Hackers are individuals with a specific skill set to obtain unauthorized access to information, usually through a computer. Some hackers are specialists in certain aspects of this, ranging from strictly security or stealing classified information, and the skill set varies from amateur to expert. Whatever a hacker is capable of is pretty intriguing to know, and more often than not, it's pretty hard to keep up.
In anime, it's not uncommon to introduce a hacker into the series, no matter the genre of the narrative. These anime characters are the best of the best, at least in their respective shows.
10 Christ The Hacker In The Afterlife (Angel Beats!)
Takeyama, although preferred to be called by his username "Christ," is the hacker for the Shinda Sekai Sensen or the Afterlife Battlefront in Angel Beats!. He is proficient in computer security and often requested by the SSS to hack into the Angel Player software, a software found only in the Afterlife and responsible for the creation of the world and its attributes.
Takeyama's introduction is when the SSS's leader, Yuri, brings him in and asks him to hack into Kanade's computer. Every time he's shown on screen, he always has his laptop in hand, ready whenever he's needed. Along with his hacking skills, Takeyama can also knock out some characters by reciting pi.
9 Edward Is A Radical Hacker (Cowboy Bebop)
Originally from Earth, skilled child prodigy hacker, Edward, uses her skills aboard the Bebop in Cowboy Bebop. Her introduction sees her noticing the Bebop on its way to Earth and hacking into the ship, then learning that Spike and the others are tracking a mysterious hacker. She decides to offer her skills, and in exchange becomes a member of the crew. After the job's completion, Edward is waiting for the Bebop, but it never shows, so she hacks her way onboard.
Edward, also known as Radical Edward and her multiple aliases, is a lovable, hyperactive hacker. She's capable of gaining access to anything the cosmos of space has to throw at her.
8 Cybernetic Hacker Ishikawa (Ghost In The Shell)
Public Security Section 9's information warfare and technology specialist is Ishikawa. When it comes to hacking, he's the best on the team thanks to his cybernetic augmentations.
In Ghost in the Shell, Ishikawa is a partial cyborg and supports the team by hacking a few systems and gathering information to brief the members. Someone like Ishikawa and his skill set are perfect for a technology-augmented world since such a place is where a hacker would thrive. With other hackers on the scene, Section 9 is lucky to have Ishikawa on their team.
7 Super Hacker Daru (Steins;Gate)
Itaru Hashida, nicknamed Daru, is the esteemed hacker of Steins;Gate. He is a member of the Future Gadget Lab and a close friend of Rintaro Okabe and Mayuri Shiina. Daru is also obsessed and talented with programs and computers, so he's pretty capable of hacking into top-secret organizations.
Daru debuts his skills after hacking into SERN, a global research organization and antagonist on the series. Without Daru and his skills, Okabe would never have been able to accomplish the feats that he did.
6 Jun Lee Is A Pilot And A Hacker (Aquarion)
In Aquarion, Jun Lee is an Aquarion pilot but mainly maintains and operates the computers in the DEAVA control room.
Unlike those mentioned on the list so far, Jun Lee is not constantly hacking into mainframes and machinery. However, he does have a notable moment where he uses his hacking skills. In his debut, Jun hacks into DEAVA's security system and accesses its classified data about the events from 12,000 years ago. Being clever and very adaptable, he has a few other tricks up his sleeve too.
5 The Brazen Hacker Tsugumi (Guilty Crown)
There is a guerrilla resistance group named "Funeral Parlor" in Guilty Crown, and they have an impressive hacker named Tsugumi. Tsugumi is excellent in hacking, but she is also very cocky with a sharp tongue. She relays intel and does a little data sabotage to opposing sides from her hologram cyberspace hub. Here, she can analyze the enemy movements and hack systems.
Tsugumi also possesses something called a void. A void is a power encoded into a person's DNA, and Tsugumi's is called Hacker's Interface. With this, she can create a solid holographic image after scanning over someone or something, then remotely control the duplicate.
4 Noiz The Information Broker (DRAMAtical Murder)
Noiz is an information broker for Rhyme, a popular computer game in the series DRAMAtical Murder. He is highly skilled in gathering information about details of Rhyme, which he and his team, Ruff Rabbit, sell to players. Also, he's a proficient hacker and an expert on anything electronic-related.
Noiz's childhood is a partial reason for his preference for knowledge, information, and logic as it influences his skillset as a hacker and information broker. Indulging in such things is the majority of his lifestyle.
3 Hoka Inumuta Is Information-Obsessed (Kill La Kill)
Kill la Kill's genius hacker is a student council member named Hoka Inumuta. He's been a freelance hacker and bypassing security since he was 15 years old and is now in charge of the information and strategy committee with the student council at Honnōji Academy.
Hoka mainly analyzes life fibers for developing new and improved Goku Uniforms for the Sewing Club. Since he's not suited for battle, he relies on his skills as a hacker to analyze his enemies on the fly and gather information for himself, then relays it to his members on the council.
2 Yuki Nagato, A Humanoid Hacker (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Yuki Nagato is the third person to join the SOS Brigade in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Seemingly quiet and reserved, she is still the same but revealed to be an artificial human created by an alien and a top-tier hacker.
Being a humanoid, Yuki possesses a range of abilities and allows her to be capable of things quite unfathomable. An example would be how she can hack reality and still do typical hacker abilities like hacking a game. Most of her abilities require her to use incantations. When she begins one, it sounds like she is muttering a computer language very quickly.
1 This Hacker Uses The Power Of Love To Her Advantage (My Hero Academia)
Manami Aiba, or as she's known by her villain name, La Brava, has a Quirk called Love in My Hero Academia. With Love, she can give the person she loves most a power boost for their own Quirk. All she has to do is tell the person how much she loves them and the power boost is activated. Depending on how deep the love is, the power boost increases. But along with her Quirk, La Brava is also very capable with technology.
In her debut, La Brava was able to hack into the U.A. security systems with ease. Even though the full extent of her skills isn't showcased, she is still acclaimed for being an intelligent hacker.