By the end of the episode, fans are left with the central mystery: what happened to Kaneki Ken, and how long can Haise Sasaki keep his inner "ghoul" locked away?
The premiere episode of , titled "START: Those Who Hunt," introduces a jarring shift in the series' status quo. Set two years after the devastating raid on Anteiku, the story moves away from Kaneki Ken’s perspective and follows Haise Sasaki , a Rank 1 Investigator at the CCG. The Quinx Squad
The shut-in gamer (briefly mentioned/shown). Tooru Mutsuki: The timid, struggling recruit. The Plot: Hunting "Torso"
The episode centers on the introduction of the , an experimental unit of investigators who have undergone surgery to gain ghoul abilities (specifically Kagune) while remaining human. Haise is their mentor, acting as a father figure to a group of unruly recruits: Kuki Urie: The ambitious, cold squad leader. Ginshi Shirazu: The brash, money-driven delinquent.
The primary mission involves hunting a ghoul known as , a serial killer who targets women with scarred bodies. The tension builds as Urie and Shirazu break protocol to track the killer on their own, eventually leading to a confrontation with a much more dangerous threat: Serpent , a powerful ghoul whose identity hints at familiar faces from the past. The Dub Experience
The English dub sees the return of as Haise Sasaki. Tindle does an excellent job of differentiating Haise from the tortured Kaneki of previous seasons; Haise is softer, more polite, and genuinely tries to maintain a sense of optimism, though he is plagued by "ghosts" of his past self whispering in his mind. The chemistry between the Quinx members—particularly the bickering between Shirazu and Urie—is a highlight of the voice acting, adding a layer of dark comedy to the otherwise grim setting. Themes and Atmosphere