Anime has brought about heroes and heroines of all sorts. There have been epic martial artists, knights of duty and honor, soldiers in space and on the battlefield, and even magical, pre-teen girls spreading joy through cotton candy and song. However, if there was ever an understated force behind a lot of people's favorite series, it would be the anime medic.
These are the medical professionals who do the miracles that all anime characters want done, whether that means saving their ailing mothers or just bandaging a booboo. To give a little praise to the unsung archetypes that help characters from being a prop for someone else's character motivation, this list will rank the 10 best doctors in anime.
10 Shinra Kishitani (Durarara!!)
Shinra is the obsessive, underworld doctor that no one actually wants but still somehow managed to steal everyone's hearts anyway. The son of another brilliant, morally ambiguous doctor, Shinra's fascination with the human form began when he witnessed the dissection of the Headless Rider, Celty.
This would not only motivate his career as an elite doctor for the underworld but to also romantically pursue the same Dullahan that inspired him. In the seedy streets of Ikebukuro, where strange doctors could really be doing anything else with people's body parts, Shinra is a breath of fresh air.
9 Takani Megumi (Rurouni Kenshin)
A brilliant and rising medical professional, Megumi was at one point roped into the drug trafficking industry of the doctor she served under. While initially just a damsel in distress for Kenshin's gang when she fled from him, Megumi more than proves her purpose when she miraculously saves Yahiko.
Soon after, Megumi becomes an integral member of the Kamiya dojo and, as she builds a relationship with the greater community, becomes the leading physician for all of Tokyo.
8 Nurse Joy (Pokémon)
Some of the most iconic and easily recognizable characters to ever put on scrubs, the Nurse Joys are an immediate delight to anyone who sees them. Not only are they an integral element to a beloved franchise that has been with many since childhood, but all of them have famously and tirelessly worked hard to heal and even save the sweet mascots everyone has come to love.
Adding to the fact that they also have quite a quirky (if not downright convenient) family history, and one wouldn't mind having them work on even real-world pets...if they would even know how.
7 Orihime Inoue (Bleach)
Healer characters are an odd breed. While they certainly stretch what it means to be a medical professional, even the most generic one holds an important place within any adventuring party. One of the most iconic and beloved ones out there would include Orihime Inoue.
While initially just the helpless damsel early on in Bleach's history, Orihime was built up as this natural talent for healing that would soon see the frequent front lines of a lot of the battles between literal life and death.
6 Wendy Marvell (Fairy Tail)
Another healer on this list's ranks, Wendy Marvell has proven to be both a useful resource both on and off the battlefield. Beyond being just an epic dragon slayer that takes on giant foes with her magical girl self, Wendy has performed some of the most impressive healing miracles within Fairy Tail.
She's always quick to respond to a friend's need for medical help (which is pretty constant in a series that needs deus ex machina help) and has even managed to pull people from the brink of death. Dishing out pain and healing magic in equal measure, Wendy is one of the most reliable healers in anime.
5 Recovery Girl (My Hero Academia)
A character that constantly proves that they really, really need to exist to justify, well, anything in the series, Recovery Girl is a beacon of hope and support within the perilous adventures of would-be heroes. The series even states that Recover Girl is the main reason that the U.A. is able to avoid a multitude of bad press and lawsuits, as her healing ability quickly alleviates the concerns of students getting seriously hurt.
Deku in particular couldn't train to his full extent without Recover Girl constantly healing his constantly breaking arms. A foe to villain and lawsuits alike, one truly hopes that Recovery Girl is getting a decent paycheck.
4 Toshio Ozaki (Shiki)
Rarely does a doctor character carry grit and irreverence in addition to being so caring. Yet, not only was that House-esque character put into greasy anime form, but that same doctor was a small village's main line of defense against an increasing vampire threat. Just imagine how tough it must've been to be the doctor that had to discover that vampires were in their village.
Yet, Toshio Ozaki not only handled the situation with tireless professionalism but also a horrifying disregard for sympathy. The man literally experimented on and dissected his own vampire-turned wife who very much had the same personality and values as she did in human form. There's a quiet blend of genuine brilliance and obsession going on here that has helped turn Toshio into one of the most interesting doctors to ever carry a scalpel. The question remains: What is he going to do with it?
3 Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece)
Tony Tony Chopper is a miraculous, fantastical doctor for a variety of reasons. Inspired by a foolhardy quack and trained by perhaps an actual witch, Chopper has been honed as both a talented professional and a consistent bleeding heart.
His dream in the series is to be able to cure any disease; and between his vast studies with scientists and doctors across the world and having to treat the ever needy Straw Hat crew, Chopper is certainly on his way to doing that.
2 Kenzo Tenma (Monster)
Dr. Tenma is a medical genius who really asks what the values and responsibilities of a doctor really are. Much like many individuals on this list, Tenma was a bleeding heart trying to save anyone and everyone he could. Tested by the mixed morals of his hospital's previous directors, Tenma re-dedicated his career to pure ethics.
However, those same ethics became tested when he finds out that he once saved a now rampaging, murderous psychopath. Now having to hold a scalpel in one hand and a gun in the other, Tenma's one of the few doctors in anime that really helps the viewer imagine what the value of a life is, and what it means to help people responsibly.
1 Lady Tsunade (Naruto)
Few doctors in anime have had as much importance and influence as the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. The granddaughter of the First Hokage, Tsunade would tread off the beaten path, when she decided there was more value in her skills for saving ninjas than killing them.
As such, she became one of the most influential and prominent medical professionals who literally revolutionized how the Hidden Leaf treats its beaten and worn ninjas. Bearing hands that are strong enough to both support her beloved village as much as they can defend it, Tsunade is perhaps the best doctor in anime.