12 Black Anime Characters: Racism vs. Representation on TV

Series: "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure"

Where to stream: Prime Video, Apple TV, Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Peacock

Muhammad appears in volume three of "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure," and while he is one of the series' supporting characters, his combination of impressive powers, tactical intelligence and well-defined personality have made an impression on fans.

Series: "Afro Samurai"

Where to stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll

"Afro Samurai," released as a show in 2007, is an example of change in the anime industry that many fans and critics welcomed: a series with a Black lead, combining the mythology of feudal Japan and Black culture.

Based on the manga of the same title, which began publication in 1998, the show boasted the talent and star power of Samuel L. Jackson, who voiced the eponymous character.

Set in a futuristic feudal japan, Afro Samurai follows a fairly straightforward revenge plot about a samurai setting out to avenge his murdered father. It was a hit and continues to be a fan favorite.

Series: "Berserk"

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Casca remains one of the most iconic Black anime characters in the history of the genre. As one of the main characters in the show, she is Guts's love interest and originally a friend and confidante of the antagonist, Griffith.

As a warrior, she is one of the most capable in the story's dark fantasy realm. The show also depicts her as having complex psychology with recognizable human weaknesses.

Series: "Bleach"

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Video, Fandango at Home

Known as the "Flash Goddess," Yoruichi is a former "soul reaper" who appears in some of the most consequential story arcs in the series. Technically from the nobility, she can also transform in to a black cat and has a distinctly eccentric personality. Her strong presence in the series has made her a fan favorite.

Series: "Soul Eater"

Where to stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Apple TV

Kilik is one of the students at the Death Weapon Meister Academy. He was included in the story specifically because series creator Atsushi Ohkubo felt that there wasn't great representation of Black characters in anime.

He's one of the most powerful characters at the academy, loyal and determined to assist his friends no matter what.

Series: "Cowboy Bebop"

Where to stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

The 1998 show "Cowboy Bebop" often gets a special mention for featuring a Black woman when it was still a relative anomaly, and many fans responded positively to her blaxpoitation-style look and attitude.

Naming this bounty hunter "Coffee" was either an affectionate tribute to Black-led cinema of the 1970s or a case of racial tone deafness, but many fans looked past the awkward name and embraced the character. Although she only appeared in a single episode, she left a lasting impression.

Series: "Black Lagoon"

Where to stream: Apple TV, Hulu

Dutch is the leader of the Lagoon Company, a mercenary group that kidnaps the main character of the Black Lagoon series.

Even-tempered and strategically minded, Dutch isn't a typical pirate, and his preference for negotiation as a tactic is one of the keys to his success. Dutch is a former U.S. Navy captain who went AWOL and took up a life of crime. Still, he's polite and cares for his crew, showing a kind of honor even as he pursues his sometimes violent missions of piracy.

Series: "One Piece"

Where to stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Netflix, Pluto TV, Adult Swim

Usopp is a member of the swashbuckling pirate crew known as the Straw Hats, who seek a mythical treasure known as the "One Piece."

While initially portrayed as untrustworthy, he eventually becomes essential to the crew as their expert marksman. He's also a source of comic relief, and his struggle to overcome his fear and help his comrades has endeared him to fans of the long-running series.

Series: "Hunter X Hunter"

Where to stream: Prime Video, Peacock, Hulu, Netflix

While not a main character in the series, Canary quickly gained fans when she appeared. She's fiercely loyal, working as an apprentice butler for the Zoldycks, whose house she must guard.

While she has the appearance of a diminutive Black girl dressed in a suit, she shows soon enough that she's not to be messed with.

Series: "Fire Force"

Where to stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Apple TV

Hibana has been noted for her complexity; despite her harsh and sometimes cruel demeanor, she's shown as having endured great suffering, leading to her present behavior.

She's also a hyper-driven and focused scientist who ends up helping Company 8, the Fire Force at the center of the story. She finds herself having feelings for Shinra, the series' protagonist.

Series: "Michiko & Hatchin"

Where to stream: Apple TV, Crunchyroll

The anime series "Michiko to Hatchin," (which is "Michiko and Hatchin" in English) is notable for having two fairly strong Black characters, both of them female.

Michiko is an escaped criminal who kidnaps the daughter of her former lover, showing herself to be reckless and impulsive. But she gradually develops a relationship with the girl she's kidnapped, and the decent side of her begins to shine through.

Series: "Michiko & Hatchin"

Where to stream: Apple TV, Crunchyroll

While having less screen time than Michiko, Atsuko is another strong female character on the show. We see her having ambivalent feelings towards Michiko, who she arrested before the narrative's events began. They also grew up in the same hardscrabble orphanage.

Now charged with catching her former friend, she actually helps her out, showing her conflicted feelings of duty and loyalty.

Typically, when Black characters appear in anime, they tend to be supporting characters at best. Japan is a fairly racially homogeneous culture, and it's taken time for artists (including those who make anime) to incorporate characters that don't rely upon lazy — and often offensive — stereotypes.

Lately this has been changing, with creators showing more cross-cultural sensitivity and curiosity. In part, this is driven by the natural, steady proliferation of the anime genre around the world.

But it's also a testament to the diversity of the fanbase that some of the genre's most ardent fans are themselves Black. In fact, the hit show "The Boondocks," which is drawn in a style reminiscent of anime, is sometimes considered to be a kind of honorary anime show.

Here we looked at characters that are specifically depicted as Black. There have been some characters in anime that have dark skin, but their racial identity remains ambiguous. For that reason, we've left them off this list.