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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 4 months ago

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Mod Talks #2: Ranking the Danganronpa Series:

//So this ranking list might be a bit confusing to some people, since the title of it isn't exactly a dead giveaway at what I'm going to be talking about here.

//So let me just explain.

//Since the first game released in Japan in 2010, Danganronpa has become an absolutely huge franchise, spawning a fair few sequels, countless media, even more countless fan-projects, and there's so much more to it's name. Even after 14 years or so of it's lifespan, and with the series not really getting anything else lately since Kodaka left Chunsoft to form his own company with Uchikoshi, Danganronpa is still a much beloved franchise by many.

//Which is what causes all the fan-related projects like this blog to pop up. Because people cannot get enough of these characters.

//So in this ranking post, I'll be ranking each and every installment in the main series, as well as a few notable spinoffs, adaptations, and fan-projects featured on this blog. My rankings will be based on my own personal opinions first and foremost, but I'll mainly be judging these on factors like story quality, character writing, and the overall impact it had not just on me, but on the series.

//This is also going to be classified as a Mod Talks because I'm going to go more in depth than I normally do with these rankings. Beyond just a few paragraphs, I'm going to be analyzing basically everything that I possibly can.

//Let's break it down a little bit more.

This list WILL include:

Each of the mainline games - From DR1 to DRV3

The End of Hope's Peak Academy Anime - Both arcs will be counted as one.

Every Fanganronpa featured in the blog - None outside of that though, so don't expect to see Despair Time or anything like that pop up here.

All the Light Novels and Official Manga - Such as IF, Zero, and Kirigiri.

This list WILL NOT include:

Kirigirisou - I haven't played it, and so few people know what it actually is that I don't think anyone will care if I leave it out. I'll gladly give it an honorable mention though.

Magical Miracle Girl Monomi - It's a bonus minigame that adds no substance.

Danganronpa: The Animation - I understand that the DR anime adaptation is unpopular, but since it's a brief retelling of the story of Danganronpa 1 with the same characters, I decided not to include it since I'll already be covering them.

The Manga Anthologies - These are short stories written by a variety of different creators that each interpret the characters differently. I cannot judge them as a collective.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code - Yes, it is another game by Kodaka. Yes, it has similar designs and mechanics to DR. And yes, the characters of the game are featured on the blog. But Rain Code is NOT a Danganronpa game, so I am not accounting for it.

Danganronpa Survivor, or any other Danganronpa Ask Blog that frequently gets mentioned here - This goes without saying. I'm not including the blog itself on the list because 1 - Personal bias to my own work, and 2 - It's not official enough to be classified under the content.

//Also, as one last thing, official content in the Danganronpa series will be marked orange in the title. Fan/Unofficial content will be marked purple.

//That should be everything, so let's take a despair-filled dive into the world of Danganronpa and see which titles rise to the top.

#20 - Danganronpa: Togami

//So going into this, I'm willing to reckon that a lot of you thought that I was going to put Danganronpa 3 right smack dab at the bottom of this list. Especially since I shit-talk it so much, and for good reason.

//But the true crime is that I don't talk about the Danganronpa: Togami light novel series enough, and just how much of a fucking shitshow it is.

//Now, this series isn't widely known to every fan of the series, so let me quickly summarize what this is. Danganronpa: Togami is a series of light novels written by Yuya Sato, that centres on Byakuya and his experiences with the Ultimate Despair in the Czech Republic, during his first year at Hope's Peak Academy, and prior to The Tragedy. It is unclearly canonical because it is not mentioned directly in canonical material. The Yuya Sato series saw the publication of three volumes.

//Given that Byakuya has one of the most interesting backstories in the Danganronpa series in my opinion, you'd think that a light novel that sort of shows that off, and how some of the events prior to DR1 truly played out would be really cool, and worth reading to help suck on that juicy lore.

//Well, it's not. Not even slightly.

//I've only read these novels once, having to read a fan-translation of it online, and believe me, I have no intention of revisiting them. The plot of the novels are convoluted and confusing, and even though Danganronpa CAN get very confusing in it's main storylines, it's still usually coherent enough to enjoy. But this just isn't.

//The fact that Yuji Sato truly has no idea how to write in a sane manner is one of the main problems with his work. Sato is only dimly acquainted with the idea of "making sense" and has no idea what "going overboard" entails.

//Remember how during the Death Battle event we hosted on this blog, I mentioned that Mukuro and Sakura were fast enough to instantly run from Japan to Prague in a couple seconds? This mad fucker came up with that, and Kodaka just let him.

//It also includes a lot of themes and scenes that I find...kind of disturbing? When the books get violent, they get REALLY violent. There's also a LOT of incest (which is unfortunately very common in Danganronpa) and a fair bit of suicide and fatphobia on top of that. And while Danganronpa has done all of these before, for the Togami novel series, it's just insanely gratuitous in the way that it's portrayed.

//Danganronpa isn't afraid to touch on darker themes, and that's fine. It's a series about high-schoolers killing each other. You can't really downplay that too much, so you might as well run with it. However, this novel's shift in tone is TOO dark. Too dark to the point that it feels like it's trying WAY to hard to be edgy.

//And the key difference is that even when the main series gets dark, the humor and eccentricity of the writing kind of balances it out. But we have absolutely none of that here. It's just gore, rape, death, blah!

//Sato, I'm sorry, but this isn't what "Graphic Novel" means.

//But all of this is completely putting aside what I consider to be the absolute worst part of this series of novels: The complete BUTCHERING of Byakuya's character.

//Byakuya is one of the most stand-out characters in the series. He's appeared at least once in basically every mainline iteration of the series, and because of that, he's the character who has seen the most development. He never betrays who he is, and remains a smug asshole to the end, but he still cooperates more with his peers and doesn't put himself on a pedestal above them. Even at the beginning, though he does a lot of conniving bullshit in DR1, he still holds himself to high standards.

//But the novel says balls to all of that.

//In the novel series, there are many times that Byakuya is portrayed as more vulnerable and less composed. If this took place in a time when he was VERY young, then this would make more sense, but this story takes place like A YEAR before the first game. His interactions with other characters can also be more emotional and impulsive, whereas Byakuya has always been famous for being reserved, cold, and strategic.

//Alongside all the other edgy shit that infects this series, the novels try to explore the darker side of Byakuya's character, sometimes pushing him into morally ambiguous or outright negative situations. For example, there's a point in the book where he gaslights a young girl into falling in love with him so that she'll writ his autobiography for him, and several scenes where he engages, or at least complicit in, extreme brutality.

//Not only is this the most OOC thing Byakuya has ever done, but it completely undermines the complex character that the series built him up to be. Despite his cold demeanor, he's not a violent person.

//All in all, if you do get a chance to read this novel, I personally suggest that you let it slip by. It's really not worth the read, and I'm willing to bet that almost any other fanfic writer on the internet could completely redo this.

//But now you see that even with it's stupid writing and many flaws, why DR3 didn't fall this far down, because this is somehow a billion times worse.

//But we're gonna talk about it now, right?

//Well...

#19 - Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer

//Killer Killer fucking sucks.

//There's no sugarcoating it, it's just insanely bad. And it's honestly so disappointing because this could have been something great.

//Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer, more commonly just called Killer Killer, is a bit more well-known than the Togami light novels. And this is mainly because it is actually an important part of the Danganronpa timeline.

//Somehow...

//According to the official chronology, the events of this manga take place before those of Danganronpa 2 and after those of Ultra Despair Girls. The main story revolves around Misaki Asano, a recent hire who works as a special investigator for the Special Investigations Unit of Future Foundation Branch 6; a division tasked with cracking the most unusual and difficult murder cases. One case at a time, she and her partner Takumi Hijirihara work to overcome hopelessness; the most difficult case they have is that of the enigmatic Killer Killer, a strange serial killer who preys on other murderers.

//You get three guesses as to who the Killer Killer actually is.

//Killer Killer ironically suffers from a problem that is both similar to that of the Togami novels, but also the complete opposite problem. It's easily one of the more darker parts of the Danganronpa Timeline, but even at it's darkest, Danganronpa is well-known for balancing these moments with its unique humor and over-the-top situations.

//Unlike the previous entry, Killer Killer does have these moments, but they are balanced HORRIBLY. Most of the manga focuses heavily on gore and psychological horror, which is off-putting on it's own, but even more so when you randomly throw in a stupid fucking gag in there.

//The key one I feel being Takumi Hijirihara's weird quirk where he pulls a Zenitsu and falls in love with every pretty woman he meets. Even when they're the killer.

//Speaking of Hijirihara, HE FUCKING SUCKS.

//A lot of people think the protagonist of this manga is cool because he's different, and I do agree that he's easily the furthest cry of the main protags in the series. He shares absolutely nothing in common with Makoto, or Hajime, or Kaede and Shuichi, or Komaru and Toko.

//Okay, he shares a LITTLE bit with Toko, but Toko of bearable. He isn't.

//While moral ambiguity can make a character, especially a protagonist, a lot more interesting, Hijirihara's isn't handled well. His actions are often portrayed as justified within the narrative, even though most of the time, they're questionable at best and outright unethical at worst.

//And I know how that sounds coming from the guy who wrote Kuripa Kurafto, but I should remind you that even though he is violent and rotten, Kuripa DOES believe that people can be redeemed. It's only those who don't try and relish in their homicide that deserve to be put to bed forever.

//Asano is okay, but her personality and quirks are things that Danganronpa has already done before, AND better. Though I do like that she and Hijirihara have something of a romantic connection.

//Actually, speaking of which, if Kuripa was in this novel, then he'd probably murder all the killers featured in it too. Because that's exactly what they are. Murderous psychopaths and nothing else.

//Danganronpa's two biggest strengths across the whole series are the mystery, and the characters. And the big problem with Killer Killer is that it's severely lacking in both core aspects.

//Almost every chapter of Killer Killer goes the same in that somebody dies, and Asano and Hijirihara are on the scene to investigate. But before any investigating can be done, Hijirihara figures out the culprit immediately, and every time, without fail, the culprit goes all hobo-murder-crazy, tries to kill Hijirihara, only for this guy and his unexplained insane strength and precision to humor them with an instant kill.

//There is absolutely no sense of mystery since Hijirihara solves the cases FOR the audience before any evidence can be given, and there is absolutely no complex character writing either. I don't remember a single character's name from this manga besides Asano and Hijirihara themselves; as well as the characters who are also featured in DR3, like Munakata and Kyoko.

//I even made sprites for A Student Out of Time for the girl who was super into leeches once, and I STILL don't remember her fucking name.

//(I think it's Shimizu or something?)

//Even when the format breaks, there is nothing compelling whatsoever about the plot of this manga. It lacks any sense of intrigue and it lacks and sense of depth, and to make matters worse, the writing and pacing is wholly inconsistent.

//Killer Killer is completely unessential to the Danganronpa series, even though it's portrayed otherwise. Danganronpa 3 still has the merit of at least expanding the lore of the series both before and after the addition of the Future Foundation, but in Killer Killer's case, instead of enriching the existing universe, it feels like a side project that adds no meaningful value or new perspectives to an already established narrative.

#18 - Makoto Naegi Secret File

//Yes, we're STILL not at Danganronpa 3. Crazy right?

//Turns out the anime is better than most of us expected to.

//Okay, so what can I say about this one? Well, this addition to the series is still relatively unknown, so I guess I should start by explaining what it is.

//The Makoto Naegi Secret File; sometimes referred to as "Makoto Naegi's Worst Day Ever" or something similar; is a short 25-page novella penned by Kazutaka Kodaka that describes the events leading up to Makoto Naegi's admission to Hope's Peak Academy. The first DVD/BD volume of Danganronpa: The Animation came packaged with the booklet.

//And it is basically exactly what it says on the tin. It's a story about Makoto randomly getting stuck in a hostage situation after a conga line of bad luck, where he accidently exposes and catches a jewel thief. It's a frankly ridiculous and hilarious story that you can't help but feel bad for the Lucky Student with.

//And in all fairness, the story itself is Danganronpa's cuckoo writing at it's finest. The fact that the story is a mini-precursor to the events of the first game is cool, and the direct relevance to the core narrative makes it appealing.

//So god tell me Mod! Why is it so low!?

//Well, first off, I can't really hold the Secret File in HIGH regard because it's a 25-page bonus booklet that not many people would have read, and even if they had, it hardly makes much of a difference to people's experience with the anime/game. But the major problem, which loosely ties into this, is pretty obvious.

//It's redundant.

//What tends to make the novels and side material like Zero and Kirigiri so great is that it expands on the lore of characters who you really want to know more about. Junko, Mukuro, Kyoko; they're all characters that you want to learn more about. Their backstories. Who they really are. Why they became the way they did. And yeah, Danganronpa: Togami completely failed to do that for Byakuya, but it doesn't change the fact that it's something you'd like to see.

//But...you don't NEED that for Makoto.

//Makoto Naegi is THE Danganronpa Protagonist. He appears at least once in every game, and even when he doesn't, his influence is everywhere! You play as him in the first game, and he's the one who defeated Junko Enoshima. He's a living legend across the entire franchise and a fondly remembered character from the very beginning of the franchise.

//A story like this is completely unnecessary since it doesn't teach you anything about Makoto that you either don't already know, or that is interesting or new information. Makoto's lucky being sucky is nothing new, and all the Secret File does is rehash information that we already know from the games without adding any substantial new insights.

//The story simply doesn't provide enough new or significant information to justify its existence. No major revelations about the original hero, or impactful additions to his character. And as someone who does really like Makoto, that's disappointing to me.

//Also, just like the previous two entries, this story also suffers the problem of an imperfect balance between the angst and the humor. Although in this case, it's more on the other end of the spectrum from Togami and Killer Killer, where it's too goofy and not hectic or scary enough.

//And as one last little qualm, the file focuses way to heavily on specific aspects of Makoto's character, like his talent and his backstory, neglecting other elements that I find a lot more important.

//And therefore, it detracts from my enjoyment a bit.

#17 - Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy

//We're finally here. At what is surprisingly not the worst thing Danganronpa has put out, but easily my least favorite canonical mainline installment of the series.

//Sit down for a bit if you're not already, because I do have a fair bit to say about this one. But my concerns with it are mostly the same as everyone else's.

//Believe it or not, the reason why Danganronpa 3 didn't end up smack dab at the bottom of this list isn't for the easy reason that "I just liked those other one's less." Actually, Danganronpa 3 isn't wholly irredeemable. There are some stuff about it that I like.

//But both parts of this anime, the Despair Arc and the Future Arc, suffer from the same problems. So I've chosen not to separate them, and I'll try and go through all of my major issues with this show one at a time.

//With that being said, first things first...It's plot is pretty terrible.

//Danganronpa 3's storyline is weird, incoherent, and rushed, especially in Future Arc. And this is something you'll notice as we work our way down the list of reasons, but it feels like DR3 suffers way more than it should through the simple fact that it's an anime and not another game like one and two.

//The game's would not have this problem because there'd be more time to divvy out, but for the anime, it feels like they introduced numerous storylines and character arcs, then spent a lot of the series, especially the latter parts, trying to wrap them up. Which of course, leads to a lack of depth and development for any of the characters, and an overall unsatisfying conclusion.

//The duel arcs of Future Arc and Despair Arc are also unnecessarily complex and confusing. Especially since they're two separate storylines, but you're also supposed to watch then alternately?

//One of the biggest offenders, as I'm sure everyone is already well familiar with, is the birth of the Ultimate Despair at the end of Despair Arc, when the 77th Class, AKA. The Class of Danganronpa 2, are turned into Junko's subservient despair minions.

//What we could have gotten was a show seeing this class slowly devolve and drown in despair as their lives progressively get worse and worse.

//What we got was Chiaki dying, and a brainwashing video.

//Lazy.

//There is no other word for it.

//Speaking of which, one of my biggest problems with DR3 and why I hate it so much is because I absolutely despise the main cast.

//Everybody in the Future Foundation is a complete dickwad at first, and most of them remain that way throughout the entire story. As I said before, I grew to really like Seiko Kimura, and I liked Koichi Kizakura and the Great Gozu too. But DR3's new characters in general are either underdeveloped, or they're written in a way that makes me absolutely despise them. I think Juzo Sakakura is the worst offender of this.

//And it's not just the new characters either. The anime also features the casts of Danganronpa 1 AND 2, and SOMEHOW BOTH GROUPS are treated really poorly, with their story and character arcs either being completely ignored, or concluded in unsatisfying ways. Again, the brainwashing at the end of Despair Arc is the worst offender of this.

//The anime also seems to prioritize fanservice of all kinds over actual coherent storytelling. Like a pandering attempt to please the fans, and massively failing, since they aren't delivering anything substantial.

//But the thing that bothers me the most is that despite being marketed as the conclusion to the Hope's Peak saga, and literally EXISTING for the purpose of wrapping up a lot of the plot points from the first 3 games, Danganronpa 3 leaves quite a few plot points unresolved or poorly explained.

//For example, what happened to the Remnants of Despair after they took the fall for the Future Foundation? How did the Remnants account for Nagito after everything he did to them in virtual Jabberwock Island? What happened to the Future Foundation after the Final Killing Game, and how did they fix the mess that Tengan and Yukizome left behind? What's going on with Makoto now that he's randomly the headmaster of Hope's Peak? What happened with Ryota, and is he ever gonna psychologically recover after he tried to brainwash the whole world?

//The blatant lack of closure on a lot of the aspects I've listed above, AND more, is just so damn frustrating. It's not a definitive end to the story; not to mention that the anime introduces changes and elements that don't align with the game; such as Chiaki randomly being a human now even though she was just an AI originally.

//To put it simply, Danganronpa 3 just...fails. It fails to live up to the standards of the games that came before it, and it fails to provide a satisfying conclusion to the storyline.

//So here's the question. Is it really all that bad?

//Actually no. There are some pearls hidden in this pile of dirt.

//When the anime really tries, it can deliver really powerful emotional punches to the gut when it wants to. In my view, the last episode, also known as the Hope Arc, which marked the conclusion of Makoto and Hajime's parallel tales and marked a crossover between the two arcs, was truly outstanding. And that's not even mentioning the emotional rollercoaster that is real Chiaki's execution. It's such a terrifying and morbid scene in the franchise that really just sticks with you.

//Speaking of which, while I do feel that the cast get done dirty a lot in the show, I can't claim the same for the main pairings of each arc. That's Kyoko and Makoto for Future Arc, and Hajime and Chiaki for Despair Arc.

//Anime Chiaki is very different from game Chiaki, but she's an equally fun and entertaining character. I would argue even more than the original, though I know that's an unpopular opinion. A lot of people think that Chiaki is a Mary Sue in the anime, but I think the anime actually shows off the imperfections with Chiaki's character more than DR2 did. She exemplifies genuine kindness and unwavering dedication to her friends, making her a compassionate and likeable character.

//Hajime even more so is handled well I think. His complex emotional journey and growth from a confused, despair-ridden individual into a determined and empathetic person who seeks to redeem his actions is enthralling, and honestly, if it weren't for the little touches that DR3 gave him, I might like him half as much as I do now.

//And Kyoko playing less of an active role in the narrative actually works to her benefit. Especially since whatever scenes she has are usually interesting, and casually reminds you that "Yes, I am the most badass female character in the series." And the compassion and care that she shows for Makoto, despite how cold and distant she is to everyone. Ship fuel aside, it's great.

//If I can give the anime one last plus, it's that I think it has one of the best soundtracks in the series. The songs in the anime aren't as well known because I think a lot of them used to be copyrighted/are copyrighted, but listen to the soundtracks of both DR3 arcs and you'll see what I mean.

//So yeah. Danganronpa 3. Bad? Yes. Completely irredeemable? No way.

#16 - Danganronpa ReBirth/DanganRebirth Voices

//Honestly, I was actually this close to putting ReBirth below DR3. I didn't quite realize how much I didn't care for it until now.

//A lot of you might be surprised to see this one on the lower levels of the list. I've mentioned before that three of my favourite characters in the blog are Akira, Narumi, and Ayumu, all three of whom come from this project. So why is it this far down the list?

//Let me give you a little bit of background on the origins of this Fangan.

//For the sake of pulling an April Fool's Day joke, online content creator and game designer Miwashiba spent 1.5 months creating and developing Danganronpa ReBirth. Miwashiba declared that there would be no intentions to develop this game beyond what had been provided once the joke ended. But after getting so much interest in their novel, they eventually started posting the prologue and first chapter in text format on their blog.

//On April 1, 2017, the official website went live along with "in-game" videos that included character graphics, music, and a fully voiced cast. Because the artwork, graphics, and website design were so similar to the Danganronpa aesthetic, there was a lot of conjecture online about whether the game was real or just a practical joke being pulled by Spike Chunsoft, especially among English-speaking fans who did not have access to the untranslated website.

//But Miwashiba retained their stance on not making a full game out of it. However, that eventually led to the creation of DanganRebirth Voices.

//Now I should clarify that Danganronpa ReBirth and DanganRebirth Voices are two completely different fan projects that use the same characters and plot points. And instead of a game, it was instead an animated web-series featuring a lot of famous Fangan voices actors that are still active in the community today.

//In order to avoid possible legal action that Miwashiba may face if Spike Chunsoft found someone creating unofficial Danganronpa works for financial gain, Miwashiba had initially agreed to allow the team to use their creations' name, characters, and materials on the understanding that it would be entirely non-profit.

//However, later on, The Voices team revealed that they were organizing a stream to generate money for a team member's cat's veterinary expenses, despite their agreement with Miwashiba. The goal of the stream was to entice viewers to give by offering a Q&A session with the team, providing voice acting requests from the ReBirth Voicescharacters, and featuring additional content that included the Danganronpa ReBirth moniker and Miwashiba's original characters.

//Although they had been able to work out a compromise and negotiate their way out of problems with Miwashiba in the past, the team explained in their public statement about the project's cancellation that the stream had been the "last straw" in a list of concerns that Miwashiba had had since the project's inception. As a result, they felt that in order to respect Miwashiba's wishes and avoid legal issues, they had to cancel the project.

//I remember being pretty bummed and annoyed when I first heard about it, but looking back, I don't blame Miwashiba. ReBirth was always meant to exist as a joke, and Chunsoft's legal action team was fierce back in the day. But the fact that this never got a solid conclusion and only two incomplete projects knocks it down by quite a bit for me.

