Bastard!!

Bastard!! (Basutādo!! ankoku no hakai shin) is a manga that was created by Kazushi Hagiwara. In 1988 it was first published in Weekly Shonen Jump, a popular magazine for manga. Hagiwara has admitted that he is a fan of the game Dungeons & Dragons, as well as a fan of heavy metal music. He stated that he used both as his inspiration for creating Bastard!!. Bastard!! is also listed as Bastard!! Destructive God of Darkness and is still being published in the manga magazine Ultra Jump.

Synopsis

The Kingdom of Meta Rikana is a peaceful place, until it is attacked by four armies. This attack pushes a wizard known as Dark Schneider to come to life once again in the body of a fourteen year old named Lucian Lenren.

Characters

• Dark Schneider – Dark Schneider is known as being the most powerful sorcerer in the world. He attempted to take over the world but was captured and placed into the body of a boy and held there for fifteen years. When the armies attack Meta rikana, he awakens, eager to avenge himself. Dark Schneider lives within the body of fourteen year old Lushe Lucien. Lushe’s is a very quiet boy who has a crush on a girl named Yoko. Because they share the same soul, both Dark Schneider and Lushe wind up feeling the same about most people, meaning that Dark Schneider winds up with a crush on Yoko as well. They are two halves of the same coin: Dark Schneider can be extremely evil and heartless, and Lushe is quiet and faithful. Dark Schneider is completely immortal and is able to resurrect himself. He often allows enemies to cut him in half so that he can see the shock on their face when he pulls himself back together again.

• Tia Noto Yoko – Yoko is the love interest and friend of Luche. She is also the primary love interest of Dark Schneider.

• Ninja Master Gara – Gara is a boy who tries to defeat Dark Schneider. He fails, but Dark Schneider is so impressed by his passion that he agrees to take him on as a general. When Gara discovers that Dark Schneider has been reawaken, he kidnaps Yoko in an effort to lure Dark Schneider to his hideout. Dark Schneider follows and both lose their arm in the resulting battle. Dark Schneider eventually decides to give Gara back his arm, and Gara comes back to Dark Schneider as a general.

• Thunder Empress Arshes Nei – Nei was discovered by Dark Schneider when she was abandoned by her tribe of wood elves. She is a half human, half elf who is as immortal as Dark Schneider is. She winds up becoming both Dark Schneider’s daughter and lover, and is the first general to join him. Dark Schneider cares deeply for Nei, and has sacrificed himself for her many times.

• Kall-Su – Kall-Su is another of Dark Schneider’s generals. His father was an Ice-Dragon who was able to masquerade as a human, and Kall-Su uses a sword known as an Ice-Falchion, which is capable of great magic. His village cast him out and he was found by Dark Schneider, who then took him on as a member of his crew. Kall-Su has the ability to turn into an Ice-Dragon whenever he wants to.