Big Good / Anime & Manga

Big Goods in Anime & Manga. Main and/or supporting heroes will become the major forces of good at some point of the plot/story, so beware of spoilers ahead.

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• Assassination Classroom: Zigzagged. Koro-sensei is supposed to be Class 3-E's target because he will supposedly blow up Earth next March like he already did with the Moon. However, he is also a great teacher and a kind, sensitive and respectful person who gets along with pretty much all his students and helps them and other people in every way he can, and his students' attempts on his life are more or less Played for Laughs. Ultimately played completely straight once it's revealed that he really didn't blow up the Moon.
• Berserk: The Skull Knight, the most powerful opposition to the Godhand, a rival to both the leader of the Godhand and one of the strongest Apostles, and a particularly major ally to Guts, acting as a sort of cynical mentor towards him.
• Black Clover: As the Wizard King, the head of the Magic Knights and strongest amongst them, Julius Novachrono leads them against powerful threats to protect the Clover Kingdom. Unfortunately, it turns out Julius is the unaware Split Personality of the Big Bad.
• Bleach eventually graduates Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto into such a role in the final arc, because he serves as the rallying point of the Shinigami while the Sternritter decimate the Seireitei. He goes through it only briefly, however, because he ends up dying at the hands of the Big Bad. Afterward, Shunsui Kyoraku takes this position.
• Bubblegum Crisis: Sylia Stingray is both the leader of the Knight Sabres and the Genom Corporation's chief opposition. She spends much of her screentime operating behind the scenes, meeting with business contacts in high-level positions, who act as her eyes and ears to keep tabs on Genom's activities. Were it not for Sylia's decision making, Genom would likely succeed in dominating the globe.
• Buso Renkin: Shosei Sakaguchi, the Great Warrior Chief of the Alchemist Army's Asian Branch, is a Reasonable Authority Figure who uses his great tactical mind to combat the threat of Victor. He is highly respected by the men under his command and is the only one able to keep the resident General Ripper in line. During the final battle, Shosei's full plate armour buso renkin, Buster Baron, when combined with those of his subordinates, is also the only one with enough power to slow Victor down long enough for Stock Shōnen Hero Kazuki to arrive.
• Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress: Danji Momoyama, the leader and strongest member of Team Blackout who serves as the Big Brother Mentor to rookie player Yu-Yu. He even defeats the Big Bad of the first season after Yu-Yu gets totally floored by him.
• Chainsaw Man:
  • The eponymous devil is the closest thing to a benevolent overseer in the series. He has erased many of the worst fears of humanity, supports the main protagonist, and is the only person who can challenge the Big Bad. Chainsaw Man is a dreaded entity in the world of devils due to his ability to totally erase them from existence, warping reality in the process.
  • Kishibe is the ringleader of a splinter-cell of Public Safety planning a coup against Makima's plans to conquer the world.
• Zero of Code Geass provides a more uncommon Anti-Hero example. As a charismatic and brilliant revolutionary, Zero leads the Black Knights in their campaign against Britannia, but he's very willing to utilize questionable methods against his enemies, and he's gotten some animosity from his immediate subordinates once they see how far he's willing to go to defeat Britannia. In some ways, he's a Villain with Good Publicity, as many civilians look to Zero as their hero, their savior and their leader, and to others, he's a Hero with Bad Publicity, since his actions, although gray, are considerably less atrocious than Britannia, but he gets flak for it anyway.
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:
  • Kagaya Ubuyashiki is the leader of the Demon Slayers Corps, who is also the head of the Ubuyashiki Family. He is a kind man who shows genuine care about the members of the Demon Slayers, considering them his children.
    • After Kagaya's demise, one of his children, Kiriya, becomes the new leader of the Demon Slayers during the final battle against Muzan and the Upper Rank demons.
  • Tamayo is a demon doctor who is the main force of opposition against Muzan, as well as the key "quest" that Tanjiro works around is about collecting blood samples from demons for her to study and develop a cure for demonism.
