An anime’s quality isn’t solely determined by its plot or animation. More often than not, it is the characters that make or break a series. Anime characters that resonate with viewers are important for a series popularity.
Complex, well-written characters are often appreciated while shallow and stereotypical writing can make them and subsequently, the whole anime boring. Luckily, with all the anime available in various genres such as romance anime, detective anime, horror anime, samurai anime, masterpiece anime, action anime movies, sad anime movies, yuri anime, vampire anime, witch anime, vampire anime girl, and Dragon Anime there is no dearth of incredible anime characters including male anime characters.
There are lots of popular male anime characters who have consistently been topping popularity polls even decades after their debut. If you’re curious about these famous anime male characters, you should have a look at our list of the Top 10 anime male characters.
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Contents
List Most Popular Male Anime Characters
Goku
Series: Dragon Ball
Created By: Akira Toriyama
Voice Actor: Masako Nozawa(Japanese); Barbara Goodson, Saffron Henderson, Ian James Corlett, Peter Kelamis, Stephanie Nadolny, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Kirby Morrow, Jeffrey Watson, Lex Lang(English)
Number of Episodes: 153
Goku or Son Goku is the most popular male anime character ever. He is part of the global popular culture and is recognizable even to people who have never watched the Dragon Ball series. Goku is the OG male anime character. He walked so that Naruto, Itachi, Monkey D. Luffy, L and Light could run.
Created by Akira Toriyama in his Dragon Ball manga series, Goku’s character is inspired by that of Sun Wukong(Son Oh-gong in Korea, Son Goku in Japan and Monkey King in the West), the main character of the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
Initially introduced as an eccentric boy with a monkey tail and superhuman strength, it is soon revealed that Goku is actually Kakarot, a member of the Saiyan race of Planet Vegeta. He is an iconic character that manga readers and anime watchers have seen go from a young boy to a strong fighter and a family man.
Thus, since his debut in the 1980s, Goku remains one of the top anime male characters even now.
Also read: Where to watch dragon ball?
Itachi Uchiha
Series: Naruto
Created By: Masashi Kishimoto
Voice Actor: Hideo Ishikawa and Yuka Terasaki(Japanese); Crispin Freeman and Michelle Ruff(English)
Number of Episodes: 220
Okay so, Naruto has a long list of popular male characters but Sasuke Uchiha’s older brother Itachi remains a fan favorite. Hey, but isn’t he one of the bad guys? Killing all his clan members and all that? Well yes, but he is also one of the most well-written characters of the franchise.
Itachi’s love for Sasuke and his emotional storyline made his character resonate with the viewers. He is a prodigy, the most talented ninja of his generation and has one of the best villain-to-hero arcs ever in Shounen anime.
He was beloved when he was the hot badass killer but the reveals about his past have now practically turned him into an anime legend.
Also read: The best websites to watch Naruto
Levi Ackerman
Series: Attack on Titan
Created By: Hajime Isayama
Voice Actor: Hiroshi Kamiya(Japanese); Matthew Mercer(English)
Number of Episodes: 94
Attack on Titan’s Levi Ackerman is a supporting character in the series but in terms of popularity, he is way higher than the main cast. He is, in fact, considered to be one of the top male anime characters of all time.
In Attack on Titan, humanity is on the brink of extinction and lives in enormous walled cities to protect itself from gigantic man-eating Titans. In this world, Levi is the leader of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad aka Squad Levi. They are already elite soldiers but Levi is the best of the best. He is the greatest warrior in the anime’s universe.
In a way, Levi’s insane popularity is a no-brainer. He is handsome, strong, talented, mean and has a tragic relationship with Kenny. This is a deadly combo.
It means that Levi checks off all boxes on the checklist for favorable male anime characters. No wonder then that he is consistently termed as the most famous anime male character.
Also read: Ranking The Best Anime Of All Time
Naruto Uzumaki
Series: Naruto
Created By: Masashi Kishimoto
Voice Actor: Junko Takeuchi(Japanese); Maile Flanagan(English)
Number of Episodes: 220
No list of popular male anime characters can be complete without a mention of the Naruto franchise’s titular Naruto Uzumaki. A ninja from the Hidden Leaf village who is also a host of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, he embodies all the traits of an anime protagonist. Particularly a Shounen anime protagonist.
Naruto is very visible in mainstream pop culture. He can be recognized even by people who haven’t watched one episode of the anime. He is that popular.
Naruto might be slightly stupid and a simple guy but he is also stubborn and determined when it comes to achieving his goals. Add in the tragedy in his backstory and you have someone who has been a precious character for generations of anime watchers.
