WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Tokyo Revengers, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Based on the manga by Ken Wakui, Tokyo Revengers stole the show during the Spring 2021 anime season. It follows the story of Takemichi Hanagaki -- a 26-year old loafer who has no real aspirations in life -- and what happens after he finds out his high-school girlfriend Hina was killed by gang violence. He meets up with Hina's younger brother Naoto and, when they shake hands, Takemichi is sent back in time by 12 years to when he was in high school. Now he has the ability to affect change and, hopefully, alter the future so Hina can be saved.
It's a classic revenge story with a science-fiction twist. Though Tokyo Revengers is already airing its second arc, there were many twists and turns in the first 13 episodes that left viewers stunned. From Takemichi's wild experiences with time travel to crazy fist-fights, Tokyo Revengers has kept viewers thoroughly engaged. Here's a round-up of five of the most shocking plot twists in Season 1 so far.
When Takemichi Travels Through Time
While it's the very hook of Tokyo Revengers, the discovery that Takemichi can travel through time by 12 years by simply shaking Naoto's hand was an incredible moment. In Episode 1, Takemichi is sent flying backward into the past and faces a grand realization: he now has the ability to affect change, and can stop Hina's death from happening in the future if he makes better decisions now. He even promises a young Naoto that he will protect and save Hina.
It's also an unexpected discovery because it works both ways. If Takemichi shakes Naoto's hand while he's in high school, he will be sent into the future. But this works in his favor as he can see whether his actions yield any sort of result. His ability to bounce back and forth in time is what makes Tokyo Revengers so compelling.
When Takemichi Challenges Kiyomasa To A Fight
Takemichi set the precedent early on that, while he may be strong in his mind, he is quite weak physically. So it was extremely surprising to see him challenge the mighty Kiyomasa in a fight. In Tokyo Revengers Episode 3, Takemichi protects his friend Yamamoto by challenging Kiyomasa to take him on instead. While Takemichi does get beaten to a pulp, it shows how determined and fiercely loyal he is early on in the anime.
While it does seem in Takemichi's character to stand up for his frail friend, it's surprising that he actually went through with it. This moment was also the catalyst that brought Takemichi closer to Mikey and Draken, so it's a pivotal scene.
When Draken Gets Stabbed
In Episode 5, Takemichi learns that Draken will get stabbed and spends the next few episodes doing anything in his power to prevent it. At first, it seems like hope is lost when Draken faces off against most of Moebius by himself, but Mikey and the rest of Toman show up at the last minute to save the day. This wouldn't have happened without Takemichi ensuring Draken and Mikey stayed friends after a fight of their own.
So it came as a complete shock to viewers when Draken still ended up getting stabbed by Kiyomasa later on. But because Takemichi was expecting it, he's able to get Draken to an ambulance in time to save his life. Though the outcome did change from the original timeline, Draken still got stabbed anyway.
When Takemichi Fixes Draken and Mikey's Feud
Mikey and Draken are both strong, stubborn people. So when they wind up at odds with each other, it seems like an impossible situation to resolve. Luckily there's Takemichi. When the Toman leaders come to visit Takemichi after he's injured, they start to fight each other, throwing all of Takemichi's childhood possessions around and breaking most of them. Enraged, Takemichi tries to fight Mikey. But Mikey dodges, sending Takemichi into a pile of garbage. Angrier than ever, Takemichi gives an impassioned speech about the gang and how their fighting is negatively affecting everyone.
But it's the poop that had landed in his hair that solves the problem. It breaks the ice, and Draken and Mikey both start to laugh, their feud forgotten. While it seems like a small comedic moment, it prevents Draken and Mikey from separating. Sometimes the most surprising details can change everything in Tokyo Revengers.
When Akkun Kills Hina
Takemichi tries his hardest to change whatever he can so Hina lives. During the course of Tokyo Revengers Season 1, he falls back in love with Hina, making her death more tragic every time he fails to save her. So after all his trials and errors, Takemichi comes back to the present, confident he's finally saved her. But that fantasy is quickly shattered when Hina is killed before his very eyes. Sitting in their car and waiting for Takemichi to return, Hina is crushed when someone rams a much larger vehicle into theirs, which is parked against a wall.
What's even more shocking is that it's Akkun behind the wheel -- the same Akkun who Takemichi saw earlier that day and had seemed in a much better place. Evidently a lie, Akkun becomes the cause of Hina's (and his own) death in front of Takemichi. Having now seen Hina die directly in front of him, Takemichi becomes more motivated to go back and save her, no matter what it takes.