• Digimon:
  • Lord HolyAngemon and Lord Whamon, the rulers of the Digimon World and Net Ocean, respectively, in Digimon V-Tamer 01. Although the latter is nearing his end by the time the protagonists, Taichi and Zero, enter the story, they still work for the former.
  • Taichi Kamiya fulfills this role in Digimon Adventure. His status as the Big Good is best exemplified during his temporary disappearance after Etemon's defeat. Without their leader, the DigiDestined not only go separate ways, they also fail to accomplish anything significant for almost three months.
  • Norn, the disembodied will of Yggdrasil, the host computer that regulates the Digital World in Digimon NEXT. She is unable to due much directly due to a demon lord taking over the computer, so she guides the protagonists who happen to have "illegal" monsters which can run the arbitrator program meant for such situations.
• Dragon Ball
  • Master Roshi and Kami in Dragon Ball, both of them mentor Goku and the younger generation. Kami tries to get Goku to take over from him after he defeated Piccolo, but was refused.
  • King Kai through the Saiyan and Cell Sagas in Dragon Ball Z. He's a mentor to Goku, one of the Physical Gods of the afterlife, and in most of the movies he takes time to inform Goku of various threats.
  • Shin the Supreme Kai, the Top God of the Dragon World, is this role for the first half of the Buu Saga and to the universe at large, though he doesn't interfere with anything that doesn't threaten the entire universe. After being freed, Old Kai takes this role for the rest of the series.
  • Goku takes this role in the Cell Saga. He tells the others about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, trains Gohan to surpass him, choses a new Guardian of the Earth to revive the Dragon Balls, and spiritually guides Gohan after he was killed. After being revived for a day, he acts this way towards Goten and Trunks, and even uses this as his reason to Piccolo why he didn't go all out.
  • Dende tries to becomes this after he takes the position as Guardian of the Earth. But he's hindered by his lack of experience and doesn't have the power to fight on the front lines with the rest of the heroes. He often defers to Piccolo or Goku when trying to make a tough decision.
  • Beerus and Whis take up this position during Dragon Ball Super, once they become Goku's allies. Beerus and Whis sometimes assist the heroes against powerful threats like Frieza and Goku Black. Whis also personally trains Goku and Vegeta.
• Fairy Tail starts out with Makarov Dreyar established early on as one of the strongest wizards in the setting, and the master of the titular guild. However, he is eventually replaced by the ghost of Mavis Vermillion, the founder and first master of Fairy Tail, who also shares a deeply-rooted history with Zeref, the Big Bad. All the same, Igneel serves as the Greater-Scope Paragon to Acnologia's Greater-Scope Villain, as seen when he finally reveals himself and fights Acnologia...until Acnologia kills him.
• Kenshiro in Fist of the North Star. Any heroic organization in the series eventually has him front and center, inspiring and dishing out the biggest doses of beat-downs. In the second series, Bat becomes this to the Hokuto Army.
• Food Wars! has Senzaemon Nakiri, the Headmaster of the Academy, though this only becomes clear after Azami takes over the school. There's also a somewhat Big Good Ensemble since Senzaemon is receiving help from Gin and Jouichirou.
• In Fullmetal Alchemist, against Father, the role of Big Good is split between Colonel Roy Mustang and Van Hohenheim, the two filling the roles of Supporting Leader and All-Loving Hero respectively. While Hohenheim is the only one that can match the Big Bad's sheer power, Mustang's efforts coordinating the Amestris military can't be ignored.
  • Surprisingly, they both fit the exact same mold in Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) as well.
• Miaka Yuuki from Fushigi Yuugi. Indeed all of the Mikos are supposed to be this for their countries and warriors.
• Dr. Saotome in Getter Robo, being the one that invented the eponymous robot and currently employs the protagonists as its pilots. He's one of the few people in the setting with an almost complete understanding of the nature of Getter Rays, and how to use them against the various threats to humanity.
• Gundam:
  • General Revil from Mobile Suit Gundam and beyond. He is the leader of the Earth Federation forces fighting against Zeon.
