Ayato Kirishima

Ayato Kirishima (霧嶋 絢都, Kirishima Ayato) is Touka Kirishima's younger brother. He grew up with his sister in the 20th ward but at some point in time, he left the district. According to Kazuichi Banjou, Ayato subsequently began to wander all the wards of Tokyo, bringing sheer wreckage and chaos upon them, until his unique powers and abilities caught Tatara’s eye. Ayato was therefore pulled into joining Aogiri Tree, where he is currently an Executive. Ayato bears a striking resemblance to his sister, and has a rough-looking, rebellious image, while normally displaying either a scowl or smirk on his face. He is a quite tall and lean young man, with blue eyes and long, blue messy hair which sweeps down in front of his eyes. He wears a hooded, long-sleeved black leather jacket, and black pants, along with knee-high black boots. Ayato also has a piercing on his left ear, and usually wears a ring on the pinky finger of his right hand.

An arrogant, brash teenager, with a similar hot-blooded attitude resembling his sister's. Other than his physicalities, he shares many similarities with Touka, such as his tendency to use language that is often coarse or inappropriate. He has a habit for kicking people over the simplest mistakes; such as when Kaneki failed to address him with the desired honorific, or when Banjou didn’t return his missed calls. However, he seems to be more harsh compared to his sister, but admits himself to be surprisingly nicer than his Aogiri superiors. He is a firm believer in the notion that ‘the weak perish and the strong survive,’ which was triggered by the death of his mother and father. Ayato bears deep grudges against his father, Arata, for abandoning him and Touka when they were young. Ayato has even stated that the whole reason for hating Kaneki was his resemblance to Arata. It was also pointed out by Kaneki that Ayato cares deeply for Touka subconsciously, as shown when he beat her down first rather than allowing her to suffer a slow, torturous death from Yamori. Ayato also seems to have a soft spot for rabbits. Ayato resided in the 20th ward with his sister Touka, under the care of their father, Arata. Arata lived his life like humans did; he usually took Ayato and Touka to the library to study, and even convinced them to eat food offered by humans; for he believed that ghouls should try to blend in with human society by adapting their behavioral patterns. Ayato however, supposed that it was solely a human’s world, and that ghouls weren’t “normal.” He and Touka also cared for a bird, where Ayato was shown to dislike earthworms and insects. One night before Arata set out on his regular scavenging routine, Ayato made a promise to him that he’d protect Touka whenever she was in trouble. After Arata never returned, Ayato assumed that his father had died by Ghoul Investigators finding and killing him. Touka and Ayato visited a woman named Satou to tell her of their father’s disappearance. She offered them human food, but when they refused, Satou stuffed the food in Ayato’s mouth, and so both siblings were sold out. They managed to escape as Touka used her kagune to kill the investigators.

Ayato is first seen at the Aogiri Hideout in the 11th ward, enraged by the fact that he sent Kazuichi Banjou on a mission to capture Rize Kamishiro, but doesn’t answer his phone calls. Ayato, thinking that Yakumo Oomori and Nico would capture Rize before him, visits the 20th ward, where he barges into Anteiku upon hearing Banjou telling Kaneki that he should run away from the incoming danger. He kicks Banjou in the arm, cracking his bones, and threatens to give him another beating. Ayato is suddenly faced with his elder sister Touka Kirishima, and when asked where he wandered off to after walking out of her life, Ayato says that he has been ‘studying the world,’ for he would never proclaim himself to be a ‘peaceful idiot.’ Ayato becomes disappointed when he sees Yamori at Anteiku as well, but when Nico points out that Kaneki is indeed the one that smells like Rize, Ayato co-operates with Yamori to capture Kaneki.   When Touka puts up a resistance by not wanting them to take Kaneki, she counters Yamori but is confronted by Ayato. Ayato, punching her in the face, compares Touka to their dead parents, calling her a ‘weakling.’ Touka thrusts her kagune at him, but he blocks the attack with one of his wings. With his own kagune activated, Ayato pledges to show her that ghouls are truly above humans. Ayato then beats her down effortlessly, subsequently ordering Banjou to stuff an unconscious Kaneki in a bag and head back to the 11th ward. When asked if they should take Touka as well, Ayato desists, saying that she would just weight them down. At the Hideout, Ayato is the first person to approach Kaneki when he wakes up. He orders Kaneki to follow him, but when Kaneki shows concern for Touka’s well-being, Ayato kicks him, telling him that he is not allowed to talk, and should be obedient at the slightest order he is given. Ayato then admits himself to be a ‘softy,’ in comparison to his superiors. He then takes Kaneki to a meeting to meet Tatara, but when Tatara refuses Kaneki, Ayato is told to do what he wanted with him. Ayato then locks Kaneki away in a room. Later on, during the CCG’s raid on the Aogiri Hideout, he is seen beside the Bin Brothers, battling the ghoul investigators.