Anime sometimes defies logic, often giving characters dramatic hairdos that defy gravity. Red-haired characters stand out for their hot-headedness, aggression, and intense passion, making them powerful allies to protagonists. Here’s our list of the coolest anime characters with red hair. Not to be confused with our list of red anime characters.
1. Sora – No Game No Life
Who is he? Older brother to Shiro and half of the legendary gaming duo “Blank”, Sora is the perfect example of an anime character with red hair. Confident and sometimes cocky, he is a master gamer who cares deeply for his sister and will do anything to protect her. He is also a fast thinker, even in high-pressure situations.
Why we love him: At a young age, Sora always believed that humans were weak and stupid. However, after meeting Shiro, he regains his faith in humanity. His only problem is that whenever he gets separated from his sister, he loses his self-confidence. Sadly, we won’t learn more about Sora as the anime never received a second season.
2. Shanks – One Piece
Who is he? Captain of the Red Hair Pirates (named after his red hair) and one of the Four Emperors (pirates who rule over the New World), Shanks is one of the most powerful characters in the One Piece universe. When Monkey D. Luffy was still a young boy, he made friends with Shanks (who became his mentor). The red-haired pirate also accidentally gives Luffy his Gomu Gomu powers, and he sacrifices his left arm to save the boy. Before leaving Luffy’s hometown, Shanks gifted him with the iconic straw hat (that would later become his signature accessory) as a promise that the two would meet again.
Why we love him: Unlike most red-haired characters, Shanks is very laid-back, happy to take his time travelling around the world and partying with his crew rather than rushing around the sea. He is also an excellent swimmer and possesses immense physical strength and speed. In addition, he shows great skill when wielding his sword, Gryphon, and occasionally wields a firearm. Shanks is portrayed as a wise and honourable character who values friendship, loyalty, and freedom.
3. Sasori – Naruto
Who is he? Originally leaving the village of Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village) twenty years before the events of Naruto Shippuden, Sasori is a rogue ninja and a member of the Akatsuki group.
Why we love him: Known for his mastery of puppetry techniques, allowing him to control puppets with deadly precision in battle, Sasori is depicted as a cold and calculating individual who shows little emotion, even towards former comrades. As a red-haired character, he definitely exhibited that unnatural strength commonly associated with redheads in anime.
4. Eijiro Kirishima – My Hero Academia
Who is he? As a student at U.A. High School in My Hero Academia (one of the best superhero anime of all time), Kirishima is training to become a pro hero. His presence is consistently felt, and he’s been shown to be supportive of his classmates. He uses his Quirk (hardening his body like a rock, granting him enhanced defence and strength) to help him hold his own against most opponents he encounters. Later in the show, he gains the ability to strengthen the extent of his hardening quirk. This form gives Kirishima a more monstrous look and nearly indestructible capability.
Why we love him: As a red-haired character, Kirishima often exhibits intense passion and determination in pursuing his goals. With a strong sense of justice, he is highly dedicated to becoming a hero. He also tends to be energetic and enthusiastic.
5. Renji Abarai – Bleach
Who is he? A friend to Rukia (he’s extremely protective and willing to go above and beyond to protect her) and one of the most popular characters in the Bleach universe, Renji is a redhead to the core. He’s a bit of an arrogant character (in a humorous way), constantly trading insults with Ichigo. When it’s time for a serious fight, though, Renji (a lieutenant with the Gotei 13’s 6th division) is one that should not be messed with. He’s a quick and powerful character who can take on some of the most dangerous hollows around.
Why we love him: Renji can go from being smug and cocky to being disquieted and depressed to being serious and determined. Audiences see his most serious moments when he’s fighting opponents he considers genuine threats. His fighting style has made him an incredibly dangerous man to fight and has often gotten him compared to Ichigo Kurosaki.
6. Erza Scarlet – Fairy Tail
Who is she? One of the most powerful characters within the Fairy Tail guild, Erza is one of the original red-haired anime characters that shone a spotlight on just how different and respectable these characters can be. In the anime, she’s able to use a wide range of magic armour to fight and a near-endless variety of weapons.
Originally, she was a bit reserved and quiet within the guild, but with the help of Gray and her friendship with Natsu, Erza was able to develop a closer bond with her guild members and grow stronger to protect her friends.
Why we love her: She’s one of the best red-haired characters due to her strength and status as arguably the strongest character (an S-Class Mage) within the Fairy Tail guild. Ezra uses Requip, a magic she has mastered that allows her to swap her weapons and armour at will. She is an incredibly strict person who reacts with violence when people are disrespectful or stupid around her, so when other guild members do something idiotic in her presence, they quickly apologise to avoid her wrath.
7. Gaara – Naruto
Who is he? Gaara, the youngest son of the Fourth Kazekage, is from the ninja village of Sunagakure. When introduced in the first Naruto series, he was originally a ruthless and psychotic killer with the ability to manipulate sand. He was born as a “cursed” child with a backstory similar to Naruto’s. He had the one-tailed beast within him, which led many to believe that he was a demon beyond redemption. However, along the way, Gaara learned to be a better person to both his village and former rivals from Konoha.
Why we love him: Like many anime characters with red hair, Gaara experiences intense emotions. He struggles with anger, hatred, and a deep sense of loneliness. Still, he is passionate about protecting his loved ones and fulfilling his duties as a leader.
8. Sho Hinakawa – Psycho-Pass
Who is he? In Psycho-Pass (one of the best sci-fi anime of all time), Sho is an enforcer in Division 01 of the Criminal Investigation Division within the Ministry of Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau (commonly known as the MWPSB). He is a man in his 20s with a genius level of intellect and understands hologram technology far beyond the reach of his peers.
Why we love him: Like many red-haired characters, Sho demonstrates a strong passion for his job. With a shy personality and a reserved attitude, he struggled with depression while growing up. This led him to drug addiction and other issues he had to battle while juggling his role as an enforcer.
9. Zora – Black Clover
Who is he? Black Clover‘s Zora is a member of the Black Bulls, one of the most powerful magic squads in the Clover kingdom. He sports a somewhat psychotic look, with a leather mask covering the underside of his face and leaving his mouth uncovered like a Ninja.
Why we love him: Like most characters with red hair in anime, Zora is cynical, grumpy, and often quite disrespectful to those around him. However, he is actually not a bad person but rather someone who has problems relating to people. His magic is ash-based, which allows him to create some deadly magical traps that can catch opponents off guard. Let’s hope he returns in season 5 of Black Clover!
10. Taiga Kagami – Kuroko’s Basketball
Who is he? Deuteragonist and an essential part of Seirin’s success, Kagami is a redhead to the core. His exceptional talent is recognized by his teammates and opponents, dubbing him “the miracle who did not become one of the miracles”. This title refers to Kagami’s basketball prowess, which rivals the well-respected Generation of Miracles basketball squad. Kagami is also an absolute monster on the court, with skills that allow him to go toe-to-toe with and even beat members of the famous Generation of Miracles.
Why we love him: He’s hot-blooded, talented and determined to give his all in a game.
11. Rias Gremory – High School DxD
Who is she? Risa is the heiress of the Gremory Clan. Thanks to the colour of her hair and the fact that she possesses the Power of Destruction, she earned the title Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess. Risa is an incredibly powerful demon, with skills that surpass that of Ultimate-class Devils and reach Satan-Class. She is an expert tactician and negotiator and is extremely intelligent.
Why we love her: While she is mostly compassionate and kind, her violent side reveals itself when she sees cruelty or if people insult those closest to her. She can also be quite impatient and selfish at times. She doesn’t particularly enjoy the attention of men (as she’s only ever known them to be interested in her titles) unless it’s coming from her future fiancé Issei.
12. Yoko Littner – Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Who is she? Yoko is one of the leading female characters of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan and a founding member of Team Dai-Gurren. She is a skilled Gunman pilot but prefers to use a sniper rifle against enemies because she is also an expert marksman. She is confident in her fighting abilities and easily handles many situations.
Why we love her: While Yoko is mostly a kind and caring person, she does have her aggressive moments, which come out, particularly when she reprimands Kamina (her love interest). Her care for her team runs deeply, and she is incredibly protective of them. Hence, as she grows older and watches several friends and loved ones die, she develops the belief that violence is terrible and that children should never witness it.
13. Shoto Todoroki – My Hero Academia
Who is he? Shoto is a student attending U.A. High School in Class 1-A. He is training to be a Pro Hero alongside his classmates and is one of the main characters in the popular anime series. He has a quirk known as Half-Cold Half-Hot, which allows him to generate fire and ice on either side of his body. As a result, he has a mix of red and white hair split evenly, with white on his right side and red on his left, each corresponding to his powers.
Why we love him: Due to his traumatic childhood, Shoto initially had a very closed-off personality and was more focused on studying and earning a spot at the top than he was on making friends. However, eventually, he becomes slightly more social and kind, even occasionally smiling, though he is still quite dense when it comes to understanding certain things, specifically figures of speech. Shoto is also absolutely brutal in combat. While he initially refuses to use the fire aspect of his powers, flat out rejecting him due to his resentment for his father, Izuku Midoriya encourages him to use his ice and fire.
Like many anime characters with red hair, he is also incredibly intelligent, scoring very highly in class and showing a great understanding of battle strategy. He’s a determined character who refuses to give up and remains level-headed even when facing incredible difficulty.
14. Maki Nishikino – Love Live!
Who is she? Maki is one of the main characters of Love Live! and has some childish beliefs, such as thinking that Santa is real. However, her friends don’t want to ruin the magic of Christmas for her, so they do their best to allow her to keep this belief by stopping those trying to destroy the illusion.
Why we love her: She is a bit of a tsundere. As a result, she had a hard time opening up to people and was a bit of a loner at the start of the anime because of her standoffishness. However, as the story progresses, she eventually learns to open up, but she still struggles because of her awkwardness and inability to invest in her friendships fully.
