Are you wondering who is the Slasher in Durarara? And what are his motives? Read on to find out everything you need to know about this heinous killer.
The Slasher debuted in the 5th episode of the anime Durarara!! and in chapter 6 of volume 2 in the manga series.
We see a lot of conversations in the Chat Room surrounding the slashings in Ikebukuro because they instill fear in the people who hear about them. Who is the Slasher and what is its purpose?
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Who Is The Slasher In Durarara?
Presence in the Chat Room and attacks on residents
The members of the Chat Room realize that a new user going by the name Saika is sending spam messages whereby the user professes love for all humanity.
The user uses ‘we’ in its communication showing that a group of people is using the platform to get their message across. What comes off as odd is their desire to find someone who is naturally very strong.
As everyone in the town knows, the strongest is Shizuo, they know he is the person Saika is looking for. Celty, Mikado, and Izaya are the users who log in after Saika logs off and they discuss this new user. Izaya informs both about a demonic blade.
Celty is attacked by an unknown entity when she confronts a man who stole the money. She is hurt in the arm area with a blade that injures her.
The assailant fails to cause more harm as Celty is headless and the assailant’s main purpose was to behead her. As Celty is a Dullahan, it takes her by surprise because she couldn’t sense this entity coming so close to her and hurting her.
Other residents of Ikebukuro are also attacked by the unknown entity and this causes fear to spread across the town as no one has a clue about what is happening.
It causes rising tension among the various gangs and they are ready to fight each other because they think the other group is responsible for these gruesome attacks.
What is the role of the Slasher in Durarara?
In the anime series Durarara, the slasher is undoubtedly the most enigmatic and mysterious character of all.
Durarara takes place in the year 2023, and revolves around the supernatural occurrences in an organization called the Dollars, which may or may not be related to the frequent attacks of a mysterious slasher.
Despite its extraordinary power, this mysterious slasher hasn’t revealed its identity yet, and its main goal remains shrouded in mystery.
Aside from their power, the slasher seems to take a keen interest in Tokyo’s local politics and often influences events that are occurring in the city.
Since the slasher’s introduction in the series, it has become the go-to boogeyman of Tokyo. Skeleton masks have been found in its wake, warning of an even greater power.
As the public grows more disturbed, many have come to suspect the slasher is more than just an urban legend and could be a spirit, a shapeshifting entity, or even a god.
This mysterious slasher has also managed to leave its mark on the lives of the main characters in the series, often turning the tide of events in their favor in some way.
Whether it’s warning them of a fight they are about to get into or intervening in a conflict they’re not ready to face on their own, they have encountered numerous times a mysterious dark figure with unknown powers.
These enigmatic encounters have made it almost certain that this slasher is in fact very real. Though their identity and motives remain a mystery, their influence on the lives of the main characters cannot be denied.
As the story progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that the slasher’s presence will have a grand impact on the future of Tokyo and beyond.
Many questions remain unanswered about the slasher, but one thing is for sure: its role in the series is paramount to pushing the story forward.
With every arc, the mystery of the slasher’s identity and powers continues to deepen, enticing both longtime fans and new viewers alike to the thrilling world of Durarara 2023.
How Saika and Slasher are related
Saika is an entity that is part of a sword. Its obsessive love towards humanity makes it want to cut people and then possess those people instantly after being cut.
Saika’s motivations are far from nice because it just wants to overpower humanity and use humans as mere puppets. The possessed individual is eventually turned insane because he has no option but to listen to every single command that the Saika gives.
The Saika gets into the head of the wielder and turns their eyes red. Humans look and act like zombies when they are possessed by Saika and they get physically stronger as a result of the possession.
A Saika works like an infection because it affects anyone who is cut by it and eventually gets hold of them completely.
The Saika can be wielded by anyone and a Slasher is a name given to anyone who wields the Saika to slash others. Saika’s other name is Slasher because it is the entity in the Saika that turns someone into a Slasher.
