The Freakiest Anime Characters You Wouldn’t Like to Meet in Real Life Posted Nov 26, 2020
Anime often comes up with stuff that just wouldn’t be acceptable on the average television network’s primetime slot. But that’s exactly the thing I love about anime; that rich creativity that goes beyond what’s ‘normal’, pushing the boundaries of storytelling in captivating and innovative ways.
That creativity really shines through the characters of the genre. And my favorite ones aren’t necessarily the heroes, or the cutesy characters people usually associate with anime.
For me, the freakiest, meanest, most disturbing anime characters are the ones that often make the stories. They delve deep into the darkest depths of the human psyche, personifications of themes that people are often too uncomfortable to even discuss. These are the top three anime characters that are so ultimate freak you would never want to meet them in real life…
Midari Ikishima
Originally ‘just’ one of the supporting characters in Kakegurui, I loved Midari Ikishima from Day 1. Her masochist tendencies, coupled with the turmoil she experiences psychologically, make her an extremely interesting character. Disturbed, sure, but still fascinating.
Her origin story is found in the hallways of your average school, where she’s the typical outcast. Many of us will recognize that experience, the loneliness, the disappearance into your own mind.
One aspect that reflects Midari’s lack of control is her compulsive gambling. It is through this hobby that she lets her personality loose, and it’s no surprise Russian Roulette piqued her interest in gambling.
Kakegurui’s school cliques and hierarchy are not built on traditional elements like good looks, athletic prowess, money, or grades. Instead, students gamble to earn social prestige.
Games like the Tarot Cards of Fate and Finger Cutting Guillotine (which is just what the name suggests, yikes!) are common amongst students at the school. But I have a feeling that even playing the more traditional and less grotesque slot games like on vegasslots.co.uk, I would not want to meet Midari Ikishima in real life in any way, shape, or form.
Ryuk: “Because I was bored, that's why.”
When you look at a picture of Midari Ikishima, you don’t think of ‘evil’ right off the bat. And that’s part of the charm of her story. With Ryuk from Death Note, however, there’s no confusion: this character just exudes evil, and you definitely wouldn’t want to meet him in-person.
For one, Ryuk got bored of the same old Shunigami life and decided to manipulate the Shinigami King into giving him a second Death Note (made for killing people), that he ‘accidentally’ drops into the human world. Out of the simplest boredom. He doesn’t need any other reason other than that. That’s exactly what makes him so scary. His kind of a gambling with life and death.
And his recklessness was continued by the one who found the book in the human realm - Light Yagami.
Further, Ryuk’s species needs to kill in order to extend their own lifespans. He is part of the Shinigami, living in the realm of the same name. He uses the realm’s observation hole to choose humans to kill.
And they are not sickened by the process, but relishes it. They use imagination to fill in the blanks of the human’s story, the personification of the victim adding to the satisfaction of the killing. Freaky…
What also freaks me out is that within this world, humans have an expiration date. You see, the years remaining in a victim’s life are added to the Shinigami who chooses the killing (through the Death Note). This goes into themes of predestination, and how it can be distorted through external actions. I, for one, would like to think that my life is yet to be written, not that my date of death has already been set in stone.
Kyubey
I’m rounding off this top 3 with Kyubey, from Madoka Magica. In terms of looks, Kyubey is the complete opposite of Ryuk. If you saw Ryuk walking towards you, you’d turn around straight away. With Kyubey, you’re more likely to ask for a cuddle.
But this little and cute ‘plush toy’ is super dangerous. Kyubey is known as an Incubator, aka a Messenger of Magic. It is capable of granting wishes to regular girls. The catch? Kyubey gets their soul in exchange.
What makes Kyubey scary is twofold:
- It is a cute looking creature. Humans have an instinct when it comes to creatures that mimic the look of the innocent baby. That nurture gene kicks in and we’re drawn in. The fact that Kyubey plays to our natural instincts, but is actually extremely evil, makes the creature even more disturbing.
- It does not understand emotion. Kyubey is able to talk, and even seems to show some empathy. However, an Incubator does not understand emotion. In that sense, Kyubey has the characteristics of a robot, emotionless and ruthless.
Kyubey also plays into recognizable human characteristics. We are driven by greed, a desire to be special, and the high price in return for Kyubey’s promises is not enough to curb our innermost desires. Perhaps it is human nature, then, which is the true danger…?
