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Pet Sins September 2005 Issue: Dark-skinned characters of Anime and Manga

Black and brown characters in Japanese animation

Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena

Some might ask what would be the use of making a list of black and brown Japanese animation characters. Well, from the start, we were looking at the various ways in wich black people are protrayed in anime. It became necessary to have a compilation of most of the known black/brown anime characters so that viewers would be able to discuss trends and voice their preferences for the character designs of black/brown people.

As Japanese pop culture becomes more influential internationally, it becomes more important to view it with the kind of critical eye that is applied to American pop culture. We hereby present these listings of dark-skinned anime characters (many of which are African/Indian-inspired), for your comparison:

Dark-skinned Villains in Anime

Dark-skinned Heroes in Anime

Dark-skinned Neutral Characters in Anime

Acknowledgements: Wildperfect and Wu started this listing with contributions by nubia_enigma, nara and other members of the black4anime yahoogroup. Since then, many other readers have contributed to the list. A shout-out to Solitarybird, Debbie, L.B. and all the other readers who wrote in with character suggestions and bios. With your help, we have been updating this list regularly.

© 2005-2023 Colorq World. All rights reserved. Readers are welcome to link to this list, but please do NOT reproduce this list, whether in whole or in part, without permission.


Character list in alphabetical order
  1. Abi [Ghost Slayers Ayashi]
  2. Afro [Afro Samurai]
  3. Agni [Black Butler]
  4. Ahmad [Yugo the Negotiator]
  5. Ahmed [Gundam Seed]
  6. Aikka [Oban Star-Racers]
  7. Akio Ohtori [Revolutionary Girl Utena]
  8. Aladdin [Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures]
  9. Alfred [Toward the Terra]
  10. Alfred aka Punch [Cowboy Bebop]
  11. Ali Baba [Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures]
  12. Aloe [Pokemon Best Wishes]
  13. Amarone Slaintheav [Vandread]
  14. Anna Marie [Freedom]
  15. Anthy Himemiya [Revolutionary Girl Utena]
  16. Ao [Freedom]
  17. Appledelhi Siniz Hesap Lutfen [Cowboy Bebop]
  18. April [Darker Than Black]
  19. Arvind Lavie [Planetes]
  20. Atl [Ghost Slayers Ayashi]
  21. Atsuko Jackson [Michiko and Hatchin]
  22. B.D. Neon [Trigun]
  23. Bacchus [Rage of Bahamut]
  24. Barbon [Hunter x Hunter]
  25. Bear Walken [Gungrave]
  26. Belfangan Grouseaux [Full Metal Panic, the 2nd Raid]
  27. Ben Jackson [Tiger & Bunny]
  28. Bertuccio [Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo)]
  29. Biff [S-cry-ed]
  30. Bill [Full Metal Panic!]
  31. Birdie [Street Fighter Alpha]
  32. Blood War [Gungrave]
  33. Blue [Wolf's Rain]
  34. Bluearth [Freedom]
  35. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo [Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo ]
  36. Boo [Now and Then, Here and There]
  37. Bowie Grant [Robotech - Southern Cross]
  38. Brau [Toward the Terra]
  39. Buzam A. Caleaza [Vandread]
  40. Captain Nemo [Nadia - the Secret of Blue Water]
  41. Caravan owner/Julius' father [Trigun]
  42. Catalina [Nabari No Ou]
  43. Choi Mochimazzi [Tamako Market]
  44. Claire Rondo [Planetes]
  45. Claudia Grant [Robotech - Macross]
  46. Coffee [Cowboy Bebop]
  47. Dearka Elthman [Gundam Seed]
  48. Dhalsim [Street Fighter]
  49. Dingo [Rockman Exe Stream]
  50. Domino Walker [Cowboy Bebop]
  51. Don Kan'onji [Bleach]
  52. Duo ["Program" Animatrix short]
  53. Dutch [Black Lagoon]
  54. Ed, aka Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tiruvsky IV [Cowboy Bebop]
  55. Edmond Dantes [Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo)]
  56. Electra Ovilo [Cowboy Bebop - The Movie]
  57. Emperor Neo [Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water]
  58. Ergo Proxy [Ergo Proxy]
  59. Fake high priest [A Wind Named Amnesia (1993)]
  60. Favaro Leone [Rage of Bahamut]
  61. Fee Carmichael [Planetes]
  62. Fernand Mondego [Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo)]
  63. Fire Emblem [Tiger & Bunny]
  64. Gato [Saiyuki]
  65. Gereta [Hunter x Hunter]
  66. Gigalt Gangaragash [Planetes]
  67. Gordon [Rocket Girls]
  68. Gorobei [Samurai 7]
  69. Guren [Shonen Onmyouji]
  70. Haji Rahmani [Yugo the Negotiator]
  71. Hakim Ashmead [Planetes]
  72. Hakim Atawari [Emma- Victorian Romance]
  73. Hamahama [Nadia - the Secret of Blue Water]
  74. Harley [Toward the Terra]
