I know that Priss Asagiri is a fan favorite, and I get it. She’s tough, brave, quick with her anger, and rides a damn motorcycle like there’s no tomorrow. That’s not even touching the fact that she fronts a rock band, The Replicants, and wears this glorious blonde wig that can make even the most die-hard brunette (are there any of those out there?) reconsider their stance. But she’s not my favorite character.

Oh, no. Not by a long shot.

That title goes to the Queen: Sylia Stingray.

Now, I used to say that Priss was my favorite character, and for all of the above reasons, but as I’ve gotten older, I developed an appreciation for the calm, calculated demeanor that Sylia has about her. She makes sure she’s not taken too seriously – runs a lingerie shop, for example – so she can develop agile, superior hardsuits to fight the corruption that took her father from her. She also consistently outsmarts the men in her world, all in time to head home for some much needed R&R.

Although Priss is clearly the main character, at least in terms of popularity, Sylia has this quiet grace about her. In the reboot, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, the writers make her border on the edge of insane – in a rage, she breaks a glass in her hand and lets blood just drip all over her computer, for fuck’s sake – but the original version of her would have deemed such behavior crass, to say the least. She truly is the glue that keeps the Knight Sabers together; without her, Nene would get herself killed, Linna would ignore a Boomer attack because of a date, and Priss? Well, Priss would probably be in jail, to be honest. Or maybe a rock star. Who knows? Either way, Sylia is completely indispensable.

Plus, her character design is just flawless. Just look at this outfit:

This is 100% something that I would wear today. She has a penchant for high Mandarin or popped collars, for which I would normally deduct a few points, but it’s Sylia, for crying out loud. She’s effortlessly sexy and feminine, something her rebooted version should consider, and she can basically get away with anything, as far as I’m concerned.

Art Credit: FanPop, Danbooru. WriteUps.org