Anime is beautiful cinematic art and everyone can agree on that. But, something that everyone can also agree on is that with anime there is not usually a lot of skin tone variation. In most anime, the characters are light or fair skinned. This is because in Japan beauty standards are different, just like they are everywhere else in the world. Porcelain skin is deemed as being perfection. Of course, there is less diversity in Japan as well.

However, Japan has made anime with amazing characters and we chose the best black male anime characters to share with you. These characters are judged on personality, powers, etc.

Most of the characters listed below emphasize power and strength. The best of which, Afro Samurai. He is the last black person in Japan and wants to fight to become number one to avenge his father. This depiction is very acceptable, versus Mr. Popo. Mr. Popo, which we discuss, was originally not an appropriate depiction.

Without further ado, please check out the best black male anime characters. These characters are war veterans, zombies, samurais, and everything in between. Who knows? You may just find your next favorite character!

1. Afro Samurai (Afro Samurai)

Afro Samurai is the main character in the Afro Samurai series and is one of the best black male anime characters. Afro had a very traumatic past, having to watch his father be murdered right before his eyes. The series takes place in a futuristic time, where it is said that whoever wears the Number 1 headband will have the ultimate powers. Due to his childhood, Afro seeks revenge and will do anything to get the Number 1 headband. Afro does not really show emotions and is more depicted as a cold blooded killer. His sole purpose is to find the person who killed his father and to get his revenge on him. This makes him an exciting and unpredictable character.1.

2. Kaname Tousen (Bleach)

Kaname Tousen makes his appearance in the anime Bleach. Kaname was originally the captain of the 9th Division. However, along with Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru, he betrayed Soul Society. This put him at odds with his former best friend. Kaname may seem evil for betraying Soul Society, but he is actually trying to take the path in life that will cause the least amount of deaths. However, he becomes aware that Aizen wants to take a path that will lead to thousands of deaths. A woman who was close to Tousen had chosen the path of the least bloodshed before him. However, she was murdered by her husband. From that moment on, Kaname promised he would follow in her footsteps.

3. Kilik Rung (Soul Eater)

Kilik is one of the top three performing meisters and is in the Soul Eater anime. He is by far one of the best black male anime characters. Kilik is a laid back and happy go lucky guy most of the time. In times of stress, he does not panic and instead thinks through problems with a level head. This makes him viewed as sort of the leader in his group of friends. When he is in battle, Kilik can be aggressive and intense. He is an A+ best friend. He is known to tease and joke around with his friends. But, when they need him most he is always there to have their back and they are always there to have his. He would face any sort of danger or even go against orders to help his friends or someone he cares about.

4. Fourth Raikage A (Naruto)

Fourth Raikage, or known as A, appears in Naruto. Tryouts took place to find a tag team partner for A and they ended up naming him B. A became close immediately to his partner. A is sort of viewed as a gentle giant, regarding him and B to be brothers. He also refers to himself as washi, which is a humble way of referring to himself. He has a more militant demeanor. He will do anything for the greater good. He even went as far as wanting to destroy the Moon, even though Naruto was still on it. A is sort of a father figure to B, punishing him if he misbehaves. However, he has also mentioned that if he ever had to kill B he would do it.

5. James Ironside (Blood+)

James Ironside is in Blood+. James lost his mother at an early age and later joined the military. He was wounded horribly and was on the brink of death. Amshel promised he could save him and that is when it is assumed James was turned into a Chevalier. Since he was saved, James kept advancing in the military, which gave him access to top military weaponry. James has a very serious attitude and is also actually quite punctual. He is ambitious and strong headed. He also has a strong devotion to Diva.

6. Darui (Naruto)

Darui is from the anime Naruto. He was trained under the Third Raikage. Darui is very level headed and down to earth. When everyone else is spazzing out, you can expect Darui to remain mellow. This makes him one of the best black male anime characters. However, it is also apparent that he bores easily and tends to be annoyed by things He often refers to how something is boring him. Although he seems lazy, Darui is definitely not. Often volunteering to help in challenging fights.

7. Omoi (Naruto)

Omoi is also seen in the anime Naruto. Omoi does not just jump to actions and likes to think before he does or says anything, always leading to him thinking through a plan. However, this leads him to spacing out quite often. Thus, his imagination can sometimes run wild. He can also be somewhat of a worry wart, often thinking up the worst case scenario and fretting over it. Omoi has incredible strength and ability. The Fourth Raikage gave him special missions because of his skills. Omoi later goes on to be the bodyguard of the Fifth Raikage.

