Darling in the Franxx is an anime that began airing in the winter of 2018. With a grand worldview and setting, and plenty of foreshadowing, it is shrouded in mystery. Produced by a team of stellar staff and a major anime production company, it is a much-anticipated and talked-about work this season. At the heart of Darling in the Franxx are the children known as parasites. This time, we would like to focus on the parasites.
Children with a predetermined fate (parasites)!?
Parasites are pilots of Franxx, giant humanoid weapons piloted by a male and female pair, developed to repel Klaxosaurs that attack humans. They are created from adults and trained as Franxx pilots from childhood. Children are taught that "fighting the Klaxosaurs in a Franxx is an honor," and only those with the aptitude to pilot a Franxx are allowed to do so. Children deemed unsuitable are either disposed of or discharged from the city.
Parasites of the 13th City Unit
The parasites at the heart of the story unfold from the perspective of the parasites of the 13th City Unit. Unlike the parasites of other cities, the parasites gathered here have strong emotions and unique personalities. Dr. Franxx treats them as special, conducting experiments and monitoring them.
Hiro (Code:016)
The protagonist of this work. His real name is [FP40-T3NL-016]. He is called [Code:016] by adults. Due to an incident that occurred in his childhood, he lost the ability to pilot a Franxx, and he lives his days as a dropout, unable to find value in his existence. She trains daily, hoping to regain her powers and fight alongside her comrades one day.
As a child, unlike her current gloomy personality, she was very cheerful, active, and good at making friends with others, making her popular. Hiro was the one who first gave nicknames to other children, and she is also her godfather.
After meeting Zero Two, Hiro discovers he can pilot a Franxx. His encounter with her dramatically changes his destiny and sets the story in motion.
Ichigo (Code: 015)
A young girl who is the leader of the 13th City Unit. She has a strong sense of responsibility, keen observation skills, situational judgment, and accurate command skills, making her highly capable as a leader and parasite. However, when it comes to Hiro, she can sometimes lose sight of her surroundings and act selfishly. She pilots a Franxx as Goro's pistol.
She secretly harbors feelings for Hiro, who has lost his parasite powers, and is concerned about him. The hair clip was a gift from Hiro when she was a child.
She seems to dislike Zero Two for being Hiro's partner, and frequently clashes with her, who puts Hiro in danger. She is positioned as a rival heroine to Zero Two.
Even though Ichigo is such a serious and responsible character, her cute, girlish reactions are part of her charm.
Goro (Code: 056)
Goro is an excellent student, possessing parasite abilities, good judgment, observation skills, and consideration for his friends. He has known Hiro and Ichigo since childhood. He pilots a Franxx as Ichigo's stamen. She has listened to Hiro and Ichigo's troubles on several occasions and also acts as a consultant.
She secretly has feelings for Ichigo, but knowing Ichigo's feelings for Hiro, she watches over her from afar. She originally intended to give him the same hair clip as Hiro, but Hiro got there first, and she was unable to give it to him, and she still carries it with her. She also has a brave side.
Zorome (Code: 666)
His real name is FP40-T3NL-666. He is an active boy who speaks and acts reflexively rather than thinking. He has a stronger admiration for adults than any other parasite. He pilots a Franxx as Miku's Stamen.
She often gets into fights with Hiro, a partnerless underachiever. However, deep down, she cares deeply for her friends and often sheds tears for them. Due to his personality, he often charges into the enemy without thinking about his partner Miku, and they often fight, but the two get along very well and are considered to be the most stable pair in the 13th City Squad. They often perform well in battle.
Miku (Code:390)
A lively, honest, and cute girl. She can sometimes show a selfish and assertive side. She pilots the Franxx as Zorome's Pistil.
Though Zorome and Zorome's personalities may seem like the worst match, that's not the case. They respect each other as important partners. They often fight, but otherwise there are no problems. In fact, she has a strong inner self and is sensible.
Mitsuru (Code: 326)
His real name is FP40-T3NL-326. He is very calm and doesn't show his emotions. However, he can be very harsh, and his friends sometimes stop him. He piloted the Franxx as Ikuno's stamen, but their compatibility deteriorated midway, and he was replaced by Kokoro.
As a child, he was very sickly and idolized Hiro. He dreamed of fighting alongside Hiro in a Franxx when he grew up, and promised him that they would do so together. However, Mitsuru's abilities as a parasite were weak, so he received an elixir injection to enhance his abilities. However, his personality also changed, resulting in his current personality.
Even after his personality changed, Mitsuru still remembered his promise with Hiro. However, something that happened to Hiro caused Hiro to forget his promise. Mitsuru resented and envied Hiro.
Kokoro (Code: 556)
A gentle and kind girl. She loves caring for flowers and is often found in the garden. She piloted the Franxx as Futoshi's Pistil, but after thinking about Mitsuru's suffering, she volunteered to become his partner and take over.