  • Bright Noa comes into this role in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, where he leads the Anti Earth Union Group against the Neo Zeon, and then the Earth Special force Londo Bell in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
  • Lacus Clyne in both Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny serving as the political face of the Clyne Faction/Three Ships Alliance & Terminal, while positioning herself as a philosophical counterpoint to the likes of Muruta Azrael, Patrick Zala, and Gilbert Durandal. Several of the villains are aware of the level of influence she has - in SEED both Patrick Zala and the genuine Big Bad Rau Le Creuset try to put her out of commission, while in SEED Destiny Durandal not only tries to have her killed, but hires a Body Double named Meer Campbell to take her place.
  • In the first part of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Grödek Ainoa, the sole leader of the few willing resistance soldiers in the corrupt, incompetent Federation in the face of the mysterious enemies.
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: In Season 1, Kudelia Aina Bernstein is the "Maiden of Revolution" advocating for Mars Independence and the one Tekkadan are hired to protect. Come Season 2, McGillis Fareed nudges his way into this role after striking a deal with Tekkadan where he agrees to give them sovereignty over an independent Mars in exchange for their help in his uprising to reform Gjallarhorn, although he's a far shadier Big Good than Kudelia for a variety of reasons.
• Headhunted to Another World: The demons in this series are haughty but not inherently evil, and the Demon Overlord is one of the best. He despises that Asskicking Leads to Leadership in this world (necessitated by the presence of calamities, magical kaiju likened to natural disasters) and aspires to end that way of life so that ordinary people like protagonist Uchimura can thrive. He also sees the true value of Uchimura's talents as an administrator and negotiator, and pays him accordingly, where his superiors back in Japan very much didn't.
• Sir Integra Hellsing from Hellsing. As her name implies, she's the leader of an organization devoted to protecting mankind from supernatural horrors — acting as a militant branch of the Church of England.
• Hunter × Hunter: The closest and possibly Zig-Zagged one would have to be the Chairman of the Hunter Association Isaac Netero. As Chairman he served as the highest authority for those who fight monsters, capture criminals, hunt for treasures, search for knowledge, and explore the world.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Robert E. O. Speedwagon fulfills the role in Phantom Blood, as he aids Jonathan Joestar on his journey to stop Dio Brando. He later becomes the Greater-Scope Paragon, as the resources of his company, Speedwagon Foundation, are what allow the Joestars to fight evil so effectively all the way through Stone Ocean.
  • In Battle Tendency, Lisa Lisa qualifies for the position, though she is more of an pragmatic example. She leads the heroes to counter Kars and the Pillar Men and is the one in possession of the MacGuffin that the Pillar Men seek.
  • Joseph Joestar, the main hero of Part 2, serves this role in Stardust Crusaders, as he leads the Joestar Group to travel to Egypt and save his daughter Holly from DIO's curse.
  • Jotaro Kujo, the protagonist of Part 3, also serves this role in Diamond is Unbreakable, as he is the most seasoned Stand user in Morioh. He is openly feared by the majority of villains because of his experience, his powerful Stand, and his quick thinking, and he holds together the entire investigation of the town's mysterious murders. Likewise, Jotaro becomes a mentor and behind-the-scenes force for the heroes of Parts 4, 5, and 6.
  • In Golden Wind, Bruno Bucciarati serves the position as the leader of his own squad within the powerful Neapolitan gang, Passione. He has built his team out of society outcasts, meeting each of his members at the lowest point in their lives and taking an active role in uplifting them.
• Jujutsu Kaisen has Satoru Gojo, who is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive and a mentor to Yuji. His fate of being sealed in the Prison Realm is the catalyst for the Shibuya Incident Arc, which has Geto, his followers, and the cursed spirits attack civilians and fight the jujutsu sorcerers with heavy casualties on both sides.
  • Master Tengen is the one responsible for protecting and hiding the Jujutsu schools, as well as the one who preached what would become the foundation for Jujutsu sorcerers.
  • Surprisingly, despite his character flaws, when Gojo, Master Tengen, Principal Yaga and Nanami are all out of commission, Kusakabe is the one the remaining heroes rally behind and who tries to coordinate their efforts against Kenjaku and Sukuna.
