History YMMV / SamuraiDeeperKyo

** [[spoiler: Hishigi's backstory is devastating. Akari cries for him literally, both before he dies and after. First she tries to save him after the Medusa Eyes fail, because she doesn't want to lose anyone else. She breaks down again once she has lived the memories he left to her as he died, which reveal how desperately he tried to save the Mibu, how he broke after contracting the disease himself, and that he truly considered her a trusted friend.]]
** Shockingly, ''[[spoiler: Chinmei]]'s'' story is sad enough to make some SDK fans who hated his guts find him sympathetic.
** This happens a lot. Even [[spoiler: the Former Crimson King]] gets a few moments.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He isn't a major character, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and StoicWoobie tendencies, so naturally he's one of these.
** Shirogarasu was also surprisingly popular and stayed in the top 10 in character polls for a significant time, despite his short tenure as a character ending in gruesome Kyo-induced death.

** Shirogarasu was also popular for a significant time after his short tenure as a character ended in gruesome Kyo-induced death.

* ItGetsBetter: The first few volumes are pretty slow and read a bit like a ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' clone. Still enjoyable, but not extraordinary. Then the real plot with the Mibu hits, and we have a real show on our hands.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He isn't a major character, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and StoicWoobie tendencies, so of course he is this.

** StoicWoobie: ''Hishigi''. He is in constant, excruciating pain from the Devil Eyes and the Death Disease. He has watched countless friends die horribly while he was helpless to save them. But he keeps fighting for Fubuki, because Fubuki is all he has left. And not once does he [[AngstWhatAngst complain]] about any of this. He even tells Fubuki not to feel sorry for him as he's dying, because Hishigi chose his own path and Fubuki is not allowed to blame himself.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He was a fairly minor character, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and BrokenBird tendencies, so of course he became this.

** IronWoobie: ''Hishigi''. He is in constant, excruciating pain from the Devil Eyes and the Death Disease. He has watched countless friends die horribly while he was helpless to save them. But he keeps fighting for Fubuki, because Fubuki is all he has left. And not once does he [[AngstWhatAngst complain]] about any of this.

** [[spoiler:He orders Kyoshiro--through Chinmei--to kill Sakuya's brother, and then arranges for Sakuya to watch. Made worse since he's Yuya's step brother]]
** His WeHaveReserves speech on not curing the [[spoiler: false]] Mibu, is what caused Muramasa to abandon him.
* NightmareFuel: [[NightmareFuel/SamuraiDeeperKyo has its own page]]

** [[spoiler: The fully awakened ones are downright scary]]

** IronWoobie: ''Hishigi''. Think about Hishigi for a second. He is in constant, excruciating pain from the Devil Eyes and the Death Disease. He has watched countless friends die horribly while he was helpless to save them. But he keeps fighting for Fubuki, because Fubuki is all he has left. Damn.

* JerkSue: Kyo in spades: He's killed a thousand people just to prove his strength and doesn't show any remorse whatsoever (on the contrary, ''[[BloodKnight he's proud of it]]''), he verbally abuses almost every single person that surrounds him on a regular basis, he gropes women at the drop of a hat (specially Yuya) and he shows no respect for almost anybody. And yet, all of his companions treat him as an incredibly admirable and honorable person. Sure, he's supposed to be a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, but his "heart of gold" moments are arguably pretty weak, few and far in between.
** DesignatedHero: Kyo's jerk tendencies put him in this category for a lot of readers.

* CryForTheDevil: [[spoiler: Hishigi's backstory is devastating. Akari does this literally, both before he dies and after. First she tries to save him after the Medusa Eyes fail, because she doesn't want to lose anyone else. She breaks down again once she has lived the memories he left to her as he died, which reveal how desperately he tried to save the Mibu, how he broke after contracting the disease himself, and that he truly considered her a trusted friend.]]

* ItGetsBetter: The first few volumes are pretty slow and read a bit like a RurouniKenshin clone. Still enjoyable, but not extraordinary. Then the real plot with the Mibu hits, and we have a real show on our hands.

* TheWoobie: Tons of characters, like [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Yukimura]].

* NightmareFuel:

* MisaimedFandom: [[BigBad The Former Crimson King]], despite his Magnificent Bastardry, is referred to as Aka-chan by most of the fandom.

* CompleteMonster: The Former Crimson King, definitely. Saishi probably counts too.
** Also Dr.White and Chinmei if you consider his MoralEventHorizon cancels his FreudianExcuse

** [[spoiler: The fully awakened ones are downright scary as hell]]
* TheWoobie: Tons of characters, but most notably [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Yukimura]].

** JerkassWoobie: Kyo, Fubuki, frigging ''everyone''.
** WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Some people will argue this for the Sendai Aka no Ou. It does not make much sense.

* UncannyValley: While the red eyes of Kyo does look scary, [[spoiler: The Former Crimson King and Kyoshiro's variants]] look very off.

* HoYay: Oh, where do I start...?
** How about with Akira's Man Crush on Kyo?
** Or perhaps Hishigi and Fubuki?
** Played for laughs with Akari, who is physically male, but her chosen gender is accepted enough to be another woman in Kyo's eyes. He has promised to ''marry her'' if she ever lands a hit on his face.

* TooCoolToLive: Muramasa, Taihaku, [[spoiler: Fubuki and Hishigi]]

** Also Dr.White and Chimnei if you consider his MoralEventHorizon cancels his FreudianExcuse

* Played for laughs with Akari, who is technically a male (or at least hermaphrodite), but is girly enough to be another woman in Kyo's eyes

* MagnificentBastard: The Former Crimson King, certainly. Others may qualify like Nobunaga and Yukimura

** JerkassWoobie: Kyo

** Also Dr.White and Chimnei if you consider his MoralEventHorizon cancels his FreudianExcuese

* TooCoolToLive: Muramasa

* TheWoobie: Tons of characters, but most notably [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Yukimura]].

** [[spoiler:He orders Kyoshiro--through Chinmei--to kill Sakuya's brother, and then arranges for Sakuya to watch.]]

* MagnificentBastard: The Former Crimson King, certainly. Others may qualify.

* ItGetsBetter: The first few volumes are pretty slow and read a bit like a RurouniKenshin clone. Still enjoyable, but not extraordinary. Then the real plot with the Mibu hits, and we have a real show on our hands.