What is a goth? Well the real definition doesn’t really matter – let’s say a goth is “someone depressively dark” that’ll do the trick. In anime we see a lot of dark and brooding characters, such as Kirito from SAO or Yuki from Mirai Nikki, but those are more on the edgy-emo-TooCool4U side. We don’t want that here. Right now we’re here for the purely dark, not the depressive. And for some inexplicable reason, goth girls are mostly lolis. Trust me, I tried to even it out with fewer lolis. Now I’ll admit there might be a bit of bias towards characters in the higher tiers, but other than that I’d say this list is pretty fair. Let’s have at it!
15. Hannah Annafellow
Anime: Black Butler Ah, Black Butler. This show is pretty much heaven for all things gothic – the dark story, characters, and setting are perfect for them. And amid all the pretty boys and blood-red villainesses, Hannah stands out – a gothic lolita demon servant. Hannah is the maid of the Trancy household. And Alois Trancy’s contracted demon. She is softspoken and slightly masochistic toward Alois (not in a kinky way, get your mind out of the gutter). Her greatest (and only) wish is her master’s happiness, contradictory to her softspoken attitude.
14. Misa Amane
Anime: Death Note Death Note: the place for intelligent battles where losing a fight means advancing the war. Among the cast of Death Note, most everyone has a moody persona. Well, everyone except the universally disliked by fans Misa Amane. Amane is a model and idol once saved from death by a shinigami – ironic as the shinigami are literally gods of death. Her adoration for Kira comes from him killing the one who murdered her family – obsessive admiration. This leads to her becoming… ah, I shouldn’t spoil too much. Go watch Death Note!
13. Lust
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Very fitting that this number 13 spot is taken by Lust – the embodiment of mortal sin. And hot goth to boot. By herself, Lust is a very interesting character both design-wise and plot-wise. She is a homunculus, the result of taboo alchemy to bring back the dead (or fix the living). And her gothy-ness shines through. Her whole ark is just emotionally upsetting and dark, and I love it – great writing!
12. Medusa Gorgon
Anime: Soul Eater Now this anime is a great example of a concept being done great (unlike SAO Cough) Medusa herself is a Hero-Turned-Evil – she used to be a student and nurse at Death Weapon Meister Academy but then got the brilliant (not) idea to revive Asura. Medusa’s design is a cloaked creature with slightly green pale skin and tired eyes. This in itself is a reference to the greek Medusa, but now it’s more goth-y. And it seems goth runs in the family! Her daughter Crona is also a goth swordsman, and although she didn’t make the list she should be mentioned.
11. Evangeline McDowell
Anime: UQ Holder This is a rather special case since Evangeline has two forms, an adult vampire magic teacher and a gothic loli in love (and trapped in the past). For this list, we’re using her goth loli form of course! Evangeline is sweet and snarky, teasing the main character but still showing her great care for him. I’d gladly rank her up to number 1 – 3 just because I like the manga so much, but sadly I do not think many others would agree with that choice.
10. Dalian
Anime: The Mystic Archives of Dantalian Dalian is another loli-ish character that is actually very old. Although her age isn’t directly stated, it’s speculated to be in the hundreds! Her claim to fame on this list is her title – “Black biblioprincess” and her gothic style of clothing. Dalian is the keeper of the 900,666 Phantom Books and an extremely unwelcoming librarian. Like, imagine the one librarian you had in high school and turn up their annoyance meter to “will literally kill you for disrupting her reading”. As suggested, Dalian isn’t the most welcoming with her rude and flippant persona. But she shows a more welcoming side when offered sweets.
9. Kurumi Tokisaki
Anime: Date a Live Now here we have Kurumi, probably the most iconic psycho girl in anime! With her frilly red & black dress and time manipulating abilities, she’s the hardest target to capture in the Date a Live series. Kurumi has bipolar disorder, but in a way more literal way. She’s two people at once. The shy highschooler and the assertive spirit that wants nothing more than a simple stroll, presumably killing a few thousand people along the way. She is regarded literally as the “Worst Spirit”. Go figure.
