If you’ve spent any time in the darker corners of the manga world, you’ve probably heard of Petals of Reincarnation (Reincarnation no Kaben). It’s a wild, high-concept battle manga by Konishi Mikihisa. The premise is simple but heavy: people can use a special knife to slice their necks, die, and come back with the talents and powers of their past lives. These "Returners" get the abilities of geniuses, killers, and historical icons. Newton. Nightingale. Picasso.
Then things get uncomfortable.
The story introduces a group called the "Garden of Sinners." They aren't interested in helping humanity. They want to burn it down. Leading that charge—or at least existing as its most polarizing figure—is the Returner of Adolf Hitler. It’s a creative choice that most Western authors wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. But in the world of Petals of Reincarnation Hitler is more than just a shock-value cameo. He's a narrative landmine.
The Problem with Using "Great Sinners"
Most reincarnation stories stick to the "cool" stuff. You want to see a samurai or a legendary sniper. You don't necessarily want to see the personification of 20th-century genocide. Mikihisa doesn't blink, though. The manga splits historical figures into "Great Men" and "Great Sinners." It’s an easy binary, but it gets messy fast.
The portrayal of Hitler in Petals of Reincarnation isn't an endorsement. Let's be very clear about that right out of the gate. He is depicted as a primary antagonist, a strategist, and a monster. However, the manga leans into his "talent." In this universe, your power is based on what you were best at in your past life. For Hitler, that talent is "Inspiration" or "Agitation." It’s the terrifying ability to manipulate the masses, to bend the will of others through sheer oratory force and charisma.
Basically, the manga treats his historical evil as a superpower.
That’s where the friction starts. For many readers, seeing a stylized, anime-version of a man responsible for the Holocaust is jarring. It’s meant to be. The series thrives on that discomfort. It asks a really cynical question: If you could tap into the "talent" of the worst people in history to win a war, would you?
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How the Powers Actually Work
The mechanics of the series are actually pretty intricate. You don't just "become" the person. You inherit the "Petal." When the character uses the "Branch of Reincarnation," they unlock a specific skill.
Take a look at how some of the Sinners operate compared to the "Heroes":
- Newton: Controls gravity (obviously).
- Neumann: Hyper-calculation and logic.
- Hitler: Mass suggestion and mental domination.
The Hitler character in the manga—often referred to as the leader of the Sinners—isn't just a guy with a mustache shouting. He’s drawn with a certain cold, calculated aesthetic. He uses his "talent" to recruit other Sinners, convincing people who have been chewed up and spit out by society that they belong in his new world order. It’s a direct commentary on how the real historical figure rose to power, but translated into a shonen battle format. It's weird. It's provocative. Honestly, it's kind of exhausting to parse if you're looking for a simple "good vs. evil" story.
Why Japanese Media Handles This Differently
We have to talk about the cultural gap here. Japan’s relationship with WWII iconography is... complicated. You see it in Drifters, you see it in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and you definitely see it here. Often, Japanese creators use these figures as "ultimate villains" because they represent a specific type of historical weight that homegrown figures might lack.
In Petals of Reincarnation, the use of Hitler is likely a play for the ultimate "taboo." If you're writing a story about the souls of history coming back to fight, you can't ignore the biggest monsters. If you did, the stakes would feel lower. By including him, Mikihisa signals that no one is off-limits. The manga explores the idea that "talent" is amoral. A talent for painting is "good," but a talent for mass manipulation is "evil"—yet both are just human capacities pushed to the absolute limit.
The Reception and the Controversy
Is it offensive? To many, yes.
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The manga hasn't seen a massive, mainstream English release on the scale of Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer. Part of that is likely the "Hitler problem." Publishers are wary. When a story features the Nazi leader as a major character—even as a villain—it creates a marketing nightmare. There’s a constant risk of the "Cool Villain" trope, where a character is so well-designed or competent that fans start to irony-post or unironically like them.
The scanlation community has kept the series alive in the West. Readers who enjoy Petals of Reincarnation usually point to the creative fights and the sheer variety of historical deep cuts. It's not just the big names. You get characters like Kouu (Xiang Yu) and Gerhard Dumagk. The Hitler inclusion is often seen by hardcore fans as just one piece of a much larger, darker puzzle.
The Art of the Reveal
The way Hitler is introduced in the manga is meant to be a "drop the mic" moment. The story spends a lot of time building up the "Garden of Sinners" as this untouchable, terrifying force. When their leader is finally revealed, the shock isn't that he's a powerful sorcerer or a giant monster. The shock is his identity.
It forces the protagonist, Touya, to realize that the "Returner" world isn't a superhero story. It’s a horror story. If you can bring back the best of humanity, you have to accept the worst. It's a package deal. This duality is the core engine of the plot. Without the Sinners, the Heroes have no reason to exist.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume Petals of Reincarnation is trying to humanize him. It really isn't.
If you actually read the chapters, he is portrayed as a void. He is a person who has completely surrendered to the "Petal." In the series' logic, the more you use your power, the more you lose your original self. You become a vessel for the historical ego. The Hitler in the manga isn't a "man" with feelings or a backstory we're supposed to sympathize with; he is the personification of "The Sinner." He is an obstacle to be destroyed.
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The manga also toys with the idea of "Succession." What happens when the talent is passed to someone who doesn't want it? Or someone who wants it too much? The tension comes from the mismatch between the modern person and the ancient (or not-so-ancient) soul they've invited into their body.
Final Verdict: Should You Read It?
If you're sensitive to WWII imagery, stay away. Seriously. It doesn't get "better" or "easier" as it goes. It stays provocative.
But if you want a manga that takes the "historical figure battle" genre to its most extreme, uncomfortable conclusion, this is it. It’s a masterclass in tension and creative ability design. Just be prepared for the fact that it doesn't play by Western rules of "appropriateness."
The series is still ongoing, and the power scaling is reaching ridiculous levels. As the conflict between the Returners escalates, the role of the Sinners becomes even more central. It’s a messy, violent, and deeply strange look at how we remember—and resurrect—the past.
Actionable Takeaways for Readers
- Check the Content Warnings: Before diving in, realize this manga deals with suicide (the method of "returning"), genocide references, and extreme gore.
- Look for Official Channels: While a full English physical run is rare, keep an eye on digital platforms that license niche Seinen titles. Supporting the artist is key.
- Research the Figures: The best part of the manga is actually looking up the obscure historical figures. For every "Hitler," there are five fascinating scientists or warriors you've probably never heard of.
- Analyze the Theme: Instead of just looking at the shock value, try to see how the manga discusses the "burden of talent." It's the most interesting philosophical thread in the book.
The manga serves as a stark reminder that history isn't just a list of names in a textbook. It’s a collection of legacies, some of which we’d be better off leaving in the ground. Petals of Reincarnation just happens to be the story that dares to dig them up.
Key Insights for Manga Collectors
If you are trying to track down these volumes, focus on the original Japanese releases if you want the full, uncensored art. Many Western digital versions or fan translations may vary in how they localize the more sensitive political dialogue. Understanding the context of the "Returner" system is vital to enjoying the series beyond its initial shock factor. Focus on the interplay between "Inspiration" and "Destruction" as you read through the Garden of Sinners arc.