//While I do love the characters I listed above, my interpretation of them is only loosely based on ReBirth Voices original outline for them. They share only a few things in common; for example, the reason why Narumi and Akira are bad guys is because they were confirmed to be a pair of Mastermind's in ReBirth Voices. And I kept Ayumu's gender politics as part of his character, but downplayed them massively.

//However, even outside of that, I have quite a few issues with the ReBirth games. For one, the writing in both versions is pretty subpar, and whatever nuanced storytelling and engaging dialogue they're trying to get across to me, they're failing to do so.

//The second big issue is that a lot of what DanganRebirth does is recycled concepts from previous entries without offering new or innovative elements, taking away any sense of freshness.

//Not only that, but it typically tends to do these concepts worse. In both versions, Ayumu's gender politics plot point is treated with disrespect, in a way that Kodaka would never have done for Chihiro in the original game.

//And as a last fault, the quality of the voice acting in ReBirth Voices is wholly inconsistent.

//On the one hand, bblackroses as Narumi, and HarenaVA as Kazuomi are pretty on point and good for the characters; but in contrast, something like Kel as Ayumu and Bostoboy as Akira don't really do it for me.

//Rebirth is good because it showed what was possible, and what the community were capable of with just a bit of effort. Something that we'll be sure to go over with the rest of the fangames on this list.

#15 - Danganronpa Blowback

//Blowback is unfortunately not one of those.

//In all honesty, a lot of what I said about ReBirth is equally as true for Blowback.

//For one, Blowback never got finished before the team behind it disbanded, and we only managed to get two full chapters out of it before it went goodbye forever.

//Unlike ReBirth though, this one suffers from being an exclusively Korean fangame with translations for it being really hard to come across. I definitely found one and played it, but I cannot find that original link or play it anymore, so most people don't even know this game exists.

//One of the things that I really liked about Blowbakc is how official the sprites look. Genuinely, if you put a character like Akeru, or Mai in front of me, I genuinely would believe that Komatsuzaki made them.

//And there are quite a few characters in the game, namely the likes of Kana Ise and Akeru Yozora who I think are really fun and I really enjoy.

//But beyond that, there are some problems. And they mainly have to do with the same characters and the story. And that's that this game feels less like it's own fangame, and more like a retelling of Danganronpa 1.

//In the original game, Seina Datenashi is a prim and proper pretty girl who's also a bit of a gadfly, just like Sayaka was in the first game. However, she ends up being the killer, so her trial feels like what COULD have happened if Sayaka had successfully killed Leon in the first chapter of the first game.

//Secondly, the second killer, Mikihiko, in the original game, is a boy who wears clothes that make him appear effeminate. Which is exactly like Chihiro, except in a more cynical format, since he was forced to wear those clothes by his sisters. So it's really a killer-victim swap there as well, imagining Chihiro WAS desperate enough to hide the secret.

//Third, the "rival" character in the game is Shozo Asayoru. And in almost every way, he is exactly like Byakuya, from his sprites to his attitude, to his expressions.

//For me, that spells a lack of originality. Even though it does have it's own original plot points and characters that I really like, Blowback relies too heavily on already existing Danganronpa content without introducing any meaningful elements or ideas.

//Unlike ReBirth however, I really would have liked to see this one to the end, even if just to see how far we got with it, and what they could have changed it up to be.

#14 - Hyper! Danganronpa H20: Abandon All Hope

//It was always my intention to introduce Maya Canzanilla and her friends from this game into the blog because I really enjoyed her and her content, but for those who were around when Into the Ocean first released, you may remember that prior to the arc starting, I made a full length post explaining why I was adding these characters, where I've never really done that before for any other Fangan featured here.

//There was a reason for that. Several in fact.

//I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but for the uninitiated, I will have to explain a few key points about this game to give you a better idea as to why my choice to add it was controversial.

//English-language fangame Hyper! Danganronpa H20: Abandon All Hope, also referred to as Hyper! Danganronpa H20 and HDRH20, was made by US developer Milkpunches. This game was the first fully functional English fan game that had ever been published by an developer.

//It's also the most controversial and widely despised Fanganronpa.

//And for reasons that I think are pretty justified, despite how much I've come to care for Maya. What are those reasons?

//First off, the character writing is incredibly shallow. I like the character designs a lot, but unlike most Fangans, you cannot tell what each characters Ultimate Talents are based on their appearance. This Fangan was originally based on a roleplay, but in the execution of the game, somehow, they come across as less developed than Danganronpa 3.

//One one end of the spectrum, you have Maya, Ashe, August, Four, Hunter, Kokona, Oliver, and Victoria. All of whom are varying degrees of douchebag.

//On the other end, you have Chet, Kami, Kouji, Leona, Marie, and Ricardio, all of whom are varying degrees of nice.

//And then meshing about in the middle, you have Tamako who is just weird and creepy, and Cesar who...has NO personality for most of the game.

//And that's about it.

//A lot of the characters don't change, which for me has always been alright because the MAIN one's that I actually give a shit about do. But it's still a qualm that needs to be covered.

//Speaking of qualms, another big issue is that the trials, cases, and gameplay of this fangame suck total ass.

//HDRH20 was made in OHRRPGCE; an extremely dated game design software, that clearly does not cater well to Fanganronpa's AT ALL.

//The "Trials", if they can even be called that, are garbage, you can't view the Truth Bullets (or at least the game never explains how to do so), and the endless debates are similar to Ace Attorney but far less thrilling because you have to go through the text instead of picking a bullet and shooting it.

//Not to add the annoying mess that appears—once—as Hangman's Labyrinth. Throughout the entire game. You only play the minigame once, and it's in the first trial. The creator just forgot about the minigame between chapters.

//Speaking of the creator, Milkpunches, while I won't go into specifics, is, or rather was, a notoriously toxic person back when they were making HDRH20. And this is by far my biggest issue with this game, and what the creator was trying to do with it.

//Now, what I'm about to say could potentially come across as offensive to some parties, but given how relevant it is, it needs to be said. I'm not trying to go out of my way to make anyone feel attacked for their identity or their likes. We don't do that here.

//The reason I bring this up is because I want to make an observation, in that every character in this game falls somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. And this game was written and created with the intention of basically forcing pride ideas into the player's heads.

//This is what is known as "Tokenism." If LGBTQ+ characters are included just to fulfil a diversity quota without meaningful development or integration into the story, it can come off as superficial or insincere.

//Tokenism can undermine the authenticity or representation and fail to contribute to a compelling narrative. And relying on sterotypes or cliches when portraying characters who are gay, or trans, or lesbian, or bi, etc. can be harmful and reductive. It creates one-dimensional characters that don't reflect the complexity of real individuals and can perpetuate harmful misconceptions.

//Which is exactly what the cast of HDRH20 are.

//Focusing solely on a characters queer identity without exploring other aspects of their personality or role in the story can limit their depth. A well-rounded charater should have a multifaceted identity, where their LGBTQ+ status is just one of many elements.

//Don't take my words out of context: Pride representation itself is not detrimental to storytelling. It just needs to be approached with care to ensure that it adds to the narrative in a meaningful and respectful way, and here it just...doesn't. The ideas are forcefully shoved down your throat in a toxic way.

//And as for Milkpunches themselves, they attack anybody who criticizes them in the way that I've just done, so I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole.

//But regardless, I still really like Hyper Danganronpa, and here's a few reasons why.

//For one, the character designs and art style are cool even if they're not wholly "Danganronpa-like." And even if the personalities are sorted into two basic sets, unlike a certain other fangan that we'll get to, these characters DO develop and change.

//One of the biggest criticisms people have for this game is that Maya as a protagonist is so unlikeable and annoying. But I think she's only like this for the prologue at least and Chapter 1 at most. Over time, she changes and becomes less stand-offish, and opens up to Hunter and Four.

//And it's not like the characters are completely one-dimensional. They have well-written backstories, and honestly, a lot of the storytelling is only held back by the game engine, not the actual writing.

//As abundant as the pride inclusion is, some of it, especially with Four, is detailed and handled well.

//And I do generally think that once you seperate content from creator, Hyper Danganronpa H20 has it's own charms. The problems are still there and still need to be accounted for, but looking past them, this is something special at its sweet center.

#13 - Super Danganronpa Another 2 ~The Moon of Hope and Sun of Despair~

//I've personally always seen DRA and SDRA2 as so in-line with the original Danganronpa, that I've subconsciously considered them as Danganronpa 5 and 6.

//Or I guess it would be 6 and 7 if we're forming a timeline.

//If you got into the Danganronpa fanbase and started to peruse the fanmade content, there's a pretty high chance that the first major project you came across was this Korean fangame by creator LINUJ; with it's own original theme of Process and Result.

//This is by far the most famous fangame in the entire fanbase, and chances are you've played it if you were able to get your hands on a translation.

//I think SDRA2 is probably the most solid Fanganronpa out there, and it's easily the most recognizable AND recommendable. As time has passed, it's become much easier for Western audiences to get their hands on, though still not easy by any means, and it's a good experience for any fans of the Danganronpa series, new, or old.

//It does the enjoyable thing of realizing what it is and messing with your expectations at every step, all the while remaining satisfying and not catching you off guard.

//Most of the challenges and riddles you solve in each chapter rank among the best of the entire series. Especially compared to the cases of DRV3.

//So the question is why is it so low?

//The first of the reasons is that Utsuroshima is hardly an original concept for a setting.

//Yes, it does different things than Jabberwock Island, such as the snowy island, but it's still a tropical island inside a virtual reality that everyone is trapped in.

//Secondly, the actual story of SDRA2 is poorly paced. Maybe I'm missing a couple of stuff, but you don't actually figure out any of the major plot points until you get to CHAPTER 5, with a few hints to it in Chapter 4.

//Danganronpa has always had an issue with pacing, but fangames are made to fix the mistakes that Kodaka and the team keep making, and the fact that this game doesn't is very annoying.

//The third and main reason is that while this might be a hot take, I actually don't like most of this game's cast.

//At their most basic, I can't stand characters like Nikei, Yuri, Syobai, and a few of the others. And compared to the cast of the previous game LINUJ made, most of them are easily passable for me. In fact, the only three who I know aren't are Sora, Setsuka, and Yoruko.

//Sora, I even admitted, is my favorite Danganronpa/Fanganronpa protagonist, and I still stand by that.

//Mod Bubbles from ASooT explains this better, but LINUJ as a writer is a very cynical person. Throughout SDRA2, there are many segway's in the writing process where it feels like prime opportunity for a character to emotionally develop. To reflect on their mistakes, and to become stronger.

//Kodaka does this a lot in the original games. Characters like Byakuya, Fuyuhiko, Komaru, Shuichi, and many others are completely different by the end of their games than they are at the start, and the progression tends to feel natural.

//But LINUJ's characters never seem to be able to take the first step, and remain the way they are. And for a lot of them who are scummy shitheads, this is to their unyielding detriment.

//While I'm more aware as to why things the way they are with this game, a writer's outlook on life can help or hinder a character's development in several ways. A lot of the characters in SDRA2 especially are overly negative, and prevents them from being well-rounded and enjoyable people with good motives and potential for growth.

//It also makes me wonder how LINUJ can even empathize with his own characters. If you have a character, especially one that's on the good side, that nobody can relate or connect to, then that's a bad thing.

//Since the writer seems to believe that people are inherently flawed or incapable of change, that in turn makes a lot of this game's cast static, and stops them from experiencing meaningful development, or necessary redemption arcs.

//As one last little slight, SDRA2 may be more accessible to people these days, but DRA1 isn't. And in order to get the full experience out of this game, you kind of have to know the plot of game 1 first.

#12 - Ultra Despair Hagakure

//Yasuhiro Hagakure is my least favourite character from the original trilogy of Danganronpa games.

//Had it not been for the likes of Haiji Towa and similarly fuckwad characters existing, he'd be my least favourite in the series.

//His constant laid back demeanor and frequent use of nonsensical or absurd statements. The fact that he's easily the most unhelpful and useless character in the main series. His repeated cowardice. How out of touch he is with everything else that's going on in the game.

//There are so many reasons why I loathe this guy, so when I found out there was a novella centered around him exploring Towa City just as Komaru and Toko did throughout Ultra Despair Girls, suffice to say, I was not happy to hear it.

//So what did I think of it?

//...It was actually alright.

//I'll say right out of the gate that what I think is the absolute coolest part of this little story is how Hiro's journey through it mirrors the journey of Komaru and Toko in UDG. Ultra Despair Girls is a story about a cowardly main character who gets stuck in Towa City, surrounded by danger, and finds an unlikely companion in a perverse and strange, yet powerful ally. The two butt heads occassionally, but their bond remains strong enough to fight through the turmoil so that they may escape and see the sun tomorrow.

//Toko and Komaru's dynamic is almost the exact same as Hiro and Kanon's, and I think that's actually pretty clever.

//However, another thing I'll say right out of the gate is that if you're expecting to get any good character development out of Hiro with this story, then be prepared to be disappointed.

//It really shows the moral difference between the characters when Toko and Hiro go through the same experience, and one of them grows from it and the other doesn't.

//Toko originally aids Komaru because she wants to rescue Byakuya, but her goals change after she spends time with Komaru and becomes a true friend with her, wanting to protect her too.

//Hiro originally aids Kanon because he hopes that her rich father will handsomely compensate him, and he still believes that in the final chapters of the story.

//This just goes back to what I was saying about the cast of SDRA2. Hiro may be a comic relief character, but it annoys the everloving fuck out of me that he just WON'T change, no matter what hell he's put through, he never learns a scrap of humility for his scamming and bargaining.

//Unfortunately, Kanon isn't exactly the right character to teach him it either.

//Kanon is...fine. She's fine. There's nothing outwardly wrong with her besides her creepy weird lust for her dead cousin in the story.

//But as far as I'm aware, love rules in Japan are lenient with cousins, plus Kanon didn't know that Leon was dead, so...

//The reason why Ultra Despair Hagakure is this high is because even though it features two characters that I'm...at best, very on the fence about, the way they interact is a fun time, and the fact that they make just as good a team as Tokomaru makes it even more fun.

//Also, while Hiro, again, doesn't change from the events in the story, this is the best example in the series that shows he CAN step up and be brave if he needs to, which is why he's less of a coward in Survivor as a result.

//This one for me is the middle ground for the novels. It's not as bad or as mundane as Byakuya's and Makoto's, and it's still not wholly necessary, but it's an enjoyable read.

#11 - Danganronpa: Kirigiri

//Kyoko is one of the most outstanding characters in the entire Danganronpa series. Like Makoto and Byakuya, her partners in crime, she's one of the most commonly appearing and influential faces in the series and franchise.

//Like Byakuya, she also had an interesting backstory shrouded in mystery, but unlike Byakuya, her own novel series portrayed it in a really unique fashion.

//Danganronpa: Kirigiri is the benchmark for me, and the definition of what the DR light novels should be. As I said before, Makoto and Hiro, while there was nothing outwardly wrong with their stories, didn't really need to happen since a lot of the information shown in the stories is stuff that was already known. For Byakuya, it was backstory stuff that was interesting and should have elaborated on the mysterious past of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, but failed to do so in a meaningful and fun way.

//But when you have a character as elusive and mysterious as Kyoko Kirigiri, who remains that way throughout the entire main series, these novels really shine. Bonus material like this SHOULD be giving more lore and information on elusive characters like Kyoko, and while the others I think do it better than hers, she's still the low bar, and that means something.

//Takekuni Kitayama is the author of the light novel series, which centers on Detective Library members Kyoko Kirigiri and her history with colleague investigator Yui Samidare as they investigate the Duel Noir cases. Kitayama joined the series as a co-writer starting with V3, and his novel ran for seven years, in seven volumes.

//Unlike Killer Killer, the stories shown in these novels continue the DR series tradition of making intricate mysteries and thrills. Where Killer Killer failed to build up their crimes and make anything meaningful of the story, Kirigiri is able to maintain the suspense and psychological intrigue that the fans of the series appreciate.

//And it's especially interesting to see a younger, more starry-eyed Kyoko solving the cases. Even as a kid, she's the perfect protagonist for this kind of story.

//Also, surprisingly, Yui, Kyoko's sidekick and the main protagonist for this story, is a pretty well written character in her own right.

//Her existence in the story shows me that Kitayama understood the assignment. Even while younger, Kyoko's aloof and elusive nature makes her hard to connect with for general audiences, so he wrote Yui as the main heroine to fix that issue.

//However, even with the relatability aspect playing a huge part, Yui is a multi-dimensional character with a good blend of strength and vulnerability shown through her actions. Her interactions with the other characters, especially with Kyoko, adds richness to the narrative that really helps it move along.

//Also, the way that these novels casually make the Danganronpa universe bigger, even if some of it isn't all that relevant, is pretty impressive. And unlike the Togami novels, these one's are well-written with a fun narrative style that complements the existing series.

//With all that said, I definitely have my issues with the Kirigiri light novels, and ironically, a lot of them are shared with Killer Killer.

//Like Killer Killer, the only characters in this story who I remember the names of are Kyoko, Yui, Licorne, and Fuhito. Every other character is so irrelevant to me, I just block them out of my mind.

//Furthermore, as interesting and brain-wracking as the novels are, the plotlines can sometimes be too complicated, and the mystery elements can be challenging to follow, especially for readers who aren't as familiar with the Danganronpa style as long-time fans.

//And again, it's hard to find these novels in English.

#10 - Danganronpa Zero

//Like I said in the previous entry, Kyoko was one of the biggest characters, at least in the first game, who really benefitted from having her own light novel series to better explore the intricacies of her character. But she is one of three characters in the first game who are in this boat.

//ANOTHER one was JUNKO.

//As a prequel to Danganronpa 1, and by extension the entire series, Danganronpa Zero provides a deeper understanding of the series lore in a way that ACTUALLY WORKS, particularly the origins of the first Killing Game, the science behind it, and the backstory of one of it's most key characters.

//Junko is the main antagonist of the Danganronpa franchise, and just like her arch-nemesis Makoto, her influence is EVVEERRRYYYWHEEEEREE across this franchise. Even MORE than Makoto's is, easily.

//So it's amazing to me that she's still such an enigmatic character despite this central role in the storyline. As well-known as she is as the Mastermind of the Killing Game and as the Ultimate Despair, her true motivations are shrouded in mystery.

//While not fully, the Zero light novels help to elaborate on some of it. And they do it in a unique and twisty way too that is really fun to experience. And not just for Junko, but for the DR series as a whole.

//I'll be the first to say that Zero introduces a lot of random ass characters that no one, including me, seems to like very much, and for reasons that I think are fair. But I'm also mostly fine with that, because unlike some stories like Killer Killer, I think Ryoko and Yasuke handle the story well enough on their own.

//The mystery of who Ryoko really is, and the reveal near the end of the story's are masterful. And the fact that it remains such a dramatic and well-built-up mystery is awesome. As a character, she is fairly standard, but her actions and decisions are driven by strong, personal motivations. The depth makes her relatable and fun and her choices more impactful within the narrative.

//Matsuda too. The series has it's fair share of stone-faced snarkers before he showed up, but his character is marked by hidden personal struggles and more emotional depth than he lets on. And his decisions are not always black and white, adding some nuance to the tale.

//Couple all that with the fact that Zero has an actually engaging plotline and set of mysteries that don't overwhelm you as much as they would in Kirigiri, it's quite easy to get invested into this story as you put the pieces together.

#9 - Danganronpa ~Another Despair Academy~

//So I understand that this is a very hot take when it comes to taking a look at the Another series, because there aren't many out there who would put the first game above the second, especially not four spots higher. But let me break down just why I like this one so much.

//For starters, the more colorful character designs appeal to me massively. And personality wise, Another 1 has a much more solid cast of characters than the second game does.

//While Yuki is still a fairly standard protagonist for most of the game, borrowing aspects from both Makoto and Hajime, characters like Tsurugi, and Kakeru, and Satsuki, and quite a few others are one's that I'd never really seen the likes of before. And unlike SDRA2, most of them are likeable to me.

//They aren't perfect of course. There's still traces of LINUJ's pessimistic attitude, but there's less here than there was there for me.

//I also like the mysteries and the class trials more. Even though they are more contained, and borrow some things from the main game, (i.e. the first culprit being the sports jock and the fourth case being a trapped house) I still think the mysteries of this game are enough to stand out, even in the fierce competition.

//I can't comment much on the environment because like Utsuroshima, it's just a recreation of the setting of Danganronpa 1.

//But unlike SDRA2, Another 1 has a lot of the things that I look for in a fangan. It's pacing is well-managed, and the investigations, trials, and character interactions run smoothly and keep players engaged throughout.

//But even with that, there's more of a respect for the source material here than in the sequel. I know that on LINUJ's part that was intentional, and he wanted to set SDRA2 apart, but while innovation is key, I do like it when the tone of the original is respected.

//Now if only we can have an actual not-shitty translation for this.

#8 - Project: Eden's Garden

//This is not only the most recent Fangan to be added to the list, but also the most recent Fangan to be created in general on the list.

//Even though we've only gotten one character from Eden's Garden in the blog so far, I still wanted to include this because I've yet to thoroughly talk about this game.

//My general opinion on it is that I don't fit in with the hype surrounding Eden's Garden, and I'm not as excited for it's production as most other people, but I generally still think this is a really solid fangan.

//Well, I say "fangan" but Eden's Garden isn't explicitly a Danganronpa game. Apparently it's just "inspired."

//Which is a load of horseshit. You're trapped in a location with 15 other students, you all have Ultimate Talents, the bad guy, while not Monokuma, is black and white.

//It's a Danganronpa game, no matter who tells you otherwise.

//That being said, Eden's Garden DOES deserve to stand on it's own merits.

//First of all, even though it's currently just a prologue, the story features a beta Class Trial to show it's player base what's in store for the future, which I think is a clever tactic. Most fangans leave their audiences high and dry while they wait for the first trial to release (still been waiting 3 years for Chapter 1 of Coward's Paradise).

//This beta trial also shows off how Eden's Garden's mysteries and system are unique to itself, and while it has a similar spirit, it does take what Danganronpa laid down and runs with it in a way most fan projects don't.

//Right from the get go, the narrative is compelling to me, and the characters are done very creatively. I like that Damon Maitsu, the protagonist, is an asshole to everybody because he genuinely thinks he's so much better than them. It's like playing Trigger Happy Havoc, but Byakuya is the protagonist instead of Makoto.

//The quality of the game is unbelievable too. Not just the characters themselves, but the backgrounds of this game are absolutely gorgeous, even if they are simplistic. But that's always been the case for Danganronpa as well, and Eden's Garden replicates that simple beauty perfectly.

