Anime is a unique way of telling stories and bringing worlds to life. While there are hundreds of anime to watch, some series stand out due to their distinct setting and tone. What sets these shows apart from the rest are not just their visuals and lore, but the characters through which these stories unfold. From protagonists and antagonists to comic reliefs and love interests, there are countless character types that exist within the medium.
Anime is home to some of the most popular and iconic fictional characters, known for their quirky natures and whacky behaviors. Some characters take a long time to resonate with fans and become iconic slowly, but others only need a few words to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Over the years some characters have garnered quite the fame due to a single catchphrase that they used within their show over and over again. These phrases went on to become some of the most popular pieces of dialogue seen within the anime medium and have been the epicenter of many hilarious memes.
5 We're Blasting Off Again (Pokemon)
Pokemon is one of the most iconic anime shows of all time, continuing to thrive for more than two decades now. The show follows a young boy named Ash Ketchum as he travels the world with his companions and Pokemon to be the very best. In his way stand three goofy members of the criminal organization known as Team Rocket.
Since the inception of the show, Jessie, James and Meowth have made it their mission to cause problems for the young heroes, trying to steal their Pokemon time and time again. But every time their plans get foiled, and they end up being defeated. Once defeated they are always shown being launched into the sky and yelling one of the most recurring catchphrases of all time "We're Blasting Off Again". No matter what these three try, the showrunners always end up making them blast off into the sky by the end of an episode.
4 Tuturu (Stein's Gate)
Stein's Gate is a show that welcomes its audience into the lives of an eccentric mad scientist named Okabe Rintaro. To aid Okabe with his weird science experiments are his friends and lab members each with their distinct personalities. Out of all the characters in the show, Mayuri Shiina is the most lovable and wholesome one. A childhood friend of Okabe, Mayuri tries her best to stay positive and spread her positivity to everyone else.
Every time Mayuri makes an appearance she lets out an adorable sound "tuturu" indicating that lovely Mayuri has arrived and is ready to impart her vibes onto everyone. "Tuturu" is such a charming catchphrase to come out of a show that turns dark really quick, following an incident that involves Mayuri.
3 What A Drag (Naruto)
Who would have thought that the Ninja Academy's laziest student would one day be leading the Hidden Leaf Village alongside the Hokage? This character is none other than Shikamaru Nara, that fans of the Naruto franchise will be quite familiar with. While other characters had a huge arsenal of justus and visual prowess to make them stand out, Shikamaru did so by just being more relatable.
Shikamaru hated doing stuff and everything felt like a burden to him. This behavior of his is shown repeatedly throughout the show via his iconic catchphrase "What a Drag". Shikamaru was a genius tactician, but whenever there was stuff to be done Shikamaru could not help but be annoyed with the situation and tried his best not to get involved.
2 Plus Ultra! (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia is known to currently be leading the new Shonen anime genre, with its stellar premise and super powered characters. Out of all the heroes shown in the show, there is one who served as the most vital character in developing the show's narrative. This hero is none other than the Symbol of Peace himself, All Might.
All Might is shown as the strongest hero in My Hero Academia, being ranked the number one Pro Hero, and has continued to be a beacon of hope with his menacing muscles and bright smile. All Might is character that checks all the tropes necessary to be a superhero and even has his own catchphrase, "Plus Ultra!". The phrase "Plus Ultra!" symbolizes going beyond one's limit to reach their goal and All Might used to say it often during his time as the number one hero while facing off villains and criminals. There have been many instances in the show where other characters also took inspiration from these words of All Might and turned around their dire situations.
1 Believe It! (Naruto)
The tale of Naruto Uzumaki is not an easy one, but despite all the adversities in his life, this young ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village never gave up on his goals. Naruto was an orphan and also had a beast sealed within him. He was continuously shunned by others due to them fearing his power. However, despite having seen so many hardships from very early on in his life, Naruto was never one to back down from something once he set his sights on it.
Throughout the run of the initial series, Naruto can be seen using his iconic catchphrase "Believe It!". Naruto would use this little phrase to reaffirm his ambitions and strengthen his resolve. In a world where no one believed in Naruto, he took it upon himself to do so. Naruto used this catchphrase many times throughout the show, to find hope in the worst of situations. Even as an adult, he continued to use this phrase, making fans of the series reminisce about old times.