List of Kinnikuman characters
The following is a list of characters from Kinnikuman, a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin, superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes and sizes, though for the most part adhering to a humanoid form. As the series shifts from being a superhero pastiche to be more wrestling-focused, the Choujins' role also evolves from being superheroes to being superhuman wrestlers. They are initially introduced as a force of good, but as the series progresses, it introduces more morally gray Choujin, such as the Brutal Choujin, or even malicious factions such as the Devil Choujins. The upstanding Choujins would soon be described as Justice Choujins, who typically assume the role of the conventional superhero. The most popular and exemplary Justice Choujins are known as the Idol Choujins, which makes up the principal cast of protagonists. This includes the main protagonist himself, Kinnikuman. many plotlines of the series involve the clashing of the Idol Choujins with various other Choujin factions with nefarious intentionsMain characters
Kinnikuman
Kinniku Suguru, better known as Kinnikuman, is the main protagonist of the series. He is initially depicted as a bumbling, inept superhero who grows 30 meters tall by consuming garlic. He is soon revealed as the lost prince of Planet Kinniku, the home of the heroic Kinniku clan, having been accidentally abandoned in Japan as an infant due to his parents' oversight. As the series transitions to focus more on wrestling, the superhero parody aspect of his character is slowly phased away to put more emphasis on wrestling. He develops into a more competent character as the series progresses, such as by training under Prince Kamehame to learn the 48 Killer Moves, among which is the iconic Kinniku Buster. He possesses an ability called the "Burning Inner Strength" which allows him to access more power than he would normally be capable of and make comebacks. In the 21st Choujin Olympics arc, it is revealed that his ugly face is actually a mask, where the removal of it is punishable by death according to the law of the Kinniku clan. Revealing his face has miraculous properties, such as purifying a river or reviving the dead. At the conclusion of the original series, he ascends to the throne to become the 58th king of Planet Kinniku and marries Bibinba. By the time of Kinnikuman Nisei, he would father a son, Kinniku Mantaro, the main protagonist of Nisei''. His favorite food is gyuudon and he will do anything for a bowl of it. His real name is Suguru Kinniku and he is voiced by Akira Kamiya.Meat Alexandria
Meat Alexandria is Kinnikuman's young sidekick and trainer from Planet Kinniku. He is Kinnikuman's best friend, although he is much smarter than Kinnikuman and often scolds him for being stupid. Meat plays a supporting role throughout the whole series, providing Kinnikuman with advice and encouraging him, as well as admonishing him for his cowardice. He is usually referred to as Meat-kun. During the Devil Choujin arc, Buffaloman splits him into seven pieces. Although Meat cannot fight like the Justice Choujin, he does defeat Mixer Emperor during the Scramble for the Throne arc with a backdrop. In Kinnikuman Nisei, unlike the rest of his peers who chose to enjoy their lives in peace, Meat elects to be cryogenically frozen in order to serve the next generation of Justice Choujins, where he would become the trainer of Kinnikuman's son, Kinniku Mantaro. His character was re-imagined as a diminutive older man in the Ultimate Muscle dub. He is voiced by Minori Matsushima, and by Mike Pollock in the English dub.Idol Choujin
Idol Chojin is the name given to the core and consistent group of Justice Chojin who fight alongside Kinnikuman. They were originally formed after the 21st Chojin Olympics when the Seven Devil Chojin first showed up for the original intent of challengling Kinnikuman in a match, when he became too injured to fight, Terryman, Robin Mask, Warsman, Brocken Jr., and Wolfman arrived to fill in for him. They later helped out during the Golden Mask Arc, this time with newcomer Geronimo.Terryman
Terryman is Kinnikuman's best friend and most trusted ally. He is depicted as a humble and selfless Choujin who is also a brilliant strategist. Originally introduced as an arrogant Justice Choujin from Amarillo, Texas who is initially antagonistic towards Kinnikuman, he mellows out when he recognizes Kinnikuman's sense of justice and subsequently befriends him. Unlike the other Justice Choujins, Terryman does not possess extravagant finishing moves, instead relying on practical holds such as the Spinning Toe Hold, and is known for defeating much bigger foes than himself. He occasionally tag teams with Kinnikuman under the team name The Machineguns. During the 20th Choujin Olympics, Terryman was shot in the leg shielding Kinnikuman, which led to his leg being amputated and wearing a realistic prosthetic for the rest of the series. During the Dream Choujin Tag Team Tournament, his friendship with Kinnikuman is strained due to the actions of Ashuraman and Sunshine, choosing to partner with Geronimo instead of Kinnikuman. The team would lose in the first round against Ashuraman and Sunshine, where Terryman subsequently inherits the Kinnikuman Great alias from Prince Kamehame and becomes Kinnikuman's partner through the rest of the arc. A running theme in the series is his shoelaces breaking, a bad omen that signifies something bad is about to happen. Terryman eventually marries Natsuko, and he fathers a son, Terry the Kid. His son is a major character in Kinnikuman Nisei. He was modeled after Terry Funk and he is voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka.Robin Mask
