When Senku, Taiju, and Tsukasa initially team up near the beginning of the story, they’re referred to as the ultimate combination of brains, brawn, and brute force. But, if you think about it, Tsukasa pretty much has all three attributes in the bag by himself. He doesn’t have the vast depth of knowledge and improvisational skill of Senku or the bullheaded earnestness of Taiju, but Tsukasa is still highly intelligent and capable of surviving the post-apocalyptic stone world with no trouble. After all, he killed a lion with his bare fists mere moments after being unpetrified—how much more proof of his badassery do you need?

Tsukasa has a vision for the new stone world where only young people are revived instead of the older generation who are obsessed with hoarding land and resources. By disposing of these people who might try to lord their power over others, a more egalitarian society could emerge and thrive. Even though this idea has plenty of flaws, we commend Tsukasa for genuinely wanting to create a better world through his own actions. He doesn’t just use this philosophy as an excuse for his own greed—it’s what he truly believes would be best for everyone.

Traditional shounen rivalries like Naruto vs Sasuke and Natsu vs Gray focus on contests of strength and violent clashes of personalities, but that’s not the kind of relationship that Senku and Tsukasa have. They respect each other deeply, but their philosophies differ on whether everyone deserves to be revived or if only select people should be brought into the new world. They each build up kingdoms that suit their own ideals and pit them against each other when their goals clash. It’s more of a political rivalry rather than a personal one, which suits their analytical personalities better. They can even act like friends whenever they aren’t in direct conflict!

Despite holding a grudge against the older generation for claiming the gifts of the Earth as their own property, Tsukasa still remembers that they’re human. He recalls the face of every single petrified person he crushes to bits, honoring them in the same way that he honors the lion he killed in his first appearance. Their sacrifices make his dream possible, so he’ll make sure their lives aren’t wasted.

Tsukasa’s younger sister Mirai was clinically brain-dead and only being kept alive by hospital machines when the petrification beam swept the world. She was his only real friend, and he wishes he could do something more for her than just making money to pay for her treatments or trying to create a society where she could gather seashells to her heart’s content. Can he make this stone world into a place where she would’ve been happy?