History Characters / Betterman

[[folder: Keita Aono]]

* ChivalrousPervert: Yeah, he's a teen with girls on his mind, and isn't above ogling. But Keita manages to contain these tendencies and cares about his female companions.
** AccidentalPervert: It's not his fault when Asami falls on top of him, or that he unintentionally gropes someone. But Keita's not above enjoying it.

* HiddenDepths: He may be jittery, geeky, somewhat pervy, and often needs saving. However, Keita shows great bravery, thinks fast, keeps Hinoki from falling into despair, and manages to protect others in danger. It's only when there is no way out that Keita needs to be saved by someone else.
** It also comes out that, despite some BookDumb tendencies, Keita is ''really good'' at figuring out effective uses of the Synapse Dangeki.

* WhatTheHellHero: Hinoki gets peeved when Keita runs away from a situation, leaving her behind.

[[folder: Hinoki Sai]]

* CatchPhrase: She often says "Because I'm an idiot."[[note]]''Watashi, baka dakara."[[/note]]

* FauxActionGirl: Hinoki gets torched at, almost eaten by worms, attacked by out of control machines, chased by a bipedal elephant type monsters, and survives most of the show's enemies, before finally being turned into a DamselInDistress near the end of the series. (Granted, she has no special abilities or training beyond being a Neuronoid pilot, so it's not like she was much of an ActionGirl to begin with.)

* GoGoEnslavement: [[spoiler: In the final episodes of the series, Hinoki is tazed by Mamon and later wakes up in the Neuronoid wearing her dive suit, to be used as bait to draw Betterman out.]]

* LongLostRelative: Why does Betterman look like her missing brother? [[spoiler: Subverted, Lamia is not her brother, but has his memories and looks.]]

[[folder: Shigeru Akamatsu]]

* CoolOldGuy
* GadgeteerGenius: Has created a number of inventive technologies. Some successful, others not so much:
** {{BFG}}: Subverted. Akamatsu can wield a ''massive'' device that looks like this, but it's really a high tech scanner.
** CoolBoard: A rocket powered skateboard with an automatic jack to allow it to jump in the air!
** MyLittlePanzer: Literally. Akamatsu created a line of remote controlled miniature tanks that actually blew up after taking a direct hit. It was a commercial failure, since the "toy" could only be bought by licensed demolition experts.
** PsychicBlockDefense: The "Barrier Boy" headbands, which are supposed to protect the user from Algernon. Later, the "Laser Head" headbands are developed to prevent full-on psychic attacks.
** TrickedOutShoes: Shoes with large springs under them, presumably used to help people jump higher.

* MrExposition : Played with - When it's time to explain to Keita how the Neuronoid operates, Akamatsu is too busy to do so. So he hands the job to Li-chan.

* PapaWolf: Cares a great deal for those working under him. [[spoiler: Especially Sakura, who is revealed to be his daughter in the final episode.]]
* RenaissanceMan: Capable of designing a large number of inventions (from toys to military weapons), as well run his own company.

[[folder: Sakura Akamatsu]]

A cryptic 15 year old girl linked to the "Limpid Channel", allowing her to read the minds of beings around her, and to pick up important information. Also a Dual-kind, she can pilot Neuronoids in a pinch. Unfortunately, due to her poor health she spends much of her time confined to a medical device called the Manage Machine. At the end of the series, she was revealed to be Shigeru's daughter. He agreed to work with Mode Warp so he could use the Manage Machine for her.

* DisabilityImmunity: Either due to her condition, powers, or that's she's pumped full of meds, Sakura is the only one unaffected by Prof. Umezaki's [[spoiler: pheromone attack.]]

[[folder: Asami Miyako]]

[[folder: Kaede Kurenai]]

* NavelDeepNeckline: Some of her outfits, and her concept art features, having a deep neckline that goes past her navel.

[[folder: Shou Yanagi]]

The composed and capable 24 year old co-pilot of the ''Tyran''. He also possesses psychic capabilities, such as precognition. In a relationship with Kaede. Though often collected, Shou does suffer from trauma at times [[spoiler: due to his feelings of guilt regarding the death of his younger brother, Kei.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: To Asami, when she's a captive of Dr. Umezaki and is about to be forced under mind-control. Yanagi literally shows up JustInTime.]]

* LastNameBasis: Addressed as Yanagi by almost everyone. Only Kaede calls him by his given name.

[[folder: Ritsuko "Ri-chan" Fuchu]]

[[folder: Yamajii]]

[[folder: Kazuho "Heichin" Heichi]]

An Akamatsu Industries technician, working alongside Yamajii and Ri-Chan. [[spoiler:It turns out that he's infected with Algernon, and is [[BigBadFriend responsible for the early attacks in the series]].]]

* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler: Has a full-on case of Algernon since before the series began, which is discovered six episodes into the series, then dies later on.]]

[[folder: Cactus Prickle]]

[[folder: Tsuguo "Ushii" Ushiyama]]

[[folder: Officer]]

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Like Asami, Mamon, Umezaki, and Hinoki's father, it's revealed that he was part of the scientific team involved in Yakusugi's ill-fated Dive Inspection - the one that released Kankel into the world. His involvement caused him to become a carrier of the Algernon virus.]]

