Dorohedoro Episode 3: Night of the Dead: Duel! In Front of the Main Department Store

The episode opens with En, seemingly a master chef, proudly presenting his latest creation: nigiri sushi. His subordinates, Chota, Nikaido, and Ebisu, eagerly devour the mushroom-shaped meat, praising its unique flavor. Their faces contort with pleasure, eyes wide as they savor every bite. It is a moment of deceptive domesticity, where a simple meal holds a darker, hidden purpose. The satisfaction on En's masked face suggests a deeper game is afoot.

Suddenly, the pleasant dinner dissolves into a surreal, pastel-colored void where Chota and Ebisu float disoriented. Nikaido, clad in a strange bird-like mask, quickly deduces magic is at play. En, now casually strolling in a pink jacket, confirms their suspicions, revealing the sushi was a new species of 'Dream Mushroom' from his garden. This mushroom allows its eaters to fall into a deep sleep and freely create their desired dreams, a fact met with shock and disbelief by his companions.

Chota immediately manifests his desire, transforming into a colossal, muscular figure, much to En's unimpressed amusement. Then, a distorted vision of Nikaido and Kaiman attacks En in a desolate urban landscape. Nikaido, now in a tight red suit, conjures energy that Kaiman channels into a destructive beam, obliterating the city and leaving En's dream self in triumph. This brief, terrifying glimpse into En's subconscious fears reveals his deep-seated anxieties about Nikaido's betrayal and Kaiman's destructive power.

Fujita experiences a fleeting moment of recognition from En, only to be cruelly discarded as "useless trash" by En, Kusukabe, Shin, and Noi. This dream is a stark manifestation of Fujita's deep-seated insecurity and fear of abandonment. Meanwhile, Ebisu awakens in a melancholic dream, finding herself in a dark, swampy environment that transforms into her childhood home. She encounters a ghostly girl, discovers her skull mask on a stuffed animal, and hears her guardians, Curate and Rabbit, mention her parents, hinting at a traumatic, repressed memory.

En's nightmare continues with Nikaido chasing him through a dark alley, wielding a hairdryer. His greatest fear manifests as he transforms into a grotesque mushroom and shrivels under the "dryer" attack, aided by all his subordinates, even a cheerfully sadistic Ebisu. The dream abruptly ends, and En, Chota, and Ebisu wake up face down on the table, shaken and traumatized. Their murmured "Mama, Papa" reveals a shared, primal fear unlocked by the 'Dream Mushroom'.

A flashback begins with Risu hanging upside down, covered in blood, realizing Kaiman spared him. He reflects on his cross-shaped facial marks, a symbol of his identity within 'The Cross-Eyes', an organization for magic users who produce little or useless smoke. Risu, despite his violent life, nurses a secret ambition: to attend a magic school and learn to produce smoke, a deeply human yearning for self-improvement and belonging. He sits among masked students, hopeful but met with suspicion from his peers.

At the Zagan Magic Training School, Risu observes the inept teaching and the seemingly carefree students. He meets Aikawa, a fellow student with a gas mask, who calms an enraged teacher by offering him lunch. Later, Risu confronts the teacher, who tries to sell him a fake magic bracelet. Risu retaliates, using black powder to transform the teacher into a cockroach. Aikawa appears, revealing he knew of the teacher's shady dealings and brutally dismembers him, then disposes of the body with chilling efficiency.

After the teacher's gruesome end, Aikawa and Risu forge an uneasy bond, Aikawa departing with a cryptic farewell, leaving Risu with questions about the truck's destination. The scene then abruptly shifts to the present, where Kaiman, now awake, calls out for Aikawa, his cross eyes glowing. He confronts Doku and Kai, challenging their assumption that he was merely a victim, asserting that his transformation was an act of survival, not weakness.

Nikaido arrives in Zagan City, finding Kaiman inexplicably agitated and running towards a dilapidated building. He recognizes it as the Zagan Magic Training School, a place that triggers agonizing flashes of memory and pain. Clutching his head, Kaiman experiences a violent surge of fragmented past events, his human skin tearing away. He questions his role within the school, unable to discern if he was a student, teacher, or something else entirely.

Driven by an unknown compulsion, Kaiman finds a filing cabinet and tears open file '529', revealing a picture of Risu with his distinctive cross-shaped eyes. The shock is immense, triggering a full, agonizing transformation. His human skin peels away in a grotesque display, revealing his reptilian form underneath. Gazing at his reflection, Kaiman holds his discarded human skin like a mask, recognizing both the name Risu and his current identity, a true duality of self.

In a fleeting, perhaps distorted, memory, Kaiman and Nikaido are seen attending to a bandaged, decomposing Shin. Flies swarm around Shin's face, a grotesque sight that Kaiman, using his magical touch, cleanses and heals. Shin's face slowly recovers, revealing Kaiman's surprising capacity for healing despite his monstrous appearance. This memory hints at an early, compassionate aspect of Kaiman's character and the supportive nature of his bond with Nikaido.

The true origin of Kaiman unfolds in a series of fragmented memories. He recalls transforming into his reptilian form, waking up in a panic, and being comforted by Nikaido. She bandages his head and explains his condition, that a magic user turned him into a lizard. Horrified by his reflection, Kaiman vows to find the magic user responsible, with Nikaido's unwavering support. Their partnership solidified, Kaiman expresses deep confusion and a terrifying feeling within his chest, finding solace only in Nikaido's embrace.

The episode concludes with disturbing, abstract visions of Kaiman's inner turmoil. He encounters a zombified, wired Shin and expresses a feeling of his heart being "squeezed." He removes his gas mask, revealing his reptilian head covered in cross marks, then violently smashes his reflection. The final image is of Kaiman tied up, struggling, a symbol of his ongoing battle with his true identity and the monstrous nature he struggles to comprehend.