10 most overly dramatic anime characters

Dramatic anime characters are perhaps one of the biggest tropes in the medium since it tends to be quite over the top and these individuals tend to stand out. These characters also tend to have a lot of emotional range, even though their dramatic approach tends to be mostly used for comedy in most of their series.

Whether it is Kaguya Shinomiya's wide array of emotions throughout Kaguya-sama, Usopp being the first one in the Straw Hat crew to be scared in One Piece, or Ghiaccio screaming for the smallest reasons in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, multiple dramatic anime characters have left their mark in the industry. These characters are not shown in any particular order and are chosen because of their histrionics and the caliber of the series they are a part of.

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

10 of the most dramatic anime characters and why they are that way

1) Zenitsu Agatsuma (Demon Slayer)

One of the most dramatic anime characters out there (Image via Ufotable).

Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer is likely one of the first names battle shonen fans think of when discussing dramatic anime characters. That would make a lot of sense when considering that he has become rather infamous in the community because of his constant yelling and being afraid all the time, which is a major aspect of his characterization.

Despite being proven to be a very capable fighter when asleep, Zenitsu normally is scared of combat and has the natural urge to run away, which is also coupled with the fact that his jealousy over Tanjiro Kamado being treated better by women makes him scream even further. The character has also shown a kinder side and even has put himself in harm's way in key moments to help his friends and innocent people, though, and that deserves recognition.

2) Ghiaccio (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

One of the most underrated dramatic anime characters (Image via David Production).

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a series with a lot of individuals who could make a list of dramatic anime characters, but one of the members of La Squadra makes the cut above all else, Ghiaccio. That is because he has a personality that is extremely intense and doesn't take anything by chance.

Ghiaccio tends to get irritated and very angry over the smallest things throughout the fifth part of JoJo's, Golden Wind, to the point of starting to scream because of it. This is evidenced when he fought Giorno Giovanna and Guido Mista, becoming perhaps one of the most memorable opponents of this part.

3) Kija (Yona of the Dawn)

Another one of the most underrated dramatic anime characters (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Very few dramatic anime characters represent this trope as well as Kija from Yona of the Dawn, who is as underrated as the series he is a part of. He is one of the four Dragon Warriors, specifically the current Hakuryuu, and is extremely willing to leave his village to serve Yona because that is the destiny he is bound to fulfill.

However, Kija grew up quite pampered by the old ladies in the village, which is why he tends to have very exaggerated reactions to small details while traveling in the wilderness. This is also coupled with his overprotective nature regarding Yona's safety and the rivalry he develops with Hak, although the latter also plays a role while antagonizing him.

On the other hand, Kija does mean well and proves to be both a loyal friend to Yona and also a very capable fighter in his own right, making him a very unique case among the most dramatic anime characters in the medium.

4) Yuga Aoyama (My Hero Academia)

A hero known for being one of the most dramatic anime characters (Image via Bones).

Dramatic anime characters are usually associated with being overtly emotional or cowardly, but there are cases of people who do everything in a very exaggerated manner. One of the best examples of that is Yuga Aoyama from My Hero Academia, who tends to do everything in a very flamboyant manner throughout the story.

Most fans of the series know by now that Aoyama has a very dark secret associated with All For One in the story, but that doesn't keep him from being very over the top when it comes to his behavior in UA. That is something that made him quite divisive within the fandom for quite some time and some people still don't fully embrace him because of it.

5) Usopp (One Piece)

One of the most iconic dramatic anime characters (Image via Toei Animation).

While the Straw Hats have managed to overcome incredible odds and defeat extremely powerful opponents throughout One Piece, Usopp's over-the-top nature makes him one of the most dramatic anime characters. Perhaps even one of the best examples of this trope since he mostly works as a gag character in the series, despite a few serious moments here and there.

The vast majority of the Straw Hats tend to be experienced fighters or people with Devil Fruits who can compete with other crews and World Government officials, but Usopp tends to serve as the everyman who gets scared by the circumstances. He has shown moments of bravery and intelligence, which have been celebrated by the fandom, but he is mostly there to serve as comic relief.

He is there to be the first one scared, such as him often saying that he has an illness related to going to dangerous islands, or simply trying to hide away to not get engaged in combat. That is something that has defined his character for decades and is very likely to continue that way for a long time.