//One of the biggest selling points for Eden's Garden for me though doesn't actually have to do with the game itself, but the people who are making it. There is nothing more satisfying to me in the universe than a developer team that actively engages with their community.

//I do understand why it's important to make sure you keep your closest fans and followers at arms length. You don't want to get too personal to people who you don't know. But in the case of a project like Eden's Garden, it relieves a lot of my worries about the game's future because the dev's listen to their fanbase, and actively accept the criticism to make sure the final cut of this game turns out exactly as the fanbase wants it to, which is more than I can say for most entries on this list, especially number 14.

//That said, I do have a couple of minor issues that bump the current state of Eden's Garden down a bit. It suffers from a lot of standard problems that fangans tend to, like varying quality at different sections. For example, depending on the version, their might be problems with the quality of voice acting or dialogue. This was a big issue for RebirthVoices.

//For this game in particular, I can narrow my issues down to 3 things.

//One: The game is currently just the prologue. As good as the prologue to this game is, it is not anywhere close to a complete game, therefore I cannot judge it as such.

//Two: While many of the characters are appealing right from the get go, be it for their interesting personalities or the mystery surrounding them, there are one or two that I feel are lacking depth. It's hard to say how I feel about this new group when I have so little to work with.

//And three: my own personal experience of this was detracted from with the numerous technical issues I suffered playing it, like bugs, glitches, and performance problems. I'm sure this is just a me thing because I haven't got a strong enough computer, but the problem is still a problem.

//But these are all ultimately minor qualms, and they don't detract my TOTAL enjoyment of this project. This is something special, and I really hope it goes places.

#7 - DanganFanfic V2: New World Order

//For those who are uninitiated in this entry, this is the game that Mona, Mii-Yu, Eden, and a couple other side characters are from originally.

//As well as, personally, one of the most underrated Fanganronpas ever that doesn't nearly get enough attention and that actually bothers the fuck out of me.

//Okay, so let me get my issues with this out of the way first and foremost. I do have some pretty big critiques for this game, starting with it's gameplay.

//This game was made in the Ren'Py Engine, and for those who don't know, that is the same engine that was used to make Doki Doki Literature Club.

//And unfortunately, it does NOT work well for Danganronpa.

//The gameplay of the Class Trials in this are my biggest issue with this game. Like H20, there are many minigames that you only ever play once, and the one's that you DON'T play once tend to be very annoying and tedious with horrible UI's.

//The Daily Life segments are fine, but as soon as you get into the Deadly Life stuff, that's when the games tend to take a HUGE drop in quality.

//Speaking of, the Daily Life, Investigation, and Class Trial are all split up into separate downloadable files, which means it just fills up your PC unless you delete each file after playing them. Which is what I tend to do.

//The game itself is made by like, three people, so I can't exactly complain, but I feel like it could be better.

//My other huge issue with this is not really any fault of the game's or the developers, but something that gets on my nerves regardless.

//This game, as the 2 in it's title implies, is a sequel to a Danganronpa fanfiction that the creators wrote a short while ago. It was a personal story amongst them and was never released to the public. When they started working on the game, they weren't originally planning on making it a publicly downloadable Fangan, until they "succumbed to the pressure" as they put it.

//The annoying thing is that the original fanfic never got released, and yet the game's plotline is based entirely on the events that happened in that. The reasons why Monokuma is randomly called Killmore Bear, the victims of the game that the new characters all associate with, and so many other things can't be answered because the external lore that answers the plot points is not wholly available. Only brief guidelines are.

//So that frustrates me. But that's basically all the issues I have with this game. Everything else is absolutely stellar.

//First off, these are some of the most creative character designs I've ever seen. All the sprites ARE traced from the original series, but I don't give a shit about that. The game itself is basically made on a budget of zero anyway, and if it works, it works.

//And despite how incomplete the full backstory of the game is, the plot and mystery element of it is fucking fantastic. The Class Trials are written superbly well, even though they stick to the same tropes that the original series have done before, and the psychological drama is so original and interesting.

//A lot of the humor is unfortunately inside jokes that only the developers understand, but once you hear it enough times, you start to make sense of the weird phraseology and it doesn't feel wholly out of place.

//And the character writing, while again, a lot of tropes of the original DR cast are still there (such as Zeke and Kokichi being VERY strikingly similar) the characters in this game are really fun, wacky, and oftentimes reach ABNORMAL levels of silliness and confusing. From a British dictator, so a barista who is usually polite but becomes rude and foul-mouthed when he's on coffee withdrawals, to a missionary that missionaries for EVERY religion.

//A lot of these are blatantly unrealistic and stupid, but that's the charm of this.

//If you haven't had a chance to play DanganFanfic V2, PLEASE give it a go. I promise you, you won't regret it. To this day, I still genuinely believe that it is among the best of the best Fanganronpa's out there.

#6 - Ultimate Talent Development Plan/Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp

//Hoo boy, where do I fucking begin with this one?

//So Danganronpa S is currently the most recent official title in the main series of Danganronpa Video Games, and there are two things I need to clarify first and foremost.

//Firstly, I will be counting the full Danganronpa S game, as well as Ultimate Talent Development Plan from Danganronpa V3, as the same entry. Danganronpa S is an expanded version of the original UTDP game mode, with more features and characters, and on top of that, the game is also part of the same storyline. While Talent Development is a bonus minigame that shows a Non-Despair Alternate Universe of the cast of 1, 2, and V3 being students at Hope's Peak Academy and living out three years there before graduation, Summer Camp is both an expansion and a sequel of the original game mode, taking place at the end of the three years, and showing 50 days of the cast of 1, 2, V3, and now Ultra Despair Girls, living out their lives on Jabberwock Island in the virtual world.

//Secondly, Danganronpa S was released as part of Danganronpa's 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2020, and while it is a spinoff game with a marginally different gameplay focus, it expands on the universe at present by providing additional character integrations, backstories, and scenarios that are officially recognized as part of the series lore.

//Basically, what I'm saying is that even if you disagree, I do count this storyline as an official Danganronpa title, so it gets to be on the list. That said, if you were to include it, and you asked anyone what their favourite game in the series was, chances are high that it would NOT be this one.

//So let's go over all the reasons why this game is widely criticized and outright hated by the Danganronpa audience.

//Exhibit A: The gameplay is notoriously repetitive.

//Sure, being a visual novel series, Danganronpa has never been widely recognized for it's gameplay over it's storytelling, but even so, the gameplay loop of UTDP/DRS is mind-numbingly repetitive, and lacks a clear feel of depth and engagement that all previous titles lacked.

//Speaking personally on the matter, I do not like that it's a basic requirement to make your characters strong enough to fight in the RPG gamemode, using the boardgame mode, where their stats and abilities are mostly delegated to random chance.

//And I know how that sounds coming from someone who plays Hoyoverse games, but even the Hoyoverse games don't REQUIRE you have good artifacts. You only need them if you want to run the endgame dungeons, which I don't.

//For DRS, it is basically a REQUIREMENT, otherwise you can't beat the gamemode.

//Exhibit B: Gacha Mechanics and Microtransactions.

//Okay, so personally speaking, I think this is overblown. Yes, the gacha mechanics are dumb, and the fact that you have to roll for your characters is annoying, but the way the system works means that you're going to get one card at least once with no repeats; at least in DRS.

//But in DRS, the game also features microtransactions where if you're struggling to get a character, you can buy them on the Nintendo EShop.

//Now, this has never bothered me, because one character regardless of rank is less than 45p where I'm from. However, that's not the point.

//Putting gacha elements in any game that isn't a free purchase is frustrating and exploitative. These sorts of mechanics can make progress feel slow and contingent on spending real money, and that detracts a massive amount of enjoyment from an audience.

//Exhibit C: The plot is contrived and ex-machina as fuck.

//Danganronpa S in particular, with it's whole setting on Jabberwock Island in the virtual world, is ridiculous and nonsensical in the way it carries itself, and I feel like it didn't need to happen. The cast could have easily gone to a real island in real life. It would mean that the team didn't have to make ridiculous logical leaps to make the technicalities of it work.

//For example, you can bring souvenirs back from the island because they get 3D printed in the real world after you buy one.

//Why not just buy a real souvenir on a real island!? Because Monokuma needed magic powers to introduce your mcguffin BULLSHIT! This bear has done ridiculous shit in the real world! He doesn't need video game powers to be OP!

//It would have made so much more sense for this to take place on the REAL Jabberwock Island, not just because it avoids these stupid leaps, but because it might give the fans a chance to actually SEE the real world location the Killing Island in DR2 is based on.

//And Exhibit D, which I think is by far the biggest issue: This is not the Danganronpa we wanted.

//Ever since DRS came out, Spike Chunsoft have left Danganronpa as a franchise on the shelf to rot. And for me, this is a MASSIVE missed creative opportunity.

//Danganronpa is one of the biggest fanbases that Spike Chunsoft owns, and there are so many ways the franchise can explore new themes, settings, and gameplay mechanics. But instead, we just get this.

//Expectations for Danganronpa S were high when it first released, mainly due to the popularity and critical acclaim of games like DRV3 before it, but the dramatic shift in gameplay and focus combined with all the factors I've already listed, means this game is just an outright disappointment. And Chunsoft just left it at that.

//By not capitalizing on the potential of this series, regardless of how V3 tried to put it to bed, Spike Chunsoft misses out on the opportunity to expand and evolve Danganronpa in creative ways that could attract both existing fans and new players. Something that I would really like to do with a blog like Survivor.

//With all that being said though, Danganronpa S is up this high for a reason. Personally, even though I acknowledge that the issues are important and need to be addressed...I still like the game a lot.

//Mainly because UTDP/DRS knows exactly what it is and knows exactly what it needs to deliver to be sufficiently enjoying.

//It's a fanservice game.

//It was made to provide fanservice.

//And it gives you, SURPRISINGLY, fanservice!

//Again, I don't like the gameplay loop and the grinding, but that isn't what I'm here for. Even then, as monotonous as the gameplay is, that's okay, because this to me is one of those "fuck off" games where if you literally have nothing better to do in your life, you just sit down and play this for a bit.

//What I'm REALLY here for is the primary appeal of these games. The fact that you can see the main game characters interact with each other in ways that the main series wouldn't allow, while also in an AU where there's nothing bad happening, meaning they can be their truest selves.

//But at the same time, the characters who get development KEEP their development, which is good because I wouldn't like this game half as much if Hajime and Komaru were bitching over everything, and Fuyuhiko was acting all stand-offish.

//This game is the nostalgia punch of the series, and seeing one's favourite characters from a whole franchise interact in new ways is always a plus. As someone who has a strong attachment to this cast, it's a delightful experience seeing them all together.

//Also, these bonus game modes, Summer Camp especially, are designed well and retain the style of the characters throughout, even giving them whole new outfits in Summer Camp. Admittedly some of the swimsuits are better than others, but they all have their own aesthetic charm that I, as a fan, appreciates.

//And as contrived as the virtual Jabberwock Island is, it's still nice to see the island in a not depressing deadly perspective.

//Danganronpa's character driven content has always been the best part of it for me. And these titles deliver it in spades, so I will defend these games despite their flaws.

#5 - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

//It was tough deciding which between Ultra Despair Girls and V3 should kick off the top 5, being my two least favorites of the main installments of games, barring Summer Camp. But ultimately, I decided that Ultra Despair Girls fell a little bit shorter.

//Let's explain why.

//First off, unlike every other mainline game in the Danganronpa series, Ultra Despair Girls is not a murder mystery visual novel. It is an action-adventure game with elements of third-person shooter in it.

//This immediately puts it on another plane of existence from the main series because the two genre's are so remarkably different; it doesn't matter that there are similar elements between them like the fact that both focus on using certain types of bullets to defeat certain obstacles. And if there are players out there who played the main series, the discrepancy between it and Ultra Despair Girls is jarring for those who prefer the investigative and narrative-driven style of the main trilogy.

//What do I think of it?

//Well, as I mentioned in previous posts, I really want to see Danganronpa branch out into other genre's, with action-adventure being the main one, and Ultra Despair Girls is by far the most outlandish, while also keeping the character and narrative writing of the previous games intact.

//But...I'd also like those games to be good?

//Personally speaking, Ultra Despair Girls' game mechanics, like the aiming and shooting element, and the puzzle solving stuff, is clunky and repetitive at best, and it's not an enjoyable game to actually PLAY. Not to mention that compared to Rain Code, and now the 100 Line, the animation and 3D models just feel so dated in comparison.

//But the biggest issue is all to do with the narrative.

//There's nothing wrong with Ultra Despair Girls story. It's unique, and that's about all I can say on the matter. But my problems mainly lie in the tone, themes, and character.

//Another Episode is very easily the darkest game in the Danganronpa series; far more graphic than it's predecessors. And if I'm being totally honest, I don't like how the writing brings up ideas like child abuse, pedophilia, and psychological trauma just so casually.

//I'm not opposed to these ideas being in Danganronpa; it adds a touch of darkness to the story to remind you that this franchise is fucked up and it's supposed to be that way. I'd just personally like them to be handled better.

//Especially since Ultra Despair Girls has the weakest cast of the main series by a country mile. Yes, I said that Danganronpa 3 had a weak cast, but the majority of the main cast are characters that have already been shown in the series in DR1 and DR2. Like that, Ultra Despair Girls has characters from the first two games in it (Toko and Nagito being the most prominent examples) but they don't take up the majority of the cast.

//And that majority, all things considered, is pretty weak. Even as the most abused characters in the series, I find it hard to care about most of the Warriors of Hope because their actual personalities are so dry and simple compared to the rest of the main cast of the series. And in general, the characters development is less compelling compared to what was shown possible in DR1 and 2.

//I love Kodaka and his work, don't get me wrong, but his writing has always been pretty hit or miss for me, and the way that a lot of this is handled feels...kind of insensitive? I don't know how best to put it.

//With all that being said, you'd think that Ultra Despair Girls should have fallen a lot lower than it is here, but the truth is that Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, is an underrated gem as far as Danganronpa is concerned.

//Even though most people regard it as the worst of the main games...

//...which is right...

//that doesn't mean it's bad. It's actually pretty incredible.

//As I said before, my own personal issue with UDG's gameplay is how clunky it is. The actual shift in gameplay is pretty fun honestly, and even though it's not EXACTLY what I want, it's still a step towards it.

//And even though I have some very major qualms with the writing of this game, putting those issues aside, the story itself is pretty great. The way that Komaru and Toko come together to fight this threat, and how they become such tight-knit friends feels so natural.

//Speaking of, while I do generally dislike the underdeveloped cast of this game, Komaru and Toko are not part of that problem.

//For many years, I had my issues with Komaru because I felt her character progression was too slow, and even in the end, I felt it didn't amount to much. But getting to write her in Survivor and Phantom Thieves of Hope, I love this absolute insane gremlin of an MC.

//I understand looking back that what makes Komaru so appealing compared to the other protags is, putting it not so delicately, is that by comparison to Makoto, Hajime, and later Shuichi...She's just so fucking stupid!

//There are times in the story where Komaru shows that she has the same observation skills and eye for detail as her brother, which is cool, but most of the time, when she's not crying her eyes out in the face of absolutely horrible and traumatic imagery, her interactions with Toko range from heartfelt to absolutely goddamn hilarious.

// "Kangaroo Meat and Tuna Eyeballs," and "Respeculate your elders," are a few good examples.

//Speaking of Toko...Holy shit, I fucking love Toko.

//As I mentioned before with Ultra Despair Hagakure, Toko and Hiro are in similar positions in their titles. They are the returnee from DR1 who I didn't like very much, and get a chance to have more character development.

//But while I feel Hiro kind of missed the mark, Toko hit it DEAD ON.

//She has one of the most compelling redemption arcs/character development stories in the whole series, to the point where I made an entire essay for it here on the blog.

//But, as to not repeat myself, I'll break it down by saying that I like mainly how Toko becomes more open and communicative without betraying her prickly and sarcastic nature that was developed in the first game; which is also handled far better here. Her interactions with Komaru help her come out of her shell, and she shows signs of caring and forming a genuine friendship, something she struggled with in her previous appearance.

//She's also the perfect character to bring back for a narrative like this, since she's easily the most thoroughly abused character in the first game, and that helps create a connection between her and the experiences the Warriors of Hope went through. They both were hurt as children, and those experiences led to them hurting and killing a lot of innocent people. And knowing she can't just brush off this connection, Toko begins to confront and deal with her past traumas, and her experiences in Ultra Despair Girls push her to acknowledge and work through her issues rather than just repress them. And it works very very well.

//And of course, while her feelings for Byakuya remain, Toko’s obsession diminishes, and she starts to define herself outside of this one-sided relationship. Her growing bond with Komaru helps her find value in herself beyond her fixation on Byakuya.

//This is why I don't mind the poor character writing of Ultra Despair Girls because all the good character writing went into these protagonists and their relationship, and it's excellent.

//As a few other notes on why I like this game, I really like the setting.

//Towa City is one of the most interesting settings for these games because of how open it is. Yeah, it's not exactly an open world, but having the Demon Hunting Game take place in an apocalyptic city is not only a far cry from DR1 and DR2, but it's a much welcome one.

//This is the kind of expansion of universe the series needed, both physically and narratively, providing more background and depth into the events between the first and second game, filling in the gaps and adding some context, and as someone really interested in series lore, this is a really good addition.

//As one last note, Ultra Despair Girls has quite possibly the best soundtrack in the main series as well. A lot of the music Takada made for this game stands out from the others, even the tracks that are remixed from those games.

//Overall, despite it's very big problems, I love this game. It's character development for it's MC's, it's unique gameplay experience, and how far Kodaka branched out for the story are really appealing and underrated as far as I'm concerned.

//Fortunately, Ultra Despair Girls is really the only game in the series that is this divisive!

//Right?

//...

//...Right...?

#4 - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

//UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH-

//Danganronpa V3 suffers from what I like to call the "Marmite Effect."

//What is that, you ask?

//Over the course of my life, I've found that most people who have eaten Marmite go one of two ways. Either they love it and have it as much as possible on every slice of toast, or they won't touch it with a 5 foot pole.

//V3 is that for the Danganronpa series. And it's really not hard to see why.

//V3 went back to the series origins with a good ol' tride and true Killing Game, and as expected, people who played the earlier entries in the franchise took a critical look at it to see if it measured up.

//Opinions on whether it did vary, but my personal stand on the matter is...V3 has the worst mystery element of the main trilogy by far.

//The cases and the mysteries themselves are fine, but it's in execution that a lot of them fail for me. Like the rest of the game, there are 6 cases, and a new killer each case, but of those 6 killers, only the first one in the first case interested me.

//It's incredibly disappointing because V3 had such a high bar to jump. Danganronpa's 1 and 2 set that bar, and V3 just failed to jump it for me. As fresh a take on the Killing Game formula it is, what sets it apart is not the big problems with this game.

//So like I did with Summer Camp and Ultra Despair Girls, I will quickly go over everything I don't like about this game, then go over everything that saves it and allows it to get this high on the list. Because despite how much of a Negative Nancy I'm being, I do like V3 a lot.

//First of all let's talk about the characters, since that's the biggest issue for me.

//In Danganronpa 1, I can confidently say that of it's main cast of 16 students, there are 10 characters who I love, 4 characters who I still like but not a lot, and 2 characters who I didn't enjoy at all.

//In Danganronpa 2, I can confidently say that I liked EVERY character in it, regardless of whether I felt more strongly about others.

//Ultra Despair Girls I've already said had a weak cast, but most of those characters are side characters, with Toko and Komaru being the only main two that you need to worry about.

//And V3?

//I like roughly about half of V3's cast, and the rest of them, I either dislike, or find incredibly boring or annoying.

//To name a couple of examples, I like Kaede and Shuichi, the two protagonists, and I also like Kokichi, the antagonist, a lot. I like Kaito, I like Maki, and a few others like them.

//On the other end, you have characters like Keebo, Kirumi, Tenko, Kiyo, Tsumugi, and the rest who all suffer in my bad books.

//And the main reason is because the character writing of V3 is so monotonous and not-thorough than the other games. Every character has a personality that can be summed up by one or two words of dialogue they speak on the regular, and hardly any of them change or develop.

//In fact, of the class trials in this game, I only gave a shit about ONE killer, and that's the first one, mainly because she was a protagonist and that was a pretty good plot twist. Everything that came after just declined in quality for me.

//With a few main exceptions, most of the cast just feel pointless and unsatisfying, and while I can forgive that in UDG, I can't forgive it here, where everyone is supposed to get a chance to shine on their own merits.

//As the third main game in an already established and beloved series, expectations for V3's main cast were high. Many fans had specific hopes for how the characters would be and and how it would tie back into the previous games. When the game took a different direction than it should have, it led to disappointment and backlash from those people who's expectations were not met.

//And following up on this, there are characters in the game, with Ryoma, Rantaro, and Kirumi in my opinion being the three biggest examples, who were developed in ways that made their deaths feel like they shouldn't have happened. Ryoma was geared up for a really cool arc that ended the very minute it started; Rantaro still has barely any lore to his name even with the bonus content, and Kirumi is NOTHING. Just a complete blank sheet of a character that serves no fucking narrative purpose whatsoever other than to be a mcguffin killer in Case 2.

//A lot of the writing is also frankly ridiculous with it's leaps in logic, and there are many things that I take issue with. Kirumi randomly being the President of Japan, Kiyo being in a weird relationship with his sister, who is also dead, and Tsumugi...Holy goddamn fucking hell Tsumugi is such a shitshow of character.

//Speaking of which, as one final point, let's go over one last point, and what I believe is by far the biggest source of controversy for this game and it's general audience.

//The ending.

//Danganronpa games don't always have completely climactic endings, at least not with the main trilogy. They all suffer from the same issues, like being general plot dumps, full of dramatic anime-esque nonsense, and being ridiculously long and difficult.

//But V3 has all these issues in absolute spades upon spades compared to the first two games. And as I said already, it's perhaps the most significant aspect contributing to it's hate.

//The twist reveals that the game's events are part of a reality show, suggesting that everything is fictional, and calling into question the reality of the previous games as well.

//This meta-narrative approach just completely ruins mine and every other fan's emotional investment meaningless, and even if this is a little bit dramatic, it makes me feel frustrated and betrayed by the writers.

//As time has gone on, it's become widely accepted that V3 takes place in a completely separate canon timeline from Danganronpa 1 and 2, and thankfully, that takes the edge off for me. It allowed me to maintain my enjoyment of the previous games, and enjoy V3 as a standalone one, even with the timeline split.

