Previously I’ve covered the female red-heads of the anime world but there are definitely some red-haired guys who deserve some love. Going to be honest, for those of you who have been following my blog you probably already have a pretty good idea who the number one is going to be on this list.
As this is a conversation starter and not a definitive list with scored attributes, please share your views on who should have been on the list below.
Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.
Honourable mentions this week go to Ginti from Death Parade and Mikoto Mikoshiba from Gekkan Shojo Nozaki Kun. These two definitely were considered but ultimately fell short of the top 5.
Who are my top 5 male red-heads in anime?
Number 5: Abarai Renji from Bleach
I really struggled with number 5. Mostly because what we mostly remember about Renji is he get’s beaten, a lot. Usually by Ichigo but by nearly every other wannabe villain going around (and sometimes even by his own captain).
That’s kind of what happens when you are a typical shonen hero character but not the protagonist of the story. I always really felt for Renji. He works really hard and he is talented. If Ichigo wasn’t in the show Renji would be pretty damn amazing. Unfortunately, anime narrative tropes have not been kind to Renji.
Next time, save Rukia first and then you can be the hero.
That said, you’ll always be one of my favourite red-heads in anime.
Number 4: Lavi from D Gray Man
In an anime full of brooding characters and dark back stories, Lavi is still a brooding character with a dark back story but mostly manages to bring a smile to the party. Lavi’s job is to record history and at times seems to have a duplicitous nature but this all just adds to the interesting character he brings into the mix of D Gray Man. Though, girls should note, he probably won’t be sticking around town for too long, and he falls in love at the drop of a hat.
Either way though, this is one red-head with a lot on his mind and he really manages to bring it when push comes to shove.
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Number 3: Mikoto Suoh from K
Alright, so Mikoto is not going to get any leader of the year awards even if he is going to get my shout out for being a red-head worth paying attention to.
However, what he should get is recognised for his absolute loyalty to his clan members. He pushes himself to self-destruction after one of them is killed. While his methods may be violent and not entirely efficient, the passion of his actions is certainly clear. Besides, his power is amazing to watch.
Number 2: Claire Stanfield from Baccano
Claire is a really impossible character to explain without recounting his entire character arc. I will suggest that if you haven’t watched Baccano you do so, if for no other reason than to follow Claire’s story. He’s direct, blunt and you do not want to get on his bad side, which can apparently happen by trying to ride on a train without a ticket, threatening to kill another passenger, or killing another train conductor. Or threatening the woman he falls in love with a first sight.
Still, despite being a psycho he’s definitely one of the cool (or cruel) red-heads.
Number 1: Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom
Come on, it had to be Karma topping this list of awesome red-heads.
He isn’t a mindless thug or violent for the sake of it. He is manipulative, clever, cold as ice, and totally focussed on his goals (no matter how unpleasant that current goal may seem to you). He can turn up the charm or lay on the intimidation and everything he does is done with style. The first student in Assassination Classroom to even injure their super-powered teacher, Karma stole the show from the moment he walked into the classroom. What sets him further apart, is you can see him more or less succeeding in any situation, not just in the school yard. Karma has big dreams and he has everything he needs to achieve them.
Is your favourite red-headed character on the list? Feel free to tell us below or to offer suggestions for who should have been on the list.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James