Ken Kaneki

Ken Kaneki (金木 研, Kaneki Ken) is the main character of the story. He used to be a normal human, leading a normal student life, but due to certain events, he ended up being transplanted with Rize Kamishiro's ghoul organs and became a half-human, half-ghoul. Currently, he is a freshman student studying Japanese Literature at the Department of Literature of Kamii University and works part-time at Anteiku.

Appearance
As a normal college student, Kaneki is a scrawny young man with little to no atheletic background who prefers to read books. In his free time, he wears casual clothing. At work, he wears the regular Anteiku waiter uniform, consisting of black trousers and a black vest over a white dress shirt and a black necktie. Because he can't mentally control his one-eye Kakugan, he wears a medical eyepatch to cover it. His ghoul mask shows resemblance to a leather gimp mask with an eyepatch and lipless grin that shows artificial teeth, much like restrained asylum monster. The bolts sticking out of his neck and the fact that he is an artificial ghoul gives him a Frankenstein theme.

Personality
Kaneki is a shy and reserved person with just one close friend. He usually spends most of his time reading books that are mostly novels. He is extremely gentle and appears to be optimistic most of the time.

After he was turned into a half-ghoul, he clings to his human side. To keep his life in the human world, he began to work at Anteiku and has built relationships with the ghouls there. Because of his experiences, he has started to have interest in becoming stronger and reading martial arts books so that he can protect himself and people who are close to him. He is troubled with himself being a half-ghoul and is searching for a place he can belong to. If people he likes are threatened, Kaneki will try to protect them and make sure that he will be the one who will mostly get hurt instead.

Past
Kaneki liked eating cooked burgers that his mother made long ago.

During elementary school, Hide approached Kaneki, most likely because he noticed that Kaneki had trouble dealing with his classmates. Since then, Hide and Kaneki have been best friends.

Prologue
In the first chapter, Kaneki and Hideyoshi Nagachika at Anteiku are listening to the news about ghoul attacks in the 20th ward. Hide wondered if Touka Kirishima was Kaneki's new crush that he wanted to show him, but Kaneki denied. Instead, Kaneki pointed to Rize Kamishiro, when she entered the café. After Hide had left the place, Kaneki ended up being arranged to a date with Rize. However, Rize actually was a ghoul targeting Kaneki, and she tricked Kaneki to enter a quiet alley. During her attack, Kaneki was wounded at the abdomen by her kagune, but Rize was hit by falling steel bars before she could kill him, apparently killing her. To save his life, the staff of the Kanou General Hospital under the direction of Prof. Akihiro Kanou decided to transplant Rize's organs into him. From then on, Kaneki was a half-human, half-ghoul.

After the accident, Kaneki hid that Rize was a ghoul. Everything he ate tasted disgusting and he was hardly able to eat normal food, so he started to live only on water for days. Around the time that he realized that ghouls were also unable to eat normal food, his hunger struck him. Unable to find anything to satisfy his hunger, he wandered the streets. At that time, he discovered that the waitress Touka Kirishima from Anteiku was also a ghoul as she killed a human. In terror, Kaneki ran away. He soon discovered that he was hardly able to keep himself in check. Since the transplant was the reason for the changes in him, he tried to destroy the transplant, but he was not even able to harm himself. Desperate, he turned to Touka for help. Touka refused, but Anteiku's manager Yoshimura gave Kaneki human meat to satisfy his hunger.

Even though Kaneki recieved meat, Kaneki couldn't eat human just like that. He looked for the other food hopelessly, while searching he discovered that he could drink coffee, just like any ghoul. Drinking coffee calmed him down, so he went off to buy more. In a store while searching for coffee he met Nishiki Nishio who advised him to buy the instant coffee Blondy. While Kaneki was walking back, he smelled food them went after it to realize too late that it was a human corpse's smell. There Nishiki killed Kazuo Yoshida because he was eating a corpse in his feeding ground. For the same reason, Nishiki also attacked Kaneki. At that moment, Touka appeared and declared that this place wasn't Nishiki's feeding ground, but Rize's. Nishiki retorted that this was originally his feeding ground until Rize came, but Touka, unfazed, responded that the feeding grounds would be re-alloted among the weaker ghouls and that it was his own fault for being too weak. Angered, Nishiki attacked Touka, but was immediately defeated.

