Early in the Second Age of Middle-earth, elven smiths forged nine Rings of Power for mortal men, seven for the Dwarf-Lords, and three for the Elf-Kings. At the same time, the Dark Lord Sauron made the One Ring to rule them all after learning the secrets of how to forge them from the Elves of Hollin--a deviation from Tolkien's work in which Sauron taught ring lore to the Elves and forged all the rings except the three Elvish rings. As the Last Alliance of Elves and Men fell, the Ring fell into the hands of Prince Isildur from across the sea, and after Isildur was killed by orcs, the Ring lay at the bottom of the river Anduin. Over time, Sauron captured the nine Rings made for men and turned their owners into the Ringwraiths, terrible beings who roamed the world searching for the One Ring.

The Ring was found by a Stoor named Déagol, whose friend, Sméagol, murdered him and stole it for himself. The Ring warped Sméagol into a twisted, gurgling wretch known only as Gollum (Peter Woodthorpe), and he wandered with it to a cave in the Misty Mountains. Hundreds of years later, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Norman Bird) accidentally discovered his "precious" Ring and took it back with him to the Shire. Years later, during Bilbo's birthday celebrations in the Shire, the wizard Gandalf (William Squire) tells him to leave the Ring for Frodo Baggins (Christopher Guard). Bilbo agrees, and leaves the Shire. Seventeen years pass, during which Gandalf learns that the Shire is in danger: evil forces have discovered that the Ring is in the possession of a Baggins. Gandalf meets with Frodo to explain the Ring's history and the danger it poses to all of Middle-earth. Frodo leaves his home, taking the Ring with him. He is accompanied by three hobbit friends, Pippin (Dominic Guard), Merry (Simon Chandler), and Sam (Michael Scholes). After a narrow escape from the Ringwraiths pursuing them, the hobbits eventually come to Bree, where they meet Aragorn (John Hurt), who is first introduced to them as Strider, a friend of Gandalf's, who leads them the rest of the way to Rivendell. Frodo is stabbed atop Weathertop mountain by the chief of the Ringwraiths with a knife imbued with evil magic. Part of the knife stays inside him, and he gets sicker as the journey progresses. The Ringwraiths catch up with them shortly after they meet the elf Legolas (Anthony Daniels), and at a standoff at the ford of Rivendell, the Ringwraiths are swept away by the enchanted river.

At Rivendell, Frodo is healed by its lord, Elrond. He meets Gandalf again, held captive by his fellow wizard Saruman (Fraser Kerr), who plans to join with Sauron but also wants the Ring for himself. Bilbo, Gandalf, and the others argue about what should be done with the One Ring, and Frodo volunteers to go to Mordor, where the Ring can be destroyed. Frodo sets off from Rivendell with eight companions: Gandalf; Aragorn; Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor (Michael Graham Cox); Legolas; Gimli the dwarf (David Buck); and Frodo's original three hobbit companions. Their attempt to cross the Misty Mountains is foiled by heavy snow, and they are forced to take a path under the mountains via Moria. Moria was an ancient dwarf kingdom, but is now full of orcs and other evil creatures, and Gandalf falls into an abyss while battling a balrog. The remaining eight members of the Fellowship continue through the elf-haven Lothlórien, but Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo. Frodo decides to leave the others behind and continue his quest alone, although faithful Sam insists on accompanying him. Boromir is killed by orcs while trying to defend Merry and Pippin. They are captured by the orcs, who intend to take them to Isengard through the land of Rohan. The hobbits escape and flee into Fangorn forest, where they meet Treebeard (John Westbrook), a huge tree-like creature. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas find Merry and Pippin; they find small footprints and follow them into Fangorn Forest.

