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[BearFlexington]

Some "moe" thread got me thinking about anime. I did a quick search and did not find a thread on this but I was wondering, with black characters so few and far between in anime, who are the best, most interesting black anime characters?

I want to go ahead and eliminate American-syndicated series like Afro Samurai or anime-ized American comics Blade and X-Men.

Please don't assume we know the reference point and post the name of the anime that featured the character as well.

Udai Taxim - Cowboy Bebop

Claudia Grant - Macross/Robotech

NOTE: Seeing a couple like this on a show this old just felt right. Claudia herself was a pretty one-dimensional character but she was strong-willed and consistent.

Bob - Tenjou Tenge

NOTE: While I'm not a huge fan of the character design, Bob was an undisputed badass in the anime and manga. I still think he might have been a ripoff of Fatal Fury's Bob Wilson though.

Who are some others that deserve some love?

 

[Aurongel]

The character design of your third example is a little suspect...

 

[Jazzy Network]

Jet?

 

[CadetMahoney]

I bet someone mentions Mr Popo from Dragonball.

 

[CheesecakeRecipe]

I'ma pound the shit outta ya, fuckin tourist.

 

[Kite]

Dutch from Black Lagoon

 

[akachan ningen]

This guy from Cowboy Bebop, forgot his name:

Too bad we didn't get to see more of him.

 

[BearFlexington]

I bet someone mentions Mr Popo from Dragonball.

Just a matter of time. . . .

 

[Kraftwerk]

love him;

 

[BearFlexington]

Dutch from Black Lagoon

Was dutch also a Chūnin?

 

[Kite]

Tosen from Bleach

Arshes Nei from Bastard!

Kilik from Soul Eater

Michiko from Michiko to Hatchin

Cyborg 008 (Pyunma) from Cyborg 009

Fire Emblem from Tiger and Bunny

Buddy Waters from Space Brothers

 

[Semblance]

Michiko to Hatchin's Michiko Malandro is awesome.

 

[AnkiRendan]

Chocolove from the Shaman King manga was treated pretty well for a black character. He also ended up being the strongest of the main five if I recall correctly.

Kilik from Soul Eater is my personal favourite. I love his abilities and personality.

Darui from Naruto isn't bad either.

 

[bobbychalkers]

Victor Freeman

Second Blaster Knuckle related post I've made all day, thats a record.

 

[theecakee]

I'ma pound the shit outta ya, fuckin tourist.

But just ignore the Japanese dub.

 

[plasmawave]

 

[jrush64]

Yoruichi. Bad ass chick!!

 

[JustAnotherMike]

Nils from Gundam Build Fighters

Shows up as an adult in the 2nd season

 

[Frecklestein]

Killer Bee! (Naruto)

Uub (Dragon Ball GT)

 

[Parakeetman]

Agil from Sword Art Online

 

[BearFlexington]

Michiko to Hatchin's Michiko Malandro is awesome.

Woah. This show sounds awesome. I need to check this out.

What about Joker? He had a much more substantial plot in the Akira manga, changing sides a few times I believe.

 

[IDKAboutThat]

Simon Brezhnev. A massive black Russian who works at a sushi place.

 

[shintoki]

Dutch from Black Lagoon

And is actually a very well written character too. They slowly introduce bits and piece of his background without ever making it a direct focus. Each revealing a bit more with his actions adding to it.

 

[injurai]

Jet?

heh

 

[DarkKyo]

Ishimatsu! Samurai Champloo.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

love him;

Believe it or not this is offensive

 

[Tizoc]

Victor Freeman

Second Blaster Knuckle related post I've made all day, thats a record.

Buster Knuckle was awesome, it was Berserk with a western setting.

 

[SatoAilDarko]

Love James from Blood+.

Eureka 7 Gecko State pilots

The couple on the right.

Finally one you wouldn't think of (and I'm not sure if he counts)

My second-favorite One Piece character Usopp would be from Africa if in the real world according to Oda. Now of course that includes Egypt so YMMV.

Victor Freeman

Second Blaster Knuckle related post I've made all day, thats a record.

Looks very JoJoish.

Killer Bee! (Naruto)

Uub (Dragon Ball GT)

I really liked Killer Bee. Wish he did more in the war arc.

I'm pretty sure Uub has been confirmed south Asian.

Edit:

Simon Brezhnev. A massive black Russian who works at a sushi place.

Love him and loved Patrick Seitz's Russian accent in the dub.

 

[googleplex]

Killer Bee! (Naruto)

Naruto's true Bro. Fuck Sasuke.

One of my first cartoon crushes. I was writing Claudia fanfiction before I even knew what fanfiction was.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Believe it or not this is offensive

I'm watching the original Japanese version, and it's even worse, he's got the whole Tarzan, first-person thing going on. :/

 

[Mexen]

Was dutch also a Chūnin?

Lmao. I based my Dutch cosplay based on that photo and yeah, I was asked "Black Lagoon x Naruto?"

 

[Reset]

No love for Piccolo?
He's the best.

 

[BearFlexington]

Lmao. I based my Dutch cosplay based on that photo and yeah, I was asked "Black Lagoon x Naruto?"

It's just homage to the Vietnam-era m69 Army flak jacket.

 

[Kite]

Was dutch also a Chūnin?

Shush you cheeky twat Maybe you'll like classy Dutch instead~

 

[Love Deterrence]

I liked Lizzie from ~Requiem for the Phantom~. Not because of the nude scene, I promise!

 

[Karsticles]

No Pedro from Excel Saga? The dude sleeps with The Universal Will. Hilarious character. He is Colombian in the show. He also, as the show tells us, has a very sexy wife.

"Very very nooooooo!"

Yeah, he is a joke character, but that goes for the entire cast.

I liked Lizzie from ~Requiem for the Phantom~. Not because of the nude scene, I promise!

This reminded me of Casca from Berserk.

 

[Htown]

Dutch from Black Lagoon

Yoruichi. Bad ass chick!!

these

 

[BearFlexington]

Shush you cheeky twat Maybe you'll like classy Dutch instead~

Am I missing something good? Should I jump on this anime?

 

[chertipros]

I know I'm bending the rules bit, but RJ from me and the devil blues needs more love. A manga about slavery and racism in post civil war southern United States with blues and the devil thrown in the mix? What's not to love?

Spoiler

prison school is another manga by the same author, but it's a lot less serious. Check that out too if you're a true ass man

 

[Kite]

Am I missing something good? Should I jump on this anime?

Yes, Black Lagoon is a damn good show even for those who don't like anime.

The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid 1990s.[1] Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in southeast Thailand (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat district, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself).[2] The island is home to the Yakuza, the Triad, Cuban and French cartels, and a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and Gunmen of all sorts. They transport goods in the 80-foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. Lagoon Company does business with various clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on a variety of missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam and when not doing much, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their down time at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often destroyed in firefights.

Dutch is the leader of the Black Lagoon mercenaries.

edit: If you are talking about the classy Dutch pic, iirc it is from an artbook or doujin that pretends that Black Lagoon is a tv show and the pics are from the actors playing the BL characters. You can see the rest of the artbook here.

 

[Cloudy]

Gidget from Eureka 7. Not the most interesting but <3

 

[FelixOrion]

His ethnicity is never stated (other than being Japanese), but I Yuuji from Zaion always seem mixed race to me. Idk, kinda an iffy pick, I'm probably off base anyways.

Also,

King Hodr and Narvi Stryze from Broken Blade (though this is set in a fantasy world, so who knows)

 

[Love Deterrence]

This reminded me of Casca from Berserk.

Ah, yeah! I can see some similarities there!!

 

[PirateKing]

<3

 

[Kopite]

Casca from Berserk

 

[Verelios]

Bob from Tengo was an undisputed G from beginning to end. Great guy.

Dutch from Black Lagoon ranks a little lower because there's not much actually disclosed about him characterization wise. Still a bad ass.

My favorite though is Chocolov from Shaman King. A really great character who's in the middle of redemption yet still puts on a smile.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

love him;

Mr Popo is a great character, can't believe they made him blue.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Hell yeah Bear from gungrave

 

[Surface of Me]

Is Brock from Pokemon black? I thought he was, but I think some people on the internet said he isn't.

 

[bobbychalkers]

I know I'm bending the rules bit, but RJ from me and the devil blues needs more love. A manga about slavery and racism in post civil war southern United States with blues and the devil thrown in the mix? What's not to love?

Spoiler

prison school is another manga by the same author, but it's a lot less serious. Check that out too if you're a true ass man

I've been meaning to read this for a minute. I love Prison School and was surprised to see this in his repertoire.