Robin Mask is a British knight Choujin, serving an antagonist role in the 20th Choujin Olympics arc, having been the winner of the preceding Choujin Olympics, beating the 18th Choujin Olympics champion Uldraman. His armor reduces his strength as well as providing him remarkable protection. Despite clearly outclassing Kinnikuman in their first fight at the finals of the 20th Choujin Olympics, Kinnikuman was able to defeat him due to his overconfidence. This, along with his exile, made him bitter towards Kinnikuman, culminating in a rematch during Kinnikuman's American tour. This rematch ends with Robin Mask's apparent death. However, Robin survives this fall, and he would masquerade as the cruel trainer Barracuda and trains Warsman for the 21st Chojin Olympics in order to defeat Kinnikuman. He sees the error of his ways after Warsman's defeat, and goes on to join the other Idol Choujins in combating future threats. Robin Mask is notably older than most of his peers, and as a result he often assumes a veteran and leader-like role among the Idol Choujins. He is established in the series as already married to Alisa Mackintosh, and prior to Kinnikuman Nisei he fathers Kevin Mask, who would play a major role in Nisei. His signature move is the Tower Bridge, an Argentine Backbreaker. He is based on Billy Robinson, and he is voiced by Daisuke Gōri.Ramenman
Ramenman, later known as Mongolman, is a Chinese martial arts Choujin. Unlike the majority of characters in the series, Ramenman has a more athletic build, fighting with more Chinese Kenpo instead of more traditional wrestling. He was initially depicted as a violent and remorseless Choujin, murdering Brockenman in cold blood during the 20th Choujin Olympics. However, upon losing to Kinnikuman, he began to become less violent, joining the Justice Choujins and often assuming a wise, mentor-like role, particularly towards the young Brocken Jr. During the 21st Choujin Olympics, He was stabbed by Warsman on the temple, rendering him in a vegetative state. Despite this, he would reappear sporadically in a supporting role throughout the following arcs as the masked Choujin Mongolman. Eventually it is revealed that he is only able to function normally while wearing the Mongol mask, which has healing properties. By the time of the Scramble for the Throne arc, Ramenman had recovered enough to fight without the Mongol mask. During the Perfect Origin arc, a flashback reveals that Ramenman had intended to join the Perfect Choujins after winning the 20th Choujin Olympics, but upon his loss to Kinnikuman, he decided against it. Ramenman was a breakout character, becoming so popular that he got his own spin-off series, Tatakae!! Ramenman. He is voiced by Eiji Kanie.Brocken Jr.
Brocken Jr. is a German Nazi Choujin. However, despite his appearance and heritage, he never portrays any explicit Nazi beliefs. He is the son of Brockenman, who was murdered in cold blood by Ramenman during the 20th Choujin Olympics, and as a result he initially seeks revenge against Ramenman. After his defeat by Ramenman, Ramenman advised him to abandon his hatred, and they become close friends. Brocken Jr. is generally portrayed as a more inexperienced Choujin compared to his fellow Justice Choujins, being slightly younger and more reckless than his peers. In the Scramble for the Throne arc, Brocken Jr. joins Team Soldier, where it is revealed during his match against Team Super Phoenix that the members of the Brocken family are not born Choujins, but instead becomes a Choujin by equipping a special totenkopf. In Kinnikuman Nisei, Brocken Jr. becomes the adoptive father and mentor of Jade. Brocken Jr.'s signature move is the Red Rain of Berlin, a powerful chop that cuts the opponent, which is a family heirloom passed down by the Brocken family. He ranked highly in several character popularity polls, where Yudetamago notes that he appears to be popular among female readers. He is voiced by Tetsuo Mizutori.Warsman
Warsman is a Soviet cyborg Choujin. He possesses a pair of retractable claws called Bear Claws. He also has an internal computer that could discover and exploit any weakness, which allows him to calmly judge his opponents so as to defeat them. However, after 30 minutes, his inner computer would begins to overheat and smoke emits from his body, a flaw that is often exploited by his foes. Warsman was introduced as a cold-blooded Choujin, more robot than man, being almost entirely mute save for a sinister breathing sound, and being completely expressionless except for a creepy smile called the Warsman Smile that appears when he fights a formidable opponent. He spent the majority of his initial appearances being commanded by his trainer Barracuda. After his defeat by Kinnikuman at the 21st Choujin Olympics finals, he regains his compassion, befriending the other Justice Choujins. Even after this change, he maintains a strong student-teacher relationship with Robin Mask. Throughout the rest of the series he struggles with his cyborg nature and his humanity. In Kinnikuman Nisei, Warsman assumes the Kuroe identity, becoming Kevin Mask's trainer. He is voiced by Hideyuki Hori.