So, Does [SPOILER] Really Die In 'Tokyo Ghoul'?

If you are at all familiar with Tokyo Ghoul, then you know death is just part of the series. The franchise has seen its fair share of death, but fans were dismayed when its anime killed off one major character with very little warning. These days, anime fans are wondering if Tokyo Ghoul really did mean to kill off Hideyoshi Nagachika, but there is one consolation for those fans.

In the manga, the character isn't dead - not by a long shot.

Hideyoshi, better known as Hide, is one of the characters fans of Tokyo Ghoul first meet. The boy is Ken Kaneki's best friend, and he eventually becomes a gun-ho member of the CCG. The original anime followed the manga fairly well up until its later arcs but things took a turn for Hide especially when Tokyo Ghoul √A debuted.

The second season is treated less like a continuation and more like a what-if scenario. Sui Ishida crafted the anime's storyline just for the show, and it reimagines major portions of the Tokyo Ghoul manga. After Ken taps into his inner-ghoul and kills Jason, the second anime sees the protagonist join up with Aogiri Tree rather than create his own group of comrades. The decision marks a huge shift, and it is one that ultimately trickled down to Hide.

Tokyo Ghoul √A ends with Hide dying after he is mortally wounded during the Owl Suppression Operation. The boy dies in Kaneki's arm after admitting he knows his friend's true identity. Kaneki is left to carry Hide's lifeless body back to the CCG before going to face Kishou Arima, but that is not how things happen in the manga.

In the manga, the 'Aogiri' arc doesn't end with Kaneki joining the bad guys; Instead, the main character chooses to create his own ghoul alliance. When the Owl Suppression Operation takes place, Hide sneaks away to meet with Kaneki. The boy confesses he knows about Kaneki's identity, but the latter begins to lose control of his inner-ghoul. When Kaneki wakes up after blacking out before Hide, the latter is missing and he tastes blood in his mouth.

For awhile, fans were not sure if Hide was really alive or not, but the character made a comeback soon enough. Hide reappeared as a masked man operating under the alias of Scarecrow. The character eventually revealed his identity as Hide to Kuki Urie once the latter was rescued, and he has continued to operate in the shadows since.

So far, there is no telling how Studio Pierrot and Ishida plan to treat the second Tokyo Ghoul anime installment in light of its upcoming third season. Tokyo Ghoul:re will be adapted for TV next year, and the manga-compliant series does feature Hide on-and-off, so there is a chance Hide will be miraculously resurrected in the anime if the series intended to acknowledge Tokyo Ghoul √A.

Were you surprised to see Tokyo Ghoul's anime kill off Hide? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics and anime!