10 Most Iconic Black Anime Characters, Ranked

Anime’s global rise has pushed the medium to broaden who gets to stand at the center of its stories. As fandoms expanded beyond Japan, creators increasingly embraced characters who reflect a wider range of cultures, backgrounds, and identities. That shift has helped Black characters move from rare appearances to memorable presences across genres.

Long-running franchises played a major role in that evolution. Influential creators like Eiichiro Oda, Tite Kubo, and Masashi Kishimoto introduced characters who weren’t defined by stereotypes, but by personality, power, and emotional depth. Their work helped normalize diversity in mainstream anime rather than confining it to niche titles.

Today, some of anime’s most unforgettable figures are Black characters who left a lasting impact on their series and on fans. From warriors and athletes to strategists and emotional anchors, these characters highlight how far anime has come, and how much richer the medium becomes when it tells stories through a broader lens.

10

Daiki Aomine

Character From Production I.G’s Kuroko’s Basketball; Based On The Manga By Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Daiki Aomine is one of the reasons Kuroko’s Basketball is one of the best sports anime ever. He is by far the toughest opponent for Kagami, Kuroko and the Seinin High basketball team. What sets him apart from all the talented players in the series is his sheer talent, confidence and competitiveness. He doesn’t put in nearly as much work as others, but will still easily beat them in a game.

Aomine’s drive for basketball went down when he realized nobody could challenge him, but when he played Kagami, his true skills were put on display. Because of his dominating play style, Kagami went into the Zone and improved greatly as a player. All this adds up to making Aomine one of Kuroko’s Basketball’s best players.

9

Miguel Oduol

Character from Studio MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen; Based On The Manga By Gege Akutami

Jujutsu Kaisen isn’t that old an anime, but it’s still created a very iconic black character in Miguel Oduol. Not only did Jujutsu Kaisen 0 give Miguel an incredible spotlight where he legitimately stalled Gojo for time, but in the final arc, Miguel further proved his power by putting up one of the best fights against Sukuna out of anyone.

Miguel’s power was even being explicitly compared to Gojo’s. Even with his lack of screen time, Miguel has managed to leave a lasting impression on people, and it’s especially great to see something like that with a minority character.

8

Afro Samurai

Character From Gonzo’s Afro Samurai; Based On The Manga By Takashi Okazaki

Afro Samurai is the main character of the series of the same name. After witnessing his father’s murder, Afro Samurai is fueled by a desire for revenge that leads him to spare nothing and nobody in his quest. His strength is impressive, consistently putting him in the upper ranks of the best swordsmen in anime history.

From his mastery of the sword, proficiency in hand-to-hand combatant, and incredible durability, Afro Samurai offers some great action for fans all over.

7

Canary

Character From Madhouse’s Hunter X Hunter; Based On The Manga By Yoshihiro Togashi

Canary is an extremely popular black character, despite her short amount of screen time in Hunter X Hunter. As an apprentice butler for the legendary assassin family, the Zoldycks, Canary is tasked with guarding the Zoldycks’ house from any intruders, and she has the power to back that position up.

The Zoldycks place a great deal of confidence in her abilities as she has an important duty. Canary is a kind character but doesn’t show it, so that she can be as intimidating as possible. She let Gon and his friends pass and see Killua as she was pleased to see Killua finally earn a friend who cares about him the way she does.

6

Killer Bee

Character From Studio Pierrot’s Naruto: Shippuden; Based On The Manga By Masashi Kishimoto

Killer Bee is the Jinchuriki of Gyuki, the Eight-Tailed Tailed Beast of the Hidden Cloud Village, and the sworn brother of the Raikage A. On the surface, Bee is nothing more than a clown who spends all his free time coming up with new raps, but beneath it all is a ninja with a lot of insight into life and even more battle prowess.

Killer Bee fights with seven swords at once, the unconventional nature of it making it almost impossible for even the most skilled ninja to deal with. Killer Bee was strong enough to even overwhelm Sasuke in their fight, something that can be said about very few characters, and when added to his fun and engaging personality, he’s a great character, all around and one of the best black characters in anime, by far.

5

Yoruichi Shihoin

Character From Studio Pierrot’s Bleach; Based On The Manga By Tite Kubo

Yoruichi is an extremely accomplished and powerful character in Bleach from a noble family, but her humble and relaxed attitude made fans fall in love with her. Known as the Flash Goddess, she was the former Squad 2 Captain and former commander of the Stealth Unit.

She retired from her days as a soul reaper and hung around Urahara in her cat form. Although she prefers a relaxed life, she doesn’t hesitate to help out her former comrades. Yoruichi has played a major supporting role in nearly all of Bleach’s major arcs and plays a key role in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.

4

Usopp

Character From Toei Animation’s One Piece; Based On The Manga By Eiichiro Oda

The third person to join the Strawhats on their 1000+ episode journey, Usopp of One Piece is loved for many aspects of his personality. In a world filled with vicious and fearless pirates and marines, many fans can relate with Usopp as he is afraid and not as daring as others. However, that doesn’t mean he is a coward; far from it.

He is one of the bravest because he faces his fears for the sake of his friends and what’s right. Usopp is a master marksman and important to the Strawhats, despite not being as strong. His kindness is heartwarming, even making up stories for the sick Kaya to cheer her up.

3

Brock

Character From OLM, Inc.’s Pokémon; Based On The Video Game By Nintendo

WhileBrock from Pokémonis more an example of an anime character who simply has dark skin as opposed to actually being a person of color, that doesn’t make him any less iconic.

Pokémon always used Brock being older than Ash and his friends to put him in the role of the supportive older friend, with Brock’s cooking and occasional moments of wise advice always doing a lot to help out Ash and others. Brock was always one of Ash’s best traveling companions, and it’s easy to see how he’s remained such an iconic part of the franchise decades later.

2

Muhammad Avdol

Character From David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders; Based On The Manga By Hirohiko Araki

Some of the most iconic characters of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure were introduced in Stardust Crusaders, and one of those was the major supporting character Muhammad Avdol. While not as involved in the plot as the rest of the cast, Avdol’s strategic mind and powerful Stand always allow for some truly creative battles in Stardust Crusaders.

And the way he plays off the rest of the cast always makes for great character moments, as well. Avdol is technically an Egyptian character as opposed to a black African, but he’s still a great representation of a person of color in anime, regardless.

1

Casca

Character From OLM, Inc.’s Berserk; Based On The Manga By Kentaro Miura

Berserk is one of the most iconic anime and manga of the past several decades, and its heroine, Casca, has always played a big part in that. Casca is a standout female character for her constant acts of bravery and leadership, all of which are still impressive by modern standards, and the way that she balanced out with occasional moments of vulnerability fleshes her out even further.

Casca has always been at the heart of what makes Berserk so great, and she still stands out as one of the most iconic black characters in anime, if not the most iconic.