Yoshio Akamatsu

Yoshio Akamatsu (赤松義生 "Akamatsu Yoshio") is a character in the novel "Battle Royale", and the film and manga of the same name. In the film he was played by Shin Kusaka.

Yoshio has B-type blood.

Pre-Program

Yoshio Akamatsu is one of the class of third-year students at the fictional Shiroiwa Junior High School. A large, overweight boy who performs poorly in sports, Yoshio is frequently bullied, particularly by his classmate Ryuhei Sasagawa. He is a timid, quiet student, who is often paranoid about being mistreated by his peers. In the manga, a flashback of Yoshio being asked for help with a video game by Shuya Nanahara can be seen. Shuya had told Yoshio that he considered him a friend.

During the Program

Yoshio is male student #1, and is the first to leave the school when the program begins. After hiding for a while, worrying, Yoshio starts to think that he will be an obvious victim in the program, and realises he must play the game in order to survive. He takes his designated weapon, a crossbow, and climbs above the school doorway to snipe at the exiting students.

In the novel, he kills Mayumi Tendo, girl #14, by shooting her in the back with an arrow. In the movie version, he fatally shoots Mayumi in the neck, while in the manga, the temple.

In all versions, Yoshio then takes a shot at Shuya Nanahara, but misses. Shuya throws the arrow back at Yoshio, causing him to slip and knocking him unconscious. Before this, in the manga, Shuya Nanahara tries to persuade Akamatsu to come down and come with him and almost manages to persuade him. Yoshio's senses catch up with him and Yoshio states that nobody will trust him because he killed Mayumi Tendo. As Shuya starts trying to calm him down, Noriko Nakagawa walks out. Yoshio then snaps and tries to kill her. Shuya responds by throwing the missed arrow back at Yoshio.

In all versions, Yoshio regains consciousness to find Kazushi Niida, boy #16, standing nearby. Kazushi then shoots Yoshio in the neck with an arrow from his own crossbow. In the film, Kazushi shoots Yoshio in the heart instead of the neck after panicking. In both the book and the manga the attack is deliberate. When Yoshio awakens, he panics and looks for his bowgun. However, Kazushi shoots him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. In the manga he is shot in the side of the head.