Characters / Cho Aniki

Main characters

Idaten and Benten

Their original looks in the first Cho Aniki

^{Their new looks as of Cho Aniki Zero} 

• Amazonian Beauty: Benten works out and, by the time Zero starts, not has she only become much bustier, but also attained a mass in muscle she shows off in the strapless and backless leotard she donned onwards to emphasize her new build while tying her hair into twintails to show off her back.
• Breast Expansion: The first time Benten got bigger breasts than her debut was in the fighting game. Although slimmed down in two later games, her breast size in Zero manages to rival her appearance in the fighting game in size and she holds no issue donning a strapless leotard to show more cleavage than the first one she wore.
• Cleavage Window: The first time Benten showed her cleavage was in Ai Cho Aniki when she donned a leotard. She later gets a strapless leotard in Zero that shows off more of the cleavage on her larger breasts in that game.
• Distressed Dude: In Ai Cho Aniki, Idaten is captured by the Neo Builder Empire. In the canonical bad ending, he falls in love with the leader, Bo Empress Conscious.
• Divine Intervention: They're sent from the heavens to stop the Builder Empire.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Initially wearing her hair straight, Benten ties it in twintails starting with Zero.
• Fanservice Pack: Zigzagged with Benten. She initially donned a plain dress with a modestly built chest in the first game, Ai Cho Aniki depicted her wearing a strapless leotard before Bakuretsu Ranto Hen puts her in a more modest but still revealing qipao, then Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko placed her back in a normal dress before Zero plays it straight by giving her a more muscular body and larger breasts along with placing her in a leotard once more, this time it does not cover the back of her upper body.
• Girlish Pigtails: Starting with Zero, she ties her hair in twin tails which serve to her look cuter than before.
• Heroic Build: Both of them, as per series standards. Idaten is a champion bodybuilder, while Benten likes muscular people, eventually gaining herself a more muscular build with bigger breasts in Zero.
• Implied Love Interest: To each other, but it's kept so ambiguous that it's even hard to tell if they're a couple.
• Leotard of Power: Benten wears a strapless one that bares her back to emphasize how busty and muscular she is during Zero.
• Male Gaze: The first Zero trailer show Adon and Samson overviewing Benten in a leotard that shows off how much muscle she gained in her body along with bigger breasts. A music video also puts emphasis on her newly attained sex appeal.

• Mistaken for Gay: Idaten doesn't bother with Adon and Samson's interests - not so much to the women in the series.
• Modesty Towel: One shot of a music video done for Zero shows Benten showing off how much she expanded her breasts and muscles for that outing, including in a towel.
• Most Common Super Power: In Zero, Benten's breasts and muscles were expanded from her prior outings to emphasize how show how much she is capable of kicking much ass as ever with work outs thrown in.
• Ms. Fanservice: The first time Benten shows any sort of sex appeal was in A Cho Aniki where she appeared in a strapless cleavage baring leotard. During her appearance in the fighting game, she donned a form fitting qipao that shown her with bigger breasts than usual. Her status gets cemented in Zero and onwards when she attained her signature attire where she dresses in a strapless and backless leotard to show off how big her breasts and muscles have gotten. She was also seen wearing a bath towel at one point.
• The Namesake: Idaten acts as the "super big brother" to Adon and Samson after rescuing them.
• Older Than They Look: Idaten is 8 billion years old.
• Physical God: Idaten is Skanda from chinese Buddhism, and Benten is Benzaiten from japanese Buddhism.
• Prefers Going Barefoot: Even before her Fanservice Pack, Benten had a habit of going barefoot in the first game.
• Sexy Backless Outfit: Benten's leotard she had been wearing starting with Zero not only happens to be strapless, it also exposes the back of her more muscular body as of that game.
• Sideboob: When Benten starts wearing a strapless and backless leotard in Zero to emphasize her gain in muscle and breast size, some shots of the new outfit show that it bares the sides of her boobs while still covering the front.
• Stripperiffic: Benten did wear a strapless leotard during Ai Cho Aniki, but she starts donning a new one in Zero that shows off the cleavage and upper back of her body after gaining more muscle and growing out her breasts a size bigger than the fighting game.
• Supporting Protagonist: Benten; she's never seen without Idaten (except in Ai Cho Aniki). He's the one who carries the plot around.
• Time Stands Still: One of Benten's exclusive abilities in Cho Aniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Idaten has been walking around without a shirt since the first game.
• Younger Than They Look: Benten is barely 2 years old.