• K has the First and Silver King, who brought the power-giving Slates to Japan decades ago and has since floated above the city in an airship. Some believe him to be just a myth. It turns out the protagonist is actually him, body-swapped and memory-wiped.
• Hayato Furinji, aka the Elder from Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple. Almost certainly the strongest character in the series, it's fortunate that he's on the side of good. Lampshaded at one point when Sakaki, the tough-guy karate master, says he's going to capture Kushinada, the female jiujitsu master, and bring her to the Elder as a trophy. Kenichi has to remind himself that Sakaki is the good guy and Kushinada is evil.
• Kichikujima- Hankuro the former mayor of the island is the closet thing to this being the one who oppose the family for many years.
• Kill la Kill does not reveal the Big Good until the second half of the series. It turns out to be Satsuki Kiryuin, seemingly the Big Bad of the series. In truth, she has spent almost her entire life preparing an army to defeat her mother and the alien threat of the Life Fibers. She later admits to Ryuko that her antagonism was entirely so she could become strong enough to help save humanity. Once rescued from her mother, Satsuki takes over leadership of La Résistance as the final battle to save mankind looms.
• It's difficult to decide which lead from Legend of the Galactic Heroes better qualifies. While Reinhard continuously rises through the ranks and spends most of the series being the driving force of the Empire, he is much more morally flawed compared to Yang, who never attempts to rise past the rank of Admiral. Considering the later parts of the story, Yang is the Big Good to Julian as The Hero. Reinhard is an overall Big Good as the 'good' he does (the reformation of the Empire) remains at the periphery of the main narrative. In the earlier parts, where the narrative has a narrower focus on them, they each fill the role of The Hero.
• Pope Benedict in The Legend of Koizumi, who leads the world's Mahjong-based defense against the Fourth Reich, who live on the moon and shoot meteors at major cities. It's Personal for him for some reason, probably due to his having grown up in the third one.
• In the various installments of the Lyrical Nanoha franchise, this role is usually filled in by one of the high-ranking Time-Space Administration Bureau officials:
  • In the original series and A's, the Big Good is Lindy Harlaown, the TSAB Admiral in charge of recovering the Jewel Seeds from Earth, who is then assigned to deal with the new Book of Darkness incident for personal reasons (her husband died in the previous such incident).
  • In Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, the Big Good role is split between Carim Gracia, Knight Commander of the Saint Church, and Admiral Chrono Harlaown (Lindy's son). Hayate Yagami, as the leader of Riot Force 6, technically qualifies but it is Carim and Chrono who ultimately have the authority to remove the Power Limiter from her and other aces.
  • In Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force, Hayate is now the undisputed Big Good of the show, having been finally granted her own Cool Starship and full autonomy to deal with the Eclipse crisis however she sees fit. After she exposes herself to danger and is wounded by Curren Hückebein, Nanoha even calls Hayate out on such carelessness and basically reminds her of a Big Good's duties.
• Maken-ki!: As student council president, Takaki is the de facto head of Tenbi Academy. Which makes it her responsibility to maintain discipline at the school and protect its students from outside threats, such as Kamigari.
• Ayano Tateyama in Mekakucity Actors is a posthumous Big Good, being the creator of the Mekakushi Dan and her powers are key to defeat the Wide-Open Eyes Snake and end the time loop.
• My Hero Academia has All Might, the #1 hero and "Symbol of Peace." This becomes a bit of an issue after he retires, having used up the last bits of his power fighting the Big Bad, and at the moment there's nobody else capable of living up to the standard he set. All Might's apprentice, Izuku Midoriya intends to become the next Big Good.
  • Endeavor officially becomes this after being promoted to the top hero as a result of All Might's retirement. A significant part of the story's later half is how he adjusts to this role and the effect it has on the people around him, particularly his family.
  • Principal Nezu is a formal example due to his position as principal of U.A.
  • Months after inheriting One For All, Midoriya discovers the existence of its previous users, who support him. Although they appear sporadically in the story, they fill the position of the Big Good.
