Or even the ones you unashamedly love? Yes, for every annoying or just plain irritating character out there, I think there’s at least one of the best, or most adorablist (no that’s not a word, but it should be!) to balance them out. We’ve got heroes, villains, and side-characters alike in this ranking. So here’s our picks for the anime characters that (pretty much) nobody could bring themselves to hate.
15. Pikachu
Anime: Pokémon This iconic creature is the epitome of adorable when it comes to anime characters in general. Pikachu does pretty good for what amounts to an electric rat, doesn’t it? I’m kidding, of course – Pikachu has changed the face of merchandise forever through being so utterly cute that you just have to have one. It’s the face of a multi-billion dollar brand for a very good reason! And while the antics at the beginning of the show probably wouldn’t endear too many people to want to hang out with our little yellow friend, Pikachu proves to be a sidekick you just can’t – or don’t want to – be without.
14. Natsu Dragneel
Anime: Fairy Tail While you could take your pick of the lovable & endearing characters that can be found in the Fairy Tail universe, there aren’t as many you’d want to hang out with more than Natsu Dragneel. His cheeriness is nothing short of infectious. And the smile on his face can probably be seen for miles around with a good enough telescope. But at the same time, Natsu won’t stand for anyone threatening or harming the people he cares about, dishing out swift retribution to protect the ones he loves. Yes, he’s the best of both worlds – someone you can’t be without, and someone you wouldn’t want to cross!
13. Edward Elric
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Here’s proof that even flawed characters are deserving of all the love we can pour out to them. Edward Elric has too many redeeming qualities to not qualify for “loved” status. The less easily-swayed among you might have to look past some of his more violent indiscretions, however! His goal of restoring his little brother is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching – and only further makes us want to root for him to find the fabled Philosopher’s Stone. And given the amount of determination, bravery, and intelligence he shows at such a young age, there’s a myriad of reasons to love Edward all the more.
12. LeLouch Lamperouge
Anime: Code Geass Depending on your view of “loving” villains, this pick might not make a lot of sense to you – but hear me out, because LeLouch has just as much of a right to be here as anyone! His complicated morals and many layers make him a very difficult type of person to pin down. But most everyone loves him for just that reason. He isn’t a cut and dry Saturday Morning Cartoon villain. He has balance and grey areas, too. I mean, there’s no debate about him being a bad guy – he clearly is a bad guy! But there are levels to who he is as a person too that, when explored, show him to be a character that you can love for his complexity, just as much as you can hate for his wrong-doing.
11. All Might
Anime: My Hero Academia All Might is just a fantastic character in general, being a pastiche of all the overpowered & nationalistic superheroes of the age of comic books. We could just go by his voice in the English dub, and we could call him nothing but loveable right there! But it’s the stark contrast of his job and his persona that makes him a more relatable & likeable character. And it’s not hard to see why fans really gravitate towards him. Plus, who doesn’t love a superhero who only does good? He’s not one of those morally difficult ones in spandex – and that’s alright by me!
10. Yuuki Asuna
Anime: Sword Art Online The Berserk Healer storms towards enemies on the virtual battlefield, but has also stormed her way into many hearts and minds along the way too (was that too cheesy? That might have been a bit cheesy). Clichés aside, Yuuki Asuna was one of those best of pretty much every world characters. She’s kind and caring, but wouldn’t hesitate to get into a scrape. She’s a team player, but make no mistake – if she thinks she can do something quicker on her own, she’ll get it done! These are just a few of the many reasons we love her as a character. Thank goodness she came around about not caring whether she lived or died in the game, else we might have been robbed of her far too early.
9. Kakashi Hatake
Anime: Naruto Naruto has his be-masked mentor to thank for a lot. In fact, given just how vital Kakashi was to his training, it might be fair to say Naruto owes him everything, becoming a Hokage included. A big part of that is how he treats his students. He assumes the best of them and treats them as though they’re already capable of great things so that, when the time comes to use their training, they have the confidence already instilled in them. He’s a light-hearted man, too – and given his past you could forgive him for not being so serious. Kakashi gives respect and earns it back in multiples. And goodness knows we all love him very much.
