The Performers: Examples of ESFP Anime Characters

For this week’s look at anime characters and MBTI type, we have the ESFP: Extraverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving. The cognitive functions for this type Se, Fi, Ne, and Ti. This type is often called the Performer or the Entertainer.

ESFPs are lively, energetic, people-oriented, focused on reality, in touch with their senses, often artistic, and tend to go with their personal values rather than strict logic. They’re also spontaneous, confident, adventurous, fun-loving, goofy, and often sort of larger-than-life. An ESFP is uplifting to be around, encouraging others, and loving of their friends. ESFPs won’t change who they are for anybody. Their keen senses give them a desire and appreciation for physical beauty and sensory experiences, and they have their own personal aesthetic.

The stereotypical ESFP in anime is shallow and stupid, but I have tried to include counter-examples. Additionally, keep in mind that sensing types have their own flavor of intelligence, different but not inferior to the intuitive types. Now then, let’s jump right into the list of characters I’ve compiled. Most entries have a few of my notes with them. They are in alphabetical order.

Ayame Sohma (Fruits Basket)

Ayame is an energetic, flamboyant person who doesn’t seem to mind being perceived as feminine. He’s a wild one who refuses to conform. In my opinion, the only reason Ayame isn’t a gay man is that the manga author caved into the homophobia that still runs rampant in Japan. Anyway, Ayame is highly in tune with his senses, enjoying crafts and designing clothes. He is very emotionally expressive and not the most logical thinker. ESFP is a good choice for this character.

Black Star (Soul Eater)

Black Star is a boy so fixated on his assassin aesthetic that he ruins many missions by screaming about how he’s the king of assassins. Even if he’s not too bright, Black Star is fiercely determined to be himself and promote his identity as the last living member of his clan.

Dandy (Space Dandy)

Space Dandy. He’s a dandy guy. In space.

Ok but seriously, Dandy is a classic case of an ESFP in anime. He’s extraverted, impulsive, and unabashedly himself. Dandy’s Se (extraverted sensing) can be seen in his intense appreciation for women’s bodies. His favorite pastime is admiring and flirting with waitresses at Boobies Space Café. One might argue that Dandy is an ESTP, but since his decisions are often informed by his mood at the time, I think ESFP is a better fit.

Denji (Chainsaw Man)

Denji is a boy whose body was fused with the heart of a devil, making him the Chainsaw Devil. The online consensus is that Denji is an ESTP, but I disagree. My main argument is that Denji’s compassion and sweet nature definitely make him a feeling type. There are numerous examples throughout the anime, so it’s fairly obvious to me. Another argument is that Denji is usually not a logical decision-maker.

Putting that aside, Denji also shows a strong tendency for extraverted sensing (Se). This can be seen by his appreciation for food, baths, and sensual activities. His driving motivation is to one day have sex with his attractive female boss. He might be shallow by some standards, but Denji is a genuinely good young guy who just wants a simple, easy life.

Grell Sutcliff (Black Butler)

Grell is a shinigami (Death God / Soul Reaper) who wields a huge chainsaw for a scythe. None of the other characters will acknowledge this, but Grell is a trans woman who presents in a feminine way when not in disguise and refers to herself with female pronouns. Though Grell’s main role is to introduce chaos and/or comedy into a scene, she is still a popular character with a fanbase that takes her seriously. As they should.

Like many ESFPs in fiction, Grell is a bit over the top. She has endless energy and loves to be in the spotlight. Her decisions are informed by her intensely emotional nature, and she seems to enjoy engaging in fights and acrobatics. Her personal aesthetic – with her chainsaw, glasses, and gorgeous red hair – is very important to her. Grell is an ESFP who loves to be herself.

Isaac “Zack” Foster (Angels of Death)

Zack is an insane killer from Angels of Death. It’s been a while since I watched that anime, but I remember thinking Zack was probably an ESTP. According to the recent votes on the Personality Database, however, most fans consider Zack an ESFP. The difference can be a little hard to tell because both types are driven by Se (extraverted sensing) as their dominant function. You can see Zack’s Se by the way he loves to move, fight, and kill. It excites and fills him with mad joy.

The difference between ESFP and ESTP is in their secondary function: it’s either introverted feeling (Fi) for the ESFP or introverted thinking (Ti) for the ESTP. Thinking types are more logical and objective, while feeling types choose their actions by following their values and/or their feelings. With that in mind, I can see an argument for Zack being a feeling type. He is probably an ESFP.

Megumi Shimizu (Shiki/Corpse Demon)

Megumi is a case of an unlikeable, bitchy ESFP. At first, she is understandable: a sensitive teenage girl who dreams of a fabulous city life, she is criticized for her personal style and way of dressing. She’s stuck in a town out in the sticks and can’t do anything about it, so of course she’s easily frustrated. But after she is transformed into a shiki, Megumi quickly devolves into evil, petty, and murderous behavior. She is tragic character and a psychologically fascinating yandere.

