10 anime teachers who'd make great college professors

Anime teachers are a major trope of the medium, especially when it comes to battle shonen since they usually serve as mentors for the main characters, and also display the degree of knowledge they have. In that regard, some of them have unique and effective teaching methods, which is something that could make them great college professors.

Whether is Anzai's wisdom in Slam Dunk, Aizawa's ruthless methods in My Hero Academia, or Frieren's patience in her self-titled series, there are a lot of anime characters who could stand out in college as professors. Some of them have proven to be quite loyal to their students, which is something that the world of education always needs.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series mentioned here. Any opinion expressed on this piece belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

10 anime teachers who would be great college professors in real life

1. Shota Aizawa (My Hero Academia)

Aizawa is one of the most beloved anime teachers (Image via Bones)

Shota Aizawa is the teacher of the main class of UA in My Hero Academia, Class 1-A, and is in charge of most of the cast, including the protagonist Izuku "Deku" Midoriya. A street hero called Eraserhead, Aizawa is known for being the strictest teacher at UA, and has a reputation for expelling students after a class or two, which shows his high standards.

As far as anime teachers go, Aizawa cares deeply about his students and believes in them, which is something that college professors could benefit from. He has also proven to be an effective teacher since his students from Class 1-A proved to be capable enough of competing against the League of Villains in the final arc, and also went on to become great heroes in the eight-year time skip.

Therefore, while he has a track record of being quite strict, he is also one of those anime teachers who can be fair and effective as a professional. He would also make a great college professor as he is also one of those teachers who has experience on the field, to the point that villains such as Tomura Shigaraki have praised his career as a hero.

2. Might Guy (Naruto)

Might Guy, one of the best anime teachers out there (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Might Guy is one of the most dedicated and passionate anime teachers out there, being fully committed to his students and their development— an integral part of any professor. He waited a whole year for his team to take the Chunin Exams so they could be in much better shape and have a lot more experience as a unit.

Guy is also known for seeing potential in others and getting the most out of them, as evidenced by his treatment of Rock Lee, who went on to become a very successful ninja without being capable of using ninjutsu. He also helped Neji Hyuga's development, who might have been a natural genius but still needed guidance to develop.

Therefore, it is easy to view Might Guy as a good college professor since he cares deeply for his students and wants them to thrive. He also has a good understanding of how each student is different and the need for them to gain experience before taking the next step in their development.

3. Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)

Urahara is one of the most interesting anime teachers out there (Image via Studio Pierrot)

It is fair to say that Kisuke Urahara is one of the most peculiar anime teachers and would also be unique as a college professor. He mostly serves outside of the Soul Society and Gotei 13 system of Bleach, oftentimes doing what others are afraid to do to help the good guys, which is part of the reason why he is so beloved in the fandom.

Moreover, if Urahara were a college professor, he would probably instill free thinking in his students, which is something that could be key for a young person's development. It is also worth pointing out that he was instrumental in helping Ichigo Kurosaki get his Shinigami powers back and grow even further, which is shown through effective and direct lessons.

Then there is also the fact that Urahara is one of the most charismatic anime teachers, which is something that would help him thrive as a college professor. His classes would be quite entertaining and people would want to study with him.

4. Whis (Dragon Ball)

Whis, one of the newest anime teachers out there (Image via Toei Animation).

Whis might not be the most notorious among anime teachers when it comes to Dragon Ball but is fair to say that he is quite good at teaching. It only took him a couple of months to teach God Ki to Goku and Vegeta, which is something quite impressive, although his students' work ethic also has to be considered.

In that regard, Whis is one of those anime teachers who would stand out as a college professor because of his patience and ability to teach complex topics to rather simple-minded students like Goku. Therefore, it would be easy to see him standing out with a class and helping people grow.

5. Genkai (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Genkai is very unique as far anime teachers go (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Yu Yu Hakusho pushed the parameters of several battle shonen tropes in the 90s and was no different when it came to anime teachers— via the character of Genkai. She was not only a rarity because there were few female teachers in anime but she was also quite important for the development of Yusuke Urameshi throughout the series.

Genkai was important in giving Yusuke a lot more discipline and pushing his limits, which is something that a lot of college professors don't dare to do with their students. She didn't mind playing the villain if it meant helping the protagonist become a better fighter, and ultimately served as a surrogate mother to him, which ended up being one of the most compelling relationships in the series.