8. Nezuko Kamado
Anime: Demon Slayer Nezuko is a rarity among demons in that she can curb an insatiable hunger for human flesh. But that’s not all Nezuko has going for her in the “people I’d be comfortable hanging around” stakes. She’s fiercely loyal to the people she loves, especially her brother, and her wide range of abilities are just as devastating as they are cool. Sure, she could turn you into a smoldering crater as quickly as she could look at you. But that’s all the more reason to love her if you don’t plan on crossing her! And last but not least, her baby form might be about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. That’s all I really need to say about it – if you know, you know.
7. Gintoki Sakata
Anime: Gintama The cheeky and charismatic Gintoki might be plagued by his own demons and vices. But as far as his character goes, it’s damn near impossible not to love him. This guy is a phenomenal swordsman with a heart of gold. And he’s as funny as he is lazy. And while his compatriots don’t tend to enjoy him eating sweets and quoting manga at them, we as the fans can’t get enough of it. Yes, he has done more than a few selfish acts in the name of comedy for the show. But Gintoki is an example of a flawed character who can be loved all the same.
6. Spike Spiegel
Anime: Cowboy Bebop I think at one point or another, we all wanted to be or be around Spike Spiegel. The dictionary must have a picture of him next to the words “cool”, “effortless” and “desirable”. But he isn’t just aesthetic flair – what we get with Spike is a well-rounded, well-developed character with plenty of interesting and functional backstory to lose ourselves in. He’s more than a bit dreamy too, isn’t he? The fighting moves, the hair… … sorry, what? I got a bit lost in my thoughts there, what was I saying? Oh yeah, Spike is great, let’s move on!
5. Monkey D Luffy
Anime: One Piece You don’t get to be the lead of one of the most popular anime of all time without running up a fair number of fans. And Monkey D Luffy is no exception to that rule. He’s lovable from his straw hat down to his exposed feet. All thanks to his demeanor, the way he’ll lay his life on the line for his friends, and quite frankly everything in-between too. Sure, he has a few shounen-esque issues that might turn people away. But those people are missing out on one of the most lovable characters ever to grace our screens.
4. Saitama
Anime: One Punch Man I’ll ask this question as plainly as I can: Who in their right mind doesn’t love every little thing about Saitama? I don’t think I want to meet anyone who doesn’t, that’s for sure. Even his intense ennui at getting no fun from seeing stuff explode after one punch is so endearing and enjoyable…. I almost feel bad for loving his misery so much. He’s funny in a dopey sort of way – which only enhances the urge to give his bald head a little squeeze of affection. I wouldn’t recommend actually doing that, though. Unless you’re looking to be exploded.
3. Goku
Anime: Dragon Ball Z An alien who can bleach his hair when he shouts really loudly… What’s so special about that? Before you stone me for blasphemy, I’m of course kidding. Goku has had an impact on me as a person roughly equivalent to the impact a meteor has on a small town. He’s practically unimpeachable in character, and his heart of gold mixed with his incredible skills as a warrior mean that he has pretty much everything going for him. We’re going to skip over the part where he was sent to destroy Earth though… because hey, in the end he didn’t do it!
2. Levi Ackerman
Anime: Attack on Titan Brooding and intense, Levi might seem like he doesn’t care about anything but making sure the nearest Titan is no longer alive. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Underneath that thousand-yard stare (which has gathered a few fans all of its own!) his inner turmoil is split between saving the world, and making sure everyone else that fights beside him is safe. Yes, even at a personal cost. He takes beatings like you wouldn’t believe in the name of protecting his young colleagues. And that sort of self-sacrifice is just reason on a list of reasons as long as your arm of why Levi is loved so much.
1. L
Anime: Death Note Our top spot goes to the enigmatic mystery man himself. We all love L as much as L loves tiny little cakes on trays and tea with enough sugar in it to kill a horse. It can be a little hard to categories whether L is a “good guy” or not – he’s on the side of justice, sure, but his methods range from the strange to the completely immoral. Some might say his obsession with Kira borders the road marked “Creepy Avenue” as well. But he’s one of those characters that’s so interesting and charismatic, even when he’s doing the wrong thing in pursuit of the right thing, that I don’t think there would be enough people that hate him to shake hands with each other.
