10 Best Anime Characters That Fans Love to Hate
Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Satoru Gojo has his cockiness and silly charm. Solo Leveling‘s Sung Jinwoo has his humanity and aura. Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries has her intelligence and adorable obsession with poisons. And Frieren is distinctly Frieren. Some anime characters are just written with a natural charisma that draws fans to them. However, for as many characters that audiences can’t help but love, there’s an equal amount that people just love to hate.
Certain anime characters just make fans’ skin crawl, others are villains so evil that they only deserve to be despised, and more are simply characters that just ticked fans off from the very beginning. The amount of hate a character gets isn’t always a testament to how well-written they are, but there’s always something to say about a character capable of making so many people hate them.
Kikyo’s Character is Doomed to Fail in Inuyasha
In any anime centered around a romance, there is always the female romantic rival who gets all the hate from fans, and InuYasha’s Kikyo fills that role. Kiyo and InuYasha fell in love before he met Kagome, but the situation is made more complicated by the fact that Kagome happens to be Kikyo’s reincarnation from the future.
Fans of InuYasha disliked how adamant Kikyo was about trying to get rid of the main heroine. Kikyo’s character suffers most from the constant back-and-forth about whether she wanted to kill InuYasha or be with him. Kikyo’s history is painful and complex, and there is much more to her character than just being a rival, but she simply rubbed too many fans the wrong way.
Dandadan Makes Aira the Best ‘Pick Me Girl’ in the Worst Ways
Dandadan’s Aira Shiratori is the pink-haired pick-me girl who disguised herself as a sweetheart so well, she even had herself convinced that she was a perfect angel. In reality, Aira is a very self-centered “mean girl” type of character, a trait that only became more apparent after she admitted to spreading unsavory rumors about Momo Ayase.
Aira’s vicious attitude and main character syndrome are what had anime fans disliking her, and that hate train has since been running full speed, even after she was given more development. Regardless of any one fan’s opinion, Aira is an incredibly hilarious Dandadan character to watch — and her character has been somewhat redeemed ever since she joined the series’ main cast in Dandadan Episode 9.
To Be Hero X Fans Can’t Stop Calling Yang Cheng a Fraud
Yang Cheng later became known as “E-Soul” after defeating the original holder of the title in To Be Hero X Episode 7, though many within the donghua’s fandom have taken to calling him “E-Fraud” and “Fraud Soul” because he behaves more like a villain than the true hero he initially wanted to be. Yang Cheng was given the benefit of the doubt when he was manipulated into killing the man who saved his life by Uncle Rock.
However, later episodes of To Be Hero X Season 1 eventually proved that Yang Cheng has only continued to act in his own interest and with no remorse. The “new E-Soul” is willing to kill other heroes and allow innocent people to die for his and Rock’s personal goals, and that’s a fact that not even E-Soul lovers can defend.
Amo Empool Did Too Much to be Forgiven That Easily
Amo Empool was initially a minor, yet formidable, villain in Gachiakuta. Numerous fans found her annoying, bratty, and a source of uncomfortable fan service because of her childish attitude and revealing clothing. Amo’s Vital Instrument also allowed her to manipulate Rudo and several other major characters by using their trauma against them, something she showed little remorse for.
Quite a number of Gachiakuta fans believe Amo to be unforgivable and that she wasn’t punished enough for her actions, or that she was given far too much leniency simply because of her tragic backstory. Other fans have come to empathize with and love Amo, appreciating her character after Gachiakuta revealed the true depth of her tragic story.
Sakura Haruno Ruined Pink Hair for Anime Fans
Sakura Haruno is the single most iconic pink-haired anime girl, setting the tone for the many pink-haired anime characters to follow. When the Naruto series first began, Sakura started out as a typical girl obsessed with her crush, Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura’s dismissive attitude towards Naruto Uzumaki and her tendency to focus on superficial things didn’t help with how negatively she was received by fans either.