There, they find Gandalf, whom they believed had died in the mines of Moria. The four ride to Rohan's capital, Edoras, where Gandalf persuades King Théoden (Philip Stone) that his people are in danger. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas then travel to the defensive fortification Helm's Deep. Frodo and Sam, meanwhile, discover Gollum stalking them, and capture him. Frodo pities him, and lets him live in return for guidance to Mount Doom. Gollum promises to lead them to a secret entrance to Mordor. At Helm's Deep, Théoden's forces struggle to resist an onslaught of orcs sent by Saruman. Gandalf arrives the next morning with the Riders of Rohan just in time, destroying the orc army.

In 2233, the Federation starship USS Kelvin is investigating a "lightning storm" in space. A Romulan ship, Narada, emerges from the storm and attacks the Kelvin. Narada's first officer, Ayel, demands that Kelvin's Captain Robau come aboard to negotiate a truce. Robau is questioned about the current stardate and an "Ambassador Spock", whom he does not recognize. Narada's commander, Nero, kills him, and resumes attacking the Kelvin. George Kirk, Kelvin's first officer, orders the ship's personnel, including his pregnant wife Winona, to abandon ship while he pilots the Kelvin on a collision course with Narada. Kirk sacrifices his life to ensure Winona's survival as she gives birth to James Tiberius Kirk. Seventeen years later on the planet Vulcan, a young Spock is accepted to join the Vulcan Science Academy. Realizing that the Academy views his human mother, Amanda, as a "disadvantage", he joins Starfleet instead. On Earth, Kirk becomes a reckless but intelligent young adult. Following a bar fight with Starfleet cadets accompanying Nyota Uhura, Kirk meets Captain Christopher Pike, who encourages him to enlist in Starfleet Academy, where Kirk meets and befriends doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Three years later, Commander Spock accuses Kirk of cheating during the Kobayashi Maru simulation. Kirk argues that cheating was acceptable because the simulation was designed to be unbeatable. The disciplinary hearing is interrupted by a distress signal from Vulcan. With the primary fleet out of range, the cadets are mobilized, with McCoy and Kirk boarding Pike's ship, the Enterprise.

Realizing that the "lightning storm" observed near Vulcan is similar to the one that occurred when he was born, Kirk breaks protocol to convince Pike that the distress signal is a trap. When the Enterprise arrives, they find the fleet destroyed and Narada drilling into Vulcan's core. Narada attacks Enterprise and Pike surrenders, delegating command of the ship to Spock and promoting Kirk to first officer. Kirk, Hikaru Sulu, and Chief Engineer Olson perform a space jump[5][6] onto the drilling platform. While Olson is killed mid-jump, Kirk and Sulu successfully reach and disable the drill, but are unable to stop Nero launching "red matter" into Vulcan's core, forming an artificial black hole that destroys Vulcan. The Enterprise manages to rescue Spock's father, Sarek, and the high council before the planet's destruction, but not his mother Amanda, who falls to her death before the transporter can properly lock onto her. As Narada moves toward Earth, Nero tortures Pike to gain access to Earth's defense codes. While in pursuit, Spock maroons Kirk on Delta Vega after he attempts mutiny. On the planet, Kirk encounters an older Spock (from the original timeline), who explains that he and Nero are from 2387. In the future, Romulus was threatened by a supernova, which Spock attempted to stop with an artificial black hole made of "red matter". However, his plan failed, resulting in Nero's family perishing along with Romulus, while both the Narada and Spock's vessel were caught in the black hole and sent back in time. Spock quickly found they were sent back 25 years apart, during which time Nero attacked the Kelvin, thus changing history and creating a parallel universe. After Spock's arrival, Nero stranded him on Delta Vega to watch Vulcan's destruction as revenge. Reaching a Starfleet outpost on Delta Vega, Kirk and the elder Spock meet Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, who helps them by devising a trans-warp beam system, allowing both him and Kirk to beam onto Enterprise while it is travelling at warp speed.

