I don’t know what it is, but the second a white-haired character is introduced, or a character’s hair goes white, some awesome episodes are in the making. Or at the very least, these characters are rarely boring so these are really the stand-outs. Here we’re going to look at the very best that anime has to offer in the ways of crystal-white hair. And let’s see which characters sport their snowy cap in the most amazing way.
35. Five
Anime: Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance) I want to start the list off with Five because I think she made the smallest impact of the bunch. However, her introduction was still nothing to scoff at. Up until that point, Twelve and Nine were just toying with the police, getting W after W, but all of a sudden someone just as smart as them shows up. It’s not a big shocker to learn that they come from the same background, and Five even becomes quite the sympathetic(and tragic) character once everything is pushed into the daylight. So not the most memorable white-haired character out there, but still fairly awesome.
34. Licht
Anime: Black Clover I mean, talk about a plot twist am I right? Just as I could not have imagined the Chimera Ant arc in Hunter x Hunter without Meruem or the psychotic butterfly, I could not imagine the Elf Revenge arc without Licht. This is because he serves as the central antagonist for quite some time. Yet because of the length of the arc, his character gets developed quite a bit. So he doesn’t just go all “I am evil because evil” on us, but rather pulls out quite the backstory and even has a solid redemption arc. And who is introduced later on? Like I said, something amazing always follows the white-haired characters.
33. Yaichi
Anime: House of Five Leaves This one is probably the least famous out of all the people on this list. But I still think he deserves to be mentioned. The entire show basically revolves around this man and his ever so impossible-to-read personality. He seems laid back and chill, but also has more skeletons in his closet than Yuno and Eminem combined. He’s entirely ambiguous, so perceiving him as a good guy and the antagonist bounces back and forth quite a lot. It’s a very subtle show, too, so he doesn’t do anything too drastic. But I enjoyed his character arc far too much to leave him out of the list.
32. Najenda
Anime: Akame ga Kill If I’m being honest, Najenda could have literally not done anything for the entire run of the show and I still would have loved her. I don’t know whether it’s her design that just screams “alpha female badass energy”, or her terrible jokes, but I loved the character way before she ever lifted a mechanical finger. So you could imagine my fanboy joy when she was given actual power to swing around, be it in an unconventional way. Going Inspector Gadget from time to time was just the icing on the cake. Which is a double entendre in this list, you know because icing is white… No wonder I liked her humor.
31. Altair
Anime: Re:Creators I can’t say much about Altair character-wise, as she doesn’t really have a distinguishable personality. I mean, she doesn’t even speak all that much. However, as a plot device and a concept she is brilliant. This is because the world of Re; Creators is as such that fictional characters start springing to life with their existence tied to their story and their fans. But then Altair shows up as the main villain and she has the entirety of DeviantArt on her side, along with Reddit probably, and proceeds to absolutely wreck everyone in her path.
30. Black Hanekawa
Anime: Nekomonogatari: Kuro If loving cat girls is a crime then by all means lock me up. This one is a bit tricky, as it’s an alternative personality of Hanekawa, so not what you would typically call a stand-alone character. But she is so different character-wise and adorable that I want to include her. Unlike “base form” Hanekawa, her kitty counterpart is way more dominant and aggressive. Also willing to stand up for what she believes in and maybe even murder some fools, if the situation calls for it. She’s also far more powerful, faster, a bit more agile, and I can’t stress this enough… a cat girl.
29. Eri
Anime: Boku no Hero Academia The Overhaul arc was tense enough as it is. But when Eri was thrown into the mix, the stakes got so much higher. I mean, just look at that precious little girl. All she wants is to go to a festival, eat a candy apple, you know… have a childhood. But nooo, she has to go through immense torture and enough childhood trauma to make Doctor Phil go off the air for her to finally be happy for once. But you already know that if we go through a time skip, she will be an absolute beast.
28. Noelle Silva
Anime: Black Clover If you correct my color assessment, know that I will plead the fifth. I also really want to include her on this list as she’s my dying hope that new gen shounen will have good character writing when it comes to female characters. Like come on people, enough of the Sakuras. And so far so good, in the latter part of the series Noelle dropped her snobby attitude, sort of, and became an actual threat on the battlefield. All that’s left is to accept that Asta is completely clueless for all women who aren’t the children of god and move on with her love life.
