Sakamoto Days: Who is X?

Summary

• X is revealed to be the main antagonist with a twisted sense of justice.

• Uzuki leads the X Organization trying to overthrow the JAA, which turns out to be the strongest in the verse.

• Uzuki's personality disorder, from benevolence to malice, stems from past traumas, driving him to seek revenge.

Back at the theme park arch, the first tease of “X” was revealed to fans. X is initially introduced as a madman targeting the JAA, but is later revealed as the main antagonist of the franchise. X's eagerness to restore the current order, along with his twisted sense of justice, is made clear time and time again to the average reader.

Like the story of Sakamoto days enters its later stages, it becomes more than obvious that this character's complexity extends far beyond ideals/goals. The confusion continues to worsen as the audience learns of X's personality disorder. This confusion only entices fans to ask the obvious: Who really is X?

The misconception behind X's persona

X's organization and its impact on his health

Kei Uzuki also known as X/Slur is leader of the X organizationa group of rogue assassins trying to overthrow/destroy the JAA. The group was originally formed after Uzuki, with the aim of saving Gaku, Haruma, Kumanomi and others, attacked Al Kamar's orphanage and fled the scene. The orphanage was referred to as “more of a system” than “a refuge”, with the sole purpose of reproducing order-level killers. And X was also a byproduct of this place…

Interestingly, this gamble ensured that each member would at least rival if not outright surpass the current members of the Order. This idea was confirmed when Kanaguri decimated Satoda, who was once offered a position in the order and was even considered an Aikido master. Only to be confirmed again in Chapter 151, where Gaku was shown trading blows with Nagumo on a terrifying level.

But even with all his strength, Uzuki turns out to be a completely different breed. The mangaka created this idea during the events of chapter 167, where Slur managed to take a single shot at Takamura (someone stronger than Prime Sakamoto). Uzuki has also been shown to speed up some of the strongest characters. And with Takamura's death, X not only scales the organization but is arguably the strongest current in the verse.

X's personality is multifaceted

From benevolence to malice

Uzuki maintains one calm yet cold-hearted appearanceas evidenced by the mass murder of JAA and the attack on the Al Kamar orphanage. But later it is revealed that close companions/friends are an immediate exception to this horrible side. Slur's concern for Uda's victims during the meeting with Takamura is what further supports this claim.

And yet it was revealed in chapter 104 that Uzuki was previously very quiet and somewhat benevolent towards an assassin. His affection for human life was not only limited to companions but the entire race. In chapter 174, the mass murderer is shown saying:

It doesn't feel right to take people's lives just for my own happiness

The author suggests that the main contributor to this change was the development of his dissociative identity disorder (DID).

How the past affects the present

The root of X's disorder goes back to the murder of Rion Akao. So let's detour to when Asaki wanted Slur to eliminate a certain candidate before letting Uzuki and his family (the Al Kamar orphans) off the hook. And of course, the events of the following chapter ended with Asaki's evil actions bearing fruit and Uzuki unwittingly ending Rion's (who just “happened” to be this “candidate”) life.

Now if people were to go back to chapter 104 and focus on the cause of the dissociative identity disorder then It would not be unreasonable to conclude that this is when Uzuki developed this condition and copied all of Rion's moves to cope with the enormous trauma the situation brought.

Now, in the present, every reader has seen that this development only enhances his arsenal even more as X is no longer a one-trick pony. Uzuki's abilities now extend to more than just himself, allowing for perfect mimicry of all traits/abilities of the in-game personality. In fact, Slur's DID is the sole reason for the victory against Takamura and why this diabolical man is now considered the honored one in his verse.

After Rion Akao's death, the mangaka wastes no time introducing fans to how Uzuki views the separation between the normal world and the killer world. According to Slur, the separation does not exist. The question of why someone like Rion died while people like Asaki, the organization, and Uzuki were still breathing is deeply uncomfortable for X. And after realizing that the kindness Rion wanted to protect doesn't exist, Slur comes to a single conclusion:

I don't care what happens to this world

After the attack on the Al Kamar orphanage, the personality X/Slur is thus born. One that completely overwrites all the ideals that Uzuki held dear to his heart. And one who is only trying to destroy JAA who inflicted so much pain in his life and those around him. His conversation with Kashima confirms that X has no desire for a new regime after the fall of the JAA. After the inconsistencies with his character, it would be fair to conclude that Uzuki's denial is helping him deviate from his true goal, which was always revenge against the JAA.