Top 10: Annoying Male Characters in Anime

I don't think I'll ever stop harping about how bad Gall Force: Eternal Story was to review. After all, it was the launching pad for my Old School Anime Reviews series - another favorite project of mine. It's also the source of the article you're reading now!

No, really; while I was working on the review of Gall Force: Eternal Story I was trying to pick which characters I hated the most or at least the ones who were the most irritating. Since there are so many annoying characters, I've decided to do a few lists of ten annoying anime characters. Why only ten? Because we'd be here for months otherwise.

I'll start with the male characters and then do a list of female characters.

Let's get started, here are the Top 10 Annoying Male Characters in Anime!

Number 10: Shinji Ikari - Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji Ikari...I don't know if he's a bad character or just an annoying one. So, what's the difference? Well, to me an annoying character is just someone who frustrates the viewer for whatever reason. A bad character is someone that you, as the viewer, just can't stand to watch.

This kid kinda falls into both camps for me. He's got no personality outside of being extremely introverted. He's whiny, complaining constantly about how unfair it is that he has to fight the alien antagonists of the series but does nothing to change his circumstances. He has no backbone to speak of; allowing most, if not all of the other characters to walk all over him.

The constant complaints and subsequent apologies that come out of this kid's mouth are enough to drive a person batty - especially since he never changes after apologizing! He just keeps right on going and believe it or not that's not even the worst part. What's the worst part about this character? He's indecisive. Shinji seems to be physically incapable of making a decision and sticking to it. He runs away from Misato (his guardian) and then ends up going back to her, he says he'll never pilot an Evangelion again and then in the next scene he's back in the entry plug - it's beyond frustrating!

The Rebuild of Evangelion films toned down his constant complaining and apologizing and his indecisiveness. They did keep his internal monologues, however, which are just as irritating.

Number 09: Hercule Satan - Dragon Ball Z

Hercule Satan is probably one of the most obnoxious characters I've ever seen in an anime and that's really saying something!

First appearing in the Cell Games Saga (season 6), Hercule is a champion martial artist and has allowed his fame to go straight to his head. He's brash and loud; he's also a pain in the neck to watch. In fact, the only reason to watch him at all is to laugh whenever he gets his butt kicked and even then it's not really funny.

Now, I know that some DBZ fans will say that he isn't all bad; and I will admit that watching him in the Majin Buu saga (season 8) there were moments which almost brought me to tears. That said, he's still an annoying character to watch.

Number 08: Tetsuya Wakatsuki - Outlanders

Tetsuya Wakatsuki is a photo journalist who is essentially kidnapped by an alien princess to be her husband - this is so that her father won't destroy earth.

Now, Outlanders is billed as a raunchy comedy OVA and there are some legitimately funny scenes which had me howling but most of the time I was left wanting to smack the main character senseless! When he's not freaking out about his current circumstances he's either a total goofball or a doormat.

He has little to no personality and zero character development. Thankfully the other characters kind of pick up the slack.

Number 07: Tetsuo Shima - Akira

It was kind of difficult to put Tetsuo on this list since he doesn't really do much to annoy the viewer. That said, he's reckless and selfish with what seems to be a serious inferiority complex. He has serious anger issues as well as some serious resentment - at least that's what it seems like to me.

These issues are so serious that when he develops psychic abilities he goes on a murderous rampage for no other reason than he can get away with it.

I suppose it's no secret but I really didn't like this character.

Number 06: Alfred Izuruha - Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Alfred Izuruha is the 11 year old kid on which Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 focuses and he's just a nuisance. He thinks of war as this glorious, cool thing. His infatuation with war is such that he agrees to trade photographs that he took of a covert Zeon strike team pilot for a medal...yes, really.

Now, as annoying a character as he is; it's still tragic when he finally sees the true consequences of war and realizes that it's not all it seems to be.

Number 05: Bernard - Kaiketsu: The Legend of Zorro

Bernard can be perfectly summed up in three words: annoying, useful and likable. Say what? An annoying character that's actually useful and likable?

