When you smile, you show that you’re pleased or amused by something. But this isn’t always due to something positive. Anime characters are the best at showing their real personalities with an exaggerated smirk. Whether they’re revealing a simple grin or showing off their huge deadly teeth, one thing’s for sure — when they smile, you better run far away. So here are five creepy anime smiles that will give you the chills.
The Earl of Millenium — D. Gray-man
Sometimes, the dead don’t go with peace and return to their relatives and friends. An opportunity that the enigmatic Earl of Millenium takes advantage. He uses these souls to create demons, a.k.a. “Akuma,” to finally get rid of God. Luckily, there’s the Black Order, an organization comprised out of individuals willing to fight the Akuma and the Earl.
The Earl comes off as a happy and friendly character, due to his cheerful way of speaking and his huge smile. Even while he’s talking and eating, his enormous grin never fades, showing off his large pointy teeth. His constant smile hides something very sinister.
He deceives those who are in grief over a dead loved one into creating demons. With an end goal to bring the world to its end, anyone who dares to stop him or go against his wishes will suffer his wrath.
Seryu Ubiquitous — Akame Ga Kill!
Akame Ga Kill! follows the covert assassination group, Night Raid, who want to free their country from the tyrannical rule of Prime Minister Honest. Although the Night Raid members know that they’ll someday have to pay for their crimes, they’ll gladly put their lives on the line for their nation.
However, they never thought that Seryu Ubiquitous would be the one handing out the punishment. As part of the Jaegers, a special police squad to combat the Night Raid, Seryu appears to be a friendly young girl. But in reality, she’s an unstable killing machine with a strong fixation for justice. Her sense of right and wrong is so warped that she lacks mercy of any kind. In one instance, she savagely murdered a group of prisoners before her team could interrogate them.
Whether in battle or screaming at her opponent, Seryu’s beautiful face transforms into a warped and demented grimace. Even her teeth become evil, revealing a smile with razor sharp points.
Tomura Shigaraki — My Hero Academia
In My Hero Academia, 80% of the population have Quirks, or superpowers. Izuku Midoriya, a young boy without a Quirk, spends his days desiring to be a hero. His dream finally comes true when he meets the number one hero and his idol All Might. Now with his own Quirk, Midoriya enrolls in U.A. High School, a prestigious academy to become a hero.
But every hero needs a villain, and Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains, fills this role. With his ability to disintegrate whatever he touches with his hands, he’s a formidable enemy. He’s willing to kill civilians and U.A. students to destroy All Might and crush the society that worships him, consequently showing the world how fragile justice really is.
What’s worse is Tomura’s face, which’s often covered by a disembodied hand. But when that hand comes off, Tomura makes some creepy smiles — especially when he’s talking about his plans to bring down All Might.
Minatsuki Takami — Deadman Wonderland
Deadman Wonderland isn’t your typical prison. It’s actually an amusement park with the prisoners acting as its employees. The series follows Ganta Igarashi, who, after the corrupt courts find him guilty of killing his entire class, is sent to the amusement park prison, Deadman Wonderland. But things get even worse for the teenager when he’s forced to fight against sadistic inmates.
One such inmate is Minatsuki Takami, who first appears to be a shy and kind girl. But she wouldn’t be in Deadman Wonderland if that were the case. Her reserved and quiet personality is a facade to deceive the other prisoners into feeling secure. She’s actually a sadistic psychopath that becomes sexually aroused when fighting the other inmates.
But Minatsuki wasn’t always that way. Her personality changed when her mother abandoned her during an earthquake. Minatsuki went from a kind little girl into a sociopath that enjoys hurting people. The disturbing smile on her face will not fail to make you feel uncomfortable.
Maria Ushiromiya — Umineko When They Cry
In Umineko When They Cry, the Ushiromiyas go to visit the head of the family, Kinzo Ushiromiya, on the remote island of Rokkenjima. But instead of a happy reunion, the entire family gets slaughtered. What’s worse is the day repeats itself, forcing the family to relive their horrible deaths. It seems that there are supernatural forces involved, and Maria, Kinzo’s granddaughter, is the only person aware of it.
But, like many horror shows, little kids are creepy, and Maria isn’t an exception to this rule. Despite being nine years old, she acts like she’s younger, which her mother usually punishes with a slap. But when it comes to magic, her personality changes, going from childish to downright creepy. In one instance, her uncle asks her about a certain symbol, and Maria’s face becomes so distorted that it scares the heck out of her family members.
Even though Maria isn’t a physical threat, her disturbing personality and sinister smile will give you the chills.
