As a medium, anime has something for everyone. With so many studios producing works in various art styles, anime covers topics such as war, economics, relationships, etc.
However, there is one aspect of anime that few studios investigate: mental health.
An individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may exhibit various symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
There isn’t a lot of canonical representation of autism spectrum disorder in anime, but plenty of characters exhibit signs of autism.
So, I came up with a list of 25+ Anime Characters most likely to be Autistic.
1.) Akira (Akira)
The protagonist of Katsuhiro Otomo’s
At the story’s start and the halfway point of Neo-Tokyo, he destroys Tokyo. Akira exhibits several signs of autism, like being nonverbal and uncommunicative, even though there are no explicit references.
He lacks personality and speech because of his powerful telekinetic abilities, which are to blame. Some nonverbal autistic people utilize keyboards to communicate.
Others can type complete phrases that demonstrate their superior intelligence, which most people would overlook, while some can type simple words to express meaning.
2.) Tatsuya Shiba (The Irregular at Magic High School )
Tatsuya is arguably the strongest candidate for autism in the entire world of anime.
Due to the other outstanding traits that make him stand out so much that others tend to swarm to him and try to befriend him, his social awkwardness may be less noticeable. However, he appears to need help figuring out what to do or how to act. Like when he is referred to as a “complete stiff” during the nine schools’
Although he does not genuinely lack emotions, he strongly suppresses them and has difficulty expressing or displaying them correctly, just like people with autism.
He has such sharp attention that he can maintain composure under pressure.
3.) Rui Hanazawa (Boys Over Flowers)
“Boys Over Flowers,” one of the most well-known shoujo series ever produced, centers on Tsukushi Makino’s attempts to lead a quiet life at the esteemed Eitoku Academy.
In the first episode of the series, Tsukushi befriends Rui Hanazawa, the reserved and reclusive F4 member. Rui is initially seen by Tsukushi practising the violin in front of the school.
Rui is a candidate for an autistic anime character due to his quiet, aloof demeanour and musical aptitude. Numerous television shows feature autistic individuals that exhibit talent in one or more areas, such as
In the case of Rui, he initially had Shizuka in mind. But to forget about Shizuka, he eventually dates Tsukushi for a while.
4.) Kamille Biden (Gundam)
The only anime character with an official autism diagnosis is Kamille Biden from Zeta Gundam Episode 8. He is a skilled Gundam pilot and one of the few pilots in the series to have created his own Gundam.
He behaves in a way that fits the spectrum. If so, it might indicate “mind-blindness,” which is the inability to recognize or comprehend the opinions and ideas of others.
Kamille is infamous for making crude, inappropriate remarks or sentiments that he doesn’t realize are offensive to others.
5.) Mashiro Shiina (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou)
Sorata Kanda, the male protagonist of the series, goes into a dorm with other misfits after the school discovers that he is keeping stray cats. There, he meets Mashiro Shiina, the series’s titular “pet girl.”
Mashiro is a highly accomplished artist with an excellent photographic memory. She has exceptional artistic talent, but the only issue is that she lacks self-care skills.
Mashiro stands in for certain autistic people who are talented but lack the expertise to perform simple tasks. This is a recurrent sign of the condition.
Autism can cause both children and adults to become so preoccupied with their own demands that they occasionally forget about the needs of others.
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6.) Maya Yotsuba (The Irregular at Magic High School )
Given that she exhibits many of the same problems and even some of the same abilities, even if she lacks Tatsuya’s energy reserves, one could conclude that she is undoubtedly blood-related.
She is rumoured to, rarely if ever, leave her home, and Hayama, her butler, handles much of her connection with the outside world.
Her trauma may have contributed to her social dysfunction, but even before the incident, she and her sister had similar problems, suggesting that the trauma, at the very least, made her “autism” features worse.
7.) Ryner Lute (The Legend of the Legendary Heroes)
Ryner enjoys being alone, isolated, and
He, like other people with autism, is susceptible to specific stimuli, such as magic in his case.
It is both a disadvantage and a benefit. Oversensitivity can make dealing with things difficult, but it also makes it simpler to detect something in greater detail or sooner than others. It is one of the characteristics of autism.
8.) Leon Lau (Last Hope)
The likelihood of Leon having autism may be the highest. He displayed some of the most recognizable autism symptoms I’ve ever seen in an anime.
Despite being a true genius, he thinks like a child in all other respects, saving his limited range of interests. He can engage with other people but hardly has any skill, knowledge, or awareness.
It’s so awful that he isn’t aware of anything else, like when his adopted sister is speaking or he runs into a tree, making him one of the most obsessively overfocused people ever seen in anime.
