Anime Characters with Thought-Provoking Philosophies on Everyday Life

Beneath the epic animations and thrilling narratives, the anime medium often offers very thought-provoking insights about the human experience.

We’re talking about the characters that serve as mirrors to our own lives and philosophies that transcend cultural boundaries.

Whether it is about growing up, attempting the great and the impossible, finding comfort in working hard, forsaking the world or finding beauty in it, or to just laze around, maybe a different take on Greed, or perhaps never failing to have faith in yourself and your abilities.

The characters we’re going to talk about today are very varied individuals.

I’d say, get yourself your favorite beverage and sit tight, this is about to get very interesting.

1 - Eikichi Onizuka from Great Teacher Onizuka

In some form or another, we all desire to be free.

Free of the mundane everyday life, free of not being able to do what we want in the moment, free of the opinions of others, and while, freedom is a tough idea to grasp, our Great Teacher Onizuka has a quite simple way of looking at this.

In his opinion, freedom is about embracing life as it is.

By using his unconventional teaching methods, he does whatever it takes to get through to a student, even if it means offending or hurting them, he will do it, but still, he is not someone who will ever forsake a student, because as a former gangster, he understands exactly what he feels like to be forsaken.

And yet, isn’t this what it is all about?

Rather than fixing what is broken, we often choose to ignore it, or cast it aside, but that’s not the Onizuka way.

In a very real sense of the word, he teaches his students how to “Live.”

2 - Kamina from Gurren Lagann

History is full of wise people who advised against being comfortable. In fact, there is a quote attributed to Friedreich Nietzsche that states, I know of no greater life purpose than to perish in attempting the great and the impossible.

And the anime character that best embodies this quote is Kamina from Gurren Lagann.

He is this larger than life absolute ball of energy and charisma. Just watching him talk fills you with adrenaline.

It’s like every cell in his body is a romanticist and his whole existence is about reaching for what is considered impossible or going even beyond that.

He once said that with a Man’s soul and a strong back, go beyond the impossible and kick reason out of the picture.

From inhumane levels of belief in himself and his brother, a determination that never falters, a boldness that lights other people’s hearts a blaze, and a soul that is all about lighting others up.

Kamina from Gurren Lagann is one of the most loved characters of all time for a reason.

3 - Kita Shinsuke from Haikyuu

Routines can be exhausting sometimes, but then again, as Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do…

In this jam packed inspirational series full of goofy characters and their crazy antics, there was definitely a need for a serene existence that puts everything into perspective.

For the longest time, he saw comfort and tranquility in his daily routines and rituals. In his own words, he says that I am built upon the small things I do everyday, and the end results are no more than a byproduct.

And yet, there isn’t a single ounce of arrogance or deceit in his persona.

Despite being so wise, he is so down to Earth.

I did an entire post about him a while back, which you guys can check out here if you want: Find the article here.

Honestly, I’d say that the next big book on Habit Building should have Kita Shinsuke featured on the cover.

He is HIM!

4 - Pain from Naruto

Next up, we have Pain from Naruto, and in the most simplest terms I can describe his philosophy as a belief that Hatred is the default state of the world.

Even if there are periods of peace, the world inevitably always goes back to war, conflict, and chaos. The poor are devoured, and an inhumane level of pain is inflicted on the hearts of the masses.

This goes deeper in the sense that in his eyes,

Love also breeds sacrifice, which in turn breeds hatred. Then you can know pain.

He did what he did because he thought that the end justifies the means, but of course, Naruto opened his eyes by doing what he always does, but it does make you wonder though.

Pain, or should I say Nagato, did have a point.

This world of ours is a painful and violent place.

5 - Kino from Kino no Tabi

However, Kino from Kino no Tabi has an even more nuanced take.

Kino knows that the World is not beautiful, but then again, that’s why, it is.

The thing about Kino and this series as a whole is how grey morality and philosophy can sometimes be. Our protagonist traverses the lands on a talking motorcycle and every place they visit is something out of a supernatural film.

You cannot go a single episode without having at least one uncomfortable thought.

Be it the context of the episode or Kino’s reaction to what’s going on. The narrative is full of clashes of philosophies.

Kino is indeed about as pragmatic a traveler can be.

6 - Houtarou Oreki from Hyouka

Conserving energy is important, but this guy takes it to the next level.

Despite having the intellectual abilities to outdo his peers, Oreki is a character that makes being lazy look cool.

That’s how he lives his life. He doesn’t stand out and because he doesn’t, he doesn’t have to stand out. Sounds confusing?

Well, how about this.

Oreki has keen deduction abilities, but he doesn’t really care enough to give them a second thought, this is why, since he doesn’t care, others don’t care, and therefore, he lived his life like the average highschool student.

In a way, it can be considered a lack of confidence.

Subconsciously or not, he undervalues himself. In a way, he reminds you of Kei Tsukishima from Haikyuu, doesn’t he?

Anyways, he does learn to start living a more energetic life thanks to his interactions with his friends, and that is what helps him realize that sometimes expending your energy is well-worth it.

7 - Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

This might be the most unusual pick on this list.

The character we have here is Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. As a character who personified one of the seven deadly sins and someone who isn't even human to begin with. There was every reason to label him Evil.

Wealth, fame, or power. He wanted everything, he was bold enough to go up against the father. Talk about not making compromises. It makes you wonder though, what exactly is one’s greed about?

In our hearts and souls what is it that we seek the most?

Yes, he wanted everything, but maybe that’s because he wasn’t sure what he really wanted. As the events unfolded and his perspective widened, he died and was reborn as Greeling together with Ling, Greed finally realized that what he truly wanted was nothing more than friends.

True friends.

That’s it, and that’s everything.

I mean, isn’t greatness all about being accepted by people?

Indeed, FMAB has a genuinely intelligent take on Greed.

8 - Yukihira Soma from Food Wars

Alright, we’re down to the last picks on our list, and the character we have is Yukihira Soma from Food Wars.

There isn’t a defined philosophy that we can point to, but he personifies a lot of interesting traits that are directly interlinked with brutal competence in everyday life.

Where most would lose confidence, feel stressed, and be held back by a lack of hope, he thrives.

Unlike the geniuses at the Totsuki academy, he is someone who got hated for simply doing better than others. Despite the odds, he always made something work, and yet, the students still weren’t ready to acknowledge his abilities…

Why do you think that is?

Isshiki asked Soma’s father what he thought of this and in his words, it was enlightening.

The thing is, it’s not like Soma has any special talent for cooking, which is why Soichiro thought that once he had lost a few times, he would eventually just give up, but in all this time Soma has never gotten discouraged.

And slowly, one step at a time, he is reaching for his goals.

Interestingly, one day, Soichiro noticed that there is something different about Soma, he is missing something that other people hold onto.

Everyone wants to believe that if you lose to someone talented, it just can’t be helped, you know. That’s how people keep a lid on their hearts, because they want to protect their pride or sense of self-worth or whatever it is.

But Soma doesn’t have that lid.

He will go head first into anything he is not good at, and that’s an unbelievable strength that not even Soichiro himself could possess.

Though what is so thought-provoking about this?

It’s a depiction of the age old Talent Vs. Hard Work.

Where others give up, Soma would persevere through countless, obsessive streams of trial and error.

He embodies what it means to work hard and put one’s very being into their craft.

Then again, perhaps the ability to work hard is also a talent in and of itself?

So, there you have it folks, these were a few anime characters and their thought-provoking philosophies on everyday life. Some of them verbalized it, some of them simply showed us through their actions, but either way, it is hard to deny the impression these characters make whenever you watch their respective shows.

Wouldn’t you agree?