Trauma is an inherent part of humanity. However minor in form, traumatic experiences help shape individuals' lives either positively or negatively, and the same applies to anime characters. The ability to convey the emotional complexities of anime characters is an understated part of anime and often not highly regarded, which can be attributed to overfamiliarity with these characters.
There are some of these characters, however, whose stories are an outright reflection of the human mind's complexities and emotional turbulence. These characters desperately fight against inner demons, moral crossroads, and life-altering experiences. These mental struggles often point toward transformative character development, more compelling stories, and, sometimes, an even darker psyche.
10 Eri (My Hero Academia)
Eri is a supporting character in the My Hero Academia series. Abandoned by her mother after birth for making her father disappear into nothing, Eri's childhood started in the worst manner. She is left in the care of her grandfather, who then falls terminally ill. As if all of these weren't enough, she spends her life subject to brutal experiments at the hands of Kai Chisaki, an experience so traumatic that she becomes overridden with fear and the belief that she can only bring others harm.
Since she is only still a child, her life circumstances are so big a burden on her that she develops severe anxiety. Having not experienced any form of kindness before, she is unable to smile, a sign that alludes to the depth of her mental struggles and one which only slightly improves after she is rescued.
9 Lucy (Elfen Lied)
Lucy, also known as Kaede, is the main protagonist of the Elfen Lied series. She is a contradicting figure of a character with severe mental struggles as she is both an oppressed and an oppressor.
Abandoned by her parents after birth and taken into an orphanage, Lucy lives her childhood being constantly bullied by the other children because of her visible horns, to the point where she is thought of as an emotionless husk. Driven to a mental breakdown by the unending cruelty around her, all of these become the foundation for the sadistic individual she becomes later in the series.
8 Gaara (Naruto)
A central supporting character in the Naruto series, Gaara is a prime example of a complicated life and heavy trauma. Infamously known as Gaara of the Sand Waterfall, Gaara, after losing both of the people who ever loved him, became a being who hated the existence of others and sought to cause harm in whatever way he could.
Unable to trust or relate appropriately with anyone, Gaara struggles immensely with himself internally, and this is significantly increased as he is the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail, Shukaku, who tormented him at every given opportunity, almost driving him mad. After being defeated by Naruto, Gaara seeks a life of redemption, which becomes a pivotal development for himself and the series.
7 Homura Akemi (Madoka Magika)
Akemi is one of the main protagonists of Madoka Magika and a Magical Girl. Homura exemplifies the meaning of sacrifice for loved ones and, through the series, shows what can happen when such a sacrifice comes at too heavy a price. With the ability to go back in time, after watching her friends die, Homura goes back in time to correct this repeatedly.
Having to constantly relive her friends' cruel and twisted fates repeatedly takes an immense mental toll on Homura, making her seem emotionless when she's not. Unable to accept their losses, Homura uses her abilities as many as it takes to change their fate.
6 Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass)
Lelouch is the central character in the Code Geass series and a character of conflicting opinions. After the assassination of his mother, Lelouch is disowned and disregarded by his father, the Emperor of Britannia, alongside his sister, unearthing a deep-seated hatred for the Empire and his father. His feelings of hatred transform into one of worldwide conquest and evolution when he obtains the power of Geass.
Wanting to create a peaceful world for his beloved sister, Lelouch takes on the weight of the world's hatred upon himself. Still, the cost of this, beyond the cold, cruel, and calculating veil of Zero, is the constant inner turmoil, mental solitude, moral ambiguity, and desolated personal relationships, all of which exact a tremendous toll on Lelouch's mind, turning him into the unrelenting egomaniac that he becomes.
5 Naruto Uzumaki ( Naruto)
The Hero of the Hidden Leaf, who made his way to becoming Hokage, Naruto, did not always have such a positive life. He is orphaned at birth and is the bearer of the Nine Tail Demon Fox. Naruto lived a life of ostracization and scorn from all around him.
Despite his constantly cheery attitude, he bore a heavy burden of acceptance and self-worth. Always finding the resolve never to give up, Naruto pushes through it all regardless of the enormous mental toll his circumstances put on him.
4 Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
Ken Kaneki is the central character of the dark fantasy series Tokyo Ghoul and a prime example of a character with evident psychological struggles. Initially an ordinary college student, his life is altered after he is the victim of a ghoul attack, from where he becomes a half-ghoul. Neither human nor ghoul and with one foot in both worlds, Kaneki is rocked by an intense inner conflict of identity.
He struggles to reconcile his human morality with his ghoulish instincts, reflecting the constant disputes between his mind and soul, a struggle symbolized by his half-mask. Through the series, Kaneki experiences several traumatic events and betrayals, further compounding his already condensed mental state. Kaneki's psychological struggles are vital to the series and help leave a profound impression on viewers.
3 Thorfinn (Vinland Saga)
The characterization of Thorfinn as the main character of the Vinland Saga series is one marked with profound psychological struggles. Consumed by rage and revenge, Thorfinn lives his entire childhood on the battlefield with the sole thought of exacting revenge on his father's killer, Askeladd. His relentless desire for vengeance leads him down a path of blood and carnage, which grows into a constant inner battle of identity and purpose. As the story progresses, so do his mental burdens evolve.
After the death of Askeladd, He is torn between questions of morality and the sense of revenge. He realizes that his revenge is at the cost of his humanity, leading to a profound personal evolution and setting him on a path of redemption. Still plagued by an overwhelming sense of guilt, he strives for his redemption.
2 Subaru (Re: Zero)
Subaru is a character that epitomizes intensity in all forms. The protagonist of the Re: Zero series, Subaru's ordeals and mental battles are the series' core. Suddenly transported to a fantasy world, Subaru soon discovers he can return from death, essentially a rest in time for every time he dies. While this ability seems like an advantageous one to have, Subaru is plunged into an endless cycle of despair and pain.
Facing death constantly and endlessly, Subaru begins to lose his sanity and starts to experience severe trauma from having lost those dear to him continuously. His inability to communicate his problems to those around him further compounds his already steep emotional battles, and he is constantly haunted by the weight of his failures and regrets. His inner turmoils, however, make for a compelling experience due to his unyielding resolve regarding those he cares for, often pushing him to the brink of madness as he struggles to deal with the consequences of his actions and the weight of his experiences.
1 Guts (Berserk)
The iconic protagonist of the Berserk series, Guts, embodies intense struggles. Throughout the series, Guts undergoes a harrowing and relentless physical and mental journey, beginning from childhood. The trauma of his past evolved to become the core of his psychological turmoil. Starting his life as a child soldier, he was exposed to severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and betrayal at the hands of one he regarded dearly.
These events became the foundation of a complicated and complex individual who would embody negative emotions to the extreme. Additionally, following his confrontations with the supernatural and becoming marked by the Brand of Sacrifice, Guts' inner conflict regarding his humanity becomes a central point for the story's narrative. Throughout the series, his mental state and struggles shaped his character development, making him one of anime's most compelling and thought-provoking figures.