Monster Rancher (anime)/Characters

Covers the Monster Rancher Anime cast.

Genki Sakura
"Voiced by: Chisa Yokoyama (Japanese), Andrew Francis (English)"

Our excitable Hero, who gets transported to the series world by a prototype game, something he takes extremely well, all things considered. Brash and impulsive, but his boundless energy and enthusiasm can prove catching.


 * Ascended Fanboy
 * Badass Normal: Being only human, he obviously doesn't have any special attacks like monsters. That doesn't stop him from fighting right alongside them.
 * Brown Eyes: Which are stated to be very clear and honest.
 * Character Development: He's pretty rash and dumb in the first season, but by the third he's grown into a seasoned fighter and mature young man who's learned the value of strategy as well as strength.
 * Curtains Match the Window
 * Determinator: Is he ever.
 * Deus Exit Machina: Gets separated from the others a few times, typically to set up his Big Damn Heroes return.
 * Face Death With Dignity: Best illustrated during "Magic Stone Mayhem" when.
 * Foreshadowing: Could he actually be ?
 * I Just Want to Be Special
 * Jumped At the Call: He may not have been expecting to be sucked into the game world, but he sure doesn't have any issues with it.
 * Just a Kid
 * Keet
 * Kid Hero
 * Meaningful Name: He even tells the others outright "[My name] means energy, and I've got lots of it!"
 * His last name, Sakura, means cherry blossoms, which are a symbol of death and rebirth.
 * The Power of Friendship: Firm believer in this, and very good at rallying the others.
 * Rollerblade Good: His rollerblades were sucked into the game along with him, and he grows very adept at fighting with them on (though he doesn't need to wear them to rumble).
 * Trapped in Another World: Much to his delight.
 * Vocal Evolution: Voiced by then child actor Andrew Francis in the English dub, puberty hit Francis hard between the second and third seasons, but his deeper voice worked well with Genki's emotional maturity at that point
 * Would Hit a Girl: He has no problem fighting female monsters.

Mocchi
"Voiced by: Yuri Shiratori (Japanese), Janyse Jaud (English)"

A cute pink monster unlocked from Genki's game disc. While the others are initially concerned that bringing along a newly born monster on such a dangerous quest isn't the best idea, Mocchi grows into one of the team's best battlers, as well as Genki's best friend.


 * Brought Down to Normal: During the third season, he has to relearn most of his attacks.
 * Cherry Blossoms: His Cherry Blossom Blizzard attack. Cherry blossoms also become his symbol,.
 * Cross Dressing Voices: Janyse Jaud voiced him.
 * Deus Exit Machina: Ends up on the awkward side of one when the entire rest of the team pulls one during.
 * Just a Kid
 * Pokémon Speak: Averted; he appears to use this at first, but it turns out to be a very heavy Verbal Tic.
 * Ridiculously Cute Critter
 * Third Person Person
 * Took a Level In Badass
 * Verbal Tic: "Chi!"
 * Wave Motion Gun: The Mocchi Cannon.

Holly
"Voiced by: Mariko Kouda (Japanese), Maggie Blue O'Hara (English)"

A young woman who has been searching for the legendary Phoenix with the help of her best friend Suezo and the Magic Stone, a mysterious pendant which acts as a sort of magical compass, pointing out the way they should travel. Acts as The Heart of the Searchers -- all of them have joined her quest, and she in turn keeps their very different personalities from clashing to the point of tearing the team apart.


 * Action Girl: While she doesn't charge into battle all the time like Genki, she does defend herself and her friends several times.
 * Brown Eyes
 * Curtains Match the Window
 * Doomed Hometown
 * The Heart
 * Holly, I Am Your Father
 * Memento MacGuffin: Along with the Magic Stone itself, she also obtains a dagger originally owned by her father.
 * Mineral MacGuffin: The Magic Stone, which she wears as a pendant.
 * Only One Name
 * Skirt Over Slacks
 * Taking the Bullet: Sets the main plot of "Run, Tiger, Run!" into action when she shoves Tiger out of the way of a Black Worm's poison spike.
 * Took a Level In Badass
 * Tragic Keepsake: Both the Magic Stone and her father's dagger.

Suezo
"Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Scott McNeil (English)"

Holly's partner/best friend. She tends to spoil him quite a bit and didn't really focus on training him to fight; as a result, he isn't as strong as his species can be, though that doesn't stop him from doing his best to protect her.


