Each decade introduces the anime fandom to fantastic new characters to latch onto, and some of those anime stars become popular for decades on end. The 1990s had stars like Usagi Tsukino, the adult Son Goku, and Yusuke Urameshi, and the 2000s kept the hype going with another generation of heroes and villains. Some of them are symbolic of the 2000s, and others continue to capture the fandom's imagination to this day.
Notably, many of the most popular and beloved characters from the 2000s remain in the pantheon of the industry's biggest stars. These anime characters didn't just pop in, entertain fans, and then bow out when the 2000s gave way to the 2010s. These 2000s-era anime characters earned a permanent place among the most popular anime figures of all time. Many newer characters have shown up in the 2010s and 2020s, but precious few of them can compete with the 2000s' finest characters.
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Lelouch Lamperouge is Science Fiction's Most Ingenious Antihero
Lelouch's Geass and Brainpower Don't Miss a Trick
The most popular anime characters from the 2000s, or indeed any decade, tend to fall into one of a few archetypes. One of them is the "dark genius" archetype, which fits Code Geass's Lelouch Lamperouge. Anime heroes like Goku and Yusuke wow fans with their hard-hitting punches and kicks, but brains beat brawn as far as some anime fans are concerned. Genius heroes or antiheroes are fun partly because they're liable to surprise everyone time and again, including the viewer, and anime viewers love surprises. No one in Code Geass or on the couch will ever know what Lelouch will do next.
Lelouch comfortably owns his role as the sharp-witted and often cold-blooded mastermind of his own twisted saga. He never hesitates or apologizes for anything, which makes him rough but also cool, and anime fans were there for it. Lelouch moved with utter confidence and conviction as "Zero" and Lelouch the "ordinary" student, all while juggling his various roles well. It helps how Lelouch has a flair for the dramatic without being too cheesy, and his Geass power is always a blast to see in action.
Taiga Aisaka Sets a High Bar For Tsunderes Everywhere
Tsunderes Must Be Vulnerable and Kind, Not Just Feisty
Plenty of the most beloved anime characters from the 2000s are action stars or geniuses, but there's room for other archetypes and genres as well. The late 2000s introduced the global anime fandom to Taiga Aisaka, the "palm-top tiger," in the hit romance Toradora!. At first, Taiga felt like a typical hot-blooded tsundere, a petite high schooler who's prone to clobbering anyone who annoys her. The violent tsundere part of her character hasn't aged well, but the rest of her sure has.
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Taiga entertained romance fans with her "tiny but tough" archetype, alongside her flamboyant tsundere ways. Better yet, Taiga's personal life was a bit of a mystery, with her walling off her heart while living all alone near Ryuji Takasu's own home. What made anime fans adore and even cry for Taiga was how she revealed her vulnerabilities over time, to the point that the feared tiger was clinging to Ryuji for support in more ways than one. Taiga showed how it's OK to be vulnerable in front of one's own friends and rely on them to get through challenging times.
Itachi Uchiha is the Best Anti-Villain From the 2000s
Sasuke's Tragic Brother Remains One of the Best Naruto Characters
A number of cast members from the "big three" shonen anime Naruto are superstars of the 2000s, from Naruto Uzumaki himself to Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. If fans had to pick just one Naruto character to be a 2000s-era icon, it would be Itachi Uchiha. Over time, fans saw just how complex and multi-faceted this rogue ninja really was. Fans didn't have to feel sorry for Itachi as a well-meaning antagonist who wept about his own bloody crimes, but no one can deny how compelling it was to watch.
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Find all 10 pairs
On the outside, Itachi was a super-cool antagonist as Sasuke's cold-blooded echo as an Uchiha who's a genius in battle. Itachi stunned viewers with his jutsu and Mangekyo Sharingan, but the best part of his arc was on the inside. This sinister Akatsuki member was actually a caring person who hated himself for what he had to do, or at least, he despised his lot in life. Now, fans may still debate whether Itachi was a victim of his circumstances or just a homicidal tool who deserves no pity. Either way, this kind of arc maintains Itachi's popularity and prominence to this day.
