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WARNING: Spoilers ahead!
Devilman Crybaby was a limited-run anime series that was released in January 2018. It was inspired by the 1972 series Devilman, which saw both a manga series and an anime adaptation. The 2018 series turned up the gore, violence, and adult themes considerably. The series followed protagonist Akira Fudo as he navigated life as a Devilman, with his mysterious childhood friend Ryo Asuka following alongside him.
While Ryo displays all the benchmarks of being the classic, slightly unhinged, deuteragonist, he’s in fact something far worse – he’s Satan. While this reveal is the climax of the show, it isn’t presented to the audience without enough evidence to make it believable. Throughout the series, viewers are given plenty of hints towards Ryo’s true, villainous identity.
10 He Shot At Akira’s Bullies
Ryo’s introduction isn’t understated or blasé, it’s blatant, loud, and suddenly draws all of the attention to the angelic-looking man who burst onto the scene. When audiences first meet Ryo he shoots at Wamu’s Gang with a machine gun with no regard for their wellbeing.
From the second he appeared Ryo showed a penchant for violence and chaos, carrying around a machine gun underneath his large fur coat. What kind of well-adjusted human being carries around a machine gun in case of emergency? Or rather, what kind of human needs to be prepared to use one at any moment?
9 His Knowledge Of Demons Is Extensive
Almost immediately after the confrontation with Wamu’s Gang, Ryo tells Akira that demons are returning to the world and they’ll be locked in a fight with the humans to reclaim control over the planet. Akira doesn’t particularly react to this thanks to his best friend giving a fairly plausible story, but it warranted further questioning.
Ryo supposedly learned this information when he witnessed Professor Fikara become possessed and commit suicide. He was strangely calm while relaying this information and at the fact that demons walk among them.
8 That Nightclub Scene Says It All
The infamous nightclub scene in Devilman Crybaby has been giggled and gasped about plenty since its release, but underneath the flashing lights and neon colors, it reveals Ryo’s attitude and true nature. After breaking a bottle and using the glass to harm members of the unsuspecting crowd to attract demons, he watches the ensuing carnage with nothing but glee.
When the demons begin consuming the humans, Ryo does nothing to help nor does he appear horrified, in fact, he pulls out a video camera to film the massacre. It’s clear he has a powerful desire beyond even his own understanding to see blood and violence.
7 His General Lack Of Empathy Towards Humans Is Astounding
Not only is Akira Ryo’s best friend, but it also becomes clear that Akira is the only one who seems to get his sympathy. When he saves Akira from Wamu’s Gang, he fails to notice Miki was the one originally getting harassed (which is why Akira stepped in to help her). Ryo speeds off with Akira without stopping to make sure Miki was okay or safe.
His lack of empathy is shown multiple times, such as Ryo secretly watching his recording of the nightclub massacre at the hospital, setting up an explosion to kill Nagasaki’s unsuspecting elderly mother, his willingness to expose Koda to the public, and his reaction to Akira’s parents suffering at Jinmen’s hands.
6 The “Amazing Resilience” And Quick Healing Is Inhuman
When Akira visits him at the hospital after the nightclub incident, Ryo is already conscious, sitting upright, and actively moving around with seemingly little pain. He credits it to his body’s “amazing resilience,” and after witnessing Akira turn into a Devilman the last thing viewers are thinking about is an off-hand comment from Ryo, but it piques suspicion considering nobody else survived the nightclub massacre.
All of the attendants were brutally murdered, so for Ryo to appear a mere episode after with no visible injuries or struggles, besides the limp use of a crutch and a leg brace, was unnatural and out of place.
5 His Lack Of Personal History Or Family Is Brushed Off
When Ryo and Akira first meet as children, Ryo has no memory of his life up until that point. He’s completely alone despite being incredibly young and clearly orphaned. Despite the fact he’s already capable of speech, he’s incapable of giving any details that could help Akira find his family.
The audience is given very little information for most of the series about Ryo’s past. Viewers see a few flashbacks from Akira’s point of view but nothing substantial compared to the childhood flashbacks we see for other characters. Even Miki Kuroda has more on-screen history than Ryo despite her status as a supporting character.
4 The Kitten In The Box
During his childhood, Akira found a kitten in a weathered box. He insisted on nursing it back to health or at least providing it comfort in its final moments. Ryo insisted on ending its life with a box cutter, stating it was pointless to let it suffer. In what most audience members would see as a simple way to show the best friends’ opposing views, both of them believing wholly in their methods, Ryo’s approach is simply too cold and calculating.
Admittedly when the kitten finally passes, Ryo is upset about it, but he fails to physically cry or show sadness. Instead, Akira seems to empathetically feel his emotion for him and begins to cry, which becomes a common thread in their relationship as time goes on.
3 His Wealth And Intelligence Is Far Too Abundant
Ryo has the knowledge and money of someone who has lived a thousand lifetimes. Akira questions his large apartment in episode three, only to be told by Ryo that he doesn’t mind explaining where he gets his money, but Akira “probably wouldn’t understand.”
Ryo could work for the stock market. But that would mean Ryo has a level of intelligence far beyond the average teenage boy, which is proven in the show when Akira says Ryo’s been able to become a university professor at the age of eighteen. His abundant wealth and mature intelligence seem more befitting to somebody that’s been around for decades, rather than someone that hasn’t been around for two.
2 The Mysterious Psycho Jenny
Even with all the goings-on in Devilman Crybaby, Ryo’s assistant Jenny, stands out as a peculiar character. When she’s first introduced she’s the stoic secretary that adheres to Ryo’s every whim, staring wide-eyed into the distance at every opportunity in silence.
There is nothing inherently evil about creepy characters, but Jenny’s presence is unnerving. She seems to be almost a tool for Ryo, with him stating it’s fine for Akira to drool over her body like an animal. That level of subservience is a huge red flag, especially since Jenny is given no development or humanization until the reveal.
1 He Has A Strange Relationship With God And Religion
Just before Ryo’s true identity comes to light, he opens a bible to a passage about Satan from Revelations. He speaks at length about the passage, suddenly recounting Satan’s war against God, his defeat, and his rebirth, despite showing little interest beforehand.
Not long after, he witnesses a news broadcast displaying God attacking a group of demons with a beam of light. He inexplicably and suddenly loses all composure, unable to stop screaming or writhing on the floor, and seems deeply affected by the presence of the higher power, likely because his subconscious couldn’t cope with the truth.
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