6) Kazuma (Konosuba)

One of Isekai's most dramatic anime characters (Image via Drive).

Konosuba is a parody of most of the classic tropes of the isekai genre, so Kazuma is a very good example of one of the most dramatic anime characters. He is someone who tries to play out with the tropes of RPGs in the world he finds himself in and fails time and time again, with him having some of the most over-the-top reactions in the medium.

It also helps that Kazuma is a gag character, fitting quite well with the tropes of this isekai anime parody. That is one of the most notorious elements of his characterization and a big source of comedy in this episode.

7) Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)

The character as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

There is no denying that Usagi Tsukino is one of the most dramatic anime characters in the entire medium because of the way she is portrayed in the series. While she has proven to be a heroine time and time again throughout Sailor Moon, that doesn't keep her from acting as a teenager when there isn't any need to save the world.

Usagi can be entitled, lazy, jealous, and even possessive when it comes to her boyfriend, Mamoru, which was shown when their daughter from the future showed up to live with them. This all makes sense when considering that she was a regular teenager before getting the powers of Sailor Moon, but it doesn't keep her from being one of those dramatic anime characters.

8) Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama)

One of the most dramatic anime characters (Image via A-1 Pictures).

Kaguya-sama is a romantic comedy that has become quite known because of its histrionics and how it manages to deliver when it matters in key plot points while also pushing the envelope of the genre. In that regard, the characterization of the protagonist, Kaguya Shinomiya, works extremely well in the series because it leads to a lot of comedic situations.

Kaguya is deeply in love with Miyuki Shirogane and vice versa, but they are both so proud they want the other to declare his or her feelings first. This is the basis of most of the series and Kaguya displays a wide array of emotional range, to the point that she can be very happy, very violent, very upset, very sad, and so on, which adds another layer of entertainment to her interactions with Miyuki.

She is also one of the most dramatic anime characters because of how ruthless she can be in the story, whether it is her extreme thoughts of hate when her friend Chika Fujiwara "betrays" her or even helping Yuu Ishigami with his studies. Kaguya feels everything in a very intense manner which is a major aspect of her character in the story.

9) Rin Itoshi (Blue Lock)

From calm and collected to one of the most dramatic anime characters (Image vie 8bit).

The case of Rin Itoshi is perhaps the most interesting as far as dramatic anime characters go because most people wouldn't associate him with that trope. After all, during the vast majority of Blue Lock he tends to be quite calm and collected, but the team's match against Japan's Under-20s side proves that he can be quite dramatic.

It was already shown that Rin was quite obsessed with overcoming his brother, Sae Itoshi, and it was during that match that he basically lost his mind, with his "flow" state depicting him with his tongue out and almost acting as a borderline psychopath. While is true that Blue Lock always had a dramatic approach to football, Rin's "flow" was pushing it way too far, evidenced by the recent reception this moment had in the second season of the anime.

However, what further cemented Rin as one of those dramatic anime characters was the aftermath of the match where he swore to Isagi Yoichi that he was now his enemy because the latter scored the winning goal. It shows that Rin cannot move on without obsessing over someone else, feeling way too over the top for what is a story about football.

10) Kobeni Higashiyama (Chainsaw Man)

One of the most dramatic anime characters in recent years (Image via MAPPA).

Chainsaw Man has probably given one of the best examples of dramatic anime characters in recent years through Kobeni, who is one of the members of Public Safety the protagonist, Denji, meets during the first portion of the story. And even though she has been hired to deal with the threat of Devils, her personality doesn't seem to be made for this kind of profession.

It has been shown time and time again throughout the story that Kobeni cracks under pressure, is usually quite anxious, and has a hard time staying calm whenever there is a potential threat. Perhaps a key moment of this was when the party was dealing with the Eternity Devil, to the point that she almost lost her mind in the process.

It also makes sense that she is that way when taking into account that she was raised by an abusive mother and had to take the Public Safety job almost against her will because her other choice was selling her body. She is still one of the most dramatic anime characters but her context makes that personality quite logical.

Final thoughts

There are more dramatic anime characters in the wide range of the medium but these are some of the most prominent in the industry. That is because these characters have a lot of importance in their respective series or have become quite known because of their dramatic nature.

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Edited by Madhur Dave