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[DrForester]

EDIT: IGN Ranks 25 Best Anime Characters Of All Time

AKA The Shounen Jump Power Hour

http://movies.ign.com/articles/103/1036651p1.html
(only putting pictures and reasons for top 5, but there's a reason given for everyone)

Our criteria for selection involved a little bit of everything – each character's lasting fame, the impact they had on the medium and their particular genre at the time, the depth and quality of their realization on screen, and of course, a little bit of personal taste. Everyone out there has their own damned opinion, of course, so have a look at ours, and then feel free to share yours afterwards.

1. Goku

There's a brief movement during the Dragon Ball Z saga where Goku goes and dies. (The dying part wasn't actually all that big a deal, though, since the Z Fighters died and came back about as often as the X-Men, and with as many lasting consequences.) Dead, Goku travels directly to the afterlife, where he greets King Kai – for all intents and purposes, God – and asks for the chance to train in martial arts beneath him, learning directly from the Almighty.

Not long after completing a training session alongside our hero, Kai has a chat with a few of his fellow deities. Goku, reckons the King, is the most powerful being in the universe. He is a match for King Kai himself and then some, able to perfect fighting techniques that Kai never could, and might well destroy all that is if he isn't very careful with his massive in-born powers.

Japanese animation has given us plenty of bad-asses, but not very many could have beaten up God and then blown up the universe for an encore. Ladies and gentlemen, Son Goku.

2. Astro Boy

His contemporary American reincarnation is just a touch embarrassing, but Tetsuwan Atom is still an icon among icons. He was Japan's first great modern cartoon hero, on the printed page and the TV screen.

Astro was inspired, of course, by the Pinocchio legend – his creator wanted to build himself an artificial son, a robot who could replace the human child that he'd lost. That's the emotional center that makes him more interesting than the average action hero. Sure, he fought evil with lasers in his fingers and machineguns in his backside, but he had a real heart and a real personality to go along with all the weaponry. In retrospect, it's no surprise to see he had staying power, even if he's a few sizes smaller than the average anime robot.

3. Speed Racer

Yeah, he wore an ascot. It was the early '60s, though, so you can mostly excuse that kind of thing. And he had a cool car and a monkey, which is pretty hard to beat.

But seriously, folks. The first generation of fans that encountered Japanese cartoons mostly did it through a guy named Speed who talked as fast as he drove, and Speed Racer's adventures hung around in syndication to have an impact far beyond their original run. In his time, Speed had a totally different style from American animation, too – the influence of Japanese girls' comics gave him a look that wasn't like anything else on TV here, and that effect told many years later, when there were at least as many women as guys interested in this thing called "anime."

4. Spike Spiegel

We don't see it done very often, but in some ways animation is the perfect medium for film noir. Robert Rodriguez had the right idea when he filmed Frank Miller's Sin City comics – the movie may star real people, but break down the whole package and it's more than half a cartoon. Years before, Shinichiro Watanabe went all the way with Cowboy Bebop, and a fellow who, in his quiet way, became one of the great modern noir heroes.

Spike's a flashy, funny, violent tough guy, and that's part of what makes him fun to watch. What really makes Cowboy Bebop work, though, is the story that grows out of his past, and the reckoning that all of that inevitably builds towards. Every key character in the series finds some way to settle things with what's gone before, except for Spike, who just can't find a way to let the past go. Given how his story ends, though, we wouldn't have it any other way.

5. Himura Kenshin

A classic example of a classic anime type, the peace-loving killing machine. He's a perfectly decent guy who hides something horrible inside him, which lends a low-level current of suspense to every second of the show he appears in. We know that it takes a whole lot of abuse to bring out the man that Kenshin used to be, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen at almost any time.

The dual nature of the character reflects itself in the series. He can get away with starring in light comedy with no problems – in fact, he's a first-rate straight man most of the time. When his creators feel like shifting gears down into something darker, though, he can effortlessly turn to a darker tone along with them.

6. Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
7. Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist)
8. Pikachu (some Hentai)
9. Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)
10. Rei Ayanami (Evangelion)
11. Shotaro KANEDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Akira)
12. L (Death Note)
13. Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)
14. D (Vampire Hunter D)
15. Arsene Lupin III (Lupin the Third)
16. Jubei Kibagami (Ninja Scroll)
17. Vash The Stampede (Trigun)
18. Light Yagami (Death Note)
19. Haruhi Suzumiya (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
20. Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
21. Vegeta (Dragonball)
22. Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
23. Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)
24. Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
25. Shinji Ikari (Evnagelion)




Way too Shounen Jump happy for me. They list every major Shounen Jump hero, but only 1 magical girl. No Miyazaki Girl is pretty disappointing. Lelouch doesn't really seem deserved to be on list, if they were going to pick a recent anime character, I would have gone with Kamina (maybe Simon). Also for a list about characters with an impact on the medium having no harem girl seems a bit off. Lot of characters near bottom I would have put higher like Totoro and Lupin (how can he NOT be in the top 10?!)

5 Criminal Neglections:
Sakura (Card Captor Sakura)
Nausicaa (Nausicaa Valley of the Wind)
Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess)
Lain (Serial Experiments Lain)

 

[Rewrite]

Ugh. What a terrible list.

 

[Kusagari]

Did they seriously put ICHIGO on a best character list?! :lol :lol :lol

 

[whitehawk]

Fail

edit: oh wait, Pikachu is at #8. Win!

 

[beelzebozo]

griffith

 

[Calcaneus]

I wouldn't argue too much with the top 5 personally. I couldn't deny how iconic Goku is for me , even if I tried. Though I know most people wouldn't be inboard with that.

 

[DY_nasty]

It seems like anime doesn't exist outside of Adult Swim, according to IGN at least.

 

[TacticalFox88]

Rename the lis as "Most popular/well known anime character" Otherwise list fails hard.

 

[Blader]

That list is sorely lacking in badass, like so:

 

[xero273]

no sasuke?

 

[GekigangerV]

With some of the criteria being "lasting fame, the impact they had on the medium and their particular genre at the time" the lack of Amuro Ray or Char Aznable on that list is surprising especially with Shinji being there.

The top 10 is pretty much stuff I would agree with overall, but probably not the exact order.

 

[Veidt]

Goku is number one. I have no objections.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

I can't forgive them for having Edward Elric at #7.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Spike Spiegel at #1 and Motoko Kusanagi at #2. All the other dregs of anime somewhere below that. Those two characters have as much depth as well-known literary characters, for fuck's sake.

 

[Tamanon]

It looks like all they did was pick the main characters from the most popular animes and called it a day. I mean Goku is barely even a character.

 

[-NeoTB1-]

:lol joke list, right?



.....right? :'(

 

[cosmicblizzard]

Okay, I know these lists are subjective, but having an anime character list that doesn't include Kamina is a travesty. wtf.

 

[jman2050]

This list would be good if most of the anime from 1994 back were wiped from the world's collective memory

 

[JayDubya]

Rei and Shinji?

Feh.

Gendo > *

* * *

In earnest, Rei is not that great a character - there's not much character there. Shinji makes for a decent choice, if only because he's complicated.

Guts and Griffith are conspicuously absent.

Pretty sure Spike would be my #1, instead.

Goku? Ehhh.

 

[SaintZ]

Spike Spiegel at #1

I agree 100% I like Goku but number 1? Fail. I would to trade Sailor Moon for Sailor Saturn too.

 

[DrForester]

It looks like all they did was pick the main characters from the most popular animes and called it a day. I mean Goku is barely even a character.

I'm not a fan of Dragonball in any form, but even I would acknowledge Goku's impact on anime.

Rei and Shinji?

Feh.

Gendo > *

Gendo would have been a far better choice for manipulative bastard spot than Lelouch. I have no problem with Shinji given their explanation, and Rei has spawned a billion clones so I can agree with that too.

 

[gdt]

I'm not a anime aficionado, but that list is horrible. Luffy, and Zoro should be higher/on the list. Hell, maybe even Ussopp.

Goku? Fucking Goku? Guts, Griffith, mayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyybe Kakashi, *scans mind for anime he's seen* that awesome dude from Gurren Lagann, and I'm probably forgetting more.

 

[Veidt]

It looks like all they did was pick the main characters from the most popular animes and called it a day. I mean Goku is barely even a character.

You shut your whore mouth.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

22. Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SolsticeZero]

The fact that Krauser from DMC isn't on there disgusts me.

 

[Rewrite]

Luffy, and Zoro should be higher/on the list. Hell, maybe even Ussopp.

Ussopp...REALLY? In a list of all time? I don't think so.

