This is why some anime Chads get the girl, and other characters are less than lucky, being completely rejected yet kept at arm’s length – because friendships should be preserved. For some, this may hit close to home. And in this ranking we’re going to look into the unlucky side of this romance coin by checking out some of the most friendzoned characters that anime can offer.
15. Asta
Anime: Black Clover To me, Asta has always had the best motivation when it comes to shounen protagonists, as he literally just wants to get with a nun. The nun in question is definitely waifu material so I can understand his hustle way more than that of becoming ninja president. However, said waifu named Lily is less than thrilled at the advancements from someone she sees as one of her children. You lose this time Freud. Just like the rooster bawk’ing every day signifies the sunrise, Asta screaming proposals at Lily is an every-day occurrence. And him getting subsequently punched by a water fist is just as regular. Asta also gets bonus friendzone points for not realizing that not one, but two other females are interested in him.
14. Nadeko Sengoku
Anime: Monogatari This friendzone went so badly that it nearly killed everyone involved. Nadeko had that classic little sister vibe and was head over heels for Araragi. Araragi, however, subtly had a girlfriend. And only showed interest in the sister archetype that one time he brushed some teeth. This prompted Nadeko to become a full-fledged villain, threatening to kill most of the cast. A very r/nicegirls approach to rejection – but there were bound to be a few yandere on here. Mind controlling snakes also helped this rampage go along.
13. Misa Amane
Anime: Death Note This one was just a bit sad, as Light played Misa like a clarinet. He even went along with the whole romance thing. But anyone with a decent pair of eyes could have seen that he doesn’t give a damn about Misa, and is only really interested in the power that she can grant him. So, he just strung her along on his biblical missions to rid the world of evil, while honestly showcasing way more romantic chemistry with L than with Misa herself. And although that has undoubtedly given birth to at least a hundred yaoi/bara pieces, we still have to press Fs in the chat for our girl Misa.
12. Rem
Anime: Re; Zero This is among the most famous and direct friendzones we’ve seen in anime for a couple of reasons. First off, because Rem is best girl. And her defeat prompted at least a dozen riots all over the globe. Secondly, because it was the most direct confession (and then subsequent rejection) anime has ever seen. Rem put her entire heart on the line and started crying with joy, only to be hit with a “but Emillia”. I honestly can’t tell whether this move hurt Rem or the collective anime watchers more. Needless to say, both sides were probably crying in the corner somewhere.
11. Boa Hancock
Anime: One Piece This one was just beyond unlucky. Boa didn’t trust most men, and for good reason, but she could still seduce any random bloke on the street if they had something that she needed. It makes sense why she fell for Luffy, as he’s literally the shinning beacon of hope and morality in this show. But he also comes with a fatal flaw: The dude is denser than cement, and disregards romance harder than most asexuals. But the damage had already been done, leaving Boa to endlessly fantasize about their life together while Luffy is looking for his fifth dinner.
10. Chrome
Anime: Dr. Stone This one was very subtle and very wholesome. Chrome knew Ruri from a young age, and he always did everything he could to help her be happy and conquer her sickness. However, Chrome is a man of science and not of romance. Meaning that he could not articulate his feelings if it meant saving his life. Everyone was aware of his feelings for Ruri, but he would always just play dumb or change the subject. Which is sad, because they would be such a power couple. Even when Ruri is temporarily married to Senku, Chrome doesn’t lash out. But rather states that he just wants her to be happy.
9. Kazuma Satou
Anime: KonoSuba Considering the main cast is made up of Kazuma and three women, some sort of romance was bound to happen, right? The movie finally gave us a glimpse on the matter – and our boy Kazuma definitely took an L. He tried going after our favorite explosion magician, but his feelings weren’t really requited. And that was after getting her parent’s approval and fabricating an entire scenario just so that the two could be close to each other. Note that I’m only talking about the anime here, as the manga is far more optimistic in terms of romance.
