Popular anime MCs like Naruto Uzumaki, Monkey D. Luffy, Tanjiro Kamado and Izuku Midoriya are great protagonists who deserve the love they get. But there's a whole lot more to the world of anime than just the protagonists who get the most press. There's a whole world of underrated anime protagonists from lesser-known shows who are worth getting to know. This list has twenty of them. While that barely scrapes the surface, it's a start. Like the characters mentioned above, some of these lesser-known characters also hail from shonen anime, like Allen Walker of D.Gray-man and Renton Thurston of Eureka Seven. But they also come from slice of life, romance, comedy seinen, shojo, and all kinds of other genres. There are adorable characters like Kobato, hilarious characters like Hozuki, badass characters like Michiko Malandro, and more. See a character that you love - or think you might love - on the list? Go ahead and vote them up.
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Staz Charlie Blood is a hilarious combination of a dangerous vampire with multiple territories on lock and a dorky anime fan that viewers can easily relate to. It's fun watching him destroy his enemies, but it's equally fun watching him nerd out over video games.
Trigun is one of those awesome older anime that a lot of people forget exists. One of the things that makes it so great is its protagonist, Vash The Stampede. He earned the nickname because disaster follows him wherever he goes, and he's always blamed for it. But the reality is that he's running from a very dark past, and doing everything he can to protect innocent people from the fallout. By turns hilarious and deep, Vash is a character you won't soon forget.
If you watched My Roommate Is A Cat solely for the adorable kitty cats, you won't be leaving the series unsatisfied. But there's a lot more to the story than just Haru - there's also the main human character, Subaru Mikazuki. Mikazuki is a mystery writer who was always introverted, but who has become downright isolated since his parents' tragic demise. Through his bond with a traumatized stray cat, he slowly begins to open up his heart to other people.
How can you not love a badass lady who kidnaps her daughter from an abusive foster home by busting through the wall on a motorcycle? Michiko Malandro makes a splash when she enters the story, and continues to be a fascinating figure all throughout. She doesn't always do the right thing, but she never gets boring.
Once a spoiled brat who gleefully torments others, Katarina Claes quickly changes her ways when she realizes that her life isn't real - she's actually the villainous of an otome game that she used to play in her former life as a Japanese schoolgirl. Desperate to avoid the painful ending she knows awaits her, Katarina resolves to turn her life around and start being nice. Unfortunately for her but fortunately for the audience, she's delightfully clueless and gullible, and has no idea what she's doing 90% of the time.
After being abandoned by his parents due to his unusual arm, Allen Walker was raised in a circus. When his beloved guardian Mana passes away, Allen ends up being manipulated by the Millenium Earl into trying to bring him back. The end result isn't pretty - Mana is now an Akuma, and Allen has no choice but to destroy him. Thus begins his journey into the Black Order, a group dedicated to taking down Akuma. If you're a fan of FMA but are looking for something a little less well-known, Allen Walker's story might be right up your alley.
Mushishi is an absolutely stunning anime about a world dominated by mushi - strange lifeforms that imbue psychic powers, create barriers, and cause other problems for humankind. Simultaneously dedicated to protecting humanity and to maintaining the natural balance of the world, Ginko travels anywhere a mushi-related problem occurs. Calm and level-headed despite being unable to settle down anywhere, Ginko adds a human touch to this gloriously fantastical anime.
Tsukimi Kurashita is a nerdy young woman who lives in an all-woman community space. Much like her unusual roommates, she's terrified of social interaction and adult responsibilities. But she does have dreams of becoming an illustrator, which means that she's going to have to face some of those fears if she ever wants to achieve those dreams. Tsukimi is a great character because she reflects the way thousands of young women actually feel as they try to make their way in the world. Unlike a lot of female characters in slice of life shows, she isn't there for fanservice purposes, she's there to act like an actual person with dreams, goals, and insecurities.
For centuries, Golem has been the guardian of the forest. He's content to continue fulfilling that role until the end of his life, but when he meets a young human girl, that changes. In this world, humans face discrimination so extreme that they can't safely reveal their identities. Despite claiming to feel no emotions, he devotes himself to helping this little girl, who he names Somali, find a group of humans. Along the way, he finds himself developing a parent-child relationship with her. It's a heart-clutchingly adorable story, and the Golem's development is top notch.
