Greetings! This post marks another birthday series, now identifying your favorite anime characters who were born in October.
There is no central reason why someone comes to appreciate anime and manga. Ask a million fans and get a million answers. Whatever the reason, most would agree that a story’s character or characters top their list of why they appreciate anime. The variety of anime genres and the complexity of their characters make a selection of ten standouts extremely difficult. After reviewing several sites and consulting with friends, I think I was able to assemble a pretty good list of fan favorites. I believe this post provides a diverse account of anime personalities who, according to their creators, have a birthday in October.
As you explore this post, please let me know if I overlooked your favorite character. I am interested in hearing from you about your picks.
20. Nunnally vi Britannia
- Birthday: 25 October 2003
- First Anime Appearance: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Ep. 3 “The False Classmate” (2006)
Princess Nunnally vi Britannia is a major character in the Code Geass saga. She is the younger daughter of Emperor Charles zi Britannia and Consort Marianne vi Britannia.
With brown hair and violet eyes, Nunnally is a generally kind-hearted and empathetic teenage girl. Her mother’s assassination would leave the princess blinded and paralyzed. In spite of this setback, Nunnally still holds out hope to right the wrongs of the kingdom. Her passive engagement to affect the lives contrasts dramatically with the one taken by her brother. Nunnally’s path would lead her to become the 100th Empress of Britannia, but her success is only fleeting.
The young royal is an admirer of the tragic life of her ancestor, Queen Elizabeth III. Their similarly tragic lives resonate with us, the anime viewers. Our connection is just one of the many reasons why Nunnally vi Britannia is a popular anime character.
19. Miyuki Takara
- Birthday: October 25
- First Anime Appearance: Lucky☆Star, Ep. 1 “The Girl Who Dashes Off” (2007)
Miyuki Takara is a cute and intelligent young lady attending Ryoo High School. A major character, her physical appearance and personality embrace anime’s slice-of-life trope. Miyuki is the only child of wealthy parents, Yukari Takara, and an unnamed father.
A well-mannered girl, she served as class president in her first year of high school. Classmates lean on Yuki-chan’s encyclopedic knowledge and good study habits to understand the course lectures. Her supportive personality aligns with the genre’s formulaic friendly “healing-type meganekko character. However, Miyuki is generally an absent-minded individual outside the structure of academia.
Lucky☆Star is a successful parody of anime and otaku culture. Kagami Yoshimizu successfully captures the essence of the slice-of-life genre without making the characters campy. His well-crafted narrative is why Miyuki Takara and Lucky☆Star continue to be favorites among the fandom.
18. Irina Jelavić
- Birthday: October 10
- First Anime Appearance: Assassination Classroom, Ep. 4 “Adult Time” (2015)
Irina Jelavić is an English teacher at Kunugigaoka Junior High School, who doubles as a professional assassin. The government placed her in Class 3-E to teach the students how to succeed at taking down Korosensei.
The murder of her parents by militants would serve as the catalyst for Irina becoming a career assassin. Her adoptive family would harness the young girl’s good looks and intelligence into a well-tuned hired gun. She came to Kunugigaoka Junior High School as a cold and calculated killer, with little regard for the students. Her personality or lack thereof causes some in Class 3-E to Irina as ‘Bitch-sensei” (original sub) or “Jelabitch” (Funimation dub), a play on Jelavić. Over the narrative, the students and Irina gain respect for one another’s collective burden.
Irina Jelavić is a popular supporting character. She grows beyond a singularly focus mindset for the mission to become a fun and caring individual. Her metamorphosis along with her interactions with the students of Class 3-E is one of many reasons anime fans like this character.
17. Euphemia li Britannia
- Birthday: 11 October 2000
- First Anime Appearance: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Ep. 5 “The Princess and the Witch” (2006)
Princess Euphemia li Britannia is a member of the Britannia Imperial Family. A kind-hearted young lady, she is the half-sister of the anime’s protagonist. Growing up in the care of their mother, Euphy and her siblings learned to respect all people regardless of station. Their mother’s teachings would resonate with the young royals, with each taking a different path to righting the kingdom’s wrongs.
