Do we like them?

Do we like Rimuru Tempest?

A character from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018–present)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes. He's a kind, fair leader who would rather make friends than enemies, and he'll fight hard for the people who trust him.

Rimuru was an ordinary 37-year-old man in modern Japan before being reincarnated as a slime in a fantasy world. He has no starting strength, but he does have unusual skills that let him absorb and copy what he eats. He starts out alone in a cave, makes friends with a dragon, and slowly gathers a community of monsters around him.

His defining trait is that he is easygoing and kind. He listens to his followers, shares what he knows from his old life, and gives monsters a home with proper laws, food and trade. He chooses diplomacy and fair dealing first, and he treats his people as friends, not subjects.

Why the score is 9: he is generous, loyal and thoughtful. The knocks against him are that he is almost absurdly powerful, and that he can turn cold and merciless when someone harms those he cares about. Even so, he uses his power to protect more often than to dominate.