Despite how much her character has developed over the course of the series, Sakura’s early years as a boy-obsessed brat never helped her. Every mistake Sakura makes, no matter how minor, brings her two steps back with fans. There’s much debate over how well Sakura’s character is actually written, but no one can deny that she has grown into a much more likable person alongside her peers.
Anyone Who’s Watched Code Geass was Unsettled by Nina Einstein
Nina Einstein from 2006’s sci-fi masterpiece, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, is one of the series’ most unassuming characters. Yet, Nina Einstein is also considered one of the most questionable and annoying Code Geass characters. Nina started out as a mousey and timid girl who eventually became obsessed with Princess Euphemia, to the point where the infatuation became sexual.
Loyal fans of Code Geass deny that the infamous “Table Scene” ever happened, but Nina is hated for more than simply being an uncomfortable presence. Nina’s eagerness to avenge Euphemia’s death and eradicate the Black Knights became a big motivator in creating a weapon that killed countless civilians. Fortunately, knowing that Nina is to blame for the tragedy was the catalyst she needed to begin a path of redemption.
Death Note Fans Thought Misa Was Too Dumb For Light
Misa Amane is the cute and stylish vixen of Death Note, as well as the series’ main female lead. Misa’s romance with Light, however, is something that quite a few Death Note fans objected to. The main aspect of Misa’s character was that she was obsessed with the protagonist, Light Yagami. Some would even argue that her love for Light was her most defining personality trait.
Misa’s one-sided infatuation didn’t make her the ideal female character, and her perceived ditziness and childish behavior made her a jarring presence in an anime centered around a battle of intelligence and cunning. Some Death Note fans will argue that Light’s lover was simply playing her own game, but, regardless of how her character was meant to be received, Misa remains one of the most hated female leads in anime.
Kaiju No. 8 Fans Find Kikoru Hard to Love (At First)
Kikoru Shinomiya is a personality as loud and proud as the deafening roar from the largest Kaiju. Captain Shinomiya’s daughter, Kikoru, possesses the power and talent to back up her haughtiness, being one of the most exceptional (if not the biggest star) among the newest recruits of Japan’s Defense Force. Due to how much Kikoru outshines the rest of the Kaiju No. 8 cast, some anime fans have hated her for it.
Kikoru’s overwhelming prowess compared to the rest of the rookies has earned her the criticism of being a Mary Sue. Characters who fall in the category of this archetype are rarely well received, as they often feel more like self-indulgent projections than real people. However, Kikoru eventually proved herself to be a character with many complex layers by the end of Kaiju No. 8 Season 2.
Sword Art Online Gave Isekai Protagonists a Bad Reputation
Kazuto Kirigaya, better known as Kirito, is the main character of Sword Art Online, the very series that popularized isekai anime in the 2010s. Despite pioneering an era when the subgenre became mainstream, the quality of SAO is constantly disputed among anime fans — and Kirito has been pulled through the mud with it.
Kirito is widely considered to be an incredibly plain and underwhelming protagonist despite what his anime is known for. SAO‘s male lead has little personality outside of being nonsensically powerful, and many fans have actually considered him to be a type of “edgy” that borders on being cringeworthy. However, later seasons of Sword Art Online have done more to fix his character, adding more from the original light novel into the anime adaptation.
Jujutsu Kaisen Fans Collectively Hate Mahito
Mahito is the blue-haired menace of Jujutsu Kaisen, being an antagonistic presence since day one. He not only killed Junpei Yoshino, who had great potential as a recurring major character, but Mahito also took the life of another beloved figure and critically injured another in JJK Season 2. And of course, as a Cursed Spirit, Mahito showed no remorse for the suffering he caused.
Mahito is almost childishly gleeful in the pain he inflicts on others. He’s a good, well-written major villain who has been at the center of some of the most pivotal events of the series. Anime fans may love to hate Mahito for his sadistic nature and everything he’s done, but Jujutsu Kaisen’s dark story just wouldn’t be the same without him.