  • After the events of the Paranormal Liberation War, when Hero Society is on a decline Izuku Midoriya ascends as the new Big Good. He drops out of U.A High and teams up with Endeavour, Hawks, Best Jeanist, and All Might to locate All For One. He also has the Quirk and support of every One For All predecessor. The subsequent arc showcases Izuku fighting supervillains and helping citizens while searching for All For One.
• My Monster Secret: Of all people, the Big Good is the junk-food obsessed troll-happy Principal Akane. While she does derive a little too much amusement from screwing around with people, she ultimately has their best interests at heart and her ultimate goal is to try to make her school a place where humans and non-humans can co-exist peacefully.
• Naruto:
  • The various Hokages and other Kages, though the post changes hands relatively often. Chapter 515 has the Raikage made the supreme leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, making him the Big Good.
  • In the second half of the War, Naruto becomes the Big Good and singlehandedly turns the War around for the Alliance. He's also fighting both Obito and Madara at once alongside Kakashi, Gai, and Killer Bee.
  • The previous Hokages lead by Hashirama Senju eventually join the party, and Hashirama himself quickly takes over the Big Good position.
• One Piece:
  • In later chapters, Silvers Rayleigh seems to operate in this capacity, being likely the strongest and most traveled ally of the Straw Hats, and taking on a mentor/trainer role for Luffy. Rayleigh was merely a Retired Badass despite being powerful enough to hold this role all along, until Luffy's determination (and similarity to Rayleigh's old captain, Gold Roger) impressed him enough to get him to come out of retirement.
  • Two of the strongest pirates alive, "Red-Haired" Shanks and Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate until his death could also qualify. In particular, during the Whitebeard War, the rather morally-sound Newgate led the battle against the more reprehensible Marines into battle, but it was Shanks himself that ended the war, simply by threatening to attack anyone that wanted to continue fighting!
  • Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, could be considered one. Originally a former Marine who defected because he didn't find true justice there and initially resisted the World Government through non-violent means until Ohara prompted him to assemble the Revolutionaries, allthough his exact agenda has yet to be revealed. If nothing else, his army is involved in helping innocent civilians rebel against the horrific World Nobles, so it can at least be assumed that he's given the order to do so.
  • Luffy is a charismatic, benevolent pirate captain on a dangerous adventure to become the next Pirate King. He faces obstacles, develops his abilities, and leads successful operations against the darkest forces. He earns respect from peers and enemies alike, becoming Emperor of the Sea and a significant figure in the pirate world as the newest Big Good, which solidifies further as he becomes the worthy inheritor of the legacies of Nika and Joy Boy. The true nature and power of his Devil Fruit discovery further cements his place in the lore of One Piece as a new Big Good. Luffy is the new bearer of the title of legendary liberator of slaves, embodying the ideals of freedom and standing in direct opposition to the tyrannical World Government.
• One-Punch Man has Agoni, a multi-millionaire who is the founder and leader of Hero Association.
  • Saitama is the actual Big Good of the story, because his actions indirectly prompted the establishment of the Hero Association.
  • King is believed by a vast majority of the public to be this, although it is a case of mistaken identity. He is just a completely normal guy with no superpowers.
  • The Hero Association views Blast as this, although Blast himself has mostly appeared in flashbacks and finally appeared in person late into the Monster Association Arc, and while most of the characters haven't interacted with him yet, he still holds this reputation; his absences are explained as he's on a personal mission alongside alternate good-aligned versions of some villains to defeat God by gathering mysterious black cubes through which God contacts humans.
• Patlabor: The top brass of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Detective Matsui, and even the JGSDF^note the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force all defer to Gotoh whenever there's an impending threat to the city, and with good reason. The man is a military genius, having studied military strategy and tactics during his days at the academy. He's also keenly observant, often picking up on things before others do, and noticing details others might overlook. Schaft Enterprises and his old mentor, Kai, know this better than anyone.
• Pokémon: The Series
  • Diamond and Pearl: Cynthia is portrayed this way, in regards to both heroics and the Pokémon League. She leads and supports the Power Trio in the final battle against Team Galactic, and is given extensive attention as the Champion of the Sinnoh League, while also playing a significant role in reshaping the Ash/Paul rivalry.
