Let’s face it: being an anime fan means watching characters rise, fall, and sometimes crash spectacularly. Some start as absolute standouts, funny, compelling, iconic, only to lose all of their charm by the time the series wraps up. So grab a snack and settle in as we break down ten anime characters who went from beloved to “please… no more” by their final episodes.
10. Umaru Doma (Himouto! Umaru-chan)
At first, the internet was wrapped around Umaru’s finger. By day, she was the model student; by night, she turned into a chaotic gremlin living off junk food and video games. But the more the show focused on that bratty behaviour, the quicker fans became tired of it. Instead of endearingly messy, she started feeling straight-up irritating.
9. Uzaki-Chan (Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!)
Memes and a viral blood donation campaign once propelled Uzaki to the height of popularity, but that goodwill did not last. Her constant teasing and pushy attempts to “help” Shinichi live a fuller life rubbed many viewers the wrong way. What was supposed to be playful banter often came across as obnoxious, leading to a backlash against her character.
8. Kazuya Kinoshita (Rent a Girlfriend)
Harem anime generally centers around the girls, but somehow Kazuya managed to single-handedly build a name for himself, and not exactly a flattering one. His neediness, indecision, and melodrama easily made him one of the most frustrating protagonists in recent anime. He became an easy nominee for “worst harem lead,” and barely anyone disagreed.
7. Senpai (Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro)
Senpai was designed as the quiet, timid counterpart to Nagatoro’s teasing energy. Instead, he came off as a cardboard cutout. His lack of confidence and constant flustered reactions became more tiring than relatable, overshadowing any real growth he did show.
6. Saitama (One-Punch Man)
Saitama started as a brilliant parody of unbeatable superheroes, but the gag lost its punch. By Season 2, the show had drifted away from the clever satire that made it fun, and his one-note shtick began to feel repetitive. The freshness that once defined him faded fast.
5. Emma (The Promised Neverland)
What was really inspiring about Emma’s optimism in Season 1 was that she was smart, brave, and protective. But Season 2 gave her an almost unrealistic level of compassion. She insisted on forgiving even the worst characters, which made her less grounded and less compelling compared to the person she was earlier.
4. Boruto Uzumaki (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations)
Fans were ready to see what the next generation of ninjas could offer, but Boruto struggled to live up to the excitement. Many felt his arc rehashed Naruto’s storyline without capturing the same spark. His personality and plot direction didn’t help; it really felt like this series was an echo of its predecessor, not truly a continuation.
3. Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
Ichigo started os one of the more mature shonen leads, steady, thoughtful, and strong-willed. But as Bleach went on, he stopped evolving; instead, he gained endless new powers with little character development to match. Other characters grew while Ichigo mostly stayed the same, making him feel increasingly stale.
2. Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
When she first burst onto the scene, Haruhi was a cultural force to be reckoned with: her personality, her music, her dance routine, everything about her. Then Season 2 happened. The Endless Eight arc in particular burned a lot of goodwill and tanked her momentum. Aside from a strong movie, her franchise never recovered its former glory.
1. Kirito (Sword Art Online)
Kirito was once the face of isekai, but now he’s the poster boy for the genre’s biggest problems. His overpowered, self-insert energy became the blueprint for the mass of bland protagonists that now populate anime. With time, he’s turned into a symbol of what’s wrong with modern isekai storytelling, fair or not, the debate continues to rage on.
Even popular characters aren’t immune to bad writing, over-exposure, and repetitive gags. When a show lost its direction, its leads suffered the most. Some faded quietly; others imploded loudly. But one thing is for sure: they all started way stronger than they ended.