Characters are the lifeblood of any great story, and anime is no exception. A well-developed character can make or break an anime, turning it from a forgettable series into a timeless classic that stays with viewers long after the credits roll. With so many anime series out there, narrowing down the top ones with the best character development is a challenge, but here are ten anime series that truly stand out from the rest.
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Kemonozume takes the number 10 spot. This dark fantasy series seems like a odd pairing at first, but its deep dive into the titular character’s backstory reveals layers of complexity you wouldn’t have guessed from her initial appearance. Her transformation into a kemonozume is not just physical, but an awakening to a deeper and darker side of her personality, leaving viewers questioning who she was and who she should be.
Number 9 goes to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, where every character’s development is shaped by the repercussions of the world they lived in. The story delves deep into the history that created them, showing that sometimes even those with questionable values justify their actions, and to which degree those justifications can hold water.
Re:Zero rounds out the 8th spot, often seeming to defy expectations of not only its genre but even the viewers sense of the story in its own self-aware ways. Subversions of destiny and one’s existence all help drive the narrative. As key occurrences unravel and knowledge unravels, and expectations are defied, characters evolve by both reeling and reacting to the constantly unfolding events that push their abilities, their resolve and their perspective.
Paranoia Agent holds the 7th spot, exploring psychological battles as its characters try to save themselves and the world they exist in. With perspectives often divided among shared sense realities we see where perceptions start collapsing in line, to ultimately reach some hidden truths coming forward.
Haibane Renmei holds the 6th spot, characterized by an overall sense of mystery. The unique process of winged females aging in an elusive town provides much in terms of emotional maturation inside their realms. Though not usually dramatic scenes it does offer a reflection on whether identity is discovered upon a quest or birthed with time, evoking interest on some elements of shared nostalgia.
Aria the Animation holds the 5th spot on this list, showing that sometimes development isn’t about dramatic changes, but growth in the smallest of ways. Akari Kozakura’s journey through the charming streets of Mars showcases her unwavering kindness and unrelenting optimism, not as a result of outside factors, but because that’s just who she is.
Monster holds the 4th spot as a show that often displays an array of emotions as human moral and law is cast into doubt in so many social circles throughout human understanding with its central character undergoing what you could define as extreme shifts in perception resulting from some of the events within.
The third spot goes to the critically acclaimed series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, by the legendary Hideaki Anno. As Shinji Ikari navigates the world of giant humanoid machines known as Evangelions, his own struggles with self-worth, relationships and purpose are brought to the forefront in this psychological deconstruction of the mecha genre.
Number two goes to another classic series, Death Note. Although a large debate often surrounds that of heroism and villainy, what truly sets it apart is that by exploring the desires and the flaws of each main character, we begin to see that these labels we place on them are often difficult to justify, but by also not just recognizing darkness, but choosing to act even still prove we can discern that being seen on being conscious aren’t truly of the same terms.
Finally, Rurouni Kenshin takes the top spot, presenting a once-lethal assassin grasping what most believed had been almost impossible for someone that had committed so much pain and blood, – to really change his heart and mindset that is. Himura Kenshin’s story – after spending years as a man who only sought power and for a cause that consumed everything, and without that power – in effect reveals new sense for not just a quiet life, but the ability to still live amidst that same turmoil the man still walks through daily.
