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Anime characters come in all shapes and sizes - some are colossal, while some are the size of ordinary human beings. However, sometimes, these human-sized beings are not perceived correctly by the normal eye, as their true identity is hidden from the world.
These anime characters are either some other-worldly creatures that have invaded human society for some secret purpose or dead human beings whose souls are wandering, looking for a way to pass on.
Either way, this trope is prevalent as most seemingly normal human-like anime characters have a hidden identity. It is later revealed that these characters only wore the mask of a human, but deep inside, they are something beyond the comprehension of an ordinary mind.
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In this article, we shall take a look at 10 anime characters who are perceived as normal human beings but, in reality, are supernatural creatures ranging from a ghost to an alien sent from another planet.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion. The list below is unranked.
Makima, Muzan, and 8 other anime characters who look human, but their true identity is something else
1) Mahito (A cursed spirit, Jujutsu Kaisen)
Mahito is one of the main anime characters of Jujutsu Kaisen and an anime character who looks like a normal human being but, in reality, is a cursed spirit. He is one of the main antagonists of this series who was born from the accumulated hatred humans hold against one another, resulting in him understanding and resembling humans.
Despite being so human-like in appearance, he is one of the most inhuman anime characters. From killing people just for fun to targeting Itadori's (the story's protagonist) friends, Mahito has made his personality known as someone who enjoys seeing others in pain. But he met his end during the Shibuya Arc (Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2).
2) Makima (A devil, Chainsaw Man)
One of the highest-ranked Public safety devil hunters, Makima, is one of the main anime characters of Chainsaw Man. While most characters in the series can use devil powers due to their contract with a specific devil, Makima is actually the Control Devil itself.
The power of Control Devil enables Makima to control different aspects of her surroundings, affecting humans and animals. Denji (the main protagonist of Chainsaw Man) was lured into the Public Safety Devil Hunters Organization due to Makima's looks, but what awaits him in the upcoming future remains to be seen.
3) Decim (A puppet, Death Parade)
Decim is one of the main anime characters of Death Parade and also the arbitrator of Quindecim (a location where people are judges based on different games). Despite being portrayed as an emotionless man throughout the series, it is later revealed that Decim is just a dummy created by Nona (Decim's senior).
Decim is like a puppet whom Nona granted human emotions to see how he judges people in such a strange judgment system (through games). At the end of the series, we see Decim struggling to judge Chiyuki (the female protagonist of Death Parade) because of his human emotions.
4) Son Goku (An alien, Dragon Ball Series)
Son Goku (real name: Kakarot) is one of the main anime characters of the whole Dragon Ball series and a Saiyan. Saiyans are extra-terrestrial species identical to humans, with their tails being the only distinctive characteristic (besides their extreme power levels).
Gohan (an old man) adopted Goku after his parents sent him away from his destroyed planet in a space capsule. Although his personality was crude and disrespectful in the start, he became kind after a head injury in his early life. He also lost his tail because it was chopped off too much, which gives him the appearance of an ordinary earthling, with powers way off the charts!
5) Rem (A demon, Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-)
The cute and charming maid of the Roswaal Mansion, Rem, is one of the main anime characters of Re: ZERO. She is your everyday average maid until she gets angry, and her true identity as a devil becomes evident. A glowing horn appears on her forehead then, and she goes completely berserk.
Because of this, she was treated as an outcast in her village (Oni Village). But there was one person who accepted Rem despite her true identity, and that was Subaru (the protagonist of Re: ZERO). Subaru later rejected Rem's feelings, but she kept supporting him in every way possible.
6) Gesicht (A robot, Pluto)
Gesicht is one of the main anime characters of Pluto, a spin-off of Astro Boy. His appearance might be that of a mature adult, but he is one of the most advanced robots working as a detective for Europol. This is why he looks like an average adult but has the specs of an Android.
In Pluto, Gesicht was given more spotlight because he is the main protagonist of this show. Despite being a perfect robot, we see Gesicht still being flawed because he possesses human emotions. This leads to him doing unlawful things as a robot and ultimately getting destroyed (killed) at the end of the series.
7) Menma (A Ghost, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day)
One of the main anime characters of Anohana, Menma (Real name: Meiko Honma), is a ghost, only visible to Jinta (the male protagonist of Anohana). Despite having passed away at an early age, Menma is one of the few anime characters whose ghost body didn't stop aging, despite her passing away at a young age.
She died at an early age due to an accident, but later reappeared as a ghost in front of Jinta. The reason for this was to make Jinta more open to his emotions and let Super Peace Busters (the group of friends including Menma and Jinta) move on despite her tragic death. Fortunately, her ghost ascended into the afterlife at the climax of the series as everyone accepted her death and cried.
8) Rimuru Tempest (A slime, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
Rimuru (human name: Mikami Satoru) is the protagonist of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. He's an anomaly on this list because, unlike other anime characters listed here, Rimuru was originally a human. However, he died after getting stabbed by a thief and was reincarnated as a weak slime in a fantasy world. He then established a whole federation of monsters in this unknown world.
He developed a human-like form after absorbing Shizu (one of the female characters of Slime Isekai), which gave him a feminine appearance. This form helped him negotiate with other nations' leaders, thus helping him spread his empire.
9) Fushi (An immortal being, To Your Eternity)
Similar to Rimuru, Fushi is one of the anime characters on this list who received his human appearance from absorbing a Human. The protagonist of To Your Eternity is an orb sent from God to this world. It can transform into any form of life as long as it feels an emotional connection to that thing. But for Fushi to take the form of a human being, the latter must first cease to exist.
Fushi has transformed into different humans like March, Perona, Gugu, and many others, but his most famous form is that of a white-haired boy (as seen in the picture above). Fushi's transformation into other humans is affected by how emotionally attached he is to them during their dying moment. The deeper the connection he has, the better the transformation into that respective human.
10) Muzan (A demon, Demon Slayer)
Muzan is one of the most iconic examples of anime characters who appear human but aren't. In fact, the main antagonist of Demon Slayer actively uses his human appearance for his nefarious purposes. He first appeared in the show as a family man wearing a hat. While he might be perceived as an average human being by others, Tanjiro (the main protagonist of Demon Slayer) sensed something sinister in him.
It was later revealed that Muzan can change forms from a beautiful woman to a little toddler, irrespective of any age. His Blood Demon Art has only been sneak-peaked during the last episodes of Demon Slayer Season 1 when Muzan transformed his hands into an amorphous giant body. So, his transformation ability is something to look forward to in the anime.
