otaku central
Machiavellian Miscreants
The beauty of the Villain in Japanese anime and manga is that the foil of the protagonist is not necessarily evil in intent or by nature. At one time, these bad guys were "normal" but circumstances -- usually extreme ones -- turned them toward the, er, Dark Side.
Many times in the backstory, we learn the horrible truth that created such a pathological deviant.
Another common thread of these baddies is that they have a vision of the world or society and a desire to remake it. Most of them have grand plans on the scale of Napoleon's vision of One Europe (yeah, the EU came centuries later, so you have to admire a person who knows how to dream.)
There's nothing wrong with revolution, but one must always examine the intent and the means, because "by any means necessary" and "the ends justify the means" are not necessarily so. The blind devotion to an ideal could equate to the loss of humanity in the human equation.
In the end, these are reasons why most of these bad guys are not good people.
But I can't help developing a good deal of Sympathy for a FEW of these devils.
Vicious * Kazukiyo * Shishio * Nakago * Jiko * Gemma *
Tomo * Eboshi * Ikari * Yui * Professor * Yumi * Civilization
Vicious
Cowboy Bebop
Age: 27
Birthplace: Mars
High member of Red Dragons
Seiyuu: Norio WakamotoVicious: "You're trembling."
Faye: "Who are you?"
Vicious: "Vicious."His single-worded nom de guerre speaks volumes for his menacing personality, for his self-destructive path, for how he chooses to deal with his past.
Vicious was once the best friend of Spike Spiegel. They were brothers in the Martian organized crime syndicate called the Red Dragons. They protected each other. They laughed together. And they fought side by side, Vicious wielding his characteristic katana, Spike with his Jericho 941 custom. Their skill unmatched by anyone else, except by each other.
Then Spike met Julia, who was already an intimate acquaintance of Vicious. That ended their friendship. Because Spike was in love and he wanted out of the tong. Vicious saw him as weak. He put a gun to Julia's head and told her to kill Spike.
In an attempt to expand his powers in the organization, in an attempt to clear away the dead flesh, he killed those who had been close to him in the past. Vicious befriended and betrayed another friend from his past. Gren thought the time spent on Jupiter's Titan in the army made them more than comrades-in-arms. But Vicious used him, letting him take the fall for his nefarious activities.
And he used Julia to lure Spike back to him.
Of all the villains on this list, Vicious is one of the most ruthless. The Revolution he seeks is bloody and purely out of personal ambition. Call it hubris.
More on Cowboy Bebop. Read more about Spike & Faye.
Kazukiyo Gowa
GASARAKI
Age: 32
Birthplace: Modern Japan
Director of the Gowa Corporation Group
Seiyuu: Yugi Takada"You've matched all the expectations I've had for you. You are truly worthy of being my brother."
Kazukiyo Gowa is the eldest of Daizaburo Gowa's five children and master of the Gowa, a family line that dates back to the Heian era. He is the de facto director of the Gowa Corporate Group, which controls Gowa Instruments and Gowa Digital Systems. Kazukiyo embodies the idea of "by any means necessary." No life is precious enough to dissuade him from the course he takes to plunge his family, Japan, and indeed the world into chaos and despair.
For years, his father toyed with the idea that the Gowa were born of the kugutsu. Such title offered them a unique birthright. They have the power to summon the Gasaraki. Daizaburo sacrificed his youngest son and Master Sorachi's son to that end. And then Daizaburo made Master Sorachi’s grandson a substitute for his lost son, erased the child’s memories, and transplanted those of his dead son. All for the sake of pushing ahead with the experiments.
Kazukiyo learned his cunning and ruthless from a master, his father.
Kiyoharu: "You're sending Yushiro to Belgistan?"
Kazukiyo: "Opportunities like this don't come often. Even if we can recreate a realistic situation, a simulation is still only a virtual experience. Nothing like real combat. It's impossible to compare it to a battlefield, where the real fear of death wanders about everywhere. ..."
Kiyoharu: "But how will the cabinet react? I've been told the Minister of Justice is against deploying the TAs..."
Kazukiyo: "That problem should be resolved soon."Kiyogutsu turns on the local news. They learn that the Minister of Justice was just killed in a car accident. Voila! The problem is solved.
Kazukiyo joins a group of military leaders led by a mysterious philosopher named Hiraku Nishida, who repudiated his vision because he was offended by the Japan he saw. Nishida believes that the Japanese have been corrupted by the modern age and have lost their original culture and the purity and virtue that came from it.
