Mitsuru

Mitsuru (ミツル) is one of the main characters in DARLING in the FRANXX series. He's a Parasite with codename "326" of Thirteenth Plantation, where he's partnered in boy-girl pair with Kokoro to pilot a FRANXX called Genista. Previously, he was the partner of Ikuno and pilot of Chlorophytum.

Appearance
Mitsuru is a very clean and proper student with sharp features. He has slicked back olive hair and piercing deep green eyes. He wears the standard stamen uniform. Standing at 165 cm, he is the second shortest stamen, being between Zorome and Hiro.

Personality
Mitsuru is full of pride and a strong cynical personality. He finds Hiro a rival. He hates being pitied and Kokoro cites that he never liked leaning on others for support.

History
As children, 016 gives himself the name Hiro and 015 the name Ichigo. Mitsuru stands with his ball. Other children begin asking for names as well. Though they wait for their parents, they never return to them. Mitsuru shyly asks for a name too. Hiro smiles back at him.

Episode 01: Alone and Lonesome
The parasites discuss Zero Two in the living room. Mitsuru says that Hiro's showing real integrity and that it must be difficult for him, though he says this without compassion.

At Cerasus, the parasites attend their welcoming meeting where they are praised by Papa. In the train, the group discuss Hiro on their way to the startup ritual. At this ritual, they finally become official parasites. Before they can begin, a fog rolls in and a Maho class klaxosaur appears. The parasites watch as Strelizia defeats it. They are shocked when it's revealed that Hiro was piloting it.

Episode 02: What it Means to Connect
The day after the klaxosaur attack, the startup ritual picks up where it left off, but in much quieter circumstances and without Papa and the other adults.

Ichigo finds Hiro, telling his that Zero Two is in their mess hall. Hiro and Ichigo enter the mess hall to see that Zero Two is sitting on the Pistil side of the room and eating food slathered in honey. Hiro sits down on the Stamen side of the room. Zorome then walks up to Zero Two and tells her that she can pilot with him as he wants, as he is better than Hiro. Zero Two gets up and sits down next to Hiro, calling him Darling. Nana then enters and notices Zero Two. She removes Zero Two from the mess hall, telling her that she is too much for the Parasites to handle.

At the dining hall, the parasites watch as Zero Two drenches her food in honey. When Zorome offers to let her ride with him, Mitsuru seems unimpressed. He is confused along with the others when she calls him "darling."

Nana says that she'll be their caretaker, just like she was in Garden.

As the stamen get ready, Mitsuru notices Futoshi eating bread, though he turns away.

The parasites enter their FRANXX. Ikuno pants, though Mitsuru seems unfazed. The four FRANXX pilot, leaving Hiro to train alone.

While Futoshi and Zorome pass a ball around, Mitsuru leans against a pole. Mitsuru says that he heard Zero Two can pilot a FRANXX alone, and asks if they seen its four legged form. He says that Hiro was just taken along for the ride. He doesn't interfere when Zorome and Hiro begin to fight.

Nana calls a meeting and the parasites all attend. They announce that Hiro will have a mock battle, possibly allowing him to be promoted. Though he's about to pilot with Zero Two, Ichigo volunteers instead. Mitsuru asks why it has to be her, as she already is partners with Goro. Mitsuru scoffs when Zero Two isn't allowed to pilot with him.

The parasites watch as the two battle. Mitsuru is surprised when Ichigo pilots alone.

Episode 03: Fighting Puppet
Inside, Futoshi asks what happened with Hiro becoming a parasite. Ikuno says he could only connect for a bit at the start, so she doesn't like his chances. Zorome says that there's no way he'll get in. Mitsuru says that he doesn't know about the ones who only managed a draw against that, either. Zorome says that it was Miku's fault for randomly falling over. Miku angrily asks if he remember what he said when that happened.

Kokoro warns them not to fight because it will affect their numbers. Ikuno says that she doesn't think Papa will accept a parasite who can't pilot. Futoshi agrees and says that so many kids disappeared from the Garden due to that.