Adon and Samson

• Ambiguously Bi: Never directly confirmed to be gay, although hinted more than once. In the first Zero trailer, they do indulge themselves in some Male Gaze towards Benten following her Fanservice Pack where she dons a backless and strapless leotard that shows off how busty and muscular she had become.
• Attack Drones: Their usual gameplay function.
• Chained by Fashion: Justified in the first game, where they're freed by Idaten from their restraints. However, while their chastity belts disappear in the sequels, they substitute their shackles for wrist/ankle weights.

• Divergent Character Evolution: At first, they're identical. In the latter games, Adon gets darker skin, and Samson gets lighter skin and red briefs. Additionally, Samson gets sideburns and a moustache in Cho Aniki: Seinaru Protein Densetsu.
• Gym Bunnies: Addicted to workout.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: Other than their Man Beams, their main method of attack in Ai Cho Aniki is via bodybuilder poses.

• Human Weapons: They can shoot Man Beams powered by protein out of the top of their head.
• I Owe You My Life: After being rescued by Idaten.
• Let Me at Him!: One of Idaten's special attacks in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko sends the brothers to stop an enemy.

• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Can defect to the stage bosses in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko if they're severely damaged.
• Older Than They Look: One trillion years old.

• Promoted to Playable: They act alone in Ai Cho Aniki and Cho Aniki: Bakuretsu Ranto-hen.
• Shout-Out: To the Japanese gay magazines Samson and Adon.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Even when they're not the main characters, they are still important to the story itself.
• Warrior Prince: They are the princes of the star invaded by the Builder Empire.

Micha and El

• Ambiguous Gender: Depending on the game, they lean to one side or the other.
• Attack Drones: Exclusive to Benten after the first game.
• Go Through Me: They act as rolling shields in one of Idaten's exclusive attacks in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko.
• Ignored Enamored Underling: Attracted to Benten, although it isn't mutual.

• Our Angels Are Different: Your average putti at first, but they can grow muscles in Bakuretsu Ranto-hen and Cho Aniki Zero.

Uminin

• Invincibility Power-Up: They act as special transformations of Samson and Adon and/or Micha and El in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko.
• Mascot: For Masaya, Cho Aniki's publisher.

Baron

• Always Identical Twins: Slightly taller, but otherwise identical to Adon / Samson in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko
• Attack Drone: To Shoten in Cho Aniki Zero.
• Go Through Me: Acts as a shield for Idaten and his brothers in Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko.
• Out of Focus: Barely appears in the games, even if he is related to the most famous characters.
• Palette Swap: He's green in Cho Aniki Zero.
• Warrior Prince: Adon and Samson's older brother, and the heir to the throne.

Shōten

• Always Second Best: To Bo Tei Bill in the Great Galaxy Bodybuliding Contest.

• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: To Bo Tei Bill, although he's killed off before he appears.
• Physical God: Kangiten from japanese Buddhism.
• Remember the New Guy?: Only appears in Cho Aniki Zero, which is chronologically In Medias Res.
• Warrior Poet: You have to unlock his poem to play as him.

Builder Empire

The main villains of Cho Aniki and Cho Aniki Zero. The Builder Empire, located on the Bo star and ruled by the ten-time Great Galaxy Body Building champion Bo Tei Bill is running out of protein. To gain more resources, the Builder Army invades a neighboring star system to monopolize their resources through the creation of a protein mining plant.

E. Bomer

First mid-boss of Cho Aniki's first stage.

F. Tunayoshi

Second mid-boss of Cho Aniki's first stage.

Banya

Third mid-boss of Cho Aniki's first stage.

M. Felaer

First sub-boss of Cho Aniki's second stage.

• The Cameo: In one of Bakuretsu Ranto-hen's stages.
• Bubble Gun: Once you remove his arms, his stumps reveal a couple of them.

Sol Caplicho

Second sub-boss of Cho Aniki's second stage.

Amoul

Third sub-boss of Cho Aniki's second stage.

Combat Train

Second sub-boss of Cho Aniki's third stage.