Kazukiyo, however, has never believed in Nishida's cause, has never believed in this search for a Japanese grace, this Japanese nobility. He wanted Nishida's economic upheaval to destroy Japan, so that he could rebuild it and reign over it. He rushed the development of the TAs and human experimentation, not just to summon the Gasaraki, but to control the world as his clan once did in the past.
Kazukiyo confronts his uncle, Major General Yoshidake Gowa: “I believe I should expect a certain degree of respect in this position. I am not arrogant enough to demand respect or reverence. Dear Uncle, all I wish from you is the cooperation due the leader of the Gowa family.”
General Gowa: “Cooperation? What are you talking about?”
Kazukiyo: “Do you insist on playing the fool, Uncle? You can’t … You don’t intend to become a hermit like your brother Go-Ichiro, do you?”
General Gowa: “He was mercifully driven out because his younger brother stole his position as head of the Gowa. He did not become a hermit intentionally. Kazukiyo, I realize that you are an integral part of this plot that intends to shake Japan from its very foundations.”
Kazukiyo: “Of course I am. Dear Uncle, you must be just as aware as I am. No matter how high a position we may secure in the public world, we are still Gowa. That’s all that matters to us.”
General Gowa: “Kazukiyo, what do you intend to bring about for our family?”
Kazukiyo: “I intend to return the Gowa to our rightful position and restore our proper nature.”
General Gowa: “Restore it to what?”
Kazukiyo: “The kugutsu. The puppeteers. That is what it means to be a Gowa."When his father becomes toothless in his eyes and starts questioning the morality of sacrificing so much to acquire what their ancestors threw away, Kazukiyo convinces his younger brothers, Kiyotsugu and Kiyoharu, to support him as master of the Gowa. Kiyotsugu reluctantly votes for his elder brother because he is a scientist and wants to continue studying the kugai. Kiyoharu believes Kazukiyo will bring progress. But neither of them understands the scope of Kazukiyo's desires. Nor do they know about the human experiments going on in Hokkaido. The vote leaves their father a powerless old man, sitting aimlessly, watching time pass.
Kazukiyo to Miharu: "Are you waiting? Waiting for someone to come looking for you? If that’s the case, then you should cast aside such foolish hopes. Japan is suffering from an influx of illegal immigrants. As part of the safeguards against this, the government has created a complete database of all citizens. It even includes the names of those who enter Japan temporarily. If you are not in that database, then …. You are an illegal immigrant! As it happens, you are not listed in the database. You are a person who is not supposed to exist within Japan. It would be easy to dispose of you without anyone finding out, if it means using you to come one step closer to our goals."
Even when he is winning, Kazukiyo shows very little emotion, as if he wears the Noh mask that Yushiro uses during the Dance of the Gasara. He uses his family mercilessly.
Kiyoharu: "Well, regarding Yushiro, there's nothing yet."
Kazukiyo: "How long has it been since he left?"
Kiyoharu: "About two weeks."
Kazukiyo: "That long already? ....Keep trying a while longer. And if we can't find him, then I suppose we'll have to go to our dear father and get his advice."
Kiyoharu: "What do you mean? You wouldn't ...."When he wants to have the Gasaraki summoned, he has Kiyoharu bring in their fourteen-year-old sister, Misuzu, knowing quite well that this action would lure in Yushiro and Miharu.
When Kiyotsugu learned that Misuzu was a kai, he told Kiyoharu, but not Kazukiyo, because he was afraid of what would happen to her if Kazukiyo found find out. Oddly for Kiyotsugu and Kiyoharu there is no moral dilemma in using Yushiro for the experiments; this Yushiro is not their real brother -- although both claim, at one time or another, to be worried about Yushiro as their brother. They are certainly aghast at the idea of using Misuzu.
Kiyogutsu: “Misuzu! Big Brother! ‘Haru! How could you?! You’re not human! Conducting an experiment using Misuzu …. Big Brother, what are you doing?”
Kazukiyo: “Not human? The Gowa way of life diverges from how human beings live their lives. And did you two not agree to support such a way of life when you raised your hands? Go. Continue with the preparations."
Kiyoharu: “Let’s go. I’ve contacted Father. He should be here any minute.”
Kazukiyo pushes Misuzu toward the kugai.Yushiro's friends from the TA company call Kazukiyo reptilian.
When a district attorney appears in Gowa City to inspect the operations of Gowa and what the corporation had to do with the TAs appearance in Belgistan, Kazukiyo lets him do as he likes at first. Then he turns to Kiyoharu to enforce his will.
