Washio

Washio
Type	Hawk (mind, formerly) Human (body, formerly) Homunculus (Hawk)
Birthday	January 10 (Capricorn)
Age	25
Gender	Male
Height	5'6" (195 cm)
Weight	198 lbs (90 kg)
Blood Type	A
Affiliation	Koushaku Chouno
Debut	Chapter 3 (Manga) Episode 2 (Anime)
Voice Actor	Kentarou Itou (Japanese) Yuri Lowenthal (English)
Status	Deceased

Washio (鷲尾, Washio) was a Homunculus that Koushaku Chouno created while working on his 21st core. He was the most powerful and most loyal of Chouno's creations.

Appearance

Originally Washio's appearance was that of a normal hawk. As a human Washio had brown eyes, large spiky eyebrows and blonde hair with a pointed fringe that covers his right eye. He wears a khaki green parka coat with dark green trousers and black knee-high boots.

Washio's true Homunculus form.

His Homunculus form is that of a large mechanical hawk with black bladed wings. Washio's human head appears inside the mouth of the hawk.

Personality

Washio was deeply loyal his creator for giving him a second chance at life as he saw it. Willing to give his life in defence of his master, even his final thoughts before death were concerning his creator. His abilities seemed to make him somewhat arrogant as he appeared to believe he had figured everything out in advance.

History

Washio as a Hawk.

Washio was originally a hawk who was shot down either by accident or by poachers. Koushaku Chouno found his dying body while he was out catching butterflies. Chouno then took cells from the dying hawk and used them to create a homunculus embryo, which also contained the hawk's original consciousness and memories.

His human body was originally that of Yakuza member who used to be in the Self-Defense Forces. He was sent to work at the Chouno family as Koushaku's trainer, to strengthen his mind and body. However, Chouno resented him and turned him into a Homunculus.

Plot

A New Life Arc

Washio first appears in his full Homunculus form flying over the haunted factory to identify Kazuki and Tokiko as Alchemic Warriors with Chouno riding on top of him. After Tokiko deflects the Homunculus embryo that Chouno dropped Washio swoops down to attack the two warriors. They attempt to perform a counter-attack, however Washio avoids the attack and flies away.

Washio defending his master.

He crashes into his master's dorm room just in time to stop Tokiko from destroying the 21st Homunculus core. He defends his master Kazuki goes to activate his Buso Renkin against him but he grabs both Kazuki and Tokiko with his transformed talons. This is where Chouno reveals that while the first 20 Homunculi he created were prototypes, Washio himself is different from the others and more powerful. Washio then jets off with the two warriors and heads for a mountainous region outside Ginsei City. The two warriors however manage to escape his talons by activating their Buso Renkins. Washio confronts them in his partially transformed state, complimenting their abilities while also stating that he is joyful as he can fight at full capacity against them.

Washio deflecting Kazuki and Tokiko's attacks.

He begins to fight Kazuki and Tokiko. They attack him numerous times but fail thanks to his wings which slip any blade they touch off balance so they never cut by anticipating their speed. They manage to land a few cuts on his arms but they flee, his arms then regenerate while he declares that he will win and flies off to find them. He eventually finds Kazuki on his own, Kazuki then launches at him, however Washio, using the wind discovers that Tokiko is hiding behind Kazuki's Sunlight Flasher technique. Having been found out Kazuki stops but Tokiko strikes him regardless, she successfully stabs him in the head and chest but is slashed herself by his claws. Kazuki then gets back up and pierces through his right arm and wing.

Washio dies peacefully.

Washio manages to get back up, declaring that even though she will turn into a Homunculus, Tokiko will become a threat to his master and must be killed. However Kazuki gets up and challenges him one-on-one. Washio strikes Kazuki's chest but he continues to fight with the two trading blows until Washio halts Kazuki's lance and asks him why he is protecting Tokiko, he tells Washio that Tokiko gave him a new life which leads to Washio saying that he and Kazuki are the same and tells him about his death and rebirth thanks to his master. He knocks Kazuki into a tree and tells him what his master is doing isn't wrong and tells him that he will let him go and live as long as he leaves Chouno alone. Kazuki declines however and wraps the cloth of his Buso Renkin around the lance and begins to charge it, hurting himself in the process. He strikes one final blow to Washio who shatters into pieces. Just before he dies Washio asks Kazuki to not kill his master. Kazuki agrees saying he was never going to kill him, he just wants to stop him. The Homunculus then dies in peace saying that he didn't know there was such a death.

L.X.E. Arc

When Dr. Butterfly uses his Buso Renkin, Alice in Wonderland on Papillon, he hallucinates and sees Washio's human incarnation who tells Papillon that he needs to train him or else he won't be worth anything.

Wahio appears again after Papillon clones him, and he is seen again on the moon with the other homunculi.

Powers & Abilities

Washio partially transformed into a Homunculus.

Transformation: Washio can transform back and forth between his true Homunculus form and the form of his human host as a means of disguise.

• Partial Transformation: This ability sets him aside from all other animal/plant-type Homunculi as he can transform specific parts of his body from human form to Homunculus form. In this form he commonly transforms his arms into the Hawk's legs and wings retaining the rest of his human body, this allows him to fight more effectively, making better use of his speed and strength.

Enhanced Speed & Reflexes: Washio can fly at extremely high speeds enough so that anybody he has grabbed struggles to breathe. When he flies he is usually seen as a burst of light similar to a falling meteorite. He uses this speed to aid him in combat, quickly blocking his opponents attacks and using his wings to slip any attack blades out of place.

Enhanced Strength: Like most Homunculi his strength is much stronger than that of a normal human as shown when he holds the end of Kazuki's lance and tosses him back into a tree with only one arm.

Enhanced Durability: He possesses extremely hard wings which are capable of shifting the tip of any opposing blade to keep it from piercing him. However this defense is less effective against fully charged attacks like Kazuki's Sunlight Crasher.

Enhanced Senses: One of Washio's key abilities are his senses, he can read the speed of his opponents movements with ease and reads the wind around him to determine what the opponent will do next, he claims this is the sense he uses the most even more so that his vision and hearing. In battle, he was incredibly fierce and unrelenting. His instincts as a predator having carried over to his homunculus form, making him capable of reading airwaves and adjusting his stance to defend and attack.

Talons: He possesses two large claw-like talons which he can use to easily grab or slash opponents.

Feather Strike: In his full Homunculus form he can flap his wings which then launch dozens of metal blades at his opponents from above.

Quotes

• (To Kazuki Muto and Tokiko Tsumura) "No matter how sharp your blades are, as long as I displace the edge it's possible to dodge it."
• (To Tokiko Tsumura) "What a dangerous woman. Your vengefulness will surely threaten Master even after you've become a Homunculus. I must finish you off now!
• (To Kazuki Muto) "It's instinctual for an animal to fear death. I know that all too well as I lived in the wild. Master's actions aren't a mistake!"
• (To Kazuki Muto) "Die in...peace...eh? I didn't know...there...was such...a death..."
• (To Papillon) "Is this where you've been wasting your time? We'd better train you or you'll never be worth anything."

Etymology

• The surname Washio means "eagle" (鷲) (washi) and "tail, ridge" (尾) (o).

Trivia

• According to Nobuhiro Watsuki:
  • He likes rabbits (yummy) and the will to fight for survival.
  • He dislikes any threat to his master, hunting rifles and unnecessary battles.
  • His hobby is flying around.
  • His special ability is partial transformation into a Homunculus.

Gallery

Washio lineart

Facial expressions lineart