Most Popular Anime Boy

1. Top 10 Best Anime Series
2. The 10 Most Overrated Anime Husbandos, Ranked
3. Top 55 Best Anime Male Characters
   1. Most Popular Anime Guys Part 2 Bracket
4. Best Anime Series For Beginners To Watch

Anime is not a genre, it's an open-ended world of stories. Every week, we deliver the rapidly growing anime audience new recommendations, deep dives into the classics, culture reports from inside the fandoms, and interviews with creators and A-list stars who are obsessed as we are. Welcome to 's Anime for All.

Specifically, we’re thinking about the anime we love — and even more specifically, the anime characters we love. And to narrow it down even further, the anime

We love. The best boys of anime. As it turns out, there are a lot of Best Boys. So many Best Boys that we became overwhelmed and really had to think about what defines a Best Boy.

Most Iconic Anime Gamer Boys

When we tried to find a singular answer to that question, we fell flat. The typical definition according to anime fans usually lends itself to a wholesome do-gooder type, but y’know… sometimes the universally acknowledged Best Boy of a series just isn’t

Best Boy. In fact, it’s impossible to define what a Best Boy is, because it varies drastically between fans. It’s not just a favorite character, it’s someone you personally find particularly compelling and intriguing, someone you care for because of specific personality facets. Or maybe, depending on your speed, it’s just someone you think is hot.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, three staffers came together to reflect on what they see as Best Boy material, and single out some of the anime boys who defined what that means for them.

Top 10 Best Anime Series

For me, a Best Boy is a compelling character. For whatever reason (you can psychoanalyze me later), the characters I find most interesting tend to be little shits with secret hearts of gold — or inversely, nice fellows who have a mischievous or edgy streak. There are some exceptions, but usually, it comes down to the way I like boys who are much more than they appear. My shortlist:

Suga probably fits the archetypical description of Best Boy (ie; good, wholesome) more than anyone else on my list, but I cannot emphasize enough that he’s also a cheeky little shit. It took a bit for me to zero in on him as my favorite character, but the minute I realized there was more nuance to his niceness, I knew he was the one. He’s basically the Team Mom of the Karasuno High School Volleyball team, providing emotional support and encouragement to the players — while also teasing his teammates and performing embarrassing cheerleading moves for them. Sugawara also personally resonates with me because his experience on the team reflects my own athletic experiences.

I loved Howl before I loved any other anime boy. Howl’s Moving Castle was my first Ghibli movie, and even my first foray into anime, so you could really say that for this gal, it all begins with Howl. He’s suave, smooth, and incredibly powerful, but also pretentious, fixated on his personal appearance, and cowardly. But by the end of the movie, he grows the courage to protect the people he loves. There’s the heart of gold I love! That beautiful hair! The fashion! The Christian Bale voice! The scene where he swoops in to save Sophie from some pushy soldiers and then they fly across the city together lives in my head rent-free.

The 10 Most Overrated Anime Husbandos, Ranked

There’s something suspicious about Shigure, but… I still love him. He absolutely fits the complete-little-shit vibe too. He may not have a heart of gold, but he does have hidden depths, and he knows more than he lets on. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ayame and Hatori, his two BFFs, though, because really, it’s the trio dynamic of flamboyant costume designer, flirty scheming author, and stoic, serious doctor that is just [chef’s kiss].

My favorite part of Shirogane’s design is the deep lines he has under his eyes, because my boy is just so tired. The class president seems like a reserved hardass, but he’s actually easily embarrassed and just a total sweetheart on the inside. He gets very excited about space! He overanalyzes every social interaction he has with vice president Kaguya! He tries very hard all the time, and he just needs to rest! He only deserves good things.

Mikoto is the type of guy who says embarrassingly forward, flirty things to girls, then immediately regrets it because of how stupid they sound out loud. I respect that energy. He’s actually incredibly shy behind that annoying playboy facade. Mikoto also plays a lot of dating sims, so I feel like we’d get along IRL.

