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Have you ever noticed how many anime feature animal characters? Whether it’s a talking cat or a wolf that can take human form, anime animals have been delighting audiences for years. We’re not just talking about the cute animal characters that make you go “aww” when they do something funny or adorable. We’re talking about the ones who are just as well-developed as any human character and whose storylines involve them trying to find love, struggling with their identity, or fighting against societal expectations.

Beastars, the successful anime licensed by Netflix, is only the latest addition to the pot. It features a whole cast of anthropomorphic characters living their lives in a school where herbivores and carnivores try to peacefully coexist… until one of them gets killed.

The world of anime has always been filled with animal characters — but we’ve never seen so many shows with animals that actually play a vital role in the story as protagonists or significant sidekicks. If you’re curious about which animal anime characters won the hearts of Japanese animation fans, we did all the hard work and collected them here!

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    #4

    Baron Humbert (The Cat Returns)

    Baron Humbert (The Cat Returns)

    Considering his popularity in Whisper Of The Heart, it’s no wonder Studio Ghibli decided to give Baron a more prominent role in this spin-off. An anthropomorphic cat with a kind and generous heart, he’s the owner of the Cat Bureau and one of Haru’s most valuable allies, willing to risk everything to get her back home. His polite manners and polished outfits make him a pretty fascinating anime character.

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    #5

    Moro (Princess Mononoke)

    Moro (Princess Mononoke)

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    #8

    Prince Lune (The Cat Returns)

    Prince Lune (The Cat Returns)

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    Sofija Mirkovic
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚎𝚢𝚎s♡´・ᴗ・`♡

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    #9

    Luna (Sailor Moon)

    Luna (Sailor Moon)

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    #11

    Retsuko (Aggretsuko)

    Retsuko (Aggretsuko)

    A hard-working and well-mannered red panda, Retsuko works as an accountant for a corporation based on a strict hierarchy. Her elders’ mockery and constant bullying lead Retsuko to dream of a better life, with screaming her heart out at karaoke being her only way to vent her frustrations. Aggretsuko is populated with interesting and cute animal characters, but none of them will ever be as relatable as Retsuko.

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    #14

    Hamtaro (Hamtaro)

    Hamtaro (Hamtaro)

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    glowworm2
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was OBSESSED with this show when the English dub was aired on Cartoon Network! Little hamsters, big adventures!

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    #17

    Kirara (Inuyasha)

    Kirara (Inuyasha)

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    Tree P
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This should be higher too! Kirara, ( or kilala, as in the anime) is a sweet , fierce and loyal friend.

    #18

    Blair (Soul Eater)

    Blair (Soul Eater)

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    Braylie Gonzales
    Community Member
    11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    blair is a good fighter, but in human form she is a bit innapropriot

    #19

    Kimba ( Kimba The White Lion)

    Kimba ( Kimba The White Lion)

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    Tree P
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ohh, should be higher! I Love Kimba!! Grew up with him, and Speed Racer! Kimba was(and still is) my favorite!

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    #21

    Momo (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

    Momo (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

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    Nameless 4
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Remember: anyone who disagrees is a few plums short of a fruit pie

    #24

    Kiba (Wolf's Rain)

    Kiba (Wolf's Rain)

    Kiba is a ruthless loner whose only goal is to find the Lunar Flower and open the way to Paradise. He takes great pride in being a wolf and despises humans for mass killing his kind. This is why he feels irked when other wolves use their human disguises, even if he eventually realizes it’s necessary to survive.

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    #25

    Porco Rosso (Porco Rosso)

    Porco Rosso (Porco Rosso)

    The most famous anti-fascist in anime, Porco Rosso was an Italian veteran pilot during World War I before a tragic event sent him into a spiral of guilt and led him to transform into a pig. His past and disillusionment with people drove him to become an incredibly cynical man. However, his encounter with Fio changed his mind and made him believe there’s still some hope for humanity.