//However, if it hadn't been for the timeline split, I would not have enjoyed Danganronpa as a series as much as I do now, so I still can't exactly forgive it. It undermines the emotional investment I've put into these stories and characters; like the game is making fun of me for having stuck with it for so long.

//I am impressed by it's audacity, but equally as frustrated by it's attempt to negate the series integrity.

//Okay *wipes brow* now let's talk about what makes this game stand out, and why it DOESN'T suck ass.

//As I said before, the characters that I don't hate, I do love a lot. Kaede is my favorite in the whole series, and she, Kokichi, Shuichi, and Kaito are all in my top 10. While V3 has the series most mundane characters in it, it also supports some of it's absolute best.

//V3 I feel is also the major contributing factor to why Danganronpa has such a wide audience. The game's themes and twists generate extensive discussion and debate within it's fan community, and even if the ending is controversial for all good reasons, it's also very bold and creative. It gets people talking about it, and the active engagement and ability to share theories, interpretations, and the emotional responses from it are the very reason why Danganronpa's fandom is still alive today despite this game coming out 7 years ago as of writing this.

//Also, though I admitted I don't like the killers of V3, the Class Trials are very explorative, and an upgrade of logic from the previous titles. The plot twists and turns are intricately managed, and keep you engaged and constantly guessing, and constantly immersed.

//One of the biggest factors of what makes V3 stand out is that it really feels like it's own standalone game. Danganronpa 1 and 2 shared a lot of aspects between each other, like similar styles with UI and characters, and sharing a soundtrack. But V3 throws all of that out the window.

//V3 is easily the most stylized game, possessing a really unique UI as far as VisNov's go, and barely any of the original soundtrack is reused here.

//Speaking of stuff that isn't reused, the established theme of Hope Vs Despair is also foregone for most of the game. They bring it up during the ending, but sort of as a faux way of poking fun at the fanbase, like the rest of the ending does.

//Instead, V3 focuses on different contrasting themes like the value of Truth and Lies, the importance and impact of fiction and reality, and what's more important between the facts or the beliefs.

//Now, these are equally as divisive. For long time fans, they might feel that these themes are poorly executed or overly convoluted, and as mentioned, the meta-physical stuff can be pretentious or unnecessary.

//I don't agree with that. Not fully at least.

//I like that the game is making it's fans experience a different kind of philosophical question other than "should you give up? Yes or nah." And through the characters, this is executed well, especially with Shuichi and his dynamic with Kokichi.

//So despite the controversial ending for this game, the journey through it is filled with emotional highs and lows that put it a tiny bit above Ultra Despair Girls for me, but lower than the other main series entries. It features intense moments, heartfelt scenes, and some pretty awesomely executed revelations. Which leaves us with a rollercoaster of emotions that have a lasting impression on us.

//And the good news is that for every entry above this one, I have basically nothing bad to say about any of them.

#3 - Danganronpa IF: The Button of Hope and the Tragic Warriors of Despair.

//Gonna be honest, I didn't know that IF had such a long title before I made this.

//I talked about the light novel series and the bonus novels of the Danganronpa series before. And I mentioned that one of my biggest wants for these sorts of bonus materials are insight into a characters true nature, and their background that wasn't explicitly stated in the main game.

//So basically, what I want most is lore expansion.

//This is why I liked Danganronpa Kirigiri, and Danganronpa Zero. They gave that lore expansion to Kyoko and Junko; characters who deserved it because of how mysterious and interesting they were.

//But my fucking god, if there was one character that needed that more than anything, it was MUKURO FUCKING IKUSABA, the Ultimate Soldier from the first game.

//Mukuro, widely recognized as the 16th student in the academy, the one they call the Ultimate Despair, exists in the first game as little more than to serve as a narrative twist. One that I think was done well and handled well, but ultimately came with some sacrifices.

//Mukuro was introduced in the first game, but never got to show off her real character. As part of the Mastermind's plan, she masquerades as her sister, Junko, at the start of the game, while the real Junko is manipulating events from behind the scenes, all to throw the other students off her trail.

//But then Mukuro, disguised as Junko, is killed early in the game by Monokuma, who impales her with multiple spears. At the time, it was done to demonstrate the deadly seriousness of the killing game and Monokuma’s control over it, but it’s later revealed that Mukuro’s death was orchestrated by Junko to further her plan and maintain her disguise, at least until that all gets blown open in Cases 5 and 6.

//This is the reason why a light novel that takes this context and adds a "What-If" scenario to it, where Makoto saves Mukuro in the nick of time, is so important.

//Because it single-handedly turned this McGuffin character into, no joke, one of the best characters in the series.

//Mukuro doesn't have the same depth and character development as other characters in Danganronpa because of her short screen time. Less information about her intentions, past, and personality is available to players outside of her function in Junko's schemes. As a result, she comes out as less of a developed character and more of a story device.

//Establishing a connection between characters and the audience requires meaningful screen time. The protagonist and other characters rarely interact with Mukuro, at least not as she is when she's being herself, and not disguised as Junko, trying to play off as her. Therefore it's difficult for players to develop an emotional connection with her. Compared to other characters who possess greater presence and growth, her detached nature renders her less noteworthy and influential.

//Not even UTDP and Summer Camp fix this, since Mukuro's disguised as Junko there too, and for no real reason other than budget.

//They got Komatsuzaki to make swimsuit sprites for her, but couldn't pay him to take off that fucking wig.

//Speaking of things that certainly don't fix the issues with her character, Danganronpa 3 sure as fuck doesn't.

//Mukuro’s portrayal in the anime is easily her worst, and doesn't even align with her established character traits from the game. For instance, her skills as the Ultimate Soldier are not adequately showcased, and her relationship with Junko is...

//Well...

//"Oversimplified" is as nice as I could put it.

//I'm not saying that Mukuro being Junko's dog doesn't make sense given what type of character Junko is, but it completely betrays this stone cold warrior that Mukuro is supposed to be, and lacks nuance on top of that.

//Mukuro's character there is also another big example of how DR3 fails to do what it's supposed to do that I forewent mentioning in it's segment. The anime had the chance to delve into Mukuro’s psyche, her loyalty to Junko, and her own personal struggles, but it largely ignored these aspects. This oversight diminishes the complexity and potential intrigue surrounding her character.

//Aside from that, Mukuro hasn't had any content of her own until recently when she was added to ShiroPro as her own character. That really puts into perspective just how little a shit the DR writers give about this character.

//And it's because it fixes basically all of these things that I've just discussed that is the reason why Danganronpa IF is my third favorite entry in the franchise, despite being bonus material.

//Unlike the other novels/bonus content that expands on the main series lore, IF instead offers a What If scenario where Mukuro survives her execution, and thereby takes her own central role in the story.

//Since this was a bonus story that was released in the pack that contains the first few games, it lets the true fans explore a different narrative path from the main series, and provides fresh insight and excitement on a formula that they've already experienced.

//But it goes beyond that, for several reasons.

//First off, for those who don't know, IF was written by both Kodaka himself, AND Ryōgo Narita.

//For those who do not know who this guy is, he is the man behind two very famous Japanese crime novels: Baccano and Durarara.

//Baccano, by the way, is one of my favorite anime of all time. Please watch it if you get the chance, and watch it dubbed in English too, because they knock it out of the park with that dub.

//So needless to say, this simple bonus novel is on a whole other level of quality than the others, and I love that Narita is also the original Naekusaba shipper.

//IF really highlights WHY Mukuro is the way she is in those because she feels like Junko is all she's got, and the only one she can be comfortable around. And then proceeds to realize that that isn't the case.

//Before I get into the actual story quirks, I want to mainly talk about Mukuro herself and why she's such a stellar lead in this. Since the novel is about her, it gives her more depth and development than she ever has in any of her other appearances. And trust me, there aren't many.

//First and foremost, this novel provides more insight into Mukuro’s background and her relationship with Junko. It delves into her history as the Ultimate Soldier, her experiences in various war zones, and how those experiences shaped her personality and skills.

//This exploration of her background gives her character more depth and makes her actions more understandable; as well as showing off just exactly HOW she managed to survive in war for so long without a single scratch to show for it, and not in a way that feels ridiculous or convoluted for the series like how Hijirihara was in Killer Killer.

//I also love Mukuro's conflict and internal struggle, since it makes a lot of sense. The story explores Mukuro’s internal struggle between her loyalty to Junko and her own moral compass.

//It shows that she is not just a mindless follower but has her own doubts and desires, and above all else, her own CHARACTER. And not just that, but a complex and sympathetic character at that.

//And putting the ship fuel aside, her relationship with Makoto in this story makes perfect sense two.

//Makoto and Junko are two sides of the same coin. In terms of their characters, they cannot be more polar of opposites, but they are both influential and powerful people who advocate, and represent opposing ideals in a similar way.

//Even though she's spent most of her life with Junko, being part of her path of Despair, it doesn't feel unnatural for Mukuro to then be inspired by Makoto and decided to defy Junko to protect the other students. This shift in her actions from antagonist to protector highlights her capacity for change and redemption in a way that few DR characters have shown to this degree.

//Through her interactions with other characters, especially Makoto, Mukuro shows emotional growth. She starts to care about the well-being of the other students and begins to see a life beyond her sister’s influence. This growth makes her more relatable and multidimensional.

//While Mukuro is the absolute highlight of this story, there are other things about IF that put it this high on my list.

//The novel has a lot of features that will appeal to readers who have been following the show for a long time, like going back to see beloved characters and locations and delving into possible futures that have sparked fan theories.

//Kodaka deserves credit on this story too too. Since he has an active involvement in this, it also means that none of the characters in the story deviate too much from their portrayal in the original series. And for that matter, neither does Mukuro. She still exhibits traits she showed in DR1 and DR3, but not to the degree that makes her a blank-slate obedient servant; just someone who cares about her sister despite the fact that she's an evil lunatic.

//And through it's own existence, by offering many outcomes and developing the emotional arcs of well-loved characters, the story evokes strong emotional reactions in me. It's based on an already existing experience that we all would have gone through it we played the main games of DR1 and 2, but it leaves us with a lasting and profound experience nonetheless.

//Mukuro’s journey in Danganronpa IF is one of redemption. By the end of the story, she takes significant risks to help the other students escape the killing game. Her actions demonstrate her desire to atone for her past and protect those she once helped endanger.

//God dammit I'd love to see the DR3 equivalent of this world.

#2 - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

//What can I say about the original Danganronpa that started it all that hasn't been said already.

//While I don't think it's aged spectacularly, Trigger Happy Havoc deserves more credit than anything because without it, literally nothing on this list would exist.

//Now, the thing is, since this is the first game, I could take a lot of compliments I gave to the other titles and just carry them over, so I kind of want to bullet point this one if possible.

//The other games ran with it, but Trigger Happy Havoc was very unique when it first came out, due to how it first showed the combination of visual novel storytelling with investigation and courtroom drama. Take the gameplay elements of Ace Attorney, and the mystery and context elements of Zero Escape, and you basically get Danganronpa, resulting in a distinctive and captivating experience as you gather evidence, work through riddles, and take part in rigorous class trials.

//This was also the introduction to the widely known narrative that isn't only applicable in Fanganronpa's, but mystery games akin to and inspired by it. The story revolves around a group of high school kids who are imprisoned in a school by Monokuma, a vicious bear. To graduate, they are made to play a deadly game in which they have to kill each other and get away with it. The story delves deeply into the dark themes of Hope vs Despair, trust, and betrayal.

//But these are things we've talked about endlessly, so the real question is this: How does the first game stand out from the rest of the series.

//Besides being the very introduction to the core concepts, Danganronpa 1 is the most true to it's function. There's no gimmicks, no outlandish shit involved in it's narrative, not nearly as many wacky cartoonish antics, etc. It is the most tride and true Killing Game story of everything that's come out of it.

//Also, despite being the first, and the namesake of the series, Hope's Peak Academy is above and beyond one of the most unique settings in the series. I said before how much I liked Ultra Despair Girls open environment of Towa City, but even though Danganronpa 1 is the complete reverse of this, it really helps to work with the darker tone of the story.

//An issue I had with the Ultimate Academy is that it felt TOO open and expansive, especially with it's courtyard. It completely lost the feeling of isolation that Danganronpa 1 had with Hope's Peak. The first game REALLY makes you feel like you're trapped with how claustrophobic and intense the atmosphere of the school is right from the very start.

//It is both a literal AND metaphorical prison.

//THH also has the most important case of characters in it.

//Junko is obviously introduced as the series face of evil and main villain, who appears/is mentioned in in literally every iteration at least once. But you could say the same for Makoto, and Kyoko, and Byakuya.

//These characters set the tone for the entire franchise; every single Killing Game cast that comes after are defined by this game's lineup of characters.

//And of course, there's also Monokuma.

//Monokuma is introduced in the game as a recognizable and terrifying adversary to the main cast. Though he eventually becomes a series main character, and it's mascot, his initial appearance in Trigger Happy Havoc stands out in particular.

//Especially since he no longer has anyone around to help, or rather HINDER, him.

//DR1 is the best Monokuma is in the series, and there are issues with him in every other iteration. He's fine in 2 and V3, but the real issue comes from the introduction of the other mascot characters, Monomi, and the Monokubs.

//I'm not saying Monomi is bad, even though I will openly admit to despising most of the Monokubs, but neither does a lot for the bear in their games. With the presence of other stuffed animals, the narrative of those game's focus is divided. Monokuma's character is less central to the story as these guys bring about their own dynamics and conflicts, diluting the impact of his presence and actions.

//And then in UDG and DR3, he's reduced to just a mindless sentry robot.

//In Danganronpa 1, he suffers no such setbacks. Hence why this is the best appearance he's had in the series.

//The first game is also the pioneer of the series' aestehtic and mechanics. It creates the series' unique visual and aural aesthetic, with its vibrant, exaggerated artwork, chic text and menu display, and unique soundtrack, establishing Danganronpa's distinctive and identifiable brand.

//And While later games introduce more complex mechanics and deeper layers to the narrative, DR1 offers a more straightforward experience. This simplicity allows new players to grasp the core mechanics and themes without being overwhelmed.

//And that's basically all I have to say on this game. It's simplicity as the first game in the series, but it's influence on the world at large, as well as it's many sequels and fan projects is so important.

//Danganronpa 1 is crucial to the series as it lays the foundational elements that define the franchise's identity. As the inaugural title, it introduces the innovative blend of visual novel storytelling, murder mystery investigation, and intense courtroom drama that distinguishes the series.

//Its distinctive art style, memorable characters, and unexpected plot twists set a high standard for narrative complexity and engagement, left a lasting impression on the world and paved the way for the series' subsequent success and expansion.

//...Speaking of which...

#1 - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

//How could it NOT be this!?

//Even though Trigger Happy Havoc established the core concept of the series, it only took one more year before evrything that Danganronpa is is perfected and presented in the sequel.

//It takes the premise of the original and introduces a new setting: Jabberwock Island, which provides a fresh and vibrant backdrop compared to the claustrophobic Hope’s Peak Academy. While I do generally think Hope's Peak worked better to make you feel trapped and afraid, this new environment enriches the gameplay and narrative opportunities that were already established for the mystery element.

//It's not nearly as isolated, but the only other entry in this list that tried to do the island setting was SDRA2, and it only did it half as successfully.

//The game also refines and expands upon the gameplay mechanics introduced in the first installment. It adds new elements like the Island Mode and improves the trial system, enhancing the overall experience while maintaining the core gameplay.

//You know... "Improved" Hangman's Gambit notwithstanding.

//Fuck that minigame.

//All my homies hate that minigame.

//Goodbye Despair also builds on the themes of hope and despair with a more intricate storyline, adding layers of psychological depth and surprising twists that keep players engaged. The narrative complexity is heightened by the exploration of new themes and connections to the original game.

//But while it introduces new elements, DR2 effectively ties back to the events of the first game, creating a sense of continuity and expanding the lore of the series. This connection enriches the overall narrative and rewards fans with deeper insights into the series’ overarching plot.

//The sequel refines the pacing of investigations and class trials, making the gameplay smoother and more engaging. The visual and auditory presentation is also polished, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

//Basically, take everything I said about Danganronpa 1, and know Danganronpa 2 did ALL of it better.

//As to not repeat myself, let's talk about the reasons DR2 stands on it's own merits, and why compared to every other Killing Game in this, it's the best one.

//I already talked about the change in setting and how that affected it, but the second game also explores themes of hope and despair with new twists and connections to the original game. Its narrative complexity, including a deeper focus on psychological and existential themes, sets it apart by expanding the series’ lore in innovative ways.

//Especially with the final trial, and what Hajime goes through, but we'll get to that.

//The sequel builds on the narrative foundation of the first game but adds layers of complexity, including connections to the broader lore of the Danganronpa universe. This deeper storytelling and thematic exploration contribute to its standout status.

//And then...there's the cast.

//Oh boy, the cast of this game is fucking fantastic.

//As I said already, the casts of Ultra Despair Girls and V3 were lacking in some departments, even if the latter had some of my favorites. And even though THH's group was solid overall, there were still some I didn't take too kindly to.

//I can't say the same for DR2. I love EVERY SINGLE ONE of these characters!

//Sonia, with her blend of regal charm, intellectual depth, funny dialogue, and genuine empathy leaves an engaging persona to watch.

//Kazuichi, with his endearing clumsiness, earnest ambition, and surprisingly sad underlying depth, adding the main source of humor, but also the emotional resonance.

//Fuyuhiko with his stellar character development and evolution from a tough, abrasive brat to a more vulnerable and honorable soldier, with a good head on his short shoulders.

//Peko, with her unwavering loyalty, yet also an unexpected human side to her stoicism.

//Akane, with her fierce determination and carefree attitude, masking some insecurities and a caring personality.

//Nekomaru with his larger-than-life enthusiasm and kindness, and unyielding commitment to his friends, as well as the comic relief he offers.

//Mikan being such a tragic figure, contributing massively to the emotional complexity of the story.

//Ibuki doing basically the exact opposite of that, lol.

//Hiyoko being an abrasive and snotty bully, yet eventually revealing this vulnerability adds a portrayal of personal growth and social dynamics.

//Gundham, easily one of my favourite's in the series overall, with his dramatic personality, and love for his pets; perfectly balancing eccentricity with genuine depth.

//Teruteru, with his passionate and flamboyant personality, yet carrying underlying struggles and honest motivations, becoming a character that is deeply flawed, but empathetic and entertaining.

//The Ultimate Imposter, and the mystery around his true self, yet the honesty of his motivations and conduct.

//Mahiru, my absolute series best girl, with her blend of practicality, strong sense of responsibility, and her genuine care for others that make such a steadfast character.

//And of course...Hajime, Chiaki, and Nagito.

//Though they lack the interaction potential that was shown with Shuichi, Kaito, and Maki, they are easily the best lead characters in the series proper.

//Hajime is a fantastic protagonist, even though I can't confidently claim if he's better than Makoto, Shuichi, or any of the other protags, because his journey from uncertainty to self-discovery is fascinating, well-handled, and compelling on ideas like identity and growth.

//Chiaki stands out for her combination of quiet kindness and hidden strength, being a comforting presence, a crucial source of support, and a universally loved character in the fanbase.

//And then there's Nagito. A character so interesting that I've never seen or played any other video game that has somebody quite like him. His unpredictability, complex motivations, and his philosophical views on the series themes add a profound and unsettling dimension to the narrative at large that never quite went away.

//As iconic and important as the cast of Game 1 are, the sequel features a fresh cast with memorable and distinctive personalities, each contributing to the story in unique ways. Not to mention this new group of characters offers a different dynamic from those in the first game, providing new kinds of interactions and relationships.

//Danganronpa 2 isn't without issues. No DR game is. It features what is widely considered both the best case and worst case in the series. But in general, I think this game has the most compelling mystery element to it.

//As mentioned already, the trials are a lot more fun than in the first game, because even though the Hangman's Gambit gamemode is absolute dogshit, the rest of the new gamemodes like Rebuttal Showdown and Logic Dive are series staples.

//The actual cases themselves and the mystery element is a lot more complex and layered than the first game too, requiring a lot more critical thinking and analysis, and therefore, more satisfying and rewarding when you finally solve them, which is more than I can say for V3.

//But the best part about it is that they're much longer.

//DR1's trials are good, but they're too short to allow ample opportunity for character development and interaction. But by making the trials longer, the personalities of the new cast are explored in greater depth during the trials, making them more compelling by default.

//And as one last note, I also think Danganronpa 2 has by far the most satisfying story and conclusion.

//As I mentioned before, the final trials of these games always end up sharing the issues of being plot dumps, having a lot of anime bullshit in it, and being massive in length and difficulty. This game's final trial suffers especially with the second one.

//But it is actually raw and awesome as fuck, so I can't complain.

//Goodbye Despair's conclusion, like a lot of the final trials, delves into meta-narrative territory, but not in a way that felt insulting like V3, nor a way that felt anticlimactic like THH. The philosophical approach here in contrast to then is less straightforward and more unique, and the final twists, especially with the Remnants of Despair and Izuru Kamukura is quite possibly the most shocking, heart-crushing, and impressive the series has offered.

//The conclusion also ties together the themes and character arcs of not only this game, but the first game too, in a way that is powerful and thematically coherent. The resolution of the story, and with it, the conclusion of Hajime's very well-crafted character arc, provides closure, while also leaving the audience with just enough questions end reflections about the nature of Hope and Despair.

-Mod

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #ranking #mod talks

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rosie-kairi · 1 year ago

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With KHDR all but confirming Vanitas is the combination of the original Darkness that possessed Ven and his natural born darkness when Xehanhort ripped his heart in half Vanitas is technically the longest relationship Ven has ever had. Like no wonder this emo fuck is obsessed with him he literally singled him out as a child and has just been there the whole time even during their 4 years of separation he counted the years and days until they could reunite so he could take his rightful place in Ven's heart and mind. It makes his whole claim that they're brothers and that he's darkness in KH III so much more ominous (classic mobile games adding new context in horrifying ways to the mainline games).

Furthermore when Ven inevitably does regain his full union x memories I want him to have kill bill sirens and pummel Vanitas the minute he sees his smug ass again. Just absolutely beat the shit out of him screaming his anger out like, "YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU RUINED MY LIFE I WAS 10! I WAS FUCKING 10 AND YOU DESTROYED ANY CHANCE OF ME LIVING A NORMAL LIFE! YOU MAIMED MY HEART NOT ONCE NOT TWICE BUT THREE FUCKING TIMES LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY I'M NOT YOUR PUPPET YOU CAN PLAY WITH UNTIL I BREAK AGAIN!"

