The main character is the most important person in any anime. They drive the story and often act as a vehicle for the audience to learn about the world. Although there are many tropes surrounding anime protagonists, especially Shonen ones, most of the main characters are incredibly unique and relatable.
However, not all the protagonists are likeable. While some series like Death Note they have unsavory leads on purpose, the leads of other series are meant to engage with the audience, but fail hugely in doing so. Poorly written leads don’t always ruin a series, but that’s only because they’re surrounded by much more interesting characters.
10 Shinji is too real (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Shinji is actually an incredibly well-written character, but unfortunately for him, that’s exactly why people hate him. He doesn’t fall into the same category as other male leads, and for audiences who go to anime to escape the real world, he doesn’t really appreciate when an anime character has real world problems. For many, he is an annoying coward and because of that he almost ruined his series.
9 Kirito is a blank slate (Sword Art Online)
While the audience should see themselves in their favorite anime characters, no one likes it when a character lacks personality. Kirito is good at everything without trying hard and is often surrounded by beautiful women even though he lacks personality. There were opportunities for him to grow as a character, but these were generally ignored or abandoned by the creator after a few episodes. For fans who want his characters to grow as people, Kirito is incredibly frustrating.
8 Makoto has the personality of a rock (School Days)
While it can be interesting when the leads are bad people, it’s not so great when a character is a bad person but still has no personality. To many, Makoto is a self-absorbed jerk who only seems to care about being with every girl in a ten mile radius.
The show isn’t exactly touchy-feely and her character is most likely destined to be hated, but even terrible people should have some redeeming qualities. Without any positive personality traits, the whole story just doesn’t make any sense. In the real world, most women run away from men who treat them badly, but school days would make you believe that they are okay with being mistreated.
7 Yukiteru always chooses the wrong path (Future Diary)
Like Shinji, Yukiteru is a character with a very realistic narrative arc. He is not a hero, he is just a kid who has been given too much responsibility. However, having a relatable character like him can be frustrating when they don’t make smart decisions. The show is less enjoyable as a whole because Yukiteru often ignores more rational options when presented to him. It’s not necessarily a bad thing when a character doesn’t have heroic traits, but his choices should still make sense.
6 Meliodas attacks women (Seven Deadly Sins)
Anime fans have grown incredibly tired of the kinky trope, and when it’s the main character, fans like the series even less. It’s hard to animate a character when he’s constantly groping the women around him. The worst part is that he has never been punished for it. While his tendency to sexually assault women hasn’t ruined the story for many fans, others found his antics completely unbearable and left the series because of it.
5 It shouldn’t always be about Naruto (Naruto)
As one of the most beloved characters in anime, it’s hard to believe that Naruto nearly ruined his own series. His personality can be irritating, but to some he is a genuinely well-developed character. However, towards the end of Shippuden Naruto felt less like an underdog who had to work hard to be strong and more like a god.
Suddenly he was good at everything and the only one capable of winning the war. For fans who loved seeing the other characters contribute to the story, it was incredibly frustrating for them to take a backseat to Naruto. He may be the main character, but the story wasn’t always just about him.
4 Shirayuki’s hair is the only thing special about her (Snow White with red hair)
snow white with red hair is loved by many fans, but compared to other anime in the same genre, the series is definitely missing something, mainly due to the main character. Shirayuki is very generic in her characterization and doesn’t see much development throughout the series. If the only thing that makes her unique is the color of her hair, then fans don’t have much reason to watch.
3 Tatsumi is forgettable (Akame ga Kill!)
Tatsumi is another example of a boring insert character. Although the anime omits many of his achievements from his manga, they don’t really make much of a difference to his character. For the most part, he is unintelligent and useless, which detracts from the story. While he’s not the world’s worst leading man, the fact that he’s so easy to forget makes it hard to enjoy the series.
two Natsu is a generic Shonen archetype (Fairy Tail)
Fans often discuss whether it is Natsu or Lucy who is the main character. While they both have the energy of the main character, Natsu definitely plays a more prominent role in the story. The downside to that is that she doesn’t have much character development. Not to mention, her character falls into a lot of Shonen stereotypes that most fans have grown tired of. While her character can be funny, she’s also incredibly generic and boring. The fact that he is surrounded by so many good characters is probably why fans stuck with the series.
1 Ichika is incredibly simple (Infinite Stratos)
A common problem with harem anime is that the main character is often incredibly simple. Ichika is no different, as she seems to attract girls without doing anything to warrant getting so much attention. She also doesn’t help that all the girls have extreme personalities, so her simplicity tends to stick out. Infinite Stratos it’s fun, especially for those who enjoy mecha anime, but getting used to such a boring protagonist is definitely quite a task.
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