Despising direct conflict, the Princess sought to change the system from within. Her house of cards would crumble upon itself during a conflict with the series’ antagonist. She would go down in Britannia’s history as ‘Princess Massacre.’
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is a critically claimed anime series. This is due in no small part to Ichirō Ōkouchi and Gorō Taniguchi creating characters with complex arcs. Their compelling storytelling is a reason why fans consider Euphemia li Britannia one of their favorite anime personalities.
16. Ayano Keiko
- Birthday: 4 October 2010
- First Anime Appearance: Sword Art Online, Ep. 1 “The World of Swords” (2012)
A student, Ayano Keiko (online persona: Silica) is one of the thousands of online players trapped within the Sword Art Online universe. She is kind-hearted, intelligent, and supportive of her comrades, both in real life and online.
Ayano Keiko is a middle school girl and the only child of Ayano Tetsuhiko. Her introduction to VRMMORPGs came when she bypassed age restrictions to log in and played Sword Art Online. Keiko’s online persona is a capable Beast Tamer, who was the first player to tame a Feathered Little Dragon. She becomes close friends with the story’s protagonist and joins his party’s quest to escape the system. Keiko goes on to join her Sword Art Online friends by logging into ALfheim Online.
Anime is full of cute girls and this series is no exception. She sets herself apart from her fantasy contemporaries in her ability to be a great single and team online game player. Bright, loveable, and skilled are just a couple of the traits that make Ayano Keiko one of October’s most popular characters.
15. Rize Kamishiro
- Birthday: October 18
- First Anime Appearance: Tokyo Ghoul, Ep. 1 “Tragedy” (2014)
Rize Kamishiro is a pretty young woman, who embraces her place at the top of the food chain. She is the instrument of Ken Kaneki’s free-fall into the world of Tokyo Ghoul.
Rize is the natural daughter of Tsuneyoshi Washuu, a former Commission of Counter Ghoul commissioner. Discarded, the young ghoul’s voracious appetite earned her the nickname “Binge Eater.” Her indiscriminate hunger lust was cause for concern in both ghoul and human circles. A cold and calculating seductress, Rize lured unsuspecting victims to their demise. Her overzealous eating habits would give rise to the story’s protagonist.
Rize Kamishiro is unrelenting and unremorseful about her desire to feed. She views humanity as nothing more than cattle. An emotionally damaged individual, the “Binge Eater” is one of this month’s favorite anime characters.
14. Kobato Hasegawa
- Birthday: October 18
- First Appearance: Haganai: I don’t have many friends, Ep. 1 “We Can’t Make Any Friends” (2011)
Kodaka Hasegawa’s younger sister, Kobato Hasegawa is a supporting character suffering from “second-year disease.” Specifically, she is under the delusion of being a vampire.
Kobato is a mediocre middle school student at St. Chronica’s Academy. Stand-offish, she prefers a chūnibyō lifestyle to that of making friends with peers. Along with a quirky personality, Kobato also suffers from a brother complex. This obsession leads her to view the Neighbor’s Club mentor, Maria Takayama, as a rival for her brother’s attention. In spite of her odd behavior and isolation, Kobato is a popular girl.
Kobato Hasegawa’s quirkiness has its endearing qualities. Her story is one of shared awkwardness and insecurities faced when leaving childhood behind.
13. Fumikage Tokoyami
- Birthday: October 30
- First Anime Appearance: My Hero Academia Ep. 5 “What I Can Do for Now” (2016)
Within Japanese mythology, the Karura were a race of bird-headed humans adopted into the pantheon of gods as a protector deity. Fumikage Tokoyami, a bird-headed human, may not be a Karura but he does aspire to become a protector of humanity.
Stoic and methodical, Fumikage is a student at U.A. High School. His Dark Shadow Quirk uses a shadow bird-like monster to fight and ward off attacks. Light or the lack thereof influences the amount of control Fumikage retains over his quirk. He would solidify his shadowy aesthetic by the hero name “Tsukuyomi,” a Shinto lunar deity. The combination of powerful quirk and strategic thinking makes Fumikage a great counterbalance to his hotheaded peers.
