They make life a lot better, and more dangerous in some circumstances. But they offer something special to anime that people just can’t. They can be adorable, they can be cool or anthropomorphic, and they can be fun stand-out additions to any group of characters. Well this list will focus on some of the best animals throughout a variety of anime. Some of them are just mascots, and some of them are extremely important to the story. But a common theme between all of them is that they’re extremely memorable, and they get me excited any time I see them on screen.
20. Puar
Anime: Dragon Ball Puar made their way on this list, as they and Yamcha are one of my favorite duos in the Dragon Ball franchise. They’re fun, and their power of shape-shifting was something that I always was drawn to when I was younger – causing me to really love the concept to this day. Though they don’t have too much importance in regards to the fights in the series, they’re still a very fun character.
19. Umagon
Anime: Konjiki no Gash Bell This poor horse from Gash Bell didn’t have a partner for the longest time in the series – only getting someone to wield his book late in the series. Umagon didn’t have too much going for them power-wise for a little bit. But once someone claims his book, he becomes a valuable ally to Gash and his friends.
18. Monokuma
Anime: Danganronpa: The Animation A right little jerk, and a very fun villain. Monokuma appears in all of the Danganronpa anime and video games as a recurring character. I hate Monokuma, but I love Monokuma because I hate them. They take absolute delight and glee in pitting the students against each other, and watching chaos ensue.
17. #2
Anime: Kuroko no Basuke #2 (or Tetsuya #2) is one of my favorite dogs in all of anime. He’s a cute little mascot for the Seirin team, and a prime culprit in the torture of Kagami, who has a fear of dogs. #2 is honestly just an adorable little pup that always made me squeal happily whenever they appeared on the screen. How can you look at his cute blue eyes and not have your heart melt?
16. Wanpo
Anime: Hajime no Ippo Wanpo is another mascot here, similar to #2, but really just a moral support mascot for Ippo himself. Wanpo’s name is also (interesting enough) a play on words. Ippo means one step, and Wan, sounding like one in English, was used for his name. Just a neat little fact for a cute dog! Wanpo is also notable as a bit of a troublemaker, as during his very debut in the series he pooped on Ippo’s championship belt. But it’s hard to stay mad when you’re so cute.
15. Hawk
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins The flying pig, ironically named Hawk, is a very fun addition to the already colorful cast of Seven Deadly Sins. He’s Meliodas’ close companion who’s just adorable, and a helpful little guy who always helps clean up the bar after a long night of serving drinks. But despite the fact that he just looks like a pig, even he’s got a few secrets lying below the surface. Also he’s one of the only pigs in anime that’s more than just a farm animal.
14. Happy
Anime: Fairy Tail Happy is easily an icon at this point in anime. He’s Natsu’s best friend, and has been around him ever since the start of the series. Happy helps Natsu out with the power of flight – allowing him to not get motion sickness when Happy’s giving him a ride. So even if Happy doesn’t have the power of some of the other Wizards in the Fairy Tail guild, he offers an invaluable service to his best buddy.
13. Guts
Anime: Kill la Kill This energetic little pup is an absolute icon. His name betrays just how much of a little slugger that he is. Guts is Mako’s dog, and just like everyone else in Mako’s family, he has boundless energy for everything that he does. He doesn’t quite talk, but seems to have no problem saying his name. Just like a Pokémon. Speaking of whiiiich…
12. Eevee
Anime: Pokémon Eevee! My favorite mascot character in the entire franchise. Sorry Pikachu, I still love ya! But Eevee’s had my heart ever since I was little. All the different Eeveelutions definitely makes this little guy one of the most versatile and interesting Pokémon around. My personal favorites are Vaporeon and Umbreon, but honestly I can’t help but love everything Eevee-related!
11. Tokoyami
Anime: My Hero Academia Okay, this is not quite an animal. But one look at his head and you’ll understand why he’s on this list. Tokoyami is one of my favorite members of class 1-A. He speaks proper and kindly like a chivalrous knight, although he has one of the most dangerous and potentially self-destructive powers in the show. But his dedication to assist Deku, particularly in the tournament of season 2, is one of the main reasons why I love this bird-man.
10. Meow
Anime: Space Dandy As one of the core cast of Space Dandy, Meow is technically an alien and not a regular cat. But based on design and the many similarities, he’s fair game. He’s lazy and often doesn’t like getting into much of the high intensity acts of the rest of the team, and prefers to play video games and just chill most of the time. And if you ask him, he’s pivotal to the crew – and they’d practically fall apart without him. Plus, honestly? He’s pretty much just about everything you’d find in a narcissistic weeb. Despite his many faults, he’s funny and exemplifies some of the unfavorable aspects that some of us may not want to admit that we share.
