Second Generation

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Lore & Background

In the world of Fire Force, spontaneous human combustion transforms victims into living infernos called Infernals. First-generation cases become Infernals, with more powerful horned variations known as Demons. Later generations possess pyrokinesis while retaining human form. The Fire Force was formed 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 Second Generation are those who can control existing flames but cannot generate their own, requiring an external source to manipulate.

In Their Own Story

The source does not provide a specific narrative vignette about a Second Generation character. The story centers on Shinra Kusakabe, a third-generation pyrokinetic youth who joins Special Fire Force Company 8. He learns that the fire that killed his mother was a cover for his brother Sho to be taken by the White-Clad, a doomsday cult behind the Infernal attacks. Company 8 and their allies oppose the White-Clad while learning of their goal to gather eight individuals like Shinra and Sho to repeat the Great Cataclysm.

Reader's Guide

Second Generation individuals are distinct from Third Generation users because they cannot generate flames from their own bodies. They require an external flame source to manipulate. Their powers are a result of surviving spontaneous human combustion, which turns humans into Infernals. Unlike Infernals, who are mindless monsters, Second Generation individuals retain their human form and intelligence. The Fire Force was established to combat these threats, combining personnel from the Holy Sol Temple, the Tokyo Armed Forces, and the Fire Defense Agency into eight independent companies.

Did You Know?

• The Fire Force was formed by combining people with pyrokinetic powers from the Holy Sol Temple, The Tokyo Armed Forces, and the Fire Defense Agency.
• The manga's final chapter hints at a connection to Atsushi Ohkubo's previous series, Soul Eater.
• Voice actors Gakuto Kajiwara and Kazuya Nakai served as official firefighters for a day on March 2, 2019, in cooperation with the Tokyo Fire Department.
• The anime's third season was nominated for Best Anime Series at the 5th Astra TV Awards in 2025.

Origins and World-Building

The Great Cataclysm happened two hundred and fifty years ago, 50 years before the Solar year 0. During that event, the world was set on fire, and many nations were wiped out with very few habitable areas left. The survivors took refuge in the Tokyo Empire, which remained mostly stable despite losing some landmass. Tokyo Emperor Raffles I established the Holy Sol Temple faith, and Haijima Industries developed the perpetual thermal energy plant Amaterasu to power the country. In Year 198 of Tokyo's Solar Era, special fire brigades called the Fire Force fight increasing incidents of spontaneous human combustion where human beings are turned into living infernos called Infernals. While Infernals are first-generation cases, with more powerful horned variations known as Demons, later generations possess pyrokinesis while retaining human form.

Protagonist and Central Conflict

Shinra Kusakabe is a third generation pyrokinetic youth who gained the nickname 'Devil's Footprints' for his ability to ignite his feet at will. He was ostracized as a child for the fire that killed his mother and younger brother Sho twelve years ago. He joins Special Fire Force Company 8, which features other pyrokinetics dedicated to ending Infernal attacks 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, a doomsday cult behind the Infernal attacks with agents within the Tokyo Empire. Company 8 and their allies oppose the White-Clad while learning of their goal to gather eight individuals like Shinra and Sho to repeat the Great Cataclysm for an ancient being.

Manga Publication and Global Reach

Written and illustrated by Atsushi Ohkubo, Fire Force was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from September 23, 2015, to February 22, 2022. In the final chapter, it is hinted that Fire Force is connected to Ohkubo's other manga series Soul Eater. Kodansha collected its 304 chapters in thirty-four tankōbon volumes, released from February 17, 2016, to May 17, 2022. The series is licensed for English release in North America by Kodansha USA, which published the volumes from November 8, 2016, to October 3, 2023. A 12-volume omnibus edition was released from November 29, 2022, to September 17, 2024. By May 2022, the Fire Force manga had over 20 million copies in circulation.

Anime Adaptation and Production History

An anime television series adaptation produced by David Production was announced in November 2018. The first season aired from July 6 to December 28, 2019. Due to the Kyoto Animation arson attack on July 18, 2019, Episode 3 was postponed from July 20 to July 27. A second season aired from July 4 to December 12, 2020. A third and final season aired in two split cours, with the first airing from April 5 to June 21, 2025, and the second airing from January 10 to April 4, 2026. Funimation (later Crunchyroll) streamed the series. The English dub aired on Adult Swim's Toonami from July 28, 2019, to February 2, 2020, with the second season airing from November 8, 2020, to May 9, 2021.