Akuma Kun follows the titular boy who is raised by a demon and works with his half-human partner Mephisto III as paranormal investigators to solve various murders and mysteries. The series is currently streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Akuma Kun and his half-human partner Mephisto III work together to solve mysteries involving demons by summoning demons themselves and exorcising many as well.
The demon who took Akuma Kun when he was abandoned by humans and demons alike, returns to eradicate the whole world after turning Akuma into the former shell of his self.
However, Akuma Kun’s adoptive father Shingo, his best friend Mephisto III, demon Gremory, and Mephisto III’s father Mephisto II — all help the protagonist come to an important realization and breakthrough.
Strophaia is defeated as Akuma makes use of a powerful artifact. The season ends with Gremory plucking Akuma’s heart out of his chest, but he seems to be chuckling at the face of such gore.
Akuma Kun ending explained in detail:
Who is Strophaia?
Strophaia is a powerful demon from eons ago, long before the world was created. He is not from the physical world and so he believes and is arrogant about the physical world being unable to hurt him.
He looks like a demented angel and even Akuma tells him at one point that he looks like a fallen angel. However, Strophaia is described as a demon, even though nobody is 100% sure if he’s that or an angel.
Strophaia is shown to take offense at Akuma mentioning angels to him, as he rejects that he’s one of those entities made by Physis. As a young kid, Akuma Kun was abandoned by humans and demons alike.
That’s when Strophaia took him and started raising him. However, he later abandoned Akuma too, when the kid was stopped from killing a chained woman that Strophaia was influencing him to kill, by Shingo, the original Akuma Kun.
Shingo brought Solomon’s flute to fight against Strophaia and Akuma Kun, whom Strophaia calls Aeshma, ended up playing the flute, which made Strophaia vanish. Shingo then adopted Aeshma.
Does Mephisto III survive?
During their last battle with Strophaia, Mephisto III asks Akuma Kun to kill him should he turn into his demon form, because he’ll end up losing his human side and become a rampaging maniac of a demon.
Akuma Kun obliges when Mephisto III ends up becoming a full-fledged demon, but he soon realizes what must be done to fight against Strophaia.
The demon’s plan was to keep depriving Akuma of all those he loves, which causes Solomon’s flute to develop cracks, ultimately leading to it being completely shattered.
This would guarantee Strophaia’s victory since the flute, the one thing that can destroy him, is no longer usable or playable. However, Akuma Kun realizes why he was never able to play it since his first time.
As his father once told him, he could play the flute when he’s found happiness. Through his friendship with Mephisto III, Gremory, and others, he is able to find happiness.
He needs to play the flute from the heart, and sure enough, when he does so, the shattered pieces of the flute all come together and he can play it again, defeating and disintegrating Strophaia soon.
Does Gremory kill Akuma?
Gremory wants to taste the heart of a decamillenium genius. She makes a deal with him to bring him stuff and help him in the cases, in exchange for his heart.
Many times the young cunning boy outplays Gremory, until he offers the same deal, this time it’s serious. After the climactic battle, Gremory casually plucks his heart out, but Akuma is shown to have survived this and even chuckles before credits begin to roll.