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Creator
Akira - Kaneda Rig by Emilio Serrano
Akira Kaneda Rig for Maya is a free mGear rig of Shotaro Kaneda from Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, rigged by Emilio Serrano on a model by Lopieloo. It ships with a full AnimPicker, Python and MEL post-scripts for rebuilding it from the mGear guide, and a separate Human IK version so motion capture data can go straight onto him. Made for action shots, cyberpunk performance and anime-style reel work.
Part of our free Maya rigs collection. Browse all 70 free rigs
- v1.0
- Version
- 406
- Downloads
- 26 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 29 Dec 2025
- Released
- Works with
- Maya + mGear
- Licence
- Free
- File size
- 13.7 MB
- Mocap
- Human IK version included
Maya
mGear
Instant download Vetted creator
Latest rig updates
Akira is out
Everything the rig ships with. What you get on day one:
Human IK version included
A dedicated Human IK build sits alongside the mGear rig, ready to take motion capture data.
Full AnimPicker
A custom picker with its own background image, set up for selecting while you animate.
Rebuild it yourself
The mGear guide plus Python and MEL post-scripts, so the rig can be rebuilt from scratch.
Model and textures by Lopieloo
A detailed model that holds Kaneda's silhouette, leather jacket and attitude included.
Watch it move
Akira Kaneda, rigged on mGear by Emilio Serrano
The story behind Kaneda
Kaneda from Akira, rigged for Maya by Emilio Serrano
Shotaro Kaneda is punk energy in human form: the leather jacket, the barely contained aggression, and a motorcycle that doubles as an identity. Emilio Serrano set out to bring Katsuhiro Otomo's protagonist into Maya as a rig worthy of the most ambitious Akira fan animation, and Lopieloo's model gets the silhouette right, so a pose already reads as cocky confidence before you refine it.
The rig is set up for animators who mix keyframe and motion capture. The HIK setup means Kaneda can accept mocap data directly, and because the guide and post-scripts ship with him, you are not working with a locked file. He rewards animators who commit fully to attitude and impact.
Inside the rig
What you get with the Akira Kaneda rig
Kaneda mGear rig
Shotaro Kaneda rigged for Autodesk Maya by Emilio Serrano.
Human IK version
A separate, mocap-ready build of the character.
Full AnimPicker
Custom picker with a background image.
mGear guide
The guide the rig is built from.
Python and MEL post-scripts
The scripts that finish the rig when you rebuild it from the guide.
Model and textures
3D model and textures by Lopieloo.
Great for
What the Kaneda rig is great for
- Action animation with bold, dynamic posing
- Cyberpunk character performance
- Portfolio work in the anime and action genres
- Blending keyframe animation with motion capture through the HIK version
- Akira fan animation
Additional information
The details
- Software
- Autodesk Maya
- Rig type
- Biped character
- Rig framework
- mGear
- Mocap
- Human IK version included
- Picker
- AnimPicker with background image
Requirements
Autodesk Maya with mGear
- Autodesk Maya
- mGear, the framework the rig is built on
- Windows or macOS
Credits
Who made it
- Original character: Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira)
- 3D model and textures: Lopieloo
- Rigging: Emilio Serrano
Licence terms
Free
Free to download and use in your own animation work.
What animators say
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Vetted
Every rig on Animworks is checked by our team before it goes live.
Supported
Questions and bug reports go straight to Emilio Serrano, or email support@anim.works.
Yours to keep
It lands in your downloads the moment you check out, and stays there.
Community
Share your feedback on the rig
Animating with Akira - Kaneda Rig? Post your shots in the Discord, ask Emilio Serrano a question, or tell us what you would want in the next version.
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