Akira Hibiki (Brave Raideen)

Akira Hibiki (ひびき洸) is the main character of . He is a fifteen year old boy attending Rinkai Academy as a third-year student, and the main pilot of Raideen.
An Ancient Mu prophecy stated that in time of need, a hero would rise up and pilot Raideen. Akira is that hero.
==History==
Akira was born to Ichiro Hibiki, a scientist from Japan, and his wife, Reiko Hibiki. For reasons Akira never knew, Reiko left the family shortly after he was born, and Ichiro had to raise Akira as a single father with help from his own father, Kyuzo. For most of his life, Akira didn't know that he was half-Mu and believed himself to be fully Japanese.
In truth, Reiko was actually Princess Lemuria, the long-lost Princess of the now-sunk Mu Empire. The Mu Empire had once been a peaceful, thriving continent hidden in the middle of the ocean and cut off from the rest of the world, until Demon Emperor Barao invaded it. Because the Mu Empire was advanced in technology, Barao hoped to use it for his own gain, specifically the "Mu-tron" device that could power any mechanical being. During his invasion, a volcano erupted and sank Barao underwater for 12,000 years. However, by then the Mu Empire had already been destroyed and was sinking. Emperor La Mu, Lemuria's father, gathered the scientists of Mu to create the robot Raideen, hoping that one day, a pilot worthy of it would use it to save the world. They used the Mu-tron device to power it, and then hid it under the ocean. La Mu and the surviving Mu citizens then agreed to have Lemuria boarded on a ship, where she would be taken to safety away from the Mu Empire. This was because she was born with such strong telekinetic powers that it shocked Barao. La Mu entrusted Lemuria with the mission if finding a device called "La Mu's Star" that would be able to defeat Barao for good.
Lemuria spent most of her life searching for it. At some point, she landed in Japan, where she met Ichiro Hibiki and had a son with him, Akira. She then continued her original mission.
Akira was raised by Ichiro and Kyuzo. At some point he entered Rinkai Gakuen school where he became the Captain of the Football team. As the child of a family full of archeologists and scientists, Akira would accompany his father and grandfather on expeditions and became knowledgable about many empires and cultures.
One day, when he was fifteen years old, he suddenly heard a voice in his head calling to him. The voice instructed him to enter the ocean and find the robot Raideen. When Ichiro learned his son had suddenly ran into the sea, he followed him on his ship. Unfortunately, the Demon Empire found this out and turned his father and all the inhabitants of the ship to stone. 
Akira piloted the robot, defeated the Fossil Beasts and undid the stone curse. Afterwards, he recalled that the Mu Empire had a prophecy that one day, a hero would come to save the world in time of need and told his grandfather he wanted to be that hero. He continued to pilot Raideen to defend the Earth from being taken over by the Demon Empire. 
Prince Charkin, who led Demon Empire's invasion of Earth, would frequently try to destroy Raideen by sending wave after wave of Fossil Beasts. He was oten unsuccessful. Charkin then decided to use his father as a hostage in their battles, and eventually Charkin kidnapped him for good so he could use him as bait to lure out Akira.
Akira's friends from school wanted to help him, and would often try to get involved in his battles with the Demon Empire, but instead they would often get kidnapped or slow him down. As a result, he often had to put the mission aside to save them. However, they would also train to help him as well. Mari Sakurano, the football team's manager, joined the Copelander Corps and became their leader. He was also assisted by Rei Asuka of the Copelander Corps, a mysterious young girl with psychic powers, much like his mother Lemuria. The Copelander Corps managed to rescue Ichiro and later, Ichiro and Rei set out to Tibet to learn more about the Mu Empire.
After the defeat of his opponent Charkin, Akira would experience a spike in the wrath of the Demon Empire by Barao. He dispatched the Giant Brothers amongst many others to defeat him. However, Ichiro managed to reunite with Lemuria while in Tibet. Him, Kyuzo and Lemuria then helped train Akira for the final battle with Barao.
In the final episode, Lemuria uses her telekinetic powers to activate La Mu's Star device and create an opening for Raideen to defeat Barao, who had assumed a new form to fight the robot. Though he gloated about his victory, Barao was cut into pieces by Raideen's sword. Barao was defeated for good, but so was Lemuria, as she used so much of her power, it co. As she lay dying, Akira wept for her, but she told him she was happy she got to see him defeat Barao and told him to look after the Mu-tron device before passing away. Afterwards, Lemuria's autopiloted ship appeared in the sky, took her corpse, and flew away.
==Relationships==
===Mari Sakurano===
Mari is Akira's girlfriend. She attended the same school as Akira, where she first gained a crush on him. However, Akira didn't know this. He viewed her as a friend and would often prank her, which led to her angrily attacking him in return. However, she still cares a lot for him and worries whenever Akira's in battle.
She gets angry when other girls approached him, and belittled Rei Asuka because she also had a crush on Akira. Eventually, Mari would unlearn her jealous tendencies. She and Akira eventually became a couple. Shortly before Lemuria's death, Mari gifted her a pink shawl.
===Prince Charkin===
At first, Akira's arch-nemesis was Prince Charkin, Emperor Barao's second-in-command. Initially, Charkin offered Akira mercy if he gave up Raideen, but when he refused, he became angry. Akira would often counter his schemes to destroy the Earth, turning Charkin extremely frustrated.
Their rivalry was sometimes petty - Charkin once disguised himself as a human to sneak into Akira's school and humiliate him. Eventually, Charkin duelled Raideen one-on-one, assuming a new form to do so. When Raideen defeated him, Charkin believed he had failed his mission and committed seppuku out of humiliation. Even though he was his enemy, Akira felt sad for him and was shocked that he died in such a grisly manner.
==Trivia==
*Akira has canonically died twice (in episode 14 and episode 28) but each time, he was brought back to life by the Mu-tron device.
*Coincidentally, he shares his first name with his voice actor, .
**He shares his voice actor with Kazuya Ryūzaki. Coincidentally, both are from mecha anime directed by .
*Akira is the last remaining Mu alive.
==Gallery==
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