8 Anime Side Characters That Are Better Than The Protagonist

More often than not, anime protagonists make or break the series, as it is their journey that the fans are supposed to follow. Anime protagonists need to have compelling stories and, more importantly, strong conviction. At times, an author simply fails to write exciting protagonists but does exceedingly well with the side characters. In a plethora of anime, there have been various instances where side characters completely steal the show in anime series, overshadowing even the main character in the process.

8 Gojo Satoru

• Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen's main character is none other than Yuji Itadori, but he has never truly been the most popular character in the series. The most popular character from Gege Akutami's masterpiece is none other than Gojo Satoru, who is also the strongest in the world. Gojo's personality, appearance, and complex abilities have made him the fan favorite in the series, and he stands head and shoulders above the rest. He was popular right from the get-go, with his only true competition being Megumi Fushiguro. This doesn't come as a surprise, especially when taking into consideration the fact that the author himself claimed that he isn't particularly moved by the character of Yuji Itadori.

Regardless, Gojo makes for a brilliant character that gets the fans off their seats time and again, and his presence alone has shot Jujutsu Kaisen up in popularity tremendously.

7 Levi Ackerman

• Anime: Attack on Titan

Levi Ackerman is one of the side characters in the Attack on Titan series, and just like Gojo, he belongs to the overpowered side character archetype. Levi is said to be the strongest human in the series, especially among the non-shifters. In a world where titans dominate with their size and strength, Levi shows that humans too can compete at the highest level with skills that can hardly be rivaled by any.

He has delivered some of the most incredible beatdowns over the years, and his cool and calm demeanor is what makes him incredibly exciting to watch. Undoubtedly, Levi is one of the best side characters who has overshadowed Eren time and again.

6 Escanor

• Anime: Seven Deadly Sins

Escanor belongs to the once-popular Seven Deadly Sins series, and to this day, he continues to be its most popular character. While Meliodas certainly does have his own charm, Escanor has often stolen the show, especially due to his incredibly overpowered nature.

It is no surprise to know that overpowered characters tend to have more fans than others, especially when they stand as invincible individuals. As such, Escanor has amassed a tremendous number of fans over the years, and even today, he is remembered as one of the most iconic side characters who overshadowed the protagonist on various occasions.

5 Rengoku

• Anime: Demon Slayer

In the world of Demon Slayer, quite a few characters have outshined Tanjiro, who isn't particularly impressive in any way. Despite Tanjiro being the soul of Demon Slayer, there are quite a few characters that have completely overshadowed him both in terms of displays of strength, conviction, and popularity.

Rengoku is one such character who stole hearts in the Mugen Train movie and in the buildup leading up to it. Given the popularity of Mugen Train and the fact that it is the best-performing movie of all time, it makes sense that he is loved so dearly. Even after Rengoku's death, he remains to be one of the most iconic characters in Demon Slayer who delivered moments that fans will never forget.

4 Killua Zoldyck

• Anime: Hunter x Hunter

Killua Zoldyck is one of the main characters in the Hunter x Hunter series and he stands as the sidekick to Gon Freecss, the main character. Gon isn't particularly exciting as a character and, in many ways, is simply unappealing, despite being written well.

Killua is the complete opposite in that regard. He possesses a charm that Gon doesn't, and his chaotic personality makes him incredibly fun to follow. Killua is also an iconic anime character who has gone on to inspire many others characters from new gen series. All things considered, he is absolutely brilliant as a character and, for many, the best in the Hunter x Hunter series.

3 Katsuki Bakugo

• Anime: My Hero Academia

Katsuki Bakugou from My Hero Academia is quite easily the most popular character in the whole series. In fact, the vast majority of the popularity polls in My Hero Academia were won by Bakugo, beating Izuku Midoriya every single time. While Deku is exciting as a character in his own way and is very well written by Kohei Horikoshi, Bakugo simply overtakes him due to his strong personality and often brash nature.

These are traits that fans have grown to love over the years, and it is because of them that he has managed to outshine the protagonist on various occasions. The fact that he was continually given important roles throughout the story certainly added to that as well. Even in the Final War arc of My Hero Academia, Bakugo was given a main battle against All For One, where he did exceedingly well. His redemption arc made his popularity grow even further and led to him becoming even more of a compelling character.

2 Tobio Kageyama

• Anime: Haikyu

Tobio Kageyama is the deuteragonist of the Haikyu series who stands next to Hinata. While Hinata is the main character, Kageyama often gets more attention from the fans, and this is because of how well-written he truly is. That's not to say that Hinata isn't well written; it's just that their personalities differ, and fans tend to gravitate more towards the Kageyama archetype.

Kageyama is a genius Setter born with immense ability and great ambition to reach the top. His friendly rivalry with Hinata makes him even more lovable in the eyes of the fans, and his personal growth, which many fans see themselves in, makes him even more popular. Kageyama's character development makes for a phenomenal story that fans absolutely love. Given the fact that he is neck and neck with Hinata in terms of getting attention from the author, it is no surprise to know that he has managed to outclass the protagonist on multiple occasions and is liked more than him by the vast majority.

1 Himmel

• Anime: Frieren

Himmel the Hero is one of the most important characters in Freiren. While Freiren is the main character, Himmel is one of the most important people, not just to her but to the overarching plot of this series. Himmel, through his exciting journey with Freiren, gives her and the fans countless life lessons that help them better themselves and teach them how to enjoy the mundane things in life.

Himmel is simply a kind-hearted individual with a knight-like personality, and all these things make him incredibly likeable. The fact that he often teaches fans a lot of things and simply lives in the moment makes him even more likeable, despite having been dead for the vast majority of the story. Himmel flashbacks are incredibly prevalent in Frieren, but they are loved by all fans because of what they represent.