Is it a medical professional, ready to help? Or a mad surgeon that wants your pretty eyes for his own? Well the world of anime has all that and more! In anime, medical professionals are often not specifically doctors, but healers. For example, you (probably) wouldn’t really call Orihime Inoue a doctor, would you? Same with my list here! In fact, some doctors aren’t even that. Faust is a doctor, but he is more akin to a pathologist than a healer. Operating on corpses isn’t exactly healing… right? Also, many doctors here are apparently psychopaths. Why? Presumably someone’s childhood visit to the dentist, who the heck knows. But let’s dive into this list and check out some of the most iconic doctors & healers in all of anime.
22. Hatori Soma
Anime: Fruits Basket Starting off we have a model and comparatively normal personal doctor: Hatori Soma. Soma has a case of hiding his personality and kindness behind a cold exterior, as to not “hurt others”. But behind the stone wall is a caring young man. Soma always puts others first, their happiness more important than his well-being. All in all, I like him! If he was more focused on medicine he’d be higher on the list, easily!
21. Akari
Anime: Karneval I never said their main defining feature couldn’t be “hot”, now did I? Akari is, well… a doctor and a researcher, and extremely rude and overbearing. But he does have a right to be a bit domineering, being designated important by the government after all. Akari is well-loved by some and well-hated by many. Which is comically shown in Karneval by the two nurse factions either hating or idolizing him. I’d rate him a pretty solid 7.5/10.
20. Rei Takashima
Anime: Deadman Wonderland Rei is a prison doctor. A profession I really wouldn’t be happy with. But she, on the other hand, enjoys it! She gets to do her favorite things, like dismembering dead men, torturing dead men, and other fun activities. At first glance, Rei is a quiet and composed person who genuinely likes helping people. But the moment she is in an operating room with a loser of the carnival corpse she lets out her sadistic side, gleefully removing parts from her captive…
19. Barazo Mankanshoku
Anime: Kill la Kill And here is the comedic aspect of being a doctor… if it’s really possible to cal Barazo a “doctor”. He is a back alley doctor, not really having a license or appropriate education. He even states himself that “I’ve killed more people than I’ve saved, and really, I don’t worry about it much”. Not a very reassuring thing to hear your surgeon say, eh? He’s also quite perverted, constantly peeping on the heroine in the bathroom. Still, he’s got some charm to him.
18. Emilia Kishitani
Anime: Durarara!! Whenever I read other fans mentioning anime doctors I often notice that they use Shinra Kishitani – Emilia’s son. But not once have I seen any appreciation for Emilia, which is quite unfortunate. Because she undeniably is an entertaining character! And okay I get it, but she literally paid Celty to allow her to perform an autopsy. I guess since Celty is a Dulahan it’s ok? Still incredibly weird. Quite a character nonetheless!
17. Suikotsu
Anime: InuYasha All of us know and love the trope of split personas. It’s in Deadman Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, all sorts of media! And here we have an example of two polar opposites sitting in one body: Suikotsu. Suikotsu’s two personalities are a doctor that cares for his village, and a blood-thirsty mercenary. Not the best combo. One of his personas is so kind that it saves war orphans. While the other tries hard to murder them. He’s a complex man.
16. Danny
Anime: Angel of Death Do you know what’s a big red flag on a first date? When someone attempts to take your lifeless eyeballs. That’d be one for me. Danny is a psychiatrist but in my humble opinion, he isn’t a very good one. I don’t believe one bit that taking my eyes will encourage me to stop stitching perished birds together no matter what you tell me! But I guess it’s because of his trauma… He needs a doctor himself, eh.
15. Masahito Date
Anime: Btooom! Now this guy’s just a jerk. He’s a jerk, but still astonishingly fun to watch. Seemingly the only reason I watched Btooom! completely is this lad. Date is a remarkably manipulative womanizer. He uses people to no end, only to (sometimes literally) throw them away after he’s done. The reason people still follow(ed) him is his outwards “friendly” persona that he upheld for his benefit… All in all, Date is just a fun jerk. Fun to watch, not fun to have around in real life.
14. Nurse Joy
Anime: Pokémon So I trust everyone watched Pokémon as a kid, and/or played the games (I’ve personally played through all of them). And hopefully all of us know the recurring joke of Nurse Joy and her many extremely identical sisters. She is not exactly a doctor, but isn’t she though? Nurse Joy is a great… vet, I guess? Can’t tell, do Pokémon have veterinarians or doctors? Well she’s kinda both! Nurse Joys also have a lot of personalities, even though similar, so it’s kind of possible to differentiate them… I think.
13. Angelina Dalles
Anime: Black Butler Angelina Dalles, also known as Madam Red, is a doctor and a serial killer. She is lightly psychotic and took the name “Jack the Ripper” in her killing spree. Angelina, together with Grell Sutcliff, removed organs from their victims. Thus “The ripper” But she was a doctor. And not to inflict pain, but genuinely because she wanted to help. She stated that it was to “one day finally cure my condition” – Asthma. Madam Red loved Ciel’s father, although sadly, onesided.
