Guest Post by Silver from Anime Everything
Anime is known to have a wide range of characters, from normal humans to cat boys and horse girls; we have them all. But today, we are going to be focusing on something simpler: the black characters in anime.
In this article, I will be counting down the top 7 most iconic anime characters who are black and listing them along with a brief description of each. They are not ranked in any manner, and I know there are dozens of other characters that fit this list, but for today, these are the seven that I will be talking about:
● Yoruichi (Bleach)
● Canary (Hunter X Hunter)
● Afro Samurai (Afro Samurai)
● Ogun Montgomery (Fire Force)
● Carole Stanley (Carole and Tuesday)
● Mirko (My Hero Academia)
● Agil (Sword Art Online)
- Yoruichi from Bleach
Yoruichi is one of the most popular female characters from Bleach, and she is one of the first ones to come to mind when we’re talking about black anime characters. She is a captain of the Gotei 1, and is one of the strongest characters in the series.
She is a smart yet playful person who is capable of transforming into a cat. This way, she can roam around the human world and collect information without raising any suspicion. Yoruichi also likes to tease Ichigo by transforming from her cat form to her human form, which leaves her clothless.
Overall, Yoruichi plays an important role in the series, and fans love her for her fun yet
responsible personality.
- Canary from Hunter x Hunter
Canary is a butler for the powerful and feared Zoldyck family who admires and respects Killua. However, she is not your average butler. She is also kind of one of the guards of the Zoldycks and is experienced in combat.
Despite her young age, she is very responsible and gives her all to protect the people she loves. But she puts on a cold front and acts like a heartless person. This is evident when she stops Gon from meeting Killua, despite knowing that meeting them would help her beloved master.
She had to struggle to choose between loyalty to the family and the welfare of Killua, and she ended up choosing Killua, even if it meant risking her life.
- Afro from Afro Samurai
Afro is one of the most iconic black male characters in anime. He is a samurai with an afro who is out for revenge. When he was just a little kid, he had to watch his father get slaughtered in front of his eyes. Ever since, he has been determined to find his father’s killer and seek vengeance for him.
He is a skilled samurai warrior who is pretty much undefeatable in a swordfight. He uses the classic katana sword and wears a “Number One” headpiece.
Afro is a stoic and serious person who has no room for any positive emotions as his mind is fixed on revenge. His enemies are powerful cyborgs, robots, and other martial arts masters who have done injustice to him.
- Ogun Montgomery from Fire Force
Ogun, in my opinion, is one of the coolest black anime male characters of all time. He’s got style and power, which makes him a badass character. He is also one of the few anime characters who skateboard.
He specializes in close, hand-to-hand combat, and he has the power to create his own flames and use them in battle. The way he utilizes the flames to boost himself while riding a skateboard is a treat to watch!
As a member of the fire force, he is dedicated to protecting the lives of people at any cost. He is mature, modest, and a great team player who is loyal to his friends.
- Carole Stanley from Carole and Tuesday
Carole is one of the main characters of the series and is introduced as a street musician. She loves singing and playing the keyboard. However, as an orphan, she does not have the freedom to spend all her time on her passions.
She works multiple part-time jobs in order to make a living. That said, her dream is to become a great musician and make a living out of it.
Despite having such a hard life, she is a fun and outgoing person who brightens up the mood everywhere she goes. She is a kind, gentle, and hardworking person whose dedication to music is respectable.
- Mirko from My Hero Academia
Mirko is the rabbit hero from the My Hero Academia series and is ranked number 5 on the hero billboard chart. Just from the fact that she is one of the top five heroes in all of Japan, it must be obvious that she is very powerful.
She has a very muscular body and is capable of using all those muscles to jump very high with a great deal of force. Not only that, her bunny ears allow her to hear things from afar that normal humans would never be able to hear.
However, what makes her a fan-favorite black anime character is her personality. She is strong-willed and never tries to please anyone. She is confident in her abilities and will speak her mind to anyone and everyone, regardless of their status or power difference.
- Agil from Sword Art Online
Agil is one of the side characters in the Sword Art Online series and a trusted friend of the main character, Kirito. He plays the role of a merchant inside the game and has his own shop where players can buy and sell items. That said, he is also a skilled fighter who is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.
His primary weapon of choice is a massive battle axe. It has great durability, and Agil is able to wield it thanks to his strength. His endurance is also above average, making him a competent fighter.
He is a tall, bald and muscular man with a friendly and helpful character who often provides advice and support to Kirito.
Thank you for reading~
Anime Rants 
I wasn’t familiar with most of those characters besides Yoruichi and Canary. I do find it interesting that there’s a Black man named Ogun since that’s also the name of a stage in Nigeria as well as being the god of metal in West African mythology. There needs to be better representation. I do wonder why multiple characters were either in positions of servitude or animal-human hybrids though.
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Excellent points. Definitely want more representation too. I also wasn’t familiar with most of these characters, but Silver from Anime Everything compiled the list, and I liked it. Carole is probably my favorite.
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One of my favorites is Michiko in the the anime “Michiko & Hatchan.”
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