Fire Force And Soul Eater Share More Than Just A Creator (They Share A Universe)
Contains spoilers from the "Fire Force" manga
In 2019, anime fans were blown away by Atsushi Ohkubo's "Fire Force." The series centers on Shinra Kusakabe, a third-generation pyrokinetic with an unfortunate smile who battles against the world's plight of spontaneous combustion. For fans of Ohkubo's previous hit manga, "Soul Eater," "Fire Force" was an immediate, easy sell, as the two series share Ohkubo's penchant for eye-catching character design, hilarious comedic moments, and fantastic world-building. But as "Fire Force" continued, it became apparent that it shared much more with "Soul Eater" than just a creator and his unique manga tendencies.
"Fire Force" contained several Easter eggs and references to "Soul Eater," including a familiar ghastly-looking moon and the specific use of the number eight. All these callbacks eventually spiraled into fans coming out with a wild theory that the two series share a universe. However, thanks to the final manga chapters of "Fire Force," that particular theory appears to be a reality. To summarize, one of the most significant actions of Shinra towards the conclusion of "Fire Force" is not only creating the world of "Soul Eater" but also directly creating its god, the shinigami named Death. "Soul Eater" fans know that Death plays a huge part in the series, and his origin in "Fire Force" officially connects the two. But it's only scratching the surface of how Ohkubo links them.
Fire Force is officially a prequel to Soul Eater
Atsushi Ohkubo having Shinra create Death would have been enough to set up "Fire Force" as a prequel to "Soul Eater." That action alone didn't offer breadcrumbs but entire loaves for us to follow back to his previous series. It's that obvious. However, short of making an official statement on the matter, the mangaka decided to leave absolutely no doubt that "Fire Force" is a prequel by further using its last manga chapters to add in more undeniable proof. For instance, in the concluding story arc, Shinra's actions take away the spontaneous combustion problem. But, the result is a world full of other strange occurrences and creatures that really belong in "Soul Eater." Forget Infernals. This new world deals with dragons, the undead, and witches.
And if, for some reason, Death's appearance in "Fire Force" wasn't enough to nail home that prequel link, then other major characters appearing should finally hammer everything down. Diving into the future of this strange new world in the last "Fire Force" chapter, we get to see Death create his son, Death the Kid, as well as shots of a Black Star, Maka, and Soul. The four characters are the main protagonists of "Soul Eater," and witnessing their surprise appearances in "Fire Force" is another confirmation that the series is indeed a prequel to "Soul Eater." The lingering question now is will we see all of this animated? With "Fire Force" officially renewed for a Season 3 and recent buzz surrounding the 15th anniversary of the original "Soul Eater" anime, it does seem likely. In the meantime, we can at least rejoice in receiving one of the most satisfying manga endings and connections in recent memory, thanks to Ohkubo.