In the vast world of anime, viewers come across a wide range of characters, which can hold the audience’s attention for a number of different reasons. Some stand out thanks to their personality, some for their unique powers and skills, some for their backstories, and others, for their character development throughout a story. Whatever the case may be, for some reason, all anime lovers would agree that white-haired characters are oftentimes among the most beloved in fandom spaces.
It’s an interesting phenomenon yet to be explained, but when a white-haired anime character is introduced in a manga or anime series, the likelihood of them being badass is quite high. In some cases, white hair can symbolize trauma or psychological changes, as it’s not uncommon for a character’s hair to change color after facing significant distress. This is known as the Marie Antoinette Syndrome and exists in the real world just as it does in anime — although in real life, the change happens over time, not all at once. Of course, this isn’t the case with all white-haired characters; some of them are just born with it, as a cool feature most viewers appreciate.
One of the unspoken rules of anime is: if a character has an unusual hair color, they’re bound to be important to the story in some way. Sure, black, blond, and brown hair can be just as nice, but in a medium already so detached from reality, it can be fun to switch things up and make good use of color to tell a story. Blue and red are some of the most prominent unnatural hair colors, but white is also a popular choice. Hence, here we list a few of the best white-haired anime characters, in no particular order.
Near (Death Note)
Near might not be as beloved as his predecessor, L, but in the white-haired characters department, he has to be one of the most popular. Much like L, Near grew up in Watari’s orphanage and shares his quirky behavior, terrible posture, as well as a genius-level intellect. From a very young age, Near is appointed as one of L’s two possible successors, ultimately taking over the Kira case investigation, following L’s death and Mello’s refusal to work as a duo. While many Death Note fans have trouble accepting Near as L’s replacement, at the end of the day, he actually manages to surpass his predecessor, finally taking Light Yagami down.
Tengen Uzui (Demon Slayer)
Tengen Uzui is clearly a very strong character, which certainly helps make him popular among Demon Slayer fans, but his flashy personality is what makes him great. Tengen’s cocky attitude and enthusiasm are often played for laughs, and anyone is bound to have a good time watching him on screen. Underneath all that, however, Tengen has proven to care about others and to have regrets about all the lives he has lost. Nevertheless, he soldiers on, protecting those he can.
Yamato (One Piece)
Ambitious, curious, and very cheerful, Yamato is a fan favorite in the One Piece fandom, best defined by his profound admiration for Kozuki Oden, which leads him to take over the pirate’s identity following his death. This includes emulating Oden’s mannerisms, using his name, and proclaiming himself as a man, despite being assigned female at birth. Above all else, though, this character wishes to fulfil Oden’s goal of opening up the borders of Wano Country and to live up to his idol’s moral code. He is unafraid of going up against his own father and his crew, and putting his life on the line for those he cares about.
Garou (One Punch Man)
A self-proclaimed Hero Hunter, Garou starts out as a disciple of Bang, but later goes on a rampage to destroy the Hero Association, taking out all the heroes who oppose him. With expertise in martial arts and immense power granted to him by God, Garou becomes Saitama’s greatest foe in One Punch Man, forcing the overpowered protagonist to put actual effort into what is easily the most epic battle in the story thus far.
Ultimately, Garou helps Saitama to grow exponentially in power, leading to the hero’s greatest move yet, the Zero Punch, which introduces time travel to the One Punch Man universe. Despite being an antagonist, it’s easy to sympathize with Garou. As a child, his classmates enjoyed deeming him a monster or villain in order to play heroes, which led Garou to start seeing himself as one. Even as a vengeful adult, though, Garou can feel empathy, showing a soft spot for and risking his life to protect a child.
Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
Although Ken Kaneki’s hair was originally black, not white, his appearance is drastically changed after being tortured by Yamori, which allows him to qualify for this list. Starting out as a regular human, Kaneki lived a peaceful life, until the day he was attacked by Rize, and later had one of her organs transplanted into him. From then on, the protagonist had to learn how to live as a one-eyed half-ghoul, and over time, his reserved and selfless personality changed, as he embraced the ghoul part of his identity. Over the course of the story, Ken’s psychological state also suffers interesting — although disconcerting — alterations, which make him a fascinating character to watch in Tokyo Ghoul.
Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia)
Shoto Todoroki is a special case in terms of hair color, which is white on his right side, and red on his left — a perfect reflection of his quirk, Half-Cold-Half-Hot. Over the course of My Hero Academia, Shoto has great character development, which is perhaps what makes him one of the fan favorites in the series. Cold and self-resilient in the beginning, he was determined to become a hero without unleashing his full potential, rejecting the fire ability passed down from his father. Despite all the abuse he endured as a child, over time, Shoto comes to realize that his quirk is his own, and he must use it to his advantage. In doing so, this character starts to come out of his shell, much to the delight of viewers.
Tõshirõ Hitsugaya (Bleach)
Bleach has its fair share of white-haired characters, but among them, Tõshirõ Hitsugaya stands out. He is mature for his age, highly intelligent, and an incredibly skilled Soul Reaper, to the point of becoming the youngest Reaper to achieve captain status in the Gotei 13. During combat, this character often showcases his swordsmanship and immense spiritual power, but by far his best attribute is his proficiency as a tactician and strategist. All of this contributes to making Tõshirõ one of the most popular characters in the Bleach series and earns him a place on this list.
Satoru Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)
In recent years, Satoru Gojo has established himself as one of the most popular white-haired characters in anime, and as a fan favorite in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. Despite being a teacher at Jujutsu High, and therefore older than all of the other main characters, Satoru keeps the audience’s attention with his jovial and easygoing personality. Most consider that he’s an immature character, constantly joking around with his students, however, Satoru seems to recognize when the situation calls for a more serious approach.
While his personality goes a long way to make Satoru a fan favorite, that’s not his only attribute. Being in the Special Grade rank, he is recognized as the strongest jujutsu sorcerer in the world, holding an insane amount of cursed energy. Power alone doesn’t make you the best, though, and thankfully, Satoru has the technique and attitude to match.
Inuyasha (Inuyasha)
Inuyasha is easily one of the most iconic white-haired characters of all time. Born to a powerful demon father and human mother, Inuyasha grew up being despised by his older brother, Sesshoumaru, and rejected by both human and demon communities. Nevertheless, this half-blood goes on to become one of the most powerful characters in the series, aided by the Tessaiga, the demonic sword passed down from his father, and of course, his own demon powers. Fierce and impulsive are Inuyasha’s most obvious personality traits, however, it’s his comedic antics that delight viewers the most.
Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)
Killua Zoldyck is undoubtedly one of the best characters in Hunter x Hunter, to the point where he oftentimes overshadows the protagonist, Gon Freecss. Ruthless and trained to be an assassin from a young age, Killua is the direct opposite of Gon, who grew up free of worries and seeing the best in others. Nonetheless, the two quickly become friends upon meeting and set off on a journey together.
In combat, Killua is quick, silent, and outright deadly, making use of his assassin skills, intelligence, and Nen ability to defeat any opponent that crosses his path. Underneath it all, however, Killua is only a child, who wishes for connection and light in his life. Despite growing up in a dysfunctional (to say the least) environment, Killua deeply cares about his friends and sister, Alluka, proving he’s more than the killing machine his family intended to create.
