My Top 10 Anime Characters of All-Time.

[Darth Joker]

Over on my blog, I've recently started a Top 10 Anime Characters of All-Time list. To begin, I named five honorable mentions.

Here's the start of my countdown: http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-10-countdown-honorable-mentions.html


Some of my fellow anime fans here may be interested to see the selections made thus far (the honorable mentions anyway). I think that Yeoman and OverMaster might like a couple of them at least. :wink:

Edit: Feel free to respond to this with a list of your own; although my own Top 10 list is already set in my mind, it would be interesting to see other people's lists.

[NickGuy]

Morgan freeman

[NickGuy]

oh wait, i forgot that jokes not that funny here.

[Sound Silence]

I agree with you on Sakai Yuji being the best character of his type.


Also, Sango.

[Robotech Master]

I can't really make a top ten characters list; too many factors and characters for me to juggle. I can make a top ten babes list, but that's using far less criteria. I can name a few off the top of my head though

For Protagonists, I've always liked Ryoko from Tenchi, since she's just a cool, powerful character, but also has a very human side.

I like Kaname Chidori, because in addition to her great character design and interactions/relationship with the main character, she has a kind of pep and energy on top of her occasional outbursts that makes her kinda seem like Haruhi without the bad stuff.

Chief Gotoh from Patlabor is another one for me. The guy is just the kind of guy you want to root for, because he seems laid back, down to earth, really fun, etc, but when the shit hits the fan you find out he's a perceptive, incredibly calculating person.

Mikoto Misaka from To Aru Majutsu no Index, because she's cute, smart, has badass powers, is rendered in lively animation, and her feelings for Touma are always really cute.

Shikamaru from Naruto, since he's one of the most fun 'brain over brawn' types to watch in action.

Eri Sawachika; there are a lot of funny and cute characters in School Rumble, but I felt like Eri was the most endearing and had the most depth.

Rock (Black Lagoon): Most people would probably take the cool gunslinger Revy, or cool, calculating Dutch, but I think Rock is a really interesting narrative point of view that always sees this seedy, bloody underworld through a lens that never seems strongly tied to that underworld or to the outside, but more an intriguing blend or blur of the two.

Batou (GIS: SAC version): The Major, Togusa, and Saitou are all great characters, but Batou stands out to me as a character with a ton of depth, and on top of that he is always relateable or enjoyable to watch in action.

If you include anime based on PC visual novels or eroge, then Rin Tohsaka. Man I love everything about her for some reason; the desing, the clothes, the attitude, everything.

Oh, and of course props to Lafiel from the Seikai series (in my avatar). She is, of course, awesome on top of beautiful.

Some villains I love include Kagato from The OAV of Tenchi, Ashram from Record of Lodoss War, Gauron from Full Metal Panic, Aizen from Bleach, Naraku from InuYasha, and King Bradley (Wrath) from FMA (Manga or Brotherhood version)


I agree with Yuji being a good character for his type. I always liked Eclair but wasn't too fond of her second body's design.

[Darth Joker]

I like Kaname Chidori, because in addition to her great character design and interactions/relationship with the main character, she has a kind of pep and energy on top of her occasional outbursts that makes her kinda seem like Haruhi without the bad stuff.

I just recently got into Full Metal Panic, and... yeah Kaname Chidori is a really cool character. Haven't seen enough of her myself, though, to feel comfortable putting her on my list.


I agree with Yuji being a good character for his type. I always liked Eclair but wasn't too fond of her second body's design.

Glad to see people liking at least a couple of my selections. Like yourself, I preferred Eclair's original body design.

[LordEd1976]

1. Captain Harlock/Herlock: a character that has been around for decades. He's the mold from which any other Space Pirate-type character has come.

2. Major Motoko: the queen of anime cyber-punk

3. Goku: hero of a series that helped push anime into the mainstream US

4. Sailor Moon: what Goku did for regular anime, she did for anime featuring a female hero. She also got a generation of girls into anime.

5. Tenchi: a character that can be both heroic and comedic. He is the patron saint of male characters having to deal with a "harem" of ladies.

6. Char Aznable: the ultimate anti-hero. he has fought both with and against the side of angels. Both times his goal has been the same. This could be locked in a room with Magneto for hours and the two would find they have a lot in common.

7. Spike Spiegel: the first in a line of slick heroes. Charming but at the same time troubled. We cheer him, fear him, and pity him all at once.

8. Tetsuo: a frightening but also tragic figure. the power he ends up wielding is scarey. Not just for all teh destruction it causes, but also due to the fact he can't really control it.

9. Kiki: the 1st Miyazaki heroine I ever encounted. Her struggles in trying to make it on her own despite her insecurities seem more real to me than the majority of the heroines Disney has come up with in recent memory.

10. Charles Breten (Britan): the Tank Police's field commander, a perfect example of the manly tough guy stereotype.

[Sound Silence]

Ooh...let's see. Not sure I can do my top-ten babes, cuz half of those don't even have reasons, but I'm sure I can reason out my overall favorite characters.

Though this isn't really in a particular order.

Marshall D. Teach
Even though he hasn't been in One Piece very much as of yet, he always manages to catch my attention. He's just plain fun to watch. As a villain, I also like him because he takes many of the standard traits of a shonen hero (determination, belief in dreams, goofiness) and...is a villain. He's an excellent foil to Luffy and I expect to see him rise on this list in the future.


Saito Hajime/Himura Kenshin
These guys tie, and the reason being, which one I like more depends mostly on my mood at the time. Do I want to be a nice guy, merciful, and sanguine (yet also tortured!), or do I want to fucking kill evil immediately. Rurouni Kenshin was the first anime that really got me into anime as a whole (I'd seen DBZ, Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, and the like, but they hadn't drawn me into the world of anime as a whole). So that's a factor.

. Black Jack
Batman + House. I mean...the guy is just insane. Aside from being a creation of the O.G. of manga himself, he's my favorite fictional example of the "Beyond the Impossible" trope.



Maybe I'll have more later.

[Ghost]

It's difficult for me to order characters in a Top 10 list. Like Robotech Master, I find that there are a lot different of factors to consider. Do I go by characters I find amusing or admirable? Or characters who are well conceived and applied in the story? Or both?

Plus, over time I've read such a copious amount of manga I can't keep track of all the characters. It would take some time for me to reminisce everyone I liked, not to mention compare them to each other. >>

[Darth Joker]

Good points, Ghost.

I tried to find a decent systematic method to come up with my Top 10 list, but at the end of the day, personal preference will shine through, and their may be a touch of inconsistency with my list. Still, I hope that it makes a decent list.

Number 10 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/09/number-10-kamina.html) is up!:

I suspect that this will be a controversial pick. :wink:

[Yun Lao]

All right, just to even my list out, I'll be doing three parts; one for manga, another for anime, and a third for honorable mentions. Those that have both an anime and manga version will be determined by which version I prefer.

---
Top 10 Manga Characters
---
Azama Shou (Akumetsu) - Shou is what would happen if you have Yagami Light from Death Note super-powers and an injection of hot-blood, and subtract the delusions of grandeur; with his strict rules with "dying" with the individual he kills, leaving any innocent people out of his business, explaining his reasons, and acknowledging that he is a terrorist. Aside from all of these qualities, the dark humor he supplies makes me enjoy cheering him on.

Guts (Berserk) - One of the main reasons I found Guts appealing (aside from the badassitude) is how he's a pretty complex character; even though he's tough, you can't help but cut him some slack when he shows some softer aspects (such as when he broke down and cried after killing the Count.) Another appealing aspect is how, even though he's technically the hero, he's also the complete opposite in appearance, where as Griffith appears to be this almost messiah-like figure.

Hajime Shiroishi (Ichi the Killer) - Sometimes I like to think that Ichi the Killer was a test to see just how messed up the mangaka could make characters. While not the worst, Shiroishi is far from normal and although he does some horrific things, you can't quite help but feel sorry for the guy and compared to the others, it isn't hard to root for the guy.

