Character Meta: Ryo Asuka / Lucifer

I'll start off saying this page is likely going to be long, redundant, and probably a bit all over the place. I have so many thoughts and opinions about this character, and I really feel like the way he's presented truly sets the tone and intention of the story. Because of this, I really thought this would be easier to write than it was. But all my thoughts about Ryo are just. All so strong and tangled together. It was hard to sort through them. It doesn't help that there are some major inconsistencies between series regarding his characterization, which complicate the structure of the thoughts I want to present.

Additionally, I hadn't revisited any of the media in a hot second when I wrote the first draft of this. I'm definitely going to come back to this page and fix it up as I get around to rewatching/rereading the stories. (Also I'm fucking tired and it's been taking me too long to just get this fucking thing written. So here it is; consider it a WIP that needs a lot of editing.)

Introduction:

Ryo's introduction really sets the tone for the series. Our first glimpse of Akira is a side of him we never really see so directly again. But our first glimpse of Ryo is really the first step the story takes into the story proper. Which I think is a big reason why so many people don't love Crybaby.

Ryo is always presented from the get-go as mysterious, intimidating, and morally-grey. Typically, this is then almost immediately contrasted with the vulnerability he shows in opening up to Akira about his father's death and asking for his help in fighting demons for the sake of humanity. Crybaby softens - or rather, hardens - this. It's no longer his father, but an older colleague. The focus is no longer on avenging his death or on a desperation to save humanity, but on continuing research.

Crybaby Ryo is humanized far less than the other versions of the character, right from the start. This plays into the direction the story takes in a major way, but I discuss that more on the Crybaby meta page.

Generally the stoic and mysterious tone is immediately set for the character, but he is (usually) quickly given a bit of humanity alongside it. We're given something to hold onto in that way; something to allow us to connect with him beyond just his relationship to Akira.

At the very least, he thinks he's a good guy. And despite how off-putting he can be, we can at least view him as an ally - for now.

As a Human:

Ryo Asuka is a walking contradiction. He constantly has justifications for the violence he and Akira engage in, and (though the degree of this varies depending on the story) frequently writes off collateral human damage as the ends justifying the means. It's rare we see him demonstrate any strong degree of emotion about the loss of life - human or demon. In fact, he almost seems to regard those around him (other than Akira) as nuisances at best. All this, while saying that his whole plan is ultimately for the sake of peace and prosperity of the human race.

The more we see of this mysterious, unsettling personality, the less certain we are about Ryo's intentions. He varies wildly between air-tight stoicism and a complete loose canon, making him incredibly unpredictable. He appears to almost be five steps ahead of those around him at any given time, but still seems to lack the full picture of what's going on. There are times we see him during softer moments, and different story interpretations have slightly different ways they present his moods, but generally Ryo remains almost untouchable.

Turning Point:

All these uncertainties and contradictions add up. As we near the story's climax, instead of slowly unweaving a mysterious-yet-structured personality, we begin to be shown just how out-of-touch Ryo truly is, even to himself. We finally see that, despite his presentation, this long-run plan of his to defeat the demons is exactly as uncertain and lacking as it appears to those of us on the outside of his thoughts. He makes note of, and is deeply troubled by, just how much he is lacking in a solution to his contradictions - structured layers beneath his unpredictable exterior. Specifically, the glee and exhilaration he gets from the violence he and Akira get caught up in acts as the final straw (at least in the original manga run.) Ryo is many things, but he has never been stupid, and as he finally chooses to pull on these flimsy threads, the truth of his character unravels.

The stories tend to all take the same structure here, though the details are highly variable. He finally takes action to explore his muddled past, he finds the holes in his personal history, he encounters Psycho Jenny, and his true self is accessed. Personally, I prefer the original story's take on this over all others, and Crybaby's is my least favorite. I feel Crybaby goes out of its way to make Ryo as emotionally inaccessible as possible, and I don't feel it does the underlying themes of the story any justice in making these choices. However, I will say once again that I appreciate the emphasis Crybaby puts on Akira's empathy, and the many ways this is extended to Ryo throughout their shared history. It's a suitable stand-in, if inefficient in sending quite the same message, in my opinion. But I digress.

As Lucifer:

There is plenty about Ryo/Lucifer that goes unsaid at this point, though there is an assurance to Lucifer that was not present for Ryo. He has the last of his pieces, and he is complete. As all of Ryo Asuka's contradictions and inconsistencies finally fall into place, this character simultaneously pulls further out of our reach, and becomes far more accessible to us. Lucifer's history and personal drive aren't explored in much detail, but speak volumes for themselves to anyone who is vaguely familiar with any of his many literary.