27. Yukichi Fukuzawa
Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs Sensei characters don’t always get a lot of screen time. But it’s important to remember that most plots and characters groups would fall straight on their face if it weren’t for their guiding lights. Yukichi fills that role quite nicely, as his power is to literally balance out his entire party and make sure that no one goes haywire and accidentally hurts themselves. I mean, that’s as “captain power” as you can get. Plus he’s just a lovable chill dude that puts all of his subordinates on a high pedestal, outside of danger, or he at least does his best.
26. Nao Tomori
Anime: Charlotte Can I get some waifu spam in the chat guys? There we go. So Nao, she’s a tsundere-ish character that likes to kick you in the face. But also can and will completely save your life. I just have to focus on one moment in particular where she followed Yuu around for days just to make sure that he never goes off the deep end. She doesn’t do it immediately, because she’s aware of how hurt he is. But isn’t afraid to step up once she sees the path he’s going down. And when you have a person like that in your life you just have to marry them… you have to marry her right Nao.
25. Sui/Souta
Anime: Darwin’s Game Who doesn’t love a good two for one deal? That’s extremely messed up to say in the universe of Darwin’s Game, but I knew I wasn’t going to Heaven a long time ago. Sui and Souta are twins that share the same body and tag each other in and out of control depending on the situation. Sui is the dandere type and doesn’t like violence, while Souta would 100% chuck you over a baseball field if the stakes were high enough. They have an amazing wombo-combo, with Sui controlling water and Souta controlling ice. So even though they might look small and fragile, they’re actually quite the force to be reckoned with.
24. Shiro
Anime: Deadman Wonderland Spoiler alerts ahead. Talk about a double life, eh. When we’re introduced to Shiro she seems like the most lovable, clueless, and odd person in the entire circus prison. Which is saying a lot. She seems so care-free, only ever caring about Ganta and throwing the occasional hissy fit when he makes her mad. But whoopsie-doodle, the primary purpose of the prison is to keep her captive in particular, as she’s the Spoiled Omelette or something like that, and has basically committed genocide. Now that’s a twist. Life tip, if you’re looking for some ominous spooky vibes just check out Shiro’s lullaby. It’s quite the experience.
23. Nate River
Anime: Death Note This one is controversial even to myself. Not because the character was bad in any way, but moreso that he had the biggest shoes in the world to fill. But if we take L out of the equation and just look at Nate, he is quite remarkable. I mean, he did end the battle, he defeated Light, and all thanks to big brain time. He also has a specific personality and doesn’t chalk it up to just eating chocolate all the time, khm khm. With everything said, he’s almost a perfect successor to L. You could even say that he was Near-ly perfect.
22. Decim
Anime: Death Parade This man hits me in the feels every time. He starts off as a complete kuudere, like the artist never had to draw more than more facial expression kuudere… but even then he was likable. He was nice to his co-workers and showed extreme dedication to his job, which is always admirable. But then the final two episodes hit and he’s crying, and you’re crying, everyone is crying. Like man, I have never seen such an in-depth character arc done in like 40 minutes. But I honestly wouldn’t change a thing about it.
21. Byakuya Ishigami
Anime: Dr. Stone I was originally going to put Senku on here, but then I remembered this absolute beast of a guy and couldn’t help myself. Without a doubt he’s one of the best parental figures in anime. His unflinching belief in Senku, on top of his desire to make his son proud, is enough to make a grown man cry. And I’m sure quite a few have indeed cried when his message from the past finally gets to his genius son. It’s like he had screen time for about 20 minutes tops, and yet I feel like I have known and loved the man for the past ten years. No clue how they did it but I’m not complaining.
20. Isaac Netero
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) Boss battles are always the highlights of shounen shows. So you could imagine how the community reacted when Netero not only faced off against Meruem, but the story also didn’t pull a “the main character has to give the finishing blow through nakama power” move on us. Previously he was only acting like a silly old man who had seen more than most, so it was amazing to see him go all out. And once he went all out, he really went all out. Not going to lie, his final moments gave me nightmares. But I would do it all again.
19. Eris
Anime: KonoSuba Aqua can’t seem to wrap her head around why people love Eris so much. But it should be pretty obvious really. I mean, who doesn’t want to see a dandere after death? She’s kind, adorable, and gets flustered easily, which is more than I can say about Aqua, or Zeus. Whether she pads her chest or not is still a hot topic. And I’m sure that many wars will be fought before we come close to the answer. But I think this should not tarnish my client’s impeccable reputation. Case dismissed.
