The second ending sequence. <- Previous • Next -> Aiko.
The stories of each character.
Aiko - Akio - Anthy - Chu-Chu - Dios - Juri - Kanae - Keiko - Kozue - Mamiya - Mikage - Miki - Mitsuru - Mrs. Ohtori - Nanami - nerd boys - Ruka - Saionji - shadow girls - Shiori - Tatsuya - Tokiko - Touga - Utena- Wakaba - Yuuko.
Main story: Akio - Anthy - Dios - Utena.
Student Council: Juri - Miki - Nanami - Saionji - Touga.
Black Rose: Mamiya - Mikage - Tokiko.
Nanami: Nanami - Mitsuru - Aiko - Keiko - Yuuko.
One-line sketches of the basic ideas behind some important characters. See the big idea - the main storyline for the allegorical roles of Akio, Dios, Anthy, and Utena. I believe that Utena’s specific goal is necessary for her power of miracles, and Anthy’s specific goal is necessary for her “magic”, her version of the power of miracles.
A key distinction is between those who accept and those who resist the patriarchy in one way or another. Nobody rejects the patriarchy outright, before Utena vanishes, but many push back against aspects.
Akio - Seeks to control women by all means. Touga - Seeks to control women psychologically by deception. Saionji - Seeks to control women physically by violence.
Anthy - Accepts the patriarchy and seeks stability. Sacrifices herself to support Akio. Utena - Resists the patriarchy and seeks change. Sacrifices herself to try to rescue Anthy.
Juri - Supports the pariarchy for fear of its retribution. Nanami - Resister who seeks to rebel against the patriarchy and take its power for herself.
Miki represents naivety; he is neither for nor against the patriarchy, until he learns more. Kozue represents betrayal. She feels betrayed and betrays others.
The nerd boys stand for conformity and the enforcement of conformity. They are acceptors. Nanami’s minions stand for discord and rebellion in response to authority. Even though they all want Touga, they resist the patriarchy by supporting Nanami—and by rebelling against Nanami’s authoritarianism.
In the Student Council arc, Touga tries to deceive Utena emotionally. In the Black Rose, Mikage tries to deceive Utena intellectually. In the Apocalypse Saga, Akio (who uses all means) does both.
Love interests tend to coordinate with character goals. Who you love is what you love.
Akio loves (if you can call it that) those he can exploit, and he loves Anthy most of all because he exploits her the most thoroughly. He’s honest in his twisted way when he claims to, or implies he does, love his victims Kanae, Mrs. Ohtori, and Utena. Anthy loves Akio because her role to believe in the patriarchy.
Utena loves Anthy because Anthy seeks rescue. Anthy loves Utena because Utena tries to rescue her, prince-like.
Touga the deceiver loves Utena because she is easy to deceive. Violent Saionji loves Anthy because Anthy quietly accepts violence. Touga and Saionji love each other because deception and violence need each other to exert lasting control over women. Therefore they still seek Utena and Anthy even while they are together.
Kozue is about family and betrayal, and her love of Miki constitutes a betrayal of her family.
Juri fears to admit her love of Shiori.
Nanami wants Touga because she wants his patriarchal power. She rebels to try to get it, and her rebellion eventually teaches her that she doesn’t really want it. I suspect that she may have admitted her lesbian desire to herself by episode 37 (she is almost friendly in trying to help out Utena).
Wakaba loves Utena because she loves fictional heroes, and Utena is a fiction-like hero.
I suppose that Mitsuru loves Nanami because he sees her as grown up.
What about Mari-Mitsuru, Tokiko-Mikage, Kanae-Anthy, Tatsuya-Wakaba?
Jay Scott <jay@satirist.org>
first posted 17 July 2023
updated 23 September 2026