Miku says that Ichigo is no better. She says that she's too biased towards Hiro when she's supposed to be their leader. She says she doesn't understand how Goro's putting up with her as her partner. Ichigo asks what Goro has to do with it. Goro also walks in and asks what they're talking about. Annoyed, Ichigo says that, if Hiro becomes a parasite, he'll be a great help. Miku says that he might not even. Ichigo says that he still has a chance, and Miku disagrees. She says that he couldn't get it done with her, so I think it's over for him. She says that he piloted Strelizia, even if he was unconscious, and saved them, so she still believed in him.

Mitsuru says that he understands why she wants to stick up for him, but he was only taken along for the ride. Ichigo yells that they don't know that. Mitsuru says that Hiro was special, even among the double digits, and they were all certain that he'd be their leader. But in reality, he couldn't become a parasite and he isn't what he used to be. He says that they should cut their losses because he doesn't want to see the pathetic side of Hiro anymore.

During a meeting, Hachi says they received sortie orders from HQ. Nana tells them that the Klaxosaur won't be as big as the one they already saw. Hachi says it's a Conrad-class klaxosaur, a bit smaller than a FRANXX. He says that they're attracted by magma energy reactions and appear in their vicinity. He says, lately, they had been showing up deep in a Level 8 mine on the outskirts and wreaking havoc. Nana says that Strelizia won't be a part of the mission. Because they'll have to defend Plantation 13 by themselves eventually, it will show if they can handle fighting them in the future. Nana says that Ichigo and Goro will have field command.

In the FRANXX, Zorome is excited, but Miku tells him not to go crazy by himself again. All but Mitsuru and Ikuno connect. Hachi asks what's wrong, Mitsuru says that it doesn't look like Ikuno can do it. Ikuno says that he's nearly there and to wait for a second. Mitsuru seems annoyed and tells her not to bother. Hachi announces that Chlorophytum will stay behind.

Nana asks if Ikuno is not feeling well. She says that that isn't it. Nana says that she has always been a bit unstable and they'll run test the next day to make sure. Mitsuru asks if it could be that they have compatibility issues. Smiling, Nana says that a lot of parasites experience that at first and it isn't grounds to split them up. Mitsuru seems disappointed.

Zorome tries to check on Miku, as does Ichigo. Many more suddenly fall from the ceiling, so they plan on fleeing. Nana says that they attracted more because they released their magma energy. Zero Two says that she should have sent her from the start. She says they'll die. Hiro is alarmed and tells her to sent himself and Zero Two to help. Hachi refuses and says that he isn't an official stamen, so he can't give permission to board a FRANXX. Zero Two says that the plantation squad is going to be wiped out again and to let her pilot with Hiro. She says she won't be allowed to sortie.

Mitsuru says that he could pilot with her. Nana says that Strelizia is no ordinary FRANXX, if he isn't used to its connect. Mitsuru says that, if Hiro could, there's no way he couldn't. Zero Two says that she wants to ride with Hiro, but he asks that she just go with him. As Mitsuru walks by, he tells Hiro not to come crying to him when he regrets his goody-two-shoes act later because he's going to prove that he can pilot Strelizia better than he did.

Miku wakes up and Zerome hugs her. They begin piloting again. Hachi tells them that Strelizia is about to help. Ichigo is bothered by this and causes them to fall. This lets the klaxosaur to get in, so they flee. Many follow and a very large one is about to bite Ichigo. Strelizia appears and kills some. Mitsuru tells them to get back and Hachi tells them to evacuate.

Panting, Mitsuru says that he feels like he can do anything. He says that he's amazed changing partners could make such a difference, and he knew he wasn't the problem. He says that he's just as good as Hiro. He tells Zero Two that he wouldn't mind becoming her official partner, to the dismay of Ikuno. Zero Two says that she should go all-out for a bit.

Hachi tells her to stop, as the others had already evacuated. The three FRANXX are surprised what happened. Zorome apologizes to Miku. She says that it doesn't matter if it was his fault, since they're partners. He begins crying. Goro asks what's wrong with Ichigo. She lies and says she got careless after she found that help was coming.

When they retrieve Streliza, Zero Two walks out and smiles and waves at Hiro. Mitsuru is gravely injured and unconscious. She says that he isn't suited to be her darling, only Hiro is.

Episode 04: Flap Flap
Misturu is in the infirmary, unsettled from his near-death experience of riding with Zero Two. He is called back into battle with Ikuno later in the episode in order to fight, with the two managing to connect this time.

