Top "10" Anime/Manga Guys List
I am very loyal to my focuses and their ranks are determined not by how much I like them at any given time, but by how I felt at the peak of my obsession with them. I take into account how much I liked them, how long I liked them, and how I expressed my liking for them.

KEY TRAITS RATING SYSTEM________________________
A visual map of how the 5 categories from What I Look For In A Focus break down for each character. Since how much I like a character has more to do with the overall chemistry between these qualities than direct numbers, these graphs are very unreliable predictors of rank, but fun to look at nonetheless. Crowns correspond to scoring maximum on attributes:
: Looks, : Power, : Melee, : Attitude (Single-minded), : Attitude (Complex), : Blood (Invulnerable), : Blood (Vulnerable)

A.K.A. "Snowflake"

As the ruthless and proud leader of a mercenary band called the Hawks, Griffith's single-minded ambition for power was unmatched. Master of both military and social graces, he climbed the ladder of political intrigue with his disarming charm and merciless retribution. His superior intellect saw right past the assassination plots laid down by lesser minds while he wove manipulative webs of his own. The sheer strength and complexity of his personality is enough to fuel hours of speculation about his true motives. For those who have a problem with Griffith: (1) the Hawks vowed to lay down their lives for him so he never claimed anything that wasn't his, and (2) if he hadn't done that and returned as Midland's divine savior, the world would be overrun by Kushan. I don't particularly condone what he did, either, but it's better than remaining as he was.

Related Links: Runaway Dream, Carol of the God Hand, Griffith Cosplay, Best of the Best All-Stars List, Top 7 Anime/Manga Villains List, Favorite Pairings List
Songs I Associate With Him
Griffith: "Forever Young" by Alphaville, "Beautiful" by 10 Years
Bandaged Griffith: "Map of the Problematique" by Muse, "Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold
Femto: "Evolution" by KoRn, "Imperial Death March" by John Williams, "It's My Party" by Lesley Gore
Neo-Griffith: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" by Enya, "Goodnight" by The Birthday Massacre, "Black Sun" by Dead Can Dance

Zelgadis used to be human, but when Rezo the Red Priest offered to grant him power, it did not come in the form Zel had expected. Rezo turned him into a Chimera: 1/3rd demon, 1/3rd golem, and 1/3rd human. It dyed his hair purple, his skin blue, and made his body hard as stone. Personally, I think he looks better this way, but Zelgadis has been on a quest to restore his humanity ever since. He is highly skilled in both the mystic and fighting arts, endowed with incredible speed, and impervious to mundane injuries. Most of the time he is secretive, shy, soft-spoken, and honorable, but he can quickly become a callous bastard when provoked. Though he prefers to work alone, he has learned to appreciate the value of teamwork when it benefits him. Once in a blue moon he has even been known to come out of his shell and express a desire to protect his friends. Deep down he's a sweetheart who only wants to be accepted for who he is.

Related Links: Zelgadis 1, Zelgadis 2, Zelgadis 3, Zel Collage, Best of the Best All-Stars List

Though he is #2, Kurama has a frighteningly strong presence that borders on the status of Transcendent. As the human Shuuichi Minamino he is sweet, gentle, and protective. As the fox demon Youko he is callous, ruthless, and proud. He functions on a whole other level of intelligence and maturity than his comrades, fully understanding the benefits of subtlety, diversion, and being underestimated. Though his human form is very vulnerable and gets dyed in its own blood on a regular basis, his kitsune form is an awe-inspiring powerhouse enhanced by incredible agility and flawless strategy. He wields the power of various demonic plants, giving him an amazing amount of versatility. Kurama is normally compassionate and calm, but I pity the fool who manages to make him angry - it is not a pretty sight. The only thing scarier than a pissed off Youko Kurama is an enraged human Kurama (try threatening his mother, it never fails).

Related Links: Youko Guardian, You Are the Weakest Link, Goodbye!, Best of the Best All-Stars List, Favorite Pairings List, Top 10 Anime/Manga Fights
Song I Associate With Him: "Roses are Red" by Aqua

Hiei is cold, aloof, merciless, and contemptuously arrogant loner who has earned every right to be this way. He is a full-blooded demon of immense power, most notably the Kokuryuuhaa which summons an enormous black dragon that decimates everything in its path. Hiei's other skills include teleportation, incredible speed, mastery of the katana, and various psionic abilities using his third Jagan eye and its lesser counterparts that sprout all over his body when he reveals his true form. Unlike the rest of his team, the vast majority of Hiei's fights are breathtaking displays of raw power unleashed on hapless opponents. He was an illegitimate fire demon born into a village of snow maidens and his mother was forced to abandoned him as a baby. Granted, he was one damn creepy baby. Hiei led a wretched, empty, depressing existence teetering on the verge of suicide until he met Kurama.

