The world can be a bleak place, and viewers often seek anime that mirrors their emotions, even if they're not exactly uplifting. Pessimistic anime characters focus on the negatives, expecting their lives to end in failure. Some push forward despite their grim outlook, while others give up or avoid situations they think are doomed. In the animated world, not all lives are sunshine and rainbows.
About this list
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Tomoko Kuroki is the main character. I'm unpopular because of how I look. That's your fault! Tomoko Kuroki is deeply pessimistic yet has a strange bit of optimism. She wants popularity and will do anything for it. Still, she expects every social interaction to fail, so she fears talking to anyone.
When Tomoko finds the nerve to interact, she usually messes people up. She does things like not bathing for weeks because she heard oily hair is sexy.
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Hachiman Hikigaya — My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU This show is surprisingly depressing for a romcom because of Hachiman Hikigaya, the pessimistic main character. Hikigaya fully believes he will never connect meaningfully with anyone and deliberately ruins friendships to stay safe.
He wants to help people, but he manipulates situations so he is the only one who gets hurt. When told others do not want to see him sacrifice himself, he struggles to grasp why anyone cares about his well-being.
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Shinji Ikari ofNeon Genesis Evangelion Shinji Ikari does not want to pilot the robot; he is extremely pessimistic. Shinji thinks the robot will explode and everyone will die. Most 14-year-olds lack the emotional or physical ability to pilot a mecha and fight aliens, but Shinji should accept he is supposed to be a shonen hero.
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Pessimism defines Usopp ofOne Piece.Usopp rarely thinks Luffy's plans work. He loudly complains about being dragged into them. Frankly, many of Luffy's plans are ridiculous, so his skepticism makes sense. Usopp grows more confident about his future and skills over time, especially after pretending to be his cooler alter-ego, Sogeking.
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Naruto Naruto features Omoi, a character whose name (meaning "heavy" and "thought") matches his mindset. Omoi can see terrible future outcomes, thinking of a million ways to put mayonnaise on fries that end in disaster.
Omoi can set aside his pessimism and anxiety when he actually fights enemies.
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Haikyuu!! Haikyuu!! has anxious high school athletes, but Asahi pairs anxiety with deep pessimism. Asahi feels responsible for his volleyball team losing to Date Tech High, so he quits.
Teammates believe Asahi is a valuable player, but Asahi knows he will mess up the next match and drag the rest of Karasuno down.
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Masamune-kun's Revenge Masamune Makabe seeks revenge on Aki Adagaki for rejecting him as a child. Masamune's focus on revenge shows pessimism, yet his methods are worse.
To seduce Aki for a later breakup, Masamune undergoes a harsh weight loss. He changes his personality to match what he thinks Aki wants. Masamune doubts his plan will succeed often.
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When your nickname means "totally hopeless old guy," being positive is hard. This applies to GintamaTaizou Hasegawa, also known as MADAO, wants his ex-wife Hatsu to change her divorce decision. Hasegawa shows little hope for achieving this goal.
He seems ready for a depressing, pointless life. He wanders aimlessly, smokes, and asks for change.
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Scum's Wish. Scum's Wish is not a positive anime. Its main character, Hanabi Yasuraoka, is very pessimistic. Hanabi loves her teacher. She expects him not to return her feelings, but she cannot shake them without extreme actions.
Hanabi starts a sexual relationship with her classmate Mugi, despite having no interest in him. She does this to pretend he is her teacher.
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Kyōya Sata of Wolf Girl & Black Prince.Kyōya Sata, Wolf Girl & Black Prince. Kyōya Sata acts like a huge jerk. He controls and tortures his classmate (who later becomes his girlfriend), blackmailing her into being his servant. This comes from a deeply pessimistic view. Kyōya believes if he does not control every move Erika makes or show tender feelings, she will leave him.
His problems stem from being abandoned as a child. This makes his issues understandable, but not less annoying.
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Seishuu Handa holds an extremely pessimistic view. The plot of Seishuu Handa from Barakamon. Barakamon centers on Handa trying to see things more positively. At the start, Handa focuses only on his calligraphy career. He thinks this might work, but he is certain he will fail.
His insecurity stops Handa from focusing on things he likes. His life stays in a state of sadness.
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Nozomu Itoshiki of Sayonara Zetsubo-Sensei.Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei. Nozomu Itoshiki teaches high school. This difficult job leads Itoshiki to extreme pessimism. He holds a very negative view of the world. He often states he is "in despair" and tries to hang himself in front of his students.
This behavior is funny because he is actually a parody.This is a parody of the protagonist from Osamu Dazai's work, No Longer Human.If you skip the book, you will likely be horrified.
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Nothing ever goes right for anyone in Osomatsu-san appears on the list of 14 anime characters who are intensely pessimistic., and the Matsuno brothers suffer the most. Their lack of total pessimism is shocking. Ichimatsu absorbs the negativity his brothers should feel. He carries a dark, gloomy air. He is 100% sure nothing he attempts—like getting a job or talking to a woman—will succeed.
Ichimatsu's only confidence lies with cats. If that interaction fails, his mood drops.
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Kikuhiko of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is on the list of 14 anime characters who are intensely pessimistic.Kikuhiko of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is on the list of 14 anime characters who are intensely pessimistic. Kikuhiko is a complex character. His pessimism guides many of his life choices. He does not think he can succeed at rakugo, the Japanese storytelling art he commits his life to. He also does not think rakugo will satisfy him. His view of his friend Sukeroku's future is equally bleak.
Despite his talent, Sukeroku will fail if he cannot impress his superiors. After Kikuhiko achieves industry success, he cannot see rakugo continuing without him after Kikuhiko dies. A part of Kikuhiko wants the art form to end with him. Kikuhiko wants the art form to die with him.
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