18. Ja’far
Anime: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic He really didn’t get lucky when it comes to names, now did he? But unlike the greasy snake boy, this Ja’far is pretty epic. You get some of that cool factor with him being a highly trained assassin, but also some of that relatability because he worries so much that he faints from time to time. He’s like Sinbad’s voice of reason: nagging him from time to time but always for his benefit. And honestly, Sinbad really needs someone to keep him in check. The man is wild and accident prone, which isn’t the best combination with a crown and immense power.
17. Misha Necron
Anime: The Misfit of Demon King Academy Misha is just such a sweetheart. From the second she’s introduced we see that she has a kind heart and the temper of a docile sheep. And with the introduction of her sister, this is somehow heightened even more, as we see that she’s not only heart-meltingly nice towards Demon Kirito but also to her sister, and later her comrades and just people in general. Plus the sister combo placed in an emotional scene is just more than an anime watcher’s heart can handle at once.
16. Shouto Todoroki
Anime: Boku no Hero Academia Admittedly, Todoroki is half and half. That’s kind of his entire schtick. But since I doubt that will ever be a topic I can write on, I’m just including him here. Even if we go thematically, Todoroki would probably give anything to have just his white hair and erase any trace of Papa Fire. He’s the definition of calm, cool, and collected, and is by far in the top three in his class when it comes to raw power. Personally, I think he might even be number one in certain situations, given that his kit is by far the most diverse and packs the biggest AoE punch.
15. Aru Akise
Anime: Mirai Nikki (Future Diary) Say what you will about Mirai Nikki, but it was definitely ahead of its time when it comes to representation. Not only was Akise in love with Yuki, but the madlad literally poked the Yuno bear by getting close to “her man”… needless to say she was not thrilled. But that’s the thing: Akise is far from helpless, and was a major player in the game even though he didn’t even have a future diary. He was just extremely smart and athletic. I was going to say that I would totally watch a spin-off about him, but whoopsie that already exists.
14. Elizabeth Liones
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins Elizabeth might have started off as your average female love interest, but boy does she get a makeover later on. Initially she’s just a nice damsel in distress who puts up with a suspicious amount of foundling from Blondy Shorts. But after her backstory is revealed we learn two important things. Firstly, the story of her and Meliodas is extremely tragic. And secondly, she’s an angel and can totally kick butt now. So, unlike the animation, Elizabeth got better and better as the series progressed.
13. Neferpitou
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) I don’t know whether this is an unpopular opinion, as she’s the antagonist and narratively puts so many things in motion. But I personally loved Neferpitou because she was written so well. I could understand why Gon hated her so much. But I could also understand why Killua immediately ran away. I mean, talk about an entrance. She’s fierce, blood-hungry, powerful, and oh my god I included another cat girl without realising it… some things never change. She was also the perfect foil to Gon, as I doubt even Meruem could have gotten that much out of him as she did.
12. Ken Kaneki
Anime: Tokyo Ghoul Say what you will about the show, but Kaneki became iconic once his hair turned white. By giving us an amazing fight, bad finger joints, and more Tumblr posts that you can count, Kaneki became the talk of the community for a hot minute. And I think it’s not a stretch to say that he was the most interesting in this form: an unpredictable badass who gave us just the right amount of power fantasizing that we needed to carry on the day. The second it stopped being purely white, it got drastically more dull.
11. Jiraiya
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden Ah Pervy Sage, you absolute legend. As the name heavily implies, the man is definitely into the finer things in life. And plays like a gag character for quite a bit. But then the Sage part comes into play and we get to see his warrior face. I mean, the man clashed with Itachi. That is already more than anyone in the series could say up to that point. But the real kicker, spoilers ahead… was his death at the hands of the paths of Pain. Man, that scene just stung. And to this day I’m certain that Naruto fans get teared up just by looking at that picture. You know the one.
10. Shiro
Anime: No Game No Life The combination of Sora and Shiro was just a smash hit from the very first episode. Something about their 500 IQ levels combined with a little sweet home Alabama just really sold the show. And even though Sora is the mouth piece of the two, I can’t really say that he stands out more than Shiro. She’s a bit lowkey, but when she does speak it’s usually either something really smart or really savage. Which is always a win. She also brings so much cute points to the board. Like seriously just look at her, you can’t even get mad when she beats you in 6d chess blindfolded.
