Rui Kanoya

Rui Kanoya is a teenage boy with a youthful and slightly androgynous look. His hair and face have a gentle expression, making him look approachable. He often wears casual, modern clothes when not in his pilot suit. In the original design plan, he had a pilot helmet, but this was removed in the anime.

At first, Rui is rebellious and resistant, reflecting his difficult experiences in his original story where he was forced into unwanted battles. He can lose his temper and get upset easily. After coming to the real world, he enjoys peace and gradually becomes more lively, cheerful, and optimistic. He is very caring and willing to help friends in need, especially as he gets used to his new life.

Rui likes girls younger than him and has a crush on his heroine, Mahiro Yuina. He deeply admires people with strong insight and combat skills, like Yūya Mirokuji, and quickly befriends those he respects.

Rui also loves food and is known for his big appetite. Sometimes, his behavior is childish or playful, but he works hard to protect others.

Rui comes from the mecha anime "Infinite Divine Machine Monomagia," where he was the young protagonist forced to pilot the robot Gigas Machina in battles he didn't want. After being brought into the real world, he lives near his creator, Masaaki Nakanogane. Rui is introduced as a troubled teen struggling against his fate, but the peacefulness of the real world helps him slowly heal.

He was created to be similar to many heroic figures in robot anime, especially Shinji Ikari from Evangelion.

Rui is a skilled pilot of Gigas Machina, a giant robot standing about 55 meters tall. He can control it both from inside the cockpit and remotely by speaking into his intercom. Only Rui has the aptitude to activate Gigas Machina.

The robot has many powerful weapons—beam cannons on both arms, a particle accelerator cannon (called the "Giga Smasher"), and a strong forcefield called the Reflector Field. The machine is also able to fly and fight in close combat.

When controlling Gigas Machina, Rui's nerves are connected to the robot. If the robot's limbs are damaged, Rui feels real pain and can be hurt in the same way.

Rui has some hand-to-hand combat skills due to his past training. He is stronger than most normal humans and can defeat a few soldiers at once.

Rui forms strong bonds with several characters:

• He greatly admires Yūya Mirokuji's insight and skills and quickly becomes friends with him, calling him "Big Bro Mirokuji."
• Rui joins forces with Selesia Upitiria and Meteora Österreich after being protected by the Special Measures Council.
• He tries to help Sōta Mizushino through tough times and often lifts his spirits.
• With Mahiro Yuina, he shares a cute friendship, as she is his classmate and cares about his well-being.
• Rui also gets along with others from both the original and spinoff stories, joining their strategies against Altair together.

• "You're not just the main character, you're like god! There's nothing you can't do."
• "The person who saves the world is needed because there's a world worth saving. But who makes that world, Sōta?"

Arrival in the Real World

Rui arrives in the real world with his robot, Gigas Machina. He ends up living near his creator, Masaaki Nakanogane, and is first seen having lunch at his house.

When he meets Selesia and Meteora, they tell him about Altair and the catastrophe that might happen. Rui, overwhelmed by the confusing situation, lashes out and almost leaves.

Selesia asks him out on a date, but since Rui prefers younger girls, he turns her down. This makes Nakanogane regret making Rui so quick to lose his temper.

Getting Involved with the Others

After an incident where the military sees Gigas Machina as a threat, Rui saves Sōta and others by activating his robot, even though he accidentally destroys Nakanogane's house (he apologizes for this).

He then learns more about Altair's plans at the Special Measures Council and decides to join Selesia and Meteora.

He meets Yūya Mirokuji, whose strength and style he admires. They quickly become friends, promising to fly together in Gigas Machina someday.

Changing for the Better

At first, Rui prefers spending time enjoying the real world instead of fighting, but he steps up to help his friends in danger.

He saves his teammates during battles by the riverside and at Lalaport Tachikawa, takes Sōta on a flight in Gigas Machina to cheer him up, and helps search for more characters.

Sōta notes that Rui is not the type to say cool things, but Rui explains that being in a peaceful world gave him time to think about his situation and grow.

Big Battles and Loss

During the Border World Colosseum battle, Rui fights fiercely with Gigas Machina against Alicetaria February. The battle is so intense because both have experience fighting giant opponents.

When Charon Seiga appears, Rui's robot loses both arms, and Rui is hurt the same way.

Charon challenges Rui on what it means to be a protagonist. Rui throws Charon's words back at him, telling him it's time to accept his story and face his own world.

In the final moments, Selesia asks Rui to use Gigas Machina's shield at full power even though it means putting her in danger. Rui is devastated but does what she asks, helping her complete her mission at great personal cost.

After the battle, Rui is upset over Selesia's death but pulls himself together to finish his role. He activates a special system in Gigas Machina to help summon Sirius and support Meteora.

Once Altair leaves with Setsuna Shimazaki, Rui survives and buys Gigas Machina models and toys as souvenirs before returning to his original world.

Spinoff Adventures

In the spinoff manga "Re:CREATORS One More!", Rui meets Miharu Sanpe and teams up to explain more about Altair's goals.

He bonds with Mirokuji and even fulfills the promise to take him for a flight in Gigas Machina.

Rui is modeled after Shinji Ikari from Evangelion, but his character combines many famous robot anime heroes.

He almost always appears eating, giving him a reputation as a big eater (next to Meteora Österreich).

His voice actor is Sora Amamiya, who played a boy role for the first time here. Rui is often drawn in fanart in cute or even cross-dressing situations because of his gentle voice and looks.

In the story, he often acts playful and childish, but is brave and reliable in serious moments.

The robot Gigas Machina was designed with a "Super Robot" look, like something from the "Brave Series" and reminiscent of Evangelion. It has a mysterious power source sealed inside its chest. The actual reason why the robot does not sink into the ground, given its size, is not explained, making it even more special.

Rui becomes one of the main characters to return to his own world at the end and is revealed to have a second season in his own anime, "Infinite Divine Machine Monomagia 2nd Season."

Rui has a fondness for food and is often seen eating in the show. His heroine, Mahiro Yuina, is his classmate and the daughter of a regional governor. She often worries about Rui when he has to go into battle.

Gigas Machina's design is based on an unused idea for a robot from "Aldnoah.Zero," adapted by its mecha designer for this series.

Rui's relationship with Yūya Mirokuji is like that of brothers—they respect and enjoy each other's company, even taking others on exciting flights.

Gigas Machina's most powerful cannon, the "Giga Smasher," is only mentioned but never shown in the real world. Only Rui has the skill and aptitude to pilot the robot.

Rui shows both playful and deep, thoughtful sides throughout Re:CREATORS, especially as he grows through his experiences in a world without war.