Saika is known as Mother by Saika’s children. Saika’s children are simply those who are possessed by the entity after being cut by the original blade or Saika.
For example, Haruna was cut by a Saika daughter blade and she wielded a blade that wasn’t the original Saika. The blade she wielded became Saika’s daughter’s blade.
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Saika’s Wielders
For a long time, we are led to believe that Haruna is the Slasher and she kind of is because she is the one responsible for the many slashings across town.
However, eventually, we find out that the blade she owns is one of Saika’s children and not the original Saika. Anri Sonohara is the current host of Saika. In the police report, Anri mentioned that a thief killed both her parents.
But in reality, something else transpired altogether. Anri’s abusive father tried to strangle Anri to death when his wife Sayaka (Anri’s mother) decapitated him suddenly to save her daughter. Sayaka then killed herself instantly.
Anri didn’t know about the power of the Saika and accidentally touched it after her mother killed herself thereby unknowingly becoming the new wielder of the original Saika.
She was the one who attacked Celty although the latter shows no remorse after finding out about the attack. Anri is able to hide the fact that she is a Slasher because she can easily control the blade.
After her parents’ death, Anri doesn’t feel anything because the trauma was too much for her to handle. She was just a child at that time.
As Anri feels she is incapable of loving anyone, she can control Saika with ease because Anri doesn’t feel love unlike Saika whose twisted theory of love is too extreme.
Kasane Kujiragi is the original wielder of Saika and Shinra gets the Saika from her. Shinra Kishitani loves Celty (a non-human) and so even though he wields Saika, he isn’t possessed by its powers because he is emotionally strong.
Shinra mentions that he will return the Saika to the original wielder because it belongs to her. Takashi Nasujima is also able to resist getting possessed by Saika.
The others, who are residents of the town, get slashed by the Saika (which Haruna had) and join the Saika Army. As Haruna goes on a rampage across town, she manages to slash many people who become part of the Saika Army.
The Saika is an interesting concept in Durarara!! and the creators of the series brought an intriguing story with the help of Saika, Saika’s daughter blades, and Saika’s Army. What do you think of Saika? Did the real identity of the Slasher take you by surprise?
What are Saika’s powers in Durarara anime?
Durarara 2023 is an anime series that follows the mysterious events happening in Ikebukuro, Japan, in the year 2023.
The series revolves around a group of characters – including legendary gangsters, an Information broker, and more – attempting to unravel the secrets behind the mysterious slasher, Saika.
Saika is a strange entity that exists in the world of Durarara. It doesn’t quite conform to the usual definition of a human being, but it is commonly referred to as a “Slasher” due to its ability to enter into the minds of humans and influence their decisions.
Saika is often depicted as a small figure with a butterfly mask or two blades, and its power is steadily increasing throughout the series.
So what are Saika’s powers in the anime, specifically? It is capable of entering people’s minds and shaping their emotions and thoughts.
It can even modify memories and change an individual’s will, which is why it can control people by forcing them to act with violence or loyalty.
Furthermore, Saika can possess and manipulate objects, such as blades, to defend itself from harm.
But perhaps the most powerful ability of Saika is its ability to create an artificial reality based on a person’s inner desires.
This apparent “dream world” can be incredibly powerful, able to give the user superhuman strength and speed, while also granting the ability to create dangerous illusions.
If the illusion is seen through completely, the person granted the power will have ultimate control over their destiny.
Finally, Saika can even grant immortality to those who have managed to completely control it. It will remain by the side of its master, not aging or fading away until it’s summoned again. This immortality can even be passed on to others, as well as Saika’s master.
Saika’s powers are truly immense,to the point of virtually controlling the fate of everyone living in Ikebukuro. It’s no wonder why so many powerful and dangerous individuals are after it, as it’s undoubtedly one of the most valuable artifacts in the anime.
But if Saika is used for the wrong purposes, then no amount of power can protect it – or the people it corrupts – from destruction.
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