is a manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 by Kazushi Hagiwara

Kazushi Hagiwara

is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the manga Bastard!!. He originally began as an assistant to hentai manga artist Dirty Matsumoto, and then as an assistant to manga artist Izumi Matsumoto in the production of Kimagure Orange Road, creating his own stories in his spare time. He...

. It first appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump

Weekly Shonen Jump

is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...

, in 1988, and continues to be published irregularly today in Ultra Jump

Ultra Jump

is a Japanese monthly seinen manga magazine published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. Originally, the magazine was a special issue of Weekly Young Jump which first issued in 1995. On October 19 of 1999, the special issue became the new monthly publication Ultra Jump...

. Currently, it spans 26 volumes.

Kazushi Hagiwara

Kazushi Hagiwara

is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the manga Bastard!!. He originally began as an assistant to hentai manga artist Dirty Matsumoto, and then as an assistant to manga artist Izumi Matsumoto in the production of Kimagure Orange Road, creating his own stories in his spare time. He...

 is an enthusiastic fan of heavy metal music

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 and Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

, using ideas from both of these in the Bastard!! story. Many characters and places in the story, for instance, are named after members of Hagiwara's favorite bands. Hagiwara also attributes the manga Devilman

Devilman

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai which originally started as an anime adaptation of the concept of Nagai's previous manga series, Demon Lord Dante. A 39 episode anime series was developed by Toei in 1972 and Nagai began Devilman as a manga in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen...

 by Go Nagai

Go Nagai

, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...

 as a primary influence on his artwork.

The manga is published in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

. Only Volumes 1-19 have been translated, with no plans to release the rest.

Additionally, a 6-part anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 OVA was released in 1992. The OVA was released in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 by Pioneer

Geneon

is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...

 in 1995.

Manga

In Bastard!!, the Kingdom of Metaricana is attacked by the four lords of Havoc. This prompts the high priest to ask his daughter to awaken Dark Schneider, a wizard and former leader of the Riders, from within the body of 14-year old Luche Renren.

Bastard!!s history is about sorcery

Magic (paranormal)

Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...

, revenge, and other power struggles in a Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

-like world. It is a dystopian world, where people need magic

Magic (paranormal)

Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...

 to survive against wild beasts, and evil monsters. There are four kingdoms, each one the protector of one of the four seals that keep the Goddess of Destruction in stasis.

While the first half of the manga follows most a theme similar to Dungeons & Dragons scenarios, it later also focuses on aspects such as beliefs, morals and religions.

Synopsis

In the anime, the six episodes tell of the awakening of Dark Schneider (also called Darsh or Darshu by those who know him well) and his subsequent attempts to
destroy his old allies (The Four Lords of Havoc) and take over the world, while winning over multiple love interests.
Dark Schneider had been imprisoned fifteen years earlier, trapped inside the body of Yoko's friend Lucien following a failed attempt to take over the world. In the meantime, his four generals attempted to resurrect the god Anthrasax, who would bring about an apocalypse

Apocalypse

An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...

 and create the Sorcerer's Kingdom from the ashes of the old world. The story takes place in the future, a post-apocalyptic time following the release of Anthrasax at the height of Modern Civilization. Technology is gone and magic has asserted itself as a force in the world. Shortly after the fall of the modern world, demonic creatures began to appear en masse and forced humans to revert to a feudalistic, city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

 based society. The episodes are rather disjointed, with scenes missing in between episodes making it hard to follow, but taken at face value it makes enough sense.

Production

Much like in Basara

Basara (manga)

is a shōjo manga written by Yumi Tamura. The manga, which consists of 27 tankōbon volumes, won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo in 1992. It was adapted as an anime that follows only part of the manga story, cutting off after 13 episodes...

, another anime, this series was never finished. The two final episodes (which would bring the total to eight) are expected to never be created and/or released. As a result, the story ends on a cliffhanger

Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...

, unlike in the manga.

Translation

The version of Bastard!! released in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 differs in a few ways from that released in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The major differences are the changing of place names. The manga and anime both name places, spells (and some people) after various heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 bands, such as Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, Judas Priest

Judas Priest

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

 (even in the name itself, in this case; sometimes in the manga, a blank page with "BASTARD!!" written after the style of the Judas Priest logo can be seen), Whitesnake

Whitesnake

Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...

, and Anthrax

Anthrax (band)

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...

, and the spells Megadeth

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

, Venom

Venom (band)

Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...

, Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

, and Helloween

Helloween

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...

. Fearing lawsuits, Pioneer took the Japanese forms of the band names and changed them somewhat when they were put back in English: Megadeth became Megadeath, Helloween became Haro-Wing, Whitesnake became Whiteos-Neiki, Guns N' Roses was shortened to Guns-N-Ro, and Anthrax became Anslasax. The main city in which the adventure takes place, Meta-Ricana, is actually Metallicana.

Magic

Magic in the series is used by various people, seemingly anyone can invoke it. Magic appears to have been more common formerly, as spells of the "High Ancient[s]" are often spoken of. Magic is invariably called forth by speaking a spell, which may or may not be actual words of an ancient language. Magic may also be embedded in objects, such as the Sword of Efreet, or by calling upon what appear to be deities. Most characters have spells unique to themselves.

Dark Schneider's signature spell is Venom (爆霊地獄 ベノン benon), which only he knows. It summons an enzyme from the gates of Hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

 that causes the person it is cast upon to liquefy. It goes thus, in the English version:

"Burning in the depths of the pits of darkness,

let the fires of hell take you!

Let the fires become my sword

and strike you down! Venom!"

The most powerful spell in the Bastard!! manga is Halloween (七鍵守護神 ハーロ・イーン hāro īn, or, in the English translation, Harowing), which is the "forbidden spell of utter and unknown destruction from the ancient days".
Helloween may only be cast when the moon is right.

The most powerful spell to date in the manga is Black Sabbath. Dark Schneider only uses it once, and does not use it again due to Yoko's threats. In addition to being the most dangerous spell, it's the only spell that DS actually describes the physics behind. To put it briefly it creates a pocket universe, a black hole, and a 1,000,000 degree furnace all at once.

Here some other spell Dark Schneider use :

• Anselm: This spell uses combined Wind and Fire, Some magical arrows are created in the user's hands ( the number of arrow depend on the user's power) Arrow can be use against one single target or a group of target. It is possible to make the arrows dodge obstacles.
• Sodom: This is a spell that uses Dark energy, Short range, Multiple blades cut the target to pieces. The dark energy concentrate when the user raise the hand, and when he drop it, the air vibrate and those vibration are transform into blade that cut the target in slices.
• Damned: This is a Fire Spell, Medium Range, Grow some magical energy in front of the user that act like a bomb. Explosion start from the hand of the user and expend in the given direction.
• Val Volt: This is a Wind Spell, Short to Medium range, Create a magnetic field in the magical sphere of the user, this magnetic field changes the magnetic density of the atmosphere and destroys the target with a strong electrical energy coming from the sky.
• Venom: This is a Spell that uses Dark energy, Short Range, Magical enzyme coming directly from the hell's gates, that melt to dust the target touched by it.
• Exodus: This is a Spell combining Dark, Wind, and Fire magic, Range Medium, Flames engulf user body which become hard as stone, and the user is thrown against the target melting everything on is way.
• Voy Vot: This spell uses Dark magic, Range Short to Medium, Gives death by boiling the blood of the target. An Electrical field is created around the user, and strong lightning energy strikes the target making his blood cells move so fast that his internal temperature raise to the death.
• Intelipeli: This spell uses Fire magic, Short range, Creates and throws multiple small magical bombs (Approximately 10). Each of these bomb liberate a small blast of energy.
• Guilbert: Summon, Wind Elemental, Summons some small Wind Elemental that are really fast and can strike with some strong electrical charge.
• Skead Low: Fire, Short Range, Does a luminous shock wave around the user, the closer the target highest the damage.
• Da Fola: Summon, Fire Elemental, Summon some small Fire Elemental, that use spears and emit some hot ray as weapon.
• Ultimate Cold: Water combined with Wind, The user makes a blizzard extremely cold throwing wave of cold to the target, everything freezes in the range of the spell.
• Venjend: This spell uses Wind magic, Range Short to Medium. Throws a plasma ball from the hand of the user to the target, this plasma ball makes a hole in the target and explodes.
• Dee'n Tear: Wind spell, Short to Medium Range A huge tornado throwing wind blades in all directions, hard to dodge.
• Golem: Summon, Divinity spell, Summons up a Golem that obeys his creator.

