Some anime characters have much more going on than what they initially let show. Some of them are typical class clowns who do whatever they can to make others laugh so they can mask their internal struggles. Others have infuriating qualities that make viewers initially dislike them, but this unlikable behavior is caused by something much darker behind the scenes.
Whatever the case, plenty of anime characters have surprisingly deep backstories and motivations. Many seem basic at first, but their character arcs reveal several layers about why they behave in certain ways and what it means for the future.
10 Taiga's Fiery Tsundere Personality Stems From Her Rough Upbringing
Toradora
Taiga Aisaka from Toradora seemed unlikable at first. With a hot-headed personality that earned her the title of "Palm-Top Tiger," many viewers and other characters immediately disliked her. However, many came to respect her later in the series after learning why she behaves the way she does.
Taiga didn't have a great upbringing. Her parents divorced when she was younger, so she lived with her dad. Her dad remarried, but Taiga didn't like his new wife, so she moved out into her own apartment. Much of Taiga's anger and bitterness stems from her dad choosing his new wife over her.
9 Saiki's Abilities Made Him Feel Isolated From Others
The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.
Given the nature of The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K., it's easy to overlook the titular protagonist's issues. After all, the anime is so fast-paced that many of Saiki's struggles are satirized and brushed off as a running gag. Still, it's important to recognize that Saiki's disconnection from others directly results from his unlimited psychic powers.
Saiki can't relate to other teens his age. Growing up as a psychic led to circumstances they wouldn't understand. He was only four when a foreign intelligence agency tried tracking him down, forcing Saiki to wipe the entire nation off the map. On top of that, Saiki struggles to relate to other teens and seems to experience sensory overload from constantly hearing everyone else's thoughts.
8 Rock Lee Proves Hard Work Beats Natural Talent
Naruto
Rock Lee may not be the strongest character in Naruto, but he still proved his worth. Unlike his peers, he lacked the innate talent to master any jutsu beyond taijutsu. However, Rock Lee never let this hold him back and vowed to prove that somebody could become a powerful ninja with just taijutsu alone.
Rock Lee may be the punchline to a few dozen jokes in the series, but fans learned several valuable lessons from him. The most important, however, was the idea that hard work always beats natural talent. People born with an innate skill don't know what it's like to claw their way to an accomplishment or how it feels to master something after years of training.
7 Nobody Saw Historia's Backstory Coming
Attack On Titan
Before the second season, most Attack On Titan fans just assumed that Historia would be another side character. Nobody really saw her true identity as royalty. It was a shocking revelation that, in hindsight, was loosely implied all along.
After all, the three Marleyan warriors who infiltrated the Survey Corps' ranks paid close attention to her. Reiner even got close to her and grew attached. Plus, many fans assumed she was just a side character since she never drew attention to herself. However, this was all intentional and, in retrospect, pointed to something greater going on behind the scenes.
6 Denji's Inappropriate Motives May Have A Deeper Meaning
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man's Denji had a terrible upbringing. Since his dad died, Denji had to start paying off his debt to the yakuza at a young age. He barely had enough to get by and didn't have any friends besides Pochita since he never attended school. After Makima took him under her wing, Denji's warped perspective on meaningful human connections really revealed itself.
It's obvious that he has very low self-esteem since he volunteered to be her dog. Denji's pervy desires are a running gag, but they're a deeper indication that he's willing to do anything to experience human connection since he lacked that in his past. Makima, of course, is taking advantage of it to ensure Denji does what she needs.
5 Koro-Sensei's Eternal Smile Hid Lots Of Pain
Assassination Classroom
Killing Koro-Sensei was the entire point of Assassination Classroom, but saying goodbye was the hardest part. Though he always smiled, Koro-Sensei's backstory was more tragic than viewers initially believed. As a human, Koro-sensei grew up in a corrupt country, leading him to become an assassin.
He was captured and forced through brutal experimentation to fuse anti-matter with his blood cells, turning him into an octopus-like monster. He eventually fell in love with Aguri Yukimura, an employee at the facility. After she died, Koro-sensei vowed to take care of her class at Kunugigaoka Junior High School.
4 Tsukishima's Not The Average Tsundere
Haikyuu!
Tsukishima from Haikyuu! is initially hard to like because of his constant snide remarks topped with a general disinterest in volleyball. However, writing him off as just another perpetually jaded tsundere who's too sarcastic for his own good is a mistake. Tsukishima didn't want to get too attached to Karasuno because of what he saw his brother go through.
His brother was often benched in favor of the team's most talented players, so Tsukishima couldn't understand why he was still excited about playing. Tsukishima decided it was better not to put too much effort into training, often expressing disgust towards people like Hinata who were passionate about volleyball. Though he'd never admit it, Tsukishima feels inferior compared to players like Hinata and Kageyama.
3 Momiji Sohma's Happy-Go-Lucky Attitude Hides A Dark Secret
Fruits Basket
Nobody in the Sohma family had a happy childhood. Most of Fruits Basket revolves around breaking the curse to free everybody from their generational trauma. Momiji Sohma, however, does a better job masking his pain than others. Momiji's childish behavior and happy-go-lucky attitude are endearing.
Plus, he's wise beyond his years and surprisingly perceptive. However, Momiji's personality hides a lot of trauma. Like most of the Zodiacs, Momiji's mother couldn't handle being around him since he turned into a rabbit each time she hugged him. This drove her mad, and Hatori eventually had to erase her memory. Momiji's mother has no recollection of him ever being her son, leaving him with a massive void.
2 Aomine Just Wanted A Challenge
Kuroko's Basketball
Aomine seems like a total jerk at the beginning of Kuroko's Basketball. His reputation precedes him, and even his teammates can't stand him. Aomine tends to be lazy and too cocky for his own good. He started skipping practice and even showing up late for games since he believed everyone else was too weak to play against him, so he'd win anyway.
This cocky attitude hides a lot of pain, however. Aomine loves basketball, but became disheartened after realizing that he was the strongest on the court most of the time, so nobody else could offer him a real challenge. After Seirin defeated him at the Winter Cup, Aomine fell back in love with his favorite sport after being presented with a challenge for the first time in ages.
1 Kirishima's Past Drives Him To Become A Hero
My Hero Academia
Kirishima's backstory shocked fans of My Hero Academia. He's one of the most optimistic characters in the series, so seeing that his backstory wasn't all sunshine and rainbows made him feel much more relatable to viewers. Kirishima always wanted to become a hero, but constantly beats himself up for an incident in the past when he failed to save somebody.
Kirishima was angry with himself and felt useless because he didn't behave as a hero should. However, watching an interview with Crimson Riot reshaped his perspective and gave him the inspiration necessary for him to become a chivalrous hero in his image.