9. Komugi
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) Naruto gets a lot of criticism for his talk-no-jutsu, and for good reason. Komugi on the other hand is the only character I can think of where this exact same plot device made sense. She was so pure and innocent that turtle head Satan himself realised the beauty of humanity alongside her. And again, it was believable. Seeing the scene where she was attacked by a bird, or even better yet their final Gungi match, leaves no room for criticism. She is an absolute saint who managed to turn pure evil into a caring being.
8. Garou
Anime: One Punch Man (Second Season) Considering what a smash hit the first season of the show was, it seemed inevitable that the follow-up would flop. Community-wise I think it did well but the one thing that made it all work for me was Garou. It was fun seeing someone besides Saitama be OP, even if just slightly. The fights Garou was a part of were extremely hyped, because it wasn’t a one punch K.O. But rather prolonged brawls where Garou slowly learns his enemies’ moves and how to counter them. But then he gets swatted away by a disinterested Saitama. I mean, it still is his show after all.
7. Shougo Makishima
Anime: Psycho-Pass Hands down one of my favourite antagonists ever, right up there with Monster’s Johan. The man is terrifying because he is always five steps ahead of everyone else, and seemingly has no boundaries to his madness. I mean, the man literally couldn’t care less about having a gun pointed at him because he simply knows that he’s not in danger. He dominated every single scene he was in. And each of his inner monologues could probably pass as a solid psychology thesis. Maybe I’m overselling him but I don’t care, the character writing for this guy was top notch.
6. Emilia
Anime: Re: Zero I know we like to clown on Emilia for being second to Rem in every conceivable way. But let’s face it, most characters are. And if you re-watch the show you’ll see that Emilia definitely deserved to catch Subaru’s attention. She was kind, quirky, and had some adorable moments. She has also shown a lot of understanding towards Subaru’s insanity, more than I would have had to be honest. And she’s a good person all around. I mean, I wish she was more relevant to the story. But boy does the last season fix that tiny little issue. Speaking of which…
5. Echidna
Anime: Re: Zero (Season 2) I don’t know if I was supposed to like Echidna, but I definitely did. I mean, she is far from a good person. She is the witch of greed, after all. But she did give the show an interesting feeling as the audience was always unsure whether she would severely ruin Subaru’s day, or give him the answer he needs to escape his circular hell-hole. Unpredictability and moral ambiguity is always a plus in my books. It also helps that she’s cute, just saying.
4. Juuzou Suzuya
Anime: Tokyo Ghoul Not counting Kaneki’s white-hair debut, I was always happier to see Juuzou than any other character on screen. Partially because I absolutely love his aesthetic. But even more than that, it’s the action he brings to the table. Sure, there are a lot of good fighters in the series. But Juuzou has the most flavor, by not just relying on brute strength and regeneration, but rather knives, speed, precision, and a knock-off Iron Man suit at one point. Not to say that his character arc wasn’t interesting, it was. But I honestly just loved to see him fight.
3. Norman
Anime: The Promised Neverland Of the main trio, Norman was by far my favorite, as he didn’t have the sketchy/edgy vibe like Ray, nor Emma’s gung-ho nature. He was just this calculated but brilliant little man that never ceased to impress me. Not only intelligence-wise, but even his maturity levels. I mean, obviously the main three are all extremely mature. But I think Norman takes the cake, as I can’t imagine anyone else having so much faith that even in the face of possible betrayal, you don’t lose your footing. It was precisely for this reason that the show was at its lowest point atmosphere-wise when even Norman gave into despair.
2. Killua Zoldyck
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) Killua is just the embodiment of this entire list. He’s one of the most badass characters, one of the most tragic characters, and one of the most lovable characters, all at the same time. The little assassin has shown absolute dominance on the battlefield. But also quite the tender spot when it comes to Gon. He’s like the Sasuke character of the show, only it doesn’t take him 600 episodes to recognize that a friend and his family(although complete pricks) are all still alive. He definitely made the show what it is, and showed that wholesome/tragic dynamic that the latter arcs have in spades.
1. Kakashi Hatake
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden Kakashi is just the OG. He is one of the few characters that I can say never stopped being interesting. I mean, the man has quite the achievements list under his belt. He was the student of one Hokage, the teacher of another Hokage, was himself a Hokage, and formed the most powerful ninjas in the universe. And Sakura. He manages to keep up with Sasuke and Naruto power-scaling-wise. Plus his calm attitude always makes for a good scene. And when Obito got brought into the picture, my man got that legendary status.
