Yuuichirou Kurono

Kurono is openly sadistic and makes little effort to disguise it. He enjoys bullying the weak and loses enthusiasm when an opponent proves strong enough to offer a fair fight. When he notices someone vulnerable, his already sharp eyes curl into an exaggerated crescent-shaped expression associated with his excitement.

His behavior makes him an unsettling contrast to conventional battle enthusiasts. Kurono does not primarily seek stronger opponents or difficult challenges; he wants an overwhelming advantage. Even instructions from Haijima can struggle to redirect him when weaker targets are available.

He nevertheless possesses enough self-awareness to understand his own nature. Kurono does not pretend that his conduct is heroic, and his blunt acknowledgment of his preferences can make him strangely straightforward compared with the more secretive figures surrounding Haijima.

Kurono is an exceptionally powerful Third Generation pyrokinetic. Severe tephrosis has blackened his right arm, from which he produces and manipulates dense black smoke. Rather than behaving like ordinary smoke, the material can be compressed, shaped and hardened into weapons.

He forms blades and other cutting implements from the smoke, spreads it across large areas to obscure visibility, and can attack from unpredictable directions within the cloud. Inhaling his smoke is itself dangerous because Kurono can manipulate it after it enters a target's body.

His combat instincts and reflexes match the versatility of his Ignition Ability. He can fight effectively at close range while simultaneously controlling smoke throughout the surrounding area, making him difficult to approach or escape.

During the battles surrounding the Stone Pillars, Kurono demonstrates enough power to tear apart enormous Infernal threats from within. The increasingly strong connection between Earth and Adolla further magnifies his already exceptional firepower.

Kurono enters the main conflict when Company 8 investigates Haijima's treatment of children with pyrokinetic abilities. Shinra Kusakabe, who spent part of his childhood under Haijima observation, returns to the Skills Development Laboratory and encounters Kurono as one of the institution's principal enforcers.

Kurono's immediate concern is less Haijima's research than finding someone sufficiently weak to torment. His confrontation with Shinra and the arrival of the White-Clad turn the laboratory into a multi-sided battle over Nataku.

When Nataku's Adolla Burst becomes dangerously unstable, Kurono's unusual relationship with the boy becomes important. Nataku fears him, yet Kurono's predictably cruel presence is easier for him to process than the crushing expectations imposed by adults demanding excellence from him.

Kurono consequently becomes Nataku's guardian, placing the Sixth Pillar under the protection of a man who remains openly sadistic but paradoxically imposes fewer psychological expectations on him.

During the Cataclysm, Kurono fights alongside the forces defending Tokyo. His Doppelgänger later manifests from humanity's perception of him as the terrifying "Reaper," producing an opponent that reflects his fearsome reputation.

Nataku Son is the child most closely associated with Kurono. Kurono subjects him to harsh testing and frightens him, yet their relationship develops into a bizarrely functional guardian arrangement because Kurono does not demand that Nataku be strong or exceptional; he actively prefers him weak.

Shinra Kusakabe knows Kurono through Haijima's research establishment and fights him during the investigation of the laboratory. Kurono quickly loses interest when Shinra proves capable of fighting back effectively.

Daikoku Oguru is Kurono's superior at the Skills Development Laboratory and one of the few people able to direct him toward targets useful to Haijima.

Gureo Haijima heads the corporation employing Kurono and regards his immense combat ability as a valuable corporate asset despite his personality.

Charon becomes one of Kurono's opponents when the White-Clad attempt to seize Nataku Son, placing two of the series' most physically dangerous combatants on opposing sides.