Biggest Chads in Anime | Collab

Setting up this collab took me since last July, because of how many people bailed. So it's been delays after delays but finally it's here.

This blog will kind of tie into the next collab of similar nature, this blog will be about Biggest chads, sigma, alpha, “whatever you call it” in anime. Now, first off, you may wonder? What is a “chad”? Many people have their own view and definition, but I believe the actual meaning is to take away the mocking post irony and be an endearing term. A chad by looks is nothing too special (we’ll talk about that too). We all know the meme by now. However, this blog will go way deeper than that, rather be mainly about a chad in mentality, is someone everyone looks up to.

Someone who radiates their infectious attitude and spirit to bring people up with them, someone with honour, someone who is basically a person who others want to be like. In layman’s terms, is basically a “literally me” character in an inspirational way, someone who everyone strives to be. Anime isn’t just a cartoon for kids, but it also has mature themes and inspirational lessons that we can learn from or be invested into these role models that people knew when we were younger or even now. Which reminds us of ourselves or who we think are super cool, additionally results in thinking that we wish that we were that awesome.

Doc

Riki Nendo
The original chad

Riki Nendō embodies the appearance of a Chad, in every way you could imagine. Not only does he have the iconic blonde hair and accentuated chin, but he also has the athletic strength of a Chad. As seen in Episode 2 of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Nendō is a beast at dodgeball. He is even a threat to Hairo, whose entire character concept is “That One Athletic Kid That Instills Confidence In Everyone.” However, Nendō lacks the Chad mentality. He appears to be one, but not the personality.

That’s where Tamaki Suoh shines. He may not look like a Chad besides his blonde hair, but he is a mega-Chad at heart. He is the creator and leader of the Host Club and always pushes everyone to be the best they can be. Not only that, but he brought a group of ragtag individuals together for one cause- the pleasure of the girls at Ouran Academy. If you haven’t watched the anime or read the manga, you may be incredibly confused by that last statement. I assure you: it is perfectly wholesome. Tamaki just wanted to give the girls of Ouran Academy someone to talk to- someone that would put a smile on their face and entertain them. He created an entire school club dedicated to making people happy. Is that not the most wholesome Chad move you’ve ever seen?

Tamaki is also the girls’ favorite host. He gets along easily with them and treats them .with respect. When Seika Ayanokoji, one of Tamaki’s regular guests, tosses Haruhi’s belongings out of a window into the fountain below, Tamaki helps her pick everything up. He is also the reason that Haruhi is even in the Host Club to begin with. He gave her friends and a sense of belonging, as he did with all the other Host Club members. The twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, never trusted anyone but each other growing up. The only reason they ever found friendship and compassion outside their twin bond was because of Tamaki. He invited them into the Host Club and connected them with fellow students.

NeoZee

The chad duo
Mikey and Draken  

Naturally, being the leaders of the Tokyo Manji Gang would warrant an aura of uncertainty around them, and yet the two expose themselves to the audience within the first arc of the manga. Still, knowing how the manga had been portraying delinquents up until this point, one would expect them to be major antagonists of the organization Takemitchi is to overcome if he desires to save the future. If this were any other manga, that would be a valid assessment to make. Nonetheless, Tokyo Revengers likes to play with one's expectations, and soon you'd be inclined to think otherwise. Within moments of their introduction, the two are quick to befriend our protagonist and help him out of a sticky situation.


Their designs exude a flamboyant air due in no small part to the way that they dress, distinguishing them from the crowd of discount delinquents as if to let you know from a distance these bad boys shouldn't be trifled with; and it certainly appears that way on the surface. This however, couldn't be further from the truth. Toman exists to put other gangs in their place- at least in the past, and that's all thanks to Mikey and Draken. While at first sight, Draken appears to be everything you'd expect to see from a stereotypical delinquent in his teenage years- he is one of the nicest, most competent, and loyal members of Toman. So much so that when a guy like him later expresses a sense of respect for Takemitchi's unwavering resolve in the face of trouble, and his tendency to protect others by recklessly placing himself in harm's way, it signifies to the audience a sense of growth our protagonist undergoes through the course of his time-travelling journey; indicating how Takemitchi's mind has been "made up", as he'll do anything to ensure he gets to live the life he always wanted. Mikey similarly takes a liking to the young boy because it reminds him of his older brother, who also had a habit of rushing into matters larger than himself, if it meant protecting those close to him.

