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10 Unlikable Shonen Anime Characters Fans Grew to Love

Otaku Otaku
October 16, 2024

Plenty of characters in shonen anime are likable and sympathetic right from the start, but others are more of an acquired taste. Some characters don’t give viewers a particular reason to like or dislike them but become popular later on. Others might seem annoying or even repulsive at first, but eventually endear themselves to viewers.




Some unlikable shonen characters are true monsters, but others have enough good in them to win people over. If an unlikable character isn’t too far gone, they’re bound to find fans sooner or later. From antagonists who wound up feeling like heroes to irritating side characters who eventually became lovable, these are unlikable shonen characters who fans grew to love.


10 Ino Yamanaka is So Much More Than Sakura’s Romantic Rival

Ino Did More to Empower Sakura Than Kakashi Ever Did

Ino Yamanaka is looking over her shoulder in Naruto.

Ino Yamanaka is one of many shonen characters who made a rough first impression. Ino first appeared in Naruto as Sakura’s rival, with a strong personal angle of both girls vying for Sasuke’s attention. Ino was also depicted as vain and self-centered when she first appeared and often took her teammates Shikamaru and Choji for granted.


After Ino tied with Sakura in the Chunin Exams, they ended their rivalry and started to become friends. Ino wasn’t truly a mean girl or a petty ninja. She proved to be a supportive friend and empowered Sakura during their training. That, combined with Ino’s hard work in later battles, made her much more likable to anime fans.

9 Gabiru Became a Loyal Part of Rimuru’s Monster Nation

Gabiru Also Deflated His Head Just a Bit

gabiru leads the charge into battle


Many of the characters in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime were lovable and fun from the very start, but lizardman Gabiru was a different story. Gabiru could be a real headache to watch at first. He was a cocky, immature leader, and his recklessness nearly got his entire tribe destroyed.

A collage Eren Yaeger from Attack On Titan

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After Gabiru realized he had put his people in danger, he became more humble. He gave up ruling the lizardmen and joined Rimuru’s monster nation. While Gabiru could still be obnoxious, he also showed his good side and became an amusing part of Rimuru’s highly diverse kingdom.

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8 Dracule Mihawk Was Zoro’s Biggest Rival Before He Became a fan-Favorite

Mihawk’s Stoic Ways Won Over Fans in the Long Run

Dracule Mihawk wasn’t particularly likable or detestable when he debuted in One Piece‘s East Blue saga. He was simply an aloof master swordsman with no sentimentality. Mihawk was essentially an obstacle that Zoro would have to overcome to become the world’s #1 swordsman.

While Mihawk hasn’t had any big heroic moments, fans warmed up to the character all the same. Mihawk is a delightfully cold swordsman who oozes coolness and skirts the line between hero and villain. Even though Mihawk has joined Cross Guild, he hasn’t done anything unforgivable, so he’s someone viewers can still root for.


7 Laxus Dreyar Tore Apart His Own Guild Before Earning His Redemption

Laxus Never Truly Abandoned the Power of Friendship and Family

Laxus stares menacingly in a broken city in Fairy Tail anime.

The Fairy Tail guild was always about friendship and unity, so it was a real shock when Laxus Dreyar, the guild master’s grandson, burst onto the scene. Laxus didn’t seem to care about his fellow guild mates and even tried to put them against each other. He was arrogant, selfish, and looked down on anyone he considered weak.

Eventually, Laxus’ brutal attitude and actions got him exiled from the guild. When he returned, he was a changed man, and he took responsibility for his past behavior. Laxus learned to embrace the power of friendship and worked to redeem himself in the eyes of the Fairy Tail guild.


6 Greed’s Schemes Couldn’t Undercut His Popularity

Greed Even Gave His Life For His Friends

Greed Smiling At The Elric Brothers

Split Images of Kamado Tanjiro, Jonathan Joestar,and Yuji Itadori (1)

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Every homunculi in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood started out as an antagonist, but some became popular among fans anyway. The best example of this is Greed, the homunculus of avarice. He kidnapped Alphonse to get leverage on Edward, lost to Wrath, and ended up melted down into a Philosopher’s Stone.


