Are you OK with the sense of smallness? These last boss don’t lose their popularity even if they are turned into storytelling characters.
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I’ve concluded that the requirement for an attractive lass boss is to be pure evil, but in reality, just being evil doesn’t make you a popular character.
In Dragon Ball, Frieza is a popular character, but Cell doesn’t seem to be very popular and doesn’t get much of a chance to be talked about.
The difference between Frieza and Cell is quite simple.
It’s whether or not the character stands out.
Cell is covered with Frieza when he repeatedly transforms, and he does not have any great scenes or great lines.
His strength when he became a full-bodied fighter was overwhelming, but before that, he wasn’t an absolute force to be reckoned with, as he was hunted down by Vegeta.
On the other hand, Frieza’s soft-spokenness is already characteristic, and he has left behind some great lines such as “My battle strength is 53,000” and “I wanted to do that now…I wanted to do that! He has also left behind such famous lines as “My battle strength is 53,000” and “I just wanted to be there… I was there!
It’s the same whether you’re a protagonist or a final boss that can’t be popular because of the lack of personality.
Additionally, a last boss doesn’t have to be perfect.
Just as a good-looking guy or heroine with a clunky element can have a gap and become popular, it’s not uncommon for a last boss to have a gap to become popular.
For example, DIO and all of JoJo’s last bosses (except for the president in Part 7) are a typical example of this.
They have overwhelming strength, but when cornered, they start talking small talk, are very talkative, and do bizarre things to show off their abilities… It’s not uncommon for them to act like big shots.
A rising star in this lineage is “Muzan-sama” or “Mushroom” from “Blade of Annihilation”, or “Kimetsuji Muzan”.
He is a handsome man in his everyday appearance, and in addition to the strength of a master demon, he has the ability to change his appearance freely and is a master boss who can handle both combat and arrows.
His eccentricity creates a sense of madness, but at the same time, he also has an unmistakable sense of humanity and is a bit of a small-time character.
He has always been well-received by fans, and although he was ranked 11th in the popularity poll before Onibanetsu exploded in popularity, he is now one of the most popular characters in the series.
He loses his dignity among fans when he becomes a story character, but he’s a great example of how he’s never lost his popularity.
What is currently required of the last boss is not dignity or logical motivation, but rather their position as absolute evil and humanity.
Summary
I think the fact that Muzan-sama has become a popular character highlights what’s required of a last boss once again.
It’s hard to reconcile being evil and being human, but when you create a character that does that, you create a compelling last boss that will be talked about for years to come!
