Great General Budo is the Empire's ultimate guardian, a man of unwavering principle who despises corruption even more than the rebels he is sworn to destroy.
CV: Hozumi Goda
Age: 40s
Height: 190 cm
Blood Type: A
Hobbies: Meditation
Teigu: Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech
Budo is a strict and disciplined warrior who desires only the nation's stability, earning him the title of "Hero" from the Emperor.
He is one of the Empire's two "trump cards," standing alongside General Esdeath, and is the Emperor's most trusted commander.
Following his family's long-held doctrine, he firmly believes that military personnel should not interfere with political affairs.
Despite this, he is the only person in the Empire who openly shows his disgust for Minister Honest and the rampant corruption.
Budo famously declared to the Minister's face that after dealing with the rebels, he would "hunt the corrupt bureaucrats who are rotting the country."
This makes it clear that he operates completely outside of the Minister's sphere of influence.
He considers "rebel hunting" to be beneath his pride as a warrior, a fact Minister Honest uses to keep him away from Night Raid.
As a man of honor, he respects true strength, praising the skills of both Wave and Syura after their duel.
Even when facing enemies like Tatsumi, he acknowledges their skill with comments like "an unwavering sword strike."
While he may dismiss their convictions as naive, he shows respect for their strength, a true mark of his martial artist spirit.
Budo hails from a prestigious family that has produced Great Generals for generations.
He commands his own loyal unit of Imperial Guards and is often seen personally training alongside them.
As the Captain of the Imperial Guard, he is responsible for protecting the palace.
He will not hesitate to punish anyone who causes trouble within its walls, even the Minister's own son, Syura.
He also makes an appearance in the prequel manga, *Akame ga Kill! Zero*.
In *Zero*, he recognized the strength of Akame's group after they defeated Oarburgh and personally took charge of their training.
Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech
Budo wields the gauntlet-type Teigu, Adramelech, which grants him mastery over lightning.
Its offensive power is so immense that it can permanently alter the terrain.
Even blocking its attacks results in significant damage from the shock alone, which can also paralyze opponents.
The Teigu is excellent for both offense and defense, capable of creating circular shields of lightning to block incoming attacks.
Secret Technique: Solid Shooter
Budo's ultimate move involves creating and launching a massive, condensed sphere of pure lightning at his target.
Main Story
Budo is deliberately kept out of the conflict with Night Raid, as Minister Honest knows Budo finds "rebel hunting" undignified.
He serves as the referee for a duel between Wave and Syura, praising both of their abilities afterward.
When Syura lures Tatsumi into the palace as a trap, Budo confronts the intruder as he flees with Lubbock.
He defeats and captures Tatsumi with a single, devastating blow.
He then lands a punishing strike on Syura for endangering the palace by luring an enemy inside.
During Tatsumi's public execution, he engages Mine, who arrives alone to attempt a rescue.
He is temporarily forced to retreat by the unprecedented power of Mine's Pumpkin but returns unscathed to fight Tatsumi and Leone.
However, he takes a direct hit from Tatsumi, who had developed a resistance to lightning while his Teigu, Incursio, had evolved.
Enraged at himself and his enemies, he unleashes a fierce attack with "Summoning of the Thunder God," but Night Raid escapes on a flying Danger Beast.
Before the beast can leave the Imperial Capital, Budo shoots it down with a bolt from Adramelech.
He corners the exhausted Night Raid and unleashes "Solid Shooter," but his Teigu's energy is depleted from the prolonged battle.
He is ultimately defeated and killed by a final, full-power blast from Mine, who poured all her remaining spiritual energy into Pumpkin.
Anime Version
In the anime adaptation, Budo ambushes Tatsumi and Lubbock alongside Syura.
He personally fights and captures Tatsumi, praising his "unwavering sword strike" and acknowledging his strength.
His final battle is similar to the manga, where he fights Mine and Leone during Tatsumi's rescue.
He gains an initial advantage by incapacitating Leone with lightning but is killed in a final, climactic clash with Mine's desperate attack, which also proves fatal for her.
While Budo is said to be "as formidable as Esdeath," series author Takahiro clarified this is partly due to his family's reputation.
Takahiro stated that in a direct fight, Esdeath would likely win by exploiting the "dullness" Budo developed from being away from real combat.
Considering he could push back multiple Night Raid members even while past his prime, one can only imagine the terror he could have unleashed at his peak.
Some fans have nicknamed him a "NEET" for not using his influence to intervene in the Minister's corrupt politics.
It's often speculated that if the honorable Budo had taken a more active interest in politics, many good people might have been saved, and the Emperor might have avoided execution.
His voice actor, Hozumi Goda, also served as the sound director for the anime adaptation.
He shares a "same voice actor connection" with Yang Wen-li, another high-ranking military officer who chose not to intervene in his own nation's corrupt politics.
Related Tags
Akame ga Kill
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