ON MY FAVORITE ANIME CHARACTER

TONY T. - Managing Editor, 3rd Year, Economics and Data Science

"The true savior of Earth."

Once again, I find myself writing on Dragon Ball. I guess that makes two for this issue alone. Frankly, the fact that I continuously find topics from the series that I want to write articles about is enough of a demonstration as any in terms of why I enjoy the franchise so much. As I’ve said before, the original series and its anime conclusion GT is such an engaging narrative because it simultaneously is written on a whim, whilst also spanning multiple decades. In the beginning of the Dragon Ball manga, the reader sees Son Goku at twelve years old. At the end of GT, he is a legendary figure revered by all as a champion of the Earth. Indeed, most of Dragon Ball follows characters somewhat similar to Goku – strong martial artists who train to be the greatest fighter under the heavens. Hence, the Tenkaichi Budokai, which literally translates to something akin to “Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Competition”.

Serving as not only the foundation of Dragon Ball’s themes of striving for improvement in of itself, it is also formative in the very concept of tournament arcs for battle shounen series, just as the series is crucial to the formation of that genre. It’s the backdrop of three arcs of the original series. With the 21st won by Jackie Chun (alias of the Muten Roshi), the 22nd won by Tenshinhan, and the 23rd won by Son Goku, the Tenkaichi Budokai was slowly phased out prior to the Saiyan arc, given how the escalating threats could not conceivably be contained within tournament grounds. In fact, the next time the tournament appears is in the original series’ final portion, the Majin Buu arc. After some great chapters with Son Gohan acting as a superhero, he is blackmailed by his classmate Videl to enter the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai. As the series skipped over the 24th Tenkaichi Budokai, context indicates that the off-screen tournament is won by Videl’s father, Mr. Satan, my favorite character in all of anime.

I mentioned earlier that most of Dragon Ball’s main cast have similar backgrounds. Indeed, Yamcha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo Jr, Son Goku, and even Vegeta all fall within the archetype of a martial artist constantly working on improving themselves. Frankly, it’s likely the reason why characters constantly get introduced only to be underused later on. Largely because he himself cares little for hard training and is mostly hedonistic, Mr. Satan is immune from this trend. His fame may have come from legitimately winning a tournament in the absence of the main characters, but he isn’t the same sort of martial artist as previous Budokai winners. Yet, his characterization, that of a fighter with vices who ultimately has good intentions, is comparable to the Muten Roshi. I think that’s a good lens to look at the character of Mr. Satan. He doesn’t necessarily display the same passion as the other characters, but in his heart, he fundamentally represents the Turtle School’s philosophy. The Muten Roshi teaches his disciples, particularly Son Goku and Kuririn, that they should devote themselves to their craft yet also act altruistically when needed. Mr. Satan, while not as dedicated to martial arts as the main characters, is quite possibly the most decent figure in the series as he saves the world on several occasions. In a series where the main characters obtain some depth through being presented in many stages of life, Satan is only introduced in chapter 393 of a 519 chapter story. Perhaps because he is only relevant in the later parts, he never really has a chance to become a member of the ‘main’ group, largely operating independently. In this way, Mr. Satan’s unique brand of heroism truly shines.

In the first arc he appears in, Mr. Satan is vital to Son Gohan’s defeat of Perfect Cell. Without anything to gain and as a normal human being not accustomed to the wacky surroundings of the main cast, Satan throws Android 16’s head over to Son Gohan. Hence, Mr. Satan, while not intentionally doing so, is the reason why Gohan finds the resolve to attain Super Saiyan 2, defeat Perfect Cell, and save the Earth. Still, most of this is incidental. One could find Mr. Satan honorable tangentially for doing something asked of him for seemingly no direct payoff, but he does find huge fame and success in the ensuing seven years between the Cell and Majin Buu arcs as a result. Still, this strongly indicates the direction of his character.

