Sun Tzu and Anime: Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka Character Analysis
The temperature outside is scorching, so let's vent some of that heat with more of Sun Tzu's exceptional wisdom rating anime's legends.
As a quick refresher, here's how the rating system works. Sun Tzu cited Five Essential Factors to be Mastered for Victory: Morality, Weather, Terrain, Good Leadership, and Preparation. All under consideration can receive 0-10 points in each category. However, he also cited Five Fatal Failings of Leadership: Recklessness, Cowardice, A Hasty Temper (Anger for simplicity), Delicacy of Honor (DOH), and Caring Too Much About the Troops (Over-caring). All under consideration can lose 0-10 points in each category. At the end, the scores are tallied, and the results reveal how effective a character is in Sun Tzu's eyes, with the best aiming for 40 or better.
This time, we're analyzing a modern classic: the named deities from the first season of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?. As always, to keep things fair, we'll analyze them in the order they were formally introduced, confining everything to the first season to prevent any spoilers.
Character Analysis: Hestia
Danmachi: Hestia
Danmachi: Hestia
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
5
She's good at heart and a devoted champion of protagonist Bell, but her rampant jealousy and caustic attitude often alienates others, both divine and mortal.
Weather
5
She's okay most of the time, yet doesn't always function well at night.
Terrain
5
She knows the city and Babel, but is extremely clumsy and doesn't have much stamina, something she famously showed when she quickly got worn out en route to Rivera on Floor 18.
Good Leadership
5
She's good at manipulating Bell and handled the aftermath of Liliruca's betrayal very well, yet mostly varies between lone wolf and follower.
Preparation
4
She's great at magic lore, Familia matters, and making potato croquettes, but is constantly shocked by Bell's potency and somehow didn't know about Goliath's presence on Floor 17.
Total
24
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. She perpetually underestimates others, is extremely careless, and gets violently impulsive when she's angry or jealous, something that makes her lash out at any girl who gets close to Bell, particularly Liliruca and Ais, whom she calls "homewreckers."
Cowardice
-5
She's a tad timid around Bell at first, and later panicked when she was taken hostage on Floor 18.
Anger
-10
Epic red flag. She's got an explosive temper, one that's on a hair trigger, her most constant target being Loki, although she also has numerous spats with Liliruca.
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. She's cocky and very vain, flaws she openly displayed when she bought perfume on Floor 18 to impress Bell despite knowing she was getting ripped off.
Over-caring
-10
Epic red flag. Her obsession with Bell makes her one of anime's most jealous girls, something she made clear when she flipped out after discovering his 1st skill, Fast Growth because he was focused on Ais, not her.
Total
-42
Final Assessment
Score: -18 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Loki
Danmachi: Loki
Danmachi: Loki
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
3
She's not all bad, yet her rabid selfishness causes numerous problems, especially within her Familia.
Weather
5
She's okay, but gets a tad clumsy at night, particularly if she's been drinking.
Terrain
5
She knows the city, yet frequently gets caught off-guard, most often when Ais sidesteps her perverted antics.
Good Leadership
3
She's got potential, given her Familia's size/influence, but ultimately is more lone wolf than leader.
Preparation
5
She's clever and very familiar with local affairs, hence Aina's asking her about the Soma Familia, yet ultimately wings everything else.
Total
21
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. She perpetually underestimates others, is extremely careless with alcohol and her Familia, and is extraordinarily impulsive, an issue she happily affirmed by saying, "I do whatever I want. I'm Loki."
Cowardice
0
She's very brazen, so no worries here.
Anger
-10
Epic red flag. She's got an explosive temper, one that takes nothing to trigger, with Hestia being her most common target, although Freya is a close second.
Delicacy of Honor
-10
Epic red flag. She's very cocky and extremely vain, something that cost her when she showed up fashionably dressed to mock Hestia at Ganesha's banquet…only to have the latter jab at her for being flat-chested.
Over-caring
-10
Epic red flag. She's obsessed with Ais, hence her snippy retort when Hestia asked if the latter had a partner: "Any guy who so much as looks at her gets torn to shreds!"
Total
-40
Final Assessment
Score: -19 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Ganesha
Danmachi: Ganesha
Danmachi: Ganesha
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
10
He's incredibly generous, personable, and selfless, making him one of the more approachable deities.
Weather
10
Thanks to his awareness, senses, and outdoorsmanship, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
7
He's very observant, but was seriously caught off-guard by Freya's unleashing several creatures during Monsterphilia.
Good Leadership
9
He's got incredible discipline, is a natural diplomat, and admirably handled the Monsterphilia chaos, although he sometimes goes rogue.
Preparation
9
He's a great entertainer, tactician, and improvisor, yet also wings a few things.
Total
45
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-7
Slight red flag. He badly underestimated Freya, and is extremely impulsive when caught up in the moment, an issue that drives his Familia crazy.
Cowardice
0
He's very bold, so no worries here.
Anger
-3
He's got a slight temper, but not enough to worry.