Characters

Yoko is the main female role: A mildly prude, strong-willed and somewhat temperamental redhead, daughter of the Great Priest (and an 80% chaste virgin in the anime and a 100% chaste virgin in the manga), self-appointed guardian and friend of Luche. She is the primary love interest of Dark Schneider. She is the first to use the "virgin's kiss" to awaken Dark Schneider. Having undergone priestess training she does not show any magical talent until later in the manga (acting as the party's cleric

Cleric (character class)

The Cleric, Priest, or Bishop is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. The cleric is a healer, usually a priest and a holy warrior, originally modeled on or inspired by the Military Orders...

) and never in the OVA. Despite this, she is the one person that DS fears and (mostly) respects.

She disappeared during the four-years break in the series, apparently getting killed during the fall of King Crimson. In the same time, a woman with the same appearance and known as "Lilith" appeared alongside the Kings of Hell. She was found near the borders of the Lethe

Lethe

In Greek mythology, Lethe was one of the five rivers of Hades. Also known as the Ameles potamos , the Lethe flowed around the cave of Hypnos and through the Underworld, where all those who drank from it experienced complete forgetfulness...

, and seems to have some memories about DS.

/

Dark Schneider is the main protagonist of the series (as the story is told mainly from his perspective), and is the most powerful wizard in the series. 15 years prior to the story's beginning, he had an army of thousands of wizards and warriors, led by his adjutants "The Riders of Havoc" (consisting of Arshes Nei, Abigail, Gara, and Kall-Su.) He was defeated by Lars Ul Meta-Licana, the prince of the kingdom Meta-Licana. He escaped death however by using his dark arts to reincarnate himself into the form of a young child. Geo Soto Noto, the head priest of Meta-Licana then sealed Dark Schneider's spirit so it would not resurface in the young boy. After all-out war erupted to break the seals of Anthrax, the high-priest ordered that Dark Schneider be unleashed into the world once again to conquer it. Dark Schneider's main goal is to take over the world and "have all the women in the world". The early part of the story is mainly based on him getting his crew back, known as the "Riders of Havoc" or the "Four Heavenly Kings", as well as achieving the power he once had so he can begin his goal of world conquest yet again.

After losing his battle against Antrax (also called Anthrasax), who reveals himself to be an angel, Dark Schneider is cast into the depths of the upper levels of Hell and encounters Satan. Satan tells him that he is a major part of the end times prophecy, and will lead demons and mankind to war against God and his army. He also reveals that he is, in fact, Dark Schneider's "father", and thus deems Dark Schneider the "Anti-Christ" mentioned throughout The Bible. Dark Schneider, however, refuses to align himself with Hell and then is thrust into battle with the High Commander of Hell, Porno Diano. Four years later, he returns to Earth and fights alongside the Seraphim against the devil Konron (Conlon). His body is destroyed by Konron's Trelldor Spinning Fist attack, but his head survives.

"Schneider" is German for "tailor," so his name can be translated as "Dark Tailor"; this seems appropriate, as he can seemingly conjure clothing out of nowhere. His name is a reference to the vocalist of German metal band U.D.O.

U.D.O.

U.D.O. is a German heavy metal band founded by lead singer Udo Dirkschneider in 1987.-1987–1992:After Udo Dirkschneider left Accept in 1987, a large fan community followed him to U.D.O....

, Udo Dirkschneider

Udo Dirkschneider

Udo Dirkschneider is a German heavy metal singer who is best known as the vocalist in German heavy metal band Accept and later U.D.O.After leaving Accept in 1987, Dirkschneider formed the band U.D.O....

. The spell that releases Dark Schneider, "Accept", is a reference to Accept

Accept

Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...

, Udo's former band. His patron god is "Black More", which is a reference to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore

Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...

.

Gara is a master of Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu

or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...

, and at least the third (possibly the fourth) General that Dark Schneider took on. He attempted to slay Dark Schneider, who easily defeated him. Dark Schneider was moved by the boy's impetuous and strong-willed attacks, and so offered to take him on as a servant and fighter. Gara agreed. He commands a sword which can draw its life force directly from the swordsman, allowing almost unbeatable magic attacks. Unfortunately, the strongest attack is usually fatal to use.

When he learned Dark Schneider had been re-awoken, he kidnapped Yoko; Dark Schneider was talked into tracking down the Ninja Master, at which point they battled; at the end of the battle Dark Schneider and Gara both lost an arm, prompting Gara to up the stakes by claiming he had intercourse with Yoko; he was hoping it would make Dark lose his fighting spirit, only to make the wizard horribly angry. It was at this point that Dark Schneider destroyed Gara's base, but kept everyone alive, and restored Gara's arm. Gara realized the error of his ways and rejoined Dark Schneider (the first Lord to do so).

