I’m going to start this post of favourite anime characters by giving a huge shout out to CFREEZE for inspiring this post as they recently shared their favourite anime characters for each letter of the English alphabet. It sounded like such a fun post to write I couldn’t resist and asked if they minded my borrowing the idea.
Of course the did leave me with the task of actually figuring out who my favourite anime character is for each letter of the alphabet and while some are going to be super easy other letters are going to leave me either scratching my head or wanting to nominate twenty characters. Still, this is a really fun idea for a list and a great excuse to spend some time scrolling through old lists of characters and as always I’d love to know what my readers think so be sure to share your favourites.
The list – Who is my favourite anime character for each letter of the alphabet?
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: A
We have to start of with a slightly tragic one as my favourite anime character beginning with A is actually Allen Walker from D Gray Man. He’s the kind of character I just want to give a hug to and he goes through some seriously painful moments but still mostly remains upbeat.
For every power-up this kid gets he really does pay for it and every battle is literally a matter of life and death. Allen also isn’t just the sweet guy protagonist as when it comes to money, he never kids around (and don’t even try to gamble against him). Still, with everything horrible that has every happened to him, he still manages to be a decent human and works his hardest to do what he thinks is right even if it puts him at odds with others, again and again.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: B
This was great timing because someone mentioned the wondrous Benten on their blog the other day and I wondered why she doesn’t get mentioned more often. I get The Eccentric Family kind of flew under the radar but it was a pretty solid anime and Benten was a great character.
She’s one of those antagonistic characters that you can’t ever tell if she’s serious or not, but either way she’s terrifying because she’s just so calm all the time. Benten terrorises the Tanuki’s just by the mere mention of her name and it is clear she has the power to back up the reputation.
Definitely a character I love and one who is quite complex when you start thinking about her motives and how she develops over the course of the two seasons.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: C
Do I get bonus points for two C’s in this one? C.C from Code Geass is definitely my pick.
This pizza loving character is the reason Lelouche has the power to fight back at all and while her history is a mystery for much of the series, all will eventually come out before the end. C.C is a great supporting character and looks very cute while eating pizza.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: D
Wow, two in a row. This character is D, from Vampire Hunter D.
Pretty much your standard broody half-vampire who travels the world hunting other vampires for money (if you ignore the futuristic setting, the talking hand, and the mechanical horse). Vampire Hunter D is very old-school and I kind of love him because of it.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: E
This one is going to Envy from Full Metal Alchemist.
This is a character who is as cruel as they come and yet somehow manages to make you love them. Envy is dynamic and takes control of every scene they are in. While you know that Envy needs to be defeated in order for the protagonists to move forward, part of you kind of hopes Envy will win. Certainly fun while it lasted.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: F
Straight away I knew this was going to go to Fai from Tsubasa Chronicles.
While he’s more a supporting role he is perhaps the most interesting of the group travelling between worlds with Syaoran. He’s very powerful but puts limitations on himself and at times leaves himself in danger because he won’t use his power. Also, he has mastered a nonchalant personality to hide everything underneath.
Of all the characters in the story, Fai was the one I wanted to know more about.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: G
Because she definitely stole the anime, I’m throwing Yuno Gasai on this list, from Future Diary.
She might be a little extreme but you cannot deny that this pink haired character has presence. She’s also got a plan and she’s tough enough to carry it out (even if it is a little insane).
Yuno Gasai is one of those characters that will stick with you long after you’ve forgotten most of what happened in the anime.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: H
At first I thought I was going to go with Haruhi Suzumiya or someone super cool like Hitsuguya for H but then I decided I wanted to give a shout out to a lesser known but quite interesting character, Haruhiro from Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash.
Here’s a character who really does start ordinary, waking up in a fantasy world and as most of us would discover, having pretty much zero skill in killing creatures in the forest. To his credit, Haruhiro doesn’t give up (because he’d starve to death) and instead works to make himself just a little bit stronger.
It all gets harder when he is suddenly thrust into a leadership role that he is just not suited for and again, he takes it seriously and does his best, but he isn’t instantly transformed into some kind of genius leader that everyone just falls in behind. In honesty, its his real every-dayness that makes Haruhiro stand out from so many other anime characters.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: I
Cat boy coming in with Ikuto Tsukiyomi from Shugo Chara getting a spot on the list.
Do I really need to explain why this violin playing cat boy deserves a spot on this list? He’s seriously the best part of Shugo Chara and honestly I love that his powers give him the traits of a feline and he’ll happily come and go as he pleases and sleep more or less anywhere. He’s also quite playful so you should be on your guard.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: J
Yes, I’m so happy to be able to include Jack Simon on this list (AKA November 11). He’s the English agent in Darker Than Black who may as well be a walking anti-smoking commercial but you do not want to go head to head with his power if you can avoid it.
