Shizuo Heiwajima

Shizuo Heiwajima (平和島 静雄, Heiwajima Shizuo)
 * A man who is always seen to wear sunglasses and a bartender's suit. Although quiet and nondescript while not angered, he has a very short fuse and fights with incredible strength. Despite his simple and unrefined fighting skills, namely his use of road signs, trash cans, and vending machines as weapons, he is often considered the strongest fighter in the series. In the novels his power is described as the naturally unlimited form of human strength and likened to "adrenaline power" that can give people superhuman strength in times of emergency. In addition, Shizuo is capable of often superhuman parkour moves, a skill he obtained naturally from years of hunting down Izaya Orihara. He works as a debt collector in Ikebukuro, hired by Tom Tanaka, and is intensely hateful towards Izaya.




 * He has a younger brother, Kasuka, who is a top idol under the showbiz name of Hanejima Yuuhei. Shizuo truly loves his brother (even though Kasuka stole his pudding), who also gave him multiple bartender outfits which he always wears. He is also a long-time acquaintance of Celty.




 * His first and last name translate literally into "serene man" and "peaceful island" respectively. He stated that he grew up in a perfectly normal family, and the first apparent display of his immense strength was when he tried to throw a refrigerator at his brother for eating his pudding. The strain was too much for his body, and he ended up in the hospital. This was the beginning of many more fits of anger, and of course, more injuries - not only to him. Shinra, his classmate, theorized that though every human is capable of immense strength in times of stress, their brain makes sure that they don't hurt themselves by exerting full strength at all times. However, Shizuo's brain simply doesn't work that way. His brain doesn't stop him when he's angry, so he can use all of his power whenever he wants. However, the strain of this feat always damaged his body. During his elementary school years, Shizuo met a young woman working at a bakery while walking home with Kasuka. She noted that she always saw him with injuries, and told him to drink milk. She was one of the few people who were kind to Shizuo, and he began to care for her deeply. But one day, when he was walking home with his brother, he saw the woman in the bakery being assaulted by several men. He lost his temper and nearly destroyed the bakery, even hurting the woman who was so kind to him. Horrified, Shizuo never talked to her again.




 * After this incident, Shizuo decided to stop holding back. Since he wouldn't be able to anyway, why try at all? His muscles and bones became stronger each time he used his power, up until the point that he no longer hurt himself when he fought. Known as one of the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro, Shizuo defeated anybody who tried to challenge him, making sure that they wouldn't be able to get up anytime soon. He was fired from many jobs because of his explosive temper. However, he managed to keep a job at a bar as the bartender for longer than usual. This was when Kasuka brought him his trademark bartender clothes. So Shizuo had a relatively peaceful period of time, working as a bartender.




 * This, of course, couldn't last. Izaya Orihara framed him for a crime that remains unclear. He was found innocent, but he was still fired. At this time, Tom Tanaka, one of his old classmates, asked him to work with him as a debt collector. Basically, he's Tom's bodyguard. He beats up people who try to attack him, or won't pay up.




 * Still, he doesn't like violence.


 * His voice actor is Daisuke Ono.
 * His voice actor is Daisuke Ono.

Anime
Anime specific spoilers about this character per episode.

Episode 01:

Episode 02:

Manga
Manga specific spoilers about this character per volume/chapter.

Volume 01:

Light Novel
Light Novel specific spoilers about this character per volume/chapter.

Volume 01: