In anime, it is common to find characters with differently colored eyes. This is called Heterochromia, which in Japanese is called ishokushou [異色症]. In this article, we will see characters and anime with such characteristics.
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What is Heterochromia?
Heterochromia is a genetic anomaly in which the individual has a different tone in their eyes, specifically in the iris, making one eye a different color from the other. This can often be seen in 犬や猫, it is believed that only 6 in every thousand people have such an anomaly.
Different eyes can also be caused by a disease, for this reason a person needs to undergo medical tests and procedures. Another way to achieve a different color in a single eye is by using lenses.
Despite the name syndrome or diseases, not all of them have real problems in the person's life, but some need to be taken care of. Here is a list of possible causes of Heterochromia:
- Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome
- Horner's syndrome
- Parry-Romberg syndrome
- Sturge-Weber syndrome
- Waardenburg syndrome
- iris ectropion syndrome
- pigment dispersion syndrome
- Posner-Schlossman Syndrome
- von Recklinghausen's disease
- Bourneville Disease
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- Diabetes
- eye surgery
- Glaucoma
- eye injury
- eye swelling
- iris tumors
Research suggests that most cases of heterochromia in humans are benign and occur without any underlying abnormality.
Types of Heterochromia
There are three types of Heterochromia, they are Sectoral, Central and Complete. Understand a little below:
Sectoral heterochromia
Sectoral Heterochromia is the most common of the three types. It is considered sectoral when the same iris has more than one color, it can be just reflections or one side of the iris differs from the other; one of the colors is always dominant.
It can also be called heterochromia iridum and can appear in both or just one eye. In Japanese, it is called kousaiishokushou [虹彩異色症]. It is believed that Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, had some type of heterochromia.
central heterochromia
Central heterochromia consists of the presence of two or more circles in the iris, each one of a color, this type of anomaly is known as "Cat's Eye".
When heterochromia is caused by a genetic abnormality, the carrier's eyes are more likely to be blue and brown, and when it is caused by the syndrome, the carrier is more likely to have green and brown eyes.
complete heterochromia
As the name suggests, this is complete heterochromia that changes the color of the entire eye or when the eye is a completely different or opposite color from the other. This is the rarest type of heterochromia in existence.
Heterochromia in Japan
The breed of cats called Mi-Ke, a type of lucky cat, often has eyes of different colors, nicknamed gold and silver eyes. These cats usually have one yellow and one blue eye, but some may accompany hearing diseases on the side of the blue eye.
There are 2 famous Japanese individuals with heterochromia, first we will mention Akira Hashimoto a Japanese journalist and critic who passed away in 2017, a former student of Emperor Akihito. He acquired these colors in his eyes due to some injuries.
We also have the actress and singer Megumi Okuna who participated in many Dorama, her case is congenital (since baby), but it is not very noticeable from afar. There are probably other unknown Japanese people with differently colored eyes.
In creative works from subcultures such as anime, manga, and games, characters are sometimes given the physical characteristics of iridescent heterochromia, or a similar physical appearance where the iris color is different in the left and right eyes.
Although rare in real humans, such character configurations tend to be frequently favoured, and have appeared in many works in recent years. In 2001 it was estimated that one in five works had a character with a different eye color.
Anime characters with heterochromia
Below we are going to share some anime characters that have heterochromia, either by birth or just using some kind of lens. It is worth mentioning that in anime it is common for characters of different colors to have some kind of secret or mystical power.
- Spike Spiegel [Cowboy Bebop];
- Shoto Todoroki [Boku no Hero];
- Tokisaki Kurumi [Date a Live];
- Mukuro Rokudo [Reborn!]
- Seijuurou Akashi [Kuroko no Basuke];
- Elizabeth Liones [Nanatsu no Taizai];
- Tet [No Game No Life];
- Lucoa [Kobayashi Maid Dragon]
- Aura Bella Fiora [Overlord];
- Suiseiseki [Rozen Maiden];
- Urumi Kanzaki [GTO];
- Roswaal L. Mathers [Re:Zero];
- Misaki Mei [Another];
- Kaneki Ken [Tokyo Ghoul];
- Kakashi Hatake [Naruto];
- Takanashi Rikka [Chuunibyou];
- Hasegawa Kobato [I Am a Friend];
- Lelouch vi Britannia [Code Geass];
Now that you have seen a bit about anime characters with heterochromia, we recommend reading our article about large eyes in anime. If you liked the article, don't forget to share and leave comments.