[[folder: Chandi]]

A mysterious girl met by Keita in India, always smiling. She is accompanied by Puleto, a lizard-like creature. She communicates only through telepathy using the Limpid Channel. Capable of great strength and speed, she saves Keita on several occasions. [[spoiler: It turns out Chandi is a creation of Dr. Umezaki. She is the last of the D-Type Hunters, a series of superhuman clones.]]

%%* Action Girl
* BadassAdorable / LittleMissBadass: She looks cute, but if you're her enemy, you ''will'' get your ass kicked.

* PoweredArmor / LivingWeapon: "Puleto" is a D-Type hunter armor. When not being worn, it can take the [[AnimatedArmor form of a large lizard]].

%%* TykeBomb

[[folder: Yakusugi]]

[[folder: In General]]

[[folder: Lamia]]

* CoolShades: When in humanoid form. He also must have a secret stash of them, as he keeps tossing his shades every transformation.

* {{EMP}}: Nebula can create this effect using sound and light waves, destroying any unshielded electronics.

* MakeMeWannaShout: Nebula's main attack "Psycho Voice", which is capable of targeting only specific enemies without damaging anything nearby.
* HornAttack: "Psycho Glory" ends with Forte extending a bone saber into his foe's weak spot.
* GenderBlenderName: PlayedWith. 'Lamia' was derived from Myth/ClassicalMythology about a child-eating snake-woman monster (or amongst HumongousMecha fandom, a ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAdvance heroine]]). Lamia here is a man, but that was because being a Somnium, he was a Shapeshifter whose default form just happened to be a man.
* GreaterScopeParagon: [[spoiler: Of Anime/GaoGaiGarFINAL]]

** JackOfAllStats: ''Nebula'', capable of flight and the common battle form.
** LightningBruiser: ''Aqua'', faster than even Nebula (going over 1000 km. per hour) and at least as destructive. The only downside is that it can only be used in the ocean.
** MightyGlacier: ''Forte'', a giant hulk capable of finding a foe's weak point, and [[AttackItsWeakPoint striking at it to cause it to shatter into dust]].
** SuperForm: [[spoiler: ''Ortus'', which requires multiple seeds of Forte. Allows him to use Psycho Birth, which revives and regenerates cells, the only way to defeat Kankel for good.]]
* RazorWings: Aqua's fins can cut through flesh.
* SuperSpit: Aqua's "Psycho Fluid", which destroys the cells of it's target, while making sure friendly units are unharmed.

[[folder: Seeme]]

[[folder: Bodaiju]]

* BlowYouAway / RazorWind: Turba's attacks. He can also create "psycho calm" - an attack that compresses air to create a vacuum.

* LetsYouAndHimFight: He decides to pick a fight with Lamia over breaking a Somnium taboo. They do get over it [[spoiler: only for Bodaiju to die shortly afterward]].

[[folder: Lord Pakila (Pachira)]]

[[folder: Professor Umezaki]]

* MadScientist

** TheWormThatWalks: Professor Umezaki has his insect swarms form into three large monsters. As if their size wasn't enough, these monsters can break up into individual swarms and reform when need be.

[[folder: Mugito Mamon]]

* TheHero: He ''tries'', but because he's barely a single step above TheEveryman in a SF Horror setting...

->'''Voiced by:''' Osamu Ichikawa (JP), Steve Olson (EN)

%%* PeekABangs: Sometimes.

Keita's classmate and friend, who shares his interests in technology, the military, and girls.

* MetamorphosisMonster: Even more so than other Bettermen. [[spoiler: She transforms from a yellow birdlike creature into a glowing humanoid energy being.]]
** BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: Her first appearance as Lume, in which she saves our heroes and an incapacitated Lamia from Dr. Umezaki.]]
** {{EMP}}: [[spoiler: Lume's main attacks are electromagnetic waves.]]
* {{Sidekick}}: To Lamia. When things get bad for him, [[spoiler: Seeme can also transform into Betterman Lume.]]

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: She occasionally takes the form of a yellow deer-like creature. [[spoiler: And then of course there's her Lume form...]]

%%* ActionGirl
%%* BareYourMidriff

* CasualDangerDialog: Is ''considerably'' calmer than most while facing mind-blowing weirdness on a weekly basis.

* MegaTwintails: The specific nature of her hairstyle, in this particular setting, ''might'' make it more likely than most examples.

* HotScientist: As Keita can attest to, Asami is a very attractive scientist.

* SexyBacklessOutfit
* ShesGotLegs: It's worth noting that she's the only female lead who isn't seen wearing an outfit that covers up to her knees.

* IllGirl: Sakura was born with a weak constitution, and she hasn't gotten much better over time. Though she's a Dual Kind - and an extremely useful one, with her Limpid Channel - she's only used as a Head Diver in emergencies. It's pretty much the bane of her existence, to the point that she suggests Keita will survive ''solely'' because she wants the company of someone else her age (and not because she has any reason whatsoever to believe that he will actually survive).

