Ryu / Shaman King Ryu

Common sense would suggest not befriending the bloodthirsty spirit who possessed and then tried to murder you. Exercising caution would suggest not involving yourself in a no-holds-barred deathmatch to become Shaman King when you have no shamanic experience. Does Ryu exercise caution or common sense? That would be a hard no. But these questionable decisions are what really make him all the more favourable in our eyes, and before you question our common sense, just hear us out!

While we don’t know much about Ryu’s lot in life, we do know it can’t have been easy. His longing for human connection and desire for a place to belong to all point at a lifetime of drifting around and never fitting in. These wishes, rather than embittering Ryu, have given him an impressive ability to empathise, second only to Yoh. And while this kind of bleeding heart does often bite the individual in question, it makes Ryu all the more likeable as he shakes it off and just keeps going. From forgiving Tokageroh and giving him new purpose as his Spirit Ally (above-mentioned bloodthirsty spirit) to joining the Shaman Fight to support Yoh and Anna’s cause in spite of having been beat up by both Yoh and Anna, to accepting Lyserg and holding a place for him on Team Funbari Onsen (and subsequently forgiving him) even though he chose the X-Laws, Ryu’s ability to forgive, empathise and remain unwaveringly loyal really shine through.

Giving his merry-band of misfits (read: gang) a place to belong, leaving behind his potential international exploits to help Manta reconcile with Yoh, Ryu is all about putting friendship first because he believes that his Best Place is only the best because of the Best People. This willingness to go the extra mile for his friends, like recklessly taking on Tao Yuan’s Gohukusetai to aid in Ren’s rescue, really highlights the heart of gold under that abrasive exterior.

Ryu somehow finds himself the unlikeliest allies, he makes yesterday’s enemies today’s friends (literally every single person has had beef with Ryu), and wholeheartedly fights for them with empathy, forgiveness, and unquestionable loyalty.

Really, how can we not root for someone like that?