Yep, he has a few instances here and there where he just does typical dumb kid stuff (such as when he and his friends kidnapped the governor) and those times make you want to throttle him. Thankfully, those are very rare. In general, he's a likable little guy and he's always there to aid Zorro in a pinch.

Number 04: Spritle Racer - Speed Racer

To call the character of Spritle Racer a failed comic relief character is an understatement of note. His sidekick Chim-Chim isn't that much better but at least he can't talk.

Speed Racer's little brother is a genuine nuisance of note; always causing mischief somewhere. His voice is also just grating on ones nerves. Now, I know it was 1966 when the series was released but why make a character who sounds like they really need a pack or two of throat sweets?

Number 03: Shinn Asuka - Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

This character...where do I start? Shinn Asuka is a survivor of the Bloody Valentine War (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED) who was living in the Orb nation when enemy forces entered the area. While he and his family are heading to the evacuation point, his sister drops her phone and when he goes to retrieve it; she and the other members of his family are killed in an explosion.

Tragic? Yes, but it doesn't justify this character's behavior. Right from the start he's all gung-ho about going into war for the ZAFT military; blaming the Orb government for the deaths of his family which, while understandable to a point, is also completely unjustified.

He's a cocky kid with serious anger issues and seems more than a little psychotic. Now, in the end (spoiler alert) he does kind of realize that he's been played for a fool and has a breakdown of sorts. I'm sorry, am I supposed to forget all the crap you've pulled throughout the series for close to the entire run of the show? A last minute revelation of how stupid you've been doesn't erase the fact that you've been a thorn in almost everyone's side for 48 or 49 of a 50 episode series! A tragic past doesn't justify being a jerk to everyone!

Number 02: Yukiteru Amano - Mirai Nikki

Yukiteru Amano is one of those conundrum characters who pulls a complete 180 and becomes unrecognizable at some point. He starts out as something of a likable, even sympathetic character. Yeah, he's a wimp but he's also a kid thrown into a savage last man standing bloodbath for the amusement of a deity. This kid who knows nothing of combat and has no clue what's going on is forced to fight for his life with his only protection being another contestant - Yuno Gasai - and she's not exactly mentally stable.

So, if he's so sympathetic; why's he here at the number 2 spot on this list?

Well...remember that 180 I mentioned? Like I said earlier, he starts out as a sympathetic character but at, I believe, the halfway mark of the series: Yuki's parents die and he has a major freak-out. His tune towards the game changes completely; his initial attitude was sheer terror. When his parents die, he becomes very manipulative and doesn't care who gets killed as long as he wins the game. The idea being that if he wins the game and becomes a god, he can go back in time and change what happened with his parents.

Nice idea...I guess but that doesn't change the fact that this heel-turn of his really bugged me.

Number 01: Kamille Bidan - Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

I'm pretty sure this is the most hated protagonist in the entirety of the Gundam Franchise - which is saying a lot, all things considered. There is NOTHING sympathetic about this guy! He, like Shinn Asuka, has serious anger problems.

The character flies off the handle at literally everything - particularly if it relates to his name. People have a tendency to mock his name as a 'woman's name' and it drives him nuts. He will yell about being a man and pick a fight to prove it. Unfortunately, he's typically picking fights with trained soldiers who subsequently beat him up pretty badly.

He doesn't really improve much as the series progresses making stupid, selfish decisions and getting into needless skirmishes on a pretty regular basis. Now, he survives the events of Zeta Gundam and the next time we see him is in the followup series Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. An Earth Forces pilot visits a hospital and finds him in a catatonic state following his experiences in the previous series and under the care of a childhood friend.

Yes, it's sad and it's bleak but here's the thing: we don't really feel for him. I mean yes, he went through hell and there were moments where we could sympathize with him but for the most part he was a spoiled brat who frequently lashed out at people and just irritated everyone he encountered.