Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #15 Mugen, Samurai Champloo

"I don't give a rats ass about going to hell. Guess I feel like I'm already there. What I do mind is the thought of being killed by you ugly bastards. I've gone my whole life without being helped by anyone else, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you help me into my grave."

When one thinks of a samurai, they think of a disciplined and honorable warrior. This...is not Mugen. No, Mugen is a trash talking, brash, and yet still brutally effective fighter. One can leave all that discipline and honor stuff with Jin (Samurai Champloo's other resident badass swordsmith). Like every other character on this list, Mugen certainly isn't lacking in the badassery category. But also like every character on this list, he's got depth (and a kickass backstory).

They totally had breakdancing samurai in Edo Japan

If theres any character that epitomizes the free flowing hip hop style that is Samurai Champloo it would be Mugen. Character designer Kazuto Nakazawa was quoted saying that the director wanted a character who "looked like a rapper and acted like a bad guy." Mugen, being one of the protagonists is more of an anti-hero than he is a bad guy. Mugen's most defining trait is the way that he fights. As Jin so often states, Mugen's style of fighting is undisciplined. Rather than follow the traditional way of sort fighting, Mugen mixes in various forms of martial arts and breakdancing. Not only that but he's deadly with his sword as well, to the point that he can fight hordes of enemies all by himself. In addition, he's helped out by a total devil may care attitude. In any fight that he's involved in expect Mugen to be foul mouthed while slicing and dicing his opponents. Plus any character thats voiced by Steve Blum (spoiler theres another Steve Blum voiced character on this list) is bound to be made of awesome. Mugen certainly carries on the legacy of great Steve Blum characters. Mugen is certainly worthy of being on this list just because of how badass he is. I mean, watch a video like this and it's no surprise that someone this awesome belongs on a list this awesome.

Polar opposites and yet a kickass team

It wouldn't be a Mugen piece if I didn't add a little about his character development. Before teaming up with the main characters, Mugen ran with a gang of pirates. Unfortunately, he was sold out by the leader of the group, the treacherous Mukuro, and was sentenced to be executed. Mugen was able to escape and eventually set out alone as a wandering swordsman. Up until he meets the main characters, theres very few people that he cares about. This is mostly because of the way he was sold out by the very gang that he thought had his back. Jin obviously stands out as Mugen's counterpart from the first episode. The two are polar opposites of each other; both in the way they fight and they way that they act. Throughout the series, they keep referencing that after they complete their quest for Fuu, they're going to finish the fight they started in the first episode. However, as the series runs along and the two learn more about one another, the relationship changes from an antagonistic tone to one of respect. It's a similar situation with Fuu. At first, Mugen is not willing at all to help her find the Sunflower Samurai but as the series continues he begins to care for Fuu, even risking his life for her. Jin and Fuu were the first two people that Mugen was ever able to trust and become friends with after the pirates betrayed him.

Mugen has a lot of awesome qualities that add up and make him one cool character. For starters he's pretty badass (I haven't said that one enough) and it's cool to see his character develop over the course of the show's run. Like I said in the preface for this series every character needs something that makes them different; theres plenty of badasses out there. Mugen is different because he comes from such a unique series and theres not many other hip-hop cool samurais out there. It is for these reasons that he finds himself at #15

Counting Down the Coolest Characters in Anime - #16 Misato Katsuragi, Neon Genesis Evangelion

"So fucking what if I'm not you! That doesn't mean it's okay for you to give up! If you do, I'll *never* forgive you as long as I live!"

When the fate of the entire world is on the line, it's time for the big guns to show their muscle. Neon Genesis Evangelion places this fate in the hands of some mentally unstable 14 year olds. However, while the EVA pilots are the one's who receive the most exposure, one can't doubt the mastermind behind their success. That would be hyper-competent Major Misato Katsuragi. Of course, it's not as if Misato doesn't have her issues (then again, this is Evangelion where if you don't have a major psychological issue, you're one of the weird ones). However, this shouldn't obscure how much of a badass strategist she is (there is a reason why she gets promoted to Major midseason).

