Summary

  • The "Owl" code name originated with the One-Eyed Owl, Yoshimura, who covers up his daughter's horrific behavior.
  • Eto Yoshimura, the miraculous daughter of Yoshimura, is the most infamous "Owl" character, with immense strength and criminal activity.
  • Seidou Takizawa and Amon Koutarou are also Owls in Tokyo Ghoul, with both characters going through their own transformations and alliances.

There are countless ghouls in Tokyo Ghoul, but the most powerful of these dangerous entities receive unique code names. Ken Kaneki is known as "Eyepatch," Touka Kirishima is "Rabbit," and Renji Yomo is "Raven." However, several characters throughout the series have the code name "Owl," which sounds incredibly confusing at first. That said, the term apparently originated with their unique kakuja, which supposedly took on an Owl-like appearance.

In fact, the name began as a title for the infamous One-Eyed Owl, one of the most dangerous ghouls in the popular anime/manga series. It's then revealed there is a second Owl impersonating the One-Eyed Owl. When this character is used to manufacture artificial ghouls, that creates two more. Only the first two Owls in Tokyo Ghoul are officially ranked as SSS ghouls, but the latter two are nearly as powerful.

Updated on January 22, 2024, by Timothy Blake Donohoo: Tokyo Ghoul remains a fairly successful anime and manga franchise, with the latter medium in particular seeing it as a sort of predecessor to the current "dark trio of shonen." The series involved several interesting and unique concepts. This included characters named "Owl," though this was one of several ideas that also confused fans. Now, the series' creator may be working on a new anime, so fans both new and old will want to be caught up in the franchise's concepts.

Yoshimura Is The Non-Killing Owl

Split panel showing Yoshimura in human form vs ghoul form

Yoshimura/The Non-Killing Owl

Manga Debut

Anime Debut

"Tragedy" (Volume 1, Chapter 1)

"Tragedy" (Episode 1)

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The first Tokyo Ghoul Owl is Yoshimura. He is the manager and owner of Anteiku, the café where Kaneki works in Tokyo Ghoul. In the past, he was a lonely ghoul named "Kuzen" who fell in love with a human named Ukina. He is initially called the One-Eyed Owl but that title actually belongs to his half-ghoul daughter. Yoshimura poses as the One-Eyed Owl to cover up her horrific behavior, as he feels responsible for having abandoned her as a child. Yoshimura is a pacifist in his old age, fostering a community of non-killing ghouls within Anteiku's walls.

After the CCG defeat him in the Owl Suppression Operation and realize there were two Owls all along, Yoshimura is renamed the Non-Killing Owl. He is also the source of the "Owl" Quinque, which was made from the part of his body torn out by Kishou Arima. Owl is the only Quinque to receive an SSS rating. Harvested for his kakuhou and used to create artificial One-Eyed Ghouls, Yoshimura is probably still alive in some abstract, vegetative state. The first of the Tokyo Ghoul Owls is one of the many plot points left unresolved in the series, which unfortunately ended a little prematurely.

Eto Yoshimura Is The One-Eyed Owl

Eto Yoshimura/One-Eyed Owl

Manga Debut

Anime Debut

"Aogiri" (Volume 6, Chapter 54)

"Aogiri" (Episode 10)

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In Tokyo Ghoul, Eto Yoshimura is the most infamous "Owl" character. One of the most powerful ghouls ever, Eto is the miraculous daughter of Yoshimura and Ukina, conceived against all odds. Unfortunately, she grows up hating the world. She founds and commands the Aogiri Tree terrorist group, an antagonistic force present throughout the series. Her criminal activity and immense strength grant her an SSS rating under the "One-Eyed Owl" title. Yoshimura boasts a range of unique powers and abilities, explaining why it's practically impossible to defeat her in a one-on-one battle.

Besides being the One-Eyed Owl, Eto is also a famous novelist under the name Sen Takatsuki. While she is occasionally hedonistic and sadistic, Eto has a noble goal of creating a ghoul-friendly future, occasionally assisting main character Ken Kaneki in the process. Unfortunately, she is defeated by Furuta Nimura and left to die. Due to her striking design and charismatic personality, Eto is a fan-favorite character. Despite her "death," Eto reappears as the Taxidermied Owl at the end of Tokyo Ghoul. In this state, her zombified body is controlled by the villainous Donato Porpora. The gruesome nature of this fate is an example of the brutality that saw Tokyo Ghoul banned in some countries. Eto eventually breaks free, but it's unclear what becomes of the One-Eyed Owl after the final fight.

