10 anime characters who have lived for centuries

Anime is full of characters with mysterious and complex backstories, including some who have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years. These ancient anime figures possess unique experiences and perspectives shaped by the extensive passage of time.

Many have watched history unfold before their eyes, participating in events and accumulating vast stores of knowledge. Their extreme longevity grants them impressive powers and allows them to influence the world around them in ways that ordinary humans cannot.

These anime characters who have lived for centuries captivate viewers' imaginations. Their intricate pasts and sheer perseverance in the face of endless time make them truly fascinating.

10 fascinating anime characters who have lived for centuries

1) Yato from Noragami

Yato is one of the anime characters who have lived for centuries, being a "Stray God" in the series Noragami. He is the protagonist of this popular action anime. Over his long existence, Yato has changed names and roles numerous times, acquiring an extensive and bloody past along the way.

He once called himself the God of Calamity and was feared as a god of war and slaughter. Despite his dark history, Yato has an amusing and cheerful personality in the present day. He eventually realizes the error of his previous actions and strives to transition into a God of Fortune devoted to helping others.

While his exact age remains uncertain, flashbacks in the series suggest that Yato has lived for a significant amount of time. His experiences over this long lifespan contribute much to his mysterious character.

2) Muzan Kibutsuji from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

As the first demon and progenitor of all other demons, Muzan Kibutsuji is an ancient being in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. More than 1,000 years ago, he gained his demonic powers from a medicine meant to cure his terminal illness.

Muzan is portrayed as a cruel, callous demon who shows no regard for human life. He despises the weakness of mortality. Muzan has dedicated himself to searching for a permanent cure for his sole vulnerability – the sun. Over the centuries, he has established intricate networks and systems among the demons.

Muzan remains hidden in the shadows as he manipulates powerful pawns to carry out his bidding. His long life grants immense power and influence but prevents him from walking freely in daylight. He continues waiting for a demon who can finally obtain immunity to the sun for him.

3) Inuyasha from Inuyasha

Inuyasha is an iconic half-demon warrior known for his fiery personality and huge sword. He was born between a powerful dog demon father and a human mother about 200 years before the start of the Inuyasha series. After his parents' tragic deaths, Inuyasha felt isolated from both humans and demons.

He enters a state of suspended animation for 50 years, only to reawaken and continue feeling alone and conflicted over his hybrid status. Despite his long life, Inuyasha maintains a rash and stubborn youthfulness. His strength and agility come from his demon blood, allowing him to easily overpower enemies.

He develops compassion over time thanks to his human companions. Ultimately, living through prejudice and trauma has made the centuries-old Inuyasha protective of his newfound friendships. He faces numerous demons from his long-lived past over the course of the show.

4) C.C. from Code Geass

C.C. from Code Geass exemplifies anime characters who have lived for centuries, possessing the power of immortality. She is a mystical witch central to this mecha anime. Only known as C.C., she has forgotten her original name over her many years of life.

C.C.'s exact age and past remain shrouded in mystery. She has been active behind the scenes throughout significant eras of human history. C.C. eventually grows bored and jaded due to the endless passage of time and the repetitiveness of human nature.

She retains a teenage appearance and often behaves childishly despite being centuries old. The lonely C.C. enters contracts with key historical figures, offering Geass powers in exchange for their companionship. C.C.'s long life grants her deep insight into human nature, renewed through her bond with Lelouch.

5) Senku Ishigami from Dr. Stone

Senku Ishigami (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Senku Ishigami is the intelligent protagonist of the sci-fi adventure anime Dr. Stone. He was a normal high schooler until a mysterious light encased the human race in stone over 3,700 years ago.

Freed from the stone at the start of the series, Senku awakens to a world reclaimed by nature without technology or modern civilization. Although technically 3,700+ years have passed, his life experience remains that of a smart and ambitious teenager.

With his vast scientific knowledge retained, Senku dedicates himself to advancing civilization by inventing things like steel, batteries, and light bulbs. He hopes to rebuild the advanced technology lost over the millennia and create new innovations to propel humanity forward.

6) Jibril from No Game No Life

The whimsical Jibril is one of the powerfully advanced Ex-Machina angel-like beings from No Game No Life anime. She is incredibly knowledgeable due to her age, which is precisely 6,407 years old.

