Misaka Mikoto

Misaka Mikoto (御坂 美琴) (born May 2 ) is one of the main heroines in Toaru Majutsu no Index and the main protagonist of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. Introduced in the first volume of the light novels, her role in the story was later expanded in the third volume as well as the release of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga, making her the main female character of the science side and the second main heroine of the entire series as a whole.

She is the third ranked Level 5 esper in Academy City, and has been nicknamed Railgun due to her signature move. Kamijou Touma coined the nickname Biri-Biri (ビリビリ) (a Japanese onomatopoeia imitating the sound of electricity), while in the English dub she is referred to as "Bug Zapper" (or more usually, simply "Zapper"), and whenever the two meet, he usually calls her that, even after his amnesia.

Appearance
Mikoto has chestnut hair and is often seen wearing a small hair clip (firstly a rather simple one in the early stages of the story. It then was changed to one with two little flowers since the Tree Diagram Remnant Arc, specifically, from Toaru Majutsu no Index II Episode 06 in the anime, or Toaru Majutsu no Index Manga Chapter 058 in the manga). Her eyes are the same color as her hair. She is also shown to have a complex regarding her chest, feeling inferior when compared to girls with bigger bust sizes. She wears the Tokiwadai Middle School school uniform, sporting white loose/slouch socks and brown loafers with a light brown vest sweater over a white blouse and a grey skirt. She is also known to always wear shorts under every skirt and dress she wears, which surprises an amnesiac Kamijou Touma as she is the only girl who wears shorts over her panties.

Background
Mikoto is the daughter of Misaka Tabigake and Misaka Misuzu. She entered Academy City in elementary age, and distinguished herself as a child prodigy, initially starting out as a Level 1 and climbing her way up to a Level 5 esper. This made her a perfect candidate for the Sisters Project, which held the intent of cloning her for military use. Mikoto willingly gave a DNA sample to the researchers of the project after being told that it would help people who suffer from muscular dystrophy, a fatal disease.

One year before the main story, she enrolled in Tokiwadai Middle School at the age of 12, apparently as a Level 3. Possessing a high compatibility with Tokiwadai's curriculum, Mikoto quickly grew in power, becoming a Level 5 that same April, albeit the lowest ranked at the time,  and achieved her current third ranking by August. In her first year, she lost a 10,000 yen bill due to A Certain Vending Machine, probably explaining her propensity for kicking it. On July 14th, she encountered and had a brief conversation with Ibotanokikouji Kaede, who had been falsely claiming to be the Number Six, with Mikoto not taking much notice of the claim or being bothered by it. In one fateful event, she saved her future friend Shirai Kuroko from a robber by using her 'Railgun' ability.

Kuroko eventually enrolled at Tokiwadai as well and gained great affection for Mikoto. Mikoto later became roommates with Kuroko in Room 208 - despite Kuroko being her junior - after Kuroko 'legally' removes Mikoto's previous roommate who was supposedly ill-natured towards Mikoto.

Being a Level 5 esper as well as a student with consistently high grades, Mikoto is known as Tokiwadai's Ace.

Toaru Majutsu no Index
Mikoto's role initially was that of a minor character known to Kamijou Touma before his memory loss. In her reappearance after Touma's memory loss, she acts as the main heroine along with her Sisters. Like with the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun side story the Sisters Arc marks a turning point for her character, which is later heavily explored in later appearances, far and few they may be, as a character that has a crush on Kamijou Touma but cannot properly express it. An example of this is her overhearing of Touma promising to Etzali that he will protect her and the world around her. Her role as such remained as is for her earlier appearances, with her getting involved little with Touma's adventures and even then completely unaware of what's truly behind the surface.