Kiyoharu: "I’d like to give you a warning. My older brother was willing to overlook your activities up to now, but you can’t expect him to be so forgiving anymore.”
His ruthlessness stems from an unfulfilled desire; he wanted to be a kai. He was tested and though he was close in physiology, he was not unique enough. In every way but one he fulfills the physical criteria, but the "I" globulin count is too low. The "I" globulin is found in the Mile One.
Dr. Yonetani: "There's no question, your physical abilities are extraordinary when compared to most people. But unfortunately, with regards to being a kai..."
Kazukiyo: "Not a kai? Not a kai... I am not a kai."His anger is turned against those who are kai, especially the second Yushiro. Unfortunately for him, he does not realize how strong-willed Yushiro is, that he is the one foretold in the legends, the one kai able to vanquish the Gasaraki.
When Daizaburo shows up to save his daughter from the firestorm of the Gasaraki, Kazukiyo shoots him.
Kazukiyo: “No one will get in the way!”
He calls his father, who lies dead at his feet, a fool without any regard for him.When the Gasaraki does come, the cosmic singularity offers the kai a kind of Godhood. Yushiro chooses to rely on himself, to exist by his choices rather than to be led by someone else. But Kazukiyo begs the Gasaraki to take him.
Kazukiyo: "Wait! Grant me passage, Gasaraki! Deliver me to infinite power!"
His wish is granted. But for better or for worse -- for him?
More on Gasaraki. Read more about Yushiro.
Makoto Shishio
Rurouni Kenshin
Legend of Kyoto
Real Name: Shishio Makoto
Birthplace: Late Tokugawa Japan
Credo: Only the fittest survive, the weak die.
Abilities: Incredible strength and combat skills; charisma
Seiyuu: Masanori Ikeda"With the weak as my prey, I strengthen myself. That is how my swordsmanship follows the survival of the fittest."
Makoto Shishio is the chief villain of Rurouni Kenshin: Legend of Kyoto and the unknown greater evil in Rurouni Kenshin: The Wandering Legend. During the Meiji Revolution, Shishio served as the assassin in the shadows after Kenshin emerged into the light. He was an imperialist from the Choshu. Like Kenshin, he is powerful in swordsmanship and charisma. Dispute the bandages that cover his face and body, he easily attracts followers who are willing to die for him or by his command.
Shishio is chaos. His revolution is not for the people, but through them. Anyone who is not strong enough to stand with him is mere fodder; meat for the power-hungry and the morally starved.
Houji: "Believe in him, Yumi. We are servants directly chosen by Lord Shishio. It is only natural that we servants believe in our master. ...Believe in him. No matter what the Battousai uses, there is no way Lord Shishio will fall. There is no way that he can fall!"
During the Restoration, the Imperialists needed someone to replace Kenshin once he became known as the Imperialist's chief manslayer. When Kenshin became their assassin, he did it to save people from pain and to usher in a time when people could live safely and in peace. Shishio took up the mantle of assassin to impress the leading Imperialists with his considerable talents. He willingly committed these acts, but those who needed his skills could not trust him.
Shishio committed murders for the Imperialists that could destroy the nascent Meiji government if the truth behind those deaths were made known.
In the chaos of the Boshin Wars, the Imperialists tried to have him murdered. They shot him in the head, poured oil over him and lit his body on fire. And they left him for dead.
But Shishio did not die. He lurked in the shadows slaying Imperialists, gathering a flock, and watching his predecessor. He became a demon of revenge. He adopted those who lusted for bloodshed. He used the secret of his assassinations as a trump card.
Because of the cruelties of the Imperialists, Shishio's evil was created and Kenshin had to fix it.
Shishio: "You could say it's the smoldering coals of Hell. This blazing heat has burned my entire body as well as my brain and it began to tell me the truth. Chaos is the basic nature of humanity. And this world in itself is Hell. No killing? All men are equal? Such thoughts are small and fragile. A country in which chaos means existence that is the Hell that I am trying to create."
Shishio's body is more powerful than the bodies of unbelievably strong people like Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Saito. Because of the burns sustained ten years ago, nearly all his sweat glands were destroyed. His body emits a high heat. He must conserve his energy and limit the display of his martial skills to no more than 20 minutes, which is already five minutes beyond what is safe for him. According to his doctor he can move at full strength for fifteen minutes; any longer than that and his body temperature will rise to dangerous levels. This is why Shishio created the Juppongatana and the Syndicate to work under him -- in spite of his obvious strength, skill, and intelligence.
