Anime characters of all shapes and sizes have many ways to stand out, one such way is by giving them a catchphrase. Whether it's the character's motto, a running gag, or even a slogan for the whole series, these repeated phrases have a way of grabbing a viewer's attention as well as tying into making the series more memorable.
When well-executed a catchphrase can put the character's personality to the forefront, making both they and the phrase iconic in their own right. However, when poorly done, it can make a character or series come off as lame, cringy, or even irritating.
10 Meliodas' Catch Phrase Comes Off As Annoyingly Smug (The Seven Deadly Sins)
The knights in the very title of Seven Deadly Sins already have some pretty memorable designs and personalities, so one could argue that a catchphrase wasn't necessary. That being said captain of the Sins himself, Meliodas, actually does have something of a recurring line in the form of "Sate, sate, sate," which translates to "Well, well, well."
More often than not, this catchphrase comes off as immature and annoyingly smug, like a child taunting someone. While that could also be the point, it doesn't make it or Meliodas any more endearing.
9 Shinra's Many On The Spot Hero Names Are A Bit Too On-The-Nose (Fire Force)
Shinra Kusakabe, the protagonist of Fire Force, has dreams and aspirations of becoming a hero. In his pursuit, Shinra joins the souped-up firefighters from which the anime derives its name. It seems that just joining up and fighting Infernals was only step one of that plan though, as throughout the series Shinra comes up with multiple superhero-sounding names which are just whatever he's doing or trying to do with the word "man" at the end of it.
While it is an aspect of Shinra's personality, these hero names are a bit too wordy to be catchy and a bit too on-the-nose and out of place during more intense moments.
8 "Call Me Christ" Is One Joke Repeated Too Many Times (Angel Beats)
Turns out that catchphrases aren't exclusive to just the protagonists, as even supporting cast members can get their own too. Such is the case for Angel Beats' Takeyama, the resident computer wizard of the Afterlife Battlefront who goes by the username "Christ," which he constantly insists everyone call him by.
Being not only Takeyama's catchphrase but also a running gag: despite how many times he tells the Battlefront "Call me Christ," the request is ignored every time. Sadly this joke has diminishing returns every time it's repeated and due to Takeyama getting little screen time and even less development, it doesn't do him any favors.
7 Naruto's "Believe It!" Was Pretty Obnoxious
Longtime viewers of the Naruto franchise know of the title character and his particular verbal ticks. In the original Japanese version, Naruto would often say "dattebayo" in any sentence displaying confidence in what he said, however, since the word didn't have a direct English translation, the English dub decided to put its own spin on it.
"Believe it" became Naruto's English catchphrase for quite some time, and while it did match his go-getter personality, some fans found it a little obnoxious and the phrase would later be phased out and retranslated as "Ya know."
6 Out Of Context, Miroku's Catchphrase Paints Him As A Creep (Inuyasha)
A monk afflicted with the curse of the Wind Tunnel that threatened to swallow him one day, Miroku is one of Inuyasha's many colorful cast members. Kindhearted, honest, and willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his loved ones, is one of Inuyasha's most dependable allies. That being said, he's also cursed with being a shameless womanizer and his catchphrase, unfortunately, plays into that.
Throughout the series, Miroku would ask plenty of women "Will you bear my child?" which goes as poorly as one would think it would. The question may have come from a desire to leave something behind before his possible untimely demise, but out of context, it makes him look like a creep.
5 Masamune's "Hot or Not" Motto Shows How Shallow He Is (Masamune-Kun's Revenge)
After being rejected pretty harshly by his childhood crush, Masamune Makabe of Masamune-kun's Revenge adopted a simple, but extremely shallow philosophy, one that he never says to anyone except for the viewer in his inner monologues. What it boils down to is his obsession with being "hot," going so far as to believe that "if you're not hot, you may as well not be human."
This little motto of his puts his egotistical and narcissistic tendencies on full display, showing that his self-proclaimed beauty of only skin deep. As a result, Masamune is just as unlikeable as the target of his revenge.
4 "Get Your Game On!" Is No "It's Time To Duel!" (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX)
The original Yu-Gi-Oh! made a big splash in the west, having an anime as popular as the card game associated with it. The series protagonist Yugi and their duelists would shout, "It's time to duel!" at the start of their match, and before long it became the series slogan. The spin-off, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX tried something different.
"Get your game on!" was Jaden Yuki's signature catchphrase (among several others) during GX, and was even used in the English theme song too. While it was more unique to Jaden, it wasn't nearly as popular or as fondly remembered as the former one.
3 "No, Senpai. This Is Our Fight!" Feels A Bit More Forced Each Time (Strike The Blood)
Phrases meant to be inspirational can also sometimes be catchphrases too, which when done right can sometimes mark the turning tides of battle in epic fashion. However, one false step and this phrase can come off as a little more forced every time it's used instead of motivating. Sadly Yukina Himeragi from Strike the Blood has a catchphrase that does just that.
In pretty much every battle, usually in response to Kojou saying "From now on, this is my fight!" Yukina will step in and reply with "No, Senpai. This is our fight!" and as the anime goes on across multiple seasons, this quote gets shoehorned in over and over again until it becomes less impactful and more annoying than anything else.
2 "Let It Rip!" Is A Corny Attempt To Give A Series A Catchphrase (Beyblade)
Beyblade is another in a long line of anime that have been vying for the same popularity as Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh!, with the gimmick of battling tops with spirits inside. Like its competitors, Beyblade came up with a slogan for the series that the characters can shout out like a battle cry at the start of every match, in this case, it was "Let it rip"!
Referring to the Beyblades themselves being launched with their ripcords, the phrase makes sense in context, but is extremely corny and not nearly as memorable as "Gotta catch 'em all!" or "It's time to duel!" Despite that, "Let it rip!" seems to have stuck with the Beyblade franchise like glue after all these years.
1 "What Are You, Stupid?" Unintentionally Became Associated With Asuka (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Some phrases may not always intentionally be a catchphrase, but if used enough times they sort of transform into one as they become synonymous with the character. One such example is Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion, who would often say "Anta Baka" (translated as "What are you, stupid?" or "Are you stupid?") which practically became her catchphrase for better or for worse.
While many characters of the "tsundere" archetype would adopt a similar catchphrase, Asuka's case is different as it only serves to make her character and personality more divisive given the tone and themes of Evangelion, as it's a catchphrase that highlights only Asuka's most negative tendencies.