- Red-haired anime characters are often depicted as hot-headed, aggressive, passionate, strong, and loyal, with boldness, enthusiasm, violence, passion, feistiness, and seductiveness traits.
- Erza Scarlet from "Fairy Tail" is an S-Class Mage known for her strictness, violence towards disrespect, and immense strength through Requip magic and Sword Magic.
- Gaara from "Naruto" is a red-haired character with a tragic past, initially a villain but later becoming a respected Kazekage known for his sand manipulation abilities and growth into a compassionate leader.
Anime hair is something that can’t exactly be defined logically. We’ve seen a ton of anime characters get a total hair re-do thanks to a power-up or something crazy along those lines. With primary colours though, there are some traits that we can find a consistent level of similarities between the characters that possess them. We’ve already discussed anime characters with blonde hair. Today, we’ll highlight anime characters with red hair and discuss what makes them so fun to have in our favourite shows.
RELATED: The Most Powerful & Strongest Anime Characters Of All Time Ranked
Before that, we need to establish some regular characteristics of red hair anime characters. Primarily, they are usually hot-headed, aggressive and super passionate. They also tend to be strong, even beyond the plot armour levels that are expected of members of the main cast. These are some of the best types of guys and girls to have on the side of a protagonist for sure.
The most common traits among red-haired characters in anime are boldness, enthusiasm, violence, passion, feistiness, and seductiveness. As a result, the colour has become synonymous with these traits, and when people see red, they can easily guess the character they’re about to meet.
Here is our list of the coolest characters with red hair.
1. Sora – No Game No Life
Older brother to Shiro and another half of one of anime’s most dynamic duos, Sora is the perfect example of an anime character with red hair. A confident and sometimes cocky main character, he’s the type of person to protect his sister with everything he’s got. As a good brother to Shiro, his determination to raise her properly is one of the best parts of his abilities. He’s a fast thinker, even in high-pressure situations. He also has a twisted sense of logic that has been helpful for him throughout the anime series.
At a young age, Sora always believed that humans were weak and stupid. However, after meeting Shiro, he regained his faith in humanity. His only problem is that whenever he gets separated from his sister, he loses his self-confidence. He’s a truly loyal character and one that’s always ready to help out with all he can do.
2. Shanks – One Piece
“Red-Haired” Shanks is one of the most impressive characters in the One Piece universe. With a deep track record of notorious piracy, he’s gained the respect of marines and pirates alike. He’s one of the Four Emperors of the sea, a title given to the four most notorious pirates in the New World. Shanks might have a crazy reputation, but in actuality, he’s a pretty lax guy.
When visiting East Blue years before Luffy’s piracy, he met a young Luffy and was a major reason why our cherished main character is where he is in the story.
Shanks has shown himself to be selfless and compassionate like in Marineford where his intervention prevented the loss of more lives for both sides.
Shanks is Captain of the Red Hair Pirates (named after his red hair) and one of the Four Emperors of the New World. He is a fundamental background character in One Piece and the one who inspired Luffy to become a pirate.
When Luffy was still a young boy, he made friends with Shanks, who was the one who accidentally gave Luffy his Gomu Gomu powers and sacrificed his left arm to save him. Before leaving Luffy’s hometown, Shanks gifted him with the iconic straw hat (that would later become his signature accessory) as a promise that the two would meet again.
When he was younger, he was very similar to Luffy, something he had admitted to before.
Unlike most red-haired characters, Shanks is very laid-back, happy to take his time travelling around the world and partying with his crew rather than rushing around the sea. However, he’s not one to say no to a party, even if he has just finished one.
He’s so charismatic that he has convinced several prominent figures to join him for his parties.
Shanks is very carefree and happily accepts insults (or drinks) thrown at him. However, he does not take kindly to those who dare harm his friends or those under his protection.
When an unpleasant guy hurts Luffy, he tells him, “Listen up… You can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me… You can even spit on me. I’ll just laugh that stuff off. But… Good reason or not… Nobody hurts a friend of mine.”
