He's gifted with superhuman fighting abilities, but also a superhuman capacity for compassion and kindness. Vash the Stampede (Trigun)Įver the reluctant fighter, Vash was a living contradiction. Astro, a boy who was both more than human and less than human, guided kids through complex morality tales where the characters had complicated motivations, social problems didn't always have easy solutions, and people had the capacity to perform both great acts of kindness and of evil. Tenma goes insane from the grief of losing his son). But beyond those long lashes and that cute smile is a character who portrayed stories for Japanese children who had seen war (even Astro's 'father' Dr. Out of that grief was borne the bright-eyed robot boy named Astro, who then became destined to use his X-ray vision, rocket-booster feet, and 100,000-horsepower arms to protect humanity from itself.Īstro Boy's design is quite childish, and there's no question that he has appeal with kids. Tenma to replace his own son, who had died in a car accident.

In the original story, Astro was created by Dr. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the 'father of manga,' the original Astro Boy was a mix of the classic Pinocchio tale with the science and zeitgeist of the post-war Atomic Age (in Japan, Astro's name is Tetsuwan Atom). One of the oldest anime characters in existence, Astro Boy first appeared on television screens in 1963, helping to usher in the phenomenon now known worldwide as anime. So keep reading or swipe through the slideshow to see our picks for the top 25 anime characters of all time! You can also check out our guide to the best anime series of all time for more. Our anime experts put their heads together and made the hard choices so that we could celebrate the best of the best. Picking only 25 was one of the hardest tasks we've undertaken, but that's the kind of sacrifice we make for you (plenty of favorites just missed this list, from Shotaro Kaneda to Char Aznable to Alucard). Each character has been selected for their lasting impact, their place in anime history, and, of course, how much we love them here at IGN. Being able to watch all of our favorite shows has gotten us thinking about the best anime characters of all time, from deep-cut faves to the classics who shaped anime as we know it.īefore we get to our list, here are a few ground rules on how we landed on this selection. The proliferation of streaming services and popularity of anime have made it a golden age for fans who want to enjoy anime new and old alike. Long gone are the days of paying $50 for a VHS of three episodes of your favorite show. There's never been a better time to be an anime fan.

Anime wallpaper cool