One of Gara's favorite quotes is "I have the ire of a man on fire;" he frequently repeats this in the later English-released volumes.

A half human, half Dark Elf who was kept as a slave by the Wood Elves, Dark Schneider found her after she was abandoned by her tribe and took rare pity. She became both his daughter and his lover, being apparently similarly immortal (or at least long lived). She was his major confidant, and as such is aware of most of the same spells he is. To prove her loyalty to the Four Divine Kings in the manga, she let herself be cursed with the spell Accused by Abigail; in the anime, this compelled her to fight against Dark Schneider while her army marched on Meta-Rikana. In the middle of a magical showdown using Helloween, Lucien's spirit made Dark Schneider aware of what was driving his daughter to attack. DS was outraged and tore out his own heart to drive off the power of the Accused spell (later resurrecting himself). Arshes rejoins him at this point, and they destroy the advancing armies. She was the first Lord of Havoc to join Dark Schneider originally, and the second to rejoin. Her name is based either on the hard rock band Y&T 1983 album Earthshaker or the Japanese heavy metal band Earthshaker combined with the UK hard rock band Whitesnake

Whitesnake

Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...

.

Hagiwara made notes that the child of a human and a Dark Elf was the most powerful of any human and elf mating, capable of intense magic.

Kall-Su was the second general of Dark Schneider; he commands the Ice-Falchion, a great sword, and is innately magically powerful. His name is a reference to Kal Swan of the band Lion

Lion (band)

Lion were an English-American rock band, best known for their theme song from the 1986 animated movie The Transformers: The Movie.A hard rock quartet, Lion were formed in Los Angeles in 1983 after ex-Tytan vocalist Kal Swan and former Lone Star guitarist Tony Smith relocated from Great Britain...

. His past is revealed in the manga, but not in the anime- this was presumably scheduled for episodes five and six. Kall-Su was born in a distant village, his father being an Ice-Dragon in human form. He was feared by the villagers for this, as well as bullied and beaten. He disposed of the bullies through instinctive use of magic, and was condemned to a cave to die. At one point, in shame and fear, his mother attempted to slay him with the Ice-Falchion. Though the blow nearly cleaved Kall-Su's head in half, he slew her, and upon leaving the village, was stopped by a torch-bearing mob. He destroyed the mob with a glance, as well as the entire village, and was left to wander the ruins. Dark Schneider found him and took him aboard, declaring him a son, but mostly a slave and servant (in the manga, he evidently says You are mine.) He boasts extreme power, and is capable of transforming into an Ice-Dragon at will. He destroys the entire city of Whiteos-Neiki with his spell, Vizkaya, which freezes everyone in the Kingdom into solid ice. He is the last general left standing when the series unexpectedly terminates, and wishes for the apocalypse. It is explained in the manga that he was told by Anthrax to despise Dark Schneider, thus erupting into a battle between the two.

Around volume 18 of the manga, Kall, Nei, and Gara figure out why "glowing beings of light" have started war against them via ancient computers in an underground base. They discover that the Apocalypse is fast approaching and the beings of light are in fact angels sent from God to kill a third of mankind (those deemed sinful for worshiping false gods). One of the twelve elves of Europa (riding an abomination looking similar to behemoth with human feet, and dozens of eyes) sees the three and is angered that they have discovered the reason behind the current events of earth through his computer system. After calling forth many monsters, they do battle. Before the battle evens starts however, they discover that there swords are going erupting with energy and seems to have lost their power.

In volume 24, four years after the battle on earth, Kall-Su is found to be blinded (apparently from the scars over his eyes and face). He says that his power has increased exponentially over the past four years, though he doesn't know why. It is eventually made clear to him through "The Mysterious Boy" that he is filled with the same power as Elijah, and deemed worthy to be his successor. It is also said that he is the "true" king of Meta-Licana, and will eventually have to do battle with Dark Schneider alongside the "Mysterious Boy". Many people don't believe that he is Elijah's successor, namely the dwarf king Jeloy, who was armed with a mighty axe to repel this fact. He and his men, however, were stopped by Lars, thinking that he was truly Elijah's successor (as he is a well-known hero in the dwarven kingdom). He corrects their statement, saying indeed that Kall is Elijah's successor and was told to do the work of God.