Seidou Takizawa Is T-OWL/Owl

Split panel showing Seido Takizawa in human form vs ghoul form

Seidou Takizaqa/T-OWL/Owl

Manga Debut

Anime Debut

"Ear Bone" (Volume 5, Chapter 48)

"Birdcage" (Episode 9)

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Known as T-OWL, Seidou Takizawa is both a version of the Owl in Tokyo Ghoul and a low-ranking CCG investigator, where he has a close relationship with Amon Koutarou and Akira Mado. Along with Amon, he is defeated in the Owl Suppression Operation and presumed dead by the CCG. In reality, he was captured by Aogiri and experimented on by Kanou, who seeks to create a "new Kaneki" using Yoshimura's kakuhou. That means torturing the young, ghoulified investigator until his hair turns white. Most of his fellow test subjects are failures, but Takizawa becomes the first successful One-Eyed Ghoul using Yoshimura's kakuhou, which grants him an ukaku kagune.

As a member of Aogiri, he is known simply (and confusingly) as "Owl." Takizawa goes on bloodthirsty murder sprees under the organization's command. On a bittersweet note, he eventually rebels against the Aogiri Tree and restores his relationship with Amon and Akira. After this unexpected reformation, Takizawa also joins Ken Kaneki's Goat organization. The final chapter reveals that Takizawa disappeared after the Dragon War, but there are rumors that he now acts as a vigilante fighting troublesome ghouls. Unlike Kaneki, Takizawa never manages to overcome his trauma, but that doesn't stop him from seeking justice.

Amon Koutarou Is A-OWL/Floppy

Split panel showing Amon Koutarou in human form vs ghoul form

Amon Koutarou/A-OWL/Floppy

Manga Debut

Anime Debut

"Antique" (Volume 2, Chapter 10)

"Incubation" (Episode 2)

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Known as A-OWL, Amon Koutarou is an important character in the story, even compared to other Tokyo Ghoul Owls. His black-and-white, anti-ghoul view of the world matures alongside Ken Kaneki's own philosophy. After a climactic duel with the Tokyo Ghoul protagonist, Amon's half-dead body is snatched by Aogiri during the Ghoul Suppression Operation. Unlike Takizawa, Amon is a failed specimen known as "Floppy." That being said, he is still capable of creating a formidable owl-like kakuja. Although his ukaku kakuja can shoot enormous missiles at his opponents, Amon frequently relies on his impressive quinque skills.

After saving Takizawa and Mado, Amon is defeated by the Quinx squad and winds up in a CCG laboratory. He goes berserk upon running into Kaneki and other members of Goat, but Takizawa is able to save him. Amon coordinates with Hide, Goat, and the CCG to save Kaneki at the end of the series, eventually killing Donato Porpora, the ghoul who "fathered" him. This frees Eto, the Tokyo Ghoul One-Eyed Owl, from her taxidermied Owl state. In the final chapter, Amon and Akira's silhouettes are shown side-by-side, implying that the two now live together.

The Cast on the Tokyo Ghoul Poster
Tokyo Ghoul
TV-MA
Action
Horror

A Tokyo college student is attacked by a ghoul, a superpowered human who feeds on human flesh. He survives, but has become part ghoul and becomes a fugitive on the run.

Release Date
July 4, 2014
Cast
Natsuki Hanae , Sora Amamiya , Rie Kugimiya
Studio
Pierrot
Tokyo_Ghoul manga cover art poster
Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul" follows Ken Kaneki, a student whose life changes dramatically when his date, Rize Kamishiro, reveals herself as a ghoul and nearly kills him. After surviving an accident that turns him into a half-ghoul, Kaneki grapples with his identity and the challenges of fitting into ghoul society while hiding his true nature from humans, including his best friend Hideyoshi Nagachika. The narrative expands with prequel "Tokyo Ghoul [Jack]," exploring the past of Kishō Arima and Taishi Fura, and the sequel "Tokyo Ghoul:re," featuring an amnesiac Kaneki, now Haise Sasaki, leading the Quinx Squad in the Commission of Counter Ghoul to combat ghouls with augmented abilities

Release Date
September 8, 2011
Author
Sui Ishida
Artist
Sui Ishida
Genre
Fantasy , Thriller , Supernatural
Chapters
144
Volumes
14
Adaptation
Tokyo Ghoul
Publisher
Shueisha, Viz Media