Akihiro Kanou

Kanou appeared as a benevolent physician whose purpose is to ensure the health of his patients. He disregarded regulations if it allowed him to save the life of his patient. However, behind this façade lies the mind of a disturbed mad scientist. Kanou considered ghouls, or more specifically one-eyed ghouls, as a way for humans to evolve in order to escape the "birdcage" that is encasing the "world." He was a misanthrope who perceived humans as weak and believed they possess no potential for the future. He stated that he had lost all hope in living in a world with humans. He showed no remorse for the test subjects of his ghoulification experiments, dismissing them as stepping stones for his ambitions. Kanou exploited the loneliness of naïve people, manipulating them for the progress of his clinical research. Surprisingly despite Kanou's loathing of the human race, he admitted there are individuals among them whom he respected for their abilities. This is seen when he compliments Dr. Kouitsu Chigyou on his modification and refinement of the kakuhou transplant surgery to create the Quinx.

Kanou was an elderly, grey-haired man who wore the typical attire of a physician: white coat, white shirt, and black necktie. In :re, he also appears in a Hawaiian shirt and carries a fan. Kanou is often seen with two or three loose strands of hair falling over his forehead. Kanou as a child.png|Kanou as a child. Kanou_in_the_past.png|Kanou as a university student. Kanou profile in re vol 14.png|Kanou's profile in :re Volume 14.

Keen Intellect: Kanou had proven himself to be a highly charismatic and intelligent man from being able to convince loyal CCG cadets, such as Kurona and Nashiro, into joining his cause and permitting him to perform ghoul experiments on them. Medical Expertise: Despite his disregard for human life, Kanou was a surgeon whose medical skills and knowledge of the body are astonishing, allowing him to perform operations capable of converting a human into a one-eyed ghoul or Quinx. Proof of his knowledge is in his ghoulification research. He has created several successful artificial one-eyed subjects, such as Kaneki, Furuta, Kurona, Nashiro, Takizawa, and Amon. He also has much knowledge in ghoul anatomy and how to create Rc pathways, as shown when torturing Takizawa. Nico has mentioned his knowledge of humans equates to his extensive knowledge of ghoul biology.