It is not until her discovery with Touma's memory loss that she tries to become actively involved with Touma. Moreover, in spite of Touma's insistence on not getting her involved, Mikoto only persists. Her crush, furthermore, blossoms even more. Mikoto's character involvement in the plot was not of the more significant story unfolding but with her continual association with Kamijou Touma. This finally goes to head during the climactic ending of Toaru Majutsu no Index with World War III, where she goes out of her way to go to the battlefields of Russia to find Touma and bring him back. She later fails in her goal, as Touma refuses her rescue in order to save the world. Despite being a Level 5, she is powerless to save Touma and bring him back to Academy City, though she has not given up on him as shown in Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index
As an extension to her role from Toaru Majusu no Index, Mikoto continues her similarly in Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index, with her constantly trying to aid Touma and the battles that he is in, making her an important supporting character. Touma eventually relents to her and brings her along for the invasion of Hawaii. She proves her mettle, and Touma comes to trust her during battle. Much later Touma would allow her to join him if she chooses to, though doesn’t actively seek out for help.

It is not until the invasion of Tokyo, that she and even Index finally achieve getting Touma to believe in them, with him asking them to help her save Freyja. Much later, similarly to the Will of the Whole Misaka Network, she becomes instrumental in helping Touma get rid of the emotional baggage he had felt towards the Perfect World, forcing him to look at the value of the world that they live in, the world he left behind another world for, and finally achieving bittersweet victory over him.

Since most of her focus is on Touma, Mikoto doesn’t actively seek out information or knowledge regarding the magic side, simply taking Touma or the other’s word for the importance of the situation that they are in.

However, in the recent arcs of the novel—Mikoto began to constantly search for knowledge of the world beyond Academy City. In New Testament Volume 15 she used the A.A.A despite her hesitations in order to save Touma from Kihara Yuuitsu. In fact, Mikoto having contact with the A.A.A was enough for Aleister to consider her a threat and cast a curse on her. After surviving the curse of Aleister, in the epilogue of New Testament Volume 17, it was revealed that Mikoto's story with the AAA will continue. Although instead of Military weapons, Mikoto will alter the A.A.A's weaponry by construction attachments. So far as the series progresses ever since New Testament Volume 13, Mikoto's character became more involved to the plot and is seen as the only heroine from the Old Testament to have constant importance and involvement in the recent arcs.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
Despite the highly different tones of the original manga and the anime adaptation, Mikoto's role in the story, as the protagonist of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun involves with her dealing with the darker elements of Academy City, sometimes with a little help from her friends.

In spite of her power as the third-ranked Level 5 of Academy City, she is continually challenged by both situations and enemies that test the limits of her character. She first gets involved in an incident with people using the Level Upper, and though she helped in stopping the incident, it foreshadowed the darker side of Academy City. The turning point is, of course, the Sisters Arc, where she is shown to be utterly powerless against not only the first-ranked Level 5, Accelerator, but of the greater conspiracy that surrounds Academy City, her, and her clones, the Sisters. She experiences growth, humbled by her experience, that despite her power as a Level 5 there are things she cannot solve on her own and that she needs help. Kamijou Touma, who has recently lost his memories including of her, represents this character growth in the form of a crush on him.

Even after the resolution of the Sisters, conspiracies from the Dark Side of Academy City are still brewing up to take her down.

Tokiwadai Election Arc
On a day in October, during the run-up to the Tokiwadai student council presidential election, two girls from opposing candidates tried to obtain Mikoto's support, and one of them ended up using their ability on the other, tearing Mikoto's Gekota strap from her bag and blowing it away. The next day, the day before Shokuhou was challenged to compete in the election, she was in a depressed state at the loss, something which did not go unnoticed. After a failed attempt by the Kamino Clique to recruit her with a counterfeit, Gaouin Tsukasa returned the lost strap to Mikoto after a search through the artificial forest, with Mikoto subsequently agreeing to support her in the election.

When this fact was broadcast schoolwide during a confrontation between Gaouin and Shokuhou Misaki's clique (whom she had challenged), Mikoto was hunted by the clique on the orders of Shokuhou, who wanted to question her about why she was supporting Gaouin in the election. After evading capture for a while via her powers and Kuroko's interference, she was caught after they used Gekota merch to distract her while throwing a net on her. She ended up arguing with Shokuhou and refusing to admit to why she was helping Gaouin, as well as questioning why Shokuhou even wanted to be president since it wasn't her thing.

Sometime later, Mikoto was reading news about alleged threats and rumors of an alliance between Shokuhou and Gaouin, beginning to regret cooperating and recalling how no good came from dealing with cliques. She then noticed a group of maids who had been locked out of a building they were supposed to clean, which had actually been sealed off as part of the rival candidates' ambush against Shokuhou and Gaouin.

