Anime is remarkable for a number of different reasons and has been able to facilitate some of the most entertaining stories in animation over the past few decades. There’s a lot to enjoy when it comes to anime, whether it’s the storytelling, use of animation, or the many compelling protagonists.

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It’s not unusual for anime to cater towards action and violence, but even though some shows may be consumed with conflict, it’s often more compelling when there are characters in that climate who refuse to take lives. In a medium where so many characters have kill counts in the dozens and hundreds, it’s a surprising breath of fresh air when heroes air towards pacifism, regardless of the reasons that have pushed them to this place.

10 Vash The Stampede Holds Himself To A Strict Moral Code

Vash sadly draws his gun on Legato in Trigun

Trigun is a frenetic action anime series that’s full of flying bullets, ridiculous weapons, and intimidating antagonists. The series’ protagonist, Vash the Stampede, has a legendary bounty on his head and is viewed as one of the most dangerous targets in the world. Despite Vash’s proficiency on the battlefield, he stringently embraces a philosophy of “love and peace.” Vash has witnessed too much loss to rack up a large body count and he deeply feels every life that he’s taken. It’s pushed him to adopt non-lethal means of combat.

9 One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy Views Death As The Easy Way Out

Luffy Sleeping

Shonen anime series do an excellent job with the construction of protagonists who are both friendly and lovable, but also incredibly powerful and able to protect the world from destruction. One Piece’s Luffy is one of the best examples of this since he often carries an energetic and excited demeanor. Luffy is someone who refuses to kill his opponents, but this desire stems more from Luffy’s opinion that it’s more debilitating to live with loss and one’s mistakes than to simply be destroyed. It seems pacifistic, but there’s a heavy psychological component to Luffy’s approach.

8 Kenshin Himura Seeks Out Peace After A History Of Violence

Anime Rurouni Kenshin Himura Kenshin Sword Drawn

Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most acclaimed anime and digs into the world of samurai. Rurouni Kenshin throws tons of bloody action and drama at the audience, but the series is just as interested in the honor and pain that accompany the treasured role of samurai.

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Kenshin Himura built a reputation as one of the deadliest blade wielders in the land. It’s a lifestyle that slowly broke Kenshin and has led him to a peaceful and healthier existence. Kenshin still has to occasionally defend his honor, but the bloodlust that used to fuel him is now gone.

7 Mob Knows That It Means More To Not Abuse Power In Mob Psycho 100

Anime mob psycho 1

Mob Psycho 100 is one of the most enjoyable anime series to come out in the past few years. It’s a stunning combination of breathtaking animation, entertaining characters, and bewildering psychic abilities. Mob is the strongest of these espers, but he continually dampens his strength and only uses his skills in extreme scenarios. Mob is capable of doing a ton of damage, but that’s exactly what he’s worried about. He knows that a more intense use of his powers is a slippery slope and can lead to corruption and the loss of lives, which he doesn’t want to risk.

6 Edward Elric Vows To Find Victory Without Death In Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward Elric bleeding

The touching story of brotherly love and devotion is the beating heart of Fullmetal Alchemist, but it becomes a much bigger story that’s full of supernatural battles and dire consequences. Edward Elric is on an important adventure to heal his family, but he promises to not take any lives along the way, including those of the dangerous Homunculi. Edward gets close to crossing this line several times, but he never does. The character’s altruism also inspires others to adopt his policies during the series’ final story arc.

5 A Certain Magical Index’s Touma Kamijou Despises Violence And What It Represents

Touma Kamijou from A Certain Magical Index

A Certain Magical Index is a creative spin on a world full of powerful magic and science. Touma Kamijou is significant due to the immense power that he contains in his arm, but he won’t end lives even though he’s the perfect individual to eliminate these sources of evil.

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Other adaptations of A Certain Magical Index even show Touma helping save the lives of enemies because he feels such guilt. Touma nearly slips when he loses his head against Aureolus Dummy after he watches him melt his friend, but he doesn’t submit and is left traumatized by his actions.

4 The Big O’s Roger Smith Sees Death As A Weak Solution

roger smith

The Big O is an unusual take on the mecha genre that applies many American sensibilities to its moody and noir-influenced series. The Big O’s Roger Smith feels like an approximate to Bruce Wayne in many respects and he also has a comparable moral code. Roger Smith is a negotiator and prefers to solve a problem with words and strategy rather than violence. Smith is resourceful and even though he never explicitly states that he doesn’t kill, it’s safe to assume as much considering he performs his job unarmed and that his mecha is more to make a statement.

3 Akane Tsunemori Defies Her Directive In Psycho-Pass

psychopass akane dominator

Psycho-Pass is an incredible dissection of morality and rehabilitation in a cyberpunk setting. The MWPSB are an important organization that attempt to take out criminals before they've committed their crimes, thanks to the impressive Sybil System that's incorporated into their technology. It's standard protocol for workers to eliminate the people that their guns tell them are a threat, but Akane is someone who struggles with this directive. She's someone who will always engage in debate and tries to properly understand her target rather than just jumping to execution. She's interested in the mentality behind crime, not just the end result.

2 Case Closed’s Shinichi Kudou Looks For The Good In His Clients

Shinichi Kudo and Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan.

Shinichi Kudou of the Case Closed/Detective Conan series is a brilliant investigator even though he’s an accomplished individual that’s’ trapped in the body of a child. Shinichi has faced all sorts of cases, many of which have tried to manipulate him and take advantage. However, Shinichi maintains strong resolve and he’s not willing to execute any of his enemies in order to successfully complete a job. There are even scenarios where Shinichi’s own life is on the line and he’ll still look for a non-lethal way to get out of the problem. It’s a testament to his strong detective skills.

1 Goku Is A Slave To Rehabilitation And Always Looking For A Good Fight

Dragon Ball Goku

The Dragon Ball universe features exceptionally powerful heroes and villains that have the strength to destroy entire universes. Goku is typically the one in charge of handling Earth’s threat and he’s practically become a joke due to how often he’s willing to give vile enemies a second chance. Goku repeatedly allows genocidal villains an opportunity to get stronger or even heal them with Senzu Beans. It’s not that Goku has never killed anyone, but even now it’s his very last resort and something that he doesn’t want to turn towards.

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