10 of the best anime characters with black hair (2024)

Anime characters with black hair are ubiquitous; it is a natural color, after all. However, some of them are bound to be more interesting or famous than others. The only requirement for this list is that the characters have to possess black hair (any shade will do).

The cream always rises to the top eventually, and it's the same when it comes to these characters. They aren't just some of the best anime characters with black hair; some of them are just flat-out some of the best characters in general. Their stories have impacted anime fans worldwide in one way or another.

10 anime characters with black hair, including characters from Bleach, Maid Sama!, and more

10) Misaki Ayuzawa (Maid Sama!)

Some TV shows might not be the most popular, yet they still have lovable characters. Misaki Ayuzawa is a perfect example, as she's a fiery tsundere who hates men while also being among the best students in her school. She's ultimately a unique character who makes up most of the show's runtime, alongside Takumi Usui.

Maid Sama! is just a cute show that wouldn't really work with any other character in Misaki's place.

9) Shota Aizawa (My Hero Academia)

Whether it's Aizawa's lazy vibe that is easy to relate to or his intense dedication to his students, it's clear that he's a character that fans can easily love. Some fans of this series will also know him as Eraser Head, as his Quirk effectively allows him to "erase" other people's Quirks.

Cool ability aside, he's definitely one of the more interesting characters in the series, especially since many of them seem flat by comparison.

8) Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach)

It's incredibly disappointing that Ichigo didn't end up with Rukia, considering how perfect their chemistry was with each other. Nonetheless, Rukia is a shinigami with black hair and is one of Bleach's most important characters. She kickstarts Ichigo's journey; however, what makes her a good character isn't just tied to her importance in that regard.

She's just a genuinely fun character who can be silly when need be while also acting seriously whenever necessary to advance the plot. Her fascination with bunnies is also pretty cute.

7) Tobio Kageyama (Haikyuu!!)

A manga series about volleyball is surprisingly fun, even to somebody with no interest in the sport. One of the most notable characters in it is Tobio Kageyama. He has black hair and is the main setter for Karasuno High. He's also known for being ridiculously good in volleyball.

Like many other rival anime characters with black hair, Kageyama starts off as a jerk before becoming an ally of the protagonist. In this case, he's a lot friendlier than some of the upcoming characters on this list that are also a part of this archetype.

6) Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)

Attack on Titan is one of the most notable modern anime, so it's one that readers so already be familiar with. Out of all the show's characters, Mikasa is up there with Eren Yeager for being the most recognizable. She's a deuteragonist known for being a strong female character, which is surprisingly rare for a Shōnen manga, and also kills Eren, the main protagonist, by the end of the series.

On a minor note, people who don't watch the series might also know that she has abs, a feature seldom seen in female anime characters.

5) Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

This part of the article will start to cover some of the most well-known anime characters with black hair that even casuals should know. Characters like Sasuke aren't listed here just because their series are popular but because of their iconic personalities and legacies.

He's not necessarily the most popular character in the entire series, but he's unquestionably up there with Naruto in terms of how instantly identifiable they are. He has several similar characteristics to Hiei, which is unsurprising since the creator of Naruto admitted that he used Hiei as a reference for creating Sasuke.

Sasuke is a good fighter who undergoes a heel turn before becoming a good person by the end of the series throughout several memorable arcs.

4) Hiei (YuYu Hakusho)

90s anime fans will likely remember YuYu Hakusho. Although modern fans might not remember it as much, it's an influential anime that has inspired other hit series such as Naruto. The most popular character in YuYu Hakusho is Hiei, who is one of the earliest examples of an edgy anti-hero with black hair.

Despite his small size, he's one of the series' most ferocious fighters and quickly established himself as the coolest character in the show.

3) Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

No manga has sold more copies than One Piece. The main protagonist of that series is the lovable Monkey D. Luffy, an aspiring Pirate King with a unique devil fruit that gives him the powers of the Sun God Nika. Casual fans should know that he's basically able to be extremely elastic and flexible.

He is one of the most popular anime characters of all time in what's one of the most popular shows of all time. Not including him on a list like this one would be a disservice to his legacy.

2) Vegeta (Dragon Ball series)

Popular anti-hero anime characters aren't a new concept, but Vegeta is one of the first examples of that trope. He was initially a villain who fought Goku before becoming one of Goku's allies. Unlike other "good" characters like Krillin and Piccolo, Vegeta has always been edgier and more arrogant, making him far more interesting than his contemporaries.

Goku is the classic goody-two-shoes that some viewers might not relate to, leading them to often cheer for Vegeta instead. If one is thinking of anime characters with black hair, there is a solid chance that they're thinking about Vegeta.

1) Goku (Dragon Ball series)

It might seem like cheating to include two characters from the same series, but their level of fame far eclipses all of the previous characters. Both characters have black hair and are arguably two of the most iconic anime characters of all time. There is a strong case to be made that Goku is the most recognizable anime character of all time, black hair or not.