Following the elder Spock's advice, Kirk provokes younger Spock into attacking him, forcing Spock to recognize himself as emotionally compromised and relinquish command to Kirk. After talking with Sarek, Spock decides to help Kirk. While Enterprise hides itself within the gas clouds of Titan, Kirk and Spock beam aboard Narada. Kirk fights with Nero and Ayel, killing the latter and rescuing Pike, while Spock uses the elder Spock's ship to destroy the drill. Spock leads Narada away from Earth and sets his ship to collide with Nero's ship. Enterprise beams Kirk, Pike, and Spock aboard. The older Spock's ship and Narada collide, igniting the "red matter". Kirk offers Nero help to escape, but Nero refuses, prompting Kirk to give the order to fire, dooming Narada to be consumed in a black hole that Enterprise is only barely able to escape. Kirk is promoted to captain and given command of Enterprise, while Pike is promoted to rear admiral. Spock encounters his older self, who persuades his younger self to continue serving in Starfleet, encouraging him to do, for once, what feels right instead of what is logical. Spock remains in Starfleet, becoming first officer under Kirk's command. Enterprise goes to warp as the elder Spock speaks the "where no one has gone before" monologue.

The year is 12,090. Ten thousand years ago, there was a war between humans and supernatural monsters, and the monsters won. Humans are now dominated by vampires who keep werewolves and mutants to protect them. Humans must now battle a variety of monsters that hide in the grass and slink in the trees. While out hunting one night, human Doris trespasses into the vampire domain of Count Magnus Lee. As payment for her crime, Lee "kisses" her and discovers that her blood is the sweetest he's tasted in ages. Lee decides to marry Doris. Lee's daughter Ramica cannot tolerate the idea that her father, a descendant of the Ancient One (Count Dracula), intends to pollute the House of Lee with human blood, and she vows to stop the marriage.

Doris has no desire to become a vampire and has hired a vampire hunter. Known only as D, he is no ordinary vampire hunter. He's a dampiel (dhampir), born of a vampire father and a human mother. As a dampiel, he has special powers that make him stronger than mortal men. He wields a mighty sword and his left palm has a face that speaks to him, much like a human conscience. D himself doesn't say much, but he faithfully stays at Doris's side wherever she goes. Still, Doris and her younger brother Dan are scared. When they went into town to buy supplies, the mayor's son Greco, who has the hots for Doris, told the whole town that Doris had been bitten by a vampire. The town council tried to banish her to a contamination camp (asylum), but D, along with Dr Felingo, stuck up for her, and Doris was merely shunned.

Tomorrow is the blood/sanguine moon (Moon of Women), a time when no vampire would dare take the blood of a female, so D thinks that vampires might come for Doris tonight. And so they do. Ramica and Count Lee's henchman, the mutant Reiginsei, show up to check out this woman that has so fascinated the Count. After driving them off, D attempts to see Count Lee, but he becomes entrapped by three Snake Women of Midwitch, who capture him and begin sucking out his life energy. Meanwhile, Count Lee has sent Reiginsei to bring Doris to the castle to prepare for their wedding. Fortunately, D is eventually able to escape from his captors and rescue Doris. In order to help Reiginsei kill D, the Count gives him the Incense of Time Trap, a candle which, when lit, will paralyze anyone with vampire blood. Reiginsei then kidnaps Dan and, when D turns up to rescue him, Reiginsei tries to light the candle. But it won't light. Instead of Reiginsei besting D, D cuts off Reiginsei's hand and saves Dan. Meanwhile, Dr Felingo has come to take Doris to a special place where she will be safe from vampires. Along the way, however, Felingo admits to being a vampire himself. When they run into Ramica, she kills Felingo. Just then, Greco shows up with the real Incense of Time Trap and uses it to paralyze Ramica. When Greco attempts to kill Ramica in her helpless condition, Doris shields Ramica's body. Suddenly, D and Dan come walking up the road. Dan fires a gun, which causes Greco and the Incense of Time Trap to fall over a cliff. D releases Ramica unharmed, much to her surprise. Later, as Doris comes out of the shower, she tries to convince D to run away with her, but he refuses. When Doris throws her arms around him, D's fangs erupt, but he fights the urge.

