In anime, heroes and villains alike have nicknames that can be both more memorable and more significant than their given names. Fans remember monickers like My Hero Academia's Deku even while they struggle to recall details like surnames and family ties.
Other series use nicknames to introduce and sum up characters, giving them titles like "Chess Master" or "The Human Stampede." These colorful designations do more than just provide some color in anime. They act as shorthand for who these characters are, sometimes establishing simple expectations and subsequently undermining them. What is in a name? It's time to find out.
10 Gogeta Has A Conflicted Personality (Dragon Ball)
The fusion of the main Dragon Ball protagonist, Goku, and former antagonist Vegeta is known as Gogeta. Gogeta is nicknamed "Angel Born In Hell" because he is a mix of good and evil. A part of the Xenoverse, Gogeta has undergone one of the series' most drastic changes in his personality.
Born in hell during the Other World Tournament in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn when Goku fought Janemba, Gogeta also makes an appearance in Dragon Ball GT. His nickname perfectly demonstrates the inner conflict a character has to experience when frenemies like Goku and Vegeta fuse..
9 Spies Hide Their True Identities (Spy X Family)
Agent Twilight is the main protagonist of Spy X Family. A victim of the war between Westalis and Ostania, he leaves everything behind, including his name, when he is recruited by WISE. He adopts distinct aliases for different missions, successfully keeping his true identity hidden.
As a spy for WISE, Agent Twilight adopts the name "Twilight," hinting at the ambiguity of his future after the East and the West establish fragile peaceful relations. Other WISE agents also have cool nicknames like "Nightfall," but "Twilight" is by far the best.
8 Trafalgar D. Water Law's Is A True Surgeon Of Death (One Piece)
One Piece's Trafalgar D. Water Law is the doctor for the Heart Pirates as well as their captain. He seems aggressive and merciless and doesn't hesitate to do what he wants, whether it's saving someone's life using his Devil Fruit Ability or thrashing opponents in combat.
Waterlaw is known as the "Surgeon of Death" because of his excellent surgical skills and unparalleled combat skills, enabling him to hold his own on treacherous seas and against other pirates. He can create a "clean room" and operate freely without damaging his patients.
7 Sinbad Is A Rare Miracle (Magi: Adventure of Sinbad)
Magi: Adventures of Sinbad follows the origins of the legendary Sinbad, the sailor. Sinbad acquired his epithet "Singularity" because of the matchless miracle that comprises his existence. When Sinbad was born, Arba, one of Solomon's Three Wise Magi, proclaimed that a being with amazing talents had been brought to the world.
Sinbad is a rare being, one of the most powerful gods in his franchise. Even in the fantasy world he inhabits, it's hard for anyone to understand how an entity like Sinbad can exist. His nickname signals that he is a truly unique, singular being. The world won't see anything like this First-Class Singularity again.
6 Ryuga Lives Up To His Draconic Title (Beyblade)
Ryuga appears in Beyblade's Metal Saga, acting as the antagonist of Beyblade: Metal Fusion's first season. Ryuga is an overpowered character who possesses the Forbidden Bey, the Lightning L-Drago 100HF. The L-Drago and Pegasus beys are the oldest beys to land in their world, making them some of the most powerful beys in the Beyblade universe.
Given Ryuga's ability to tame the L-Drago bey and evolve constantly, he is known as Beyblade franchise's "Dragon Emperor.". His beyblade mastery surpasses almost all others and, as his name implies, even alone, he's the kind of person who can command dragons and shape the world.
5 Obito's Parting Gift Made Kakashi Famous (Naruto)
Naruto's Kakashi Hatake received his friend Obito Uchiha's eye after Obito was trapped under a boulder and thought he was dying. Since Obito had activated his Sharingan, Kakashi obtained the Uchiha clan's incredible power in one eye.
This Sharingan eye enabled Kakashi to perfectly copy any move or jutsu he saw even once, earning him the nickname "The Copy Ninja" and "Kakashi of the Sharingan" as well. Along with his prodigious natural talent, Kakashi's Sharingan powers made him much more powerful than ever before, leaving his enemies trembling with fear.
4 The Undead King Is A Bit Overconfident (Overlord)
Overlord is an Isekai anime that follows the players trapped in the YGGDRASIL RPG. Davernoch, the first Elder Lich of the New World, is one of the few smart undead creatures who can compartmentalize their hatred for the living. An undead entity without any extraordinary powers, Davernoch is still the self-proclaimed "Undead King."
Davernoch calls himself the "Undead King" with the utmost pride even though his magic isn't particularly impressive. The fact that he's not living up to his potential as an ancient and potent undead creature angers Sebas, who doesn't hold back when he expresses his displeasure.
3 Kirei Had A Warped Mind From Birth (Fate/Zero)
Born as a blessing to his father, Risei Kotomine, Kirei Kotomine is an antagonist in Gen Urobuchi's Fate/Zero. As a child, Kirei was heavily influenced by the Church as he used to accompany his father to the holy grounds.
Kirei underwent strenuous training to become an Executor who chases down and kills heretics. Unfortunately, Kirei is unable to process positive feelings like happiness and is instead drawn to negativity. This disaffection earns Kirei the nickname "The Headless Reaper," since he is an anhedonic killer for his masters.
2 Tatsumaki Is a Tornado Of Terror For Her Foes (One-Punch Man)
Tatsumaki is a professional S-Class Rank 2 hero in the One-Punch Man universe. An esper with powerful abilities and commendable combat skills, Tatsumaki is nicknamed the "Tornado of Terror." She is treated as the Hero Association's ultimate weapon, believed to be undefeatable by conventional methods.
Using her psychic powers, she can do everything from using a remote control without touching it to stopping meteors from hitting the earth. Her opponents are terrified of her and the raging tornadoes she powers with her telekinetic abilities in every fight.
1 Madara Came Back As A Reminder Of His Clan's Power (Naruto)
Madara Uchiha is a major antagonist in Naruto Shippuden. Minor villains Obito and Black Zetsu revived Madara, triggering the Fourth Ninja World War. Madara, known as the "Ghost of Uchiha," wreaked havoc in the Ninja world, forcing even the neutral Land of Iron to team up with the other villages against him.
Madara, a skilled combatant, is a terrifying reminder of the Uchiha clan's might. While many believe this nickname is better suited to Obito, most fans and characters agree that almost no one, especially Obito, could ever surpass Madara.