Kagurabachi Reveals Its Biggest Villains, And They're Truly S-Tier

Warning: Contains spoilers for Kagurabachi chapter #117.In the wake of Shonen Jump losing one big name after another, the series that’s become its defining new-gen hit is, undoubtedly, Kagurabachi. While much of Kagurabachi’s fandom came from people liking it ironically over its perceived edginess and cliched writing, it wasn’t long before irony turned into sincerity as people fell in love with its gorgeous artwork and engaging storytelling, all of which quickly made it a worldwide phenomenon.

Takeru Hokazono's Kagurabachi has only gotten better with time, and its latest chapter is probably the best example yet. Following the conclusion of part 1, Kagurabachi entered a flashback arc detailing the events of the legendary Seitei War between Japan and Shokoku, and in Kagurabachi chapter #117, the arc has reached a major turning point as it gave fans the reveal they’ve been waiting years to see, and it was nothing short of perfection.

Kagurabachi's New Villains Are The Best The Story Has Ever Given Us

Ever since the early days of the Kagurabachi manga, not much was known about Shokoku aside from it being an island that appeared out of nowhere and that its people went to war with Japan over the datenseki, but all of that changed in Kagurabachi chapter #117. For starters, the origin of Shokoku was finally revealed: Shokoku was founded by the descendants of the Mikaboshi, the original ruling sorcerers of Japan, before the Soga clan exiled them, and they were living underwater until Japan started mining datenseki.

The people of Shokoku also made their first proper appearance, and not only do they have great designs that perfectly employ the manga’s use of black and white, especially with the man who’s all but stated to be their leader, but they also do a great job of establishing themselves as a major threat by killing most of the agents sent to meet with them and making ridiculously massive demands at the threat of force, all of which Japan had little means of stopping.

With every new reveal of how powerful and destructive the enchanted blades are, Shokoku needed to be absolute monsters to justify their existence, and Kagurabachi chapter #117 did exactly that by establishing them as highly intimidating villains with all the power and motivation to back up their actions. Add in their stellar character designs, and they’re already a top contender for some of the best villains in all of Kagurabachi, by far.

Kagurabachi Continues To Prove Why It's The Best New-Gen Manga

The long-awaited reveal of the people of Shokoku was great, and it’s further proof of why Kagurabachi is the best new-gen manga around. Despite its shaky beginnings, Kagurabachi creator Takeru Hokazono has always excelled at making his characters appealing just from a single appearance, especially his villains, and that’s on full display in chapter #117 with how perfect an introduction Shokoku was given after so much mystery surrounding them. Few other new-gen manga could do something like that, and with any luck, future chapters will be even better at using them.

The Seitei War arc is shaping up as not only the best in Kagurabachi, but also the arc that will forever define it as a manga, and that can only be stated in the most positive of ways. Everything great about Kagurabachi’s art and writing style is fully captured by the thrilling debut of the people of Shokoku, and if the rest of the arc has them live up to their potential, then there will be no denying Kagurabachi’s status as the best manga in Shonen Jump, right now.