this is as much as for heroes that for vilains....so let's the better win!!!
as a heroe I'd say Edward from full metal alchemist, 'cause I really like heroes with tortuous past and great powers
as about the vilains, I would say saito from samurai X

edo-kun? yeah edo's cool ^^ but i doubt saito is so great. i didn't like him. but about samurai x / rurouni kenshin, i think soujirou is pretty cool. he looks a bit like a girl but that doesn't matter ^^

i can't decide..... too many good characters..... and hot ones too....

Joe from Bakuretsu Tenshi

Major Motoko Kusanagi of Ghost in the Shell

Takamura, from Hajime no Ippo. He cracks me up.

well i really like inteligence so i would have to go with narumi ayumu from spiral......
i wish i were that smart -.-

Ed Elrich, Vegeta, Kakashi, Sesshoumaru and Vash. coolest. chars. ever.

James Links from Zone of the Enders Dolores, i.

Bastardddddddddd from Bastard

Vash from Trigun...

coolest villan? I guess Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha...

Shizumasa from Shinshi Doumei Cross.
But Sesshoumaru was cool ,too....

coolest anime character you say i have to people in mind both are from the anime Rurouni Kenshin

Saitou Hajime - "aka SOKO zan!" "You can raise a dog with food, and you can raise a human with money but, no man is able to raise a wolf of Mibbu"

+

Hitokiri Battousai (aka kenshin ) - "It doesn't matter. Use whatever technique you like. However. Once I've said I'll kill you, your death is assured"

no question spike from u know where.. too coo 4 skoo. just look @ my avi n e wayz holla

Kakashi-sensei or sasuke-kun
those to are pretty cool ^^
sasuke has all the girls after him and hes soo smooth.....and kakashi has his own catagory of coolness hes the laid back ninja but he can still kick ya ass

There aren't many girls! Sango from Inuyasha and Karasuma Chitose from Galaxy Angel are cool too!

edward and alphonse elric from fullmetal alchemist, and kenshin from ruruoni kenshin are my favorites ones

<lol> To me, Isumi Shinichiro (hikaru no go) is the coolest. Just because he's so normal and, dare I say it, 'human'.

Unrealistically speaking, though, I'd have to pick Yamazaki Susumu from the Peacemaker manga (well, i haven't seen the anime yet ). He's just totally, drop-dead, angst-in-a-sexy-coke-bottle cool.

[edit] Erm. I can't believe I just typed that.

Spike (from Cowboy Bebop) has got to be the most-likeable character ever created, Kakashi, Mugen and Jin from Champloo, Kyuzo from Samurai 7 are all likely candidates as well...

I think Kenshin' master, Hiko Sejiro is a badass. I love his arrogance.

Kai from beyblade is the coolest character ever!
He is a loner and Hot!!!
He is kind of evel, never cares for someone else than himself!
But...evel is sooo Hot!!!!!

One that I actually like? One of the few cool characters I liked is Ryoma Echizen from Prince of Tennis.

i think Keitaro from LH is pretty damn cool, though. He could bang almost any of the Hinata girls if he played his cards right.

anna kyouyama from shaman king??

and..... let's see........

christopher armalite from scrapped princess...

I would say... Vash from Trigun... or maybe Tsume from Wolf's Rain. I dont know.