Does Takemichi Become Stronger & Learn To Fight in Tokyo Revengers?

Tokyo Revengers characters typically try to achieve their goals by using their fists, but Takemichi Hanagaki is built differently. Takemichi wins his battles through sheer determination.

However, Takemichi hasn’t really displayed any actual physical prowess so far. Most of the time, he was forced to become a punching bag for his opponents.

That’s why many fans have been wondering whether Takemichi becomes stronger eventually. 

1. Does Takemichi get stronger?

Unlike many other shows, Takemichi, the protagonist doesn’t get stronger over time. His attacks are mostly ineffective against his opponents. However, his endurance and durability grow to some extent as he faces stronger enemies.

If he’s so weak, how can he keep up with his allies in combat situations? Let’s take a look at Takemichi’s actual strength, and find out how he can keep up with his peers despite being weak.

2. Takemichi’s strengths

Even though Takemichi’s physical strength is comparable to an average delinquent’s, he has some unique skills that allow him to hold his ground in a serious fight.

i. High endurance

Takemichi’s true charm is his endless resilience. He can withstand any deadly blow from his opponent and stand up to fight again.

He has been stabbed in the stomach, shot in the foot, and taken a direct hit from a brick to his head after being ambushed. But he was still able to fight even after sustaining such heavy injuries.

ii. Scaling fighting power

Takemichi isn’t the most powerful fighter per se, but we can’t exactly call him the weakest fighter in the series either. His fighting ability scales in the series depending upon his opponent.

There are many times when he was easily overwhelmed by ordinary delinquents such as Kiyomasa. But there were also instances where he knocked down enemies like Kisaki, even after being beaten to death.

iii. Unpredictability 

Having little to no fighting technique is a serious handicap. But this very lack of technique makes Takemichi pretty unpredictable. 

As a result, an average fighter is unable to foresee what he will do next. His unpredictability gives him an upper hand in the fight, albeit temporarily.

3. Why is Takemichi considered weak?

Takemichi is certainly a fan-favorite character, but he isn’t overpowered like other shounen protagonists.

Fans consider Takemichi weak because he has barely won any physical fights by himself. His primary strategy for winning any battle is to endure all the hits until his stronger allies drop by to lend him a helping hand.

He can’t land any solid blows against his opponents either, since he lacks finesse. Moreover, he didn’t undergo any proper ‘training arc’ as such throughout the series, so the development of his physical strength remains quite static.

Consequently, Takemichi rarely plays the role of an active fighter. Instead, he’s usually spotted lying unconscious on the ground or in the hospital after getting beaten up thoroughly.

4. Does Takemichi get stronger in the manga?

Takemich’s performance in the battles of the first few arcs is lackluster. He barely evolves as a fighter until he starts training a little during the Black Dragon arc.

Towards the end of the manga, it’s evident that Takemichi has become a little stronger. He easily beats Kisaki in a one-on-one fight. During the Kanto Manji arc, he even knocks down the mighty Mikey with a single punch by using his time-travel abilities.

But both of these battles aren’t a testimonial of his strength. Kisaki isn’t a physically strong fighter either, so it’s not surprising that Takemichi managed to overwhelm him. 

Moreover, Mikey’s superior reflexes eventually tilt the scales in his favor, making Takemichi lose his temporary advantage.

In conclusion, Takemichi can overpower average fighters like Kiyomasa and Kisaki, but he can’t surpass the likes of strong fighters like Taiju.

5. About Tokyo Revengers

Tokyo Revengers is a manga written and illustrated by Ken Wakui. It began serialization in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine on March 1, 2017, and ended its run in November 2022. It is compiled into 31 tankobon volumes.

The story revolves around Takemichi Hanagaki, who learned that Tokyo Manji Gang had killed his only ex-girlfriend from back in middle school. After learning about the incident, Takemichi was pushed from the railway platform.

Landing on the tracks, he closed his eyes, accepting his death, but when he opened his eyes, he had time-leaped 12 years into the past.