Chained Soldier, known in Japan as , is a Japanese web manga series written by Takahiro and illustrated by . It has been serialized on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ online platform since January 2019.
The series is set in a near-future Japan where portals to a dangerous dimension, called Mato, have appeared across the country. In response, the government establishes the Mato Defense Force (MDF), a special military unit composed of superpowered women, to protect humankind and fight the dimension's inhabitants. The story follows Yuuki Wakura, a young man who accidentally wanders into Mato and is rescued by Kyouka Uzen, a top-ranking MDF officer.
An anime television series adaptation, animated by Seven Arcs, aired from January to March 2024. A second season, animated by Passione and Hayabusa Film, aired from January to March 2026. A third season has been announced.
By August 2026, the manga had over 6.8 million copies in circulation.
Plot Several decades ago, mysterious gates opened across Japan, leading to an alternate dimension known as . Two notable things were discovered within: malicious creatures known as , who are hostile towards humans, and Peaches, which grant superhuman powers to those who eat them. Since only women can gain powers by eating peaches, gender inequality was flipped and the world became matriarchal. To combat the Shuuki and establish a presence in Mato, the Japanese government took control of the portals and established the Mato Defense Force, a special paramilitary unit under the Japan Self-Defence Forces, tasked with protecting humanity and operating within the dimension.
In 2020, high school senior Yuuki Wakura is set to graduate and enter the workforce when he accidentally wanders through an open portal into Mato and is attacked by a horde of Shuuki. Kyouka Uzen, commander of the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad, rescues him, but they are both cornered by increasing numbers of Shuuki. Kyouka offers to place Yuuki under her power, so he can fight on her behalf as a combat slave so they can survive. After the battle, Kyouka is forced to reward Yuuki for his efforts fighting the Shuuki, which, in his case, involve kissing and intimate physical contact.
Recognizing Yuuki's potential, Kyouka offers him a job with their unit after he graduates. Eager to become a hero and avenge his missing older sister, Yuuki accepts. The story follows Yuuki's service in the Mato Defense Force as Kyouka's combat slave and base caretaker, while he explores Mato and discovers its mysteries.
Characters Mato Defense Force The service branch that operates within and handles all affairs related to Mato, under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Defense. It is divided into nine operational squadrons, numbered 1–10 (excluding 4 due to tetraphobia), and an away unit tasked with exploring Mato and harvesting peaches for consumption. Each squadron is based in an area of Mato based on the eight main compass points, except for the 10th Squad, which is located in central Mato and serves as the force's headquarters.
A high school graduate, Yuuki serves as base caretaker and frontline combatant for the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad. He was hired after wandering into Mato and being rescued by squad commander Kyouka Uzen. Yuuki seeks to become a hero and avenge his sister Aoba, who was lost in a Mato accident five years earlier. While he lacks superhuman powers, Yuuki can transform into a canine-esque Slave Form when under any of the girls' powers, granting him enhanced physical capabilities; his form's appearance and abilities vary with his master. Outside of combat, he is highly skilled in domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning, and also has some basic self-defense skills.
Commander of the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad, Kyouka is the sole survivor of a Mato incident that destroyed her hometown. Dedicated to eradicating the Shuuki threat, she rescued Yuuki after he wandered into Mato and employed his abilities. Despite her serious demeanor, Kyouka is a caring individual who prioritizes her squad's welfare above all else. Kyouka's goal was to become the Supreme Commander of the MDF, and she has achieved this goal as the current Supreme Commander-elect. Kyouka's ability, "Slave", allows her to enslave any living creature, enhancing its physical attributes for combat. She must also reward enslaved individuals for their service. Kyouka can also lend her slave to others, with the borrower having to reward the slave in her stead. She is also a master swordswoman, and primarily uses a .
Second-in-command of the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad. Himari comes from the prestigious Azuma family, which has long-standing ties to the MDF and other organizations involved in Mato. Prudish and initially hostile towards Yuuki, her demeanor softens after he helps her confront and defeat her arrogant older sister. Her ability is called "Learning", and it allows her to learn and use the abilities of others who have consumed Mato Peaches by observing them, albeit with lesser power. Himari manages these copied abilities by toggling between them on a smartphone. She later powers up this skill, allowing her to rapidly cycle through abilities without having to switch between them manually.
A member of the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad. Having grown up primarily surrounded by women, Shushu developed a keen interest in Yuuki, whom she frequently teases. She developed genuine feelings for him after he supported her during a difficult battle, and now she strives to be seen by him as a romantic partner, though her attempts to seduce him fail each time. Her ability, "Paradigm Shift", allows her to alter her physical size. She can grow larger, gaining proportional strength and endurance, or shrink for stealth. This power can be applied to her entire body or to specific body parts, and it also affects her clothing and personal belongings.
