Men of Power

What, exactly, makes an anime guy a "man of power"? These Leading Men are the strongest characters, the fighters extraordinaire, always ready for a fight (to save the universe, or their girl, lucky, lucky!)---but that's not all they do. These guys light up the screen with their unbelievable confidence, strength, determination and, yes, looks. They're what my sister terms "to die for."

If you came in through Rei's Tamahome Lovers Ring below, please take the time to see the rest of the Leading Men of Anime.

Not Quite Standard Disclaimer:
The images here were gleaned from many different sites--wherever I happened to see a good picture of the Leading Man in question...In some cases I had to chop him out of a bigger picture, brighten the image itself--anything to get HIS solo mug up there. If I'm using your image and you don't like what I've done to it, tell me about it and I'll take it out. Remember: all images here belong solely to their creators.

All guys are plugged in ALPHABETICALLY per page, and in the order I received the suggestions, to avoid the reams of hate-mail I can imagine for inadvertently maligning *your* Leading Man.

Misato-san says:
     Without him in the series, it would be useless. He's too cute with his "No Da" at the end of each sentence. He's strong too!

YES! Chichiri forever, no da. I do believe this blue-haired babe is THE number one anime Leading Man around. He's the best, smartest, most powerful, thoughtful, amusing, PERFECT guy. Did you see him blast a skyscraper to smithereens? Best of all, he DOESN'T fall for that Miaka! Is that discerning taste or what? Have I babbled enough? :::phew! calm yourself, girly!::: Wanna see more of him? Check out Chichiri's Webring No Da!

Here's another ultra-cool guy, one we unfortunately can NEVER get enough of. I think it's pretty much impossible to see him in all his phases, considering how long the anime has been running. We've actually only seen the movies and selected milestones in the series. For Gokou alone would I sit through hours of unsubbed episodes. Love that man!

He's not only THE guy everyone runs to for help, he's also got the do-or-die attitude that makes him virtually impossible to beat. He's even more remarkable for the fact that he's never lost that child-like innocence he had in the very beginning. From Dragonball, to Dragonball Z, to Dragonball GT, he's never lost his positive outlook. He can't be beaten because he can't conceive of it--I've lost track of how many times he's saved (and yes, resurrected) the world. He's great! He dominates the series like no one else can--if Gokou can't do it, who else can?

Super-cool Tamahome, as in Arctic ice! Yay! Despite his money-grubbing tendencies--yes, DeLocke, he's got very good reasons for the miserly attitude, not the least of which is that it is his defense mechanism--he definitely has only Miaka's best interests at heart. He defends her with his dying breath. How many guys out there would tell you to your face that he exists ONLY for you? He even knows what to say at the most difficult times.

Grr! I hate this! It's so unfair! He's faithful, loyal and fiercely protective, just what a girl needs when she's out and about...(sigh) What did Miaka do to deserve "Monster-chan"?
 
 
 

Washuu-chan says:
     This fella hails from FY, just like [...] Tamahome--only he's cuter, cooler, hotter, badder and a pyro to boot! He's my ideal studmuffin, wielding a metal flame-throwing fan, with fangs, red hair, a sexy accent, and a wicked attitude. [...] Tasuki is my absolute, #1, you-cannot-possibly-argue-this-with-me favorite anime boy of aaaaaaall time, and who can blame me?

asukachan asks:
     I can't believe he's not on your list. He's really cool and funny...

He is indeed. Beyond the comedy relief, I think Tasuki was also the one who was the most deeply affected by the fellowship of the Seishi--he made friends easiest, and mourned the passing of his friends with an intensity that was almost painful.

He rates number 2 in Dragonball Z--I think it's the attitude. It's on the same level as Gokou but he's a lot more ruthless. That evil smirk of his, just before he pounds someone into red dust is so COOL! He simply refuses to be beaten (especially by Gokou) and would die to win a fight (which he did, sniff! sniff!)

I was also involved in an extended argument comparing him and Gokou as fathers and I'm afraid the other side had a point: Vegita is a better father figure. He never ran off to have fun training somewhere, while his son grew up, unlike his arch-rival Gokou. The image is from Planet Vegeta

(If anyone contests his and Gokou's inclusion in the Men of Power on the basis of their extraterrestrial origins as Saiyan-jins, I'll pretend I never knew they were technically aliens. = )