  • Pokémon Horizons: The Series: Professor Friede takes up the position as The Leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers. Among the group, he also seems to be the only elite trainer, which constantly puts him in the spotlight fending off the Explorers. Even when the kids get more competent in battling Friede is still clearly the strongest by a ginormous margin, and he's the only one who can actually fight Amethio, even holding the upper hand in most of their fights.
• The end of Puella Magi Madoka Magica has Ultimate Madoka after her Abstract Apotheosis become the greatest force for good in the universe, although only one person is aware of her existence and her role.
  • Beforehand, we have Mentor Mascot Kyubey serving as a subversion. They are the one recruiting Magical Girls to fight Walpurgisnacht and her fellow witches in order to save the universe, but they are also the one who created the witches from despairing magical girls, to use thier energy to keep the universe running.
• Record of Ragnarok: Brunhilde plays this role leading Humanity against the gods.
• Yui from Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars. She's the Empress of the Enastoria Empire, and she is also widely adored by her people.
• Downplayed in Ronin Warriors since he keeps to the shadows so often, but in many episodes The Ancient One provides wisdom and guidance to the heroes, helps them develop and has greater power than him. He's also the one that defeated Talpa in the past and created the armor they wear in the present day.
• The Three Dark Lords of Rosario + Vampire, or at least the two who are still alive.
• The title character of Rurouni Kenshin; a rare example of the main protagonist being this. He goes out of his way to help those around him and many of the characters (especially his True Companions) look to him for wisdom and hope.
• Queen Serenity from Sailor Moon. Her daughter, Usagi Tsukino, takes on this role after the Queen makes her last appearance, both as Neo Queen Serenity and as the eponymous Champion of Justice herself.
• Athena in Saint Seiya. She is the goddess of wisdom, defensive war, strategy, justice and hope. According to the Hyper-Myth, she's the goddess who inherits the control over the Earth from her father Zeus. Athena reincarnates once every 200 years to prevent evil from dominating the world and is the symbol of justice for all Saints.
• Soul Eater's Big Good is Death, ironically. He's the head of the school that trains the heroes, gives them their missions and is the only one capable of going head to head with the Big Bad. Also, he's the one the villains are worried about; the heroes themselves are a much lower priority.
• Shy has Uni-Lord, the overseer of earth's heroes. They live in a space station in earth's orbit, assign heroes their missions and act in general as the Team Mom to the heroes.
• Kamina, and later on (to a greater extent) Simon, from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Kittan fills Kamina's role while Simon is having his Heroic BSoD, and continues to be a secondary Big Good while Simon has the helm.
• Yoshimura, the grandfatherly and wise manager of Anteiku Cafe in Tokyo Ghoul. A decade prior to the series, he came to the 20th Ward and took over leadership of the Ghouls living there, making it into the most peaceful ward in Tokyo. The cafe serves as a safe haven for the ward's Ghouls, allowing them to gather together to socialize or exchange information in a neutral location. Under his leadership, territories are fairly divided and weaker Ghouls are provided scavenged meat, with his policy being to never turn his back on a Ghoul in need. Anteiku takes in Kaneki when he finds himself transformed into a Half-Human Hybrid, and helps him adjust to life as a Ghoul. Yoshimura provides wisdom and guidance to the young man, but also serves as a major threat that both Aogiri and CCG both consider vital to remove. The sequel shows that with Anteiku destroyed and Yoshimura captured by Aogiri, Aogiri has managed to become an incredibly powerful group forcing neutral Ghouls to work for them, and CCG is struggling to counter their rapid expansion.
• In Tokyo Mew Mew, Ryou Shirogane, owner of Cafe Mew Mew and the head of Project Mew Mew, leads the heroes.
• Primus serves this role in Transformers Unicron Trilogy; Transformers: Armada, Transformers: Energon, and Transformers: Cybertron.
• Hakuoro of Utawarerumono. He was both The Hero and emperor of his country, which under his leadership went around smiting bad guys.
• Dr. Riddles in Zatch Bell! for Kiyo, Zatch and Gang. He trains the heroes and organizes them to fight against threats like ancient demons and Faudo.

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