Also, why did you change your avatar? If it wasn't for your tag, I wouldn't have recognized you. And if you don't see Goku's impact, then I'm so sorry. He should be in a list of best anime characters of all time, but I'm not too sure if it should be number one. Definitely in the top ten though.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

IGN maintains it's iron grip on FAIL.

 

[Calcaneus]

While we're complaining, where the fuck is Golgo 13?

 

[lordfroakie]

ROLF@list

Do they know their are other anime characters besides shonen jump characters? ;d

 

[Tamanon]

At least L is rated above Light Yagami, so that's correct at a minimum.

L > Lelouch > Light.

 

[gdt]

Actually, now that I think about it, if I wanna give props to Luffy, no way he ranks higher than Goku.

Though, as a character, Goku isn't number 1.

 

[JayDubya]

Gendo would have been a far better choice for manipulative bastard spot than Lelouch.

He's pretty much the sovereign king of manipulative bastards.

Or as tvtropes.org puts it, magnificent bastards.

 

[SnakeXs]

Shoulda stopped reading at "IGN". Actually stopped reading at "Goku".

 

[Rewrite]

Also, I agree with the OP. Where the fuck is Cardcaptor Sakura? Man, fuck this list.

 

[Veidt]

Actually, now that I think about it, if I wanna give props to Luffy, no way he ranks higher than Goku.

Though, as a character, Goku isn't number 1.

Goku is number one in everything. He's the only anime character that's so powerful, an endless debate can be formed on who's the victor between him and Superman.

Goku = Japan's Superman.

 

[AniHawk]

Spike Spiegel is 3 spaces too far down and this list is 19 characters too long.

 

[Quagm1r3]

Okay, I know these lists are subjective, but having an anime character list that doesn't include Kamina is a travesty. wtf.

Haha didn't know anyone knew about Gurren Lagann

 

[-Eddman-]

I like Bleach but lol at Ichigo being there. Even if you're going by popular shounen heroes, he's a bad Yusuke Urameshi ripoff.

 

[Beezy]

Rename the lis as "Most popular/well known anime character" Otherwise list fails hard.

Basically.

no sasuke?

He's #1 on the worst characters list.

 

[Kusagari]

Goku is number one in everything. He's the only anime character that's so powerful, an endless debate can be formed on who's the victor between him and Superman.

Goku = Japan's Superman.

There's tons of anime characters who would destroy Goku.

 

[Veidt]

There's tons of anime characters who would destroy Goku.

Like who?

You do know, that he's been killed many times before right? Death isn't the end for Goku.

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

:lol :lol :lol



sorry but :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol



IGN really needs to pull "best" out of their titles and change it with "According to our really ignorant, completely US-centric, popularity-driven taste", it's simply fucking ridiculus

 

[gdt]

Ussopp...REALLY? In a list of all time? I don't think so.

Also, why did you change your avatar? If it wasn't for your tag, I wouldn't have recognized you. And if you don't see Goku's impact, then I'm so sorry. He should be in a list of best anime characters of all time, but I'm not too sure if it should be number one. Definitely in the top ten though.

Yeah, I reposted with thoughts on Goku.

But man, I looooooove Ussopp!

"I'm think getting that 'can't go into haunted castle' disease!"

I changed my avatar because FNL is coming back around. Had to change the Lost avatar . I'll change it again soon, into a newer FNL one.

Edit: Heh, I didn't know people recognized me by my tag. My master plan is working!

 

[charsace]

D should be higher. Chars and Amuro not even on the list. One of the most epic rivalries in the history of modern entertainment and neither is on the list. No one from Legend of the Galactic Heroes either.

 

[ZROCOOL]

Where's Tetsuo DAMNIT? Or Guts/Griffith

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

A nice attempt at appealing to some of us older fans, but it's still a list comprising mostly of popular stuff.

A true list would contain mostly characters from relatively obscure anime(by American standards) or stuff that was just plain not localized at all.

 

[Megadragon15]

List is terrible. Where is Gigantor?

 

[Spike Spiegel]

No Honey Kisaragi aka Cutey Honey = Insta-Fail.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

Haha didn't know anyone knew about Gurren Lagann

I think after the infamous scene in episode 11, the world should know about Gurren Lagann. I don't even like mecha yet the series inspired me more than pretty much any anime out there.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Spike Spiegel is 3 spaces too far down and this list is 19 characters too long.

/thread