Initially I was very tempted to pick Obi from Snow White With the Red Hair. He is an awesome male supporting character and one I would love to see a spin-off of at some point because he’s just a bundle of fun to be around. However, given I already picked Zen for favourite romantic lead I decided to go a different path.
Favourite Male Supporting Character
Uryuu Ishida
I’ve previously included Ishida on my top 5 list of male characters who wear glasses, and probably a few other lists. He was without a doubt my favourite of the ‘human’ characters in Bleach (and I use that term fairly loosely). As a supporting character he was fantastic as he provided a skill set the hero actually needed at times, managed to hold his own in more than one battle so wasn’t just filling time until the hero showed up to save the day, and he got to go through a wonderful character arc in his own right. So why is he my favourite supporting character?
Reason One: He’s one of the few human characters who doesn’t just blindly follows Ichigo’s lead.
Where Chad and Orihime at times might ask Ichigo is a course of action is wise, they don’t ever actually make any serious effort to deter him once he’s set on a path. Actually, they largely do everything possible to help or just kind of follow along. Ishida on the other hand will tell Ichigo he’s an idiot and at times will refuse to go. But, he’ll then sometimes come up with his own plan and it is questionable whether his strategies (which regularly result in self-destructive behaviour) are actually any smarter.
This makes Ishida an interesting character to figure out as the series progresses. Sure he’s a supporting character but at times he takes a leading role in his own part of the story as he takes initiative and drives forward toward his own goals. Naturally because he isn’t actually the hero he seldom saves the whole day, but we can definitely say that if Ichigo hadn’t been around, Ishida might have made for a great leading character.
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Reason Two: Excellent weapon of choice.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of bow users in general. They are a cool weapon and Ishida’s is the coolest ever. Okay, wildly unrealistic, but very cool.
One thing I’ve noticed about supporting characters, particularly in action anime, is that they get increasingly weird weaponry and often times you just have to wonder how it would even be effective. We’re talking chains, string, weapons so huge and awkward looking you just have to wonder if they are going to injure themselves. So Ishida having a fairly basic weapon that they then tweaked enough to make an actually fairly formidable tool that was capable of very real damage kind of makes him stand out from the crowd.
Reason Three: A solid character in his own right.
Ishida has all the makings of a lead character. He has a tragic childhood, a weird power and the willingness to train hard to get stronger. He’s also deeply flawed through being stubborn and anti-social, particularly early in the series. He gets some wonderful character development as the story progresses and he continues to evolve his powers throughout the series.
That he’s used as part of the supporting cast is fine as he is a nice compliment to the actual lead character, but he never feels like just an extra or a lackey following the hero around. Ishida always feels like he is in fact his own character and one that is well worth paying attention to.
That’s why Ishida remains my favourite male supporting character but who would you have picked?
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Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
I’ve never watched Bleach, but I really like the character designs, and I, too, like bow users, so there’s a pretty good chance I’d like that character.
When it comes to supporting characters, I tend to like the “voice of reason”; the sort of character who puts up with the main’s flights of fancy and then pulls them back down to earth. Sort of like the role Kanamori has in Eizouken this season, but more in the background (yeah, that type is actually fairly gender neutral – girls and boys feel much the same in this role).
A good example would be Kiryuu Shougo from Isshukan Friends, smart and perceptive and always sort of grumpy, never afraid to speak his mind. Also not afraid to just walk away when Hase whines too much. Not sure I’d call him my favourite (there are just too many characters to keep a good overview), but he’s certainly made himself memorable.
There’s also a type of supporting character that can balance out aspects of a show I find annoying. Obi from Akagami no Shirayuki hime and Eraserhead from My Hero Academia come to mind. They’re both shows I don’t really click with, but I do click with those characters. Even in most shows I do click with, the supporting cast often outshines the heroes for me. It’s an interesting phenomenon.
Obi is a brilliant character and did immediately come to mind for this post. However, I’m trying to avoid doubling up on the same anime more than once in the list.
And yes, Eraserhead has been a pretty awesome character so far in My Hero Academia.
And, this is exactly why I should manage my time better to chack out my favourite blogs by my favourite people!! “10 anime Boys”?? YES, PLEASE! I really need to try Bleach again… Unfortunately, I got into it at the wrong time and was left out of the love loop. But, this makes me want to try it again!!
The first three seasons still remain among my favourite anime to binge. After that it all kind of becomes a little bloated but I still kind of love it. Nostalgia is strong with and this one.