Anime with White-Haired Protagonists

Anime characters are often judged by their appearance, and white hair raises expectations. Most of the time those expectations are met. Sometimes a bland protagonist wastes the design, but those cases are the minority. There is a running joke among fans that white hair equals hidden power, and the characters on this list do their best to prove it.

The ten series below cover action, horror, fantasy and quieter stories. Each entry explains what the white-haired lead does in the plot and why the series is worth watching.

If you want more on how anime uses hair color in general, our article on hair in anime covers the usual meanings of colors and styles. For this list, the question is simpler: does the white hair fit the character, and is the series good beyond the design?

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Kiznaiver (2016, Studio Trigger)

Katsuhira Agata is a quiet, reserved teenager whose feelings have disappeared. His behavior makes him an easy target for bullies, who use him and take his money.

One day, Katsuhira, his childhood friend and five other students are kidnapped and forced to join the Kizuna System. The participants are connected through pain: if one member is hurt, the others feel an equal amount of agony.

They become guinea pigs for an incomplete system designed to achieve world peace. With their fates literally linked, they must expose their true selves to each other or risk failing much more than the Kizuna System.

My take

Kiznaiver opens the list with one of the most unusual premises in anime. It uses few clichés, and the plot keeps finding ways to surprise. Katsuhira may not be the most charismatic lead, but he has an important role in the story, and the romance is worth following.

Tokyo Ghoul (2014, Studio Pierrot)

Tokyo has become a cruel and merciless city, a place where creatures called ghouls exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once-great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their hunger for human flesh.

Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a shy and studious college student, who is quickly drawn to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like him. Rize is not exactly who she seems, and this encounter throws Kaneki into the dark depths of the inhuman world of ghouls.

My take

There is one small catch: Kaneki does not start the series with white hair. The change comes near the end of the first season, and the scene is one of the most epic in anime. After that, he becomes very strong and a lot more badass.

DanMachi (2015, J.C.Staff)

Life in the bustling city of Orario is never monotonous, especially for Bell Cranel, a young man who hopes to become the greatest adventurer in the land. After a chance encounter with the lonely goddess Hestia, his dreams become a little closer to reality.

With her support, Bell embarks on a fantastic quest as he ventures into the depths of the city's monster-filled dungeons.

My take

Bell is one of the most naive and innocent protagonists in anime. The hero of To Love-Ru will always be the benchmark, but Bell is quite comparable. Fortunately, what he lacks in experience he makes up for in power. I must point out that this is one of the few anime that gives a frequent cliché a great excuse.

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut (2016, Lerche)

Lux Arcadia was a prince of the Arcadia Empire until a rebellion overthrew his family five years ago. He accidentally walks into the bath area of a girls' dormitory and sees the new princess of the kingdom naked.

The princess, in a fit of rage, challenges Lux to a Drag-Ride duel. Drag-Rides are ancient armored mechanical weapons excavated from ruins around the world. Lux used to be called the strongest Drag-Knight, but now he is known as the "Weakest Undefeated Drag-Knight" because he has never lost a fight.

My take

I have not seen another cliché used in such an original way. Most protagonists barge into the girls' bath through the door; Lux falls in through the roof. What matters is that he looks like a child but has power that can scare any adult.

Seikon no Qwaser (2010, Hoods Entertainment)

After a horrible day, Mafuyu Oribe and Tomo Yamanobe, whose father adopted Mafuyu, come across an injured young man and decide to bring him home to recover. That same night, Mafuyu finds herself at the mercy of an infamous serial killer.

He spares her life and demands an icon left by Tomo's father. Fortunately, Sasha, the mysterious young man the two girls had taken in, comes to the rescue and helps Mafuyu avoid the same fate as the other victims.

Sasha reveals that he is a Qwaser, an individual capable of controlling scientific elements by drinking Soma, an essence produced in women's breasts.

My take

I have already made a list of the best ecchi anime, and this one sits at the spiciest end of it. Seikon no Qwaser is a full-on ecchi where the hero uses the excuse of gaining power to suck on the girls' breasts. I found the premise quite original, and the series is on my favorites list. I want to stress that I liked the story and not the spicy parts (really).

Strike the Blood (2013, Silver Link and Connect)

Kojou Akatsuki's days as an ordinary high school student in the Demon District of Itogami Island come to an abrupt end after a fateful encounter leaves him with the remarkable abilities of a vampire.

