21+ Anime Characters Who Refuse To Give Up When Life Gets Tough

“You should never give up on life, no matter how you feel. No matter how badly you want to give up.” – Canaan

There’s something about anime characters who never give up on their goals and dreams no matter how hard life gets. And no matter how much pain and suffering they have to go through.

I guess it’s because as human beings we can relate to that. Seeing someone else overcome all odds (or try to) inspires us to do the same.

And it gives us the courage needed to stay strong and see things through until accomplished.

That’s why we see so many anime shows of this nature.

And even though it’s cliche, we’re still drawn to it as long as the anime is good enough to pull it off.

With that said:

the best main anime characters who refuse to give up on life:

1. Shinichi Izumi (Parasyte)

Shinichi Izumi is the main protagonist in anime: Parasyte. A horror/psychological type of show.

Shinichi is attacked by a parasite that fails to take over his brain. And instead takes control of his arm.

From that point on he struggles with his emotions and coping with everyday life. And as tough as things get, he never gives up.

It’s because of his “never give up” attitude that Shinichi becomes a stronger person as a result.

The pain, suffering and losses make him mentally and physically stronger than he could have imagined.

2. Glenn Radars (Rokudenashi)

Glenn Radars has been a new-comer on the block of the anime industry since 2017.

He’s the main character in the anime: Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor.

The man’s a dedicated teacher despite his lazy-ish attitude sometimes. And when his students are in danger, he does whatever it takes to help them.

Even after almost being killed. And even when things seemed impossible, his drive carried him forward.

This makes him deserving of this list of characters who refuse to quit on themselves.

3. Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

How could I not mention someone like Izuku Midoriya? He’s the main character from the popular show: My Hero Academia.

Since childhood Izuku has been bullied by his so-called classmate: Bakugo Katsuki.

Bakugo’s friends also join in, and constantly tell Izuku he doesn’t have what it takes to become a hero. Always downplaying him and stomping all over his self confidence.

Even so, Izuku refuses to give up on his dreams and his life. Even when things get difficult.

Even when his own mother doubts that he will ever become a hero because of his “quirk” problem, he still believes that somehow he can make it happen and make it work.

Izuku is the perfect example of how hard work pays off once given the opportunity, which many in his situation may not take.

4. Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

We can’t ignore a character like Erza Scarlet, the main character from the anime: Fairy Tail.

The anime you either love or hate with a passion.

Born a child-slave in the tower of heaven, Erza’s “good childhood memories” are non-existent.

In fact, she had her whole childhood taken away from her. And it’s full of nothing but fear, pain and agony.

Yet she stands tall like a proud knight and leads the way forward like she’s the king of the castle.

Similar to characters like Goku, Erza never knows when to give up. And that’s what makes her so special.

5. Homura Akemi (Madoka Magica)

She’s cold, distant, introverted, harsh and intense. But most of this is just a farce.

That being said Homura is the most persistent character around. Refusing to give up on her goals regardless of the pain she’s put through.

All for the sake of protecting those she cares about.

Most characters (or people) would have quit ages ago if they were in Homura’s shoes, which she deliberately lops through time over and over again in a desperate but noble attempt to change the future.

She’s also a relatable character for introverts who watch the anime Madoka Magica.

6. Satoru Fujinuma (Erased)

Satoru is the main character from the psychological/mystery anime: Erased.

If you had the power to go back in time if you wished hard enough, what would you do?

Satoru decides to change tragic events that happened in the past by preventing it. And after tons of struggle and effort, he manages to pull it off in the end.

But along the journey, Satoru is put through tons of pain, regret, sorrow and disappointment. He’s only a kid at the time as well so his emotional state is even more obvious.

And yet not once does he decide to throw in the towel or wave the white flag.

7. Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

Misaka Mikoto is the main protagonist from anime: A Certain Scientific Railgun.

In season 2 Misaka is put in a bad situation where 3 other characters are trying to kill her. And throughout the whole ordeal Misaka’s worn-out, tired and close to collapsing.

Yet somehow she manages to motivate herself to survive long enough to figure out a plan and escape.

