Atsushi’s presence is often overshadowed by other stronger, and frankly more interesting, characters like Dazai. Even though there are other ability users who are much more powerful than him, I can’t deny that he is growing stronger every chapter (that’s every episode for you anime-onlies out there).
Atsushi has gotten stronger and gained better control over his ability “Beast Beneath the Moonlight” thanks to Fukuzawa’s skill. Through his ‘spars’ with Akutagawa’s Rashomon, Atsushi can now control the half-beast mode at will and cut through other people’s ability.
To understand how Atsushi becomes stronger, we need to check out how his ability evolves over time. Let’s take a look at all the new moves Atsushi learns through the first three seasons of the series and how effective each move is.
Season 1: Atsushi becomes aware of his ability
Moves learned – Body Transformation, Regeneration, and Ability-cutting
Opponents defeated – Ryunosuke Akutagawa
At the beginning of the first season, Atsushi isn’t even aware of his weretiger transformation until Dazai points it out to him. Once he learns of his ability, he uses it impulsively. For example, he partially transforms his arm into a tiger paw to fend off Demon Snow’s attack.
A few partial transformations showcase how durable and agile his ability is, but we don’t see its true potential until the very end of the season.
Atsushi achieves an impressive feat during his final battle with Akutagawa on the cargo ship. He does something no one has managed to do before—he tears through Rashomon with his Tiger Claws and even heals the wounds caused by it through regeneration.
Until that battle, many of us thought that only Dazai has the ability to stop the abilities of others. But through this fight, we finally get a glimpse into the more complex nature of Atsushi’s ability.
Season 2: Atsushi uses Rashomon to enhance his ability
Moves learned – Beast Beneath the Moonlight–Rashomon
Opponents defeated – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Armed with a general idea of how his ability works, Atsushi focuses on bulldozing through his opponents with sheer strength and dodging attacks from his opponents in the second season.
But it’s clear that Atsushi’s strength just isn’t…enough. Sure, his quick reflexes and regeneration help him last longer in a fight. They don’t stand a chance against more skilled opponents, though.
He’s forced to adopt a defensive stance when he has to fight against Koyo’s Golden Demon. Later on, he is beaten up thoroughly by Fitzgerald, until Kyoka dives in to save him.
It isn’t until the battle with Fitzgerald on Moby Dick that Atsushi decides to adopt a different approach. This time, he lets Rashomon envelop his Tiger Claw to unleash Beast Beneath the Moonlight–Rashomon: Toramurakumo.
This move manages to overwhelm fully-powered Fitzgerald quite easily, though it doesn’t really wipe him out.
This battle remarks the beginning of Atsushi relying on Rashomon to enhance his own ability. We see a clear distinction in the power scales of the pre-Rashomon Beast and the post-Rashomon Beast.
Season 3: Atsushi uses Rashomon to destroy Goncharov’s ability
Moves learned – Black Tiger’s Supreme Claws
Opponents defeated – Armed Children, Ivan Goncharov
We finally get a throwback to Atsushi’s ability-cutting ability in Season 3. However, this time, he takes this move to the next level by combining it with Rashomon yet again.
Atsushi and Akutagawa realize that their attacks against Goncharov’s rock golems are useless because they keep regenerating. Thus, they combine their skills to create a brand-new move that’s basically an enhanced form of Tiger Claws.
This move works in a similar fashion as Season 1’s Tiger Claw, except it stops the regeneration of the stone giants completely. It almost made it seem as if Atsushi had destroyed Goncharov’s ability completely, unlike Dazai’s temporary nullification.
In conclusion, we can clearly see how Atsushi learns to control his ability and wield it properly just by analyzing the evolution of his ability. He grows from being an unskilled ability user who charges recklessly to someone who can use the ability of someone else to enhance his own ability.
About Bungou Stray Dogs
Bungou Stray Dogs is a manga series by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa. It has also received an anime adaptation.
The story follows Atsushi, a weretiger, who later joins the Armed Detective Agency, where people with special abilities help keep peace in the area.
The agency faces peril from time to time and must rise up against all odds.
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