Akuma (D.Gray-man)
Akuma are creatures that feature in D.Gray-man.
Contents |
History
Akuma (Japanese: アクマ, Hepburn: Akuma; Literally meaning "Evil Demon" or "Devil") were living weapons that were created as servants of the Millennium Earl who crafted them from human souls. All of humanity suffered from a dark side but the Earl sought out individuals whose such qualities were magnified due to a tragedy. In those moments, he approached them and caused the grieving individual to call out for the soul of a loved one to place them within the body of an Akuma. This was under the mistaken belief by the human that this would bring their loved one back to life. However, it simply trapped them into the Akuma's body where they were used to kill their loved one and inhabit their body. Afterwards, the Akuma was forced to forever follow the commands of their Maker namely the Millennium Earl. The Earl claimed that he did not fashion the Akuma entirely by himself but rather they were made from the darkness present within human beings and as such he was not evil for simply creating them.
Human legends spoke of Akuma in encyclopaedias as imaginary demons created by ancient civilizations used to explain away illness and natural disasters.
It was said that Japan had fallen to the control of the Earl with numerous powerful Level 3 Akuma residing in the lands.
In the somber, rain-slicked streets of a nineteenth-century European town, the tragedy of human grief manifested into a mechanical nightmare during Allen Walker’s first recorded encounter with an Akuma. The creature began as a Level 1 vessel, a spherical, multi-gunned horror born from the soul of a deceased loved one called back by a grieving relative at the behest of the Millennium Earl. Having been bound to the Earl’s dark machinery, the spirit was forced to inhabit the metal frame, instantly murdering the very person who had summoned it in a cruel irony of 'salvation'. When Allen confronted the entity, it unleashed a barrage of dark matter bullets, its repetitive, haunting face staring blankly as it fulfilled its programming to eliminate humanity. However, the encounter shifted when Allen’s cursed left eye activated, revealing the tormented soul trapped within the machine—a sight that brought the young Exorcist to tears even as he fought. With a surge of power from his Innocence, Allen transformed his left arm into a massive, glowing claw and tore through the Akuma’s outer casing, shattering the dark matter and finally releasing the weeping soul from its metallic prison into the white light of the afterlife. In the eerie stillness of an old church, the next manifestation of the Earl’s malice proved far more deceptive as Allen Walker and his companion, Moore, encountered an Akuma that had successfully blended into human society. Unlike the previous encounter, this Level 1 Akuma hid within the stolen skin of a deceased priest, maintaining a facade of sanctity while secretly poisoning the town’s inhabitants. The confrontation turned dire when the creature shed its human disguise, revealing its true, bloated metallic form and unleashing a lethal cloud of viral gas that threatened to corrode the cells of everyone nearby. Allen struggled not only with the physical toll of the dark matter weaponry but also with the emotional weight of seeing the townspeople's trust betrayed by such a grotesque mimic. Despite the danger, Allen synchronized with his Innocence, utilizing the Cross Grave technique to carve a cruciform mark of light across the entity. The resulting explosion of purifying energy dismantled the Akuma’s physical shell, once again allowing Allen’s cursed eye to witness the liberation of a captive soul as the mechanical horror dissolved into ash.
In these early confrontations, their deceptive ability to masquerade as humans became apparent, allowing them to infiltrate society undetected. Their purpose was revealed to be the extermination of Exorcists and Innocence, which posed the only threat to the Earl’s ambitions. During a confrontation with Allen Walker, it was shown how the Akuma retained the tormented soul of the dead within their frame, crying out in pain as they were forced to serve their master. Allen’s Innocence weapon not only destroyed the Akuma’s body but also released the trapped soul, granting it peace. In actions following the initial arrival at the Black Order, a trio of Level 1 Akuma were initially contained within magical talismans by a group of Finders in Mater, Italy. During this containment, one specific Akuma initiated a transformation into a Level 2 form, immediately killing one of the surrounding Finders and breaking free from its entrapment. This evolved entity, taking the form of a porcelain-like doll named Pierrot, utilized its ability to manipulate sand to create a protective armor and hide beneath the terrain to avoid incoming projectiles. It successfully captured an opponent within this sand-based shell and attempted a lethal stabbing maneuver with a blade. Following the destruction of its armor, the Akuma persisted in its assault by attempting to strike its targets with physical blows until its attack was physically intercepted by a sword blade. Simultaneously, at a separate location, an Akuma serving as a maid for the Noah Family performed its duties by serving food during a dinner hosted by the Millennium Earl. This servant was subsequently subjected to a physical assault by a member of the Noah Family after the meal provided was deemed unsatisfactory. Later, the Akuma threat was escalated through the introduction of their evolving forms, which revealed their capacity to grow more dangerous with each stage. Once enough human souls were harvested, the Earl upgraded them from Level 1 machines—mass-produced, cannon-bearing monsters—into more advanced stages. In Level 2, Akuma became adaptive predators with distinct shapes and individualized powers, capable of speech and more cunning in battle. The progression continued into Level 3, whose monstrous forms gained immense durability, heightened destructive power, and grotesque appearances. This evolution introduced the terrifying notion that Akuma were not static weapons but adaptable organisms of war.