Unlike Draken however, Mikey is the total opposite of what you'd associate with an image of a delinquent which is why I was originally shocked to learn someone his size was the president of Toman. Then again, most of the middle schoolers featured in the series don’t look like middle schoolers so joke’s on me for expecting the manga to spotlight a realistic representation of your average teen.

Their subsequent appearance in the story also plays an important role when it comes to us shaping our impressions of the two. Draken nonchalantly proceeds to give the third years a beating while Mikey just casually barges into Takemitichi's class and urges him to tag along for a joyride. When Hina slaps them for causing a ruckus, the two jokingly laugh it off and simply instruct her to be more aware of her surroundings once she understands what’s going on. You wouldn't expect them to uphold any sort of moral code, and yet they do. The encounter exists to reinforce the idea that at the end of the day, they're just friends riding around on motorcycles looking for fun. When Pah is sentenced to prison time, he tags along with Pah’s parents to regularly pay him visits even if it means he’d have to wait outside the entire time. Although Draken is the vice-president of the gang, he has just as much authority over Toman as Mikey purely on the basis of them being best buddies. Both equally as wholesome, and equally as powerful.

This is why I feel these two are perhaps the most important characters right next to Takemitchi himself, and the earlier arcs of the manga really serve to convey how as long as the delinquent duo is around, Toman will continue to steer clear of actual crime.

In fact, the reason why my part for the collaboration took so long is because I had difficulty deciding which of the two to choose for this position. I was initially a proponent of Draken when I'd first heard of the idea. Though when I actually sat down to write my entry, I realized Mikey was just as important to Draken as Draken is to Mikey. So I guess the spot is shared by both of them being the chad masculine units that they are, just as both of them are shared leaders of Toman.


Of course, when it comes to the most predominant characteristic of being a chad i.e. physical prowess, next to none of the captains within Toman are found lacking in this department- Mikey and Draken especially so. The two not only act as major players in the world of Tokyo Revengers, but by using that strength to stick up for their other gang members, teach Takemitchi to value the various relationships he builds across the span of over 200 chapters, (which is a central theme of the story) thereby fundamentally changing him as a person for the better. This is exactly why even after all was fixed in the future and Takemitchi was set to marry Hina in three days, he still chose to take his chance and go back in time because he was too distraught at the thought of Mikey living a life of despair.

Watame

Goblin Slayer

The misunderstood chad

Personally, I hated the likes of overpowered anime protagonists who merely deal through problems without a scratch or struggle but some I do applaud such as Rudeus Greyrat, Leon Fou Bartfort, and Lastly Goblin Slayer, these three are particularly the best examples of what is human. For this, I'll only be focusing on the protagonist of hit manga and anime, Goblin Slayer.

In the Fantasy genre, there are your humble beginnings such as a novice adventurer fighting through low-tier monsters to monstrous beasts from orcs, dragons, and all your stereotypical monster archetypes. This adventurer only focused his efforts on eradicating what many would consider low-tier monsters meant for beginners. Even if such monsters can easily defeat a party without an issue, he studied them and poured his life into hunting every single one, without a glimpse of mercy to the youngest. Yet, he is ostracised for vanquishing such foes doing a low-paying quest that nobody is even willing to partake in.


Even if he gained the highest rank for an independent adventurer, those who wield such rank despised him, if only they knew. Goblin Slayer symbolises alone the judgemental attitude of those who have a better job compared to the average plumber, construction worker, fast-food employee, and janitor. This makes goblin slayer so relatable to the average viewer like me. The jobs that many would-be willing to avoid and the desperate or unfortunate in life would rise from. That alone says a lot to the Goblin Slayer to him, murdering pockets or groups of Goblins that many would consider a low-tier threat. Murdering them prevents the possibility of a community, town, or a village to be destroyed or pillaged by the Goblins who'll murder and do horrible things.

He was the people's unlikely hero, many would consider throwing a festival for the adventurers who defeated the Demon lord yet from him. Defeating the likes of the Goblin Lord and having been thrown a celebration at the mess hall would be great.