Related Links: Hiei Ad, You Are the Weakest Link, Goodbye!, Favorite Pairings List, Top 10 Anime/Manga Fights

You either love him or you hate him, but you can't deny that he always steals the show. Xelloss is the chief subordinate of Beastmaster Zelas Metallium and the most powerful mazoku in the world, but you wouldn't know it judging by his cutesy smile and carefree attitude. The definitive and self-proclaimed Trickster Priest, he effortlessly plays all sides against each other through a tangled web of misinformation for his Mistress' benefit. Sometimes charming, sometimes annoying... sometimes helpful, sometimes harmful... always ready to take a beating so long as he gets his point across... he prefers to sit back and watch his devious plans unfold from the sidelines. When Xelloss does choose to get involved, his eyes open and you best run for the hills if you do not want pieces of you scattered across multiple dimensions. Indeed, this little guy is capable of taking out whole armies of Gold Dragons single-handedly.

If you look up the word “perfect” in the dictionary, there will be a picture of Kanda (and if there isn’t, your dictionary is broken). He’s fast, he’s agile, he wields a katana, he dual wields electric katanas, he has long flowing hair that blows elegantly in the wind, and he is absolutely gorgeous!! Hands down the most beautiful anime guy I’ve ever seen... and, best of all, he’s totally legal!! He can dish out damage and he can take it, and he bleeds – a lot. But that's okay, because Kanda is one of two test subjects in the Second Exorcist project, which endowed him with virtual immortality and incredible regenerative powers. However, the experiments also sucked all joy out of his soul and left him a cold, arrogant loner with no sense of humor. He hates everything besides tempura and soba noodles, and his only reason for living is to be reunited with a person he once lost. He also hallucinates lotus flowers everywhere, all the time. Trippy!

Related Links: 369 Kanda Screencaps (58mb), uninterrupted Kanda vs. Skin fight* (340mb) (right click and "save as"), Kanda Wallpaper 1 (1920x1200), Kanda Wallpaper 2 (1920 x 1200), Top 10 Anime/Manga Fights, Best of the Best All-Stars List

*subtitles by Yuurisan-Subs and Yakuza-Onibaku

PICK A @#$% NAME, DUDE!! Good GOD!! Whatever mood you're in, Fukki can fit the bill. You want happy? Go with Taikoubou. You want angst? Go with Outenkun. You want power? Go with Fukki. Lets start by saying that Fukki can split his soul... a lot. He was one of the First People, a quintet of aliens who fled their doomed world for greener pastures. Upon their arrival on Earth, three of them merged with the planet's DNA to become powers dwelling in all life and the elements. Their strongest member, Jyoka, shaped the world's history to her liking, destroying and recreating life as she saw fit. And the last, Fukki, stayed hidden and plotted to one day stop Jyoka. He masterminded the Houshin Project to serve as the ultimate weapon in the battle against Jyoka, and split his own soul to hide his identity, his power, and his plans from Jyoka - and from himself - until the time was right. Although Fukki prefers to use brains over brawn, he can certainly dish out his share of raw power when necessary.

Related Links: The Many Faces of Fukki, Outenkun-Fukki-Taikoubou Wallpaper (1920 x 1200), You Are the Weakest Link, Goodbye!
Song I Associate With Him: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk/Kanye West

The Demon Lord Lucifer was once the most glorious being in Heaven, but was cast down by God for his pride. His amnesic soul was bound to the legendary sword of the organic angel Alexiel called Nanatsusaya, and he faithfully stalked her tragic reincarnations by donning the bodies of those around her. As Kira Sakuya, he was Setsuna's only real friend. He often appeared harsh and distant to protect the people he cared about. Though Kira was normally indestructible, Rosiel figured out how to kill his body and revive him as his true self. The kind, thoughtful Kira was gone, replaced by an ancient power that had no regard for life, love, or anything but himself. Lucifer was not too happy about having been sealed in a sword for so long, and decided to make up for lost time by plowing through the forces of Heaven and challenging God himself. And what's more, I was cheering him on. Kudos to Lucifer for making me think.

