Julien Neaves, Editor
Hey Red Mango Readers and anime lovers. So I had fully planned to do a Season 5 review of fantasy anime series The Seven Deadly Sins. But while doing my research I realised that Netflix only dropped 12 of the remaining 24 episodes, which would explain why the story felt so unresolved and the end somewhat anticlimactic.
But I still want to dive into this super cool series about the titular Holy Knights battling to save a kingdom from a demon army, so I decided why not rank the seven members? So that’s what we’re going to do. And by “we” I mean “me”. With a Hawk Mama-sized SPOILER ALERT let’s do this thing!
#7 Escanor, the Lion Sin of Pride
Escanor may be one of the most powerful on the team and he does feature in some epic fights but he’s a bit of a one-note character. Well, actually, two-note, ineffectual weakling and boastful strongman. His infatuation with Merlin added another layer to Escanor but otherwise he’s just kind of there for me.
#6 Gowther, the Goat Sin of Lust
Gowther is weird. Really, really weird. Also kind of off-putting. And we understand why when we learn he was an animated doll created by his namesake demon sorcerer. We also get a backstory romance of his, though that didn’t really work for me. His memory manipulating powers are highly effective and has been a major asset to the team, so there’s that.
#5 King aka Fairy King Harlequin, the Bear Sin of Sloth
I like King. He’s a lovable loser-type and the variety of abilities utilising his Chastiefol are all visually engaging. I enjoyed seeing him growing in power and his budding romance with teammate and giantess Diane (more on her in a second). I’m still somewhat on the fence about his level-up makeover though, as I liked his previous everyman (or every fairy I guess) appearance. Just not that odd fat guy thing he does, though.
#4 Diane, the Serpent Sin of Envy
How can one not love Diane? She’s sexy, powerful, eternally optimistic and so sweet. Just such a fun character and her terrakinesis abilities are always sure to shake things up. You see what I did there, and you liked it! And her blossoming romance with King is just totes adorbes.
#3 Meliodas, the Dragon Sin of Wrath
What? Lead character and captain of the Seven Deadly Sins at number three? How dare you Julien?! HOW DARE YOU?!
Okay, calm down. Let me explain. Melodias is a cool dude and I enjoy when he is being lighthearted and playful. And while he started out a bit pervy with Elizabeth (which I did find quite annoying) eventually that trait subsided and their relationship evolved into a beautiful and timeless romance, one which we learn has lasted through the ages. Meliodas is also a powerful fighter and his Full Counter move instantly iconic. So what’s the prob, bub? Well, we’ve seen the whole anime trope of evil-character-turning-good-and-using-evil powers-to-do-good so many times. So I have to subtract a few points for that. But third place is not bad in the grand scheme of things.
#2 Merlin, the Boar Sin of Gluttony
I know not everyone will agree with Merlin at number two but I find her to be the whole package. She’s focused, highly powerful, level-headed, refined and beautiful. Sure her original costume was a bit much in the revealing department (I presume she was using magic to keep herself warm with that much skin exposed) but she eventually upgraded to a more modest and cooler look. And with her extensive power set she is one of the Sins that can turn a battle to the team’s favour. I wouldn’t mind a full spin-off series on her solo adventures.
#1 Hawk aka The ‘captain of the Order of Scraps Disposal’
Okay, just kidding. It’s really…
#1 Ban, the Fox Sin of Greed
Ban may not be the most powerful of the Sins and his attacks are not all that flashy, but his immortality makes him highly resilient and leads to some bloody good scenes. But the reason he tops my list is because this dude is the epitome of cool. I love his laid-back, devil-may-care attitude and undying loyalty to his team. His romance with Elaine is nice though it always looks weird because Elaine has the form of a small child. Kinda icky, but you just have to remind yourself she is not a child.
He got sidelined somewhat in the fourth season and I was glad to see him back in the forefront for the fifth, especially his fun adventures in Purgatory with Meliodas and Wild. Of all the members Ban is the character I most enjoy, and I look forward to seeing him being ultra cool in the further adventures of the Seven Deadly Sins.
So which of the Seven Deadly Sins is your favourite? The characters, not the actual sins. And you can check out more great anime content below:
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “12 flavours of awesome sauce”. Read more.