Yumi: "Stop them! We have to stop this battle! It's already been fifteen minutes! It's dangerous for the fight to continue."
Houji: "Why?"
Yumi: "Have you forgotten? Lord Shishio lost the ability to sweat and control his body temperature because if all the burns. Therefore, he has a body temperature that normally would make living impossible!Shishio's first secret word is Homuradama, which cuts and burns simultaneously. Kenshin saw through Shishio's secret sword attack in two strikes.
Kenshin: "The heat from the friction is just to light the flame. It is not that you are really burning the tip of the blade. What is burning has seeped into that blade, which resembles a fine-toothed saw, and in the teeth of the blade from all the men you have slain, human oils."
Shishio: “Correct. I fear your tremendous powers of observation.”
His second secret word is Guren-Kaina. Using Homuradama, he strikes his blade against his gauntlet, which is loaded with gunpowder, and creates an explosion. If he is holding on to his opponent when he does this, it can be a killing move. If that person isn't Kenshin, of course.
His final secret word is Kagezuchi.
When Houji, his right hand man, praises him. He says, "Urusai, otaku!"
Shishio's sword was made by Shakku Arai, one of the last of his killing swords named Mugenjin -- Infinite Blade.
An attack that Shishio has seen before will never work twice on him. Kenshin admits to him that he is amazed by his level of power. Despite the fact that Shishio took over as the assassin in the shadows, Kenshin tells him that the age of the manslayers ended when he took up the reverse-bladed sword. That's got to piss of the would-be successor.
After Shishio bites Kenshin on the neck, he tells him that the weak have the responsibility to be food for the strong.
"Those people that you call food are all people who endured the chaos and now have finally acquired an age of peace. No person's role in life should be nothing more than a sacrifice for some other person or idea!"
Shishio vows to kill Kenshin to preserve his title as battousai. But Kenshin has no intention of leaving his name in Shishio's history or any other history -- that he does not!
Shishio: "The Meiji government is weaker than I am, so it has no right to have control over the country. I am the only one who needs to be in power. My takeover of this country is dictated by the natural order!"
He does have a point that there is no true peace in the world. At that time, Western countries were colonizing weaker countries and stripping them of their natural resources, simply because they were stronger technologically. Shishio holds the same fear that catapulted the Choshu and Satsuma into the Revolution in the first place, the fear of a foreign invasion and no way to stop it. He calls Kenshin's peace a dream, an illusion.
Shishio: "This is the most amusing battle I've had in some time. I haven't had this much fun since the Revolution. But, I do have to go take over a country after this, so I don't have any more time to play around."
There is no doubt, he has little time. Without regard for his doctor's edicts, his body will cook within his skin, if he continues to refuses to give up his hopes for creating a Hell on earth. Human combustion, when an abnormal body heat burns away all the fat and oils in the body, is not a pleasant sight.
Houji: "Where am I? I am sure that I died. This is --."
Shishio: "Of course this is hell."
Houji: "Shishio-sama!"
Yumi: "See, I told you that if we waited a little bit, Houji would surely come here."
Shishio: "Yeah. Houji, we've got to go!"
Houji: "Go? To where?"
Shishio: "Of course, to take over this country called hell, ruled by Enma!"
Yumi: "Hey, I think Usui must be around here, too. Let's invite him to be a real part of our group this time."
Shishio: "That's true. What's wrong, Houji? What are you slowing down for? I promised you I would let you taste the fruits of victory first and foremost right beside me."
Houji: "Yes, I'm home!"
Shishio: "In the battle with the Battousai, the age was scared of me and aided him. But, only evil people are down here. It won't work that way this time!"More on Rurouni Kenshin. Read more about Hitokiri Battousai.
Nakago
Fushigi Yuugi
Age: 25
Real Name: Ayuru
Birthplace: The West
Birthday: November 17
Abilities: Uses KI (or chi) He can control life energy and use psycho-kinesis.
As a minion of Seiryu, he bears the Chinese character meaning both heart
and mind on his forehead. Only he and Tamahome bear their celestial
marking on the forehead.
Seiyuu: Touru Furusawa
His mother once told him that pride, kindness, and love made a person strong. But as a young boy, he would come to know her words to be a lie.
Nakago, who is the general or shogun, of two-thirds of the Kutou army, seeks justice, but don't rule vengeance out either. Nakago (not using the same kanji) also describes a part of the naked blade of a katana, before the tang (end, opposite of tip) is covered and wrapped. This definition of Nakago adds a kind of primal nature to the man who is as cold and hard as steel.