Also read: The best websites to watch Naruto
L Lawliet
Series: Death Note
Created By: Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata
Voice Actor: Kappei Yamaguchi(Japanese); Alessandro Juliani(English)
Number of Episodes: 37
L Lawliet, or simply L, is the enigmatic and eccentric detective from Death Note. He is the guy tasked with finding the person who is mysteriously killing criminals all over the world.
L is a recluse, an awkward and socially inept man in his 20s. His sweet tooth and his infamous sitting posture instantly make him a distinct character.
He is shrouded in intrigue which has also helped cement the character’s popularity. L is also smart and his social ineptitude actually helps him to see right through Light’s facade. His and Light’s mind games are something that you have to see to appreciate.
Also read: 17 of the best Anime to Watch on Netflix
Light Yagami
Series: Death Note
Created By: Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata
Voice Actor: Mamoru Miyano(Japanese); Brad Swaile(English)
Number of Episodes: 37
Light: the other guy in Death Note. The supposed protagonist(or rather, anti-hero). L’s nemesis. The dude who sort of started it all.
He is a genius high school student who turns into a deadly vigilante after getting his hands on the Death Note. While Light started off with killing criminals, he soon lost sight of his original purpose and started offing anybody who came in his way.
Light is not meant to be likeable. He is not a noble man who prudently uses the notebook. Dude has a god complex and he considers himself to be the harbinger of justice.
However, he is also a very well-written character and there’s a lot of room here for analysis. His dynamic with L is intriguing which is why Light has consistently remained one of the most popular male characters long after the anime has ended.
Monkey D. Luffy
Series: One Piece
Created By: Eiichiro Oda
Voice Actor: Mayumi Tanaka(Japanese); Collen Clinkenbeard(English)
Number of Episodes: 1,084(as of November 2023)
Monkey D. Luffy or the “Rubber Boy” is the protagonist of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. As a young child, he accidentally ate a Devil Fruit and acquired the properties of rubber. He has always dreamt of being a pirate like his idol Red-Haired Shanks.
Thus, at the age of 17, Luffy sets sail from the East Blue Sea in search of the legendary treasure One Piece that will make him the “King of the Pirates.” He goes on to become the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates having come a long way from his humble beginnings.
Luffy is a beloved character among anime and especially One Piece fans. He is carefree, fun-loving, and has a huge appetite but is also highly ambitious. His charisma makes it hard to dislike him. Luffy is, thus, a character who is cherished by fans.
Alsor read: The best websites to watch One Piece
Kakashi Hatake
Series: Naruto
Created By: Masashi Kishimoto
Voice Actor: Kazuhiko Inoue and Mutsumi Tamura(Japanese); Dave Wittenberg and Kyle Hebert(English)
Number of Episodes: 220
Kakashi Hatake is one of the most loved mentors in the anime world. In the Naruto franchise, he is the teacher of Team 7 i.e. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura’s team. The Copycat Ninja is initially introduced as a carefree character who frequently loses track of time.
However, he soon reveals himself as a tough opponent while testing his students. Kakashi is a person who emphasizes the importance of teamwork to his students and particularly looks out for Team 7.
The duality between his serious persona in combat and his otherwise laid-back attitude while dealing with his students makes him an interesting character. Kakashi’s one-liners, sarcasm and jutsu imitation skills are iconic and make him a much-loved male anime character.
Also read: The best websites to watch Naruto
Roronoa Zoro
Series: One Piece
Created By: Eiichiro Oda
Voice Actor: Kazuya Nakai(Japanese); Christopher R. Sabat(English)
Number of Episodes: 1,084(as of November 2023)
If Monkey D. Luffy is famous, then his crewmate Roronoa Zoro too deserves to be on the list of the most famous anime male characters. He was the first person to join Luffy’s crew after the latter saved him from execution.
He is an expert swordsman who can fight with three swords at the same time. Yep, two in his hands and one between his teeth. How cool is that?
Zoro is the Straw Hat Pirates’ main combatant and the person who often gives the others a reality check. He has a stern and distanced personality but tends to react in a goofy manner due to his impatience and short temper.
While he is a great fighter, Zoro also has an extremely poor sense of direction. This not only serves as a running gag but also humanizes this otherwise unbeatable character.
Saitama
Series: One-Punch Man
Created By: One, Yusuke Murata
Voice Actor: Makoto Furukawa(Japanese); Max Mittelman(English)
Number of Episodes: 24+12 OVAs
Anime watchers can easily recognize the bald protagonist of the action anime One-Punch Man. Hailing from Z-City, he originally became a superhero as a hobby.
However, Saitama soon realized that he wanted to be a true respected hero. For this, he trained hard with his simple yet rigorous routine such that he could now defeat any enemy with a single punch.
He is the most powerful character in the One-Punch Man universe but it is not just because he is the protagonist. Saitama worked hard to achieve that goal. This is something that differentiates him from many other action anime heroes and sort of explains his popularity.
