What good is beating an opponent if it can't be done in style? At first glance, anime fans may not consider the clothing of their favorite characters to be important. However, looks can make an essential first impression, and a stylish costume can define the personality of an anime hero like nothing else.
Some outfits reveal a hero's personality, while others hint towards their powers or upbringing. A rare few anime heroes even regularly change up their wardrobe to suit their mood, adapt to an enemy, or even just to mess around with their fashion sense. Costumes represent the core of an anime hero, and the more stylish they are the better.
10 Saitama's Outfit Is Simple But Impressive (One Punch Man)
At first glance, Saitama's hero costume is very simple. It might resemble a child cosplaying as a hero with a shower curtain draped around their neck. Yet, it's beyond the surface that his bright yellow outfit can truly shine.
Its red gloves and boots accentuate the bold colors and the pure white cape provides a clean and heroic look when it flutters behinds him. In combat, Saitama stretches his costume to its limits and proves that it's a fashion meets function design.
9 Ryuko Matoi Reveals Her Personality (Kill La Kill)
There is no doubt that Ryuko Matoi has the most revealing outfit of any anime heroine. Ryuko herself is well aware of this and, understandably, acts embarrassed and ashamed of it to begin with. In the plot of Kill la Kill, clothing powered by Life Fibers plays a vital role, and she must overcome her feelings towards the costume to emerge victoriously.
Red and black accents with sharp lines paint the picture of an aggressive and powerful character, and when Ryuko fully embraces it, she looks the part of one of the most impressive heroines in the medium.
8 Lelouch Lamperouge Revels In Theatrics (Code Geass)
The persona of Zero is a theatrical performance from every angle. Lelouch Lamperouge knows this, which is why he chooses to wear the most outlandish costume he can think of.
Long and draping capes bring to mind similarities to Dracula or other nefarious characters, and the bulbous and sharp helmet would be right at home in a Shakesperian play. The suit underneath is also regal, hinting towards Lelouch's true origins.
7 Best Jeanist Is Dedicated To A Specific Niche (My Hero Academia)
Jeans come in various forms and their styles have changed in popularity with the times. In My Hero Academia, there is a hero with a particular appreciation for the heritage of Jeans. Tsunagu Hakamada, aka Best Jeanist, not only has a love for the specific type of trousers, but his outfit is denim-clad from top to bottom.
Wearing a belt around the jean-like collar acts as a bizarre but stylistically old choice, and it pairs well with the larger jean collar that sometimes surrounds his head.
6 Vivy Is A Diva Of The Future (Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song)
Vivy is a songstress android from a future where AI are providing much of the entertainment for humans. She was built and designed to perform on stage and her outfit reflects what this might look like in the distant future.
Her long and elegant sky blue dress perfectly matches her hair color, and the knee-length white boots add some welcome regal flair. When combined with her shorter cape, the outfit becomes a character in and of itself while she acrobats her way around combat encounters.
5 Blue Rose Is An Ice-Cold Hero (Tiger & Bunny)
Heroes in the Tiger and Bunny universe are quite unlike the heroes in regular fiction. They still work to save lives but they are also used as advertising tools that wear brand names on their costumes. Their costumes are designed to be shown off on reality TV and no one embodies that more than Blue Rose, aka Karina Lyle.
Her icy cold persona is showcased with a frosty blue dress that looks like a cross between a swimsuit and marching band attire, with Pepsi branding on it to complete her performer look.
4 Future Trunks Brings New Fashion Sensibilities To Saiyans (Dragon Ball Z)
Up until the point of Future Trunks' first appearance in Dragon Ball Z, fans knew what to expect when it came to the fashion of the Saiyans. Combinations of orange and blue training gi's were all the rage amongst the Z fighters but Trunks broke this trend.
His short blue bomber jacket and black undersuit were a combination, literally, from a different era altogether, while the yellow boots stood out in the midst of the darker colors from the rest of the ensemble.
3 Spike Spiegel Defines Smart Casual Wear (Cowboy Bebop)
Many people struggle to find the balance of what exactly a "smart casual" outfit is. Spike Spiegel is not one of those people. His navy blue suit has seen a lot of use, and it's a look that can work in almost any situation.
Paired with the popped-up collar of his yellow shirt and lose tie, and it presents the look of a man who wants to dress to impress, but won't sacrifice his own comfort to do so.
2 Ichigo Kurosaki Makes A Classic Look Work (Bleach)
If there was ever a poster child for fashion in anime, it might be Ichigo Kurosaki. The teenager turned Soul Reaper typically wears his samurai-inspired black and white hakama into combat, and it's a classic look that fans of samurai fiction will never get tired of.
His clothing goes through various changes as he evolves, including the simple but effective jet black and red design of his Bankai costume. Even when out of combat, Ichigo isn't a man that misses out on fashion trends.
1 Jotaro Kujo Is The Coolest Hero In Anime (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure)
Anime heroes don't come more stylish than Jotaro Kujo. His long black leather jacket has more bends in it than Yugi Muto, while the puffy shoulders, Egyptian style belt, and gold buttons add enough distinct shapes and vibrancy to make the entire heroic outfit stand out that much more.
What purpose do the gold chains on his collar serve? No one really knows, but it's impossible to deny that they look incredibly impressive and complete Jotaro's bad-boy image.