Don't threaten Shinji or this will happen

Misato begins Evangelion as the operations director at the top secret organization known as NERV. This places her in charge of the most powerful weapons that mankind has against the threat of the angels, the Evangelions. She also is the first friend that Shinji makes upon joining NERV and in the second episode Misato actually agrees to be his guardian. This places her in the mother role for most of the series, often having to be one to Shinji when he has his daily "I can't pilot the EVA!' bullshit speech (more on this later). Misato begins the series at the rank of captain and she wastes no time showing exactly why, using her immense imagination to create absolutely insane plans to beat the Angels. For starters, she mobilizes all of NERV's forces to siphon the power of ALL OF JAPAN (I shit you not) to power a massive sniper rifle to take out an Angel. Operation Yashima, as she names, it is probably one of the most ridiculous and absurd things I've seen in any anime (that's saying something) and yet it turns into a moment of badassery. This is only one of the many times that she displays how competent of a major she is throughout the series. Part of this comes from her past where her father's life was taken during the Second Impact, leading her to have immense hate towards them. This sometimes results in some pretty risky plans (like having the EVA's team up to catch an Angel falling to Earth, risking the lives of three 14 year olds in the process). However, it's this drive to ultimately destroy the Angels that makes her such a strong military leader. Some naysayers would probably berate me for putting Misato in a list like this, mostly because of her heavy drinking party girl habits in the home (which Shinji knows PLENTY about). However, this only adds to her character, making her a humorous character (of course, theres a darker reason for this as well, this is EVA after all). It would also be a disservice to such a badass strategist and NERV agent.

Pretty much sums up this friendship

Like I said earlier on this list, each character here has something unique about them that makes them cool. Misato here certainly isn't lacking when it comes to the total badass side of things. I mean, In addition to be a crack military strategist theres a scene in End of Evangelion she takes out a group of SSDF soldiers all by herself, even throwing in a snappy one liner before she finishes the last one off (shown above). So yes, we've established that Misato is a badass major, that we know. But what really makes her character shine is her relationship with the show's main character Shinji Ikari. Yes, many times Shinji is an insufferable twat but Misato is the only friend that he has for most of the show. She's not afraid to be tough and realistic on him in order to see the bigger picture. The two grow close over the course of the series to the point where Misato is almost like a mother figure to Shinji. Even at the end, when hope looks lost and Shinji is unable to get himself out of his depressed funk (happens often in this series) Misato is there to snap him out of it (to the best of her ability, this is EVA after all).

So that sums it up, Misato is a kickass tactician, a hard drinking party girl, and a damn awesome person when it comes to giving inspirational speeches. What else could you possibly want or need? So yes, Misato is number 16 on this list for all the reasons mentioned above. Sure Misato is a badass in the war room, sure she's kicks ass when she's in the field. At the same time she has that motherly aspect that helps many of the characters throughout the show. Misato is a classic character from one of the most classic animes of all time. For those reasons, she's cool character #16.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Anime Characters - #17 Balalaika, Black Lagoon

"I'm gonna tell you the truth tonight. What I seek is destruction and domination. I don't care about anything else. I'm only interested in how much I can dance in the pit of hell when it's all over...see ya there..."
                                           
Theres some people that you don't mess with. One of them is definitely the leader of the Russian mob in the most dangerous city on Earth. Theres plenty of badass characters in the world of Black Lagoon but the coolest of them all is easily the cold and calculating leader of Hotel Moscow, none other than Balalaika.