Kohei Horikoshi has proven to be an excellent world-builder with the My Hero Academia franchise. His roster of fleshed-out characters is astonishing. With this admiration, we can appreciate Fumikage Tokoyami as one of our favorite anime characters born in October.
12. Krul Tepes
- Birthday: October 27
- First Anime Appearance: Seraph of the End Ep. 1 “The World of Blood Legacy” (2015)
A high-ranking member of the Progenitor Council, Krul Tepes is the series leading antagonist. She is responsible for turning the protagonist’s friend into a vampire.
Over 1,200 years old, Krul was the human daughter of a Greek noble family. The townspeople would revolt, destroying her family’s home and killing Krul’s mother. They would seek to sell her and her younger brother into slavery. The First Progenitor would turn them into vampires.
A thousand years later, Krul is the queen of the Sanguinem. She desires the destruction of humanity and brings her brother back by capturing Yu.
Family-focused, Krul Tepes demonstrates that she owes no allegiance to either humanity or the vampire horde. Her mission is to reunite with her brother and this mission leads her actions.
11. Yūichirō Hyakuya
- Birthday: 16 October 2004
- First Anime Appearance: Seraph of the End Ep. 1 “The World of Blood Legacy” (2015)
A naturally talented swordsman, Yūichirō Hyakuya is central to the Japanese Imperial Demon Army’s plan to defeat the vampire menace. However, the military’s leadership is suspect of the young warrior’s true intentions.
An orphan, Yūichirō and his foster siblings became the blood supply for their vampire caretakers. Unwilling to be cattle to vampires, he would successfully escape their captivity. The young lad’s defiance would result in the vampires killing his foster siblings. Seeking retribution, he would join the army’s Moon Demon Company and acquire the skills necessary to threaten the vampire’s reign. His impact is more profound, as Yūichirō learns to unlock his demon and Seraph of the End abilities.
Yūichirō never loses sight of a need to care for and protect others. His drive is on display when he risks it all to save a childhood friend turned by the vampires. A spirited underdog, Yūichirō Hyakuya, or “Demon-boy” is our eleventh favorite anime character born in October.
10. Madoka Kaname
- Birthday: October 3
- First Appearance: Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica, Ep. 1 “I First Met Her in a Dream… Or Something” (2011)
A gentle and shy teenage girl, Madoka Kaname is the series’ central character. The middle school girl’s life turns upside down upon meeting the Messenger of Magic, Kyubey.
Madoka is the eldest daughter of Tomohisa and Junko Kaname. She has little confidence in her abilities, often viewing herself as talentless. After witnessing her schoolmate fighting witches, Madoka enters into a contract with Kyubey to bolster her self-worth by becoming a magical girl. Her talents grow expediently, leading to the creation of multiple timelines. With no favorable outcome in sight, Madoka can bring balance to the universe by erasing herself from it.
Since the series debut, anime fans consistently rate her as one of their best magical girls. A tragic character, Madoka Kaname selflessly sacrifices herself for the sake of her fellow magical girls.
9. Death the Kid
- Birthday: October 31
- First Anime Appearance: Soul Eater, Ep. 2 “I Am the Star! The Big Man is Showing Up Here?” (2008)
Death the Kid is the leader and headmaster of the Death Weapons Meister Academy. He is masterful with the Meister of the Demon Twin Guns, Liz Thompson, and Patty Thompson.
Residing in Death City, the Kid is Death’s teenage son. His abilities place him at the top of the Death Weapons Meister Academy’s Especially Advantaged Talent class. He is a pragmatic reaper, with a strong driving force to bring order to chaos. Death the Kid is mature compared to his peers, which causes Dr. Franken Stein to refer to him as an “uptight personality.” The series would see the Kid go on and inherit his father’s role, as Lord Death.
Death the Kid demonstrates a fiery, single-minded focus whenever engaging the supernatural. His growth and personality resonate with fans, who rate him as their favorite personality in the series. These traits make him one of our favorite anime characters born in October.
