There are several characters in anime who act how they look: Goku’s gi denotes his proclivity for the martial arts while Naruto’s bright orange ninja gear display his aversion to the shinobi’s typical stealth techniques. Like these big anime heroes, several of their less-important counterparts’ personalities can be accurately determined simply by looking at them.
While the eyes are indeed windows to the soul, there are a handful of anime characters who reveal more about themselves through their actions than their appearance. In various shows and manga, creators subvert their audiences natural tendency to quantify characters by making their personality completely different from how they look. Whether it be a cute character who is incredibly strong or some strong-willed tsundere who blushes at a word from their crush, anime is filled with characters who shouldn’t be judged at first glance.
Sensitive topics are discussed.
10 Koro-Sensei Is A Global Threat Who Only Wants To Be The World’s Best Teacher
Assassination Classroom
Kuro-sensei is an unidentified alien that suddenly appears in Assassination Classroom. After blowing up the moon, Kuro-sensei announces plans to destroy the Earth. However, he agrees to teach Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School in the year leading up to his obliterating Earth.
Despite being the world’s single greatest threat, this yellow-ticking time bomb is also the world’s greatest teacher. Kuro-sensei defies reason as he actively does his best to better the lives of each of his students, despite openly planning to destroy their planet in one year. He even assists students in their efforts to assassinate him and often offers advice when their attempts ultimately fail.
9 Kushida Hides Her Cruel, Spiteful Nature Beneath A Friendly Smile
Classroom Of The Elite
Kikyo Kushida is Class 1-D’s most popular student in Classroom of the Elite. With a personal goal of befriending every student, Kushida exhibits a bubbly personality and regularly offers help and support to each of her classmates. This loving, friendly personality is a complete facade.
Kushida uses kindness and friendship to manipulate people to her own ends and secretly detests anyone who would prevent her success. When Kiyotaka accidentally overheard Kushida’s harbored resentment, she blackmailed him by falsely accusing him of sexual assault to keep Kiyotaka from revealing her two-faced personality.
8 Kagura Sohma’s Timid Nature Regularly Shifts Into Homicidal Rage
Fruits Basket
Kagura Sohma is a girlish young woman who’s deeply infatuated with Kyo in Fruits Basket. Like her crush, Kagura is also a member of the Zodiac and bears the Boar spirit. She is typically extremely timid, sweet, and considerate of others.
Her Boar spirit, however, results in Kagura having sudden, intense mood swings. She becomes incredibly impassioned when in the presence of people she loves, often becoming emotionally aggressive and clingy. She also has a violent streak, regularly beating up Kyo whenever the latter dares to upset her.
7 Rudeus Looks Like An Innocent Child But Thinks Like A Delinquent Adult
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Rudeus Grayrat was formerly an unemployed Japanese man before dying and being reincarnated into the world of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. Born into a baby’s body, Rudeus grows up to become a skilled wizard before being separated from his family by a cataclysmic spell. Together with his cousin, Rudeus travels across countries in an effort to reunite with them.
Despite the touching sentiments of Rudeus’ journey, he is nothing like his childlike appearance would suggest. As a child with the mind of a 30-year-old adult, Rudeus constantly thinks and acts in wildly perverted ways: he despicably fondles girls in their sleep, disturbingly fantasizes about his own mother, and secretly hoards women’s panties in a locked box beneath his bed.
6 Honey Senpai’s Boy Lollita Personality Hides The Fact That He’s A Super Weapon
Ouran High School Host Club
Honey-Senpai is a third-year student and the oldest member of the Ouran High School Host Club. Fulfilling the Host Club’s role as its signature “Boy-Lolita” type, Honey-Senpai enjoys all manners of sweets and cutesy things. Besides his cousin Mori, Honey’s best friend is his handmade stuffed bunny rabbit, Usa chan.
Despite looking like a cute little boy, Honey-senpai is actually a martial arts master. During a meeting with the Japanese Minister of Defense, Honey-Senpai’s strength was so unbelievable that he was strictly forbidden from ever fighting at his full potential. Apparently, this order was meant to prevent foreign nations from believing Honey-Senpai was a weapon of mass destruction.
5 The Kids Of Gracefield House Discover Mom’s Nefarious Intent
The Promised Neverland
Mom is the seemingly gentle and loving caretaker of a group of orphans in The Promised Neverland. She runs Gracefield House orphanage completely alone, caring for the needs of each of its 38 children. In addition to maintaining the children’s education, Mom also cooks for them while nurturing their natural interests.
Her pleasant demeanor and supposed motherly love are instantly shattered upon watching the first episode. When two of the orphanage’s oldest children go to the forbidden “Gate”, they learn that Mom actually acts as the stewardess for a human farm. She regularly sells off the children to be eaten by vicious demons, all in an effort to protect her own life.
4 Itachi Uchiha Posed As A Villain But Was Konoha’s Greatest Hero
Naruto
Itachi Uchiha is one of the most prodigious members of his clan in Naruto. Shortly after joining Konohagakure’s Anbu Black Ops, Itachi single-handedly massacred the entire Uchiha clan except his brother, Sasuke. Following this, Itachi defected from Konohagakure and joined the Akatsuki, a terrorist organization that sought to resurrect the Ten-Tails in an effort to destroy the shinobi world.
Following Itachi’s death, viewers learned that he actually acted under the Third Hokage’s orders the entire time. He exterminated his clan in an effort to save Konohagakure from the Uchiha’s coup d’etat, joined the Akatsuki to gather intelligence for Konoha, and overall acted in his village’s best interests despite being viewed as its most reprehensible shinobi.
3 Alphonse Elric Is Actually A Little Boy In A Big Metal-Man’s Body
Fullmetal Alchemist
Alphonse is the armor-clad deuteragonist of Fullmetal Alchemist. Following a botched attempt at resurrecting the dead, Alphonse lost his body before his soul was sealed inside a suit of armor. He and his brother, Edward, travel the world in search of a way to restore him to his former, human self.
Alphonse’s intimidating appearance and metal armor oftentimes lead people to assume he is the Fullmetal Alchemist: however, his brother Edward actually bears the title. Alphonse is actually just a little boy in a big metal body. Despite his appearance, he’s incredibly calm, kindhearted, and retains the childlike purity of his ten-year-old self.
2 Meleoron Is The Only Chimera Ant Who Never Killed A Human
Hunter x Hunter
Meleoron is one of the Queen Ant’s squadron leaders in Hunter x Hunter. As a human-Chimera ant hybrid, Meleoron maintains characteristics of his former life while also serving the Queen. Like his fellow squadron leaders, he is tasked with supplying live humans for the Queen to consume in order to give birth to the King.
However, Meleoron’s memories from his human life were so strong that he detested the Chimera Ants from the moment he was born. Not only did he regularly avoid conflict and fail to follow the Queen’s direct orders, something Chimera Ants were naturally inclined to do, but Meleoron was also instrumental in helping the Hunter Associate murder the Chimera Ant King.
1 Koji Koda Fears Confrontation Despite His Powerful, Dominating Appearance
My Hero Academia
Koji Koda is a class 1-A student at U.A. High School in My Hero Academia. Like his peers, Koji enrolled at U.A. to pursue his dream of becoming a Pro Hero. He’s notable due to his muscular build, hardened head, and incredible physical strength.
Koji’s physical appearance is vastly different from his personality. He is incredibly shy and reserved, and rarely speaks to his classmates or teachers. Despite wishing to become a Pro Hero, Koji also hates physical violence and refrains from hurting others if he can help it.