There’s one thing about the anime community that makes it so toxic: fanbases and fandoms.
I’ve had my fair share of criticism, trolls and straight up hatred from these fandoms. All because I have an opinion that’s unpopular and doesn’t stroke their fragile egos.
I’m sure you as an anime fan have dealt with similar things in the community, assuming you’re not an impulsive idiot who thinks the world shines out your rear-end.
But with that said, these are the most toxic (and worst) anime fanbases I’ve come across in anime.
There are others, but the fandoms I’ve mentioned here are so big it makes any smaller communities irrelevant.
1. Dragon Ball Z
I’m the BIGGEST fan of Dragon Ball Z and the whole franchise in general. So that tells you how much of an awful fanbase DBZ has since I’m willing to admit how bad it is.
Not everyone is a demon in the DBZ fandom, I’m proof of that. I’m not gonna bash you over the head with criticism and call you a piece of sh*t for disliking DBZ or what it represents.
That’s not my style and that line of thinking is for idiots anyway. But this happens A LOT in the DBZ community online.
Usually it comes down to arguments that can never reach a conclusion. Ya know, like “Goku is the strongest anime character in the universe” and sh*t like that.
Being an innovator in the Shounen genre and being the anime to start the trend, I guess people get overprotective like an insecure mother. But it is what it is.
That’s why some fans avoid DBZ all together.
Related: 11 Of The Strongest Anime Characters
2. Death Note
Death Note is an anime I watched earlier THIS year or sometime last year. I put it off for years because I got sick of hearing about how “good” it is.
Before watching it though, I noticed every time I never mentioned Death Note in a list of “good” anime, the fanbase would pull out their baseball bats and start swinging at me. As if to say “how DARE you not praise Death Note, you little c*nt.”
And even though I think Death Note is an absolute masterpiece since watching it, the fanbase is awful.
Maybe not 100%, but it’s still obnoxious and full of f*cking snobs who act like hurt 6 year old children.
3. Naruto
Naruto goes head to head with Dragon Ball Z for its popularity, success and insane following worldwide. But even I can admit Naruto has a more “cult” following by far.
Ignoring that for a second, It’s shocking how many sensitive teddy bears are running around in the Naruto community.
It’s almost comparable to the Alphabet Mob who get bent out of shape when they feel “offended”.
You can’t mention a Shounen, a classic, or a “successful” anime series without the Naruto mob bursting through your door and demanding you respect it.
Especially if you’re not a fan of Naruto or you don’t “include” it in your list of the best anime of all time.
4. Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter is like a “tame” version of the Naruto fanbase. Or at least the “toxic” side of the fandom.
Hunter x Hunter isn’t as famous or so called “successful” as anime like Naruto or DBZ. But it’s an underground classic with a STRONG following who swear it’s a masterpiece in its own right.
For an anime like Hunter x Hunter that doesn’t get “praise” compared to more famous Shounen, I can understand the annoyance of it not always being acknowledged.
But even still – is that a reason to sh*t on other anime fans for disagreeing with you?
5. Steins Gate
Steins Gate is another underground classic that “looks” mainstream but for some reason it doesn’t feel mainstream.
And that’s despite its crazy following and undeniable success (plus high ratings on plenty of websites).
One thing I praise about Steins Gate is how different it looks and feels for an anime. You can look at it and automatically see there’s no anime out there that can go head to head for what it does.
But that doesn’t mean I rate it like that. I feel like it’s overrated actually.
And as expected with these types of anime, the toxic fanbase has their guns ready to shoot down anyone who dares to disagree.
6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is an anime I never knew existed until a few years ago. But now that I know better, I’ve realized how much of a pioneer it is in the anime industry.
I mean – a lot of references in tons and tons of anime are taken from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. And a lot the modern styles, features and quirks you see in anime today were inspired by Jojo.
A lot of the time you won’t even know Jojo is the inspiration behind an anime (if you’re under 20 years old). But it’s true.
It’s an underground legend that’s overshadowed by mainstream anime.
That’s the reason the fanbase is so ruthless, emotional, and confrontational when trying to shove their opinions down your throat.
I’m amazed at how Jojo’s fanbase has reacted to what I have to say, if they feel like Jojo should have been a part of the conversation.
7. One Punch Man
One Punch Man isn’t Shounen, but it’s weaved its way into the Shounen genre because of the themes it portrays.
One Punch Man is exactly that: a protagonist who crushes his opponents in ONE punch. This fact has gave birth to dozens of memes and heated arguments online.
The main argument is of course bias, because the logic is Saitama can defeat anyone. Including characters like Goku because he’s “designed” that way.
I’m not here to get into the politics, but I’ve ran into so many social justice warriors in the OPM community to know how toxic it gets.
Surely we can all argue with each other, WITHOUT being a d*ck and acting like a spoilt little sh*t. Or is that too much to ask?
8. My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is one of the greatest Shounen anime of the last decade. And I don’t say that because I’m a fan of it (which surprised me), but because the success speaks for itself.