Greed began to change after he was reborn in the body of Ling Yao. Thanks to Ling’s influence, Greed began to value other people and slowly began to redeem himself. He even gave up his life to protect his allies. It was a tragic yet memorable case of someone finding redemption right when they had to say goodbye.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are on the poster of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Two brothers search for a Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Release Date
April 5, 2009

Cast
Romi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead

Seasons
1

5 DIO Has No Redeeming Qualities Despite Being One of the Most Beloved Anime Villains Ever

DIO is the Source of Countless Fun Memes


Dio Brando was never meant to be truly likable or sympathetic. While Dio’s lust for power came from his rough childhood, he was a villain to the bone. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fans eventually grew to appreciate Dio for another reason: he was a great source of comic relief.

Dio became the king of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure memes. Fans made constant jokes about his silly dog and time-freezing powers. This blonde vampire is unlike any other villain in anime, and that makes him vastly entertaining.

4 Katsuki Bakugo Went From Deku’s Bully To His Biggest Supporter

Bakugo’s Redemption Spanned Six Seasons

Katsuki bakugo sweats nervously.


It wasn’t easy to like Katsuki Bakugo early in My Hero Academia.Bakugo was a bully, and that overshadowed his power and passion as a student hero. He was motivated and competitive but took things too far, especially where Deku was concerned.

While Bakugo could be abrasive, he grew and changed across My Hero Academia‘s run. Eventually, Bakugo apologized to Deku for everything he had done and accepted his position as the second-best hero. Bakugo proved he was ready to risk his life for Deku’s sake, and that made him a true hero at last.

3 Zenitsu Agatsuma Became an Integral Part of Tanjiro’s Team

Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing Made Up For His Whining

Zenitsu focuses with his eyes closed.


Zenitsu Agatsuma was never a terrible person, but Demon Slayer fans quickly got sick of his constant complaints. He was a bonafide demon slayer, but he was also a whiny, scared boy, and that sabotaged his image. Zenitsu’s loud yelling and crying made him hard to ignore.

Split Images of Zenitsu, Misa Amane, and Buggy The Clown

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Unlike other beloved stars, anime characters like JJK’s Jogo and Buggy from One Piece stayed longer than fans would’ve liked.

Thankfully, Zenitsu balanced out his downsides with his impressive Thunder Breathing prowess, his adorable crush on Nezuko, and his acceptance of the power of friendship. Zenitsu also showed real bravery, which helped fans see him as more than a coward. He might still worry and complain sometimes, but he’s always ready to fight.


The poster for Demon Slayer depicts Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsumu and Inosuke Hashibira leaping forward.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Release Date
April 6, 2019

Cast
Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Seasons
5

2 Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a Twisted Scientist Who Fights For Good

Fans Have Largely Forgiven Him For Attacking Orihime

In the Soul Society story arc in Bleach, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was depicted as monstrous and horrific. Mayuri was a cold-blooded scientist who blew up his own men like bombs. He even physically abused his subordinate, Nemu.

Much later, Mayuri softened his image a fair bit, and turned his wrath on villains like Szayelaporro and Giselle. Mayuri wasn’t necessarily friends with his allies, but he supported them on a practical level, like when he gave Uryu and Renji antidotes after a battle. He also became more comedic in his own twisted way, which fans found amusing.


1 Kokichi Muta Died a Hero, Not a Bully

It’s a Shame He Died Right After He Became Likable

Mechamaru's Heavenly Restriction causes him great pain in Jujutsu Kaisen

Mechamaru made a bad case for himself when he first appeared in Jujutsu Kaisen. Like many of his classmates, he was antagonistic toward the Tokyo students and tried to take out his frustrations by fighting with Panda. Panda won the battle, and Mechamaru was sidelined until fans were introduced to the person behind the wooden robot.


Viewers learned that Mechamaru was the proxy of Kokichi Muta, a young man who couldn’t even go outside due to his Heavenly Restriction. He resented being born into a sickly body, and that caused him to lash out. Kokichi redeemed himself in the eyes of Jujutsu Kaisen viewers when he fought Mahito to the death, but it’s a shame he had to die to prove his heroism.

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