Akeno Himejima

Akeno Himejima (姫島 朱乃, Himejima Akeno) is one of the many female protagonists of High School DxD. She is the daughter of Baraqiel, a Fallen Angel Cadre who later became Grigori’s Vice-Governor General, and Shuri Himejima, making her a descendant of the Himejima Clan. After the death of her mother, Akeno was later found by Rias Gremory, who made her the Queen of her peerage and became her closest friend. Akeno is one of Kuoh Academy’s Two Great Ladies alongside Rias and later becomes a first-year college student. Akeno initially appears as an elegant, gentle woman with refined manners, embodying the image of a traditional Japanese lady, often described as a “Yamato Nadeshiko.” Beneath her calm and dignified demeanor, however, she is ruthless in battle, showing no mercy toward her enemies and maintaining composure even in intense combat situations. Despite this, Akeno is a very kind individual, as acknowledged by Rias and Issei. Before meeting Rias, she helped others by purifying evil spirits. After witnessing her mother’s death and her father’s inability to prevent it, Akeno developed deep resentment toward Fallen Angels, as well as self-loathing toward her own Fallen Angel heritage. This led her to sever ties with her father and live in isolation until she was rescued by Rias after narrowly escaping death at the hands of her maternal relatives. Because of this, Akeno empathizes with those who suffered due to Fallen Angels, such as Issei and Asia, who were manipulated by Raynare. She initially feared being rejected because of her origins. With Issei’s support, Akeno was eventually able to confront her trauma, reconcile with her father Baraqiel, and restore their familial bond. This marked a turning point in her emotional growth. Akeno originally had little interest in forming close personal relationships due to her past, but she gradually became more emotionally attached to Issei after witnessing his determination and actions.