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The Big Guy / Anime & Manga

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  • Dragon Ball:
    • Yamcha was actually this for the original gang until he fell behind.
    • Tien and Piccolo, after they stop being token evil teammates, fill this role, respectively. Both are Goku's strongest non-evil ally at the time, coming the closest to matching The Hero's battle prowess. Vegeta can also sometimes be this role especially in the movies.
    • Android 16 falls into the Gentle Giant category, as while previously enjoying nature and taking on the role of a Friendly Enemy he does a Heel–Face Turn and subsequently attempts to destroy Cell, who is threatening the peace of the planet.
    • Goku fit this role in the Cell and parts of the Buu Saga since the focus shifted towards Gohan being the main hero. Toriyama, however, felt that Gohan wasn't suited for the role and shifted it back to Goku during the final arc.
    • Majin Buu aka Fat Buu has been on the cusp of this trope, especially in Dragon Ball GT but he finally gets to play it straight in the Dragon Ball Super Manga where Buu delivers a Curb-Stomp Battle to Moro, saving both Goku and Vegeta.
    • Broly shockingly, by the time of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has become this role for the heroes. It does admittedly fit him like glove though, given he towers over his fellow Saiyans and allies as a Gentle Giant.
  • Slayers: Idiot Hero Gourry Gabriev fits this trope to a T, being a powerful swordsman with no magical abilities.
  • Kugayama from Genshiken, who's a Gentle Giant.
  • AKIRA has a rare female example in Chiyoko—she's well over six feet tall and carries a heavy machine gun everywhere. When she runs out of bullets, she'll happily bludgeon her enemies to death with a bazooka rocket. No bazooka, mind—just the rocket, used as a club.
  • One Piece:
    • Sanji is the big guy Martial Artist for the Straw Hat Pirates.
    • You could also argue that Sanji is actually The Lancer and Zoro is The Big Guy.
    • Chopper in his human or his other battle-orientated forms, but Franky fills the role better being the largest crewmate. Though now that Jinbei has joined the crew he is most certainly this trope.
      • In terms of crew hierarchy "The Big Guy" can be seen as “The Helmsman”; Sanji, Chopper, and Franky have all steered the ship before but Jinbei is the most adept at it.
    • In Alabasta Kingdom Chaka seems like this trope being a burly Master Swordsmen, but it's actually the leaner Pell who goes off (flying) on his own while Chaka is King Cobra's Number Two.
    • Genbo of the Skypeia Shandorians is a Class 1 Big Guy, he even wields bazooka that shoots iron balls. However, he is defeated by Yama The Brute for Enel.
    • Tilestone for the Galley-La Foremen, definitely a Boisterous Bruiser as he shouts every word he says at the top of his voice, he too is defeated by The Brute of the villain's group: Blueno of CP9.
    • For the Heart Pirates former slave Jean Bart fulfills this role for the crew.
    • Literal example Hajrudin for the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and even Hajrudin has a Big Guy of his own shipwright Stansen.
    • Nekomamushi the massive cat Mink can be seen as this, being Boisterous Bruiser compared to Inuarashi (dog Mink) and Nekomamushi is fittingly is more ready to match the savagery of the The Brute Jack.
    • Gotti is The Big Guy for Bege and Fire Tank Pirates being ready to kill any moment and easily angered. He also has mini-gun on one arm.
    • Shutenmaru aka Ashura Doji was the Big Guy for the late Lord Oden 20 years ago in Wano after Oden’s death Shentenmaru became the leader of a band of thieves. Later on, he becomes The Big Guy for the Pirate Mink Samurai Alliance.
  • In Spy X Family despite looking like The Heart Yor Forger is definitely The Big Girl Action Mom for her family being easily the physically strongest of the father, mother and daughter trio and the most inclined to straightfoward violence as an assassin. Though in classic The Big Guy fashion she's practically Dumb Muscle in many ways, as Yor comically struggles with anything more compilcated than kicking ass and murder.
  • Kuwabara in YuYu Hakusho is a subversion; despite being the most physically imposing of his team, he's actually the weakest member. His sheer determination and willpower by far overshadows the rest of his team combined.
    • Ironically (given his size), Hiei could actually be seen as the big guy, with Kuwabara as more The Lancer. Hiei is often portrayed as the character most proficient at combat, and spends more time training and honing his skills than anyone else in the cast. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in sheer power (as his Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack shows), agility, and swordsmanship. Personality-wise, he fits Types 1 and 4 (though Type 3 comes out on occasion when he converses with Kurama, Yukina, and Yusuke).
  • Arale from Dr. Slump is a textbook example of a Super-Powered Robot Meter Maid.
  • Ghost in the Shell has Batou. Large, strong and gruff, with a long military history. Tougasa's nickname for him is Big Guy.
  • Chouji Akimichi from Naruto is a Class 2 example.
    • After the Time Skip Sakura Haruno upgrades from The Heart into The Big Guy for Team 7, having learned to utilize Super-Strength from Tsunade.