Serving during the war

Balalaika served as a captain in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, earning her name due to her excellent skills as a sniper. (Balalaika was a slang term for the Dragonuv sniper rifle in the Soviet Army) Of course, history tells us that the war did not go well for the Soviets or for Balalaika as evidenced by the the burn marks on her face and other portions of her body. After the war, Balalaika mobilized the soldiers who once followed her into the Russian mob known as Hotel Moscow, one of several powerful criminal organizations taking up rent in Roanapur. This "army" that she has organized is ruthlessly efficient and powerful with the training and skills required to "singlehandedly start and win World War III". All of this with Balalaika as an incredibly imposing and brilliant leader. Her army is defined by their inredible devotion to her, still referring to her by her military title of Captain. Like many of the characters in Black Lagoon, one must remember that Balalaika is a "bad guy" despite aligning herself with the protagonists at times. Committing evil deeds is just a part of the trade and she plays a big part in opening up the criminal underworld to the main character Rokuro.

Balalaika is damn scary when she gets her hands dirty

Not only is Balalaika an incredibly smart and effective leader she remains as devoted to her men as they are to her. In fact an entire arc in Black Lagoon is centered around a pair of twins who killed one of her men. This leads to her dispatching her incredibly effective and efficient troops in an all out manhunt to avenge the life of her comrade. Like I said before, don't mess with Hotel Moscow. If you harm her men, Balalaika's soldiers will hunt you down and provide you with a "reasons why you suck speech" as you die. That being said, it's not as if she's not deadly effective as well when she needs to get her hands dirty. In fact, she's darn scary in the moments where she pulls out a gun or knife to prove a point. Of any character in anime, she is one of the most ruthless and intimidating characters I've seen. Yet despite this, the level of compassion that she shows for her men is incredible. Bonds forged through war that remain even after. It's shown that the war changed Balalaika greatly. She was supposed to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics but instead was deployed to Afghanistan. The Balalaika in the past is show to be nothing like the jaded and ruthless mob boss of the present. Instead she's bright, innocent, and optimistic. Balalaika is an example of the mental and physical scars that war can have on a person. A certainly tragic figure at times, if not for the fact that she loves her current work.

Theres something to be said for a character that can play the behind the scenes mastermind and be awesome when it comes to joining the fray. Balalaika is certainly a solid character, the only thing that keeps her from being ranked higher is that she doesn't receive much character development other than simply being badass. Of course, this only goes to add to one of Black Lagoon's main points, that Roanapur is the unchanging center of the criminal underworld. Even so, Balalaika makes for an excellent character. One who loves to walk on the dark side and is at her best when she does.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Anime Characters - #18 Amane Suzuha, Steins;Gate

Name?
Amane Suzuha
Age?
Eighteen
Reason for applying?
Serious CRT buff!
You're hired
YES!!!

Here's an example of what I mean when I say that each character on this list has their own reason for being awesome; even if they don't entirely fit the standard definition of cool. Steins;Gate was the best anime I've watched in the past year, mostly by the merit of it's characters. The best of which is Amane Suzuha the self-titled "part time warrior". She's cool not just because her character has an awesome personality (and pulls some badass moves during the show's run as well) but because of her stellar backstory and development as a character.

Plenty badass enough for this list

In the alternate timeline that main character Okabe creates (by sending a text message of all things) in the year 2036, the organization known as SERN rules the world. This due to them being the first to invent a time machine leading them to believe that the world should bend to their whims. Suzuha comes from that future, having traveled back in time from there in order to prevent the tyrannical SERN from taking over. In that time, she was a member of the Anti-SERN Liberation Movement, a trained soldier. Realizing that SERN couldn't be stopped in her time, she traveled back into past to stop them, posing as a part-timer at the CRT shop underneath the protagonists lab. Suzuha is one of the most entertaining and tragic characters of the show. Being from a different time she's a Fish Out of Temporal Water so to speak. She's pretty quirky even in comparison to the rest of the cast who could hardly be considered normal either. The other characters are surprised by her lack of knowledge about their time (they of course don't know she's from another time period until several episodes in). Her bright and bubbly exterior though is masking a troubled and almost broken girl on the inside. Living in a dystopian future has made Suzuha into a strong soldier whose incredibly cautious to the point of paranoia. (at one point tackling Okabe to the ground because she thought a helicopter flying over was an air raid) Not to mention being the biggest badass among what is mostly a group of nerds (brains are the new sexy though). She can thank her training as a rebel soldier for that sort of thing.

