There's no denying that one of the most iconic characters in anime is Dio Brando, or DIO, in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Everything from his look to his personality is fantastic. Even people who have never seen JoJo's often know about DIO in some capacity, and a lot of this is thanks to Takehito Koyasu's performance.
After watching Koyasu's performance, it's difficult to imagine anyone else voicing DIO. DIO is a flamboyant, over-the-top character, and Koyasu nails it—you can tell he had a lot of fun in the role. But, DIO is not the only iconic character he's portrayed in anime. Here are the 10 most iconic anime characters portrayed by Takehito Koyasu.
10 Dalzollene
Dalzollene's time on Hunter X Hunter may have been relatively brief, but it was memorable. Dalzollene was introduced in the fan-favorite "Yorknew City" arc as the leader of the Nostrade family's bodyguards, giving Kurapika and the other prospective bodyguards a test of strength by sending ninjas after them to determine if they were strong enough to leave the mansion alive. Dalzollene doesn't mess around.
While his nen abilities were never revealed, it was hinted that Dalzollene could use his nen to endure 10 bullets without being hurt. Dalzollene left us too soon, killed by Phantom Troupe member Phinks, but he left a lasting impression for the rest of the arc.
9 Hector Doyle
Baki has quite a simple premise. The series follows a teenager named Baki as he trains to become the best fighter in the world and surpass his father. Baki meets and battles many incredibly strong fighters along his path of training. One of the fighters is Hector Doyle.
Hector is a death row inmate who escaped prison after surviving a whirl on the electric chair and killing the prison guards holding him—and that's just his introduction. He travels in search of a fighter strong enough to defeat him and inevitably crosses paths with Baki. Oh, and he's got metal blades imbedded into his joints controlled by a mechanism in his fingers.
8 Luke Valentine
In a nutshell, Hellsing is about an organization led by vampire hunter Van Helsing's granddaughter and tasked with protecting humanity from supernatural threats and follows the organization's greatest weapon, a vampire named Alucard.
To be fair, Luke Valentine is a relatively minor antagonist in the series, but what's iconic about him is his death. Valentine made the mistake of challenging Alucard during the siege of Hellsing Headquarters but ended up being mercilessly devoured by Alucard's Hellhound in a scene not soon forgotten by viewers.
7 Shinsuke Takasugi
Let's face it, there really isn't a character in Gintama, either major or minor, that isn't iconic. Shinsuke Takasugi was the main recurring antagonist in the series until the appearance of Utsuro. Shinsuke is one of those villains that believe the only way to save the world is to destroy it.
A former friend of Gintoki and Katsura, Shinsuke now leads the Kiheitai, a radical Joui faction of terrorists. He can be recognized by his colorful kimono, bandaged left eye, and the pipe he's often smoking, as if he couldn't get any cooler.
6 Claudia Hodgins
Violet Evergarden is the perfect anime if you're in the mood to cry your eyes out. Taking place after a Great War, the series follows Violet Evergarden, a young girl raised with the purpose to kill, as she begins a new life working at CH Postal Services, a postal company started by Claudia Hodgins.
Claudia Hodgins was a lieutenant-colonel in the army during the Great War but quit the military and founded the postal company. Granted, Claudia did not have a lot of screen time, but this was a great departure for Koyasu, who is known mostly for his roles as villains.
5 Hearts
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is not your typical anime. It's a promotional web series anime for the Dragon Ball Heroes video game. The web series is based on the "Universe Mission" storyline from the game. Hearts is the leader of the Core Area Warriors, the main antagonists of the "Universal Conflict Saga," whose goal is to destroy Zeno, the ruler of the multiverse.
Hearts is incredibly powerful, able to instantly destroy a planet and even restrain Jiren, and he also has the ability to read minds. From what we've seen in the anime, Hearts is basically the Dragon Ball universe's version of DIO, brimming with swagger and arrogance.
4 Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
Easily the strangest anime character on this list, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a man with Afro of gold and nose hairs of steel to stand up against the tyranny of the Maruhage Empire, an organization hell-bent on stealing everyone's hair, and therefore their freedom. It's a weird show, but there's no denying how entertaining and memorable it is.
Bo-bobo fights his enemies with his nose hairs using the "Super Fist of the Nose Hair" technique, can control an army of stuffed teddy bears, and has a colony of tiny humans and humanoid boogers living in his nose that sometimes help him in battle. After watching one episode, you'll be left wondering what you just experienced and how to watch more.
3 Excalibur
Look out, California, he's coming. The legendary sword wielded by King Arthur and other heroes, Excalibur is a lot more annoying than one would think. Turns out, the reason people who've used him are called heroes is because they put up with his annoying habits, such as daily five-hour reading sessions.
Excalibur's role in Soul Eater is purely comical. Everyone who encounters him in the show ends up ditching him because of his personality, but he made his way into the hearts of fans. Even though Koyasu is known for his villainous roles, Excalibur was a great demonstration of his comedic chops.
2 Deadpool
Deadpool is easily one of Marvel's most recognizable characters, especially after two films, but never forget that Takehito Koyasu voiced Deadpool in an anime. When the Marvel Cinematic Universe was slow to migrate to Japan, Toei Animation tided fans over with Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, an anime that introduced the Marvel heroes to Japanese audiences.
In one of the two episodes Deadpool is featured in, he sets out to become the leader of the Avengers in an adventure filled with 4th wall breaks and a reference to the Japanese Spider-Man series. Koyasu perfectly embodied the Merc with a Mouth and was even voted the most popular character on the show.
1 Zeke Yeager
Attack on Titan is arguably the most well-known anime on this list, and Takehito Koyasu's Zeke Yeager has become a major player in the series. While in the second season Zeke, aka the Beast Titan, had a minor role, he had so many unforgettable moments in the third season.
Probably the most iconic moment he's had thus far was when he used his titan form to nearly wipe out the entire Survey Corps during the battle of Shiganshina District by throwing crushed rocks at them. But that was just one unforgettable moment in many, and there are still more to come. Honestly, who's going to forget the first time a titan spoke on the show?