Nagachika Hideyoshi/Kaneki Ken
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Nagachika Hideyoshi/Kaneki Ken |
| Alternative name(s): | Hidekane, Hideneki |
| Gender category: | Slash |
| Fandom: | Tokyo Ghoul |
| Canonical?: | non-canon |
| Prevalence: | Common |
| Archives: | Ao3 tag |
| Other: | |
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Canon
Kaneki and Hide are canonically childhood friends, with Hide having met Kaneki when he was new to the neighborhood and encouraged him to come out of his shell. After Kaneki's ghoul transformation, Kaneki desperately tries to keep this a secret from Hide- who, unbeknownst to him, already knew the whole time and has been working to keep it a secret, joining the CCG to help in this mission. In both √A and the manga, Kaneki and Hide confront each other during the battle of Anteiku, and Hide reveals that he knew Kaneki was a ghoul all along, shocking him. In the manga, it is simply implied that Kaneki ate Hide in his kakuja-inflicted madness, (it is later revealed that Hide asked Kaneki to eat him) where as in √A, Hide is explicitly presented as having died, with Kaneki carrying his body through the streets.
However, in the sequel manga :re, Hide is revealed to be alive, having pretended to be the low-ranking ghoul Scarecrow while helping Kaneki from the shadows. When asked why he spent so much time helping Kaneki, Hide simply replies with "because I love him". The epilogue of the manga says that they remained friends for the rest of their lives.
Fanon
Hidekane is the most popular Tokyo Ghoul pairing on Archive of Our Own, with 1958 uses as of April 2022. Fanfiction featuring the two is frequently much lighter in tone than the rest of canon, though hurt/comfort works featuring the pair are also common.
Given that ghoul marriage rituals canonically involve biting each other, and that Kaneki canonically bit Hide and left a a scar, there are some who believe they are "ghoul married". Untitled Tumblr post, Tumblr post, t0ky0gh0ul, December 6. 2021.