Tezuka’s Stars (A)

Afil is a career bit player. Although he has had a few roles as a key antagonist - primarily with his co-conspirators Kao Sekken and Gratin - he is generally known for throw-away roles, cast as a servant, a henchman, a passenger, a customer, or simply...

The consummate lawman, Aggo is upstanding and righteous, but he is also hot tempered and quick to anger. Despite a slight weakness for alcohol, the merest drop of which will put him to sleep, Aggo is almost always cast as an authority figure. He is...

Based on an early classmate of Osamu Tezuka, Akashi is the leader of a school gang. With the entire school terrified of him, he preys on the students who are weaker and smaller than he is. However, Akashi does have a secret love of manga and eventually...

A real-life pioneer Japanese artist of comical manga known as the "Gag Manga King", Fujio Akatsuka was born in Rehe, Manchuria, as the son of a Japanese military police officer.  After World War II, he grew up in Niigata Prefecture and Nara Prefecture.  Wh...

Mr. Akita is one cool customer. As a teacher at Yakeno's Junior High School, and the only one to believe Maria's supernatural origins, he acts as a guiding figure of authority. The founder of the B.G. Club, his intelligence and tolerance match his physical...

Although better known by his evil pseudonym, Alabaster, he originally appears as James Block, a handsome, famous and successful young black athlete. When James is spurned by the lovely Susan, he goes on a murderous rampage and lands in prison. There...

As alien invaders in human guise, they have been singularly cast in the role of the "heavy muscle" enforcers.

With a certain flair of European style and nobility, Monsieur Ampere oozes a refinement born of aristocratic breeding. From the very beginning, he demonstrated his complexity of character, and ability to tackle dual roles.

Another of Tezuka's "Boy Heroes", Akira is the heroic young son of a brilliant scientist. When he is gifted with the power to instantly grow his body to any size at will while gaining the relative muscle power that comes with it, he dedicates himself...

In a future where robot technology is rapidly transforming the economic and social face of the earth, the 100,000 horsepower Astro Boy is the most powerful robot in the world, and the first robot with a true human-like artificial brain.

Astro's Father was created, along with his much more famous wife, Mitchy, by Dr. Ochanomizu to act as Astro Boy's robot family. Although he is a father figure, as a robot he is actually younger than Astro, and thus attends the same school in a lower...

Atlas in his primary role is Astro Boy’s younger brother, created by Dr. Tenma, the same scientist who created Astro. Although the origin stories of both Astro Boy and of Atlas vary, generally speaking, Atlas is created by Dr. Tenma after his disappointment i...

There's really not much to be said about Azarashi. Another of Osamu Tezuka's "old men with interesting noustaches", his placid demeanour has relegated him to a few bit parts playing old men or just another face in the crowd.

Azuma is a manga artist who made his professional debut in 1969 in the Akita Shoten manga magazine Manga King and made an appearance in Tezuka's Rainbow Parakeet (1981-83).