Episode 05: Your Thorn, My Badge
He's shown to still be suffering from his previous ride with Zero Two, but tries to hide it until Kokoro finds him.

Episode 07: Shooting Star Moratorium
After the successful kissing with Plantation 26, Unit 13 was given a special vacation. Though the other children are excited, Mitsuru seems indifferent. As everyone begins enjoying themselves, Mitsuru disappears.

After Ichigo leaves, Ikuno begins to read. Mitsuru asks if she came there just to read. She says that she isn't interested in goofing around. Mitsuru says that the guy who looked suicidal now looks like part of the group. She tells him not to look to her for affirmation, since she's not like him. Smirking, he says he was merely talking to himself. She asks if they're done talking then, and he says that he found something odd.

Mitsuru leads the group through a thin pass. Kokoro says that she's a bit scared of the dark. Mitsuru coldly replies that she didn't have to come if she didn't want to. Futoshi is angered by this and tells him to be nice to her. He says that he can't guarantee their safety.

They're lead to what appears to be a city. Kokoro asks if people live there, and Mitsuru replies that he'd never heard of anyone living outside the plantations. Zorome spots a building that looks similar to their own boarding house. Ikuno says that they must have used it as a model to build the environment they live in. Futoshi wonders where Kokoro went.

Kokoro looks around and comes by a medical office. She finds a book about childbirth. Mitsuru calls out to her and pulls her back before a bookcase falls on her. He asks her not to run off alone.

Back at the beach, food had been delivered. Mitsuru watches Futoshi stuff food into his mouth. When the group begins wondering about what they saw, Mitsuru asks if Hiro's doubting Papa and the rest. He says that they moved into plantations in order to protect mankind. This pumps Zorome up, to Mitsuru's disdain. When Zorome refers to Hiro as their teammate, Mitsuru looks annoyed.

When Zorome finds a crab, Futoshi wants to eat it. Mitsuru is surprised that he still wants to eat, causing the others to laugh. The parasites all sleep close together in sleeping bags. They are picked up the next morning by Nana.

Episode 08: Boys × Girls
As the parasites are fighting a klaxosaur, it spews goo. It leaks into the cockpits and melts the girls' parasite suits. Unlike the other boys, Mitsuru shows no interest in looking at Ikuno. Though the other boys begin spacing out, they don't tell the girls. Hiro finally tells Zero Two and the rest of the girls realize what's happened.

The girls cover themselves with a towel and glare at their partners. Besides Zero Two, who doesn't seem to mind. The boys look embarrassed, besides Mitsuru who seems to not care. Goro explains they only didn't tell because they didn't want to distract them during the battle. Futoshi says he didn't because he found Kokoro to be amazingly beautiful. Kokoro turns red and looks away. Mitsuru calls him an idiot and walks away, and Ikuno watches him leave.

The girls split the area of the house between the boys and girls. Zorome begins to cross, but is threatened by Miku and stops. Mitsuru again looks uninterested, but watches nonetheless. Throughout the rest of their feud, Mitsuru does not get involved. Neither he or Hiro go swimming to mock the girls, and he eats without acknowledging their argument.

When Kokoro enters a small greenhouse, she finds Mitsuru. He slips his medication into his pocket and she asks if he has an interest in plants as he tucks a baby book into her own pocket. He says no, and that it's a good place for being alone. Kokoro says she begged Nana to let her take care of the greenhouse. She tells him about the meaning of some of the flowers and then asks if he doesn't mind chatting with her when the girls and boys are "feuding." He says it's stupid and can't be bothered. Kokoro is amazed and says it takes a lot of courage to refuse to toe the line and she was too scared to say anything. When he walks closer to her, she panics and drops her book. He says that it doesn't matter to him and walks out.

When Zero Two changes the girls only bath sign to allow boys, Mitsuru enters along with the rest and find that the girls are already bathing. They become angry and begin throwing bathing supplies at them. Zero Two runs out with their clothes and Hiro chases her. Mitsuru again doesn't get involved as they throw things back and forth, sitting alone at the side of the bathroom.