When Kaneki and Hide visited Nishiki in Kamii University to get the DVD of last-year's college festival, they disturbed Nishiki and Kimi Nishino when they were making out. Kaneki discovered that the Nishiki was the ghoul that attacked him shortly before. Nishiki told them to help him look for the material, but then claimed that he took the disk home. He proposed that they should go to his home. In reality, he deceived Kaneki and Hide, took Hide out and started fighting Kaneki. He provoked Kaneki by standing on Hide's face with his foot, but Kaneki was no match for Nishiki with kagune. However, when Nishiki tried to kill Hide, Kaneki made his kagune come out. With his kagune, Kaneki heavily injured Nishiki. After that Kaneki started to lose control over himself and was about to eat his own best friend Hide, Touka appeared and decided to help him.

Later, Kaneki woke up and found himself inside Anteiku. He noticed blood inside his mouth and relized that he ate human meat, so he went and asked Yoshimura about what he has done and the manager replied that there is only one way to calm a hungry ghoul down and he knows it, then he asked how Hide is. Yoshimura made Kaneki follow him to where his friend is and then Kaneki tried to call Hide but he stoped and said he want to be with his friend but he can't. Kaneki cried out that he is neither a human nor a ghoul and there is no place for him, however Yoshimura replied that he is wrong and there are two worlds he belongs to. That while conscious Hide was listening. Yoshimura asked him to joing working in Anteiku while he teaches him how ghouls live since it is related to how can he keep his place as a human. Then Kaneki replied that he has never done a part-time job before and asked him if he could do it.

Doves' Emergence
Kaneki started working part-time in Anteiku, so his friend Hide came to give him a visit. Kaneki told Hide not to sit there only chatting and asked him to order and Hide spoke out that he came also to thank Touka for nursing Kaneki and him after the car incident. Kaneki remembered the manager telling him how he explained things to Hide. While the conversation, Touka pointed out to Kaneki, then he got away from Hide to listen to what she has to say. Touka told him to make sure that Hide won't find out about him being a ghoul because if that happens she will kill him, so that the ghouls identities won't be found out. When Kaneki was working, Yoshimura asked him to come to the second floor. In a room the manager showed Kaneki how to eat sandwiches, and after Kaneki gave it a try the manager gave him a special sugar cubes and told him to use it while drinking coffe to keep him from hunger and commented that he will have to eat human meat anyways later. Kaneki continued with his work, and then two visitors came to Anteiku, Ryouko Fueguchi and her daughter Hinami. The mother saw Kaneki, the new worker, and told Hinami to greet him, and so she did shyly. Then Kaneki found out that both of them are ghouls from Touka and that there are ghouls who can't hunt humans by themselves.

Ghoul investigators from the CCG appeared looking for Ryouko Fueguchi and her daughter Hinami. As the news about the doves came to the 20th Ward, the manager of Anteiku asked Touka to go with Kaneki to get a mask for him. So Kaneki and Touka went to HySy ArtMask Studio in the 4th Ward for the mask. There Kaneki met Uta and started a conversation with him. In another time, the manager got Kaneki into a mission to go with Renji Yomo to get human meat from humans who committed suicide. After they finished they met Ryouko and then Renji started a convesation with her. Kaneki thought that no matter what world it is, it seems a parent's concern for their child is strong. Another day, Hinami was eating meat in a room in Anteiku's second floor, as Kaneki suddenly entered the room without knocking the door. After Kaneki apologized properly, he ended up telling Hinami his case of being a former human. Kaneki noticed that she had one of Sen Takatsuki's books and so the two started talking about words. Before she went back with her mother she thanked him and told him to teach her more next time. While Hinami and her mother were walking back, the four ghoul investigators Koutarou Amon, Kureo Mado, Yasunori Nakajima and Ippei Kusaba appeared to annihilate the two. The mother told her daughter to run while she would hold them back. During her escape, Hinami ran into Kaneki and asked for help, but it was too late and the mother was killed by Mado. Kaneki then got into a meeting after Hinami's mother death in Anteiku. Kaneki thought it was his fault for being weak that he couldn't do a thing. The manager saw that on him so he told him not to blame himself.

