Many anime characters keep the same personality traits over the course of a series. They're either a hero committing their lives to the act of good deeds or a villain filled with evil ideologies and a passion to destroy the world. Other anime characters show dramatic growth throughout a series.
Some anime characters went from arrogant and rude to empathetic and kind. Others grew from being hateful and evil to striving to atone for their sins. In fact, there were plenty of times when a character's growth and development changed so drastically, it took the fandom by surprise.
Updated on June 8th, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Since this list was published in 2021, we've updated it with five more anime characters who did a lot of growing up throughout their series.
15 Kyo Sohma Changed After Meeting Tohru (Fruits Basket)
At the beginning of Fruits Basket, Kyo seemed like the average tsundere. He was short-tempered, aggressive, stubborn, and always managed to put his foot in his mouth. However, after meeting Tohru and getting closer to her, Kyo grew up a lot.
He became a more patient and kindhearted person who was willing to hear other people's sides of the story. He even pulled back a bit from his rivalry with Yuki. Ultimately, Kyo became more comfortable in his own skin by the end of the series.
14 Ken Kaneki Underwent Constant Change (Tokyo Ghoul)
In the beginning, Kaneki was an average college student who enjoyed reading books. Then he met Rize and became half-ghoul, half-human. He struggled to adapt to his new reality since he couldn't fit in with normal society, and other ghouls looked at him with contempt. Kaneki endured a lot of trauma and torture, resulting in his constant changes throughout the story.
Reflected by his hair color, Kaneki seems to be in a constant tug-of-war between his ghoulishness and humanity. When his hair turns white, he embraces his ghoul side. When his hair goes back to black, he embraces his humanity.
13 Aomine Used To Genuinely Love Playing Basketball (Kuroko's Basketball)
Before he became jaded with the sport, Aomine used to live for basketball. He was always excited to play and took pride in his skills. However, as he got better, he couldn't find any opponents who could keep up with him. This made Aomine bored, sad, and bitter until he concluded the only one who could beat him was himself.
Aomine became arrogant and detached, often skipping practices and showing up late to games. However, he woke up after losing to Kuroko during his game against Seirin. Aomine had a fire lit within him after finally tasting defeat for the first time, which sparked his desire to continue playing.
12 Eren Yeager Turned Into The Ultimate Anti-Hero & Eventually, Villain (Attack On Titan)
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Eren Yeager started with noble goals of avenging his loved ones and annihilating the Titans, but he turned into the ultimate anti-hero in the process. The nightmarish reality of Attack On Titan was enough to traumatize anyone, forcing many to harden themselves, but Eren quickly learned that it sometimes paid to be bad.
As he learned more about the world, Eren realized his actions had to change. Instead of directing his rage solely at the Titans, Marley became the subject of Eren's ire. While many of his actions were inexcusable, it's a fair argument that Eren was simply the victim of circumstance.
11 Jotaro Is Far From One-Note (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
As the flagship protagonist of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jotaro has a few consistent personality traits that stayed throughout his time in the series. He's always somewhat aloof with a no-nonsense personality and a rough-around-the-edges demeanor, but he's far from one-note.
When he debuted, Jotaro was a vulgar delinquent with a lousy attitude. Then he became an adult and started studying marine biology. In part 4, Jotaro learned how to be a leader and applied these skills in part 5 when he sent Koichi to Italy. Part 6 introduced an all-new Jotaro Kujo, now Jolyne's father. Despite his distance from her, Jotaro would do anything to keep her safe.
10 Naruto Changed From An Annoying Kid To A World Hero (Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki had one of the most dramatic transitions of the entire Naruto franchise. He went from an irritating kid who didn't think twice before defacing the Hokage Rock to a hero who saved the world from complete destruction.
Despite tackling many painful obstacles, Naruto worked tirelessly to better himself and keep his erratic behavior at bay. He never gave up on his dream, and eventually became the Hokage as a result.
9 Killua Went From An Assassin To Gon's Loving Best Friend (Hunter X Hunter)
Hunter x Hunter's Killua Zoldyck was born into the infamous group of assassins, the Zoldyck Family. Although he was originally the heir of the family, he later chose to embark on a journey as a rookie Hunter with his newly acquired best friend, Gon Freecss.
Killua's personality contrasts with Gon's in many ways: he's rude to others and much colder in his approach. However, Gon's presence makes an incredible impression on Killua, and over the course of the series, Killua begins to show a more caring and loving side. Killua consideration is especially prominent when it comes to his little sister Alluka Zoldyck and Gon.
