Aru

Overview

Aru is a second-year high school student from Gehenna Academy and the self-proclaimed president of Problem Solver 68 in Blue Archive. Striving to project the image of a formidable and cool outlaw, she leads her club in undertaking various illegal and odd-job business ventures. Despite her ambitions to be a ruthless villain, her clumsy nature and naive personality frequently cause her schemes to unravel, revealing her underlying softheartedness. Nevertheless, her genuine loyalty to her comrades and surprising resolve during critical emergencies make her a uniquely charismatic and dependable leader.

Appearance

Aru has long red hair, golden eyes, twin demon horns, and an orange-red halo structured like rose petals with radiating accents. Her standard attire consists of a white collared shirt with a red ribbon, a dark high-waisted slit skirt, white gloves, and high heels, complemented by a fur-trimmed coat worn draped over her shoulders. She carries a wine-red sniper rifle. Alternative appearances in official media include a student ID depicting her with simple eyeglasses, a rented New Year furisode kimono with hair ornaments, an elegant red evening dress, and a cheongsam.

Personality

While Aru constantly tries to project an aura of a ruthless and hardboiled outlaw, her true personality is earnest, hardworking, and deeply kind-hearted. Her overwhelming desire to look cool often backfires, leading her into hilarious misadventures and causing her to panic hysterically with wide white eyes whenever unexpected trouble strikes. Although she is easily swayed by flattery and prone to falling for schemes, she harbors a strong sense of justice that rebels against genuine evil. Aru is fiercely protective of her club members, demonstrating unshakable loyalty and taking full responsibility as a leader whenever her friends or clients are in trouble.

Abilities

As a skilled sniper, Aru demonstrates exceptional marksmanship, capable of striking targets accurately under adverse conditions such as falling, shooting from helicopters, or firing single-handed. Despite wearing high heels, she possesses impressive movement speed and can handle close-range combat against groups. She displays sharp tactical thinking during emergencies and can utilize negotiation skills to press advantages even against overwhelming adversaries like Sorasaki Hina. Beyond combat, she exhibits high administrative and information-processing capabilities suited for business management, as well as talent in traditional calligraphy. In battle, her attacks combine precision single-target sniping with explosive area-of-effect damage.

Background

During her first year of high school, Aru was a quiet, modest girl who wore glasses and kept a short haircut. Seeking a dramatic change, she underwent a high school debut, transforming into her current outlaw persona and establishing Problem Solver 68 as its self-proclaimed president. Operating an office while studying business management, she leads her crew in taking on unorthodox commissions and illegal contracts across Kivotos. From her involvement in the conflict surrounding the Abydos Foreclosure Task Force to engagements with major academy factions, her journey is marked by comedic failures that unexpectedly solidify her reputation as a resilient leader.

Relationships

Aru shares deep bonds with her subordinates in Problem Solver 68: Asagi Mutsuki is her childhood friend who frequently teases her gullibility while trusting her judgment; Onikata Kayoko acts as the pragmatic voice of reason; and Igusa Haruka fanatically idolizes her. Together, the trio gifted Aru her cherished leather wallet. Towards Sensei, Aru attempts to maintain her impressive hardboiled facade, though she frequently turns to them for help and guidance. Additionally, she shares a tense yet respectful dynamic with Gehenna Prefect Team head Sorasaki Hina, whom she has faced in head-to-head negotiations.

Trivia

Aru's character design is inspired by Belial, the 68th demon of the Ars Goetia. Her surname Rikuhachima translates to 68th Demon, while her given name Aru derives directly from Belial, which also explains the naming of Problem Solver 68. The calligraphy scroll hanging in her office reading One Evil a Day was brushed by Aru herself. Her most cherished personal item is a worn leather wallet, which was bought jointly by Mutsuki, Kayoko, and Haruka to celebrate the founding of Problem Solver 68.