The characters of any and every anime are what make or break their shows. If fans love them, the show’s guaranteed to be a hit and if they hate them, the show’s guaranteed to create enough negative buzz among fans to last for a lifetime!
However, ever so often, it so happens that it is actually the side/minor characters that end up stealing the show. Sometimes it’s simply because of the excessive powers they possess, their incredibly good looks, or charming personality, and sometimes, it’s because they offered a more complex characterization or motivation for being the way that they are.
10 Igor: Once Possessed By Satan, He Now Works Under The Demon Mephistopheles To Awaken Rin’s Powers (Blue Exorcist)
After Satan possessed his body and killed his family, Igor began hating everything related to the demon’s blue flames. This often resulted in him sabotaging the life of Satan’s son, Rin, every time he got the chance to do so.
It was later revealed he kept pushing Rin’s buttons partly due to his hatred, and partly because he wanted to activate the boy’s demonic powers. He did so at the behest of the demon Mephistopheles, under whom he’d been working secretly for a long time.
9 Tsubaki: The 6th Diary Holder Was A Charming & Manipulative Leader Of A Deadly Cult (Future Diary)
After Tsubaki’s parents (the leader of the Omekata cult) died, the cult’s followers captured her and had their way with her for years to come. She eventually broke down, both mentally and physically, and assumed a completely new personality and demeanor.
While she portrayed herself to be a prim and proper lady worthy of being worshipped, she was actually a manipulative and sadistic beast who didn't think twice before killing Yuki and Yuno.
8 Shadow: An Aggressive Punk Who Led A Secret Life As A Florist’s Assistant (SK8 The Infinity)
Shadow possessed a talk and bulky build, which was amplified by his extravagant heavy rocker clothes, accessories, and makeup. He was loud and aggressive but that is only in front of his competitors.
However, as Hiromi Higa, he was a soft-spoken and responsible young man who worked diligently at a flower shop. He was loved by his customers and boss alike, and later episodes revealed him to be nurturing a tiny crush on his lady boss.
7 Miana: She’s The Shrine Maiden Of The Last Surviving Humans On Earth (Godzilla: Planet Of The Monsters)
After Godzilla had presumably destroyed all life on Earth, it was Miana’s tribe that emerged as the planet’s sole survivor of humanity. While Miana and her people lived underground in an admittedly crude lifestyle, they were far more intelligent than the humans who returned home after wandering 10,000 years in space.
Miana was also the key that united both the groups of humans, as she ultimately united with, and gave birth to, Haruo’s child.
6 Cynthia: An Innocent Love-Lorn Girl Who Became An International Con Artist (Great Pretender)
Her life began just like any other girl’s life, but after her boyfriend, Thomas, became obsessed with making money through his forgeries, thanks to the growing influence of James Coleman, she broke up with him.
She then became a small-time con artist, and it was when she tried to con Laurent that he appreciated the raw talent she possessed and added her to his ever-growing team of international con artists.
5 Warden Makina: This Ex-Special Forces Recruit Held Her Ground In An All-Male Prison (Deadman Wonderland)
Deadman Wonderland’s warden created fear in the hearts of even the most hardened criminals due to the unbelievably casual manner in which she sliced and diced anybody apart whenever they broke the prison’s rules.
She was also the kind of person who did not mind getting her hands dirty, going so far as to blackmail government officials or torture inmates if it helped her achieve her goal of doing things for the greater good.
4 Ayame: A Sheltered Girl Who Eventually Learns What It Means To Be A True Leader (Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress)
Initially, Ayame was shown to be a sheltered and passive young girl, but after she witnessed her father die in front of her eyes, she matured in a very short period of time. She constantly put her life on the line to save her people, as well as save the lives of the two kabane (Mumei and Ikoma) on board her train.
She also learned to use her “weak” persona in her favor, where she tricked her kidnappers into revealing their location and later on, having her people ambush their hideout.
3 Meisai: An Ex-Bandit Who Became A Savior For Women Who Were Victims Of Male Abuse (Katanagatari)
The leader of the Sanzu shrine gave up her life of deceit and bloody wars when she met the real Meisai Tsuruga, who she killed and took her name.
Now, her entire time is spent giving housing, clothes, and food to women who have been victims of domestic abuse. Most of these girls are too scared to even appear in the presence of a man, which is why Meisai is extra protective of them.
2 Juuzou: An Eccentric Young Boy Who Could Be Surprisingly Sadistic On The Battlefield (Tokyo Ghoul)
While the anime and manga versions of this character’s life and actions differ greatly, they both do a splendid job of delving into his highly eccentric and unpredictable behavior.
He was tortured when he was younger, had an illegal castration performed on him, and endured years of torture by the woman he considered his mother. He lacked a sense of morality, could be surprisingly violent and sadistic, but also enjoyed his job as a Rank 3 Investigator.
1 Kaorua: A Trans Character Hailed By The LGBT+ Community For Finally Showing Some Genuine Diversity (Wonder Egg Priority)
To Momoe’s surprise, her egg hatched a trans boy, and the more they talked, the more they realized how much they had in common.
Kaorua’s strength and unshakeable faith in his gender, despite the abuse he'd faced as a child, encouraged Momoe to be who she truly wanted to be –recognized as a cute and feminine girl.