Refusing to give up even though she was at a disadvantage from the very beginning.

Even in general, she has worked her way up to become a Level 5 since childhood and has earned her power, prestige, strength, and respect through hard work while still having a modest and likeable personality.

8. Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)

Lelouch Lamperouge, aka Lelouch Vi Britannia from anime: Code Geass.

This guy is cold, ruthless, will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, and will crush anyone in his way.

While that’s not the most noble way to go about achieving your goals, it’s hard to deny Lelouch’s drive. It’s all in the name of his sister, and because of the way the world currently is.

The kind of stuff that plays out through Code Geass is heartbreaking. And yet Lelouch pushes through all of it like Juggernaut from X-Men.

That in itself takes a good amount of commitment and perseverance

9. Triela (Gunslinger Girl)

Triela is one of the main characters from the anime: Gunslinger Girl.

She’s the big sister of the group of 4 other girls. And mentors each one of them throughout their struggle.

Each one of them, including Triela is conditioned to deal with the violence and murder they experience as assassins working under the government.

And when you realize Triela is barely a teenager you start to see just how strong she is.

None of this stops her from moving forward and doing what needs to be done.

It’s one of the saddest anime shows I’ve watched for this reason and more.

10. Kiritsugu Emiya (Fate Zero)

Kiritsugu Emiya is the main protagonist in the anime: Fate Zero.

The kind of hardships this guy is put through is abnormal. He’s put through most of it in his early childhood.

These experiences shape him into a ruthless, cold, savage character who won’t hesitate to eliminate anything standing in his way.

His actions don’t make him the most noble of characters. But his story and the way he pushes past obstacles is powerful. And hard to deny or ignore.

11. Yuuki Konno (Sword Art Online S2)

Yuuki Konno’s a main character from Sword Art Online: season 2.

Without revealing any spoilers, Yuuki Konno’s the type of character who’s been suffering since childhood. And with the use of Virtual reality gaming, she’s able to live life beyond the pain she deals with in the real world.

Despite suffering for so long and having her “unfair share” of life, she manages to smile, stay happy and keep a positive attitude.

And that’s what makes Yuuki Konno’s backstory and character so powerful for me.

Like Erza Scarlet, giving up isn’t a part of her nature in the slightest.

12. Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill La Kill)

Satsuki Kiryuin is from the anime series Kill La Kill. Satsuki Kiryuin is a proud warrior and runs the Honoji Academy.

Like Erza she has high standards and expectations.

And when life gets tough throughout Kill La Kill, instead of giving and rolling over… Satsuki stands taller than ever as if to say “This is nothing I can’t handle”.

She even puts plans into action and isn’t deterred by the upcoming threat, and is instead driven by her sense of duty.

She’s one of the most inspirational female characters I know of.

13. Iori Nagase (Kokoro Connect)

Iori Nagase is one of the main female characters from the anime: Kokoro Connect.

Since childhood, she’s always had to pretend to be something she’s not. And had to go through the complications of having so many different fathers and family issues.

Iori looks strong on the outside but is weaker than she looks on the inside. And yet, somehow she manages to pull through the difficult times and stand on top of her problems once she addresses them head-on.

Personally I loved Iori Nagase’s character development from start to finish.

14. Masane Amaha Witch Blade)

Masane’s the mother of Rihoko from the action anime: Witchblade.

After a catastrophic event that killed thousands of people, Masane was the only survivor.

The reason is that the Witchblade fused with her.

This is where it gets interesting. Masane goes through a lot of trials and tribulations from start to finish.

She never gave up on her daughter Rihoko and refused to give up despite her unavoidable situation.

This makes Masane Ahama one of the toughest characters around. Especially when it comes to female characters who are also mothers.

15. Tomoya Okazaki (Clannad)

Tomoya Okazaki is a regular high school student in the romance/slice of life anime: Clannad.

But where things turn out ugly is in the second season of Clannad.

To avoid spoilers all I can say is no man (or woman) should be put through what Tomoya experienced. And yet he pushed through it like a soldier and fought until the bitter end. Never gave up on himself completely.

