There's never been a better time to be an anime fan. Long gone are the days of paying $50 for a VHS of three episodes of your favorite show. The proliferation of streaming services and popularity of anime have made it a golden age for fans who want to enjoy anime new and old alike.
Which leads us to this list. Being able to watch all of our favorite shows has gotten us thinking about the best anime characters of all time, from deep-cut faves to the classics who shaped anime as we know it.
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Before we get to our list, here are a few ground rules on how we landed on this selection. Each character has been selected for their lasting impact, their place in anime history, and, of course, how much we love them here at . Picking only 25 was one of the hardest tasks we've undertaken, but that's the kind of sacrifice we make for you (plenty of favorites just missed this list, from Shotaro Kaneda to Char Aznable to Alucard). Our anime experts put their heads together and made the hard choices so that we could celebrate the best of the best.
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So keep reading or swipe through the slideshow to see our picks for the top 25 anime characters of all time! You can also check out our guide to the best anime series of all time for more.
One of the oldest anime characters in existence, Astro Boy first appeared on television screens in 1963, helping to usher in the phenomenon now known worldwide as anime. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the father of manga, the original Astro Boy was a mix of the classic Pinocchio tale with the science and zeitgeist of the post-war Atomic Age (in Japan, Astro's name is Tetsuwan Atom). In the original story, Astro was created by Dr. Tenma to replace his own son, who had died in a car accident. Out of that grief was borne the bright-eyed robot boy named Astro, who then became destined to use his X-ray vision, rocket-booster feet, and 100, 000-horsepower arms to protect humanity from itself.
Astro Boy's des is quite childish, and there's no question that he has appeal with kids. But beyond those long lashes and that cute smile is a character who portrayed stories for Japanese children who had seen war (even Astro's father Dr. Tenma goes insane from the grief of losing his son). Astro, a boy who was both more than human and less than human, guided kids through complex morality tales where the characters had complicated motivations, social problems didn't always have easy solutions, and people had the capacity to perform both great acts of kindness and of evil.
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Ever the reluctant fighter, Vash was a living contradiction. He's gifted with superhuman fighting abilities, but also a superhuman capacity for compassion and kindness. He's a character who suffered countless scars and wounds to his own body to protect others, even the very villains he was trying to stop, and his vow to never take a life provides plenty of drama in Trigun as his enemies use his virtue against him.
Vash is called the humanoid typhoon because utter destruction tends to follow him wherever he goes, and there's a huge bounty on his head. But in reality, he's humanity's secret guardian angel on the distant, wild planet of Gunsmoke. As a Plant, he's a being with power that few can comprehend. He's the greatest gunman on the planet, and all the criminals he faces don't stand a chance against him. But Vash's true challenge is in saving the world from his brother Knives, and it's this conflict that brings out Vash's real heroism. The tale of Vash's childhood and his mother figure Rem is a great story, as is the story of how Knives ended up being the polar opposite of Vash. Although Vash is often portrayed as a childish goofball, in reality he's a very complex and tortured character who is doing his best to save people who never even know what he's done for them.
Lelouch was one of the best examples of a hero gone astray. As often happens in dramatic stories, his good intentions paved a road to a dark place. The words the ends justify the means were his mantra, but his desire to right wrongs and create a better world for his sister led him to become the exact kind of despot that he was trying to fight against. His rise and downfall is almost Shakespearean in nature, as his own pride and arrogance cloud his judgment and he misses out on what was truly important.
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But at least he did it all with a sense of dramatic flair! His alter ego Zero, complete with mysterious helmet and flowing cape, was an iconic tool to secure a place in the psyche of both his enemies and his followers. But it wasn't just a costume; slowly Zero becomes a persona for Lelouch until eventually the hopeful boy he was starts to fade away. In the end, Lelouch's plans are successful, though not in the way anyone ever expected.
Diabolical, calculating, and determined to remake the world in his own image, Light Yagami was the force that drove Death Note and made it a phenomenon. The manga was incredibly addictive; it was absolute can't-put-it-down material (largely due to author Tsugumi Ohba's masterful use of cliffhangers). The story heavily relied upon Light's cleverness, and the layers upon layers that comprised his plans. Light started out as a good kid, doing well in school and heading to a bright career in police work like his father. But when he gets possession of the Death Note, he begins a remarkable transformation into a disturbing mastermind who becomes judge, jury, and executioner for the entire world.
But Light's character remains complicated throughout the story. His ultimate goal is to make the world a happier, safer place; a noble goal but perhaps misguided. His idealism and nobility still shine through when he doesn't have the Death Note. When he temporarily relinquishes ownership of the Death Note to throw L off his trail, Light loses all memory of it and he reverts to his normal personality. His sense of morality returns and he shows more compassion for those around him. He even refuses to use Misa Amane to get information out of her when L asks him to. These qualities help to create a complex character who ends up being a detestable villain, yet you still kind of root for him to come out of this story as a winner. Light's progression through the series is marked by his brilliance. He's got a mind that would make Machiavelli jealous, and the power of the Death Note adds a callousness that makes him free to use people in whatever way necessary to accomplish his goals. It's highly entertaining to see his intricate plans play out. But Light's ego is just as big as his brain, and that arrogance ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.