What really defines Mr. Satan is the Majin Buu arc. While constantly played up as a buffoon, especially during the return of the main cast in the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai where they far outclass anything remotely related to the 24th, Satan is arguably the most important character in this portion. Though he initially attempts to kill the fat version of Majin Buu, Satan eventually sees the good in him and finds a peaceful means to quell Buu’s rampage. It should be noted that Buu is a primordial edrich beast. Dragon Ball has a penchant for alpha-male, “letting fists do the talking”, types of conflict resolution. But in this scenario, a main antagonist is instead stopped by being shown why his actions are destructive. It’s brilliant. Mr. Satan’s actions effectively subvert the entire series, whilst still in line with Toriyama Akira’s sense of gag humor. What more, while this action is demonstrative of the character’s cowardice to an extent, it also holds thematic weight. The Buu arc is kickstarted with Son Gohan’s wacky adventures as a teenage high schooler moonlighting as a superhero. By the Buu arc’s midpoint, the main cast’s dynamics revolve around finding new things to stop Buu like Super Saiyan 3, the Fusion Dance, or Ultimate Gohan. None of these complex solutions work, yet Satan’s simple humanity does the trick. By introducing an outside character who, in some regards, is far more traditionally heroic, Toriyama Akira demonstrates that heroism is not a physical concept, but rather something more innate. This serves as an interesting moral and also effectively ties in with the Muten Roshi’s teachings regarding the meaning of martial arts training all the way from the early portions of the manga.

Yet still, Mr. Satan’s prior accomplishments are dwarfed by his most pivotal contribution at the end of the original Dragon Ball’s final story arc. At the most critical hour, Vegeta does his best to hold off the evil half of Majin Buu while Son Goku charges his Genki-dama ability. The technique requires people to willingly give their energy to be pooled against a villain in order to reach its maximum efficacy. Given that the main cast is absolutely terrible at PR, not many Earthlings are willing to help, believing them to be some demonic force. The irony of their hero being a man named Mr. Satan is clearly lost on them, but Goku and Vegeta’s pleas for help (facilitated by the North Kaio’s telepathy) go unanswered. As Vegeta and the goof half of Buu attempt to stall evil Buu, only select individuals aware of Goku’s deeds assist in the Genki-dama. But in this most dire circumstance, Mr. Satan shows his true character by chastising the denizens of Earth for lacking generosity. While at first this is simply an outburst, it demonstrates that at Satan’s core, he does possess a true sense of honor and duty, even if it is hidden beneath the layers of his numerous vices. In doing this, he quickly realizes the ability he alone possesses and begins telling everyone on Earth to donate energy to the Genki-dama, which eventually does defeat Buu.

At the beginning of the Buu arc, the narration text box remarks that Earth has become complacent in the seven years since a large threat emerged. This leads to Son Gohan creating the superhero alter ego of the Great Saiyaman as a rebuttal to that idea, showing that those with power still will ultimately stand for justice. Yet, the finale of Dragon Ball’s final arc is powerful in showing that even someone with absolutely no fighting abilities (at least on par with the galaxy level power the characters at this point have achieved) has the ability to make a positive impact. Satan’s actions don’t just save the Earth, as he reminds all Earthlings of the virtues that they must remember in order to maintain normal society. In this way, he is every bit of a hero as the main characters, just in his own unique way. Fitting for the final portion of the original long running Dragon Ball manga, Mr. Satan is a reminder not just for the in-story Earthlings, but also to the readers, of the power of even the average person. That he has the impact that he has is ultimately because of his internal virtues, not any particular physical power he possesses.

Finally, going back to the finale of the anime-only Dragon Ball GT which is 115 years after Majin Buu’s defeat, the only remnants of the characters are statues of Son Goku and Mr. Satan, along with a very elderly Pan, who is their granddaughter. In doing this, the story emphasizes the might of Son Goku and the innate goodness of Mr. Satan. This doesn’t necessarily say that Son Goku is not a good person or that Mr. Satan does not wield (indirect) might in his own right. Yet, by placing Satan alongside Goku, the ending rather neatly demonstrates that both were equally necessary for maintaining peace in their own right. Fundamentally, what establishes Mr. Satan as my favorite anime character of all time is his effect on the dynamics of the series that indicate how the single-minded approach of characters like Goku may not be the greatest. He is a clear foil to most Dragon Ball characters, and yet still upholds the series’ themes. In spite of his flaws which are fairly comedic and humorous, Mr. Satan embodies what it means to be a hero, and thus, truly earns his role as the savior of Earth and a figure remembered well beyond his days. His actions completely redefine the meaning of heroism outside of the confines of the main cast of characters. Just as Dragon Ball predominantly shows the story of Son Goku becoming a true legend, Mr. Satan’s portion shows that there isn’t just one path to success or to attaining respect, and that quite literally anyone can do good.