Whether they help to move the plot forward, or to create conflict out of nowhere, they just keep on charging ahead without any regard for their safety (or even the safety of others). In this list I’ve curated some of the the most reckless and impulsive characters of them all, regardless of their purpose or archetype in their respective series. Well then, let’s get into it.
15. Hanamichi Sakuragi
Anime: Slam Dunk For our first entry we have the red-haired embodiment of teenage angst himself. Due to his father’s tragic death, this guy has had a pretty rough childhood. He often gets into fights and is treated as a troublemaker in school because of it. Worst yet, his hot temper and extreme competitiveness even extend to the hardcourt. At one point he was dubbed the “King of Fouls” due to how volatile he can be with other players. What’s admirable, however, is how he slowly but surely changed for the better as the show went on.
14. Bulma
Anime: Dragon Ball There are probably only a handful of women on Earth crazy enough to date someone like Vegeta knowing his previous deeds. But Bulma, given her unique character traits, could be considered the best among all of them. In the early days of the show we can already see just how driven Bulma is, and how far she’s willing to go for the things she wants. And sure enough, this carries into the present where she has already racked up quite a lot of reckless feats. What mere human would call Frieza an asshole right to his face, and lecture Beerus as if he was just a common housecat? Well, who else but Bulma?
13. Ban
Anime: Nanatsu no Taizai If you’re an immortal badass like this guy, who cares what problems you run into? It’s no secret that Ban has been one of the most interesting characters in this series, simply because of how he behaves. Sure he might get his limbs chopped off or get his entire skeletal system broken. But he’ll still go on and face any danger with a cocky grin on his face. Furthermore, when it comes to his friends and Elaine, he’s even willing to forsake this immortality of his. Ban might be too easy-going, and a bit of a danger-magnet at times. But you can’t deny the man has got his priorities straight.
12. Edward Elric
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Here we have Edward Elric, who started his series off with a very reckless act (to say the least). An act that made him and his brother pay dearly, so to speak, and had almost cost both of their lives. And although Ed did learn from his ignorance, his impulsivity (combined with his unshakable morals) remained as one of his few flaws throughout FMA. But much like most of the characters on this list, he did learn how to work around this problem as his story continued.
11. Saitama
Anime: One Punch Man How can someone who’s seemingly invincible and infallible be called reckless? The answer lies in his truly heroic yet still largely undiscussed past. We all know him as the Caped Baldy – who has never lost a fight. But we do see glimpses of who he was before he got ridiculously overpowered. His sheer stubbornness when it comes to fighting monsters stronger than him was even shown a few times in the series, and in the Road to Hero OVA. Interestingly enough, the fact that he fought so dangerously before his powers is considered by some anime fans to be the secret to his strength.
10. Rebecca Lee
Anime: Black Lagoon You can simp for her all you want, but this bombshell of a waifu is someone you do not want to piss off. Revy, plain and simple, is a badass chick who leads the Lagoon Company in the categories of sheer ferocity, rage, and bloodlust. She’s the main reason why the mercenary group is both feared and revered as a force to be reckoned with. Of course, her frequent outbursts and hotheadedness can also be a massive flaw in her line of work. Not only that, but man can she be a difficult person to talk to most of the time. Don’t believe me? Just ask Rock to see how much he’ll agree with this assessment.
9. Ichigo Kurosaki
Anime: Bleach Ichigo, for the most part, is a pretty reasonable and well-collected guy for a Shounen MC. The only problem is when he gets fired up in a fight, or when his friends are in grave danger. Put him in any of these two situations and his more reckless side comes out. And he isn’t the kind of guy that’s afraid to pile on injuries just to win a fight. So much so that at a critical point of the series, he even takes on a certain risk that most shinigami in his position wouldn’t be able to make, just to defeat Aizen.
8. Goku
Anime: Dragon Ball If every anime fan made a list of the biggest blockheads in anime, Goku would’ve 100% placed in top ten for all of them. All of his admirable traits aside, it’s no secret that Goku can be a bit of a dunce. Not only was he shown to be extremely naive plenty of times (i.e. almost sparing Frieza on Namek), he’s also very stubborn and would even fight to the death on any given day. After all, this is the same guy who straight up challenged both Frieza and Beerus, despite King Kai vehemently warning him not to.