 * Can't Catch Up: Even after his Day in The Limelight "Suezo's Secret Weapon", his fighting abilities are largely Played for Laughs.
 * The Chew Toy
 * Cowardly Lion: The most likely member to panic during fights, yet still usually willing to stand his ground.
 * Dead Little Sister: He considered the Pink Suezo from Holly's village his sister.
 * Doomed Hometown
 * Eyes Are Unbreakable: Given that he's basically a giant eyeball on a single leg, he'd be in real trouble if this wasn't in effect.
 * Fastball Special: Notably, he was the one who came up with having Golem lob him into the air to give him a good look around. He quickly decided he wasn't too fond of that idea after being dropped/forgotten the first few times.
 * Green Eye
 * Kiss of Death: A rarely-seen move; it was cut from the dub except for one instance when it missed.
 * Scott McNeil: Provided his voice in the dub, among others.
 * Tail Slap: His primary move.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Even while remaining The Chew Toy.

Golem
{{quote| Voiced by Naoya Uchida (Japanese}, Richard Newman and Doc Harris (English)}}

A Gentle Giant who lives in a clearing in the forest and is known as the 'enigma'. While he is the largest and most physically imposing of the Searchers, he is also the most compassionate and prefers to avoid fighting. During most battles, he acts as the team's Stone Wall. Don't piss him off.
 * Beware the Nice Ones
 * Fastball Special: Mainly used as a way to help Suezo survey the area; also used the traditional version with Mocchi once.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Golem
 * Heroic BSOD: In "Guardian of the Discs" after the Jells stomped on his Berserk Button and he slaughtered them in a blind rage.
 * Honor Before Reason: "Undine's Lake", where he protects The Mole because he promised to before she backstabbed the group.
 * Stone Wall
 * Verbal Tic: Third Person Person who speaks slowly... and frequently pauses... during long sentences.
 * Why Did It Have To Be Water?: Golem hates water. Hilarity Ensues whenever the Searchers have to Get On the Boat.

Tiger of the Wind
{{quote| Voiced by Kazuki Yao {Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)}}

A Big Badass Wolf bandit who steals from travelers in order to support his pack of wild and stray tiger hybrids. When that doesn't end well, he joins the Searchers in order to get revenge on Moo. Very proud and stubborn.
 * Aloof Big Brother: Acted like this towards Gray Wolf to make him toughen up. It sort of backfired, given that Gray Wolf developed an inferiority complex instead that Moo magnified into full-blown Green-Eyed Monster. Also acts as one towards Genki.
 * An Ice Person
 * Big Badass Wolf
 * Brian Drummond: Voiced him in the English dub.
 * Brought Down to Normal: Had to deal with the same problem Mocchi faced during the third season. He didn't take it well.
 * Cain and Abel: The Abel to Gray Wolf's Cain.
 * Can't Hold His Liquor: As demonstrated in a scene cut from the dub.
 * Dark and Troubled Past: His brother Gray Wolf was captured by Moo and taken away, ultimately becoming one of Moo's Big Bad Four. Tiger is not aware of this last part until much later. He doesn't take it well.
 * Defrosting Blizzard-Breathing Pack Leader
 * Deus Exit Machina: During "Tiger Meets His Match"; leads into.
 * Glass Cannon
 * Hare Hair-Trigger Temper
 * Ineffectual Loner: Tries to keep an emotional distance from everyone, and attempts to leave the group several times after learning what his brother's become. Also takes off alone during "Tiger Meets His Match",.
 * Irony: Tiger of the Wind was defeated by Hare farting, in a scene cut from the English dub.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold
 * Lightning Can Do Anything
 * Loveable Rogue
 * Mr. Vice Guy: Pride is his biggest issue, along with his temper.
 * Not So Different: See below.
 * Scars Are Forever: Has a scar cutting across his face, which remained even after.
 * Shock and Awe
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Treats Hare with disdain and takes any opportunity to insult him, yet will leap to his defense as easily as he would the rest of the team.

Hare
"Voiced by Nozomu Sasaki (Japanese), Samuel Vincent (English)"

A Trickster who pulls a fast one on Tiger, then tries to con the rest of the group. When that doesn't work out quite the way he expected, he apologizes and cheerfully joins the team, acting as The Smart Guy -- though his arrogance and overconfidence works against him sometimes.
 * Achilles in His Tent: "Underground Adventure".
 * Backstory: His past wasn't explored until the middle of the third season, making it a source of Fanfic Fuel. For the record, it turned out.
 * Bindle Stick
 * Fartillery: Scenes with his Gas attack were cut from the English dub.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs
 * Heroic BSOD: Goes through a couple of these, but the best instance would be during "Tiger Meets His Match": upon seeing, he goes into a Thousand Yard Stare before snapping into Unstoppable Rage.
 * Killer Rabbit
 * Let's Get Dangerous: Step 1: Make plan and assure friends it will work because you're a genius. Step 2: See plan fail. Step 3: Improvise.
 * Love Triangle: Part of it.
 * Loveable Rogue: Of the Con Artist variety.
 * Mr. Vice Guy: Pride and Greed.
 * Not So Different: Notice all the tropes he shares with Tiger?
 * Playing With Fire: Via his Dragon Kick.
 * Shipper On Deck: Of.
 * The Smart Guy
 * Too Clever By Half
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Loves to tease and trigger Tiger's temper, but just as quick to defend him.

