Eyes wide shut
A kind of character that has always fascinated me are those that keep their eyes shut all the time, not because they are blind or something like that, but as a means of distancing themselves from their surroundings, thus concentrating all their attention and power until they are called for.
All that trouble and, let's say it, sacrifice is fully rewarded: such characters are usually extremely powerful and, even more important, highly psychologically stable. They can keep their heads cool during the worst battles and always find a way out when everything seems to be lost by using their considerable intelligence and great knowledge. However, they amazingly choose not to be in the center of attentions (maybe exactly because of their deep understanding of the world and of people's ways) and to take a secondary role, supporting some other character they sense to be equally powerful, but somewhat psychologically frail, and helping them without gaining anything by that.
As for their looks, they have in common the fact that they are lean and have also a serious, serene countenance. They are not necessarily handsome (which does not mean that they are ugly, they just are not always drop-dead-gorgeous) and it is rare to see they smiling. When they do it, it has just a whiff of condescendence that turns them into irritating guys... They speak quietly and are extremely polite, even when disdaining their enemies, and exude an aristocratic aura that seems to put them above mere mortals. They do not care about their looks, but they are always well composed and elegant, dressed in a simple and practical way, and their movements are usually restrained and graceful.
These characters fascinate me a lot and we have a hard time seeing them as "villains", since their actions are taken only in order to support those characters they see as justified in their acts. Indeed, we could even like them it were not for their aloof, somewhat cold attitude that makes them solitaire and unable of sharing their doubts and fears with other people, in the very few times they are struggling with their inner demons.
From left to right and from top to bottom:
Shaka (Saint Seiya - click on the picture to see it bigger), Shien (Gensoumaden Saiyuki).
Nusaka also usually keeps his eyes closed (aside from this picture, where we can see one of his beautiful eyes...), although he is not a villain, but one of the main characters in one of my favorite manga series: Koibito wa Shugorei. Since I am not going to open a special page for closed-eyed-heroes, I'll put him here with the others - after all, he is a real eye candy!
Proceed to the next category: Fallen angels
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No money is being made through this page. All mentioned series and characters belong to their respective legal owners. Pictures of Saka from the site Satyrnet, picture of Shien is a screen capture from the anime made by yours truly. Nusaka's picture was scanned from the first volume of Koibito wa Shugorei (Nora Comics). Since I have been surfing the Net a lot to find the pictures, it is possible that I have mixed some credits... If this should happen, please contact me so that I can correct my mistake. Doumo arigatou!
