Dandadan: Who is the Evil Eye?

Jiji possessed by the Evil Eye as seen in the Dandadan anime
Jiji possessed by the Evil Eye as seen in the Dandadan anime (Image credit: Studio Science Saru)

Dandadan is one of the most beloved new-gen anime and takes viewers through its exciting world of aliens and ghosts. Through each of its story arcs, new supernatural entities are introduced, captivating fans through their backstories, abilities, and roles in the series.

Among the various additions to the cast mentioned above, the Evil Eye stands as one of the most important. While fans have already caught a glimpse of this character in the anime, he will serve a crucial role in the upcoming sequel as well as all future arcs. In Dandadan, the Evil Eye is a yokai who seeks to kill all humans and goes on to possess Jiji.

The Evil Eye’s first official appearance came in Dandadan's Cursed House Arc, where he was haunting Jiji’s family in their home. Sensing the spirit in his house, Jiji sought the help of Momo and Okarun to exorcise it. However, as the story went forward, this supposed antagonist’s complexity was explored.

The Evil Eye as seen in the Dandadan anime (Image credit: Studio Science Saru)
The Evil Eye as seen in the Dandadan anime (Image credit: Studio Science Saru)

While the Evil Eye is a being that has existed for thousands of years, it is a child at heart. In the past, this yokai was a young boy chosen by the villainous Kito Family to become a sacrifice to the great snake Tsuchinoko. Despite being imprisoned and malnourished, all the boy ever wished for was to play with other kids.

Unfortunately, he never fulfilled his desire and was burned alive. After his death, the boy was reborn as a spirit and tied to the place of his imprisonment. The Kito Family had turned this location into an apartment to lure families who could be sacrificed to Tsuchinoko. Due to this, the boy, now a spirit, watched parents and their children undergo the same fate he had suffered in the past.

This warped his mind, making him see the worst in humanity and transforming him into the dangerous Evil Eye. He began wishing to kill all humans, but this was of a different form from simple revenge. As mentioned, the Evil Eye is a child who hopes to have fun and does not have complex thoughts. Hence, his desire to kill others is simply a twisted manifestation of wanting to play.

The Evil Eye's past as seen in the Dandadan manga (Image credit: Shueisha)
The Evil Eye's past as seen in the Dandadan manga (Image credit: Shueisha)

He does not understand right and wrong, and his actions are driven by the tragic fate he experienced at the hands of the Kito Family. During the Cursed House Arc, when the main cast was threatened by the Tsuchinoko, Jiji had the chance to see the Evil Eye’s past and agreed to play with it.

Due to his sympathy, the Evil Eye could take over Jiji’s body and begin its plan towards killing humans. Thankfully, due to the combined efforts of Momo, Okarun, and Taro, they could restrain the Evil Eye. Later, Seiko also discovered that the Evil Eye’s control over Jiji was influenced by liquids. Should the boy come into contact with cold liquids, the Evil Eye would come out, and hot liquids would prevent it from happening.

Despite the danger he posed, Jiji did not wish to exorcise the Evil Eye since he knew of his motivations and history. This moved Okarun, who wished to grow stronger to help his new friends and protect Momo. To that end, he trained with Turbo Granny and convinced the Evil Eye to only target him in the future.

As a result, the Evil Eye would not harm humanity and became rivals with Okarun. This allowed him to co-exist with the main cast and push the protagonist's development.


How powerful is the Evil Eye in Dandadan?

The Evil Eye is an extremely powerful yokai whose strengths drastically increase when controlling Jiji’s body in Dandadan. As a spirit, he can force targets to commit suicide through his gaze and also cancel out other psychological attacks, as seen when he blocked Tsuchinoko’s powers.

Additionally, the Evil Eye can share its memories with others and possess their bodies. When inhabiting Jiji’s body, the Evil Eye showcases frightening senses, strength, and speed. He has enhanced durability and incredible spiritual powers. The Evil Eye can also manipulate the grudges of the house it is tied to at will.

He can use these to construct defensive barriers, trap others within an enclosed space, and create a compressed ball that can be launched as a devastating attack. Combined with his natural talent in hand-to-hand combat, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Most importantly, the Evil Eye takes pleasure in fighting. He looks forward to every opportunity to battle Okarun and displays rapid growth. Therefore, his abilities steal the spotlight in every Dandadan story arc, whereas his naivety is the only thing holding him back.

Edited by Debanjana