Anime’s 5 Most Hated Main Characters

Zuleika
TV Naruto
TV Naruto Anime

Not every main character is everybody’s cup of tea. There are few, for one reason or another, who are seriously loathed by anime fans. But why is that? Who are these characters that have gained such infamy? Ranging from their inability to make decisions to dragging the team down, these are anime’s most hated main characters.

Makoto Itou from School Days

most hated anime main characters Makoto Itou from School Days

Marketed as a romantic slice-of-life anime, School Days is nothing like other romantic shows, and that’s due to its main character, Makoto Itou.

School Days follows high school student Makoto Itou who has a crush on Kotonoha Katsura, but, he’s too afraid to act on it. Fortunately, he has Sekai Sainoji who sets the two up, even though she has a crush on him.

However, that isn’t how the story ends. Enamored with the idea that he can get girls due to his looks, Makoto flirts with other girls at school, even having relations with them. But, not because he loves them, but wants to have them for their bodies. The more girls he beds, the better he feels about himself. Besides cheating on his girlfriend, he berates and humiliates her in front of their classmates.

In the end, not only does he hurt the person he loves, but countless other girls who have fallen for his charm, causing a lot of suffering and devastation. Luckily, his womanizing ways get the best of him, and at the end of the series, he receives his comeuppance. Even though the series may anger viewers, School Days and its main characters could be seen as the realistic consequences of such distasteful and wrong behavior.

Yui Komori from Diabolik Lovers

most hated anime main characters Yui Komori from Diabolik Lovers

Diabolik Lovers follows Yui Komori, who at the request of her father goes to live in a mansion with six vampire brothers. While confused why a young girl would come live with them, the brothers soon realize that she’s to be their “sacrificial bride” and also to satisfy their sensuous needs. Confused as to why her father would send her to live with vampires, Yui’s days become nightmares. Day in and out, her blood is forcefully taken by these handsome monsters, with each brother being more sadistic than the next.

In a time where countless women are coming forward against sexual harassment and assault, viewers could see Yui Komori as setting the female movement back. Yui is a cheerful and optimistic girl who is sometimes naïve. Due to this, she’s oblivious to the brothers’ intentions and becomes indecisive when it comes to decisions about her wellbeing. She easily forgives them and believes that they will change, but this naivety angered a lot of fans who considered Yui to be dumb and submissive.

Throughout the series, viewers see a helpless girl who quickly becomes a masochist. Her lack of furiousness infuriated fans and spawned countless negative internet threads about Diabolik Lovers and Yui. Nevertheless, given Yui’s situation – her captors are strong vampires, after all – can viewers really blame her for acting that way?

Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion

most hated anime main characters Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelio

Neon Genesis Evangelion revolutionized not only the mecha genre but anime itself. The series became an example of what anime should aspire to achieve. However, its main character, Shinji Ikari doesn’t enjoy the same praise. In fact, a lot of fans hate the young protagonist.

NERV selects Shinji and a few other teenagers to pilot Evangelion (EVA), giant cyborgs, to fight Angels. And while the other pilots have the necessary skills and personality to handle an EVA, on the surface, it seems as though Shinji doesn’t have those same talents.

Losing his mother at a young age and having an absentee father, Shinji always felt neglected. But when he turns 14, his father forces him to pilot an EVA as it seems he’s the only one in Japan who can. However, piloting the giant cyborgs causes Shinji to remember some horrible memories and experiences. These memories drive him to depression and an existential crisis that often renders him useless and unable to pilot the EVA. In one episode, he’s completely catatonic and Misato Katsuragi has to drag him to safety.

Some fans see Shinji’s behavior as a sign of weakness coming from a soldier who’s tasked to protect humanity which causes a lot of frustrations among viewers.

Yukiteru Amano from Future Diary

most hated anime main characters Yukiteru Amano from Future Diary

The future of the world is in the hand of 12 individuals who are playing in a battle royal to see who will be the god of time and space. Each player or Diary Holder, has a phone that has a unique ability, either predict the future or show available escape routes.

In such a high stakes game, the main character should be cunning, quick on their feet, and mentally stable. Unfortunately, Future Diary‘s protagonist, Yukiteru Amano, doesn’t have these skills. At the beginning of the series, his actions and emotions are understandable. He’s a shy 14-year-old kid who unknowingly gets sucked into a murder game. However, this drags on for quite a while, with him crying in almost every episode.

Also, his ability to make wise and life-saving decisions is another factor that has earned the fury of fans. In a series about murder and deceit, Yukiteru takes the coward approach. We see this when he decides to stay with Yuno Gasai — despite her homicidal sociopathic tendencies — because she’s the only who can protect him.

His lack of emotional stability and reluctance to make obvious decisions are self-inflicted and as a result, has earned him the wrath of anime fans. Thankfully, towards the end, Yukiteru becomes more capable and strong but his decision-making skills are still lacking.

Sakura Haruno from Naruto

most hated anime main characters Sakura Haruno from Naruto

Naruto has tons of characters that fans either love or hate. However, when it comes to the female lead, Sakura Haruno, viewers don’t have to wait long to see why fans hate her.  Sakura is the only female in the central trio and she barely ever makes it through a mission. Over the years, fans have called her useless, selfish, and a damsel in distress.

In Naruto, the pink-haired ninja hasn’t received a lot of screentime to either show her skills or personality. Instead, the anime frequently focuses on her obsession with Sasuke, who treats her like a doormat, and her poor treatment of Naruto. Sakura’s dismissive behavior towards Naruto has gained her the wrath of fans.

While her romantic feelings have already irked fans, the way Masashi Kishimoto has written Sakura has annoyed fans. In the moments that Sakura does receive the spotlight, she’s either crying or someone has to save her. However, what makes things even worse and what frustrates fans most is that Sakura recognizes her weaknesses and flaws but doesn’t do anything to fix them.

While she has good intentions at heart, her execution of either fighting a villain or showing her feelings is why fans hate the original female member of Team 7. Thankfully, in the sequels, Sakura goes from being an obnoxious teen to a respected ninja.

FANDOM is the ultimate destination for celebrating your love of anime. Visit the link below for all of FANDOM's anime coverage!

Zuleika
Zuleika is a fan contributor at Fandom and focuses on Anime with words on Vocal, Movie Pilot and Fanime BLOG. She's a big fan of horror, gore and mystery anime. Loves series, movies, and games that have to do with bloodthirsty but equally intelligent psychos.