Kureto Hiragi is a minor character in the first season of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign anime. However, by the second season, he’s become the primary antagonist of the anime. He is the leader of the Hīragi Family and the Lieutenant General of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army.
He shows little to no redeeming qualities in the anime, which is why fans often hate him more than the actual villains in the series – the vampires. Despite all the hate, he is a very talked-about character from the manga and light novel series, and facts surrounding him can be found below.
10 He Has A Weird Sense Of Loyalty
There is no denying Kureto is a shrewd, cunning, and manipulative man. He only has value for his comrades until they help him attain his goal.
Beyond that, he has no use for them, and it’s been shown multiple times that he lets his people die on the battlefield. Despite that, he expects all his subordinates to blindly obey him and be loyal to him.
9 He Dreams Of A Vampire Free World
Just like Guren’s one true dream is to topple the Hiragi family, Kureto dreams of a world where vampires have been eradicated (more specifically, by him).
He aims to unite all small factions of humans and rule over them, and when Guren heard these plans, he commented that this was "something a kid would make up."
8 His Brother Seishiro Hiragi Disgusts Him
Kureto is someone who wishes for unlimited power, so it is not surprising to see him respect those who have as much power as him.
He also respects those who sacrifice themselves for their beliefs, which is why when his brother Seishiro fails in a mission, Kureto says to his face that he is disgusted by him.
7 He Believes In Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a belief that follows the path of maximum happiness. Within itself, it has many branches, and Kureto’s utilitarianism focuses on maximum happiness, without caring who gets hurt in the way to achieve that happiness.
He has no issues killing innocent people if it means ultimately saving the lives of more innocent people, and this belief was shown when he willingly sacrificed his own soldiers in order to revive the Seraph.
6 He’s Willing To Die For His Beliefs
Unlike most other cruel leaders fans get to see in shounen manga, Kureto is not a coward. He truly believes in his goal of a vampire-free world, and he’s willing to sacrifice himself if it means being one step closer to his goal.
This is shown when he’s willing to die in order to kill Mahiru, and when he tells Guren that if he cannot be saved, then he (Guren) should kill him.
5 He Has Shown Surprising Tolerance Towards Guren
Kureto has had many reasons and opportunities to dislike Guren, right from his low ranking family to his feelings for Mahiru, from his cocky attitude to his huge amount of secrets.
Guren even failed to kill Mahiru, and yet a perfectionist like Kureto commented that Guren had done a satisfying job.
4 He Is Shown To Be Kind At Times
Most people would think that with Kureto’s cruel and manipulative behavior, he possesses a heart of stone, but they couldn’t be more wrong. In his own way, Kureto has consistently shown kindness to Guren (like sparing the life of his squad) or giving Aoi an encouraging smile when she’s hurt on the battlefield.
He also helps her reattach her cut off a leg, getting blood on his hands (literally) for her sake.
3 He Once Ordered Shinya To Kill Guren
This happens in 2012 in the manga. Kureto orders Shinya to murder Guren, and despite Shinya asking for an explanation for such an order, Kureto doesn’t reveal anything.
Shinya does end up following Kureto’s orders, but he was obviously unsuccessful, as a result of which he is suspected by Kureto to be a spy for the Thousand Nights.
2 He Pretended To Hurt Shinoa
When Kureto initially suspects Guren to be a spy, he tells him that the organization’s messenger was killed. Little Shinoa was present in the room, all tied up, and Guren remarked she did not have to witness any bloodshed.
However, when the interrogation was over, it was revealed that Shinoa was on his side and that he’d never genuinely hurt her.
1 He Consistently Performs Experiments On Vampires
This is shown to fans in the Nagoya Arc. When Kureto and Guren are having a discussion about Shinoa’s squad, one can see vampires bound in the background.
They were the results of failed experiments by Kureto, who wanted to turn them into demons but was unable to do so.