My Favorites in Anime: Characters-Anti-Heroes and Rivals

Howdy, howdy folks!  Welcome to the third part of my month full of favorite characters!  Thus far, if you’ve been following this event this long, you’ve seen good guys and bad guys alike.  But what about those guys who go both ways?  There are some guys and girls in anime who act like villains but are actually the good guys.  There are also other characters that are not necessarily evil, but they often butt heads with the protagonist.  That’s right!  This week, I’m talking about anti-heroes and rivals!  And unlike last week’s list, this week’s post was by far the longest.  So without further ado, let’s talk about my favorite anti-heroes and rivals, starting off with anti-heroes! (WARNING: O.K., if you’ve come this far, you know there will be spoilers.)

 

Anti-Heroes

Tetsuo Shima (Akira)

Ok, if you’ve been following my blog since February of 2015, you knew this guy was coming.  If I could describe how much I love Tetsuo, let’s just say that if I ranked all of my favorite anime characters, he would be within the top three if not the top spot.  But truth be told, it’s hard to pin point exactly why I love Tetsuo so much.  I think one reason would have to be his role in Akira. For those who’ve seen Akira, it’s a given that Tetsuo had a pretty lousy life.  Orphaned at a young age, bullied as a kid, and growing up to be the omega of his best friend’s biker gang, Tetsuo is pretty much at the bottom of the food chain when the film opens.  When he develops his psychic abilities, he quickly gains more power than he knows what to do with, which later causes his downfall.  Sure, Tetsuo’s story is pretty sad, but somehow, it’s fascinating. 

Speaking of, I know some of you reading this who have seen the movie are probably thinking “hold on, Tetsuo’s the villain. What makes him an anti-hero?”  One fascinating thing about Akira  is that the main protagonist of the film isn’t even the main focus of the film.  A lot of that seems to fall on Tetsuo,  It’s probably no wonder why Tetsuo seems so interesting for a villain.  So given that much of Akira’s plot focuses on Tetsuo, it’s perfectly acceptable to call him an anti-hero.  Regardless of what role he plays, Tetsuo is a tragic but kick-butt character that has warned us the dangers of telekinetic powers and even inspired Wit Animation Studios to rip off his red caped look since the eighties (that thing with Wit Studios was a Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress joke)!

Alucard (Hellsing)

This next character gives me hope that vampires are still seen as terrifying, blood-sucking creatures that haunt our dreams at night.  When it comes to anime anti-heroes, Alucard is the crème de la crème of them all.  Violent, brutal, and merciless, he’s everything you want in an anti-hero!  And not to mention he has power beyond anyone’s imagination.  That’s why most Hellsing fans love him.  However, there is a deeper side to Alucard that is full of conflict.  Much of this comes out in the final two episodes of the OVA.  And that’s why I love him.  The Hellsing franchise has not only painted Alucard as a powerful vampire, but also as a character with a lot of depth.

Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler)

Continuing on with the dark side of the anti-heroes, this one is probably one my favorites mostly for looks.  Let’s face it, the only reason any fan girl watches Black Butler is just to stare at Sebastian Michaelis, Ciel Phantomhive’s very capable demon butler.  Being one of the sexiest male characters in anime makes for great entertainment.  Heck, he convinced a nun to sleep with him!  Still, while his looks are something intriguing, Sebastian is a character of mystery.  From his back story to his true demon form, we know very little about this character.  All we really know is that he’s a starving demon just waiting for Ciel’s soul.  But hey, with a face like that, I’d be willing to follow along with the series if it means staring at Sebastian all day.

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)

Alright, this is the last of the characters voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch, I swear (hey, I can’t help it, I’m a fan after all).  When you think of a tactical terrorist and leader of a ruthless terrorist organization, a seventeen year old is not what comes to mind.  Set aside his get up as Zero and his Geass, Lelouch is probably one of the smartest characters I’ve seen.  In much the same way that I love the Major and Naraku, Lelouch’s brains are what win my heart.  And much like the two villains from last week, Lelouch becomes just as dark and sinister with his plans to overthrow the Holy Britanian Empire.  But at least he has a good reason for it.    Still, running a well-organized terrorist organization?  Pretty impressive for a seventeen year old.

Rivals

Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill la Kill)

Moving on into my favorite rivals, the first of the two passed off as a villain for nearly half a series.  From the beginning of Kill la Kill, Satsuki Kiryuin was thought to be the main antatgonist for the series.  Come to find out some odd nineteen episodes later, we learn it’s her mother.  But that’s not why I love Satsuki.  While the plot twist was a great feature to this character, Satsuki just has this powerful and commanding presence-not just because she’s the class president who runs Hounoji Academy with an iron fist.  I’ve mentioned when I named her Character of the Month last August that the silent and more diligent characters are the ones to be most feared in a fight.  Although Satsuki isn’t one for being quiet, she is none the less meticulous, which also makes her an excellent fighter.  So it may not be Satsuki’s ambition to be the bad guy, but she sure knows how to pull it off.

Sesshomaru (Inuyasha)

There have been many a men in anime that have won my heart over.  Sesshomaru was the first.  Yes, the cold-hearted but sexy older brother of Inuyasha is one character from the show that I will never forget.  Much like Satsuki, Sesshomaru is cold, merciless, and meticulous as a fighter.  But what Sesshomaru has that Satsuki doesn’t is looks (well O.K., she does have that, but…well…).  Believe it or not, Sesshomaru was probably my first anime crush.  Add to the fact that he can carry his own in a fight just makes him that more badass.  But on another note, with Sesshomaru as gorgeous as he is, why does MsMojo refuse to put him on the list (and being on the Honorable Mention list (twice) doesn’t count!) WHY?!

And so, that concludes that list as well as this month’s event.  Tune in next week when I reveal September’s Character of the Month based on all of my lists from this event!  If you have a request for an anime or related topic that you’d like for me to talk about, let me know!

-Hanime on Anime