He usually prefers to take the peaceful route, but he will fight if he is given no other choice. His power lies in his influence, ability to lead and Haki. He can use all three types of Haki, which allows him to knock people out or scare creatures with a single glare, create invisible armour which enhances his offensive and defensive abilities and sense the presence, strength and emotions of those around him. However, his Haki usually acts up when he’s in enemy territory and can’t relax.
Shanks can be surprisingly serious and mature when discussing specific topics. He is also an excellent swimmer and possesses immense physical strength and speed. In addition, he shows great skill when wielding his sword, Gryphon, and occasionally wields a firearm.
RELATED: The Best Anime Intro Songs – Here Are The Best Openers
3. Sasori – Naruto
Originally leaving his village twenty years before the events of Naruto Shippuden, Sasori is a member of the Akatsuki group of rogue shinobi. With notorious ties to some of the Naruto universe’s strongest characters, Sasori definitely had the strength to back up his presence in the Akatsuki.
He’s a user of the puppetry ninjutsu technique that allows him to control puppets at a level of mastery that was unrivalled by his grandmother Chiyo and Kankuro. In fact, he was also the creator of Kankuro’s puppets which bare Sasori’s mark of a red scorpion.
As a red haired character, he definitely exhibited that unnatural strength commonly associated with redheads in anime.
4. Eijiro Kirishima – My Hero Academia
As a student in Class 1A, Kirishima is commonly present in the arcs and storylines in the series. With his presence consistently felt, he’s been shown to be supportive of his classmates. He uses a hardening quirk that is able to help him hold his own against most opponents he encounters.
Later on in the show, he gained the ability to strengthen the extent of his hardening quirk. This form gave Kirishima a more monstrous look with a nearly indestructible capability for his ability. Shown to have a higher potential for improvement, it seems like there’s more to see with where he goes from here.
As a red-haired character, Kirishima does justice to their common traits of being a loud and noisy guy. His passion is truly respectable in the face of both strong allies and menacing opponents.
RELATED: Top 10 Best Anime Series Of All-Time
5. Renji Abarai – Bleach
Friend to Rukia and one of the most popular characters in the Bleach universe, Renji is a redhead to the core. He’s a bit of an arrogant character in a humorous way, constantly trading insults with Ichigo. When it’s time for a serious fight though, Renji is one that should not be messed with. He’s a quick and powerful character that is able to take on some of the most dangerous hollows around.
As a friend to Rukia, he’s extremely protective and willing to go above and beyond to protect her. He’s also a lieutenant with the Gotei 13’s 6th division, making him one of the strongest on record.
Working towards his dream of surpassing Byakuya, captain of his division, Renji is a determined character that may one day become a captain himself.
The lieutenant of the 6th Division and former member of the 11th Division has brown eyes and many tribal tattoos that decorate most of his body. Renji’s personality seems to change. He can go from being smug and cocky to being disquieted and depressed to being serious and determined.
Audiences see his most serious moments when he’s fighting opponents he considers genuine threats. His fighting style has made him an incredibly dangerous man to fight and has often gotten him compared to Ichigo Kurosaki. However, Renji still holds the philosophies he learnt while in the 11th Division close and will willingly die fighting any threat he chooses to take care of on his own.
6. Erza Scarlet – Fairy Tail
One of the most powerful characters within the Fairy Tail guild, Erza is one of the original red-haired anime characters that shone a spotlight on just how different and respectable these characters can be. In the anime, she’s able to use a large range of magic armours to fight and use a near-endless variety of weapons.
Originally, she was a bit reserved and quiet within the guild, but with the help of Gray and her friendship with Natsu, Erza was able to develop a closer bond with her guild members, and grow stronger in order to protect her friends. She’s one of the best red-haired characters due to her strength and status as arguably the strongest character within the Fairy Tail guild.
Erza is an S-Class Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild, for which she briefly served as the Guild Master, and a member of Team Natsu. She is an incredibly strict person who reacts with violence when people are disrespectful or stupid around her, so when other guild members do something idiotic in her presence, they quickly apologise to avoid her wrath. She also tends to be impatient and a bit socially awkward because of her childhood.
