There’s an unexpected amount of science in the anime world and scientists to go along with it. Some of it is completely Ludacris, some of it is based in sound facts, some of it is science of the world and some of it is science of the mind – most importantly science can inspire good just as easily as it can inspire madness.
There are many anime scientists out there, some seeking to make the world better and some who are just flat out insane. This is a list of some of the most brilliant minds in anime, who fall into these categories.
10 10. Righteous: Washu Hakubi – Tenchi Muyo! series
Washu Hakubi is the greatest scientist in the universe. However, she was banished from the Universal Science Academy after she began creating weapons of mass destruction that could destroy whole planets. She was then imprisoned in a capsule device which was encased in a large crystal and then sent into space. Sometime later, the capsule fell on Earth, where it was placed in the Masaki Shrine for 700 years. She is finally freed during a fight between Ryoko and Juraian princess Ayeka. In some versions, Washu is the greatest mind in the universe and also a goddess but her snarky, aloof, and wise personality remains fairly constant.
9 9. Insane: Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Bleach
Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the captain of the 12th Division in the Gotei 13 and 2nd president of the Shinigami Research Institute. He is a researcher and a pretty all-around stereotypical mad scientist. He is cruel and sadistic, caring only about his research with no regard for living creatures, himself included.
He doesn’t always inform his troops of his machinations either, willing to mercilessly sacrifice them without their knowledge if it means achieving his goal. He even goes as far as experimenting on his own comrades and has done work on himself, turning his body parts into various weapons. On top of his mental feats he is also a skilled in sword and hand-to-hand combat.
8 8. Righteous: Atsuko Chiba/Paprika - Paprika
Atsuko Chiba is a brilliant and dedicated psychotherapist. She is the lead researcher at the Institute of Psychiatric Research where they have invented a new way of treating mental disorders by using dream intervention. Dr. Chiba uses an alter-ego, Paprika, to infiltrate others dreams as a way to understand and treat their issues. While Dr. Chiba is a very serious person and tends to put on a cold front, Paprika is much for free-spirited. Despite others taking advantage of the system and wishing to use it for personal gain, Dr. Chiba wants only to help people and to understand mental illnesses.
7 7. Insane: Dr. Franxx - Darling in the Franxx
Werner Frank a.k.a. Dr. Franxx is the scientist responsible for the creation, construction and management of the FRANXX. Dr. Franxx is older when he is first introduced, but his personality is shown to have overly logical and immoral since he was young. He is the creator of all the child human clones (known as “parasites”) and though he appears to show them care, the reality is he only views them as expendable specimens.
The only things he truly cares about are his lab and his goals, which he will use brutal and abominable methods to achieve without a second thought. He is self-serving and will even carry out his experiments without the council’s knowledge.
6 6. Righteous: Ai Haibara (Shiho Miyano) – Case Closed
Shiho Miyano a.k.a. Ai Haibara, was a member of the Black Organization under the codename Sherry. Ai was born into the syndicate by her scientist parents. Following the supposed accidental death of her parents, Ai was groomed to take over her parents’ research and by age 13, she began her work. She developed the APTX 4869 drug responsible for turning Shinichi (Conan) and herself into children. After escaping from the Black Organization, Ai finds Conan and now works with him to stop the Black Organization. She also works alongside Dr. Agasa in his gadget creations and to produce an antidote to return all those shrunk back to normal.
5 5. Insane: The Doctor – Hellsing
A man known only as “The Doctor”, was a member of the Millennium Organization and unquestionably loyal to The Major. Brilliant and eccentric, he dug up the body of Mina Harker and used it to further his research, leading to the creation of the Nazi vampire army. He is responsible for creating Schrödinger, the Oberstammführer (warrant officer) or the Werewolf military unit.
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Outside of his research, it’s the Doctor’s appearance that truly solidifies his madness, wearing a perpetually bloodstained white lab coat and glasses with an assortment of adjustable, multi-lensed spectacles. He also has an unsettling habit of biting down on one of his fingers, hard enough to draw blood, when stressed.
4 4. Righteous: Dr. Komyoji - Android Kikaider: The Animation
Though not given much screen time, Dr. Komyoji is the reason the world is saved. After being captured by DARK (a terrorist organization) and forced to help build numerous Destructoids, murderous robots, he secretly built the android Kikaider as a way to combat DARK and save his two children, as well as the world. Even though they were meant for destruction, Dr. Komyoji viewed his robots like they were his own children and worked to try and find a way to protect them as well by developing a Conscience Circuit, which finally found success in Jiro, whom he shipped to his children as a way to secure their safety.
3 3. Insane: Professor Tomoe - Sailor Moon
Initially a young and curious scientist, Dr. Souichi Tomoe was particularly interested in the fields of bioengineering and astrophysics. He believed in the existence of alien life-forms and that if humans could merge with them, they would create a better, superior being. However, Professor Tomoe changed drastically after a fire killed his wife and left his daughter, Hotaru, gravely injured.
It was then he was approached by Pharaoh 90, who promised him great power and knowledge in return for his undying devotion. This is also what led him to consuming the Daimon egg of Germatoid, becoming completely possessed by his evil. This possession further fueled his obsession to create "Super Beings" using humans as vessels.
2 2. Righteous: Senku Ishigami – Dr. Stone
Before the Petrification, Senku Ishigami was a genius high school student who often conjured up crazy experiments. After he is de-petrified, he resolves to rebuild civilization and establish a Kingdom of Science. Despite being logical first, Senku has a strong sense of justice with one of his first goals being to figure out how to de-petrify everyone. He cares deeply about his friends, however, he will also manipulate said friends without their knowledge if he deems it to be the best solution. He’s also arrogant but that doesn’t come with a superiority complex, rather than belittle those less intelligent than himself, Senku seeks to inspire them to also learn and understand things for themselves.
1 1. Insane: Bondrewd – Made in Abyss
Bondrewd is a man of many names, "The Novel", "The Lord of Dawn", "The Sovereign of Dawn" – he is a legendary White Whistle Delver who values knowledge above everything else. He feels that everything he does is for the greater good of the future, seeking to prepare humanity for whatever will come. He was the first to establish a base, the Ido Front, in the deepest area within the 5th layer of the Abyss and secure a route to the 6th layer. He will and has sacrificed anyone he deems necessary in the pursuit of his knowledge; however, he makes sure to remember the names of every individual that has been sacrificed in the name of science.