And Vanitas just does not understand why Ven isn't all for their extremely destructive co-dependent relationship since he essentially gave Ven what he wanted but he also immediately took it away after threatening the union leaders. And Ven is literally all he has. If he doesn't have Ven he has nothing and if Vanitas is around Ven's life will only become worse.

I have to rewatch all the BBS and KH III Ven and Van scenes again with this knowledge because Vanitas' actions make so much more sense that he sees Ven as a thing he owns and can do whatever to since he's had him since he was a child.

I'm far from an expert on Vanitas and his whole deal (because he honestly never really caught my attention that much) but I am really looking forward to how the games will address the events of union x in relation to him.

Like, is he even aware that he also comes from ancient darkness, and not just Ventus? If he does, is it a "I fully remember all of these events happening and I take all responsibility for them" awareness or a more subconscious kind? He feels things and remembers bits and pieces and he's not really sure why.

Going from there, how much of union x in general does he remember? Since he comes from both Ventus and the ancient darkness, would he get memories from both sides? Maybe, he only has memories from Ventus's perspective and because of that has never even stopped to consider that he might -even partially- come from someone else? Of course this is all hypothetical, Vanitas is an enigma of a character.

Old man Xehanort must've just been like "yeah you come from Ventus" and Vanitas was like "ok 👍 why do my memories hurt so much to think about"

On an end note, I hope Ventus does lose it a bit. You don't just... remember events like That (accidentally killing someone, the end of the actual literal world, etc.) and not collapse under the weight of it all.

#ask rosie a question!#anon ask #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts union x #khux #kh ventus #kh vanitas #ventus #vanitas #any vanitas scholars feel free to pitch in

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self-loving-vampire · 3 months ago

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23 an ending that really stuck with you?

54 favorite game developers?

57 ask anything you like; if someone is trying to make an extremely immersive world where the player really feels like they're having an impact on the setting, characters, and story, what are some aspects/mechanics that would really make you feel like you're a part of the world? what's something you wish you could do in the games you play?

23. an ending that really stuck with you?

I could copy my girlfriend's answer and point towards Mary Skelter 2 but for the sake of variety I'll say that I liked the ending of Wizardry 8 in that your quest is to acquire this reality-rewriting artifact and not only can you actually accomplish this but you can successfully use it to make the universe a better place as its new pantheon.

Not a lot of of games let you set your ambitions as high as "ascend to godhood and correct the inherent misery of reality". A lot of the time the people trying to do that are in the villain role and get branded as overly full of hubris for not just accepting that everything sucks forever.

So that stood out to me as unusual. I feel like a more normal RPG would have had the protagonists trying to stop someone working towards the goal you're pursuing to maintain the status quo.

54. favorite game developers?

As a rule I don't really do consumer loyalty or anything. I also know very well that even series I liked previously can change into something I no longer enjoy that much.

With that said, I think it's kind of miraculous in itself that Touhou is now on 19 mainline games and is seemingly (I still need to play the ones after 14) still good. A lot of other series jump the shark by game 3.

One common factor in a lot of the games I consider immersive is that the world just keeps going on its own even when you're not interacting with it. You can see time pass and NPCs going on about their daily lives.

This type of world simulation is one of the things I aim for when running TTRPGs too. I found it enchanting since I first saw it in Ultima 7 (released back in 1992!) as a small child but Gothic 2 also did it really well.

This kind of thing is not so rare now but it really stood out to me when I first saw it, especially since I was too young and inexperienced with games to realize how limited it actually was.

Anyway, I think this bit may be very nearly mandatory for me to get truly immersed. I need the shopkeepers and such to do at least a little bit more than just stand in the same place at all times.

Other things that definitely seem to help:

1- A minimal UI that doesn't give you omniscient quest markers and the like. It should still have a journal or something to keep track of quests and information but no markers.

2- Rougher mapping, you can still have a GPS tracker if you must but making use of landmarks, signs, and directions to navigate rather than map markers helps you pay more attention to your surroundings.

If I can be sure I have fully explored an area and found everything there is to be found there by looking at the map and checking off markers we're in a bad place.

3- A high level of interactivity with the environment. For example, if you see a bed you should be able to lie down on it. If you see a stove you should be able to cook, and etc. This can end up feeling a lot more tactile and immersive than doing things like resting and crafting through abstracted menus.

4- The world itself needs to demand your attention. Part of this is just interesting worldbuilding, but game design that makes you watch what you do or say rather than just exhausting every dialogue option in every conversation can also make you be more cognizant of your position, your environment, and your goals. It should be possible to fail conversations if you are imprudent.

5- The less linear the better. If a game is highly linear then you are probably going to hit a point where you want to do something that isn't permitted much, much sooner than if you had a handful of reasonable options to pursue.

It's worst when the game forces you to do things you really don't want to do (such as working with a character you would rather kill) and gives you no way out through pure removal of agency, like preventing you from attacking the offending NPC or making them invulnerable. That kind of stuff highlights the artificiality of what you're being forced to do.

6- Ideally some emphasis on things that are not combat, such as dialogue trees and non-combat skills. It's also not enough to just slap a fishing minigame and some combat-centric crafting on it.

what's something you wish you could do in the games you play?

I think it would be really cool if there were more DRPGs that fully took advantage of their genre and introduced more mechanics for long-term dungeon delves rather than just following the (admittedly fun) Wizardry formula where you balance pushing deeper into the dungeon with returning to town to resupply and recover.

What I'm thinking is more like Ultima Underworld or Legend of Grimrock. Something without a safe starting town you can return to, forcing you to instead make use of your skills in order to survive in the dungeon, which should ideally be a dynamic place with multiple different factions controlling territory and possibly being in conflict with other another, with you having the option to interact peacefully with them and maybe even join or ally yourself with a faction.

I think that would really elevate a dungeon crawl and give it more character and thought compared to just filling in the map and going down to the next floor.

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thegeminisage · 2 years ago

Text

So You Want To Get Into The Legend of Zelda But Don't Know Where To Start: A Masterpost

this discussion came up in my zelda stream the other week so i thought since i'm a longtime fan and Extremely Normal i'd make a guide to people who are just now getting into the series because of breath of the wild/tears of the kingdom. there's a lot of games and it can be confusing on how they're connected, where to start, etc. this is going to be an EXTREMELY LONG guide, sorry - if you want a short version you can check out this post i wrote a long time ago.

The Timeline

so the good news is that the zelda games were published non-linearly, meaning that the game that takes place first chronologically was not necessarily the first one ever made. they didn't even HAVE a timeline until like 2011 or so. for that reason, with a few exceptions*, you can jump in pretty much wherever you like. most zelda games (or pairs of games*) are spaced hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years apart, featuring different links and zeldas and other characters, which means you don't need to know anything about zelda to start with any game. the series is deliberately made so that each title works perfectly well as a stand-alone game.

*the exception is that a very few games have direct sequels - for example, majora's mask takes places just a few years after ocarina of time, phantom hourglass takes place after wind waker, etc. luckily even with these games, you can still jump in without having played their other half and have a good time without getting lost.

The Introduction

that said, the zelda series is extremely eclectic. while they all have the undercurrent of "zeldaness" that makes them special they can be as different as night and day. 2D or 3D, happy or edgy, mainline or spinoff, story-heavy or story-light...which game is best for you to start with will depend heavily on your own personal tastes.

the short version: if you haven't yet, i recommend most people new to zelda start with either ocarina of time or breath of the wild. these games, released almost 20 years apart, were both completely revolutionary and redefined their genres (or, in oot's case, the entire industry). they usually have something to offer everyone and they're both games with standout tutorial sections that teach new players the lay of the land with ease. there's a reason most people start with one of these two - which one you prefer depends on whether you can enjoy an older game or would prefer something newer. for brand-new gamers, i might also recommend skyward sword because of how much the game holds your hand - it's frustrating for more experienced players, but for those just getting started in gaming in general it might actually work out well.

the long version: OBVIOUSLY i'm going to do a game-by-game write-up. sue me. if you're looking for information on a particular title, ctrl+f it. otherwise, settle in. time for a cut!

The Games

how to read this guide:

which games: most of them. this guide is long enough as it is, so i'm not doing a whole ass writeup for REALLY niche spin-offs like the tingle games, the crossbow training game, the bs releases, or the much-loathed cdi games, even if i think the crossbow game ruled. i will do hyrule warriors and cadence of hyrule because they're properly fleshed out games. ports and remakes are gonna get grouped together with the originals to save time and space. if there's something missing from this list you want to know about, the wikipedia article with the complete list of zelda media is right here and it's a genuinely fascinating read. have fun!!

release date: self-explanatory. using japanese release dates for overall accuracy, and the games are in order of release date as well, but you DO NOT need to play them in that order - that would be madness

console: original console, other consoles it's available on (not including the weird experimental stuff like satellaview, c'mon), and whether or not it is available for switch. why? the switch is the latest console, how many new fans got into zelda, and because of nso, it will be the easiest access point for people who can't or don't want to buy new consoles/emulate on pc. nso stands for "nintendo switch online," which is a the online membership you can purchase from nintendo. the basic plan allows, among other things, emulation nes, snes, and gameboy titles. the expansion pack tier adds emulation of n64, sega genesis, and gameboy advance titles. i think nso is a good service with great value if you can afford it - read about it here. virtual console is just buying the game, usually for a low price, and downloading it digitally to play on newer consoles, but most of those services have been shut down now. there's also backwards compatibility - the wii u can play wii games, the wii can play gcn games, the original ds (and ds lite) can play gameboy advance games, and the gameboy advance (and gameboy sp) can play gameboy and gameboy color games. the snes can also play gameboy and gameboy color games with the super gameboy, and the gcn can play gameboy, gameboy color, and gameboy advanced games with the gameboy player.

average playtime: this comes from howlongtobeat.com - if it seems off, take it up with them

mainline game: this just means whether or not this game was a "big entry" into the series - typically, mainline games are devloped by nintendo directly (though nintendo develops side-games too), and they have a higher budget and a longer dev time, but this doesn't necessarily mean they're better - some mainline games are received more poorly than the ones that aren't mainline. also sometimes people argue about which games count as mainline games so take it with a grain of salt

sequel: whether or not a game is directly tied to another game in the series - again, even if they are tied to another game, you don't HAVE to play that other game first

story-heavy: how many cutscenes/cinematics/character stuff is going on

edge level: how much grimdark and serious stuff is present and how "on-screen" it is. zelda games are infamous for a careful balance of cheerful and dark stuff in all games, but some games are more forthright about the darker elements than others. i prefer those, but you may prefer it the other way!

the premise/the good/the bad/the verdict: the actual write-up. unfortunately not even i have played/finished every zelda game (someday...), so for the games i can't speak on personally, i will make a note on it so you can seek a second opinion.

now let's get started!

The Legend of Zelda (1986)

original console: nintendo entertainment system

available on switch: yes, with nso (basic)

also available on: gcn & gba (ports), gcn (gameboy player), wii, wii u, 3ds (virtual console), original ds (backwards compatibility), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 8-10 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: no

story-heavy: no - in fact, for games in this era, reading the instruction manual is a must if you want story content; because the file size had to stay small, story content that couldn't fit was often added to manual instead

edge level: low

the premise: explore hyrule to find and put together eight fragments of the triforce so you can rescue princess zelda from ganon, prince of darkness.

the good: a solid introduction to the series, you can waste HOURS exploring this game, which is kind of a miracle considering the whole thing is only 128kb. (if you enjoy emulation, any computer will be able to play this. like doom, it could probably run on a microwave.) it's charming enough for when it was made and the music is all catchy as hell, even though it contains only a dozen or so tracks. this game is pretty light on puzzles, but most of the fun comes from the exploration - in fact, it was this game that the dev team for botw drew inspiration from when they were trying to figure out how to "reinvent" the zelda series - what they actually did was take it back to its roots.

the bad: well, it's that you can waste HOURS exploring in this game. back when it was released, the intent was to get players talking to one another - you would get one piece of the map explored and fine one secret, your friend would find and explore a different piece and find other secrets, and you'd trade! many people even had their own hand-drawn maps put together one screen at a time. since it really isn't possible to play this way today unless you get a bunch of friends together to do it blind, you almost certainly need a map or guide for this game when you're doing it on your own, otherwise you're never going to get anywhere, because there aren't usually indications that certain walls are bombable or bushes burnable.

the verdict: if you're a veteran who liked alttp (particularly the combat), if you have a high tolerance for aged games, or if you wanna see what this series looked like during its humble beginnings, you will like this game. if you're looking for a more guided experience or something with a lot of cinematics or puzzle-solving, pass. don't forget to read the manual!

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)

original console: nintendo entertainment system

available on switch: yes, with nso (basic)

also available on: gcn & gba (ports), gcn (gameboy player), wii, wii u, 3ds (virtual console), original ds (backwards compatibility), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 11 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: yes, to the original legend of zelda

story-heavy: no - ditto for story being in the manual, like with the original loz

edge level: low

the premise: dive into six ancient palaces to place crystals there to wake princess zelda from an era long gone, who has been sleeping for hundreds of years. avoid being caught by ganon's minions, who want to use link's blood to revive their master ganon.

the good: because this game began life as an independent title which eventually got zelda-fied, it's quite different from most games in the series. it has side-scrolling combat and rpg elements. the soundtrack is very catchy, and this game also introduces dark link, an extremely cool popular doppelganger of our beloved hero. the map is HUGE in comparison to the original so there's tons more to explore here.

the bad: this game is HARD. not, "challenging," like, "bordering on impossible." i've never beaten it. i got just a couple of dungeons in and i was so miserable i had to give it up. even playing the "special edition" on nso (which is with all the unlockable upgrades to make it easier), it's a fucking slog. that's it! that's the only flaw.

the verdict: even with all its good qualities, even with how fresh it feels, it's so damn frustrating that only gluttons for punishment and very unique souls will truly find joy here. if you do decide to brave it, remember to read the instruction manual.

A Link to the Past (1991)

original console: super nintendo entertainment system

available on switch: yes, with nso (basic)

also available on: gba (port), gcn (gameboy player), wii, wii u, 3ds (virtual console), original ds (backwards compatibility), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 15-17 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: no

story-heavy: medium. this was the first game to actually HAVE a proper story with named characters and extended dialogue. it wouldn't be considered story-heavy by today's standards, though.

edge level: medium, but like, on the high end of medium

the premise: one stormy night, link and his uncle receive a telepathic message from zelda begging for aid. link's uncle goes out into danger and doesn't return, so it's up to lik to go rescue her in his stead. from there you'll have to explore hyrule to locate the master sword, and explore the mysterious golden land behind the seal of the seven wise men to locate their missing descendants.

the good: alttp set the blueprint for the rest of the series - we finally have our first dungeon-crawler with proper puzzles, real dialogue from zelda, named bad guys, a huge array of funky items, and jammin' tunes still used in the games today (hyrule castle anyone?). plus, link has pink hair! the opening to this game is utterly iconic in every way, and traverse through not one but TWO world maps that overlay one another makes exploration even more exciting.

the bad: truly, no complaints here. it does require some patience. it's a little aged, and it's always possible to get lost without a guide, but so is it true for every game with a big overworld like zelda's.

the verdict: again, this game isn't story-heavy by today's standards, but back then it was more story than we'd ever gotten from a zelda game. as long as you don't go in expecting it to have an rpg kind of story, you'll probably enjoy it. if you don't like 2D zelda combat or need shiny graphics to keep your attention, give it a pass.

Link's Awakening (1993, 2019)

original console: gameboy/gameboy color, and a switch-exclusive remake

available on switch: yes - you can play the original with nso (basic) or the switch-exclusive remake

also available on: snes (super gameboy), gcn (gameboy player), gba, original ds (backwards compatibility), 3ds (virtual console), switch (remake), pc (emulation of any version)

average playtime: 14-19 hours for the original, 14-21 hours for the remake

mainline game: yes for the original, no for the remake, technically

sequel: technically a sequel to a link to the past, but they truly have nothing to do with each other

story-heavy: medium - similar story style to a link to the past. smaller cast and less overall dialogue, but more character work on marin specifically

edge level: usually pretty low, but in the rare moments when it jumps out it REALLY jumps out

the premise: while sailing, link becomes shipwrecked, washes up on shore of a remote place called koholint island, and is rescued by a girl named marin. with his boat in pieces, he has to go on a bittersweet adventure exploring the island and getting to know his rescuer in order to wake a mysterious being known as the windfish so he can go home.

the good: a tiny yet vast map, foreboding dungeons (hello, face shrine), a strange and quirky world that's impossible not to love with a small but charming cast to match (though, of course, the real stand-out character is marin), fun minigames, and a soundtrack that only got better in the remake. this game has it all! the story will surprise you by leaving you weeping at the end. there's not a huge difference to the gameplay between the original and the remake - it's mostly a graphical update, though they did add some side content.

the bad: it's one of those games that's different from the rest of the zelda series, which means it's not for everyone - there's no zelda, no ganondorf, no hyrule. also, getting the best ending is absolutely painstaking.

the verdict: what a wonderful game! the story is sparse but rewarding. if you don't like 2D zeldas, story-light games, or don't want to cry through the credits, you can give it a pass - but everyone else should love it.

Ocarina of Time (1998, 2011)

original console: nintendo 64, and a 3ds-exclusive remake

available on switch: yes, with nso (expansion pack)

also available on: gcn (port), wii, wii u (virtual console), 3ds (remake), pc (fan-port or emulation of either version)

average playtime: 25-40 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: no

story-heavy: yes, medium-high. it wouldn't impress by today's standards but back then it WAS the standard

edge level: medium-high. it's horrifying in some respects, but overall very wistful and bittersweet

the premise: link, the local outcast, is ousted from his idyllic home after tragedy strikes in the form of ganondorf murdering his forest's guardian spirit. from there you'll explore hyrule to open an ancient doorway, and go on a time-traveling adventure in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a terrible future and heal a broken world that didn't always want you.

the good: what can i possibly say about ocarina of time that hasn't already been said? critically acclaimed as the best game of all time when it was made and still 25 years later (with only breath of the wild threatening to unseat it), this game is everything. this is the game that taught me to love stories, to love gaming, to love zelda. the world is full of secrets and places to explore, there's a kind of dual-overworld thing happening the way there was in alttp, there's a lot of collectibles and sidequests and TONS of minigames, there's a huge cast of characters with real depth, you can RIDE A HORSE, and the quite literal coming-of-age story has actual plot twists that affect the gameplay. this game defined the official timeline for zelda (massive spoilers at the link), it defined the series itself, it defined the genre and even the industry - games everywhere are still using concepts introduced (or made popular) here, like targeting enemies, context-sensitive buttons, dynamic soundtracks, and day-night cycles.

the bad: one of the dungeons is a shitty goddamn motherfucking royal pain in the ass. you know what i'm talking about. unless you don't, in which case i'm sorry. maybe it's less horrible in master mode, i don't know. also, like, it's not that the game has aged poorly, it's still a solid adventure, but it HAS aged. since basically every game you've ever played has emulated oot with stuff like lock-on targeting, these features won't feel as revolutionary and special to a new player today as they did to new players in 1998. that's not bad, but it has caused some people to get excited to look into the hype, pop the game in, and then go "wait, i don't get it."

the verdict: unless you absolutely cannot deal with playing a 25yo game, pick this up - for the historical value, if nothing else. i cannot more highly recommend any game that ever existed than i do this one. that said, for people who are new to GAMES IN GENERAL, it may not feel as intuitive as it did to new players in 1998, because speak a slightly different language now. new gamers should definitely still play this, but they should either use a guide or consider not making it their very first game. more experienced gamers should still be fine making this their first zelda game.

bonus verdict: as for which console to play it on - the 3ds version has a lot of quality of life adjustments, including gyroscopic controls and a master mode (gcn version also has master mode), and the graphical improvement is absolutely astounding...but it's on a teeny-tiny little screen. i think the best way to play ocarina of time, if you're able to, is to emulate the 3ds version with the fanmade 4k upgrade. of course, this requires a good pc, emulation skills, and a properly connected controller (i haven't done it yet myself) - so don't feel bad playing anyway you can access it.

Majora's Mask (2000, 2015)

original console: nintendo 64, and a 3ds-exclusive remake

available on switch: yes, with nso (expansion pack)

also available on: gcn (port), wii, wii u (virtual console), 3ds (remake), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 20-38 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: yes, it's a direct sequel to oot. the opening may be a little confusing if you haven't played it but otherwise you're fine

story-heavy: yes, VERY. the character-work alone is unparalleled even by modern standards

edge level: EXTREMELY HIGH. this is without a doubt the darkest and most haunting game in the series

the premise: link, trying to escape his problems back home, gets thrown into an unfamiliar world where the moon is going to fall and destroy everything in only three days. with the help of multiple forms (link can shift into a deku, goron, or zora), and time travel, link relives the same three days over and over again, exploring clock town and the lands around it, and getting to know its people, so he can find a way to help everyone and prevent the oncoming apocalypse.

the good: holy cast of characters, batman! as with every zelda game, there is exploration and dungeon-crawling, and these are phenomenal here - of particular note is how the use of 4 different forms plays into puzzle-solving - but the real meat of this game comes from its incredible cast. near the beginning of the game you are given a journal, in which to note the schedules and habits of each and every resident of termina as you learn them. you play the same three days over and over, so while the clock is always ticking, there's an infinite time to get to know them. each character reacts to the upcoming armageddon differently: some are resigned, some are frightened, some are brave, and some are in denial. (notably, one minor character who appears brave crumbles in the final hours, begging not to die.) who these people are and the sorrows they carry around with them to the end of the world define this game and make it like no other.

the bad: look, it's a game about an upcoming apocalypse. you're on the sinking titanic and the clock counts down every precious second and no matter what you do there will ALWAYS be that time limit, which not everyone likes. it's stressful, and it can be sad and tragic, even upsetting at times, which is kind of a requirement for the powerful catharsis it also offers. it's very different to the usual zeldas - no zelda or ganondorf or hyrule - which also isn't everyone's bag. it's also a huge timesink - you really miss a lot of the point if you don't 100% it or at least get all of the masks, which takes a long time and a guide (although it is fun as hell the whole time).

the verdict: some people really hate the time limit and find it imposing. i mostly don't have a problem with it - sometimes i have to race to finish a task before i run out of time so i HAVE time to travel back before i get blown to bits, but without this mechanic, the game wouldn't work at all. famously, this game was made in only one year (hence the reused assets), so the pressure the devs felt really came out in their work. i think it's a fucking masterpiece, but it is a game about death, among other things, so if you need a feel-good title this one probably isn't your stop. that said, the incredibly powerful cast makes this game timeless - if not for the graphics you'd hardly know it's aged at all. even newer gamers should enjoy this one, but use a guide! for a game this complex it's more important to find everything than it is to do it blind.

bonus verdict: while the graphical improvements on the 3ds are wonderful, and the added fishing minigame is great, i mostly preferred the controls of the original. new players may not notice the difference, though!