His revolution is the destruction of the Empire of Kutou -- by any means necessary. His mother was the daughter of leader of the Hin Tribe and his father was the former shogun of Kutou. The Hin people were attacked and decimated by the army of Kutou. Why? Because its emperor, Shoukitei, believed in conquest for conquest's sake.
In the thoughtlessness of fear and rage, he accidentally killed his mother, when his Seiryu power manifested itself. And if that wasn't enough to shape his pathology, because of his beauty, he was highly "favored" by the Kutou Emperor.
Pain, both physical and emotional, and fear forced him to retreat from his emotions. His capacity to feel is so lost from him that he cannot recognize Soi's love or his love for her until it is too late.
He seeks his justice by manipulating Seiryu no miko Yui into giving him one of her wishes when she summons the blue dragon. Contrary to what he says initially, he doesn't want to become a god or even an emperor, he wants to redeem himself and his mother's death. He would give both meaning through the destruction of Kutou.
"A soldier has taken off his armor and is waiting here for you. Now why don't you show him a good time?"
He is more than willing to seduce in order to get his way. He has charmed Soi, a fellow Seiryu warrior into sharing her life force when he needs feeling. He kisses Yui and tells her that he loves her, in order to get one of her wishes. He kisses Miaka as a prelude to his planned rape.
He does not succeed at the rape, but then again he does not like the idea of taking a woman against her will or while she is unconscious.
"Upon the heavens, which have given me only hell, I shall have my revenge!"
His revenge, however, is meted out against Tamahome. What was done to him, he intends to do to another. He and Tamahome are alike in many ways. Both were forced to grow up early and take on a great deal of responsibility.
In Tamahome, Nakago can see the young man he could have become if not for the annihilation of the Hin tribe. He delights in causing Tamahome pain, because in doing so he takes a bit of revenge on the world.
He enjoys tormenting Tamahome. He likes telling the seventeen-year-old that Miaka has such soft skin and that he thought of her as a child, but that her body was very much a woman's. When Tamahome fights him without his powers, he cannot land a single blow.
"Poor boy. You're covered with blood, aren't you? You excite me, if not in the same way a woman does ...."
Can you hear the however in that statement? Nakago licks his face. And before that, he does kiss Tamahome on the mouth.
And yet, he does like Tamahome. (Not that way! Leave that to Tomo!) Since coming to an understanding of his powers, Nakago has never been hit, except by his young enemy. And Tamahome comes to understand his great enemy. As Tamahome hits him one last time, Nakago cannot block, for his powers have been sealed, Tamahome learns of the abuse Nakago suffered at the hands of the emperor of Kutou.
Tamahome: "Nakago."
Nakago: "Damn you. Don't go sneaking peeks into the hearts of others."
Tamahome: "Why didn't you dodge me?"
Nakago: "Won't you please stop? Don't waste your childish feelings on me. Seiryu is sealed away. The power of Suzaku you have is stronger. And the strong win. That's all." He grabs Tamahome by the hair. "How bitter this is. My ambitions ended by a naive fool like you."He dies thinking of his mother.
Read more about Tamahome.
Jiko Bo
Mononoke Hime
Shishoren Monk
Jiko Bo initially comes off as the wise but gruff old monk who accompanies the young hero on his quest to actually do good.
But no, Jiko Bo isn't out to do good at all. He is a member of the mysterious organization called the Shishoren (the Master Sect). He is a religious fanatic, who leads his twisted minions on the hunt for the head of the Deer God. The head of the Deer God, they believe, means eternal life.
But beyond that, the Deer God represents the Other religion. And what do fanatics do when confronted by something that is different, despite how powerfully good or beautiful? Fanatics destroy to keep THEIR status quo.
Of all the villains here, I find him most offensive, most villainous, most corrupt, and most destructive. He sees what his hunt has caused, but he doesn't stop and runs away with the Deer God's head in an iron box.
At one juncture, he used the Tatara ox herders and musketeers as bait to lure the minions of the Boar God to attack. His scheme saw the deaths of many Tatara people and minions of the Boar God.
Even when he learns that the Deer God is life and cannot die, he is completely unrepentant. And unlike our other villains, he does not die in the end. He lives and the movie ends and somehow you know he's plotting against humanity and nature.
Gemma Himuro
Ninja Scroll
Abilities: regenerate, polymorph
Buddies: Yurimaru, Benisato, Zakuro,
Utsutsu Mujuro, Shijima, Tessai, Mishizo
Seiyuu: Yuusaku YaraGemma also seeks a revolution, but not because his people have been conquered or because the world is a cold and unkind place. He seeks change because he wants power. He has made a deal with the Shogun of the Dark to overthrow the newly established Tokugawa government. But he has no intention of keeping any oaths, not even to his people.
