Otaku Digest: Top 5 Main Men Of Anime
Welcome one and all to another Otaku Digest, the weeks are flying by but we are still enjoying the spoils of the winter season where I am playing an epic game of catch up because there were quite a few series that I wanted to stick with. For now though I am going to have another countdown. A while ago I did a top 5 most epic ladies in anime and I thought it was about time I did a top 5 epic men in anime list but I am limiting this list to a top 5 epic main men in anime since there are some top notch male characters front and center of anime. Again this is MY top 5, it is the characters I feel take these places, you may have a completely different list to me and you know what I want to know what they are so let me know in the comments. For now let’s countdown my top 5 main men of anime.
#5 Goku – Dragonball/Z/GT/Kai
No surprise this main man is making an appearance on this list as he is literally always saving the world from whatever baddy he comes against. He is considered the ultimate hero because he is always willing to sacrifice himself for his loved ones and the earth itself but he does come with a double edged sword that trouble and evil literally come looking for him, no this is actually written into the narrative of the show. Everyone remembers watch and cheering for Goku when he took on the baddies of the Dragonball universe, now I may get some slack for not including Vegeta in here but in reality Vegeta although awesome is not a main man compared to Goku, Dragonball begins and ends with Goku so he is deserving of the number 5 slot.
#4 Gene Starwind – Outlaw Star
I did say this was my top 5 list and it is no surprise that Gene would make an appearance on here and to be honest I would love to include Jim here too but Gene out ranks him by being that protagonist you just can’t help but love but god do you hate him at the same time. He is the ultimate misogamist, he loves a few drinks and loose women but he also goes through a transformation of sorts when he claims the Outlaw Star ship, you start to see why Gene puts on his macho male facade as he his journeys and adventures with the help of the empathetic Melfina begin to chip that façade away. Gene is the ultimate underdog in my opinion and he deserves this 4th place spot.
#3 Eren Jaeger – Attack on Titan
The battle to decide on who should make this list was epic and really at first I did not want to include Eren, just because he is such an obvious choice but when I battled it out in my mind it made more and more sense to put him in here, If this had of been a generic male characters in anime list he would not have made the cut but since it is main characters he does deserve a mention on here. Eren has a serious and speedy transformation from boy to man in this series from losing his mother to joining the corps. He takes on more and more responsibilities as he grows and not to spoil it (cannot imagine there is someone who has not seen this show) but even as he develops his other half he has to begin to understand the other side’s perspective and what life really means. Most important though he is very relatable, he has a yearning for revenge and is filled to the brim with courage but he also has moments of weakness, regret and this is what gets him on this list. The fact that we are brought back to reality and can relate with him. Eren Jaeger, sure he is only human takes the third place spot.
#2 Edward Elric – Full Metal Alchemist/Brotherhood
I really struggled with the second and first place spots, these are two characters that have a made a real impact on the anime universe they exist in beyond just being the main character. I reluctantly put Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist in the second place spot. Edwards character is literally put through hell during this anime whether the original or the reboot Brotherhood. From his childhood Edward is on an epic journey of self-discovery and self-sacrifice fuelled with guilt. His connection with his armored brother Alphonse is heart-warming and his dedication to their personal mission is inspiring. Where he is a little man filled with passion and courage the fact he has so much comic relief to him is fantastic, it makes him stand out as a main anime man that is not brooding and deep but he can be light-hearted and comedic when needed making him even more relatable. This list would be incomplete without him, Edward Elric takes the second place spot.
#1 – Spike Spiegel – Cowboy Bebop
Anyone who knows me knew this was coming, claiming the number one slot if the one and only Spike Spiegel. The ultimate main male anime character in my opinion. Cowboy Bebop is a fantastic anime but in my opinion it would be nothing without its main bounty hunter. Spike is fast, strong and so completely chill, I cannot even begin to explain how chilled out this character is. Even when he gets into spots of bother, which are many it doesn’t seem to faze him, we find out later in the series why even the most despicable of acts do not seem to faze him, without spoiling it is simply because he has either seen or done worse. Spike handles everything with ease and yet yearns for excitement so when something thrilling comes along he revels in it, whether it be a space chase or hands on combat. Spike seems at first to be just your generic out for thrills bounty hunter but he is so much more complex and as the series progresses you get to see why he is how he is and why he is so closed off, his past silently haunts him always. He will forever and always be my space cowboy, he owns this number 1 slot. Bang!