Around the time that Shokuhou's preparations had turned the tide against the ambushers, Mikoto opened the electronic lock on the entrance to Building 2 for the maids, with her approach prompting the nearby Relic in Kokuchou Mayui's hands to activate Synthesize Grid. Feeling a large amount of static electricity in the air as a result of the nanometal particles filling the building, after an initial discharge on reflex, Mikoto sensed and pushed the maids out of the way of an invisible attack. Figuring out the mechanism, she attempted to use a corona discharge to cause electro-precipitation of the metallic particles. The Relic-influenced Kokuchou then revealed herself, declaring it a mistake as the Synthesize Grid consumed the esper power she was exerting and materialized chunks of Shadow Metal. Reminded of the incident during the Daihaseisai, Mikoto increased her power, but briefly experienced a scene of her becoming impaled by spikes. This image was immediately by the arrival and deployment of the other Relic, in the hands of Kouzaku Mitori, in a manner that reminded her of Touma.

As the two Relics clashed, Mikoto witnessed space warping and caught glimpses of other places. With the risk of a local collapse from the escalating clash and the difficulties of escaping with the maids, Mikoto decided to break through the Synthesize Grid's consumption with a saturation attack, and as ice broke through the ceiling, fired several Railgun shots in quick succession, breaking through the ice and the barrier, and causing heavy damage to the building. Kouzaku helped her escape the collapsing buillding and get the maids to the infirmary, after which the two went to the injured Shokuhou's side.

The Third Friday of September
Apparently wanting something from the Bank, Mikoto decides to use her powers to hack into it, bypassing the security measures and defenses that the Goalkeeper, Uiharu Kazari, has implemented to stop regular hackers, under the belief that those whose job it is to secure it won't cut access to the Bank as it would be too costly. She would be indeed proven right, as Kazari refuses to cut her access to the Bank.

Seeing that her enemy is an Electromaster, and that there was no way for her to prevent such a high-level intruder from accessing the Banks, and moreover with her keen desire to protect the peace of the city, Kazari proves Mikoto's predictions, as instead of cutting her access she instead decides to encrypt the entirety of the Bank, its server controls, and maintenance tools with the Omega Secret, virtually rendering the data she might get useless. Mikoto is shocked by the turn of events, and seeing that it would be too dangerous for her to access the back-ups for the Bank that she believes exists because she thinks no one would be crazy enough to encrypt the Bank using that method, Mikoto decides to withdraw, though believes that whoever encrypted the Bank would be in big trouble.

Toaru Jihanki no Fanfare
Mikoto meets up with the 7th level 5, Sogiita Gunha, and challenges him to a duel with stipulations. She uses a depowered Railgun on him, which is later caught by Gunha by the teeth. They later call it a draw, though both remarked that they would surely have lost if it was a true fight.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Love Letter Competition
Bundled with Rainbow Spectrum Colors, the short story focuses on Kumokawa Seria's letter for Kamijou Touma, hither Mikoto eavesdrops on a conversation between Tsukuyomi Komoe and Yomikawa Aiho regarding Touma's love letter. Coincidentally, the letter blows away from Komoe's possession, to which Mikoto tries to grab hold it until she is interrupted by Misaka 10032, wanting the letter for herself. Temporarily disabling Kuroko to hide the existence of her clone, Misaka 10032 confronts Mikoto for the letter, and later argues, however, the clone later begins arguing with the other clones in the network, to which Mikoto could only look bemusement. All the while, the letter blows away from them.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Road to Endymion
Mikoto appears sporadically, failing once again to get Touma's number. She becomes a key component for the mystery surrounding Ureapaddy Exica's actions, as after the effects of the Debris Storm, her call to Kuroko redirects to Touma, which she reveals how it is used by Academy City.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index SS
Mikoto and Kuroko are in the shopping district that Index also goes to, leading to a bunch of misunderstandings thanks in part due to Touma’s advice to Index, with Index assuming Mikoto wants Touma’s money and Kuroko becoming suspicious with Mikoto for being violent in back alleys. In the end, a truck passes by before the girls creating a draft, leading to Mikoto and Kuroko’s skirts to be blown upwards.