Jibril has a love for books and knowledge surpassing most other beings. She enjoys quiz games that let her show off her comprehension gained over several millennia. Jibril's only flaws come from her smugness and ignorance of emotions.

Her long existence and supernatural abilities make her a formidable opponent in the show's games, though the games' rules allow for cleverness and strategy to level the playing field. Instead of competing alone, Jibril serves protagonists Sora and Shiro, fulfilling their wishes across the land.

7) Alucard from Hellsing

Alucard, from the dark fantasy anime Hellsing, is among the anime characters who have lived for centuries, originally known as Count Dracula. He is a feared monster hunter who lived as a powerful vampire for over 500 years before being defeated and turned into a servant by vampire hunters.

Now under their control, Alucard helps destroy menacing vampires that threaten humanity. He retains his vampiric strengths like shapeshifting and regeneration, making him essentially immortal unless sealed away.

Alucard's existence spanning multiple centuries has made him nihilistic and battle-hungry. He delights in war against vampires as it distracts from the boredom of his immortality. His savage fighting style reflects his lingering maliciousness from his days as Dracula.

8) Ai Enma from Hell Girl

Ai Enma from Hell Girl is one of the anime characters who have lived for centuries, serving as a ferrywoman to Hell since the Edo period. She serves as the creepy lead of the series, working to banish hated souls to Hell. She pledged servitude to the underworld centuries ago to avenge her wrongful banishment.

Ai appears eternally young, maintaining the look of when she died at age 13 during Japan's Edo period. Despite her innocuous appearance, Ai hides an angry, vengeful spirit within, accumulated from centuries of meting out vengeance on evil humans. With mystical powers, she can send anyone's soul to hell if contacted.

Ai tempts bitter people every day for another chance to ferry the souls of sinners into endless torment. This young girl's old spirit persists as long as there are still people wishing punishment unto others, continuing the grim afterlife duty she began hundreds of years ago.

9) Sesshomaru from Inuyasha

The powerful dog demon Sesshomaru serves as Inuyasha's cold and fearsome half-brother in Inuyasha anime. As a full demon offspring of the Great Dog Demon, his lifespan far exceeds a human's, allowing him to live and stay youthful for centuries.

Early in the series, Sesshomaru initially desires his half-demon brother's supreme sword, Tessaiga, bequeathed by their late father. He spends years honing his poison claws and seeking might enough to defeat Inuyasha. Conflicts with Inuyasha and Rin’s companionship gradually awaken Sesshomaru's compassion.

However, his pride in his demon nature prevents him from ever fully changing. Sesshomaru retains his stern personality yet shifts from wanting power to desiring the strength to protect his friends after years of independence. Witnessing human lives fade while he persists, grants him a new perspective.

10) Zeref Dragneel from Fairy Tail

Extremely deadly dark wizard Zeref Dragneel developed a curse after studying taboo magic that made him immortal 400 years ago in Fairy Tail anime. This curse gives him little control over draining the life from all living things around him.

Knowing he can never meet people without risking their safety keeps the centuries-old Zeref constantly aloof and isolates himself. He becomes troubled over watching generations age and die as he remains unchanged over time.

Seeking a way to lift his eternal curse initially motivates Zeref's studies into resurrection magic and resurrecting his brother Natsu as the demon E.N.D. Later, encountering his resurrected brother Natsu finally gives him hope of destroying himself and ending his long-suffering.

Conclusion

These anime characters who have lived for centuries represent just a fraction of the genre's ancient figures with long, eventful histories. Their exceptional lifespans result in unique perspectives and position them as driving forces behind pivotal story events.

Regardless of personal motivations, living and staying active for hundreds of years understandably shapes their core personalities in dramatic ways. They often possess knowledge lost to time or abilities evolved beyond normal limits. These elders of anime retain their intrigue through layered legacies.

Whether they are immortal demons, reawakened sleepers, or long-forgotten war gods, their stories inspire one to think beyond what ordinary lifespans usually constrain. Their lengthy lifetimes give fascinating backstories worth exploring through years of episodic content.

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Edited by Ameen Fatima