Aoyagi, Ritsuka
Summary
Twelve years old and the central protagonist, Ritsuka Aoyagi is secretly known by the true name Loveless. Two years prior to the narrative, he underwent a drastic personality shift, transforming from a popular, average student into an aloof academic prodigy who clashes with his peers yet achieves perfect scores. This change coincided with total amnesia, and while the cause remains a mystery, he attends regular therapy to uncover the truth. On his first day at his new school, he encounters Soubi Agatsuma, who confuses him with unexpected intimacy and claims to be Seimei’s fighter. Ritsuka learns that Seimei’s final will dictates Soubi must belong to him upon his death. Having idolized Seimei, Ritsuka is shocked by the secrets surrounding his hero, which further erodes his ability to trust others, especially Soubi. Despite his youth and memory loss, Ritsuka displays remarkable intelligence and a maturity that belies his age. His life circumstances have stripped away much of his innocence, yet he retains a notable naivety regarding romance and sexual matters. He holds firm, unyielding opinions on these topics, which frequently clash with adults and authority figures, most notably Soubi. A staunch pacifist, Ritsuka opposes violence under any circumstances, a stance that contrasts sharply with Soubi’s apparent acceptance of pain and punishment in certain situations. Love is a deeply uncomfortable subject for him; he is wary of compliments and dislikes hearing expressions of affection like "I like you." When Soubi frequently declares "I love you" early in the series, Ritsuka dismisses it as untrue. This cynical reaction leads Soubi to stop using the phrase after the second volume, creating significant tension and bitterness in their relationship as Ritsuka struggles with his inner conflict regarding Soubi’s sincerity.