Delicacy of Honor
-4
He's pretty vain, yet somehow equally modest, an odd combo he famously displayed when he said (post-Monsterphilia), "It was tough, but everyone did well! Lord Ganesha is clean! And, by the way, my name is Lord Ganesha!"
Over-caring
-4
He cares very deeply for others, hence his immediately requesting other Familias' aid to contain the escaped monsters.
Total
-18
Final Assessment
Score: 27 (Capable, yet moderately flawed)
Character Analysis: Takamikazuchi
Danmachi: Takamikazuchi
Danmachi: Takamikazuchi
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
10
He's a great role model: generous, kind, and a devout ally, making him another easily approachable deity.
Weather
10
Thanks to his strength, awareness, and experience, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
9
He's very capable, yet still sometimes gets caught off-guard, like when Hermes pranked him at Ganesha's gala.
Good Leadership
8
He's a wonderful diplomat and tactician, particularly when he called out his Familia for pass parading Bell's party, although he sometimes goes rogue.
Preparation
5
He's good at prepping his Familia, but tends to wing everything else.
Total
42
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-5
He underestimated Hermes, and got a tad careless when celebrating Bell's safe return.
Cowardice
-3
He's a tad indecisive, yet not enough to worry.
Anger
-3
He's got a slight temper, but not enough to worry here either.
Delicacy of Honor
-2
He's a tad vain, yet not enough to worry yet again.
Over-caring
-5
He cares about his Familia and fellow deities, and later becomes fascinated by Bell.
Total
-18
Final Assessment
Score: 24 (Capable, yet moderately flawed)
Character Analysis: Hermes
Danmachi: Hermes
Danmachi: Hermes
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
2
He's got a few good points, such as when he praised Bell's victory over Goliath. However, he's extremely selfish and petty, considering he set up Hestia's kidnapping, then stood by and watched Bell getting ambushed/mauled just to test him.
Weather
10
Due to his outdoorsmanship, keenness, and experience, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
5
He's agile and knows Babel, yet often gets caught off-guard, namely when Hestia declared she was joining the mission to rescue Bell.
Good Leadership
2
He's good at ambush/manipulation, but mostly varies between lone wolf and follower.
Preparation
4
He's got some good foresight, particularly when he enlisted Ryu to help save Bell's party, yet ultimately wings most things regardless.
Total
23
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. He perpetually underestimates others, is very impulsive about pulling pranks, and extremely careless, something that badly cost him when his "agreement" with Uranus snowballed into the ugly final battle with Goliath.
Cowardice
-7
Slight red flag. He can be very malicious, like when he baited Bell into spying on Ais and the other girls bathing.
Anger
-3
He's got a slight temper, but not enough to worry.
Delicacy of Honor
-10
Epic red flag. He's extremely cocky and vain, issues that make him very condescending toward his top Familia member, Asfi, then later made him scoff at Bell's reaching Level 2 so quickly.
Over-caring
-8
Serious red flag. His obsession with finding out if Bell is the hero of the age drove most of his actions…and subsequently cost everyone on Floor 18 dearly.
Total
-38
Final Assessment
Score: -15 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Freya
Danmachi: Freya
Danmachi: Freya
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
3
She's okay, yet loves toying with others, especially Bell, although she also infamously invited Loki to join her for a drink…then left the latter with the check.
Weather
10
Thanks to her awareness, keen senses, and experience, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
9
She's very familiar with the city and Babel, but got caught off-guard by Hermes' plot.
Good Leadership
5
She's skilled at deception/manipulation, such as when she secretly baited Bell with the Grimoire, yet ultimately is more lone wolf than leader.
Preparation
5
She's good at planning traps, yet never considered the potential risks of using the upgraded minotaur to help Bell overcome his initial trauma.
Total
32
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-9
Major red flag. She badly underestimated Bell, and is extremely impulsive, like when she crashed Monsterphilia to send a monster to abduct the latter.
Cowardice
0
She's very brazen, so no worries here.
Anger
0
She doesn't really get angry, so no worries here either.
Delicacy of Honor
-10
Epic red flag. She's very cocky and extremely vain, something she made abundantly clear with her comment after Bell defeated the silverback: "We'll play again soon, won't we?"
Over-caring
-10
Epic red flag. She's obsessed with Bell, even famously declaring (while observing Hermes), "The only one who gets to toy with him is me."
Total
-29
Final Assessment
Score: 3 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Hephaestus
Danmachi: Hephaestus
Danmachi: Hephaestus
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
6
She's a devoted ally and has a good heart, but her decision to humiliate Hestia after making Bell's knife wasn't appropriate.
Weather
10
Thanks to her strength, experience, and awareness, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
9
She's observant and very keen on city/Babel affairs, yet still sometimes gets caught off-guard, like when Hestia kept groveling at Ganesha's gala and in her office.
Good Leadership
5
She did a great job trying to convince Welf to keep making magic swords, but her inflexibility held her back throughout the season's first half.
Preparation
8
She's a skilled smith, businesswoman, and planner, yet still wings some things.