And still holding on to what he had to keep moving forward. Despite going through depression.

16. Akira Kuno (Undead Unluck)

Akira Kuno (Anno Un) is one of the later characters to show up in Undead Unluck but is a major character when she makes an appearance.

She might have one of the deepest, most complex backstories of any character in the world of Shounen. Her role in changing the outcome of the story is unreal.

Like many characters in this anime, she has an ability that came out of nowhere and traumatised her. This ability is known is unknown. It means that once activated (which is permanent), she becomes unknown, invisible, and can’t be seen or acknowledged by anyone.

She even became invisible to her own parents, so she learned a way to communicate her ideas and thoughts through other means like writing and making books.

She refused to give up despite the extremely isolating nature of her situation.

17. Mine (Akame Ga Kill)

Mine is of a mixed race. Or put another way, she has foreign blood in her own words. This leads to discrimination, racism, prejudice, and abuse from others as she grows up in the world as a child.

She wants to change the world so those kinds of things can’t happen, making it a better place for everyone.

She seems cold, irritating, and like an absolute b*tch on the surface because of her antagonistic actions. In reality, she’s a nice person who has been shaped by her upbringing and current life as an assassin driven to destroy a corrupt nation and government.

18. Clare (Claymore)

Clare witnesses a tragic event as a child in the Claymore series. It changes her life forever, and it’s the reason she becomes a Claymore, which is a contracted demon hunter for the government.

The pay may be good, but the lifestyle is depressing. Claymores are discriminated against since they are half human, half Yoma (demon). This is what gives Clare and others their supernatural strength.

As much as she has been through, Clarre pushes through and rises above her challenges even when at times it seems like she’s about to break and shatter from all the anxiety and near-death experiences.

19. Yuichiro Hyakuya (Owari No Seraph)

Yuuichiro Hyakuya is the black-haired protagonist with a seemingly bad attitude and one who can’t stand bullies and makes a point of “teaching them a lesson” if given a chance.

He’s the main protagonist of the series and one of the reasons characters like Shinoa are hilarious since she teases and easily makes Yuuichiro act out of character.

That aside, as a character, he’s not the kind to quit easily, give up, or throw in the towel just because something is too difficult. He’s stubborn, and that is part of his strength.

Plus his childhood, not too dissimilar to Erza Scarlet, is what truly drives him.

20. Subaru Natsuki (Re:Zero)

Subaru Natsuki is reborn into another world where everything looks pretty on the surface. It’s an Otaku’s dream to come across elf girls and demi-human women.

But after being stabbed, gutted, and dying multiple times only to realize he can return by death and is reset at a certain checkpoint, he goes through a kind of hell most will never be able to experience.

Still, he refuses to give up and finds ways to motivate himself, with Emilia, the girl he falls for, being one of his sources of motivation and drive.

21. Asahi Kobe (Happy Sugar Life)

Asahi might be one of the most depressing anime characters ever written. He’s the older brother of Shio Kobe, a little girl under the age of 7 who goes missing.

In reality, she is abandoned by her mother outside in the cold rain and is then found and adopted by Satou (a female protagonist of the show).

Asahi is in search of Shio and has no idea where she is. Unfortunately for him, many tragic events take place and plus heartbreaking outcomes as he searches for his lost younger sister.

Still, he refuses to quit, even to the point of sometimes starving and not having any food. His sister is everything in his world, a world where they both grew up in abusive households and had dysfunctional parents.

22. Nagomi Wahira (Akiba Maid War)

Nagomi is the sweet character of the series and one who is naive and overly optimistic in the early stages. She wants to join Oinky Doink Cafe, a maid cafe on the surface because it “looks nice”.

Turns out this cafe is one of many gang-driven businesses that fight and even kill over turf wars and drama between factions.

Wahira, in spite of her new and shocking reality, adapts but refuses to change her ways and more importantly, refuses to give up against the crazy odds (sometimes when she is under threat of murder).

Her personality and way of being have a strong influence on other characters despite the outcome.