Ikushima Saya (Onidere) - Despite what the title suggests, Saya is far from being a tsundere, which adds an interesting twist to the character. While she occasionally hurts her boyfriend, its far from intentional, and quickly tries to compensate through various self-punishments (although she's only managed to get one done before Tadashi could stop her.) Aside from that, she seems to be a rather pure girl, which makes up a lot of humor due to her exaggerated responses to small forms of affection from Tadashi.

Kitano Seiichirou (Angel Densetsu) - A favorite theme of characters I found myself enjoying is the mistaken personality/identity trope, and Kitano is practically the king of this. The fact that his appearance strikes fear to most people makes even the most innocent statements seem like death threats always made for comedy gold in my opinion, yet at the same time brought a small bit of pity for the guy since he truly means well.

Kongou Akira (Kongou Banchou) - Akira, in my opinion, doesn't really seem like a character, but more of ideal of how a man should be (minus the whole superhumanish power deal.)

Livio the Doublefang (Trigun Maximum) - This one shouldn't come as a surprise for those of you that have read any previous favorite character entries. One reason I like him is because he's one of the few characters that Vash's ideals (thanks to Wolfwood) have managed to fully change; going from this dark and almost monstrous figure to a full-blown hero. Along with this, I always found his weaponry interesting.

Natsume Takashi (Natsume Yuujinchou) - This guy is a relatively new entry of mine, but one aspect that interested me about him is how he manages to be almost a bridge between the normal and spirit worlds, even if he could have easily just left the normal world that had previously shunned him like his grandmother had done.

Suruga Mahiru (Peridot) - While Mahiru could be considered your run-of-the-mill badass girl, the fact that she never fell into the usual trope of becoming powerless due to love (hell, she never falls in love in the first) was a nice touch. While she wisely tries to stay out of trouble, she does have a soft side as she ends up helping out others when they get into it. Plus, it doesn't help that she's a looker.

Yukishiro Enishi (Rurouni Kenshin) - Another known entry of mine. Although a good amount of people tend to hate him, Enishi is a favorite of mine because, unlike the other villains, Kenshin didn't defeat him due to some special technique or being better or more powerful. Power and skill wise, Enishi had the upper hand, hell, Kenshin had been in a Heroic BSoD hours before their fights, yet due to having found the answer and strengthening his ideals, he was able to pull off a win. Enishi wasn't just some random villain, he was the guy who even Kenshin had feared, and made him work for that win.

[Nik Hasta]

Nice breakdown on Kamina, Joker, very nice to see.

Hmm... listing our top tens are we?

I only know my top three for certain but I can list seven others that follow in no particular order.

Kenshiro: Kenshiro is a surprisingly complex character. On the surface he seems like your standard stoic avenger character, dispensing explosive justice to those who would harm the innocent and to an extent this true since he basically defined the trope in manga. Underneath that is a man who loves, some of you may be surprised to hear that but it is true, Kenshiro is man who is motivated entirely by love, love for his wife, love for his brothers, love for his fellow man. He bears a burden no normal human should carry, he goes to places no one should go, does things no one should do and does it all without complaining or faltering for even a moment. He protects the weak at the cost of himself not out of duty, as I often remind people he's not a hero, he does it because he cares and I love that about him.

Guts: I've been rereading Berserk recently and I am more and more sure that I want to have sex Kentaro Miura's brain. Guts is one of the deepest, gloriously written characters I've ever read, with literally mountains of pathos attached to him. The tale of the man fallen into darkness for revenge but constantly being pulled back his humanity and his love for others. Berserk is essential manga reading, I can't stress this enough, and Guts makes it so important. His story is one of the most gripping, moving and immersive tales I have ever read. Truly, truly, truly and outstanding character, absolutely amazing.

Monkey D Luffy: In a stark contrast to Guts, I like Luffy because of his simplicity. Luffy is an uncomplicated man, okay let's face it; Luffy is a dumbass. He's strong, kind and makes me laugh a lot but he's kind of slow and easily fooled. That said he's remarkably perceptive and his key quality is his loyalty. When all is said and done, when backs are against the wall and when true natures a called forth: Luffy protects his friends and protects them with everything he has. This is typified for me, and I won't do an example for everyone so indulge me, in the Arlong Park Arc of 'One Piece,' Nojiko offers to explain to Luffy the events of Nami's past that led to her betraying him and the rest of the Strawhats. Luffy refuses to hear it. As far as he is concerned Nami is his friend, no matter what kind of trouble she's in or why he's going to help her because that's just what you do for friends. That kind of unshakeable, unconditional loyalty endears the character to me so much.

Brago: 'Zatch Bell,' is a fairly recent addition to my reading list but it has shot to my list as one of my favourite mangas ever. One of the reasons for this is Brago. In every list there is going to be a character who makes the list just because they are just that badass. Brago is that character for me. He's an angry man, he's immature, he's short-tempered and he's kind of arrogant. But despite this he's really, really awesome. As the series has gone on he has slowly become a better and better person, caring about his partner, going above and beyond the call of duty to help her and using his ferocious nature to better those around him. He's admirable in that he's trying to do the best thing for everyone and keep his rage and ego in check so he's quite compelling to read about. But at the end of the day, he is astoundingly cool. This is the man who made a big bad so afraid of the very idea of him coming in the demon world after them that they broke down sobbing and agreed to do whatever he wanted. That says a lot about his strength of character and that's why I love him.

Eikichi Onizuka: The man. The manliest man. Onizuka is the man. Sorry, I digress but he is. When reading 'Great Teacher Onizuka,' you are struck by a similar feeling to what you get when you watch Kamina from 'Gurren Lagann,' or Akira Kongou from 'Kongou Banchou,' and it is the feeling that you can do anything. If you are a real man, you won't let anything stand in your way, you will save the girl, you will rescue the orphans, you will pass the test, you will be awesome. Onizuka is one of the earliest series I read and he still fills me with the same kind of feeling of "HELL YEAH!" that he always did. He is a very human character, he's horny, kind of stupid, foolhardy, brash and confrontational. But he will go to any lengths to save someone in trouble, even if they hate him and have tried to destroy him, he believes in people around him and genuinely feels that people should be given the chance to rise above their lot in life and improve themselves. 'Great Teacher Onizuka,' is 200 straight chapters of "Yes, you can!" and it's the titular character that makes it so.

Makunouchi Ippo: Ippo and his series 'Hajime no Ippo,' are very close to my heart. Ippo is a character I have watched grow for over 800 chapters now and I am very invested in him as a person. He's a kind and timid person but has the heart of a lion. I love his character because despite how strong and powerful he becomes he's still the same old passive, quiet Ippo at his core. I have loved watching his growth and story progress for a long time and rank his series as Must Read for anyone. Ippo is proof that power does not always corrupt, he's dedicated to his passions, loves his family and remains unchanged by his strength. A joy to read and a great character.

Naru Narusegawa: The only woman who makes it this far up the list, which is probably a little worrying. But Naru is a character I am very fond of. She's real. That's best way to describe it. She's an angry girl, frustrated by the pressure on her to succeed, awkward with her emotions, quick to violence, emotionally naive and I love her for every socially-inappropiate moment. A lot of my favourite characters make the list because I admire them, Naru I don't so much admire her as find her a joy to read. Seeing her journey from untouchable, austeer, workaholic to the blushing bride at the end of the series is phenomenal. She's got her detractors who say she's a bitch and whatnot but I defend her saying she isn't meant to be that likeable, she's real, she was shaped by her life and we can see every single facet of her personality has an origin and we can see where it came from. It's beautiful and so is her story. A deserved place on my list.

3) Seta McDougal: Seta McDougal is high up because he's very like my number one choice. He's an awesome man, intelligent, strong, passionate, loves his life and his family and doesn't think twice of embarking on an insane quest to help a friend. He's not perfect, he's made his mistakes and he seeks to atone for them as his story goes on. I see a lot of myself in Seta or rather I see of what I could hope to be.

2) Allen Walker: Allen is a moral hero. He's not overly hot-blooded, unlike other people on this list he doesn't kill easily or particularly enjoys violence. He is a man carries the burden of having to save everyone. Allen will take any pain, endure any suffering to help those around him, not just his friends but also his enemies. Allen can see a world that no one else can see through his eye and he cares. I love this quality and I seek to emulate it as often as I can.