7. Darkness
Anime: Kono Subarashii Shukufuku wo! As some of you might know, Lalatina has seen more than her fair share of problems throughout the show. Problems that could’ve been easily avoided, had she not been actively seeking them out But no, it can’t be that easy. After all, this seemingly upstanding and noble knight waifu is a pretty hardcore masochist. So much so that she actually likes getting surrounded and attacked by mobs of monsters. And at one point, she even saved Megumin from a curse that she enjoyed while it lasted.
6. Eren Yeager
Anime: Attack on Titan Although Eren grew up to be a calculative mastermind in the later episodes, you have to admit that he was far from it when the series began. In the first few episodes, he’s always carried intense anger for the titans for what they did to his mother and his friends. This rage clouded his judgment during his earlier conflicts, so much so that he’s found himself in a terrible situation more often than not. Luckily for him, he’s got that legendary [Plot Armor] ability that every reckless Shounen MC has. Otherwise, the series would’ve been over faster than Sasha ate her potatoes.
5. Monkey D. Luffy
Anime: One Piece There should be no question as to how far this pirate captain is willing to go for his crew. After all, the series has already shown this many times – and who knows how many more times we’ll see his dedication in the future. Luffy, despite being closely related to Goku when it comes to his naiveté, is a kind-hearted and likable MC through and through. He’s so stubborn and reckless that he wouldn’t even hesitate to risk his life for his crew – and sometimes even for people he barely knows. But then again, this problematic yet endearing trait is why his crew believes in him so much – to the point that they would do the same for him.
4. Izuku Midoriya
Anime: Boku no Hero Academia Recklessness and impulsivity often lead to self-destruction. Izuku, especially back when he lacked control using One For All, takes this saying way too literally. Never mind minor injuries — Izuku would even destroy all four limbs and even risk his life if it meant saving another person. He also engages with extremely dangerous villains regularly, even though he’d be much better off not doing so. Considering all this, for better or worse, Deku undoubtedly has the heart of a true hero who fights on regardless of what it costs him.
3. Naruto Uzumaki
Anime: Naruto Out of all the stubborn Shounen characters, Naruto might just be the one who represents the epitome of the genre’s MC archetype. Headstrong and loyal to a fault, it would be surprising to see Naruto not doing anything reckless every other episode. His strong adherence to his “Ninja Way” is highlighted through his selfless acts that are far too innumerable for me to list here. But of course, we all know that Naruto isn’t one to fold under the face of overwhelming danger. Instead, he thrives and learns from it. Truthfully, a large part of his development as a character comes from his willingness to put himself in these life-threatening situations, for better or worse.
2. Gon Freecss
Anime: Hunter X Hunter Gon might seem like the most innocent-looking character on this list at a glance… And in fact, he is. However, it’s that same child-like ignorance that made him lose control of his emotions more than once. This flaw became more apparent in the later arcs, where he almost got himself killed by trying to fight Pitou the first time they saw her, despite being clearly outmatched. Following Kite’s death (which he blames himself for), he only sank further into a darkened and clouded state of mind. And it all eventually led up to a sacrifice that he so recklessly made, just to kill Pitou and avenge his former teacher. In short, Gon might not always be able to save his friends. But you can be damn sure he’ll avenge them.
1. Mumen Rider
Anime: One Punch Man While you might be wondering why a side character made it to the very top of this list, the decision to place him here was actually pretty easy to make. After all, let’s think about it: What does every other character in this list have that Mumen doesn’t? Unlike them, he doesn’t have the power to back up his recklessness and utter lack of self-preservation. I’m fairly certain we can even consider him slightly suicidal with how little he cares about going against all the terrifying villains he’s faced. And all he has is his awesome Bicycle of Justice to uphold — well, justice in every way he can, which is about as sad as it is hilarious. But with Saitama around, who knows? Maybe that’s all he needs.
