When creating anime characters, authors and animators have found many ways of expressing their personalities and subtleties through their designs. In anime, the trope of characters with closed eyes is called "kitsune no me" (fox eyes) and is commonly used to display crafty characters who are sly and mischievous.
The closing of eyes, however, may communicate more than typical mystery and craftiness. Some ocular abilities require the eyes to stay shut. As a form of honing the other senses, characters may choose to close their eyes as they train. Some anime characters fight with their eyes closed, which is a testament to either their battle experience, excessive pride, or nefarious personalities.
10 Ichimaru Gin Casts An Uneasy Gaze (Bleach)
Ichimaru Gin oozes mystery and unease in each of his appearances. The former captain of the third division, Gin’s eyes are closed for most of Bleach. His skill, sword abilities, and nonchalant demeanor unnerve opponents, giving him a rational edge in battle. The traitor only opens his eyes twice.
First, when encountering Ichigo’s powered-up Getsuga Tenshou, his eyes open as he releases his own Bankai to counter Ichigo’s. And second, in one of Bleach's more impactful moments, as he dies. His reason for following Aizen is revealed, and he entrusts Ichigo with finishing the job.
9 Guila Will Not Look At You (The Seven Deadly Sins)
Guila is the main antagonist of The Seven Deadly Sins’ Capital of the Dead Arc. She is a Holy Knight of the nation of Leones and part of the New Generation Knights. These are apprentice knights whose abilities were boosted by their compatibility with demon blood. As a result, they lose empathy and become increasingly belligerent.
Despite Guila’s initial calm and sweet demeanor, her transformation into a new generation knight leads to her being gloating, ruthless, and obsessively hell-bent on killing the version to the fore. Despite facing the Fairy King, Harlequin, in a high-stakes battle, she does not open her eyes at all.
8 Walter Yumasaki Prefers Eyes Shut (Durarara!!)
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Walker Yumasaki is the unconventional manga and anime nerd of Durarara!! He is mysterious, and his hysterical speech filled with anime and manga references makes people often dismiss him as a fanatic. However, it masks his dark past and proclivities for administering pain and torture.
Walker was known as the "Otaku Hunting Killer," an arsonist who set fire to extortionists who pretended to be members of his former "Blue Squares" Gang. His affinity for fire-based attacks and weapons adds to his devilish mystique. His creepy smile and slit-thin eyes add menace and strike fear into his opponents.
7 Satou Has Seen All There Is To See (Ajin)
Sato, whose real name is Samuel T. Owens, is a seemingly cheerful, calm, and loving old man. However, he is an Ajin, a human who can generate invisible black matter within themselves. As a child, he captures many small animals and kills them, after which he shows no remorse even as his father berates him.
During Sato's time as a Marine, he would ruthlessly slaughter their opponents, defying orders to bring back targets alive, opting to kill them instead. He enjoys killing people for amusement, and is a deceptively apt tactician, taking out 20 Elite Swat members who had automatic rifles and tactical gear, with a shotgun and his eyes closed.
6 Kray Foresight Doesn’t Use Sight Much (Promare)
Kray Foresight of Promare is the epitome of a hero. Brave, sacrificing, inspiring, and built to Greek god proportions, his role as President of Promepolis is fitting. However, like all slit-eyed characters, Kray hides his true nature under the smiling veneer. His desire is to be a hero loved and respected by all, no matter the cost.
Despite having found a means to prevent Kray's world from burning, he refuses to give up the Parnassus plan. This plan would harness the world’s excess extruding magma and transport Promepolis to a different planet. When confronted about his selfishness and hypocrisy, he refers to his detractors as terrorists, and almost kills billions without a shred of regret.
5 Maiza Avaro Could Cut You With Eyes Closed (Baccano!)
The soft-spoken, handsome, and brown-clad bookkeeper of the Martillo family is one of the immortals in Baccano! Maiza Avaro's initial impression as a tender-hearted coward is quickly dismissed whenever he is in a situation that requires violence. Given his past role as the leader of the Rotten Egg Gang, his skill with a knife is unparalleled throughout the series.
Maiza is able to fight with the steeliness expected from a gangster and is extremely tactical with his moves. His sincerity, gentleness with others, and politeness with friends and foes alike make him seem less heinous.
4 Hyouma Uses The Sacred Ocular Power Of Doujutsu (Basilisk)
Basilisk is a fantasy martial arts anime set in 1614. The abilities on display are quite unconventional and make for an anime classic. The Kouga and Iga clans are fighting. Hyouma is selected to fight on behalf of the Kouga clan. He possesses a doujutsu (eye ability), which allows Hyouma to manipulate his opponents into killing themselves or having their attack turn back on them.
However, Hyouma’s version of the doujutsu is constantly active, forcing him to close his eyes to not hurt others. As a result, Hyouma is proficient in using his other senses effectively and coupled with his sword skills, make him one of Basilisk's better fighters.
3 Chouza Akimichi Isn't Big On The Whole "Seeing" Thing (Naruto)
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Naruto's Chouza Akimichi is part of the founding ensemble of the Ina-Shika-Cho trio, and the father of Choji. The Akimichi clan’s special ability is turning calories into chakra. Chouza is proficient in his clan’s techniques, able to pull off amazing feats such as stopping Shuukaku’s tail (a tailed beast) and knocking out the Asura Path of Pain.
Chouza is a gentle and caring man, with immense love for his son. He is also stern, admonishing Choji to bring out the best in him during battle. He, of course, has a large appetite, but an even larger heart.
2 Nonohara Kaede Is A Tough-Love Practitioner (Hayate The Combat Butler)
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In Hayate The Combat Butler, Nonohara Kaede is a combat butler assigned to the Azumamiya family. He serves as Koutaro Azumamiya’s servant. Nonohara has an eerie smile constantly plastered across his face. Despite his initial kindness and politeness to friends and foes, he can be pretty cruel.
As a teacher, Nonohara often whacks Koutaro around in a bid to train him. He claims to do this as a method of instruction, but he is deeply affected whenever Koutaro is in danger, a surprising weakness given the front he puts up. He is proficient in Kendo, in which he still fights with closed eyes.
1 Yoshinobu Gakuganji Is A Traditionalist Headmaster Who Has Seen It All (Jujutsu Kaisen)
In Jujutsu Kaisen, Yoshinobu Gakuganji is the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High. Given his age and knowledge of the world of sorcery and its threats, he is for Itadori’s execution, not willing to risk Sukuna’s resurrection. He is averse to Gojo, who he considers destructive and nonchalant with his abilities.
However, Yoshinobu has a soft spot for his students, as shown when he collaborated with Gojo to save the students during the Goodwill Event attack. When using his sound amplification techniques via guitar, Yoshinobu still closes his eyes, lost in the revelry of his melodies and showing supreme confidence in his sorcery.