Ranma Saotome

Ranma Saotome is a fictional character and the protagonist of the anime and manga series Ranma ½ created by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma can mean "chaotic" or "reckless horse."

Ranma, the only son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome, was taken from his home by his father when approximately 2 years old, to begin a 13-14-year training trip to perfect his skills in the martial arts.

Ranma Saotome

While he was still a child, he befriended Ukyo Kuonji, the daughter of a travelling okonomiyaki chef and martial artist, although he was unaware that she was a girl. Genma engaged Ranma to Ukyo in exchange for her father's food cart, but he abandoned Ukyo and ran off with the cart without ever telling Ranma about the engagement or correcting him about Ukyo's real gender.

Later, near the end of the trip, Genma took Ranma to a training ground in China named Jusenkyo that few people used, due to the springs being cursed. Falling into them would transform a person into whatever first fell in. Not knowing this, and not having the patience to listen to a warning from the local guide, Genma attempted to train with Ranma atop the bamboo poles which jutted up out of the pools.

Ranma Saotome

When Ranma knocked Genma into Shonmaoniichuan/"Spring of 'Drowned' Panda", he was surprised to watch a panda emerge from the pond and leap onto one of the poles. Genma, now cursed, was able to hit a surprised Ranma into Nyannichuan (Niángníquán 娘溺泉), or the "Spring of 'Drowned' Girl". Thus he turns into a female version of his original form when splashed with cold water, which is only (temporarily) reversible through contact with hot water.

Ranma Saotome

Ranma Saotome

Akane

Akane Tendo is a fictional character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series Ranma ½.

She is the youngest of Soun Tendo's three daughters and one of the heirs to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.

Akane is the Japanese word for madder (Rubia cordifolia), as well as the crimson dye obtained from it. It is a common Japanese name.

Akane

Akane's mother died when she was very young. Perhaps because of this, she appears not to have learned many traditionally feminine skills, and her terrible cooking is a running joke during the series. Akane may see her sister Kasumi as a surrogate mother figure, since she helps her with more traditionally feminine chores.

Akane

Akane grows up as a tomboy, getting into fights, acting tough, and improving her martial arts. In elementary school, her classmates thought she was so much like a boy that she was cast to play Romeo in their production of Romeo and Juliet; Akane accepts the role and plays a very cute Romeo, though deep down she always wanted to be cast as Juliet, a wish that she'll have fulfilled only years later (though she would have four different Romeos fighting for her).

Akane

At the beginning of the series Akane had a crush on Dr. Tofu Ono, who patched her up many times when she got into fights. Unfortunately for Akane, Dr. Tofu is besotted with her older sister Kasumi. In an attempt to get his attention, Akane grew out her hair longer like Kasumi's. However during one of the first fights between Ranma and Ryoga, her hair is cut, a look she retains for the rest of the series.

Akane

Akane

Ranma Characters

The following characters all play in the Ranma ½ manga and anime and are listed alphabetically. For manga ranma characters, please see here:

Dojo Destroyer, is a huge man who specializes in challenging various martial arts dojos. His real name is never mentioned. When victorious, he takes their signs. His fighting style actually uses the signs he has taken as weapons in the duels. A combined effort of Ranma and Akane manages to defeat him.

Ranma Characters

The Gambling (Bakuchioh) King, who bears a striking resemblance to the 'King' Poker card, is a gambler who specializes in conning children, the only opponents he can actually defeat, out of their savings or other valuables they might have. Ten years ago, he met Ukyo Kuonji and Ranma Saotome and managed, by cheating, to win both Ukyo’s okonomiyaki cart and the Tendo Dojo, which Ranma had wagered. Enraged by their losses, the young duo turned on the gambler, wrapped him up like sushi, and threw him into a nearby river.

Ranma Characters

Harumaki is an old man who sends an astral projection of himself inside Ranma's dreams; apparently, this was only because of his strong desire of dating female Ranma, who looks very much like his wife when she was young, and not an intentional thing. He gets his wish and is able to date Ranma just once. Since it appeared that Harumaki would die soon and a date would be the only way to help him rest in peace, the young Saotome unwillingly agreed to fulfill the old man's fantasy. In the end, Harumaki fully recovered from his illness.

Ranma Characters

Hiroshi and Daisuke are students in Ranma's class at Furinkan High School. The duo became Ranma's friends and supporters, although they remain jealous of Ranma's luck with the ladies. They eventually learn about Ranma's curse and enjoy looking at him when he is in his girl form, noting "Why can't there be more girls like him?" The entire school found out (except for Kuno and the teachers) during Mousse's first appearance in the manga but in the anime it was a secret until very late in the series. It should be noted that their names were never mentioned in the Manga and that after the story arc when Hinako tries to teach Akane to swim, they vanished and were never mentioned again.

Ranma Characters

One day Kuno bought a phoenix egg from an antiques salesman so he could learn the phoenix sword technique. Despite the shopkeeper's admonition not to place the egg on his head, Ranma unknowingly did so, causing the egg to hatch. The phoenix was revealed to be a hideous, pudgy bird with a phoenix-like tail. The first thing it saw was Ranma, imprinting on him as its enemy, which it would attack relentlessly. It could also generate a blinding flash of light as a defensive mechanism to keep attackers at bay. The only way to stop the phoenix was to using some growth pellets sold to him by the shopkeeper which would make the phoenix leave the nest (the top of Kuno's head) faster than the 100 years it would otherwise take.

Ranma Characters