Oracles of Ages & Oracle of Seasons (2001)

original console: gameboy color

available on switch: not at the time of writing, but nintendo has confirmed it is coming to nso (basic)

also available on: snes (super gameboy), gcn (gameboy player), gba, original ds (backwards compatibility), 3ds (virtual console), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 16-25 for oracle of ages, 15-21 for oracle of seasons, leading to about 31-46 hours total

mainline game: no

sequel: not linked to any other games in the series, but they're technically both sequels to each othjer - more below

story-heavy: no, about medium-low

edge level: low

the premise: link hears the triforce calling out to him, and when he investigates, is thrown into one of two words, depending on which game you're playing. these two games stand alone, but they can also be linked via a code so that your playthrough on one can be transferred over to the other (like golden sun, if you've ever played those games). you can choose which game to play first. at the end of your playthrough, you can get a code, which can then be entered on the other game - complete both and you get a secret special grand finale. somewhat like pokemon games, the games complement each other in their differences, thoguh the differences here are much more drastic - they have different overworlds and dungeons, a slightly different set of items, and a different way of interacting with the world (by either traveling through the ages or by changing the season). oracle of ages is focused on puzzle-solving, while oracle of seasons is focused on combat and action.

the good: what a dense and detailed little adventure these games are! with a double of everything from items sets to overworlds, there's a ton to do. the worlds have a ton of variety and can feel endless at times. and since they were built on (i think) the link's awakening engine, gameplaywise it's kind of like getting to play a really good sequel to that game for the first time...twice. the lore is fun, the lands are fun, there's a couple of unforgettable tracks i still listen to. since you can play the games in either order, there's a good bit of REplayability involved, because hardcore fans will want to experience it both ways - leading to two playthroughs of each game, meaning four total playthroughs, for up to a whopping total of 92 hours of gameplay. talk about bang for your buck!

the bad: the codes are a real pain in the ass to work with, and you really can't get by without them. not only is it essential for moving your file from one game to the other, but you can also use them to get special items from one file to another. it's SO EASY to enter these codes in wrong and SO TEDIOUS to have to check them character by character. here's hoping the nso version has a better way (though i'm not holding my breath).

the verdict: an absolute must for any 2d zelda fan. first-time players, i HIGHLY recommending playing ages first. there's an important side-character in ages whose story gets resolved in seasons, but not if you play seasons first. of course, if you really like the games a lot, you can always start over and play them in the other order for different cutscenes.

Wind Waker (2002)

original console: gamecube

available on switch: no :(

also available on: wii u (hd port), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 25-60 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: technically, this is one POSSIBLE sequel to ocarina of time (which splintered the timeline, leading to multiple possible branching paths), though it takes place hundreds of years later. it has the same ganondorf from that game, but you should understand everything just fine whether you've played oot or not.

story-heavy: yes

edge level: medium-low - there are some more serious moments, and this is technically a post-apocalypse story, but overall this is one of the more bright and joyful games

the premise: this is a hyrule that was flooded by the gods when the hero of an ancient era could not show up to defeat ganondorf. people live on former mountaintops, now islands, interconnected by only the sea, and sailing is very dangerous. when link's younger sister is kidnapped, he has to leave his little island and go on a sea-faring adventure with pirates in order to get her back and unlock the mysteries of the hyrule beneath the waves.

the good: the game is vibrant, colorful, beautiful, and full of life. even if you don't like the cartoony art style (and i have mixed feelings), you can't deny the ambiance. there's a new combat system where for the first time you can pick up the dropped weapons of enemies, and the cast is stand-out - the "zelda" of this game is more hands-on than in any other title, and ganondorf is at his most sympathetic here, not to mention all the minor characters and their various sidequests. the characters are truly some of the funniest and most endearing yet - this game will make you laugh out loud. the enemies and bosses are unique and fun to grapple with (special shoutout to helmaroc king) and there's no shortage of stuff to do.

the bad: firstly, we have to mention the art style, which has been a little divisive over the years. it won't be for everybody. i like it for the most part, because you couldn't get the same vibe without it, but i do wish it was just a little less stylized - just a little! secondly, the game is just not finished. the development was rushed, leading to the cutting of an entire dungeon and a poorly-implemented second half where the focus shifts from exploration and dungeons to a near-ENDLESS fetch-quest for triforce pieces which involves a LOT of incredibly tedious and time-consuming sailing. (as kids, some trips were so long we could just set the direction and leave the controller on the floor while we took a bathroom break.)

the verdict: overall, the flaws aren't enough to ruin what is a truly great adventure. fans of the more serious games (hi! me!) may find themselves wishing wind waker had leaned into its post-apocalyptic setting and mysterious drowned world aspect more, and fans of lighter zeldas will find themselves wishing the damn thing was finished, but overall, everyone should find it's worth at least one playthrough, unless you absolutely cannot tolerate the visuals. fans of lighter zeldas, combat, and pirates will all love this one.

Four Swords (2002)

original console: gameboy advance

available on switch: no :(

also available on: 3ds (single-player remake), potentially pc (idk if emulation of the original is possible considering the connectivity, but you could almost certainly emulate the remake)

average playtime: 3-17 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: technically, it's a sequel to minish cap, but minish cap hadn't been made yet, so whatever

story-heavy: not at all

edge level: non-existent

the premise: link pulls the ancient "four sword" in order to defeat bad guy vaati and becomes split into 4 selves. this game was the first multiplayer zelda, and you had to have three friends, all with their own gameboys and link cables, to even play this bad boy. from what i understand in most of the game you just compete to see who can get the most rupees? a single-player version was released on the 3ds a few years later but i don't know if you can still buy it legit or if the 3ds store was shut down. since it was so inaccessible, pretty much no one played this, including me, so i can't give it a proper writeup. probably nobody reading this will ever get a chance to experience four swords how it was originally meant to be played either, but you can find this game's spirit in similar titles like four swords adventures or minish cap, which are much more accessible.

Four Swords Adventures (2004)

original console: gamecube

available on switch: no :(

also available on: uh yeah that's it. just the gamecube. you may be able to emulate it on pc though - i've never tried

average playtime: 15 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: teeechnically a sequel to the original four swords, but nobody played that, it's fine

story-heavy: not at all

edge level: very low

the premise: a sequel to four swords, this was intended to be the sleeker and (somewhat...) more accessible version. you can play this one as a single player, but my brother and i did it on co-op with a link cable and a gameboy sp - just the two of us, and no need to find two other friends - we each controlled two links each, to simplify it.

the good: the game is FUNNN as hell. the graphics are sleek as fuck because it's a 2d game running on a system capable of rendering 3d ones (just look at those flame effects!), the gameplay is addictive, and co-op puzzles are a blast. nintendo has always come out strong when it comes to in-person multiplayer (even if they have yet to catch up with online multiplayer...) and this is no exception. for anyone who ever wished they could sit on the floor and play zelda with their siblings the same way they played mario kart or smash bros, this game is a dream come true.

the bad: this game is still so GODDAMN inaccessible. we were lucky enough to have the gameboys and link cables we needed, but i don't have any idea how you'd go about playing it with other people now without some extremely tedious emulation or buying some extremely old (and expensive) gaming equipment. sure, emulating the single-player version on gcn is no big, but the game really shines in its multiplayer aspect, which is all but impossible for most people to enjoy now. it's incredibly frustrating.

the verdict: if you're lucky or rich enough to own a gamecube, a gameboy, and a link cable (multiple gameboys and link cables?) in 2023, AND you have a friend or three to play it with, please pick this one up. unless you just hate 2d zeldas, it is a FUCKING blast, and zelda fans the world over are probably envious they can't experience it for themselves.

Minish Cap (2004)

original console: gameboy advance

available on switch: yes, with nso (expansion pack)

also available on: original ds (backwards compatibility), 3ds, wii u (virtual console)

average playtime: 15-27 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: no, but it is a prequel to the four sword series (made well after those games were released)

story-heavy: medium-light - about the level of most 2d zelda games

edge level: very low - this is such a bright and cheerful adventure

the premise: in an adventure meant to explain vaati of four sword fame's origins, you meet teeny-tiny people known as the minish, who live in teeny-tiny spaces all over hyrule. they mend shoes, use pots and old boots as houses, fight dust mites, and leave surprise gifts such as rupees and hearts beneath pots and the like to help adventurers. by shrinking and growing you explore various nooks and crannies and solve a ton of puzzles, and through fusing items called kinstones with strangers you can change or uncover more of the overworld and unlock even more secrets

the good: the game is beautiful, bright, and fun. the soundtrack is catchy, the gameplay is addictive, the puzzles are very fresh, and the kinstone fusion feature means you'll be doing a lot of backtracking and replaying to see all this game has to offer.

the bad: besides zelda, i didn't find myself terribly enthralled with most of the cast. the reused sound effects from other games can be nostalgic sometimes but sometimes they feel a bit cheap, since they had to be downsized; they're the audio equivalent of a pixelated jpg. and as great as the soundtrack is, it suffered from the same thing.

the verdict: my nitpicks with this game are minor - i think it's a wonderful and fresh entry into the series, and probably one of if not the best 2D zelda. if you like 2D zelda at all, you'll want to pick it up.

Twilight Princess (2006)

original console: gamecube AND wii (i know)

available on switch: no :(

also available on: wii u (hd port), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 30-56 hours

mainline game: yes

sequel: technically, this is another possible sequel to oot, taking place 100 years later, and involving oot's ganondorf. (it has nothing to do with the timeline wind waker is on.)

story-heavy: yes, very - the cutscenes look great, the mocap for this game is wonderful

edge level: very high

the premise: 100 years after ocarina of time, darkness falls across hyrule in the form of "twilight," desolating every part of hyrule that it touches by turning its denizens into ghosts, and forcing princess zelda to surrender to zant, the king of the twilight realm. when link's village is destroyed by this twilight and he is turned into a wolf, he leaves to save zelda, save hyrule, and save his home. this game was meant to be a gcn title originally, but development was delayed for so long that they began co-developing it for the wii and released it as a launch title for that console.

the good: where do i start? this game was intended to be a return to oot's more realistic artstyle after many years of the wind waker art style in spin-off games, and was in fact a spiritual remake of oot in many ways. it is similar graphically, tonally, and gameplay wise - it's the oot they wanted to make in 1998, only with a more powerful engine, and fans loved it - check out this video of its announcement at e3 - it still gives me chills. famously, this game introduced horseback combat, which the devs had really wanted to implement in oot and were forced to give up on due to hardware limitations. the cast and the puzzles are all great on this one, and the world is huge and full of surprises, but of particular note is your partner midna, who comes with a better story and more personality than any partner before or since (sorry, king of red lions). lesbians and their associates will LOVE whatever the hell she has going on with zelda in this game. twilight princess also has the most fleshed-out swordplay of any zelda game - the various techniques you learn from the ghost swordsman are fun as hell, and every single boss battle in this game absolutely fucks.

the bad: despite its high moments, the story in this game is just a little weirdly paced. ganondorf was brought in kind of suddenly, and link's childhood friend from his village, whom the story focuses on a lot, is maybe not the most compelling character (sorry to ilia fans - she's okay, just not my favorite). not everybody liked this game's emulation of oot, and some people felt it was uninspired. personally, my gripes are mostly about the dual-console release; having played both versions multiple times, i think they both suffered from being co-developed. because the wii version uses motion controls and most people are right-handed they switched to a right-handed link for the wii (BLASPHEMY), meaning they actually flipped the entire world horizontally, and there are times when the laziness of this action is very apparent when playing the wii version. while the controls are superior on the wii (there's a mandatory shooting minigame that's all but impossible on gcn connected to a crt tv), the graphics just...look a little aged for a wii game, whereas they look damn good for a gamecube game. the hd remake fixes this, but since it's only on the wii u, fucking nobody has played it, and it remains inaccessible to most players except through emulation.

the verdict: if you can get your hands on this, do it. despite its flaws it's a classic meat-and-potatoes zelda adventure. fans of combat and more serious stories will especially love this one. personally, i preferred the gcn version because of left-handed link, but i do think the motion aiming on the wii (and wii u?) was a great addition, so it's a matter of preference as far as if you want the hd graphics and what controller feels correct in your hands.

Phantom Hourglass (2007)

original console: nintendo ds

available on switch: no :(

also available on: wii u (virtual console), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 17-31 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: a direct sequel to wind waker - not sure if you need to have played that to understand; from what i can tell there are actually a few plotholes

story-heavy: medium, i think?

edge level: low, as far as i know

the premise: after tetra gets sucked into a ghost shiop ad vanishes, link has to set sail on a new ship to find a way to free her. that's all i really know because, okay, up-front, i did not finish it. i did not give it a fair shake. it's got great reviews and they can't all be wrong, but i found controlling link with a stylus (the ds had no control stick) frustrating, the game hard to see (the graphics are trying to emulate ww's style on less capable hardware), and the story uncompelling (tetra? a damsel??). i know a lot of people really love linebeck and i wanna love him too one day, but until then, get your answers from the people who love this game!

Spirit Tracks (2009)

original console: nintendo ds

available on switch: no :(

also available on: wii u (virtual console), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 20-33 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: to wind waker and phantom hourglass, technically, though it takes place 100 years after those games

story-heavy: medium, i think?

edge level: low, as far as i know

the premise: 100 years after wind waker and phantom hourglass, a new hyrule has been founded above the waves and it has TRAINS. for some reason zelda gets zapped out of her body and can now follow you around as a cool ghost who possesses bigass statues to help you out. that's right, your partner for this game IS ZELDA. the main theme for this game is so catchy it's a crime. i never played this since i didn't finish phantom hourglass, but it looks so fucking cool that i wanna power through phantom hourglass despite my initial reservations just so i can take a crack at it.

Skyward Sword (2011)

original console: wii

available on switch: yes, as an hd port

also available on: wii u (virtual console & backwards compatibility), pc (emulation)

average playtime: 30-58

mainline game: yes

sequel: no - in fact, it's the prequel to every zelda, being that it's the very first one in the timeline

story-heavy: yes, very

edge level: mostly low, but it does have its serious moments

the premise: taking place at the very start of zelda's long and complex timeline, this game seeks to explain the origins of hyrule's creation and and some of its mythology. link and the other proto-hylians live in islands high above the clouds and attend the school for flying around on bigass birds, not knowing if there even is a world below, until one day zelda (not a princess but the headmaster's daughter) gets dragged down by a dark force, and link must venture into the land below to save her.

the good: skyward sword is oozing ambiance. a standout area of this game is lanayru desert, in which you can use a timeshift stone to shift the area directly around you back in time by 1000 years or so and watch it come to life with greenery. this soundtrack is fully orchestrated, we get to hear zelda sing (her first voice acting debut!), and when the motion controls are on, they're REALLY on. sometimes the swordfights feel like actual duels. the cast of side-characters all get a lot of development (shoutout to my man groose!), and the villains are creepy and quirky. the dungeons in skyward sword are especially good - the cistern in particular is one of the best in the game, but we can't forget the ghost ship or the sky temple either. minor spoilers for the story, here, but finding out WHY there are so many zelda games and the struggle against evil never ends (it's a literal curse) was really cool and really reframed how a lot of people saw the series and the characters - it's a lot more tragic that they have a fate they can't escape from so long as zelda fans want more games.

the bad: minor spoilers for the story here too. as far as prequels go it did not make a lot of sense. there's nothing about the three goddesses we've come to know and love, only about the minor goddess hylia, and the ancient hyrule features species that don't ever make another appearance mole guys and seahorse dudes. there aren't any zoras or gerudo or koroks/kokiri, there's only one goron, we only see two sheikah...it feels so far removed from the hyrule we know that it doesn't feel like a prequel at all. additionally, when the motion controls aren't good, they're REALLY bad - especially on the switch version, which has less precise controls than the wii. finally, while i personally didn't mind it (puzzles!), a lot of people disliked how linear the overworld was and complained there was no exploration. another common frustration, one which i share, is how much the game holds your hand. (this famously inspired toriel in the game undertale to LITERALLY hold your hand and do the puzzle for you.) this game will present a puzzle and then have the nearest npc (most often fi, poor fi, she undeservedly gets all the blame for this) explain how to do it before giving you even one chance to try for yourself.

the verdict: it has its flaws, but i still enjoy it a lot. i think more experienced players will be very frustrated with it at times, and people who hate motion mechanics or constant alerts/lots of useless dialogue will be miserable. (you can turn motion controls off in the switch version but it feels unnatural because of how sword-swinging works.) on the other hand, the game's linear and hand-holdy nature actually makes it a perfect start for brand new gamers, especially given where it falls on the timeline.

A Link Between Worlds (2013)

original console: 3ds

available on switch: no :(

also available on: pc (emulation)

average playtime: 16-23 hours

mainline game: no

sequel: takes place at least 100 years after a link to the past, and even uses the same overworld! you don't have to play that to understand this though.

story-heavy: medium, about the level you expect for 2d zeldas

edge level: medium-high

the premise: link turns into a little flat guy so he can go more places! this is a sequel involving the inhabitants of lorule, a parallel world to hyrule, one without a triforce. go back and forth between kingdoms to save hyrule from suffering the same fate, all while trying to kick a giant rabbit guy out of your house.

the good: the puzzles in this one are really fun and fresh, the old overworld map feels super nostalgic, the music is charming, and being able to tackle the dungeons in any order is a nice touch. i especially loved getting to know certain inhabitants of lorule.

the bad: the non-linear style won't be for everyone, and i wish i had been able to spend more time getting to know hilda in particular.

the verdict: this in my opinion is one of the best 2D zeldas - if you're a 2D zelda fan, especially a alttp fan, don't miss it!

Hyrule Warriors (2014, 2016, 2018)

original console: wii u

available on switch: yes, as a remake/collection

also available on: this is complicated. the game was originally released on wii u, then ported to the 3ds with new added content but i think mising some other content, and then FINALLY released on the switch with ALL the content. you can also emulate any version on the pc

average playtime: 17-38 hours, though people report up to a whopping 366 hours to 100% it

mainline game: no

sequel: no

story-heavy: medium-ish. there's cool cutscenes but it's not that deep

edge level: low, this shit is just balls to the wall crazy-ass fun

the premise: a crossover between dynasty warriors and zelda. turn zelda into a beat-em-up and add cameos from popular characters doing increasingly batshit anime fighting moves. what's not to like?

the good: this game is insane. the electric guitar soundtrack, the cameos, the nostaliga - it's all here. the gameplay is good mindless fun you can really sink your teeth into, and despite it not being the point i had fun running around and exploring all the maps. there's so, so, SO much to do (366 hours!) you will literally never see the end of it.

the bad: the OCs are maybe not my favorite people. i don't know if they come from other dynasty warriors games but they were a little annoying and truly, uh, underdressed. also, as someone who likes to 100% games, it annoys me that i'll likely never 100% this, just because of the sheer timesink/grinding required.

the verdict: if you like fighting games and combat, this is for you. if you're into zelda for the serious story stuff and the puzzles, give it a pass. completionists beware, 100%ing this game is NOT for the faint-hearted.

Tri Force Heroes (2015)

original console: 3ds

available on switch: no :(

also available on: pc (emulation)

average playtime: 14-26 hours, but up to 56 hours to 100% it

mainline game: no

sequel: takes place a few years after a link between worlds - not sure if you need to play that to understand this, but it seems unlikely

story-heavy: doesn't look like it

edge level: low. oh my god, he's in a little cheerleader outfit. look at him

the premise: i don't really know, i think you crossdress to gain superpowers and then solve puzzles with your buds. i didn't play this one because i didn't have 2 friends with a 3ds and a flexible schedule. apparently there's a one-player mode, but it just doesn't seem as fun, and the lack of a 2-player mode is sad because my brother and i could've rocked it. like the four swords series, this looks like great multiplayer fun, but it's inaccessible to people without the time or coordination to get 3 people together. it looks fun as hell, though.

Breath of the Wild (2017)

original console: dual launch on wii u and switch

available on switch: yes, obviously :)

also available on: pc (emulation)

average playtime: 50-100 hours, though to 100% everything and enjoy the dlc it could take up to 210!

mainline game: yes

sequel: technically, it's a sequel to everything, since it takes place at the end of (somehow) every timeline. but you don't have to have any prior experience to enjoy it

story-heavy: medium-heavy? this is the first zelda game with voice acting, and what cutscenes it does have are amazing, but you can expect to see only a very few of them

edge level: very high (this is once again post-apocalyptic), but not as high as majora's mask or twilight princess

the premise: link wakes after a 100 year sleep with no memory of who he is or what happened to the ruined world around him. explore a completely open world in your own way at your own pace, recover your memories, rescue zelda.

the good: this game hit the industry at a thousand miles per hour and six years later the hype still hasn't slowed down. this redefined the series and the genre in a way we haven't seen since oot in 1998. this game is revolutionary in the way that oot was revolutionary back then, but updated so that newer players find it just as surprising and refreshing as new players in 1998 found oot back then. the exploration, the physics, and the world are all totally unparalleled - three decades later, this zelda truly gets back to the original explorer and adventuring spirit miyamoto tried so hard to capture in the very first legend of zelda game all the way back in 1986.

the bad: as much fun as this world is to play around in, i found that most of my joy came from the exploration and not knowing what i'd find around the next corner. it's still a very, very, VERY good game, but i found that on my replay it just didn't have that same shininess that other games in the series do when i replay them. and, of course, because it's so different it's very divisive - there's no human ganondorf in this game, no dungeons - all your puzzle-solving comes in microdungeons called shrines scattered around hyrule. weapon durability is also a hotly debated feature - even i found it frustrating at times, although in many ways the forced improvisation it brings to the table is more than worth the cost of admission. and overall the enemies are all the same and have no real difference between them, even the bosses, and the boss fights kind of suck. it's a really good game, but it does have its flaws.

the verdict: this is the perfect starting point for anyone new to the series. many people have started with this game and learned about hyrule alongside the amnesiac link - i had an extremely interesting discussion once with someone on tumblr about how the game is different if you've grown up loving hyrule and see it get torn apart, vs if the only hyrule you know IS the one that's torn apart. both ways are wonderful experiences, and i think even non-zelda fans would find something to love in the freedom this game offers.

