Anime is no stranger to the bizarre reaches of science fiction. Yet behind every spaceship or experimental facility, there's a brilliant and misunderstood visionary pushing the margin of progress further than anybody else would dare. This archetype has been responsible for some of the medium's most hated monsters, but there's no denying that it has also produced many of its most beloved.
Adored for their eccentricity and bewildering minds, these characters know exactly the kind of advancements the world needs and brings them to fruition while working in style. Cue the maniacal laughter, because it's time to take a look at some of the most awesome mad scientists in all of anime.
Washu Hakubi - Tenchi Muyo
Hailing from the farthest reaches of outer space, Tenchi Muyo's Washu Hakubi was perhaps the most accomplished scientific mind in the entirety of the cosmos. Age was meaningless to this intellectual, as she had mastered technology that allowed her to change her appearance and biological makeup at will. Washu had an invention for any and every occasion. whether it's a giant mech, hybridized clones, or an interdimensional storage space, even though many of them are prone to malfunction. Washu's greatest, albeit most volatile creations, were undoubtedly the augmented humanoid space pirate Ryoko and the sentient shape-shifting spaceship Ryo-Ohki. Though it's difficult to say if Washu is more likely to save the day or blow it up, she is sure to leave her crab-shaped mark on everything she tinkers with.
Professor Souichi Tomoe - Sailor Moon
Hidden in the shadows for much of his arc, Professor Souichi Tomoe was the looming threat responsible for terrorizing the pure-hearted citizens of Azabu-Juban. He was rejected by the scientific community for his unorthodox methods and possessed by Germatoid, a minion of the nefarious Pharoah 90. Professor Tomoe's brilliance was twisted into becoming a tool to search for the Holy Grail. Afterward, he used his own work in the field of genetic manipulation to transform inanimate objects into humanoid Daimons. In the original manga and the Sailor Moon Crystal anime, Professor Tomoe not only willingly served Pharoah 90 but experimented on and mechanically altered his own daughter Hotaru Tomoe to keep her alive. Tomoe's deranged laughter, white lab coat, and femme fatale assistant Kaolinite not only make him one of the most iconic villains in all of Sailor Moon, but also the perfect picture of the "mad scientist" archetype.
Hange Zoë - Attack on Titan
Both long before and well after becoming Commander of the Survey Corps, Attack on Titan's Hange Zoë was dedicated to understanding absolutely everything about the carnivorous giants besieging humanity. This unquenchable thirst for knowledge would drive them to become Paradis' leading authority on Titan biology and the first person within the Walls to analyze humans with Titan shifting abilities.
When drastic variants like the Armored Titan appeared to change the landscape of the struggle, Hange led a team of engineers to develop the Thunder Spear, a projectile weapon capable of destroying almost any shield. Yet while their scientific prowess is undeniable, their colleagues often question their sanity, as they seem to actually adore Titans to the point of treating their test subjects as beloved pets. However, no matter how many times they risk being eaten, they always come away with some new revelation to aid in the fight.
Hakase - Nichijou
Age and years of experience may bring with them valuable wisdom, but Nichijou's child genius Hakase is proof that neither is necessary when it comes to raw intelligence. She may possess the stature of an elementary school kid, but this prodigious pipsqueak was smart enough to have built Nano, a personal robotic housekeeper. Nano had her own personality and an appearance just like a regular human, aside from the giant wind-up key intentionally placed on her back. Hakase also invented a scarf to translate her cat's thoughts into human speech so that he could be upfront with what he wanted. She is still just a child though so she is prone to temper tantrums and emotional outbursts that can only be solved with affection and a midday snack. Nevertheless, as long as her belly is full, there is no end to the potential that she possesses.
Rintarou Okabe - Steins;Gate
Few chuunibyou characters ever find their delusions coming to fruition, especially ones who should have aged out of them. That's one of the things that Steins;Gate's Rintarou Okabe, otherwise known by his fictionalized persona Kyouma Hououin, unique. Okabe spent most of his days dreaming up evil organizations and tinkering with old televisions, but his pursuit of pseudo-science actually led him to accidentally build a working time machine out of a microwave. The self-proclaimed title of "mad scientist" may mostly be a figment of his imagination, but his legitimate understanding of theoretical physics leads does more than just help him figure out how to send text messages to the past, it ensures that he knows what it takes to change the future.