Escanor and Meliodas are two of Seven Deadly Sins's most powerful characters. With the former being the strongest human to have ever lived and the latter the son of the Demon King, they compliment each other as allies in strength and personality.

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Nonetheless, Meliodas's recent behavior has entailed he might be less reliable than a protagonist should be. Accordingly, we reconsider whether Escanor would have been a better pick. It's time for five reasons the pinnacle of humanity should have been the show's main protagonist and five full counters in favor of Meliodas.

10 History - Meliodas

meliodas sins

While Escanor's backstory of being cursed with a power that made him a danger to others is tragic, Meliodas's is much more poignant. He's been forced to watch his love die, having to relearn his relationship with her through her reincarnation.

Moreover, he struggles to balance his learned humanity with the deranged demon that dwells within him; the same monster that cut down goddesses by the score. Because of the juxtaposition between these two qualities, it makes him a much more interesting and dynamic protagonist than his sun wielding counterpart.

9 Traveling Alone - Escanor

As the last member of the Sins to be introduced, Escanor poses a unique advantage, should he have been the main character. Specifically, he would have been able to meet all of the team's other members at once, instead of episodically.

This would create an even opportunity for the viewer to understand the other members and watch the characters develop alongside one another, rather than some Sins getting disproportionately more screen time than others. Additionally, it would allow them to extrapolate the history between the group through their existing relationships, rather than being explained via exposition.

8 Leadership - Meliodas

As powerful as Escanor might be, he is not the team's captain. Meliodas's position as leader gives him an opportunity to form unique and intriguing relationships with those under his charge, ones that the Lion Sin cannot reciprocate.

One brilliant example of balancing his friendship with his command was during Ban's betrayal, when he was intent on killing the Wrath Sin. Instead of pleading for him not to end his life as his friend, he ordered him to complete the mission as his captain. This spoke volumes to the priorities of both characters.

7 Role Model - Escanor

With any anime protagonist, a strong moral foundation is conducive to their success ~ at least, if the author is attempting to explicitly portray them as a good person. In this regard, Escanor is much more deserving of being the main character than Meliodas. He is honorable, self sacrificing, and respectful, as seen through the way he mustered his strength to smite Drole and Gloxinia despite Gowther attacking him.

Meanwhile, Meliodas can be ignorant and dismissive. His most egregious offenses come from his disposition toward Elizabeth, frequently groping her despite (or arguably because of) the discomfort it causes her in public.

6 Potential - Meliodas

As a deeply flawed character, Meliodas has more potential to grow than Escanor ever could. This development can go in an either positive or negative trajectory, demonstrated through the maliciousness the Dragon Sin accrues with every death.

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His personality is not the only facet which shows promise. Meliodas's special ability, "Full Counter," is able to reflect and enhance any attack that is thrown at him. It creates an opportunity for memorable and intelligent fights that could not be matched through Escanor's simplistic though impressive "Cruel Sun." 

5 Split Personalities - Escanor

One intriguing and often underappreciated aspect of Escanor's personality is that he is a much different person at night than by day. While they might ultimately hold similar values (such as a love for Merlin and a duty toward his friends), one is boisterous and the other is meandering.

Since the curse isn't intended to directly influence behavior, it's reasonable to extrapolate that this change of disposition is because he himself is insecure. As the alleged "Sin of Pride," this creates a layer of irony around the character and speaks to the human condition.

4 Romance - Meliodas

seven deadly sins meliodas elizabeth hug

What Escanor and Merlin have together is interesting, but the two have not shared enough time together ~ nor have the chemistry ~ for notable potential. Despite Meliodas's sometimes predatory behavior toward Elizabeth, she is genuinely fond of him, screaming his name whenever he might be in danger.

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Furthermore, Elizabeth is the heir to the Liones throne and daughter of the king. This justifies the Holy Knights' crusade to retrieve her, setting the foundation for the entire first arc. Perhaps more significantly, it establishes a foundation for Meliodas to become Liones royalty one day, thereby ascending to both demon and human king.

3 Relatability - Escanor

Meliodas may assume a childlike visage and a jovial comportment, but as we have seen, that is ultimately not the case. He is the son of a demon god, over three thousand years old, and from another realm of existence.

Conversely, Escanor is the only of the Sins to be a true human (distinguishing him from Ban on account of his undead circumstances).  Moreover, he is the only Sin to demonstrate authentic fear at the sight of danger when he is not powered up. This humanizes him and likens the character to the audience how they might react against such impossible odds.

2 Meliodas - His Brothers

Estarossa 2

The Ten Commandments may be universal enemies of humanity, but Meliodas's relationship with Zeldris and Estarossa make it much more personal. They are his two brothers, the ones who have remained on the blood drenched path the Demon King has laid out for them.

Considering that they (possibly correctly) view him as a traitor, their rivalry is much more personal and builds a suspense around their encounters. As satisfying as it is seeing Escanor smash Estarossa into the dirt, his detachment from the situation makes it less fulfilling.

1 Balanced, But Overpowered - Escanor

The only sin able to send multiple Commandments fleeing since his debut, many viewers might reasonably be concerned that Escanor is too overpowered to be a hero. With the conditions surrounding his curse, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Lion Sin's fluctuating strength from dawn until sundown does more than create a lens for how powerful he currently is. It encourages the Sins to fight strategically around Escanor's abilities, confronting their opponents by day to use their greatest ally to their advantage.

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