When Reiginsei finds out that it was Greco who switched the Incense of Time Trap with a fake, he finds Greco, kills him, and takes back the candle. He then takes it to Doris's house and, when D comes out to check the security wall, he uses it on D. While D is paralyzed, Reiginsei stabs him in the heart, cuts off his hand, and tosses it in the grass. Fortunately, it was D's talking hand. It crawls its way back to D, re-attaches itself, and wakes D up. Meanwhile, Ramica is begging her father to give up the idea of marrying this girl. Count Lee admits that he just wants a little pleasure at times during his 10,000 year existence, the same as he did with Ramica's mother. Yes, Ramica's mother was a human, which makes Ramica a halfbreed and not the aristocrat she thought she was. Reiginsei brings Doris back to the castle and, having completed his chore, asks Lee to make him a vampire. Lee refuses, telling Reiginsei to wait another 50 years.

It is time for the wedding. Doris, entranced, is led by the Count to the marriage chamber where all the guests are waiting. Dan sneaks into the castle and tries to stop it, but Lee casts him aside. Not wanting to wait another 50 years to become a vampire, Reiginsei uses the Incense of Time Trap on Lee, but Lee is too powerful. Instead, he kills Reiginsei. Just as the Count is about to bite Doris's neck, D shows up. Lee and D do battle together, but D eventually stabs Lee through the heart with his sword. Ramica, believing D to be the son of the Ancient One, decides that the House of Lee is doomed and that she will go down with it, even though D offers her a chance to live as a dampiel amongst humans. The castle is destroyed and sent plummeting into a hole in the ground. With the fall of the House of Lee, D's work is done and he rides away, while Doris and Dan wave goodbye.

On July 16, 1988 an atom bomb vaporizes Tokyo. 31 years after WW3 in 2019, Neo-Tokyo has risen, a decrepit city filled with violence and desolation. In a grungy part of town, a man goes to a bar where the bartender (Yôsuke Akimoto) sells drugs to a customer and the TV recaps the day's news. There is unrest due to unemployment and a bad economy. A young man, wearing a red biker suit, enters the bar and gathers some friends from a back room, announcing that they will be going after the Clowns, a rival bike gang, on Route 5. Outside, a younger teen, Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki, English: Jan Rabson), is admiring a bright red motorcycle with special technical features. Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata, English: Cam Clarke), the youth in the red suit and the leader of the Capsules biker gang, walks out of the bar and mocks Tetsuo, telling him he doesn't possess the skill to operate the bike, which belongs to Kaneda. The bosozoku gang rides out into the night.

They meet the Clowns at the designated area, chasing them through the skyscraper district where the Clowns are knocked off their bikes. Bystanders watch as nearby cars are damaged and bombed by the violence. In the skirmish, Tetsuo wipes out and is left alone as the police arrive and the gangs split up. A wounded man, dripping blood, leads a short, green-skinned person through the night streets. He pulls a gun and shoots a pair of pursuing dogs. The man is eventually stopped by police near a group of rioting protesters and, in the chaos, is shot to death. The little green person cries out in terror as a building begins to collapse. The crowd scrambles for safety and a moustached man and his companion, a young woman named Kei (Mami Koyama, English: Lara Cody), are split up.

