The world of Japanese anime features a dazzling array of protagonists and heroes of all kinds, ranging from classic shonen heroes to dark antiheroes to heartfelt josei and shojo protagonists, and much more. These various characters can also be categorized based on their personalities, such as brash tsunderes or meek danderes.
Some of these anime protagonists are also very proactive, being the type to accept a quest or embark on a quest of their own volition to move the plot forward. By contrast, other anime protagonists are passive or even indecisive, typically not taking action until things are already happening. In other words, these passive characters wait for the plot to hit them.
10 Saitama doesn’t usually look for monsters (One-Punch Man)
From time to time, Saitama will really become proactive and take the initiative, like when he sought out criminals to fight so he wouldn’t leave the Hero Association altogether. Aside from those exceptions, Saitama is notably passive, given his massive strength and ever-growing reputation.
Saitama is bored with his own strength, so he distracts himself with everyday activities like shopping and watching TV. Usually, it’s the monsters that come to him, like the members of the House of Evolution. Although he does help that Saitama’s proactive ally Genos often invites him to accompany him on missions.
9 Iruma Suzuki goes with the flow (Welcome to demon school, Iruma-Kun!)
Given the choice, isekai hero Iruma Suzuki would rather be a humble background character in someone else’s anime series, but that’s how things turned out. Iruma is the protagonist of his own series, whether we like it or not, and that often leads to problems.
However, Iruma is still a fairly passive character and is happy to keep his head down and stay out of trouble at Babyls School. Usually, it’s his friends and enemies who proactively launch the various story arcs, and Iruma gets dragged into it all.
8 Naoto Hachioji wants no trouble (Don’t play games with me, Mrs. Nagatoro!)
The meek protagonist of Slice of Life, Naoto Hachioji, has an attitude similar to that of Iruma Suzuki. Both boys are good-natured but passive guys who would rather lay low and let someone else take the reins of the story, but Naoto has no choice but to be the lead in this anime.
Naoto is proactive in drawing practice, but otherwise tends to mind his own business. So, it’s up to sadore Hayase Nagatoro to drive the plot and tease Naoto to show his affection for him. He even defended him when the president of the art club brought down the hammer.
7 Hirotaka Nifuji minds his own business (Wotakoi)
Well-dressed kuudere Hirotaka Nifuji is a solo gamer who likes to complete quests on his own, although he can make exceptions and allow his girlfriend, Narumi Momose, and their mutual friends to join him on an MMORPG adventure from time to time. . Still, it’s rare for Hirotaka to be proactive about anything.
Hirotaka is a good employee and an elite player, but he is rarely the one throwing parties or coming up with date ideas. Instead, he tends to follow the lead of others, if he follows the crowd at all. He is just as happy at home alone with his Switch.
6 The dark just follows the party (Konosuba)
Darkness is the armored crusader of isekai hero Kazuma Sato’s group, but she’s not the type to declare war on all unholy enemies and run off to fight them. An ideal crusader would do that, but instead, the peculiar Darkness would rather be trampled on by her enemies during battle, just for fun.
The dark has few goals or ambitions in Konosubahe instead follows Kazuma and Aqua as they try in vain to earn some money and save money from their misadventures. However, Darkness doesn’t care, he just wants to spend quality time with his group. And get trampled.
5 Yumeko Jabami hopes that people will challenge her (Kakegurui)
Yumeko Jabami is a cunning and aggressive player once a game begins, but between stakes, she’s a surprisingly passive heroine, with no particular goal other than finding primary pleasure in the thrill of high stakes. And without a more specific goal, Yumeko can’t be proactive.
this does not ruin kakeguruiThe narrative by any means, however. Yumeko may be passive, but hers is quickly challenged to bets by many rivals and enemies of hers, and Yumeko will always accept in order to have fun. One way or another, the games will begin.
4 Thorfinn Karlsefni does as he is told (Vinland Saga)
Unlike Yumeko Jabami, the fierce Viking adventurer Thorfinn Karlsefni began the story as a fairly passive character who only gets things done because other characters lead the way. Thorfinn joined his father Thors’ expedition to the Faroe Islands, only to see Askeladd kill Thors in cold blood.
Ever since, Thorfinn yearns for revenge, but doesn’t do much about it. Instead, he became Askeladd’s subject and apprentice, and generally did as he was told until Askeladd was killed by Canute. Later in the manga, Thorfinn was passive on Ketil’s farm until he finally became proactive when he decided to build a colony in North America.
3 Izumi Miyamura just lets things happen (Horimiya)
The secretly nervous Izumi Miyamura is much kinder and gentler than his terrifying tattoos and piercings suggest. He may seem like a punk, but in reality he is a generous and caring boy who can get along with anyone, including his girlfriend’s younger brother Kyoko, who adores him.
Izumi works hard to maintain her relationship with Kyoko Hori, but other than that, she tends to go with the flow at school and doesn’t do much to move the plot forward. But that’s fine for a soft and sweet story like Horimiya.
two Chiyo Sakura gets caught up in other people’s antics (Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun)
Chiyo Sakura was deeply disappointed when her crush, Umetaro Nozaki, gently rejected her confession of love, but all is not lost. Nozaki accepted Chiyo as his new manga assistant, and Chiyo is happy to help him make art however she can.
However, Chiyo is not a terribly proactive person and tends to watch what her eccentric classmates are doing, which is a passive role. On the other hand, Chiyo and Nozaki need inspiration for new manga chapters, and seeing their quirky classmates in action is the perfect strategy for that.
1 Mirai Kakehashi rarely does anything (platinum ending)
Mirai Kakehashi is the protagonist of platinum enda series of the same creators of Death Note and bakuman. Mirai, however, is not Light Yagami. While Light actively seeks to punish criminals and create his own kingdom, Mirai seeks to do virtually nothing.
Mirai’s mission statement is to live a normal, happy life and not harm other people, which is definitely among the most passive anime goals of all time. It’s nice that Mirai has teammates and allies like Nanato Mukaido to take the fight to villains like Metropoliman and Girl A.
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