    • Rock Lee Taijutsu extraordinaire tends to become a Class 5 Big Guy as in the movies e.g Movie 3
  • Black☆Star from Soul Eater, while not exactly big in size, does rely on force.
  • Millie Thompson from Trigun is an example of the "Giantess" version of the Big Girl.
  • Rune Soldier Louie has Jeanie, who towers over her teammates and has a muscular physique that'd put most men to shame. She also has the type of strength you'd expect and could even trade punches with Louie when the two of them fought near the end of episode 12 (seen at 13:23-16:57, here).
  • From Beet the Vandel Buster: Bluezam, the wielder of the Boltic Axe in the hunting group 'The Zenon Warriors'. His status as 'the big guy' is emphasized when Beet is seen wielding the Boltic Axe for the first time. The weapon is so large and unwieldy (for the small Beet) that misses in combat tend to destroy walls, rocks and any teammates who might be nearby.
    • Milfa was shaping up to be this on Beet's team. She fights Vandels barehanded, throws powerful lightening attacks and is the highest level out of the Five-Man Band.
  • Aisha from Outlaw Star is a rare example of a female Big Guy outside of an Amazon Brigade.
  • In Haruhi Suzumiya, Yuki Nagato's true 'position' (Haruhi sees her as The Smart Guy) is most likely a form of the Cute Bruiser. Compare Superpower Lottery - She can do anything. But when she can't do something (Haruhi's powers at full action, Snow Mountain Syndrome chapter) you know it means trouble, which is The Worf Effect in a distorted way.
  • Thorkell of Vinland Saga goes by the epitaph 'The Tall'. He's a seven feet tall Ax-Crazy Blood Knight Boisterous Bruiser who isn't above a little Kick the Dog action. His men believe he's the Avatar of Thor.
  • Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop is a textbook Class 3 Big Guy. He is also Class 5, filling in as The Smart Guy before Ed came along.
  • Barda "The Bear" from Deltora Quest is a Class 2, a Master Swordsmen who can behead Ak-Baba and train Lief The Hero in swordplay.
  • Sweden from Hetalia: Axis Powers is a Class 3 Big Guy. Russia looks like a Class 2, but is violently unstable and feared by many of the other characters.
    • Alternatively, if you see the Nordics as a Five-Man Band Sweden switches to The Lancer to Finland's Hero, with Denmark becoming The Big Guy.
    • Or if Denmark is The Hero, Sweden remains The Big Guy or can be seen as The Lancer.
    • South Korea is class 4.
    • While Thailand's height is not revealed and his physical appearance is more on the middle ground, his personality make him definately class 2.
  • Sailor Moon:
    • Sailor Jupiter/Makoto Kino fits the second form. She is the tallest of the Inner Senshi, is the strongest physically, practices kung-fu in the anime, and is most likely to opt to fight with her bare hands and feet instead of magic. Also, she tends to be the go-to Senshi for an enemy to overpower when they're to be established as a threat. However, she is a sweet, friendly girl who likes cooking, gardening, and dressing up.
    • Sailor Uranus/Haruka Tenoh fits the first form of The Big Guy for the Outer Senshi. She is the second tallest of all Senshi (towering over Makoto), is a competitive racer, is athletic enough to dominate Jupiter in a brawl, and like Jupiter, likes physical fighting just as much as using her Senshi powers. She is a gruff, cynical tomboy who constantly berates Usagi (and to a lesser extent, all of the Inners) for their idealism.
  • If anyone from Gunsmith Cats fit this trope, it'd be Bean. He leans towards a Class 2, given his soft spot for children.
  • Guts, the protagonist of Berserk, is a Class 1 Big Guy who is very much The Berserker, particularly after the Eclipse. Pippin from the Band of the Hawk during the Golden Age arc was a Class 2.
  • Randel Oland of Pumpkin Scissors. In fact, Oreldo even calls him such.
  • Satella in Chrono Crusade serves this role in the team (although Chrono probably would if his powers weren't normally sealed). Combining Class 1 with the Amazonian Beauty, Satella is the most powerful of the team because she's the most experienced, and a "jewel witch" that uses gems to summon servants to fight for her—including a large, knight-shaped crystal golem.
  • Kurogane from Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-, tallest and physically strongest of the Five-Man Band, who carries a big sword. Starts out as a Class 1, but is revealed to be more of a Class 3.
  • G-5 - Ryu "the Owl" Nakanishi from Gatchaman. Of the Class 2 variety. Though he actually isn't very tall, he is quite bulky and very strong (but not inhumanly so). He regularly employs sumo-like techniques in his fighting style.
  • Kiddy Phenil of Silent Möbius is a Class 4 girl, a Cyborg who relies on strength and a Hand Cannon to bring down demons. Tends to get beat up a lot.
  • Kurita Ryokan of Eyeshield 21 is this for the Deimon Devilbats as well as a very Gentle Giant.
  • Pete from Murder Princess is a Gentle Giant who won't hesitate to crush a few skulls for his partners and friends.
  • In Fairy Tail Erza fits this role as an Action Girl and a Lady of War.