Seeing this, and the fact that Index has seen the handiwork of a magician in play, Index offers the money to them, to “pay-off” trouble, as Touma advised, much to Mikoto’s chagrin. They of course later decline her offer.

Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion
Using her meeting with her in Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Ensemble, Meigo Arisa calls for Mikoto to become her bodyguard as she goes to a photo-shoot at the behest of Touma. Mikoto later protects Arisa from debris as an Automaton bombs the mall they are in. She tries to aid the other people but is incapable of doing so. However, a miracle happens, and Mikoto is surprised by this. Later, Ruiko later calls her while she researches about the Orbit Portal Company, the company behind Endymion, that Arisa has been abducted.

Mikoto later visits Touma in the hospital to relay to him that she couldn't find Arisa's whereabouts as well. She later leaves after Stiyl Magnus and Tsuchimikado Motoharu arrive. When she returns, she discovers that Touma has gone, much to her chagrin.

She later arrives with Kuroko to break through Endymion that have been sealed by Ladylee Tangleroad and is later instructed by Uiharu Kazari to break one of the explosive bolts of the Endymion in order for it to be released and prevent its collapse. She later escapes as the Endymion begins breaking away.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun OVA
In the OVA Mikoto is tormented by the dread of someone always watching her, pushed to the edge she decides to confront the feeling herself. With the help of her friends, Mikoto discovers that the culprit is an Anti-Skill member she frequently runs into, using a device that exploits the abilities of Electromasters, making them feel that they are being watched by someone. When the culprit flees using a motorboat, Mikoto uses her Railgun to stop her.

Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan
Mikoto makes regular appearances in the bundled comedy shorts. In the first episode, she appears in reused animation cells to viewers to conserve electricity and some such nonsense and then saying some for other of a Japanese onomatopoeia of electricity.

In the second episode, Mikoto appears during the climactic scene of the Sisters Arc, asking Misaka 10032 for assistance to protect Touma's dream, however, she could only look in confusion, as Misaka 10032 could only blankly stare and giggle at her. In the penultimate sketch, Mikoto asks questions to a series of clones and slaps one of them when she disproves of their answers, later, they announce the making the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun anime, which she says to the audience to look forward to it.

In the third episode, Mikoto is only briefly seen in the re-usage of the scenes in the Tree Diagram Remnant Arc, and interposed with Saten Ruiko doing something incredibly mundane.

In the fourth episode. In a parody of her confrontation with Musujime Awaki, she attacks the people Awaki uses to shield herself, declaring them not innocent. Take note that the people are.

Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game)
Mikoto is a playable character in the game and able to use her Railgun and electric attacks. She also has a few melee attacks in her arsenal. Mikoto has a secret route unlockable only with a special file (or through the use of dummy files) given to players of the game.

Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On (game)
Mikoto is one of the playable characters in the Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On video game. Her associated Virtuaroid is HBV-502-H8 Raiden "Judge Igniters".

Durarara!!
In Episode 10 of Durarara!! Erika Karisawa and Walker Yumasaki are arguing about who will become the starring heroine of the series with Walker believing it to be Biri-Biri and Erika disagreeing, believing it to be Himegami instead. Each is holding the first volume of the Railgun manga.

Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi
Mikoto appears briefly in episode 8 of Ookami-san and her Seven Companions (also produced by JC Staff Animation Studios), angrily crackling electricity and her knuckles at the audience, as a potential bride candidate for the boy millionaire Nezumi Chuutaro.

Shakugan no Shana
In Shakugan no Shana S, one of Yuji's friends was wearing a T-shirt with Mikoto on it while another one wore a T-shirt with Index on it.

Mayoi Neko Overrun
In episode 1 of Mayoi Neko Overrun!, Misaka Mikoto appears briefly seen on the bus.

Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus
Mikoto appears as an unlockable playable character in the game. The player needs to meet certain conditions for her to appear. When she appears Mikoto needs to be defeated for her to join the team. As a playable character, she can use several of her trademark attacks, such as the Railgun and iron sand sword.

