These 20 Animes Have Some Of The Best Black Characters To Date, See If You Agree

From Michiko and Hatchin to Afro Samurai, there is a wide range of animes with great Black characters that it's almost too hard to pick just 20.

Anime has come a long way from its original non-diverse era. Nowadays, there have been more and more Black characters being introduced, even as protagonists. It is a sign of the art evolving, but also the addition of creators like LeSean Thomas, Takashi Okazaki, Shinichirō Watanabe, and Aaron McGruder, among others, who have made an effort to include more Black characters and their stories.

Gonzo / Via giphy.com

The influence of Black culture is evident to some Japanese creators just as much as Japanese animation and culture have inspired American creators to tell stories with Black protagonists. 

Madhouse / Via giphy.com

This sort of creative culmination of ideas and culture makes it the best time to watch anime and see the evolution of some fantastic Black characters. Here's my list of the best anime with Black characters (or at least, my favorites!).

1. Carole and Tuesday

Bones

A great anime with a fantastic character is Carole Stanley, who is trying to achieve her dreams as a musician. You see her go from job to job as her brazen personality gets her fired more often than not, but it's that same straightforward attitude and confidence that also fits perfectly with her music counterpart Tuesdays. This anime delivers a great representation of a character like Carole and just how far and determined people will be to achieve their dreams. 

2. Fire Force

Atsushi Ohkubo, KODANSHA/ “FIRE FORCE” Production Committee

Charon and Ogun satisfy both aisles of good and evil. We have Ogun, who is close friends with protagonist Shinra and a fantastic fighter and third-generation pyrokinetic, and then Charon, one of the many antagonists that Shinra faces off against who is a strong second-generation pyrokinetic. These two characters are some of my favorites of the show and are both part of some big-time action set pieces in the series.

3. Afro Samurai

2009 TAKASHI OKAZAKI, GONZO

This Emmy award-winning anime is just another reminder that Samuel L. Jackson can do no wrong. One of the best Black anime characters to date, Afro Samurai delivered a revenge tale that was visually captivating and had characters that kept me intrigued for those short five episodes. It's an anime that any samurai fan should binge-watch and enjoy.

4. Naruto Shippuden

2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved

Naruto has many characters that have been introduced for years, though some of the best characters also happened to be Black. Darui, Killer B, and Karui immediately come to mind, mainly because they were all so badass in their own right. Specifically, Darui, who ended up being the fifth Raikage after "A". It's a phenomenal anime with diverse characters that any anime fan should watch at least once. It's shorter than One Piece if you want to start now.

5. Michiko and Hatchin

2008 manglobe/ Caliente latino18. Licensed by Funimation® Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Michiko and Atsuko make for a hell of a rivalry in Michiko and Hatchin. Their cat-and-mouse relationship and history make for great storytelling and exciting thrills. It's this type of cops and robbers adventure that makes us wonder if the shoe will ever fall for Michiko as Atsuko makes it her life's mission to catch her old friend.

6. The Boondocks

Rebel Base Productions

This, to me, was one of the first animes that involved a majority Black cast. This comedic icon of a show is Aaron McGruder's satiric masterpiece with over-the-top characters that had me rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. Huey, Riley, and Grandad (Robert Freeman) gave a wonderful sitcom experience in anime form. It was unapologetic in its comedy and still, to me, is one of the funniest animes ever to exist. 

7. Boruto

2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2017 BORUTO All Rights Reserved

Following up on Naruto, it's good to see all the kids from our favorite characters go off on their own adventures and arcs that carry the tradition from its predecessor. Of course, Cho-Cho, the only child of the loveable Choji and fierce Karui, carries on the tradition of enjoying her food and, unlike her father, feels no shame in her thicker physique. She is not bothered by name-calling and her confidence in embracing her looks and knowing that it doesn't change the caliber of her fighter makes her one of my favorites on the show. 

8. Bleach

Pierrot

Yoruichi is by far one of the most beloved Black characters in anime and understandably so since she was the former commander of the Onmitsukidō. Her reveal from quick-witted black cat to ass-kicking warrior is still one of my favorite moments as well as her relationship with Ichigo as he learns to become stronger in order to take on the Soul Society. Speaking of Soul Society there is also Kaname, the captain of the Ninth division, who gets some shine in the Soul Society arc and demonstrates just why he is a captain.

9. Sword Art Online

REKI KAWAHARA/ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO Project

Agil, aka Andrew Gilbert Mills from SAO, is by far one of the kindest and most helpful characters on the show, especially during the Aincrad arc. Though he is a supporting character, he is one of the best characters on the show, showing up multiple times for Kirito when it mattered most. He is also a business owner running the Dicey Cafe with his wife, where the gang celebrated the successful mission of saving Asuna in the Fairy Dance Arc. 

10. Yasuke

MAPPA

Loosely based on the real-life Yasuke, this story brings in elements of magic for the "Black samurai" to contend with. LaKeith Stanfield does a fantastic job voicing the ritual hero, and the story has Yasuke coming to terms with his past while also embracing his present as a protector of young Saki. The creator, LeSean Thomas, has made it a point to make more animated shows with Black protagonists, and as you'll see he has a few on this list.  