Although she is shy and unable to express her opinions in public, her curiosity is strong and she sometimes takes action, such as walking alone into dangerous abandoned villages.
Futoshi (Code: 214)
A chubby boy who is always eating. He has a friendly personality and can easily become friends with anyone. He piloted the Franxx as Kokoro's stamen, but after Kokoro volunteered to be Mitsuru's partner, he teamed up with Ikuno.
She cares about Kokoro more than anyone else, and has even clashed with Mitsuru for her sake. Despite her laid-back and optimistic appearance, she also possesses a solid sense of common sense.
Ikuno (Code: 196)
He is calm and collected, and doesn't show his emotions. He shares a personality similar to Mitsuru's. His hobby is reading. He piloted the Franxx as Mitsuru's Pistil, but was later paired with Futoshi.
His compatibility with Mitsuru isn't particularly good. They only communicate with each other as necessary and don't interfere with each other. However, after switching partners with Futoshi, he regained his original abilities and improved his combat abilities.
Parasites of the Elite Unit 9's
The 9's is an elite parasite unit, and this unit includes the main heroine, Zero Two. As an elite unit, their combat abilities are exceptional. Not only are their parasite abilities superior, but their physical abilities are also superior to those of ordinary humans. This mysterious unit possesses a wealth of secret information.
Zero Two (Code: 002)
The main heroine of this series. The parasites of the 9's call her 9'ι (Nine Iota). Although he has a human-like appearance, he has horns growing from his head and is an alien race with blue blood. As a parasite, he boasts top-class fighting strength and can easily defeat a Klaxosaur. However, he ages his partner with each battle, and will kill them after three battles in a row, earning him the nickname "Partner Killer." He is unconventional and has strong likes and dislikes, but shows an innocent side to those he trusts. He hates being bound by rules and often disobeys orders and acts selfishly.
As a child, she had red skin and large horns. Because of her race, she was repeatedly subjected to inhumane biological experiments by humans. Then she met Hiro and escaped from the facility.
After meeting Hiro, she took a liking to him, and together they rode a Franxx to repel the Klaxosaurs. Since then, she has called Hiro "darling."
9'α (Nine Alpha)
The leader of the 9's. A handsome boy with blonde hair and a smile. He sometimes calls Zero Two a "monster in human skin." He sometimes speaks cryptic lines, suggesting he knows the truth about this world. His true identity is still shrouded in mystery.
When piloting a Franxx, the horns on its head suggest it's not human. Also, it often refers to the 13 City Units as humans. Does this suggest it's something different from normal humans?
9'β (Nine Beta)
She is characterized by her light blue hair that covers one eye. Not much has been revealed about her yet.
9'γ (Nine Gamma)
She is characterized by her crimson hair. Not much has been revealed about her yet.
9'δ (Nine Delta)
She is characterized by her yellow-green bob hair. She pairs up with Epsilon to pilot the Franxx.
9'ε (Nine Epsilon)
She is tall and distinguished by her purple hair. She pairs up with Delta to pilot the Franxx.
9'ζ (Nine Zeta)
She has long silver hair and wears a mask. She is paired with Alpha. Two individuals with the same appearance have been confirmed, but details are unknown.
26th City Unit Parasites
13th City Unit: Surprisingly, there are cities and parasites other than the 13th City Unit. However, there are no beings with the diverse personalities and ways of thinking of the 13th City Unit's parasites.
090
A boy who is the leader of the 26th City Unit. In a previous battle, Zero Two ignored orders, causing the unit to become isolated and resulting in the loss of his comrades. He refuses to fight alongside Zero Two. In a subsequent battle, he was ordered by adults to commit suicide, resulting in his death.
Other Parasites
Naomi (Code: 703)
A girl who was Hiro's partner. After Hiro lost his parasite abilities, she was retrained and returned to the training center. She came into contact with a Klaxosaur on the way and has been missing ever since.
081
Zero Two's partner before she met Hiro. Her body was already in tatters, and she lost her life in their third battle.
Parasites Prepared for Zero Two
Although fighting Zero Two three times would result in death, the parasites, who were taught that fighting a Klaxosaur is an honor, are proud to be able to fight Zero Two, leading to many volunteers.
Parasites in Other Cities
There are also various other cities, each with its own parasite deployment, but the details are unknown. Currently, the cities that have been confirmed include the 6th City Unit, 28th City Unit, 70th City Unit, 91st City Unit, 100th City Unit, and 111th City Unit.
Summary of the Children with Predetermined Fates (Parasites)
This time, I focused on the parasites. Since the parasites of the 13th City Unit are at the heart of the story, I think it will be even more interesting if you consider each individual's personality, worries, and circumstances. That's all. Thank you for reading.