After leaving the dwarf kingdom, Kall-Su decides to go to the world of spirits to seek help, and awakes a mighty giant from his frozen slumber. The giant curses him for violating "holy" land, and says that he will have to die for his "sins". Kall claims that "death will not be enough to atone for my crimes in this world" and throws a ball of super-condensed water at the giant, throwing his ice falchion at the ball to release a surge of water upon the giant, returning it back to captivity in a pillar of frozen ice. Nei approaches him and tells him that it's not like him to be so rash. The ground begins to rumble and a gigantic gate way appears before the two, Kall claims that he will journey to the realm of spirits to try to ask for help against the upcoming war on Earth.

Abigail is a bit of an enigma: He is the Fourth Lord of Havoc, and quite powerful. He claims to be the Priest and the Hand of Anslasax, and explains that he has existed since the days of the Old World, and exists to facilitate the resurrection of Anthrax. He curses Arshes with the Accused spell, which forces her to obey him, as if she does not, her body will be destroyed, and she will return as an immortal toad

Toad

A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...

. Alone of all of the group he is able to take the "three keys" which seal the God of Destruction in sleep, and begin the spell to resurrect her. Abigail is destroyed by Dark Schneider in the end, though he almost succeeds in killing Dark Schneider, Yoko, Arshes and Gara. In the "Requiem of Hell" (a second part of BASTARD!!), he is seen communing with Dark Schneider and his friends, the Samurai. After the angel attack on earth, Abigail converts his spirit into the mainframe grid system of the flying arc King Crimson Glory.

Though it hasn't been mentioned in the manga directly, there are clues that Abigail may be the "false prophet", the servant of the Antichrist mentioned in The Holy Bible.

Abigail's name is a reference to King Diamond

King Diamond

Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...

's best selling solo-album of the same name

Abigail (album)

-Remaster bonus tracks:-Personnel:* King Diamond – vocals, producer* Andy LaRocque – guitar* Michael Denner – guitar, assistant producer* Timi Hansen – bass guitar* Mikkey Dee – drums, assistant producer...

.

Lars Ulu, whose name is a reference to Lars Ulrich

Lars Ulrich

Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...

 of Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, is the prince of the kingdom Meta-Licana. He is said to be Meta-Licana's greatest warrior, due to him having the ability to slay armies of thousands single-handedly. A portion of his power comes from the "blood of dragons" flowing through his veins, giving him the increased vigor, power, and speed, as well as the ability to use the "Ki", or spiritual power of the dragon for his attacks. He wields the dragon sword "Heavy Metal", a translucent blade with monstrous attack power, made even more lethal as it absorbs the "ki" of dragons to increase its destructive force.

Fifteen years before the story starts, he fought Dark Schneider in a battle that would last for several days. Dark Schneider has already succeeded in conquering most of earth at this time and would only need to get a few more kingdoms to rule to world. Lars found himself losing the battle and hadn't the chance of victory. Finding no other choice, he summons the "Dragon Knight", a mechanical robot that towers over 500 meters and was original made by the Twelve Wise Men of Europa. The dragon itself, absorbing and multiplying the spiritual energy of anyone who used it, proved useful and helped Lars kill Dark Schneider. The Dragon Knight itself however was cursed, as it was meant to be used against Anthra-Sax, not Dark Schneider, and transformed him into a baby dragon. After the death of Dark Schneider, Lars is said to have gone missing, or even died, as no one knew what truly occurred on that day.

In the form of a baby dragon, Lars spends his time looking for a successor to the Dragon Knight. He was eventually found by Gara, the ninja master and one of the "Four Lords of Havoc" and made to be his pet. He even follows Dark Schneider around to observe him, knowing full and well that they were once deadly enemies. Right before the angel attack on earth, the Dragon Knight was destroyed by Anthrax, thus freeing Lars from its spell. He tells Geo and the rest that the Dragon Knight isn't holy as they once thought and it was the reason behind his cursed form.

During the angel attack, Lars fights on against the angels using the power of the dragon. He is the last to stand his ground (as the Sorcerer Shoguns and Samurai were slayed), though he eventually is killed by the higher ranked angels.

Bon Jovina/Von Jobina

Named after the artist Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...

, Bon Jovina is the unfortunate Captain of the Guard of Meta-Ricana. He is constantly being crushed by enemies, but appears to be quite durable, because he survives being smashed by a Hydra, pummeled by a Minotaur with a giant war hammer, flattened by two walls, and blasted through two walls by the Hurricane Sword. He dislikes Dark Schneider greatly, but is very loyal to the princess.

