Why Did Kaneki Join the CCG in Tokyo Ghoul? Explained
Kaneki Ken is the main protagonist of the popular Tokyo Ghoul anime and manga series. He is an unassuming bookworm living in Tokyo who suddenly finds himself gifted with incredible strength and regenerative capabilities after a disastrous encounter with a ghoul. As he discovers more about his new identity, Kaneki embarks on a journey of self-discovery and struggles to find a balance between his human and his ghoul sides. Over the course of the series, Kaneki suffers a lot. At some point, he joins the antagonistic-turned-supportive group called the CCG, the Commission of Counter Ghoul. Being a ghoul himself, it’s confusing why Kaneki would join such an anti-ghoul group.
Kaneki Ken joined the CCG under the identity of Haise Sasaki because he lost his memories. In a way, becoming a CCG investigator was part of Kaneki’s rehabilitation after Arima defeated him.
There’s still a lot to unpack about this information, like what caused Kaneki to lose his memories and how he felt about joining CCG. We’ll discuss all that and more in this article.
Kaneki’s new identity as Haise
Kankei adopted a new name, Haise Sasaki, and was trained by Arima and Akira Mado in the CCG. He displayed a lot of dedication and commitment during this time. He cared about both the CCG and mankind.
Yet Kaneki (or Haise Sasaski) had no burning desire to wipe off the ghouls like CCG investigators usually do. Instead, he was merciful to them. Defending others has remained ingrained in the core of Kaneki’s nature, despite “losing” his humanity.
Kishou Arima creates a new name and identity for Kaneki in chapter 67 after realizing he has forgotten who he is. Arima invites Kaneki to select his two favorite Kanji characters for this reason.
Kaneki decides on the kanji for the words “coffee” and “world,” creating the name “Haise.” The word haiβe, which means “no name” in German, may also be related to the name Haise.
At the time, Kaneki was imprisoned at Cochlea. His defeat by Arima also caused him to adopt a miserable mental state. As part of the CCG’s rehabilitation program, Arima took him under his wing and mentored him in becoming a ghoul investigator once his condition had recovered. Eventually, Haise would come to respect and be grateful for Arima’s actions.
How Kaneki lost his memories
After being defeated by Kishou Arima in the Owl Extermination Mission, Kaneki lost all his memories. Contrary to what is often believed, Kaneki’s amnesia was caused by him forcibly suppressing his memories rather than by the brain damage he sustained. His brain damage also affected his amnesia, just not a central one.
It’s true that Arima severely injured Kaneki’s head during their altercation by piercing his Quinque through his eye and then his skull. Fans assumed that this was the main cause of Kaneki’s memory loss.
Kaneki could still recall parts of it despite being confused by this attack. This means his head injury didn’t affect his memories of the event. In Tokyo Ghoul:re chapter 67, this is alluded to. We witness Kaneki pleading vehemently for his release from the Cochlea detention facility to rescue the other prisoners.
He is further driven into despair by Arima, who claims that he killed all of his comrades at Anteiku. Kaneki’s mental state worsens as he realizes he was powerless to save them.
He actively hides his identity and memories to ensure that the loss of his loved ones won’t hurt him any longer. He wouldn’t stop sobbing and wouldn’t consume any food, which worried Arima.
Arima begins bringing him books to read after realizing that Kaneki won’t live long if he keeps acting this way. After doing some reading, Kaneki eventually settles down. After that, he receives the name Haise Sasaki.
It’s not unheard of for amnesia to result from extreme stress. In Kaneki’s instance, his memory loss was brought on by both brain damage and extreme stress.
The differences between Kaneki and Haise
This is what Kaneki looked like before he became Haise. He belonged to Aogiri Tree. His nearly all-white hair shows how little of the original Ken Kaneki is inside him.
On the outside, he is stern, cold, and heartless. He still has his original memories but does not connect them to who he is today. He doesn’t care how he achieves his objectives. All that counts is that he safeguards those important to him. Many people meet their demise at his hands.
After witnessing the “death” of his best friend and receiving a beating by Arima Kishou, Ken Kaneki truly passes away. Sasaki Haise, Special Investigator, is a Dove with a good heart, manners, intelligence, and diligence.
His talent and wide range of skills allowed him to advance quickly through the ranks to become a Special Investigator. He is both the famous Arima Kishou’s mentee and a mentor to young doves. He is completely devoid of all evil or darkness.