He is the main protagonist of a series that has inspired countless other anime after it. Even western casual fans will likely know who he is, and his legacy spans several decades and doesn't appear to be stopping any time soon.

Goku represents all of the stereotypical Shōnen hero traits, yet he does so in an endearing way. Not to mention, fans of action sequences will love how great of a fighter he is, which isn't a shock, considering that the Dragon Ball series dwarves 99% of anime when it comes to combat sequences.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

';if (selectedOption || shouldConcludePoll) {var widthPercentage = optionPercentages[index] < 5 && optionPercentages[index] != 0 ? 5 : optionPercentages[index];if (selectedOption === option) {if (widthPercentage > 97) {pollOptionsDom += '';} else {pollOptionsDom += '';}} else {if (widthPercentage > 97) {pollOptionsDom += '';} else {pollOptionsDom += '';}}}pollOptionsDom += '

' + pollData[option] + '

';if (selectedOption || shouldConcludePoll) {pollOptionsDom += '

' + Math.round(optionPercentages[index]) + '%

';}pollOptionsDom += '

"modalPopup.closeOnEsc = false;modalPopup.setHeader("Why did you not like this content?");modalPopup.setContentText(modalText);modalPopup.addCancelOkButton("Submit", resetRatingAndFeedbackForm, sendRating);modalPopup.removeCloseModalIcon();modalPopup.disableDismissPopup();modalPopup.open();} else {sendRating(index);}}function sendRating() {var requestPayload = {"post_id": 1148871,"rating_value": ratingValue}if (ratingValue > 3) {requestPayload.rating_feedback_type = null;requestPayload.rating_feedback = null;} else {if (!$('input[name="drone"]:checked') || !$('input[name="drone"]:checked').value) {showErrorMessage('option');return;}if (!$(".post-rating-feedback-note textarea") || !$(".post-rating-feedback-note textarea").value) {showErrorMessage('note');return;}var selectedOption = $('input[name="drone"]:checked').value;var feedbackNote = $(".post-rating-feedback-note textarea").value;requestPayload.rating_feedback_type = selectedOption;requestPayload.rating_feedback = feedbackNote;}pureJSAjaxPost(addratingAPI, requestPayload, onsaveRatingSuccess, onsaveRatingFail, function() {}, true);}function resetRatingAndFeedbackForm() {var activeStars = Array.from($all('.rating span.rating-star.active'));for (var i=0; i < activeStars.length; i++) {activeStars[i].classList.remove("active");}if ($('input[name="drone"]:checked')) {$('input[name="drone"]:checked').checked = false;}var userNote = document.querySelector(".post-rating-feedback-note textarea");userNote.value = '';modalPopup.close();}function onsaveRatingSuccess() {modalPopup.close();savePostIdInUserRatedPostsCookie();$("#post-rating-layout").classList.add("hidden");$("#post-rating-message").classList.remove("hidden");window.setInterval(function showMessage() {$("#post-rating-widget").classList.add("hidden");}, 3000);}function onsaveRatingFail() {console.error('Saving post rating failed!');modalPopup.close();}function savePostIdInUserRatedPostsCookie() {userRatedPostIds.push(1148871);var expiryTime = new Date();expiryTime.setMonth(expiryTime.getMonth() + 12); // Expiry after 1 yearsetCookie("user_rated_post_ids", JSON.stringify(userRatedPostIds), expiryTime);}function isPostRatedByUser() {var userRatedPostIds = getCookie('user_rated_post_ids');if (userRatedPostIds) {try {userRatedPostIds = JSON.parse(userRatedPostIds);} catch (err) {console.error(err);return false;}} else {return false;}if(userRatedPostIds.indexOf(1148871) >= 0) {return true;} else {return false;}}function getRatingCountByPostId(postId) {return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {pureJSAjaxGet(getRatingCountBaseURL + postId + '/rating/count',function(data) {try {data = JSON.parse(data);if (data.meta_value) {resolve(data.meta_value);}reject("Failed to fetch rating count for the post:" + postId);} catch (err) {reject("Failed to fetch rating count for the post:" + postId);}},function(err) {reject("Failed to fetch rating count for the post:" + postId);}, true);});}function showErrorMessage(messageType) {var messageContainerId = '#' + messageType + '-error';$(messageContainerId).classList.remove('hidden');window.setInterval(function () {$(messageContainerId).classList.add("hidden");}, 5000);}(function() {var callFired = false;function lazyLoadPostRating() {if (callFired) return;callFired = true;if (!isPostRatedByUser()) {getRatingCountByPostId(1148871).then(function(ratingCount) {if (ratingCount < 10) {$("#post-rating-widget").classList.remove("hidden");}}).catch(function(err){console.error(err);});}}document.addEventListener("scroll", lazyLoadPostRating, { passive: true, once: true });document.addEventListener("mousemove", lazyLoadPostRating, { passive: true, once: true });document.addEventListener("touchmove", lazyLoadPostRating, { passive: true, once: true });})();