Today is August 13th. Happy International Left-Handed Day! It’s time for our fifth year in a row highlighting left-handed characters in anime and video games! Let’s jump right into this year’s lineup!
Check out our previous lists. We may have already celebrated your favorite characters in 2023, 2022, 2021, or 2020.
Cassandra (Claymore)
Claymore, the dark fantasy manga of the mid-2000s, stood out. During a time when brightly colored shonen manga dominated the global audience, Claymore did the opposite. Its grim atmosphere and the gore-festive story weren’t for the faint of heart. Between captivating monster design and distinguished illustrations, it was a standout! Sadly, the manga introduced Cassandra in a story arc that never made it into its anime adaptation. However, she was a soldier opponents should not underestimate.
She was one of only eight Claymore to ever reach Rank 1 among the Claymore organization. Her unique Dust Eater fighting style perplexed her teammates. But what made her stand out even further was that she was the sole Claymore who could use a two-handed weapon with only her left hand. She was so powerful that one of her teammates, Roxanne, would grow so envious of her that she’d cut off her right arm in hopes of imitating Cassandra. When this failed, Roxanne eventually succumbed to insanity and killed Cassandra after turning into an Awakened Being.
Alm (Fire Emblem)
Alm’s story is in the second/fifteenth Fire Emblem game, between two of Marth’s stories on a distant continent. An erstwhile orphan, it isn’t until a player clears Alm’s introductory route that he learns he’s the long-lost heir to the Valentina throne. Upon reclaiming Desaix’s Fortress, he finds the Royal Sword in the treasury. Legend says only those of the royal lineage can wield it. To all others, it will be too heavy to lift. Alm immediately wields it, to everyone’s surprise. Alm being left-handed isn’t a plot device, but the video games consistently show him with his sword in his left hand and a shield in his right.
Sadly, Alm’s game hasn’t received much attention after the hype of Shadows of Valentia died out. But the love for Ike still goes strong with a new figure we have of him, ready to ship and on sale!
Nero (Devil May Cry)
I’ll admit, I only played Devil May Cry 1 and 3. I never touched the series after that because they weren’t for me. My only experience with Nero is watching a friend stream a Devil May Cry 5 mod to make him naked. The title menu and all cutscene camera angles conveniently covered Nero’s butt crack and supposedly throbbing massive meat wand. The mod was essentially useless, and I laughed the whole time at my friend’s failed horniness. But I might have to give the series another chance. Nero is playable in Devil May Cry 4 and DMC 5. Nero uses all weapons, swords, and guns in his left hand for combat. However, theories suggest that’s because the Devil Bringer fused into his right arm.
Currently, we have a figure of him up for grabs on our web store, but sadly, he is not naked.
Fu Xuan (Honkai Star Rail)
Honkai recently celebrated its first anniversary and is still going strong today! Despite my criticism of it at launch, I’ve enjoyed watching the game evolve over the past year and a half. New characters have added a ton for combat innovation, and seeing how all their little gimmicks complement each other is fun. One of the strong tanks in the game today is none other than Fu Xuan! She’s a staple on my team today.
As the Master Diviner for the Xianzhou Luofu, one would think she’s a healer or damage dealer. Wrong! She’s a tank, and in a way you’d never expect. Fu Xuan creates barriers around the party that redirects all damage to herself. Upon execution of her ultimate and after absorbing enough damage, she’s able to heal herself. When a player uses it effectively, she eliminates the need for most healers and other defenses, depending on difficulty.
Her being left-handed isn’t explicit, but her combat style reveals it. She uses her left hand to draw and cast all her spells in combat. Furthermore, during her “ultimate,” she clasps the top of her right hand with her left when compressing the universe.
We currently have a limited figurine of her for pre-order in our web store!
Videl (Dragon Ball)
You might not have expected Videl to show up on this list. Videl debuted during the Majin Buu saga as Gohan’s college classmate (sort of) love interest until the story revved up for her to take a backseat. She didn’t have a lot of presence. However, being left-handed was undeniable.
She constantly appears in the lecture hall, in the manga and anime, taking notes with her pencil in her left hand.
Barret (Final Fantasy VII)
He doesn’t have a choice.
Also, Cloud was shirtless in this photo. It felt relevant to my interest.
And we have a retro-styled figure of him, too, ready to ship!
Let’s Chat
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Did we cover one of your favorites this year? Were you surprised by anyone mentioned? Let us know if there’s a lefty you know and love, and we might feature them in next year’s article!