Ascendence of a Bookworm is like a much more realistic and down-to-earth version of Dr. Stone, and Myne is an excellent protagonist. If it had a better budget for its art and animation, she might be more well-known. After newly minted librarian Motosu Urano is reborn in the body of a sickly five-year-old named Myne in a medieval world, she decides that she must find a way to read books again at all costs. This means learning how to create things like cheap paper and ink, not to mention getting the funds together to do so. Along the way, she learns about the rampant inequalities in her world, which she isn't about to let stand.
Kiyose Haiji is the most chaotic protagonist you'll find in a sports anime, and he's also one of the deepest. Desperate to compete in the Hakone Ekiden before he graduates from college, he cheerfully manipulates his roommates into becoming the track team of his dreams. Though few of them were interested in the first place, his enthusiasm and love combined with his unsettling willingness to resort to blackmail and threats turns them into an unbeatable team.
To be honest, Kotoura-san is not a great anime. Most of the story consists of aimless slapstick, storylines that go nowhere, and slice-of-life tropes that aren't especially well-executed. But protagonist Haruka Kotoura makes it worth watching. She has the ability to read minds, and while there are definite benefits, it also creates huge obstacles, which are investigated with all the depth this lackluster anime can muster.
To Chihaya Ayase, nothing in the world is more important than karuta, a card game that's based on traditional Japanese poetry. She wants to be the world's greatest karuta player, but to do that, she needs to assemble a team. Luckily for her, her enthusiasm for the game is more than enough to inspire others to follow in her footsteps - even her most reluctant childhood friends.
Kobato is one of CLAMP's lesser-known works, which means that the titular protagonist doesn't get much love. If you like your anime characters wholesome, adorable, and absolutely ridiculous, might like Kobato. Her mission is to find go to an unspecified place of her dreams, but in order to accomplish that, she'll have to heal the hearts of hundreds of people within a single year. This proves to be much more difficult than Kobato anticipated, especially since she gets hung up on one particular heart - that of her co-worker Kiyokazu Fujimoto.
What is it like to work in Hell? According to Hozuki, who serves as King Enma's assistant, it's a huge drag. Though he does an excellent job at keeping things running, he does them with a mouth full of sarcastic quips. This long-suffering demon is absolutely hilarious.
With little to do but ride Trapar wave particles and try to fulfil his family's ambition that he become a mechanic, Renton Thurston is bored out of his mind. His life turns exciting when Gekkostate member Eureka shows up at his family's shop hoping to get a tune-up on her Nirvash typeZERO robot. He goes from bored to brave when he becomes her co-pilot and joins the Gekkostate.
Ambitious protagonists can be wonderful, but sometimes it can get exhausting. Jean Otus is a bureaucrat whose job is to perform an audit on all thirteen branches of his nation. While he cares deeply for his loved ones and is willing to put in the work to uncover the complicated mysteries of the political system he inhabits, he isn't trying to grab power for himself. He works as a protagonist because his own desires are simple: he just wants to lead a happy, conflict-free life.
Shigofumi has a cool supernatural premise that would work absent of a great protagonist, but it's Fumika's story that makes the show truly worthwhile. Fumika's job is to deliver Shigofumi - that is, letters that were written by the recently deceased and are intended to be read by the living. She's doggedly persistent and dedicated to getting the job done no matter what, even if it means whipping out a gun. But she isn't like the other delivery people - in fact, she's hiding a dark secret.
When the unnamed protagonist of The Tatami Galaxy gets the opportunity to repeatedly relive his college years, he soon realizes that no matter what path he takes, he'll never achieve the perfection he seeks. His philosophical mind combined with his quirky personality makes him a great companion through a wild ride.
Iku Kasahara is a Library Defense Force soldier who is committed to the mission of preserving the nation's freedom to read whatever they want, without censorship. What she lacks in book smarts, she makes up for in physical strength, and unwavering dedication to the cause.
