The anime world loves to experiment with the aesthetics of its characters in all sorts of ways that set it apart from live-action TV shows or most Western animation. The industry may be mocked for its “anime hair” cliché, but the industry can be more creative than that when it comes to character outfits, hair color, and even eye color.
Many anime characters have unusual eye color that may in some way be symbolic of the character, or at least their eye color may contrast strongly with their personality or role in the story. For example, someone might think that gray eyes would be dull or lifeless, but on the contrary, many animated anime characters have bright gray eyes full of energy and wonder. Who has gray eyes in the anime?
10 Yuki Sohma has deep gray eyes (Fruits Basket)
It is true that the beloved kuudere Yuki Sohma had violet eyes in 2001 Fruit basquet anime, but the 2019 reboot anime brought back his color scheme to fit the original manga, including his eye color. Yuki now has bright gray eyes to match her equally gray hair, and she looks good.
This grayish color represents how Yuki felt lonely and unwanted in isolation; her whole life was wrapped in gray and misery for years until Tohru Honda appeared. Now Yuki is changing his life and his gray eyes are now full of hope.
9 Byakuya Kuchiki has slate gray eyes (bleach)
In some scenes of Bleach anime, it could be easy to mistake Byakuya for a character with black eyes. Still, according to officials Bleach character data, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki actually has slate gray eyes instead. His eyes may seem dull or humorless at times to match that gray color as well.
Byakuya may seem quite gray on the outside, but inside, he’s a caring older brother who was simply conflicted about the law versus protecting his adoptive sister, Rukia. Now Byakuya has embraced the shonen values of family and friendship, and his gray eyes are warmer than ever.
8 Near has gray but sharp eyes (Death Note)
Unlike his dark-eyed mentor L, the boy wonder known as Near has gray eyes to match his rather faded design. Near is notable for having a pale outfit and white hair despite his age. But even if this boy looks dull and gray on the outside, he has a powerful mind that is more than worth challenging Kira.
Near’s dull gray eyes and weak interpersonal skills belie his true brilliance and creative mind, though he may need help executing his plans and getting things done. Near’s eyes may seem insipid at first, but those gray eyes are actually sharp and cunning.
7 Wakana Gojo’s gray eyes match her meek personality (My Dress-Up Darling)
Wakana Gojo is the shonen-style female lead of the charming romantic comedy series. My dear in disguise, and does very little to stand out in terms of their outfits or haircuts. He is content to lay low, but has a secret passion for hina dolls, a hobby he shares with his grandfather Kaoru.
Wakana has gray eyes to match his shy and ordinary personality, and most people who meet him don’t have a great impression of him. The exception is the lively genki girl Marin Kitagawa, who recruited him to help her cosplay. Wakana quickly became her friend, then her love interest as well.
6 Avatar Aang has vivid gray eyes (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
In certain lighting conditions or scenes, Avatar Aang’s eyes appear brown, but are instead primarily gray, which is his default eye color. In fact, eye color in the world of Avatar it is based on elemental bending, such as firebenders who have golden eyes and waterbenders who have intense blue eyes.
As a native of the Air Nomads, Aang has bright gray eyes that are alive with excitement and curiosity, proving that gray isn’t always the boring color that people think it is. The same may be true of other Air Nomads as well, who were often known to be good-natured pranksters, such as Aang’s beloved mentor Monk Gyatso.
5 Allen Walker has silver gray eyes (D.Gray-Man)
Allen Walker is the shonen protagonist of the gothic anime the gray man, where it seems like every day is a spooky Halloween. Allen is an exorcist, a trained agent who can use the supernatural power of innocence to fight the monstrous Akuma and the Noah family. Allen’s innocence first appeared as an oversized arm with clawed fingers.
Allen is notable for his dull color scheme, including his silver-grey eyes and equally gray hair, but not for his dull personality. Allen is a cheerful and caring boy who will risk his life for others, like any shonen hero, and will openly cry if a friend or innocent people are hurt.
4 Ken Kaneki has grayish eyes (Tokyo Ghoul)
Before becoming a one-eyed demon, college student Ken Kaneki had grayish eyes with a hint of brown, a run-of-the-mill eye color for an anime hero. At that time, Ken was a polite but shy boy like Wakana Gojo, who mainly expressed himself through his hobbies.
Ken’s eye color changed slightly as his left eye became the eye of a ghoul, glowing red from hunger. However, Ken tended to keep his left eye hidden under an eyepatch so he could blend in with human society without anything going wrong. Then, only his right gray eye can be seen.
3 Yu Narukami has gray eyes and hair (Persona 4: The Animation)
Both person 4 and person 5 have anime adaptations, and the silent hero of P4Yu Narukami, is known for his gray eyes and hair, as opposed to Akira’s darker hair in P5. In this story, Yu moves to the rustic Japanese town of Inaba, where nothing is what it seems. When the rain and the Midnight Channel coincide, someone is bound to go missing.
It’s up to Yu and his gang of friends to investigate and find the truth about the people who disappear on TVs, and Yu’s sharp gray eyes won’t miss a thing as he and his friends scour Inaba for clues.
two Nezumi has cunning gray eyes (No. 6)
The sci-fi anime short series No. 6, based on the nine-volume manga series of the same name, features two main characters: the innocent and naive Shion and his new friend, the Grey-Eyed Nezumi/Rat. These guys come from very different backgrounds, but they will work together to unravel the secrets of the too-perfect city of No. 6.
Nezumi is a tough and pragmatic young man with gray hair to match his eyes, but while he acts like a complete kuudere at first, he has his compassionate side and becomes Shion’s best friend before long. Soon, they became more than that and found true happiness with each other.
1 Momo Yaoyorozu has glowing gray eyes (My Hero Academia)
Momo Yaoyorozu is easily the smartest student in class 1-A, and she’s also probably the smartest student in UA overall. Momo may come from a wealthy and well-to-do background, but she won’t dare rely on her family’s prestige. Instead, she will try very hard and dedicate her life to becoming a true professional hero.
Momo has bright gray eyes that are often ablaze with her pure passion, and she is ready to share that passion with her classmates as well. She generously tutored several of her classmates before midterms, and is also a sharp-minded and highly cooperative teammate.
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