He even refuses to use Misa Amane to get information out of her when L asks him to. His sense of morality returns and he shows more compassion for those around him. When he temporarily relinquishes ownership of the Death Note to throw L off his trail, Light loses all memory of it and he reverts to his normal personality. His idealism and nobility still shine through when he doesn't have the Death Note. His ultimate goal is to make the world a happier, safer place a noble goal but perhaps misguided. But when he gets possession of the Death Note, he begins a remarkable transformation into a disturbing mastermind who becomes judge, jury, and executioner for the entire world.īut Light's character remains complicated throughout the story. Light started out as a good kid, doing well in school and heading to a bright career in police work like his father. The story heavily relied upon Light's cleverness, and the layers upon layers that comprised his plans. The manga was incredibly addictive it was absolute can't-put-it-down material (largely due to author Tsugumi Ohba's masterful use of cliffhangers). Light Yagami (Death Note)ĭiabolical, calculating, and determined to remake the world in his own image, Light Yagami was the force that drove Death Note and made it a phenomenon.
In the end, Lelouch's plans are successful, though not in the way anyone ever expected. But it wasn't just a costume slowly Zero becomes a persona for Lelouch until eventually the hopeful boy he was starts to fade away. His rise and downfall is almost Shakespearean in nature, as his own pride and arrogance cloud his judgment and he misses out on what was truly important.īut at least he did it all with a sense of dramatic flair! His alter ego Zero, complete with mysterious helmet and flowing cape, was an iconic tool to secure a place in the psyche of both his enemies and his followers. The words "the ends justify the means" were his mantra, but his desire to right wrongs and create a better world for his sister led him to become the exact kind of despot that he was trying to fight against. As often happens in dramatic stories, his good intentions paved a road to a dark place. Lelouch was one of the best examples of a hero gone astray. Although Vash is often portrayed as a childish goofball, in reality he's a very complex and tortured character who is doing his best to save people who never even know what he's done for them. The tale of Vash's childhood and his mother figure Rem is a great story, as is the story of how Knives ended up being the polar opposite of Vash. But Vash's true challenge is in saving the world from his "brother" Knives, and it's this conflict that brings out Vash's real heroism. He's the greatest gunman on the planet, and all the criminals he faces don't stand a chance against him. As a "Plant," he's a being with power that few can comprehend. But in reality, he's humanity's secret guardian angel on the distant, wild planet of Gunsmoke. Vash is called "the humanoid typhoon" because utter destruction tends to follow him wherever he goes, and there's a huge bounty on his head. He's a character who suffered countless scars and wounds to his own body to protect others, even the very villains he was trying to stop, and his vow to never take a life provides plenty of drama in Trigun as his enemies use his virtue against him. 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.
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