Rintarou Okabe (岡部倫太郎)

Background

Rintaro Okabe (岡部倫太郎 Okabe Rintarō?), often nicknamed Okarin (オカリン) or Hououin Kyouma (鳳凰院凶真), is a self-proclaimed mad scientist and the main protagonist of the Steins;Gate series.

Okabe is a theatrical and eccentric individual. He is a self-proclaimed mad scientist, who likes to assume his "true name" "Kyouma Hououin" (鳳凰院凶真, Hououin Kyouma), and often uses this to introduce himself to others. Usually, people do not care and instead address him by his actual name or by 'Okarin' (his nickname), much to his chagrin.

Okabe is also socially inept; his social skills were so poor that Kurisu considers the childlike Mayuri to be usual by comparison. However, he isn't hesitant to lend a helping hand to people whom he'd never met. Although very intelligent, Okabe is easily deceived by others.

Okabe likes to pose as an agent working against a specific "Organization," which he suggests is always after him, as he believes this kind of image gives him an excellent and mysterious aura. However, this seems to disappear as the story progresses, with SERN likely replacing the "Organization's" villainous image. He usually gives off the impression of being delusional and paranoid, displaying eccentric mannerisms such as talking to himself on the phone and engaging in fits of maniacal laughter.

As a result of going through dozens of time-leaps, he becomes somewhat cynical, depressed, and frantic. He develops a guilt complex, believing himself to be responsible for everything that's happening and frequently blaming himself whenever something goes wrong, even when he had no control over it or couldn't possibly have seen it coming.

Rintaro founded the "Future Gadget Laboratory," a small research institution situated above a CRT store. It is an area where he and his fellow Lab Members create "Future Gadgets for the betterment of mankind." He dubs himself Lab Member 001 (the first to join the lab).

Rintaro has an enduring relationship with Shiina Mayuri - Lab Member 002 and co-founder of the "Future Gadget Lab," whom he made a vow to protect when they were young.

He lives an average life with his small group of friends until he creates the Phone Microwave with Itaru. His parents run a family business, and he has once gotten an eggplant for Christmas.

Afterward, he heard a scream from upstairs, rushes to the source of the sound, and eventually finds the dead body of Kurisu Makise in a pool of blood. Shaken by the incident, he immediately contacts his friend Itaru about it. Right after sending the text, the people in the street all disappear, and the satellite he saw earlier appears to have crashed into the roof of the Radio Tower.

Five days later, while attending a lecture that afternoon, he meets a perfectly unharmed Kurisu Makise. Although he was confident that the events happened, he double-checks the occurrences on the Internet, coming up with the confirmation of what Itaru has told him.