1) Maes Hughes: As any of you who have spoken to me of favourite characters before will know, Maes Hughes is my hero. I say that without a trace of irony, Maes Hughes is everything I want to be in life and everything I aspire to be. He's a kind, passionate, intelligent, strong, skillful, driven, resourceful, loving and absolutely 100% loyal to his friends and family. He loved his child so much he couldn't help but tell everyone he met about her, he was always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help his friends and when his closest friend expressed a seemingly impossible dream Maes just said; "Alright, I'll help you do that,"

I hold Maes Hughes dear to my heart as he is what I aspire to be.

So that's ten characters including my top three.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Ikushima Saya (Onidere) - Despite what the title suggests, Saya is far from being a tsundere, which adds an interesting twist to the character. While she occasionally hurts her boyfriend, its far from intentional, and quickly tries to compensate through various self-punishments (although she's only managed to get one done before Tadashi could stop her.) Aside from that, she seems to be a rather pure girl, which makes up a lot of humor due to her exaggerated responses to small forms of affection from Tadashi.Dude. You rock for putting Saya on the list.

High five.:smile:

[Guy1]

10)Turles from the DBZ tree of might movie. This guy was just freaking cool.
9)Anime version of Wolfgang Krauser. Classy badass who freaking broke Terry mentally after one fight.
8)Kazuma from S-CRY-ED.
7)Manga Ryofu. Much more tragic then her anime version and was ridiculously strong even when she was dying of her disease and I loved her relationship with Chinkyu.
6)Cell from DBZ. I loved this villain.
5)Shinamori Aoshi
4)Ukitsu of Ikki Tousen.
3) Rock Lee.
2)Luffy
1)Straight Cougar

[Hitokiri]

1. Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)
2. Usopp (One Piece)
3. Kenshiro (Hokuto No Ken)
4. Lupin III
5. Dr. Tenma
6. Faust VIII (Shaman King)
7. Ayumu Kasuga (Azumanga Daioh)
8. Hao (Shaman King)
9. Rock (Black Lagoon)
10. Black Jack (Black Jack)

[Sound Silence]

1. Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)
2. Usopp (One Piece)
3. Kenshiro (Hokuto No Ken)
4. Lupin III
5. Dr. Tenma
6. Faust VIII (Shaman King)
7. Ayumu Kasuga (Azumanga Daioh)
8. Hao (Shaman King)
9. Rock (Black Lagoon)
10. Black Jack (Black Jack)

Glad to see another one who likes Black Jack!

[Hitokiri]

Yep, own all three volumes and waiting for the fourth.

[Darth Joker]

Some nice lists everyone! :smile:

Just put up a blog entry for my own No. 9 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/09/number-9-tatewaki-kuno.html) guy...

I hope that Ghost, at least, likes this pic, lol. :biggrin:

[Ghost]

Some nice lists everyone! :smile:

Just put up a blog entry for my own No. 9 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/09/number-9-tatewaki-kuno.html) guy...

I hope that Ghost, at least, likes this pic, lol. :biggrin:

What? Only 9? oO

But seriously, yeah, that's a given for my own list. Nice assessment, and thanks for the nod. :wink:

[Yun Lao]

Strangely, it was harder to narrow down this list than I had imagined (I actually figured manga would give me more trouble.) Anyway, here's part two of three.

---
Top 10 Anime Characters
---
Death the Kid (Soul Eater) - While story-wise, I prefer manga Kid, but having seen the anime first and unable to imagine another voice for the character (a good bit of these anime entries are due to the same reasons.) Although I have a good bit of favorites in this series, I decided to focus on a main character (or rather, one of the main seven.) Anyway, I always enjoyed watching Death the Kid because you could never really expect what he would do next even though there is only two results: be badass, or get distracted by unsymmetrical features.

Hellsing Integra (Hellsing Ultimate) - A good deal of what I wrote for Kid applies to Integra (although its he English dub voice which is awesome in my opinion,) however Integra was a no-brainer for me. Not only is she more badass than most males, but those stronger than her usually are those working for her. Despite a few times, she hasn't really lost her cool, which made the scene where she "greeted" Jan Valentine a personal favorite of mine.

Itoshiki Nozomu (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei) - Again, same as above in why I chose anime over manga. While I've slightly grown to like the female cast a bit more, Itoshiki was my first favorite in the series, so I'll honor him here. Just the fact that he went from being the most weird character to a relatively normal guy (in comparison) makes the series rather amusing.

Kibagami Jubei (Ninja Scroll) - Since Ninja Scroll was the very first anime I had watched, Jubei has a fond place in my heart. Despite one special ability, he was pretty much a normal guy who was forced to fight against several demon-like people. Even in these days, it's rare to see fights in fiction where the character barely survive thanks to quick thinking and pure luck like Jubei. He was also the reason why I stuck with the subpar series.

Kogarashi (Kamen no Maid Guy) - The reason why I chose Kogarashi's anime adaptation is because in was through the anime that my opinion changed about him. When I began in the manga, he just seemed like a dense, overpowered douchebag, but after watching an anime episode, I realized just how humorous his over-the-top-ness was.

Kouga Gennosuke (Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou) - While this entire series is worthy of being the true sequel to Ninja Scroll, Gennosuke stands out as badass, regardless of what had come his way. Refusing to go to war, while at the same time, provoking the Iga into doing something, continuing his journey to question the shogun, even without his eyesight (as well as his power,) and not even hesitating at the end when it came to choosing either living or being with his beloved.

Mechazawa Shinichi (Cromartie High School) - While the whole cast of Cromartie is awesome, Mechazawa stands out due to how unique his case is; a robot under the assumption that he's a normal guy. Whether it be beating the crap out of his kouhai for doing some bad or being a pleasant guy, everything, save for the main character and his friend, seem to believe that he's a normal guy; eventually prompting the two characters to wonder if everyone is that dumb or if they're the dumb ones. I quite recall if he ever returned to his old state, but he was also a badass motorcycle.

Otoha Yousuke (Karas) - Although with only six episodes, Yousuke was able to show off just how badass he was; with or without his powers. Willing to sacrifice himself several times (both pretty much with fatal results) he gives off ad almost superheroish vibe. Plus the fact that he can transform into a jet or car doesn't hurt.

Sagara Sousuke (Full Metal Panic!) - For a while, one of my pet peeves was stories where people with interesting personalities were changed in order to be "normal." Sousuke instantly became my favorite because the guy is simply impossible to make normal to the point where it's amusingly over the top.

Shampoo (Ranma ½) - While Kuno and Kodachi almost took this position, I decided to choose Shampoo over the fact that she wasn't as static as the siblings were. Ranging from a kickass martial artist, adorable girl in love, to a devious schemer almost as good as her grandmother. I also recall how surprised I was when she actually showed off techniques involving shampoo; although I should have exspected it with her namesake, the fact she still used it made me cackle.

[Ghost]

Trying to put together a list now, but it's looking like it'll be a Top 20 list, since I simply can narrow it down to just ten characters. >>

[yeoman]

Let's See

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV
Alielle Relryle
Lina Inverse
Yomiko Readman
Ranma Saotome
Nanoha Takamachi
Yuki Nagato
Simon The Digger
Justy Ueki Tylor
Utena Tenjou

[Daiyoukai Ramza]

I might as well do a "Top 10 Characters" list. Keep in mind that I tend to judge characters on 'gut feeling', so the comments for my choices won't be all that long, since my gut feelings aren't really easy for me to translate into words.

Mamoru Hijikata (Until Death Do Us Part) - I rarely like the 'blind swordsman' type of character, but Mamoru makes the list just for being so damn awesome.

Jin Kanzaki (Zetman) - He makes the list for mostly the same reason as Mamoru--for being awesome. Although, I also took into account that he's a pretty interesting and well-developed character.

Allen Walker (D. Gray-Man) - He made this list because he's a genuinely likable guy who can also be pretty damn badass when the situation calls for it.

Bengoshi Kukabara (Defense Devil) - Same reason as Allen Walker, pretty much.

Shibata Taketora (Shibatora) - Same reason as Allen and Kukabara. You can tell that he really believes in his line of work and wants to help people, even if doing so isn't in his own best interests.

