Yoshikage Kira is a man that is fine with being average, ordinary, and unexceptional. Being anything other than average would bring Kira attention, which is a problem that he would like to avoid at all cost. This way of thinking may be confusing to some because although most would like to excel in whatever they do, it is clear that although Kira could be number one, he chooses not to be. If he were to bring attention to himself, it would increase the likelihood of someone finding out about his secret life. Kira is an average office employee that always makes sure to get eight hours of sleep each night, but he is also a serial killer. On the surface of Kira’s character, one could think of him as a background character and in truth, he is a background character. Why would anyone pay attention to Kira if he is not exceptional in anything? That is why Kira avoids being above average in anything: to avoid the chances of someone paying attention to him.
The Build of Yoshikage Kira
It must be emphasized that Yoshikage Kira is choosing to be perceived as average on purpose. Being perceived as average allows him to slip through the public’s eye and is crucial for his killings. In truth, Kira is a psychopathic serial killer living a double life as an average person. Kira plans out how to be perceived as average, serving as evidence that his mundane life is just a singular side to himself. Kira stops at nothing to preserve his double life by destroying evidence and killing innocent people including killing a 13-year-old boy. One may think that Kira is killing whoever but that is not the case. Kira is a meticulous, apathetic, and logical killer who kills those that know about his true identity. Kira does not kill for a rush or any reason but one. Kira has an obsessive fetish for women’s hands. Kira kills and disposes of his victims, only keeping the severed hand and does so to fulfill his sexual desires. All his planning and meticulous thought process is dedicated towards satisfying his lustful urges. While being meticulous and logical, Kira also makes sure to keep his ego in check making sure to never be over-confident in himself or underestimate his problems.
The Structure of His Life
For years, Yoshikage Kira was able to go undetected by the law and by the public. Following his meticulous plans and always doing the logical thing, Yoshikage Kira was able to continue for years without being disturbed or worried. Kira was living an average life like he wanted, was able to continue his murders, and was able to satisfy his urges with no problem. Kira was happy. As long as Kira was able to continue his routine and sleep eight hours a night, he had no reason to change because he was happy. Kira was able to do as he pleased as long as he could present his double life as an office worker as unimportant. Kira spent years being seen average and perfecting his way of killing that to the community, it seemed as if nobody was committing these crimes and that the victim just vanished into thin air.
Beginning to See the Cracks
Kira’s downfall began as a mere mix up with another character named Shigechi, the aforementioned 13-year-old boy, simply mistaking Kira’s food bag to be his own. This incident led to the death of Shigechi. Before Shigechi’s death, in a last-ditch effort, Shigechi was able to let his friends know that he was being attacked. This was the first crack in the perfect killing structure that Yoshikage Kira had built. Shigechi’s friends had nothing but a button from the suit Yoshikage Kira was wearing to find the killer. Eventually, Shigechi’s friends were able to catch up to Yoshikage Kira and confront him about what he had done. This would be the first time Kira’s simple life and psychopathic life would collide with one another. Kira is confronted in the open public, putting him in the spotlight and fracturing his “average” life. Kira is cornered and begins making more rash decisions, which leads to him having to make a choice: run away and disguise himself, temporarily abandoning his psychopathic life, or fight against Shigechi’s friends. Kira chooses the option to disguise himself and temporarily abandon his psychopathic life. At this point, it is clear that the simple “average” life Kira lives is solely the mask for the psychopathic killer life he lives
The Downfall
For some time, Kira is able to hide away with a family after killing and taking the identity of the father. The family was already falling apart so Kira was able to slip-in with ease, only arousing the suspicion of the child, Hayato. Kira’s whole lifestyle has been flipped with Kira having to lay low and having to adjust to a whole new “average” life. Kira’s apathy is highlighted in this part, with Kira showing just how little he cares for the family he has forever changed. The only time Kira ever gives the father of the family a second thought is when he thinks about how easy it was to impersonate him. Since the beginning of Kira’s serial killing life and “average” life, he has always made sure to never be overconfident in his ability. The only reason Shigechi’s friends have not be able to locate Kira is because of how meticulously he has been doing everything since joining the family. While living his new double life, Kira comes up with a plan to get rid of Shigechi’s friends and for the first time, begins to let his ego get to him. Kira lets his ego get the best of him, and while fighting with Shigechi’s friends, is outsmarted and, in an unrelated accident, Kira dies.
The Rubbles Left in the Aftermath
It is undeniable that Kira’s double life was the “average” life he lived with his real life being the apathetic, lustful, killer life. In total, Kira murdered around 48 women in his life and believed that as long as he had his double life, he would be untouchable. Kira is a perfect example of the “hiding in plain sight” idiom. The way Kira lived, using his double life as a shield from the public eye, would have gone unaccounted if not for Shigechi and his friends.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Directed by Naokatsu Tsuda and Toshiyuki Kato, Viz Media, 2016.