Anime protagonists are the face of the series. Viewers see the story through their eyes, and they’re usually the characters fans know the most about from the very start. Most protagonists are open books. The audience knows their backstory, thoughts, and feelings more than any other character.
However, not every anime protagonist is easy to figure out. Some keep their innermost selves a secret from the world, including the audience. Whether they’re hiding a terrible secret, have unresolved trauma, or simply just live a more private life than most, these anime protagonists have mysterious pasts that even fans don’t know about.
10 Tohru Hides Her Pain From Everyone (Fruits Basket)
At first glance, Tohru Honda hardly seems like a mysterious character. However, just like everyone else in Fruits Basket, she's far more complicated than she lets on. Tohru has a dark past that she hides underneath her positive outlook and sunny disposition.
She's suffered a great deal of pain in her life, ever since her father died years ago. Instead of accepting her feelings, Tohru pretends to be okay and instead focuses on helping others. As the years passed, her true feelings became a dark secret she refused to acknowledge until finally opening up to Kyo later in the series.
9 Hei Hides His True Identity After Becoming A Contractor (Darker Than Black)
Hei is a Contractor and assassin working for the Syndicate in Darker than Black. Because of his position, he has buried his past and his true identity, assuming any name or occupation that aids him in his job. At the beginning of the series, he goes by the name of Li Shengshun, a timid and mild-mannered Chinese exchange student.
To those around him, he appears pleasant and unassuming. However, this is a mere facade, and his true identity is unknown for some time. Throughout most of the series, Hei remains mostly a mystery, even to the audience. Even after his backstory is revealed, his true feelings and intentions appear unknown.
8 Satou Matsuzaka Uses Her Cute Appearance To Hide A Sinister Secret (Happy Sugar Life)
Happy Sugar Life seems like the typical cutesy slice-of-life series, and Satou Matsuzaka seems like the usual cute protagonist. However, it doesn't take long for viewers to realize that this couldn't be further from the truth. Underneath her adorable exterior, Satou is hiding a terrible secret.
She has fallen obsessively in love with a young girl named Shio and is keeping her locked away in her apartment. Anyone who discovers their secret or comes between them falls victim to her cruelty. Satou is determined to keep her secret no matter what, even if it means killing those who stand in her way. However, because of her cute appearance, no one seems to suspect a thing.
7 Tsukasa Is Trapped Inside The World With No Recollection Of Who He Is (.Hack//SIGN)
.Hack://SIGN is the story of a virtual reality game known as The World, and protagonist Tsukasa is unlike any other player. At the start of the series, he wakes up inside the game with no memory of his past or who he is. While other players are able to log in and out of The World, Tsukasa is trapped within its realm.
He becomes an anomaly among players, with many believing that he could even be a hacker. Tsukasa spends the entire series trying to discover his true identity and finally leave the game, and when his true identity is revealed at the end of the series, it's one of the most shocking moments of all.
6 Tomoya Okazaki's Childhood Remains A Mystery For Most Of The Series (Clannad)
Tomoya Okazaki is Clannad's cynical delinquent protagonist. He seems to have a strange resentment for his hometown, and it's unclear why. It's revealed early on that Tomoya has a strained and even borderline abusive relationship with his alcoholic father, but the audience never really learns why they've become this way. For most of the first season, Tomoya stays with the Furukawas, ignoring his former home.
It isn't until Clannad After Story that fans see the truth behind his childhood and upbringing. Once he's older, Tomoya realizes there was more to his childhood than what he remembered, and he discovers how much his father sacrificed for his sake. After years of estrangement, the two reconcile at last, and Tomoya aims to become a better person in the end.
5 Homura's Intentions Are Unclear At First (Madoka Magica)
Homura Akemi may not be the main protagonist of the original series, but she's the sole protagonist of Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Rebellion. In this film, the truth about this mysterious member of the group is finally revealed. Until this point, Homura is somewhat of an enigma to both the girls and the audience alike.
No one can really tell what her true intentions are, not even Madoka. However, her goals are made clear in Rebellion as she sacrifices herself to desperately try to stop Madoka and the others from becoming magical girls. Though she appears cold and unfeeling, in reality, she's simply become hardened by the tragic reality she uncovers.
4 Kouta Has No Memory Of His Childhood Due To A Traumatic Life-Changing Incident
Kouta is the main protagonist of Elfen Lied and has returned to his cousin's hometown to attend college. Though he seems like an average guy in every way, Kouta has a dark secret buried deep within him that even he can't remember. The audience learns that he has no memory of his time in Kamakura as a child due to a highly traumatic incident, but what that incident could be remains a mystery throughout most of the series.
It isn't until close to the end that he remembers meeting female lead Lucy all those years ago and witnessing her brutally murder his family right in front of him. After this revelation, Kouta remembers everything and uses this newfound knowledge to heal from his trauma and find forgiveness in his heart.
3 Yukito Appears As A Mysterious Traveling Puppeteer (AIR)
At the start of AIR, Yukito Kunisaki wanders into a seaside town, making ends meet with his stringless puppeteering. Even after he meets female protagonist Misuzu Kamio, Yukito barely opens up and remains a mystery. Throughout most of the series, it's unclear why he's there or what his goals are. Eventually, he tells Misuzu he's traveling to search for a "girl in the sky", but even this tells audiences very little about him.
It isn't until near the very end that his true identity becomes known. By the time the story begins to fit together the pieces of who Yukito really is, he disappears. Even after his backstory and connection to Misuzu are revealed, he remains a puzzling mystery that viewers still don't completely understand.
2 Mei Misaki's Existence Is Filled With Mystery (Another)
Mei Misaki is the female protagonist of Another. She's quiet and unassuming, with classmates even calling her "the one who doesn't exist." It even appears as though lead male Kouichi is the only one who can see her. She remains a mystery throughout the series, and little is known about her overall.
Everything revolves around Mei, but it's unclear what her true connection to it all is. Even as Kouichi gets to know her more, he finds himself at a loss for the unexplainable events taking place around them.
1 Loid Forger Abandonded His True Identity After Becoming A Spy (Spy X Family)
At the start of Spy x Family, the world-famous spy, codenamed Twilight, is introduced as the main protagonist. After joining W.I.S.E., he abandoned his name and everything about his true identity. Instead, he assumes whatever identity is necessary for his mission, and he assumes the name Loid Forger in Episode One.
Loid's past is a complete mystery, with only a few bits of information known to the audience. His life is completely dedicated to his work, so it's hard to tell what he truly thinks, let alone who he is.