Gurren Lagann Has Some Of Anime's Most Underrated Villains
This article contains heavy spoilers for Gurren LagannThe 2007 mecha anime Gurren Lagann is legendary among anime fans for its larger than life heroes, like the hot-blooded Kamina or the strong-willed Simon. However, the series’ antagonists are just as important — not only are they crucial for establishing the themes at the core of the series, they’re also fascinating characters in their own right.
The first antagonist of Gurren Lagann isn’t some terrifying warlord, but the strict and curmudgeonly Chief of Giha Village, the underground hometown of heroes Simon and Kamina. The rebellious Kamina dreams of escaping to the surface world above, but the Chief seeks to curb such idealistic thoughts in order to keep Giha Village safe and efficient — meanwhile, timid young Simon is caught between the two extremes. Before a single mecha is shown on screen, the central ideological conflict of Gurren Lagann is introduced: the clash of the reckless pursuit of freedom and happiness against the cynical enforcement of order and security.
10 Anime Villains Who Are Kind Of Justified
The main enemy of Gurren Lagann is the Beastmen, an empire of genetically engineered animal-human hybrids who rule the post-apocalyptic Earth with an iron first. Simon and Kamina join up with the human resistance, determined to overthrow the Beastmen so all humans can be free to live on the surface. However, Kamina’s idealism makes him plenty of enemies among the Beastmen, including his arch-nemesis Viral.
Viral is a low-level officer of the Beastmen, but what he lacks in prestige he makes up for in honor. He's determined to destroy Kamina in order to win the favor of the Spiral King and his Four Generals, the rulers of the Beastmen’s empire. But instead, Viral
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