I love that he’s so chilled and laid back most of the time and quite funny throwing a number of what might be but also might not be sarcastic comments into the midst. He’s got quite the nasty personality as his really long answering machine message makes someone wait forever before they can speak, which in one instance practically leaves him without getting the crucial information because it took too long.
Anyway, I kind of wish there was a spin-off series with Jack’s exploits before he comes to Japan because I think he could really do an awesome job as the protagonist.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: K
This one will be contentious and I don’t care. I love him. Kirito from Sword Art Online is a cool character (or at least was during the Aincrad Arc) and he totally hooked me into his story. That the character later languishes doesn’t change the fact that I think he’s awesome.
As much as lots of people like to complain about Kirito, I found him charming and loved watching him grow from the scared boy who left Klein behind in the beginning city in episode 1 to the guy who stopped running away and eventually joined with others to take on the tower.
Not to mention, he’s got some mad moves and he understands the importance of down time.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: L
The coolest of the Sailor Scouts and a character so influential on me that I actually worked on using her hair style for longer than I’d care to actually admit when I was a teen, Lita Kino (AKA Sailor Jupiter).
As Lita she’s sweet, wants to help and protect her friends, is an awesome cook, and is constantly falling in love and having her heart broken. She’s dramatic and throws herself into whatever she is doing with a passion and is basicaly just a bundle of fun to watch.
As Sailor Jupiter she’s the tallest of the scouts and her lightning power packs a punch. She’s also one of the more physical fighters in the group going toe to toe with Darian when he was evil and regularly choosing to take a more violent approach to solving a problem. Got to love her directness.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: M
Not entirely sure if this one counts but I’m giving M to Migi from Parasyte the Maxim.
As the alien thing that has taken over Shinichi’s right hand, he’s given the name Migi but never really cares for names. Still, he learns to co-exist with Shinichi for the sake of survival and by the end of the series there’s a near grudging respect between the two.
While you could argue Shinichi wouldn’t have been in life threatening danger without Migi ever appearing, you could also argue that without the abilities given to Shinichi through the ongoing merge of himself with Migi he would never have survived the parasite invasion.
Either way, Migi is an interesting character, curious to a fault, and at his core completely focussed on his own survival above everything else.
I really wanted to go Maka from Soul Eater but I kind of go on about her a lot anyway (still she’s awesome).
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: N
N is absolutely a tie but I don’t think it’s cheating because both characters come from the same anime. Naturally I am talking about the wonderful Natsume’s Book of Friends and the two characters are Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei.
This pair of misfits are adorable to watch as they build a relationship throughout the seasons of Natsume. While Nyanko-Sensei likes to act cold and indifferent, at the end of the day he hasn’t actually eaten Natsume or let any other yokai get him either. In fact, he’s gone out of his way to save Natsume over and over again.
Likewise, Natsume went from pretending he couldn’t see the yokai and being isolated by humans to being surrounded by friends he could truly rely on in both worlds. Love this story and love these characters.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: O
This one was surprisingly easy. Ochako Uraraka. While I am currently taking a break from My Hero Academia, she is one character who definitely deserves the shout out.
While she isn’t as physically strong as some of her classmates, Ochako Uraraka is definitely a strong asset in any hero team and her abilities are put to good use time and again. However, it is in her match up with Bakugo during the sports tournament that you really realise just how tough this girl is.
She earned the respect of a character who had never even bothered to learn her name before and certainly left an impression on the audience in that match up.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: P
I did not realise P would be so hard. In the end I settled on Pluto from Black Butler.
This hell hound is a lot of fun and if you ever wanted your garden entirely burnt down you should definitely invite him to your home.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: Q
Definitely cheating on this one because I couldn’t think of a better answer. I’m going with Queen Serenity from Sailor Moon.
I’m still pretty certain she could have come up with a better plan then send everyone to the future and hope things worked out but at least she’s an anime mother who appears, provides guidance, and honestly she was pretty awesome until Queen Beryl beat her.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: R
After thinking long and hard about this one I decided to go with everyone’s favourite pyromaniac, Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist.
While he might be useless in the rain, this guy has some real fire-power and he’s got the brains to back it up. While not always the nicest person he is a good guy and Edward should be thankful he ended up underneath him.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: S
I will admit, S was a super hard letter for me because two of my very favourite anime characters of all time start with S.
The first is Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair.
What I love about Shirayuki is she’s so open and forthright, she isn’t super strong physically but she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what is needed. She’s just a lovely character to spend time with and one who makes you want to get behind her and help her succeed.
