10 Anime Characters Who Should Have Starred in Completely Different Genres

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Honestly, for me, the characters *make* an anime, no matter what! They’re the heart of everything, and if they’re compelling or just fun to watch, they can totally elevate even a predictable story. I always find myself getting really invested when the cast is strong. And, let’s be real, there’s *always* that one character who just shines brighter than the rest – someone you can’t help but gravitate towards!

Anime characters often fall into a few categories: they’re beloved by fans, like Gojo Satoru from *Jujutsu Kaisen*, intensely disliked, such as Shou Tucker from *Fullmetal Alchemist*, or they just seem out of place within their own series. Sometimes, a character’s personality or traits are so unique they feel like they belong in a completely different type of show.

May Chang Deserved to Thrive as a Magical Girl

May Chang is a sweet and surprisingly resourceful young girl featured in the dark fantasy series . Despite her youth and innocence, she’s a highly skilled alchemist and remarkably capable. She handles the harsh realities of the alchemical world with a maturity beyond her years.

Even though May acts quite mature at times, she remains the most naive and childlike character in the anime, with the exception of Maes Hughes’ daughter. Her personality would have fit better in a more cheerful magical girl show where her intelligence and skills could really shine. Ultimately, she’s found a good place among characters with similar personalities, and she even has an adorable animal companion.

Shippo Could Have Been a Hero in a Magical Slice-of-Life Anime

In Rumiko Takahashi’s fantasy series, *InuYasha*, Shippo is a playful young fox demon and the first to join Kagome and InuYasha on their journey. Though he’s small and clever, and often acts like a little brother to InuYasha, Shippo doesn’t frequently play a crucial role in the group’s adventures.

Shippo definitely develops as a character throughout the series, but he’s often portrayed as timid and mainly serves to provide humor. He’s a great fit for the show’s lighter, more relaxed scenes, but he doesn’t really shine when the action gets intense. If the anime focused more on everyday life with less dangerous villains, Shippo would likely play a much bigger and more impactful role.

Orochimaru Would Have Been the Best Dark Sci-Fi Villain

Orochimaru was a key villain in *Naruto*, and many fans consider him the most disturbing character in the series. He was obsessed with Sasuke and conducted dangerous experiments on people – including himself – to try and live longer. He managed to do this by learning how to transfer his consciousness into other bodies, effectively being reborn in their corpses, through a combination of forbidden techniques and scientific knowledge.

Orochimaru was a powerful and gifted ninja, known as one of the legendary Sanin, but he was also one of the most unsettling characters in *Naruto*. While a strong villain in the original series, he’d be perfect as the antagonist in a darker, sci-fi anime exploring the limits of the human body and the dangers of trying to control life itself.

Isaac & Miria Would Be Better Off in Their Own Spin-Off Comedy

Isaac and Miria are a hilarious pair in this historical anime. The story revolves around murder, mystery, powerful mobsters, and a quest for eternal life through a magical potion called “The Grand Panacea.” They work perfectly together, providing much of the show’s comedy and having great chemistry as characters.

Isaac and Miria have great chemistry and are fun to watch, but their playful, “Bonnie and Clyde” dynamic doesn’t quite fit the serious tone of *Baccano!*. While other characters embrace familiar tropes, the story feels too intense for their over-the-top personalities. They would be a better fit for a lighter anime, perhaps a comedy, where those kinds of clichés could be used to humorous effect.

Kamado Ueshita Just Looks as Though She Doesn’t Belong in Future Diary

Kamado Ueshita, who goes by the name Eight, is a key character in the anime *Future Diary*, a survival game series. While most characters are focused on killing to survive, Eight appears peaceful, which makes her stand out. Her gentle nature is a stark contrast to the other, more aggressive characters in the show.

Kamado’s character design feels strangely childlike. While intended to be an older, fuller-figured woman, her proportions are more like those of a cartoon mascot than a realistic person. This makes her seem out of place in the anime’s overall style.

Sypha Could be a Great Mentor in a Magical Academy Anime

Sypha is arguably the most genuinely kind character in Netflix’s *Castlevania*, which is notable considering how often everyone in the show resorts to violence. While she’s incredibly powerful and can fight as fiercely as anyone, Sypha remains optimistic and cheerful even in a dark and dangerous world.

Most of the characters are gloomy and tend to expect the worst, but Sypha still believes the world can improve. She’s incredibly knowledgeable and intelligent, and could easily lead a new age of magic. An anime series focusing on her teaching the next generation how to use magic to build a better world would be a great fit for her character.

Ren Yamai Needs to be a Villain in a Psychological Drama

Ren Yamai is a character who appears throughout the 2021 anime *Komi Can’t Communicate*. She initially seems like a typical, somewhat superficial high school student concerned with appearances and popularity, which might lead you to believe she’d be a rival to the main character, Komi, as Komi tries to overcome her social anxiety. However, Yamai quickly proves to be much more complex and surprising than viewers first expect—and for some very interesting reasons.

Yamai isn’t just a typical antagonist; she’s a ‘yandere’ – intensely and disturbingly obsessed with Komi. Instead of seeing Komi as a person, she constantly views her as a sexual object. This obsessive, stalker-like behavior feels more fitting for a tense psychological thriller like *Perfect Blue* than a standard school drama.

Kashima Perfectly Complements the Plot of a Sci-Fi Horror Anime

Kashima is a particularly disturbing villain in *Sakamoto Days*. From the moment he appeared, it was clear he wasn’t a typical human. He’s been so heavily modified with cybernetics that he’s barely human anymore, and can’t be defeated by conventional methods.

Kashima is built more like a robot than a person, with space inside his chest for missiles and weapons cleverly hidden in arms that can detach. While the other characters all have unique traits, they still look convincingly human. Kashima, however, feels like something from a science fiction horror film, largely due to his disturbing, almost corpse-like look.

Tenten Would be a Star in an Action Anime That Focuses on Combative Skill

Tenten, a member of Team Guy in *Naruto*, is frequently considered one of the series’ weakest characters. While she’s highly skilled with ninja weapons, that’s often all she’s known for. Although she’s a very capable fighter compared to the average person, her abilities don’t stand out in a world where others can perform incredible, almost unbelievable feats.

Compared to other ninja her age, Tenten doesn’t stand out. While Rock Lee compensates for his lack of traditional ninja skills with incredible hand-to-hand combat, Tenten hasn’t been given the opportunity to develop beyond being proficient with weapons – a skill many others already possess. In a more realistic anime setting, she’d blend in with the background.

Nunnally is Too Purehearted to be Stuck in Code Geass’ Cruel World

Nunnally is essential to the story of *Code Geass*, as she’s the primary motivation for the main character, Lelouch, to keep fighting. This makes her a hugely important character, especially as the anime progresses. However, her generally cheerful and optimistic nature feels a bit out of place given the show’s often dark and complicated themes – she almost seems like she’d fit better in a more upbeat series.

Nunnally is a remarkably kind, optimistic, and pure-hearted character. Along with Euphemia, she embodies the goodness and innocence that drives Lelouch’s actions throughout *Code Geass*. While the spin-off manga, *Nightmare of Nunnally*, gives her character more complexity, in the main series, she often feels a bit simplistic and lacks depth.

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2025-10-07 01:56