The Shogun of the Dark is a bad guy, who deserves no allegiances, but Gemma does not betray him in order to spare 17th Century Japan more wars and upheaval, which it had experienced for hundreds of years. Gemma wants to be the new Shogun of the Dark, the great evil in the shadows, ruling with terror and fear.
He is the leader of the Devils of Kimon, each of the eight people imbued with mystical powers that do not have to be used for evil, but are and without any regrets. To his people, Gemma is the mastermind and master manipulator. He uses his people against each other, perhaps to bring out the strength of their powers, perhaps simply to watch the carnage. Because Gemma is truly nasty, killing without compunction.
Gemma was never a good guy. He once tricked the lord of the Yamashiro Clan into trying to kill Jubei Kibagami, making the lord believe him to be the traitor. The traitor of course had been Gemma. Jubei was forced to kill the clan, people who he regarded as friends, just to stay alive. He avenged the deaths of his friends by using his lightning fast sword strike to take Gemma's head.
Ah, but Gemma didn't die. It's damnably difficult to perish when you can regenerate any missing body part, including your head. The only question is will he actually rot in his golden hell?
Read more about Jubei & Kagero.
Tomo
Fushigi Yuugi
Age: 21
Birthday: October 13
Abilities: He has the ability to create very real illusions and create reflections of himself."In the make up design for my face, the indigo represents trickery, the black represents loyalty. And the few touches of brilliant gold I added for flavor."
We first meet Tomo in the Western Hokkan empire, where, with his shin -- a clamshell that projects illusions that he can control, he conjures the form of Suzaku helper Taiitsukun. Through his illusion, he tells Miaka that she should go to Nakago and gain back the stolen Shinzaho by controlling the Kutou shogun's life force through sexual intercourse. Just after he sends Miaka off to be raped, he traps most of the Suzaku Seven in an illusion of the city of Sairou, where they will slowly die.
Whereas Nakago has a problem with rape, Tomo does not. He manages to trap Miaka in an illusion of her world and he throws himself into the vision. He becomes her boyfriend in the fake world and tries to seduce her and would have succeeded in taking her against her will if not for Seiryu Seven Amiboshi. He sets about avenging the deep wound Tamahome gave Nakago by using Soi's body to tempt Tamahome. In making love to Soi, Tamahome too would have been trapped in an illusion and his life force would have been sucked away. Tamahome, however, loved Miaka too much to ruin her chance at summoning Suzaku.
Tomo is homosexual, almost the counterbalance of the Suzaku Seven's Nuriko. Nuriko is in love with the young emperor of Konan and Tomo is in love with Nakago. He's also seriously enticed by the handsome Tamahome. He tries to sexually arouse Tamahome as he likes to give his victims pleasure, then open death's door. He laments, while physically torturing Miaka that he much more enjoyed hearing Tamahome's cries of agony than hers.
Read more about Tamahome.
Lady Eboshi
MONONOKE HIME
Employment: Lady of Tatara Ba
Skills: Excellent with big iron gun and bladed weapons
Seiyuu: Yuuko Tanaka
Seiyuu: Minnie Driver
When I composed my Villains list, I wavered as to whether to add this paragon of strength and nobility in the queue or to place her with the masterful damsels. She has the ruthlessness of a Vicious and the cunning of a Nakago. But once I decided that Yui Hongo of FY should be on the villains list, then there was no doubt that Lady Eboshi had to be here, too.
So why is she not a true villain? Mostly because San, the Princess Mononoke, is not. Because San and Lady Eboshi are opposites in desires and goals, but they embody the same qualities of uncompromising strength and eager and deadly devotion to a goal. They possess the same impassioned method for getting what they want. Lady Eboshi represents civilization and technology as her foil, San, represents nature.
Lady Eboshi is the founder of Iron Town. She has former prostitutes, lepers, and other castoffs from society within her workforce. She is exactly the type of person one would desire for a leader. She makes mistakes – as in shooting the Nightwalker – but in truth, her heart is in the right place.
She is always thinking about protecting her people and she is led to believe that ridding herself of the Great Forest Spirit will stop the constant fighting between her people and the minions of the Forest Gods.
Her decisiveness and courage are only footnotes of a very complex and engaging personality.
