What happens to Kisaki Tetta in Tokyo Revengers? Does he die?

Throughout Tokyo Revengers, Kisaki has been directly and indirectly responsible for more than half of the deaths in the series.

And if you have seen season 2 of the anime, we both know the guy is just waiting to be punched. Alas, our protagonist often disappoints us whenever we hope for his success.

Unlike other antagonists in the world of anime, Kisaki uses his manipulation skills to achieve goals. And our dumb Mitchy is always one step behind his rival. Well, thankfully, that’s not how the story ends.

Kisaki Tetta dies in chapter 185 of the Tokyo Revengers manga at the end of the Tenjiku arc. In the chapter, he’s chasing Takemichi through the streets of Tokyo after a quick brawl. In the end, he suddenly stops in the middle of a road and is fatally wounded after being hit by a truck.

I am not a pacifist, but I can tell you it was a BIG sigh of relief. The end of the chapter felt like Nina’s dad from Fullmetal Alchemist finally got his due.

For my anime-viewing readers, this will happen sometime at the end of season 3 or the beginning of season 4.

However, his death led to a bigger issue until the end of the manga: Will Takemichi leap through time again? And will Kisaki return?

How did Kisaki Tetta die in Tokyo Revengers?

In a surprising twist of fate, Kisaki dies in an accident in chapter 185, just after Takemichi’s 17th time leap at the end of the Tenjiku arc.

In chapter 183, Kisaki reveals his past and explains why he keeps on killing Hina in every timeline again and again. He also lies that he’s a time traveler, like Takemichi.

During this moment of emotional weakness, Takemichi takes the gun from Kisaki and tries to shoot him in the head. However, Mitchy is stopped by Mikey and Hina before he can pull the trigger.

In chapter 184, Kisaki uses this opportunity to run away, vowing to make a new plan for his goals. This leads to a chase in chapter 184 and for the better part of chapter 185.

Ultimately, Takemichi shouts that he won’t let Kisaki travel back in time. Shocked by Takemichi’s words, Kisaki stops in the middle of the road to confront his rival but gets hit by a truck before he can do anything.

Can Kisaki time travel?

I won’t lie; I was taken aback when Kisaki lied about his time-traveling capabilities. This was honestly our worst nightmare. Imagine having a losing protagonist and an antagonist with shonen-Naruto-level powers.

Luckily, it was a lie.

Kisaki Tetta cannot travel through time like Takemichi and Shinichiro Sano. Instead, he was a prodigy who made all the plans, manipulated everyone throughout different timelines, and achieved his goals almost every time. 

This made Kisaki even more terrifying because he was practically undefeated until the final time leap. His intelligence beat the likes of Baji, Draken, and a time-traveling Takemichi.

Why did Kisaki betray Takemichi?

Tetta Kisaki wasn’t born evil. Rather, his past triggered him to turn into a murderer.

Kisaki’s classmates used to shun him because he was too intelligent. But Hina, who studied in the same cram school, befriended him without bias.

However, when she gets bullied one day, he doesn’t help her and runs away. Takemichi saves her instead, and Hina starts to fall for him.

In Tokyo Revengers, Kisaki resents that Hina chose Takemichi over him, and he hates Mitchy for stealing Hina from him. This resentment gradually turns him evil, and Kisaki betrays Takemichi throughout his time leaps.

Does Kisaki return in Tokyo Revengers?

We don’t see Kisaki again after his death during the 17th time leap until the final timeline.

Kisaki Tetta returns in the Tokyo Revengers finale alongside everyone else in the series. In the final leap, Takemichi travels farther back in time and befriends Kisaki, thereby stopping the latter from becoming evil. Takemichi finally saves everyone by establishing Toman with young Mikey and Kisaki.

Mitchy ultimately realizes that he must stop Kisaki from becoming an obsessive killing machine to save Hina and his loved ones. 

In the final timeline, his companionship changes Kisaki’s character. Tetta is no longer bitter over Hina and Takemichi’s relationship in the new timeline.

He established the TK&KO group with Hajime Kokonoi several years later. In chapter 278, Kisaki attends Takemichi and Hina’s wedding. And even though he looks unhappy about their union, he’s neither bitter nor evil.

Kisaki’s Life and Crimes in Each Timeline

Kisaki’s fate differs vastly in every timeline. In some timelines, his devious schemes are successful. Meanwhile, in other timelines, he fails or even dies.

1. Original timeline

Kisaki is the acting leader of Toman in the first timeline. We don’t know much about Kisaki in the first timeline. 

Kisaki might be the true culprit behind Takemichi’s attempted murder as well since Akkun is his lackey. Akkun pushed Takemichi in front of the tracks on Kisaki’s orders.

2. 9th time leap

Kisaki officially becomes a part of Toman by becoming the Third Division Captain. But it’s revealed later that he is Valhalla’s leader, and he merely joined Toman to manipulate Mikey.

He climbs the ranks and becomes Toman’s second-in-command since he rescues Mikey from getting arrested for Kazutora’s murder.

3. 12th time leap

Kisaki remains a bigwig in Toman. But this time, Takemichi is his ally. He uses the corrupt Takemichi of this timeline to kill Hina.

He kills Chifuyu for spying on him and also attempts to kill Takemichi.

4. 13th time leap

Kisaki loses his position in Toman during the 13th time leap. Mikey fires Kisaki during the Black Dragon arc after Chifuyu informs him of his betrayal. His dismissal from the gang triggers Mikey to kill all the Toman members in the future.

5. 17th time leap

Kisaki is finally defeated in this time leap. While it was ultimately an accident, Takemichi finally gets rid of his archrival. But, as you already know, that wasn’t the end.

6. Final Timeline

In the series finale, Kisaki Tetta returns with every other character leading to a perfectly executed happy ending. One could argue that the time leap explanation was an ass-pull on the author’s part, but I disagree. The entire series is about time travel!!!

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.