Light Yagami Shocked the Shonen World With His Murder Spree
Light Has the Charm and Cruelty to Make Him the Ideal Antihero
Similar to his sci-fi counterpart Lelouch, Death Note's Light Yagami is a 2000s-era megastar as a dark genius who lets his big brain do the heavy lifting. Almost everything about Light's design steered him toward fame and prominence, such as his remarkable acting skills. The human element is vital for any protagonist, and Light excels as someone who can deceive or sway anybody with his powerful charisma. He's a people person, but in a vile and vicious way, which doubles the fun.
Light's brilliant schemes and ploys made him an antihero worth rooting for, and it's why he's in any conversation about the smartest anime characters alongside Lelouch, Senku Ishigami, and Shikamaru Nara. Any anime lead can throw a punch, but Light is far more compelling as a lead who can outfox L and the entire Japanese police force. Finally, Light remains popular because fans can't agree on what he is: an idealistic crusader who lost his way, or a truly despicable person who was enabled by the Death Note.
Monkey D. Luffy Grew Into His Protagonist Role in the 2000s
Luffy Built a Crew and Mastered His Gears in That Decade
Some 2000s-era anime characters are popular thanks to subversive and even controversial designs, but the anime community needs straightforward characters to provide some relief and stability. That's one reason why the anime fandom has latched onto One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy as a charmingly brash pirate hero who borders on being a well-meaning antihero at times. Luffy's goals are refreshingly simple: to achieve ultimate freedom and find the One Piece treasure to reign as pirate king.
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Luffy's adventures stretched into the 2010s and beyond, but as far as the 2000s go, that was his time to truly shine. Luffy didn't have Gear 5 or Emperor status back then, but he did grow magnificently into his role as Goku 2.0 on the high seas of the Grand Line. After making his on-screen debut in October 1999, Luffy became a true star by winning over new crewmates aboard his ship, developing his Gear-based combat system, and learning some tough lessons about the reality of the Grand Line.
Edward Elric is Both Familiar and Refreshing as an Action Star
Ed's Charming Flaws and Lingering Pain Wowed Anime Fans Everywhere
Edward Elric is another action star from the 2000s, but like a few other action leads at the time, he wasn't quite a Goku clone. Miming Goku worked well for Naruto and Luffy, but not all shonen leads could have done that, which is what helps set Edward apart in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. He's a rare anime character who blends brains and brawn, and he makes it looks easy when blending alchemy, martial arts, and science.
That's a rather unique package to bring to bear, especially when combined with Ed's unusually short height and his heartbreaking humility. Ed can get cocky at times, and fans enjoy it, but the best part is his humble nature. Ed shocked and impressed anime fans when he and Al learned a hard lesson about trying to break nature's rules, and it's an angle that more anime stars could stand to follow. It may take more than a humiliating battlefield loss to pressure the protagonist to change their ways for the better.
Ichigo Kurosaki is an Effective Foil to the Himbos Naruto and Luffy
Ichigo is a Cool Punk With a Sword and Profound Grief
Just like Edward Elric, Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach borrowed some elements from Dragon Ball's Goku, but made sure to have his own voice. Ichigo is not a hungry himbo who loves fighting for the sake of it, and in fact, he's more like the inverse. Ichigo isn't afraid of a fight, yet deep down, he greatly prefers peace with his normal life in Karakura Town. Such writing made Ichigo wonderfully grounded and sympathetic, a fine foil to his outlandish adventures in the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo has some meaningful contrasts with his design that endeared him to anime fans, since he is a hard-hitting punk on the outside but is a kind person on the inside. The trick is how Ichigo's profound grief about Masaki's death forced him to act tough to protect himself, meaning his punk persona is only half real. Ichigo gradually reverted to his true self over time as he overcame his grief, and that only made him even more wonderful in the eyes of anime fans everywhere.