11. Hunter X Hunter

Madhouse

Canary's strength isn't displayed in her physical appearance, which works to her advantage as she can usually defeat any trespasser onto the Zoldyck property. Her fighting ability is impressive and her loyalty to Killua is heartwarming to see as she has disobeyed orders in the past to protect the young assassin. 

12. Dragon Ball Z

Toei Animation

Now before you lose your mind and scream, "Piccolo isn't Black he's a Namekian alien, so this isn't accurate!" The truth is the Black community has long accepted Piccolo as Black, not due to his skin color but because of his character and what he represented for people of color. Author Jordan Calhoun touched on this during an interview for his memoir, Piccolo Is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture, where he described Piccolo as a "Black-coded character." 

This was a way for animation studios to start straying away from Black caricatures but felt that Black characters weren't marketable yet. Piccolo has grown to be one of the franchise's most beloved characters and has seen an arc matched only by Goku and Vegeta.

Toei Animation

13. Soul Eater

Atsushi Ohkubo/SQUARE ENIX,TV TOKYO,MEDIA FACTORY,BONES,DENTSU 2008 Author / Atsushi Ohkubo

Kilik Rung is one of the strongest kids at the Death Meister Academy, ranking as one of the top three students. This is displayed by his exceptional fighting acumen and compassion to always put his life on the line for his friends. He's also got some badass weapons, Fire and Thunder, which turn into gauntlets or "pots" that allow him to absolutely wreck enemies. 

14. Cowboy Bebop

SUNRISE

It is long debated whether Jet and Ed are lack, as the anime has never really touched on the subject. However, it seems pretty evident that Jet might've been "coded" as Black as he was voiced by Beau Billingslea and then depicted by Mustafa Shakir in the live-action. It is evident that creator Shinichirō Watanabe is very much inspired by Black culture and his desire for diversity in his anime. We see this with his love of jazz in Cowboy Bebop and hip-hop in Samurai Champloo. We also see him pay homage to the Blaxploitation movies with characters like Coffee, Abdul, and Shaft, who come on screen and immediately transport you to the '70s, in which these characters are dressed as. It's a futuristic world that has an old soul and is an anime that was one of the few to start featuring Black characters with more depth. 

15. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Hirohiko Araki&LUCKY LAND COMMUNICATIONS/SHUEISHA･JOJO’s Animation SC Project

Part three of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure introduces one of Joseph Joestar's friends and allies, Muhammad Avdol. His adventures with Jotaro and crew make for great action, but his "magnetic" moment with Joseph will have you laughing out loud. It's his affinity for wanting to be taken seriously that makes moments like the one with Joseph so funny and why, through all his straight-faced interactions, he can still bring a smile to your face while destroying other stand users in the process. 

16. One Piece

Toei Animation

If you have made the effort to watch One Piece, I applaud you, as it takes true dedication and resolve to watch as many episodes as this series has made. Throughout the story, we have met all sorts of diverse personalities, though, to me, Usopp and Kuzan are my favorite characters of African descent. 

This is never really touched on in the series, but their depictions seem to be that they could be bi-racial. Whatever the case, these two characters are essential to the story of One Piece, being that Usopp is one the mighty pirates from the Straw Hat Crew and Kuzan, the former marine turned Black Beard pirate, has been one of the more formidable antagonists that Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew have faced.

Toei Animation / Via giphy.com

17. Cannon Busters

Satelight/Yumeta Company

Another LeSean Thomas anime, Cannon Busters follows Philly the kid, S.A.M., and Casey Turnbuckle, the unlikeliest of trios whose adventures lead to some epic battles — and always a sticky situation which somehow or another ends up partially being Philly's fault since he's an immortal outlaw. S.A.M., by far though, is one of the best characters bringing an innocence and naive outlook mixed with being the ultimate weapon which makes for a character you just absolutely love. Of course, Philly takes full advantage of S.A.M.'s innocent demeanor and is the guy you love to hate at times. It's a unique show that any futuristic genre fan will enjoy. 

18. Cyber Punk: Edgerunners

Studio Trigger/CD Projekt

Netflix's Cyber Punk: Edgerunners took an immersive game in Cyber Punk 2077 and brought us even deeper into the criminal underworld to experience as players. Fans of the game relived their experience in Night City as David Martinez and crew went about solidifying their names as legends. The leader of this crew, Maine, has some of the best moments throughout the series as we see his affection for Dorio lead to nosebleeds and his tanklike physicality and bravado make for great firefights. This anime immediately made me want to load up the game again and make a name for myself as an outlaw. 

19. Neo Yokio

Studio Deen

The demon-slaying, bachelor, magistocrat Kaz Kaan, is yet another Black main protagonist that you can watch on Netflix. Created by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, this story follows Kaz as he navigates through the decadent high society in this alternate New York City timeline. There's a pretty incredible cast involved in this series, including Jaden Smith, Jude Law, Susan Sarandon, and others with just six episodes to binge through. 

20. Basquash!

Satelight

A unique take on a sports anime, Basquash! features people using mech robots to play basketball. What else can you ask for? Miyuki is one of the most important characters in this anime, not only by being a love interest to the protagonist, Dan, but also by being the one who shows him the ropes around a BigFoot, keeping it repaired and upgraded. 

What are some of your favorite anime with Black characters? What anime or characters did I miss? Let me know in the comments below!

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Logan Perrin