Anime and manga doesn’t always have the best track record with including characters of color in their series. Sometimes when they do, it is not always in the best light or with the more flattering art styles at least. However, times are a-changin’ and now you are seeing characters of color pop up more often and in better roles.
If you are looking for series that feature characters of different races portrayed in a positive, or at least badass, light, give these series a try.
Best Anime With Characters of Color
Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon follows a group of racially diverse mercenaries as they do morally questionable things. While some of the characters look more typically anime than their intended race, a major standout in the series is Dutch. He is a strong black man that drips badass out of his pores. He keeps the group in check, but still knows his way around a weapon when it comes down to their mercenary activities.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
As a generation-spanning, world-traversing series, Jojo actually has a decent track record of including other races in their series as the world and scope of it expands. However, for the most part, characters of other races are only around to play small parts, such a minor villains or roles like Smokey essentially being the Speedwagon to Joeseph Joestar for a time.
Michiko and Hatchin
Michiko and Hatchin was Shinichiro Watanabe’s first big project after Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. While Samurai Champloo definitely shows his interest in hip hop, Michiko and Hatchin made his appreciation of other culture’s pretty clear. Suddenly he released this series with a woman of color as the main character, but not only that, it is a series that takes place in a fictional part of South America that actually has a cast that looks like they are from South America.
Berserk
Berserk is a case of characters of color showing up in the most unexpected places. The original Berserk anime tells the story of a band of mercenaries battling for a kingdom based on medieval Europe. You wouldn’t expect characters of color at all, much less a female character of color who is also the love interest. Much later and not yet animated, Berserk’s author also includes the appearance of a Middle Eastern based country as well.
Bleach
Tite Kubo love his pop culture, and that shines throughout Bleach. As a creator that has global interests, you also see that reflected in his character designs which show off not only people of color, but people that appear to be of various nationalities as well. It is perhaps a bit odd that many of his characters of color just happen to be the villains, though. However, that is likely just reading too far into things.
Afro Samurai
What is perhaps the most enjoyable part about Afro Samurai is that its story line would have made sense with non-characters of color. Instead, it told a badass action story with a character of color without overly bringing a lot of attention to that fact.
Naruto
Naruto is one of those series that really is an indicator of how times are changing. It was/is a long running anime series and in the beginning of it, you won’t see much color. Then suddenly in Shippuden there is the epic Raikage and the less epic Killer Bee introduced as well as the rest of the Village Hidden in the Clouds that are populated with dark skinned ninjas.
Carole and Tuesday
Coming from the aforementioned Shinichiro Watanabe, Carole and Tuesday continues his work on inclusion of other races in anime. Although the characters are more stereotypical, it does tell a great story about friendship and the struggles of making your dreams come true.
Run With The Wind
Musa in Run With The Wind is what more creators should aim towards when creating characters of color. He isn’t some loud gaijin or any other of the stereotypes that can be slapped onto black characters even in western media. Instead, he is a transfer student from Tanzania who loves to run, studies hard, and looks and acts like a completely normal person.
Do you have any more anime series that feature characters of color? Let anime fans know in the comments section below.
