Monsters have been filling anime screens for decades, but not all monsters are created equal. Some anime monsters are nothing more than their appearances make them out to be. They use the time they have onscreen to haunt fans with ignorance and malintent.
Other monsters earn their name by looking frightening but are able to prove their humanity through their actions. These actions are not always good, but combining them with the unique physical characteristics of a "monster" often makes these characters more relatable than their human co-stars.
10 Panda May Just Be A Panda, But He Talks And Cries Like His Human Peers In Jujutsu Kaisen
Panda makes it a point to explain that he should not be expected to behave the same way a human would. Still, the Abrupt Mutated Cursed Corpse is a monster that walks and talks like his human peers at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Panda even jokes about Yuta and Maki's budding relationship in a way that only a high school freshman would. Despite the monstrous forms hiding behind his cute façade, Panda manages to be more human than a majority of his peers.
9 By The End Of Death Parade, The Arbiter Known As Decim Learns What It Truly Means To Be Human
Decim may have the appearance of a normal middle-aged human, but he is in fact a spidery arbiter who spends his days deciding whether those who die should be reincarnated or dropped into an empty void of nothingness.
This monstrous responsibility paired with the ability to turn humans into puppets will make some viewers of Death Parade question Decim's humanity. However, those who question Decim's intentions are often convinced of his humanity by the end of the series.
8 Meruem's Actions And Voice Made The King Of The Chimera Ants Appealing To Hunter X Hunter Fans
Meruem may be a monstrosity in the eyes of Gon and the rest of the Hunters Association, but, other than his incredible strength and monstrous appearance, the King of the Chimera Ants is more human than the majority of the Hunter X Hunter cast.
As a child, Meruem sought out food and sustenance before dedicating a part of his life to playing games. If there had only been a way for Meruem to coexist with humanity. He truly had the voice to be an incredible king for both Chimera Ant and human alike.
7 Tower Of God's Rak's Boisterous Personality Is Obnoxiously Human
The massive red alligator that has a problem maintaining his threatening stature around his peers is as frightening as any anime monster. Unfortunately, Rak is surrounded by a band of powerful allies that make his monstrous form and skill with a spear nothing more than a useful tool in an overpowered team of regulars.
Rak's playful attitude and obsession with chocolate makes him an extremely relatable anime monster. SIU has created a massive roster of characters for his Manhwa, but Rak is easily the most human of his monstrous creations.
6 Mujika's Kind Actions Make Her More Human Than The Majority Of Human Characters Introduced In The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland took a rough turn when it left the Grace Field Home behind at the end of Season 1. Luckily, the new season began with the introduction of Mujika.
The kind and caring demon took in the runaways from Grace Field and gave them vital information on the world that they escaped into. The world laid out by Mujika is eerily similar to the world IRL. These similarities push viewers to see the demons as kin to humanity, despite their habit of devouring factory-farmed human brains. Of course, Mujika refuses to eat human brains, making her the most human-like of all the demons in the world of The Promised Neverland.
5 My Hero Academia's Shigaraki's Actions May Be Monstrous, But His Past Is Still Human
If fans consider the Quirk-empowered characters from Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia human, then Tomura Shigaraki is technically a part of this race. Still, prior to the most recent Villain arc, fans only image of Shigaraki was that of a monstrous villain whose only mission was to destroy.
Shigaraki's mission hasn't changed, but the amount of sympathy he earns from viewers shifted thanks to the flashback episodes animated into Season 5 of My Hero Academia. Though he may be a big creepy monster today, Shigaraki was once nothing more than a scared human boy.
4 Liebe's Time With Asta Has Pushed Him Toward The Path Of Human Kindness In Black Clover
The demon that shares a body with Asta of the Black Bulls was originally a hateful little beast with incredible power. Fortunately, the time he has spent with Asta has guided the young demon to understand the kindness of humanity as much as he understands the evil found within demon-kind.
While most magic users who borrow the power of the demons are twisted and contorted into monsters themselves, Asta is not. His partnership with Liebe allows him to use the devil's magic power while Liebe learns how to behave more like a kind and caring human being with every passing day.
3 Dracula's Relationship With Lisa Turned His Heart Toward Humanity In Castlevania
The Castlevania series took many anime fans by surprise. An anime adaptation of a video game may not sound all that enticing, but the moment Dracula was fully animated and put onscreen, fans were hooked. Though he is treated as a monster throughout the majority of the anime series, Dracula's return to villainy in the first season of Castlevania is rather human.
After spending years learning to love humanity through his wife, Lisa was cut down by witch hunters. The loss of his wife destroyed Dracula's heart and sent him spiraling into a vengeful rage that countless humans have lost themselves to in the past.
2 Dragon Ball's Beerus's Appetite For Destruction Is Outweighed By His Appetite For Good Food
The foodie with purple skin and long cat ears may have the ability to destroy planets and take down Goku, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying Bulma's home cooking. In fact, instead of destroying Earth as he was supposed to, Beerus set aside his responsibilities as a god of destruction for the opportunity to continue enjoying meals with Bulma and Goku.
Putting food before responsibilities should be a mantra for both Beerus and the human race. Considering the way both drool over something as simple as pork tonkatsu over a steaming plate of white rice, it only seems fitting.
1 Soul Eater's Death The Kid's Obsessive Need For Control Is Pointedly Human
Death The Kid might look like a normal young man with a pointed sense of style, but he is in fact the son of Death himself. His human form is convincing, but his supernatural ability to stay at the top of his class at the Death Weapon Meister Academy is proof of his otherworldly strength.
Though he labels himself as a shinigami, Kid presents himself as an obsessive human kid with a desire/obsessive need to keep everything around him as organized as possible. The way Kid lets his own desire for order upset his day-to-day life is something every human can relate to.