It does not take long for him to be thrust into the spotlight when it is discovered that he is the fourth primogenitor, an immensely powerful vampire that most consider a legend.

Fearing Kojou's destructive potential, the Lion King Organization sends Yukina Himeragi, a young sword shaman, to monitor him and kill him if he becomes a threat. The two form an unlikely alliance when Kojou accepts his abilities, and together they fight to protect the city from various emerging chaotic forces.

My take

If Kojou did not have a giant harem, which I consider one of the best in anime, he might not be on this list. There are other strong points, such as his combat power and the hotter scenes. His story is fairly common and full of clichés, but it is original in several places.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge (2013, Studio Gokumi)

Kiri Haimura has an obsession with cutting hair. This bizarre trait leads him to seek a long-haired ghost that supposedly lives in an abandoned house on a hill. Instead, he encounters a beautiful girl with long hair, whose hair cannot be cut because of a family curse.

Iwai explains that a death game surrounds her: if someone kills her with a cursed object known as a Killing Good, that person will have a wish granted. Kiri decides to protect her.

My take

This was one of the first anime where the protagonist is obsessed with cutting hair. To this day, I have not seen another series with that theme. What matters is that Kiri discovers several other skills beyond haircutting, and those skills make him stronger as the episodes go on.

Suisei no Gargantia (2013, Production I.G)

In a distant future, most humans have left Earth, and the Galactic Alliance of Humanity was founded to guide exploration and ensure humanity's prosperity. A significant threat arises in the form of strange creatures called Hideauze, resulting in an interstellar war to prevent humanity's extinction.

Armed with Chamber, an autonomous robot, 16-year-old Lieutenant Ledo of the Galactic Alliance joins the battle against the monsters. In an unfortunate turn of events, Ledo loses control during the battle and is launched to the far reaches of space, landing on a flooded Earth.

On the blue planet, Gargantia, a large fleet of scavenger ships, encounters Chamber and retrieves it from the ocean, thinking they have recovered something valuable. Mistaking their actions for hostility, Ledo flees aboard and takes a young messenger named Amy hostage, only to realize that the residents of Gargantia are not so dangerous.

My take

We already know Ledo is the strongest on this planet, but is he the strongest in the universe? That question does not matter much. What matters is that the visuals are beautiful, at least to me. There is also a good romance for fans who are always looking for a couple to root for.

Mushishi (2005, Artland)

"Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes other than simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and is capable of imitating things from the natural world, such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.

This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as even calling them a form of life would be an excessive simplification. Detailed information about Mushi is scarce because most humans are unaware of their existence.

So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that Ginko, a Mushishi, constantly ponders. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in the hope of understanding their place in the hierarchy of life in the world.

My take

Mushishi is a slow series with almost no exciting scenes. Anyone who does not like psychological anime may fall asleep. For viewers who enjoy reflecting and learning moral lessons from each episode, it is one of the best.

Jormungand (2012, White Fox)

Raised in a conflict environment, Jonathan "Jonah" hates weapons. When Koko Hekmatyar, an international arms dealer, takes Jonah on as one of her bodyguards, he has no choice but to pick up arms.

Together with the rest of Koko's bodyguards, mostly former special operations soldiers, Jonah is now tasked with protecting Koko and her overly idealistic goal of world peace from the numerous dangers that come from her line of work.

My take

Jonah's life is built on a huge contradiction: he hates weapons, but he cannot survive without one at his side. The series has good stories, though it is a shame that some are extremely rushed and poorly told. Jonah himself has many strong points and keeps surpassing his limits.

Other anime with white-haired protagonists

Since the list of white-haired protagonists is large and my patience is short to present them all at once, I will leave some extras here. Of course, I will not include all that exist, so I advise you to leave the ones that are missing in the comments. Anyway, here is the list:

• Devil May Cry
• Trinity Blood
• Inuyasha
• Gintama
• BlazBlue: Alter Memory
• Chaos Dragon
• World Trigger
• Vampire Knight
• Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited
• D.Gray-man

Do you know other white-haired protagonists?

White hair is what gets these characters noticed, but the story is what keeps them on the list. If one of your favorites is missing, leave it in the comments and I will add the ones that fit. Thanks for reading.