Cadence of Hyrule (2019)

original console: switch

available on switch: yes, obviously :)

also available on: pc (emulation)

average playtime: 6-11 hours, but you can add up to 12 more if you play the dlc

mainline game: no

sequel: no

story-heavy: not really

edge level: low

the premise: a crossover with crypt of the necrodancer, a roguelike rhythm game. there's no real story here except, notably, a brief cameo of a younger ganondorf, though his back is always turned to you. (if you could go back and kill ganondorf as a baby...)

the good: well, a rhythm game's gotta have good music, right? both the rehashes of the old songs and the new music are absolutely stellar here. i'm normally iffy on rhythm games but i found the gameplay addictive (there's a strong tactical element to moving around) and the exploration fun. getting to play as zelda (!!!) if you want is a great bonus, too. there's really nothing not to love.

the bad: the kind of movement you have in this game doesn't lend itself super well to boss fights most of the time. they weren't bad by any means but definitely one of the weaker parts of the experience.

the verdict: unless you hate rhythm games or hate fun, you'll like this one, especially if you're a crypt of the necrodancer fan or a fan of zelda's music in general. puzzle fans might be disappointed there aren't as many mind-twisters in this one, though.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020)

original console: switch

available on switch: yes, obviously :)

also available on: pc (emulation)

average playtime: 25-40 hours, though it can take up to 76 hours to 100% it

mainline game: no

sequel: a direct prequel to breath of the wild and its eventual but as-of-yet unreleased sequel tears of the kingdom

story-heavy: yes

edge level: relatively low, i'm told

the premise: so this is a prequel to botw, taking place during the era just before the apocalypse. i didn't finish it because it came out right around nov 5 2020 (iykyk) and then someone spoiled the ending for me and i thought it sounded stupid, so i was less motivated to play. what little i did play of it was great, though - it was exciting and fun in all the ways the original hyrule warriors was but bigger and badder in every respect, and with a little more of that somber botw flavor. i intend to finish before totk comes out despite my reservations about the story.

The Conclusion

it's a great time to be a zelda fan because out of the 22 games on this list, only 8 of them are unavailable on nintendo switch, and only 2 of those are what i would consider to be mainline games. that means you can access two thirds of the ENTIRE SERIES, spanning almost 4 decades, on a single console! your only limits are your time and your wallet. most of the ones that AREN'T available on the switch can be played on a 3ds, so if you have or buy one, nearly the entire series is at your fingertips. (you can emulate the shit out of your 3ds, btw, and play a lot of these gameboy, gba, and ds games for free - nintendo isn't looking anymore so they don't care.)

sorry i couldn't fully cover all games - i welcome opinions from people who have played games i've missed in the tags. when i do get around to playing them, i will come back and update this guide! expect an entry for totk eventually too. thanks for reading and i hope it was helpful to someone!

#loz posts #the legend of zelda #zelda #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #whew!! glad to have THAT off my chest.#liz makes stuff #?? sure #liz's loz stuff #loz meta #anyway. i hope it's useful to at least one person but literally don't even worry about it. i just wanted to talk to myself about zelda

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ulircursed · 2 months ago

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TOA Aniversary Munday

From Neffi!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: eri

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): 9/30

Where are you from? What is your time zone? Taiwan! GMT+8, currently 12 hours ahead of TOAST. Good news: the apocalypse hasn't hit the future yet!

How long is your roleplay experience? Probably around 10+ years at this point, unless running around as Pokemon on the playground counts, in which case more like 20 years ahaha

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I'm reasonably certain Fire Emblem was my first foray into tumblr RP, and Emmeryn was my first muse! There was a little indie community that I joined back then, though I haven't kept in contact with them

How were you introduced to TOA? I don't really remember, but all I know is that I lurked around the masterlist around the time of L&K but didn't pluck up the courage to join until nearly a year later when I saw there was a Reyson (shoutout to birdie!)

Do you have any pets? Nope! Moved around too much as a kid and current living situation doesn't support having one. Closest I got was sharing an apartment with my roommate's floofy cat for two years in college; his name's Chester and he was super adorable. I'd like to have a dog someday though!

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) WINTERRRR I am a human furnace and summer is suffering. Every spring I start counting down the days to the next winter ahaha

What is your IRL occupation? I work at the counseling department in a junior college!

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Learning languages, singing, obscure fun facts and watching Youtube video essays

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Used to be a big Pokemon person but I stopped playing the mainline games by Gen VII (not for lack of interest! RL circumstances changed around that time and I just never got back into the habit of buying those games); nowadays I play a few mobile games daily but that's about it

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Water; too many, but if I had to name just one I will probably say Rufflet

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! The first fun fact is that the moment I get asked questions like this I immediately go Brain Empty and this is why I rarely fill out toa monthly feedback forms dakfjslfj uhhhh my favorite color is blue! I joined an archery club in grad school (two years ago) to understand what shooting a bow feels like. I love swimming but haven't been to a pool for maybe like 9 years now. I really like going to zoos.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? My older brother introduced my younger brother and me to Japanese FE4 when we were kids, when we knew absolutely no Japanese and just messed around the first map and never beat it. I properly started playing when I was in high school, with FE7 being the first game I beat! I normally count my official FE gaming journey as starting with 7 in high school :'D

What Fire Emblem games have you played? All the mainline ones except 1-3 and Echoes (I'm...... working on it)

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE7; FE3H

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! You can't do this to me man. UHHH ok Lucius is my very most favorite FE character. Andrei needs to be here. I lump the Heron sibs as one unit for questions like this. Tibarn. Sylvain. There are probably a dozen more but

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! HONESTLY Andrei thanks to the Oosawa manga. His arc changed my brain chemistry permanently

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 I don't think I've really crushed on fictional characters before ahaha

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Chrom I think; uhhhh Lon'qu or Cherche?? - Fates: Silas I think???; I'm currently partway through a Birthright playthrough and I seem geared to S support with Jakob so him - Three Houses: Dimitri; started my first and only Myleth run a few months back and I'll probably go with Miss Thea :flushed: - Engage: None; man I don't know

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Bishop

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I think I could be a War Cleric wielding a giant hammer. If you don't go to bed on time I will forcibly join your army and make you

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions I guess!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Axe boon, Reason bane, Riding budding talent

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Brodia

How do you pronounce TOA? TOE-uh

Current TOA muses: Just me and my bow man for the moment

Past TOA muses? Leanne, Lucius, Altena, Nino

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Leanne was my first! Honestly she always lives in a cozy little corner of my head, so she can be back at any moment if RL permits

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? Nice Girls (gender neutral) who have no quarrel with 99% of the world. As you may be able to see, Andrei does not fit this mold.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Flirts. They're so much fun to read but I don't think I could flirt my way out of a paper bag irl so I would never know what to write

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? I honestly love fluffy cozy fun friendshippy situations!!! Again, Andrei is not conducive to this. I mean I do also like painful scenes but--

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? that Yngvi AU where Brigid never disappeared because things will still go to shit but the circumstances would be so different. Honestly Brigid doesn't even need to explicitly be there for this to work so if any Gen I Jugdrals ever want to do this then I grip you

Favorite TOA-related memories? So many, but the West Faerghus Croc lives rent free in my brain forever.

Present or past tense? I started off with past tense, but now default to present. When the stars align and I notice my partner using past tense, sometimes I will also switch, but not always.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? Small text, though I am happy to switch for my partner's preference if needed!

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Waves goodbye to my faceless Glenn delusions honestly thank u new anniversary ruling for saving me from those eternal brainworms

#➵ a quiverful of arrows (ooc)#happy anniversaryyyyyy toa

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ultraericthered · 7 months ago

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BEST DRAGON BALL BIG BADS

1. Cell and Freeza - Eternally the greatest villains that the Dragon Ball franchise has ever had and will ever have. They both just work so well, as characters and as villains, but on different levels. Both are completely and utterly evil to their cores, both are uber powerful, both are superbly designed, both have iconic voices, both serves as ultimate enemies to a generation of Saiyan (Freeza to Goku and Vegeta, and Cell to their sons Gohan and Trunks), both have fun and hilarious TFS Abridged Series incarnations that do them justice, and both have the demeanor of charismatic, sophisticated gentleman whose faux affability is used to punctuate their horrible evilness and conceal even uglier evilness within, giving the reader/viewer a strong desire to see them get dealt a comeuppance, but it’s expressed somewhat differently - with Freeza, his superficial politeness is blatantly false, you can read in his tone that it’s a front he puts on to patronize everyone of lesser power than he, even his own minions, and his inner spoiled brat and brutish sadism seeps through with every line…but those lines are normally courteous and gentlemanly. With Cell, his affability seems much more sincere and there’s much less obvious fakeness and condescension to it, but the things he actually says even with that attitude are so cruel, demeaning and dickish (he’s not known as a Savage Roast King for nothing!) and he just excudes confidence in what he is and all that he is capable of achieving. Their places in the story and what they represent is also great. Freeza was literally the instigator of the entire series, the reason Goku was raised on Earth to start with - he is the dark past that must be conquered in the present day where his reign of terror still spreads. Whereas Cell is literally made up of the cells of the greatest fighters seen across the series, including the previous villains, Freeza among them, who traveled back in time from a future timeline - he is the series’ past amalgamated into a grand present day crescendo and is reflective of a dark future that must not come to pass. While Cell's my preference between the two of them in terms of villainy (character-wise, he’s not quite as developed as Freeza has been), Freeza’s easily my second favorite, and both of them are equally the best Big Bads with the best sagas in all of Dragon Ball.

2. Zamasu/Goku Black and Demon God Demigra - Or as I like to call them, the Lucifer-Satan Duo. As I’ve said before, they’re sort of like the Freeza and Cell of the franchise’s new age - not quite as good but still easily the best major villains we've seen since them. Demigra came first and while he’s not much to write home about in terms of characterization, he’s got an awesome design, an incredibly strong malevolent presence, a flamboyant personality and a particularly sick, cruel, creepy style of villainy that makes him unforgettable. He’s a former Shinjin who fell from grace and became a demon who then rose to such a high state of power that he’s deemed a Demon God, and as such he now possesses a proud, smarmy, mightier-than-thou attitude and believes the entire multiverse should revolve entirely around him and his whims, and that all of existence is his to play with in any way he pleases. At first his villainy seems rather typical of a Big Bad Satan figure, but by the time he puts Piccolo under demonic mind control to get him to kill the kids he’s looked after, it gets more personal and you really want to take the smug bastard down. My two quibbles with him would be his original final form was terrible, being just a recolored, redesigned version of Babidi’s henchman Yakon (thankfully, this got amended later on in Dragon Ball Heroes), and that his backstory comes off as a little too generic and JRPG-esque, which is a big no-no for Dragon Ball. Otherwise he’s a great villain, though unfortunately locked out from mainline DB canon beyond the game universes. Zamasu in Super is sort of like a substitution for Demigra, as he’s a similar character (a fallen Shinjin with a massive ego and divine Messiah Complex) with a similar set-up (a saga that heavily involves time travel, Future Trunks, and a threat to the entire multiverse), but he manages to be his own unique character despite this, more youthful than Demigra and even more insufferably pompous and self-important. And unlike the unashamedly evil Demigra, Zamasu is firmly convinced in his own righteousness and that every action he takes is in the name of divine justice and the creation of a pure universe, even though the actions themselves and his frequent behavior towards others, other deities included, show him as anything but - he’s a cruel, petty, and narcissistic sociopath with delusions of grandeur. Think Light Yagami if he actually had become a god! His other self, Goku Black, is even scarier given how he inhabits a god-tier Saiyan’s body and even melds his own divine power into it’s own to create new techniques and even a new Super Saiyan form, and is a complete badass throughout. And the voice actor performances (both Shinichiro Miki and Masako Nozawa in the original, and James Marsters and Sean Schemmel in the dub) are fantastic. My two quibbles with him would be the explanation for Black’s coming into being was a little convoluted and goofy, and that the Black Hole Eldrich Abomination that melds itself into the entire universe that his consciousness becomes after his defeat/death was just complete nonsense, pushing Zamasu firmly into Villain Sue territory and making him a living Diablos Ex Machina to instigate a horribly bleak end to his saga. Oh well. Can’t all be perfect like Cell.

3. Vegeta - Nowadays with Vegeta being a much better person and one of the most heroic characters in the series (which is great) and also the main deuteragonist/Lancer to Goku in all sagas (which is not so great), it could be easy to forget just what a truly, wonderfully evil bastard, and one of the top greatest villains, he used to be. As the surviving prince of the Saiyan race, even sharing the same name as his late father and now obliterated planet, Vegeta’s pride is monumental and he believes he has, from birth, deserved to be most powerful warrior of all time and space, and supreme ruler of the universe despite him being basically enslaved to serve under Freeza, who also has those ambitions. Before we found out that part about Freeza, though, Vegeta was the Big Bad for the prior saga and by being such a sinister, meticulous, cunning warrior who could back up his arrogance with sheer awesome might, he was more imposing a threat than even Piccolo, the so-called Demon King! Despite his short stature, his ability to keep his composure until he lets out his feral rage made him fearsome to his larger and more brutal partner, Nappa. Toriyama hadn’t initially intended to keep him alive past his saga, but he proved so popular with both readers and his editors that he had his life be spared and it cannot be overstated what a terrific move it was to keep him alive for the next saga, as he received some of the best parts of that saga with his magnificent bastardry, even ending up in an unexpected alliance with the good guys in its latter half that lay the seeds for his eventual redemption arc. In retrospect it’s rather odd that Vegeta got as far as he did since his character was originally written to be nothing but a completely evil prick. I think his success is owed to him being the greatest candidate for an archrival to Goku that Toriyama ever came up with, being of the same race as him and even sharing some similar characteristics, yet being his polar opposite based on how and where the two were raised and thus what they value most. Oddly enough, their development courses have gone in reverse too - Vegeta’s grown more human while Goku has grown more detached from humanity and more in touch with his Saiyan nature. I could go on about what an interesting and fun character Vegeta is, but I’ll spare you all and just mention one minor gripe I have with him (aside from his role in the franchise post-Buu Saga, which remains a major gripe): what the heck happened to his personality after he got revived on Namek by the wish on Earth’s Dragon Balls? Piccolo was one thing, but Vegeta’s more grouchy, aggressive, hot-tempered and bombastic characterization is almost downright irreconcilable with his earlier characterization. Did he come back wrong? Did Freeza’s brutal torture of him before his death do permanent mental and emotional damage? I love the character either way, but it's shaky writing.

4. King Piccolo / Piccolo Jr. - Here’s the guy who was the originally intended Ultimate Evil of the Dragon Ball universe. Oh how times have changed. This spot is both for the original King Piccolo, born of all the inner demons that the nameless Namekian who became Kami Sama exorcised from his consciousness, and Piccolo Jr., who was born from an egg like all Namekian offsprings but imbued with his father’s spirit, making him the Demon King reincarnated. With his appealingly alien design, intimidating voice acting, epic theme music and majestic presence whenever he shows up, Piccolo stands as one of Toriyama’s best villains even to this day. He’s also one of the smartest Dragon Ball villains, one of the few who never succumbed to Bond Villain Stupidity, thinking meticulously and acting with competence from start to finish, damn nearly defeating Goku and all his heroic allies who stand against his reign of terror. The guy even make a successful bid for world domination, holding all governments on the planet hostage with the threat of his power, even planning on making a national holiday in which he destroys one major location in the four corners of the Earth annually, just for kicks! Even after his death, his wickedness endured through Piccolo Jr., who went undercover at the 23rd Budokai just to take revenge on Goku and claim the title of world’s strongest warrior in order to assert his supremacy and put the world under his green thumb once again. Piccolo is very much the same case as Vegeta when it comes to how his character development progressed - for someone who was created and written to be nothing but pure evil, he ended up growing a conscience and caring about someone else, the son of his hated enemy no less, and from there he grew more noble and good-hearted until he was finally willing to re-merge with Kami in order to have the power needed to protect the things and people on Earth that he’d grown to cherish, which was unexpected but beautiful development for his character. Also like Vegeta his characterization had a slight shift before his redemption truly started, but this one was more believable since he’d gotten older and more mellow between the end of pre-Z DB and DBZ, having never been the pure evil beast his father had been and still showing signs in the early Vegeta Saga that the devilish, maniacal Piccolo hadn’t fully gone away yet. As a bad guy and as a good guy, Piccolo is just plain awesome, and one of the most endearing and respectable DB characters for that.

5. Beerus and Whis - After years of the DB franchise recycling ideas, characters and concepts usually from DBZ for all of its content, these two were such a breath of fresh air. Beerus, the God of Destruction for Universe 7, has an immediately appealing design, being clearly inspired by the Egyptian God of death, Anubis, having both canine and feline characteristics in his look and mannerisms. His concept is also great - he’s like a dark counterpart to a universe’s Supreme Kaioshin with destructive power so immense and seemingly limitless that they need a guardian angel to keep them in check, which is where Whis comes in. The personalities of these two and how they play off each other is the best part. Beerus is callous, egocentric, and apathetic to a fault, but also frequently lazy, childish, quirky and eccentric, possessing a strong appetite, and is subject to wild mood swings that effect the way his power is let out. He’s, to put it plainly, an immature psychopath, but being a deity who exists far above mortal beings, he lives by his own code and his thinking is far beyond the morality that mortals or other deities tend to possess, so it's hard to call him truly evil. He’s as great an ally to have on your side as he is as terrifying an enemy to have against you. His growing bond of friendship with Goku and the Z Warriors all while he still stays true to his character but slowly comes to soften up and learn to act in more reasonable ways has been one of the best parts of DBS. Oh, and Whis - he’s cool. And nice. And scary powerful. And both he and Beerus, together or apart, are super hilarious. Some of the best characters to be iconic fixtures of the franchise for years to come.

6. Android 21 - A secret 21st android created by Dr. Gero who got loaded with energy from a super computer that gave her more power than she knew how to handle, driving her batshit insane, spiteful, and destructive as a result, having a very attractive design and an equally sexy Majin form, being pretty much an android version of Launch who ends up going through a literal personality split similar to Majin Buu, is a glutton for delectable treats who has a tragic character arc, a personality like Zero Two from Darling in the Franxx, and the dub voice actress of Riko Sakarauchi from Love Live Sunshine!!? How could you not fall for this bitch? Easily one of the coolest, most creative and most enjoyable DB villains in recent years to be sure.

7. Fu - Another really fun villain to enter the franchise in recent years. The son of Mira and Towa, and the nephew of Demon Lord Dabura, Fu could care less about the ramifactions of his heritage or the dull politics of the demon realm, as he's set his sights on bigger things. Inquisitive and experimental by nature, he's made his M.O messing with the stream of time and intervening in different worlds branched off from different timelines so that he can create any wild and wacky scenario he wants to enjoy. Yeah, he's a DB fanboy surrogate, and it shows in the joyfully eccentric, geeky personality he expresses. Fu goes so meta with his canon-defiling, reality-bending passion projects and with his brand of humor, he's like DB's own Deadpool! But he is absolutely not one to be underestimated just for his silly behavior, for he's one of the most cunning, meticulous and unpredictable adversaries in the franchise. In the Xenoverse canon, he's become the recurring arch nemesis to the Time Patrol who's yet to be brought to justice, and in the Heroes canon, he steals from varying alternate timelines and uses what he attains to devastating effect, gaining more power for himself as he does to the point where he's eventually made the Dark King of the demon realm and seeks to create his own universe that'd play to his ideal rules. Wherever or wherever Fu shows up, disasters are always guaranteed to follow.

8. Emperor Pilaf - Putting this guy up so high seems ridiculous, especially since he wasn’t ever a Big Bad in the original manga, only getting that status from the anime adaptation beefing up his role and giving him more screen time in the series’ first saga. Three things score him this spot - he’s just plain hilarious, he was actually a legit danger to our heroes (and possibly the entire world had his wish been granted) in his earliest appearances despite having no power, and he’s been brought back to the franchise and received a good deal of character growth to the point of becoming a friend/ally to the heroes just as Tien, Piccolo, Vegeta, Buu, and Beerus have. His chemistry with his two agents, Mai and Shu, is always a delight to watch, and his VAs tend to make him immensely entertaining, especially Chuck Huber in the Funimation dub, whose voice and delivery for him has not changed in the slightest in all these years.

9. Tao Pai Pai - I'm kind of cheating here as well since he’s technically not a Big Bad in any saga he appeared in, but he was the source of the most tension and peril in the Red Ribbon Saga in how an act of evil committed by him changed the trajectory of Goku's quest for Dragon Balls, and he had a part in the entire drama of the 22nd Budokai Saga’s plot, so he deserves a spot here. Introduced as a mercenary killer hired by Commander Red to kill Goku, Tao became the Heavy for the saga during this period. Up to that point Goku had faced enemies who could nearly take him in a fight before (General Blue, who Tao kills with his tongue) but hadn’t ever seemed in any real danger from an enemy who could kill him. Tao changed that. He was very dangerous, very formidable at fighting, and very murderous, with there being a very real possibility of him actually killing Goku because he's the first character to kill others on-screen. His character was also a notable change of pace in how villains before him were all light-hearted and comical, or at the very least generic., but Tao, by contrast, was a stone cold professional killer with seemingly only two looks to give: serious poker face or psychotic evil smirk. He doesn’t just kill because it’s profitable, he relishes the hunt and the sensation of bringing other living creatures down before he takes their life. He’s a true villain played straight, which makes his eventual ass kicking at Goku’s hands and the comical reactions he starts giving all the more satisfying and hilarious. While he’s nowadays not as notable or cool as other villains and even seems rather dated, one thing to consider is that with his greed, sadism and fondness for killing, pink and purple color scheme, courtesy and formality when speaking and conducting business with others, attempting to kill Goku after being granted the mercy he’d pleaded for only to have Goku knock his attack right back at him so that it blows him up instead, and then coming back as a cyborg, working alongside an evil family member in the name of revenge…yes, Tao seems to have been Toriyama’s prototype for Freeza.