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    #26

    Kyo (Fruit Basket)

    Kyo (Fruit Basket)

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    #27

    Muta (Whisper Of The Heart)

    Muta (Whisper Of The Heart)

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    #28

    Shao May (Fullmetal Alchemist)

    Shao May (Fullmetal Alchemist)

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    #29

    Ame (Wolf Children)

    Ame (Wolf Children)

    The polar opposite of his older sister, Ame is a shy kid who struggles to embrace his half-wolf, half-human nature. Bullied throughout his childhood, he can’t seem to connect with humans, and growing up only makes him more distant from the civilized world and his family. The siblings’ path towards self-awareness is one of the movie’s central themes and contributes to making the story so much more remarkable.

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    #30

    Shirokuma (Shirokuma Café)

    Shirokuma (Shirokuma Café)

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    #31

    Artemis (Sailor Moon)

    Artemis (Sailor Moon)

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    #32

    Kisa (Fruit Basket)

    Kisa (Fruit Basket)

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    #33

    Legoshi (Beastars)

    Legoshi (Beastars)

    Legoshi is that character you can’t help but relate to. Born as a wolf with a heart of gold, the stereotypes associated with his species make his life more complicated than it should be. Having to live in a society where herbivores and carnivores try to coexist and consuming meat is strictly prohibited, he struggles on a daily basis with his internal battles to suppress his true nature and avoid messing up the few relationships he was able to build over time. He’s definitely one of the best-written animal protagonists in anime.

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    #34

    Pikachu (Pokémon)

    Pikachu (Pokémon)

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    #35

    Panther Lily (Fairy Tail)

    Panther Lily (Fairy Tail)

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    #36

    Hawk (Seven Deadly Sins)

    Hawk (Seven Deadly Sins)

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    #37

    Yuki (Wolf Children)

    Yuki (Wolf Children)

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    K- THULU
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of the best( non ghibli) anime movies ever......fkn beautiful....

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    #38

    Den Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist)

    Den Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist)

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    #41

    Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal)

    Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal)

    Similar to Beastars, BNA: Brand New Animal is another refreshing take on how animal main characters are portrayed in anime. Michiru Kagemori is your usual teenager, but one day gets transformed into a tanuki-like creature under mysterious circumstances. She barely makes it to Anima City, where she hopes to find some sort of remedy for her condition. Focused on turning back to her human form, she doesn’t want to be associated with beastmen at first, but as the series progresses, Michiru starts to develop respect and gratefulness for the beastmen living in Anima City.

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    Weeblet
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I liked this anime. It tries to tackle racism (Humans and "Beastmen" don't get a long very well), while also trying to express cultural acceptance (Michiru learns about the Beastmen and their struggles). I'm not too sure about how good of a job they did at it though. I can't quite remember everything lol.

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    #42

    Yuki (Fruit Basket)

    Yuki (Fruit Basket)

    Yuki embodies the Rat of the Zodiac, and the 2019 Fruits Basket adaptation finally gave this character some well-deserved justice. Not only does the new adaptation show us a more easy-to-like version of him, but it also goes deeper into his motives and actions that were not so clear in the first series. A chick magnet, Yuki looks like the type of guy with no self-esteem issues, but he’s actually profoundly affected by his past, to the point of being terrified of rejection, and keeps most people at a distance.

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    #45

    Hatsuharu (Fruit Basket)

    Hatsuharu (Fruit Basket)

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    #46

    Agumon (Digimon)

    Agumon (Digimon)

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    #49

    Antoinette (Ouran High School Host Club)

    Antoinette (Ouran High School Host Club)

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    #50

    Washimi (Aggretsuko)

    Washimi (Aggretsuko)

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    Weeblet
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Secretary Bird. Known for kicking their prey to death. This woman can destroy tables with her legs lol

    #51

    Cerberus (Cardcaptor Sakura)

    Cerberus (Cardcaptor Sakura)

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    #52

    Carla (Fairy Tail)

    Carla (Fairy Tail)

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    #55

    Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga (Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga)

    Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga (Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga)

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    #57

    Korin (Dragon Ball)

    Korin (Dragon Ball)

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    #59

    Mimi (Children Who Chase Lost Voices)

