Black Battler (Ougon Musou Kyoku CROSS)
Black Battler can probably be equalized to "Evil Ryu" or "Devil Jin", but he's so much more than that. First off, let me focus on how he came into being. He is a metaphysical representation of the "Battler's family is the culprit" theory that becomes popular about 12 years after the Rokkenjima incident of Umineko. Of course this is a wink towards the readership who also grew to like that theory over time. As such, he is Battler, but not Battler at all. He's sadistic and commits the Rokkenjima serial murders with literally no motive, simply because "the theatergoers expect him to fulfill that role".

Why I like him

What's great about Black Battler is how you can tell that Battler is incredibly uncomfortable with being put in this position of being the culprit. The characterization differences between Battler and Black Battler are so vast that it just drives the point home that the Battler Culprit Theory is ridiculous. Every time he does an evil laugh it sounds pained, and Battler's harmless sexual innuendos turn into outright rape jokes, things Battler would not ever say. Black Battler is mentally broken is so many ways it reminds me of Kefka.

In gameplay terms, Black Battler is awesome. He is nearly identical to Battler (sadly) but the few differences make them into two pretty different characters. He sports my favorite move from any fighting game ever, his SP2, in which he summons his Black Parents and they repeatedly shoot your enemy in the face. In exchange for this move and a few other changes, he only has 2/3 of the HP Battler has, making him a risky play, but just so much fun.

But one major reason why I like him as much as I do is because of his boss fight. If you beat Arcade Mode on Hard without using a single continue, you get ONE try at fighting a monstrous duo of two Black Battlers. This duo has many character abilities innately and permanently. In a nutshell, they take half damage from all hits, they can use their special moves almost infinitely, they regenerate HP both periodically and when hitting you and their attacks are ridiculously strong. I have tried my luck at them over a dozen times now and not once have I gotten managed to even take away the first quarter of their HP in any given round. But I still love the boss fight, even with how much it's stacked against you. Here's an example video.




Tomoyo Sakagami (CLANNAD / Tomoyo After: ~It's a Wonderful Life~)
THE EYES.

Why I like her
Tomoyo was my favorite CLANNAD heroine pretty much instantly. The similarities yet differences to Tomoya's situation make for pretty interesting comparison. Tomoya used to have a clear path and goal, but because of his father he lost that and became the delinquent he is. Tomoyo used to be a delinquent because of her parents, but because of her brother she gained a clear path and goal.

Tomoyo's storyline route is probably the one most heavily focused on romance, and it's quite well done. If you go through it all the way to the good end, all works out fine, and originally it ended there. But then came Tomoyo After, and with it Tomoyo became my favorite character in the CLANNAD Saga (sorry Akio). As the title implies, it's a story literally set just after Tomoyo's path, and it goes the way Key visual novels usually do; they build up a happy atmosphere where you get invested in seeing the characters you came to like be this happy, and then it puts them in situations that direly threaten that happiness. And I dare say that Tomoyo After does this like no other visual novel. The final storyline arc of Tomoyo After, conveniently titled Tomoyo After After, is right up there with Refrain and After Story as one of my all-time favorite plot arcs in any story. I hate to try and compare how much trout all the Key heroines go through, but Tomoyo is up there, and she manages to deal with her problems in her own way and overcome them. The writer masterfully utilizes your attachment to the characters as a way to both play with your emotions and tell a story that's bound to bring you to tears. And by god do they succeed.