How are Burns and Joker connected in Fire Force? Their history, explained

Tied by trauma, divided by ideology, Burns and Joker’s hidden bond ignites one of Fire Force’s most powerful revelations (Image via David Production)
Tied by trauma, divided by ideology, Burns and Joker’s hidden bond ignites one of Fire Force’s most powerful revelations (Image via David Production)

In the fiery, dystopian world of Fire Force, humanity is plagued by a terrifying phenomenon, spontaneous human combustion. Victims are transformed into monstrous Infernals, wreaking havoc across cities. To counter this crisis, elite squads known as the Special Fire Force rise up to battle the flames—and uncover the disturbing truth behind the phenomenon.

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Among the many characters navigating this perilous world, two stand out for their complex history and ideological conflict: Captain Leonard Burns of Company 1 and the shadowy, unpredictable figure known as Joker.

Burns and Joker are connected through their shared past as orphans who were subjected to inhumane experiments conducted by the Holy Sol Temple and its secretive arm, the Holy Sol's Shadow. This traumatic bond not only altered their lives but also forged the opposing roles they would later assume: Burns as a loyal soldier upholding order and Joker as a lone agent bent on exposing the truth.

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Disclaimer: The article solely reflects the writer's opinion and not Sportskeeda as a whole.


Burns and Joker's history in Fire Force

A still of Joker and Burns's backstory (Image via David Production)
A still of Joker and Burns's backstory (Image via David Production)

Leonard Burns is first introduced as a disciplined and stoic leader, seemingly devoted to the Holy Sol Temple. But beneath his composed exterior lies a man deeply conflicted by his past. His loyalty to the church is not without hesitation—he harbors a painful secret tied to his upbringing and the hidden atrocities committed under the guise of faith (as shown in season 2 episode 17).

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Joker, on the other hand, walked a very different path. Once a trained assassin within the Holy Sol's Shadow, he escaped the organization and now operates on the fringes of society. Joker's goals are unorthodox, but his resolve is clear: tear down the corrupt establishment and bring the truth to light (explored in season 2 episode 16).

Their histories intersect in a grim chapter of their youth, reflecting the darker realities of Fire Force. Both were subjected to Adolla-linked experiments by the Holy Sol Temple, which triggered their supernatural abilities. While Burns stayed within the system and rose through the Fire Force ranks, Joker rebelled and sought truth from the shadows. Their choices—Burns seeking order, Joker pursuing chaos—set them on diverging paths. Flashbacks in season 2 episode 17 reveal how deeply their lives were intertwined.

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Burns and Joker's Adolla Link, explained

Burns and Joker's Adolla link memory (Image via David Production)
Burns and Joker's Adolla link memory (Image via David Production)

One of the most mysterious elements in Fire Force is the Adolla Link, a supernatural phenomenon that allows those connected to it to glimpse into another dimension. Both Burns and Joker survived an Adolla experiment in their youth, which left Burns with a damaged eye and Joker with his now-signature eye patch—along with heightened awareness of Adolla's power (depicted in season 2 episode 17).

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How are Burns and Joker connected? Beyond their shared trauma, they are bound by the Adolla Link, a force that changed their fates and tied them to something far beyond the physical world. While Burns chooses to contain and suppress this power, Joker uses it as a beacon to seek deeper truths.

Their contrasting responses to the Adolla Link mirror their larger ideological divide. Burns, ever the guardian, tries to protect the system from collapsing. Joker, the agitator, wants to tear it down and rebuild something more honest. Despite their differences, both men carry the weight of the same truth.

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Final Thoughts

In Fire Force, the question of "How are Burns and Joker connected?" reveals more than just a shared past—it uncovers a foundational piece of the series' central conflict. Their bond, shaped by pain, loyalty, rebellion, and supernatural forces, is a microcosm of the show’s grander themes: truth versus deception, faith versus doubt, and order versus chaos.

As Fire Force races toward its explosive finale, the link between Burns and Joker continues to shape the path ahead, not just for them but for the entire world engulfed in flame and secrets.

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Edited by Shubham Soni
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