Despite this, several characters have described her as “full of kindness, brightness and warmth.” These traits come out when people she cares for find themselves in danger. She may not tolerate anyone’s nonsense but will do everything she can to protect her guild members.
Erza is extremely powerful. She uses Requip, a magic she has mastered that allows her to swap her weapons and armour at will, and Sword Magic. Erza is the only Sword Mage who can Requip while in combat. Her skills with her magic and in combat make her an extremely deadly opponent.
RELATED: Who Is The Strongest & Most Powerful Naruto Character?
7. Gaara – Naruto
From the sand village, Gaara was originally a ruthless and psychotic killer when introduced in the first Naruto series. He was born as a “cursed” child with a similar backstory to Naruto. He had the one-tailed beast within him and this led many to believe that he was a demon beyond redemption. However, along with the development of the show, Gaara learned to be a better person to both his village and former rivals from Konoha.
Following the iconic trait of red-haired characters, Gaara’s strength has been unquestionable right from the start. He’s shown himself to be able to handle a good number of opponents with a near-indestructible level of defensive capabilities thanks to his sand. Later on in the show, he’s able to perfect his abilities and eventually work his way towards becoming Kazekage, the leader of the sand village in the second part of the Naruto manga.
8. Sho Hinakawa – Psycho Pass
Enforcer in Division 01 of the Criminal Investigation Division within the Public Safety Bureau, Sho is a man in his 20s with a genius level of intellect. He’s able to understand hologram technology far beyond the reach of his peers. This is displayed by his ability to recognize that Kirito Kamui uses a hologram in disguise. He’s also capable of quickly distinguishing between different drugs when he encounters them.
With a shy personality and a reserved attitude, he struggled with depression while growing up. This led him to drug addiction and other issues he has to battle while juggling his role as an enforcer. He’s a redhead that shows some diversity within the community of redhead characters in anime.
9. Zora – Black Clover
Black Clover‘s Zora is a member of the Black Bulls, one of the most powerful magic squads in Clover kingdom. He kind of sports a somewhat psychotic look with a leather mask that covers the underside of his face and leaves his mouth uncovered like a Ninja. He’s a cynical and grumpy character that is often quite disrespectful to those around him. However, Zora is actually not a bad person, but rather someone that has problems relating with people.
His magic is one that is ash-based and allows him to create some deadly magical traps that are able to catch opponents off guard. The traps primarily reflect the magic of other characters back against them. He’s also able to create large scale traps for battles that will be tough without some original preparations prior to them.
RELATED: Black Clover Season 5: Everything You Need to Know
10. Taiga Kagami – Kuroko’s Basketball
Deuteragonist and essential part of Seirin’s success, Kagami is a redhead to the core. He’s hot-blooded, talented and determined to give his all in a game. His exceptional talent is recognized by his teammates and opponents dubbing him “the miracle who did not become one of the miracles”.
This title is a reference to the fact that Kagami possesses a level of prowess in Basketball that can be said to rival the well-respected Generation of Miracles basketball squad. Kagami is also an absolute monster on the court with skills that allow him to go toe-to-toe and even beat members of the famous Generation of Miracles.
RELATED: The Best Fate Anime Series of All Time (& How To Watch Them)
11. Rias Gremory – High School DxD
Risa is the heiress of the Gremory Clan, who earned the title Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess thanks to the colour of her hair and the fact that she possesses the Power of Destruction. While she is a mostly compassionate and kind person, she has a violent side that reveals itself when she sees cruelty or if people insult those closest to her. She can also be quite impatient and selfish at times.
She doesn’t particularly enjoy the attention of men (as she’s only ever known them to be interested in her titles) unless it’s coming from her future fiancé Issei. This is also why she chooses to live in the human world. People see her as a person rather than her title. Risa is mature for her age but tends to lose that maturity around anything involving Issei.
