When Gachiakuta ’s Rudo is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he makes an anger-fueled promise to get back at everyone who wronged him. This single thought is what motivates him at the beginning of the series. He’s so determined that his quest for vengeance helps him survive the harsh circumstances he’s been unfairly thrown into. But this isn’t the first time anime has tackled revenge as a narrative device. As natural as action and reaction, people are subject to acts of injustice on many levels. These injustices provoke a mix of emotions: frustration, disappointment, anger, hatred, and how a person deals with these acts varies greatly. Depending on the person and the degree of injustice, they may simply ignore it and move on with their lives, while others may begin to seek justice and work hard so that this injustice doesn't go unpunished. RELATED: Gachiakuta and the Importance of Anger Vengeance is as ancient a theme in humanity as humanity itself, and narratively, it's a very compelling premise that serves as the base of numerous works across a variety of literary genres and other media. You can take classics like Shakespeare's Hamlet and Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo , and so on (fun fact: this has an anime adaptation called Gankutsuou ). There are many types of vengeance, with varying motivations and, most importantly, different developments and outcomes. In this article, we'll explore some of these varieties, how certain anime use revenge as a narrative driver for their characters, and how Gachiakuta combines these themes into Rudo’s story. NOTE: There will be spoilers for the following series: Gachiakuta , Naruto , Berserk , Masamune-kun's Revenge , Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga II , Skip Beat! and the Dragon Ball franchise. Revenge Through The Loss of a Loved One Let's start with a type of vengeance that is quite popular and also very impactful: when a character’s loved one is hurt or killed. Such a brutal and traumatic act breaks some characters so much that they nurture a course of action that is the most direct and simple retaliation: killing the person who took away their loved one. Let’s take Sasuke, from Naruto , as our first example. All of Sasuke’s actions are motivated by a desire for revenge against his older brother, Itachi, who, in a single night, murdered his entire family and their clan. This sort of vengeance is fueled by the action itself and the betrayal someone feels when a loved one turns on them in such a way. However, as Pain once said in Naruto Shippuden : " We're both just ordinary men, driven to seek vengeance under the banner of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will only breed more vengeance… and trigger a cycle of hatred. " RELATED: 10 Anime Characters Not Here to Make Friends As long as the character pursues their vengeance, and this feeling is not appeased in some way, they are doomed to walk a path of no return, often one that is never rewarding. As Sasuke advances in his quest for revenge and discovers the truth behind the events that traumatized him, he decides to declare war on everyone. This course of action goes beyond harming his initial target. Sasuke begins to lash out and harm others, demanding a more direct reprimand before he ends their lives. He doesn't mind taking dangerous paths and coming close to death, because his vengeance speaks louder. It takes a blond ninja to talk (and beat) some sense into him to make him realize that, despite everything, there are still people who want the best for him, and that there is a life beyond hatred and vengeance. Another example of this is seen in Berserk . Here, Guts experiences his own personal hell when Griffith, one of the people he considered to be an important part of his life, betrays him and their loyal band. This betrayal leads to the grisly deaths of many and unspeakable trauma for the only woman in the group, Casca. Coming out of this event nearly dead, Guts vows not only to kill Griffith, but to exterminate every single devilish creature that crosses his path. He may not be the saintliest person in the Berserk universe, but after this event, Guts practically loses all empathy for others and almost all his humanity. Guts's vendetta is one that seems endless. Such contempt for the world (and for his own life, as he spared no effort to pursue the one who caused so much pain) makes him a monster as terrifying and inhuman as the demons he hunts. However, this destructive course is abruptly interrupted when Casca, Guts's dearest person, goes missing. The Black Swordsman briefly halts his thirst for revenge when he realizes that, more important than that, is her well-being. This turning point, coupled with Guts' reconnecting with others, gradually changes how he deals with his revenge, even allowing him a glimmer of hope that he can live a life beyond vengeance. Revenge Through Injustice There's an old saying that " revenge is a dish best served cold ," and it's used to illustrate that the most impactful vengeance is the one that takes a long time to plan and execute. For this, I'd like to bring up Vegeta's attempt at revenge against Frieza in Dragon Ball Z . Vegeta is introduced as a villain who comes to Earth to eradicate humans and take the Dragon Balls for himself. It doesn't take long to discover that Vegeta has his own vendetta against a bigger bad for the genocide of his entire race: Frieza. As we progress through the story, Vegeta's revenge becomes more evident, with him becoming less cautious and more desperate, like when he willingly lets himself be injured just so he can be healed and, hopefully, gain the strength he needs to defeat Frieza. But despite his best efforts, Frieza gets the upper hand. RELATED: How to Watch Dragon Ball in Order Vegeta's vengeful spirit gradually turns to despair, to the point that, in his last moments before dying, he begs his archrival Goku to avenge all the Saiyans in his place. This request is made through tears, but it's a cry that mingles sadness with the frustration of finding himself in such a humiliating position. This is a major blow to his pride as a Saiyan, and it’s something that, arguably, shapes his actions in future battles. When he faces Cell, for example, there’s a point where he could easily defeat him himself. Instead, he lets Cell reach his full potential so he can beat him at his best. This leads to another humiliating defeat, but it also adds to Vegeta’s character development. While there are instances throughout Dragon Ball where vengeance feels like a superpower, there always seems to be a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Being too consumed with vengeance gets you nowhere, and that’s not just seen through Vegeta’s death. We