Top 10 Anime RUINED by a SINGLE Character

Ren Yamai

What’s the opposite of a meet-cute? If you answered anything other than Ren Yamai, you’re wrong. From the moment she lays eyes on Komi, she obsessively stalks the poor girl until this rom-com feels more like a cautionary tale. Yamai creeps on Komi, manipulates her relationship with Tadano, and, oh yeah, even full-on kidnaps him at one point. It’s all in the name of love, but that’s no excuse for how often she crosses the line. Especially since she knows Komi’s too nice to reject her. It’s a shame; if it weren’t for Yamai’s consistently creepy behavior, this romance anime might have actually felt romantic.

Hiro

It takes a certain kind of poorly written character to make giant, fighting mechs feel soulless. But, for Hiro, it’s just Tuesday. We’d complain about his personality, but there’s so little to him, he’s basically just a walking self-insert. And not in a good way. The show revolves around Hiro and his relationship to Zero Two, and yet, “Darling in the Franxx” can’t seem to find any way to make him interesting, memorable, or entertaining in the slightest. Now, to be fair, “Darling in the Franxx” has plenty of other, glaring issues. But, a lot of them could’ve been forgiven if its protagonist actually acted like one.

Meicoomon

Given its name, you probably expected this film series to be about the main cast of “Digimon Adventure,” right? Well, they are there. But, instead of diving deep into their adult lives, “Tri” spends most of its runtime on this annoying furball. Meicoomon eats up screen time like it's her job, and even worse, she isn’t even fun to watch. On the contrary, each passing digivolution makes her less of a character and more of a walking plot device. From there, the whole story hinges on how invested you are in Meicoomon’s fate. But, it’s hard to care about her when she single handedly takes the “Adventure” out of “Digimon.”

Aiger Akabane

After two years following Valt’s exploits in the ring, “Beyblade Burst” let it rip on a new protagonist for season three. And, well, he’s certainly something. To put it nicely, Aiger is pretty much the opposite of your classic humble, likable hero. In fact, at times, the things he says to his friends are downright villainous. His ego might’ve been excused if he’d actually struggled to earn his skill. But, instead of enduring any kind of adversity, “Burst Turbo” insists on giving him a shoe-horned victory in just about every episode. He never learns, he never grows, and he never comes close to living up to Valt.

Excalibur

The most powerful weapon in this series is a sentient blade that breaks out into song. We aren’t kidding. Even though it sounds like a bad joke, Excalibur is anything but funny. That’s not from a lack of trying, though. From his very first introduction, it’s clear that Excalibur’s routine is supposed to be charming. However, something got seriously lost in translation, because his childish attitude is nothing other than irritating. And don’t even get us started on his horrible, ear-bleeding songs. Combined with an obnoxious personality and a ton of unearned confidence, the only thing Excalibur does is leave you reaching for the mute button.

Near

No one could ever truly replace a character as beloved and enigmatic as L. But, surely they could have found someone better than Near. Despite being introduced as L’s never-before-mentioned protegee, Near doesn’t have any of his master’s screen presence. Actually, he lacks any kind of personal identity, at all. Really, he’s just L, but without the brilliant plans or chemistry with Light. Near’s dull personality is a major wet blanket on the second half of “Death Note,” and plays a major role in why many find the ending unsatisfying. He isn’t a sequel, he’s a cheap knockoff; one that the show would have been better off without.

Mika Shimotsuki

There’s being a suck-up, there’s being a zealot, and then, there’s Mika Sumotsuki. She’s a MWPSB Inspector who follows the book to a tee, even though it comes at the cost of any kind of redeeming qualities. See, Mika’s a petty, hypocritical snitch who bends rules when it suits her, but condemns others for doing the same. And, funnily enough, she’s supposed to be a foil to best-girl, Akane. You can probably guess how well that went over. While Mika does get slightly more tolerable in season three, her increased role in the second installment is a very hard pill to swallow. Remind us why we couldn’t stay with Akane, again?

Yukiteru “Yuki” Amano

If we’re being honest, Yuki Amano isn’t an offensive character. He isn’t overly annoying, unlikeable, or anything like that. He’s just painfully apathetic, and somehow, that’s so much worse. Yuki stumbles on a diary that can literally tell the future, and he still refuses to do a damn thing about it. Even when it gets people around him hurt. Keep in mind, he’s “Future Diary’s” protagonist. It’s hard to stay engaged with a show when its lead has absolutely no agency. It’s particularly maddening because a battle royale between future-tellers is an awesome premise. But, Yuki’s hair-pulling indifference squanders “Future Diary’s” potential before it even gets a chance.

Tracey

After nearly a hundred episodes with the same crew, it’s only natural Ash and Misty wanted some fresh blood on their adventure. So, they dropped Brock like a stone and replaced him with Tracey; a character who’s virtually identical, just without the charm. Really, Tracey’s only purpose is to hang around and spout off Pokemon facts like a plot-reliant Pokedex. He has none of Brock’s endearing quirks. Or, really, any quirks overall. He’s a nothing character that makes the entire Orange Island saga a total slog to go through. Let’s just say Tracey ended up having the shortest tenure of any of Ash’s companions, and that’s no coincidence.

Julieta Julis

It’s not everyday a single character tanks a show. Then again, not every anime has Julieta Julis. She may act all high and mighty, but anyone who’s seen her in combat knows she hasn’t earned a single victory in her whole life. On the contrary, Julieta screws up just about every operation she’s a part of, occasionally putting her allies’ lives at risk. To make matters worse, she’s one of the few characters who rides off into the sunset at the end of the season. It’s not some introspective commentary, either, it’s just aggravating writing. “Iron-Blooded Orphans” is far from perfect, but if it didn’t have Julieta’s insufferable behavior, it’d be a whole lot closer.


Which character made you turn off an anime? Let us know in the comments below!