The second is Sebastian from Black Butler.
Wow, I love Sebastian. He’s such a cool character and so incredibly powerful. Everything he does is done with poise and care and you have to respect a guy with his work ethic and love of cats (even if he is a soul eating demon).
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: T
He might be a complete narcissist and obsessed with being dubbed the sexiest man of the year, but Takato from Dakaichi is a character I really quite enjoyed getting to know.
If nothing else the contrast between his public face, his professional face when working on a movie, and the way he deals with Junta who both took his top spot on the list for being the sexiest guy but also is relentlessly pursuing him romantically, really makes Takato quite the interesting character.
While Dakaichi may not be for everyone and it definitely has a lot of the standard BL tropes that a lot of fans of BL would like to see a little less frequently, Takato as a character is solid and really makes his story work.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: U
Y shouldn’t be too surprising for people who have followed my blog for a while. My fascination with anime archers is well known and Uryu Ishida is the best.
In the early seasons of Bleach I love that Ishida seems like the more sensible and level-headed of the group but also loses his cool on a number of critical occasions (particularly when Ichigo is concerned because he really gets under the more methodical Ishida’s skin). I also love that Uryu is plenty strong in his own right and while he does pretty much always get brushed aside for Ichigo in critical moments, there’s more than enough instances where he holds his own and takes on a fairly powerful opponent and wins.
Not to mention, his bow skills are just out of this world and I have to respect that.
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Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: V
Obviously a more recent addition but I think that Vivy from Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song is definitely the right pick for favourite anime character beginning with V.
I mean, what’s not to like about a singing AI that ends up fighting to change the future and save humanity from a hostile AI take-over. For an AI character she’s very human and her character development as the 100 years passes and she works toward her goals is an absolute strength of the series.
So here’s a character who sings beautifully, looks gorgeous, can complete hand to hand combat, and literally has the weight of the future of the world on her shoulders. Vivy absolutely deserved a place on this list.
Which is a bit of a shame because I thought for sure Victor from Yuri on Ice would get a place when I started.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: W
I was struggling with W and wondering which character I’d ultimately go with. In the end I decided to go with Weisman from K though that’s a bit of a spoiler if I literally tell you anything about his character.
And if you want to know any more about him, you are just going to have to watch the anime but he so deserved a place on this list.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: X
At first I thought I would struggle with X but then I remembered this awesome character from Pandora Hearts, Xerxes Break. He left such an impression on me I actually named this stray cat that used to come around my house after him.
Also known as the Mad Hatter, Xerxes is quite the mercurial character and it is often difficult to know if he’s evil or helpful or somewhere in between. He certainly has his own agenda and quite a lot of power, though that power comes with a fairly hefty price.
Either way, he’s actually a pretty decent character in a story I really was enjoying until the anime just kind of stopped without any resolution.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: Y
Giving this one to the pork bowl loving ice-skater, Yuri Katsuki, who managed to find some confidence in himself and with the encouragement of his idol got back out on the ice after a particularly bad year.
Seeing Yuri develop and work on his routine, the setbacks he faces and watching him get better and better is an absolute joy. Admittedly, a lot of the joy comes from the interactions with the whole cast but Yuri is a really well written character and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
I think it was also great seeing the lead character in a sports anime who wasn’t completely cocky or standoffish for once.
Favourite Anime Character Beginning With: Z
It was probably obvious given some of the earlier entries that Zen Wisteria was going to make this list. As far as anime princes go he’s one of my favourites.
I think what makes Zen so special is that he’s trying to find his own path and strength, he acknowledges his weaknesses but doesn’t wallow, and just because he is paired with the amazing Shirayuki doesn’t diminish his own efforts in the slightest. He’s a great sword fighter, quite smart, and he’s a very determined young man. I’d love to see Zen in a few years to see just how far he goes.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
This is a really fun idea! Especially since there are so many cool characters whose names overlap for certain letters. Can’t go wrong with both Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei for N!
Yeah N and S were easy. P turned out surprisingly hard.
Loved that list! I did notice that 2 characters from Snow white with the red hair showed up on the list. You must really like that show. This was such a fun thought experiment, I kind of want to make my own list!
I’d be interested to see who would appear in your list.
And yeah, I was trying to avoid show double ups but some shows just have brilliant characters. Snow White should have had a couple of other entries but I cut myself off.
This is great! And I’ll bet it was a lot of fun to put together, too.
It was a great way to revisit beloved characters, though narrowing some letters down to one was really hard.
Really cool idea! I enjoyed this quite a bit.
You should check out CFREEZE’s post. It was a great read.
I will have to do that!