Some of the best moments in our favorite characters' journeys come when they act out of character. People are deeply complex and layered, and oftentimes go against their own nature when they find themselves in precarious predicaments. Sometimes these contradictions to their nature are woven into their very personalities, paving the way for even more interesting developments along the way.

RELATED: 10 Best Anime Heroes With The Worst Reputations

Characters acting against their nature spans several different anime. Contradictory attitudes, internal conflicts, and lapses in judgment all make up the range of ways in which a character might behave counter to their usual sensibilities, and the result is always rich and intricate storytelling.

10 Izuku Midoriya Is A Brave Crybaby

My Hero Academia

Izuku Midoriya Sobbing in My Hero Academia

Midoriya is a timid, sheepish young high schooler. He's easy to scare, easy to bully, and takes on a submissive role when faced with any sort of dominance. He's a black sheep — marginalized as a powerless kid in a world of superheroes.

Crybaby as he is, Midoriya exhibits some of the most indomitable bravery in the series. It's this same bravery that catches the eye of the greatest superhero in history: All Might. Midoriya is weak, but he consistently goes against his fearful nature in the name of serving others.

9 Vash The Stampede Is A Dangerous Pacifist

Trigun

Vash the Stampede pointing his gun. (Trigun)

Vash The Stampede's reputation precedes him: He's an outlaw with a $60 billion bounty on his head. They call him The Human Typhoon because of his ability to wreak absolute devastation on entire towns. He's regarded as the most dangerous gunman on the planet. He's also totally goofy, never killed anyone, and is an innate pacifist.

RELATED: 10 Best Anime Wanderers

His reputation goes against his true character. Vash is a reactive man, but eventually, he goes against his passive nature and proactively begins to seek out his brother, Knives. This begins the climax of Vash's ultimate arc as he changes himself to create the change he wishes to see in both his life and the world he wishes to protect.

8 Eren Wants To Save People, So He Kills Them

Attack On Titan

Eren Yaeger Human and Titan Forms

When viewers meet Eren in Attack On Titan, they conclude he's a kid who cares about saving the human race from the terror of the monstrous Titans that keep them corralled away like cattle. His intentions seem completely reasonable, his spirit is unbreakable, and viewers believe that if anyone can save the human race from the titans, it must be Eren.

Fans are in for the shock of their lives a few seasons later when it becomes clear that Eren intends on sacrificing most of the world's population to save just his small corner of the world. Eren becomes the monster himself as he releases thousands of massive titans upon the world's surface, flattening countries and their people. His change in nature is one of the most harrowing in anime history.

7 Haruhi Is A Poor Girl In A Rich Man's World

Ouran High School Host Club

Haruhi scratching her head in Ouran High School Host Club.

Haruhi is a young girl with a scholarship to a very prestigious school for ultra-rich kids with too much time on their hands. She's waifish, and with her short hair and boyish clothing, even her classmates mistake her for a boy. The revelation of her gender isn't presented until the end of the first episode, and by then she has already been indoctrinated as a male host for the Host Club in order to pay off a debt she's accrued.

Haruhi is happy to keep up the false pretenses in order to continue making up the money she owes. Her true nature as a regular, middle-class girl is constantly at odds with the lavish world of the men she finds herself pretending to be a part of.

6 Takemichi Is A Timid Gangster

Tokyo Revengers

Takemichi beaten and crying in Tokyo Revengers.

When fans meet Takemichi he is a timid, meek young man. He doesn't rustle feathers and is living a pretty boring life. He's also genuinely kind-hearted and more of a pacifist. These aren't the typical attributes of the head of a massive gang syndicate, but somehow Takemichi finds himself on that path.

RELATED: Tokyo Revengers: Takemichi's 11 Closest Friends

Takemichi rages against his own fears (and appropriate levels of self-preservation) in order to protect his friends. While he gets physically throttled every other episode, he remains steadfast. Takemichi counters his nature as a reactive/passive character who becomes proactive—it's the only way he'll be able to save his friends.

5 Twilight Gets A Family

Spy X Family

Loid Forger with his daughter, Anya, in Spy x Family.

All things top secret and confidential are in Twilight's wheelhouse as a spy, but his latest mission entails something that pushes the limits of his expertise — being a dad. Taking the alias Loid Forger, Twilight is instructed to acquire a wife and a child for an undercover mission.

Twilight immediately questions his ability to succeed in such a wild request. This lack of self-confidence is only shown when concerning this specific mission. It's clear that the elements involving a pseudo-family unit take him out of sorts, and the usually stalwart and fearless spy becomes anxious and apprehensive. Twilight goes against his nature as a cold, lone wolf, and enters the world of warmth, union, and love found in family.

4 Edward Isn't A Believer Even When He Is

Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward Elric researching in Fullmetal Alchemist.

Edward Elric is an abrasive, hot-tempered young boy with a chip on his shoulder. During a forbidden transmutation, Edward finds himself in an other-worldly space — somewhere between life and death. When confronted by Rose and Father Cornello, Edward scoffs at the very idea of a God.

Edward claims to be an atheist, drawing a hard line in the sand between science and spirit. There are numerous times throughout the series where Edward goes against his nature as a non-believer, even once suggesting that Alphonse should pray. This back-and-forth is a testament to Edward's harrowing internal conflicts and highlights the dissonance between his lived experiences and his stubborn adherence to his practicality.

3 Tanjiro Isn't A Killer, He Just Has To Be

Demon Slayer

Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer

Tanjiro's life is quickly ravaged by the massacre of his mother and four of his siblings, leaving just one "living" sister. Tanjiro is determined to change his now demon sister back and sets out to become a Demon Slayer to find answers.

Demon Slayers live a life of violence — going against Tanjiro's nature as a harmless, gentle boy. He approaches each of his assassinations with honest compassion. He sits with each slain demon as they pass, reminding them of their original human nature, and giving them companionship in their final moments.

2 Katara Pirates From Pirates

Avatar

katara waterbender scroll

Katara is a nurturing, independent, and morally righteous waterbender in the Gaang. She can most often be counted on acting within a healthy set of morals and expects those around her to do the same. That's why it's such a shock in Episode 9 when she pickpockets an ancient waterbending scroll from pirates.

RELATED: Avatar: 10 Times Katara Acted Out Of Character

While Katara points out that pirates likely stole the scroll from a waterbender themselves, she quickly sobers up when confronted with the fact that she put her friends in danger for the item. This moment of thievery demonstrates that while she is usually the most ethically sound, Katara is human— and a child at that.

1 Yuta Lights Up In Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Rika Orimoto and Yuta Okkotsu from Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Yuta's childhood friend, Rika, follows Yuta as a Curse for most of his life, protecting him against his will. She is uncontrollable, brutally murdering anyone she perceives as a threat to Yuta. As a result, Yuta experiences deep self-loathing and depression, desperate to stay away from others in case he inadvertently hurts them.

During his time at Jujustu High, Yuta learns to stop fearing Rika and instead strikes an unlikely partnership with her. Yuta goes against his self-loathing nature,​ and discovers Rika's companionship for what it is — a testament to the love of their young friendship.

NEXT: 10 Anime Characters Who would Rather Be Feared Than Loved