Has Sakamoto Reached His Past Strength?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Sakamoto Days MangaBy now, fans are more than convinced that Sakamoto’s looks are the biggest deception in shonen history. And repeatedly being addressed as the greatest hitman of all time doesn’t help this case either. It has only left readers itching to see the retired legendary hitman return to his former glory. Yet some might even argue the assassin may already have.

This longing was first ignited in chapter 44 of Sakamoto Days after Miyo directly compares the Sakamoto of today and the Sakamoto of ‘The Order’, stating that he only measures up to 30 percent of his prime. However, as the story progresses, fans can observe a similar sense of progression as any typical overpowered protagonist. With no signs of indifference, the protagonist continues to display more dormant strength and can now trade blow for blow with order-level opponents.

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Misconception: Sakamoto’s Strength After Retirement

A Direct Comparison Between Youth And Adulthood

By continuing the story five years after the infamous retirement, the author leaves a sense of obscurity within the narrative. A leeway of this magnitude consistently allows the writer to keep Sakamoto’s true power level under wraps. This strategy follows the same narrative principles of an anime, where the protagonist is capable of far more than what’s displayed. However, only this time, not because the man in question wants to, but because this strength is no longer accessible. A genius play that gave:

• The freedom the writer needed to nerf Sakamoto’s power.
• Allowed enough time for characters like Nagumo to shift the balance of power.
• Fans started to consider other characters who are bound to improve over time.

And all together, the belief that Sakamoto (Prime) may no longer be the greatest or strongest was born. A claim that is further substantiated by the evidence found in chapter 164 where Sakamoto is forced to admit his inferiority to Takamura:

But, do these instances mean that his strength can no longer be gauged? No, the mangaka has and continues to take the liberty of mentioning adequate little details in later and earlier chapters. For instance, during Sakamoto’s fight against Kanaguri, the two were fairly relative in strength but Sakamoto always had the edge.

Whereas, a teen Sakamoto along with Uzui, Rion and Nagumo was able to take on Kindaka (someone who scales above Kanaguri) without much trouble. The only way to gauge this feat is by acknowledging how the teens were offered a spot in The Order thereafter. However, seeing how they needed each other’s help, scaling teen Sakamoto as an Order level threat would not be reasonable and just so it’s easier to digest (even though they clear most of the verse as it is) all four would be considered as Lower Order level threats.

A direct comparison like the following highlights feats of similar strength/capability as an assassin and also adds to the fact that the current Sakamoto is merely evening it out with a much younger version, who is likely not to suffice even as a warm-up for the real deal. This means that it is no longer a question of how overpowered Sakamoto is, but a question of how much of a toll this 5-year gap had on the assassin.

Shooting Test: A Decline In Performance

The JCC Infiltration Arc is Where it Began

The writer uses the JCC infiltration arc to grant fans yet another hint into the gap that must be covered. In chapter 75, Sakamoto’s shooting marks, while disguised, were proven to be incredible but still nothing compared to his all-time high. In fact, Sakamoto is shown owning up to this decline in the same chapter:

What’s interesting about this is that this “all-time high” was accomplished while Sakamoto was still a school-going kid. Basing this moment on percentiles alone would mean that Sakamoto is 22.5 percent less efficient in comparison.

Now, the disguise suggests that the one in play is Skinnymoto. If readers were to consider such a possibility, then Sakamota may scale even lower than teen Sakamoto in terms of control, precision, and speed. And despite the author’s stinge on information, the man’s teenage years are terrifying enough to show the latter how high the hitman’s best must scale.

An Inevitable Outcome With Self-Imposed Limitations

Will Fans Ever Get Clarity On Sakatomo’s Current Standing?

Even with the above explanations, it should be undeniably apparent that the mangaka does not plan on leaving this question unanswered. The writer has been building on this untapped strength ever since the first chapter, and there’s no way fans would still be confused if Sakamoto had already reached the mark. Instead, Yuto Suzuki might likely be following the narrative principle of Chekhov’s Gun:

Miyo’s statement in chapter 44 could very well be the author’s way of utilizing this concept, hinting towards a later dialogue where Sakamoto’s current/future standing would be discussed. Although Sakamoto has indeed been limiting the assassin factor by applying the no-kill rule (a ground rule established by his wife), according to the general interpretation of the story, the majority agrees that it has little impact on the performance at play.

Finally, with what has been discussed so far, it would be fair to conclude that Sakamoto has neither touched nor advanced the heights of his past strength. Yet, this ascension is only a matter of time, as the series slowly progresses toward its inevitable end.

A 2025 anime, Sakamoto Days is an action-comedy based on Yuto Suzuki’s shonen manga, which debuted in 2020. The series follows Taro Sakamoto, a retired hitman who has been enjoying the family life for years. He spends his days running a small store alongside Shin, but his peaceful existence is regularly interrupted by ghosts of the past.

Release Date

January 5, 2025

Creator

Yuto Suzuki