Lunatia
Mikoto is one of the NPC characters that will assist the player in the Japanese version of the Korean Lunatia. Furthermore, within the game is a "Gekota doll" item.

Lucent Heart
The Japanese MMORPG Lucent Heart developed by Gamania Digital Entertainment disclosed that Touma, along with Index and Mikoto would be added as "selectable skins" for the players to use.

Shin Megami Tensei: IMAGINE
Mikoto appeared in the Japanese version of the online adaptation of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE. She was available from January 14, 2010, to February 10, 2010. The player can accept quests from her in Third Home with a slight connection between the two series. Despite the character design of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Mikoto retained her design in the game.

Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax
Mikoto is one of the 12 original playable characters in the game. She fights mainly by using her electricity and iron sand attacks, but she also throws pieces of concrete using magnetism in one of her specials and steel beams in one of her Climax Arts. Her iconic Railgun is her other Climax Art, while the similarly iconic scene of her kicking the vending machine is her Trump Card.

Dengeki Bunko Crossing Void
Like Fighting Climax, in this gacha-RPG game, she returns as one of the playable characters (Main and Support, with Swimsuit and Summer variants).

BanG Dream!
Mikoto makes a guest appearance on the cover art of the song final phase (covered by Poppin'Party) for BanG Dream!'s A Certain Band's Sports Festival☆ collaboration.

Blue Archive
Mikoto appears as an playable character for Blue Archive's A Certain Scientific Record of Youth collaboration.

Design Evolution
Mikoto's design has changed little over time, only becoming more deformed to fit with the light novel format illustrations. Mikoto's design, most specifically the loose socks, is derived from the dated culture, which Haimura Kiyotaka did as to try to capture the gaps in the trends that populate Academy City in contrast with the outside world.

Due to Mikoto's increasing prominence in the series, and due to Haimura's preference, Mikoto's hairpin changes during volume 6, to mark the evolution of her position in the series, this is carried over to all media adaptations. By Volume 12, the deformed look has become more apparent, with Mikoto, and along with other characters, getting bigger heads, and shorter arms and legs. For her winter outfit, Haimura drew her design to contrast with Takitsubo Rikou, her traditional look in comparison to Rikou's fancy look, as well as the concept that Mikoto just chosen clothes for winter arbitrarily without thinking.

For her appearance in the 3rd New Testament volume, Haimura had her wear the outfit that he drew for her in, along with Hamazura Shiage.

For her appearance in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga, Haimura gave out details to Mikoto's design. From her clothes, hairstyles, up to her expressions that are common in manga.

Trivia

 * According to the interview on Kamachi Kazuma featured in Toaru Majutsu no Index no Subete, the author states Mikoto is the one whom he would want to choose as his friend among all Index characters.
 * According to an interview her birthday is May 2, making her a Taurus ♉. Mikoto (and her clones) have blood type AB. Mikoto shares her birthday with her Japanese voice actress, Satou Rina whose birthday is also May 2.
 * According to Toaru Kagaku no Railgun - Misaka Mikoto Maniax, Mikoto's three sizes are B78 W56 H79. She was also born in, where her mother lives.
 * Mikoto has been ranked first on the annual light novel guidebook Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! female character rankings for five consecutive years (2010-2014), a record achievement for any light novel character. She ranked second in the 2015 poll but regained the top rank in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
 * She came in first in the Toaru Sakuhin no Convention character poll of the Toaru Kaki no Campaign event.
 * In "A Certain Collaboration," a crossover-novel written by Kamachi Kazuma and Fushimi Tsukasa, author of Oreimo, Kousaka Kirino, the main heroine of Oreimo hailed Mikoto as "The Pride and Heroine of Dengeki Bunko."
 * The China-based video sharing site has several references to Misaka Mikoto. The name of the site originated from Mikoto's nickname "Biri-Biri." One of the site's features includes giving "coins" for user contributions, which is a reference to her frequent usage of coins when using her Railgun. Lastly, the site celebrates Mikoto's birthday every 2nd of May.
 * In addition, users of this site are ranked from level 0 to 6, with level 6 only available by paying for a VIP account, which may be a reference to the Esper levels.

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