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The latest chapter of the Tokyo Revengers manga gave fans a glimpse of Shinichiro’s journey into an alternative timeline in which Mikey is alive. This helped the fandom better understand how time travel mechanics work in this universe. More importantly, it also revealed the identity of the older Sano brother’s trigger, Haruchiyo Sanzu.
Since the series began, Sanzu has been one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Mikey and his past. Despite being violently attacked by Manjiro in the past, Sanzu has always been one of his most loyal friends. The fact that he is Shinichiro’s trigger could be the answer as to why Haruchiyo acts this way. Continue reading to learn more about this topic.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Tokyo Revengers manga series.
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Sanzu may remember the original timeline of Tokyo Revengers due to his status as Shinichiro’s trigger
For the characters of Tokyo Revengers, the only way for a time-leaper to go back to the past is through the aid of a trigger. This trigger can be a person, a regret, or death, as proven by the most recent chapters of the manga series. Most of the triggers are created by the desire to save someone in the past from a certain tragedy or death.
This concept was first introduced when Takemichi learned that Naoto was the person who allowed him to go back in time. The desire of the young man to prevent his sister’s untimely death activated Takemichi’s time-leaping powers. Once Hina was saved, Naoto no longer worked as a trigger, as he had no reason to help Takemichi change the future.
The second time Takemichi acquired a trigger was during the Bonten arc. Mikey from that future was completely taken over by his Dark Impulses, which led him to shoot our protagonist and try to end his life. When Takemichi took Manjiro’s hand, who was desperate to be saved at the time, he was capable of going back to the past once again.
Something similar happened in Tokyo Revengers chapter 272 when Shinichiro visited Sanzu in the hospital. Despite being sent there by Manjiro, Haruchiyo was more than willing to promise the older Sano brother that he would be Mikey’s friend forever. The two sealed the deal with a handshake that sent Shinichiro back to the present.
This confirmed that Sanzu is the trigger for Shinichiro’s time-leaping abilities. While unexpected, this solved many mysteries surrounding Haruchiyo and his behavior in the series. And most importantly, it makes the most sense for him to be the trigger with the desire to help Manjiro avoid the horrible destiny that befell him in the original timeline.
Why does Haruchiyo makes perfect sense as Shinichiro's trigger?
Throughout the Tokyo Revengers series, few characters have acted as suspiciously as Haruchiyo. He is often seen around Mikey, knows about the existence of time-leapers, and is willing to do anything to prevent Manjiro from returning to the original timeline. His loyalty to Toman’s former leader is absolute, despite Manjiro gravely injuring him in the past.
During the series’ final battle, Haruchiyo revealed that he was aware of the existence of time travelers when Takemichi avoided his surprise attack. This led fans to believe that he was the second time-leaper of the franchise. However, this is not the only explanation for his knowledge of the original timeline.
Every trigger remembers being one in the present, as confirmed by Naoto in the first half of Tokyo Revengers. This means that Haruchiyo is aware of Mikey’s fate in the original timeline because he actively helped Shinichiro avoid it. This would not only explain his strange behavior throughout the series but also why he is loyal to Mikey.
His promise to Shinichiro was to be Manjiro’s friend no matter what. His desire to fulfill this mission is so strong that he will always stay by Mikey’s side, no matter what the latter may do. Whether the middle Sano child creates a gang to help the weak or becomes the leader of a cruel criminal organization, Haruchiyo will always stand next to Mikey.
Final thoughts
For many months, fans of the Tokyo Revengers manga series had wondered why Haruchiyo seemed so knowledgeable about the existence of time-leapers. Many fans believed him to be a time traveler himself, tasked with the mission of stopping Takemichi from changing the future. Yet, it seems like his knowledge comes from helping Shinichiro save Mikey from his fate.
We still need to wait for the next chapter to confirm if Shinichiro traveled back to the past on more than one occasion. This would make sense, as Sanzu himself revealed that the canon timeline is the only one that helped Mikey prevent his death. That could be why he wants to stop Takemichi at all costs. We will have to wait and see what Ken Wakui has in store for Sanzu.