6. Mitsuyoshi Anzai (Slam Dunk)

Mitsuyoshi Anzai, one of the finest anime teachers out there (Image via Toei Animation)

Anzai stands out among the crowd of anime teachers on this list because he is an actual teacher, serving as the coach of the Shohoku High School basketball team in Slam Dunk. He was also a college teacher years before the story, although that doesn't mean that he was good at his job. It is his methods that make him stand out.

He is treated with a lot of respect by his students in Shohoku, and while he doesn't talk much throughout the story, he proves to be an inspiration. He teaches Kaede Rukawa to be more of a team player, sees potential in Hanamichi Sakuragi when no one else does, gives Hisashi Mitsui the chance to redeem himself, and helps Ryota Miyagi with his insecurities regarding his height.

As far as anime teachers go, he has shown to be extremely wise and knows what makes his players tick, which is something that would make him a great college teacher. All of his students not only became better players under his leadership but also grew as people.

7. Atsuya Kusakabe (Jujutsu Kaisen)

One of the most underrated anime teachers (Image via MAPPA).

Jujutsu Kaisen doesn't have a lot of choices as far as great anime teachers go. Utahime Iori seems to be a dedicated teacher but her Kyoto students were, for the most part, fodder in the series and Satoru Gojo, while an extremely powerful sorcerer, is widely regarded as a poor teacher, making Kusakabe the only one who stands out in this area.

This is mostly due to Kusakabe having a clear understanding of all the elements of Cursed Energy and this was at full display during the preparation for the final battle against Ryomen Sukuna. He was instrumental in teaching Simple Domain to Yuji Itadori, and also to give the protagonist a greater understanding of how Cursed Energy works.

He does have a reputation for being lazy, but when push came to shove, he has been there for his students and tried to help. That is a key element for a college professor—to care for their students. Kusakabe also has a good understanding of the profession and knows how to explain it properly, standing out from the rest of modern anime teachers.

8. Wing (Hunter X Hunter)

Hunter X Hunter's Wing is one of the most peculiar anime teachers out there (Image via Madhouse)

The Assistant Master of Shingen-ryu kung fu and former student of Biscuit Krueger has proven to be one of the most underrated anime teachers, which is due to his short role in Hunter X Hunter. While he only truly stands out in the series during the Heavens Arena arc, his contributions were pivotal for the development of the manga's battle system and the growth of the two main characters.

It is through Wing that Gon and Killua learn what Nen is and how they can use it to reach the higher places in the arena. Wing proves to be a patient and educated teacher and someone who is quite good at explaining complex concepts, which is a reason why he would be such a good college professor.

9. Frieren (Frieren)

Frieren, one of the newest anime teachers who deserves more attention (Image via Madhouse)

Frieren might not be someone's first choice when thinking of anime teachers but she does play the role of a mentor with Fern throughout the vast majority of the series. While she did start that role as a favor to her lifelong friend, Heiter, she grew to love that position and cares deeply for Fern, which is a key aspect of the series.

It was through her teachings that Fern became an extremely powerful sorcerer. She has also proven to be quite patient with her teachings, which is something that is pivotal throughout the story and would have worked quite well as a college professor, especially with her unique sense of humor.

10. Dr. Kureha (One Piece)

Kureha was key to Chopper's development (Image via Toei Animation)

Whether it is college professors or anime teachers, an educator's quality is measured by the students they have taught and how they perform. In that regard, Dr. Kureha from One Piece might be one of the most underrated anime teachers out there when considering how much he taught Tony Tony Chopper and how instrumental she was in the latter's development.

While Chopper already had some knowledge of medicine, thanks to his time living with Dr. Hiriluk in Drum Island, it was through Kureha that he took his expertise to a whole new level. He has become the doctor of the Straw Hat crew and has been instrumental in taking care of his friends, when they have been mortally wounded.

When taking into account all the different ordeals that Chopper has gone through in the series and the diseases he has had to deal with, Kureha's teachings were incredibly useful. She is harsh and demanding but her ways do work, so she probably would be an effective college professor, even if she isn't popular with the students.

Final thoughts

Several anime teachers have stood out throughout the years because of their lessons and how supportive they have been of several characters in celebrated series. In that regard, some of the teachers on this list would have a lot of success as college professors because of their personalities and teaching methods.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay