Ranma Saotome is a 16-year-old Japanese male martial artist. Trained extensively from early childhood by his father Genma Saotome, who took him from home around age two for a martial arts journey across Asia. This harsh regimen included traumatic experiences, such as being wrapped in fish sausage and thrown into a pit of starving cats to develop the "Cat-Fist" technique. While sparring on bamboo poles above China's Jusenkyo Springs, Ranma fell into the Spring of the Drowned Girl. This cursed him to transform into a female when splashed with cold water, reverting to male with hot water. Genma simultaneously fell into the Spring of the Drowned Panda, gaining a similar curse. They then traveled to Japan to fulfill Genma's prior pact with his training partner Soun Tendo: Ranma would marry one of Soun's daughters to continue the Tendo Dojo lineage. Soun's youngest daughter, Akane Tendo, was selected as Ranma's fiancée, though both initially resisted the arrangement. Ranma's male form has black hair typically worn in a braided ponytail, blue eyes, and stands 170 cm (5'7"). He favors Chinese-style clothing, often a red sleeveless shirt, dark pants, and slip-on shoes. His female form stands 146 cm (4'9½") with pink/red hair, pink eyes, and a more developed bustline compared to Akane. Both forms retain the pigtail hairstyle, though the female version sometimes features a distinctive shiny spot. Personality traits include arrogance, stubbornness, and a tendency to insult others (e.g., calling Akane "uncute" or referencing her cooking skills). He exhibits fierce pride in his martial arts abilities and reacts strongly to perceived humiliation, often seeking rematches through trickery if defeated. Despite these flaws, he demonstrates a protective instinct, defending bystanders and fiancées from threats. He struggles with social interactions and romantic inexperience, frequently becoming flustered in intimate situations. His dual-gender existence causes initial humiliation, though he later pragmatically uses his female form for advantages like free meals or tactical deception. His martial arts proficiency centers on the adaptable "Anything-Goes" style (Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū), incorporating techniques from various disciplines. His male form favors strength-based combat, while his female form utilizes greater agility and speed. Notable rivals include Ryoga Hibiki (cursed into a black piglet), Tatewaki Kuno (obsessed with both Ranma's forms), and Shampoo (a Chinese Amazon bound by tribal marriage customs after losing to male Ranma). Key relationships involve multiple fiancées: Akane Tendo (primary engagement, characterized by mutual arguments and unacknowledged affection), Ukyo Kuonji (childhood friend promised marriage in exchange for her family's food cart), and Shampoo (pursues him due to Amazon law). His mother, Nodoka Saotome, poses a complication due to Genma's pledge that they would commit seppuku if Ranma failed to become a "true man among men," forcing Ranma to conceal his curse by masquerading as Akane's cousin "Ranko." Character development shows adaptation to his curse, shifting from viewing it as humiliating to treating it as an inconvenience or tool. Protective instincts toward Akane strengthen throughout conflicts, though he rarely verbally acknowledges his feelings. His rivalry with Ryoga evolves from lethal antagonism to reluctant cooperation against common threats. Interactions with his mother culminate in her accepting his curse after witnessing his "manly" behavior, though she remains vigilant against perceived femininity.