In Beastars, carnivores and herbivores coexist, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not. Although society has crafted rules to smooth the main differences among species and ensure harmony, prejudice is always around. There's a palpable difference between being a carnivore and an herbivore. Being born into one species or the other can determine a life for better or worse.
Since herbivores are considered weaker than carnivores, many plant-eating characters in Beastars suffer the consequences of this social bias. Whether it's because they're active victims of other animals or because they aren't taken seriously, many herbivores in Beastars would probably lead happier lives if they were carnivores.
10 Kyuu & San Were Robbed Of A Normal Life
Kyuu and San are a female lop-eared rabbit and a male alpaca who spent their childhood as livestock in the Black Market, ready to be purchased as food any day. Fortunately, both animals found ways to survive this hostile environment. While Kyuu became a masterful warrior, San trained himself to find others' physical weaknesses in seconds.
Although they both managed to avoid death and have semi-regular lives, Kyuu and San's lives would be better if they had been born as carnivores. They wouldn't have spent their childhood fighting for survival, which means they wouldn't be traumatized as adults, and maybe they could have normal lives.
9 Kibi Would Have Never Lost His Arm
Kibi is a calm and responsible anteater who's a student at the Cherryton Academy and a member of the Drama Club. Although the other students consider him too quiet, he's also well-liked in the community because he's a kind guy. This is why everyone is very concerned when Tao rips his arm by accident — in what apparently is a common mistake, given that carnivores are way stronger than herbivores.
This is a very important moment on the show. Kibi accepting Legoshi to carry him even though he fears other carnivores shows that Legoshi is getting redemption in spite of his carnivore condition. However, it's also a very traumatic event for the anteater, who probably would've been happier if he was a strong carnivore who'd never be a victim of such a tragic accident.
8 Mizuchi's Whole Attitude Would Be Different
Although she isn't a major antagonist, Mizuchi isn't exactly a lovable character. She's a harlequin rabbit with a mean girl attitude who bullies Haru after finding out she slept with her boyfriend because she believes the white rabbit to be inferior to her.
Conceited and bigoted, Mizuchi's whole personality revolves around being an endangered herbivore species because she believes that makes her special. Maybe if she had been a common carnivore, she wouldn't believe herself to be superior to others. This would've saved Haru a lot of issues in school.
7 Seven Wouldn't Have To Fight For Respect
Seven is a Merino sheep who live in Beast Apartments next to Legoshi. She's a petite creature whose politeness usually puts her at a disadvantage because people think they can treat her however they want. For example, her carnivore co-workers call her Lamb-chan, even though this makes her feel uncomfortable and depressed.
In a perfect society, Seven would have her co-workers respect just for being herself, but since the Beastars world is nowhere near perfection, Seven has to fight for her right not to be objectified by carnivores. If she were a carnivore herself, likely, she wouldn't suffer this problem. People would respect her just because of her social status.
6 Melon Wouldn't Be A Psychopath If His Father Was A Carnivore
A nameless character, Melon's father is a middle-aged male gazelle who had a relationship with a female leopard. As a result of this affair, Melon the hybrid was born. Even though everyone thinks Melon's herbivore father is a victim of Melon's carnivore mother, it turns out he's a deadbeat father who abandoned his family due to fear of the social stigma that follows interspecies couples.
The reality is that Melon's father could've been a better parental figure for Melon. Maybe he would've been so if he was a carnivore. For example, maybe if he was a leopard too, his relationship with Melon's mother wouldn't be such a problem, and the three of them would have a normal and happy family. If this had happened, Melon wouldn't be an evil psychopath.
5 Pina's Nature Would Be More Attune To His Attitude
One of the most handsome actors in the Drama Club and in the whole series, Pina is a cocky white Dall sheep with a bizarre but charming personality. Although he isn't a bad person, he can be conceited and a bit of a playboy too, since he's particularly popular among the ladies. Although he's an herbivore, Pina enjoys provoking carnivores even if it means risking his own life.
Although Pina has a very fulfilling life as an herbivore, his commanding attitude mixed with his lust for chaos makes him a fairly odd creature. He never expresses his desire to be a carnivore, but he would probably be happier if he held a higher role in the society that privileges carnivores in many ways.
4 Tem Would Have Never Been Attacked
Tem is a kind and friendly male alpaca who belongs to the Cherryton Academy Drama Club. Although he isn't the first herbivore to ever die at the hands of a carnivore, he's the first victim in the school, so his death triggers Legoshi's development as a character as well as many plots in the first arcs of the manga.
Granted, his herbivore condition shouldn't have been a reason to be murdered, but the reality is that if Tem had been a carnivore creature like Riz — his murderer — he wouldn't have died in the bear's hands. Unfortunately, as a herbivore, he wasn't strong enough to defend himself.
3 Haru Would Feel Less Isolated From Society
Haru is the main protagonist in Beastars. A white dwarf rabbit so small, other animals consider her too fragile for her own good. Since this is a big issue for her, Haru uses her sexuality as a tool to feel validated. However, other animals judge her poorly for her promiscuity, which isolates her even more.
In the series, Haru never states her wish to become a carnivore. In fact, she's mostly happy with her life as a rabbit. Regardless, it's obvious that she feels deeply about her position in society, so one can't help to believe Haru would enjoy living as a carnivore, free from the social prejudice about her own fragility.
2 Yahya Might As Well Be A Carnivore
A former beastar himself, Yahya is a black horse with a sense of justice so strong that he even resorts to murder to punish crime. Even though Yahya seems like a friendly creature at first, in reality, he's a manipulative and cruel horse who's obsessed with cleansing society from criminals. He's not so much a hero, but an antihero in the Beastars society.
Although Yahya despises carnivores — sometimes because of their crimes, sometimes because of their nature —, his attitude towards others' lives is not as different as those with a strong urge to eat meat. He considers people disposable, and most times, other creatures are just tools to achieve his own goals. While his intentions aren't as selfish as just feeding, he's just as cold-blooded as any violent carnivore.
1 Louis' Main Trauma Comes From Being A Herbivore
Since he's the main candidate for the Beastar's title and the most popular student in the Cherryton Academy, Louis the deer is self-righteous and arrogant. However, his attitude is only a way of concealing his insecurities. In reality, Louis fears that the world will always see him as fragile because he's an herbivore. This trauma comes from the fact that he was raised as livestock in the Black Market just because of this.
Louis explicitly states his wish of being a carnivore in the series. He believes in the social hierarchy that states meat-eating animals are more powerful than herbivores and envies Legoshi for being an apex predator. If Louis was a carnivore himself, he wouldn't have so many insecurities, and maybe his relationships would be healthier. In addition to this, maybe he would've had a normal childhood.