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The arch-nemesis of the Joestar family and the first of two JoJo's entries onto our list, Dio Brando is a delectably detestable villain. Raised by an abusive father, at an early age Dio dedicated himself to destroying the Joestar family after being taken in as an orphan. From tormenting the family to torturing their pets, Dio's evil only grew once he found the Stone Mask, a relic which turned those who wore it into vampires -- a fate he would later meet himself. At one point Dio even used it to create an undead army of followers including diabolical figures like Jack the Ripper, showing just how evil he really was. One of anime's greatest antagonists, Dio also later became a Stand user, adding to his terrifying and terrible powerset.
Father figures loom large over some of our favorite anime characters, and none more so than Gon. The young boy's life has been defined by the absence of his father, Ging, and it inspires his quest to become a hunter, and sends him on an epic quest when he realizes his dead father is actually alive. Raised in the forest by his aunt, Gon is closely attuned to nature and animals, making him a skilled hunter. But despite these skills, he's still just a kid who can be impatient, impetuous, and ill-tempered. That rarely gets in the way of his determination to become the best Hunter he can be, though. That juxtaposition of coming of age story and fantasy make Gon and Hunter X Hunter one of the most relatable and fun anime series – and protagonists – ever.
Major Motoko Kusanagi is the driving force behind the Ghost in the Shell franchise. The story often descends into long dialogue full of political drama, but Motoko keeps things interesting. She's not just a participant in all the political intrigue, she's a master of it, proving that she's more than a pretty face behind a gun. She's also a very capable detective, often going solo to root out
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But at least he did it all with a sense of dramatic flair! His alter ego Zero, complete with mysterious helmet and flowing cape, was an iconic tool to secure a place in the psyche of both his enemies and his followers. But it wasn't just a costume; slowly Zero becomes a persona for Lelouch until eventually the hopeful boy he was starts to fade away. In the end, Lelouch's plans are successful, though not in the way anyone ever expected.
Diabolical, calculating, and determined to remake the world in his own image, Light Yagami was the force that drove Death Note and made it a phenomenon. The manga was incredibly addictive; it was absolute can't-put-it-down material (largely due to author Tsugumi Ohba's masterful use of cliffhangers). The story heavily relied upon Light's cleverness, and the layers upon layers that comprised his plans. Light started out as a good kid, doing well in school and heading to a bright career in police work like his father. But when he gets possession of the Death Note, he begins a remarkable transformation into a disturbing mastermind who becomes judge, jury, and executioner for the entire world.
But Light's character remains complicated throughout the story. His ultimate goal is to make the world a happier, safer place; a noble goal but perhaps misguided. His idealism and nobility still shine through when he doesn't have the Death Note. When he temporarily relinquishes ownership of the Death Note to throw L off his trail, Light loses all memory of it and he reverts to his normal personality. His sense of morality returns and he shows more compassion for those around him. He even refuses to use Misa Amane to get information out of her when L asks him to. These qualities help to create a complex character who ends up being a detestable villain, yet you still kind of root for him to come out of this story as a winner. Light's progression through the series is marked by his brilliance. He's got a mind that would make Machiavelli jealous, and the power of the Death Note adds a callousness that makes him free to use people in whatever way necessary to accomplish his goals. It's highly entertaining to see his intricate plans play out. But Light's ego is just as big as his brain, and that arrogance ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.
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The arch-nemesis of the Joestar family and the first of two JoJo's entries onto our list, Dio Brando is a delectably detestable villain. Raised by an abusive father, at an early age Dio dedicated himself to destroying the Joestar family after being taken in as an orphan. From tormenting the family to torturing their pets, Dio's evil only grew once he found the Stone Mask, a relic which turned those who wore it into vampires -- a fate he would later meet himself. At one point Dio even used it to create an undead army of followers including diabolical figures like Jack the Ripper, showing just how evil he really was. One of anime's greatest antagonists, Dio also later became a Stand user, adding to his terrifying and terrible powerset.
Father figures loom large over some of our favorite anime characters, and none more so than Gon. The young boy's life has been defined by the absence of his father, Ging, and it inspires his quest to become a hunter, and sends him on an epic quest when he realizes his dead father is actually alive. Raised in the forest by his aunt, Gon is closely attuned to nature and animals, making him a skilled hunter. But despite these skills, he's still just a kid who can be impatient, impetuous, and ill-tempered. That rarely gets in the way of his determination to become the best Hunter he can be, though. That juxtaposition of coming of age story and fantasy make Gon and Hunter X Hunter one of the most relatable and fun anime series – and protagonists – ever.
Major Motoko Kusanagi is the driving force behind the Ghost in the Shell franchise. The story often descends into long dialogue full of political drama, but Motoko keeps things interesting. She's not just a participant in all the political intrigue, she's a master of it, proving that she's more than a pretty face behind a gun. She's also a very capable detective, often going solo to root out
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