Sheila (Superior) - On a superficial level, she made the list because she's amusing to me. On a more complex level, it's because she's simultaneously strong, yet fragile. Confident, yet unsure of herself and her place in the world. Her relationship with Exa is also, dare I say it, cute.

Eumenes (Historie) - Compared to the rest of the male list, Eumenes is a very, ah, subdued character. While he's a pretty likable guy, he mainly made the list because of his intelligence and ingenuity. He can put up a decent struggle with a blade, but the best parts of Historie are the times Eumenes solves some problem using his wits and a clever plan.

Gutts (Berserk) - Nik's thoughts on Gutts are pretty much identical to my own, so I'm going to be lazy and just tell you to read his post. :tongue:

Kaede/Nyuu/Lucy (Elfen Lied) - She made the list for similar reasons to Sheila, although Lucy's less complex than Sheila is, in my opinion. She's also crazier. And more inclined towards nudity. I shall deny and accusations that the last one had any influence on my choice to include her on this list. Because it didn't.

Horo (Spice and Wolf) - Again, she made the list for reasons similar to Sheila and Lucy. Out of the three, she's definitely the least homicidal, and quite possibly the deepest of the three. There's few things I enjoy more than seeing her interact with Lawrence, the male lead of Spice and Wolf.


Honorable Mentions

Exa (Superior) - He just barely missed making the list. My reasons for liking him are similar to my reasons for liking Allen, Kukabara, and Shibata. Namely, that he's a great guy that's genuinely interested in helping people. I also find his inner struggle between duty and love interesting, even if it's only a minor struggle at the moment.

Maes Hughs (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Likable guy, blah blah blah. You know the drill.

Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Not exactly the most likable guy, but he definitely cares about his men. That gets major points in my book. A more shallow reason for making the HM list is because he's quite capable of taking off the kid gloves and becoming an ultra-badass. Hah, kid gloves.

Louis Armstrong (FMA) - THIS HONORABLE MENTION HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS. *flex & sparkle*

Kamina (TTGL)- As shallow as a rain puddle, but also fun as hell. He can also be inspiring in some sort of twisted, primal way. He's pretty much the entire reason why I initially got hooked on TTGL.

[Darth Joker]

Let's See

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV
Alielle Relryle
Lina Inverse
Yomiko Readman
Ranma Saotome
Nanoha Takamachi
Yuki Nagato
Simon The Digger
Justy Ueki Tylor
Utena Tenjou

4 of your Top 10 are in my Top 8. One of the other people in your top 10 I seriously considered. That's kind of cool. You've definitely had a bit of an influence (even if by proxy - through my cousin MrSandman and/or The Real Nemo) on the anime that I love and watch. :smile:

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

Hmm, I'll give it a go then. I'm not sure I can narrow it down to Top Ten, but I'll just go with my gut and see who pops up. :smile:

[Yun Lao]

The last of my three part response; honorable mentions. I'll narrow this down to ten to keep with the trend and keep me from listing a crapload of characters.

---
10 Honorable Mentions
---
Gettou Motoko (Change 123) - Forget having a harem when you can have four girls without getting beaten for every misunderstanding. The fact that Motoko and HiFuMi have such a relationship with Kosukegawa makes it rather refreshing. Romance aside, HiFuMi's fights are always awesome to read.

Hajime Saitou (Rurouni Kenshin) - While Enishi was able to draw out all of Kenshin's ideals, Saitou was able to draw out Kenshin's fighting prowess to the point where even Battousai was having a hard time fighting him. Along with his fighting skills, just the wolf-vibe Saitou gives off makes him an interesting character.

Il Palazzo (Excel Saga) - Aside from the fact I enjoyed his English voice, Il Palazzo was always amusing to watch since he was practically a parody of the evil overlord trope with having to amuse himself while those under him did their missions.

Joseph Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventures) - While I haven't gotten far into the third "generation," I am confident that Joseph will remain a favorite of mine. Like Vincent above, I originally thought Joseph would be some punk. I was right, but he proved to be a badass punk. It always brought a smirk on my face whenever he started to predict what his enemies would do and their delayed reactions (it probably would have gotten old early hadn't it taken a break/Joseph not quite up to par with the more powerful baddies at first.)

Kiyomasa Senji (Deadman Wonderland) - Senji gets a mention just due to how bizarre his character is. While he could practically be related to Kenpachi, the fact that everything grinds to a halt when around a woman makes him amusing to read.

Pain (Naruto) - The fact that he practically curbstomped one of the most powerful ninja villages by himself (....well...selves,) along with an interesting powerset instantly placed him in my badass book.

Saiki Misaki (Teizokurei Daydream) - While the anime was a bit lacking, I couldn't help but like her, (mainly since there aren't many albino, ghost hunting dominatrices in fiction.) I found her nonchalant attitude towards sexuality and her obsession with growing hair in a certain place rather amusing.

Shirai Kuroko (To Aru Kagaku no Railgun) - Mikoto might have gotten this spot hadn't it been for Kuroko's constant antics. Her constant attempts for Mikoto's affection (if not just wanting to get into Biribiri panties) are only outdone by Onidere's Mitsuki (who was also extremely close it getting on the list.)

Vincent Law (Ergo Proxy) - Re-l was extremely close to taking this spot, however, Vincent edged out by his transformation from this meek looking guy to a badass. I found myself interested by the inner turmoil within him over his own nature, as well as his Proxy form's appearance.

Zetsubou Shojoutachi (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei) - Yes, all of them deserve a mention. From subtle things like just being adorable (Oora and Kimori) to being laugh worthy with their over-the-topness (Chiri and Kafuka) they all make watching the series enjoyable.

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

My ten are in no particular order:


Captain Justy Ueki Tylor
Shinji Ikari
Keitaro Urashima
Major Motoko Kusanagi
Alucard, the No-Life King
Prince Ashitaka
Shiro Amada
Age
Tenchi Masaki
Roger Smith

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

The reasons why..........................



Shinji Ikari:


I liked Shinji, and the reason he's in my top ten, is that he's real. That is, he's one of the only anime characters I've seen that have felt real to me.



He has no super powers. He has no fighting skill. He has no real super intelligence, battle tactics, or, really, any skill beyond the norm.

He is, however, real in the sense that his problems were real. A traumatic childhood and poor/unloved adolesence shone though with his shy, and often fearful, nature. However, I've seen few characters act as bravely as Shinji has.


Despite the fact that he was in terrible pain 90% of the time when piloting, despite the fact that he was afraid, and yes, despite the fact that he did run away often, he still came back to NERV to defend it against the Angels.


Shinji, no matter what, always came back despite all that had been done to him and those few he concidered as friends.

[yeoman]

Reasons:

#10 Radical Edward: Ed's really kind of a place holder. There should probably be one of the Miyazaki heroines here, but, well, they kinda put themselves out of the running by all being awesome. And Ed is just such a strange character.

#9 Alielle: Ah, Alielle. My introduction to the series, and one of the first anime I saw was El-Hazard episode 2. So. Yeah. It's hard not to like a character with such a lust of life (and the ladies). She's a comic relief character that doesn't get intrusive to the series and, in her early appearences, is actually fairly useful to the main cast.

#8 LINA INVERSE?!? The natural enemy of all who live?!: Ya know, when I first saw Slayers, I didn't care much for it. I'm still not a huge fan of the initial Shabranigdo arc. But Lina is a good example of a hero that's not necessarily a good person, but who also will do the right thing for the right reasons.

#7 Yomiko Readman: Ah Yomiko. Again, just a character that's different from most, from her character design to her intrests. And she's a character that, while withdrawn and bookish, isn't really shy or inexperienced. She'd just rather sit at home and read, but if she has to she's perfectly capable of throwing down with a guy with a lightsaber.

#6 Ranma Saotome: Ranma's the reason this list exists. He represents everything I loved about who different Anime could be from what was around in the west at the time. Here was a main character that was just a jerk. He was rude and arrogant. More than that tough, like Lina, he has his layers. Yes, he's a totaly jerk, but responsibilities actually mean something to him. He'll avoid them when he can, but when he actually gives his word, he'll follow it through, even if it hurts him.

