VS.
Two of my favorite Animes of all time are Bleach and Yu Yu Hakusho. Both series have their fair share of likable characters, but two stood out for me. These two are similar in their relationship to the protagonist (Ichigo & Yusuke in this case), are reliable when it comes to a fight, and are main characters next to our heroes. Today we will be comparing Bleach's Yasutora Sado & Yu Yu Hakusho's very own Kazuma Kuwabara. I will be comparing the following: Background/Relationship to Protagonist & Power.
Background/Relationship to Protagonist (Ichigo & Chad)
Chad is a easygoing, quiet, and polite kinda guy. He prefers not to stick his head into trouble and has a close philosophy to not use his hands to fight thanks to the wisdom from his late Grandfather. However, that doesn't stop gangsters from starting conflict with the easygoing Chad. One day Chad gets kidnapped and beaten, but still does not put up a fight. That is, however, the gangsters get a hold of one of Chad's precious coin, a commemorative gift given by his late Grandfather. So who of all people steps in to save Chad, well none other than our main hero, Ichigo Kurosaki. The two promised to protect each other's back and so, Chad has joined Ichigo's cause and their friendship still remains strong. The pacifist must learn to protect his friends, use his fists to fight for good, and muster the power to become stronger.
Background/Relationship to Protagonist (Yusuke & Kuwabara)
Kuwabara loves picking fights with Yusuke. The two delinquents pretty much have a understanding when it comes to fighting, but they have respect for one another because of the strength they possess. Kuwabara is leader of a group of delinquents, has a older sister, a cat, and befriends the Spirit Detective alongside various demon allies. Yusuke's spirit detective days have begun and it wouldn't be long before Kuwabara has powers of his own, creating a spirit sword. Despite having friendly bickering in the past, Kuwabara now fights alongside Yusuke in fighting against various demons and protecting the Human World from annihilation. Kuwabara genuinely cares for Yusuke and would go out of his way to kill the bastards who do him wrong. Kuwabara went from a bumbling delinquent to being one of Yusuke's trusted friends/rivals.
Power (Yasutora Chad)
Much like Orihime, Chad didn't start out with powers. Due to the influence of Ichigo, Chad developed powers of his own, being able to takedown hollows and eventually moving on to stronger opponents. Both of his arms are reminiscent of hollow-like powers, one used for defense and the other for offensive. I am not going into detail the names of his attacks, but let's just say that it really packs a punch. The interesting thing about this is that Chad's power is a Fullbring and it wouldn't be until later that he finds this out (The Fullbringer arc). Not only that, at the start of the story only one of Chad's arms took form, but the other one didn't come about until he, Ichigo, & Uryu invaded Hueco Mundo. Chad has had his fair share of wins (Demoura, Tatsufusa,and Gantenbainne) and losses (Kyoraku and Nnoitra notably), but unfortunately, in my opinion, he's the weakest of the 4 (Ichigo, Uryu, Orihime, and then Chad).
Power (Kazuma Kuwabara)
Much like Yusuke, Kuwabara didn't start off with powers. It's much like Chad and Ichigo really. Kuwabara is able to summon a spirit sword made from his own spirit energy. His sword is able to grow longer or even, when Kuwabara puts his mind to it, become stronger when concentrating his Spirit Energy. He's had his fair share of wins and losses, but despite his clumsy, bumbling, and confident persona - he's had more time to flesh out his powers on strong foes (Ex: Byakko, Elder Togoro, and Seaman). The few times he loss were due to his bravado (EX: Rinku & Shishiwakamaru), but even then it was only because of Kuwabara's overconfidence.
Verdict
And the winner is....
Kazuma Kuwabara is more of a dependent and reliable ally when it comes to his friends. He's had more wins than losses and, despite his bravado, he is a all-around likable guy who only wants what's best for him and his friends. He holds Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, and Genkai in high regards and has gotten stronger in killing off demons. Chad, unfortunately, isn't used much in Bleach, has more losses than wins, and, in my opinion, is pretty weak. Sure he's also a likable guy, but when it comes down to it - Chad is always at the end. Uryu and even Orihime have saved Ichigo countless times, but Chad seems like he's in the background - ready to be saved by just about anyone. A character doesn't need to have too much bravado or have relatively good locks to be a likable and strong character, but he needs to have more depth (Chad has a backstory and all, but it didn't help improve his victories over losses), more screen-time (was relevant in Fullbring arc, but didn't offer much other than the fact that his power is a Fullbering), and more action-packed fights (his fights didn't get me psyched up and he never has anything new to offer). I didn't see that with Chad at all and that's why I chose Kuwabara as the clear winner. I hope you enjoyed this week's Fight Night Post and wait for a special announcement later on today. As always, stay classy Bleach fans.
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