What is a Doppelgänger in Fire Force? Explained

With the rise in popularity of the Fire Force anime series' ongoing season 3, fans have been critically researching several key characters and elements of the series, preparing themselves. One of the unique and interesting elements of the series is the concept of the Doppelgänger.

Since its brief introduction in the pilot season, the Doppelgänger concept has been vaguely mentioned in the series. However, during the latest episode of the third season, when this article was written, the concept was revitalized, piquing the fans' interests again. To answer shortly, a Doppelgänger is an alternative version of a human being, originating from the Adolla.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Fire Force anime and manga series.

The Doppelgängers origins in Fire Force, explained

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As mentioned, Doppelgängers from Fire Force are an alternative version of a human being, residing in the realm of Adolla. Similar to Adolla, the doppelgängers are also connected to the human subconscious thinking. A person's thoughts and perception create a doppelgänger, which resembles the person's reflection.

While this reflection retains the person's memories and abilities, it may wildly differ in personality. Doppelgängers are the true reflections of who a person truly is. For example, if an innocent man is accused and believed by others as violent and cruel, his doppelgänger will reflect his personality as violent and cruel.

The Doppelgängers can manifest in the human world in several ways, the most common being them taking over the bodies of their counterpart in the human world, causing Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC), essentially turning them into an Infernal. While that is how naturally doppelgängers manifest themselves, they can also be forced to manifest using special bugs originating from Adolla.

Leonard Burns attacked by his Doppelgänger (Image via David Production)

Due to their origins with the Adolla, the bugs' bite establishes a connection between the two parallel worlds, transforming the person into an Infernal by allowing their doppelgänger counterpart to take over, if they are compatible. The White Clad were widely shown utilizing this method to convert humans into Infernals as part of their master plan to recreate the Great Cataclysm.

Haumea performed another process by pulling the doppelgängers directly from the Adolla through a ritual. Although the series' narrative provides little information about the ritual’s process, it is successful, as demonstrated in the Fire Force series.

The evolution among the Doppelgängers was shown as the series progressed towards the second Great Cataclysm. At a point, they started to appear more human than just Infernals, wearing clothes and gaining the capability to express themselves. Even the doppelgänger of people who were dead started to appear, who retained their deceased counterparts' memories completely.

Key roles of the Doppelgängers in the Fire Force series

Konro facing off against his Doppelgänger (Image via David Production)

Sumire, the eighth pillar, conducted experiments to summon the Doppelgängers by feeding the sisters of St. Raffles Convent the Adolla bugs, turning them into Infernals. Amatersu's doppelgänger appeared in the Year 180, which was later revealed as Sister Iris from the Special Fire Force Company 8.

While Amaterasu was filled with fury and rage, the people thought of her to be benevolent and merciful, leading her doppelgänger to be a kind person like Iris. Furthermore, in Year 194, Konro encountered his doppelgänger and faced off against it, which turned out to be one of the key moments of the series, leading to the formation of Company 7.

Meanwhile, as seen in Year 198, Haumea summons Leonard Burns' doppelgänger, who takes him to Adolla after the battle at the Fuchu Prison. After Shinra's doppelgänger took over his body, it was immediately able to recognize Iris as another doppelgänger.

Final thoughts

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The doppelgänger plays a key role in the series and can be seen throughout several instances in the Fire Force's ongoing anime and completed manga chapters. While the manga has concluded, the anime is yet to follow up on the Burn-doppelgänger incident, at the time this article was written.

With the upcoming episode of season 3, fans await in anticipation as the narrative continues, revealing more about the doppelgängers and their importance to the story.

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About the author

Ribhu Ghosh is an Anime writer at Sportskeeda. With a degree in Journalism under the Calcutta University, his deep-rooted passion for anime and manga led him to pursue a career in writing about the same.

Along with his 6 years of experience as an illustrator and digital artist for various overseas anime studios and companies, he also aspires to write storylines. Ribhu's creative journey has been profoundly influenced by renowned mangakas such as Sui Ishida, Masashi Kishimoto, Kohei Horikoshi, and Koyoharu Gotouge.

Ribhu's enthusiasm for storytelling and illustration is evident in his meticulous approach to reporting. He values accuracy and relevance and always prioritizes thorough research.

If given a chance, he would return to 2014 and be a part of the Tokyo Ghoul series, as he admires its action scenes, story, plot twists, art, and adaptation from the manga.

When he's not writing, Ribhu enjoys illustrating, playing chess, and engaging in outdoor activities like badminton. His diverse interests extend to music, cooking, reading, and gaming, all of which complement his passion for entertainment.

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Edited by Bharath S