Hebitani Tsuguo

Hebitani Tsuguo (蛇谷 次雄) is a minor character introduced in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun anime. He is a Skill-Out member and is the last leader of the Skill-Out faction Big Spider before its dissolution.

Appearance
Tsuguo has black hair which is styled into a punch perm. His face bears a scar on his left cheek and his upper lip has a small moustache forming, he is also often seen wearing his leather jacket. One significant feature is a small spider tattoo on the right side of his back, it is probably designed to imitate Wataru Kurozuma's own tattoo (although Wataru's was larger) and to keep the illusion that Tsuguo is Wataru.

Personality
He originally followed the ideals of Wataru, but since his alleged death, has strayed far from it. According to Kazari Uiharu, Tsuguo is described as a vicious man and has no problems betraying comrades; he is also described as the kind of guy who will shoot a person in the back when that person mentions leaving the group. He is also deceptive enough to fool several people into thinking that he is Wataru Kurozuma.

Background
He was a member of Big Spider during Wataru Kurozuma's command. During one scuffle against another group on an artificial riverbank to save a child, they are noticed by Mii Konori, who later joins Big Spider. He is later captured by an enemy group where they forced Wataru to go to a rendezvous point if he wanted Tsuguo alive. Wataru complies to this condition but was led into a trap; Tsuguo, however, escapes and is later seen in tears after thinking that Wataru has died.

To prevent Big Spider from dissolving, Tsuguo later uses Wataru's name and making himself the leader of Big Spider. He also allowed Big Spider to gain weapons and to attack innocent people, straying from the ways of it's original incarnation. Some time shortly before his introduction, Tsuguo obtains a copy of Capacity Down and increased their assaults on espers.

Big Spider Arc

 * Main article:Big Spider Arc

He is first seen in a Big Spider hideout where he threatens to shoot a messenger after he tells him that the real Wataru Kurozuma was the one who defeated Tamezou's group, he shouts at the members present before him to say say his name which is Wataru Kurozuma. In a later scene, he is shown to be pointing his gun at Big Spider members as he has heard reports that 20 of his esper hunting troops have been taken down, he demands them to finish their investigation. Later, he is seen sitting alone where he contemplates whether or not Wataru is still alive. He is later confronted by Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai. He uses Capacity Down on them to slow them down but it is later disabled by the arrival of the true Kurozuma Wataru, here Wataru takes out nearly the entire Big Spider present with Tsuguo and he is forced to retreat. He later moves into another hideout.

Tsuguo later demands the remaining Big Spider members to find and kill the "fake" Kurozuma Wataru and instead doubt his identity, they follow his orders and is left alone. Later, Tsuguo receives a call from a mysterious person that is concerned with the Capacity Down he is using. The next day during Anti-Skill's raid on The Strange, his hideout his stormed by Wataru where he beats up several Big Spider members present. Tsuguo then allowed the use of weapons on him, but is interrupted by the arrival of Konori Mii, Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto. Here they defeat all remaining members leaving Tsuguo alone, as a last resort Tsuguo reveals that he has strapped himself with dynamite and threatens to detonate them, Wataru is, however, undeterred and punches him hard enough to remove the dynamite from him.

Kneeling before him, Wataru asked Tsuguo what has happened to him, Tsuguo he replies that he could not help it and that he had became Kurozuma Wataru to keep Big Spider together as The Strange is the only home for them. He then tries to attack Wataru with a knife, telling him that The Strange is not Wataru's home anymore, he is able to make a small cut on Wataru's face but he is unable to dodge his punch to Tsuguo's face, beating him and telling him that a home is a place where you be yourself.

He is later taken into custody by Anti-Skill and Big Spider is dissolved.

Abilities
He has no abilities, but he is seen as a brawler of lesser caliber compared to Wataru. He also has access to weapons like explosives and guns which he mostly purchased through black-market transactions.

Trivia

 * Tsuguo's cellphone ringtone is Auld Lang Syne.
 * The person who has given him Capacity Down units is none other than Telestina. This is later exposed in the last few episodes of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun series.

Quotes

 * (To Kurozuma Wataru) "I couldn't help it! This is the only home we have. I had to be Kurozuma to gather Big Spider together! That's why... this isn't your home anymore!!"