9. Iggy
Anime: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders The sassy dog himself has made it into this list. Iggy is a late addition to the Stardust Crusaders, and one that does not get along well with the rest of the cast for some time. His constant laziness and stubbornness causes a bit of grief among his human colleagues. But he proves himself to be quite helpful despite that. Not only is he helpful, but he also expanded on the idea of animals having stands – something that was only shown off once prior to his introduction with the Monkey ship.
8. Appa
Anime: Avatar: The Last Airbender Whether you consider Avatar an anime or not is often a dangerous and heavily debated topic. But when it comes to animals in animation, it’s really hard not to mention Appa. This big oaf is the single reason why team Avatar was able to get around the world so effectively for a majority of the show. When an animal buddy goes missing, and you + your team start to miss their presence and hope for their safety, you know you’ve got a good animal friend.
7. Totoro
Anime: My Neighbor Totoro Miyazaki himself clarified that while Totoro is a spirit, he’s an animal spirit. So he definitely counts towards this list. And if we’re talking icons, Totoro is no slouch. He’s been one of the top poster-children for Studio Ghibli ever since his debut. It’s really hard not to love the big guy. And honestly the memories of the movie just constantly bring a smile to my face.
6. Ame & Yuki
Anime: Wolf Children As a sort of hybrid pick here, these two kids are like werewolves in a sense. They have both human and wolf forms. Regardless of which form they’re in, however, they are an absolute handful. Even though they’re trouble, they’re still some of the cutest kids in anime – and some of the best animals too. I highly recommend checking out Wolf Children by the way. I don’t see enough people talking about it, and it’s an absolute delight.
5. Ein
Anime: Cowboy Bebop Ein is the resident dog on the Bebop, and they’re mostly tied to Ed when it comes to screen time. Though there are scenes of Ein chilling alone. But it’s clear they’re the closest with each other. Ein is also one of the original cute dogs in anime, so I had to put him up near the top. As much as I love #2 and Wanpo, it’s important to know your roots. And in this case it’s hard to top the original. Plus how can you look at that scene where he just hops away and not grin ear to ear?
4. Fenneko
Anime: Aggretsuko If I counted Puar and Happy, I have no problems considering Fenneko for this list. And honestly this sassy fox is my favorite character from the show. She’s iconic in every scene she’s in, talking about her over obsession with social media constantly, while trying to downplay her addiction to it. Me too, Fenneko, me too. But beyond that, she’s just incredibly relatable. And whenever she falls for something, she falls hard for it – even if she insists that it’s stupid at first.
3. Luna
Anime: Sailor Moon Luna’s not just an adorable little cat that I swore was only black for the longest time (yet just recently realized she was purple, thanks colorblindness). No, this cat is also a very helpful advisor. Being the one that pretty much gave Usagi her powers in the first place, she’s pretty important to the entire story of the show. And certainly one of the more well-known cats in anime. She serves as Usagi’s advisor throughout just about the entire series, and generally does a pretty good job at keeping her safe when she can. Plus one look at that moon on her forehead and you know exactly what cat you’re looking at. When it comes to icons, she’s easily got one of the best designs.
2. Panda
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen Panda is well… a Panda, mostly. This absolute unit of a fighter is absolutely deadly in a fight – and serves as far more than just a sidekick or mascot in the show. Panda’s one of the few animals that gets into the fight and really stands out in the crowd, both literally and metaphorically, considering he’s quite tall compared to the rest of his class. And there’s a lot to like about him. He’s analytical and he’s predictive, always trying to stay one step ahead of his opponent.
1. Tony-Tony Chopper
Anime: One Piece The most iconic animal in anime is of course Tony-Tony Chopper. The genius (and goofy) reindeer doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Though many call him a raccoon-dog, his many abilities to shapeshift into different forms show off his reindeer form a bit more. He’s a fighter too – and a damn good one at that. He can even turn up his capabilities to a crazy level by eating little candies to help draw out the powers of his devil fruit. These forms can be anything from looking like a normal reindeer, to a pudgy form where he uses martial arts, and even one from turning him into a kaiju sized monster. Chopper is not only adorable, but he’s a pivotal member of the crew that makes sure that all the idiots stay alive after they inevitably get themselves into the insane amounts of trouble that they do. And while this is often debated, his post timeskip design is possibly one of the cutest looking character designs I’ve ever seen.