Risa is an incredibly powerful demon, with skills that surpass that of Ultimate-class Devils and reach Satan-Class. She can hold her own, is an expert tactician and negotiator and is extremely intelligent. When she and Issei sync their auras and use a combination technique, Rias gains a female form of his Scale Mail, which increases her powers while protecting her.
Her Power of Destruction gives her the ability to disintegrate the matter of all living and inanimate things. However, despite all this, she has a slight inferiority complex and will often compare herself to those that are significantly less powerful than herself.
12. Yoko Littner – Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Yoko is one of the leading female characters of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan and a founding member of Team Dai-Gurren. She is a skilled Gunman pilot but prefers to use a sniper rifle against enemies because she is also an expert marksman.
She is confident in her fighting abilities and easily handles many situations. Her knowledge and maturity enable her to think her strategy through before charging into battle. However, while she is mostly a kind and caring person, she does have her aggressive moments, which come out, particularly when she reprimands Kamina (her love interest).
Yoko’s care for her team runs deeply, and she is incredibly protective of them. Hence, as she grows older and watches several friends and loved ones die, she develops the belief that violence is terrible and that children should never witness it.
13. Shoto Todoroki – My Hero Academia
Shoto is a student attending U.A. High School in Class 1-A. He is training to be a Pro Hero alongside his classmates and is one of the main characters in the popular anime series. He has a quirk known as Half-cold Half-hot, which allows him to generate fire and ice on either side of his body. As a result, he has a mix of red and white hair split evenly, with white on his right side and red on his left, each corresponding to his powers.
Due to his traumatic childhood, Shoto initially has a very closed-off personality and is more focused on studying and earning a sport at the top than he is on making friends. However, eventually, he becomes slightly more social and kind, even occasionally smiling, though he is still quite dense when it comes to understanding certain things, specifically figures of speech.
Shoto is absolutely brutal in combat. While he initially refuses to use the fire aspect of his powers, flat out rejecting him due to his resentment for his father, Izuku Midoriya encourages him to use his ice and fire. He has excellent control over his powers, having received training from his father at a very young age.
He’s also incredibly intelligent, scoring very highly in class and showing a great understanding of battle strategy. He’s a determined character who refuses to give up and remains level-headed even when facing incredible difficulty.
RELATED: The 15 Best Sad Anime Romance Movies
14. Maki Nishikino – Love Live!
Maki is one of the main characters of Love Live! and has some childish beliefs, such as thinking that Santa is real. However, her friends don’t want to ruin the magic of Christmas for her. So they do their best to allow her to keep this belief by stopping those trying to destroy the illusion.
She is a bit of a tsundere. As a result, she had a hard time opening up to people and was a bit of a loner at the start of the anime because of her standoffishness. However, as the story progresses, she eventually learns to open up, but she still struggles because of her awkwardness and inability to invest in her friendships fully.
15. Chise Hatori – The Ancient Magus Bride
Chise is an extremely powerful magic user known as a Sleigh Beggy and becomes the apprentice, and later wife, of Elias Ainsworth. However, she has a quieter personality and becomes easily attached to anyone who shows her kindness.
She is a very courageous and kind individual who will do everything she can to help others, even if she hurts herself in the process. She doesn’t care much about what happens to her, which is made further evident when she sells herself into slavery and shows almost no self-preservation when using her magic.
As the series progresses, she learns to have a more optimistic outlook on life and begins to find her joy.
16. Kenshin Himura – Rurouni Kenshin
Himura is the main protagonist of Rurouni Kenshin. Because of the torment he faces from his past as a hitokiri; he vows never to kill again. It’s a significant aspect of his character and is tested as he fights to keep peace in his country.
He has long hair and an androgynous-looking face sporting a cross-shaped scar.
He is a very gentle and serene person who won’t hesitate to protect or put himself in harm’s way for the sake of others, a result of the grief he carries with him everywhere. This grief prevents him from being emotionally close to anyone.
To avoid or redirect unpleasant situations, Himura will feign clumsiness. This leads most people to believe that he is easily exploitable, but those that can see past the façade see the deep wisdom behind it.