Steins;Gate is a stellar series but at it's best when Suzuha is a focus

Suzuha makes this list because I thought of her as a really enjoyable character. She's energetic, fun, and she's fantastic in every scene that she's in. Of course, once you find out more of her backstory she becomes more of a tragic figure and one that you can really sympathize with. The more you find out about her the more you realize that behind her bubbly and snarky exterior; theres a traumatized rebel soldier hiding underneath. Obviously, Suzuha isn't the only "Broken Bird" character thats ever been in anime. However, I really liked the way that Steins;Gate handled her character. You can really feel how out of place she feels in the current time period and how confused and scared she is. When she finally reveals her past to the team she reveals her more cynical and serious side. Despite how the bleak the future is the rest of the cast reignites her desire to change it; giving her something that she never had in the future, friends. She gets her own run of episodes which elaborate on her backstory as well as the search for her father. The entire arc is beautifully done and the way that it comes to a close is one that is extremely emotional. These episodes are some of my favorites in what is an all around amazing show.

Suzuha is incredibly entertaining in her light moments as well

Amane Suzuha is not the most badass character on this list but she easily ranks among the most interesting. Her backstory and the way that she develops throughout Steins;Gate's run is absolutely fantastic. It's for these reasons that she's cool character #18.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Anime Characters - #19 Gohan, Dragonball Z

"Fight you? No...I'm going to kill you."
                                             -Gohan

Similar to Kittan, Gohan resides in a universe in which beings with enough energy to nuke an entire planet all by themselves all exist. Unlike, Kittan however, Gohan certainly isn't an underrated character in his universe. In fact he's one of the most popular characters in his universe. Of course, theres certainly reason for why Gohan has become such a popular character. (other than just being a straight up badass that is) Gohan is such an important character in the grand scheme of things because in a universe of beam-spamming aliens, Gohan was easily the most developed and complete character in the cast.

Kid Gohan

As a child, Gohan was definitely thrust into what can only be described as an "interesting" childhood. Let's be honest, Goku is hardly father of the year material. What makes Gohan's character so interesting is how different he is from his father. Unlike Goku, Gohan is a Saiyan/Human hybrid. Because of this he inherited Saiyan powers with human compassion. Even as a kid, all Goku wanted to do was fight and train, always excited to test his strength against his opponents. Luckily for Goku, his opponents were usually just other martial artists. Gohan on the other hand was forced into much more dangerous battlefield. Dragonball Z introduced the series to ultra-powerful aliens and more dangerous and evil opponents than any that the team had encountered before. Gohan was thrown into the fray as a very young child. Unlike Goku, Gohan wasn't as willing to train and become a fighter in his young age. He wasn't as interested in unlocking the massive potential he had. Later on however, as the threats against Earth and the other Z Fighters mount, he takes his training much more seriously. Considering he was an infant at the series beginning, this really isn't surprising. Gohan however, provides a contrast to most of the other characters in the story. He's the first in his family to grow up on Earth with a somewhat normal life. Goku was raised by his adopted grandfather in the woods therefore never learning social skills and had never seen a girl until he met Bulma. Gohan's teen years are spent trying to blend into normal society while keeping his Saiyan side hidden (he fails at this). Gohan, unlike Goku, doesn't always see the need to fight either. As his hidden powers begin to show themselves Gohan worries about how his incredible powers will only hurt people. Unlike Goku, Gohan doesn't just fight for the hell of it. He only fights when there is a need or if people will be hurt. When he reaches this messianic power level of Super Saiyan 2 it's scary to see the innocent and playful Gohan turn into a merciless killing machine. (a badass killing machine...but a killing machine nonetheless)

Gohan certainly isn't lacking in the badass category either. The kid was able to hold his own against some of the galaxy's biggest baddies such as Frieza and the Saiyans when he was barely out of diapers. He's the first to reach Super Saiyan 2 in which he makes Cell ( a character who had already established himself as even stronger than Goku) his personal chew toy. In Buu Saga he returns as Ultimate Gohan and single handedly beats the crap out of Buu for two episodes without even firing a single energy blast. It's clearly stated that Gohan is the strongest character in a show where even minor mooks are able to blow up planets with ease. That alone just tells you that the guy is not to be messed around with.