A Level 2 Akuma initially utilized its sand-manipulation abilities to form a solid, spiked armor and launched a series of high-speed drills aimed at its targets. It successfully performed a containment maneuver, trapping an opponent within a spherical sand-based shell to facilitate a direct stabbing attempt with its built-in blade. Simultaneously, at the headquarters of the Black Order, a non-combatant Akuma designated as a servant performed labor-intensive maintenance tasks and moved large quantities of supplies under the direction of the organization’s staff. During a separate sequence at a dinner hosted by the Millennium Earl, a domestic Akuma served as a waiter, delivering a multi-course meal to the gathered Noah Family members. This specific servant was subsequently subjected to a destructive physical strike by a Noah after the provided food was found to be unsatisfactory. Furthermore, in the final stages of the encounter in Mater, the Level 2 entity attempted a desperate physical lunge toward a weakened opponent to deliver a killing blow, but its strike was physically blocked by a mechanical sword, leading to the entity's eventual structural collapse and expiration.
Whilst on a ship to Edo, a Level 3 Akuma named Eshi came to attack a ship containing several Exorcists heading towards Japan. In addition, a multitude of akumas joined the assault on the ship where their attacks killed the humans on-board the ship. However, the Exorcist Miranda used her powers to rewind time to the point before they suffered their fatal injuries. This allowed them to continue their battle whilst Lenalee fought against Eshi after evolving her Innocence. On the sea, Lenalee and Eshi are ferociously fighting. They exchange blows but Eshi seems to take the advantage. As Lenalee notices she starting to sink, he explains his ability. His Dark Matter powers allow him to amplify the gravity. Lenalee received a lot of hits from Eshi, and his power increasing her weight causes her to move slower and eventually to sink in the deep sea. Esshi gloated at the sound of her heartbeat disappearing and decides to do the same for the Exorcists on the ship. Meanwhile Lenalee reminds herself Allen and her friends ane she finds the will to completely release her innocence which enables her to go back up to the surface . Eshi on his side seems to regain the upperhand and violently beats up the female exorcist. Lenalee managed to jumps above Eshi and she transforms her boots in giant blades. She combines them with the increased weight conferred by Eshi powers and falls on him at an incredible speed, an attack powerful enough to destroy the level 3.
Overview
In appearance, the most basic form of an Akuma was a skeletal creation with a star-shaped symbol over its head. These creations were said to be able to take a soul and bring the person back to life. To accomplish this feat, a loved one was required to call forth the soul of the departed in order to bring it into the skeletal body to inhabit. However, the body was simply a prison and the soul of the tormented person was used to animate the Akuma. As such, Akuma were machines not made of mechanical parts but rather the sorrow and experience of the souls that they inhabit. They were classed as weapons that were built specifically to target mankind. Akuma were able to take the form of humans making them very difficult to find. They took over the body of a dead person in order to blend into society. After taking over the corpse, they were able to pretend to be close family members with the humans completely unaware that an Akuma resided among them. They used a defense system where they transformed their bodies into guns making them highly effective killers. At such moments, they sprouted numerous gun turrets were situated over the body. Bullet shells shot from an Akuma were filled with an extremely destructive virus. After a bullet hit a target, it took less than a minute for the virus to eat away the insides before the target disintegrated into dust. Ordinary projectile guns were completely useless against an Akuma. Low ranking Akuma could not hear the cries or pleas of their human targets. Their existence of killing mankind was not because they desired such a life but were rather programmed to seek nothing but evolution through murder. Despite this being the case, they were not mindless killing machines but rather living weapons that carried around the souls of others. These souls were controlled by the maker of the Akuma and the souls themselves were conscious to what happened to them. As such, they were fully aware of their situation but unable to do anything about it and thus left to agonize over their sins. All of these emotions were used as energy for the Akuma allowing it to evolve quickly and efficiently.
To become an Akuma, the process always began with grief. A living human had to fall victim to the Earl’s manipulations, agreeing to call back the soul of a lost loved one. Once the name of the dead was spoken over the Akuma skeleton provided by the Earl, the soul was drawn into the metallic frame, sealed against its will, and forced to obey the Earl. The final step was the most tragic—the Akuma would be ordered to kill the summoner and claim their skin as a disguise, ensuring the death of the grieving human and the loss of the soul of the resurrected. This ensured the cycle was both cruel and unending, feeding the Earl’s army with every tragedy.
Akuma came in a variety of forms during the course of their evolution that included:
- Level 1 : the first form following creation where they moulded their bodies into floating spheres that had numerous gun ports present on the surface and the face of a human by the front.