8. Agil (Sword Art Online)

Andrew Gilbert Mills, or Agil, appears in Sword Art Online. He was trapped in Sword Art Online as an axe wielder. In real life, he runs a cafe with his wife. He is a very friendly and happy guy. He is always on the lookout for a way to help others. People often said that Agil only played for the money. However, it was proven that he spent a lot of time and money helping middle players be able to level up and helping them advance in the game. He was also known for defending the beta testers.

9. Sid Barrett (Soul Eater)

Sid Barrett appears in Soul Eater. He is an undead former teacher at an academy. Prior to his death, Sid was a friendly and kind teacher, making him likeable. Sid was sometimes strict in his teachings. However, he loved all the students he taught and always wanted them to reach their true potential and find success. Sid resurfaced as a zombie, but still retained all his previous traits. In order to help his students go stronger, Sid pretended that his end goal was to kill all of them. Pretty messed up, but if you knew Sid, you would know he had good intentions.

10. Kaz Kaan (Neo Yokio)

Kaz Kaan is the main character in Neo Yokio, a Netflix original series that received some very mixed reviews. However, Kaz Kaan is one of the coolest black male anime characters. Kaz is elegant and aristocratic in a sense. He worries about fashion and how he looks and what other people think of him. Having a social status and being regarded as the best are very important to him. He has heightened senses, specifically when it comes to demons. He has been known to slay one or two.

12. Dutch (Black Lagoon)

Dutch is from Black Lagoon. Dutch was part of the Marines and fought in the Vietnam War. Dutch ended up going AWOL and went to Thailand to become a mercenary. That is when he started the Lagoon Company. It is assumed he fought in the war, although it is never made one hundred percent sure. But, Dutch is a pretty serious guy and honest as well, so it would be a surprise. Dutch is more behind the scenes with the Lagoon Company and does not do much fighting. He mostly orders people around and draws up plans. He is the level-headed leader and main negotiator.

13. Aokiji (One Piece)

Aokiji is also known as Kuzan on One Piece. He affiliated himself with the Blackbeard Pirates. Prior, he was a marine. He is extremely laid back and mostly goes with the flow, rarely ever getting surprised. Since he has this attitude, others find it hard to believe that he was a marine. However, Aokiji is very smart and cunning. But, people tend to underestimate him. He does not speak rudely, but more relaxed than a formal speech. If he thinks a situation is worthy enough for him, then he will engage.

14. Mugen (Samurai Champloo)

Mugen is one of the main characters in Samurai Champloo. Mugen is described as the antihero, making him very endearing and exciting. A loose canon is an understatement when describing Mugen. He is vulgar, crude, and a womanizer. His fighting style is a little crazy. Most of the time, he is all over the place. Besides being hard to handle, Mugen is very competitive. If anyone challenges Mugen to do anything, no matter who or what it is, Mugen will accept. He is definitely the guy that has a big head. We mainly chose him for this list because he’s so unexpected and very fun to watch his character develop. You can find him gambling or taking on fights. If he is defeated, you can bet ten times out of ten he will want a rematch. This goes hand in hand with his hatred for authority. Mugen would rather fight to the death than beg for his life.

15. Simon Brezhnev (Durarara)

Simon Brezhnev is from Durarara!! He is one of the owners of Russia Sushi. Simon is extremely kind and is regarded as a pacifist. He never wants to see anyone fight and will often try to intervene. If people are in a fight, he will often appear frantic and tell them to just eat some sushi. He came from the Soviet Union. This makes him believe that fighting is not worth it and this place in Japan should be peaceful. He believes that fighting outside of the Soviet Union, like what he had to do, is not necessary. However, Simon is somewhat mysterious when he can be heard speaking quietly in Russian. This mysteriousness makes him and the co-owner of Russia Sushi quite the characters.

Anime is constantly changing and evolving. This beautiful art that once primarily focuses on light skin is branching out to include other skin tones. Anime is no longer exclusive to just Japanese descent characters. We find that this equal representation will be happily appreciated and is much needed! We absolutely love our top fifteen picks for the best black male anime characters.