Adult Gohan in all his forms

So why isn't Gohan higher on this list? You'll have the blame the fans and Toei Animation on that one. Akira Toriyama'a original storyboard for Dragonball Z was for it to end at Frieza saga. However, Toei Animation realized the show was too popular for it to end so early into it's run. Toriyama then adjusted the story for it to end at Cell Saga, with Gohan taking his father's place as the defender of Earth. Neither Toei or the fans were very pleased by this. Toei of course wanted the series to continue onwards and the fans didn't want Goku to remain dead. This led to Buu Saga and a 7 year timeskip in which Gohan didn't train at all and as a result was relegated to sidelines because his power was no longer special. Not to mention the fact that teenage Gohan was kind of a dork in comparison to his badass and uber-powerful younger self. Of course, he still returns later in Buu Saga as the most powerful unfused character in the entire series. Unfortunately, Goku is the only character allowed to defeat anybody in the series and so Gohan's run of being badass once again comes to a close rather quickly. Yes, Gohan was an awesome character and if not for certain parts of Buu Saga he would probably rank closer to the top ten of this list. Unfortunately, I can't overlook those parts. Still, Gohan makes the list and nothing should take away from how cool he was for most of the series.

Gohan is by far the most developed and complete character throughout the run of Dragonball Z. His character development throughout the series is probably the best out of any other character. That added to the fact that the guy has been kicking ass and taking names since he was barely out of diapers. The fact that we see Gohan mature from a shy and whiny little kid into a badass Super Saiyan 2 throughout the course of the series is awesome. We see Gohan's ideals mature and he eventually becomes the guardian of Earth that he always had the potential to be. For that Gohan is #19

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Anime Characters - #20 Kittan Black, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

"So this is the power of the spiral...Not bad...Not bad at all."
                                                                     -Kittan

Seems fitting that a show like Gurren Lagann would produce the first character on this list. To me, Kittan is one of the most underrated characters in the show. Of course, it's hard to stand out when one is surrounded by so many characters that each exude so much badassitude already. Kittan is a character that I certainly didn't really pick up on during my first run through of the show. However, the second time that I got around to watching it he was the character that really stood out.

Kittan and the other members of the Black Siblings

Kittan was the leader of the "Black Siblings" a group that consisted of himself and his three sisters. In the earliest episodes he never aligns himself entirely with Kamina, Simon, and Yoko. However, the parallels between him and Kamina are quite apparent. One of the key aspects of his character is the traits about him that make him so much like Kamina and yet the ones that make him so different. After Kamina's death, Kittan takes it upon himself to be the leader of Team Dai-Gurren, a task that he finds he isn't quite good at. He lacked Kamina's ability inspire the troops in any situation no matter what the odds were. However, Kittan learns that his ability to inspire didn't come from his words but from simply leading by example. Kittan's real value that while Simon pulled from the top, Kittan pushed from below. Kittan found his niche as the leader of the team's grunt soldiers. Like most characters in the show, Kittan was not lacking in the badassery department. In fact, Kittan was the the first one to rally the others around Kamina's cause. Kittan showed up with the cavalry in the first battle against General Tymylf and stole Gunmen for the other soldiers to use. Not to mention that he makes his entrance in a badass, Big Damn Heroes style. Kittan is also important for the fact that he's the one that goes to bat for Simon after the time-skip and seems to be the only one who still remembers the spirit of Team Dai-Gurren before the fight against the Anti-Spiral. After Kamina's death, Kittan is the character who embodies the spirit of the team, their never say die spirit and their willingness to fight against near impossible odds.

