The Eternally Lost Wanderer

         Ryoga Hibiki, the poetic, short-tempered lone wanderer with no sense of direction.  He's one of the strongest characters, and one of Ranma's greatest rivals.  Despite how angry and aggressive he is towards Ranma though, he's really sensitive, sweet, and shy when he's around Akane.

         Before Ranma transferred to Furinkan High School, he and Ryoga had been schoolmates in an all boy school.  One day, during lunch time (which was always more like a battle), the crowd of hungry students gathered in hopes of obtaining the last curry bread.  The lunch lady tossed it into the air and Ryoga had nearly caught it, that is until Ranma leapt off his head and took it for himself.  Highly resentful, Ryoga never forgave Ranma for such an act, but his grudge would only continue to grow as the same scenario occurred several more times until Ryoga became fed up and challenged Ranma to a dual.  

         Now, this dual was to take place in the empty lot directly behind Ryoga's house, but nevertheless due to his extremely lousy sense of direction, Ryoga got lost on the way.  Ranma waited for three whole days at the appointed place, but by the time Ryoga finally arrived on the fourth day, Ranma had already left for China with his dad.

         But of course this wasn't going to stop Ryoga's need for revenge.  Thus, Ryoga followed Ranma and his father all the way to China and to the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo.  There he was accidentally knocked into one of the springs by a girl chasing a panda (which he later discovers was Ranma chasing Genma).  Sadly Ryoga landed in the Spring of Drowned Pig, and from then on was cursed to change into a little black piglet whenever splashed with cold water (but hot water changes him back).

         After getting lost several times, Ryoga finally finds his way back to Japan and to Furinkan High where he battles it out with Ranma (who, thinking the dual is still over the bread, doesn't understand why Ryoga's so angry).  However, the confrontation ends in a draw when Ryoga winds up getting lost again during the fight!  But a month later, Ryoga makes his way back to Furinkan High and the fight continues.  During this fight, Ryoga learns of Ranma's secret when he accidentally gets wet during the fight, though he feels no sympathy for Ranma having such a cute female body (compared to his own curse).  Yet once again things go unsettled because during the fight, Akane's hair is accidentally cut when Ranma kicks Ryoga's belt from his hand (it's sharp as a blade when straightened out).

         Some time later, Ryoga finds his way to the Tendo Dojo and engages in a late night fight with Ranma in the rain (luckily Ryoga had his trusty umbrella to keep himself from getting wet).  But that didn't last long for he drops it when he's hit over the head with a dumbbell thrown by Akane who thought that Ryoga was a prowler.  So Ryoga quickly abandons the fight to seek out cover, and Ranma chases after him but only finds his pile of clothes and his backpack laying on the street.  

         But Ranma soon discovers Ryoga's secret when Akane asks him to bathe the little black piglet that she mysteriously found in her room.  And it is during this awkward bathtub scene that not only does Ranma find out that Ryoga is half pig, but Ryoga realizes that it was Ranma who had knocked him into the spring, making him even more furious!

         Out of honor, Ranma promises to keep Ryoga's secret, though he lives to regret that promise when Akane adopts P-Chan (her name for the little pig, meaning Pig Cute) as her new pet.  Jealous as he watches Akane dote much affection upon the little pig (totally unaware that her pet is really Ryoga), Ranma quickly becomes enemies with "P-Chan" and it is for the first time that Ranma begins pursuing Ryoga for a fight!

         It is also during this time that Ryoga discovers that being half pig isn't all that bad.  For you see, since he'd been cursed, Ryoga's life had been a living Hell.  He'd believed that nobody could ever love him in his pig form.  But because of all the love that Akane had given him as P-Chan, he soon falls in love with her.  Unfortunately, as I've already said, Akane does not know that P-Chan and Ryoga are the same, and though she loves P-Chan, she only likes Ryoga as a friend.  

         But one day after school, Ryoga (as a pig) gets lost as usual but is taken in by a rich couple who wants to make him their heir.  Akane and Ranma search the neighborhood and finally find him trying to escape the couple's mansion.  So Ranma winds up having to battle it out with three martial artist servants to get P-Chan back (though Ranma can't believe he's actually defending Ryoga).  He easily beats the first two, but the last proves to be much tougher and it is with a little help from Akane that he's able to defeat him.  So Akane happily gets her P-Chan back, and the rich couple sadly bid farewell to their Porkchop (as they had called him).

         Unlike with Ranma's other opponents who truely hate him, Ranma and Ryoga really aren't enemies, but more like rivals.  In fact, Ryoga's even saved Ranma's life on several occasions.  A romantic at heart, Ryoga continues to love and protect Akane from afar even though he knows in his heart that he'll always just be a friend (and pet) to her, and it is Ranma who she truely loves.

Ranma Saotome, Genma Saotome, Soun Tendo, Kasumi Tendo, Nabiki Tendo, Akane Tendo, Tatewaki Kuno, Ryoga Hibiki, Kodachi Kuno, Shampoo, Cologne, Mousse, Happosai, Ukyo Kuonji

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