Were these anime characters separated at birth? Not quite. We're used to seeing certain style characteristics to easily signify which character is the tsundere, the quiet bookworm, the gung-ho fighter, or the sneaky villain. With the huge number of anime, light novels, and manga produced each year, there are bound to be some design overlaps. It's not actually an accident that all the European characters are blonde or that every cold yet refined girl has the same black, long hair and blunt bangs. The similarities in these character designs, though, are just downright uncanny.
Anemone (Eureka Seven) x Zero Two (Darling in the Franxx) These two bear a lot of similarities and it's not just the long pink locks. Both characters are unlike their human peers, firstly by not being human at all. Both are modified versions of another existing, intelligent entity on the planet and both are pretty dang volatile thanks to humans treating them like lab rats. They also both got roped into being mecha pilots against their will and
both characters also desire a reaffirming, romantic relationship with a human boy.
Chiho Sasaki (The Devil is a Part-Timer!) & Silica (Sword Art Online) Silica's real-life job is finally discovered and it's flipping burgers with the devil himself. These petite twin-tailed girls are both well-liked and friendly but differ when it comes to matters of the heart. Silica is easily embarrassed by PDA or romantic situations while Chiho, on the other hand, absolutely adores Maou and is prone to bouts of jealousy when seeing him with other girls.
Akito Takagi (Bakuman) & Light Yagami (Death Note) This could be a case of both series being created by the same writer and artist team, but these guys look very similar, down to their choice in eye-wear. Their personalities mirror each other quite closely too, as both are no-nonsense personality types with aspirations of greatness. Takagi stops short of Light's complete narcissism and is able to maintain healthy relationships with other people. Also, no murdering for Takagi and no looming Death Gods hanging out and eating all the produce.
Muruta Azrael (Gundam Seed) & Schneizel el Britannia (Code Geass) Space terrorist, meet the future English empire's calculating Prime Minister. Muruta is the head of an organization fixated on eugenics; i.e. wiping out the Coordinators from the planet. He's literally dropped nukes on a space colony. Meanwhile, Schneizel was playing the long con. He's adverse to violence for violence sake but in the same breath slaughtered most of the population of Tokyo. Schneizel seems indifferent to people as a whole but is also charismatic and caring towards his subordinates. I don't know if that makes him
less bad than Murata but certainly both share the same intimidating idol-boy haircut.
Seig (Rave Master) & Jellal Fernandes (Fairy Tail) In an earlier column I wrote how a lot of Fairy Tail characters resemble characters from other works. In that particular case I was talking about Gray Fullbuster and Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist. Looking back, that example isn't nearly as striking as the one here. This is another case of the creator borrowing from himself and there are a number of more instances of Rave Master characters popping up in Fairy Tail. Jellal's design appears like little more than Seig with a haircut. They have the same friggin' tattoo. They're both powerful mages. They both
originated from an even earlier character Hiro Mashima published as a one-shot. I guess if it's not broke, don't fix it?
Joe Kido (Digimon Adventure) & Rei Ryugazaki (Free!) The oldest DigiDestined and Iwatobi Swim Club's signature butterfly swimmer share design commonalities, especially if you compare them both in their youth. Joe originally had a much more "kid anime" look to him but when he was redesigned for the
Digimon Adventure tri. series, he started to look even more like Rei. His hair is more disheveled and fluffy and his glasses choice match Rei's frame style. Personality wise they are both the anxious type, but Joe's hang ups are more extensive than the always calculating and beauty-seeking Rei.
Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara) & Izumo Kusanagi (K) It takes a certain charisma to earn those tips as a bartender. That must be why Shizuo flunked right out to be a bodyguard instead. Shizuo
looks like a bartender with the partial tuxedo get-up, but he's more interested in throwing fists than drinks. Izumo, on the other hand, is cool as a cucumber. He owns the British-style bar where the HOMRA clan gather and it is his pride and joy. Izumo isn't nearly as quick to anger as Shizuo but that doesn't mean they aren't similarly matched in power. Shizuo is Ikebukuro's "strongest man" and Izumo is HOMRA's second-in-command with the ability to shoot fireballs at a moment's notice.
The new poll: What anime doctor would you not trust to perform your surgery?
The old poll: Which guitarist would win at a Battle of the Bands?
- Yuki Nagato (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
- Hellshake Yano (Pop Team Epic)
- Yui Hirasawa (K-ON!)
- Haruhara Haruko (FLCL)
- Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka (Beck)
- Johannes Krauser II (Detroit Metal City)
- Hisako (Angel Beats)
- Kyouka Jirou (Boku no Hero Academia)
- Bansai Kawakami (Gintama)
- Ren Honjo (NANA)
- Masami Iwasawa (Angel Beats)
- Hiroshi Nakano (Gravitation)
- Johnny (Space Dandy)
- Nobuo Terashima (NANA)
- Nekki Basara (Macross 7)
- Oji Tanaka (Black Heaven)
- Azusa Nakano (K-ON!)
- Azuma Genkaku (Deadman Wonderland)
- Yoshiyuki Taira (Beck Mongolian Chop Squad)
- Hoshi (Arakawa Under the Bridge)
When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as Managing Interest Editor for Anime News Network and posts pictures of her sons on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.
