Companionship and teamwork are important concepts in human society. "No man is an island," as the famous poem goes, and difficult tasks can benefit from group cooperation. But not everyone is community-driven, and anime characters also fall into patterns of avoiding group activity. Anime characters who only want to rely on themselves often have compelling reasons for craving independence.
Sometimes they were let down by others in the past. Sometimes they lost friends during various struggles, and they don't want to involve anyone in their affairs to prevent further losses. Other times they're convinced that others couldn't possibly understand their point of view or dilemma. But whatever their reasons, plenty of anime characters avoid relying on others.
10 Hachiman May As Well Brag About His Independence (OreGairu)
Making the bold statement of never having to rely on anyone is Hachiman Hikigaya's claim to fame in My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. Hachiman is a cynical loner who purposefully avoids other people in order to avoid having to go out of his way for others.
Accordingly, he refuses to accept anything resembling sympathy, pity, or charity from other people, making him seem like a rebellious loner. But Hachiman isn't able to avoid interactions with people forever, and he eventually learns to care for others... but he'd still prefer to be on his own.
9 Mitsuru's Trust Issues Caused Him To Avoid Others (Darling In The Franxx)
Initially, Mitsuru was a shy but trusting child who clung to Hiro during their youth in Darling in the Franxx. But after Hiro's memory was erased, he forgot about his previous relationship with Mitsuru, which scarred Mitsuru on an interpersonal level. From there, Mitsuru convinced himself that others can't be trusted, so he refused to become close to anyone else.
He developed a cocky and arrogant personality that devalued his fellow pilots and led him to rely only on himself as much as possible. Mitsuru's character-building arc includes his realization that people can, indeed, be trusted.
8 Rika Believed She Couldn't Rely On Anyone Else (Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni)
If Rika Furude ever bluntly explained her dilemma – that she's living through an endless time loop trying to solve her own murder – most people would probably look at her like she's crazy. The entire point of the original Higurashi: When They Cry series, however, is that people should trust their friends.
While Rika spends most of the series avoiding others and believing they can't help, it's not until she fully trusts them (despite the risks of Hinamizawa Syndrome) that her murder mystery can be successfully solved.
7 Giyu Avoids Becoming Close To Anyone, Even His Comrades (Demon Slayer)
As one of the Demon Slayers Corps' Hashira, it'd behoove Giyu Tomioka to rely on his teammates in Demon Slayer. Instead, Giyu harbors feelings of survivor's guilt over the friends he's lost in the line of duty and therefore avoids opening up to people.
He's a harsh teacher who advised Tanjiro Kamado that he'll never be able to protect anyone if he remains weak and served as Tanjiro's inspiration to become a Demon Slayer. Giyu opens up to Tanjiro enough to consider him a younger sibling but from a comfortable distance.
6 Spike Doesn't Want To Be Tied Down By Obligations (Cowboy Bebop)
It might be due to his tragic backstory, but Spike Spiegel has openly claimed to hate women with attitude, animals, and children in Cowboy Bebop. What all three of those categories have in common is a need for attention – attention that Spike would rather not spend on others.
Spike learned to operate alone after his escape from the Red Dragon Syndicate, partially because his partner in crime and lover, Julia, didn't join him as they discussed. This incident fractured Spike's trust in others and led him to try and forget his past.
5 Homura Learned That She Couldn't Rely On Anyone Else (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
When Homura Akemi learned about Kyubey's true intentions in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, she tried to warn the other magical girls of his treachery... but none of them believed her. Homura quickly learned that every time she traveled back in time to try and save Madoka Kaname, the people she thought she knew ended up slightly different than the versions she knew before. This prompted Homura to believe that she couldn't trust any of them to help her with her plight, and she learned how to be self-sufficient over time.
4 Fafnir Doesn't Trust Anyone Enough To Rely On Them (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)
Before meeting and befriending Makoto Takiya in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Fafnir tended to avoid anyone and everyone while guarding his beloved treasure in his homeworld. Since humans often intruded on Fafnir and tried to steal his treasure even though he was minding his own business, Fafnir grew to distrust others.
And as a Chaos Faction dragon, Fafnir is already predisposed to believing that he can only rely on himself. It's yet to be seen if Takiya can fully melt Fafnir's dragon heart, but friendship is a good start.
3 Kaiba Uses His Own Resources To Get What He Wants (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Having access to a massive fortune makes it easy to avoid relying on others, which is exactly how Seto Kaiba manages to stay solo in Yu-Gi-Oh!. Kaiba's considerable family fortune and his own intellectual gifts serve him well enough to have his own patented Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet, which he uses in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. He comes off as aggressive and arrogant most of the time, but since he's got the money and skills to back himself up, it's not surprising that he's so standoffish.
2 Kyoko's Wish Prompted Her To Avoid Relying On Others (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
When Kyoko Sakura wished for her father to have a dedicated following in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, she couldn't have imagined her father would react with fear and disgust. As punishment, he murdered his family and killed himself, leaving Kyoko alone to fend for herself.
This incident led Kyoko to develop a dog-eat-dog mentality that fuels her belief that only the strongest survive. Kyoko bluntly states that magical girls working together doesn't make sense since they're essentially competing for food when defeating Witches for their Grief Seeds.
1 Megumi Doesn't Want To Involve Others With His Problems (Jujutsu Kaisen)
During flashbacks of Megumi Fushiguro's youth in Jujutsu Kaisen, fans learn that he can hardly tolerate kind people because they're exactly the types who get taken advantage of and forgive the world's unfairness despite it all.
At his core, Megumi is community-minded and believes that everything will turn out for the best as long as everyone knows their place and plays their roles appropriately. But even so, Megumi shies away from making friends or participating in group activities, presumably to maintain distance from relying on others too heavily.