* [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]]: Provides scientific and historical background to the gang when needed.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Some of her outfits, and her concept art features, waste no effort in showing off her plentiful bosom.
** CleavageWindow: Her outfits that don't reach AbsoluteCleavage levels will often leave an opening.

* [[NiceGuy Nice Girl]]: A very sweet and caring person.

* [[LastOfHisKind Last Of Her Kind]]: [[spoiler:Due to the other D-Type Hunters slaughtering each other to single out the most powerful one.]]

* LastOfHisKind: He's the only remaining Somnium at the end of the series, [[spoiler:after the others are destroyed by Kankel.]]
** [[spoiler:Subverted in the [[Literature/KingOfKingsGaogaigarVSBetterman sequel]], which revealed that there were still others.]]

* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: In her Lume form, she jumps in front of Lamia to [[TakingTheBullet take a hit from Kankel,]] and is killed instantly.]]

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!![[center: [- ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' and ''Anime/{{Betterman}}'' [[Characters/GaoGaiGar Main Character Index]]\\
[[Characters/KingOfBravesGaoGaiGar King of Braves [=GaoGaiGar=]]] | [[Characters/GaoGaiGarFINAL King of Braves GaoGaiGar: FINAL]] | '''Betterman''' | [[Characters/KingOfKingsGaogaigarVSBetterman King of Kings: [=GaoGaiGar=] VS. Betterman]]]] -]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b01_0.png]]

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* MsFanservice: She's got quite the buxom chest, and her outfits are very kind to her figure.

Young, level-headed bio-medical engineer and investigator, providing explanations to the various phenomenon the protagonists encounter. Working for [=ModeWarp=], she acts as the company liaison to Akamatsu Industries. She has dedicated her life to investigating and ending Algernon.

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:In the final episode it's revealed that she is in fact a carrier of the Algernon virus, due to being part of the scientific team involved in Yakusugi's ill-fated Dive Inspection - the one that released Kankel into the world. Asami does ''[[HeroicBSOD not]]'' take this revelation well.]]

Cheerful, if subdued, young woman who co-pilots the Neuronoid ''Tyran''. In addition to being a dual-kind, she has psychic abilities that allow her to read electro-magnetic impulses. Kaede also has a close relationship with her co-pilot Shou.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Some of her outfits, and her concept art features waste no effort in showing off her plentiful bosom.
** CleavageWindow: Her outfits that don't reach AbsoluteCleavage levels will still leave an opening.

* MsFanservice: A beautiful woman with a very buxom chest and plenty of outfits to show it off.

Composed and capable 24 year old co-pilot of the ''Tyran''. He also possesses psychic capabilities, such as precognition. In a relationship with Kaede. Though often collected, Shou does suffer from trauma at times [[spoiler: due to his feelings of guilt regarding the death of his younger brother, Kei.]]

Laid back employee of Akamatsu Industries, she operates the vehicles that transports the Neuronoids. Understandably, she's a bit perturbed by all the unnatural events surrounding her.

Akamatsu Industries technician, working alongside Yamajii and Ri-Chan. [[spoiler: It turns out that he's infected with Algernon, and is [[BigBadFriend responsible for the early attacks in the series]].]]

Original co-pilot of the ''Kakuseijin'' that worked with Hinoki. During the Bottom World investigation, he becomes infected with Algernon and abandons the Neuronoid. He dies shortly after.

* SatelliteCharacter: To Keita. (This is because he's a {{Transplant}} from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'', being the brother of Kazuo and Sueo Ushiyama.)

Mystifying Buddhist priest who provides unexpected aid to the heroes. Even at in his old age (possibly 120 years old), he has managed to reach the peak of human abilities. He is amazingly fast, strong, and has powerful spiritual capabilities.

%%* BigDamnHeroes: On multiple occasions.

* CoolOldGuy

The head of BPL, a major research facility trying to find future food resources. However, it turns out he was conducting unethical experiments, and creating an army of biological horrors. [[spoiler: He dies in the confrontation with the Protagonists and Bettermen. Sadly, Umezaki was himself a victim of Algernon.]]

Leader of the Superhuman Federation, a group of powerful psychics. Mamon himself has powerful Dowsing abilities. Using those powers, he hopes to bring about a perfect human. [[spoiler: Lamia defeats him during the climatic battle.]]

%%* AffablyEvil: A very jolly fellow.

* BodyHorror: Mamon himself. [[spoiler: After losing the first Brahman summon to Pachira, Mamon‘s second attempt at summons fails when Kaede‘s unborn child instinctively protects the mother by disrupting the ritual. Even though the summons failed, Mamon (using himself as the conduit), gains the ability to turn himself into a Brahman creature. His appearance looks like an advance origami design, but the skin of the creature turns out to be similar to that of the urinary bladder.]]

%%* PerpetualSmiler
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Like Asami, Umezaki, the Officer, and Hinoki's father, it's revealed that he was a carrier of the Algernon virus, due to being part of the scientific team involved in Yakusugi's ill-fated Dive Inspection - the one that released Kankel into the world.]]

* RapunzelHair: Has a full head of hair despite her physical issues.
** MegaTwintails: The specific nature of her hairstyle, in this particular setting, ''might'' make it more likely than most examples.