8. Rory Mercury
Anime: Gate Continuing the 100+ year loli gothic lolita (in this case 900+) trend we have Rory from Gate, who has the pretty and cutesy title “Apostle of Emroy, the god of war, violence, and death”. Now that is contrast! Rory is the type to be friendly until the time comes to bare her fangs. That’s where her sadistic side comes to light. She slaughters her enemies with a smile, savoring their screams… that got dark fast, didn’t it? Rory’s clothing style closely resembles Kurumi’s (earlier in the list) in the color scheme and frilly outfit. It’s quite goth, I have to say.
7. Road Kamelot
Anime: D. Gray-man And here we have a slight variation of the old loli – a teen that looks 15 but is considered the oldest of the Noah. Road is the villain, but she certainly doesn’t seem one. Her appearance might be zombie-like and have an affinity for blood but her personality is pretty normal. Road has a child-like need for entertainment and sweets, making her seem all the more powerless. Which couldn’t be less true since Road has a plethora of psychic powers, and even her own dimension!
6. Yomi Takanashi / Dead Master
Anime: Black★Rock Shooter Let’s just say first that I have a strong bias towards Black★Rock Shooter. And it is great that literally all characters in the show are gothic in some way. But I’ll only include two on this list to keep it even. So, Yomi (and Mato) are a special case. They by themselves aren’t goths in any way, but their alter egos from Hazama are. And that’s another story in itself. Her alter ego Dead Master is a Necromancer with a black and green color palette. Pretty, deadly and dark, just how I like my coffee.
5. Shaltear Bloodfallen
Anime: Overlord Shaltear is yet another elder loli, and yet again she fits as the goth of the series – over such characters as Albedo, who I think could also kind of fit here. She is a gothic style vampire, but unlike the brooding Evangeline from earlier, Shaltear is more on the arrogant-ruler side of vampirism. Bloodfallen is one of the floor guardians of Nazarick. And her frightening powers reflect this position well. Even some of the supreme beings can be troubled by her power.
4. Celestia Ludenberg
Anime: Danganronpa Celestia Ludenberg is a character in Danganronpa and a pathological liar. Most, if not all info we actually know about her is presumably false. Which is always fun, huh? She’s actually goth for an entirely valid reason. She admired European royalty, so that’s what she based her wardrobe on. OK, maybe not all that valid but she’s definitely got that goth look to her. Not to mention that crazy curly hair.
3. Mato Kuroi
Anime: Black★Rock Shooter And here’s the second character from Black★Rock Shooter, this time it’s the MC! Mato possesses probably the greatest alter ego and real-world persona contrast in the show. And is the one to solve everyone’s problems in Hazama. She’s a headstrong and determined fighter, and I don’t think I can add anything more. I mean just look at her.
2. Rinko Ogasawara
Anime: Shirobako While researching goth characters and looking into other fan’s opinions, one name kept coming up: Rinko Ogasawara. She’s highly regarded in the fandom as the classic goth, and her alias is literally Goth Lolita. Rinko was timid and subservient at first. But after her work was rejected many times she stepped up to become tougher and stronger, becoming a star key animator, character designer, and the general animation supervisor of “Exodus!”. The anime is actually really cool, check it out if you’re into anime about animation & art.
1. Re-L Mayer
Anime: Ergo Proxy Ahh, Mayer… arguably the most goth an anime character can be. Her whole being just screams ‘Goth’ She’s rebellious, odd, and wants the answers the world can’t give her. Is this not the perfect example? Her personality isn’t the only thing ‘goth’ about her. Her design is literally what every teen imagines themselves to look like when they rebel. The black clothes, the eyeliner – it’s wondrous, really! So if you’re looking for a goth character to worship I think she’s your girl.
