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Controversial anime characters have undoubtedly sparked multiple debts in the anime community. Be their actions, ideals, physical appearance, or situation; they manage to grab center stage. These characters are often artistic choices of the creators to portray or address relevant points.
They turn heads for the wrong or maybe right reasons. They might land themselves in hot water and garner strong reactions from the community, leading to parleys, and might end up with interesting outcomes.
Disclaimer: The article includes the audience's and personal opinions of the author.
10 most controversial anime characters
10) Emporio Ivankov (One Piece)
Emporio Ivankov is quite a famous One Piece face. Among their feats, being a part of the Revolutionary Army, fighting in the Marineford War, ruling a kingdom, and saving Luffy's life are noteworthy. However, they are also among the most controversial anime characters. Upon closer scrutiny, the manner in which Ivankov represents the LGBTQ+ community is questionable.
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Certain points about them are just odd. They interrogate people by purposely changing their genders. Additionally, the denizens of Kamabakka Kingdom do not seem to be written respectfully. This has birthed controversy among audiences regarding whether Ivankov positively or negatively represents LGBTQ+ people.
9) Mr. Popo (Dragon Ball)
Dragon Ball is one of the most successful series of all time. Toriyama's magnum opus has stolen hearts worldwide. However, even in a series such as this, there seems to be something arguable - Mr. Popo's character. While extremely kind, endearing, and helpful, the issue arises with his appearance, putting him among the most controversial anime characters.
This character looks to be a crude depiction of Blackface. There were attempts to remedy it by making him blue and then purple instead and changing the way he spoke (Japanese dub - primitive tongue to English dub - sophisticated language).
8) Hiro Shishigami (Inuyashiki)
Dark characters are nearly always loved by fans. No matter their deeds, they manage to attract people through various means. However, there is one who surpasses the darkest personalities and is among the most controversial anime characters: Hiro Shishigami from Inuyashiki.
After gaining superpowers, he embodies everything that could go wrong. He kills indiscriminately and is never up to any good. Later in the series, he changes his ways, but even so, his past deeds are highly questionable.
7) Mineta (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia's Minoru Mineta's actions have established himself as one of the most controversial anime characters. Basically, the "Master Roshi" of the show, he is more perverted than anything. While his role is sort of the series' cliché perv, sometimes it gets a little too much.
Over time, despite being an obvious gag character, he loses his comedic appeal, and some have labeled it downright annoying. He has had his fair share of moments to shine, but they have been far and few.
6) Tamaki Kotatsu (Fire Force)
This list of controversial anime characters would be incomplete without Tamaki Kotatsu from Fire Force. A member of Company Eight, she is quite present in the series, powerful and courageous. However, she has been critiqued multiple times for being a "fan service" character.
She has several wardrobe malfunctions and often requires rescuing amidst fights. Given her credibility as an influential and respectable soldier, these facts do not sit well with fans.
5) Naofumi Iwatani (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Another unmissable name among controversial anime characters is The Rising of the Shield Hero's Naofumi Iwatani. Looking at him objectively, there is little to question about how his character is written. However, situations can turn out unpleasant, and that is what happened.
Naofumi's interaction with Malty is what set the ball rolling. He did not assault her, but she falsely accused him, which led to irksome consequences. The plot itself addresses sensitive issues that rubbed many people the wrong way. In essence, it is not his character but rather his story that is controversial.
4) Griffith (Berserk)
While some think Griffith did the right thing, many openly refute it. Likely one of anime's controversial anime characters, the White Hawk's betrayal, even today, still lives on in infamy. An act of callous sacrifice coupled with his effortless move to the dark side would label Griffith as a great villain.
He took the God Hand's offer in return for his comrades' lives, them being slaughtered by demons. Next, his defiling Casca immediately after his transformation was on another level. Witnessing all this is enough to say that he regrets nothing.
3) Sakura Haruno (Naruto)
Under different circumstances, Sakura Haruno would have been a solid female lead in Naruto. She was portrayed in Naruto as weaker than her teammates and needing constant saving. Her training in Shippuden made her exponentially stronger and at least on par with a powerful ninja.
However, a certain trait holds her back. Her obsession with Sasuke sort of acted like a chain pulling her back. Many claim that it did not allow her to realize her full potential. Additionally, she has had fewer fights and screen time.
2) Endeavor (My Hero Academia)
Right from his introduction, My Hero Academia's Endeavor has been questionable, to say the least. His behavior towards his family put him firmly among the list of controversial anime characters.
His abuse of his wife and his near inhuman treatment of his children did not garner any likes from fans. During the series' course, he did attempt to right his wrongs and genuinely put in the effort, but his terrible history cannot be ignored.
1) Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan)
Topping the list of controversial anime characters is Eren Yeager. Attack on Titan's protagonist began as energetic and hotheaded. However, circumstances drastically changed his fate and made him what he is today.
Several violent acts and practically global genocide in the name of Eldia did not sit well with fans of the series and him as well. He focused less on that at one point and switched to acting out to realize his ideals.
Anime has been a platform for various types of shows and stories, from an entertaining slice-of-life series to a show dealing with dark or more mature subjects. The characters are also vast in range.
Controversial anime characters represent different cases. Some have controversial storylines, and some may be depicted as too dark for the average viewer. Some controversial anime characters portray the dark side of reality so well that audiences are not ready to face such a reality. These colorful characters are a part of what makes anime interesting and worth following.
