Sections
Yarou (野郎): what it means in anime
野郎
やろう · yarou · guy; bastard (rude) Not on JLPT lists
Yarou means "guy" in a rude sense and often lands as "bastard". Attached to another word it turns it into an insult: バカ野郎 (baka yarou), この野郎 (kono yarou).
Where you hear it 3 of 42 series
Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
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Tokyo Ghoul · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
やめろー！ やめろ バカ野郎！Stop! Stop that, you bastard!
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Psycho-Pass · 5 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 3
こんな所にいたのか！ 黄緑野郎Were you in a place like this? Yellow-green bastard
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Cowboy Bebop · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
ばか野郎 この野郎 うん？
Usage and nuance
On its own 野郎 can be almost neutral when a boss addresses his men (野郎ども, "you lot"). Aimed at one person it is an insult, and この野郎！ is a stock line before a punch is thrown.
It is strongly masculine. The equivalent for insulting a woman is different and rarer in anime, which is why 野郎 feels like a fighting word between men.
Subtitles translate it with whatever English swear fits the scene, from "jerk" to much stronger. The Japanese itself is cruder than "guy" and milder than the worst English options.
Hear 野郎 in Tokyo Ghoul6 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account