20+ Anime Characters With The Best Development

At the start ofThe Ancient Magus' Bride.Chise falls into deep depression with no other options. She sells herself in a slave auction, unconcerned about how the buyer treats her. A mage named Elias takes her in, wanting her for her Sleigh Beggy look but eventually caring for her as a person.

Chise builds a bond with Elias and new friends who support her growth. She gains confidence in her magic and accepts her human worth. Chise develops her own morals, which sometimes clash with Elias's. She finds her place to disagree and defy him when needed. Chise also learns to discuss issues and reach mutual understanding with him.

Chise's emotional growth forms the core of The Ancient Magus' Bride, set against Celtic mythology and lush scenery.The Ancient Magus' Bride.

Vegeta is a top anime character in any genre because of his character development over the course of Dragon Ball Z.Dragon Ball ZVegeta undergoes a major change. He starts as an angry, selfish villain who kills anyone who annoys him, including allies. Vegeta feels only anger and smug satisfaction, showing no emotion.

Things shift as Vegeta spends time with the Z-Fighters. Vegeta forms real bonds, including a romantic relationship with Bulma and a respectful friendship with Goku. He fathers two children he deeply cares for. Vegeta shares emotional vulnerability, talking about how losing his race and enduring childhood abuse from Frieza affected him.

The man Vegeta becomes was better than the man he started as could ever grasp; the former self would have killed the latter.

The homunculus Greed enters the world to serve Father, an extremely powerful being who sees himself as a god. Greed embodies the deadly sin it is named for; it wants everything—money, power—and acts without regard for others. Greed takes over Ling's body without considering Ling as an individual.

As Greed and Ling get to know each other, Greed starts caring about things beyond its own wants. This is against its nature. Greed cares for Ling so much it allows itself to be absorbed and killed to save Ling from death. Greed moves from selfish subservience to self-sacrifice.

Light Yagami shows an unsettling picture of one person's decline, despite his moral regression.

At the start ofDeath NoteLight drifts through life as a bored high school student with few challenges or interests. Receiving the Death Note, a magical item that kills any name written in it, makes him wildly altruistic. He wants to take down criminals so good people can live in peace. This causes ethical problems, but Light acts according to some morality at first.

As the series moves forward, Light cares less about his justice vision and more about avoiding capture. He sees himself as an all-powerful god, making him so.Death NoteDeath Note is a classic tragedy centered aroundHubrisLight shows excessive pride that leads to a downfall. Light's methods for evading capture become surprisingly depraved, finishing his long journey. This change may not inspire, but it is a compelling transformation.

Viewers meet Yona, a pampered princess from a wealthy kingdom. This princess does not realize her Kingdom of Koka is not as peaceful as her palace view suggests. When her cousin suddenly kills her father, her life is threatened, forcing her to flee.

Learning about life outside the palace, Yona finds the mass injustice her people face while losing her lavish lifestyle. At first, she struggles without the luxuries she knew. Eventually, she gathers herself and works to fix the corruption, poverty, and other problems plaguing her kingdom. She changes from a spoiled child to an altruistic, effective leader determined to reform institutions harming her citizens.

When introduced, Gaara is one of the main villains inThe Chunin ExamsArc. Because of his tragic past, Gaara focused only on himself and vowed to kill anyone stronger. After Naruto defeats him, he gains a new view and tries Naruto's thinking. By the end, he becomes compassionate, willing to help others. He becomes Suna's Kazekage and earns the village's love and respect.

Kenshin Himura was originallyTheBattosai, a skilled assassin who took many lives. Kenshin first acted to bring peace, but he learned his actions caused more chaos and pain.

Kenshin chose a peaceful existence. He traded his sharp sword for the reverse-bladed Sakabato, which causes little fatal harm. Though he fights when necessary, Kenshin learns to talk through conflicts and resolve them peacefully, showing his shift from warrior to pacifist.

Decim, a mannequin, starts the series without human emotion. This lets him act as an Arbiter, deciding if human souls deserve death or rebirth. He gathers data by watching humans react to painful games beyond normal tolerance.

Knowing Chiyuki, a human who helps him, Decim learns how humans work. He sees making someone suffer does not reveal their soul. His torture fails to show their character. This changes Decim's job but expands his own feelings.

Meruem, who killed and ate a child's brain, becomes a sympathetic villain. Viewers cried during his death scene because of his believable character change. He shifts from a ruthless king ignoring others to someone who questions his killings. Komugi helps him see his human side.

Cowboy BebopFaye Valentine shows great character growth, so a protagonist fits here. Faye Valentine wakes from freezing with no memory, no cash, and huge debts. She gets into gambling, enjoying stealing money and breaking the law. She feels little connection to people she cheats.

Bounty hunting with the Bebop crew changes everything for Faye. As Faye learns to trust her crew and help them through trouble, she starts seeing them as family. This family becomes her connection to others, making her more empathetic and understanding.

If you grew up on '90s or early 2000s anime, you know Usagi Tsukino, also Serena Tsukino, and her path to becoming a magical girl.

