Wind Breaker Chapter 202: Sakura's heartbreaking past finally revealed

Momijikawa and Sakura watching the sunset
Momijikawa and Sakura watching the sunset (Image Source: K Manga)

Wind Breaker Chapter 202 blew the lid off the mystery of Haruka Sakura's background. Satoru Nii provides context for each of Sakura's interactions from the first page of the series to the end of this chapter; the sad smile at the end of the chapter speaks more than a thousand pages of words could.

Wind Breaker Chapter 202 shows that Sakura's mother died while giving birth to Sakura. It also shows that Sakura's biological father stripped away the last remaining shreds of hope for Sakura by blaming him for his mother's death. It also shows how a boy who never experienced love grew up to protect an entire community.


The Painful Truth Emerges

Sakura chasing Momijikawa (Image Source: K Manga)
Sakura chasing Momijikawa (Image Source: K Manga)

Wind Breaker Chapter 202 opens with Sakura chasing after Momijikawa after his grandfather's funeral. When Sakura catches up to him, he tells Momijikawa that he "killed someone," which is shocking news. The person he killed was his mother during his birth.

In this chapter, Sakura's childhood is explored through powerful flashback scenes. As a child, he was moved from one foster home to the next, every time being rejected by the families because of his strange looks and because of the way he was born.


Foster Care Nightmare in Wind Breaker Chapter 202

Wind Breaker Chapter 202 shows the protagonist bouncing between multiple foster homes. Each family treated him with coldness and rejection. They stared at him with judgment rather than compassion.

There are no specifics about what happened at each of the foster homes, though. The one big point we learn is that Sakura has never really known what a real family is until Makochi. His life has always been a lot of loneliness, being bullied, and living from one place to another.


A Father's Cruel Words

Sakura and his father (Image Source: K Manga)
Sakura and his father (Image Source: K Manga)

In Wind Breaker Chapter 202, Sakura bumps into his biological dad. It really breaks his heart because instead of saying something nice or comforting, his dad basically tells him he's not wanted in this world. His dad tells him it's all his fault that his mom died.

After this, Sakura has no chance to feel like he belongs anywhere. His dad rejecting him like that explains why he's been so resistant to accepting kindness from people. It also explains why he didn't trust any of the other students at Furin High School when he first showed up.


The Symbolic Final Panel

Momijikawa doesn't understand why Sakura is smiling (Image Source: K Manga)
Momijikawa doesn't understand why Sakura is smiling (Image Source: K Manga)

The final part of this chapter showcases Sakura's strong spirit. At one point in time, when he was looking back, he gave a big grin that showed what he went through and came out of it. His left eye was shadowed by the sun, while his right eye glowed from the sun's light.

Sakura tells Momijikawa about his background, so he knows he has company, just like Umemiya did with Sakura before. This demonstrates how Sakura has evolved into a person who now supports others through the darkness.

Wind Breaker Chapter 202 is the key to understanding the whole series. All of Sakura's defense mechanisms, disdain for compliments, and fierce loyalty can all be found in this chapter, which makes Sakura's character development throughout the series so much more meaningful.

Edited by Akihito Chakma