Top 20 Convincing Trap Characters in Anime

For those not in the know, a trap refers to a person of either gender that convincingly dresses as the opposite gender. Traps traditionally refer to boys dressed as girls while reverse traps are girls that dress as boys. As it comes from such a conservative society, it is often surprising that anime is such a trans-forward medium at times with traps not so much demonized, but embraced in many series. Although traps are often used as comedy, very rarely are they ever pushed aside for their particular predilections, and that’s great. So who are our favorite traps and reverse traps that always leave you guessing what is really under those clothes?

Best Convincing Trap Characters in Anime

Ruka Urushibara from Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate is kind of a surprising series to have a trap in it, but Ruka’s storyline makes a lot of sense. His fondest dream is to be born again as a female, the gender he dresses and identifies as. So, he uses Rintarou’s machine to text his mother in the past, telling her to eat more vegetables so that chances will be higher that he is born as a female. It works with great success, but that is ultimately undone due to events.

Saika Totsuka from Oregairu

Although Saika has a feminine appearance and occasionally adorable mannerisms, he dresses more of a jock gender neutral and prefers others not to mistake his gender. Perhaps not a true trap, but he is a convincing one.

Hideyoshi Kinoshita from Baka and Test

Despite the fact that he is in possession of great feminine beauty, Hideyoshi is one of the more normal members of Class F. Often mistaken for a girl, even girls forget that he is actually a boy. Only Akihgisa is able to truly recognize that he is actually afine young man. However, in the school there is also a rumor that he is a third gender, known only as “Hideyoshi”.

Hime Arikawa from Himegoto

Due to a sizeable debt that his parents took out in his name, Hime toils in order to pay it back. However, one day the student council approached him and offered to pay off the debt in return for the rest of his high school career dressed as a beautiful woman as well as servitude to the student council.

Haku from Naruto

Slice of life series are rife with traps, but they are rarer in the shounen genre. However, for many fans, Haku was their first introduction to it. With soft features and beautiful hair, Haku is easy to confuse with a young girl, especially with her fondness for Zabuza, but in actuality, this orphan is indeed a young boy.

Kuranosuke Koibuchi from Princess Jellyfish

Much to the chagrin of his rich family, Kuranosuke enjoys cross dressing and goes by the alias of Kurako to hide his true gender. Instead of going to politics like the rest of his family, he seeks a career in fashion. However, despite his popularity with pretty girls, he actually starts to develop feelings for the plain-looking Tsukimi who is more comfortable around his female self as she has a fear of men.

Souta Takanashi from Working!!

With three older sisters, Souta has been constantly tormented by them and received a number of girl hand-me-downs due to his age. While he hates older women due to his sisters and doesn’t cross dress all the time, after working at Wagnaria, he occasionally cross dresses when Inami’s father comes to visit her at work. His youthful face makes it a great success.

Aoi Hyoudou from Class President is a Maid!

Aoi’s androgynous features allow him to cross dress with ease, and his affection for cute things makes him love doing it. His female persona is actually a popular internet idol and he enjoys toying with the feelings of men. However, this trap is also kind of a tsundere when it comes to showing his true feelings.

Haruhi Fujioka from Ouran High School Host Club

Haruhi is a reverse trap that doesn’t truly see herself as one. Upon entering high school, an incident with a child and some gum forced her to cut her hair short and she chose to wear a male uniform because it was easier to focus on her studies. However, after a run in with the male Host Club at school, she is forced to join. It takes some time for some members to realize that she is actually a girl, but in order to pay her debt to them, they continue to present her as a boy.

Load Galax from Gatchaman Crowds

This programmer’s soft features generally make him look quite feminine, but when by himself, he dresses as a boy. However, when he goes out, he crosses dresses in a blonde wig and punk rock clothes that make him one of the most badass programmers around.

Kino from Kino’s Journey

It is okay if you spent most of Kino’s Journey thinking the main character was a boy. She dresses like it complete with short hair. However, when you are travelling on the road, sometimes it is easier and safer to look like a boy.

Kaoru Hanase from Tamako Market

This is a confusing one since it is never addressed. However, Kaoru, the owner of the flower shop, sports a beautiful manly voice and is taller than most shop owners in the market. Despite this, Kaoru’s soft features and fluffy blonde hair definitely make her seem like the lovely woman that she is.

Chihiro Fujisaki from Danganronpa

With soft features, a sporty hair cut, and a school girl uniform, it must have come as quite a surprise to first time Danganronpa fans when Fujisaki revealed himself to be a boy. However, despite the way he dresses, it doesn’t change the fact that he is a computer genius.

Yukimura Kusunoki from Haganai

This is the most frustrating trap in all of anime. Throughout the first season, Yukimura persists that he is a boy who dresses as a very cute girl. However, it is later revealed that she is actually a girl, but her parents, who really wanted a son, made her believe that she was a boy from a young age. They tried to create a reverse trap, but it failed them!

Jun Watarase from Happiness

Jun is a true transgendered character who is biologically male, but wants to be female in more ways than just cross dressing. Generally accepted as a girl, Jun forms affection for Yuuma, but is denied due to him really know Jun’s true gender.

Mako-Chan from Minami-ke

Mako-chan is probably the best use of a trap. After all, what better way to get closer to the girl that you like than to dress up as a girl and befriend her? Of course, when she sees you as a girl, your romance isn’t ever going to get anywhere, and that’s the joke.

Kashima Yuu from Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

Even though she is female, Yuu is considered the prince of the school. Popular with female students and a huge flirt, she is a classic reverse trap. Her short hair and the male school uniform she wears both make her look very dignified. Combined with her soft features, she makes one hell of a prince.

Shidou Mariya from Maria Holic

The whole plot of Maria Holic is about falling in love with a trap. It follows the story of a girl who breaks out in hives when she is around boys, but wants to fall in love. Instead, she falls in love with Mariya who is actually a boy dressed as a beautiful blonde girl. Can their love work?

Hotaru Tachibana from Aoharu x Machine Gun

Nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned tomboy, and revere trap Hotaru represents them well. When she joins the Toy Gun Club, it is the perfect chance for all Hotaru’s tomboy strengths to shine.

Pico from Boku no Pico

As the most infamous and legendary trap of anime, Pico was a necessary inclusion. Still, Boku no Pico is definitely not an anime series you should be caught watching.

Did we miss any more good anime traps? Let us know in the comments section below.