Why Does Tokyo Ghoul Rize Play A Key Role In Season 1?

In 'Tokyo Ghoul', Rize Kamishiro, a fetish ghoul known for her voracious appetite, didn't actually die, it was a near-death event. Its tantalizing plot twists arise when a character named Souta, who later revealed to be Furuta, drops steel beams on her, causing severe injuries. Despite Furuta's attempt on her life, she narrowly dodges death as Kaneki unintentionally carries on her life force by receiving organs from her.

Seeing that construction beam crash down in the first episode of 'Tokyo Ghoul' still sticks with me — it’s such a brutal, small moment that detonates the whole story. Rize is the literal catalyst: her organs become the reason Kaneki survives, and because those organs are ghoul tissue, he’s pulled out of ordinary human life and forced into an impossible in-between. Physically, the transplant gives him a kagune, accelerated healing, and the hunger that defines ghoul existence. But the real transformation is moral and psychological: Rize is the incoming tide that reshapes Kaneki’s coastline. I like to think of Rize as two things at once — a physical source of power and a narrative mirror. Her appetite and predatory nature show up in Kaneki as visceral cravings he has to hide from friends like Hide and Touka, and that secrecy fractures his sense of self. In the anime, that fracture gets dramatized as a haunting presence — Rize’s voice and cruelty show up in his head like a second personality, pushing him toward violence and cynicism. In the manga the depiction leans more on trauma and consequence: Kaneki’s split comes to a head through the torture by Yamori, where he finally stops resisting what Rize’s transplant wrought and accepts survival by any means. Both routes use Rize to test whether Kaneki will cling to his human compassion or surrender to the monstrous efficiency of a ghoul. Beyond the internal, Rize rewires Kaneki’s relationships and choices. Because he now straddles human and ghoul worlds he’s exposed to persecution, community, and moral gray zones he'd never seen. Rize’s presence — even as a dead body grafted into him — forces him to learn how to protect others, to strategize, and to grow stronger. That hunger becomes a motive: protecting Touka and others means embracing power, and Rize’s kagune is the engine behind that. So when I watch or reread 'Tokyo Ghoul', I don’t just see Rize as a plot device. She’s the story’s dark kernel, a reminder that transformations aren’t just physical; they are ethical and social too. Kaneki’s entire arc — from gentle bookworm to a figure who can wear brutality without losing everything — exists because Rize tore out his old certainties and left him with choices he couldn’t ignore.

Reading 'Tokyo Ghoul' for the first time, Rize's storyline threw me into one of those 'wow, that was dark' moments you can't quite shake. To be blunt: Rize Kamishiro does not survive as a living, walking character in the traditional sense. Early in the manga she's involved in the incident that leaves Ken Kaneki critically injured, and her organs — specifically her kakuhou, the ghoul organ — are transplanted into him by Dr. Kanou. That transplant is what turns Kaneki into a half-ghoul and sets off basically the entire plot. What I love (and sometimes hate) about Sui Ishida's writing is how he makes 'death' complicated. Even though Rize is physically dead, her presence lingers: Kaneki experiences hallucinations and a voice/persona that draws heavily on Rize's memories and kagune. Later chapters make it clearer that Rize's kakuhou is not just an organ but a source of ghoul traits and RC cells, so its continued existence inside Kaneki means she exerts influence on him — psychologically and biologically. Fans argue whether that counts as her “surviving.” For me, it feels more like a haunting than a resurrection; Rize as an independent, living person is gone, but pieces of her are woven into other characters and experiments. There are other ripples: Dr. Kanou uses Rize-related tissue in experiments, which impacts a number of plot threads later in the series. You’ll see echoes of her in the formation of one-eyed ghouls, the quirks of Kaneki’s powers, and in the ethical questions the series keeps throwing at you about identity and what it means to live. So while you won't see Rize strolling around Tokyo having tea later in the canon manga, her role is far from finished — she becomes this thematic engine that keeps turning, affecting characters and plotlines long after her death. If you want the emotional beats, pay attention to Kaneki’s internal conversations and the scenes with Dr. Kanou; they reveal how Rize’s influence evolves. Every re-read I find another tiny detail that ties her past life to someone else’s destiny, and that keeps me coming back.

If you’ve ever paused on the first arc of 'Tokyo Ghoul' and thought about who dreamed up that dangerously charming ghoul who changes everything for Kaneki, it was created by Sui Ishida—the mangaka behind the whole series. Ishida wrote and illustrated 'Tokyo Ghoul' (the manga that ran in Weekly Young Jump), and Rize Kamishiro is one of his original characters. In the story she’s the catalyst: her organs end up being transplanted into Ken Kaneki after a brutal accident, and that transplant is what turns Kaneki into a half-ghoul. So when I talk about Rize being “created,” I mean both as a fictional character conceived by Ishida and as the in-universe source of Kaneki’s ghoul side via her kagune and kakuhou. I’ve spent way too many late nights flipping through the manga panels and fangirling over how Ishida draws those unsettling smiles and uses negative space to sell Rize’s danger. She’s written to be alluring but predatory—someone who appears charming in public yet leaves destruction in her wake. Ishida uses her not just as a plot device but as a thematic mirror for identity and appetite: her presence continues to haunt Kaneki mentally (you see her echo in his hallucinations and inner struggle), and her transplanted kagune becomes a literal part of his identity. That layered writing is classic Ishida—he loves making a single character ripple through the protagonist’s life long after their physical presence ends. If you want to dig a bit deeper, look at how Ishida stages Rize’s scenes versus Kaneki’s quieter moments: the framing, contrast, and pacing really sell the horror and tragedy. It’s also fun to compare how different adaptations handle her—manga-first, then anime and live-action interpret her vibe differently—but the root of Rize, her motives, and her visual design all trace back to Sui Ishida’s original manga work. Personally, Rize is one of those characters I love to debate about at conventions or in comment threads—she’s simple in function but brilliant in impact, and that kind of writing sticks with you.

