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Some anime characters with the worst dub names are so bad that they make anime fans cringe or laugh out loud. These names are not only hilarious or embarrassing, but they also ruin the way anime characters are supposed to be seen.
They're known as anime characters with the worst dub names because they sometimes lose the meaning or symbolism of their original names, which can matter a lot for their character development or story arc.
Some dub names sound so weird or out of place that they break the anime's immersion and mood. And in some cases, they even change the character's personality or background, making them less faithful to the source material.
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These changes are amazing, amusing, and annoying all at once, and they make one wonder what the localizers were thinking. Here are 15 anime characters with the worst dub names, from bad to worse.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's views on the subject.
Horohoro, Utena, Goku, and other anime characters with the worst dub names
15) Monkey D. Luffy / Monkey D. Rufi (One Piece)
One Piece is one of the most popular and longest-running anime series ever, but its English dub has had its share of issues. One of them is the name of the main hero, Monkey D. Luffy, one of the anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
In the original Japanese version, his name is pronounced as "Rufi," a different way to write "Luffy" in katakana. However, some early translations and localizations of One Piece used "Rufi" as his official name, which sounds more like "Roofie" than "Luffy." This confused fans, who wondered why a pirate would be named with a "weird" name like this. Undoubtedly is one of the anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
14) Utena Tenjo / Ursula Tenjo (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a classic magical girl anime that explores themes of identity, s*xuality, and revolution. The protagonist, Utena Tenjo, is a rough girl who wants to become a prince and protect her friend Anthy Himemiya, the mysterious Rose Bride.
Utena means "calyx," which is part of a flower that holds the petals together. This reflects her role as a protector and a leader in the series. However, in the Latin dub of the anime, her name was changed to Ursula, which means "little bear," and makes her one of the anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
This not only loses the symbolism of her original name but also associates her with a Disney villain.
13) Ichigo Momomiya / Zoey Hanson (Tokyo Mew Mew)
Tokyo Mew Mew is a cute and colorful anime about a group of girls who are infused with the DNA of animals at risk and become magical warriors called Mew Mews. The group leader is Ichigo Momomiya, a cheerful and clumsy girl who turns into Mew Ichigo, a cat girl with superpowers.
Ichigo, whose name means "strawberry" in Japanese, has pink hair and an outfit that matches her name. In the English dub of the anime, they changed her name to Zoey Hanson, which is a terrible dub name for an anime character. They also renamed the anime to "Mew Mew Power."
12) Shinichi Kudo / Jimmy Kudo (Detective Conan)
Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed) is a long-running anime about a teenage detective who is turned into a child by a mysterious organization and continues to solve crimes under the alias Conan Edogawa. The detective's real name is Shinichi Kudo, which is a common Japanese name that means "one truth."
The English dub of the anime changed his name to Jimmy Kudo. The dub also changed many other names and details of the anime to make it more appealing to Western audiences. This doesn't change the fact that he is one of the anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
11) Horohoro / Trey Racer (Shaman King)
Shaman King is an action-packed anime about a tournament where shamans from around the world compete to become the next king of spirits. One of the contestants is Horohoro, a shaman from the Ainu tribe who uses ice-based attacks and has a spirit partner named Kororo.
Horohoro is derived from “horonigai”, which means “bitter” in Ainu language. This reflects his personality and goal to revive his people’s culture and land. Trey Racer was the name for the Latin version of the anime. Also, his spirit partner, Kororo, was renamed Corey, which loses the cuteness of her original name. Sadly, Hororo is one of the anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
10) Sakura Kinomoto / Sakura Avalon (Cardcaptor Sakura)
Cardcaptor Sakura is a beloved anime about a young girl who accidentally releases a set of magical cards and has to capture them with the help of a talking plush toy named Keroberos. The girl’s name is Sakura Kinomoto, which means “cherry blossom” in Japanese. Her name is fitting for her character, as she is sweet, cheerful, and loves cherry blossoms.
This is one of the anime characters with the worst dub names because of the English dub of the series. Besides the name of the anime being renamed to Cardcaptors, her name changed to Sakura Avalon, along with the names of many other characters. This altered the plot and tone of the anime.
9) Mao Chen / Mariah (Beyblade)
Beyblade is an anime about kids who battle with spinning tops called Beyblades. One of the characters is Mao Chen, a member of the White Tigers team who uses a Beyblade named Galux. Mao is, unfortunately, one of the anime characters with the worst dub names.
She reflects a feline-like appearance and personality, which is why her name means “cat” in Chinese. However, in the English dub of the anime, her name was changed to Mariah.
8) Ryo Saeba / Joe Saeba (City Hunter)
City Hunter is an action-comedy anime that follows Ryo Saeba, a skilled gunman and private detective who works as a “sweeper” or troubleshooter in Tokyo. He is also a notorious womanizer who flirts with any attractive woman he sees, often resulting in comedic situations.