#5 The White Devil: What's not to love about a magical girl whose main focus is high yield beam attacks?

#4 Rock and Roll Space Witch Yuki: Actually, that kinda sums it up. I'm often drawn towards the quiet characters. The ones that just don't say much. It means your forced to disect the meaning of everything they do say. And Yuki is a character that is direct, to the point, and yet hides so much. She works on the basis that what she knows is the truth, but is perfectly willing to accept that in a world where God is a sociopathic teenage girl, there's no way to be sure if her truth is the correct one.

#3 Who the hell do you think he is?: Why only #3? Well, like pretty much the whol cast of Gurren Lagann, what draws me to Simon isn't really his character, but what he represents in the themes of the show. Really, the only remotely complex character is Rossiu (And maybe Kyol, wait which once of the Black Siblings was he dating?). But what Simon represents is amazing. He is determination, and hard work, a refusal to surrender and hope in the most hopeless of places. He is the boy that becomes a man, and the man whose drill pierces the heavens and beyond. he is inspiration made flesh.

#2 Lt. Commander Justy Ueki Tylor, Age 20: Probably lucked into this spot. Here's a character who, years later, people can still debate if he's a lucky idiot, a strategic and tactical genius, or a lucky genius. All of them have support, and the series works no matter which, because no one in universe has any clue either.

#1 Utena Tenjou: I've said it before. Utena Tenjou is, outside of Optimus Prime, the single most noble and heroic character in fiction. And she had neither the soul of her god nor the body of a 30' robotic death machine. Utena's story is her journey to adulthood, amongst other things, and how that journey saves someone that did not even consider they wanted or needed such. She makes sacrifices no person should ever have to, and all for the sake of a single person for whom she has every reason to hate.

[yeoman]

4 of your Top 10 are in my Top 8. One of the other people in your top 10 I seriously considered. That's kind of cool. You've definitely had a bit of an influence (even if by proxy - through my cousin MrSandman and/or The Real Nemo) on the anime that I love and watch. :smile:

Wait, Sandy's your cousin? Huh. Did not know that.

Anyhow, thanks.

[Robotech Master]

The reasons why..........................



Shinji Ikari:


I liked Shinji, and the reason he's in my top ten, is that he's real. That is, he's one of the only anime characters I've seen that have felt real to me.



He has no super powers. He has no fighting skill. He has no real super intelligence, battle tactics, or, really, any skill beyond the norm.

He is, however, real in the sense that his problems were real. A traumatic childhood and poor/unloved adolesence shone though with his shy, and often fearful, nature. However, I've seen few characters act as bravely as Shinji has.


Despite the fact that he was in terrible pain 90% of the time when piloting, despite the fact that he was afraid, and yes, despite the fact that he did run away often, he still came back to NERV to defend it against the Angels.


Shinji, no matter what, always came back despite all that had been done to him and those few he concidered as friends.

You'll probably really like the "Give Ayanami Back!" scene in Rebuild 2.0...

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

You'll probably really like the "Give Ayanami Back!" scene in Rebuild 2.0...

Hope so.



I'm waiting to watch/get those when the second one comes out on DVD.

[Nik Hasta]

Joseph Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventures) - While I haven't gotten far into the third "generation," I am confident that Joseph will remain a favorite of mine. Like Vincent above, I originally thought Joseph would be some punk. I was right, but he proved to be a badass punk. It always brought a smirk on my face whenever he started to predict what his enemies would do and their delayed reactions (it probably would have gotten old early hadn't it taken a break/Joseph not quite up to par with the more powerful baddies at first.)

You might as well rename series II of JJBA: "Joseph Joestar is impossibly badass,"

He's such a legend!

[Libaax]

Top 10 Anime Characters



Ippo Makunouchi - Hajime No Ippo
Guts - Berserk
Edward & Alphonse Elric - FMA
Hikaru Ichijyo - Macross
Spike Spiegel - Cowboy Bebop
Gon Freecss - Hunter X Hunter
Major Motoko Kusanagi -Ghost in the Shell
Maes Hughes - FMA
Light Yagami - Death Note


Those are alltime fav characters who made their anime the show they were. They are easily the best of their character type. Usually i'm not a big of shonen but those shonen teenage heroes in my list are the best of the lot.

[iddypiper]

Well first off I'm not a hardcore anime fan, but I have watched quite a few series over the years. I probably belong to a certain generation of viewers though, so my choices might be skewed in the direction of my generation's strong series. Also, my choices are clearly biased towards my favourite anime, so it's not exactly balanced as well.

But here are my top 10 anime characters of all time:

10
Fuu- Samurai Champloo
9
Alucard- Hellsing
8
Kira Yamato- Gundam Seed
7
Kenshin Himura- Rurouni Kenshin/ Samurai X
6
Kisuke Urahara- Bleach
5
Naru Narusegawa- Love Hina
4
Jin- Samurai Champloo
3
Vash the stampede- Trigun
2
Faye Valentine- Cowboy Bebop
1
Spike Spiegel- Cowboy Bebop

[rocky123]

I'll chip in with my top 10 in no particular order:

Vegeta - DBZ
Guts - Berserk
Alucard - Hellsing
L - Death Note
Lelouch - Code Geass
Piccolo - DBZ
Balsa - Seirei no Moribito
Lucy - Elfen Lied
Rico - Gunslinger Girl
Kallen - Code Geass
Alphonse - Full Metal Alchemist

Ok, I cheated and listed 11.

[Libaax]

You dont like Ed Elric at all ? The brothers are a combo to me, they are always together and they are as great.

[rocky123]

You dont like Ed Elric at all ? The brothers are a combo to me, they are always together and they are as great.

Not sure if this was a general comment or to me. If it was for me, yeah I like Ed but not as much as Al. I'm actually up to episode 46 in the anime and I noticed early on I enjoyed Al's character a bit better and rooted for him. When he and Ed trained in fighting I would want Al to win, I was upset that Ed could do alchemy without a circle and Al could not and that Ed was allowed to become a State Alchemist and Al could not even though he actually scored higher on the entry exam. Again I liked them both I just found myself rooting for Al as I did not think Ed needed to be better at every single thing. It wound up being similar to my feelings on Goku in DBZ. I got tired of everyone being cannon fodder for the bad guys until Goku showed up to save the day. I understand that as the main character he should have the majority of the limelight but with other awesome characters like Vegeta and Piccolo around and the series being soooooo long they could have spread the wealth a bit more. Same with FMA, give Al his episodes to really shine, he deserved them.

[Robotech Master]

Not sure if this was a general comment or to me. If it was for me, yeah I like Ed but not as much as Al. I'm actually up to episode 46 in the anime and I noticed early on I enjoyed Al's character a bit better and rooted for him. When he and Ed trained in fighting I would want Al to win, I was upset that Ed could do alchemy without a circle and Al could not and that Ed was allowed to become a State Alchemist and Al could not even though he actually scored higher on the entry exam. Again I liked them both I just found myself rooting for Al as I did not think Ed needed to be better at every single thing. It wound up being similar to my feelings on Goku in DBZ. I got tired of everyone being cannon fodder for the bad guys until Goku showed up to save the day. I understand that as the main character he should have the majority of the limelight but with other awesome characters like Vegeta and Piccolo around and the series being soooooo long they could have spread the wealth a bit more. Same with FMA, give Al his episodes to really shine, he deserved them.

The first anime is the one that made it that way. In the original manga Al can transmute without circles and the battle against the Homunculi is a joint effort between Ed, Al, Mustang, Hawkeye, Armstrong, Armstrong's sister, plus characters who never appeared in the anime, like Ling and his guards.

Hence, watch FMA: Brotherhood. Its an adaptation of the manga.

[rocky123]

The first anime is the one that made it that way. In the original manga Al can transmute without circles and the battle against the Homunculi is a joint effort between Ed, Al, Mustang, Hawkeye, Armstrong, Armstrong's sister, plus characters who never appeared in the anime, like Ling and his guards.

Hence, watch FMA: Brotherhood. Its an adaptation of the manga.

