Who Is Axel Gilberto? The Mystery Behind Lazarus’ 888-Year Prisoner

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Summary

  • Axel Gilberto is a mysterious man incarcerated at Northport County Prison, facing multiple life sentences to the effect of nearly 1000 years.
  • The number 8 in Axel’s 888-year prison sentence may hold significance to the greater Lazarus plot.
  • Axel’s wits, genius-level escape artistry and overall fearlessness were on display in the first episode of the series, making for a solid introduction to the character.

In a new Adult Swim anime titled “Lazarus,” which debuted either on Saturday or Sunday (depending on your location), the opening episode has been well-received. Despite being just one episode, this freshly created and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, with MAPPA handling the animation production, effectively established its primary characters.

In the initial episode of “Lazarus,” though their backgrounds remain largely unspoken, various elements are skillfully employed to give each main character a distinct and intriguing persona that complements the storyline. Particularly noteworthy is Axel Gilberto, whose elusive nature seems to only intensify as his personality becomes strikingly apparent in this premiere installment. As such, I find myself pondering: what can be gleaned about the fifth member of the Lazarus organization from this first glimpse?

Every time I’m visited by a stranger, they’re either a lawyer or a hitman.

– Axel Gilberto, Lazarus, episode 1

What We Know About Axel Gilberto, So Far

Anime’s Latest “Malandro”

Axel Gilberto is the missing puzzle piece for a highly skilled team, whose mission is to track down the elusive Dr. Skinner before his 30-day deadline expires. When Hersch finds him at Northport County Prison, she discloses that Axel is serving an astounding 888 years for crimes not yet fully understood. Yet, it’s apparent that whenever Axel Gilberto is apprehended and imprisoned, escaping is only a matter of time. He refers to this as a bad habit, but his escape talents, first showcased in the series Lazarus, reveal him to be more than just an escape artist – he’s a genius at it. This talent becomes crucial throughout the initial episode of Lazarus, as Axel consistently evades Hersch, her operatives, and even the police with his death-defying stunts and parkour.

Axel’s knack for escaping predicaments, no matter how challenging they may seem, hints at more than just a skill; it might symbolize a fundamental aspect of his personality. He is not only self-assured and quick-witted but also fearless, managing to deceive a police officer in broad daylight while still in prison garb or effortlessly jumping from rooftop to steel bar without hesitation. The amusing interaction between Axel and the police officer, laughing over the absurdity of a prisoner freely wandering around and his unconventional fashion choice, offers a glimpse into his character – Axel is an escape artist at heart because he is essentially a cunning trickster. In many ways, Axel’s penchant for prison breaks mirrors the main protagonist of the Studio Manglobe original anime series Michiko and Hatchin, Michiko Malandro, whose fame stems partly from her own ability to break out of prison.

What’s With That Prison Sentence?

Axel Gilberto’s 888 Years of Penance

It’s unclear exactly what crimes led Axel to receive a cumulative sentence of nearly a thousand years in prison, but his skill at escaping certainly hasn’t improved his chances. Interestingly, the precise number of years is notable because it seems to be intentionally used as a sort of thematic element. The number 8 holds significance across many cultural and religious beliefs, often symbolizing luck, prosperity, and other positive concepts. For instance, in Japanese culture, the number 8 can represent infinity, as in phrases like “八百万の神” which translates to “countless gods”, even though it literally means “eight million gods”.

Essentially, the number 8 here serves as a symbol representing an indeterminate or infinite quantity, similar to understanding Axel’s prison term. It might not be exactly 888 years, but rather an undefined period of time. The significance of interpreting the number 888 in this context is noteworthy compared to straightforwardly accepting figures such as “60 billion Double Dollars”, “3 billion Berries” or any other numerical representation of Axel’s sentence, because the novel Lazarus initiates with religious and/or spiritual imagery tied to Dave’s explanation about how the world transformed due to Hapna.

What Could it All Mean?

Maybe the Numbers Connect to the Series Somehow

In this opening sequence, we encounter symbolic representations that link us to realms of religion, culture, and mythology. These symbols include numerous depictions of the “Eyes of Fatima,” an ancient charm protecting against the Evil Eye, and a spinning top called a driedel, which is often used during Hanukkah. Interestingly, some believe that the numerological practice of Gematria, assigning numerical values to names, words, or phrases, applied to the four sides of the driedel and the Hebrew word for “messiah” both result in the number 358. Given the storyline of Lazarus, where humanity yearns for a savior who can locate Dr. Skinner and discover the antidote to the Hapna drug’s three-year lethal mutation, this number holds significant relevance.

As an observer, I note that the number 4 holds significant symbolism in East-Asian cultures, representing misfortune. Interestingly, this same number corresponds to the number of sides on a die, and it also marks four years since Hapna’s development and the number of days Lazarus, a biblical figure, was dead before his resurrection by Jesus Christ. Regardless of its symbolic meaning, Axel Gilberto is a character pivotal to the project of Lazarus, and his skill in escape artistry promises to reveal an intriguing set of talents as the series unfolds. For now, we can only speculate about his true nature (still to be revealed).

Lazarus is available on Adult Swim.

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2025-04-08 19:54