Yaemon / Locomotive Human Kikumon

^{Click here to see Kikumon} 

Third sub-boss of Cho Aniki's third stage, and first sub-boss of Cho Aniki Zero's first stage. As Kikumon, he's the boss of Ai Cho Aniki's first stage.

• Abnormal Ammo: As Kikumon, his main ammo is composed of trampoline jumpers and human cannonballs.
• Mid-Season Upgrade: Kikumon, Ai Cho Aniki's first boss.
• One-Steve Limit: Minor example - Gynoug's human-train boss is one of the few bosses not to make the jump to Cho Aniki Zero.
• Promoted to Playable: The only new playable character in Cho Aniki: Otoko no Tamafuda.
• Shout-Out: To Thomas & Friends. Downplayed in Ai Cho Aniki and Bakuretsu Ranto-hen.
• Super Spit: Gains it in Cho Aniki Zero.

King

First sub-boss of Cho Aniki's fourth stage.

Alex

Second sub-boss of Cho Aniki's fourth stage.

Shell the Aniki

Third sub-boss of Cho Aniki's fourth stage and second sub-boss of Ai Cho Aniki's third stage.

• Attack Drone: A bunch of putti do all the work for him in the first game.
• Dramatic Curtain Toss: In Cho Aniki, looks like Sandro Botticelli's Venus... At first.
• Gender Flip: Of the famous Venus, in Ai Cho Aniki.
• Rain of Something Unusual: Attacks with eggplants in Ai Cho Aniki.
• Shout-Out: To Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus.

Sabu & Marin

Bosses of Cho Aniki's fourth stage. Sabu returns as the second sub-boss of Cho Aniki Zero's second stage.

• Hyperspace Arsenal: His top hides a cannon, a spring-up head, small japanese people, and more. His bottom part hides a boot and Marin.
• Military Mashup Machine: Part Yakuza (or Elvis), part submarine, part japanese castle and part dragon-fish monster.
• Promoted to Playable: In Bakuretsu Ranto-hen.

El & Topo

Third sub-bosses of Cho Aniki's final stage, one of Seinaru Protein Densetsu's first four bosses and Cho Aniki Zero's first stage bosses.

• Co-Dragons: Two of the Four Heavenly Kings to Bo Tei Bill.

Bo Tei Bill (Bo Emperor Bill) / Balzac

^{Click here to see him in Cho Aniki: Bakuretsu Ranto-hen} 

Emperor of the Builder Empire and ten-time champion of the Great Galaxy Bodybuliding Contest. He's followed by two bodyguards called Sabu and Rosu.

• Attack Its Weak Point: His giant robot's prominent nose ring.

• Big Shadow, Little Creature: Played With. In the intro, he's huge. When you fight him, his size equals the main characters'. However, his second form is a Humongous Mecha.
• Early-Bird Cameo: The second stage boss turns out to be one of his giant robot's hands.

• Fountain of Expies: Every final boss in the series resembles him.
• Four Is Death: Has four bodyguards, the Four Heavenly Kings (Sabu, Rosu, El and Topo).
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Apparently started as a farmer, according to extra material.

• Stealth Pun: In Japanese, Bo Tei Bill sounds like "Bodybuild". Overseas, "Ballsack".

Bo Tei Slam (Bo Emperor Slam) / Nutzac

The new successor of Bo Tei Bill after his death.

• I Have Many Names: Also known as "New Bo Emperor" or "Second Bo Emperor" / "Balzac the Second".

Neo Builder Empire

Main villains of Ai Cho Aniki.

Adam

First sub-boss of Ai Cho Aniki, eighth boss of Seinaru Protein Densetsu and second sub-boss of Cho Aniki Zero's first stage.

• Breakout Character: By far, the character from Ai Cho Aniki (or any other sequel) with most appearances in further games.

• That's No Moon: It's a moon-shaped bathttub.

Opera-shi (Opera master) Bariberabonte

Sub-boss of Ai Cho Aniki's second stage.

• Petal Power: Mainly attacks with leaves and petals.

Radio Taisō (Radio calisthenics) Gegangen

Boss of Ai Cho Aniki's second stage.

• Shout-Out: Resembles a dummy from Shaolin Wooden Men.

Baikal Titicaca

First sub-boss of Ai Cho Aniki's third stage.

• Blow You Away: Its main method of attack, by throwing every enemy from the stage at you.