This I like and heard from a friend of mine at work who is watching Brotherhood. As soon as I am done with the original FMA I will watch something short (Maybe something that's 13 eps or so) just to break them up and then I'll jump into Brotherhood.

[Hitokiri]

Brotherhood is awesome. Of course, I dislike anime adaptions that veer from continuity anyway. The one thing that the original FMA anime has over Brotherhood, IMO, is the Barry the Chopper speech to Ed as he is tied up.

[Libaax]

The first FMA is the finest shonen anime i have seen. I have read the manga and i know it was a filler mostly but it was the only great anime i have seen that didnt follow its manga.


rocky123 : Read the manga first. Its the original story after all.

[yeoman]

The first FMA is the finest shonen anime i have seen. I have read the manga and i know it was a filler mostly but it was the only great anime i have seen that didnt follow its manga.

I wouldn't call it filler. There's not much filler and it follows the Manga pretty close up until the end of the Greed arc. At that point it had overtaken the manga and diverged with the creators blessing. I'd call it less filler as an alternate telling, given it tells its own complete story.

[Libaax]

I wouldn't call it filler. There's not much filler and it follows the Manga pretty close up until the end of the Greed arc. At that point it had overtaken the manga and diverged with the creators blessing. I'd call it less filler as an alternate telling, given it tells its own complete story.


Filler doesnt only mean a negative thing to prolong a series, to me its just stories that doesnt follow the manga.


The important parts of the anime wasnt in the manga.

[rocky123]

Arrgg, once again I am left pissed by them not allowing Al the spotlight. I finally finished the series and while I enjoyed it and gave it a 9/10 rating the end with Al left me a bit upset:

They have Al step up and seemingly give his life to not only bring Ed back to life but even give him back his arm and his leg only to have Ed make the same sacrifice immediately afterward basically making Al's sacrifice not seem as huge. I understand that they did it to show what lengths the brothers would go to for each other but I was still disappointed by them letting Ed one up Al yet again

I'm now going to watch the FMA movie to finish up, followed by Ga-Rei Zero before I jump into Brotherhood to hopefully see all deservedly be badass.

[Darth Joker]

Finally got around to doing a write-up for Number 8 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/10/number-8-lina-inverse.html) on my list. I think that Yeoman will like this pick. :wink:

[contramundi]

1-Guts
2-Spieke Spiegel
3-Scar(FMA)
4-Vash The Stampede
5-Alex Row(Last Exile)
6-Shikamaru
7-Ikari Shinji
8-Revy(Black Lagoon)
9-Vegeta
10-Kusanagi

[yeoman]

Finally got around to doing a write-up for Number 8 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/10/number-8-lina-inverse.html) on my list. I think that Yeoman will like this pick. :wink:

Puts on "Slayers Nerd" hat.

Couple corrections. The Ragna/Laguna Blade is actually the Giga Slave in sword form. Dragon Slave in sword form is Ruby Eye Blade, which, I'm not sure ever shows up in the anime...

Also, Lina's not actually flat chested if you look at here character design. Just just *realistically* proportioned. The joke is that only in a world of bikini-clad heroines in sword in sorcery could she ever be seen as such.

[Darth Joker]

Puts on "Slayers Nerd" hat.

Couple corrections. The Ragna/Laguna Blade is actually the Giga Slave in sword form. Dragon Slave in sword form is Ruby Eye Blade, which, I'm not sure ever shows up in the anime...

Thanks for that. I'll probably edit my blog post to fix that once I get around to it. :)

[yeoman]

Thanks for that. I'll probably edit my blog post to fix that once I get around to it. :)

Least I'm pretty sure that's what it is, there are a number of online FAQS, Wiki's and what not you could probably double check with.

[Gavin G.]

This was tougher than I thought...

1. Hitomi Kanzaki and Van Fanel (The Vision of Escaflowne) - The stars of my favorite anime series. I thought about it, but ultimately I couldn't separate them. They both made the series for me. Hitomi with her strong will, despite being completely out of place, and Van with his gentle nature conflicting with the necessary brutality needed to protect his kingdom and world, they're two separate parts of a whole, as far as I'm concerned.

2. Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star) - Bounty hunter, pilot, hero, and all around badass, Starwind had an edge from the get-go, falling into a character archetype that I tend to gravitate towards, anyway. Didn't hurt that he also had a great look, cool weapons, and was written with a sharp wit.

3. Norris Packard (Gundam: 08th MS Team) - A soldier with a stern honor code and the experience to take out an entire troop all by himself. Packard was great because he was a likable "villain," if I could even apply that term to him. I never saw Packard as doing wrong, but simply doing his job, which is ultimately what all soldiers are expected to do.

4. Togusa (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex; 2nd Gig) - The most human of an arguably inhuman cast, I always found Togusa to be the audience's way of clearly identifying with Section 9 and their operations. A family man with a six-shooter, Togusa never shied away from a fight, even though he was arguably the most vulnerable of the team with the most to lose. Loved his and his family's role in Solid State Society.

5. Kino (Kino's Journey) - Laid back and more dangerous than she looked or ever let on, her hands-off attitude was at once intriguing and infuriating throughout the course of the series. Nevertheless, she always came across as more caring than cold, despite her extremely honed skills as a marksman and fighter. Quiet yet formidable, I always enjoyed the way she handled herself.

6. Chloe (Noir) - Mysterious, deadly, but ultimately sympathetic, Noir didn't start to heat up as a series for me until Chloe was first introduced. While she was more of an antagonist throughout the series than anything, her death near Noir's end was the most touching moment, in my opinion.

7. Pino (Ergo Proxy) - What's not to love? The cute AutoReiv was a point of delight in an otherwise dreary show, with a perky attitude and a diverse selection of outfits (my favorite's the pink fox). Waking up Vincent from a dream about Re-l while continuously repeating his name is one of my favorite scenes in the series, and the episode "Light Beam/shining sign" sealed her early on as my top character of Ergo Proxy.

8. Anemone (Eureka Seven) - Like Chloe, another sympathetic villain in my mind. She never had a choice to be what she was inevitably created to do, and never knew anything better. When given the chance, though, she makes the right choice in the end. Not exactly likable throughout most of Eureka Seven's run, she was nevertheless the most intriguing character to me in a series already filled with interesting characters. Also didn't hurt that she piloted the coolest LFO in the series, the Nirvash typeTheEND.

9. Haruko Haruhara (FLCL) - Spontaneous, to put it mildly, Haruko was the embodiment of the eclectic energy that fueled the entire, albeit short, run of FLCL. A plethora of outfits, angry one minute and sweet the next, you never knew what she was going to do next, and it's that unpredictability that makes the character appealing to me, if not a bit envious I'm not more like that myself. Plus, as a bass player myself, you gotta love that Rickenbacker. Although I doubt I'd wield it quite so haphazardly, myself.

10. Krillin [Kururin] (Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z) - Probably somewhat of a cliche to include a Dragon Ball character, but I couldn't help it. Outside of his initial role as an early rival to Goku, Krillin was the consummate underdog throughout the series, and even though he was continuously outmatched and even frightened, he continued to put his life on the line in the face of danger when his help was needed. Finally getting the beautiful girl that he always wanted in the end in the form of Android 18 was a befitting close to character's storied tale.

[Darth Joker]

And Number 7 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/11/number-7-yuki-nagato.html) is up.

Yeoman, and fans of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime, should like this pic. :wink:

Sorry for the long layoff... :redface:

I know my full Top 10 list at this point, and anybody who wants to know ahead of time, feel free to PM me on it. However, for the benefit of the two or three who might like to have them revealed in the Blog countdown format, I'm not going to reveal them publicly yet. :wink:

[yeoman]

And Number 7 (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2009/11/number-7-yuki-nagato.html) is up.

Yeoman, and fans of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime, should like this pic. :wink:


You forgot Rock and Roll Space Witch.

Seriously, her in the Witch costume rocking the background guitar for Haruhi? That alone would get on on my top 10.