Like I said before, it's easy the first time around to miss Kittan. After all, he's not one of the principal main characters and doesn't get as much development as Simon or even Yoko. However, I was surprised the second time around at how strong of a character he was. Kittan's strengths are never the ones that people pick up on right off the bat. Frequently, the show likes to portray him as a shadow of Kamina, and insecurity that Kittan certainly carries with him after Kamina's death. Kittan's crowning moment is in the battle against the Anti-Spiral. He gets an episode all to himself and it really shows how far he's come as a character. In earlier episodes, he was brash and arrogant, trying to be someone he wasn't. In this episode it's seen that Kittan knows this and the insecurity he feels about not being able to be the same man that Kamina was hurts him deeply. All of Gurren Lagann's characters had to deal with Kamina's death and the fact that he was no longer there to inspire them. I thought that Kittan's despair in the fact that he could never be that kind of man was the most interesting and underrated storyline in that respect. In Kittan's special episode he comes to terms with the fact that he's not Kamina and goes on to pull off acts of badassery that might even top Kamina in that department. Kittan serves as a reminder that it's while it's great to want to be like your idol, you should never forget who you are and embrace what makes you great as well.

Kittan is a super cool character, even when you just take his badass exploits at face value. Deep down though what makes him so cool is the complex character that he is beneath. In a universe in which just being a badass makes you pretty normal, Kittan actually manages to surpass many of his more famous comrades. Not to mention that he's a reminder of the show's themes of being yourself and "kicking logic to the curb and doing the impossible. If anyone serves as a reminder of how Team Dai-Gurren rolls, it's Kittan.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Anime Characters

This is a project that I have wanted to start for a really long time. For one, I watch an obscene amount of anime. So it would be a shame if I didn't share a list of the 20 characters that I thought were the coolest out of all the animes that I've watched. So heres how this will work...I plan on posting each character as often as I can. Likely these posts will be spaced out over the course of several days or will become a weekly thing. These posts will also be interspersed with my regular postings, just so I retain that kind of quota. This is the first time I've undertook a project of such size for this blog and yes, 20 posts is a number higher than the total amount of times that I've posted on this blog. So with that out of the way, I feel that a post like this requires a couple disclaimers:

1.) This list is a representation of MY OPINION

As stated above, this list represents my opinion. I'm not saying that it's a fact that one character is ranked higher than another, it's just my opinion. I'm sure other people who read this will have their own opinions as to where a character should rank and frankly I don't care. This is my list so it will be in my order which will be decided upon based on my standards.

2.) These characters are only from animes that I HAVE SEEN

I understand that theres several other "legendary" characters out there in animes I haven't seen (Death Note, One Piece (unlikely anyway), or Full Metal Alchemist). However, I feel that I have reached a point as an anime watcher that I have seen enough animes (enough great ones in fact) that I can make a suitable list. Once again, this is represents MY OPINION.

3.) Spoilers will be difficult to keep out

It's hard to get into how good each character is without spoiling a couple things. So if you haven't seen the show that said character is in; tread lightly.

So the next thing that I have to decide is how exactly I have decided to make this list. What am I taking into consideration when I make a list like this? Let's start with the title of this list. I plan on listing the 20 "Coolest" characters. Now of course, this list will be based on what my definition of a cool anime character is. A cool character can be several things; they can be a badass or an extremely complex and intricate character who goes under awesome character development. Alright, so lets boil this down to five points.

1.) Backstory
2.) Personality
3.) Character Development/Depth
4.) Character Design
5.) Badassitude

That's a pretty succinct list and one that I think sums up what I take into account when I evaluate an anime character. As you will see, each character on this list is cool for their own separate reasons. So now that I've cleared the air on all of these points I can't wait to start this. Expect #20 to be up in a few hours or so.

See Ya Space Cowboy