When Touka came back to Anteiku, Kaneki noticed her injuried and then went into a conversation about it with Yoshimura. After that he went to Touka suggesting her to let him treat her. Kaneki told Touka that he doesn't think that the ghoul investigators existence is bad and that he thinks she is in the wrong, however he would be sad if she died and said he also wants to do something with her. Kaneki asked her to help him get stronger. So the two went practicing in the 24th Ward underground. Kaneki asked Touka about the place and she replied that it was the place where ghouls used to live. Later they went to the CCG branch office in the 20th Ward to give them false information and get more about the situation. There they started talking about the RC Scan Gate. Before they went back, Kureo Mado saw them and thought there was something off about them, so he took Kaneki to the RC Scan Gate. Howeverm, the gate didn't react to Kaneki for some unknown reason. When Hinami was locking herself in a room in Anteiku, Touka visited her and gave her a newspaper contains the ghoul investigator Ippei's death. After that soon Hinami disappeared, then Touka and Kaneki went out immediately to look for her. Hinami alone holding her mother's hand met Touka, then Touka called Kaneki to inform him that she found her. Kaneki got happy and thought if it was ok to go back to Anteiku, but then he overheared ghoul investigator Koutarou Amon talking to Kureo Mado in the phone saying he will come to the place where Hinami and Touka are. Then Kaneki wore his mask and went to hold Koutarou back so Touka and Hinami will have enough time to run away. As he fought Koutarou they got into conversation. Kaneki won the fight with his Kagune. However, after Koutarou ran off and given up catching Kaneki the ghoul, Kaneki lost control and seeked killing people. Renji Yomo appeared wearing his mask and stopped him from rampaging. Both Renji and Kaneki rushed to Hinami's and Touka's whereabouts and they prepared to go back to Anteiku. Touka said to hurry up and get the body but Renji says to leave immediately because someone might come anytime. While they were walking back, Hinami asked if it was right for her to live and Kaneki answered that he believed Hinami's mother told her to live.

After the incident with Hinami, Kaneki went to the university. In a class, his friend Hide started talking about the news about the death of two ghoul investigators. Kaneki asked Hide why he is interested in such things, then Hide showed Kaneki the ghoul researcher Hisashi Ogura's new book and said it was super intereasting. Hide said about joing the investigation but Kaneki told him not to do so because it is dangerous.

Later on, as Kaneki went to Touka's home to pay Hinami a visit, he was surprised by Hinami's new and bad haircut. Kaneki gave Hinami a book and told her to try reading it in her free time.

Gourmet Arc
After they practiced in the 24th Ward underground and met Renji Yomo, Kaneki and Touka went back to Anteiku for work. Shuu Tsukiyama, the Gourmet ghoul, came to the cafe visiting and attracted to Kaneki's smell. Another day, Shuu came to Kamii University looking for Kaneki and so he met him while Kankei was reading martial arts books. Shuu tried to arrange a place for them to go and succeed. Kaneki walked back to Anteiku forgetting that it was closed for that day and then met Renji who asked him to come with him to meet a person demanded to meet Kaneki. The two went to the 14th Ward visiting Helter Skelter bar and there Kaneki got startled by Itori, Renji and Uta's old friend, who owns the bar. The conversation started with how was the relationshop between Renji and Uta and then for the reason Itori wanted to meet Kaneki, she spilled a glass of blood into Kaneki to see his only one Kakugan. Itori got excited for her first time seeing a one-eyed ghoul and wondered if the other "One-Eye" feels as same as Kaneki about his one Kakugan. As Kaneki heared her he asked if there are other half who have the same type of eye like him, so they started talking about hybrids, pregnancy of half-ghouls and the rumored "One-Eye". Soon the conversation turned about Kaneki and the mysterious death of Rize, and so Kaneki discovered that it might not been an incident between him and Rize. Then Kaneki and Itori planned a trade, where Kaneki gives her information about the Ghoul Restaurant from the Gourmet and then she tells him about the suspect who might arranged the incident with Rize.

After the meeting he passed and saw Nishiki Nishio being attacked by ghouls from the 14th Ward who decided to eat him. Kaneki saved him from the ghouls and brought him to his apartment, while Nishiki was cursing Kaneki. When Kaneki wanted to leave, Kimi attacked Kaneki to protect Nishiki, thinking that Kaneki was the "narcissistic man"; however, Nishiki asked her to stop.

