Anime protagonists are often at the heart of every series, driving the plot and making us feel a range of emotions. Some characters charm us with their heroic qualities, making us root for them through every challenge they face, while others evoke frustration or disdain, pushing us to question their actions and motivations. In this article, we’ll explore a selection of anime protagonists who evoke strong feelings—whether it’s love, hate, or a little bit of both. These characters have left a lasting impression on fans, for better or for worse, and their impact on the anime world is undeniable. Let’s dive into the complex world of anime protagonists and examine what makes them unforgettable.
Eren yager
When you think of anime protagonists who’ve divided the entire fanbase, Eren Yeager instantly rises from the rubble. He didn’t just break the walls around Paradis Island—he shattered every expectation we had for a “hero.” From a kid screaming about freedom and vengeance, to a man ready to wipe out the world for what he believed was right… Eren’s journey is nothing short of soul-crushing.
At first, we loved him. He was rage. He was passion. He was fire in human form—willing to throw his life away to save the people he loved. But somewhere along the line, that fire stopped warming us. It started burning. He became colder. Calculated. Ruthless. And yet… somehow still Eren. Still chasing freedom. Still carrying the pain of every death, every betrayal, every memory.
What makes Eren so unforgettable is that we saw every step of his descent. We walked with him. We understood him. And then we feared him. That duality—that love and hatred battling in our chests every time he appeared on screen—is exactly what makes him one of the most human protagonists ever written.
You don’t have to agree with him. You don’t have to forgive him.
But you can’t ignore him.
Not when the sound of his footsteps echoes across the bones of a broken world.
Sukuna
And then there’s Sukuna, the King of Curses—the devil draped in charm, cruelty, and a smile that chills the soul. Technically not the “protagonist,” but when he walks into a scene, the whole story bends around him like gravity snapping. He’s not someone you root for… but admit it—you can’t look away. That’s his curse. That’s his pull.
Sukuna isn’t evil in the way we’re used to. He doesn’t scream, doesn’t justify, doesn’t pretend. He just is. Unapologetic, blood-soaked, and terrifyingly intelligent. He’s not here to play games—he’s here to dominate. To remind everyone, especially Yuji, that control is a luxury, and mercy is a myth. And yet… there’s something magnetic about him. His presence flips the tone of the entire show. Every word he speaks feels like a blade behind the tongue.
We hate what he does.
But we love how he does it.
And that’s what makes Sukuna so dangerously compelling. He’s that chaotic force we know we shouldn’t root for—but deep down, we want to see what happens when the cage breaks and the monster stops holding back.
He’s not a protagonist you follow. He’s the one you run from.
And still, somehow, we’re drawn closer every time.
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Askelandd
Askeladd. The man who walks the razor’s edge between brilliance and brutality in Vinland Saga. Was he a hero? A villain? A mentor? A murderer? The truth is—he was all of them. And that’s exactly why we can’t let him go.
From the moment he enters the story, he feels like an enigma wrapped in steel and sarcasm. He kills Thors, the idealistic warrior we all admired, and earns our hatred in an instant. But the more we watched, the more we saw layers—pain, calculation, wit, and a love for Wales so deeply buried it only surfaced in blood. He didn’t take Thorfinn under his wing out of kindness, but somewhere along the way, you could feel it: he cared. In his own warped, world-weary way… he cared.
Askeladd wasn’t a man of honor. He was a man of necessity. He said what had to be said, did what had to be done, and played every side until he could carve out a sliver of justice in a world that had none. You didn’t root for him because he was good. You rooted for him because he was real. And when he finally fell—on his terms—you didn’t cheer. You sat there, stunned, with a hollow in your chest that didn’t feel like victory.
Askeladd didn’t ask for your love.
He earned it anyway—one lie, one death, one brilliant choice at a time.
Rachel
Oh, Rachel. Few characters have inspired as much collective rage and fascination as she has. In a world filled with gods, monsters, and warriors, it’s Rachel—the seemingly fragile girl with a dream—who left the deepest scar on our trust.
She begins as the light in Bam’s world, his reason to climb the Tower, his guiding star in the dark. And then, just like that, she pushes him. Cold. Calculated. Without flinching. And in that single moment, every ounce of sympathy we held for her shattered—and yet we couldn’t look away. Because Rachel didn’t betray him for evil’s sake. She did it for jealousy. For fear. For the deep, aching insecurity that she’d never be special in a world where power determines worth.
That’s what makes her dangerous. That’s what makes her real. Rachel isn’t a villain because she’s powerful—she’s a villain because she’s human in the most uncomfortable way. She reminds us of the thoughts we don’t say out loud. The envy we try to suppress. The feeling of being left behind. She wasn’t written to be likable. She was written to be unforgettable.
And whether you despise her or pity her, one thing is certain—Rachel changed everything.
And that’s the mark of a truly impactful protagonist, love or hate be damned.
Light Yagami
Light Yagami—a name whispered like a god, shouted like a tyrant, and remembered as both. From the moment he picks up the Death Note, Light becomes something more than a brilliant student with a bright future. He becomes Kira—the judge, jury, and executioner of a world he believes is rotting from the inside out.
At first, we’re with him. We understand the disgust. The frustration. The fantasy of justice with no red tape. But step by step, page by page, the line between justice and obsession dissolves. And yet… we still admire him. Because Light isn’t evil for the sake of it—he truly believes in his god complex. He sees the world as broken and offers himself as the fix. The terrifying part? He almost pulls it off.
Light is charisma wrapped in menace. Every move he makes is calculated, chilling, and absolutely fascinating to watch. He’s the villain you want to see win—until you remember what winning costs. And when it all comes crashing down, when the genius cracks and we see the terrified boy behind the mask—it hits harder than any battle ever could.
We didn’t just watch Light Yagami’s story. We lived in it. We questioned ourselves because of it.
And that’s why he’s unforgettable. Not because he was right.
But because for a moment… we thought he might be.
