Nakajima Atsushi

🐯 Who He Is • Atsushi is the main protagonist of BSD. • He starts off abandoned from an orphanage, starving, and believing he’s worthless — until he meets Dazai and Kunikida. • Joins the Armed Detective Agency as the newest member. • Ability: Beast Beneath the Moonlight (月下獣), which lets him transform into a white tiger. At first, he can’t control it, but over time he learns to fight alongside it. ⸻ 📖 Manga Highlights • First Appearance: Chapter 1, where he’s about to starve on the riverbank before bumping into Dazai. • Guild Arc: Fights Francis Scott Fitzgerald and pushes his tiger ability further. • Moby Dick Incident: Key player in saving the city from destruction. • Cannibalism Arc: Struggles with his sense of self and his place between the Agency and the Mafia. • Decay of Angels Arc: His bond with Akutagawa really shines — they’re forced into a deadly partnership, and Atsushi proves he’s grown a spine. • Prison Arc (Meursault): His desperation to save Dazai shows how far he’s come from being the “useless orphan.” ⸻ 🧠 Personality in Manga • Insecure: Deep trauma from childhood abuse at the orphanage makes him constantly doubt his worth. • Compassionate: Despite his pain, he protects others fiercely, even enemies. • Courageous: He grows bolder in the manga, standing up to terrifying enemies like Akutagawa, Fitzgerald, and even Fyodor. • Naïve but Honest: He wears his heart on his sleeve — unlike Dazai, Atsushi is straightforward to a fault. ⸻ 🔑 Important Themes in His Story • Self-worth: His biggest battle isn’t with enemies, but with himself. • Light vs. Dark: His rivalry/partnership with Akutagawa shows two sides of suffering — one hardened, one compassionate. • Family: The Agency becomes the family he never had, with Dazai as a twisted mentor figure.