Originally a web novel by Rocket Shoukai that debuted on Kakuyomu in October 2020, "Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004" made its jump to print under KADOKAWA’s Dengeki no Shin Bungei imprint in September 2021, featuring stunning illustrations by Mephisto.
In the brutal world of "Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004", being a Hero isn't a badge of honor—it's the ultimate death sentence. Those who commit heinous crimes are branded with a Holy Seals on their necks, a mark that ensures absolute obedience to orders.
These Penal Heroes are thrust onto the front lines of the Demon King Phenomenon, a never-ending war against monstrous entities known as Faeries and the Demon Kings who lead them. They have no set term, and they aren't even allowed the mercy of death.
While the government promises a full pardon if the Demon Kings are eradicated, the reality is a nightmare. As soon as one threat is neutralized, another Demon King Phenomenon erupts elsewhere, making the dream of an early release nothing more than a cruel fantasy.
Tsav is a character who never stops talking and is often seen as a frivolous jokester. However, once he is entrusted with a sniper mission using his thunder-staff, he proves to be a genius marksman who can accurately and effortlessly make shots from incredible distances.
In this article, we will introduce Tsav, focusing on his profile, abilities, and his most standout scenes.
※ This article contains spoilers for the story.
Tsav: Basic Profile
Affiliation: Penal Hero Unit 9004. Crimes: Murder, Post-mortem Mutilation, and Abandonment of a Corpse.
A former elite assassin raised by the assassination cult "Guen-Mousa," Tsav is a genius sniper who utilizes a thunder-staff. He takes immense pride in his history as a prodigy who boasted outstanding practical grades within the cult, a child wonder with a promising future, and the youngest yet strongest assassin in their ranks.
In particular, Tsav’s marksmanship is so advanced that he can effortlessly pull off snipes from incredible distances that would be utterly impossible for an ordinary person.
Tsav also has a side to him where he finds himself unable to kill a target if he develops feelings for them. He mentions that if he discovers a target has a family or children, he begins to feel sympathy. However, considering the reason Tsav became a Penal Hero was the crime of "killing 8 people" (though Tsav himself confessed the actual number was 12), it is hard to know what to make of that claim.
Furthermore, he possesses a cruel streak; in place of a target he couldn't kill due to sympathy, he has been known to turn a completely unrelated stranger into "minced meat" to deceive others into thinking the mission was a success. For those he feels no sympathy toward, he kills with the casual ease of breathing air.
According to Tsav himself, he is "good-natured and serious," and he only took his assassinations seriously because he "felt sorry for his boss, whose reputation would suffer if the mission failed." Regarding his sense of morality, Tsav has even stated that he doesn't quite understand it himself.
Tsav is extremely talkative and won't stop once he starts speaking. He is frequently snapped at by Xylo for this, yet he remains a character that is hard to truly hate.
Tsav: Skills and Abilities
Genius Sniping Ability and Superhuman Eyesight
Tsav is a specialist in sniping with the thunder-staff.
Even while chatting away casually, he can perform incredibly high-precision shots, accurately piercing the heads or hearts of distant enemies with ease.
Tsav excels at using a specific thunder-staff model called "Daisy," developed by the Varcle Development Corporation. The Holy Seals engraved on the "Daisy" used by Tsav have been tuned by Norgalle, significantly adjusting both its effective range and destructive power compared to off-the-shelf models.
While these tunings are significant, it is Tsav’s own innate sniping ability that brings out the weapon's true, terrifying value.
Furthermore, Tsav possesses superhuman eyesight that allows him to distinguish enemies from extreme distances. By multiplying his genius sniping talent with this superhuman vision, Tsav thrives within the Penal Hero Unit as a "long-range combat specialist."
Maybe He's Also Gifted in Combat Command?
Beyond sniping, there is a scene that offers a glimpse into Tsav’s hidden talent for combat command.
During the defense mission of the Mureed Fortress, Xylo and the others had to move quickly to mobilize death-row inmates to cover a manpower shortage. When the battle against the Faeries began, the inmates' volley fire was perfectly synchronized, with very few wasteful shots fired out of range—a very impressive performance.
This was largely due to an event that occurred the day before the battle.
A large, well-built inmate had voiced an objection to being forced to follow the orders of Penal Heroes. Instead of shooting the dissenter, Tsav used his thunder-staff to blast away the right arm of the inmate standing right next to him.
Tsav’s reasoning was that the one who complained "seemed active and energetic, so he’d likely work hard," so he spared him and instead sniped the bystander as a warning to the rest.