Top 55 Best Anime Male Characters

I don’t even know where to begin with this one, because frankly, when I started this list, I had loudmouth-jerk-with-secret-heart-of-gold Leorio on here for

. But as I’ve watched more of the show, stoic and noble Kurapika’s quest for complete vengeance in the name of his murdered people is just really vibing with me! Like Suga before, I originally overlooked him because he seemed too Reserved and Cool, but he grew on me when I realized how snarky he was. Now he’s absolutely my favorite character because of the desperate measures he’s taking to achieve his goal, spiraling deeper and deeper… It’s the

My list definitely skews toward boys I would categorize as “aggressively earnest.” For the most part, I like the kind of character who wears his heart on his sleeve, and isn’t afraid to show it. However, there are a couple curveballs in this list that fall more on the “flawed, chaotic mentor” side. Regardless, I think they’re all net good, and I could see myself being friends with any of them at the end of the day.

Most Popular Anime Guys Part 2 Bracket

I have seen in anime, ever. Tanjiro is the epitome of the boy you want to take home to meet your parents. He’s genuine, loving, and kind: his commitment to saving his little sister is unwavering, and it inspires the best in those around him. That he does this while bearing the weight of his mother’s and siblings’ death makes him all the more upstanding. He is truly a main character befitting of the title “hero, ” regardless of his actual power level.

Shines — literally. When he jumps up to spike the ball, the spotlight is all on him, and for good reason. He’s amazing at volleyball in spite of his short stature. He’s so earnest that it makes me cringe, and I love him because of that. When all seems down, Hinata’s excitement and genuine love of volleyball cuts through the tension of the most intense game, and grounds his entire team.

Fans might be wondering what Toru Oikawa is doing on this list, and to that, I say, “You don’t get it.” A moody pretty boy, Oikawa is a far cry from the previous two entries on my list. Yes he bullies other characters, but here’s what I’ll say about Oikawa: He’s actually one of the more emotionally complex characters on

Best Anime Series For Beginners To Watch

, and that endears him to me tremendously. As a setter, he is known not for his skill, but for his ability to bring out his teammates’ strengths. He’s arguably one of the series’ most developed characters, and he’s certainly my favorite. (Sorry, Hinata.)

Why isn’t Killua Zoldyck the main character of Hunter x Hunter? Seriously, I would rather watch the show with him leading it. While Killua is written to help the audience see why the main character, Gon, is so great, his loving view of Gon just endears him to me even more. Yes, he’s an assassin, and yes, he’s likely killed hundreds of characters canonically, but we catch him just as he’s turning away from all that. Killua is breaking from generations of trauma and forging his own path. Even though he’s strong, all I want to do is protect him.

Everytime I hear the name Tamaki Suoh, I can’t help but think of how he refers to himself as “Daddy, ” since he’s the founder of his school club. Overbearing, annoying, and difficult, Tamaki is an absolute child. The thing with Tamaki, though, is that he’s able to grow. I actually do appreciate how much he admires Haruhi Fujioka, his love interest, and how willing he is to follow her and let her lead. While he cares about shallow things like looks or money, he cares about Haruhi and his friends more than anything.

Top 10 Most Popular Male Anime Characters, Ranked

And for good reason. He’s goofy! I don’t know what it is, but something about the most powerful characters being some of the most down-to-earth really resonates with me. He’s a wonderful mentor, even if he’s clumsy at times — he cares about the kids and is a good role model. If I was going through tough times, he’s the kind of character that I could turn to.

Kisuke Urahara was the first e-boy. There, I said it. He wears a stupid bucket hat and keeps his hair long, and like Miyuki Shirogane above, he also looks tired all the time. He’s super shady and an asshole, but he also isn’t afraid to cut through the nonsense and do what is morally right. Do the ends justify the means? Urahara would probably say yes. And