Why do rivals tend to be more popular than protagonists in anime?

Why do rivals tend to be more popular than protagonists in anime?

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I think it's because a rival development is often time more go in a more interesting path than the MC. With the MC we already have a somewhat clear direction where this character gonna be in the future compare to the rival.

Not the case with kaiba, we already we know he's going to lose every time. His name is fucking set.

MC is made relatively bland so as to be a blank slate to project upon. Rivals have to actually have some level of character as you are not SUPPOSED to project onto the rival. This character makes them more interesting, which makes you want to pay attention to them more and end up self inserting as, and another writer fails the filter.

It more about the direction of character development.

Usually have a sexy bad boy image

in kaiba case he is far more intresting than yugi in every way, he is flawed and fails but is relevant to the plot so he doesn't job just because like joey vs marik, has motivations and a intresting back story, everything he does is so over the top that you can't possibly hate him, even if he is a bit of an asshole he has never done anything genuinally harmful or fucked up, his autismt is far greater than yugi.
is hilarious to see yugi cheat his way through every duel but the only time yugi is intresting is when is he is forced apart from the pharaoh

Most protagonists are stupid good-two-shoes, and this is really lame if you can't do it in a good or satisfying way. With rivals/villains it is fun to support them a lot of the time.

But there a slippery slope to not keep wanking the rival to the point the whole story revolve around the rival.

It worked for Gundam.

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vaguely obsessed, and only becomes vaguely an ally later. not very special.

Kaiba oozes agency. Like every decision he makes is his decision. Nobody else is involved. No destiny. No higher power. Just Seto Kaiba.

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I think being a reincarnation kind of invalidates that idea.

Side characters aren't bound by the same beats and steps as main characters so they get to have a special kind of autism to them.
However, when done poorly you end up with people like Bakugou rather than when you do it right and end up with Kaiba, the man who developed a machine to the afterlife just to get his salty runback and then spent the rest of his life altering the universe to his will culminating in Arc V hard light and VRAINS

Basically this.

Typically, writers of this type of fiction will want the MC to embody some sort of virtue. They want them to be someone kids can feel like they'd meet on the playground, or can somewhat identify with, while the rival character is supposed to be cool, troubled, and dangerous, because they have a different worldview from the Protagonist or lack the virtue/virtuous wisdom the Protagonist possesses.

But because they're cool, the MC will often respect and admire them in their own way, because the kids are supposed to like them too. If a character is a completely unlikable piece of shit, he's more likely to be a villain.

As an aside, because they lack virtue and perhaps compassion, Rivals often do ridiculously savage things, which are fun to watch.

This.

Mainly "lancer" archetype tries to keep up with the MC's bullshit powers. A good rival has his path rather than just be the MC but weaker and more of a dick (Vegeta is a shit rival).

I enjoy Vegeta been a better family man than Goku

It doesn't. He repeatedly defies the expectations set (badumtish) upon him by that, and makes it a point to do so. Battle City is about this in general, and has two moments that emphasize it.

Like when he sacrifices Obelisk to summon Blue-Eyes, thus defying Ishizu's prediction of the future. Albeit, this is ironically only possible because of his ancient roots, he's not forced to do it and ultimately decides to trust Blue-Eyes over Obelisk, and this leads to him changing fate.

Then in his duel with Yugi, he outright SAYS that the reason they have to keep fighting is because Yugi embodies the Past, which he wants to destroy.

Goku would be better rival if Vegeta is MC

Does it? Or is Eternal Reccurance also something Nietzsche talked about?

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Vegeta recently decided to stop following after Goku. But in his defense, he's always hated trailing behind Goku in regard to their various transformations and it's been a part of the story. Also, there were several times he was stronger than Goku.

Also, also, Vegeta and Goku both got outclassed by Gohan once.

Who is the worst rival in your opinion?

I haven't even watched Naurto, but I'm going with my gut here and saying Sasuke anyway.

This is also why Lelouch is considered more interesting than Suzaku: Code Geass inverts the formula. In another series, Suzaku would be the protagonist and Lelouch would be the antagonist. But instead they made the main character edgy and the antagonist a white knight.

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>He repeatedly defies the expectations set (badumtish) upon him by that
Still loses to yugi.
That doesn't even sound like defying destiny.

They tend to have a personality.

The only thing Kaiba gained by being the reincarnation of Priest Seto is a spiritual connection to Blue Eyes(Kaiba decided by himself to turn it into an obsession and start making Blue Eyes themed products), but unlike Yugi and Atem their personality aren't that close, so if they switched, Priest Seto would never antagonize Yugi that much, while Kaiba would immediately betray Atem to become Pharaoh.
It doesn't matter if Kaiba loses, he will never stop improving and try again, even if it requires building a space elevator that sends his soul into the afterife just to have a rematch

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His obsession with yugi comes from reincarnation too. Millennium world is just not written very well.

>Still loses to Yugi
???????????????
What's the relevancy of this.

His obsession with Yugi comes from Kaiba's own pride.

His obsession with Yugi wasn't inherited by Set, even if Set provides context for it.

No, his obsession is because he lose to Yugi. Fate may have dictate that they met again but he still chose to pursuit that goal.