12. Ōgai Mori
Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs Like all characters in BSD, Mori is named after a real historical figure. But unlike the others, he wasn’t named after a literary genius. Nope. He’s named after a Japanese surgeon instead. Mori is closer to a computer than to a human. All of his actions decided by optimal choices, and not what’s best for everyone. That means that he will even abuse his subordinates (the mafia) to meet his goals. Quite a crafy dude.
11. Isshin Kurosaki
Anime: Bleach Now this loveable goof is finally someone who’s not gory and dark, like previous entries. Isshin is a doctor and the previous captain of the 10th division of Gotei 13. He is also the caring father of our favorite strawberry and his two little sisters. Isshin always appears aloof and slightly idiotic, but he’s actually very smart and capable. Especially since he has the power to easily rival or even overpower most of the Gotei 13 captains. But still, in my heart, he’s just a loving father.
10. Toshio Ozaki
Anime: Shiki Toshio is the best example of a normal doctor we have here. He’s serious, slightly sarcastic, and humorous. He cares deeply for his work. An all-around great guy! The only downside is his desire to eradicate the Shiki. But oh well, happens to the best of us – no one’s safe!
9. Daedalus Yumeno
Anime: Ergo Proxy A sad story of a sad individual. That was the life of Yumeno. He is the chief physician leading his team, and the Director of the Division of Health and Welfare. Greatness was waiting, but his mental health deteriorated over time. Thus resulting in him losing his once cheerful and happy temperament, and abandoning all hope for the world. Yeah this got dark fast… He was like the Daedalus of myths with his creation (the Re-l) as the last thing he sees is it burning in the sun.
8. Tony Tony Chopper
Anime: One Piece The purest and most naive member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Tony is the on-board medic having trained on Drum Island. He is a cute reindeer that ate a devil fruit which allowed him to speak, and even transform into a human! Tony is also often mistaken for the Straw Hat Pirates pet, so he has a bounty of 100 berries. Also, his fur is very soft… as stated by multiple female characters over and over. I’d pet him.
7. Akiko Yosano
Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs A second entry from the Bungo Stray Dogs Universe, Yosano has way more potent healing abilities. Where Mori is a trained doctor, Yosano can actually heal any injury. Even those unfixable by normal means. Crazy! Along with Osamu Dazai, she was abused by Mori (what a prick) until she couldn’t endure it. On the brighter side, she’s an extreme shopaholic, often making her coworkers carry ridiculous amounts of clothes for her. She is highly regarded as an angel.
6. Johann Faust VIII
Anime: Shaman King This man tried and failed to defy mortality. And now he yearns for a second chance… poetic, don’t you think? Faust is a shaman, and his spirit is the soul of his dead girlfriend Elize. In a typical fantasy setting, you’d call him a necromancer I guess. Even so, he’s a great doctor too. And he’s able to complete an operation quickly. Something that would normally require several days, he can do in under an hour, just to show how capable of helping Yoh he is.
5. Franken Stein
Anime: Soul Eater Unlike the name of both the show and of Franken himself, he is a nice dude. If only a bit bonkers. He’s very much insane, and his methods are… less than desirable. But he is still very compassionate and friendly, quite an upstanding doctor if I may say so. He likes to turn the bolt in his head as it “Helps him think”. I wouldn’t want that thing anywhere near my head! Also Stein is also very eccentric, and Maka’s father’s first primary meister – now those are connections!
4. Shou Tucker
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist I kinda think everyone universally hates this guy. He killed his wife and mutated his daughter. He messed up EVERYTHING. So, why is he so high on the list? Well, that’s precisely the reason. The character is written so unbelievably well, that we hated him. He was realistic. We could feel his actions, and their consequences. And most anime fans still have PTSD when they hear “Ed…ward…”. He is a prime example of how to write a villain! Fascinating stuff.
3. Tsunade
Anime: Naruto Everyone knows Naruto. Even if you haven’t seen it you most certainly know something about it. Well Tsunade is the most iconic healer in Naruto, and certainly one of the most well-known in anime. She’s one of the Sanin, a gambler, the 5th Hokage, and a lot of other things. But really what we’re after here are her unrivaled healing abilities. And oh boy does she have some healing prowess! Her ultimate healing ability can instantly heal any wound by utilizing her vast chakra. Modern day doctors would love this.
2. Kenzo Tenma
Anime: Monster Here we have Kenzo Tenma, one of the most iconic medical workers in anime. He was first a neurosurgeon and a rising star, and all seemed to guarantee his success. But then after an unfortunate misjudgment of managing patients, he was unable to operate on some and the man died. God, that’s depressing, ain’t it? Well, how did he deal with that grief? After the whole incident he… actually, it’ll be better to go watch it yourself here. I won’t spoil you anymore!
1. Kuroo Hazama
Anime: Black Jack And in our number one spot we have Black Jack himself. Probably unsurprising to most of you, this extremely iconic man is the unlicensed surgeon from the “Black Jack” series. Why would people come to him if he doesn’t have a license? Well, just because he’s the best surgeon in the world! Easy reason enough right? Although he does have ridiculous fees that put even American healthcare to shame! But gosh darnit if he isn’t one of the best doctors in all of anime. And with that, well that’s my list! Thanks for reading, Ja ne~