8. Akatsuki
Anime: Log Horizon In the universe of Log Horizon, wearing glasses must give you +10 charisma or something, as both Shiroe and Krusty seem to be balling. Akatsuki fell for the former of the two bespectacled husbandos, but luck was not on her side. Even though she went straight for the kink check and just called him master all the time, Shiroe never looked at Akatsuki as more than a dear and faithful friend. Then again, ninjas were not really known for their acts of seduction – or the ability to speak from the heart. So we shouldn’t have expected much. Speaking of ninjas…
7. Sakura
Anime: Naruto The original Naruto was a friendzone fiesta that pained us all to the core. Sakura friendzoned Naruto, Naruto friendzoned Hinata, Sasuke friendzoned Sakura and Naruto, there was just a lot. And while the Naruto/Sasuke bromance was just a very logical head cannon, the Sakura/Sasuke train wreck was very real. It’s the best example of “the worst she/he can say is no” as a meme, since Sasuke starts off by calling her annoying and knocking her out, and further along the line nearly kills her. But even that wasn’t a clear enough sign for Sakura. I know that we all fanboy about the Uchiha, but Sakura’s obsession took it to completely new heights.
6. Amatsuyu Kisaragi
Anime: ORESUKI Are you the only one who loves me? This entire show is just one giant friendzone. You see, our main boy Amatsuyu thought that he could meta game the anime itself and push himself into the position of a harem master. But it does not take long for that to completely backfire, and for all the girls involved to cut all ties with him. He does manage to smooth things out with the girls soon enough. But he could say goodbye to romance from that point on. And even prior to the incident, all of the girls he thought would fall for him really just wanted his help to get with another guy. Bench-kun is a worthy adversary and a true titan in the friendzone ranks.
5. Albedo
Anime: Overlord I feel bad for Albedo, as she was literally programmed to be madly in love with Ainz. And Ainz isn’t exactly a ladies’ man. He spends most of his time trying to figure out what the hell is happening, and how to maintain his godly image. So tackling something like a relationship is far beyond his grasp. Albedo’s charms do obviously land on him from time to time. But it’s always a comedic relief moment and never an instance of Ainz actually reciprocating to Albedo’s feelings. It would also be extremely weird to date one of your own guards, especially when the other guards are either also in love with you or idolize you completely.
4. Satoru Fujinuma
Anime: ERASED This one was properly weird from beginning to end. So, you have a grown man travel back in time in order to save those around him from being murdered. Okay. But then he gets oddly attached to one of the girls, Kayo. That’s stepping into some weird territories. The two become very close, and Satoru ultimately saves her, but then goes into a coma in his present time. Kayo moves on and gets married, not knowing whether Satou would ever wake up. That truly is an L and definitely constitutes a friendzone. But what makes the whole situation worse is the fact that the killer actually waited for him! This dude had more loyalty and conviction than the girl he saved (and possibly loved). Now that’s just whack.
3. Kokomi Teruhashi
Anime: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. This is like the Boa Hancock situation, but somehow even more depressing. Kokomi is the pinnacle of humanity and showcases no flaws whatsoever to the general public. To say that every man on Earth is in love with her would be an understatement. However, Saiki can both read her mind and know how full of herself she is, and can’t look at her actual body because he just sees muscles and bones most of the time. The fact that he’s the only man on Earth that could resist her charm drives Kokomi off the deep end. So she falls head over heels in love with Saiki, who on the other hand couldn’t be more indifferent if he tried.
2. Rio Futaba
Anime: Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai Rio’s story is just too real to pass up. As the story goes, a dude helps her out in her youth. And she starts developing feelings for him. However, Rio is plagued with self-doubt and hatred for her own body, resulting in her bottling it all in. The world is a cruel place, after all. And she soon develops a case of Adolescence syndrome and creates a double of Rio who’s more than happy to showcase her body and to go after the guy. But even this wasn’t enough to change the fact that the dude already had a girlfriend, and saw Rio as a friend. I merely skimmed over her story, there’s more to it for sure. And trust me, you’ll shed a tear upon watching it.
1. Ami Kawashima
Anime: Toradora! Right up at the top here, we have Ami. Toradora is basically friendzone central, as everyone in this anime manages to fall for the wrong person within the same friend group. I decided to give it to Ami, however, as she’s the only one left hanging until the very end. She had grown so accustomed to lying all the time that Ryuji felt like a safe haven for her. She could be honest when they were alone. But Ryuji also had to be honest to himself and chase after the tiny tsundere queen that we all know and love. Ami took the loss on the chin and didn’t make a fuss about it. But I definitely gave her a salute as she got her travel papers to the friendzone.
