Yuzuru Otonashi

Yuzuru Otonashi, also known as Newbie, is the main protagonist from the Angel Beats! series.
== Charactah Account ==
Yuzuru is one of the newest members of the SSS, and a newcomer to the Afterlife. After suffering from an accident during his lifetime, he wakes up in the Afterlife without his memories. After discovering the ongoing conflict between a group of students who call themselves the Afterlife Battlefront and a mysterious girl known under the nickname "Angel", he joins the SSS to seek refuge in the group while he tries to recover his memories. He eventually becomes one of the most key and influential figures of the Battlefront as he was not only able to bring forth changes to the ideals of its members, which ultimately allowed the SSS to survive the greatest trials to the group, but single-handedly turned the tide of the war through his intervention with "Angel".
In his middle school days, Yuzuru didn't care much for school or socializing with his classmates. He admitted to his sister that he would honestly rather be alone and play video games than study and make friends. His main focus in life was mostly working to pay for food and buying manga for his younger sister. His personality eventually changed when his sister died.
After his sister's death, Yuzuru became a more responsible person. He worked and studied hard to become a doctor and to pay for medical school to help people like his sister. He became a very smart and kind person. When he got into the train accident, he helped the other survivors by taking care of their injuries and helped find enough food and water for everyone. At one point he even sacrificed his share of water. Before he died, he signed a donor card stating that he would donate all of his working organs. 
== Appearance ==
=== Anime ===
* Angel Beats!
* Angel Beats! Another Epilogue
* Angel Beats! Specials
* Kaginado
* Kaginado Season 2
=== Manga ===
* Angel Beats!: Heaven's Door
* Angel Beats!: The Last Operation
=== Video Games ===
* Angel Beats! 1st Beat
== Trivia ==
* The series name Angel Beats! is revealed to be a reference to both Yuzuru and Kanade's bond. Aside from their love for each other, the final episode revealed that after Yuzuru died, his heart was transplanted into the seriously ill Kanade. Thus, the heart that was once his his, is currently beating within the girl known to the battlefront as Angel.
* Yuzuru's first name was not revealed until the final episode of the series. As such, everybody referred to him by his surname.
* In the original anime, Yuzuru, Iwasawa and Hinata are the only three characters whose cause of death was revealed. Subsequent material has confirmed the cause of death for some of the other characters.
* Canned coffee appears to be Yuzuru's go to beverage. It is the only refreshment he is seen drinking, usually at least once an episode. Yuri seems to know this, as she usually has a can of coffee with her whenever she is waiting for Yuzuru.
* Although never confirmed, Yuzuru is implied to be one of the oldest members of the battlefront. Since he was about to take his university entrance exams this would make him around/just over eighteen years old when he died. The only other known person around a similar age was Masami Iwasawa who was revealed to be a third-year student in the prequel Angel Beats Heavens Door manga series.
* Unlike the other characters, Yuzuru does not have any regrets. The reason he appeared in afterlife was because of Kanade Tachibana. As explained in the last episode, Kanade's greatest regret was that she could not thank the person who donated their heart to her. In order to leave afterlife, she had to meet him and be able to thank him.
* Yuzuru is the only male character from SSS to appear during the epilogue scene, where he tried to tap the reincarnated Kanade's shoulder after recognizing the "My Song" tune she hummed.
* Fans of the series frequently compare Yuzuru to the human developer of Angel Player in the Angel Beats Special Episode Another Epilogue. Both men were left alone in the Afterlife following the departure of their loved ones. However, unlike the other person Yuzuru did not fall into despair or become an NPC (at least, not explicitly).
** Interestingly though, this has not stopped some fans from speculating that Yuzuru might in fact be the aforementioned programmer.
* Yuzuru was killed 3 times within the first 7 minutes of Episode 1.
** First, Yuzuru was stabbed through the chest by Tachibana with her Hand Sonic. This was done at his own request as, having just arrived in the afterlife, Otonashi did not believe her or Yuri's claims that he was dead.
** Secondly, Yuzuru was killed by Noda, who hit him 100 times with his halberd. Despite the excessive number of hits, this only counts as a dingle death for Otonashi.
** Finally, Yuzuru unknowingly walked into the trap set up outside the principal's office, not knowing that it was the battlefronts headquarters.
* Despite being a new member to the SSS, Yuzuru quickly developed a close bond with its founders Hideki Hinata and Yuri Nakamura. He also appears to be quite popular with the other members of the battlefront as well. Like Yuri, Iwasawa opened up to him about her past, despite having only known him for a short time. In the second Drama CD, when Yuri announced that he was going to be participating in their activity, the others applauded.
* Hinata befriended Yuzuru the quickest out of any member of the battlefront. This is referenced in the prequel Angel Beats Heavens Door, where the person Hinata explains the origins of the battlefront to looks suspiciously like Yuzuru.
* In the OVA, Stairway to Heaven, Yuzuru doesn't participate in High Tension Syndrome, but reaches a Tension Level of 92 when suggesting a "Sports Festival".
** Also in the OVA, Yuzuru had said this in English: Nande no reaction? (Why are there no reaction?).
* Apart from Yuri, Yuzuru is the only other character to witness Shiina's true character, i.e. her affection for cute things. Angel was later made known of this in the Stairway to Heaven OVA, along with Ooyama, Fujimaki, and Yusa.
* It is implied in Episode 3 that Yuzuru received an indirect kiss from Iwasawa. Following a brief conversation with her, she gave Otonashi her bottle of water to finish. Unfortunately for fans of the couple, he was not seen drinking from the bottle. This scene was also featured in the Angel Beats manga adaptation but Yuzuru did not drink from the bottle, because Iwasawa had already finished it.
* In the Alternative Epilogue when Yuzuru is revealed to still be in the afterlife. After conversing with the unnamed student, he walks back into the Student Council Room, where if the viewer looks carefully, they can see pictures of the main members of the SSS on the left side of the screen. It is unknown on how Yuzuru got these images.
** It may be possible that in the Alternative Epilogue that the photos of the SSS are made from dust much as how the Guild makes weapons out of Dust
** The game also shows Yurippe to have a portrait of herself in her SSS uniform hanging in the Anti-Angel HQ, so this isn't too surprising.
* Yuzuru resembles Kyousuke Natsume from Little Busters! The two have different voice actors in Japanese, but share the same English voice actor.
* Yuzuru and Meiko "Menma" Honma (the protagonist in Anohana) share a number of similarities:
** They both died relatively young as a result of an accident.
** Despite their deaths, they remain cheerful and kind people, who share strong bonds with their respective cast members.
** Both had a younger sibling. Otonashi had a sister called Hatsune (who pre-deceased him), whereas Menma's younger brother Satoshi is still alive.
* In the Angel Beats 1st Beat visual novel, Yuri says that Yuzuru has fans amongst the student body. This revelation is later confirmed by Yusa.
* If the player successfully manages to complete Masami Iwasawa's route in Angel Beats 1st Beat, Yuzuru will become both a husband and a father.
== Gallery ==
File:Yuzuru Otonashi Render 01.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 01.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 02.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 03.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 04.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 05.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi 06.png
File:Yuzuru Otonashi Fan Art 01.png
== External Links ==
* Yuzuru Otonashi at Angel Beats Wiki
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Angel Beats!