Go here to see the Character Sheet of Primitive Boy Ryu.
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As a whole
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Ryu was once on a space mission, and was put in a shuttle after passing out from hunger. This ended up saving him, as he remained safe from the attack that would later claim the rest of his crewmates' lives.
- Maria was one of the crew members of a rocket that escaped to space to avoid a nuclear war that occurred on Earth. However, a large part of the crew members died due to an unknown space deceased, while the rest died died to accident during landing or attacks by from mutants that currently inhabit Earth. By the time the story began, she believed that she and Jimmy were the only survivors left and humanity was on the brink of extinction.
- Peki's mother was murdered by a vampire bat when he was a child. Luckily, he was rescued by Ryu.
- The Gunslinger: Both Ryu and Maria use guns - Ryu's is a ray gun and Maria's is a needle gun.
- Official Couple: Ryu and Maria eventually fall in love and get married.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: You have a messianic-telepathic-dimension-hopping genius, two war-refugee astronauts, an ape/human monster, a reprogrammed robot and a multi-armed mutant.
- Sole Survivor: Maria and Jimmy were the sole survivors of the rocket accident gone wrong, and Ryu is the only survivor of the past pre-dimension warp.
- Token Heroic Orc: While most mutants are dangerous, Ryu & Co. are aided by a monkey/human mutant named Peki. They also later befriend Mutumbai, and Condor after undoing his Sanity Slippage.
Ryu Shibata
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- Ambiguously Related: To the Ryu of Primitive Boy Ryu, considering he's his spitting image.
- Glass Cannon: Ryu has many powers and is a skilled gun user, but still passes out from hunger and blood loss like ordinary humans do.
- Hidden Depths: He likes reading novels, and is a fan
◊ of Isaac Asimov's works. He even names his Robot Buddy after him. - Human Popsicle: Ryu was in cryo-sleep by the time the story began. When he finally wakes up, he realizes that the planet Fuji 1 landed on is Earth, which has changed after the extinction of humanity.
- The Hero: Ryu makes it his personal mission to save humanity from falling into extinction, leading to...
- He Who Fights Monsters: Both Condor and Medornote note that in trying to defend his friends, Ryu has become just as violent as those who he claims to fight against. Even Ryu agrees to this.Ryu: "Monster"....Condor said the same thing. You're right, Medor, it's true. Without realizing it, I've turned into a monster. I didn't want this...I just wanted to help my people.
- Jerkass: Ryu is a good guy, but he can be flippant and rude sometimes. After Peki's mother is killed, he screams that she was Too Dumb to Live and complains about "having to babysit these damn monkeys".
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Ryu is a sour-tempered and brutally honest by nature, but wants the best for humanity and always puts his own life at risk to help them. When Jimmy tells him he made Maria cry, he feels awful, and tells Jimmy one day he will return with a proper civilization, making a safe home for everyone including her.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While he was insensetive in bashing the death of Peki's mother, he wasn't wrong that she was acting irrationally and should have been more careful.
- Messianic Archetype: Ryu has an insane number of skills, can communicate telepathically, assembles a group of loyal followers, proclaims that he will fight the wicked and protect the weak, and is hailed by many survivors as their hope for the future and an actual messiah.
- Plucky Girl: When Maria tells him that there's no hope for the future and they're helpless, he vehemently rejects her at every turn and insists there is. She smacks him for this.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: A trademark of the Ryus, no matter who they are and where they may be, is having this and their distinct hairstyle.
- Telepathy: Because Mutumbai cannot speak, this is how him and Ryu communicate.
- The Smart Guy: Ryu has many skills including bilingualism, knowledge of martial arts and gun usage. He is hailed as a supernatural being by many he meets.
Maria Henderson
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- Action Girl: Maria wields a needle gun in battle. She's ready to use it on Ryu until she realizes he's not a threat.
- Boyish Short Hair: She has very short hair that's styled with a hairband. It's ruffles point upwards at the bottom.
- Cool Big Sis: Maria is a badass astronaut and knows how to wield guns. She's been fighting off mutants to protect her little brother Jimmy ever since the two were rendered the sole survivors of the rocket accident.
- Damsel in Distress: In the second half of the manga, Maria is kidnapped by mutants and subjected to severe torture. Spending months in captivity made her realize she loved Ryu all along, and she's elated when he's the one to save her.
- Like an Old Married Couple: She tends to bicker a lot with Ryu, and their fights often end with her hitting him.
- Fainting: Maria faints after seeing the mutants eat human flesh.
- Longing Look: She gives this to Ryu as he departs for the mountain, a sign she's started to fall for him.
- Miss Fanservice: We get to see her bare back and ass often, even the scene where she and Ryu have a Big Damn Kiss features them both in the nude.
- Token Girl: She's the only main female character of the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits.
- Tsundere:She obviously likes Ryu, but Cannot Spit It Out. Not to mention how she's prone to smacking him when he displeases her.
Jimmy Henderson
- Big Brother Worship: He views Ryu, Peki and Maria as badass sibling figures, especially Maria because she's become his Parental Substitute ever since the two were left the only survivors of the rocket fiasco.
- Children Are Innocent: Jimmy is naive, child-like, and looks up to Maria. He also as a Fanboy-like view of Ryu, and quickly befriends Peki.
- Tagalong Kid: Often follows around Ryu and his big sister, with Peki.
- Those Two Guys: He is always seen with Peki. He later also fulfills this trope with Mutumbai.
Peki
- Gentle Giant: He may be a giant ape/human beast that wields a club, but he's got a kind heart and befriends little Jimmy.
- Those Two Guys: Jimmy often sits on his shoulder, and they often walk together.
Mutumbai
- Big Damn Heroes: He saves a knocked out Maria by alerting Ryu and Jimmy.
- I'm a Humanitarian: When Ryu & Co. encountered Mutumbai, he was eating the corpse of a mutant. They understood he did it out of necessity, and took him under their wing.
- The Silent Bob: Being a mutant, Mutumbai has a singular eye and no mouth, so he can't speak.
Isaac
- Bell-Bottom-Limbed Bots: He has a lanky build and thicker limbs.
- Manchild: He tends to be very happy-go-lucky and excitable.
- Robot Buddy: Ryu's gang includes him, two humans (Maria and Jimmy), a monkey/human beast (Peki) and a robot (Isaac).
- Named After Someone Famous: The robot is named Isaac, after Isaac Asimov. Asimov was known for writing sci-fi novels and popularizing many tropes pertaining to it such as 20 Minutes into the Future and Robot Buddy.
Condor
[[/labelnote- An Arm and a Leg: When he tries to attack Ryu, Ryu evades the attack and chops off his right arm.
- Back from the Dead: Did we mention that part of Ryu's Superpower Lottery includes this? It's what he uses on Condor.
- Bald of Evil: He has a bald head, and three eyes. Though he reforms later on, subverting this trope.
- Heel–Face Turn: After witnessing Ryu's powers and realizing that he had been misled for a long part of his life, he switches sides and chooses to aid Ryu.
- The Leader: Condor is the leader of a mutant gang, and also oversees the town Ryu settles in. After his Heel–Face Turn, he reforms as the "Chief Civil Commissioner'' and adopts a protector role towards the town's inhabitants.
- Sanity Slippage: Condor wasn't born evil, but due to his infliction, he was Ax-Crazy by the time Ryu met him. Thankfully, he was able to restore his sanity and even brought him back from the dead to support his future missions.