Gendou Ikari
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Age: 48
"Maiden" Name: Gendou Rokubungi
Commander of NERV HQ
Seiyuu: Fumihiko Tachiki
Gendou is not a lucky man. He never was well liked, except by Yui Ikari, who became his wife. Who knows what he could have become but for Yui introducing him to SEELE and the secretive multinational group once called Gehirn, now called NERV. That Gendou deeply loved Yui is the only truth. And he gave up everything and risked the world to have her back. In a freak accident, Yui "disappeared" into EVA 01.
He never cared about the Instrumentality or Human Completion project. Why would he want to share his consciousness with all living humanity as the next phase of evolution when Yui was not there to share it with him?
He did not hate his son. He was simply completely and utterly indifferent to him unless Shinji was in EVA 01 and Shinji as doing something that would bring him closer to the phase of the Instrumentality project when he could retrieve Yui from Rei.
He just could not love anymore. Which made him a great and determined commander, a boss you wouldn't want to upset with little screw ups, a horrible father, and not the best guy for the job of securing humanity's future -- whether evolved or not. The indifference he showed toward his son was not different for the indifference he showed toward the world.
He fought the Angels because that would get him to a place where he could get Yui back. He could really be a pathetic character --especially the way he died -- if he weren't such a cold-hearted bastard, intelligent, manipulative, and unafraid.
More on Evangelion. Read more about Kaji & Misato.
Yui Hongo
Fushigi Yuugi
Age: 15
Birthplace: Tokyo
Birthday: October 26
Blood Type: ABYui is the chosen priestess of Seiryu, the Blue Dragon, the Beast God and guardian of the Kutou Empire. She is also an exam candidate, who has aspirations of going to one of the best high schools in Tokyo. She's smart enough, but the decisions she makes once she and her best friend Miaka Yuki are placed in the mythical world within the book, The Universe of the Four Gods, severely questions her intelligence, her loyalty, and her common sense. Unlike a Vicious or a Gemma, who are pretty close to being true evil, Yui is normally a kind and good hearted person. But jealousy has driven her to become her shadow self and highly repugnant.
She does not even mourn the death of Tamahome's family, although he is supposedly the boy she is in love with. Nor does she mourn the deaths of her loyal celestial warriors.
Yui has chosen this battle with her best friend, but that is all she has actively done. She has left the strategy to Nakago and if she were truly thinking, instead of just feeling, she would loathe his methods. While Miaka wishes to summon Suzaku to save Konan from being conquered and to save her best friend from
herself, Yui fights to spite Miaka. She does nothing to gain the seven stars, again relying in Nakago. She allows herself to have no control, therefore no true responsibility for her actions.
Tamahome: "Why are you so stubborn? There's still time! You still haven't summoned Seiryu!"
Yui: "No. I've already made up my mind. To summon Seiryu! But don't worry. I don't intend to do it to get you. That's going to be Miaka's wish to Suzaku, isn't it?! For you two to be together? For what reason? It's stupid! Because if she doesn't summon Suzaku you could never spend your life with Miaka! Who cares about you?! You're just a character in a book!"
She allows Nakago to flog Tamahome because she wants him to be obedient and to love her. She drugs Tamahome to keep him at her side. She mistreats Suboshi, who is her age, because he is her age -- only two years younger than Tamahome. And when she seals Suzaku, she revels in the chance to separate the lovers. She is even jealous if Nakago leaves her side, never allowing him his romantic attachment to Soi.
When she summons Nakago and Suboshi into her world and they proceed to destroy half of Tokyo, she understands too late that she too is an element of that destructive force; she understands almost too late what true friendship and love means.
Read more about Tamahome.
The Professor
City Hunter: The Motion Picture
Real name: Takeaki Muto
Age: 29 (?)
Skills: sniper with impeccable aim, hand to hand combat expert.
Notoriety: ten assassinations, the robbery of a Swiss transport truck, the kidnapping of an executive of the European economic world, and numerous crimes have been attributed to him. All these crimes are unsolved. He's never been caught. Known for his use of the Black Talon Bullet, which has been taken off the market because of its destructive nature. He doesn't like vulgar language used around him
Seiyuu: Kouichi YamaderaThe Professor does not commit his crimes for the money, but to please his sense of aesthetics, or so the police files on him report. And that is why he is called the professor.
Even as a child, he was different. He is a genius. He graduated Magna cum Laude from Harvard at 16. He had more in depth conversations with the roses he cared for than with his parents or adopted sister. He came from a wealthy family. He had a great education. His family loved him. But he was never really happy.