- Level 2 : upon entering this form, the spherical body cracks and the Akuma emerged into a new humanoid body where it gained an ego and personality along with a new ability. Such abilities varied from shooting out frost that could burn, sonic screams or the capacity to copy the shape along with powers of another.
- Level 3 : a more humanoid skeletal form that was stronger and more powerful with these being quite vicious with them also possessing a variety of unique abilities.
- Level 4 :
The abilities of the Akuma varied with their level, but even the weakest possessed devastating combat potential. Level 1 Akuma were capable of firing explosive bullets from their cannons, each imbued with lethal corruption that infected wounds with dark energy. They had immense durability compared to ordinary humans, requiring Innocence to destroy them. Upon leveling up, Akuma developed personalized abilities, with Level 2 gaining adaptations like enhanced mobility, poison attacks, or shape-shifting techniques. Level 3 Akuma possessed raw physical power, near-impervious hides, and destructive output capable of challenging entire squads of Exorcists. The higher-level Akuma also displayed intelligence and speech, coordinating as soldiers rather than simple weapons.
Through battle, an Akuma grew stronger and more powerful as it evolved to combat its enemies. They were shown to be highly capable of infiltration as they took over a human body and acted human enough to fool bystanders. Such was the case of a newly arisen Akuma that a child had seen with the human body claiming that it was simply playing a prank on the boy. Once the bystanders were gone, the Akuma was prepared to kill the only witness to its creation. Whilst able to hide in human form, it did not possess the memories of the body it masqueraded as that was used to fool society. Akuma were compelled to follow the commands of the Earl of the Millennium and the family of Noah. This meant that they would follow orders that caused them to kill former friends or loved ones or even to self-destruct against their wishes. Higher stage and more intelligent Akuma showed distinct personalities along with the capacity of speech. Such Akuma were also able to forcibly merge with others of it kind killing them and absorbing their power in order to enhance themselves. It was shown that Level 3 Akuma were capable of being cannibalistic if they lacked human prey with them consuming weaker Akuma when their population had reached large numbers. Level 3 were capable of merging with one another to form a giant Akuma capable of destroying cities.
Though all Akuma served the Millennium Earl, it was shown that some were capable of being modified by humans to serve them. These Akuma served as allies but were programmed to self-destruct if their desire for human blood ever overrode their programming to not harm humans. Modified Akuma were noted to receive commands from the Earl that they were able to resist on a small level but the act caused them incredible pain.
Among the only weapons capable of destroying them were Anti-Akuma weapons that were crafted from Innocence. Once destroyed, the soul of the human inside the Akuma was set free. Should an Akuma be killed by any other means, then the soul inside was not freed and lost forever unable to go to the afterlife. As such, an Akuma commanded to destroy itself suffered such a fate as they exploded and the soul died screaming as it became lost. Some forms of Innocence were able to create a barrier of energy that repelled Akuma. When facing this field, Level 1 Akuma were kept out whilst Level 2 were able to enter but were weakened. In such cases, a Level 2 Akuma suffered a shift in its personality as long as it was exposed to the field but reverted to their true nature when outside the barrier or if the Innocences power was shattered.
Members
- Mana Walker : after adopting Allen Walker, he died with the Millennium Earl appearing to Allen offering to resurrect him but this turned him into an Akuma with Walker killing his adoptive father with his anti-Akuma weapon.
- Claire :
- Pierrot : a Level 2 Akuma who began to chase Guzol and Lala, who are being protected by the Finders, through the Mater underground.
- Kazekiri :
- Eliade :
- Mimi : a female white haired Akuma who in her human guise resembled a maid and served Lulu Bell.
- Chomesuke : a female Level 2 Akuma modified by General Cross to aid him where she sacrificed herself to help the Exorcists battle the giant Akuma in Japan.
- Kawamura : a female Level 2 Akuma modified by General Cross who was sent to help guide the Exorcists to her master but she was beset upon by some Level 3 Akuma who consumed her thus killing her.
- Eshi : a male Level 3 Akuma who was originally an artist from Japan until his transformation where he had a gravity-based attack that increased the weight on a target after every hit. He battled the Cross Unit nearly killing them but was defeated by Lenalee after she pushed her Innocence to its highest level.
- Thread : a male Level 3 Akuma who was chosen to serve the Noah Tyki Mikk where he was dispatched to eliminate Allen Walker after he was discovered alive at the Asia Branch. He broke into the facility by using the transportation abilities of Noah's Ark and easily defeated the branch's guardian Froy but Thread was defeated by Walker who had regained its Innocence after it transformed into a new state.
Gallery
Stage 1 with the Millennium Earl.
Stage 2 Akuma.
Notes
- Akuma were created Katsura Hoshino where they featured in the setting of the D.Gray-man universe.
- In Japanese legends, Akuma was a term for an evil demonic spirit.
In other media
Television
Appearances
- D.Gray-man:
External Links
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