If there’s one thing that otaku enjoy, it’s coming across a character in a series that has the same hobbies and interests they do! As meta as it seems, it’s not unusual for anime to have characters that, incidentally, love anime themselves.
But with so many choices, that begs the question… which self-proclaimed otaku character is most popular of all? Take a look below to see if any of your favorites made the rankings!
10. Yumasaki Walker, Durarara!!
9. Kousaka Kirino, Oreimo
8. Kagami Junichirou, Ultimate Otaku Teacher
7. Takebayashi Koutarou, Assassination Classroom
5. Milluki Zoldyck, Hunter X Hunter
5. Sakonji Tatsunosuke, KochiKame
4. Usui Kazuyoshi, Sket Dance
Aside from Oreimo’s closet otaku Kousaka Kirino, the majority of popular otaku characters seem to be male. Will this trend continue for the top 3?
3. Izumi Konata, Lucky Star
Surprised? This mischievous blue-haired shortie from Kagami Yoshimizu’s Lucky Star is still a beloved otaku character, even though the series was first serialized in 2003! Despite her lazy disposition, Izumi always has time for reading manga and playing video games, traits that we can all get behind!
2. Onoda Sakamichi, Yowamushi Pedal
Coming up in second place is shy cyclist Onoda, whose dedication to anime had him biking back and forth to Akihabara for all those irresistible goods. As it turns out, that dedication to anime gave him the foundation to build himself up to the competitive cyclist he became in 2008, when Watanabe Wataru first serialized Yowamushi Pedal in Weekly Shounen Champion!
1. Doma Umaru, Himouto! Umaru-chan
While the votes were close, the adorable Doma Umaru snagged first place as the most beloved otaku character in anime! Written by Sankaku Head and serialized in Seinen’s Weekly Young Jump in 2013, that makes Himouto! Umaru-chan the newest of the series out of the top three. Doma is known for having two different modes, one where she appears as the normal ideal girl, and one where she reveals her true otaku personality! The latter is both incredibly endearing and relatable.
It seems characters with a fierce dedication to their otaku ways are among the most loved, which makes sense. After all, anime, manga, and video games are serious business! Where did your favorite 2D otaku character fall?