15. Chise Hatori – The Ancient Magus Bride
Who is she? Chise is an extremely powerful magic user known as Sleigh Beggy. She becomes the apprentice and later wife of Elias Ainsworth. However, she has a quieter personality and becomes easily attached to anyone who shows her kindness.
Why we love her: Again, like most anime characters with red hair, she is a very courageous and kind individual who will do everything she can to help others, even if she hurts herself in the process. She doesn’t care much about what happens to her, which is made further evident when she sells herself into slavery and shows almost no self-preservation when using her magic. As the series progresses, she learns to have a more optimistic outlook on life and begins to find her joy.
16. Kenshin Himura – Rurouni Kenshin
Who is he? Himura is the main protagonist of Rurouni Kenshin. Because of the torment he faces from his past as a hitokiri, he vows never to kill again. This is a significant aspect of his character, and it is tested as he fights to keep peace in his country. He has long hair and an androgynous-looking face sporting a cross-shaped scar.
Why we love him: Like many other red-haired characters on this list, he is a very gentle and serene person who won’t hesitate to protect or put himself in harm’s way for the sake of others, a result of the grief he carries with him everywhere. This grief prevents him from being emotionally close to anyone.
17. Kallen Kozuki – Code Geass
Who is she? Besides her spikey red hair, Kallen’s most distinguishing features are her large blue eyes. She is shown to be an incredibly determined and loyal person who can be pretty short-tempered and impulsive at times—like many other red-haired anime characters on this list. On the other hand, she has been shown to have the capacity to be gentle and compassionate. Unfortunately, these were traits that she lost after her brother’s death.
Why we love her: Over the course of the anime, she grows and becomes a very skilled fighter with a great sense of morality and justice. When those that she cares for are in trouble, she will put aside her feelings and interests to protect them. Because of her ruthlessness in battle, she earned the code name Q-1, which references the “queen” on a chessboard. She is a skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, displays excellent fighting abilities in multiple forms of combat, is highly intelligent, and is a brilliant leader.
18. Kyoko Sakura – Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Who is she? Kyoko Sakura is one of five central magical girls in Puella Magi Madoka Magica and has a fiery personality (like most anime characters with red hair do), which is evident by her stubbornness and self-centeredness. However, the characters and audience soon learn that this is a façade she uses to hide her genuine kindness and sympathy. She had learnt to be very good at masking how she truly feels, not trusting those around her because of past experiences, and acting rudely towards Sayaka at first because Kyoko didn’t want her to make the same mistakes she did when she was younger.
Why we love her: Kyoko is a skilled fighter with exceptional combat abilities, wielding a spear as her weapon of choice. She is confident in her fighting prowess and is not afraid to confront powerful adversaries.
19. Shura Kirigakure – Blue Exorcist
Who is she? Shura sports a faded red hairstyle with blonde tips and is an Upper-First class Exorcist and the mentor of Rin Okumura, the son of Satan and twin to Yukio. When audiences first meet her, she is in disguise and pretends to be quiet and withdrawn, preferring to play video games rather than spend time paying attention to any lessons. In actuality, Shura is a very laid-back and blunt person. She is unafraid to speak freely about sensitive topics and point out other people’s flaws or challenge her superiors.
Why we love her: She often slacks off, but when it comes to being an exorcist, she becomes very serious and focused entirely on the task at hand. Despite everything, she still cares for people under her and even threatens Mephisto if he causes any harm to Rin or Yukio, which surprises everyone, including herself.
20. Kushina Uzumaki – Naruto Shippuden
Who is she? Kushina is the beloved mother of Naruto Uzumaki, who did everything she could to protect her son. As a young girl, she was eccentric, headstrong, impulsive and stubborn, all traits she passed down to her son. As she grew older, she became more level-headed and cheerful. However, she had a prominently sassy side and retained her quick temper. When angered, she would lash out violently against those who had pushed her buttons.
Why we love her: She was an incredibly fearless woman and cared deeply for her family. However, this care soon turned into worry for her husband and unborn child. When Naruto was a newborn, she sacrificed her life for his sake and, in her dying moments, made sure to shower him with as much love as possible, knowing that he would have a difficult life.
21. Karma Akabane – Assassination Classroom
Who is he? Karma is an incredibly cunning and mischievous individual. He is mildly sadistic and became well-known at his school for his violent behaviour, which resulted in his suspension. Despite his reputation, he is a relatively relaxed person and often skills things he finds uninteresting. Some people have described him as “at first glance, he comes across as being a lazy sort, but there’s a strong sense of mischief in his eyes”.
Why we love him: He has decent values and has been shown to be quite empathetic and caring at times. This care is made evident with Nagisa, who later becomes his best friend, and his classmates, whom he will protect from those who are prejudiced against them. He can be impulsive, highly ruthless and cruel when dealing with those who would dare threaten or harm his friends and classmates.
If you enjoyed our list of the best anime characters with red hair, check out our list of the 20 best white-haired anime characters, too.