The Phoenix
A legendary bird monster who fought Moo long ago, the Phoenix can turn bad monsters to good and revive lost Mystery Discs. While now the stuff of legends, Holly believes it exists, and finding the Phoenix is the object of the Searchers' quest.
 * All Myths Are True
 * Big Good
 * Living MacGuffin
 * Playing With Fire
 * Phoenix
 * Sealed Good in A Can
 * Tomato in The Mirror:.
 * Tomato in The Mirror:.
 * Tomato in The Mirror:.

Moo
An ancient evil whose origins are Shrouded in Myth, Moo has risen and begun terrorizing the land once more. Has the power to corrupt monsters, signified by wearing his crest.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking
 * Big Bad
 * Card-Carrying Villain
 * The Corruption
 * The Corrupter
 * Demonic Possession
 * Emotion Eater: Hatred makes him even more powerful.
 * Evil Overlord
 * Evil Sounds Deep
 * Expy:
 * Hopeless Boss Fight: At any time before the finale, especially his first appearance in battle.
 * Implacable Man
 * The Juggernaut
 * Luke, I Am Your Father: The body he's possessing is Holly's father..
 * Lost in Translation: 'Mu' means darkness or emptiness. This has nothing to do with cows.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * No Sell
 * Red Eyes Take Warning: Played straight, but averted when, giving him yellow eyes.
 * Sealed Evil in A Can: His original, dragon body.
 * The Power of Hate
 * This Is Your Brain On Evil: He feeds on hatred.
 * Unfortunate Names: See Lost in Translation. "Moo" isn't really the most intimidating name, is it?
 * Weakened By the Light: At first, due to his body being imperfect.
 * Weakened By the Light: At first, due to his body being imperfect.

Pixie
One of Moo's Big Bad Four, his strongest generals. She has a serious grudge against humans, having seen them abuse and mistreat monsters for so long.
 * Cute Monster Girl
 * Dark Magical Girl
 * Defrosting Ice Queen
 * Evil Redhead -> Redheaded Hero
 * Humans Are Bastards
 * Shock and Awe/Playing With Fire
 * Squishy Wizard
 * Shock and Awe/Playing With Fire
 * Squishy Wizard
 * Shock and Awe/Playing With Fire
 * Squishy Wizard

Big Blue
Pixie's personal bodyguard, a towering golem whose tiger sub-breed lends his stone skin an icy appearance. Stoic and stalwart, and completely loyal to his Master Pixie.
 * Battle Butler
 * Bodyguard Crush
 * Golem
 * Mighty Glacier
 * Palette Swap: Looks exactly like Golem, but with a Tiger's blue and white coloring.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: During "Tears", when.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: During "Tears", when.

Gali
The second of Moo's Big Bad Four, a mysteriously floating mask and cape with seemingly nothing supporting them.
 * Floating Mask
 * Light Is Not Good
 * Load-Bearing Boss
 * Minor Injury Overreaction: When Genki manages to chip part of his mask in an attack, he goes ballistic and turns into a whirlwind that, while trying to get the Searchers, sucks in his own troops.
 * No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine: He feeds the heroes food and water. The meal isn't rigged, but he uses the distraction to sucker-punch them.
 * Not So Above It All
 * Scott McNeil: He's also voiced by him.
 * The Stoic
 * Villainous Breakdown: During which he becomes Not So Stoic.

