Netflix’s Hardest Hitting Anime Has Cast Its Next Big Villain

When it comes to Netflix’s current anime roster, series like Sakamoto Days, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Delicious in Dungeon are just a few exclusives making waves. Despite sometimes getting lost in the rotation, the anime following Baki Hanma has put up serious numbers on the streaming service ever since it arrived on Netflix. Set to return next year, the anime adaptation is preparing to introduce a wild new villain who might give Baki a tougher challenge than his previous victory, which was nothing to sneeze at.

Now that Baki has defeated his father, Yujiro Hanma, in one-on-one combat, the titular character has become the strongest creature walking the Earth. Thanks to this new title, anime fans were left wondering what opponent the grappler could encounter to present a challenge to his current reign. Luckily, creator Keisuke Itagaki was more than willing to explore Japan’s past and bring back the legendary Miyamoto Musashi from the grave to present a challenge to Baki. In the upcoming Baki-Dou, voice actor Naoya Uchida has been confirmed to play the part of Musashi, and if you’re familiar with anime, you might be familiar with the legendary voice actor.

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Naoya Uchida: The Ultimate Anime Villain

If you’re unfamiliar with Uchida’s breadth of work, he has been a villain in quite a few legendary anime adaptations over the years. In the Naruto franchise, he took on the role of Madara Uchiha, one of the big bads who posed a serious problem to the Hidden Leaf Village in Naruto: Shippuden. Not limited to just the shonen series, Naoya also took on the role of the villainous Askeladd in Vinland Saga, the man responsible for Thorfinn’s father’s demise. On top of these major roles, the future voice of Musashi Miyamoto also had major roles in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Hunter x Hunter, Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, and Death Note, to name a few. Needless to say, Uchida will make for a good addition to Baki’s world.

Baki The Grappler has been a major anime franchise for decades now, with creator Keisuke Itagaki continuing to work on the series to this day. Without diving too deep into spoiler territory for future arcs, Itagaki has thought of another major villain for Baki Hanma to fight following his brawl with the legendary swordsman. In the current manga chapters, the story has focused on Jack Hanma, the brother of Baki, as he attempts to reclaim his pride following some devastating losses. With the sons of Yujiro Hanma seemingly on a collision course, the current manga run means that we might be in store for more anime seasons in the future following Baki-Dou. Considering Baki has been a major win for Netflix in the ratings department, routinely defeating other anime originals on the platform, it’s a safe bet that next year’s new episodes won’t be its last.

What do you think of Madara Uchiha joining the cast of next year’s Baki-Dou? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!