can look as far back as Krillin’s sudden death in Dragon Ball at the hands of one of King Piccolo's servants, leading to Goku rushing straight into his defeat. Only after undergoing specific training to clear his head is he able to defeat King Piccolo. We see this again in Dragon Ball Z with Gohan’s fight against Perfect Cell. Pushed to the breaking point after the death of Android 16, Gohan gains such a power boost that he’s able to face Perfect Cell with ease. However, similarly to Vegeta, he toys with his opponent too much, something he ends up regretting. The desire for vengeance is understood in these cases, but we also see that you can’t completely get lost in it. Revenge Through Humiliation Interestingly, another figure who ends up being motivated by revenge is Frieza himself. After his humiliating defeat by Goku, Frieza’s frustration keeps him alive. After recovering, Fireza and his army march toward Earth to exterminate Goku, his friends, and the whole planet. But his plans are thwarted by the emergence of a mysterious Saiyan who eliminates everyone, including Frieza himself, with tremendous ease. But if you think that, in the afterlife, Frieza would calm down, you're mistaken, as he would go on to take any chance he got to face Goku again. While Vegeta eventually overcomes his desire for revenge and moves on with his life, Frieza never lets his fade, remaining driven solely by it even after death. Either one overcomes their thirst for vengeance (Vegeta), or they let it consume them to the point where nothing else matters (Frieza). But humiliation isn’t only felt on the battlefield, though some do say that love is a battlefield. RELATED: Why Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Should Be Your Next Watch if You Love Mess In Masamune-kun's Revenge , after being ridiculed for his appearance by Adagaki Aki (who is known for cruelly rejecting boys), Masamune Makabe returns years later with a new look and a single mission: to make the girl who mistreated him fall in love with him, then reject her. There’s a variation of this kind of revenge narrative in Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga II . Here, Yoshino is engaged to a yakuza member in an arranged marriage to form a truce between rival clans. However, her intended fiancé, Kirishima, has an incredibly nasty attitude toward her. After confiding in her grandfather, he suggests a similar revenge plot as the one from Masamune-kun’s Revenge : win Kirishima’s heart, then reject him as payback for the way he humiliated her. While more lighthearted than Frieza’s humiliation, the outcome is pretty similar. Masamune and Yoshino being humiliated leads to them wanting to do the same to the ones who hurt them. However, this single-minded desire for revenge doesn’t pan out the way they expect, and their lives get a lot messier because of it. Arguably, walking away would’ve been easier, though there's room for personal growth along the way, just look at the classic shojo romance Skip Beat! as an example where, after being used by her boyfriend, Kyoko Mogami decides to seek revenge by becoming more successful than her ex. How Gachiakuta Tackles It All Now imagine experiencing all of those examples in a single moment. In Gachiakuta , Rudo is already treated poorly by the people around him with the exception of his father figure, Regto, and his crush, Chiwa. These two people are the bright spots in a world where the wealthy are completely kept separate from lower-class citizens like Rudo. Things take a turn in an instant when 1) Regto is killed in front of Rudo, 2) Rudo is accused of being his murderer, and 3) he is tossed away like garbage, literally — an act that forces him to figure out how to survive in the trash below. No one takes his side, not even Chiwa, who would usually defend him from anyone who spoke poorly of him. Rudo’s vengeance is a combination of all of the revenge narratives we discussed, igniting a sense of frustration that fuels his rage. We have a loss of a loved one (Regto), a feeling of betrayal (Chiwa), the injustice of being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and the humiliation of having all of society cheer for his downfall. An interesting detail about Rudo's journey of vengeance is that it begins with a targeted chase of one single person, but when he realizes that no one is on his side, he starts to see the bigger picture. He gains a broader perspective and figures out that the injustice committed against him is the result of how the world he lives in is rotten to the core, and his fight is against the entire system. This is especially true when he realizes that the Pit (or rather, the Ground) he was tossed into is full of people, just like him, living their lives and making the best out of their circumstances. This feeling gives Rudo strength in the hell he's been thrown into, enabling him to overcome inhumane situations and survive in this environment. As the series progresses, Rudo gains power through the frustration he feels, but at first, he can’t get a proper handle on it. Similar to the characters we’ve discussed, being too locked in on revenge has left him in a bit of a stalemate. He can’t accomplish his goal because he’s too angry, but that anger is understood and valuable. He can, and should, use it, but he has to be more focused. RELATED: Gachiakuta Quiz: What Kind of Vital Instrument Would You Have? We see this happen when he first faces Jabber. Seeing Gris hurt reminds Rudo of what happened to Regto, triggering a memory that reminds him of what he really wants to do. This is something that Gris had brought up previously, telling the boy to forget everything else and to think about what he really wanted. Through all the pain, Rudo finds his answer and is able to unlock the full potential of his power. This moment is very important for Rudo. He could let his rage blind his thoughts, leading him to take irrational actions that wouldn’t do him any good. But by not letting all his anger boil over and focusing on what he actually wants, he’s able to process his feelings and use his rage instead of letting it completely consume him. Compared to some of the other characters we’ve discussed, like Sasuke and Vegeta, Rudo figured this out a lot faster. By actually taking the advice of the new people in his life who support him, and taking the time to sort through his feelings, he’s able to understand himself better and, by extension, understand how his powers work, giving him a clearer view of what he’s searching for in this new reality. Gachiakuta continues the intrigue of anime revenge stories with one, but it also gives its protagonist a much-needed moment of clarity, early on, that highlights how useful that anger can be when it’s channeled properly.