10. Majin Buu - While his saga was notoriously poorly done on the whole, his character and effectiveness got messed up in its last stretch, and he nowadays almost reads like a prototype for what would later be perfected by Beerus, Majin Buu was still a fine villain(s) for what he was, as well as a fairly unique and memorable one even if he didn’t make for the best Big Bad. Brought into Universe 7 by the dark wizard Bibidi to match and even surpass the Kaioshins, Buu got more powerful the more Kaioshins he slayed and devoured the energy of, and by the time he was sealed away he’d become the most powerful mortal being in existence. Which is an asset to him but also a fault: Freeza had declared himself the most powerful mortal being in the universe, but now we learn that there’d once been a being even more powerful (and later learn that Freeza knew that)? Cell being more powerful than Freeza was justifiable because his literal creation happened only after Freeza’s time and he was made to be the most powerful fighter ever from the cells of the most powerful fighters, Freeza included. Pulling out this random ancient demonic djinn as the next most powaful evul threat evah!!! just felt cheap. But back on his character, I like Fat Buu and the initial Super Buu the best out of all his forms, the former for being the most unexpectedly silly and endearing of all the Buus and the one who actually reforms and sticks around after the saga’s over, and the latter for impressively balancing being ridiculous and humorous with being sinister and menacing, and much smarter than his brutish demeanor suggests, plus he got some wicked awesome theme music in the original dub. Kid Buu’s in the middle, as he’s alright and a well done example of a Generic Doomsday Villain with no personality, goal, or motive for living other than to kill and destroy…but he’s still a Generic Doomsday Villain, so he lacks a character and can’t hold my interest for very long. I don’t care for the briefly seen Evil Buu that ate up Fat Buu to make Super Buu, and I completely abhor Super Buucalotenkshan or whatever we call that long headed abomination - yeah, Super Buu is one of my favorites AND my least favorites among the Buu forms! Go figure. All in all, Buu was a good idea for a worthy foe to be faced by Gohan and pals, but horribly marred by poor execution of his character, his powers, and his saga as a whole. So he’s pretty above average to me.

11. Janemba - The Majin Buu substitute of Movie 12, Fusion Reborn, created when some slacker custodian of Hell got infected with the accidental leak of an unstable dark substance made from dark souls that began tearing at the fabric of life and death, letting the denizens of Hell loose onto Earth. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of him in his initial large, chubby yellow form, when he changed into that smaller, red Satan looking motherf**ker up there, he immediately caught my attention. He’s just so menacing, so psychotic, and so diabolically evil in even the way he fights that I think I like him better than Kid Buu, the canon villain he was emulating. He’s a pretty unique DBZ movie villain, and his big face-off with Gogeta is simply unforgettable.

12. Dr. Wheelo - The main villain of the second movie, The World's Strongest. Two things score him a spot here - his creepiness factor and his motivation. His mind was wished back into the world by his old associate, Dr. Kochin, but his body was not, meaning that the only physical part of him to be seen is his brain, which is placed in a special tube that just happens to connect with a large mechanical body, and he always speaks in a low, calm, sinister voice that’s slightly modulated by a robotic filter. That’s just nightmarish. And unlike many later DBZ movie villains, Wheelo actually has a clearly stated goal and motive - he wants to weed out the world’s strongest fighter so that his brain can be put inside of that fighter’s body, and he can then wield awesome power and test his new body’s fighting capabilities for science in order to become the greatest and the strongest scientist to ever live. It’s sick, weird, and a little bit B-Movie mad science plot, but it works and helps make Wheelo stand out as one of Goku’s most unsettling foes. In fact, it could be argued that he even beat Dr. Gero to it with the whole "mad scientist creating androids to go after Goku" thing. We later got to see Dr. Wheelo's original body when he partnered up with Fu in Dragon Ball Heroes, and he even gained a sleeker metallic form that he could control.

13. Coola - No, I refuse to call him Cooler. That only works if Freeza is named Freezer, but he’s not, so it’s just silly. Anyway, Coola is the older brother of Freeza and the villain of two movies in a row, Movies 5 and 6. If there’s any movie villain who seems like he could fit right into Toriyama’s canon, it’s Coola. He leads his own section of his clan’s Planet Trade business empire and while he’s a notably better boss than his brother, that doesn’t make him any better an individual. Coola is actually a lot more level headed, mature, and pragmatic than Freeza, which is why he’s always been envious of how far ahead Freeza got in terms of power since birth, and how their father blatantly favored Freeza despite all the errors he made that seemed obvious to Coola. But when Freeza seemingly died by Goku’s hand, Coola’s loyalty to the notion of clan supremacy meant that he had to seek vengeance for his brother’s death, which is when he also showed off that he mastered an additional transformation of his final form that makes him even more powerful than Freeza! So let’s see, older brother of the series’ most iconic villain who is smarter and more competent than he, a better boss who inspires the actual loyalty of his minions, and has mastery over a fifth, even more powerful transformation that not even Freeza, the “most powerful being in the universe”, had or knew of? If you’re getting “fanfiction OC Villain Sue” vibes, I wouldn’t blame you, but that actually brings up the most brilliant part of Coola’s character - he’s actually a deconstructive subversion of a Villain Sue. For all his dismissal of Freeza’s overconfidence and being blinded by hatred of his Saiyan enemies, he falls prey to the exact same things during his battle with Goku, and then as he’s dying he realizes that Goku only lived to get as strong as he is because he’d seen his space pod shooting off into space but made the colossally stupid mistake of just letting him go while at the same time he was chiding Freeza for making the stupid mistake of overlooking the escaping pod! Seeing this hit Coola as he burns up in the sun is an immensely satisfying payoff. He kinda-sorta makes a comeback for the following movie, and has appeared in The Plan To Eradicate The Saiyans and a handful of video games, but nothing beats the memorability of his big debut.

14. Turles - The main villain of the third DBZ movie, Tree of Might. If Turles' appearance looks familiar to you, it's because he's sort of the OG Goku Black years before Black was a thing. In the movie he's depicted as a surviving Saiyan who swayed a handful of Freeza forces to defect from the Empire with him and form a competitor business, the Turles Crusher Corps, and there's literally no reason for him to share a face and hairstyle with Goku other than for symoblic purposes, as he represents with Kakarot might've grown up to be like had he never landed on Earth, gotten adopted by Gohan, and got a concussion, as the movie spells out towards the end. This setup seems pretty lazy, but Turles somehow manages to be an interesting, enjoyably fiendish and clever villain with a unique plan for sucking the life out of Earth so that he can lay claim to it and all its resources. My only lament with him is that the thrilling fight between him and Goku is for whatever reason continously interrupted by shots of the Earth as it's being effected by the Tree of Might, which weighs down the pace of the movie. But at least he goes out with a bang!

15. Garlic Jr. - The first DBZ anime movie villain and one of the good ones. The reasons for this is twofold - how he actually succeeds at what both Vegeta and Freeza wanted to do, wishing on the Dragon Balls for eternal life. But rather than making him too broken, this actually became a drawback for him in the end, as he’s stuck with a fate worse than death that he’s unable to escape. And also just how freaking dark and devilishly wicked he is. Seriously, here’s a dialogue sample from him: “The people of the universe better hear my voice now! From this day forward, I, Garlic Jr., will rule over all. I command all evil spirits to come forward and take on their physical forms once again. You are free to walk! A new dark age has finally begun! Let this world be drenched in the blood of the righteous. Now that I’m immortal, I will rule the universe forever! All creatures will obey me or perish. With every power I posses, my reign of terror will be everlasting!” Gives me chills, especially Don Brown’s rendition. Unfortunately, he also has two serious drawbacks. Not only is his entire evil plot that gains him immortality founded upon a massive plot hole (he tries to have Kami and Piccolo killed even though that would erase the Dragon Balls too, and he has Gohan abducted for no reason rather than simply take his Dragon Ball), but he was also recycled as the Big Bad of a godawful filler saga between the Freeza and Cell sagas of the anime that sort of suffered the Return Of Jafar syndrome - he himself wasn’t awful, he just didn’t show us much that we didn’t already see before and done better in his movie, wasn’t well serviced by the plot, and in general it just wasn’t a smart move to bring him into the anime’s narrative, as he and the events of his movie are incompatible with the canon story. His saga’s not quite Noah Kaiba level bad, but it’s close. That might’ve forever tarnished his image with fans, but he was a great villain in his debut movie.

16. Broly and Paragus - The evil Saiyans of Movie 8, The Legendary Super Saiyan. While the concept of two other surviving Saiyans of Planet Vegeta’s destruction seemed hard to swallow at first, they’re given some backstory that actually makes it plausible and even damn interesting, so they’re not merely another Turles situation. Paragus is fascinating due to how you can sympathize with him and understand why he’s bitter and yearns for a world to claim as his own and start up a new Saiyan race. However, he’s not only evil, deceptive, and a cold-blooded bastard, he is wildly, theatrically villainous, always flailing around with excitement and energy that makes him fun to watch. But its his young son Broly who’s the true theat. While he seems timid and quiet at first, it’s revealed that he’s the first known Saiyan to transform into a Super Saiyan outside of legend…and he’s also completely off his rocker. Broly is a psychotic monster, a sadist and a bully who relishes the opportunity to flaunt his power and destroy the lives of others for his own sick pleasure and amusement, and once a rampage starts for him, it will not stop until everyone and everything in his path is dead. His power is also very out of control, which is why Paragus does his best efforts to control his son and contain that power, which proves to be in vain when Goku becomes a factor, as Broly is 100% single-mindedly obsessed with killing Goku, or “KAKAROOOOTT!” as he's known to call him. There’s actually a reason for Broly’s madness, and while it's notoriously petty, it's not entirely nonsensical - when he was a newborn infant, his power rose to an abnormal level, as did that of the baby born on the same day who was right next to him: Kakarott. When Kakarott started crying, Broly eventually started crying too, with both babies shut in tubes unable to budge anywhere….and then King Vegeta ordered for baby Broly to be killed for his abnormal power level. Both he and his father barely survived…and Planet Vegeta got blown up soon after. So Goku isn’t really a reason for any of Broly’s insanity, he’s a trigger for it. His warped mind forever associates Kakarott and his crying with that trauma, so naturally he wants to silence Kakarott for good. Which still doesn’t even begin to excuse the level of cruelty Broly displays, though - as Gohan put it, he’s pure evil. Even Broly himself proudly proclaims to be a freak, a monster, even a DEVIL! He really was a solid villain in his debut movie, who unfortunately became an utterly awful one in his two later comebacks and it turned him into an oversaturated mess of a character, which kills a lot of goodwill that some could have for him. Alas, another victim of his own popularity. Thank Kami for Super!

17. Mira and Towa - A demonic duo known as the Time Breakers. Mira is the muscle of the team, preferring to take on enemies with his special powers and enhanced physical capabilities, whereas Towa is both the brains and the true power behind things, possessing both powerful sorcery skills and advanced scientific knowledge that she uses for her sick little experiments. It turns out that Towa is actually the sister of Dabura himself, and Mira is a warrior that she created through alchemy. First appearing in the MMORPG, Dragon Ball Online, and reappearing in the Xenoverse games, Heroes, Fusions, Kakarot and more, these two fiends have been relentless, formidable, and devious in all of their appearances to date.

18. Sealas and Aeos - Two of the most notable exclusive villains to come out of Super Dragon Ball Heroes, owing a lot to their designs and how they're both fallen heroes connected to time and space. Sealas is the founding operative of the Time Patrol and a strict believer in cosmic justice and in the greater good of necessary evils, wishing to do what's righteous even if he has to break natural laws and alter history to do so. Taking "with great power there must come great responsibility" to its most extreme, unhealthy level, Sealas broke with the Time Patrol and concluded that evil itself must be eradicated, and that this can only be truly done if history is rewritten to exclude all evil. It's a bit familiar and akin to Zamasu's motives, but much more "puritan" and semi-heroic in style and substance. Aeos, meanwhile, is the former Supreme Kai of Time who predates the Time Patrol and she cares nothing for any moralistic ideals such as justice: she is concerned only with balance and natural order, believing the existence of multiple timelines to be a threat to that. Personality-wise, she's one of the most fascinating antagonists in the franchise, seeming haughty, cold, and disdainful towards mortal beings and dismissive of her successor, yet she also showcases softer, kinder qualities, does deeds that seem good and fair, and isn't always so above it all when it comes to tactful reactions and behavior. She's hard to peg down, but after joining up with Chronoa and the rest for the final battle with Demigra, she has a change of heart regarding the multiverse and makes peace with her successor.

19. Hearts - Also hailing from the Dragon Ball Heroes canon is this dude. Hearts is a pale elven man who leads the Core Area Warriors and is known as the God Hater for his acts of revolt against the cosmic divine pantheon of the multiverse, as he seeks to liberate all mortal beings from the gods' grip. In this sense, he's like a Reverse Zamasu, cursing the existence of deities and wanting to kill them all in order to achieve a truly "free" multiverse. While arrogant, brash, hypocritical and self-righteous, Hearts is one of the more principled and values-believing baddies. He believes strongly in the multiverse's "nourishment" but has no qualms with launching terrorist attacks on planets and killing countless people in order to free only the surviving remainers, and it's a hypocritical contradiction he openly admits to and welcomes with grace. He's a rare good boss for this franchise who values his mortal comrades, and he appreciates a good fight with strong opponents just as much as the likes of Goku. Fittingly, he makes a Heel Turn later on and becomes as cool an ally as he was an enemy. My one huge issue with him is in his design - I think the hair he had during his initial appearance as a villain is way too similar to that of Fu, which makes looking at him a bit confusing. Thankfully he got a longer, more spiked out, better hair style later on.

20. Jiren the Gray - In what’s almost a reverse of Majin Buu, I didn’t care for this guy at all when he first came on the scene but he had a fairly strong finish to his run. He was this cookie cutter big, strong, silent, uber powerful warrior whose character was flat, archetype was done to death, and he just there to be what you were made to think Hit was going to be back in the Universe 6 Saga. In fact, I wouldn’t have classified him as a villain and put him here at all had the final round of the Tournament of Power not gone the way it did. We gradually came to learn that Jiren did have a single belief he followed in addition to his conviction to being the strongest fighter for the sake of his universe - that trust in others only ends in pain and disappointment, and that friendship need not exist among allies and teammates. He’s here for alliances, never for bonds. We even get his dark and troubled backstory that informs why he thinks and acts the way he does, which made him a lot more interesting in retrospect. And finally there’s his show of power in the final battle of the tournament. Holy crap, this is like what Majin Buu should have been in terms of how his full power was expressed. Jiren just feels like a nigh unstoppable engine of raw power and destructive fury. He exudes pure stamina, and for fighters with the power that the likes of Goku, Vegeta, Freeza, and even Android 17 have, there could be no worthier opponent. And if his “villain” status was in doubt, he fucking throws an attack straight at Goku’s friends in a spiteful act that forces Goku to jump in the way and ultimately de-powers him, which does effectively ensure that it was then impossible to root for Jiren and we wanted to see him get his ass handed to him even more! But despite this, he also displayed some honor and displeasure in having to take Goku out in a dirty way as suggested by Belmond, making him hard to outright hate either. The final leg of the fight with him is nothing short of amazing and the way he goes down is incredibly satisfying to see. He even gets a very touching sendoff with his teammates and then when brought back into existence, shows signs of possibly rethinking things and starting to grow and change for the better, and his hope to have a rematch with Goku and the rest of Universe 7′s fighters might be a sign of more things in times yet to come.

21. Lord Slug - The main villain of Movie 4. While he's a flat character with little motivation beyond warfare and conquest of worlds, Slug mainly works for the twist that was pulled with his character, as well known as it is now. Him blatantly ripping off King Piccolo's shtick of being old and wishing for his youth restored should give it away, but the fact that Slug is Namekian is a big reveal in the film, because he actually went to lengths to hide that about himself, wearing a helmet that covers his antennaes and ears, and coverings around his arms and legs. This is what makes him stand out, the fact that he is an actual, genuinely, by choice evil Namekian, who in a brazen act of betrayal of his people has become an invading warlord who makes conflicts and kills others, going directly against the Namekian's peace-loving ways. He also happens to be a Super Namekian, one who can expand his size to even larger heights than even Piccolo could! His big fight with Goku was overall nothing to write home about save for that and the moment Goku becomes a False Super Saiyan, but how he gets defeated, I could never forget.

22. Bojack - The main villain of Movie 9, Bojack Unbound. As hard as it is to hear his name and not think of a certain Horse Man, Bojack was quite the credible threat with a slick design and a charismatic presence. The strongest, most ruthless and fearsome space pirate in the universe, he rought havock across all four galaxies before getting imprisoned by the Kais. He's also a flat character who just exists to provide this movie with a villain, and how he and his crew come into the plot is absolutely ludicrous - turns out he was imprisoned inside of King Kai's planet, somehow even surviving what Beerus did to it, but got released when it got blown up by self-destructing Cell. And then they go on to partake in a beat by beat repeat of the Cell Games. In a movie where the Cell Games were established to have occurred. That's the one thing that takes me out about him, but otherwise he gets the job done well enough and was badass enough to make repeat appearances in Fusion Reborn and games, most notably Dragon Ball Heroes, which fleshed out his character better.

23. Dr. Lychee/Hatchiyack - Technically Dr. Lychee is an old alien scientist and Hatchiyack is his creation that carries on his hateful mind and spirit after he's passed away, but they’re connected in that way so they’ve both got this spot here. Originating from The Plan To Erradicate The Saiyans, the first DBZ video game to actually have a plot and two different OVA adaptations to accompany it, Lychee actually has understandable reason to hate the Saiyans and want them wiped out because, well, the Saiyans when working under the Freeza Planet Trade Empire were horrible and he’s one of their many victims. Thus Hatchiyack was created to be the ultimate anti-Saiyan weapon. And clearly the idea behind this caught on with fans and creators alike, as both Dr. Myuu with Baby in GT and Dr. Paparoni with Aniraza in Super were clearly inspired by Dr. Lychee and Hatchiyack. In that way, this mad space doctor’s spirit still lives on.

24. Dr. Myuu - Speaking of ol’ Dr. Myuu, he’s one of the beter villains from the poorly done turd pile that was Dragon Ball GT. Being one part alien and one part machine, possessing a keen scientific mind and a feverish passion for his experiments, and having ambitions to control the universe and convert all of its denizens into his machines, Myuu was a cruel and treacherous villain who raised the stakes and darkened up the scene in a show that had begun as a stupid wacky throwback to DB’s roots but Recycled IN SPACE! From his very design, you can tell he's essentially Dr. Gero Recycled IN SPACE! He masterminded much of what went on in that initial saga by directing the Cult of Ludd from behind the curtian, had many intimidating robotic and cyborg henchman like General Rilldo (himself a decent antagonist too), even had Giru working with Goku, Pan and Trunks as a spy for him (or so he’d hoped), and the set of episodes on Planet M-2 where the heroes faced him down really was the high point of the GT series, especially when it reached it’s downright terrifying finale. Myuu himself was also the best part of the otherwise abysmal Super 17 saga, where he got to work with his counterpart Dr. Gero, and stab him in the back to try and rule Hell and Earth,

25. Baby - OK, his character is uninspired and derived from other, better villains, his arrival on Earth marked when GT took a turn for the increasingly worse and more boring, and his name is Baby: there is no fucking way I can take that as a serious villain. Yet despite all that, he's objectively the strongest GT-exclusive Big Bad. The idea behind his character arc is actually brimming with potential, how he's a living conduit of wrath against the Saiyans for all the victims they'd claimed as well as seeking a new planet to settle and populate, but in his fervor to achieve his goals he ends up becoming every bit as cruel, self-interested and power-mad as the Saiyans. He's also the source of some genuine horror and Paranoia Fuel with how he can extend his mind and possess anyone he chooses. The execution just fails him like it failed many others, including a needless extended takeover of Vegeta's body, a transformation into a giant golden gorilla, and getting killed while trying to flee rather than engaging in one final fight. Good for him that he's not the worst, but he still could've been much better than a weird pale Hatchiyack imitation.

Honorable Mentions:

Dr. Gero - This guy played Greater Scope Villain for the Red Ribbon Saga, the Androids/Cell Saga, and Dragon Ball Super: Superhero, not to mention had a part in other stuff like (ugh) the Super 17 Saga in GT and the storyline of FighterZ. Gero is unique in that he never really got to play the Big Bad role at any point despite having been the originally intended Big Bad for the Androids Saga, yet stands responsible for as much widespread damage as any Big Bad all due to the bitterness, hatred, malice and stubborn pride within him that refused to die even as he aged and lost all the family he had. While he thus couldn't make the list, it is commendable all the same.

Tienshinhan - Tien played the role of Big Bad for the 22nd Budokai Saga, fighting in the tournament under the guidance of his mentor, Master Shen the Hermit Crane. A good old fashioned martial arts antagonist in the vein of the Cobra Kai jerks in The Karate Kid, Tien played the role with exquisite disdain, cockiness, and cold blooded cruelty while also being the most interesting character who recieves great character development before his explosive bout with Goku and embarking on a compelling redemption arc for the next Sagas. Far from the franchise's best baddie, but servicable for what he was.

Babidi - Initially the primary antagonist of the Majin Buu arc before Buu himself killed him and went rouge to do his own shit, the dark wizard Babidi is completely vile and reprehensible, not to mention absolutely hideous, but managed to retain a certain charm and whimsy about him that is typical in Toriyama antagonists. The terror of Buu would not have been possible without him and his deceased father Bibidi, nor would the good stuff that came with it like the sacrificial redemption of Vegeta, the fusions of Goten and Trunks, and the character development of Mr. Satan! Oh, and the debut of...

Dabura - While introduced to the franchise as a cultist working with Babidi to revive Majin Buu, Dabura was also stated to be among the most powerful of lords from the demon realm, someone who even the Supreme Kai feared, and carried about him quite the fiendish, sinister presence, making how he got done in by Buu to feel like quite a waste. Thankfully, he's made a resurgance in video game canons like Xenoverse and Heroes, expanding upon him as a Big Bad devil!

Black Smoke Shenron - I actually don’t like this one - I just like the idea behind him. The concept that the great dragon diety of the Dragon Balls turns into a dark, evil creature as consequence of the Dragon Balls being overused for selfish wishes was a very inspired one, and that’s…actually an even better idea for a franchise final boss than Freeza, Cell, Buu, or Beerus, as it hearkens back to the very start of the story. So it's a damn shame that this concept had to be utterly wasted with the underwhelming, unitelligable usage of the 7 Shadow Dragons, even the cool looking Omega Shenron! Just give me the initial cigar chomping evil smoke dragon and I’m good!

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