Currently, Bon Jovina is in the Halls of Gathering with the other races of half-humans around the world to decide what to do about the upcoming battle.

Princess of Meta-Rikana and Lars's sister, she is strong and determined, but only somewhat magically powerful. She has been taken in by Dark Schneider's charms, even going as far as admitting that she "loves" him.

Geo Noto Sort/Soto

The powerful cleric father of Yoko, he transformed and imprisoned Dark Schneider in the form of Rushe at the end of the Great War which occurred 15 years before the main storyline. His name is a reference to Jeff Scott Soto

Jeff Scott Soto

Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the lead singer for the group Talisman from 1990 till the end of Talisman in 2007, the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and for stepping up to the job of lead vocalist for Journey on...

 from Rising Force

Rising Force

Rising Force is the first studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in 1984 through Polydor Records. An article in Guitar World magazine ranked the album as first in the all-time top ten list of shred albums.-Track listing:-Personnel:...

.

Sean Ari

In the manga, Sean Ari was described by Hagiwara as a war orphan who was probably raised and taught High Ancient Magic by Arshes Nei, employing talismans to aid her and becoming one of the three Sorcerer Generals under Arshes' command. When DS' first resurrection was discovered, Sean Ari was ordered to assassinate him: Disguising herself as a lord's daughter, using her feminine wiles and virgin body, she very nearly succeeded; DS only realized how much trouble he was in when he noticed marks made by armor on Sean Ari's upper body. The lecherous wizard proceeded to seduce Sean Ari, and her loyalties shifted from Arshes to him. Sean had a minor role in the OVA.

Sean's name is a reference to Sean Harris from the UK heavy metal band Diamond Head

Diamond Head (band)

Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...

.

Kai Harn

Featured in the manga and a small role in the anime, Kai Harn is a wizard-warrior, the second Sorcerer General. She is a master of the ancient Hariken style of swordsmanship and forgotten magic, and her magical skill is greater than that of Sean's. Dark Schneider encountered her in a town where the citizens had been turned to stone, at first mistaking her for a boy with a crush on Sean Ari, and proceeded to taunt Kai with misinformation about Sean's virginity. Using a spell that turned humans into statues, the enraged Kai gained the upper hand in their fight and would have killed DS, had Sean Ari not interfered and stalled her long enough for DS to find out the source god of Kai's magic (Yng Wie, obviously a reference to the musician) and overpower it with the power of his patron god, Black More. On the verge of defeat, Kai summoned a cockatrice to petrify both DS and Sean Ari, only to have victory snatched away as she was injured by the cockatrice. Dark Schneider helped "care for" her wound against her protests, seducing and winning her in the process.

Kai's name is a reference to Kai Hansen

Kai Hansen

Kai Michael Hansen is a power metal guitarist and vocalist.Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray, and the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween. He is a prominent figure in power metal, and has sold millions of albums worldwide...

 from the German metal bands Helloween

Helloween

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...

 and Gamma Ray

Gamma Ray (band)

Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...

.

Diamond/Di-Amon

The third Sorcerer General, a wizard who turned himself into a vampire before he joined the dark army. He sought the power to overthrow Arshes Nei and Kall-Su by drinking the blood of many virgins. In the anime, Yoko, who was sent to find the absent wizard, was captured by a werewolf working for Di-Amon; in the manga, the werewolf was killed by Dark Schneider as Lucien, prompting Di-Amon to step in and imprison Yoko, Larz, and Lucien. Sean Ari and Kai Harn were also captured, but this was a ruse that lead to a magical battle with Di-Amon. Unfortunately, Di-Amon was very nearly invincible, which lead to Kai being bitten, and Sean would have shared that ordeal, had Yoko not defended her. After a struggle against the seal and Lucien's will, Dark Schneider broke free on his own when Yoko was injured by Di-Amon, and proceeded to defeat the vampire with superior cunning (and egoism). Di-Amon was turned into dust by the light of dawn, then rose as a giant bat, which DS promptly placed under the Accused spell. In later issues of the manga, Di-Amon has reappeared, working his hardest to fight for Dark Schneider, whom he now calls his "beloved master". His nail remains bright blue.

Diamond's name is a reference to King Diamond

King Diamond

Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...

