Deca-Dence: 10 Best Characters, Ranked

One of the most surprising and well-received anime of 2020, Deca-Dence is an original sci-fi adventure series set in a future where humanity has been driven to extinction by strange creatures known as Gadoll. The story follows Natsume, a girl who lives in the mobile fortress of Deca-Dence, as she and her friends uncover the secrets of the Gadoll.

There are so many memorable characters in the series, from the nihilistic ex-warrior Kaburagi to the impassive cyborg Hugin. Each of the characters has a group of dedicated fans, but only one of the characters in Deca-Dence can truly be considered the best.

10 Turkey Makes For A Great Slimy Villain

A former warrior sent to the Bug Correctional Facility along with Donatello and many of the other Rankers, Turkey is cruel and manipulative. He enjoys taking advantage of the weak, like when he uses Sarkozy to do his dirty work for him by ratting Donatello and Kaburagi to the System.

Although he is a villain, Sarkozy is so well-designed and portrayed that it’s hard not to appreciate his character. He’s not relatable or likable in the least, but that’s what makes him so great. He is rotten to the core and only cares about his self-interests, which makes him the perfect character to root against.

9 Pipe Is A Strangely Cute Metaphor For Not Hating The Other

Pipe is an aberrant Gadoll that Kaburagi finds during a routine inspection of Deca-Dence’s armor. Unlike most Gadoll, Pipe is not violent, and when Kaburagi recognizes this he decides to take the Gadoll home and treat it as his pet. He keeps Pipe’s existence a secret for six years until Natsume shows up and names the strange creature after it brings her a pipe.

Pipe may not be particularly important to the story, but the little Gadoll is great nonetheless. It serves as a reminder to the characters and the audience not to fear the unknown or blame outsiders for the current state of affairs. His death is one of the most heartbreaking moments of the anime and underscores how even minor characters can win over fans’ affections.

8 Sarkozy Is A Lovable Fool

Sarkozy lives in the Bug Correctional Facility and is the one who connects Kaburagi with Donatello and his gang of former Rankers. While he is a coward and weak-willed, he is also extremely useful, especially at brewing homemade liquor made from Gadoll feces.

Sarkozy is a lovable fool and easily becomes Turkey’s pawn in the latter’s plan to betray Donatello and Kaburagi to the system. However, he is not evil, as his primary motivation is to help his fellow cyborgs. He redeems his betrayal of his friends by throwing himself into the cesspit and blowing up the Bug Correctional Facility, thereby changing from a villain of the anime into a hero.

7 Minato’s Relationship With Kaburagi Is His Best Feature

The Commander-in-Chief of Deca-Dence, Minato is a calm and effective commander who is tasked with ensuring the safety of the fortress and the success of each mission. He and Kaburagi are friends and even after Kaburagi retires as a warrior, Minato still worries about him and looks out for his well-being.

Minato’s relationship with Kaburagi is his defining feature in the series. Despite being the poster boy for Deca-Dence, he willingly betrays the System to help Kaburagi. In one of his best moments, he organizes the final mission to defeat the Omega Gadoll that saves the fortress and all of its inhabitants.

6 Donatello Is A Loyal Teammate And Wildly Entertaining

A former elite Ranker who is sent to the Bug Correctional Facility, Donatello is a loud and aggressive warrior. He loves to fight and party, and rules the prison with an iron fist. Donatello is a fearless leader and is greatly admired by his teammates for his strength and skill.

Unlike Kaburagi, Donatello never betrayed his teammates and always stood up to the system. In addition to his unwavering loyalty, another feature that makes him so great is his larger-than-life personality. He is impulsive and fun-loving, as seen by his desire to always rush to the frontline of a battle, which guarantees that any scenes involving Donatello are sure to be entertaining.

5 Kurenai Is An Awesome Warrior Of The Power

While most of the warriors who fight for the Power against the Gadoll are Gears, Kurenai is a notable exception. She is easily the strongest human warrior and serves as an inspiration to her fellow Tankers. Charming, fearless, and skilled in combat, Kurenai is rightfully admired by her fellow warriors and fans alike.

Although many of the Tankers dismiss Natsume’s dream of joining the Power, including her good friend Fei, Kurenai never doubts Natsume’s ability or belittles her. Her endless faith in Natsume’s potential and refusal to give in to despair is what makes her so likable and one of the coolest characters in the series.

4 Hugin Is A Cold And Calculating Antagonist

Hugin is a member of the Game Police and is tasked with ridding Deca-Dence of all bugs. He is cold and calculating but does not derive any enjoyment from inflicting pain on others. His loyalty to the System is all that matters to him, which is what makes him such a terrifying opponent, as he cannot be bribed or bargained with.

Hugin is the personification of the impersonal System that treats cyborgs and Tankers as little more than pawns to ensure its survival. Every great series needs a proper villain and Hugin fulfills that role perfectly. He acts as the perfect foil to such a warm and passionate protagonist like Natsume with his cold and impersonal demeanor.

3 Jill Is Sassy And Brilliant

Jill is one of the most surprising and delightful characters in Deca-Dence. In one of the biggest unexpected plot twists of the anime, it’s revealed that she is a former designer of Deca-Dence which also led to her being confined to the Bug Correctional Facility. She is the brains behind Kaburagi’s plan to take down the System, as she uses her incredible hacking skills to allow Kaburagi and Donatello to don new avatars and enter Deca-Dence.

Cool, sassy, and super smart, Jill is an amazing supporting character. She is the only one who doesn’t put up with Donatello’s nonsense and is not afraid to speak her mind. Jill is full of surprises and keeps the audience guessing as to her true background and motivations from beginning to end.

2 Natsume Never Gives Up And Is Full Of Life

The primary protagonist of Deca-Dence, Natsume drives the story forward with her unrelenting desire to join the Power and rid humanity of the threat posed by the Gadoll. Even after Natsume is forced to become an armor cleaner and repairer, she refuses to give up on her dream. Her enthusiasm, positivity, and determination make it easy for fans to cheer for her.

Despite the frequency with which other characters dismiss or belittle her, Natsume doesn’t hold grudges. She strives tirelessly to help her fellow characters by fighting the Gadoll and even manages to convince them to work together to donate supplies to repair Deca-Dence’s armor. Deca-Dence is a must-watch single-season anime largely because of Natsume, as her strength and determination make every scene she is in a delight to watch.

1 Kaburagi’s Character Development Is Natural And Heartwarming

At the start of the series, Kaburagi is a nihilist who has given up doing anything with his life. However, up0n meeting Natsume, his perspective begins to change as her determination and enthusiasm slowly rub off on him. Even after learning that she is a bug, Kaburagi can’t bring himself to kill her and resolves himself to fight the System and take it down in order to protect her.

Kaburagi’s growth from an apathetic washout to a selfless hero is one of the highlights of Deca-Dence. His skill in fighting and determination allow him to wage a war both to destroy the Gadoll and the System that uses them for its own purposes. Together with Natsume, Minato, Donatello, and Jill he tears down the System and creates a new world where cyborgs and humans can live in peace.

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