Humans in the world of Kaiju No. 8 have ways to combat the Kaiju threat with their combat suits, as well as using latent potential within themselves and even the Kaiju bodies themselves, but Kafka Hibino is the lucky/unlucky one to have become not just a Kaiju, but a numbered Kaiju. Kafka is now stronger than even the majority of the Defense Force and is, at the current time of the anime, not just OP, but also able to fight on equal footing with other high-ranking officers. Kaiju No. 8 isn't just the title, but also the official designation of Kafka's Kaiju form.

However, while we know he went through a metamorphosis, not a lot of people know how this even happened, or exactly why it happened to begin with. Even less about his upper limits and what they mean. Even so, it's worth taking a look at what we have seen.

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Kaiju No. 8's Power

The Grave Importance Of Being Numbered

Kafka didn't start out with Kaiju powers, as we have noticed in all the first episode up to the last few minutes, but the fact that he is implied to be one of the first if not the only one to have gone from human to Kaiju is a huge deal. After all, not many can say they just saw a Kaiju bug fly into their hospital room and shove themselves down their throat. In fact, the process was painful, but the power and the drastic, monstrous humanoid form are both worth the pay-off and a severe problem for Kafka. Kafka now has the strength, speed, and destructive capability to fight against Kaiju and save people like he's always wanted to, but he also has a huge target on his back due to becoming a Kaiju that appeared out of nowhere, and being numbered by the Defense Force especially.

While he has become strong enough to blast away Kaiju's with no problem, ranging from spider-like human-headed Kaiju's to enhanced blasts from a stronger version of the monster, it also shows that the amount of power that he has exhibited should not be used on any human or even a low-ranking Defense Force officer. Even more than that, once the Defense Force found out about the power of this Kaiju in two separate instances, they have dubbed him Kaiju No. 8. This is done to indicate that not only is he a dangerous Kaiju exceeding the magnitude of strength that only 7 others have achieved so far, but that if he were to ever lose control or overdo it, he'd possibly be a threat to Japan and humanity. And while Kafka isn't a dangerous person, or even a relatively petty person all the time, the fact that his Kaiju form lets him punch monsters into blood and guts, and even vaporize an entire Kaiju down to the bone with just one full-power punch is understandably concerning for everybody.

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Possible Origins, And The Mystery Behind It

It Matters, But It Will Take Time

Kafka may have become a Kaiju, and his powers and skills are shown in detail, but the one question remains: Where did this come from, and why is Kafka the only one to have become a Kaiju? To be quite blunt, we don't have a concrete answer in the story. No backstory behind that Kaiju that turned Kafka into one, no scientific explanation as to why this has never happened before, and not even any confirmation if the other numbered Kaiju are even the exact same way. Even so, there are possible theories that many can make about this Kaiju. Either this thing was made, or it's a rare variant that can transform others into Kaiju, or it could just be a matter of finding a compatible host for its parasitic/symbiotic relationship. It could be these things, it could be none of these things. Considering its mysterious origins, we have no real answer as to where that bug Kaiju comes from.

Even so, there are possible benefits to knowing about Kaiju No. 8's limits as well as trying to understand them. Kafka is not the only numbered Kaiju in the show, and even currently in the anime, he is still able to keep up with high-ranked officers without dying as of late. And like any other Kaiju, he has a core that he can adjust around and move within his body to prevent him from getting axed. We can only hope that the story will go deeper in detail as to Kafka's Kaiju form and power, as well as its origins, but Kaiju No. 8 will get there eventually.

Kaiju No. 8 (2024)

Production I.G's Kaiju No. 8 is a Spring 2024 anime based on Naoya Matsumoto's Shonen Jump+ manga. Set in an alternate version of Japan, the story follows the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force as they try to protect the nation from monster attacks.