Related Links: Lucifer, Lucifer - In His Head
Song I Associate With Him: "The Dance" by Within Temptation

Leader of the ruthless Itto-ryu sword school, Anotsu leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes. His trademark weapon is Kabatsuchi ("Head Hammer"), which is a small but heavy blunt axe that he wields with expert skill through sheer inertia. Ironically, he himself is soft-spoken, honorable, and very, very pretty - especially with his hair down. Don't be fooled by his cold demeanor, he can be very sweet to those he cares about... which is a damn short list... with about one person on it: the swordswoman Makie, his only known superior in battle. It seems Anotsu has mellowed out quite a bit since he first started conquering the other sword schools, and has even been known to show kindness to those who'd love nothing more than to kill him. Although he is idealistic, he's more of an end-justifies-the-means kind of guy.

Related Links: Anotsu, Makie, & Taito Wallpaper (1920 x 1200)

Manji is a skilled warrior with a whole arsenal of funky-looking weapons hidden up his sleeve. He is also immortal by virtue of being enchanted with blood-worms that can repair any bodily injury. They don't do anything for the pain, though... oh dear god, the PAIN. The dark humor surrounding Manji's frustrations are what lands him here: "I'm sick of playing this scene. Three times on the god damned koushuu highway. First time, I hang my butt out to dry three days. And all I get to play is clean-up guy at a bloodbath. Next time, I have to fight three hard-ass bastards to the death. My arms and legs hacked off... and no tegata. And today... today I gotta ask some green kid for help, and just look at me. What kind of bullshit kharma is dumping on me like this, over and over? I mean, come on!! That's it. I've had enough. I'm not taking it any more. You jerks are the last straw!! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!" Awww, poor Manji.

KEY TRAITS RATING SYSTEM________________________
A visual map of how the 5 categories from What I Look For In A Focus break down for each character. Since how much I like a character has more to do with the overall chemistry between these qualities than direct numbers, these graphs are very unreliable predictors of rank, but fun to look at nonetheless. Crowns correspond to scoring maximum on attributes:
: Looks, : Power, : Melee, : Attitude (Single-minded), : Attitude (Complex), : Blood (Invulnerable), : Blood (Vulnerable)

The Tenken ("Sword of Heaven") himself! Soujirou suffered through a horribly abusive childhood that would've killed him had Shishio not instilled in him the motto that would dominate much of his life: "the strong survive, the weak die." This inspired Soujirou to slaughter his tormentors and dedicate his services to his bandaged mentor. In his pursuit of strength Soujirou banished all semblance of feeling from his mind, allowing for an impassive demeanor that betrayed no emotions, thoughts, or weaknesses. He was a creature of iron will, unflinching brutality, and no remorse. Armed with a deadly katana, absolute resolve, and the sweetest smile in the world, Soujirou's blinding speed was surpassed only by his flawless skill. I am forever in awe of his childlike innocence and perfect purity, even if it was a tad on the psychotic side. Move over, Kenshin, Soujirou can wipe the floor with you and you know it!

Related Links: Top 10 Anime/Manga Fights

Sasuke is the sole survivor of his own brother's massacre of the Uchiha Clan, a bloodline that carries abilities of the Sharingan. He has also acquired demonic powers, hyper-fast hand-to-hand Taijutsu, and a lightning attack called A Thousand Birds. All in all, Sasuke is a pretty damn powerful 12-year-old. He is a cold, hateful, bitter, selfish, arrogant, condescending, antisocial, whiny, traumatized, angst-ridden little brat and I love him for it! A determined avenger, he would do anything - anything! - to defeat the one who destroyed his life. Yet perhaps deep down he is also looking for his older brother's approval. Lately he has gone somewhat crazy and ran off to "train" with Orochimaru, effectively dropping out of the show indefinitely. I miss him a lot.

Some guys are pretty, some have brains, some have skill, some have power, some have angst, some have a sense of humor, and some just bleed a lot - Ichigo's got it all! He's the most well-rounded character I have ever seen, and he achieves this in a strikingly non-washed out way. His willpower and determination have no bounds. Best yet, the more bloodied he gets the stronger he becomes. It is as if each strike works to awaken the welling power within. He has super-human speed and wields the powers of darkness (my two favorite abilities). His huge sword's true form is that of a slender katana (my favorite weapon) and he has a hyper psychotic Hollow lurking in his soul (always fun). He has bounded up my list at an unprecedented speed, matched only by his huge evolutionary leaps in the anime/manga. The scary thing is that he achieved this based primarily on his personality - even though I was determined to hate him.

Related Links: Strong Enough (Fan Art), Ichigo Trinity, VERSUS - Renji, Zaraki, Byakuya, Strong Enough (AMV), Ichigo vs the Top 10 List, Top 10 Anime/Manga Fights
Song I Associate With Him: "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler