10 best anime with a large cast of characters you need to watch

Anime is known for having colorful casts of characters. While some series focus on a few central protagonists, others introduce dozens of unique personalities over many episodes or seasons. This allows for complex, interweaving storylines and variety in character design and abilities.

For fans who love anime with a large cast, the series on this list has some of the largest ensemble casts out there. From long-running shounen classics to ensemble casts with supernatural powers, these anime all feature a diverse set of characters with whom you can fall in love.

One Piece, Naruto, and 8 best anime with a large cast of characters

1) One Piece

As one of the "Big Three" shounen series, One Piece has introduced hundreds of characters over its 1000+ episodes. The story revolves around the Straw Hat Pirates led by Monkey D. Luffy as they explore the world in search of the ultimate treasure, but they meet friends and foes everywhere they go.

With a crew of 10 core members and multiple factions like the navy, other pirate crews, and more participating, every island the Straw Hats visit adds even more eclectic personalities. Few series can compete with One Piece's sheer volume of characters.

And with quirky character designs from Eiichiro Oda, no two characters look alike.

2) My Hero Academia

In an alternate version of Earth where 80% of the population has developed superpowers or "Quirks," My Hero Academia takes place at UA High School, which trains the next generation of superheroes.

As such, the already sizable cast grows with every school year's batch of aspiring heroes and rivals. What's impressive is how distinct each student's personality, background, and power remain through creative character writing in this anime with a large cast.

Main characters like Deku and Bakugo are complex enough, and then there's the diverse set of their classmates and teachers with awesome and hilarious powers alike. While the focus is mainly on the Hero Department, UA High alone has an abundance of personalities.

3) Naruto / Naruto: Shippuden

Naruto / Naruto: Shippuden (Image via Pierrot)

As another mega-popular long-running shounen anime, Naruto introduces Team 7—Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei—while featuring their fellow rookie Leaf Village ninjas.

By the end of Naruto: Shippuden, nearly every ninja from many hidden villages, as well as various rogue ninjas and mystical beings, have made an appearance, each with distinct designs, techniques, and roles to play.

Few series develop such an exhaustive cast with as much screen time devoted to developing backstories and motivations as Naruto does. Across 720 episodes and years of in-universe character growth make it a benchmark for a layered, expansive cast in anime with a large cast.

4) Attack on Titan

While not as long-running as some series, Attack on Titan manages to give nearly all of its ample named cast attention. Set in a walled city focused on the elite Survey Corps soldiers who battle monstrous Titans, the series follows various recruits from training to the battlefield.

Loud-mouths like Jean introverts like Mikasa, and more diversity within the military cast balance complex characters like Eren and Captain Levi. The introduction of Marley and its warriors exponentially expands the cast to multiple factions of humans, Titans, and Titan-shifters.

With inner-personal drama amidst intense action and reveals that flip perceptions, Attack on Titan boasts a memorable ensemble.

5) Fate/Zero

As a prequel to Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero expands on the series' concept of the Holy Grail War—a secret magical battle royale between mages paired with Heroic Spirits. Each Spirit or Servant is an epic historical and legendary figure like King Arthur or Alexander the Great, given form and power.

Between the 7 Master-Servant pairs, all with their own motivations and relationships, rival factions among the Church and mages association are involved.

Seeing all these towering personalities interact in a philosophical and psychological war of ideologies provides engaging dialogue and debates atop flashy magical battles.

6) Durarara!!

Durarara!! is the perfect anime for those seeking a genuine ensemble cast. Set in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, no single or central protagonist exists. Rather, plotlines weave between an ensemble cast comprised of characters as diverse as high school students, urban legends, gangsters, and internet chatroom gossip.

Developing characters simultaneously from multiple perspectives allows every named player relevance in this sprawling supernatural story. From Dullahans to possessed swords and Russian sushi, Ikebukuro's diverse residents collide unexpectedly, all orchestrated by master manipulator Izaya Orihara.

Bucking typical narrative forms, this inventive ensemble hooks you onto every personality and relationship, making it a standout anime with a large cast.

7) Bleach

Long-running shounen anime Bleach stars high school student turned Soul Reaper (death god) Ichigo Kurosaki, but the series makes plenty of room to flesh out ally Soul Reapers and villains alike. Supporting characters range from his family to squadmates in the Soul Society to Earth-dwelling allies.

Major story arcs and battles continue to introduce new Soul Reaper divisions, central council members, and rogue shinigami—and that's without considering other spiritual beings like Fullbringers, humans with special powers, magic-powered rivals the Quincies, and immortal dark army the Arrancar.

An ever-expanding spiritual domain allows for an appropriately otherworldly breadth of Bleach's cast, solidifying its place among anime with a large cast of characters.

8) Hunter x Hunter

Despite following Hunter Gon Freecss, it quickly becomes clear in Hunter x Hunter that talented Hunters in this society come in all ages and skill sets. We meet aspiring Hunters like Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, who aid Gon, as well as dozens of unique Nen-wielders during the various Hunter Exams and faction conflicts.

The series does an excellent job of developing the strengths and flaws of Hunters and villains through creative character writing. Bonds of camaraderie and mentorship between many characters are highlighted, further expanding the meaningful connections beyond the core heroes.

By exploring the influence and responsibilities tied to Nen powers and the Hunter hierarchy, the series supports its sprawling cast of Hunters well, making it a prime example of anime with a large cast.

9) Danganronpa: The Animation

Danganronpa: The Animation (Image via Lerche)

Danganronpa: The Animation has a very specific premise that necessitates a sizable cast—take 15 of Japan's most gifted high school students, imprison them together, and force them into a kill-or-be-killed scenario to escape.

This incredibly diverse elite group already allows for creative character writing before characters start getting murdered. Seeing contrasting personalities, their ties to victims, and changes in interactions after each death makes the ensemble continuously engaging.

How these Ultimates react to accusations, investigations, and mind games develops each student on deeper levels than expected for what otherwise may have been caricatures based on talent. The drama between all these panicking students makes for an impressively fleshed-out ensemble.

10) Baccano!

For an anime set in 20th-century America, Baccano! features a surprising ensemble that transcends time. Characters range from mafia and thieves to alchemists, assassins, mad scientists, and even ageless immortals.

Relationships crisscross between multiple factions as their storylines build through the years. Despite following many groups and eras, even side characters feel essential, since intersecting roles reveal new aspects of characters and links between plotlines.

Within 13 TV episodes and 3 OVAs, characters shift from enemies to allies, their ambitions, and motivations cast in new lights by small reveals. With an intricate non-linear structure and multidimensional players, Baccano! crafts an intricate ensemble that resonates despite the insanity.

Conclusion

Some of the most addicting anime provide rich character ensembles with memorable personalities, diverse interactions, and engaging storylines intersecting unexpectedly.

As these top 10 series demonstrate, anime with a large cast executed well can hook viewers onto characters and stories for hundreds of episodes by continually revealing new secrets, relationships, and abilities for the colorful cast to feed or fight off of!

Getting invested in a range of personalities across factions, worlds, and times lets ensemble anime build incredibly expansive, resonant narratives on epic scales. For anime fans who enjoy a variety of characters, these series boast large casts of warriors, witches, ninjas, and everyday heroes to love.

Be sure to follow us for all anime and manga news.