Mina Ashido (My Hero Academia)

Mina is a lively girl training to be a professional hero. Although I’m not the biggest fan of MHA, and have only watched about 2 seasons, I always liked Mina. Her character design was cute, her powers were cool, and I was a fan of her Japanese voice. Mina is a good example of a highly popular ESFP anime character.

Misa Amane (Death Note)

Misa is a model and pop idol who secretly owns a Death Notes and who is on Kira’s side. Unfortunately, Misa is generally regarded as an annoying, shallow character, and I can’t really disagree. I wanted to like Misa because of her intense emotional nature. Maybe she was just misunderstood, I thought, and not simply a bad character. But then I heard that the creator of Death Note openly admitted to having no idea how to write female characters. That adds up.

Whether or not you think Misa is a well-written female character, she can be described as an ESFP personality type. She’s a raging extravert. Her sensory nature is obvious from her love of fashion, clothing, and makeup. She makes decisions based on her emotions and holds to personal values over lawful justice. In short, Misa is the stereotype of the female ESFP.

Monkey D Luffy (One Piece)

Luffy is a young pirate looking for the ultimate treasure, the One Piece, with his crew of friends. He is an excellent example of a popular, strong, and mostly well-written ESFP boy. With his own unique style, Luffy is a skilled fighter driven by a deep thirst for adventure. He is also an example of an ESFP with strong personal values that inform his actions. Possibly the most important value to Luffy is friendship. This boy would literally move mountains for his friends.

Rider/Iskandar (Fate/Zero)

This conqueror king is widely loved and adored by most fans of the Fate universe. I don’t worship him like many Fate/Zero fans seem to, as I disagree with many of his takes. I also dislike his arrogance. Nevertheless, he’s a good character and a case of a very impressive ESFP in anime.

Rider is one of the mightiest, bravest, and loudest of the servants in Fate/Zero. He possesses strong charisma and encourages others around him to be strong like him. I am fond of his goofy side. Although Rider would never admit to being swayed by emotions, he is a feeling type who sticks to his personal, strongly held beliefs more than any kind of logic.

Robert E.O. Speedwagon
(JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Speedwagon started out as a criminal, but always had something of a moral compass. After meeting JoJo, he changed his life and started the Speedwagon Foundation. As an older adult, Speedwagon is a genuinely good guy who cares about others. An enthusiastic extravert, this bold man can be a little prideful. He is probably a sensing type, as he’s more practical than an ENFP. It’s likely that he is an ESFP – and a likeable, helpful one at that.

Sasha Blouse (Attack on Titan)

Sasha is an honest, energetic, and skilled girl who is training to fight titans. She has an immense appreciation for meat and other food – inluding steamed potatoes. Sasha is a good huntress with a bow, and after some training, she also becomes a strong titan fighter. This girl is obviously a strong user of Se (extraverted sensing) with her overwhelming enjoyment of food and her impressive physical skills. She also has an emotional nature, putting heart before logic.

Shuu Tsukiyama (Tokyo Ghoul)

Tsukiyama is a gourmet ghoul: a human meat connoisseur who will only eat the finest of flesh. He’s extremely flamboyant and enthusiastic. Although he’s normally suave and charming, Tsukiyama has a flair for the dramatic when he’s feeling passionate. He’s a good example of an ESFP who is mostly villainous but also quite funny.

Utena Tenjou (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

The best female ESFP on this list, Utena is an iconic character for LGBT+ fans and anyone else who enjoys spirited shoujo anime protagonists. She has her own aesthetic and won’t change for anyone. In particular, she wears a slightly altered boy’s uniform at the academy, excels in sports, and has a more masculine attitude.

Utena is extraverted and a loyal, uplifting friend. As a sensing type, she is naturally athletic and sensory-oriented. Hypotheticals and abstractions are lost on Utena. Who thinks about that stuff when you need to survive a duel with real swords? Lastly, Utena has strong personal values, including gender equality and a desire to protect others.

Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)

It was difficult for me to determine the personality type for this beautiful and crazy gambling addict. I used to think ENTP was the best choice, but that was wrong. Now, I think ESFP is most fitting for this character.

Yumeko loves to be in the spotlight and is very sensory-oriented. She chases after thrill and pleasure with reckless passion. Despite being quite hyper-sexualized, Yumeko is a well-written character, in my humble opinion. Additionally, compared to the stereotypical ESFP, she is extremely clever and mentally quick in any kind of game.

Your readership is truly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time and attention!

(Original post edited June 29 2023)