Anime leads are often characterized as strong-minded and extremely strong but they are not always strong right from the beginning.
Being the main character is not a bed of roses, especially when it is an orphan. They did not have parents to take care of them fate had other plans for them.
Such characters fend for themselves, they have to fight on their own and make their place in society from scratch.
Anime is filled with some of the best orphan characters who used this thing as a strength rather than a weakness and gave motivation to the audience that they can do much more than it seems.
Here is the list of all the iconic orphan characters from your favorite Anime:
Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul
Kaneki is a Timid introvert who is only friends with Hide. His spare time activities involve reading books or novels. He appears to be a gentle optimistic guy just like his mother who was an embodiment of honesty herself.
Kaneki started behaving like his mom after she died since he did not want to be lonely, he acquired the forgiving character of his mom, someone who cannot hurt people but rather be the one getting hurt.
He lacked assertiveness which resulted in him getting bullied most of the time.
But beneath all these layers of persona lies the real Kaneki who has a dread of feeling alone. When Kaneki becomes a ghoul all these layers start to peel off and gradually his true feelings come to light.
During the Aogiri arc, Kaneki accepts his ghoul self after bearing ruthless torture at the hands of Yamori.
He still wants to protect his friends but now in a more ruthless, barbaric, and brutal way.
While keeping his calm composure Kaneki embraces the Violent Ghoul nature that he once feared the most.
Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan
Mikasa was an Ackerman family member. She is one of the primary drivers behind the Survey Corps’s success.
As a child, She lived quietly with her parents in the Wall Maria farmlands, assisting them from an early age.
When she was just nine years old, a bunch of traffickers murdered her parents and attempted to capture her in order to sell her in the Capital’s Underground human-trading market.
Mikasa was terrified and startled when she was rescued by Eren Yeager, the son of her family’s doctor.
Eren and his father’s nearly miraculous action was all that protected her from becoming a slave in the city.
Mikasa has evolved into a protective figure in her friends’ life since then. She is devoted to Eren, and her physical prowess is terrifying, to say the least.
Tohru Honda from Fruit Basket
Although Tohru seems like a bright, cheerful girl, she is actually hiding a difficult childhood. When Tohru was very young, her father passed away.
She got emotionally isolated from her father’s family when they started mistreating her mother. After her husband passed away, Kyoko suffered from acute depression and for a while, she neglected her daughter.
Even while her mum gradually recovered and started loving her again, she also passes away, leaving Tohru all by herself.
Despite having to deal with the death of both parents, Tohru’s passion was unaffected.
Such a big loss can shatter a person’s spirit, yet Tohru perseveres with incredible inner strength.
Even though she misses her parents terribly, she has happy memories and valuable lessons from them rather than resentment or despair.
Which drives Tohru to become the iconic character that she is.
Emma from The Promised Neverland
Emma is an orphan who lives in the Gracefield Orphanage under the care of Isabella, with many other orphan children.
she is one of the most dependable orphans and is surrounded by friends. She is kind and outgoing. She is renowned for her extraordinary talent for learning, strong athletics, and boundless optimism.
Emma, along with Norman and Ray, is regarded as one of Grace Field House’s three Premium quality commodities since she is among the sharpest kids there.
Emma is like a devoted older sister to her younger siblings.
She is forgiving, cheerful, and emotional in the start but her personality changes incredibly after finding out about Conny’s body and unveiling the ugly truth behind the orphanage and Isabella.
She vows never to shed any tears again and will not leave anybody behind.
After this incident, she doesn’t want her siblings to meet the same fate as Conny. This shows us the empathy, selflessness, and altruism that lie in Emma’s heart.
Guts from Berserk
Guts never once had his parents hug him in their arms, hence he was an orphan from the minute he was born. Guts’ mother, who had given birth to him in her final moments, was among the hanging bodies found beneath the tree where he was discovered as a baby.
If Gambino had not discovered him, he would have died in a couple of days in that situation.
A young woman in his troop instantly adopted the baby Guts as her surrogate son and even breastfed him.
Gambino initially didn’t give a damn about Guts’ situation, but once Guts’ adoptive mother passed away, Gambino started to hold Guts responsible.
Gambino nevertheless began instructing the young Guts in the art of swordplay. Even though that is terrible, Guts doesn’t seem to mind at all because it is perfect for Berserk.
Yuno Gasai from The Future Diary
On the outside, Yuno appears to be the ideal student model. But In reality, she is a psychotic yandere who is borderline obsessed with the main male protagonist Yukiteru Amano and will kill without hesitation to save him.
Yuno was left at the orphanage by her birth mother and was adopted by her parents when she was a little child.
For several years, Yuno’s had a normal happy childhood. Sadly, her parents’ mental and psychological health started to suffer due to money problems.
Yuno’s Dad became abusive towards Yuno and his wife which led the wife to put all the blame on Yuno for her issues.
She would imprison her in a cage for not obeying her. Yuno’s mental health suffers as a result, and she starts to exhibit yandere traits.
Yuno has a double personality. She generally comes across as a nice, feminine, and somewhat reserved young lady around Yuki.
She hides her cruel, cold, and cunning psychopath side, however, she has little to no qualms about exploiting others to further her and Yuki’s survival.
Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer
The eldest child of charcoal dealers Kie and Tanjuro Kamado, Tanjiro was born on a mountain. He adopted the notion that as the oldest kid, he should be tough and face any challenges for his five younger siblings once they were born.
The family did not have a life of luxury, but they were content and very loving and kind toward one another. Sadly they are massacred by a demon leaving behind only his little sister Nezuko who is turned into a demon.
As the protective older brother that he is, Tanjiro has o find a cure for his little sister. Tanjiro has a soft side to himself and a sensitive demeanor.
He is extremely tenacious and won’t give up once he sets out to do something; his tireless search for a cure for Nezuko is the clearest example.
Tanjiro is capable of getting by on his own, but he doesn’t mind getting help when he needs it.
Tanjiro’s most remarkable quality is his sense of empathy, which often causes him to hesitate before striking the killing blow—even with demons.
Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto
Sasuke became an orphan when his brother Itachi killed his family. Following the murder of his family, Sasuke started to feel depressed.
Sasuke developed an obsession with retaliation over time. Sasuke kept his rage and fury within him rather than letting it out. Sasuke was talented, well-liked by his peers, and regarded as a prodigy.
Sasuke kept to himself and made it known that he was better than other people despite his position as a cool person.
He was still a bitter guy and did not make the most of his friendship. He was always thinking about getting revenge. This prompted him to leave Konoha, pursue power, and betray his allies.
Here are some other orphan characters from the Anime series:
Conclusion
- Every orphan in the Anime has a different story but one thing remains the same, which is their will to live.
- They never once lost their will to live and they were passionate about whatever objective they had their mind set on.
- The childhood and upbringing of Anime characters have a big impact on their personality. It will determine whether they turn good or evil and their entire future.
- Yuno’s abusive childhood turned her into a psychopath. whereas the humble loving upbringing made Tanjiro a reliable and strong character in demon slayer.
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