There are a lot of anime that debuted during the Fall 2021 season, and with them came a deluge of interesting and memorable characters. Anime is well known for having unique character designs and characters with passionate personalities, and the Fall 2021 anime season delivers on that reputation.
While there are a lot of fun characters to go through, there are some who clearly stand out from the others. Whether it's because of their distinct personality, their passionate beliefs, or even the way they develop as they progress through the story, these characters have made an indelible impression on anime fans everywhere.
10 Tamahiko Shima (Taisho Otome Fairy Tale)
At the beginning of Taisho Otome Fairy Tale, Tamahiko Shima is pessimistic and despondent due to the loss of his right arm and being abandoned by his family. This starts to change when he meets Yuzuki Tachibana, a bright and lively young girl who starts to melt the ice around his heart.
As the series progresses, Tamahiko begins to open up to Yuzu and start living properly again. Tamahiko at the end of the series is a completely different person from who he was in the beginning, and he's all the better for it.
9 Gagumber (Sakugan)
Gagumber is far from the ideal image of the average shonen protagonist: he is old, lazy, uninspired, and irritable. He would rather get drunk and hit on girls than try and go on an exciting adventure through the labyrinths.
However, under that lies a caring father who worries for his daughter. He is also a man who shoulders a lot of guilt, and is dealing with more than he cares to let on. While Gagumber's deeper side is not often shown, it is always interesting when it is.
8 Destiny (Takt Op. Destiny)
Initially a bright young girl named Cosette, in contrast Destiny at the beginning of the series is cold and emotionless. She is focused entirely on fighting D2s, even at the detriment of her Conductor Takt's health.
However, as the series progresses and Destiny spends more time with other people, she slowly begins opening up and showing emotions such as happiness and concern. While the series plot concerns itself with more important things, Destiny's character arc is also a big part of the story.
7 Queen Hiling (Ranking Of Kings)
At first, Queen Hiling seems like the usual cruel stepmother character. She constantly scolds Bojji, and it's clear to everyone that she would prefer to have her son Daida take the throne.
However, the truth is that there is possibly no one else who loves Bojji more than Hiling. Even if she scolds him and doesn't want him to take over the throne, she still loves him dearly and has demonstrably proved to be willing to jump out of a building to save him. While she's certainly harsher than she needs to be, it's clear that she is a loving mother.
6 Draluc (The Vampire Dies In No Time)
While there are a lot of hilarious characters in The Vampire Dies In No Time, main character Draluc takes the cake. Haughty and presumptuous, yet nerdy and meek at the same time, this extremely dynamic character is a big part of the show's humor.
Draluc's tendency to die at even the lightest amount of force is also a great source of physical comedy for the series. His versatility as a character makes him one of the best utilized characters this season.
5 Shoko Komi (Komi Can't Communicate)
The titular character of Komi Can't Communicate is clearly the main draw of the anime series. Beautiful, shy, and reserved, Shoko Komi is both an adorable and immensely relatable character. While there are many characters in this anime, Komi clearly stands out.
As the central character of the series, Komi and her everyday life are at the forefront of every story. Komi stumbling her way through life as she deals with her communication issues is an adorable sight that warms even the most stone-hearted fan.
4 Taira no Tokuko (The Heike Story)
In the world of medieval Japan, there are not a lot of opportunities for women, especially those born to high-ranking families. As the daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, it was always Tokuko's fate to be married to a man for political gain, rather than for love.
Despite this, Tokuko remains resolute, elegant, and strong. For Tokuko, accepting her fate does not mean accepting the loss of her agency. She makes do the best that she can, showing a strength that most military men do not have.
3 John (The Vampire Dies In No Time)
When talking about the best characters in anime, an armadillo who can only ever speak one syllable may not ever come to mind. However, John makes a case as one of the centerpiece characters of The Vampire Dies In No Time, and he is used to great effect even if he has no lines at all.
Despite being an armadillo that can't speak, John has won the hearts of fans due to being adorable, relatable, and just overall hilarious. He even has a lot of tear-jerking and heart-warming moments in the show, giving him a lot of depth.
2 Metropoliman (Platinum End)
The cunning, pragmatic, cruel Kanade Uryu is probably one of the most compelling villains to appear in anime in 2021, and a lot of that is due to his presence. Masquerading as the hero Metropoliman, he uses his intelligence and flexibility to hunt down and kill the other God candidates, making him a terrifying threat.
Metropoliman would not be as terrifying if he was not immensely intelligent, not only in his traps for other God candidates, but in the way he is able to discover new ways to use his angel-given powers. He is easily the most menacing anime villain to appear this season.
1 Bojji (Ranking of Kings)
It's hard to not feel bad for Prince Bojji. He can't hear, he can't speak, and he's too weak to even hold a sword. The people think he's an idiot, and even his family and retainers lack faith in his ability to be king.
Nevertheless, while Bojji does feel sad about these things, he never lets it get him down. Bojji is determined to become the greatest king of all, and he won't let anyone stop him from reaching that goal. Bojji is the heart of Ranking of Kings, and his struggle makes viewers want to root for him.