10 Anime Characters Who Are Too Proud For Their Own Good

Pride in itself is not an inherently bad thing. Pride is defined as a profound feeling of pleasure derived from success. Pride is necessary to build self-esteem and establish a personality. It's simple logic: the more one accomplishes, the more empowered one feels, and the more reinforced one is. In excess, however, pride can be detrimental should one not know when or how to control it.

Anime has never shied away from exploring themes of ego. Whether the character is a perfectionist, a brainiac, a narcissist, or independent to a dire degree — universally, they are united by the inclination to inflate their own potential. Consequently, the pressure of pride becomes a weapon against themselves.

10 Oikawa Became Obsessed In The Pursuit of Greatness

Haikyuu!!

"Don't you ever forget my worthless pride," said Toru Oikawa, summarizing his story arc in Haikyuu!! in a single sentence. Cocky and calculating, Oikawa possesses an unstoppable drive to hone and perfect his current skill set. It's even mentioned that he butchered his knee while rigorously practicing his formidable serve.

Oikawa despises the naturally gifted — like Wakatoshi Ushijima and Tobio Kageyama — because they highlight his own limitations. "The Great King" is a front Oikawa exudes to cope with the actuality that passion can't surpass raw talent. For Oikawa, this oppression becomes debilitating, and his enjoyment of volleyball is stifled by envy.

9 Horikita's Stubbornness Threatens Her Own Progress

Classroom Of The Elite

On top of her skeptical, habitually antisocial nature, Suzune Horikita of Classroom of the Elite is self-sufficient to a fault. Berated by her eldest brother, he's the only person she truly seeks his approval from. Determined to ascend to Class 1-A as proof of her prowess, she denies needing friends to attain her goal.

Trial after trial negates Horikita's stubborn ideology, endorsing the benefits of camaraderie. For instance, during the Camping Arc, Horikita concealed her festering illness from her peers. Considering her inevitable drop-out would deduct points from Class 1-D's overall score, she was essentially conspiring against herself. If Ayanokoji hadn't intervened, Horikita would've stalled the development of her already dubious dream.

8 Invincibility Is Not Equal To Immunity For Satoru Gojo

Jujutsu Kaisen

In Episode 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen, Gojo told Itadori point-blank: "I am the strongest." Born with the combined abilities of Limitless and Six Eyes, Gojo Satoru is irrefutably on top of the jujutsu chain. However, just because he's untouchable does not mean he cannot be bound.

If Gojo had pondered that possibility, perhaps he wouldn't have approached Geto and his minions single-handedly during the Shibuya Arc. As a result of his overconfidence, he was sealed within a box, resigning his students and comrades to fight without their most crucial contender.

7 Minene's Chance At Happiness Ended As Quickly As It Began

Future Diary

At the frail age of eight — parents deceased, homeland ravaged by religious extremists — Future Diary's Minene Uryu molded herself into a steely survivor. Nonetheless, though she did threaten her competitors with bombs and bullets, her heart remained very much intact. To her misfortune, that meant a certain somebody named Nishijima could wriggle his way into it.

In Episode 20 of Future Diary, Minene couldn't admit to her feelings when Nishijima proposed. He offered her an idyllic new future, but a past of running rogue, rejecting help, and denying her desire for salvation reined her back. That hesitation would be met with punishment as Nishijima was shot dead before Minene could kiss him, let alone procure happiness.

6 Bakugo Missed His Chance To Ask For All Might's Autograph

My Hero Academia

Katsuki Bakugo evolved from the egotistical, bully-esque character he was at the start of My Hero Academia. From getting kidnapped by villains to blaming himself for the downfall of his role model, Bakugo was bombarded with the reality that he was far from an indomitable, solo soldier. Striving for humility, he learned to harmonize with others, thereby descending from his self-proclaimed pedestal.

Still, old habits die hard. In Chapter 362, Bakugo gazed upon an All Might trading card, which he always carried in his pocket. "Man," he said, grinning wistfully, "I wanted an autograph so bad." Muffling his desires into defiant growls, death seized Bakugo before he could claim that precious signature.

5 Akito Sohma Never Earned The Love She Craved

Fruits Basket

Growing up, Akito from Fruits Basket was told the Sohma family would revere her as their "God." In consequence, when anyone threatened to steal the spotlight from her — including the Sohma members themselves — Akito resorted to cruel and abusive measures. Take Rin, for example, whose only crime was daring to be her own person. As punishment for wanting Haru, Akito vindictively pushed Rin out a window, nearly killing her.

Because Akito felt entitled to love, she failed to realize that it was a two-way street. In turn, as the binds of the Sohma Curse broke one by one, her worst fears came into fruition. No longer "special," select few spared her a second glance.

4 Mikey Would Sooner Seek Out Death Than Ask For Help

Tokyo Revengers

Because of his inhuman strength and natural leadership skills, Manjiro Sano from Tokyo Revengers was catapulted into a position that he may or may not have been fit to take. Boasted by both friend and foe, only he could create the glowing new era for delinquents his deceased brother, Shinichiro, aspired to.

Having never faced off against someone of equal footing, "The Invincible Mikey" was deemed incapable of losing. Thus, even as his "dark impulses" magnified and more ill-intentioned people entered his life to derail his judgment, he endured the burden of it all alone. It wasn't until Chapter 204 of Tokyo Revengers — when Takemichi seized a suicidal Mikey mid-jump, vehemently screaming at him to ask for redemption — that the boy tearfully surrendered.

3 Norman Lost Sight Of Whom He Was Living For

The Promised Neverland

Manipulating to achieve even the noblest of goals is no foreign tactic for Norman in The Promised Neverland. If he had to dabble in deception to improve the odds of his loved ones' survival, so be it. As the esteemed brains of their golden trio, his call would have the highest success rate.

Norman opposed sweet Emma's creed to coordinate with the demons in the Imperial Capital Battle Arc of The Promised Neverland. Wearing the supreme mantle of "William Minerva," he had a duty to his fellow experimentees of Lambda 7214 — so, promises aside, he prepped for mass genocide. But, at the moment of truth, neither psychologically nor morally sound enough to determine the fate of an entire race, 13-year-old Norman's mind finally caved.

2 Azula Crumbles Under The Weight Of Paranoia

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The chosen child of Ozai, Princess Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender, was adept at anything she set her sights on. Whether it be redirecting lightning or conquering the "Impenetrable City" of Ba Sing Se, she planned every single plot to a tedious tee. Azula didn't just win; she invalidated one's status as a player.

Of course, tactful as she was, Azula never anticipated Mai or Ty Lee switching allegiances. They were her support system since childhood, and their betrayal effectively dismantled Azula's foundation, leaving paranoia in their wake. Unable to fathom love being a more influential force than fear, her psyche fell into ruin — to the point that she could no longer wield the power she'd perpetually been pursuing.

1 Light Played God & Wound Up In The Dark

Death Note

No one fits the definition of prideful like the infamous Light Yagami. Given the power to eradicate anyone with a flick of a pen, Light goes from targeting petty criminals to those doubting his reign. An exceptional talent, Light would've been prosperous no matter what vocation he tried for. Haplessly, Light took the supernatural Death Note as a sign of being chosen.

A true god knows that morality can be gray. Despite his respectable intelligence, Light was still a teenager: widely inexperienced, impulsive, and with an ego close to bursting. Over time, reshaping the world for the better came second to Light's fixation on winning, ironically leading to his premature demise.

NEXT: 10 Anime Heroes Who Never Reached Their Goals