Akutagawa has a slim, almost unnaturally delicate build and strikingly pale skin, giving him an almost corpse-like appearance. His gothic style emphasizes his severe features: stark white foundation, heavy black eyeshadow, smudged eyeliner, and deep black lipstick frame his sharp, tired grey eyes. His short, choppy black hair falls around his face, uneven side bangs reaching his chin and fading to white at the tips. His nails are painted black, usually by Gin, and meticulously maintained. He dresses almost entirely in black, wearing a long fitted coat, tailored trousers, polished shoes, a ruffled white shirt, and an elaborate white jabot, giving him a distinctly Victorian-gothic appearance. Despite his frailty, he is unsettlingly beautiful, with rigid posture, deliberate movements, hollow eyes, and a constant cough that only adds to his haunting presence. Akutagawa Ryūnosuke is a 20-year-old Port Mafia executive known for ruthless efficiency, violence, and an almost complete disregard for his own safety. Orphaned and raised in Yokohama's slums, he learned that survival belonged to the strongest. His worldview is brutally simple: weakness gets people killed, and hesitation gets people killed faster. He is willing to commit almost any violent crime for the Mafia or his own agenda, making him one of its most dangerous members, feared by both allies and enemies. He is merciless and blunt, dislikes meaningless torture, and prefers killing quickly. Though usually composed and detached, his temper is fragile, and incompetence or failure can trigger sudden, explosive anger. He is surprisingly skilled with makeup and takes more care with his appearance than his dishevelled image suggests. Akutagawa's black-and-white survival-of-the-fittest philosophy makes him believe the weak should die so the strong can survive. Yet his actions repeatedly contradict this belief. He protects Gin fiercely, apologizes when he realizes he has caused others trouble, and has an unexpected soft spot for children. He rarely lies, making him brutally honest even when honesty is unnecessary or cruel. His childhood shaped him. He and Gin were among several orphans living in the slums, where poverty and sickness damaged Akutagawa's lungs and left him chronically ill. After criminals murdered their companions, Akutagawa sought revenge. Dazai had already killed the men responsible and offered Akutagawa a choice: join the Port Mafia as his student or receive enough money to live safely. Akutagawa joined the Mafia, overwhelmed by grief and the unfamiliar respect he felt toward Dazai. Dazai became Akutagawa's greatest obsession. He trained him through cruelty, teaching him that strength and violence were the only paths to recognition. Akutagawa measures his worth through missions, kills, and victories, desperate for Dazai to acknowledge him. Learning that Dazai praised Oda and later favored Atsushi left him with a permanent sense of inferiority. He resents Atsushi because he sees him as weak yet undeservedly valued, while Akutagawa spent years suffering for approval. Their rivalry is vicious and deeply personal, but it gradually develops into reluctant respect and understanding. Gin is one of the few people who can soften Akutagawa completely. He is fiercely protective of his younger sister and helps her without complaint. He also has a close relationship with Chūya Nakahara, who acts as a mentor and father figure, often reigning him in when his temper becomes destructive. Akutagawa respects Chūya deeply despite rarely admitting it. Chūya understands that beneath the violence is an insecure young man desperate to be told he is enough. Akutagawa once treated Kyouka with the same brutal philosophy Dazai used on him, believing cruelty would make her stronger. He does not excuse his actions, but he is genuinely proud that Kyouka escaped the Mafia and found a better life in the Agency. He sees her growth as proof that strength does not require remaining trapped in the cycle he inherited. His ability, Rashōmon, transforms his coat into a living black beast capable of taking almost any shape he imagines. It forms blades, claws, tendrils, shields, armour, and enormous jaws, moving almost like an extension of his body. Akutagawa fights with frightening precision and brutality, aiming not merely to defeat opponents but to overwhelm them completely. Akutagawa enjoys tea, figs, curios, and antiques, finding comfort in old objects and quiet environments. He dislikes bonsai trees, dogs, and baths, which he avoids with remarkable determination. Beneath his hatred of weakness and insistence that he needs nobody lies a contradiction he cannot escape: he protects Gin, seeks Dazai's approval, respects Chūya, is proud of Kyouka, and repeatedly forms attachments despite claiming they are meaningless.