Maru (Heavenly Delusion)

Maru (Japanese: マル) is a fictional character and protagonist from Masakazu Ishiguro's manga series Heavenly Delusion. Maru is an orphan who was given a mission by his dying caretaker Mikura to travel across Japan to find "Heaven" and find a person who possesses an identical face to hand over a cure. He is accompanied by the bodyguard, Kiruko, whom he is attracted to despite her claims that she is actually a boy who had his brain transplanted into his sister's body. Nevertheless, they develop a strong bond in their journey as they battle giant creatures that they call either man-eaters or Hirukos with Maru possessing the talent to destroy them by making contact with their cores that Kiruko names "Maru Touch" (マルタッチ). Maru's supernatural ability is also notable due to his surprising fighting skills which are later revealed to be connected with his origins from Heaven (The Takahara Academy) who used to experiment on teenagers.

Maru was based on Kona, a character Ishiguro wrote in a previous work, And Yet the Town Moves. He wanted to reuse the character after seeing an interview with Hirohiko Araki, regarding his continuous works in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Maru's relationship with Kiruko was inspired by buddy films and stories about siblings though Ishiguro suggested a more romantic idea since the series' beginning. In the anime adaptation, Maru is voiced by Gen Satō in Japanese and Jonathan Leon in English. The character was generally well-received due to his adventures with Kiruko and the bond they share. Maru's origins were also the subject of mystery in regard to his similarities with fellow character, Tokio and their possible connection.