Meanwhile, Kaneda's gang continues to pursue the Clowns. Tetsuo chases a Clown on his own and they approach the scene where police are attempting to hold back rioters with water cannons and tear gas. Tetsuo closes in on the Clown, wearing a red cross logo, as the rider wipes out. Tetsuo rides by and viciously hits the downed man on the head. When Tetsuo looks up, he sees the green person standing in his path. There is a crash and an explosion. Kaneda and the rest of the gang arrive on the scene to find Tetsuo semi-conscious in the street while the green person walks away, unhurt. Kaneda calls out to him but the person disappears into the darkness. A second green-skinned person then arrives in a hovering chair and speaks to the other in a child's voice, beckoning him to return and saying 'there is no escape'. A helicopter with an armed paramilitary group lands in the square and forces the Capsules gang to the ground as a tall man with a jarhead haircut emerges from the helicopter. Colonel Shikishima (Tarô Ishida, English: Tony Pope) sends Tetsuo to the hospital while Kaneda and his gang are taken into custody before he leaves in the helicopter with the two green children. At the police station, Kaneda and his gang are interrogated, while feigning innocence. Eight of the Clowns have been put in the hospital, but they come up with an alibi; Being that they were going to visit his dying mother and got attacked by the clowns. The police check their alibi put them on a bench, where several members of the street riot are also awaiting interrogation. Kaneda notices Kei being held with another group of suspects. Suddenly, a radical member of the freedom revolution goes mad and activates a grenade in the middle of the station, attempting to kill himself and the police. The grenade, however, turns out to be defective, and the nearby police subdue him. The other police officers then inform the capsules that they have contacted their school and therefore find their alibi plausible, releasing them from custody. Kaneda uses this as an opportunity to free Kei as well by stating that she's one of them too. Unknown to him, she is a member of a terrorist organization though she teases him for attempting to flirt by freeing her before she slips away. Still not knowing her name, Kaneda yells at her, right as an explosion happens at the police station.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Tetsuo is placed in a full-body scanner. His status is overseen by Doctor Onishi (Mizuho Suzuki, English: Lewis Arquette), who suddenly makes an alarming discovery. He contacts Shikishima who is in a meeting with a politician, discussing a possible 'mole' on the Executive Council. Arriving at the hospital, Shikishima is told by Onishi that Tetsuo possesses psychic abilities similar to Akira, a young esper like the two green children, who caused the nuclear-like destruction of Tokyo 31 years prior. Project Akira was sprung from a secret government lab run by a dissident, underground terrorist group, but there was an error involving the growth pattern. Onishi claims that Tetsuo possesses the key to solving that dilemma. However, Shikishima is concerned about Tetsuo's power and, after receiving a prophesy from the esper Kiyoko (Fukue Itô, English: Melora Harte) envisioning Neo-Tokyo's destruction, instructs Onishi to kill Tetsuo if he thinks the power might get out of control. Once awakened, however, Tetsuo escapes from the hospital and makes his way toward the hideout for the Capsules gang in a vandalized wreck of a building. There, the rest of the gang is recuperating with girlfriends from the evening's events, discussing their surprise of the cooperation between police and the army. A timid young girl, Kaori (Yuriko Fuchizaki, English: Michelle Ruff), expresses her concern for her boyfriend, Tetsuo. Suddenly, he appears and proposes that they run away together. They steal Kaneda's bike and ride off, but not before Kaneda and the others see him leaving.

