10 anime characters who almost always smile

Anime characters and their numerous characteristics heavily influence how memorable they later become. Although many characteristics, such as glasses, colorful hair, and their overall demeanor, are a direct result of the character tropes embodied by these characters, their smile and expression are often the elements that distinguish them.

Anime characters' near-permanent smiles stem from numerous reasons, including a happy-go-lucky personality or as a way to hide deeper emotions, while also serving as a symbol for something significant. By taking note of a character's overall demeanor and personality, it becomes possible to list out characters who almost always have a smile on their face.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, One Piece, Bleach and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

All Might, Roger, Gin and 7 other anime characters who almost always smile

1) All Might

Anime characters who almost always smile: All Might (Image via Bones)

All Might, a key character in My Hero Academia, is known for his bulky physique and distinct art style, but his most iconic feature is his trademark smile, which became important to him after his master's death. Although All Might's constant smile originated as a way for him to hide his own insecurities, it later became a symbol of hope, along with All Might himself, used to motivate and reassure the masses of their safety whenever he arrived.

2) Roger

Anime characters who almost always smile: Gol D. Roger (Image via Toei Animation)

Gol D. Roger from the One Piece series is another character embodying the overpowered ex-protagonist role with a larger-than-life persona. Although his actual appearance has gone through many variations throughout the different art styles of the series, his iconic smile, present during the panels of his introduction, remains one of his most memorable features.

While the actual reason behind Roger's constant smile is neither revealed nor hinted at, it likely stems from his ideology of being completely free.

3) Gin Ichimaru

Expand Tweet

Gin Ichimaru, one of the initial antagonists and one of Aizen's earliest "allies," embodies the silent schemer trope both in his backstory and his character design. While his overall appearance is rather unremarkable compared to the rest of the Soul Reapers, his shut eyes and unchanging smile make his character design one of the most iconic in the series.

Although it has not been officially confirmed, his smile is speculated to be a metaphor for his scheming nature and essentially serves as a poker face that he keeps active permanently.

4) Satoshi Isshiki

Anime characters who almost always smile: Satoshi Isshiki (Image via J.C. Staff)

Isshiki Satoshi is another character that embodies the overpowered comic relief character trope, with his antics throughout the Food Wars series. Although his status as a side character and the tonal shift of the series limited his screen time toward the later parts, his smile and overall demeanor still make him one of the most memorable characters of the series.

While there is no official reason for his constant smile, it is speculated to originate from his confidence in his cooking skills as well as his overwhelming passion for his friends.

5) Koro Sensei

Anime characters who almost always smile: Koro Sensei (Image via Lerche)

Koro Sensei from the Assassination Classroom series is arguably one of the more memorable characters from the last decade. Although Koro Sensei's design is that of a simple yellow-colored tentacle alien, his face is one of his most expressive aspects, with a smile mostly plastered upon it.

Koro Sensei spent the majority of his life as a world-class assassin, and his rebirth as the alien, as well as the loss of one of his friends, led him to become a teacher. His smile essentially symbolizes his softhearted and easygoing personality, mixed with overwhelming confidence in his abilities as a teacher.

6) Koko Hekmatyar

Anime characters who almost always smile: Koko Hekmatyar (Image via Studio White Fox)

Koko Hekmatyar from the Jormungand series, similar to Gin Ichimaru, is another character mainly embodying the schemer character trope. However, Koko takes a much more active role in the story, with almost every plot point revolving around her or being a direct consequence of her actions.

Koko Hekmatyar's smile remains plastered on her face permanently, mainly as a diversion to hide her actual feelings regarding the arms race and as a front to make her seem friendly and naive in front of other arms dealers. This trait seems to be inherited within the Hekmatyar family, as her brother also has a similarly infectious persona and a smile plastered on his face.

7) Echidna

Anime characters who almost always smile: Echidna (Image via Studio White Fox)

Echidna, the Witch of Greed and one of the most discussed characters within the Re:Zero series, is another character with a permanent smile accompanying her appearances throughout different media. Although Echidna herself only appeared briefly in the series, her permanent smile, stemming from her greedy and scheming nature, managed to solidify her character as a staple of the series.

8) Ranpo Edogawa

Anime characters who almost always smile: Ranpo Edogawa (Image via Bones)

Edogawa Ranpo is one of the most fan-favorite characters from the Bungo Stray Dogs series, although he is often sidelined in the story. Throughout the series, Ranpo displays a wide variety of emotions, but his know-it-all demeanor and confident smile remain the most prominent. His smile mainly originates from his confidence in his detective work as well as the "delusions" of having an ability.

9) Lucoa

Anime characters who almost always smile: Lucoa (Image via Kyoto Animation)

Lucoa is another recurring character from the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid series who embodies the overpowered elder character trope. Her permanent smile and closed eyes reflect her carefree nature, which comes from being one of the oldest dragons in the series, despite the lack of material on her character and backstory.

10) Kaworu Nagisa

Anime characters who almost always smile: Kaworu Nagisa (Image via Studio Khara)

Kaworu Nagisa is one of the most enigmatic and highly discussed characters from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Although he mainly served as a catalyst for Shinji's character growth, Nagisa and his overall character filled the series with an uncanny and eerie feeling due to his permanent smile. An official reason for his demeanor has not been revealed, but it can mainly be traced back to his dual nature as both a human and an angel.

Final Thoughts

There are several other characters who have a near-permanent smile on their faces, but the ones mentioned above are a few who have a credible backstory and circumstances to explain their permanent smile while being from relatively prominent series.