I didn’t think I’d be sitting down here, talking about how the Man-God from Mushoku Tensei is actually an allegory for the Antichrist, but here we are! The thing is, anime tends to go a lot of wild places and with the way Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Incarnation is panning out, it looks like the new season is going to have a lot of shakeups. However, the one that is leaving most fans in the most suspense? That must be the identity of the Man-God.
So, who is the Man-God in Mushoku Tensei? That’s Hitogami, an old ally turned overarching villain who claims to be the ‘Human-God’. Initially, he was kind to Rudeus Greyrat, our protagonist, and would help him out with advice. But it quickly turned out that he was just biding his time and planning to take out the Dragon-God, who happens to be the Man-God Hitogami’s arch nemesis. This is where the whole Antichrist comparison came in, because Man-God Hitogami is, essentially, the Impostor of the plot.
And that betrayal is the catalyst for most of the events that occur in Mushoku Tensei. After all, all the decisions Man-God Hitogami made weren’t to help Rudeus, but to further his own devious plans. And he was the only one aware that it was Rudeus’s children who were prophesied to be his demise. So, of course, he’d do anything to make sure that prophecy never came true. And what better way than befriending Rudeus and purposefully misleading him with fake chivalry and guidance?
Like, I have to admit, that is pretty intriguing. Besides, with the new season of the anime adaptation upon us, I’m sure tons of fans have been wondering over the identity of the Man-God and what his intentions are going forward. So, if you don’t care about spoilers, that is exactly what we are going to take a look at in another segment of Character Analysis. Today, it’s about who the Man-God is, and why he’s actually not a God in Mushoku Tensei!
Hitogami: A Void Being Struggling To Survive?
So, before he was the Man-God, Hitogami was just an unknown being of mysterious origins. Truly, no one knows where he actually came from. But what we do know is that he was a byproduct of the Creator-God’s death, born in the Void World. And somewhere during that period, this being overtook the original Human-God and started parading around as him.
With this facade, he manipulated the first Dragon-God into using his Dragon Generals to destroy the 4 worlds that had previously existed peacefully, with the refugees being shuffled into the Human World through the help of this fake God. Because of this, the Dragon Generals turned on their superior, weakening the Dragon-God to the point where Hitogami could strike the killing blow, leaving him to be destroyed with the Dragon World. But the Dragon-God used the last of his power to tie Hitogami to the Void World, ensuring that the so-called Man-God will not leave either.
This old Dragon-God happened to be the father of the current Dragon-God, Orsted, who is the strongest of the 7 Great Powers in Mushoku Tensei. Which is probably why the Man-God Hitogami tried so hard to pull Rudeus on his side. Because for all his manipulation and cunning tactics, the Man-God is simply a shadow of the God he emulates. But that doesn’t stop Hitogami from pulling the strings.
What Does The Man-God Want?
You would think being able to destroy not one, but two Gods would mean that Hitogami can easily traverse through worlds and that’s why he has so much pull in the Human World. But, no. He actually never left the Void World during this time period and maneuvered everything to play in his favor from afar.
And this is where his ‘Apostles’ come into play. In order to gain allies in a world he can’t physically manifest in, Man-God Hitogami invades dreams instead, coercing them into doing things on his behalf. An example of this is Badigadi, who was the Fighting God during the Second Human-Demon War. Man-God Hitogami convinces the Immortal Demon to steal the Golden Armor that was in possession of the Demon God Laplace, ensuing a fight that was the reason that Laplace split into two beings.
Because he is associated with humanity so much, Humans tend to trust him near automatically, which includes Redeus and his wives as well. This is why the betrayal feels so invasive. Man-God Hitogami has the power to read people’s minds, so his manipulation is that much more personal. Not to mention the fact that he is literally the oldest being that exists, so his knowledge on magic and history surpasses everyone else’s, leading him to be extremely smart with his strategizing.
If anything, the question isn’t who the Man-God Hitogami is. It’s clear he’s the best villain we’ve seen so far in Mushoku Tensei. Now, what remains to be seen is what he’s going to do in the plot. And those who have read the original webnovel of Mushoku Tensei know his fate is left a little ambiguous.
But will he manifest in other ways to threaten the likes of, say, Lara Greyrat? Only time will tell!
