When talking about the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI®), a person with the ESFP personality is a natural-born performer. In fact, they are literally called "The Performers." They are energetic and vivacious and love fun and humor, bringing out the best in people. The anime industry is in itself a part of show business, so it is only natural that it's filled with characters who were born for the stage, both literally and metaphorically.
In this article, these characters will get just a little more of the spotlight, something they would certainly enjoy, whether or not they've made it into a career. And remember, spoilers abound for some of these shows.
Updated on October 25th, 2021 by Bailey Jo Josie: Ten entries for ESFPs in anime aren't enough for the wide scope of MBTI characters that embody this particular personality type. Five more entries have been made to not only update this list but also include some newer characters.
15 Ty Lee - Avatar: The Last Airbender
An extremely agile acrobat and a ball of energy, Ty Lee from Avatar: The Last Airbender makes for an excellent ESFP due to her unwavering talent for gaining everyone’s attention and her playful personality, making her a born entertainer.
ESFPs are also known for their people skills and the ease they have getting along with people they like, an example of this is her ability to get along with Mai and Azula and also her easy transition into becoming a Kyoshi warrior.
14 Inosuke Hashibara - Demon Slayer
“I’m comin’ through!” There is no doubt that Inosuke, the impulsive, boar-head wearing Demon Slayer is an ESFP, especially when he’s risking it all to prove he’s the strongest and the fastest.
Despite his tough and blunt personality, Inosuke also has the sensitive tendencies of an ESFP, which is best show when he was severely injured during the Natagumo Mountain Arc and takes his defeat very hard, leading him to become very dejected and unlike himself during the Rehabilitation Training Arc of the manga and anime.
13 Creamy Mami - Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel
Any article talking about performers in anime wouldn't be complete without Creamy Mami, a Magical Girl series that revitalized the 1980s. The series revolved around Yū Morisawa, a seemingly normal girl who is given a magic wand that she can use for only one year.
Naturally, she ends up using her new powers to live a double identity as the pop singer, Creamy Mami. Technically, her musical talent is discovered by accident, but she takes to her career like a fish to water.
12 Magical Emi - Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel
Not all performers are singers. Mai Kazuki comes from a family of stage magicians and wants to join the business. Unfortunately, she is clumsy and unsure of herself. One day, she befriends a fairy who helps her transform into a teenage magician, the titular Magical Emi, all the while getting the courage to become a performer as herself.
As with Creamy Mami, you could argue that the fact she has to have a magical alter-ego to become a performer mitigates this personality, but the whole point of an alter-ego is that it lets you be who you really are, deep down.
11 Minako Aino - Sailor Moon
Technically, her dream of wanting to be a pop idol was introduced relatively late into the Sailor Moon series, but it still became an iconic part of her character. Minako Aino, also known as Sailor Venus, might fight for love and justice, but she's tried time and time again to become a celebrity: auditioning for movies and competing in idol trials.
Added to this, she's already something of a celebrity in the Sailor Moon universe: her alter-ego, Sailor V, has been a beloved icon since the first season, complete with her own cartoon series. And she certainly seemed to enjoy the attention.
10 Seiya Kou - Sailor Moon
While it certainly helps, not every performer has the ESFP personality type. Surprising as it seems, some people actually get into the business we call show for pragmatic reasons. Let's look at the Three Lights from the Sailor Moon franchise. Taiki and Yaten keep to themselves and are generally more interested in their true mission: finding Princess Kakyuu.
But Seiya has a lighter personality, having the necessary fun and energy, and also seeming to love being the center of attention. Seiya isn't just a talented musician, but a capable athlete, too, even willing to join a game and play without gear.
9 Bolin - The Legend Of Korra
A social, good-natured, and spontaneous earthbender/lavabender, Bolin from The Legend of Korra has just about every trait for an ESFP. He's the show's main source of humor, he is always there for his friends, and he makes impulsive decisions that he has to walk back, like his engagement to Eska or his relationship with Ginger.