[Cmillionfists32]

Tenchi Muyo, Spike Spiegel, and Ein:biggrin: and Rienji* (Bleach)

[Nathan]

1.Guts (Berserk)
2.Skull Knight (Berserk)
3.RYU (Street Fighter the animated movie and ST4movie)
4.Hiko Seijūrō (Rurouni Kenshin or as its called here Samuri X)
5.Jubei Kibagami (Ninja Scroll)
6.Griffith (Berserk)
7.Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin or as its called here Samuri X)
8.Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach)
9.D (Vampire Hunter D)
10.Serpico (Berserk)

[Totoro Man]

there is no particular order. I'm just rattling off my favorite characters as I remember them.

1. Totoro (there's a reason use him as a login name. he's a fun character). I'd also go out on a lime and include May and Tatsuki (the two girls are inseperable from Totoro in my mind.

2. Holland Novack (sure, he's a child abusing ass, but he IS trying to be a good person) I like that he's got all those different facets to his character (the legendary outlaw/hero, the loser boyfriend, the abusive superior, and the frustrated and confused man who desperate wants to save thew orld)

3. Ranma Saotome (this guy/girl is just hilarious) the most perfect parody of the martial arts genre I've seen thus far. the first anime I saw (where I KNEW it was anime-- Star Blazers, Tranzor Z, and Voltron didn't count for me-- because I had no idea they were from Japan. and Ranma was the first anime I watched in the original language)

4. Piccolo: although the Jr. character becomes far more complex-- he wouldn't be the same without his evil-incarnate father. I just like this story arc

5. Rukia (Bleach). she's ends up helpless and outclassed in a few situations-- but she never becomes a pathetic sideshow (sorry, Orihime, that's what you've become) she's got a good balance of intelligence, fighting ability, and goofiness (in the manga she's even better)

6. Maes Hughes (somebody beat me to it, and I couldn't have put it better myself) there aren't a lot of character where it gets under my skin when I see them die. he's one of the few. the creator figured out this guy was so awesome she brought him back in a bunch of flashbacks because she realized the error of her ways! :wink:

7. Gaara: this guy was always intriguing for me. I liked his story-arc. his generally inscrutable and expressionless way of carrying himself. and his powers are cool too

8. Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop. sure, I liked Spike, he was too cool NOT to like. but there was always something about Jet that I found very entertaining.

9. Rock Lee. the first time I ever saw Naruto is when Rock Lee and Gaara were fighting each other during the exams. I found myself rooting for both characters-- they were just so striking and fun to watch. by the end of the fight, I liked them both so much I wanted to read the book to learn more about them. I've long since stopped watching the anime (because I'd already seen the best part, more or less). but I did enjoy all of the manga up until the time-skip.

10. the entire cast of Maison Ikkoku. sorry, I can't pick JUST one. the way everybody interacts is so funny--that nobody else would be the same if you took one away. can anybody imagine MI without the creepy Mr. Yotsuya? sure, Yusaku and Kyoko are my favorites-- but the supporting cast is so memorable that I had to include all of them. it ended up being the first manga I read from start to finish.

[chimeara27]

i'll add naruto and kakashi sensei as one of top 10 cool characters.

[Addams]

1 - Risa Koizumi (Lovely Complex)

2 - Madoka (Orange Road)

3 - Gally (Gunnm)

4 - Ai (Video Girl Ai)

5 - Zoro (One Piece)

6 - Smoker (One Piece)

7 - Sosuke (Full Metal Panic)

8 - Saito (Kenshin)

9 - Ryoga (Ranma 1/2)

10 - Lum (Urusei Yastura)

[chimeara27]

1. naruto
2. sasuke
3. kakashi
4. Gaara
5. Guko
6. Vegeta
7. Hao
8. Lupin
9. Makunouchi Ippo
10. Azama Shou

[Darth Joker]

I've been gone for a long time... sorry for that... but I'm back to finish off this Top 10 list!

To recap, here's 10 through 7 for me...

10. Kamina
9. Tatewaki Kuno
8. Lina Inverse
7. Yuki Nagato.


Next are 6 through 4... brief write-up is here (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-ten-countdown-numbers-6-through-4.html)...

6. Simon the Digger
5. Fate Testarossa
4. Shana (Shakugan no Shana)

And now... two of my favorite characters to write in fanfics tie for second (http://assessingtheanime.blogspot.com/2010/01/no-2-tie-haruhi-suzumiya-katsuhiko.html)... ;)


I'd love to know what people think of these write-ups and pics.

[Holy Spirit]

1. naruto
2. sasuke
3. kakashi
4. Gaara
5. Guko
6. Vegeta
7. Hao
8. Lupin
9. Makunouchi Ippo
10. Azama Shou

Wow, you've got Naruto characters owning the top 4 slots of all time.

[The Dog]

Not a Top 10 Anime Characters of All Time list, just a Top 10 of my favorites right now. But still...

10) Yoichi Hiruma (Eyeshield 21)
9) Kiraa Ei (Naruto)
8) Toriko (Toriko)
7) Mystogan (Fairy Tail)
6) Mitarashi Anko (Naruto)
5) Chief Warden Magellan (One Piece)
4) Komatsu (Toriko)
3) Julia (Rave Master)
2) Gettou Motoko (Change 123)
1) Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

[Hazard]

I have been meaning to post here, but narrowing down my top ten proves to be entirely to hard, not to mention I am quite lazy. So instead I am just listing my top two anime characters with two honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention #1: Taikoubou (Houshin Engi/Soul Hunter)

"We'll gather allies... and let them do the fighting!"

Sadly the anime version doesn't match up to the manga version of Taikoubou. Manga Taikoubou is my second favorite character without a doubt. Taikoubou is different from other shounen heroes. One of the reasons for this is that despite looking like a guy in his early twenties his is in fact already seventy two years old.

Taikoubou is a departure from the young, rash, hotblooded hero, and it shows. If anything he is the one more likely to play the stealth mentor to his younger comrades, which created an interesting dynamic in the manga.

The above quote drives home how Taikoubou operates. He gathers allies and proceeds to level them up through many battles until they are ready to take the big bad.

Taikoubou is a refreshing and creative departure from the regular main characters. Plus he has a flying hippo, and that is awesome!

http://i46.tinypic.com/2058oww.jpg

More to come latter.

[Hazard]

Honorable Mention #2: Mr. Referee (Medabots)

"As such, I, Mr Referee, will act as referee so no one gets hurt."

http://i46.tinypic.com/16kaxhf.jpg

Yeah, I know what the people that have watched this anime are thinking. The guy is a comic relief character. His entire thing is appearing once per episode in the most ridiculous manner possible and declare the battle an official match.

Yeah, if he had done just that I would remember him fondly, but not enough to mention him here, however there is one more thing. When he finds out everything he has done, the entire institution in which he believed in and served loyally was nothing more than a sham. Nothing more than a means for the Big bad to achieve his own end what does the guy do?

He feels betrayed. He is sad. He receives a pep talk, and then goes own to referee the final fight between the big bad and the heroes, and actually makes the big bad obey the rules. So what if the big bad has a giant city destroying robot? He is the referee, Mr. Referee, and as long as he is around you better follow the rules!

[stelok]

Top 10 male characters:
1) Hibiki Amawa (I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs)
2) Archer (Fate/Stay Night)
3) Hei/Lee Shengshen (Darker Than Black)
4) Ichirou Ohgami (Sakura Wars)
5) Nozomu Itoshiki (So Long Mr. Despair)
6) Masatsugu Hattori (Grander Musashi RV)
7) Shell (Cooking Master Boy)
8) Mizuho Miyanokouji (Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru)
9) Kai Suwabara (Yakitate!! Japan)
10) Eikichi Onizuka (GTO)


Top 10 female characters:
1) Saber (Fate/Stay Night)
2) Kaoru Konoe (Gatekeepers)
3) Fuuko Kuzuha (I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs)
4) Elise Housen (Canvas 2)
5) Triela (Gunslinger Girl)
6) Glycine Bleumer (Sakura Taisen)
7) Rin Kokonoe (Kodomo no Jikan)
8) Mao Nome (Macross Zero)
9) Monica Adenauer (Yakitate Japan)
10) Levy (Black Lagoon)

[Hazard]

Top Anime Character #2: Takato Matsuki (Digimon Tamers)

"You cannot hurt me anymore."

http://i48.tinypic.com/2hi79uc.jpg

Digimon Tamers is an anime I will always remember fondly. The plot was good and every single character got a decent amount of character development. Takato and Rika in particular made this show awesome for me.

