Kenzo Tenma

The main protagonist of the series. Doctor Kenzou Tenma is a Japanese neurosurgeon working at the Eisler Memorial Hospital in Düsseldorf. He first was the Head of Neurosurgery who was favored by the department's Director Heinemann for his prodigious surgical skill and was even offered Director Heinemann's daughter Eva for a marriage. When it came to a young boy with a bullet wound, Dr. Tenma was about to prepare the operation for him when Chief of Surgery Dr. Oppenheim and a call from Director Heinemann told Tenma to work on Mayor Roedecker (who collapsed at his holiday home). Tenma told Director Heinemann that he is the only one who could operate on a young and asked Director Heinemann to have Dr. Boyer handle the mayor, but Director Heinemann ignored his request and ordered him to operate on the Mayor. After a crisis of conscience, he chooses to save the life of a young boy instead of Mayor Roedecker. He is then scolded afterwards by Dr. Boyer and Dr. Oppenheim for not working on the mayor who died as a result of the doctors having to scramble to cover for Tenma at the last minute. At a banquet, Dr. Tenma begged for forgiveness from Director Heinemann who partially forgave him while stating comments that blacklisted Dr. Tenma, Eva rescinding her marriage, and Dr. Boyer gaining Tenma's position of Head of Neurosurgery. Angered at what Director Heinemann said, Tenma is shown sitting beside an unconscious Johan Liebert ranting about Director Heinemann's beliefs and that he'd be better off dead. Some weeks later, Dr. Tenma gets word that Director Heinemann, Chief of Surgery Dr. Oppenheim, and Dr. Boyer are mysteriously killed. Because of the three deaths and some transfers of some of the doctors, the Chairman of the Board ended up giving Dr. Tenma the position of Chief of Surgery. It is only after nine years that Dr. Tenma learns the perpetrator of Director Heinemann's murder and the recent death of Adolf Junkers is none other than the boy he saved years before... Johan Liebert. Plagued by guilt, he resolves to find Johan and end the life of this "monster" he feels responsible for creating while evading Inspector Heinrich Lunge who suspects him of the murders commited by Johan Liebert. Despite his mission, Dr. Tenma is a humanitarian who genuinely cares about the lives of others.