Blue Exorcist (2011 – 2025)

The worlds of humans and demons are inextricably linked – two sides of the same coin, mirroring each other across realms like Assiah and Gehenna. Travel between them is a chilling prospect, possible only through possession, echoing tales of ghosts and hauntings. But Satan, the formidable ruler of Gehenna, finds himself strangely powerless; unable to find a suitable vessel in Assiah, he remains trapped. Driven by ambition, he dispatches his own son as a proxy – a seed intended to blossom into a host capable of unleashing the demon king’s power. *Ao no Exorcist* centers on Rin Okumura, an outwardly normal teen with a rebellious streak, whose life is shattered when demons suddenly target him. He learns a shocking truth: he's the son of Satan, and his father wants him to return to Gehenna to help conquer Assiah. Rejecting this dark destiny, Rin chooses a different path – training as an exorcist alongside his brother Yukio, determined to protect Assiah and fight against the very power that flows through his veins.

The students of True Cross Academy are reeling from a devastating revelation: one of their own, Rin Okumura, carries the blood of Satan. Yet, before they can fully process this earth-shattering truth, an even more immediate danger arises. The left eye of the formidable Impure King has been stolen from the academy’s secure Deep Keep, and another attempt on the right eye in Kyoto confirms a sinister plot is unfolding. Rin and his fellow ExWires are dispatched to unravel the mystery behind these thefts and uncover the thief's ultimate objective. Though forced to work together, Rin finds himself increasingly isolated from his peers. Driven by a desire for acceptance, he throws himself into rigorous training designed to harness his demonic power. But just as they begin their investigation, the right eye vanishes too, plunging the academy into turmoil. Now, with an unthinkable threat – a traitor within their ranks – looming over them, the ExWires must find strength and unity to face what lies ahead.

Strange things are stirring at True Cross Academy. Unbeknownst to him, Rin Okumura is beginning to notice a shift – ordinary people are suddenly able to see what lies hidden: the demons of Assiah that move unseen through our world. While Rin sees this as a chance for connection, his twin brother, Yukio, feels the weight of something he can’t quite grasp, keeping his own burgeoning powers carefully concealed. As Rin and his friends brace themselves for the crucial Exorcist Certification Exam, the True Cross Order makes a disturbing discovery: the first artificially created gate to the demonic realm of Gehenna. Its immense size and the sophisticated technology behind it reveal a dangerous new player – the Illuminati, an organization wielding vast wealth and influence. Even more unsettling, these enigmatic power brokers have infiltrated the Order itself, planting spies within its ranks; one of whom may even be among the very students training to defend humanity against the demonic threat.

A surge of demonic activity across the globe has triggered an alarming crisis, fueled by shadowy dealings linked to the Illuminati. Recognizing the escalating threat, Vatican headquarters accelerates its annual Exorcist Certification Exam, opening the opportunity to as many potential exorcists as possible. To bolster preparations at True Cross Academy, the formidable Lewin Light – known for his lightning-fast exorcism techniques – is dispatched directly from the Vatican. His exceptional skill quickly captivates Ryuuji Suguro, a student who’s lost faith in his abilities. Unexpectedly, Lewin takes Ryuuji under his wing as an apprentice. As the crisis deepens, brothers Rin and Yukio Okumura are tasked with finding Shura Kirigakure, a missing exorcist seemingly bound to a decades-old pact with a powerful, ancient demon lurking within the treacherous, snow-covered mountains of Aomori Prefecture.

Rin Okumura has always shied away from his past, especially concerning his mysterious parents. But when the enigmatic master of time, Mephisto Pheles, presents him with a peculiar key, Rin is unexpectedly flung forty years back – to a time when his mother, Yuri Frederick Egin, was just a young girl. Guided by Mephisto, Rin embarks on a journey through Yuri’s formative years, witnessing her training as an exorcist and uncovering fragments of a history he never knew. Along the way, he observes the early encounters between Yuri and Shirou Fujimoto, the man who would become their adoptive father. As Rin shadows their lives, he gains a chilling firsthand view of Satan's first appearances and the unsettling events brewing within the True Cross Order’s elite Section 13. Ultimately, Yuri’s extraordinary connection to Satan leads Rin toward a devastating truth: the secrets surrounding the Blue Night – the most tragic event in exorcist history and the day he and his twin brother, Yukio, were born.