Hello and thanks for stopping by Anime Rants! Today we have my list of favorite anime characters with black hair. A short description or bit of background information is included with each entry. The characters are listed in alphabetical order, rather than ranked according to how much I love them. (I love them all roughly the same.) After the seven favorites, there is also a runner-up and a special mention. I hope you enjoy my list!
Disclaimer: Let me say, as I do in all these posts, that this list is not based on anything but my own personal preferences. No effort was made to include popular characters. If you don’t see your favorite popular characters in this list, don’t complain about it in the comments. It happens every time and it gets annoying. Thanks.
1) Casshern (Casshern Sins)
MBTI Personality Type: INFP
Casshern is a human-robot biotic hybrid, and the main character from the 70s anime Neo-human Casshern. There was later a 90s remake called Robot Hunter Casshern. I haven’t seen either version. When I say Casshern is one of my favorite characters, I specifically mean the newest version of Casshern, the protagonist of the 2008 anime, Casshern Sins. This anime requires no prior knowledge of the Casshern franchise, which is why I got into it. Anyway, Casshern is a contemplative, melancholy fellow who searches for meaning in life as well as redemption from the programming that has made him kill other androids and humans. I love watching his emotional journey at the end of the world.
2) Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
MBTI Personality Type: INFJ
Homura is a mysterious magical girl with an important role in the classic dark magical girl anime, Madoka Magica. On the off-chance that any readers have not yet seen the series and the sequel movie (Madoka Magica 3: Rebellion), I will not give spoilers – except to say that she is defined by a powerful, all-encompassing love for Madoka. Homura will always be one of my favorite characters in all anime because of the emotional connection I had with her in the darkest parts of my depression and Borderline Personality Disorder. It’s possible to argue that Homura is a very bad person, but she’s my favorite nonetheless. I rarely relate to a character this much.
3) Kyoya Ohtori (Ouran Highschool Host Club)
MBTI Personality Type: INTJ
Kyoya is a rich and highly intelligent boy who attends the elite private academy of Ouran. He’s also the “shadow king” of the Host Club, where he and his friends spend their time entertaining rich young ladies. Kyoya is a strategic, long-term thinker who works toward personal goals while keeping an emotional distance from others. Though sometimes villainous in behavior, he is a logical person who will help his friends whenever possible. I like Kyoya because he had one of the most well-written character arcs in the Ouran series, culminating in a surprising personal victory at the show’s conclusion. And who doesn’t like a rich, attractive glasses character?
4) L (Death Note)
MBTI Personality Type: INTP
L is a world-renowned detective whose true identity is unknown. In Death Note, he is the main force working against Kira, the self-proclaimed god of the new world, who kills criminals indiscriminately. Although L at one point claimed to be working for justice, he admitted at other points that he just hates losing and wants to win against Kira. This is a quirky character whose strange habits are well known and beloved by fans. I like L because a) he’s more morally justified than Light, and b) he’s really weird but also a genius.
5) Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)
MBTI Personality Type: INTJ
Lelouch is the central protagonist of Code Geass, but he’s much more of an anti-hero than a traditional hero. In a world similar to our own, Japan has been taken over by the tyrannical Britannian Empire. Secretly an exiled prince of Britannia, Lelouch rounds up Japanese freedom fighters and starts a rebellion. He’s a brilliant strategist, but will readily sacrifice his fighters for greater victory. A lot of the things he does are cunning and evil, and his main power could also be considered immoral. Lelouch’s Geass is the power to override free will and make a person obey one command absolutely. With this demonic power and a dangerous mind, Lelouch begins his bloodbath on the world stage.
6) Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
MBTI Personality Type: ISTJ
Mikasa is one of the three main characters in Attack on Titan, which I consider a masterpiece. She is the most skilled fighter of the three – and perhaps of anybody in the entire series. Early on, Mikasa is obsessed with protecting her adoptive brother Eren. Even later on, Eren is the main reason she stays alive and fights. However, Mikasa does grow and develop as an individual apart from that, too. She has a distinct personality and always finds the will to fight and keep living. I love Mikasa because a) she’s an example of a strong female warrior in anime, and b) she finds beauty in the world despite its cruelty.
7) Satsuki Kiryuuin (Kill la Kill)
MBTI Personality Type: INTJ
Satsuki is an important character in the action/fanservice anime Kill la Kill. She begins the story as an antagonist, but there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. I’m not going to spoil more than that. Considering that she’s in a fanservice anime, Satsuki is an extremely well-written character. In terms of personality, she is severe, commanding, prideful, and elegant. Nobody is as determined or mentally strong as Satsuki. She is also a survivor of sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother. She’s amazing. I have looked up to Satsuki and loved her for 9 years now since this anime came out. She will never cease to be significant to me and my life.
Runner up: Rintarou Okabe (Steins;Gate)
MBTI Personality Type: ENTP
Okabe is the memorable main character in the Steins;Gate franchise. He’s hard to forget due to his weirdness. Proclaiming himself a mad scientist, he believes strongly in time-travel, and has delusions of a shadow organization controlling the world and monitoring his moves. But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and in the sci-fi world of this anime, Okabe may actually be the most sane of anyone. I have some issues with this character, which is why he didn’t make it into the top seven. He has a very bad habit of crossing others’ boundaries and it annoys the living crap out of me. However, it’s clear that Okabe is a good person who will do anything to save the lives of those close to him.
Special Mention:
Nozomu Itoshiki (Goodbye, Mr. Despair!)
MBTI Personality Type: INFP
I know we’ve already done my seven favorites plus a runner-up, but there’s one more character I want to mention. Mr. Itoshiki is a highschool teacher who suffers from suicidal ideation. Due to an unfortunate coincidence, the Japanese spelling of his name also means “Despair,” so his student know him as “Mr. Despair.” Although Itoshiki is a toxic misanthropist who never really improves, he is somehow a hilarious character. His daily rants about despair and the hopeless nature of the world are quite humorous, especially as someone who’s genuinely been there on a mental level. I view him as an anime version of my past self. He makes me cringe, but he’s darkly funny.
Thank you for reading!
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