Takato at the start of the anime is a normal if somewhat sensitive kid, and a total digimon fanboy. He jumps at the chance of having his very own digimon and happily puts the goggles on his head. However he actually realizes the implications of the fact that his childish bread-eating partner was capable of destroying cities and was only getting stronger. That surprised me a lot and made him interesting to me.

Takato's growth as a character is fascinating to me. He barely get through his first battles, but eventually becomes quite battle savvy. He cries. He laughs. He rages (and boy is he scary when angry). And at the end of his character growth he goes on to become a literal knight in shinning armor and has the greatest fight of the series with a demon lord/gunslinging biker (a fight which is way cooler in the Latin American dub).


Top Anime Character #1: Lelouch Vi Britannia (Code Geass)

"If the king does not lead his subjects will not follow."

http://i49.tinypic.com/2a67cm1.jpg

Lelouch is a wonderfully messed up character and that's a big part of why I like him. Well, that and him being a total ham. They guy is just awesome to watch

Lelouch is a rare combination of genius, audacity bordering on insanity, drive, and underwhelming physical skill. He is not what I expected of a main character but I enjoyed it.

All right, that's it. There are many other characters that I like. Like Guts, Fate, Jacuzzi Splot and Naruto that I can't decide how to order. Plus like I said before I am too lazy to bother.

[Siriel]

Well, I suppose I'll start my top ten list too in a short while.

There's probably no reason to say so, but it will include spoilers.

It will also be an anime/manga mix. Since I sometime forget which series were adapted and which weren't.

[Siriel]

Please keep in mind that everything in this list is just what I think now. I have a tendency to change opinion often.:wink:

Number 10: Giovanni (Pokemon Special)
"To you, each incidents weren't connected to each others in any way, but all along, it was part of my great scheme!"
http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/Siriel01/Giovanni_manga.jpg

Giovanni in Pokemon Special is awesome. He's a mastermind, but his plans are believable, so he doesn't end up looking as if he could see the future, unlike most
He's also one of the relatively few villains that I can actually see why people are following him; he's strong, he's charismatic, he's smart and he plans things that he actually attain. Also, he doesn't want to destroy the world. Which is always a plus in my book.

Finally, for all of his Evil Mastermindness, he also knows when he's beaten, and isn't afraid to admit it, or to respect his opponent.

[Siriel]

Number Nine: Nina Fortner (Monster)
http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/Siriel01/monster5_1.jpg

I honestly couldn't tell you why I like Nina enough to put her in my top ten. And a lot of people probably forget about Nina in Monster, given how awesome Tenma and Johan are.

She's just a very complex, likeable character, that has her strong moments, and her moments where she's just freaking out.

Ultimately, I think her best character trait is that no matter what happens to her, and no matter how many time she goes through life-threatening traumas, she always manages to get out of it while remaining through the herself.


Number Eight: Ciel Phantomhive (Kuroshitsuji)
"I'm arrogant, but not so much that I'd irresponsibly save someone just to brag about it."
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2716/cielphantomhive.jpg

I don't think many people on this board are reading Kuroshitsuji, or at least, I never hear about it. Which is a shame, because it's awesome.

Anyway, Ciel is of a rare kind, as far as main characters go.
He's nobility, and act like it. He's also in a position of authority over most of the other characters, and he isn't afraid to use that authority to get what he wants.
He's also incredibly driven to accomplish his goals, and he isn't afraid to do amoral things to reach his ends. However, despite that, it's still apparent from time to times that he's still just a kid trying to do too much on his own.

All things said, I think the reason why I like Ciel so much is because he's different from what I've come to expect of main characters, and that's quite refreshing.

[Siriel]

Number Seven: Miharu Rokujo (Nabari No Ou)
"Did you think I was one of those 'sickly, fragile characters'? How naive."

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/Siriel01/514652.png

Miharu is another one of those characters who is completely unlike what I've come to expect from a main character in an action-oriented manga. In fact, he's pretty much the exact opposite of characters like Ichigo.
After being involved the secret world of ninjas, he doesn't care about their secret war or even about the fact that there are ninjas to begin with, he just wants to go back to living his completely apathetic life. And even after that doesn't work, he mostly just does what people expect him to do. Also, he's not particularly powerful or skilled in fights, so he mostly tends to run away or attack when people aren't looking at him.
He's also very much aware of how cute he is, and frequently uses that to make others work for him, something that he likes a lot more than having to make efforts himself.

However, he also has another side, which comes through when he meets Yoite, whom he consider to be similar to himself and swears to make his wish a reality. Once that happens, he becomes completely determined to accomplish Yoite's wish, even though that includes betraying everyone that has helped him survive so far and antagonizing most of the world.

Another notable thing is that Miharu would probably be considered completely amoral in most other series, since he's almost completely cut off from morality and doesn't hesitate to betray everyone to achieve his goal(once he actually gets one, that is), launches area-of-effect attacks that risk killing his allies as much as his enemies without warning and has no problem with people getting killed in front of him, although he prefers not to do it himself since it requires effort.

Ultimately, he's also a tragic character, since Yoite is the only person he deeply cares about, and Yoite's wish is to be erased from existence and to have everyone's memory of him erased, and even if that wish wasn't granted, Yoite wouldn't survive for long, essentially stopping Miharu from spending time with the person he cares the most about.

[Schornforce]

Here's my top ten chosen purely by whim.

10. Kyo Sohma (Fruits Basket)- I love the character and his voice is done by a friend of mine.

9. Harley Hartwell (Case Closed)- A Jimmy Kudo clone, but for whatever reason, I find him more interesting than Jimmy. Maybe because Harley occasionally doesn't win. Plus, I totally think he has a thing/obsession with Jimmy.

8. Momijii Sohma (Fruits Basket)- My favorite character from 'Fruits Basket' and similar in some ways to Hunny on this list.

7. The Phantom Thief Kid (Case Closed)- Yeah, he's another Jimmy Kudo clone, but he's still fun and I always get a good gasp or chuckle from his appearances. He's a good opponent for Conan.

6. Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service)- My favorite character in my favorite Miyazaki movie. That film speaks to me as an artist with a lot of self-doubt. Also, love Phil Hartman as her cat!

5. Starscream (Transformers G1)- My favorite Decepticon. So wonderfully traitorous. Plus, love the screechiness!

4. Optimus Prime (Transformers G1)- Once I got into Transformers, Optimus was a quick fave. Superman-like and I love that awesome Peter Cullen voice.

3. Hunny and Mori (Ouran High School Host Club)- I was surprised to find out how much I loved this girls' anime/manga. These two are my favorites of the host club.

2. Grimlock (Transformers G1)- The Dinobots were what drew me into the whole Transformers thing back in the 80's. Robot dinosaurs that breathe fire? How could I not love 'em?

1. Team Rocket (Pokemon)- I love Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet! Their comedic antics are always enjoyable to me and I love the team dynamic.

[Hazard]

5. Starscream (Transformers G1)- My favorite Decepticon. So wonderfully traitorous. Plus, love the screechiness!


Nice to see people that like Starscream. I am a fan of him as well.

[Schornforce]

Nice to see people that like Starscream. I am a fan of him as well.

I think I was more upset over his death in the 80's movie than I was over Optimus Prime's!

I loved his Marvel Comics appearances too.

[Kevin M.]

Top ten right now (In no order what so ever)


1. Spike Spegle (Cowboy Bebop)
2. Souther (Fist of the North Star)
3. Portgas D. Ace (One Piee)
4. Batou (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)
5. Optimus Prime (Transformers)
6. Kamina (Gurren Lagan)
7. Haruko Haruhara (FLCL)
8. Jigan (Lupin the Third)
9. Killy (Blame)
10. Akira (Kongou Banchou)

[Kevin M.]

I think I was more upset over his death in the 80's movie than I was over Optimus Prime's!

I loved his Marvel Comics appearances too.


He had the funniest death in the movie.


SS: Megatron? Is that you?

Galvatron: Here's a hint!