Lazarus: Who is Axel?

Lazarus is an ambitious original anime that is currently airing in the Spring 2025 season. Having been highly anticipated, the series is a venture by Studio Mappa and created by Shinichirou Watanabe, the visionary director behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.

While only five episodes have been released so far, the anime has captivated fans with its high-stakes plot and fascinating cast. In particular, Axel Gilberto, the main protagonist of Lazarus, has won viewers over with his skills and antics. He is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in Japanese and Jack Stansbury in English.

Lazarus is set in the year 2052, where humanity basks in the benefits of the miracle painkiller, Hapna. Right when everlasting societal peace seems near, Hapna’s creator, Dr. Skinner, reveals that everyone who has consumed his drug would die within three years. With no cure in sight and the appearance of a new harbinger of doom, the world heads towards its end.

However, not everyone gives up, as a special task force known as Lazarus is set up to locate Dr. Skinner and develop a vaccine before it is too late. Much like stories like Suicide Squad, Lazarus follows a group of individuals who work outside the boundaries of law for the sake of saving their lives and earning their freedoms.

The core of this group is its protagonist, Axel Gilberto. Despite being the last member to join the task force, Axel is crucial to finding Dr. Skinner. When he was approached by Hersch and Doug, Axel was serving 888 years at Northport County Prison.

His long sentence isn’t because of a devastating crime, but rather Axel’s bad habit of constantly breaking out of prisons. Right after he was initially scouted for the task force, Axel was quick to show off his skills by breaking out of the prison yet again and evading the various parties searching for him.

Unfortunately, right when he believed he was safe, he was tricked by Christine and forced into joining the task force. Left with no choice and restrained by a bracelet that could melt his arm off at any sign of revolt, Axel decided to find Skinner and win back his freedom.

Since joining Team Lazarus, Axel has proven himself constantly. He is an expert at parkour and can hold his own in any form of combat, even if his opponent is armed with weapons. Axel is quick and evasive in most aspects of life and is naturally talented in sports such as basketball.

Additionally, while Axel is generally easygoing, he is also extremely smart. He could swiftly track down Skinner’s potential connections and even lay out a trap to lure him in. Similar to protagonists like Spike from Cowboy Bebop, Axel is fearless and loves thrills. He is willing to jump off buildings and joke around with dangerous enemies for the sake of having fun.

Has Axel taken Hapna in Lazarus?

The opening sequences of each Lazarus episode narrate the stories of different main characters and their experiences with Hapna. Episode 5, which came out recently, revealed Axel’s history, and it perfectly aligned with the expectations of fans.

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Axel has taken Hapna in Lazarus, and this occurred when he was in prison. Right when the drug was becoming popular, the protagonist consumed one for fun but immediately felt immense pain. As a result, the drug did not give him the pleasurable experience it gave other users.

Nevertheless, since it is toxic even if consumed once, Axel has an added motive to find Skinner and save his own life.

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