Hell's Paradise Season 1 concluded with a shocking twist that made viewers question everything they thought about Gabimaru. But why is Gabimaru losing his memories?
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers below from the Hell's Paradise manga!
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When Does Gabimaru Start Losing His Memories?
In Episode 13 of Hell's Paradise, Gabimaru wakes up in a cave. To his surprise, he realizes he doesn't remember how he ended up there; but this isn't the only thing he's forgetting.
Fuchi and Tamiya inform Gabimaru that he passed out from exhaustion after fighting the Doshi.
Gabimaru is still extremely tense and tries to calm himself with information about his identity.
And this is where things turn creepy, as Gabimaru realizes that he cannot remember the face of his wife.
Mei watches Gabimaru struggle with great concern, seemingly understanding that something is wrong with him.
Could Gabimaru's Memories Be Fake?
In the same episode, Yuzuriha theorizes that the force driving Gabimaru forward, his wife, could be a deception, a mind trick to make him keep fighting.
As a fellow ninja, Yuzuriha understands what kind of life Gabimaru must have led.
Knowing how controlling village chiefs could be, Yuzuriha finds it strange that such a young man was encouraged to marry.
When she finds out that Gabimaru is under the impression that his village chief is immortal, Yuzuriha mentions that leaders like this would often use tricks that appear supernatural to scare children into obedience.
She goes on to suggest that the village chief could have brainwashed Gabimaru enough to imprint in him the memory of a wife that doesn't exist.
But is Yuzuriha's theory at all founded?
In fact, Yui, Gabimaru's wife, is a real person, as the last two chapters of the manga confirmed.
While Gabimaru's conditioning and trauma made his friends doubt his memories, he was right in believing that his wife exists.
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Here's the Real Reason Gabimaru Is Losing His Memories
It seems that Gabimaru is losing his memories because he has been exhausting his Tao while fighting against Lord Tensen and their servants.
Tao isn't inexhaustible. Since the power source is inextricably linked with one's own body, it makes sense that overusing Tao would have a negative effect on one's health.
This is visualized through Mei's eyes; when she tries to see the Tao in Gabimaru's form, his head is missing.
We can also tell that Gabimaru isn't himself because he calls himself "Gabimaru the Hollow," an epithet he had previously rejected.
Will Gabimaru Regain His Memories in Season 2?
After losing the memories of everyone that kept him tethered to his humanity, Gabimaru will temporarily regress to his previous violent self.
But we expect that he'll get better before the end of Hell's Paradise Season 2.
Sagiri will realize that she has the ability to restore people's Tao, so she will be able to return him to normal.
In the epilogue, both Sagiri and Yuzuriha will visit him and meet Yui, confirming that she's real.
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