Reigen, from Mob Psycho 100, is a conman that swindles his clients, including Mob. However, as the series progresses, it is revealed that he is actually a good guy. Despite his questionable tactics, he still ends up helping his clients in some way and he really cares for Mob, which ultimately makes him a good person.

In the beginning of Mob Psycho 100, Reigen seems to be a sleazy, money-grubbing, con-artist that seems to take advantage of his clients. He is a good talker, wears a suit, and is very charismatic. All of this helps him appear credible with the people he speaks to.

There are alot of comparisons between Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man (2015) but they’re different. One Punch Man (2015) is more satire while Mob Psycho 100 is more of a character study and coming of age story. That allows characters like Reigen to truly shine.

Quick Summary of Mob Psycho 100 

Eighth-grader Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama has tapped into his inner wellspring of psychic prowess at a young age. But the power quickly proves to be a liability when he realizes the potential danger in his skills. Choosing to suppress his power, Mob’s only present use for his ability is to impress his longtime crush, Tsubomi, who soon grows bored of the same tricks.

In order to effectuate control on his skills, Mob enlists himself under the wing of Arataka Reigen, a con artist claiming to be a psychic, who exploits Mob’s powers for pocket change. Now, exorcising evil spirits on command has become a part of Mob’s daily, monotonous life. However, the psychic energy he exerts is barely the tip of the iceberg; if his vast potential and unrestrained emotions run berserk, a cataclysmic event that would render him completely unrecognizable will be triggered. The progression toward Mob’s explosion is rising and attempting to stop it is futile.

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Reigen Actually Helps Others In Some Way

Reigen has a small business where he exorcises spirits. However, he is not an esper so he can’t see the spirits and doesn’t have the skills to actually exorcise them. When distressed clients come to him with problems with spirits, He relies on Mob, who is actually an esper, to do all the exorcism for him. When there is no real threat, he’ll do a fake exorcism (like throw salt in dramatic fashion).

Despite being presented as a con-artist who prays on people’s troubles for his personal gain, Reigen does legitimately care about his clients and Mob, which is the main reason why he’s a good person. He gives his clients peace of mind and actually goes out of his way to help them with their problems. He will usually do any job no matter how dirty or unpleasant, as long as he gets paid and someone is happy.

Reigen always aims to make sure the clients leave happier than when they arrived.

Because Reigen is a con man, he understands people and knows BS when he sees it. For example, there is a great scene where someone tries to take advantage of Mob by having him pay for a vase that “happen to break” and Reigen is quickly able to understand what’s going on and turn the situation around.

Reigen seems to understand the distinction between being shady and using one’s power to hurt. He doesn’t hurt others when he deceives them. In fact, it’s the opposite. He actually does help people. He’s more of a shady therapist than a bad person.

Reigen has his own moral code and still manages to be a good, honorable person.

Reigen’s Relationship With Mob

Reigen’s relationship with Mob shows how good of a person he is. Mob may be an extremely powerful esper but he’s very innocent and gullible. He looks for Reigen to be his moral compass and Reigen usually manages to set him on the right path and gives him good advice.

The relationship between Mob and Reigen is based on trust and respect. Reigen understands Mob very well. They have a nice master and student type bond and their chemistry is one of the highlights of Mob Psycho 100.

One of the interesting parts about Mob and Reigen’s relationship is Reigen is all the things Mob wants to be. Mob is socially awkward, lacks confidence, and can be naive. While Reigen is bold, full confidence and really knows how to command a room.

Mob also understands Reigen. He knows his true nature and still considers him someone worth looking up to. Not many people would feel that way about someone like Reigen, given some of his questionable actions. But Mob is full of humility and sees the good in people.

Even though Reigen can be a charlatan, he really cares for Mob. Mob is an unbelievably strong esper and because of that, there was a strong possibility that he could fall into darkness and abuse his power. However, Reigen prevents that. He tells Mob what he needs to hear at the right time. He tells Mob that he’s a good person and tries to keep him humble by telling him that having psychic powers does not make him more special than others. Reigen also tells him to avoid using his powers against humans. This advice has molded Mob into the person he is by preventing him from being arrogant and keeping him away from trouble. Reigen gives Mob a noble purpose by having him use his powers to protect, rather than hurt others.

Despite the fact that Reigen shields Mob from himself and provides him with a constructive outlet for his powers, he is still exposed to the dark side of the psychic world.

For example, when Mob and his friends are confronted by the Scar members (evil espers that threaten society) Reigen tries to convince Mob to run away instead. He tries at great lengths to prevent Mob from fighting other humans. He also knows that Mob is still a kid that might not be able to draw the fine line between stopping his opponents and killing them because of his strong psychic powers and the pressure to protect his friends.

Furthermore, Reigen scolds the Scar members for thinking they are superior to normal people because they have psychic powers and gets them to the error of their ways.

So in conclusion, Mob and Reigen have a very interesting relationship. Reigen serves as a parental figure for Mob and genuinely has his best interests. He’s no angel himself, but he’s the person in Mob’s life that keeps him humble. Reigen’s principle of be a good person, and don’t hurt other people has had a powerful influence on Mob. That simple rule is not a perfect answer to Mob’s problems but Reigen convinced him that kindness is still worth it. Mob takes Reigen’s words seriously and looks up to him because he is a good person.

