How about a meta on the five Kaneki's and the five stages of grief.

Asked by Anonymous

!!!

Denial

This stage individuals believe the diagnosis is somehow mistaken, and cling to a false, preferable reality.

Anger



When the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue, they become frustrated, especially at proximate individuals. Certain psychological responses of a person undergoing this phase would be: "How can this happen to me?“; ’"Who is to blame?”; “Why would this happen?”.

Bargaining

The third stage involves the hope that the individual can avoid a cause of grief. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. People facing less serious trauma can bargain or seek compromise.

Depression

“I’m so sad, why bother with anything?”; “I’m going to die soon, so what’s the point?”; “I miss my loved one, why go on?”

The individual despairs at the recognition of their mortality. In this state, the individual may become silent, refuse visitors and spend much of the time mournful and sullen.

Acceptance

“It’s going to be okay.”; “I can’t fight it, I may as well prepare for it.”

In this last stage, individuals embrace mortality or inevitable future, or that of a loved one, or other tragic event. People dying may precede the survivors in this state, which typically comes with a calm, retrospective view for the individual, and a stable condition of emotions.

And I’ll put explanations under a cut so the post won’t be any longer than it already is

Denial

Kaneki’s denial is evident the moment Rize’s deception becomes evident in the story including:

Denial of Rize’s nature as a ghoul ready to kill him

Denial of his new existence as a half-ghoul



Denial of his inability to eat human food

Denial of eating human flesh, instead eating the sugar cubes Yoshimura supplied him with

Denial of the horrors at the ghoul restaurant (despite knowing what kind of person Shuu was)

Denial to use his kagune after almost harming somebody he deeply cares for

And denial of his situation with Yamori until he lost all hope, which leads to his revelation leading to….

Anger

Kaneki was never an externally angry person until his change after Yamori, who is also the person to be actively blamed for something bad that happened in Kaneki’s life

Kaneki defeated Yamori and left him to die as punishment



Kaneki actively blamed Ayato for the wrong doings against himself and Touka before lashing out in an incredibly vicious way (103 bones)

Amon’s words echoed around in Kaneki’s head, ”This world is wrong,” immediately following escaping Aogiri, thus blaming the world and individuals who had done wrong to be the cause of all evil

immediately following escaping Aogiri, thus blaming the world and individuals who had done wrong to be the cause of all evil “Plucking bad beans”



His six month active pursuit of Kanou, the harbinger of his anger and situation

And it’s only after he does harm somebody he cares about (Banjou) is he snapped out of this particular phase of grief, and till the end of TG he seeks a compromise where he finds his “pure” self, the intermediate (and short-lived) staged of grief known as compromise. Kaneki’s compromise lasts but a few days before the Aogiri raid occurs, quickly giving way to a more unsteady stage of grief:

Bargaining

Bargaining is when an individual cannot entirely cope with the given situation, so they seek a change of lifestyle, personality, anything to dissociate from the trauma of the past.

Haise’s motto “run away, even if you arms and legs are chopped off,” is a reflection of him desperately trying to uphold his dream, his coping mechanism, for having to deal with the traumas of his past life. He works for the CCG, he’s happy and can finally attempt to obtain the life that was stolen so suddenly from him. But eventually, this life becomes monotonous and unfulfilled as an individual’s past haunts them further, leading to….

Depression

Depression is when a person is most suicidal in their actions as they see no point in living. Kaneki’s suicidal tendencies are most blatantly obvious during his time as the Black Reaper; Kaneki’s overall presentation in the arc is also notable because

Black from head to toe, like a person in mourning



The reader for once cannot see into any of his thoughts and ideals: a mute protagonist

And finally, with the help of two people who love him dearly, Kaneki fills into…

Acceptance

An individual accepts the world as it is, and accept that bad things may happen to them or the people they care about. But they can finally take a step forward away from a trauma and move on

I would’ve never thought about this, so thank you anon!