    • Laxus Dreyar fills this role on Fairy Tail's second team in the Grand Magic Games.
    • Natsu himself fits this trope. He is a type 4.
  • Negima! Magister Negi Magi has several, due to having a massive cast—Kaede, Ku Fei, Mana, Chachamaru, and occasionally Asuna and Kotaro when they're not being The Lancer.
  • Psyren has Genius Bruiser Hiryu, and Boisterous Bruiser Kyle for the Elmore kids.
  • Darker than Black has several, generally one in each of its various organizations. On Hei's team, Huang is a quite good Class 3 example, being a gruff ex-cop who is a skilled sniper. On the Japanese police, Kirihara's second-in-command Saitou, who is a friendly, kind of bumbling guy who occasionally shows an impressive skills with firearms. Amagiri, Amber's Dragon has a Class 3 personality, being a generally pretty quiet guy who doesn't hurt people when he doesn't have to. When he does though, he can crush a person like an egg with his concussive force powers. Genma in the second season seems like a Class 4 at first, but he's really The Brute and a psycho.
  • Gian from Doraemon takes this role in the movies where he isn't a local Jerk Jock.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist features MAJOR ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG, THE ARMSTRONG ALCHEMIST, WHOSE ALCHEMIC TALENTS HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!!! He's head and shoulders taller than almost every other human character, and very muscular. His alchemy is also an expression of direct, blunt force in most instances. He's between a type 4, as an obvious ham, and type 5, because, as a State Alchemist, he can't be as stupid as he sometimes acts.
    • The bad guys have a Big Guy of their own in Sloth, who even dwarfs Major Armstrong.
    • The 2003 adaptation has its own version of Wrath to serve this role.
  • With the arrival of Saito in the Kyoto Arc, Sanosuke from Rurouni Kenshin becomes this. He's still considered Kenshin's partner in battle, but is a lot more power based than either Kenshin or Saito.
  • Made in Abyss has Reg. While he doesn't look any bigger than Riko and Nanachi, he's still a robot armed with very strong arms that also stretch, has very resistant skin and can shoot a Wave-Motion Gun, he is the one that protects the group from the dangers of the Abyss.
  • Mobile Fighter G Gundam has Argo Gulskii, a Class 5. He pilots the Bolt Gundam, a heavily armored machine employing brute strength, but uses that strength creatively and in one episode immediately sees through the enemy's diversion.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds has Crow Hogan, the second Turbo Duelist on Yusei's team.
    • The original Yu-Gi-Oh! has Tristan Taylor. On a team full of people who save the world through card games, he'll just punch you in the face.
    • Yu Gi Oh ARCV: If the writers need someone to take down multiple faceless goons without the slightest hint of effort, if it's not one of the legacy characters returning from previous shows it's usually Shun Kurosaki.
  • Goh of Saint Beast can contend with Judas for strength. His first plan when he became an adult angel was to go and punch down some trees.
  • Pretty Cure has several Big Girls.
  • Kuroko's Basketball: The Center players are given this role, due to being the tallest (and often most muscular) players of their team (most of them anyway) and thus are very essential for the team's defense. Kiyoshi for Seirinnote , Mitobe as the other Big Guy for Seirin, Nebuya for Rakuzan, Wakamatsu for Touou, Ootsubo for Shuutoku, Kobori and Hayakawanote  for Kaijou, and Murasakibara, Okamura and Wei Liu for Yousennote .
  • Yowamushi Pedal: First year; Naruko Shoukichi (Onoda's friend) and former cyclist; Toji Kanzaki.
  • Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers: Goldof, leader of the Blackhorn Knights and Nashetania's loyal guard. He is a Gentle Giant but can and will kick your butt with his giant spear...but despite that, if Nashetania were to betray him, he would not kick hers.
  • Yasutora "Chad" Sado from Bleach is the resident Big Guy of Ichigo's crew, primarily relying on his strength and his Power Fist to win fights, and having the most destructive power of the group.
  • The Promised Neverland: While all the main kids are athletic, Don is the biggest and strongest of the group. His most significant contributions are that he can perform physical labors that the others cannot.
  • Expecting to Fall into Ruin, I Aim to Become a Blacksmith has Vaine Lotte, a literal giant (he has to bend to get through doors) with No Social Skills. He’s obsessed with wilderness living and training, and is the son of his kingdom’s Knight Commander who’s much the same as him, and a One-Man Army. He develops somewhat of a Lady and Knight dynamic with the Sent Into Hiding foreign princess Curosshi, becoming her bodyguard.
  • Rebuild World has Sara, as part of a Brains and Brawn Heterosexual Life-Partners duo with Elena, both of whom fit the Big Sister Mentor archetype for the protagonist Akira. Sara is a type of Cyborg who relies on Nanomachines stored in her body to fend off a chronic disease she has, which also give her Super-Strength and a Healing Factor (at the cost of using up those expensive nanites). Sara tends to wield a BFG in each hand. Sara delegates mentally demanding tasks like running their Everything Sensor, leadership of The Squad, and negotiations to Elena.

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