On the other hand, I can consider him the same as Fantasy Batman. Is well-equipped to deal with them fighting more like a hunter compared to a Knight from his duel with the Goblin Paladin, he'll be willing to take damage; to simply bait the overconfident fool before killing it, while mocking it. Such creativity is represented by his resourcefulness, like using the albino crocodile or alligator the one they were running from as an asset to defeating a bunch of pirate-themed Goblins. There's more that I can add, but that's what represents him even with his dull, straightforward attitude only focusing on goblins like an obsessed ex. What makes him great for me, is that from a young age, once had dreams like many others he stepped away from them; even if he himself is an adventurer that gained the 3rd highest rank possible he never considered himself as one, because he is ultimately the biggest chad out there. He only defeats Goblins, because no one else will, which protects his town and people he cares about.

Coma

Vegeta
The underdog chad

Vegeta's unwavering determination to surpass all his rivals, no matter what it will be, even if it's doing what others like Goku wouldn’t do. This makes him a chad because he's always wanting to work on himself and has an unwavering ego that only works for his character. Vegeta can be a mean spirited guy, but it works for him because once Vegeta lost his wings from fighting Frieza, he was shot down by a stronger person than him and showed Goku surpass him. This grounded him and it’s when his heart changed from evil slowly to good, finally slipping from Frieza's grasp. Vegeta had an unspoken character development that could be on the same level of Gohan's development. Vegeta is someone to be inspired by because he can be compared to the likes of Mike Tyson, who used boxing for anger issues which helped him through a bad time and now Tyson is super zen and in tune with himself. It is the same with Vegeta, his training and realisation of that he had greater heights to achieve, Goku that we already know is the poster child of Chad behaviour; but Goku gave Vegeta a reason to live and their rivalry is Vegeta's fuel to surpass everyone.


He becomes almost like an underdog, just 35% way through DragonBall Z. Someone like me, starts rooting for Vegeta and even though he's supposed to be a polarising character to most; you actually see that he shows love through being hateful but in his weird supporting way. When he makes quips and polemic commentary, his words actually have a lot of meaning and you can't help but love him because he is so savage that he doesn’t give it to anyone lightly, as he wants to make his sardonic realistic points across without arguments. Making Vegeta a refreshing character, in DBZ because of an anime that’s everyone's childhood anime and overly upbeat, he brings the opposite which makes it super endearing about Vegeta.

He's like one of those villains that actually makes a lot of sense and it's in his mind, he is the hero. Comparable to Thanos or 2019 Joker; he has this unyielding spirit that you get so infested into and with Goku being the opposite but also has the same energy in a different way. You get motivated just from them never giving up, even when it seems like Freiza was going to win they trained harder and harder until they could beat Frieza. This is what I call Chad energy. I went to the gym more just because of DragonBall and many other avid anime-watching gym goers love DragonBall so much and have motivation for them to start working out.

These characters are so inspiring and work so hard, it's actually contagious and makes you want to be like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo or Future Trunks. People may hate DBZ, but if you take out all the fillers that would make it long winded; you'd find that the anime is actually one of the greatest anime. That people need to watch as it gives anyone unmatched strength and motivation to be the best version of ourselves. It also shows that you can never judge a book by its cover as in the beginning vegeta was portrayed as an unforgiving villain that seemed to only want to cause harm. Later on we learnt his backstory and realised he was very misunderstood and his coldness is actually more of a heart of fire than anyone else.

Vegeta's character development throughout the series showcases his growth from an overly prideful and arrogant stuck-up saiyan to showing his more compassionate and selfless side although not blatantly. Once we get more introduced to Vegeta's personality and go with him on his journey of himself, we find his more heroic and righteous side. Resulting in making him one of the most beloved characters in the anime community. That is not an easy thing to accomplish, considering Vegeta is supposed to be intolerant in nature. We see the mean-spirited Vegeta who is supposed to be so hateful become a role model and his arrogant side is appreciated more because he is so hardcore and full of courage, which he infects other people with courage from his bravery to dance with death.


Vegeta is a character that a lot of people are afraid to be, to face evil in the face and laugh at it. His courage is overwhelming. That shows that you can be the right amount of polarisation, but also be a good person deep down. Vegeta does everything he can to protect his friends and family, and is willing to sacrifice everything to improve himself. I love that he fights fire with fire and makes it work, he will give them the taste of his their own medicine; because of this he’s my favourite character as he’s not overwhelmingly filled with superficial attitudes. Him and Piccolo, are super realistic as what a regular person would be like if they were like superman level of powers; without being too overpowered that it’s fake.

Thanks for Reading!



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