Top 20 Anime Characters Who Returned Badass
Top 20 Anime Characters Who Returned Badass
Top 10 Anime Characters That Returned Badass
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 20 Anime Characters Who Returned Badass. For this list, we’re looking over the characters who took a sabbatical, beefed up, and returned as undeniable beasts. Think we missed out on any savage contenders? Let us know in the comments!
#20: Anti
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“SSSS.Dynazenon” (2021) Back when he was going through his emo phase in Gridman, this kaiju was an obsessive, reserved but also forgettable side piece who slowly came to warm up to Yuta. Making the transition to the home team and basically becoming a Gridman fanboy, we didn’t think he’d be making any kind of grandiose return. And then he strutted up in Dynazenon, now calling himself Knight, and finally started living up to his potential. Only thing sharper than his sword is that suit! Kaiju puberty did him justice.
#19: Maam
“Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai” (2020-) With her technical know-how and magical gun, this Disciple of Avan was very much regulated to the side-lines, serving as the emotional backbone to keep Dai and Popp in check. Lovable, fun, but not exactly someone you would define as a badass. Then she learned martial arts. In a shocking departure, Maam ditched her firearm for her fists, and in doing so became quite possibly one of the strongest fighters this magical world has ever known. It’s an unexpected yet wholly welcome change that made it crystal clear that she was way too good for Popp!
#18: Jeremiah Gottwald
“Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” (2006-08) Zero may dominate as the ultimate anti-hero, but you can’t forget about his superb supporting cast, least of all a certain Agent Orange. Early on in his career, Jeremiah was nothing more than a Britannian puppet, one to be made a fool of time and time again by the likes of Lelouch. That is until the truth was revealed to him about just how messed up his home nation really was. After some self-reflection, some cyber-enhancements and getting fitted with a bitching new mask, Jeremiah made the swift transition to top tier status.
#17: Sachio
“Megalo Box 2: Nomad” (2021) Adolescence can be brutal. As a kid, Sachio was one third of Team Nowhere, and helped support Joe towards his goal of becoming Champion of Megalonia. Then Coach Nanbu bit the dust, causing their whole group to fracture. Embittered by Joe’s decision to leave in the face of their shared tragedy, Sachio grew colder, eventually falling into bad habits as he took up underground Megalo boxing to support his fellow orphans. It may not be healthy from a mental standpoint, but there’s no denying he bulked up into quite the fighter!
#16: Tokugawa Ieyasu
“Sengoku Basara: The Last Party” (2011) Let’s be honest here, out of all the crazy warlords that tore up the landscape during the anime’s action-packed run, nobody gave a damn about Ieyasu. Why would they? He was hardly a relevant character, who just occasionally showed up to light shit on fire and collect his paycheck. At least until the movie sequel came out, wherein he somehow managed to share the stage with both Masamune and Yumimura. Heck, he even managed to hold his own against Mitsunari in the final stand-off! Progress!
#15: Musica
“Rave Master” (2001-02) It’s not hard to see why this guy was less than memorable, after all, he was basically a template for Mashima’s future badasses, who barely shone in his own introduction. Even though he was able to create weapons out of silver, Musica didn't exactly step up to the plate with all his petty thievery. At least until he decided to cut and colour his hair. This sudden makeover seemed to bring out Musica’s inner warrior, since he went on to become the bad boy of the group soon after. Guess proto-Gray Fullbuster isn’t so bad after all!
#14: Tala Valkov
“Beyblade G-Revolution” (2003) When we last saw this guy, he was presented as so ice cold that he actually stepped right into the middle of edgelord territory. After all, his Beybade launcher was a pistol, and he even turned himself into a cyborg at one point because…reasons. Thankfully, all that was pushed to the side during the original series’ final entry. Tala had traded in the whole Russian bad boy guise for something a little…crazier. Now he looks like a demon while blading. In our mind, he’s all the better for it. We’ll take crazy ice-wielding bastards any day of the week over a Russian grimdark.
#13: Jack Hammer
“Baki” Franchise (2001-) As a son of the world’s deadliest fighter, Jack is no slouch when it comes to beating people to death. However, his reliance on steroids and other artificial means of strength left him in a bit of a predicament. Left as a shell of himself after losing to Baki, Jack rebuilt himself from the ground up. The results of which took him from sickly skeleton all the way to the bulkiest buffalo around. One swing from this juggernaut is enough to crush the bodies and dreams of any poor soul who dares step up to him.
#12: Shinpachi Shimura
“Gintama” (2006-) Forever the voice of reason when Gintoki and the rest managed to pull one of their usual stunts, you could always rely on Shinpachi to serve as the classic straight man. Still, outside of that one time he turned into Kenshiro, he was still a ways off from becoming a badass swordsman. At least until the final fight with Utsuro, in which he appeared with a new wardrobe and killer instinct. Don’t get us wrong, he still got his backside handed to him, but it was clear the wimp from before had left the building.
#11: Alice Zuberg
“Sword Art Online: Alicization” (2018-20) With her status as an Integrity Knight, Alice’s crusade to enforce the Axiom Church’s will left her as a delusional stand-in for Asuka throughout the majority of Alicization’s early arc. Then the War for Underworld kicked off, and she finally came into her own. Losing an eye in exchange for freeing herself from her corrupt order, Alice not only became Kirito’s protector but one of the most essential characters in the whole SAO-verse, with her courage only matched by her destructive capabilities. Way to take the mantle of best girl!
#10: Toshiro Hitsugaya
“Bleach” (2004-12) Yeah, yeah, everyone loves Hitsugaya. The boy prodigy with the sexy lieutenant who flies into a battle with an ice dragon on his back. Don’t get us wrong, he had some legitimately awesome moments in the battle against the Espada, but it wasn’t until he returned to help Ichigo against the Fullbringers did we finally see how far he had come since we first saw him back in Soul Society. Granted, that was mostly due to his bitching new hairstyle, but there was also…yeah it was totally due to his bitching new hairstyle.
#9: Veldora
“That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” (2018-) Basically a walking deterrent, Veldora the Storm Dragon was hailed as the most powerful monster in the land…though his intimidation factor was dramatically lessened due to being stuck in a cave for centuries on end. At least until Rimuru came along and decided to undo his shackles. Granting him a second chance at life as well as a secondary body, Veldora’s return heralded yet another OP addition to Rimuru’s crew. Being downgraded from a dragon might sound rough, but Veldora’s new beach body and laid-back attitude fits him way better, and it’s not like he’s lost any of his killer edge.
#8: Dio Brando
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“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15) Back when he was tussling with Jonathan Joestar in ye old merry England, the future lord of memes went from a despicable brat to a wannabe vampire, and to his credit managed to make the most of it by unleashing his hordes across the land. Of course, this was nothing when compared to his revival as a Stand User. Not only did he look the part, but he also had the authority to go with it. You felt his menace as each of his servants gave their lives for his cause, not to mention the fact he could now freeze time and give Jotaro freakin’ Kujo a run for his money in the awesomeness department.
#7: Asemu Asuno
“Mobile Suit Gundam AGE” (2011-12) Speaking of the next generation. When we were first introduced to the son of prior protagonist Flit, he was just a carefree lad. Cut to a few years later, and now he’s a goddamn space pirate. Inheriting the determination of his father while also standing as much more of a flawed character, Asemu quickly became a joy to watch, especially since he could also pilot a Mobile Suit like nobody’s business. Sorry Flit, looks like your beloved prodigy turned out to be something of a bad boy.
#6: Android 17
“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18) Appearance wise, he may look like the same heartless machine that caused countless deaths in both the present and the future, but this version of 17 is a tad more mature than his murderous past self. While you might think that would knock some points off, the redeemed android proved that walking down the path of the family man not only made him a better person, but also infinitely more interesting. No longer just your basic terminator, Super gave us a 17 who not only spent his time protecting wildlife from poachers, but also the MVP of the Tournament of Power.
#5: Kurapika
“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) Let’s be honest here, while the Scarlet Eyes trick was pretty cool, this Hunter still wasn’t exactly on the same level as the likes of Gon or Killua…at least until he came back with those chains. After getting some much-needed training, Kurapika was finally able to get his vengeance on a member of the Phantom Troupe, all thanks to his new weapon of choice. Able to conjure up chains with a multitude of killing traits, the moment we found out Kurapika had become a Specialist purely to exterminate the Spider, he jumped up several spots in our books.
#4: Natsu Dragneel
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“Fairy Tail” (2009-19) We won’t pretend that the Salamander wasn’t a powerhouse to begin with, after all, he had managed to burn right through rival wizards, demons and everything else under the sun. That being said, he still managed to top it all when he made his grand return after a couple of years of intense training, complete with a rather fitting mullet. Throw in the fact he set a princess’ castle on fire simply as a way to announce his plan to get the gang back together, Natsu showed that time had only made his stones bigger!
#3: Eren Jaeger
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“Attack on Titan” (2013-) While he certainly had his fair share of awesome moments across his run as a member of the Survey Corps, Eren’s more childish traits and inability to overshadow the likes of Mikasa and Levi often left his badassery status in question. At least until the Final Season, in which his character arc took a one-way trip towards godhood. Not only did he wage a one-man war against Marley, but did so with a cold efficiency and awareness that suddenly painted as the man who suddenly had all the answers.
#2: Naruto Uzumaki
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“Naruto Shippuden” (2007-17) Maturity and Naruto don’t tend to go hand in hand. While his chihuahua-like personality was always part of his charm, it was still refreshing to see how the Jinchuruki had found a way to evolve as a character after spending a few years away bettering himself as a shinobi. At the very least, he ended up swapping his outfit for something slightly less orange. Oh, and he also decided to get himself an arsenal of highly destructive jutsu that he unleashed like a one-man army. He may still be knuckle-headed, but at least he stepped up his game in time for the sequel.
#1: Usopp
“One Piece” (1999-) We’re still struggling to come to grips that the long-nosed marksman actually managed to pull such an incredible one eighty. Sure, all the members of the Straw Hat crew got a boost during the two years they spent powering up, but this is Usopp we’re talking about. He’s hilarious, but he ain’t no Zoro. At least until we saw him casually make his reappearance, buffed up beyond belief, and armed to the teeth with a crazy amount of nature-based weaponry. This turnaround is such a miracle that it’s only fitting that Usopp ended up earning the moniker of God down the line.