Ryo's dubbed name is Joe Saeba, a very common and boring name that doesn’t capture his character. Thanks to the French dub translation, he enters the category of one of the anime characters with the worst dub names.
7) Usagi Tsukino / Serena Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
Another victim is the Sailor Moon dub for Usagi Tsukino, the main protagonist and leader of the Sailor Guardians. Her name means “rabbit” in Japanese, which explains why she's so cute in the anime.
Her surname means “of the moon,” which relates to her role as Sailor Moon and her destiny as Princess Serenity. However, the localizers in the English dub of the anime named her Serena Tsukino, making her another candidate on the list of anime characters with the worst dub names ever.
Even her nickname was changed from “Usa-chan” to “Meatball Head” to mock her hairstyle, but it sounded more insulting than funny.
6) L / Hideki Ryuga (Death Note)
Death Note is a dark and psychological anime that follows Light Yagami, a genius student who finds a supernatural notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written in it.
He decides to create a utopian world free of crime and evil, but he is opposed by L, a mysterious and eccentric detective who is determined to catch him. L’s real name is never revealed in the series, but he uses various aliases to conceal his identity.
One of them is Hideki Ryuga, the name of a famous Japanese pop star that L impersonates to meet Light. He's known as Hideki Ryuzaki in the English version, making it one of the anime characters with the worst dub names.
5) Ryo Bakura / Bakura Ryou (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
An anime about a boy who plays a card game called Duel Monsters with his friends and rivals. One of his friends is Ryo Bakura, a shy and gentle boy with a dark alter ego named Yami Bakura, who possesses an ancient item called the Millennium Ring.
Ryo Bakura is a common Japanese name with no special meaning. However, this changed to Bakura Ryou in the English dub. This was unnecessary, as it made him sound like he had a first name for a surname and a surname for a first name. This is confusing, and ends up as one of the anime characters with the worst dub names.
4) Goku / Zero (Dragon Ball)
Dragon Ball is the most influential and successful anime series of all time. It follows the adventures of Goku, a boy who trains in martial arts and searches for the mystical Dragon Balls.
Goku is derived from “Sun Wukong,” the name of the Monkey King from the Chinese novel Journey to the West, which inspired the series. His name also means “aware of emptiness” in Japanese, which reflects his pure and innocent nature.
His name became Zero in one of the early Mexican dubs. This name earns a spot on this list of anime characters with the worst dub names ever because Zero is not a good choice for the Latin audience.
3) Rei Ayanami / Raye Hino (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a revolutionary and influential anime that depicts the struggle of Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy who is forced to pilot a giant bio-machine called an EVA-01 to combat the mysterious entities called Angels.
He is accompanied by two other pilots, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu. Rei is an enigmatic and emotionless girl who shares a deep bond with the Evangelion and its creator.
Rei means "zero" or "spirit" in Japanese, symbolizing her origin and destiny. In the early stages of a dub test made by directors, Rei’s name was altered to Raye Hino. This name alteration not only sounds alien but also mixes her up with another anime character, Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon. She is another anime character with the worst dub names in the rank.
2) Usagi Tsukino / Bunny Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
Yes, Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon makes this list twice because she had not one but two awful dub names. In addition to being called Serena Tsukino in the English dub, she was also called Bunny Tsukino in some European dubs, such as the Spanish and Italian ones.
This change was an attempt to translate her original name, Usagi, which means "rabbit" in Japanese, into a more familiar word for Western audiences. This change made her one of the anime characters with the worst dub names because her name sounded silly and childish, and it also lost the connection to her role as Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity.
1) Levi Ackerman / Levi Rivaille (Attack on Titan)
Attack on Titan is a dark and thrilling anime that follows Eren Yeager, a boy who vows to exterminate the Titans - giant humanoid creatures that devour humans and have driven humanity to extinction.
He is joined by his childhood friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert, who enlist in the military to fight against the Titans. Levi Ackerman is the captain of the Survey Corps, an elite unit that ventures outside the walls to explore and combat the Titans.
It is definitely not expected to see Captain Levi filling up the list of anime characters with the worst dub names. He's a cold and ruthless character who is regarded as humanity’s strongest soldier. The name Levi is derived from Hebrew, meaning "attached" or "joined," as he forms bonds with his comrades and enemies.
Levi’s surname was changed to Rivaille in some translations and fan subs of the anime.
Final thoughts
Anime dubbing can be a challenging task, and sometimes it can lead to some funny or terrible name changes for our beloved anime characters, which unfairly takes them to the category of anime characters with the worst dub names.
Whether it’s because of cultural differences such as legal issues, or simple errors, these anime characters with the worst dub names can make us laugh or groan at how bad they are. But they also add some charm and humor to the anime experience.
These examples of anime characters with the worst dub names show us how important it is to respect the original names and intentions of the creators when dubbing anime and how a bad name change can ruin the impression and enjoyment of an anime character.
Of course, not all anime characters' names were badly dubbed. Some are faithful and creative, and some even improve on the original names. But that’s a topic for another time.
