We’ve established through impeccable scientific means that Shinji Ikari is the most annoying character in anime and Light Yagami is the best villain. Current studies indicate that Lucy/Nyuu is probably the scariest girl. It’s time for a more inspirational poll. Who is the most heroic character in anime? Please post your nominations in a comment to this post. You can nominate more than one character, but don’t get carried away. Update: please mention the show the character is from; there’s a lot I haven’t seen, and I probably won’t recognize every name.
Note that “hero” and “jackass” are not mutually-exclusive terms. Few fictional characters exhibit such manly strength as Kamina, and fewer still are such damned fools.
Simon – Gurren Lagann – Rather than Kamina’s posturing, Simon is down to earth but never gives up yet knows when it is time for him to pass the baton to those more suitable than him. This shows great courage, humility and most importantly wisdom
Son Goku, of course! No one else (except maybe Gohan) comes close to measuring up!
Yakuta.
Or, Spike.
The Elric Brothers, FMA (Brotherhood, if you prefer). Overcoming their own mistakes (and hubris), fighting against evil creatures whose evil plans go back centuries, yet remaining true to their principles and doing their damnedest to protect friends & family, not to mention keeping faith with one another through it all. If that’s not heroic, I don’t know what is.
But if they don’t win this, they should win a “best siblings” poll some day. 🙂
The list needs someone not suffering from Y chromosomes, so I’ll add (magical girl lyrical) Nanoha.
I was thinking that Miyafuji Yoshika was pretty amazingly heroic in the last episode of Strike Witches 2.
I can’t believe that nobody has put in a word for Homura yet, when you have her picture at the top of the post. Too obvious? Doesn’t she perfectly exemplify just about every possible heroic quality?
Possibly because people get into definition arguments about who is the protagonist of Madoka, Jonathan. The other weekend I got into that exact argument with an old roommate, and pointed out in support of my argument that the protagonist of Moby Dick wasn’t the whale, but he wasn’t having any of it.
I don’t know, I like Robin from Witch Hunter Robin, and maybe Masane from Witchblade. I tend to like action heroines who are better than their shows…
Going to the wayback machine for my nominees:
Nausicaa
Himura (Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X)
Togusa (GitS)