Usagi starts as a 14-year-old who plays video games, reads manga, and eats snacks. She cries easily and has little work ethic. Becoming Sailor Moon seems hard, but taking on more tasks and defeating enemies makes her dependable, wise, and mature.

She eventually becomes Neo Queen Serenity, creator of Crystal Tokyo, a peaceful place where people stop aging in their twenties and live past 100 years. This is a big achievement for someone who only wanted entertainment before.

Kaneki shows deep character changes throughout the series. Jason tortured him, forcing Kaneki to embrace his ghoul side. This trauma made Kaneki become a ghoul willing to eat others to get stronger. He shifts from a timid boy to a powerful, frightening half-ghoul.

Nobuchika Ginoza appears in the list '20+ Anime Characters With The Best Development'.Psycho-Pass features Nobuchika Ginoza.Nobuchika Ginoza dedicates himself to keeping the country's strict laws. These laws let the Sybil System label anyone a criminal for punishment or death before any law is broken.

As an Inspector, Ginoza manages this system and handles hidden criminals. His father was also an Inspector, but the Sybil System demoted him to an Enforcer. This role brings little respect and few basic human rights.

Watching his father suffer made Ginoza stick to the rules. But the series shows Ginoza learns the system has flaws. People who commit crimes can't be stopped if the system misses them. The Sybil system harms innocent people. Discovering these secrets changes Ginoza's attitude; he starts rebelling against the system he once respected.

This part makes up what makes Nobuchika Ginoza.Violet Evergarden learns about love in Violet Evergarden.Violet's emotional growth is moving and beautiful. Violet begins as a child soldier who killed without thought and knew nothing of love. She must learn to smile. As an Auto Memory Doll, she learns love's many forms and understands her feelings for Major Gilbert. She also heals from her past trauma and sees she is not just a tool.

By the end of this anime, Violet's growth into a kind person will make you cry.

Sesshomaru starts as a villain who hates humans and despises his brother. After saving Rin's life, his character changes greatly. He learns to accept humans and risks his life to protect them.

Laxus Dreyar matures after being excommunicated in Fairy Tail.Laxus Dreyar matures after being excommunicated in Fairy Tail., Laxus shows you must own your mistakes to grow. Laxus begins as an annoying, selfish character. He nearly destroyed his guild and Magnolia for his wants. Being excommunicated from Fairy Tail made Laxus see his errors. He grew into a more mature, caring person.

Seishu Handa punches a calligraphy appraiser who criticized his work. His father then sends Handa to a remote island. Handa keeps his old habits, interacting with few people and focusing only on calligraphy. Neighborhood kids refuse this isolation, demanding he let them play by breaking into his house.

Developing relationships with the children shows Handa life holds more than his career. This makes him happier, healthier. It also improves his calligraphy because he faces less stress.

Anime often shows young adults stuck, but few characters grow seriously. Tatsuhiro Sato is a key exception. He starts the series extremely anxious, unable to leave home. He avoids work, playing video games and drinking. His mental state drops so low he sometimes considers suicide.

The series shows Tatsuhiro Sato forming bonds with two neighbors. One case involves them making a video game that fails, but it gives him a reason to get up. The other involves him caring for someone more damaged than himself. These friendships prepare him for when his parents stop supporting him, he runs out of money, and he absolutely needs help.Tatsuhiro Sato gets a job. He feeds himself, pays his rent, and earns self-respect. He starts feeling like a valuable part of society.Phosphophyllite, or Phos, is a gem that wants to fight the Lunarians. Phos is too weak and fragile to fight them. They are tasked with making an encyclopedia but fail. They act incompetent, reckless, and annoy others, yet they truly want to do well.

Phosphophyllite, or Phos, is a sentient gem. Phos fights the Lunarians, the gems' enemy, but Phos is too fragile and weak. They must create an encyclopedia. Phos performs poorly at this task. Phos acts incompetent, reckless, and bothers others, despite wanting to succeed.

Kidnapping by Antarcticite changes Phos's personality. Phos faces losing both arms. This trauma causes flashbacks and PTSD symptoms. Phos's energetic, cheerful attitude fades. A quieter, sadder attitude takes over. Phos gains confidence and relaxation from the new arms' better strength.

Ohana Matsumae is an ordinary girl. She can sometimes be self-centered. Her mother sends Ohana to live with her grandmother to live with a boyfriend. Ohana gets no grandmotherly affection. She starts working at the family's hot spring inn, Kissuiso.

Unhappy initially, she gains ownership of her duties and job pride. She fulfills her tasks and solves problems outside her role because she cares about her coworkers' success.

Katsuki Bakugo is the explosive frenemy ofMHAProtagonist Izuku Midoriya. Bakugo showed aggressive behavior from the first episode. He screamed insults, ignored feelings, and displayed a superiority complex. When explaining his past and grudge against Izuku, Bakugo showed his need to be stronger than others.

Time shows Bakugo accepts his flaws and sees others' strengths. Season 5 offered an early example: he teamed with Class 1-A students against Class 1-B. Bakugo worked with teammates for victory instead of doing everything alone. Season 6 showed his growth when he saved Izuku despite their history, claiming his body moved on its own.