ESFP is "The Entertainer", and thanks to Bolin's portrayal of Nuktuk, hero of the south, he is undoubtedly the ultimate entertainer and performer in The Legend of Korra.
8 Femio - Princess Tutu
The world of Princess Tutu is filled with a cast of performers, but one character really takes the cake: Femio. He's technically on probation at the local ballet school, but that doesn't stop him from acting theatrically hammy in everyday occasions, right down to having a servant scatter rose petals around him.
He pictures himself as a fairy tale prince that all young girls love from afar and his everyday gestures make him look like he's constantly involved in some performance art.
7 Kotaro Tatsumi - Zombieland Saga
You don't have to be on stage to have the personality of an ESFP. Kotaro Tatsumi is the brains behind the all-zombie girl-group, Franchouchou. It's not exactly clear just how or why he's reanimated a bunch of corpses to make them into pop stars, beyond an initial plan to revitalize the Saga Prefecture, but you can tell he's putting a lot of himself in the act.
His charm and hamminess clearly mark his star power. While his history is a bit shadowy, it's noteworthy that he apparently picked up his makeup skills in Hollywood. Of course, given what's he done with this, for all fans know, he may have just worked for a California mortician.
6 Pink Lady - Pink Lady Story: Angels of Glory
This anime deserves a special mention: it is actually based on a group of real Japanese performers: Pink Lady. Despite the rather singular name, they are actually a pop duo, composed of Mitsuyo Nemoto and Keiko Masuda.
In the United States, viewers might remember them from the short-lived Pink Lady and Jeff show. Ironically, the voices and songs of the real-life singers were not actually featured on the show.
5 Might Guy - Naruto
In the Naruto franchise, Might Guy is the mentor of Team Guy and something of a parody of Bruce Lee, which already tells you a lot about him. A performer needs a good imagination to be able to live in another world, and his rivalry with Kakashi shows that he truly thinks of himself as the hero of his own story.
Hammy and energetic, he also comes complete with his own short, yet simple, catchphrase: "Youth!"
4 Mina Ashido - My Hero Academia
A popular and extremely cheerful student, Mina Ashido of My Hero Academia makes for an excellent ESFP. Not only does she entertain with her dazzling dance moves but also her bubbly personality and need to socialize.
ESFPs are also known for their outward appearance, and with Mina’s pink hair, gold-on-black eyes and fun sense of style, she’s one of the most recognizable characters of the anime. Mina is often thought to be an air-head, but she really just needs help focusing, another ESFP trait.
3 All Might - My Hero Academia
Sometimes, it's practical to present an image to the world because it's best to keep some things secret. Toshinori Yagi, also known as the hero, All Might, gives the world a real-life symbol of peace (in fact, that's actually one of his titles) and his era's greatest heroes, all thanks to the One For All Quirk.
Because of his performance skills, he's managed to keep the truth a secret: he's sustained injuries and is in declining health. Even his personality is something of a mask, as the "real" him is much less energetic.
2 Kazuma Kuwabara - Yu Yu Hakusho
One of the best characters from Yu Yu Hakusho, Kuwabara’s theatricality, wild emotions, and slick hair style make him a fine ESFP. While he’s depicted as the dim-witted comic relief, Kuwabara still holds his friends in high regard and he sticks to a strict code of honor that he adheres to no matter what.
Certainly a character that lacks introspection or goal-setting, Kuwabara just wants to fight and head into situations without thinking though his endearing qualities and humor make him a true entertainer.
1 Major Alexander Louis Armstrong - Fullmetal Alchemist
Armstrong has a childlike sincerity about him and, deep down, the heart of an artist and a poet. He also knows how to hide behind appearances, all personality traits that make him extremely popular amongst the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist, a common effect when a character is as open and amiable as an ESFP.
Armstrong's charisma, sparkle, and inability to find a shirt also make him a good poster boy for the personality of "The Performer" or "The Entertainer."