Joker
One of Gali's followers and a Master of Illusion who enjoys entrapping his victims with his magic before dealing the final blow.
 * Master of Illusion
 * Monster Clown
 * Sinister Scythe

Gray Wolf
Tiger of the Wind's little brother, who was abducted by Moo and transformed into one of his Big Bad Four. A vicious hunter who exults in his own heartlessness.
 * Aloof Big Brother: Deconstructed in that Tiger's treatment fed his insecurities and inferiority complex. Once Moo got his hands on that...
 * Blue Eyes: Originally just blue irises, like normal; as one of the Big Bad Four, he gains icy blue sclera.
 * Cain and Abel: The Cain to Tiger's Abel.
 * The Combat Pragmatist
 * Green-Eyed Monster
 * Not Brainwashed: Or so he insists.
 * Scott McNeil: Provided his voice in the dub, among others.
 * Schemer: During their confrontation, Tiger calls him on this and says he's been coming up with Zany Schemes ever since he was a pup. (Which may explain why Tiger has such a short temper with Hare...)
 * This Is Your Brain On Evil

Undine
A beautiful water nymph who oversees a lake. Hides her crest of Moo underneath a mantle and approaches Golem, befriending him.
 * Combat Tentacles
 * Good Eyes, Evil Eyes
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Making a Splash
 * The Mole
 * Our Mermaids Are Different
 * Redemption Equals Death
 * Tentacle Rope

Naga
The fourth of Moo's Big Bad Four, and the monster responsible for razing Holly and Suezo's Doomed Hometown.
 * Bad Boss: Threw a Cabalos out the window of his cliff side castle.
 * To be fair, that was one of Gray Wolf's former minions.
 * Eye Beams
 * Scott McNeil: Provided his voice in the dub, among others.
 * She's a Man In Japan: At least one foreign dub portrayed Naga as female.
 * Slouch of Villainy
 * Sssssnaketalk: Averted.
 * Take My Hand: Holly attempts this with him.

General Durahan
A set of Animated Armor who maintains an army of his own monsters, frozen and kept on hand for whatever tasks he cares to set them upon. While he works for Moo, he secretly plans to overthrow him.
 * Animated Armor
 * Authority Equals Asskicking
 * Big Bad: In Season 3.
 * Card-Carrying Villain
 * The Chessmaster
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 * Evil Sounds Deep
 * Four Star Badass
 * Knight of Cerebus: Also a literal knight.
 * Large Ham
 * The Starscream
 * Third Person Person: SO SAYS THE EVIL GENERAL DURAHAN!
 * The Starscream
 * Third Person Person: SO SAYS THE EVIL GENERAL DURAHAN!
 * Third Person Person: SO SAYS THE EVIL GENERAL DURAHAN!

Lilim
Durahan's right hand woman, specifically a Pixie/Joker mix. More conniving and evil than Pixie, and she seems to have her own agenda...
 * The Chessmaster
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 * The Dragon: To Durahan.
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * Killed Off for Real
 * Psychotic Smirk
 * Smug Snake
 * The Starscream: To Moo,.
 * The Vamp
 * The Vamp

Mum Mew
A vain Mew/Pixie type who appears in Season 3 under Durahan.
 * Larynx Dissonance
 * Not-So-Harmless Villain: Don't make her angry.
 * Perky Female Minion

Poison
A perky, special-breed Pixie serving under Durahan in Season 3.
 * Genki Girl: When compared to Pixie and Lilim.
 * Perky Female Minion
 * Slapstick Knows No Gender
 * Vain Sorceress
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Gobi
A Henger/Golem hybrid serving under Durahan in Season 3. Frequently the subject of mistreatment.
 * Butt Monkey

Allan
A trainer who cruelly abuses his giant Worm by repeatedly whipping and terrifying it. This bites him hard during "Eternal Worm".
 * The Atoner
 * I Fight for The Strongest Side
 * Spell My Name With an "S": Alternately spelled as Allan or Alan.
 * Tsurime Eyes: With small pupils.
 * Whip It Good
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Monol
A mysterious monster that appears to be a simple black slab. Remembers the history of the world, and relates this to the Searchers after they unlock him. Has a tendency to randomly fall asleep.
 * The Faceless
 * Mr. Exposition

Falcon
A powerful red Dragon with a deep grudge against Moo.
 * Instant Awesome Just Add Dragons

Captain Horn
A Suezo/Tiger who brazenly defies Moo by continuing to sail with his crew of Rockies (all Suezo/Golem types).
 * Frothy Mugs of Water: In the English dub, raided a town for its supply of milkshakes.
 * Green Eyes
 * Pirates

Coltia
An Adventurer Archaeologist: She explores the various ruins of the world along with her pet toucan, Joy.
 * Adventurer Archaeologist
 * Continuity Cameo: Colt acts as the player's assistant in MR2, along with Joy, who handles most direct interaction with your monster.
 * Plucky Girl
 * Polly Wants a Microphone

Baku
A Big Friendly Dog who lost his owner to Moo's forces. The subject of a tear-jerking episode.
 * Big Friendly Dog
 * Doomed Hometown
 * Heroic Sacrifice

Fairy Hare
==== Wild Hare ====