  75. Harold and his wife [Toward the Terra]
  76. Haruhiko Kasama [Please Save My Earth ]
  77. Hassan [Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures]
  78. Ibraha [Black Lagoon]
  79. Ichiro Tendo [Black Jack]
  80. Iris [Pokemon Best Wishes]
  81. Iyek [Wolf's Rain]
  82. Jackson [Full Metal Panic!]
  83. Janet Bhai [Black Lagoon]
  84. Joco [Shaman King]
  85. Jose Rodriguez [Phantom Memory Kurau]
  86. Judia [Ragnarok, The Animation]
  87. Junk [Freedom]
  88. Kambei (or Kanbei) [Samurai 7]
  89. Kaname Tousen [Bleach]
  90. Kenny [Gungrave]
  91. Kojiro Murdoch [Gundam Seed]
  92. Kougaiji [Saiyuki]
  93. Laila [Yugo the Negotiator]
  94. Lala Sun [Mobile Suit Gundam]
  95. Lal'C Mellk Mal [Diebuster]
  96. Laughing Bull [Cowboy Bebop]
  97. Ledonir Kisaka [Gundam Seed]
  98. Lee [Gosick]
  99. Lee Sampson [Cowboy Bebop - The Movie]
  100. Leviathan [Gosick]
  101. Leviathan's son [Gosick]
  102. Librarian [Fullmetal Alchemist]
  103. Makihara Bob [Tenjho Tenge (Heaven and Earth)]
  104. Malik Ishtar [Yugioh]
  105. Martin daCosta [Gundam Seed]
  106. Mary and her brother [Black Jack 21]
  107. Master Mahajarama [Rockman Exe]
  108. Matsuri Morita [Rocket Girls]
  109. Mayor of Sternbild City [Tiger & Bunny]
  110. Mechya Mochimazzi [Tamako Market]
  111. Meena [Black Butler]
  112. Mercedes Herrera [Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo)]
  113. Michiko Malandro [Michiko and Hatchin]
  114. Mihoshi [Tenchi Muyo]
  115. Miles [Cowboy Bebop]
  116. Miriam and her grandfather [Black Jack]
  117. Mister Popo [Dragon Ball]
  118. Muramura [Nadia - the Secret of Blue Water]
  119. Nabuca [Now and Then, Here and There]
  120. Nadia [Nadia: the Secret of Blue Water]
  121. Nagi [Trigun]
  122. Niari [Gokudo]
  123. Nico Robin [One Piece]
  124. Ninja Ninja [Afro Samurai]
  125. Noah [Fullmetal Alchemist - Conqueror of Shamballa]
  126. Paninya [Fullmetal Alchemist]
  127. Patrick 'Panther' Spencer [Eyeshield 21]
  128. Pedro Domingo [Excel Saga]
  129. Piccolo [Cowboy Bebop]
  130. Pierre Vieira [Genesis of Aquarion]
  131. Pirotess [Record of Lodoss War]
  132. Pony [Gall Force, Eternal Story]
  133. Quattuor [Gilgamesh]
  134. Rakshata Chawla [Code Geass]
  135. Raoul [Rockman Exe Stream]
  136. Rasheed aka Doctor Mendelo al-Hedia [Cowboy Bebop - The Movie]
  137. Rashid [Yugo the Negotiator]
  138. Ricky [Freedom]
  139. Rose [Fullmetal Alchemist]
  140. Rosny Spanngen [Cowboy Bebop]
  141. Rowan Pigeon [Black Lagoon]
  142. Ryoma Sakamoto [Peacemaker]
  143. Sado Yasutora [Bleach]
  144. Sahib Ashman [Gundam Seed]
  145. Sam [Tiger & Bunny]
  146. Sandora Domingo [Excel Saga]
  147. Sarujiro [Rurouni Kenshin]
  148. Scar [Fullmetal Alchemist]
  149. Sexy Wife [Excel Saga]
  150. Shadle [Yugo the Negotiator]
  151. Shaft [Cowboy Bebop]
  152. Sheri Walken [Gungrave]
  153. Shijima [Ninja Scroll]
  154. Shion [Please Save My Earth]
  155. Silva [Shaman King]
  156. Simon Brezhnev [Durarara!]
  157. Sinbad [Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures]
  158. Soma Asman Kadar [Black Butler]
  159. Sophita [Casshern Sins]
  160. Sukuwara [Hunter x Hunter]
  161. Suleyman [Trinity Blood]
  162. Suzu Kitamura [Peacemaker]
  163. Swamp Gordon [Coyote Ragtime Show]
  164. Takashi [Black Jack]
  165. Tanda [Seirei no Moribito]
  166. Teddy Bomber (aka Ted Bower) [Cowboy Bebop]
  167. Tessai [Ninja Scroll (1993)]
  168. That Gomez [Excel Saga]
  169. Tsume [Wolf's Rain]
  170. Twellen [Toward the Terra]
  171. Udai Taxim [Cowboy Bebop]
  172. Unkei [S-cry-ed]
  173. Unnamed Assistant to Dr Wattman [Black Jack: The 4 Miracles of Life]
  174. Unnamed Autoreiv [Ergo Proxy]
  175. Unnamed madman [A Wind Named Amnesia (1993)]
  176. Unnamed Pastor [Casshern Sins]
  177. Unnamed pirate [Rurouni Kenshin]
  178. Unnamed police officer [Black Jack 21]
  179. Unnamed Terrorist [Tiger & Bunny]
  180. Unnamed waitress [Black Jack 21]
  181. Urd [Ah! My Goddess]
  182. Uubu [Dragon Ball Z]
  183. Valore [Vandread]
  184. Viletta Nu [Code Geass]
  185. Yasmina [Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures]
  186. Yoruichi Shihouin [Bleach]
  187. Yusuf Ali Mesa [Yugo the Negotiator]

This may look like a long list, but it is actually disproportionately small, considering the actual number of people of color in the world, and the many thousands more white-looking characters in anime.

© 2005-2023 Colorq World. All rights reserved. Readers are welcome to link to this list, but please do NOT reproduce this list, whether in whole or in part, without permission.