Shotaro Kaneda

Shotaro Kaneda (Japanese: 金田 正太郎, Hepburn: Kaneda Shōtarō) is the main protagonist of Akira, a manga written by Katsuhiro Otomo. He is an antiheroic, brash, carefree delinquent and the leader of a motorcycle gang. Kaneda is best friends with Tetsuo, a member who he has known since childhood, but their friendship was ruined after Tetsuo gained and abused his psychic powers. He becomes involved with the terrorist resistance movement and forms an attraction for their member Kei, which eventually develops into a strong romantic bond between the two. Kaneda eventually takes it upon himself to fight Tetsuo before he continues killing other people.

The character was voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in Japanese while Cam Clarke and Johnny Yong Bosch replaced him for the two English dubs. Despite mixed commentary about Kaneda's antagonistic relationship with Tetsuo, his role in the story was praised for irony of a delinquent becoming a hero the world needs. His character was the subject of studies by several writers about how he represents the bōsōzoku counterculture involving criminal youth who still managed a strong connection as represented in the movie's climax when the two enemies try to save each other. Kaneda's bike and actions with it became one of the most iconic scenes in anime history which resulted in references in other works.