The world of Japanese animation is home to hundreds of sympathetic and heartfelt characters who can really tug on the viewer's heartstrings. Some anime protagonists are deeply tragic ones who have suffered much, and these emotionally wounded characters will probably break down in tears or at least confess their pain.
Other characters, however, make sure to hide their sadness at all costs and no one will catch them crying their eyes out. These characters might hide their sadness or grief behind a stone-cold poker face, or perhaps they simply isolate themselves from others. They may even act like a hotheaded tsundere to push people away.
10 Edward Elric Rarely Opens Up About Losing His Mother (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Edward and Alphonse Elric suffered a terrible loss when their beloved mother Trisha died of an illness. Out of desperation, Ed and Al attempted human transmutation to bring her back. They failed and lost parts of their bodies as punishment for messing with the Truth.
Edward still misses his mother, and losing her opened a huge hole in his heart. However, Ed is a hot-tempered tsundere who tends to lose himself in his work, which is his way of processing his grief and coping with his life. He's not likely to openly talk to anyone about what he's feeling inside.
9 Ichigo Kurosaki Masks His Grief (Bleach)
Several Bleach characters are coping with a great deal of sadness and grief, from the widower Captain Byakuya Kuchiki to Orihime Inoue, who lost her brother and feels inadequate. Unlike Orihime, who may show her sadness at times, Ichigo hides it all.
Ichigo's heart still aches from the loss of his mother, and he sometimes feels terrible about failing as a hero. However, Ichigo's tough-guy persona demands that he hide all his pain and insecurity, so that's what he does. Hiding all that pain and sadness is not necessarily the best plan, but it's clearly Ichigo's preference.
8 Shinobu Kocho Hides Behind Her Cheerful Facade (Demon Slayer)
Many characters in Demon Slayer suffered tragic losses at the hands of Muzan's demonic hordes, including the insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. She was introduced as a goofy and playful demon slayer, but Tanjiro's sharp nose soon picked up on Shinobu's hidden rage.
Shinobu's heart aches with both fury and sadness after the loss of her big sister Kanae Kocho, though she does her best to hide those feelings behind her falsely cheerful exterior. Anyone who met her would have no idea what kind of torment she is experiencing.
7 Yuki Sohma Always Plays It Cool (Fruits Basket)
Fruits Basket is a classic shojo anime series, and it's yet another story where almost everyone is dealing with some serious sadness and other emotional woes. For example, Tohru Honda acts cheerful and generous despite her intense grief, though she is perfectly willing to open up about it.
Meanwhile, Tohru's new kuudere friend, Yuki Sohma, is in agony. He's terribly sad about his difficult lot in life as a would-be idol of the Sohmas, but he is determined to hide it all behind his cool, aloof persona and not let anyone know what he's thinking. All his classmates (except for Tohru) fell for it.
6 Akira Tachibana Distracts Herself With Work (After The Rain)
The semi-obscure seinen anime series After The Rain focuses on a heroine named Akira Tachibana. She loves running more than anything but a recent leg injury took her right off the running track. She feels terrible about it and misses her favorite hobby, but this kuudere girl isn't too keen on admitting it.
Instead, Akira maintains an aloof facade to mask her sadness, and even her co-workers at the Garden restaurant don't appreciate just how much she is hurting on the inside. Akira simply loses herself in her work and nurses a secret crush on her boss, the hapless Mr. Kondo.
5 Itachi Uchiha Lets Everyone Think He's A Monster (Naruto)
The genius ninja Itachi Uchiha was more loyal to the Hidden Leaf Village than he was to his own family, meaning he eventually had to slaughter his entire family to prevent an Uchiha uprising. This weighed heavily on Itachi, but he didn't dare let his sadness show.
Itachi was once seen shedding tears but it's the only time that viewers see him upset. He allowed everyone to see him as a villain, especially his brother Sasuke, and he maintained this villainous facade during his time with the Akatsuki. Deep down, however, he was both proud of Sasuke and terribly saddened by his family's fate.
4 Gray Fullbuster Won't Talk About Missing Ur (Fairy Tail)
The members of the Fairy Tail guild are all emotionally expressive and outgoing people, and characters such as Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and the others are quick to show their sadness or express joy. However, the ice wizard Gray Fullbuster has an exterior that's colder than any of his magic.
Gray dearly misses his mentor Ur, the woman who had taught him and Lyon Vastia the ways of ice-make magic. However, Gray doesn't like to talk about this and he keeps his grief to himself whenever possible. He's not the type to show sadness, but he did fly into a rage when he thought Invel Yura had killed Juvia in battle.
3 Thorfinn Karlsefni Channels His Grief Into Rage (Vinland Saga)
The young Viking Thorfinn Karsefni watched his father die when he was only six years old, which scarred him for life. Until then, Thorfinn had been an upbeat and bright-eyed kid. After his father's demise, Thorfinn donned a mask of rage and bitterness that persisted for years.
Thorfinn was raised by his father's killer, Askeladd, and carefully hid his sadness the entire time. Thorfinn only showed other people his angry side, which made it nearly impossible for him to make friends - not that he wanted friends.
2 Mayor Gori Suido Keeps His Sadness Locked Away (Tokyo 24th Ward)
Mayor Gori Suido has a lot on his plate while running the troubled 24th ward of Tokyo, and he has no time to show his true feelings or talk things out. Based on his actions and words, he urgently needs to open up about his personal problems but he simply won't.
Mayor Suido lost his wife Kanae in 2013 and years later, he lost his daughter Asumi. These tragic losses prompted him to dive even deeper into his work and push himself too far to keep the ward safe. Oppressive cyberpunk surveillance systems in the 24th ward are no substitute for a grief counselor.
1 Misaki Ayuzawa Won't Share Her Burden With Anyone (Maid-Sama!)
Misaki Ayuzawa eventually showed her sadness to her friend Takumi Usui but for the most part, she is the type to bear her burdens in silence and not show anyone her true sadness or pain. Misaki was devastated when her father abandoned the family, and she also feels terrible about her family living in poverty.
Misaki's heart is heavy with sadness but she won't show it. Instead, she loses herself in student council work and homework, and she uses tsundere personality as a means of keeping people at arm's length. She needs someone to share this sadness with.