Ever since it dropped in 2016 the hype, the following, and its ability to convert NEW fans to the industry is special.
It’s a breath of fresh air for the Shounen genre.
And even though I say that, the MHA community CAN be one of the worst at times.
Blame it on passion. Blame it on ego. But whatever you blame it on, we can all agree bashing each other over the head is stupid in the grand scheme of things. Especially when your argument holds no value or logic.
Or in other words: you’re being a fanboy for fanboy’s sake.
9. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is the last anime I’ll mention. Funny enough – it’s also the ONLY anime on this list that isn’t “Shounen” or anything like DBZ, MHA or Naruto.
NGE is a pioneer in the anime industry, no different to Steins Gate. But Neon Genesis Evangelion is the reason the MECHA genre blew up in the early days of anime.
Gundam came first, but Neon Genesis Evangelion made Mecha “famous”. And not for reasons that are obvious or related to robots necessarily.
Either way – the anime fanbase for this reason (not everyone) gets bent out of shape when you don’t praise it for being a “good” Mecha series.
But I guess this is a thing with anime shows like this.
10. RWBY
RWBY is an American anime that’s been accepted by people in the Japanese anime industry. It’s solidified.
As an anime outside of Japan that’s managed to build up a massive fanbase, it comes with TOXIC fans.
The person who made the fake suicide thingy is SICK. Faking a suicide is so f*cked up on so many levels and blaming it on the FNDM just makes the RWBY fandom look way worse than what it actually is. It is a serious thing, it even triggered my friends and made them feel anxious +
— leah RWBY V7 SPOILERS!! (@mafuyamars) November 7, 2019
RWBY’s Toxic Fandom, And The Suicide Controversy – https://t.co/xGsz6Okd6R
— Theo J Ellis (@TheoJEllis) November 7, 2019
On November 6th 2019 – someone in the RWBY community made up a “suicide” story for the sake of attention, likes and retweets.
Her intent was to “sh*t” on other people in the RWBY community.
It worked.
On November 7th 2019 it was proven to be a HOAX.
Someone needs to get a hold of these people and let them know it’s a hoax https://t.co/9sxB6BX9i6
— TheLastSuperSaiyan🐝🐝🖤💛 BLACK EAGLES (@Thelastsupersa2) November 7, 2019
The sad thing is – it fooled a LOT of people. But what’s worse is how someone was even willing to go to these lengths in the first place.
RWBY’S toxic fandom is well documented, so it’s unsurprising why I’ve added it to this list of the WORST anime fanbases.
Have you noticed the trend yet?
The more “religious” the fanbase is about an anime they love, the more sensitive, emotional and “senseless” they become.
It’s always with the type of anime that are supernatural, Shounen or has some type of “deep” element that makes it shine. For one reason or another.
Romance, slice of life or comedy doesn’t have fanbases half as bad as the anime on this list. If at all.
So I guess it’s a result of passion for an anime series running deeper than usual.
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While i do agree that the one piece fans are trash, tho i think MHA is far worse, but what i’ve seen is that mot one piece fans are stating that the manga is perfection, which it isn’t it’s good but definetely isn’t the best, a lot of the one piece fans i’ve encountered really don’t think the anime holds a candle to some other anime out their. But again i definetely agree that they can get way too toxic, especially the zoro fandom.
But still, Hunter X Hunter is a masterpiece.
Demon slayer too. The anime just got famous and it already have a toxic fanbase
Truth be told. I’ve seen it for myself.
I am beyond shocked that Hetalia didn’t make it onto that list. Cosplayers were memorializing Nazi Germany ’cause he was “sexy and badass”. I myself am an active member of the fandom, but it still astonishes me how many members are either completely ignorant or simply disregarding any and all world history. The debates on what warrants incest are also absurd. For example, is the Italians are known as “the Italy brothers”, it’s pretty obvious that any physical relations are considered incest.
PS. I still think Hetalia can be a really beautiful community, but when members begin to use genocide in sexual situations, the community is downright toxic in the worst ways. Still though, finding the moral parts of the fandom is a great experience, so I don’t want to vilify the entire fandom, just to caution others of the unhealthy parts.
I feel like people often forget about the Hetalia and Attack On Titan fandom back in like 2014. The ship wars were outrageous! Dark times my friends..
Must’ve been pretty bad if you put it like that…
I definitely feel that one piece should’ve also been on the list. They can be very arrogant and full of themselves at times. I mean as a MHA fan I admit that my colleagues have a tendency to overreact. But one piece fans can almost never admit when their fandom acts annoying or bullies newcomers. They also act like one piece is the perfect anime and that there’s absolutely nothing bad about it and that it’s the best anime ever and that no anime will ever come close t being as good. And that can become pretty obnoxious
Whew. I am so glad Gundam fans did not make this list. We’re the good fan base I guess, what other fan base can get away with yelling out a N*zi sounding cheer like “Sieg Zeon!”