Spontaneous Human Combustion

Lore & Background

In the present day of Year 198 of Tokyo's Solar Era, incidents of SHC are increasing. The victims are referred to as "Infernals," described as first-generation cases of spontaneous human combustion. More powerful, horned variations of these beings are known as Demons. Later generations of pyrokinetics, however, possess fire-based powers while retaining their human form. The Fire Force was established by combining people with these powers from the Holy Sol Temple, The Tokyo Armed Forces, and the Fire Defense Agency, and is composed of eight independent companies. The White-Clad, a doomsday cult, is revealed to have agents within the facets of the Tokyo Empire and is behind the Infernal attacks. Their goal is to gather eight individuals like the protagonist Shinra Kusakabe and his brother Sho to repeat the Great Cataclysm for an ancient being.

In Their Own Story

Shinra Kusakabe, a third-generation pyrokinetic youth nicknamed "Devil's Footprints" for his ability to ignite his feet, joins Special Fire Force Company 8. He was ostracized as a child for a fire that killed his mother and younger brother Sho twelve years ago. Company 8 is dedicated to ending the Infernal attacks for good while investigating Companies 1 through 7 for potential corruption. Shinra learns that the fire that killed his mother was a cover for Sho to be taken by the White-Clad. The series follows Company 8 and their allies as they oppose the White-Clad, uncovering their goal to gather eight individuals to repeat the Great Cataclysm.

Reader's Guide

Spontaneous Human Combustion in *Fire Force* is not a random event but a targeted phenomenon orchestrated by the White-Clad. The victims become Infernals, living infernos that must be neutralized by the Special Fire Force. The Fire Force is composed of eight independent companies, each with its own leadership and methods. Company 8, the protagonist's unit, is unique in its mission to investigate corruption within the other companies. The ultimate goal of the White-Clad is to gather eight specific individuals, like Shinra and Sho, to repeat the Great Cataclysm. Understanding the connection between the Infernals, the White-Clad, and the ancient being they serve is the central mystery of the series.

Did You Know?

• The term for an Infernal in Japanese is 'Homura Bito' (焰ビト), which literally translates to 'Flame Person'.
• The Special Fire Force is composed of eight independent companies, formed by combining personnel from the Holy Sol Temple, the Tokyo Armed Forces, and the Fire Defense Agency.
• The White-Clad, the doomsday cult behind the Infernal attacks, seeks to gather eight specific individuals to repeat the Great Cataclysm.
• Shinra Kusakabe's younger brother Sho was taken by the White-Clad during the fire that killed their mother, a fact Shinra learns over the course of the series.