Soushirou Hoshina

Few people in the Defense Force expect much from Hoshina at first glance. He jokes constantly, rarely seems to take danger seriously, and carries himself more like someone on a relaxed afternoon walk than a soldier facing monsters. That casual surface, though, covers one of the deadliest sword fighters in the entire organization, someone who trusts a blade over the heavy Numbers weapons most of his colleagues depend on.

His skill did not come from nowhere. Generations of his relatives fought and killed kaiju long before the modern Defense Force existed, stretching back hundreds of years to an era when samurai still ruled Japan's battlefields. That inherited swordsmanship, passed down through his family line, now makes him one of the strongest fighters protecting the country.

Hoshina takes mentoring seriously too, training newer fighters such as Kafka Hibino at an old shrine built to honor legendary kaiju slayers from centuries past. Their training sessions, and a memorable sparring match between the two, help Kafka grow stronger, and Hoshina's easy confidence under pressure becomes a steadying presence for the whole team whenever a real kaiju threat appears.