Whether it was because of this "altercation" the previous day or Tsav’s genuine command skills is hard to say, but the inmates stationed with Tsav at the rear gate during the Mureed Fortress defense mission performed brilliantly. Even during this mission, Tsav never stopped talking, maintaining a relentless flow of chatter while simultaneously issuing orders to the inmates and performing his own snipes.
Not Just Sniping, But Physical Combat Too
In truth, Tsav is also highly skilled in martial arts.
During a mission in the port city of Ioff, Xylo and the group were carrying out what could be called a decoy operation using Teoritta: "Flush out the forces aiming to assassinate Teoritta and capture the entire organization in one fell swoop."
As expected, the group was attacked by those seeking to kill the Goddess. During the battle, Tsav was ambushed from above. An assassin swung down with bare hands to strike him, but Tsav countered and evaded with animal-like reflexes.
Not only did he evade, but Tsav also launched a precise strike aimed at the neck with a knife he held. Although the attack was parried, he instantly flipped the blade to thrust back at his opponent. Simultaneously, he executed a fluid sequence of movements, attempting a leg sweep while reaching for the enemy's collar.
"Tsav’s attack is going to land!"
Or so it seemed, but it was dodged. Tsav then instantaneously leaped backward like a locust.
Tsav continued to parry the assassin's strikes with his knife. While he appeared to be defending himself well, he was eventually wounded by a mysterious follow-up attack. Though he was injured, this combat scene is highly memorable as it demonstrates that Tsav possesses rare talent not just in sniping, but in close-quarters martial arts as well.
Tsav’s Standout Scenes
When you think of Tsav, you think of extreme-range headshots! Let’s introduce a scene where Tsav’s genius sniping truly shined, performed with effortless ease.
During the Mureed Fortress defense mission, Tsav was tasked with sniping a monster hidden deep within a distant forest. As usual, while continuing his non-stop chatter, Tsav released a flash of light from his thunder-staff—and fired!
"I did it," Tsavv reported casually.
Dotta, checking the results through a telephoto lens, let out a sigh of relief. "It hit. Right in the middle of the head. That was easy," he said, feeling reassured.
In reality, this shot was an incredible feat of divine skill. Not only did he land a precise headshot, but he successfully hit a target at a distance of "one thousand two hundred standard rate and then some."
In the world of Sentenced to Be a Hero, "one standard rate" is described as "the distance of a single step by an adult." If we assume an average adult stride of 70cm, the calculation is 1,200 steps × 70cm = 84,000cm—roughly 840 meters.
To pull off a headshot from nearly a kilometer away while casually chatting is a testament to Tsav’s terrifying sniping ability.
Voice Actor: Jun Fukushima
Tsav is voiced by Jun Fukushima. Born on September 4th in Ehime Prefecture, he is well-known for roles such as Shoukichi Naruko in "Yowamushi Pedal" and Kazuma in "Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!"
Closing Thoughts
Tsav plays a vital role within the Penal Hero Unit with his god-like sniping skills. His shots often turn the tide of battle, and his long-range attacks boast some of the highest offensive power in the entire squad.
While he may seem like a frivolous jokester due to his talkative nature, he is a man who can kill a human without hesitation if he feels no sympathy for them. Witnessing this side of him—the former elite assassin—allows readers to appreciate the complex, multi-faceted nature of Tsav’s character.
[Article by Yuu Tajima]
About Anime "Sentenced to Be a Hero"
Synopsis
"Heroism" is the worst punishment in this world. Those who commit grave sins are sentenced to become "Heroes" and forced to fight the Demon King's army as their penalty. Even if killed, they are revived; they are not even permitted to die.
Xylo Forbartz, a former commander of the Holy Knights sentenced to the "Hero's Penalty," leads Penal Hero Unit 9004, comprised of individuals with fractured personalities, as they charge through the front lines of the war.
Amidst these harsh conditions, Xylo encounters one of the strongest living weapons in existence, the "Sword Goddess" Teoritta.
"When we have annihilated the enemy, you are to praise me... and then pat me on the head."
To survive, and to exact revenge on those who framed him—having formed a contract with the Goddess, Xylo throws himself into a vortex of fierce conflict and conspiracy in a hopeless world.
Cast
Xylo Forbartz: Yohei Azakami
Teoritta: Mayu Iizuka
Patausche Kivia: Shizuka Ishigami
Dotta Luzulas: Shun Horie
Venetim Leopool: Shunichi Toki
Norgalle Senridge: Yoji Ueda
Tatsuya: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Tsav: Jun Fukushima
Jayce Partiract: Shoya Chiba
Neely: Yoko Hikasa
Rhyno: Yuichi Nakamura
Frenci Mastibolt: Saori Onishi
(C)2024 Rocket Shoukai/KADOKAWA/Sentenced to Be a Hero Production Committee
© Animate Times
*Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