    Mimi (Children Who Chase Lost Voices)

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    #60

    Haru (My Roommate Is A Cat)

    Haru (My Roommate Is A Cat)

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    #61

    Chobi (She And Her Cat)

    Chobi (She And Her Cat)

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    #64

    Yoruichi Shihouin (Bleach)

    Yoruichi Shihouin (Bleach)

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    #65

    Nyanko Sensei (Natsume Yuujinchou)

    Nyanko Sensei (Natsume Yuujinchou)

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    #66

    Grimmjow Jaggerjack (Bleach)

    Grimmjow Jaggerjack (Bleach)

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    #68

    Tokoyami (My Hero Academia)

    Tokoyami (My Hero Academia)

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    Ches Yamada
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He's *human* with a bird head, a mutation of superpowers, not fully an animal like Nezu.

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    #69

    Hiroshi Odokawa (Odd Taxi)

    Hiroshi Odokawa (Odd Taxi)

    Odokawa is a middle-aged standoffish taxi driver disinterested in almost everything around him and thus lets his customers do all the talking. Thanks to his job, he learns about the mysteries and oddities occurring in Tokyo, including the puzzling disappearance of a teenager. His incredible photographic memory leads him to piece together the intrigue happening in the series, just from clues and tidbits of conversations with his clients.

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    #71

    Owner (Blend S)

    Owner (Blend S)

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    #72

    Ayame (Fruit Basket)

    Ayame (Fruit Basket)

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    #75

    Frosch (Fairy Tail)

    Frosch (Fairy Tail)

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    #76

    Arthur (Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion)

    Arthur (Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion)

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    #78

    Shamisen (Melancholy Of Haruhi-Chan Suzumiya)

    Shamisen (Melancholy Of Haruhi-Chan Suzumiya)

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    #79

    Babu (Sankarea)

    Babu (Sankarea)

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    #81

    Calico (Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?)

    Calico (Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?)

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    #82

    Kumoko (Yes I'm A Spider)

    Kumoko (Yes I'm A Spider)

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    #83

    Natsu (Kumamiko: Girl Meets Bear)

    Natsu (Kumamiko: Girl Meets Bear)

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    #84

    Gamabunta (Naruto)

    Gamabunta (Naruto)

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    #86

    Tony Chopper (One Piece)

    Tony Chopper (One Piece)

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    #87

    Makkachin (Yuri On Ice)

    Makkachin (Yuri On Ice)

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    #88

    Shigure (Fruit Basket)

    Shigure (Fruit Basket)

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    #89

    Puar (Dragon Ball)

    Puar (Dragon Ball)

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    Emily
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is the bean shaped part of its face under its whiskers the mouth or the nose? If it's the nose, where's the mouth? And if it's the mouth, where's the nose?

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    #90

    Ao (Yona Of The Dawn)

    Ao (Yona Of The Dawn)

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    #91

    Manda (Naruto)

    Manda (Naruto)

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    Angeline Nealy
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oooooo Manda! You should see my wallpaper rn! COMPLETE NARUTO FAN!!

    #93

    Kazuhito (Dog & Scissors)

    Kazuhito (Dog & Scissors)

    A once bookwormish high school student, Kazuhito reincarnates into a dog after getting killed while trying to protect a girl during a robbery. That same girl ends up adopting him and is revealed to be Shinobu Akiyama, Kazuhito’s favorite novelist! Getting a second chance at life and the opportunity to meet your idol sounds like heaven if it weren’t for the fact that Akiyama is a sadist with a peculiar habit of terrorizing Kazuhito with a pair of scissors.

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    #94

    Kaiman (Dorohedoro)

    Kaiman (Dorohedoro)

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    #96

    Genma Saotome (Ranma ½)

    Genma Saotome (Ranma ½)

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    #97

    Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

    Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

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    Nerf Herder
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kyubey? F*****g Kyubey is on this list. Have you seen madoka magica? Try looking up a list of most unforgivable characters in anime. Might give you a hint.

    #98

    Haru (Beastars)

    Haru (Beastars)