9.) L Lawliet (Death Note)
Death Note’s L is the world’s best detective, according to one of the most popular autistic headcanons. He’s meticulous about his interests and has a calculating mind that excels at making plans and cracking codes.
From his shabby appearance to his odd seating position to his particular interest in sugary tea and sweets, the Japanese police view him as eccentric.
He has poor social skills and relies on his aide Watari to complete daily duties because he cannot executive function.
10.) Near (Death Note)
L and Near, his successor, are both probably members of the spectrum. Like L, Near spends most of his leisure time playing
He struggles to cope with anything- emotions, interpersonal relationships, or life’s complexity. He struggles to make friends, even when Mello is nearby.
He would rather discuss the most recent Kira case developments than exchange greetings.
11.) Kenshi Masaki (Tech Muyo! War on Geminar)
He only appears to be able to follow instructions precisely, but even so, he can quickly become sidetracked if anything appeals to him. Even among the
He also struggles to read nonverbal indications from others. Nothing can deter or distract him when he is focused, as if he suffers from the same “over-focus” condition that many autistic people do.
12.) Jun Shiomi (Food Wars!)
Although Jun Shiomi exhibits some signs of autism, she does not fully meet the requirements for a complete ASD diagnosis.
She holds a teaching certificate from the esteemed Totsuki institute, but as someone of her character type, much of her time is spent working.
It’s to the point she neglects her health, diet, rest, and other responsibilities.
Although Jun’s classmate Akira Hayama shares her love of scents and spices, he is the one who watches and cares for her, making sure she has enough food and sleep. Jun, a
She is prone to anxiety among strangers, even while meeting first-year student Megumi Tadokoro.
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13.) Chizuru Hishiro (ReLife)
She demonstrated a pretty standard social experience in just episode 5. She struggles with social skills and self-expression. She completely misinterprets bodily cues, another character stated outright.
She might or might not exhibit many features, but they stand out sharply when she does.
14.) Mei Hatsume (My Hero Academia)
The inventive heroine Mai Hatsume shares some narrow-minded traits with Jun Shiomi. She prefers to play with toys and spices when not experimenting with devices and technology.
Mei can construct heroic tools thanks to her Zoom Quirk, which she shamelessly advertises to anybody who will listen. In truth, she simply enlisted in Izuku’s cavalry squad to show off her inventions to the CEOs and businessmen in the room.
She had no sense of proper behaviour and was unaware she was acting strangely as she groped Izuku jokingly from head to toe to inspect his physique.
15.) Shino Asada (Sword Art Online)
Shino spends much of her free time in the virtual reality world since she is so antisocial that she prefers it to the real one. It might have been trauma-related, but even in that case, the memory of that incident casts doubt on the idea that she was particularly outgoing.
Given the limited information we have about her before the trauma occurred, it may be impossible to determine whether she was already this way to a large extent. She is not exactly a party animal, even once she moves on from it.
Shino enjoys several things, some of which one could claim she over-focuses on, including virtual reality, online gaming, and long-range combat.
16.) Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone)
As a scientist, Senku has little interest in making new friends with females or even speaking his mind out loud. He is dedicated to recreating the world via science, and nothing warms his heart more than creating new devices or formulating new medicines.
Senku is committed to helping people, so he has no desire to attend an awards ceremony or banquet to be acknowledged for his work. He would prefer to go alone to his lab to start the next project, preferring that no one bother him while he works there.
He wants to save the people, not blend in with them. He is prone to infuriating his allies because of his arrogance, either without realizing it or caring.
17.) Akatsuki (Log Horizon)
She always refers to Shiroe as my lord, the first red flag. This effectively shows that she is socially challenged based on it. Her memories of her past life provide further evidence of how strong her disabilities, fears, and internal escapist was.
She might be a little more self-assured and even sociable in the game world, and once the game world becomes real, her true personality emerges strongly enough to let us know that she has some pretty prominent Autism characteristics.
She builds a class for ninjas that didn’t even exist in the game because she is so obsessed with them and spends most of her free time practising them.
18.) Nanami Chiaki (Dragonronpa 3: Despair Arc)
Nanami Chiaki initially showed little emotion, had limited interests (games) and had no desire to make friends.
She tends to be more logical than emotional. It resembles a normal Asperger’s person (A type of autism) who lacks social skills and prefers to carry out things alone. But because of Chisa, she eventually develops relationships with her peers.
It can be easier for people with Aspergers to socialize sufficiently to have friends, even though they can make friends or desire to do so.
Over time, Chiaki developed a strong bond with her classmates, who she loved dearly and for whom she would risk her life.
