Rooster Fighter

Main characters

• Keiji (ケイジ)
• A self-described "migratory bird" who vows to defeat the demon that killed his sister. He wanders around Japan and has a policy to never stay longer than necessary. Keiji has a strict code of conduct that he follows regarding respect and appreciation. Despite despising children or any youngsters that he deemed disrespectful or annoying, he has a soft spot for some of them, like Piyoko. His abilities include a powerful Cock-a-doodle-doo that induces resonance and great aim when throwing items with his beak.
• Elizabeth (エリザベス)
• Adopted into a wealthy family shortly after her birth, Elizabeth is a hen who lived a luxurious yet dissatisfying life when she witnessed a demon wreak havoc on her city and nearly killed her and her family. It was Keiji that rescued them and she immediately fell in love with him, only to be abandoned right after their short affair. She ended up resenting Keiji for abandoning her and initially trained herself to get revenge against him; however, as she witnessed more mutant demons kill off her loved ones after Keiji's departure, she began training to defeat them for the next six months. After reuniting with Keiji, she decides to join his efforts in fighting against the White Demon. Elizabeth fights with a lightning staff and is shown to be tech savvy.
• Piyoko (ピヨコ)
• Raised by a yakuza to initially be sold with other chicks, Piyoko became a beloved pet instead before witnessing her owner turn into a mutant demon. Witnessing Keiji defeat and save her owner, she decides to follow him on his journey to defeat the White Demon and Keiji reluctantly let her join him after she helped nurse him back to health. She is attached to him, believing that she will marry him once she is older, and was given the name Piyoko by him after asking for a name. She has the word "Duty" (仁義) written on her back after asking her former owner to give her a tattoo similar to his.
• Morio (モリオ)
• A friendly demon who was manifested by a middle-aged man who was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, but was abandoned when his human host learned of his misdiagnosis. After constantly being attacked by locals, Morio shrank to human size and has lived his life as a hermit when he meets and befriends Keiji.
• Keisuke (ケイスケ)
• Keiji's younger, crested half-brother who matches him in strength. He joins Keiji on his quest in order to rescue their father after he is captured by demons.

Other characters

• One-Eyed Silver (片目の銀)
• A one-eyed sea turtle with a personal vendetta against birds after witnessing a flock of gulls eat his siblings after hatching, he is initially hostile towards Keiji. However, he helps him defeat a demon at sea after realizing that Keiji was not like the seagulls he despised. He lets Keiji off to go avenge his sister but makes him promise that they will have a proper battle once he returns.
• Zena (ゼナ)
• An elderly toucan taken from his home in Brazil and now overseeing the Southern Birds exhibit in the zoo, he took Keiji into the exhibit after finding him unconscious in the rain. He was a beloved member of the community and protected his bird family from a demon attack before succumbing to his injuries. Keiji took one of his feathers, hoping to return it to Zena's sisters one day.
• Sara (サラ)
• Sara is the sister of Keiji. It is Sara's death that led Keiji to avenge her; however, Keiji noted that the bird used by the White Demon resembles her.
• Gakuma (嶽磨) White Demon (白鬼獣)
• A white-skinned and four-horned demon. The mutant is responsible for killing Keiji's sister, Sara. Known as the "White Demon", he is a giant that also has a fire-like bird that it uses to burn what it wants. He also has a circular mark on its neck, which Keiji uses to identify it. He is later revealed to be the leader of all demons, and to have the human form of a young man named Gakuma.
• Kugone (クゴネ)
• Gakuma's right-hand woman who is creating demons all over Japan on his orders.
• Yuji (裕二)
• Hikari (ヒカリ)
• Keizan (ケイザン)

Manga

Written and illustrated by Shū Sakuratani, Rooster Fighter started on Hero's Inc.'s Comiplex manga website on December 18, 2020.[12][13] The series' first volume was released on May 1, 2021. As of April 3, 2026, twelve volumes have been released.

The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media, with the first volume released on August 16, 2022.[14]

Volumes

Anime

In July 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation in collaboration with Hero's Inc. The series is produced by Viz Media under the production label Viz Media Hero's, while animation is handled by Sanzigen. Sola Entertainment contributes as an associate producer (with CEO Joseph Chou serving as its representative). It is directed by Daisuke Suzuki, with Hiroshi Seko handling series composition, and music composed by Tetsuya Takahashi.[36][37] The 12-episode series premiered English dubbed in the United States on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block on March 15, 2026,[2][38] before streaming the same day on Hulu (in the United States) and Disney+ (internationally) shortly after the linear broadcast. The streaming release includes the Japanese subtitled version.[39] It is also premiered in Japan on Tokyo MX, Cartoon Network Japan and BS NTV approximately three weeks later on April 6, 2026.[40][41] The opening theme song is "What's a Hero?", performed by Daruma Rollin', while the ending theme song is "We're Loose Stars", performed by Tetsuya Takahashi.[42][43] Medialink has licensed the series in Asia-Pacific for streaming on Ani-One Asia's YouTube channel and Crunchyroll.[44][45]

Episodes