My 10 Favorite Manga Characters (2024 Edition)

It's all about the characters, baby.

Characters are everything to a story. I’ve heard it before, I’ll hear it again. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. And nowhere in all of storytelling do you get better, more fleshed out characters than in manga, where a series has chapters upon chapters to build character arcs that are immensely satisfying, deeply human, insanely relatable and, sometimes, just plain cool. Or just plain fun. Or just plain goofy.

So I just had to go at it and compile some of my absolute favorite characters from series I’ve read this year, the year of our Gojo 2024. Some have huge parts to play in their respective stories, some died long ago and better come back, some are bit-part players, but all of them are treasures.

Honorable Mentions

Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Satan (I’m The Grim Reaper), Satou Akira (The Fable), Mahito (Jujutsu Kaisen), Riko (A-DO), Tsugumi (Tsugumi Project), Willibald (Vinland Saga), Olruggio (Witch Hat Atelier), Shizuka (Tank Chair), Enzo (Gachiakuta), Hakuri (Kagurabachi), Mina (Kaiju No. 8), Stark (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End), Aza (Hell’s Paradise), Jiji (Dandadan), Roy (My Hero Academia, also No. 1 in my wife’s list, although her list is only Roy)

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10. Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Kugisaki was a beacon of female characters in modern manga before she was unceremoniously killed off, only to come back at the very end for little to no purpose. But! She still remains one of my favorite characters, even in spite of Jujutsu Kaisen’s death spiral into Garbageville. She is goofy, but in a wholly unique way, she has a great sense of humor and a really amazing power. I just wish we could have seen more of her. Cue the spinoff?

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9. Sakata (Dandadan)

Kinta Sakata literally never gets old. He’s not always in Dandadan, which only builds the anticipation around his appearances. His personality is so defined, yet so complex. He is a textbook weirdo, yet he is so self-aware. He’s not a hero, he knows that, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to stop trying to be. In a series where every character is a brilliant example of how to create amazing characters, Sakata still rises above.

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8. Barou (Blue Lock)

Even some of my favorite characters pass out of my memory for lengths of time, but I am never far from Barou and what he does for Blue Lock. Aside from a brief redemptive arc that takes his villain-esque mentality and molds it into a complex, morally gray area, he remains immensely human and genuine because of his unexpected depth. I will also never forget the wonderful moment he reveals himself to be a master bowler.

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7. Hanako (Dinosaur Sanctuary)

I’m just chuffed that a T-Rex is on my list of best characters, and it’s all thanks to Dinosaur Sanctuary. How often do we see man-eating T-Rex’s, the apex predators of all time. I remember when Jurassic Park III came out, presented the Spinosaurus as a deadlier dinosaur, and everyone rejected it. T-Rex are the baddest in all the land. And then there’s Hanako, who has lived a full life, is partially blind, and has a demure personality that makes her the first adorable T-Rex on record.

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6. Hange (Attack on Titan)

While I love Attack on Titan, it can get a bit… serious. I almost said stuffy, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Granted, it’s a pretty serious situation humanity is in, it still wouldn’t hurt to have someone occasionally smile or crack a joke. That’s Hange, in a nutshell. But she’s not a clown character. In fact, she’s probably the most badass non-Titan character in the series, she's driven by her sharp mind and her need for experimentation and that makes her such a breath of fresh air in a series not very familiar with levity.

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5. Qifrey (Witch Hat Atelier)

It’s funny, you know, I used to rank Gojo, from Jujutsu Kaisen, as one of the best characters in manga, but ever since the emergence of Qifrey, that’s no longer the case. I feel like Qifrey is a better version of Gojo. The overpowered mentor with fluctuating morality and a personality that makes him immensely likable. I don’t know if there’s another character out there who I’m more excited to see grow along with their respective series. He could go anywhere, he could become the savior, the villain, or even the switcheroo that reshapes the entire narrative of Witch Hat Atelier.

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4. Gabimaru (Hell’s Paradise)

As a starting point, an invincible ninja on death’s row who just wants to get home to his wife is a fantastic character. But Gabimaru levels up in a lot of ways throughout the story, learning more about himself, what he wants, and more. He’s also at the centerpiece of the great question—is his wife real, or has his brain become so warped that he’s creating an idealistic world outside of the hell he’s in? It takes a tremendous protagonist to power a literal perfect series and Gabimaru is that tremendous protagonist.

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3. Laios (Delicious in Dungeon)

There’s so much to love about Delicious in Dungeon—like, literally all of it—but the best part, in my humble opinion, is the very first part. The hero. Laios is fascinating to think about. He’s childish, he’s equal parts selfish and selfless; he’s a foodie, he loves monsters, he may even have some evil deep down inside him; he cares deeply for others, he’s hilarious in his moments of ineptitude but inspiring in his moments of resourcefulness. Laios is a multitude. But never an unwieldy or unhinged multitude.

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2. Power (Chainsaw Man)

I have a friend (Hi Ryan!) who regularly keeps me updated on how Chainsaw Man is going since I stopped reading. And he encourages me to keep reading, and I always ask one question, “Is Power back yet?” Until she’s back, I’m not either. Power was an absolute joy, she was the friend that Denji needed, a testament to what friendship means to each one of us; she’s a rare well-crafted female character and one that could have her own series. In fact, I hope she does one day. More Power to us all.

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1. Sakura (Wind Breaker)

Nowhere in manga will you find a character as strong as Sakura. Nowhere. His story is deeply fascinating—a high school delinquent who lives on his own, never speaks of his past, and has to learn how to be okay not fighting for power. He is almost an anti-hero in his own story, he is his own biggest enemy. He has to learn to let people in, to feel feelings, to find peace with himself and the world around him. Sakura is a masterclass of character creation.

Alright, that’s my top ten, now give me your favorite manga characters! You can share 1, 10, 100,000, I really don’t care, I just want to hear who your favorites are and why.