I still get chills thinking about how smoothly the story drops Rize into the picture. If you watch 'Tokyo Ghoul' from the beginning, Rize Kamishiro shows up right away — she’s introduced in episode 1 (and in chapter 1 of the manga). The scene is deceptively casual: a meeting with Kaneki that looks like a chance encounter, some book-talk and flirting, and then the reveal that she’s a ghoul. That first on-screen meeting is the fulcrum of the whole series because her actions trigger Kaneki’s life-shattering injury and the emergency transplant that turns him into a half-ghoul. For timeline purposes: Rize’s physical presence is literally at the start, then she’s gone in the present timeline after the accident, but her influence never leaves the story. After that initial appearance, Rize reappears in the timeline through memories, flashbacks, and the psychological/hallucinatory space inside Kaneki. The anime leans into this: you’ll see her in haunting visions, during Kaneki’s breaks with reality, and as a narrative mirror to his ghoul side. Her organs and RC cells are central to his powers, so even when she’s not physically around, the consequences of that first meeting ripple through subsequent episodes and arcs. Later seasons and the sequel series keep referencing her — sometimes directly in flashback, sometimes as a haunting presence when Kaneki faces identity crises. I still find it fascinating how one character can be both a literal plot device and a thematic reminder of the series’ darker ideas about identity, appetite, and transformation. Watching the first episode on a late-night binge, I remember pausing and thinking, “Oh — she’s the reason everything goes sideways,” and then being drawn into how the show revisits her like a ghost haunting every big choice Kaneki makes. If you’re rewatching, pay attention to how the directors cut between past and present around Rize scenes — it’s a neat storytelling thread that ties the beginning to all the later psychological beats.

Hunting for Rize Kamishiro merch has become my favorite kind of rabbit hole — the mix of creepy elegance and that grin makes her one of those characters who shows up across all sorts of collectibles. If you want to build a little shrine to 'Tokyo Ghoul' Rize, start with the obvious: figures. You'll find everything from prize figures (the cheap, often mass-produced ones from Banpresto and similar brands) to higher-end scale statues in 1/8 or 1/7 scale. Companies like Good Smile/Max Factory and Kotobukiya sometimes pop up with licensed pieces, while Banpresto and Megahouse often handle the more affordable releases. These range price-wise from $20–$40 for prize figures to $80–$300+ for detailed scales. Aside from full-scale figures, keep an eye out for chibi-style pieces — gashapon (capsule toys), mini-figures, and acrylic stands that are great for desks or shelves. I personally love mixing a small acrylic Rize by my manga stack with a taller figure; it creates this layered, lived-in display. There are also Nendoroid-style chibi figures and figma-style articulated figures for poses if you enjoy photographing your collection. For rarer items, look for Ichiban Kuji lottery goods or limited convention exclusives; those can be reissues or vanish quickly. Beyond figures, Rize shows up on so many smaller merch items: keychains, enamel pins, phone charms, plushies, dakimakura covers, wall scrolls, posters, and official artbooks that sometimes include special bonus goods like mini-stands or stickers. Cosplay props — wigs, mask replicas, and handmade kagune props — are popular on Etsy and hobby forums (I’ve made a foam kagune once; highly recommend watching a few tutorials first). If you’re hunting used or retired pieces, Mandarake, Yahoo Japan Auctions via proxy, Mercari, eBay, and specialist shops like AmiAmi, HobbyLink Japan, Crunchyroll Store, and Tokyo Otaku Mode are my go-tos. Always check for authenticity stickers and seller photos to avoid bootlegs. A couple of practical tips from my own shelf: display Rize away from direct sunlight (that hair paint can fade), use dust-free cases or IKEA Detolfs, and start with one or two pricier pieces then fill gaps with affordable acrylics and pins. It keeps the collection balanced and still makes the centerpiece feel special — and somehow even the prize figures end up telling their own little story on the shelf.

I still get a little chill thinking about Rize’s first scene in 'Tokyo Ghoul'—her voice is a huge part of that. The Japanese voice actor is Mamiko Noto (能登麻美子). Her delivery is soft and almost lullaby-like at times, which makes Rize’s moments of menace feel that much darker by contrast. Noto’s tone sells Rize as alluring and mysterious, and then flips it into something menacing when the situation calls for it. I’m the kind of fan who notices tiny performance choices, and Noto does a lot with very subtle inflections. Rize doesn’t have a ton of screen time, but those early episodes hinge on the emotional impact of her presence—and Noto really anchors that. If you’ve watched 'Tokyo Ghoul' and felt unsettled during Rize’s scenes, that’s partly her craft at work. She’s been a voice actor for a long time and brings a calm, polished quality to the role that I appreciate every time I rewatch the series.

In 'Tokyo Ghoul', the term 'Owl' refers to two characters that don prominent roles. The first Owl is Yoshimura, who leads the Anteiku coffee shop. He's a gentle soul that harbors a dark past, earning him the sinister epithet of 'Non-Killing Owl.' The daughter he abandoned, Eto Yoshimura, grows into the 'One-Eyed Owl,' a formidable ghoul leading the radical Aogiri Tree faction. Eto stands starkly apart from her pacifist father, advocating ghoul supremacy above humans and committing gruesome murders to attain her goals. Together, their stories of familial tragedy underscore 'Tokyo Ghoul's' thematic exploration of monstrosity and humanity.