8 Sasuke Dedicated His Life To Revenge Until Naruto Finally Got Through To Him (Naruto)
Sasuke Uchiha was best known as the vengeful Uchiha who originally set out to kill his older brother Itachi for slaughtering the entire Uchiha clan. But after he discovered the truth behind Itachi's actions, Sasuke turned his attention to wreaking havoc on Konoha.
Naruto spent much of his time trying to bring his friend back to the village and stop his descent into darkness. After many battles, Naruto finally got through to Sasuke. Although Sasuke's sudden change came toward the end of the series, he went from a young ninja filled with hate to one who decided to atone for his sins and live a life of good.
7 Shoto Started Off As An Arrogant Budding Hero, But His Attitude Slowly Changed (My Hero Academia)
Shoto Todoroki is the son of Endeavor, the former number 2 Hero who now ranks at number 1 after All Might's retirement. During the early seasons of My Hero Academia, Shoto has a cold and unfazed personality and is often arrogant, stubborn, and unemotional in his approach.
Shoto is so stubborn he initially refuses to use the fire half of his Quirk — although understandably this is due to inheriting it from his abusive father. As time went on, Shoto eventually accepts the idea of using his full Quirk and slowly opens himself up to the idea of befriending others — especially Deku and Bakugo.
6 Sakura Went From Timid And Far Behind Her Team To A Strong And Independent Ninja (Naruto: Shippuden)
Sakura was originally portrayed as an intelligent yet timid ninja who spent the majority of her time figuring out how to make Sasuke fall in love with her. But once Naruto: Shippuden began, her growth was prominent.
After training with Tsunade for 3 years, Sakura used her smarts to become a medical ninja and used her impeccable Chakra control to practice nurturing her tremendous strength. Without a doubt, she exceeded the expectations of fans and definitely caught up to both Naruto and Sasuke by the end of the series.
5 Saiki K. Did His Best To Live A Quiet Life But Eventually Warmed To The Idea Of Friends (The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.)
All Saiki Kusuo wanted in his life was peace and quiet, so he tried his best to avoid making friends and stay out of his parents' relentless drama. Despite his best efforts, he ended up with a bucket load of friends and the job of rectifying disastrous situations.
Over time, Saiki definitely warmed to his uninvited sociable life, and as the series reached its end, he eventually expressed feelings of gratitude towards his friendships, rather than pure annoyance.
4 Ayato Was Introduced As A Villain With No Regard For Anyone's Life (Tokyo Ghoul)
Ayato's early appearances in Tokyo Ghoul depicted him as a merciless killer under the alias "Black Rabbit." He was ruthless and wouldn't hesitate to murder his sister without giving it a second thought. Ayato used to believe the world was one giant power system and that one's worth was solely defined by their weaknesses and strengths.
Throughout the series, Ayato decided to distance himself from the path of darkness and joined forces with Kaneki to create a world where ghouls and humans could live together in harmony.
3 Bakugo Went From Relentlessly Bullying Deku To Saving His Life (My Hero Academia)
The intense rivalry between Bakugo and Deku has been documented since the start of the series, and Bakugo would relentlessly bully and pick a fight with Deku any at given opportunity.
Although Bakugo still maintained his angry demeanor, he showed a far more caring side towards Deku as the series progressed. In the Paranormal Liberation War Arc, he risked his own life to save Deku from a potentially fatal attack. Luckily, they both survived.
2 Asta Started Off As A Loud Nuisance But His Anti-Magic Became Infamous (Black Clover)
Asta's journey throughout Black Clover has been turbulent. Born without any magic, he is initially rejected by every single Magic Knight captain during the Magic Knight's entrance exam until Yami decides to take him in.
Despite this, Asta has never given up on his dream of becoming the Wizard King. In time, he transitions from a peasant no one respects to a hero who saves the Clover Kingdom on many occasions.
1 Noelle Could Barely Control Her Water Magic, But Consistent Training Paid Off (Black Clover)
At the beginning of Black Clover, Noelle had a difficult time controlling her Water Magic. So much so, her own siblings snubbed her and branded her a useless royal.
To prove herself, Noelle tirelessly trained to hone her magic skills and eventually went on to save the very siblings who mistreated her. She also learned some formidable magic spells, like Sea Dragon's Roar, in the process.