How Many Times Can We Put Badassery in the Title...?

Throughout the history of fiction, there have been a number of characters. No, wait. That's a complete understatement. There have been a crapload of characters. However, once in a while, you'll be reading a book, watching a show, or playing a game, and some one will vault off of a highway overpass onto a truck below, shooting at communist vampires with a harpoon gun. That, my friends, is the badass. He represents everything that is awesome either by doing awesome things, saying awesome things, or just being the personification of awesome.

Taking this list to another medium, Domon Kasshu is the physical embodiment of awesome. Imagine this- everyone has abandoned post-apocalyptic Earth and moved into space colonies, but instead of fighting wars over who should rule everybody, a tournament is held every four years called the "Gundam Fight", where one representative from each country climbs into their extremely stereotyped GIANT ROBOT and heads to earth in hopes of kicking everyone's ass and earning their country the right to rule for the next four years. Think giant robot Street Fighter.

This is Domon Kasshu's life.

Well, almost. He's also hunting his brother down so he can beat the crap out of him for stealing a prototype Gundam, which caused their father to get frozen as punishment.

Whoa there, big guy. Chill out.

Domon is a martial arts master, dubbed "King of Hearts" because of his strength. He uses his Shining Gundam to wreck every single opponent he's ever faced, and later in the finals, his Burning(God) Gundam totally owned everything. Let's get one thing straight- Domon NEVER LOST A BATTLE. Why? Because he's the angriest mofo to ever exist. You know how people have an "inside" voice and an "outside" voice? Domon has an "inside" voice and a "I'm going to kill you" voice. Every single time this guy opens his mouth it's to shout something with righteous fury. Hell, when he confesses his love to his girlfriend, he doesn't just shout "I love you!" he screams it like he's pissed at her. He's the most insensitive ass-kicking character I've ever seen- even when he's trying to be sentimental. He also had a finishing move that he used on EVERYONE that had a prelude that went like this-

"This hand of mine is BURNING RED! Its LOUD ROAR tells me to DEFEAT YOU! Here I go: TAKE THIS! MY LOVE, MY ANGER, AND ALL OF MY SORROW! BURNING FINGER!!!"

Every time. EVERY TIME he had to defeat someone, he would yell that. And it's not like they were at their knees, begging for it- they were often still fighting him, trying to kill him. But no, once he started reciting that damn mantra, everyone knew that his opponent was pretty much screwed.

When I imagine pure rage in human form, I think of Domon Kasshu. But it's not just the fact that he never lost a battle, or that he has no volume control. It's that he killed his final enemy by doing this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwjg0s3tEE8&feature=related (Features Domon's Rage-filled "I love you")

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? An attack so powerful that makes a literal "King of Hearts" appear, look really really angry, and burns a heart shaped hole through a robot's chest.


Of course, this was how the Domon Kasshu of the English Dub acted, though I'm pretty sure the Japanese version was just as intense. G Gundam was a homage to the over-the-top attitude of many giant robot series, but it flitted between self-parody and actually taking itself seriously so much that it was hard for fans to love the strange series. Often considered the black sheep of Gundam series, G Gundam really took the concept of hyper-stylized anime fighting and giant robots to an extreme, giving every country a Gundam and pitting them against one another in the infamous Gundam Fight. Characters relied on the strength of their spirit rather than the way their suit was built- although having a Gundam with an ability called Burning Finger often helps. Energy-based attacks became as flowery as one dude having a move called "Rainbow Kick" and the Neo-France Gundam being able to shoot out Rose Bits.


In a series such as this, Neo-Japan would need the most emotion-filled character in order to beat out all the others, and Domon Kasshu answered the call, screaming his lungs out in defiance. The guy was either standing around with his long red cape, talking super quiet while still having a hint of anger in his voice, or he was in his Gundam, shouting at his enemies. It seems like righteous anger was the only character requirement for him.

Anyone who actually watched the series can tell you how ridiculously fucked up the ending was, when shippers secretly hoped that Domon would get together with Allenby, who, you know... HE HAD TOTALLY HUNG OUT WITH NONSTOP SINCE THEIR MEETING. But no, he realizes that he's harbored feelings for his hot Gundam mechanic who he has neglected the entire series just as she is chosen to be the host for the Devil Gundam. Obviously, this leads to the climax, in which Domon confesses his love is spectacular fashion. It wasn't actually upsetting that the two characters got together, it was just a very drastic and sudden turn in the show that left people wondering, "Wait, what about angry, vicious Domon Kasshu that we all know and love? WHO WOULD WANT TO BE WITH A MAN LIKE THAT?"

But we all kid ourselves on the inside, because in the future, when Earth is in ruins and everybody lives in space colonies, one must choose their mate based on their ability to display one emotion alone- white hot anger. This is the reason Domon never loses, because he's pure badass- anger incarnate.