(I'll say here that I have yet to read Paradise Lost, but it's on my list after finishing The Divine Comedy. I'll likely expand on this section in much more detail once I get there.)

Despite what goes unsaid, here is what we know for certain:

• Lucifer was expelled from heaven by God for defying him in some manner
• He chose to side with the demons in their fight against extermination at the hand of the Divine
• He is as ancient as any other Divine being
• He took on the form of a human with the intention of getting a leg up over them in the coming war
• He has fallen in love with Akira Fudo, but will not be swayed from his intentions by this love

Taking this knowledge into account with the small bits of understanding we are given of the demons, a complex and intriguing picture is painted. One that I personally feel is never quite done justice in the stories.

Ending:

As stated, Lucifer cannot be swayed from his goals, not even by Akira. Nor can he be stopped by him. This story is one that is so much larger than Devilman's role in it (though kudos to Akira for making such a large impact anyway.) The story is a loop that ends in apocalyptic decimations and tragedy, time and time again. Lucifer will never stray from his path. The war will never be avoided. And there will never be peace.

Each time, Lucifer is shown as never quite being able to access the empathy and love Akira challenged him to tap into. The closest he gets always comes too late, as he sits alone on that rock, holding the cooling corpse of his only chance at redemption while what's left of the Earth burns around him. Devilman Lady gave us a different sort of ending with the fight against Michael (I'll have plenty more to say about that on other pages,) but still provides us with a reminder that the unity between devils and humans will not - cannot - last.

Here's the Thing:

Due to the history of the devils and Divine being left so vague (more of a myth or legend than a detailed play-by-play) there's plenty that goes unsaid. There are also plenty of discrepancies (or, perhaps, juicy layers of reasoning and drive) that go unaddressed.

We're told from the beginning that the devils inhabited the Earth before humans, and that the Divine attempted to wipe them out for the sake of making space for the humans. They're led in resisting that extermination by a fallen angel who has been rejected by God in his own right.

Despite what we are shown of the devils; despite the ways different versions of the story try to present devils as pure evil... If we are to consider this story one that argues against war and for peace... Truthfully, there needs to be an attempt to understand the existence of all beings on either side of this war as inherently morally-neutral. Actions have moral weight. The fact that something lives does not. It merely is.

So, really, what else were Lucifer and the devils to do?

There are many ways that question could be answered. But something I feel is never explored enough is the true reason this loop always ends the same way - in war and tragedy. Maybe it isn't because Lucifer and the devils are unchangeable evil. Perhaps it's because there was never another option. Devils were faced with the option of laying down to die quietly or fighting back.

Lucifer's role as their leader is even less touched upon. And, truthfully, there are less conclusions to draw. But, similar to the devils, what other options were there, truly? He was rejected by his creator. He joined the others who opposed God, and led them in winning the war they had no choice but to fight.

Could he have sat that war out? To what end? What else would he have done with himself?

To answer this question, I pose another:

Why, after the ultimate power of God is put on display, does he not interfere in the destruction of humanity OR the devils until after Lucifer is the only one left? Why does he remake the loop, every time, to play out in the same way, and only intervene after it all happens?

Now, we can't know for sure. But the timing starts to feel pointed. Winning the war for the humans isn't the priority. God doesn't consider everything said and done until Lucifer is left alone on an empty, boiling rock.

And then it all starts over again.

Maybe this is pure conjecture. Maybe at some point, this line of thinking separates a bit too much from Devilman in it's purest form. But I think it's some pretty tasty food for thought.

Even if Lucifer wins the war, he always loses. And, arguably, sitting out the fight was never an option. If this is, on some level, God's punishment for him, then what realistically would happen if he chose not to fight? Lucifer being redeemed in the eyes of the Divine doesn't seem like a realistic outcome (and it definitely doesn't make for as good of a story.) Frankly, I think there's far too much painful and angry history for that to ever be an option for Lucifer.

At this point, I am being very driven by my own interpretation of what goes unsaid in the story. So I'll leave the rest to be expanded upon within the outline of my version of the story. But I'll leave this page on the following note: Lucifer, in every form, in every story, is presented as queer. This is not only a convenient detail to enhance his connection to Akira. By nature of everything about these characters and the plot, this fact is far more than that, regardless of how it was intended.

You cannot tell me the Devil is queer and not expect me to demand we hear him out.