Warning! Spoilers Ahead!
Dandadanis one of the biggest and most popular anime series right now, as Science SARU’s masterful adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s original manga has delighted and impressed viewers with its high-quality story, animation, voice acting, and music. Additionally, this series’ large cast of unique and lovable characters, from Momo and Okarun to Aira and Jiji, is also a big reason for its worldwide success.
Unfortunately, due to the inevitably slow pacing of modern animated productions of this scope, some of the best and most fascinating characters from the manga still haven’t appeared in the anime, and fans will most likely have to wait many years to see their official debuts. The followingDandadancharacters are the most notorious examples of this phenomenon, although it’s worth pointing out that this topic won’t include key figures that will debut in the next few episodes of Season 2 (which is currently airing at the time of writing).
1Vamola
A Lovable Alien Girl With A Powerful Kaiju Suit
The main cast of characters inDandadan(also known as the “Family”) is constantly growing, and one of its most lovable and interesting members will most likely make her long-awaited debut at the very end of Season 2.Vamolais a young alien girl who lands on Earth due to tragic circumstances and, after a brief misunderstanding, eventually befriends Momo, Okarun, and the others.
Vamola has a unique “fish-out-of-water” dynamic, as she slowly has to learn the social norms of Earth to fit in within society, which leads to many funny moments. Her interactions with the rest of the “family,” especially Momo, help make her into a truly adorable character that’s impossible not to love and root for.Additionally, she can wear a powerful Kaiju-like Exosuit in battle, meaning that she’s also a formidable fighter, something she’ll get the chance to prove in Season 3 and beyond.
2Hastur
The Leader Of The Deadly Space Globalists
The Serpos are not the only dangerous alien race inDandadanthat’s trying to invade Earth, becauseSeason 3 will introduce the Kur race (also known as the Space Globalists) and the leader of their military unit,Hastur. As one of the main antagonists of the series, this alien has made a long-lasting impact on the lives of several important characters, like Vamola, the Serpos, and Count Saint-Germain.
Truth be told, Hastur is not a particularly unique or interesting character in terms of personality, but he has a powerful on-screen presence, and he’s directly responsible for some of the most intense and exciting battles in the entire series, meaning that his animated debut will lead to some of the best action sequences in the history of this show.
3Reiko Kashima
A Creepy And Unpredictable Yokai
Most anime fans must have heard the legend of the Kuchisake-onna (or Slit-Mouthed Woman) at some point, and since this is a story about ghosts and yokai,theDandadanmanga has also featured its own interpretation of this classic Japanese urban legend. At the very beginning of Season 3, Momo and Vamola will meetReiko Kashima, one of the creepiest and most powerful paranormal creatures in the entire series.
As told in the original urban legend, Reiko uses her deceiving powers to trick and haunt the two girls, and her appearance will result in some truly disturbing scenes that will delve into the often-forgotten horror elements of this series. On the other hand, however, there’s also a sense of tragedy in Reiko’s character, and her unexpected role in the climax of the Space Globalists Arc has made her a major fan favorite.
4Rokuro Serpo
The Only Nice Serpo Alien In The Series
While the Serpos have consistently been portrayed as a bunch of evil, predatory aliens, there’s one member of this race who has become a crucial ally for the Family, and he’s simply known asRokuro Serpo. After failing to stop the Kur’s invasion and theft of critical Serpo data, Rokuro was deemed a failure by his peers and was exiled to Earth, where he met Momo and helped her defeat the Space Globalists.
Despite his dark past, Rokuro Serpo is a hilarious character whose comedy is mainly centered on him flawlessly fitting into human society despite looking like a weird alien, and his whole “wageworker” dynamic is entertaining. Furthermore, Rokuro is really effective at using nanoskin in battle, which made him a crucial ally in both the Space Globalists Arc and the Danmara Arc.
5Count Saint-Germain
The Main Antagonist Of The Series
So far, theDandadananime has featured many different villains that have no relation to each other, whether they are yokai or aliens.However, the main antagonist of the entire series,Count Saint-Germain, will make his debut at the very end of the Space Globalists Arc, and his introduction will mark a major turning point for the story.
Saint-Germain is a character shrouded in mystery whose real motivations and backstory are still completely unknown, but he’s trying to steal yokai abilities from other people (including Okarun) and seems to have some sort of connection with Turbo Granny and the Serpos. At the end of the day, Count Saint-Germain is an intriguing and cool-looking villain who’s a highlight of every single scene he’s part of, and it’s a real shame that it’ll take a few more years until anime-only fans can finally meet him.
6Masamichi Bega
A Strict Police Officer, And A Caring Father
WhenMasamichi Begawas initially introduced, he came off as a strict, serious, and generic police officer who was acting as a mere obstacle for Momo and Okarun to overcome. Because of this,many manga fans were shocked to see him reappear in the climax of the Danmara Arc, where they found out that he’s actually an incredible character.
It turns out that Bega is the adoptive father of Unji Zuma, and their relationship and backstory are really emotional. After this revelation, readers inevitably started seeing him as a heroic figure who just wants to help others, a sentiment that was elevated even further by the fact that he decided to join the fight against the Fairy-Tale Card despite being a regular human being with no supernatural powers. Needless to say, Bega has been one ofDandadan’s biggest surprises, and he has become one of the series’ most popular characters as a result.
7Unji Zuma
Possibly The Coolest And Most Tragic Character In The Series
When she entered the Danmara world, Momo Ayase met and befriended a hard-boiled delinquent namedUnji Zuma, who can wield the spiritual powers of the Umbrella Boy. From the get-go, Zuma is a fascinating and cool-looking character, and his close friendship with Momo is the main focus of the Danmara Arc, especially since it adds a lot of drama to her romance with Okarun.
While he may initially come off as somewhat intimidating, it’s slowly revealed throughout the arc that Zuma is a kind and compassionate guy who wants to help other people who were dismissed by society, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering that Masamichi Bega is his adoptive father and mentor.Dandadanfans can’t wait to finally see Unji Zuma adapted into the anime in a few years, not only because his unique Umbrella Boy powers made him star in some of the most exciting action sequences in the series, but also because his heartbreaking backstory can even rival Acrobatic Silky’s flashback, and it’ll surely make many anime viewers cry.
8Kouki Yukishiro
A Shy But Musically Talented Girl Who Can Control Pygmies
Kouki Yukishirois the latest addition to the main Familyand, like many other prominent characters inDandadan, she was introduced as an antagonist but was eventually turned into a crucial ally. She’s a fellow Kami High student who was manipulated by “Sanjome” and others into stealing yokai powers from the main cast, and she was even granted a special ability of her own, as she can control a bunch of miniature, almost-invisible, supernatural beings known as the pygmies.
Kouki initially came off as a very creepy girl, but after she was defeated by the main cast and unofficially joined the Family, it was immediately made clear that she’s a shy girl who was put into an unfortunate situation by malicious people. Her interactions with Momo, Rin, and especially Aira are quite endearing, and her crucial role in the fight against the Severed Head Dribblers was incredible. Unfortunately, her recent introduction in the manga means that it will take several years until Kouki makes her debut in the anime adaptation.
