There are plenty of things that fans of anime know about Soul Eater — and some that many people don’t.
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In May 2004, Square Enix finally set out on one of its most popular publication periods to date. The company began to serialize Atsushi Okubo’s Soul Eater manga in its monthly magazine, starting what would become a nine-year journey for fans. The supernatural shonen title introduced fans to characters like Maka and Soul as the pair worked to Lord Death at the Death Weapon Meister Academy. While the series’ anime and manga have already ended, Soul Eater remains a popular title for fans of all ages.
And, now, ComicBook is ready to drop some trivia on you about the title.
You may think you know everything about Soul Eater, but there are a few facts about the series you should know. From Crona’s identity to Stein’s absurd power, you can brush up on your Soul Eater trivia below to show off at your next anime con!
Crona Has No Gender
There are plenty of villains in Soul Eater, but none were as pitiful or unsettling than Crona. The pink-haired meister wielded the demon sword Ragnarok, and the unhinged pair were forced to work under the witch Medusa. When Maka and Soul first went up against the pair, fans were less concerned about their insane strength and focused on something else instead; That is, they couldn’t figure out if Crona was a boy or girl.
It turns out there is no definite answer to that question. Atsushi has been asked about the character’s gender before, but the creator said he hadn’t considered that before. As such, most fans tend to think Crona is a girl while Ragnarok is a boy. But, at the end of the day, the character is free to be genderless if that is what you prefer.
Soul Eater Wasn’t Meant To Be A Series
When Soul Eater was first created, Atsushi had no plans on extending the story into a full-fledged manga. Square Enix first agreed to publish the story as a set of three separate one-shots. The first two chapters were released in Gangan Power before the final one hit shelves in Gangan Wing back in 2003. However, Atsushi realized he had more to explore with the series, and the one-shots were popular enough for Square Enix to buy into a serialized manga.
Death The Kid Can Never Dye His Hair
Death The Kid has a lot going for him. As a feared shinigami, the son of Lord Death is a powerful meister who’s destined to take over his father’s place one day. Saddled with two fiery Weapons, Death The Kid is a strong warrior, but he does have some pitfalls. For one, he has one extreme case of OCD. And, two, the poor boy can never dye his hair. The character has said before he’s tried to dye out the white stripes in his hair, but the color never sticks. According to Atsushi, the dye won’t stay because Death The King has shinigami heritage which forces the chemicals right out of his body.
Stein Is The DWMA’s Strongest Graduate
When audiences first meet Franken Stein in Soul Eater, they know just how strong the meister is. Though he is unhinged, the mad scientist is a powerful student who graduated from the DWMA when Maka’s parents were students. However, it’s more than just that; Stein is said to be the most powerful graduate of the DWMA ever. Gifted with Soul Perception skills, Stein can work with almost any Weapon partner, and his soul wavelength was intimidating enough to bring Maka to her knees when she first saw it.
Maka’s Name Hints At Her Fighting Style
Like any good anime, Soul Eater has plenty of naming puns to keep fans occupied. For instance, the sultry witch Blair is named after the hand-cam horror film bearing the character’s name. And, when it comes to the protagonist Maka, the young girl’s name gives a major hint at the kind of Weapon she works with. The character’s name is an anagram from ‘kama,’ the Japanese word for scythe. When you consider that Maka works with Soul who turns into a living scythe, the anagram becomes rather appropriate.
You can read the synopsis for Soul Eater’s first volume below if you’re wanting to get started:
“Maka is a weapon meister, determined to turn her partner, a living scythe named Soul Eater, into a powerful death scythe – the ultimate weapon of Death himself! Charged with the task of collecting and devouring the tainted souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch, Maka and her fellow meisters strive to master their weapons as they face off against the bizarre and dangerous minions of the underworld. But the meisters’ own personal quirks may prove a bigger obstacle than any sultry enchantress!”
