Anime characters who are obsessed with beauty are a very common trope in the medium and has been going on for quite some time now. Whether it's Saint Seiya in the 80s, One Piece in the 2000s, or even Black Clover in the 2010s, there is always that one character who seems to be way too focused on his or her looks. This can often work as a virtue or as a major weakness.
This trope also serves to reinforce the idea that there is more to a person than just the way they look and to not view things from a superficial perspective. Therefore, here are, in no particular order, 10 anime characters obsessed with beauty.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
One Piece's Boa Hancock and nine other anime characters obsessed with beauty
1) Boa Hancock (One Piece)
Canonically the most beautiful woman in the One Piece universe, Boa Hancock is the empress of Amazon Lily, an island where only women are allowed, and a Shichibukai, making her a very strong pirate in her own right. She also happens to be obsessed with how she looks.
Boa Hancock has mentioned time and time again that she can do as she pleases because she is beautiful, with a very good example shown through the several men who fall head over heels when looking at her. It also makes sense since her Devil Fruit allows her to turn people into stone if they find her attractive.
2) Aphrodite (Saint Seiya)
Anime characters being obsessed with beauty, as mentioned earlier, is a trope that has been going on for quite some time in manga, particularly when it comes to shonen since it marks a stark contrast between the fighting and the character's aesthetics.
In that regard, Saint Seiya was probably one of the first series to make that precedent with a few of its characters and Gold Saint Aphrodite is the best example of that.
Aphrodite is the Gold Saint of Pisces and is heralded as the most beautiful among Athena's 88 warriors. Furthermore, he is obsessed with his own beauty and also believes that strength is the true sign of justice, which was at full display during his battle with Andromeda Shun.
3) Sweet Mask (One Punch Man)
Anime characters who are obsessed with beauty can't get any more obvious than One Punch Man's Sweet Mask since that is the whole point of the character. This prominent hero is a notorious star who has made a career in singing and acting as well, showing the more glamorous side of this profession.
Furthermore, the most interesting thing about Sweet Mask is his obsession with beauty and how much he despises ugly things, to the point where he can get scared because of them. There have been a lot of theories surrounding his character and his real motivations, although that remains to be explained.
4) Queen Nehelenia (Sailor Moon)
Sailor Moon is a series that created a lot of influential anime characters who have shaped the medium over the years and Queen Nehelenia is a very interesting antagonist when analyzing her role in the story. She is the anime version of Maleficent, which is something that is explored throughout the series.
In many ways, Nehelenia is the dark version of Usagi, focusing on her vanity and ego, which are worth taking into account. She constantly steals people's dreams to remain forever young and beautiful because she is terrified of aging.
5) Tsubaki (Inuyasha)
Inuyasha is a series with a lot of interesting characters, which is par for the course in author Rumiko Takahashi's phenomenal career. One of the underrated antagonists in the series is Tsubaki, who has a unique history with the character of Kikyo in the story.
Tsubaki was a priestess alongside Kikyo but she constantly grew jealous of her, to the point where she struck a deal with a demon to not age and be forever beautiful. She is one of those anime characters obsessed with beauty and it is not surprising to see that Naraku managed to manipulate her as well.
6) Kirsch Vermillion (Black Clover)
The Vermillion family are usually the most popular royals in Black Clover, with characters like Mimosa, Mereoleona, Fuegoleon, and Leopold being quite beloved by the fandom. However, Kirsch Vermillion is an exception to the rule because of his personality.
Kirsch is obsessed with beauty and it is something that is shown from the moment he is introduced, talking down to commoners like Asta and Magna because of their status. While he learns to respect people from other social statuses throughout the series, his flamboyant personality still irks a lot of fans.
7) Midnight (My Hero Academia)
All the heroes in My Hero Academia have a lot of different gimmicks and looks but Midnight is one of the best examples of anime characters obsessed with beauty. While the series has a lot of different heroes, Midnight has always stood out because of her looks, although not always without controversies.
Her gimmick is that she is a hero who relies on her looks and sex appeal to deceive and manipulate her opponents so they can fall under the effect of her sleeping fragrance.
The character has been divisive to some people because they claim she was being sexualized by author Kohei Horikoshi. However, it is worth pointing out that Midnight is a grown woman in her early 30s, which makes it a lot more reasonable for her to be that way.
8) Lala (Devilman anime)
The Devilman anime of the early 70s is extremely different from several other stories in the franchise since it has a much more lighthearted approach to things. In that regard, the character of Lala is one of the most underrated in the franchise, especially considering she doesn't appear in other productions.
Lala is a demon who starts as Akira's enemy but she eventually joins his side. However, she is also known for being one of those anime characters obsessed with her looks, often feeling insecure about it, which might contrast with others on this list.
9) Karla (Record of Lodoss War)
The Grey Witch is one of the main villains of the Record of Lodoss War ONAs. She is not only very powerful but also someone who is obsessed with beauty and youth. However, when compared to other characters on this list, Karla's way of doing things is fairly unique.
Karla needs to take over a host to survive and while she is capable of taking anybody to do that, she prefers young and beautiful women.
10) Aya Tsuji (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
A running theme among anime characters obsessed with beauty is the fact that they are often narcissists and solely focus on themselves, which is a flaw that often comes back to bite them. However, Aya Tsuji from the fourth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Diamond Is Unbreakable, is very different from them.
Aya has a beauty salon and can use her Stand, Cinderella, to change people's looks so they can be happy. This is shown during her interactions with Yukako, with the latter attempting to become more beautiful to get Koichi's attention.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of anime characters obsessed with beauty but these are just some of the most popular and prominent in the entire industry. Furthermore, they are part of well-known series, which is why they fit well into this topic.