Dōmō Swimmer (Fierce Swimmer) 1000

Boss of Ai Cho Aniki's third stage.

Doftoesky Fjor-do Yajirobe

Sub-boss of Ai Cho Aniki's final stage.

• Hit-and-Run Tactics: Throws a bunch of snowmen mooks and runs away.
• Snowlems: A giant bodybuilder with the head of a snowman.
• Word Salad Title: A name that sounds close enough to Dostoevsky, a fjord, and a japanese toy.

Bo Tei Conscious / Bo Empress Conscious

• Fad Super: Based on the japanese bodycon fad from the early 1990s.

• Fattening the Victim: One of her powers, according to a bad ending. While she loses, she manages to fatten Idaten, which in this setting is literally a Fate Worse than Death.

• Resurrected Romance: In one of the endings, she manages to revive her husband in one of the endings via Imported Alien Phlebotinum. Then, Samson and Adon get Super Empowered and the main plot goes off rails to Idaten's chagrin.
• Save The Prince: Kidnaps Idaten. In the canon bad ending, they fall in love.

Introduced in Cho Aniki: Bakuretsu Ranto-hen

Mami 19

• Living Ship: Half woman, half antarctic research vessel.
• Official Fan-Submitted Content: Her name. Played With: It's the name and age of the winner (Mami Kaneko, 19), since she apparently forgot to write the name.
• Production Nickname: Danchi Tsuma X (Housewife X)
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Hikaru 17, her substitute in Otoko no Tamafuda.

Introduced in Cho Aniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko

Takuma and Junya

Bosses of stage 1.

Kyoushi to seito no sankaku keitai (Teacher and pupils' triangle form)

Bosses of stage 2.

Ushi-kaeru (Cow-frog)

Boss of stage 3.

• Mix-and-Match Critter: Half frog, half snail. It's also got a small cow inside its shell.
• Punny Name: On "Bullfrog", although it seems to be a nonindicative name at first.

Galley Walker

Boss of stage 4.

• Military Mashup Machine: Half galley, half Spider Tank.

Mushishi Dai-Toryo (Insect president)

Boss of stage 5.

• Mook Maker: Inflates them.

• Starfish Robots: It's a bullet-shooting food bowl.

Ningen Sensha Spread (Human Locomotive Spread)

Boss of stage 6.

Uchuu senkan YAROU (Space Battleship YAROU)

Boss of stage 7.

Giant brain

Boss of stage 8.

Kodai no Kamisama (Ancient God)

Boss of stage 9.

• Lost Technology: Half factory, half haniwa statue.

Abdominal Bunraku

Boss of stage 10.

• Abnormal Ammo: The volcano shoots bird heads.

• The Engineer: Constantly tinkered by two kuroko stagehands.

Opera-za no Father (Father of the Opera)

Boss of stage 11.

• Last Note Nightmare: The only time he sings, an arm comes out of his mouth.
• Punched Across the Room: Parts of him can get kicked offstage.

Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko (The Ultimate, Invincible Galactic Strongest Man)

• Nasal Weapon: The source of his bullets.

• Overly Long Name: Commonly shortened to Kyuukyoku Otoko (Ultimate Man).

Introduced in Cho Aniki: Seinaru Protein Densetsu

The legendary protein

Cho Aniki: Seinaru Protein Densetsu's main "character" of sorts.

• MacGuffin: When digested, it creates the perfect body to whoever ate it. Of course, this power attracts evil bodybuilders.
• MacGuffin Escort Mission: Adon and Samson must carry it to the sacred ground located beyond ten trials (stages). Once they arrive to the sacred place, Adon and Samson give it to Idaten.

Bosses of the ten trials

• Festival Episode: Hitori matsuri (One-person festival), boss of the fifth stage.

• Lizard Folk: O atsui no ga o suki (Some Like It Hot), boss of one of the first four stages.
• Meido: Nekomimi maid-sandatcha (Nekomimi maid-sanda'cha), boss of the sixth stage.
• Mole Man: Itchokusen ni mogura hori (Mole digging into a straight line), boss of one of the first four stages.
• Spider People: Kin'niku otoko no amai wana (Muscleman's sweet trap), boss of one of the first four stages.
• Villainous Crossdresser: Alice tori no mizumi (Alice Bird's Lake), boss of the seventh stage.