Anime isn’t solely reliant on stunning animation or a captivating plot. More often than not, it’s the characters and their distinctive personalities that bring life to the series. An anime with a bland cast devoid of character growth is akin to a juvenile book. A compelling anime has characters that undergo development and transformation over the course of the story, which contemporary anime enthusiasts adore. This list will delve into such characters, with some being the principal protagonists while others are not.
Here are the top 5 anime characters whose personalities changed drastically in the anime because of different reasons.
5. Ken Kaneki |Tokyo Ghoul|
- From: A bookworm, To: The Strongest Half-Ghoul
- Reason for Change: Self-Acceptance
Ken Kaneki is the only character on the list whose personality drastically changed two times in a row. He is the protagonist of the Tokyo Ghoul anime series. He starts as a dull college student who is always absorbed in books. One day, Kaneki meets Rize, who turns him into a ghoul. He struggles to accept his newfound ghoul identity. However, after being brutally tortured by Yamori, he emerged as a ruthless, cunning, and emotionally detached individual, accepting his ghoul side.
The second transformation occurred when he lost his memories and took on the persona of Haise Sasaki, a kindhearted and dedicated mentor to the Quinx Squad. He displayed a more balanced personality in this form, with his human and ghoul aspects coexisting. Both changes were driven by extreme circumstances, causing Kaneki to adapt and evolve to survive in the harsh world of Tokyo Ghoul.
4. Katsuki Bakugo |My Hero Academia|
- From: An arrogant brat, To: Deku’s Secret Admirer.
- Reason for Change: Care for Deku, his childhood friend.
Katsuki Bakugo is one of the prominent cast members of the My Hero Academia series. From the start, he is shown as arrogant, likes to make fun of weak people, and loves teasing Deku about his “no quirk” weakness.
But recently, he has started to change as Bakugo slowly expresses his concern for Deku, like during the Paranormal Liberation Arc. And in the recent My Hero Academia season, he even apologized to Deku for everything he had done to him from the start. This new development surprised many Bakugo fans and certainly raised his character’s popularity.
3. Kyo Souma |Fruits Basket|
- From: A Cold-Hearted Person, To: A Caring Lover.
- Reason for Change: His Love for Honda Tohru.
Kyo Souma is the protagonist of the series Fruits Basket, representing the “cat” zodiac. He is first introduced as a hot-headed maniac who hates himself (because of his zodiac curse) and is not involved in the story much.
But he progressively enters the story because of Honda Tohru, the female protagonist. She leaves no stone unturned to make Kyo accept himself, and in the end, Kyo accepts the curse and the feelings he was hiding for Tohru from the start. This subtle development made this couple one of the best in romance anime!
2. Killua |Hunter x Hunter|
- From: An Cold-Hearted Assassin, To: A Caring Friend.
- Reason for Change: His relation with Gon.
Killua is the joint protagonist of the Hunter x Hunter series, and he belongs to the family of assassins, the Zoldyck Family. From the start, Killua is shown as a cold person who wants to escape his status as an assassin because of his family background but cannot because of pressure from his parents.
But as soon as he meets Gon, he sees life differently and wants to enjoy every moment with his friend, Gon. He even starts to fight against his family not to pursue a future as an assassin but as a Hunter who wants to explore the world.
1. Eren Yeager |Attack on Titan|
- From: A revenge-seeking teenager, To: The antagonist of the series.
- Reason for Change: Protecting his Friends and Freedom.
Eren Yeager is the main protagonist and antagonist of Attack on Titan. From the start, he is shown as a bright child who wants freedom outside the walls. But, he faces some consequences, which makes him a revenge-seeking maniac at a very young age.
But as soon as Eren learns that there are people outside the wall, he was disappointed. Seeing that most of the world wants his nation dead and that his friends are in danger, is personality suddenly changes. Eren makes a decision to ignore everything in the world and save his friends, even if it means destroying the whole world against him and his friends. From a bright young boy to a depressed man with so much responsibility on his shoulders, Eren’s personality changed drastically in Attack on Titan season 4.
What are your thoughts on this list? Did we miss your favourite character who had a complete personality shift during the series? Let us know in the comments down below!