19.) Shinji Kazama (Full Metal Panic!)
Shinji has a tremendous desire to be cool, to imitate someone who is, or to, at the very least, follow them around, hoping that part of their coolness may somehow trickle down to him.
Because of how quiet he is and how little presence he has, you might not even notice when he appears on TV.
Some of his actions make it seem like he needs a manual to learn how to say hello to people.
20.) Shin Wolford (Wise Man’s Grandchild)
His flaws, such as purchasing a ring without understanding the consequences, are comparable to ones I’ve observed in actual autism cases and are also entirely accurate.
It’s not just that the fantasy world is severely lacking in education; this is something that the planet he came from most likely had to do. Without holding back, he is straightforward.
Nearly all of his attention is directed toward particular interests. He is so focused that he rarely thoroughly studies repercussions, advantages, or deficits.
He essentially only knows his favoured subjects and little else, which makes it difficult for him to comprehend or fit in.
21.) Hirasawa Yui (K-On!)
Many people have been making fun of Yui’s autism, but I think she may be autistic. But not because she is silly and frequently acts foolish.
At the beginning of K-On, Yui rarely had friends outside Nodoka, who even claimed that Yui struggled to blend in with society.
Yui felt highly awkward when she first met Ritsu and Mio and didn’t seem to be able to communicate with them well. It took her some time to acknowledge that she couldn’t play the guitar eventually; she couldn’t tell them straight out that she couldn’t.
Yui lacks basic social skills and is uneasy in social situations; sometimes, she acts up. Due to her inability to concentrate in class, Yui most likely has learning problems and/or ADHD, which account for her poor academic performance.
These are problems that many autistic individuals face.
22.) Ledo (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet)
You have to know that this guy has never met anyone in person who isn’t a boss or fellow soldier from the moment he first appears on screen, especially after he crash lands.
He genuinely runs away from non-military beings when he encounters them and hides in a corner, unsure what to do. He is a bit too quiet, dispassionate, and logical compared to practically any other human.
He often consults his interactive computer for hints about human behaviours and socializing. Still, the laptop is virtually as ignorant as he is. Even his previous general possessed a little more “humanity” than Ledo.
People may still not have a good understanding of how to handle autism in the future.
23.) Nagato Yuki (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Okay, this one is unique because even though she is an artificial human, she is still organic. Her actions continue to scream HFA a lot, whether or if her brain is identical to a human one.
She is brilliant, prefers solitary activities, lacks social skills, and is almost only rational, yet has feelings. She stopped wearing her spectacles because Kyon said he liked her without them. So she wants to get along with people but cannot do so because of her poor social skills.
Many people speculate that Haruhi may have Asperger’s syndrome. Which may be accurate, but I’m not sure.
24.) Lucifer (The Devil is a Part-Timer!)
He puts on a big show in public but then spends his entire online life as a locked-up virtual neet. He is only able to communicate with a small group of people, but the majority of them are connected to him via internet chats that he frequently uses without even realizing it.
He engages in repetitive actions and obsessions, such as eating noodles or shopping.
25.) Fuutarou Uesugi (The Quintessential Quintuplets)
Although his possibilities aren’t sure, he has shown some clear signs. His social awkwardness causes him to misinterpret social cues frequently.
He casually criticizes people without meaning or understanding, and when he receives anachronistic treatment, he becomes baffled. He has the concentration to block out any outside noise.
When anything is unfamiliar or out of his comfort zone, he becomes a little bewildered and flustered, such as eating at his usual table when the idea of eating somewhere else never occurred to him as a credible option.
He essentially has no buddies that are visible. At least initially, his interactions with the sisters are limited to work-related matters. He even claims that dating is just a diversion.
26.) Miyauchi Renge (Non Non Biyori)
Renge is a very unique young person. She seems to be living in a separate universe. She interacts with people strangely, people frequently find it difficult to understand her, she speaks strangely often, is incredibly intelligent for a child of her age, and also appears dispassionate.
Do many autistic children have peculiar behaviours? She doesn’t seem to have any learning problems despite her quirks.
27.) Felli Loss (Chrome Shelled Regios)
In episode 4, it is said that nannies struggle to convey their emotions. Despite having a good intellect, she has young, immature mannerisms.
Even when conversing with people she is familiar with, she finds it difficult to socialize or talk to them. She is too sensitive to some stimuli, which gives her special, unique abilities.
She struggles at part-time work and isn’t sure how to acquire one before that, which suggests that she lacks specific NT-level skills and information are other subtle but prevalent red flags.
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23+ Anime Characters Who Struggle With Their Mental Health
