C is for characters in the key of Anime Minor.

 

Those great main characters of anime get a lot of attention; because they deserve it, and they get a lot of screen time.  What about the minor characters who are also deserving of praise?  Well, that's what I'm going to do in a small way here.  I did limit myself a bit to only two characters.  I don't want to end up with a whole list from one series!  That being said...

Bring on the Top Ten Favorite Anime Minors!

 01.  Zabuza & Haku, "Naruto":  I included them both as one character, because they always seemed to me to be  two halves of a whole.  Theirs was such a tragic story that brought in full focus that in war there are no good guys and bad guys, and everyone suffers in the end. 

 02.  Captain Kuro, "One Piece":   A brilliant, cunning schemer of a pirate who will only kill you after he has chased you down and toyed with you, before cornering you and clawing you to death.  Did I mention he's the captain of the Black Cat Pirates?  Captain Kuro, the man of a hundred plans was almost charming in his relaxed, well examined sadism. 

03.  Wei Zhijun, "Darker Than Black"  Wei's special ability was that if he cut himself and flicked the blood on something (or someone), with the snap of his fingers the blood would explosively disintegrate whatever it touched in the shape of the blood spatter.  He was so ardent in his insanity that it was difficult not to enjoy his homicidal antics.  Creepy, crazy, blood flicking Wei; I will always enjoy your shenanigans -- until you died, that is.

 

04.  Drocell Keinz, "Black Butler":  The creepy doll only lasted two episodes, but the impression he left was mighty.  He and his army of child dolls were so creepy as to be fantastic.  I couldn't help but be disappointed when he was taken away so suddenly.

05.  Gin (pronounced "Geen"), "One Piece":  Gin was such a devout follower of Don Krieg that it seemed almost like Stockholm Syndrome.  He was forced into impossible situations by Kreig of defying his captain or destroying the one man who offered him true care, no strings attached.  He was a fantastic representative of the conflicted man who feels that he can't choose either side but must make a choice anyway. 

06.  Kimimaro , "Naruto":  Much like Haku, Kimimaro was a "throw away" child of a war that had ended, an ugly reminder of what everyone else wanted to forget.  He lived without love or contact of any kind, stuck in a tiny cell.  He was then "freed" by a man who pretended to care for him, simply to use him for experiments and as a tool for his plots and plans.  He was used until he died for nothing more than the idea that the one person who "cared" for him wanted him to do so.  Of note, if I were able to choose a "super power", I'd be quite happy with Wei's blood flicking or the legendary ability of Kimimaro to be able to pull bones out of body to use as weapons (including a whip made from his spine).

07.  Adashino, "Mushi-shi":  Adashino was a good man, but he was controlled to some extent by his curiosity for curiosities.  The only person that Ginko seemed to have a real bond, Adashino was always seemed a stabilizing force for him. 

08.  Grim, a.k.a. Mr. Saxophone, "Cowboy Bebop":  He was also the result of a war that was over, trying to live with what was done to him as a test subject for the military.  Another sad tale of the after effects of war and those that are meant to be forgotten. 

09.  Sora, "Bleach: Sora was the older brother of Oriheme  who lived only to take care of his little sister, once their parents died.  When Sora is killed in an accident, his spirit is unable to pass on, because of the grief of his sister.  After lingering too long, he is attacked and changed into a Hollow (a monstrosity created by the corruption of souls who never passed over (to put it simply)) and sent off to kill his sister.  Like Gin, he was a wonderful character in agony over killing a person they desperately don't want to hurt.

10.  The Cabbage Merchant, "Avatar: The Last Airbender":  The Cabbage Merchant appeared in different places throughout the Earth Kingdom, having his produce destroyed before him and melodramatically screaming, "MY CABBAGES!"  He was always good for a great laugh.