When he is challenged and forced to draw his sword against those who abuse their power, he faces them with an intense calmness that is intimidating to even the most skilled swordsmen.
17. Kallen Kozuki – Code Geass
Besides her spikey red hair, Kallen’s most distinguishing features are her large blue eyes.
She is shown to be an incredibly determined and loyal person who can be pretty short-tempered and impulsive at times. On the other hand, she has been shown to have the capacity to be gentle and compassionate. But unfortunately, these were traits that she lost after her brother’s death.
Over the course of the anime, she grows and becomes a very skilled fighter with a great sense of morality and justice. When those that she cares for are in trouble, she will put aside her feelings and interests to protect them.
Because of how ruthless she is in battle, she earned the code name Q-1, which references the “queen” on a chessboard. She is a skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, displays excellent fighting abilities in multiple forms of combat is highly intelligent and is a brilliant leader.
18. Kyoko Sakura – Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Kyoko Sakura is one of five central magical girls in Puella Magi Madoka Magica and has a fiery personality, which is evident by her stubbornness and self-centeredness. However, the characters and audience soon learn that this is a façade she uses to hide her genuine kindness and sympathy.
She had learnt to be very good at masking how she truly feels, not trusting those around her because of past experiences, and acting rudely towards Sayaka at first because Kyoko didn’t want her to make the same mistakes she did when she was younger. She refuses to sacrifice herself for the sake of others, believing that it would only lead to tragedy.
Kyoko grew up poor, so she hates it when people waste food, going so far as to threaten them, and is said to have a somewhat childish palate.
19. Shura Kirigakure – Blue Exorcist
Shura sports a faded red hairstyle with blonde tips and is an Upper-First class Exorcist and the mentor of Rin Okumura, the son of Satan and twin to Yukio. When audiences first meet her, she is in disguise and pretends to be quiet and withdrawn, preferring to play video games than spend time paying attention to any lessons. In actuality, Shura is a very laid-back and blunt person. She is unafraid to speak freely about sensitive topics, point out other people’s flaws or challenge her superiors.
She often slacks off, but when it comes to being an Exorcist, she becomes very serious and focused entirely on the task at hand.
Despite everything, she still cares for people under her and even threatens Mephisto if he causes any harm to Rin or Yukio, which surprises everyone, including herself.
20. Kushina Uzumaki – Naruto Shippuden
Kushina is the beloved mother of Naruto Uzumaki, who did everything she could to protect her son. As a young girl, she was eccentric, headstrong, impulsive and stubborn, all traits she passed down to her son. As she grew older, she became more level-headed and cheerful. However, she had a prominently sassy side and retained her quick temper. When angered, she would lash out violently against those who had pushed her buttons.
She was an incredibly fearless woman and cared deeply for her family. However, this care soon turned into worry for her husband and unborn child. When Naruto was a newborn, she sacrificed her life for his sake and, in her dying moments, made sure to shower him with as much love as possible, knowing that he would have a difficult life.
21. Karma Akabane – Assassination Classroom
Karma is an incredibly cunning and mischievous individual. He is mildly sadistic and became well-known at his school for his violent behaviour, for which he got suspended.
Despite his reputation, he is a relatively relaxed person and often skills things he finds uninteresting. Some people have described him as “at first glance, he comes across as being a lazy sort, but there’s a strong sense of mischief in his eyes”.
He has decent values and has been shown to be quite empathetic and caring at times. This care is made evident with Nagisa, who later becomes his best friend, and his classmates, who he will protect from those who are prejudiced against them.
He can be impulsive, and highly ruthless and cruel when dealing with those who would dare to threaten or cause harm to his friends and classmates.
RELATED: Top 22 Best & Most Popular Romance Anime Series To Date
What other anime characters have red hair?
Red Haired characters sure are interesting to watch, and there’s no way they’ll ever back down from a challenge. That’s why we love them! These are some of our favourites, but there are a lot more that deserve a spot among the best.