Akame ga Kill!

Takahiro and Tetsuya Tashiro's Akame ga Kill! is a dark fantasy manga that ran in Square Enix's Monthly Gangan Joker from March 20, 2010 to December 22, 2016, collected into 15 tankōbon volumes. The story follows Tatsumi, a naive young man from a poor village who travels to the Capital hoping to earn money for his home. He quickly discovers the Capital is a cesspool of corruption, ruled by the tyrannical Prime Minister Honest, who manipulates the young Emperor. After his childhood friends are killed by the elite Jaegers, Tatsumi is rescued and recruited by Night Raid, a covert group of seven assassins wielding Imperial Arms, ancient weapons forged from legendary Danger Beasts. Night Raid is the armed wing of the Revolutionary Army, dedicated to overthrowing the Empire. The series follows Tatsumi as he is forged into a killer, grappling with his morality while his comrades systematically eliminate corrupt officials and military leaders, facing increasingly monstrous enemies like the Jaegers and the sadistic General Esdeath.

The narrative is defined by its relentless brutality; no character is safe, and major protagonists are frequently killed off, creating a constant atmosphere of high stakes and emotional devastation. The manga has an average rating of 7.6/10 on MyAnimeList based on over 20,000 user scores. It was nominated for the Best Continuing Series award at the 2014 Sugoi Japan Awards but did not win. As of September 2020, the main series had over 4.1 million copies in circulation worldwide, encompassing both Japanese and international sales. Yen Press publishes the English edition, and Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime adaptation for North America.

A 24-episode anime by White Fox aired from July 7 to December 15, 2014, adapting the first half of the manga faithfully before diverging into an original ending. The franchise expanded with a prequel, Akame ga Kill! Zero (illustrated by Kei Toru), serialized in Monthly Big Gangan from October 25, 2013 to January 25, 2019, collected in ten volumes. A spin-off, Hinowa ga Crush! (illustrated by Strelka), ran in the same magazine from June 24, 2017 to June 24, 2022, collected in eight volumes. A stage play adaptation ran in Tokyo in August 2021, with a sequel in April-May 2022. A visual novel game, Akame ga Kill! – The Executioner, was released on Steam in 2017, offering an alternate storyline. The character Esdeath, with her ice powers and sadistic charisma, became a popular figure in anime fandom, frequently appearing in best villain lists and fan art.[edit]