. He is illustrated with King Diamond's typical face painting, and in the original Japanese OVA, he speaks imitating King Diamond's unique voice.

Ung Vwei

A god referred to in the series, and a reference to Yngwie Malmsteen.

Mysterious Boy or Hooded Boy

A young boy who is draped in a long blue cowl with a hood. He appeared just after the angel attack on earth and raised Lars, the knights and samurai who were killed in the battle back to life. He tells every one what is going on and recruits them to fight for God's army in the great battle of Armageddon. They follow him without question, as in volume 23 the generals Ingweil of the knights and Joshua of the samurai are beside him as he looks at the demonic spiritual being in the sky. He states that when Dark Schneider descends int even further darkness, he and the other witness will make their move to attack.

The Mysterious Boy is one of the witnesses chosen by God to guide humanity in the right direction. He is one of the first men and bears the power of humanity before their corruption, which is an amazing spiritual strength giving him the ability to perform miracles from God's Holy Power. He is far stronger than Satan and the Demon Kings, and is said to be rivaled only when Dark Schneider and Satan's power combine.

Rumors have circulated that the boy may be Enoch.

Games

Bastard!! was made into a 3D fighting game

Fighting game

Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...

 for Super Famicom

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...

 as well as a role-playing game with turn-based fighting elements for PlayStation. The PlayStation game was only released in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese, but is available as an import to western countries.

A MMOG platformer

Platform game

A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

 called BASTARD!! ONLINE is also in development by the Japanese publisher Tecmo and software developer Shaft. A beta test was released in 2006, however, Tecmo has canceled development of it as of Friday December 18, 2009.

Publication

• Volume 1: ISBN 4-08-871063-0
• Volume 2: ISBN 4-08-871064-9
• Volume 3: ISBN 4-08-871065-7
• Volume 4: ISBN 4-08-871066-5
• Volume 5: ISBN 4-08-871067-3
• Volume 6: ISBN 4-08-871068-1
• Volume 7: ISBN 4-08-871069-X
• Volume 8: ISBN 4-08-871070-3
• Volume 9: ISBN 4-08-871831-3
• Volume 10: ISBN 4-08-871832-1
• Volume 11: ISBN 4-08-871833-X
• Volume 12: ISBN 4-08-871834-8
• Volume 13: ISBN 4-08-871835-6
• Volume 14: ISBN 4-08-871836-4
• Volume 15: ISBN 4-08-871837-2
• Volume 16: ISBN 4-08-871838-0
• Volume 17: ISBN 4-08-872241-8
• Volume 18: ISBN 4-08-872242-6
• Volume 19: ISBN 4-08-872243-4
• Volume 20: ISBN 4-08-872651-0
• Volume 21: ISBN 4-08-872759-2
• Volume 22: ISBN 4-08-873131-X
• Volume 23: ISBN 4-08-873563-3
• Volume 24: ISBN 4-08-873877-2
• Volume 25: ISBN 4-08-874492-6
• Volume 26: ISBN 978-4088746722

English publication

Left to Right

• Volume 1: ISBN 1-59116-002-2
• Volume 2: ISBN 1-56931-769-0
• Volume 3: ISBN 1-56931-861-1
• Volume 4: ISBN 1-56931-826-3

Right to Left

• Volume 1: ISBN 1-56931-952-9
• Volume 2: ISBN 1-56931-968-5
• Volume 3: ISBN 1-59116-247-5
• Volume 4: ISBN 1-59116-326-9
• Volume 5: ISBN 1-59116-506-7
• Volume 6: ISBN 1-59116-134-7
• Volume 7: ISBN 1-59116-742-6
• Volume 8: ISBN 1-59116-837-6
• Volume 9: ISBN 1-4215-0050-7
• Volume 10: ISBN 1-4215-0219-4
• Volume 11: ISBN 1-4215-0379-4
• Volume 12: ISBN 1-4215-0434-0
• Volume 13: ISBN 1-4215-0435-9
• Volume 14: ISBN 1-4215-0436-7
• Volume 15: ISBN 1-4215-0878-8
• Volume 16: ISBN 1-4215-0879-6
• Volume 17: ISBN 1-4215-0880-X
• Volume 18: ISBN 1-4215-1600-4
• Volume 19: ISBN 1-4215-2195-4

External links

• Bastard!! at Viz Media
  VIZ Media
  VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
  
  
• Kazushi Hagiwara's official website
• Animerica review