On his 18th birthday, he left home and joined the multinational peacekeeping force. He belonged to the 2nd Parachute Regiment and was considered an elite soldier. During the Gulf War, his platoon was isolated on a reconnoitering mission and shelled by friendly fire. They were left for dead. But he survived. And he killed the commander who ordered the bombing. As Takeaki Muto, he has not been seen since. According to him, Takeaki Muto died on a battlefield in the desert, where he met God.
He was reborn in order to take revenge against the God who sent him into the world and to take revenge on that world. He is rather like Lucifer, cast out of Heaven, he works against God and man. For now, he cannot believe in anyone or anything but himself.
Until he meets Ryo Saeba, who has confidence not in God, but in his sex drive.
He only felt alive when the bombs rained down on him, when he was about to die. He only felt pleasure when he met the one man he came to Japan to challenge. He only felt love from the flowers that bloomed for him, from the sister who smiled before he shut his eyes in death.
Yumi Komagata
Rurouni Kenshin
Legend of Kyoto
Birthplace: Late Tokugawa Japan
Abilities: Well, she was a geisha
Yumi is a great character, although she isn't the villain in the series. She is the villain's love intent. She is Shishio Makoto's woman. She is not evil, but she chooses the side of evil and chaos and that makes her a villain. Nor does she wish the decision were otherwise. She would rather stand at Shishio's side in Hell, than to serve men in her former employ as a very, very popular high-class courtesan.
Beautiful, graceful, and skilled in pleasing others she was unhappy with her life, feeling both used and useless.
Yumi: "The red-light district was bright and flowery, but no matter how the times change, it's just a world of pain painted with lies."
But Shishio gave her purpose. She takes care of him, seeing to his healing, seeing that he does not over exert himself, and seeing that his enemies suffer and die. She applauds her true loves efforts at bringing pain, chaos and death to the Meiji Japan.
Like most of Shishio's cohorts, she is a woman who experienced pain and loneliness and looked for someone to give meaning to her existence. She found that in Shishio. But one wonders if she had met Kenshin, if she would have been a different person, much like Sojiro Seta.
In the Kyoto story arc, she guides Kenshin, Saito, and Sano through Shishio's mountain lair.
Yumi: "Stop! Going any further is useless! Lord Shishio, because of the burns all over his body is already unable to fight for more than fifteen minutes at a time. He's gone over his limit! You've done enough, haven't you? Don't put Lord Shishio through any more pain. Onegai!"
With her pleas, she of course touches Kenshin's heart and he lowers his sword. She buys her true love time to recover some of his strength -- with her life. Shishio stabs his sword through Yumi's heart into Kenshin's abdomen.
Kenshin: "Shishio Makoto! You went that far.... Do you want to win even if it means betraying your loved one?"
Shishio: "Betray her? Maybe from your point of view. But she understands me better than anyone else and I understand her better than anyone else."
Yumi: "I'm so happy. This is the first battle that I was of any use. And, I was able to be of use in Lord Shishio's most important battle. I was always jealous of the boy and Kamatari. For Lord Shishio, fighting is everything, yet all I could do was take care of everyday things. I was always frustrated and irritated. But now, it's different. Win. Please win, Lord Shishio. I will be waiting for you. Waiting. One step ahead of you in hell."She finds happiness in this act of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and love.
She, Sojiro, and Houji are the people Shishio values the most. In Hell, they reunite with plans to take over hell.
More on Rurouni Kenshin. Read more about Hitokiri Battousai.
Civilization and Society
While not a character per se, civilization and society in general have taken on a villainous cast in several spot-on anime, many of which are products of Miyazaki's amazing studio Ghibli. How can society be the bad guy? Um, look at any nation's history and it's obvious.
But if you're looking for the concrete, watch Mononoke Hime. Ashitaka's tribe, the Emishi, are on the fringe, living in a forest. His village is "happy, healthy, and free," to quote Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The first touch of a civilizing force comes in the form of a Boar God corrupted by the iron from Lady Eboshi's guns. Ashitaka stops the crazed Boar God, but not before he is cursed to die an early, painful death because of civilization's incursion on the Forest.
How about Miyazaki's first masterpiece, Nausicaa. In this story, civilization has already destroyed itself. Humanity exists, but barely. And yet we still manage to make war on nature and on each other. Or have a look at Pom Poko, directed masterfully by Isao Takahata. The Tanuki try to fight the disease that is civilization, but in the end they are left with only two choices - to become human and suffer or to stay in raccoon form and likely get run over by a motor vehicle. Or Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies.
Or Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence where humanity perverts technology to find sexual satisfaction.
Updated on 06/14/02