A teen anime protagonist is nothing without their trusty school uniform. As anime developed over the years, school uniforms have become as intrinsic to the genre as the characters wearing them. While generally seen as an exclusive and basic outfit, they've become quite popular over the decades.
School uniforms inspired countless cosplayers and fan artists to create their art, and their iconic status will only increase as time goes by. Whether they're fighting mythical monsters or playing a deadly card game, anime characters will never hesitate to don their sailor uniforms or blazers to battle evil forces.
Updated on July 4th, 2022 by Olivia Subero: This article has been updated to adjust errors and add new details to the content.
11 Shuchiin's Uniform Represents Nothing But The Best (Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War)
Considering its high status, Shuchiin Academy speaks volumes in how its students represent themselves. They are the school's brightest— and most affluent — and nothing less than the best will be tolerated.
For the girls, the usual blazer and skirt are replaced by a simple black dress tied with a red string, accompanied by a white Peter Pan-style collar and cuffs. On the other hand, the boys stay in the traditional uniform: a black jacket and pants. The uniform comes together with a lovely golden chain around the neckline.
10 Kitauji High's Has Two Adorable Uniforms (Hibike! Euphonium)
Hibike! Euphonium has two iconic uniforms. The brown fall and winter uniform set is primarily shown throughout the anime's duration. It fits the Japanese long-sleeved blouse and skirt ensemble, has a white Peter Pan color and includes red tie at the front. However, the spring and summer uniforms are just as adorable.
These uniforms follow a white and pastel color palette. Replacing the long-sleeved blouses are white short-sleeved shirts with pink, blue, or green ribbons; the ribbons change depending on the student's grade. Finally, the skirts are a pastel blue that match the shirt collars. Anime fans who love pastel colors will go crazy over this cute, breezy uniform set.
9 U.A.'s Uniform Is One Of The Best In Shonen Anime (My Hero Academia)
U.A. High School is regarded as the number one academy for Japanese heroes-in-training, even housing the great hero All Might as one of its most prolific teachers. While students usually run around in their hero costumes when there's a critical battle nearby, U.A. provides them with a formal uniform.
The U.A. uniform consists of a dark-green skirt or pair of pants, a grey blazer, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a red tie. It's a huge contrast to the classic gakuran — a military-inspired uniform worn by male Japanese students — that tends to appear in shonen anime like Mob Psycho 100 and emulates the uniforms worn by private school students.
8 Haruhi Suzumiya's Sky-Blue Uniform Is Out-Of-This-World Great (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's story is set in the fictional North High, where Haruhi and her SOS Brigade recruits spend their time looking for supernatural activity. The boy's uniforms consist of brown pants, a blue blazer, a white shirt and a red tie.
Haruhi's girls' uniforms comprise a sky-blue sailor uniform with the school's insignia, a red bow, and a belt. The uniforms bear a striking similarity to the one Rei and Asuka wear in Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it's unique color and design make it easily distinguishable.
7 The Evangelion Anime's School Uniform Is A Timeless Icon (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Despite its main character, Neon Genesis Evangelion's girls managed to stand out much more. Other than their plug suits, their school uniforms are one of the most popular Evangelion costumes fans jump at the chance to recreate.
The white button-down shirts, red tie, and blue suspender skirts are the perfect color combo for either Rei or Asuka. It's an eye-catching uniform because the colors are timeless. Shinji and the other boys' uniforms are relatively standard — a white button-down shirt and black pants. There's some room for variation but not too much. Regardless, the uniforms are iconic.
6 Sailor Moon's Sailor Uniform Is Twice As Iconic (Sailor Moon)
The most iconic uniform in the magical girl genre is Usagi's blue sailor uniform, which set the standard for many others after that. The blue skirt, blue-and-white shirt, and oversized red bow took on a completely different meaning for anime fans worldwide when Usagi transformed into Sailor Moon — the guardian of love and justice — for the first time.
Sailor Moon's creator Naoko Takeuchi, a massive fan of high fashion, took a simple, everyday outfit and effortlessly turned it into a timeless statement piece. It certainly made young Japanese girls feel like they could unleash their inner Sailor Senshi any day.
5 Sakura Kinomoto's Uniform & Its Magical Details (Cardcaptor Sakura)
CLAMP always manages to create some of the most magical and alluring outfits. At first glance, Sakura Kinomoto's school uniforms might not look like much. They're heavily inspired by the ever-present sailor uniform, but their beauty and style are in the details — like its winged insignia and white beret.
Sakura wears multiple outfits throughout the anime and movies — including Tomoyo's various custom-made ensembles — but none is as emblematic as her school uniform. It's simple yet elegant, and when she wears it with her iconic red roller blades, it becomes a magical outfit without needing transformation.
4 Magic High School's Anime Uniform Has A Unique Feature (The Irregular At Magic High School)
It's hard not to recognize The Irregular at Magic High School's anime uniform. Even in passing, the outfit still stands out with its unorthodox color combinations and astonishing patterns.
Like Kaguya-sama, the girls wear a dress instead of a standard blazer and skirt. However, the dress is white and adorned with long, emerald-green sleeves and black ties. The boys don white coats with emerald-green designs along the shoulders and sleeves. These designs change based on the wearer's abilities, showcased throughout the anime.
3 Ohashi High School's Uniform Mixes Includes Japanese Culture (Toradora!)
The girls' uniform in Toradora! isn't like most school uniforms seen in anime. Instead of the standard navy blue, the double-breasted blazer is a bright red and a dark blue skirt. A thin, black tie completes the unique combination. Because of its not-so-standard look, cosplayers prefer to recreate the girls' uniform.
Compared to the girls, the boys' uniform was rather basic — a black blazer with golden buttons on the front and matching pants. Even with its generic color palette, the school chose a traditional style called a "gakuran" for the boys. It's unclear as to why, but it still managed to stand out.
2 Ouran's Fairytale Dresses & Light-Blue Blazers (Ouran High School Host Club)
Ouran Academy prides itself on educating the children of Japan's wealthiest, and it shows. According to Kyoya, the male students' uniform — which consists of simple black pants, a light-blue blazer, and a dark-blue tie — costs approximately three thousand dollars and is measured by the school's private tailor.
Female students like the Host Club's self-proclaimed manager, Renge, on the other hand, wear light yellow, flowy dresses with white cuffs and thin, dark-red ribbons tied around the collar. The uniform is ridiculously impractical because it can only fit the upper-class ladies at Ouran.
1 Hyakkaou's Bright-Red Uniforms Hide Its Students' Dark Intentions (Kakegurui)
The hierarchy-obsessed students of Hyakkaou Private Academy wear the standard rich private school combo of blazers, white shirts, and plaid bottoms, but something is captivating about them nonetheless. Unlike other anime uniforms — which often prioritize style over reality — Hyakkou's look like they can exist outside animation's 2D confines.
It seems comfortable and classy, and the bright red of the blazer quickly draws the eye, But the beautiful and proper uniform is only a façade to hide the vast amount of gambling happening behind closed doors. But since that's what fans enjoy about Kakegurui, there won't be complaints any time soon.