I mean, even a world as dark as Berserk has a Puck to lighten things up. But who would be the cream of the crop when it comes to these kinds of jokesters? Well that’s what we’re going to explore today. Let’s have a look at my ranking of the absolute best comic relief characters that anime has to offer.
20. Ginrou
Anime: Dr. Stone I wish Bill Nye had a Ginrou on the show, would have made it even better. The main reason being that Ginrou really is just a little sleezy bastard, and I love him for it. Everyone is out here with their morals in check, goals for their future, being admirable in every way… and then there’s Ginrou. He just wants to chill out, maybe get some shiny things and some ladies, and that’s it. No wonder he’s always the first to jump aboard any evil scheme Senku comes up with. The little troll deserves at least a bottom-tier somewhere on here.
19. Naru
Anime: Barakamon With Naru I wouldn’t really say that she’s just a comic relief character. But more so an overall ray of sunshine and positive emotions. When paired with the cynical, grumpy, and ill-tempered Sei, Naru’s personality shines the brightest, as she gets to get on his nerves, maybe does some slap-stick escapes, or as she’s just so contagiously positive that even Sai cracks a smile. I can’t rate Naru too high, though, as again she isn’t always used for comedic relief. But I think she deserves to at least be mentioned.
18. Mikuru Asahina
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya I feel bad for Mikuru. It isn’t even necessarily that she herself is funny, but rather that she’s the butt of every joke, and a few cases of classic harassment. While everyone else is a bit darker and more cynical, Mikuru is like a ray of sunshine who just goes along with everything because she’s too shy to say no. And a person like that is bound to get exploited by Haruhi, to her dismay, and our amusement.
17. Hawk
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins I don’t usually like mascot characters. But Hawk is an exception. This talking piggy never seems to run out of things to say, and just can’t help but challenge literal demons to a fight. You would think that he’s at least extremely powerful, and okay he did a few semi useful things… but most of the time it’s just pure ego. And I’m here for it. He gets just enough screen time to be relevant, but never felt overbearing or forced. This makes him a very good base model of what a comic relief character should look like.
16. Ram
Anime: Re:Zero Re:Zero is extremely depressing. I mean, it’s about a guy dying over and over again. And what’s even more depressing is that the comic relief characters just insult the protagonist to “fulfil their role”. That’s right, no looney character that would make Subaru feel better about himself, but rather a cold-hearted Rem who never ceases to make me laugh with her ingenuity of insults. Maybe it says something about me that I find her hilarious. But I’m sticking to my guns, even if I have to put her lower on the list.
15. Dazai
Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs Okay when I tell you why Dazai is such a funny character it’s going to sound insensitive, but stay with me. The man just really wants to off himself, but is absolutely terrible at it. He’s constantly jumping into rivers or into something that could crush him, maybe even expecting some rope if he is feeling frisky… and he’s doing this even though he doesn’t mope around or seem to be all that sad. He’s the type of character that will make an excellent joke, and then jump into a woodchipper because his job is done. You really have to watch the show to get it. Not comedy gold but a very strong pick nevertheless.
14. Mr. Satan
Anime: Dragon Ball Z In the midst of the Cell saga, the last thing anyone could expect is this clown yelling about smoke and mirrors. And for a second, I thought it was going to be a one-off bit. But oh boy did my man Satan stick around. The longer he was around, the better he got. Because honestly looking at the bigger picture, having this middle aged balding loud-mouth among god-level fighters was a brilliant idea from the start. But having him actually try and defeat Buu was beyond brilliant. He truly is the man that we shouldn’t necessarily aspire to be, but rather hope that he gets onto reality TV.
13. Shinra
Anime: Durarara!! Shinra is such a nerd that it’s a sight to behold. He’s the most lovable and cartoony of the bunch, as his undying love for Celty makes him very expressive and very loony. And that’s when he’s at his funniest, just chilling on the couch with Celty, trying to make her laugh and maybe get some action, who knows. She can basically tape him to the ceiling and he’ll keep on making jokes and laughing because he lives for his queen. Mid-tier.
12. Ekubo (Dimple)
Anime: Mob Psycho 100 Mob Psycho has quite a few funny characters. But I think no other character is as consistently funny as Dimple, the little flying bugger ghost. He was initially an antagonist, but taking Mob’s power into account that didn’t last very long. So he transitioned into a lovable side-kick who would throw wise-cracks during battles, and sometimes even possess someone and join in on the fun. His character never felt forced, and his relationship with the gang seems natural, so into the mid-tier he goes.
11. Inosuke
Anime: Demon Slayer I like Inosuke because he has the most chaotic energy out there. Especially when it comes to his competitiveness. I mean, he challenged Tanjirou to a corpse burying competition at one point. Or to be more precise, Tanjirou tricked him into thinking that way. He’s capable of laughing like a child amidst a bloody battle, and can find enjoyment in most things. He also has very random outbursts of aggression that always seem to catch me off guard, and force a smile onto my face. His teammates find it way less funny.