Tetsuo and Kaori ride until the bike stalls. They are then confronted by three Clowns who accost Kaori and threaten to torch the bike. Kaneda and the rest of the Capsules arrive and help Tetsuo fight off the Clowns. Tetsuo, however, angry at having to be rescued, takes his frustrations out on a fallen Clown, kicking him fiercely. He begins to suffer a severe migraine, hallucinating that his internal organs have dropped out of his lower chest and hearing the word 'Akira'. Not a moment later, a CRC team arrives by armored vehicle and helicopters. Having pinpointed his location via a scanning device, Doctor Onishi has Tetsuo taken back to the hospital, leaving Kaneda and his gang to wonder about what's going on. Nearby an explosion rocks a building and police shoot and kill fleeing armed men. Kaneda is drawn to the violence and sees a moustached man fleeing with Kei. Kaneda follows her as police flashlights bracket her attempt to escape. Kaneda assists Kei in escaping as a cop is shot and killed. When they reach the resistance headquarters, Kei frantically calls out for the moustached man named Ryu (Tesshô Genda, English: Bob Buchholz), while Kaneda tries to convince her to turn herself in for killing the officer (not knowing what's really happening). Just then, Ryu and some resistance fighters arrive and, mistaking Kaneda for a spy, lock him up inside a room. There, they discuss their earlier failed attempt at kidnapping #26, which turns out to be the first green esper child, Takashi (Tatsuhiko Nakamura, English: Barbara Goodson). He proposes a new plan to gain access to a government facility to find what they can on the newest subject: Tetsuo. After being discovered eavesdropping, Kaneda explains to the suspicious group that he and Tetsuo are best friends from the same gang and that he can help. Ryu seeks advice from a short, old man named Nezu (Hiroshi Ôtake, English: Mike Reynolds) who speaks of Akira as a symbol for hope and change while he watches the fires and protests in the city streets from afar. Meanwhile, Tetsuo experiences memories from his days as a boy. Suddenly, his memories turn into a nightmarish hallucination. Colonel Shikishima approaches an aged green-skinned esper girl; Kiyoko, sitting inside a crib while Onishi scans readings. Kiyoko is seen to have a '25' tattooed on her palm. She makes an ominous prediction. Shikishima flies out with a few scientists and don parkas before entering a large, oval-like facility. They enter the frigid space and begin activating some of the equipment within. A massive door slowly opens and the Colonel enters the cavernous chamber. A small, red light and sign reads 'Akira 28'.

Colonel Shikishima then attends a meeting with the Supreme Executive Council where he is angered by the members' refusal to further fund his project. He questions them, stating that his intents are the duties of a soldier before he angrily, and abruptly, leaves. Council member Nezu smiles at the Colonel's distress. In his hospital room within the government facility, Tetsuo experiences bizarre hallucinations of a toy rabbit, a teddy bear, a toy car and milk. Confused about what's happening, Tetsuo steps out on a glass and cuts his foot which startles the three green children responsible for the hallucinations; Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru (Kazuhiro Kandô, English: Bob Bergen). Frightened at the sight of blood, the esper children flee despite their attempt to kill Tetsuo. Angered and realizing the power he holds, Tetsuo chases after them through the hospital, killing anyone who stands in his way and wreaking havoc with his telekinetic abilities.

Meanwhile, the Resistance group, having made it into the facility disguised as electrical workers, are spotted sneaking in the sewers and a chase ensues. During the violent shootout, Kaneda manages to take over a flying platform, a small aerial vehicle flown by soldiers, and takes Kei as they flee the scene. However, they are quickly detained by soldiers. Using Kei as a medium and possessing her, Kiyoko leads them to a government nursery where Tetsuo is located. Kaneda faces Tetsuo, explaining that he's here to rescue him, but Tetsuo won't have it. He angrily retorts that he needs no rescuing now and, since he's discovered where Akira is, is eager to find out what he is, hoping to make his headaches go away. Possessing stronger powers than the three espers, Tetsuo manages to escape and uses his abilities to fly away; his destination is the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium under which Akira is being held in a cryogenic storage facility. Desperate to find and stop Tetsuo, Colonel Shikishima places Neo-Tokyo under martial law. Tetsuo leaves a trail of destruction through the city before he stops at the bar seen at the start of the film, still wearing his hospital gown, and approaches the bartender, now alone. Tetsuo demands 'capsules' before we see two of his fellow Capsule gang members, Yamagata (Masaaki Ôkura, English: Michael Lindsay) and Kai (Takeshi Kusao, English: Matthew Mercer) walk in from outside. They find the inside of the bar totally destroyed and the bartender lying dead as Tetsuo sits on a pile of rubble and furniture, giggling. Perplexed and disgusted, they wonder if the person they see is really Tetsuo or someone else. Tetsuo speaks to them cryptically before intimidating and attacking them.

