If you’re an anime enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with the vibrant and often unique hair colors of the characters in these shows. From colors rarely seen in reality to extreme shades, this artistic choice has become a signature feature of the anime, embraced by fans as part of its visual appeal. . However, we need to realize that these colors are more symbolic than real, conveying meaning rather than reflecting any particular racial, ethnic, social or religious group. Today, we’ll analyze the meanings behind these anime hair colors, offering explanations with notable examples from anime history.
first. Black (黒 kuro)
Shinya Kōgami from Psycho-Pass embodies the type of anti-hero often associated with black hair in anime
In the field of anime, black hair, commonly seen in reality, carries symbolic meaning beyond nature. It often represents mysterious, sophisticated, traditional, strong and sometimes cruel or creepy characters. While not inherently negative, dark-haired characters can include both deep thinkers seeking solitude and truly malevolent individuals. Dark-haired anime girls may exhibit shyness or antisocial traits, potentially mischievous or dangerous. Boys with dark hair tend to be intelligent and cunning, often associated with danger, though not necessarily villainy. Although it’s not a strict rule, you should be cautious with dark-haired characters, especially if they have an evil smile. Dark blue is the color closest to black in meaning.
Notable examples: Shinya Kōgami from Psycho-Pass (pictured), Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan, Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Sasuke Sasuke from Naruto, Akeno Himejima from High School DxD
2. Brown (茶色 Chairo)
Taichi Yagami from Digimon is a prime example of the type of main character often associated with brown hair
Brown hair, increasingly popular in Japan, is often associated with normalcy and popularity. Commonly seen in main characters, brown-haired characters convey traits such as approachability, ease, charm, steadfastness, sincerity, and endurance—qualities expected in a typical human being. or a main character in the show. However, brown-haired characters, especially submissive men, can tend toward blandness, causing frustration. On the other hand, brunettes can be active, playful and dominant, possessing the ability to attract and attract attention. By nature, brown-haired characters are generally pleasant, but a rare breed may exhibit notable peculiarities.
Notable examples: Taichi Yagami from Digimon (pictured), Akane Tsunemori from Psycho-Pass, Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Shin’ichi Izumi from Parasyte, Tōru Honda from Fruits Basket, Shin’ichi Kudō from Detective Conan, Lain Iwakura from Serial Experiments Lain
3. Blue (青 ao)
One of the rarest colors in the anime world, Rem’s sky blue hair color in Re:Zero symbolizes the uniqueness of a character.
Blue hair in anime, created through dyeing, ranges from lighter turquoise tones to darker shades, reflecting personal preference. In fact, social associations with blue hair do not apply to its anime counterparts. The meaning of the color blue in anime depends on the shade; Blue signifies approachability, with characters that are personable and unpretentious. As the darkness darkens, the characters become more serious, calculating, and intelligent, often possessing special abilities in a fantasy setting. Blue-haired characters are generally very unique, with personalities ranging from cute to calculating and rarely side with evil.
Notable examples: Rem from Re:Zero (pictured), Saiko Yonebayashi from Tokyo Ghoul, Shino Asada from Sword Art Online, Jō Kido from Digimon, Nagisa Shiota from Assassination Classroom, Aoba Seragaki from DRAMAtical Murder, Tōka Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul, Henry Wong from Digimon Tamers
4. Purple (紫 murasaki)
Tokyo Ghoul’s Rize Kamishiro is a perfect example of everything the purple character stands for
Purple hair, although increasingly common in real life, does not carry specific connotations. In anime, it is more common among females, portraying strong, powerful, mysterious, and sometimes unpredictable characters. The contrast between the beauty of the colors and the potential danger is a striking feature. Purple-haired characters often represent privilege, aristocracy, luxury, restlessness, scheming, pompousness, or selfishness. Male characters with purple hair are more rare, and the shade depth correlates with the character’s depth and complexity, much like the relationship with green in anime hair.
Notable examples: Rize Kamishiro in Tokyo Ghoul (pictured), Yatō in Noragami, Shinoa Hīragi in Owari no Seraph, Tōka Yatogami in Date A Live, Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, Misato Katsuragi in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shū Tsukiyama in Tokyo Ghoul, Iris in Pokémon, Yolei Inoue from Digimon
5. Green (緑 midori)
Gym Leader Sabrina, from the first generation of the Pokémon anime, has green hair and is the most complex of the original Gym Leaders
Green, like blue, is generally rare in both real life and anime. associated with specific subcultures. In anime, green hair is one of the rarest colors, with distinct differences between male and female characters. Generally, blue-haired characters are not portrayed as evil, with darker shades indicating complexity and inner struggle. Lighter greens in women denote cool, laid-back characters with enthusiasm and confidence, while darker colors add mystery and depth. Blue-haired men tend to be troublesome, but in general, blue-haired characters are usually on the good side, albeit a bit eccentric.