The other parasites continue to bicker when Nana suddenly interrupts. She and Hachi scold the group after they get dressed. In the boys room, Zorome is mad and Mitsuru says that they must look down of the boys. Hiro says it was fun and got to see a more human side of Zero Two. Mitsuru says it's not the same for them, since they have normal partners. Hiro says she is a normal girl and that pistils let stamen handle all the controls, but they bear the brunt of each battle.

After Miku hides, the rest find her and wonder what the room is. Zero Two says that it's probably one of the rooms the former Squad 13 used. Zorome questions what happened and Zero Two says they were obviously wiped out.

Each partner apologizes, except Mitsuru and Hiro. Mitsuru briefly glances at Ikuno, but walks away without saying anything. Ikuno seems to understand his response and begins to smile.

Hiro
In the past, Mitsuru strongly admired Hiro and his ability, citing that they thought he would be the one to lead them and thought strongly of Hiro as a rival. However, as the years went by and his abilities decrease, Hiro's image in his eyes deteriorated to the point where he found himself unable to stand the sight of it.

In Episode 03, when Delphinium, Argentea and Genista are in need of assistance fighting klaxosaurs, he suggests that he go with Zero Two to go save the others, as he was the only 'stamen parasite' there, and because he believed he could pilot it because Hiro did. After successfully connecting Strelizia and piloting it, Mitsuru boasted about how he could pilot it without fainting, unlike Hiro, and tried to take over as her official partner until he gets injured and passes out by the end of their mission.

In Episode 11, it is revealed that the reason why Mitsuru looks down on Hiro with anger and disdain goes back to when they were children: Hiro and Mitsuru used to be close, up to the point that Hiro promised Mitsuru to pilot a Franxx together. However, unbeknownst to Mitsuru, due to Dr FRANXX memory erasure, Hiro forgot his promise and Mitsuru became affected by what he perceived as a betrayal. The pain of Hiro having forgotten his promise had caused him to present, as described by Ikuno, "a cool and aloof" persona as opposed to his joyful nature he displayed when he was a child, and also caused him trust issues with the group. The latter shows more poignantly when he was paired with Ikuno, causing them to underperform when piloting Chlorophytum.

Zero Two
In the aftermath of Episode 3, he becomes fearful of her, stating anyone who willingly wanted to pilot with her was insane. It was not known what actually happened to him, but from his prospective she tried to 'devour his body, blood, and soul'. And while she was doing it, she smiled. This traumatic experience has haunted him strongly, but he has managed to recover.

Kokoro
Similarly to the rest of the parasites, Mitsuru is quite harsh or cold towards Kokoro. Futoshi scolds him for taking a harsh tone towards her. Later that day, he saves her from being crushed by a bookcase. He formally calls her Kokoro-san. Mitsuru tends to have random walk-ins with Kokoro inside the greenhouse, which she takes care of. It has also been hinted that Kokoro has feelings for Mitsuru. In episode 11, Mitsuru realizes that Kokoro is an unbelievable girl, since she risked her health and strength to pilot Genista alone. In a good way. And for the first time, Mitsuru is worried about his partner, who was now Kokoro. Soon, he promises to Kokoro's former Partner to protect her whenever they ride Genista together.

Ikuno
Ikuno is Mitsuru's former partner. Though they don't typically get along, Ikuno seems to understand him better than the others, realizing his feelings toward Hiro.

Futoshi
Initially, Mitsuru and Futoshi are normal squadmates. After the incident of swapping partners in Episode 11, Futoshi is angry towards Mitsuru for not protecting Kokoro when they rode in Genista together, which started the conflict between the two.

Etymology
Mitsuru's nickname may use some of the numeral's readings from his real name "326": mi from 3, tsu from 2 (ツー) and ru from 6.

Quotes
"I say Hiro's showing real integrity. It must be hard for him to face us after what happened, too. Spare a thought for how he feels."

- Mitsuru

"Sure, Hiro was special. Even among the double-digits, he was a cut above. We were all certain that he'd be our leader and show us the way. But reality had other ideas. Hiro couldn't become a parasite. He's not who he used to be. We must give up and cut our losses. I don't want to see this pathetic side of Hiro anymore."

- Mitsuru

"I promise to protect Kokoro from now on."

- Mitsuru

"Doesn't it scare you?"

- Mitsuru

"You're unbelievable."

- Mitsuru

Trivia
Mitsuru