harmless: As Bähbem learned the hard way.