Having been left behind and locked once more in a holding cell, Kei is used again by Kiyoko to speak to Kaneda, warning him of Tetsuo's immense power. The cell door unlocks and the two escape. Meanwhile, a government representative arrives to arrest Shikishima but the Colonel's men remain loyal to him and assist the Colonel in a coup d'etat. He mobilizes his men to the stadium. Nezu, the government mole, listens to this report from home and murders his staff before Ryu arrives to inform him of the mission's failure to capture Tetsuo. Nezu shoots him and leaves with a briefcase full of money. However, he later dies in an alley from a heart attack. Having followed him, Ryu also dies from his wounds.

Kai manages to find Kaneda and Kei at an urban water-filled ditch and explains that he and Yamagata found Tetsuo, who acted strangely and somehow killed Yamagata. Angered by the news of his friend's death, Kaneda vows vengeance. Takashi and Kiyoko then appear, beckoning Kei who walks over the water before disappearing. Kiyoko tells Kaneda and Kai that Tetsuo's powers have become unstable and they are trying to stop him. Kaneda argues that Tetsuo is his friend and that he is responsible for finding a way to defeat and kill him. Tetsuo makes his way towards the stadium, killing soldiers in his path and destroying vehicles and helicopters. Possessed by Kiyoko once again, Kei attempts to fight him but is thrown aside. Tetsuo exhumes Akira's entire cryonic chamber from the ground and opens it but finds nothing aside from dissected body parts housed in individual canisters. Kaneda, armed with an experimental laser cannon, rides into the chaos and confronts Tetsuo. As they fight, Shikishima intervenes with an orbital weapon called SOL, the beam of which severs Tetsuo's right arm. Enraged, Tetsuo flies into space and rips SOL out of orbit, causing it to disintegrate in the atmosphere. He then returns to the stadium where Kaori arrives, finding him screaming in pain due to his intense powers while he synthesizes an artificial, mechanical arm using the remains from Akira. The arm seems to throb with a life of its own. Shikishima finds Tetsuo and explains to him that the espers' mind-controlling drugs administered to Tetsuo were meant to stunt the evolution of his uncontrollable abilities, but they are weakening. He pleads with Tetsuo to return to the hospital but Tetsuo attacks him. Shikishima shoots back and Kaneda appears, intervening. The three espers arrive at the stadium and appear to try and communicate with the remains of Akira in the canisters. Unable to control his powers any longer, Tetsuo's body begins to morph: his arm transforms into a horrific blob that attempts to swallow the Colonel. Kaneda shoots it, causing it to recede but Tetsuo's entire body swells into a protoplasmic mutation, crushing Kaori to death in the process. Kaneda escapes as the espers awaken Akira; now appearing as a young boy without the need for a physical body. His appearance triggers a monstrous explosion and Kiyoko grabs Shikishima, transporting him to safety in the nick of time. Akira creates a blinding ball of energy that engulfs the entire city and begins to absorb Tetsuo who cries out for Kaneda's help. Desperate to save his friend, Kaneda follows Tetsuo into the energy sphere, followed closely by the three espers who are determined to save Kaneda, though they observe that they might not return. Kaneda experiences Tetsuo's and Akira's childhood memories, seeing how much Tetsuo trusted Kaneda and witnessing how the three esper children were first studied upon just before Tokyo's destruction. The espers tell Tetsuo that Akira is sending him 'away', but somewhere safe as Kaneda is ejected from the inside of the sphere, just before it explodes. The explosion partially destroys most of Neo-Tokyo, leaving a gaping hole where the sphere was that is quickly flooded by the sea. Doctor Onishi is killed when his laboratory collapses. Kaneda awakens and is reunited with Kei and Kai. Together, they ride away on their damaged bikes to start anew. Colonel Shikishima emerges from the tunnel where he was placed by Kiyoko and watches as the sun rises over the destroyed city. Elsewhere, a cosmic 'bang' breaches the darkness and a voice speaks out, "I am Tetsuo." Coming into full control of his powers, he initiates a new universe.