10. Jiraiya
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden Naruto as a whole definitely isn’t as laid back and funny as the other shows on this list. But when it does go that route, the pervy sage is usually somewhere near, except a few times when Shikamaru became the most relatable character on the Internet. The man is an amazing fighter. And there is no doubt that he made Naruto who he is. But man, does he live up to his pervy title. He just can’t help but peep on women. And he’s not above blaming it on his pupil. Unfortunately, he didn’t get enough time to truly stick out as a comic relief character. But at least he was remembered as a legend.
9. Koro-Sensei
Anime: Assassination Classroom If it weren’t for the first episode, I never would have guessed that the entire plot of the show is that this lovable yellow octopus man is going to blow up the moon and his class needs to kill him. Although he doesn’t have much to offer in terms of facial features, the animators somehow made him crazy expressive. To the point that he absolutely cracks me up. The fact that he’s so high energy and smiles in 95% of the scenes he’s in, just leaves you smiling as well. And then when he gets pranked by a student and starts throwing a tantrum like a child you can’t help but laugh.
8. Hanako Honda
Anime: Asobi Asobase In my opinion, Asobi Asobase wouldn’t be even half the comedy it is were it not for this character. Because most of the time, the humor is either based on her being insane, or people reacting to her insanity. The writing team just really set out to write her in a way that nothing was off limits, making her extremely in-your-face, loud, and impossible to ignore. Whenever she throws a hissy fit, which is quite often, the animators also just go nuts making her as expressive as a character can possibly be. If Asobi Asobase ever comes out in 3D, Hanako will definitely scare half the audience senseless.
7. Zenitsu
Anime: Demon Slayer I know I already had a Demon Slayer character on here, but what can I say? For a show that’s all about murder, it is actually quite funny. Cowardly Thor is by far my favourite. Just because of the juxtaposition of his character when he’s passed on and conscious. In one hand you have this zippy badass who takes down his enemies in a single swipe, and on the other hand you’ve got a little crybaby who really wants a ten-year-old to be his bodyguard. It’s just priceless.
6. Nendou
Anime: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. “So stupid that they’re funny” characters are all over the place. But Nendou is by far one of my favorites. This is because the writing team really took his stupidity to new hights, like Saiki not even being able to read his mind because he just presumably never thinks. And to this day one of my favorite lines came out of Nendou’s mouth, when he was on a plane that started shaking, he simply said “it must be an earthquake”. I don’t know if the punchline translates well into text, but that had me in tears, top tier.
5. Hinako Inui
Anime: Food Wars Food wars actually has a surprising amount of funny characters. But if I had to pick one that made me laugh the most consistently, it would be Hinako. They just made her out to be such an adorable child (yet not even a child, she’s in her 20s) that seemingly has not a care in the world, and can say whatever comes to mind, and often does some pretty laugh-worthy stuff. Or maybe she’s just my waifu and this is how I profess my love? Don’t judge me. She didn’t have a lot of screen time. But she was so effective with the time that she did get, that I can’t help but put her among the big boys.
4. Miria & Isaac
Anime: Baccano! Aside from being one of the best couples anime has to offer, these two also works as excellent gag characters. Their actions are akin to Looney Toon characters. And the voice actors in both the subbed and dubbed versions seem to be having the time of their lives. Even while a deadly “creature” was murdering people across the train, I could never feel tense when these two were on screen. A few times I even forgot that they were literally criminals because they seemed so jovial and nice towards everyone. High tier without a doubt.
3. Mumen Rider
Anime: One Punch Man One Punch Man poked fun at a lot of superhero tropes. But I think the pinnacle of its comedy was Mumen Rider. Just having this average dude who has a heart of gold, but no real power, trying to pull off a Rock Lee and failing miserably has put me to tears multiple times. His fight against the Deep Sea King is one of my favorite scenes in anime. And has never ceased to make me chuckle. In fact, give me a second… Yep, it’s still funny, top-tier.
2. Kazuma
Anime: KonoSuba If you’ve spent any time around anime communities online, you have probably seen a picture of this man. The man who fights for equality through drop kicks, and whose hand movement had more people rolling than most Hollywood comedies. Kazuma’s charm is that he’s painfully realistic, he doesn’t care about knightly honor or saving the world, he likes to live in comfortably, to get the bag, and to get some action. Even that last part sets him aside from most protagonists, because the man is aware of his hormones without going into full perv-mode. One of my all-time favorites.
1. Mako
Anime: Kill la Kill Writing a character like Mako is quite the hit or miss situation (I guess they never miss), as she’s so over the top that she will either be universally loved or hated. Luckily, Kill la Kill is a show about sentient clothes and the powers of being naked. So Mako fits right in. Mako trying to explain absolutely anything was my favorite part of the show, and even her relationship with Gamagoori had me chuckling. No scene could be completely serious if Mako was anywhere near it. Which to me, makes her the very best in comedic relief.
