The Advocates: Examples of INFJ Anime Characters

Welcome, readers, to my list of anime characters that fit the MBTI personality type of INFJ. The letters in INFJ stand for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. The cognitive functions are Ni, Fe, Ti, Se. This type is often called “protector” or “advocate.”

INFJs are dedicated, fighting for a grand or idealistic cause with everything in them. They have unique insights, a tolerant nature, and an air of mystery. INFJs are intelligent, full of feeling, and sometimes eccentric. Many of this type are difficult to read, hiding their plans and intentions because of their private, introspective orientations. Though INFJs are normally quiet, they can be persuasive and moving with their words if true need arises. People of this type are innovative thinkers, but they also stick to their strongly developed sense of values. Most of the characters listed here have an overlapping of the traits mentioned. They are great examples of INFJs.

Akane Tsunemori (Psycho Pass)

The main character of Psycho Pass is a great example of an INFJ anime character. Her traits include: having a strong personal sense of justice, and being empathetic, serious, and introverted. She’s also quite intelligent and incredibly mentally resilient. Although Akane is not an extravert, she understands people and their minds extremely well. One of the scary things about INFJs is their ability to be manipulative if they so wished. In Akane’s case however, she is genuine and straightforward with others. INFJs are unique thinkers, and if they care about justice, they can become great forces for good.

Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

INFJs are not always what they seem, and neither is Anthy. I can’t go into detail without spoilers, but there’s a lot to this character that you might not expect, both negative and positive. On the surface, Anthy is gentle, quietly cheerful, polite, and a bit eccentric. She is extremely introverted and reluctant to open up to anyone about anything. Many INFJs are quiet and reserved, but Anthy takes it to another level. For that reason, she’s a good example of the private and mysterious nature of the INFJ.

Armin Arlert (Attack On Titan)

Every INFJ is slightly different, but many of this type are surprisingly intelligent. It’s mostly because they are perceptive and they think in unusual, innovative ways. Even if they’re not natural, quick-witted debaters like the INTP, a well-educated INFJ can easily hold his own among scholars and strategists. Armin is an excellent example of this. As a strong user of Ni (introverted intuition), he is one incredibly bright boy. It takes a while for Armin to realize he has any talent, but he’s amazing at coming up with creative solutions. His gut feelings are usually correct, too.

Chise Hatori (Ancient Magus’ Bride)

Full disclosure: I’m still not 100% that Chise is an INFJ. There are also strong arguments for her being an INFP. But for our purposes today, we’re going to assume this unusual girl is an INFJ anime character. Chise was under-socialized and has lived through intense trauma. As a result, she’s more lacking in direction and mental clarity than the stereotypical INFJ. Most of season 1 is simply Chise’s journey to find the will to live. She’s not some genius and has no strong goals – she is fragile and melancholy. I think Chise is important to include in this list to show that INFJs are human and can suffer from depression.

Homura Akemi (Madoka Magica)

Although I used to think she was an INTJ, I now believe INFJ is a better fit for this character. Homura’s more typical INFJ traits include: keen emotional perception, innovative thinking, powerful dedication to a driving goal, and a private, reclusive nature. I think Homura’s strongest INFJ trait is her way of passionately pursuing a single goal over a long period of time. If she doesn’t immediately seem like an INFJ, it’s because she often acts cold or apathetic. Normally, even if they are reserved, INFJs have an abundance of empathy and emotional expression. Homura is an exception due to her unique situation, which I won’t spoil.

Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

My Hero Academia continues to be wildly popular. I’m not the biggest fan of MHA, and have only seen two seasons. Therefore, I’m not going to offer many notes in the case of the protagonist, Midoriya. Many others have already analyzed him fully, so go check out their work if you’re curious. All I will say is that this boy definitely meets the criteria for an INFJ, having strong empathy, a powerful sense of justice, and the determination to dream big.

Johan Liebert (Monster)

Considering that Johan is a serial killer and a sociopath, it may be jarring to see him on the same list as someone like Midoriya, an altruistic hero who protects people. But remember that villains can arise from any MBTI type. Ultimately, INFJ is just a description of four personality traits. Although people with INFJ traits are typically empathetic and “good,” those are not requirements. That’s why we have Johan, simultaneously an INFJ and one of anime’s best antagonists ever.

INFJs can be quiet masters of manipulation since their intuition allows them to understand the human mind so well. Even so, a villainous INFJ will be excellent at passing himself off as kind, gentle, and emotionally honest. Just as Akane from Psycho Pass uses her strategic thinking, emotional understanding, and strong determination for good, an INFJ like Johan can use these same traits for evil.

Kanade Tachibana (Angel Beats!)

Kanade is a straightforward case of a female INFJ in anime. Because of that, I won’t be spending much time writing notes on her. This girl is deeply contemplative and a bit melancholy. She comes across as mysterious at first, and is easily misunderstood. But those who know her consider her to be wise and genuine. Gentle, quiet, and compassionate, Kanade just wants to help others find peace and happiness.

Kaworu Nagisa (Evangelion franchise)

Kaworu is well-known for being a queer boy in anime. He’s been one of my favorite characters since I first watched Neon Genesis Evangelion over a decade ago. Quietly charismatic and mysterious, Kaworu is also emotionally disarming. He has a brief but deep connection with the show’s main character, Shinji. There’s still a lot that I don’t understand about Kaworu and his true motives, especially in the movies, which take a different path from Neon Genesis. But if nothing else, I know Kaworu is a decent example of a loving, wise, and goal-oriented INFJ.

Kiritsugu Emiya (Fate/Zero)

Kiritsugu is one of the main protagonists of Fate/Zero. I have many criticisms of this anime and the more vocal side of its fanbase. But regardless, there’s no denying that most of the characters are interesting and well-written. Kiritsugu’s journey is one of trying to be a hero and failing miserably. This man is another case of an INFJ driven by a long-term goal to which he gives his all. Despite acting tough and detached most of the time, he has good intentions. Kiritsugu is also very idealistic and, in a way, emotionally fragile under his shell. Like Homura, he’s a good example of a rough and withdrawn INFJ.

Nagisa Shioto (Assassination Classroom)

Until recently, I had no idea this character was an INFJ. I had always mistaken him for a sensing type. However, after my most recent re-watch of Assassination Classroom, I came to the conclusion that Nagisa was constantly using introverted intuition (Ni). This is the dominant cognitive function of the INFJ type. The secondary function is extraverted feeling (Fe), which is also a good fit for someone as kind and sensitive as Nagisa.

Nagisa provides a great example of the INFJ’s ability to think creatively and act decisively. Although he’s not very strong, Nagisa finds ways to be an effective fighter. He would have become a deadly assassin if his teacher hadn’t encouraged him to pursue a less violent life. Although he’s young, Nagisa is already developing the ability to disarm others with his quiet allure and easy charm. He’s going to grow up into a smart, suave man who can kick anyone’s ass.

Norman (The Promised Neverland)

Norman is a case similar to Armin, where he is basically a genius. He was bred, raised, and trained to be highly intelligent, but his personality plays as much of a role as his upbringing in making him smart. INFJs like Norman get a potential intelligence boost from their introverted intuition (Ni). They are also driven to succeed, making them naturally good learners. Norman is insightful, calm, and quiet most of the time. Like most INFJs, he has an empathetic, loving nature. This boy will do anything to protect the other children – especially his best friend and crush, Emma.

Rika Furude (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni)

Rika is one of my favorite anime characters, but I don’t want to spoil her whole story in this paragraph. I’ll have to be a bit vague in explaining her personality. She has the standard INFJ traits of having strong principles, being goal-oriented, and wanting to protect the friends she loves. With others, she acts almost overly cheerful, putting on a cutesy façade. But there’s a whole other side to Rika that others rarely see.

This second side of Rika is more like Homura or Kiritsugu: detached, cynical, and unusually cold for an INFJ. Even this cold side of Rika, however, is still determined. Rika is one of the most determined and patient INFJs in existence, but I can’t tell you any more than that without spoilers.

Saki Watanabe (From The New World)

Saki, is another one of my top favorite characters in anime. Empathetic almost to a fault, Saki will always go out of her way to help people and animals in need. It’s difficult for her to use her Cantus power to hurt other beings, even when it’s in self-defense.

Besides empathy, Saki has the INFJ traits of thoughtfulness, introversion, keen intuition, and unique insights. But Saki’s most impressive trait is her emotional resilience. No matter what happens to her – no matter who she loses, or what acts of death and destruction she witnesses – she always bounces back. Saki is truly an amazing and courageous girl.

Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass)

Though he isn’t a widely popular character among Code Geass fans, this character is still critically important to the story. I used to think that Suzaku was an ISFJ, but I also see a strong argument for INFJ. I decided to include him on this list regardless. Whether he is ISFJ or INFJ is a matter of opinion, and I can’t make up my own mind on the question.

The strongest evidence for Suzaku being an INFJ would be his powerful defense of his idea of morality and ethics. Although Suzaku has amazing physical skills, he isn’t very practical. His idealism is much more important to him than anything practical, and he sticks to it even when it’s glaringly illogical. Suzaku is an extremely confused and troubled man, and this only worsens as the series continues. He is a mentally turbulent INFJ/ISFJ.

Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket)

Yuki is another great example of an INFJ anime character. He also happens to be my favorite character in Fruits Basket. He shares most of the same traits with the other INFJs on this list. I would say more about him but I’m already written INFJ descriptions 15 times at this point and can’t think of any other way to write about this type.

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary)

Yuno is a case similar to Johan: an example of a villainous INFJ. I think she’s a sympathetic character, but an antagonist and a terrible person nonetheless. I used to think Yuno was an ISFJ, but now I think INFJ is definitely more fitting due to her use of intuition. Feel free to check out my Yuno Character Analysis.

Closing Thoughts

Here are three other resources about the INFJ type. The description from Human Metrics is one of the best you’ll find on the web. My personal favorite type descriptions are those from Personality Page. Alternatively, you might prefer the description from 16 Personalities, which is fairly accurate, but tends to exaggerate the positive sides of each type.

Thank you so much for reading my post today. If you are a fan of the MBTI and/or you have a hobby of putting personality types on fictional characters, I hope this article will serve as a good reference and a source of discussion. Do you think those characters would all be INFJ? Do you disagree with some of them? There’s plenty of room for discussion.

Thank you for reading~