Benkei Hanawa

''This is an article about the Anime Character. For the manga counterpart of the same name, see here.''

Benkei Hanawa (花輪ベンケイ, Hanawa Benkei) is one of the main characters in the Metal Saga, first appearing in Beyblade: Metal Fusion.

He is a former-member of the Face Hunters under the leadership of Kyoya Tategami. He and Kyoya later reformed and became best friends, Benkei always supporting Kyoya from the sidelines hoping to be right next to him when it counts. During Big Bang Bladers, Benkei joined Kyoya's Team Wild Fang under his alter ego: The Masked Bull. He is a hyperactive and enthusiastic blader with the heart of a bull that matches his partner: Dark Bull H145SD.

Physical Appearance
Benkei is tough and physically strong. He has a big build with a large stomach, short purple hair that is normally covered by his white beanie hat that has a red bull's skull on it and red eyes. He wears a red and black jacket with red strip on both the front side that is usually zipped on his torso, white bands around his wrists, gray shorts on his legs, and black shoes on his huge feet. He also has a brown belt with a holster covered by his jacket in which he keeps his Bey Gear.

Personality
He seems tough and burly on the outside and looks like a typical bully, but he is actually very kind and has a good heart and a love for burgers. Though when that part of him shows, he tries to cover it up because he doesn't want other people to think of him as soft. He also admires Kyoya very much, which causes him to tear up, or cry when Kyoya has his moments; going as far as to hug him in Episode 11, when he sees that Kyoya had awakened. He also follows him about when he wanders off. He is a very determined Blader, and does not give up easily in hard situations. In Episode 3, he seems to know about Dark Wolf. Benkei was a former member of the "Face Hunters" gang. He was then removed when they found out that he had helped and trained Kenta Yumiya. Since then, Kenta and him have been very good friends.

Beyblade: Metal Fusion
Benkei in Beyblade Metal Fusion used to be in a 101st member of a team called the Face Hunters and they stole their opponent's Beypoints by battling unfair but all 100 easily lost against Gingka Hagane and Kyoya Tategami, their leader nearly won but just about lost.

Benkei started of in the anime with Heat Leone 125FS until Doji came along and gave him Dark Bull H145SD to destroy Gingka Hagane but fails. But right when Kenta lost to Hikaru in a bey battle Benkei offers to train Kenta. In the Battle Bladers, Benkei made it to the second round until Kyoya beat him

Beyblade: Metal Masters
Benkei appears in the Selection Matches for Team Gan Gan Galaxy, but fails to join. He then joins Team Wild Fang as their 4th blader, the subsitute, alongside Kyoya Tategami, Nile, and Demure. They won the first and tied in the second round but lost to Gan Gan Galaxy in the third. Benkei appeared as the Mysterious Bull, trying to be anonymous, and appeared in a tag-team battle alongside Demure, against Tsubasa & Yu but they lost it. Then he joins the fight to destroy the Spiral Force, located in Hades City, alongside team Gan Gan Galaxy, Wild Fang, Excalibur and Wang Zhu Zhong.

Beyblade: Metal Fury
Benkei has been best friends with Kyoya until Kyoya ran away due to his anger of being teased by the Legendary Blader of Saturn which causes Benkei to train hard to try to become a legendary blader so that he can one day impress Kyoya again and that they can travel together.

Beyblade: Zero-G
Benkei appears in Beyblade: Zero-G as the owner of a fast-food restaurant that Zero Kurogane and Mal seem to enjoy. He agrees to help Zero train in "Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G: Episode 2" to become strong enough to defeat Shinobu Hiryuuin and Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD. He later then trains the whole gang.

It is also revealed in "Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G: Episode 2" that he has not seen Kyoya in a very long time, to most fan's surprise. We can only wonder how they were separated...

Beyblades

 * Heat Leone 125FS: Benkei's original Beyblade when he was part of in the Face hunters. He discarded it when he obtained Dark Bull H145SD from Doji.
 * Dark Bull H145SD: Benkei's primary beyblade in Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Metal Masters and Metal Fury. It is a balance type beyblade which Benkei exploits as a pure attack type. Thanks to his heart of a bull, Benkei and Bull have an incredible connection that allows Bull a massive amount of raw power that can ram through virtually any beyblade.
 * He also has about 5 different Beyblade Combos in the Metal Fusion Tag Team Tournament along with Kenta.

Special Moves

 * Bull Upper: Bull goes underneath the targets spin track to uppercut it into the air with the horns, causing the target to loose control and crash.
 * Red Horn Uppercut: Bull digs itself under the ground to make it underneath the opponent, then Bull will use it&amp;horns to uppercut the opponent.
 * Tornado Bull Upper: Bull goes underneath the to tip itself and uppercut the opponent, but Bull follows up by following through while in the air to uppercut the opponent further into the sky, giving it no chance of recovering in the air, but adds an added risk to Bull's landing aswell.
 * Maximum Stampede: Bull uses all of it's raw attack power into one attack, the raw energy materializes into a flaming aura that represents the incredible attack power of the head on assault.

Trivia

 * In the dub, he always says "B-b-b-b-b-b-bull!" before launching his Bey.
 * He returns in the Zero-G anime, and works in a hamburger store, it is most likely noticed that his apron has a Bull on it, as he focuses on bulls a lot. The sign above the door also is shaped like a bull above a burger.
 * When Blader DJ announces Benkei's name he says: "B-b-b-b-Benkei!!!!!!". He is actually somewhat mocking him.
 * He is the only member of Team Wild Fang who doesn't use a plain 145 spin track.
 * Despite the fact that it was Doji that gave him Dark Bull, Benkei is very attached to his bey and is like a bull himself, as his friend, Kyoya, is like a lion.
 * His beyblade does have a spin track of 145 height, however it is actually H145.
 * His feet are said to be the size of the other characters heads.