8. Yū Nishinoya
- Birthday: 10 October 1995
- First Anime Appearance: Haikyū!! Ep. 7 “Versus the Great King” (2014)
Yū Nishinoya was the Karasuno High School boys’ volleyball team libero. Short in stature, his engaging personality and ability to play the sport earned him the nickname “Karasuno’s Guardian Deity.”
Before entering Karasuno, Yū earned recognition for volleyball at Chidoriyama Junior High. His choice of high school did not come down to the sport but rather Karasuno’s cool black gakuran and cute girl’s uniforms. The series introduces Nishinoya returning to the team following a school suspension for being too spirited on the court. He was Karasuno’s only prodigy until the team Tobio Kageyama. Upon graduating high school, Yū traveled the world rather than pursuing the game of volleyball.
Haikyū!! contains a host of great characters, with Yū Nishinoya being a personal favorite. His feisty court persona masks his teen insecurities, like being afraid to talk to girls. A well-rounded character, “Karasuno’s Guardian Deity” is one of our top picks for October.
7. Asta
- Birthday: October 4 – left at church
- First Anime Appearance: Black Clover, Ep. 1 “Asta and Yuna” (2017)
A 3rd Class Junior Magic Knight, Asta is the magic-less mage who would become Wizard King. He is a kind-hearted young lad, who is optimistically dedicated to protecting all people of the Clover Kingdom.
Asta grew up in a church orphanage located in Hage under the care of Father Orsi Orfai and Sister Lily Aquaria. He would acquire a five-leaf clover grimoire containing an Anti-Magic Demon, which gave him the ability to neutralize others’ magic. His personality and abilities would make him the perfect recruit for the Kingdom’s misfit magical squad, the Black Bulls. They fight hard—play hard oddballs prove themselves to be worthy protectors of the people in the Clover Kingdom.
Asta is forever faithful to his core beliefs and his goal to protect others whether enemies or friends. Much like his desire to marry Sister Lily, Asta is unshakeable in his approach to life regardless of the adversity.
6. Haruhi Suzumiya
- Birthday: October 8
- First Anime Appearance: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Ep. 00 “The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina” (2009)
Haruhi Suzumiya is a quirky North High student and leader of the SOS Brigade. She desires to live an extraordinary life, which establishes the foundation for the club’s many adventures.
An athletic girl, Haruhi is confident and energetic to the point of being pushy. She is an anomaly among her peers as her interests do not align with ‘ordinary’ humans. Her focus is on discovering aliens, time travelers, and espers. Haruhi’s single-mindedness leads to the creation of the SOS Brigade, which she forcibly recruited its members. The SOS Brigade must keep her entertained or suffer the consequences of her boredom.
A kamidere, Haruhi Suzumiya is a complex and popular anime character. Her cute exterior hides a determined spirit, who desires to live life to its fullest regardless of public opinion. These attributes combine to land Haruhi Suzumiya in the sixth position.
5. Sebastian Michaelis
- Birthday: October 31
- First Anime Appearance: Black Butler, Ep. 1 “His Butler, Able” (2008)
Sebastian Michaelis is a major character within Kuroshitsuji, whose primary responsibility is serving as the protagonist’s butler. He is the Phantomhive estate’s majordomo or head of household staff, who just so happens to also be a demon.
Witnessing his brother’s death, the Earl of Phantomhive summoned a devil to meet out justice upon the responsible parties. The demon agreed to become an attendant to the young noble while awaiting his death to collect payment.
On the surface, Sabastian is a proper English servitor and estate manager. His professional façade cloaks an unsympathetic, single-minded focus to acquire Ceil’s soul. These competing priorities manifest themselves as a ruthless protector, who’s unafraid of risking the young ward’s life for amusement.
Sebastian Michaelis is a compelling character, as he lures us into forgetting his true motivations. The Black Butler is only providing a service in exchange for Ceil to pay the devil its due. A well-imagined character, Sebastian Michaelis is certainly one of the most popular anime characters born in October.