Total
38
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-7
Slight red flag. She badly underestimated Bell's effect on Hestia, and was very careless when handling Hermes' plot.
Cowardice
0
She's very bold, so no worries here.
Anger
-5
She's got a slow-burn temper, but only really snapped once, and it took a lot to do so.
Delicacy of Honor
-4
She's very pompous at first, yet seeing the change in Hestia and the damage from the pass parade humbled her, hence the lower rating.
Over-caring
-5
Despite claiming otherwise, she cares about Hestia; she also worries about Welf, so much so she famously told him, "Please, don't make your companions pay for your stubbornness."
Total
-21
Final Assessment
Score: 17 (Great potential, yet deeply flawed)
Character Analysis: Miach
Danmachi: Miach
Danmachi: Miach
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
10
He's another great role model: kind, empathetic, and very generous, considering he gave Bell two magic potions as a gift when he first appeared.
Weather
10
Thanks to his awareness, experience, and outdoorsmanship, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
8
He's very observant, although he also got caught off-guard by Hermes' showing up to "help" Hestia.
Good Leadership
10
He's a great example: disciplined, efficient, and extremely rational, all of which came in handy when he tried to calm Hestia at the tavern.
Preparation
8
He's well organized and thorough, yet still occasionally wings things.
Total
46
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-4
He sometimes underestimates others, but not enough to truly worry.
Cowardice
0
He's very bold, so no worries here.
Anger
0
He doesn't really get angry, so no worries here either.
Delicacy of Honor
0
He's surprisingly modest, so no worries yet again.
Over-caring
-4
He cares about Hestia and Bell, plus also keeps an eye on the other deities.
Total
-8
Final Assessment
Score: 38 (Highly capable, with slight flaws)
Character Analysis: Demeter
Danmachi: Demeter
Danmachi: Demeter
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
5
She's sweet, but very selfish, which she amply proved by crashing Hestia's date with Bell.
Weather
10
Thanks to her experience, power, and role as Lady of the Harvest, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
5
She knows the city, yet got caught off-guard by Hestia in the bath, then by Bell in the square.
Good Leadership
5
She has good ambush skills, but ultimately is more lone wolf than leader.
Preparation
4
She's okay at organizing, yet mostly wings things.
Total
29
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-8
Serious red flag. She badly underestimated Hestia, and is extremely impulsive, both with her curiosity and subsequent interest in Bell.
Cowardice
0
She's very brazen, so no worries here.
Anger
0
She doesn't get angry, so no worries here either.
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. She's pretty vain, plus very cocky, given how quickly she got the other deities to ambush Hestia and Bell.
Over-caring
-5
She cares about Hestia, and later fawned over Bell after meeting him.
Total
-20
Final Assessment
Score: 9 (Nightmare scenario)
Reviewing the Results
This cast was full of extremes, both high and low. With so many variations, it's no surprise these deities' respective Familia have mixed success records, but that harkens back to what's been said all along: follow Sun Tzu, and you'll win; ignore him, and you'll lose.
Danmachi Characters: Victory Factors Analysis
Character
Morality
Weather
Terrain
Leadership
Preparation
Final Score
Hestia
5
5
5
5
4
24
Loki
3
5
5
3
5
21
Ganesha
10
10
7
9
9
45
Takamikazuchi
10
10
9
8
5
42
Hermes
2
10
5
2
4
23
Freya
3
10
9
5
5
32
Hephaestus
6
10
9
5
8
38
Miach
10
10
8
10
8
46
Demeter
5
10
5
5
4
29
Danmachi Characters: Fatal Failings Analysis
Character
Recklessness
Cowardice
Anger
DOH
Over-caring
Final Score
Hestia
-10
-5
-10
-7
-10
-42
Loki
-10
0
-10
-10
-10
-40
Ganesha
-7
0
-3
-4
-4
-18
Takamikazuchi
-5
-3
-3
-2
-5
-18
Hermes
-10
-7
-3
-10
-8
-38
Freya
-9
0
0
-10
-10
-29
Hephaestus
-7
0
-5
-4
-5
-21
Miach
-4
0
0
0
-4
-8
Demeter
-8
0
0
-7
-5
-20
Danmachi Characters: Final Scores
Character
Final Score
Assessment
Hestia
-18
Nightmare scenario
Loki
-19
Nightmare scenario
Ganesha
27
Capable, yet moderately flawed
Takamikazuchi
24
Capable, yet moderately flawed
Hermes
-15
Nightmare scenario
Freya
3
Nightmare scenario
Hephaestus
17
Great potential, yet deeply flawed
Miach
38
Highly capable, with slight flaws
Demeter
9
Nightmare scenario
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Andrew's originally from Massachusetts, and has studied military history/tactics/strategy for almost 30 years. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He can be found on Twitter (@AndrewNickers19) daily, analyzing characters via Sun Tzu.
Fun Fact
Andrew's a huge fan of anime music. He particularly recommends Crescent Love (Brighter than the Dawning Blue), Dream Riser (Girls Und Panzer), and the fight theme to Zoids: New Century.