A member of the Mato Defense Force's 7th Squad. Nei is eleven years old and attends elementary school. She was separated from her parents in a Mato disaster, and was taken in by her grandaunt. Nei has enlisted in the Mato Defense Force to find her missing family. She forms a close, sibling-like bond with her squad's caretaker, Yuuki. Her ability is called "Promise", which grants her clairvoyance. Nei can detect and observe targets and events in a large radius (in excess of 20 km), and acts as a dedicated scout for her unit. She can also allow others to see what she sees by having them touch her while her power is active, and she can also show the point of view of any target she has previously touched.
Commander of the Mato Defense Force's 6th Squad. Tenka is first introduced when a general order is issued for all the MDF's squads to work more closely together, and she discusses with Kyouka holding a joint training exercise. After meeting Yuuki, Tenka develops an intense crush on him that evolves into head-over-heels love. She takes any opportunity to profess her love for Yuuki, such as flirting with him frequently and even participating in some rewards despite not borrowing him as a Slave. Tenka also fantasizes about marrying Yuuki in the future and having children with him. Her ability is called "Ame-no-Mitori", which grants her the power of spatial manipulation. Within a 50 km radius, she can create portals to travel between locations and obliterate her enemies, and enter restricted areas for espionage purposes.
Second-in-command of the Mato Defense Force's 6th Squad, and Himari's older sister. She frequently belittles Himari, urging her to return home, but this behavior masks a deep, obsessive affection. Her ability, "Golden Hour", allows her to manipulate time by striking a pose, enabling her to stop or rewind events for a limited duration. This power is used to gain tactical advantages, rescue comrades, or reposition during combat. Through training, she has extended the duration of this effect, though prolonged use is physically taxing.
A member of the Mato Defense Force's 6th Squad, Sahara is known for being constantly sleepy. Her ability, "Crazy Sheep", grants her enhanced physical strength for a predetermined duration between one and sixty minutes, with shorter durations resulting in greater power. Once the time expires, the ability enters a three-minute cooldown period. If she falls unconscious before the duration expires, she can continue to fight with increased power, though she becomes unable to distinguish between allies and foes.
A member of the Mato Defense Force's 10th Squad. Ginna has an outgoing, sociable "party girl" personality and is a huge fan of the MDF, especially the squad commanders. She usually performs administrative duties within the corps, such as refereeing inter-squad matches and overseeing large-scale training exercises. She also collects autographs of her favorite personnel as a hobby. Her ability, "Ginna Club", generates protective barriers that she must draw on the ground. Only approved individuals who have signed a roster provided by Ginna may pass through the barrier freely, and any injuries sustained within the barrier heal over time.
Supreme Commander of the Mato Defense Force and commander of its 10th Squad. Her fellow commanders describe Ren as extremely powerful and an absolute patriot in Japan's defense. However, her extreme self-confidence borders on hubris. She takes an interest in Yuuki, aiming to make him submit to her, though her attempts often result in her own submission to him, embarrassing her. Her ability, "All-Encompassing Lord of the Cosmos", grants her eight distinct powers associated with different Buddhas, the full details of which are known only to her. Ren was defeated in the election for the next Supreme Commander of the MDF by Kyouka Uzen, and will hand over the position to her after defeating the Gods of Thunder.
Commander of the Mato Defense Force's 1st Squad, Konomi is a high school student with a lively personality. She respects Kyouka Uzen as her senior disciple under the same martial arts instructor, and develops a friendly rapport with Yuuki. Her ability, "Beast Power", allows her to adopt and use animals' unique abilities by drawing on her inner ki, which she can project as an aura surrounding her body. Konomi integrates her power with her mastery of Xing Yi Quan to defeat enemies in combat, and her power extends beyond living animals to extinct and prehistoric animals, mythical creatures, and even creatures with animalistic characteristics.
Commander of the Mato Defense Force's 2nd Squad, Mira is a former delinquent and gang leader from Okinawa. She is bold and aggressive, with ambitions to become the MDF's Supreme Commander, and views Kyouka Uzen as her primary rival. Despite her belligerent demeanor, she demonstrates a strong sense of camaraderie and kindness toward her comrades. Inexperienced with men, she becomes deeply flustered during intimate interactions, initially when observing Kyouka with Yuuki and later when in a similar situation herself. Her ability, "All-Killing", allows her to create clones of herself, which are just as physically powerful as her, but can only take a limited amount of damage before being destroyed.
Commander of the Mato Defense Force's 3rd Squad, Bell is shy and reserved, and tends to shrink away from conflict. Previously bullied and having a poor relationship with her parents, she obtained a powerful ability after consuming a Peach and was recruited into the MDF shortly after. Upon joining, she felt her power was insignificant compared to that of other commanders, severely impacting her self-esteem. However, she possesses a tenacious desire and wishes to become braver and a better leader. She is particularly close to Ren Yamashiro. Her ability, "Canopus", has a dual function: it can destroy any target by isolating and removing its life force, and it also grants her a healing factor which keeps her alive, regardless of her injuries.