In anime, heroes are supposed to be viewed as relatable paragons that the audience can use as their representatives in the story. To that extent, writers usually make them as innocuous and upstanding as possible. However, such isn't always the case.
The artistic choices made with a handful of heroes renders them so outlandishly far from the norm that they have become controversial. Through identifying such characters and the traits that render them black sheep, it becomes easier to determine whether or not the heated discussion surrounding them is actually justified.
This article contains spoilers from the Attack on Titan manga.
10 Naofumi Touches On Sensitive Subjects (Rising Of The Shield Hero)
By himself, there's not much to find objectionable about Naofumi. He's a relatively upstanding person that goes out of his way to help the innocent and protect the land he was teleported to. However, controversy stirs around his interaction with Malty.
Though he didn't actually assault her, the entire plot line touches on sensitive issues that some fans find in bad taste. Others claim that Naofumi being wrongly accused is an equally important subject to consider, making him a divisive character regardless of his fairly standard personality.
9 Tamaki's Presentation Is Questionable (Fire Force)
Tamaki is a member of Company Eight and one of the most present heroes in the story. Though well-meaning and courageous, some critique her for being a "fan service" character. For instance, clothing malfunctions cause a variety of lewd scenes unnecessary to the plot.
Tamaki herself also requires saving in most of the fights she partakes in, which does not bode well for her credibility as a strong and respectable soldier. Nonetheless, other fans claim that indulging such tropes are harmless and help to better round out the cast.
8 Sakura's Character Is Divisively One Note (Naruto)
Technically, the series did a much better job of portraying Sakura through the events of Shippuden. Her training under Tsunade ensured that she was no longer useless, and she even defeated Sasori (an opponent of Kage-level strength).
Nonetheless, Sakura is still held back by the same obsession with Sasuke that she's always had. Some fans claim that as a result, she has not grown as much as she could have. It does not help that Sakura has the least fights and screen time out of Team Seven by a large margin.
7 Joseph Joestar's Disturbing Tendencies Were Overlooked (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Given his roguish nature, there's much to like about Joseph Joestar. However, his amiable disposition belies his lecherous, sometimes predatory behaviors that have not diminished with age. For example, Joseph spied on Lisa Lisa while she was exposed through a hidden peephole.
He also cheated on Suzie Q and fathered Josuke Higashikata. Worse yet, he abandoned Josuke for almost his entire life, leading the young man to resent him when he finally turned up. As a result, he is easily the most flawed JoJo of the cast.
6 Scar's Overall Message Wasn't Glamorous (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Scar was an Ishvallan terrorist who wanted to destroy the government and its alchemists. After the Elric brothers discovered King Bradley's true intentions, however, he became an ally of convenience and antihero. However, there are a number of ways Scar's story is problematic.
Not only does it entail that his previous acts of terrorism against innocent people were justified, it also suggests that one can find peace through vengeance. While the latter moral may not be as difficult to swallow for some, it's still highly contentious.
5 Meliodas Ignored Others' Feelings Much Too Often (Seven Deadly Sins)
Meliodas had a habit of ignoring other peoples' feelings. Though this may seem like a relatively innocuous shortcoming, it had disastrous consequences for the overall series. For example, he constantly treated Elizabeth inappropriately in public and in a way others knew to be exploitative.
Meliodas also dismissed their feedback before becoming the Demon King and turning against the Sins. Further, he was completely oblivious to their problems and motives, resulting with Ban, Gowther, and Merlin's betrayals at differing points in the story. In the end, it's questionable if he deserved to be captain at all.
4 Bakugo Was Openly Spiteful To Everyone Around Him (My Hero Academia)
Bakugo has the opposite problem of Naofumi. While there's technically nothing controversial about his motives or backstory, he carries himself in such a way that he polarizes everyone.
In one instance, he made enemies of Class 1-B by relentlessly taunting them throughout the Sports Festival. Bakugo's insecurity grew so severe that he even beat Deku to a pulp in order to prove to himself that he was still number one. All Might was less than impressed.
3 Alucard Would've Been A Villain Under Different Circumstances (Hellsing)
Alucard was an archetypical antihero. He unleashed dark power to destroy his enemies and preserve London at the behest of his master, Integra Hellsing. However, there were a number of factors rendering him just as much of a villain as a hero.
He notably has no real attachment to humanity, only protecting the innocent due to Integra's command. Moreover, he revels in the carnage wrought by the Millennium Organization and even enjoyed watching Seras' transformation into a full-fledged vampire. As a result, he likely would have been a villain with a different owner.
2 Ivankov Was A Highly Contentious Representation Of LGBTQ+ People (One Piece)
In theory, there's much to like about Ivankov. They were a member of the Revolutionary Army, participated in the Marineford War, ran a successful kingdom, and even saved Luffy's life. However, the type of representation Ivankov makes of LGBTQ+ people is called into question upon closer inspection.
Not only do they interrogate people by forcibly changing their genders, the denizens of Kamabakka Kingdom are not written respectfully. As a result, fans cannot agree whether Ivankov is a positive or negative representation for the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
1 Eren's Later Years Are Hotly Debated (Attack On Titan)
For most of the series, Eren was a bright-eyed and hotheaded shonen protagonist. However, the revelation of Marley had a dramatic impact on who he was, especially since "the enemy" now included all non-Eldian life.
Though fulfilling the villain role ever since the Rumbling, some fans argue that he should have remained the series' lead. This claim is substantiated by the fact that Paradis was destroyed decades later after Eren's death. As a result, the Yeagerists' worst fears were validated in spite of their brutal means to secure peace.