Later, Kaneki started approaching Shuu Tsukiyama in the arranged place, so there Shuu went to the bathroom and revealed his obsession with Kaneki's smell, flesh and blood. Kaneki tried to ask him about the Ghoul Restaurant what made it end up that Kaneki visit the Restaurant with Shuu. Kaneki fell in Shuu's trap and the ghoul members of the organization were planning to eat him with two humans. As Kaneki was fighting the restaurant's scrapper Taro-chan, his one Kakugan revealed to the ghoul members and got shocket seeing "One-Eye", so Shuu Tsukiyama also got worked on how Kaneki is rare and then killed the scrapper deciding that Kaneki will be his own only. Shuu told Kaneki that he wasn't really tapped him and asked to meet later. After Kaneki made it back alive from the Ghoul Restaurant to Anteiku, Hinami appeared and brought the injured parakeet Hetare with her because of Touka's fear of birds, and so Renji and Yoshimura did appear. Kaneki told them he saw lots of ghouls and commented at how they laughed behind their masks at the injured him and the two people that were with him. Then Yoshimura made a speech to Kaneki about ghouls who killed their emotions and forgot the value of life. When Kaneki and Hinami became alone, Touka appeared glancing from far and then went in trying to get closer to the bird. Touka told Kaneki there a girl down looking for him. It was Kimi Nishino who begged Kaneki for help after Nishiki got into even worser state. Kaneki promised her to do something about it and she then left after thanking him. While she was walking back, she got kidnapped by Shuu who was planning for another trap for Kaneki.

After Kaneki saw Shuu's letter about Kimi being kidnapped by him, Nishiki appeared looking for Kimi. Kaneki told him that Tsukiyama had kidnapped her. They decided to face Tsukiyama together to save Kimi. However, Kaneki and Tsukiyama were no match for Tsukiyama, and even after Touka joined them, they were losing because Tsukiyama was the only one who could use his kagune. However, Nishiki's tenacity and Kaneki's idea to allow himself to be eaten by Touka led to victory against Tsukiyama.

Hideyoshi Nagachika
Kaneki would call him by his nickname Hide and he is best friends with him. The two of them are very close to each other anad friends since childhood. Although Kaneki would at most talk about trifle things with Hide, he find Hide a savior and someone who became his voice. If one of them in trouble or danger, the other one would do his best to support.

Touka Kirishima
Before discovering that she is a ghoul, Kaneki would see her as a cute girl. She was confused to see half-ghoul and then started to refuse him as a former human, but since Kaneki joined Anteiku the two of them are becoming closer, and it would seem like she bosses him around. Touka would help him many times who is a member with her in Anteiku or actually started to care about him. Kaneki also started to care about her as much as he cares about Hide.

Since they started to practice together, in fights their movements together would be synched.

Yoshimura
Kaneki is grateful for Yoshimura helping him survive being a ghoul. He would also listen to him with care to what he has to say. Since Kaneki is working part-time in his shop and would take missions from him, he is affiliated with Yoshimura's organization Anteiku.

Renji Yomo
Although Kaneki is far from being close to him, the two of them are in good relationship. Kaneki would care to show him his improvements in fighting. In the other side, Renji is really caring about Kaneki and would worry if he got himself into troubles and dangers.

Hinami Fueguchi
Kaneki find her a nice polite child who is hungry for knowladge. Kaneki would have fun teaching her how to read words and talking about literary works with her. Kaneki also started to care about her as much as he cares about Hide.

Powers and Abilities
Kaneki starts off as weak and not used to fights, with strong body that has neither muscles nor fitness. He has poor reflexes, reflecting his terrible athletic skills when he was previously human. Despite this, he is shown to be very adaptive and a quick learner. He also has an ability of learning martial arts very fast through martial arts books.


 * Rize's Kagune: After the organ transplant, Kaneki also inherited Rize's kagune. Rize's kagune is special because it has an abnormal regenerating factor even among the Rinkaku types. The kagune is tentacle-like or takes a shape that resembles a spider's arms. Only one to all six tentacle-like arms can be released, and they are as good as blades or tentacle arms that can hold to objects and people and hit them strongly.

Despite the surgery, Kaneki seems to lack the sense of smell other ghouls have that can differentiate between humans and ghouls.

Trivia

 * Kaneki was ranked first in the character popularity poll.
 * Kaneki likes reading, beautiful language, intellectual women and hamburgers.