Why Reigen is the Best Character in Mob Psycho 100

Reigen is the best character in Mob Psycho 100. The question that often comes up is….

Does Reigen Have Powers?

Reigen does NOT have powers and is NOT an esper. However, there is an incident in Mob Psycho 100 where he temporarily gains psychic powers. Reigen temporarily gaining psychic powers is what allows him to see Dimples later on. The remnants of the psychic energy stayed with Reigen, which is enough for him to see and communicate with Dimples.

Reigen was Mob Psycho 100’s most perplexing character right from the opening episode. In the first episode, you get the impression that he’s a buffoon and a fraud masquerading as an esper for monetary gain. This was actually a brilliant setup since there’s more to Reigen than that. Director Tachikawa made sure to highlight the worst side of Reigen so heavily early and it worked.

Reigen’s character is built by how he’s portrayed. Everything from his words, his movements, the way he perceives the world and himself, and his effect on other people are what makes him who he is and he is arguably the most entertaining character in Mob Psycho 100.

Reigen is also very charismatic. He deals with his problems in very unorthodox ways, usually with full confidence and regardless of consequence. He has balls of steel and an unshakable moral compass and he means what he says. It also helps that he is verbally skilled and is good at getting others to trust him. Reigen is an easy character to root for.

Despite having alot of confidence and strong beliefs, he doesn’t become arrogant and never thinks he’s above anyone else. The same advice he gives Mob, he applies to himself as well.

Furthermore, Reigen provides some of the best comedic moments in Mob Psycho 100. He seemingly gets out of every situation he finds himself in. His boldness and over the top personality gives viewers multiple moments of hilarity and laughter. Reigen is genuinely a good guy who disperses nuggets of wisdom throughout his mostly comedy-focused act. He’s used very well in these comedic situations. However, he’s more than what he seems too.

Is Reigen Actually Strong?

Reigen may not have strong psychic powers but he’s smart, understands people, and is very persuasive, which makes him strong. He has helped Mob numerous times throughout the series despite not having powers.

Reigen’s best moment in the first season of Mob Psycho 100 is when he manages to get in enemy’s headquarters in a combination of amazing confidence and luck that he is known well for. When he is temporarily granted psychic powers, he can’t help but ridicule his opponents and show off. However, he still manages to lecture his powerful opponents who he sees as childish brats who are upset about the harshness of the world. Reigen scolds them for hiding behind their psychic powers and telling themselves that they are special. He essentially tells them to grow up. This is another reason why he is actually good guy.

Reigen is humanized and shown to be a good person by the end of the first season. He is arguably the best character in Mob Psycho 100.

Reigen Has Great Character Development in Mob Psycho 100 II

Reigen has an amazing arc in Mob Psycho 100 II (second season of Mob Psycho 100). He goes through his own personal issues and really grows as a character.

Reigen has always been a really cool guy and a badass who’s always come through in the clutch. However, he’s also a jerk sometimes. Most of the time he’s been a jerk in the name of good, so it’s never been a problem. In Mob Psycho 100 II, we see that this changes.

Reigen’s Relationship with Mob in Mob Psycho 100 II

The relationship between Mob and Reigen has always been a highlight of the series. Reigen has always been Mob’s great protector but in Mob Psycho 100 II, their relationship is tested.

Mob being an esper places him in a very unique place in society. With that comes it’s own challenges as he tries to balance his normal life and his life as an esper. No matter how much empathy Reigen has for Mob, he can’t completely understand the pressures Mob is faced.

Reigen, for the most part, has always done a good job of steering Mob in the right direction when it came to his powers. However, he’s also taken advantage of Mob when it comes to dealing with spirits, calling him without warning and expecting him to be present. He takes Mob for granted at times. At the same time, Mob goes through even greater growth this season and learns to stand up for himself. Eventually, there is a tension.

During the first season of Mob Psycho 100, it was easy to overlook some of Reigen’s negative qualities and habits because of the good he did for Mob and others and how reliable he was. It is common for the audience to overlook a cool character’s negative actions. However, you do see more of the harmful consequences of Reigen’s actions in this season.

In Mob Psycho 100 II, the relationship between Reigen and Mob are delved deeper and we even get to see a flashback of when they first met. Viewers get to see the most fateful moment that set everything off. An 11 year-old Mob first walking into Reigen’s office and asking for help. That flashback is not only an important moment for Reigen’s character arc but an important moment for the series.

The dichotomy between Reigen and Mob was clearly shown in the first season of Mob Psycho 100 but Mob Psycho 100 II shows us a different perspective. Reigen is the one that has to deal with his inner struggles and at the end of the day, he tries to be a good guy.

Conclusion

Mob Psycho 100 is an amazing story full of very human characters. Reigen is the perfect example of this. Sometimes deceptive and selfish, he is still kind and has a strong sense of justice. He talks the talk and walks the walk.

One of the important themes of Mob Psycho 100 is adolescence. Mob struggles to fit in and he hopes to improve himself. That is why Reigen is the perfect character in this story. He makes up for what Mob lacks and is a great mentor. Their relationship is special and grows throughout the series. Reigen is so important to Mob because he’s the one person who’s truly not afraid of him and understands him.

Reigen is just as essential to the series’ success as Mob is. He is the perfect supporting character. Even with no psychic powers, he has the ability to see the big picture and is a good at strategy. He is able to talk his way out of anything. Most importantly, despite being a hack, he is truly a good person.

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