4. Kirigaya Kazuto
- Birthday: 7 October 2008
- First Anime Appearance: Sword Art Online, Ep. 1 “The World of Swords” (2012)
Kirigaya Kazuto (online persona: Kirito) is the chief protagonist in the Sword Art Online franchise. His persistence and gaming abilities would save the players trapped in virtual reality.
Born Karusaka Kazuto, his aunt and uncle would adopt him following the accidental death of his parents. Initially working at his uncle’s dojo, his aunt’s work as an editor for a computer magazine would spark Kirigaya’s interest in computers and virtual reality gaming. His love of electronics would lead him to become a beta tester for the first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game and trapped within the Sword Art Online universe.
Kirito is an expert swordsman who wears black, earning him the distinction of The Black Swordsman to his fellow players. His skills would have a long-term influence on the online and real-world gaming community long after the Sword Art Online system crashed.
Kirigaya Kazuto is second in popularity to Sword Art Online’s heroine, Yuuki Asuna. He is a determined and selfless individual, who never loses focus on protecting the weak.
Fun fact: Asuna is born in September.
3. Gintoki Sakata
- Birthday: October 10
- First Anime Appearance: Gintama Ep. 1 “You bastards!! Do you even have a silver soul!” (2006)
A former samurai, Gintoki Sakata is the owner of Gin’s House of Ten-Thousand Businesses or Odd Jobs. He is a powerful swordsman and the franchise’s protagonist.
Foraging battlefields for food and items to sell, the young Gintoki experienced many hardships living on the streets of his village. His fortunes would change when a local teacher took him in and educated the young boy to be a samurai. He would fight in the Joui Wars, earning the nickname ‘Shiroyasha’ or ‘White Yaksha’ due to his swordsmanship and appearance. With the end of the war, Gin created a business specializing in doing anything for money.
The Gintama series and its outcrop of movies are popular with anime fans. This anime’s success owes itself to Sorachi Hideaki’s well-crafted narrative and compelling characters. His creative skills have solidified Gintoki Sakata’s place as one of anime’s favorite characters born in October.
2. Naruto Uzumaki
- Birthday: October 10
- First Anime Appearance: Naruto Ep. 1 “Enter: Naruto Uzumaki” (2002)
The ‘Boy of Miracles,’ Naruto Uzumaki is the series’ central character and ninja of Konohagakure’s Uzumaki clan. He worked hard to overcome adversity, becoming widely respected for his heroic deeds.
The protagonist’s journey began with him becoming a jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails upon his birth. This fate would cause many villagers to shun the young child. When the time was right, he would set out from home to strengthen his abilities and pursue becoming a Hokage. His physical power and mental determination earned him recognition as a factor in the Allied Shinobi Forces winning the Fourth Shinobi World War. Closing his hero’s loop, Naruto would become his village’s Seventh Hokage.
Naruto Uzumaki handily surpasses Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach) and Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece), as the chief protagonists within the Holy Shōnen Trinity. His abilities, resilience, and narrative arc resonate with the fandom. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Naruto Uzumaki continues his streak to be the second most popular anime character with an October birthday.
1. L Lawliet
- Birthday: 31 October 1979 (manga) / 31 October 1982 (anime)
- First Anime Appearance: Death Note Ep. 2 “Confrontation” (2006)
The world’s greatest detective, L Lawliet becomes aware of an anomaly in the number of natural deaths. His keen sense of observation leads to a cat-and-mouse game with the series antagonist, Kira.
L grew up in the Wammy’s House in the English town of Winchester. He is one of three gifted investigators sent to ferret out the true identity of Kira. Quiet and focused, L’s fact-finding comes from a need to win rather than a sense of justice. This is clear in his declaration, ‘Kira is childish and he hates losing… I’m also childish and hate losing.’ Ultimately, Kira is a better gamer.
Based on fan polls, L Lawliet is unapologetically the best anime character over the past fifteen years. This is only possible due to the great work of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. L’s well-deserved admiration is why he is our favorite anime character born in October.