Notable examples: Sabrina from Pokémon (pictured), Eto Yoshimura from Tokyo Ghoul, Roronoa Zoro from One Piece, Mion and Shion Sonozaki from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Tōru Mutsuki from Tokyo Ghoul, Shintarō Midorima from Kuroko no Basuke, CC from Code Geass, Jae- Ha from Akatsuki No Yona, Deku from My Hero AcadeKaren
6. Red (赤 also known as)
Battler Ushiromiya from Umineko no Naku Koro ni is a perfect example of a red-haired anime male
Red hair has become popular in real life, with people often dyeing their hair many different shades of red. While red-haired men are rare in reality, in anime, male characters with red hair are more common than female characters due to the symbolism of the color. Red-haired characters are depicted as passionate, adventurous, aggressive, feisty, seductive, hot-tempered, and enthusiastic. Whether male or female, red-haired girls in anime display strong emotions, and although they vary from good to evil, they are always portrayed as passionate and popular characters.
Notable examples: Battler Ushiromiya from Umineko no Naku Koro ni (pictured), Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail, Gaara from Naruto, Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom, Otoya Ittoki from Uta no☆Prince-sama♪, Renji Abarai from Bleach
7. Pink (ピンク pinku)
Elfen Lied’s Lucy is a prime example of the traits traditionally associated with pink hair, but is also a notable exception to the rule.
Pink hair, once rare, has become popular in recent years, likely influenced by cartoons. Different shades of pink, from lighter tones to almost purple or red, are now more popular, especially in anime. In anime, pink hair is primarily associated with female characters and has historically been associated with childlike innocence and cuteness. However, with the rise of the moe phenomenon, where fans are attracted to specific traits or personalities, pink hair has become a popular choice, especially among female characters. main and lovers. The moe trend has contributed to the widespread use of pink hair in modern anime.
Notable examples: Lucy from Elfen Lied (pictured), Hisoka Morow from Hunter x Hunter, Minori Kushieda from Toradora, Yuno Gasai from Mirai Nikki, Sakura Haruno from Naruto, Uranai Baba from Dragon Ball
8. Orange (オレンジ orenji)
Emma from The Promised Neverland is a great example of a character with orange hair (plus, she’s really adorable).
Orange hair in anime, which often resembles red or ginger hair in real life, is not uncommon for both men and women. woman actor. Similar to red-haired characters, people with orange hair are passionate, brave, optimistic, loyal and energetic. They may be mentally strong and full of vitality, but their personality can also include traits such as selfishness, irritability or attention-seeking behavior, depending on the context and how they are treated. treat. Lighter orange shades tend to be more subdued, while darker, more aggressive shades share characteristics with red-haired characters. In general, orange-haired characters are often optimistic and energetic, but their explosive nature makes them somewhat unpredictable, and care must be taken not to provoke them.
Notable examples: Emma in The Promised Neverland (pictured), Nami in One Piece, Sora Takenouchi in Digimon, Misty in Pokémon, Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, Shōyō Hinata in Haikyū!!, Orihime Inoue in Bleach, Pain in Naruto
9. Blonde (金髪 kinpatsu)/Golden（黄色 kiiro)
The Elric brothers – Alphonse (Al, left) and Edward (Ed, right) – from Fullmetal Alchemist are some of the most famous blonde characters in the anime world
Blonde hair is considered exotic in Japan, where it does not occur naturally. In the West, blonde hair is associated with ideal beauty and purity. In anime, blonde hair is not reserved for a specific type of character and is found in both male and female characters. Historically, it has been common for female protagonists in anime to have blonde hair, while it is less common for male protagonists to have blonde hair. The characteristics of blonde characters vary widely, with traits such as confidence, cheerfulness, and innocence associated with good characters as well as rudeness, snobbery, and self-centeredness with villain. In general, there are no strict general rules and personality traits depend on whether the character is portrayed as good or evil.
Notable examples: Edward and Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist (pictured), Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto, Vinsmoke Sanji from One Piece, Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon from Sailor Moon, Zoe Orimoto from Digimon Frontier, Beatrice from Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Takeru “TK” Takaishi in Digimon, Boruto Uzumaki in Boruto, Van Hohenheim in Fullmetal Alchemist, Thomas H. Norstein in Digimon Data Squad, Armin Arlert in Attack on Titan, Akira Mado in Tokyo Ghoul, Victorique de Blois in Gosick
ten. White (白 shiro)
Psycho-Pass’Shōgo Makishima embodies everything a white-haired character represents, except that he is the show’s villain
White, gray, or silver hair is associated with old age in the real world, but in anime, it can be found in young characters considered special. Both male and female characters with white hair are often mysterious, possess special abilities, and are portrayed as wise and intelligent. White-haired characters tend to be reserved and introverted, with strong personalities and inner strength. White hair color in anime can vary from pure white to silver or gray, and these characters are not limited to a single character type.
Notable examples: Shōgo Makishima from Psycho-Pass (pictured), Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, Kyōko Kirigiri from Danganronpa, Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, Killua Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter, Norman from The Promised Neverland, Jūzō Suzuya from Tokyo Ghoul, Decim from Death Parade, Nate River (N) from Death Note
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